Elle and Todd were married this spring at The Green Uptown in Charlotte, NC. Their gray, pink, fuschia, purple {and every shade in-between} color palette was their inspiration and boy did they run with it! What a perfect palette for oodles and oodles of rose petals, crystals and orchids …

… not to mention a clear tent, silver chivari chairs, stunning linens and … well, you get the picture!

From Courtenay at Weddings And The City …

Elle had envisioned her wedding day all of her life! She knew exactly what she wanted! The BIG day took place in uptown Charlotte, at The Green, with the ceremony on the top tier, cocktail hour on the middle tier and the reception on the bottom tier in a clear top tent. Although Mother Nature worked against us most of the day, it stopped just in time for the ceremony and held off during the reception. It was absolutely gorgeous and full of color!

Elle, today’s beautiful bride, was raised by her grandparents. She knew that someday, somehow, she would find that same true love that they had shared ~ a love filled with absolute care and respect. She vowed to settle for nothing less.  After her grandfather passed away, her devotion to her grandmother and her dream to find the same kind of love that her grandparents had shared, eventually led her to Todd.

from the lovely bride, Elle …

I know it sounds cliché, but I knew from the first moment we locked eyes that we had a connection. Todd is everything and more I could have ever hoped for. Todd is my fairytale ending and one of the most amazing people I have ever met.

We thank both of you, Elle & Todd for reminding us that old-fashioned love and devotion still rules! And thanks to Kristin, Courtenay (WATC) and all of the other fabulous vendors who helped this day become Elle & Todd’s fairy-tale day come true!

Special thanks to Tara Mauldin Photography and Savannah Strickland Photography.

Please visit Kristin Vining’s blog, as well as the Weddings And the City blog to see the full list of vendors for Elle and Todd’s wedding.

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Post tags: Bouquets, Charlotte, Cigars, Dancing Shoes, Fuschia, Kristin Vining, North Carolina, Orchids, Pink, Purple, Ring Pillow, Rose Petals, Savannah Strickland Photography, Tara Mauldin Photography, Tented Reception, The Green Uptown, Weddings And The City
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Color Palettes, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography

She and Ryan asked 30 of their closest friends and family to fly to New York with them to celebrate their marriage in Central Park!

The morning of the wedding, Melane’s bridesmaids were busily putting the flowers together while hair, make-up and the final details were being attended to …

Meanwhile, at Camp Ryan …

… and then the final reveal … that romantic “first look”…

Melane and Ryan headed outside into the hustle and bustle of New York City for a flurry of photos to commemorate the day.

And then onto their final destination … Central Park. But first, a few more pre-wedding shots from Britney and Joe of turn loose the art …

What an unbelievably pretty wedding venue!!

Wow!

And then off ~ in true New York style ~ to an intimate dinner at Sarabeth’s Central Park South.

Britney asked Melane what the best part about the whole day was. She replied, “Saying the vows we wrote to each other … and involving our family and friends in the ceremony. My sister and brother-in-law led us in the traditional vows as we repeated after them and a friend officiated.”

Ryan and Melane’s wedding came in right around $8000 … a perfect example of how to pull-off a budget wedding in high style!  Our best wishes to you both!

***

Thanks SO much to the very talented team at turn loose the art.  The front page of their website says, “There is art in your life.” SO true. And these two truly know how to capture it!

{ps … Congrats on the 1st place at the ISPWP contest in the Reception~Dancing category! Personally, though, I loved the Kids Will Be Kids 5th place winner!}

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Post tags: Bouquets, Central Park, Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Tree, ISPWP Contest Winner, Lasting Bridal Couture, New York City, Pronovias, Ruthy's Bakery, San Patrick, Sarabeth's, Turn Loose The Art, Warwick Hotel
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography

Photography by Denise Krieger

We first featured Hana Floral Design as a member of Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book this week on Katie and Colin’s over-the-top gorgeous wedding shot by the J&M Marantz team. When we first saw the floral details of their wedding, well, we just had to ask Yumiko to send us more photos from some of her other special events. The bio on her website says she has a flair for the dramatic … and … she’s a classically trained opera singer. Wow!

Photography by Maggie Conley

When we saw this next glam bouquet, we immediately recognized it! Our friend, and fellow Little Black Book member, Karen Wise, photographed this wedding that we’d already admired on HER blog.  Karen sent us some more of Deb and Jack’s wedding with added evidence of Yumiko’s floral artistry. Have you ever seen such elaborate bouquets??

Karen’s weddings are always gorgeous, but this wedding with it’s Jade accents against the lush purple florals, well…it’s simply lovely!

Thanks so much to Yumiko for sharing these unbelievably beautiful samples of your work. We are thrilled to share your creations with all of our design savvy readers!

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Post tags: Bouquets, Color Palette Pink, Denise Krieger, Emerald Green, Hana Floral Design and Boutique, Jade, Justin Marantz, Karen Wise, Maggie Conley, Pug
Post categories: Bouquets, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Flowers

Materials

tissue paper cut in 1”x3” rectangles
floral wire and tape
ink or watercolors (optional)

Instructions

1. The first step optional step is to dye your tissue paper to the color of your choice. Just dip several rectangles of white tissue paper in a thin watercolor bath, and dry on paper towels. For deeper colors, you use ink instead of watercolor. Only separate the layers when dry. You can also use colored tissue paper, but this lets you have subtle shade variations, and exactly the palette you want.

2. Twist both sides of the tissue rectangle around a small ball to form a petal (I’ve used a ball of tissue paper scraps wrapped in floral tape). The tissue should be big enough to cover the ball halfway through. You can use smaller balls with larger rectangles, and vice-versa, to vary the flower sizes.

3. Make five of these, and glue them together with a dab of acrylic medium to form a flower (Elmer’s glue would probably work fine too).

4. Attach a floral wire with floral tape to your flower, then cut the twisted ends near the end of the petal.

Repeat to form a bouquet or boutonnière (~15-20 flowers for a smallish bouquet, 1-3 for a boutonnière) With experience, a single flower takes about 10 minutes to make, from start to finish.

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Post tags: Bouquets, DIY Instructions, Martha Stewart, Paper Flowers
Post categories: Contests, DIY Projects, Wedding Resources

Fleur couture. In addition to deriving inspiration from history and nature, French florists are influenced by haute couture fashion, which creates incredible excitement and innovation in their designs. In my strolls through the Parisian fashion district, I noted how the new trends – structured, architectural shapes, strong, primary colors, exquisite hand-detailing (ruffles, layers, pleats), etc. will provide rich inspiration for nouvelle bouquets this season. To create the fleur couture style, use fashion-forward colors in chic monochromatic combinations, incorporate layers of textures (including a variety of natural materials), and add special flourishes and finishing touches (plaid ribbons, tweed wraps, jewel accents) fresh from the fashion runways.

More to come!

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Post tags: Bouquets, Interieurs et Fleurs, Paris, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Bouquets

Thank you so much to Kiki for sharing her big day with us! It looks like wedding planning might be in your future! And to Ingrid at Myrtle and Marjoram for sending us the insanely gorgeous images. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Ingrid’s work, she is a must-have for any wedding. She also has tons of awe inducing inspiration on her website and her beautiful blog.

One last note…we have received a lot of inquiries about the gorgeous ribbon balls that Kiki crafted. She is going to send us a step-by-step DIY in a couple of weeks when she is back at home with all of her supplies, but in the meantime, you can shoot her an email for more info owl{at}happykoogether{dot}com. Also, check out the cute website that Kiki made for her wedding!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beaux Gateaux, Bouquets, DIY Projects, Myrtle & Marjoram Photography, Ribbon ball, Violetta's Flowers
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

The oh-so-talented vendors that put this wedding together were…Katie Moos(the incredible photographer that sent the images to me, Rebecca at Duet Weddings, Pure Joy Catering, Hair and Make-Up by The Studio Agency and Cake by Montecito Confections

I love the sweet sophistication of this affair. From the bride’s gorgeous accessories, to the feminine flowers and the pretty shawls, every detail was thoughtfully executed. Thank you so much to Angelina, Christopher and Katie Moos for sharing!

Oh and just a little tip…I have a chandelier that is SO similar to the one at the top of the page. I got it at a Kirkland Home for about $30, then spray painted it white. Such a pretty and inexpensive way to add a bit of charm to your wedding.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bouquets, Chandelier, Duet Weddings, Katie Moos, Montecito Confections, Pure Joy Catering, Shawls, The Studio Agency
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

I am obsessed with those earrings. If you haven’t already, check out Twist Style (the source for the jewelry)…they have some great options!

Thank you so much to Amanda Kraft for sharing this gorgeous wedding!! I love the sweet simplicity of the affair and the overall elegance that seems to pour through every element. And to the bride and groom…congratulations on an absolutely beautiful day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Accessories, Amanda Kraft, Bouquets, Twist Style, Wedding Details, Wedding Hair
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Traditional Elegance

The oh-so-talented team at Holland Photo Arts (Anne and Bill Holland) have sent me tons of great photos and details from this wedding that I will post later today.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bouquets, Holland Photo Arts, Photography
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Wedding Photography

To Make These Invitations…

Supplies bought at Archiver’s, The Photo Memory Store, Donahue Paper Emporium, Michael’s

Supplies Used:
Curious Metallic Paper in Galvanized
Neenah Paper in Red Linen, White Linen, Black Linen
Wonder Tape
Tombo Mono Adhesive
Epson Stylus Photo 1400
Fiskars Paper Trimmer
Marvy Circle Punch
EK Success Circle Cutter
Fonts: Goudy Old Style and Porcelain

Choose a size that is cost effective and will allow you to get the most cuts out of a sheet of paper without a lot of paper waste.

Print the pieces of the invitations at home on a nice color printer which will allow you to add color to the invitations without having to pay a lot for color prints from a professional printer.

Take stacks of paper to a place like Kinko’s or Office Depot that can cut through a whole stack of paper at once.

My invites were made by using two sheets of red paper per invitation. One sheet was scored like a gatefold. The other was scored in half with a triangle cut out from one side. This piece was then glued to the right side flap of the first piece to create a pocket.

I designed the pieces in the pocket so the were each 1/2 inch wider so they would stack and the titles on each card could be read.

I created a band with a circle that had the wedding date on it which slid over the invitation to keep it shut and flat.

***

I’m not sure that I have seen anything quite this cute in a long time…this DIY Cake Topper was created by the groom, inspired by the couple themselves…the first pictures shows the couple so that you can see the likeness in the cartoon cake topper…

Instructions on Making the Cake Topper…

This cake topper is based on a sketch my husband does of us when we sign christmas cards, or send out notes to people. All of our friends and family know of the sketch, and so we thought it would be a lot of fun to transform it into a “3-D” version!

The materials used were polymer clay (sculpey & fimo brand), a wood base, wooden skewers, and a miniature veil. Everything was purchased at a local craft store, with the exception of the skewers which we had in the kitchen drawer. The veil was a scrapbooking accessory that happen to be sized perfectly for my miniature self.

My husband modeled each figure by hand in seperate pieces… head, bouquet, body, etc… and then used a wooden skewer to hold us together. The assembled brid and groom were baked in our home oven according to the directions on the clay package. We then used tacky glue to secure them to the wooden base.

I would suggest to anyone that models their own topper to start early! We procrastinated big time, and it was a bit stressful for us the weeks before the wedding. Also, communicate with your bakery before you start. You will want the topper to fit on the top tier of your cake! Our’s didn’t, oops. You should also inform them that the topper is much heavier than a standard topper so they can prepare the cake structurally!

***

These Origami Bouquets and Boutonnieres are so insanely creative, I am 100% convinced that the bride should be doing this professionally. I wouldn’t have thought to extend the origami into the bouquets, but she has pulled it off so beautifully, you don’t even miss the real flowers!

To Make the Origami Bouquets…

To make each bridesmaid bouquet, I made 6 origami lilies in 3 different shades of 150mm blue origami paper. I made 3 buds, and 14 leaves using instructions from a book of origami flowers. I also made 7 “bead sticks” per bouquet which were pieces of silver wire, threaded with beads in different shades of blue, clear and white. I attached each flower and bud, along with their leaves to a green floral wire stem with craft glue and brown floral tape.

I held the bouquet in front of a mirror to arrange the flowers, and then wrapped the entire arrangement in wire which was then covered with glue to hold them in place. The glue and wire were covered with bows of brown and blue ribbon which hung down.

More to come later today!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2007. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bouquets, Cake Toppers, Origami, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: DIY Projects