Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog

Solage Calistoga Wedding by Angie Silvy Photography

Dawn — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:00:43 +0000

We’re jump starting the weekend here on SMP California with this beyond breathtaking Solage Calistoga affair and the world’s most adorable English Bulldog, Cupcake. (Seriously. Adorable.) And when you feast your eyes upon the plethora of preppy chic details crafted by Aloe Events, the uber-fabulous paper goods created by Mr. Boddington Studio and one pair of very, very gorgeous sparkly Loubs, you’ll be swooning all the way through Monday. Angie Silvy Photography was there to capture each and every brilliant moment and, oh, is there so much more pretty to be seen. Plus, did I mention the world’s most adorable English Bulldog, Cupcake? Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Douglas and I had several mutual friends and spent most of one summer conveniently running into each other at dinners, street festivals and sailing trips on the bay. After several months of seeing each other around town, we were both invited to spend a week in Costa Rica to celebrate a friend’s passing the Bar. After spending that week together we were inseparable. Four years later Douglas proposed at one of our favorite places in San Francisco, Chrissy Field, by tying the ring to our english bulldog Cupcake’s collar and sending her running towards me.

When we began thinking about where we wanted to be married the two things that were most important to us were finding a location where all of our friends and family could come and celebrate a long weekend and, being able to have Cupcake take part in all the festivities. We had stayed at Solage Calistoga a few times and after visiting and seeing a wedding taking place we knew it would be perfect.

Douglas and I are both pretty preppy and love navy and white together so I wanted to incorporate those colors into all aspects of the wedding. My jumping off point in choosing the pinks and greens to complement the navy came from my save the dates which were from Mr. Boddington, my favorite paper of all time! I also have a slight obsession with ribbon and tied it around everything I possibly could!

Our wedding weekend went off without a hitch. We had all of our friends and family members join us at Solage where we kicked off the weekend with welcome cocktail reception on Friday night and a leisurely day by the pool before our ceremony on Saturday afternoon. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect (a big relief after the previous week’s heat wave), and our friends and family were able to take advantage of everything to do at the Solage, as well as taking beach cruisers from the resort to explore wine country.

Our ceremony was short and mixed traditional vows with some of our own words for a personal touch. Also, we made sure that Cupcake was fully involved in the ceremony as she walked down the aisle with the maid of honor and got to exit leading the way for us! Following the ceremony everyone enjoyed drinks on the lawn before moving indoors for dinner and dancing. The weekend was perfect and accomplished our goal of creating a fun, relaxed, yet classic wedding for us, our friends and family to enjoy.

Wedding Photography: Angie Silvy Photography / Flowers: Passiflora Designs / Event Design: Got Light? / Event Planning: Aloe Events / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Location: Solage Calistoga / Wedding Invitations: Mr. Boddington Studio / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Wedding Dress: Amsale / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aloe Events, Amsale, Angie Silvy Photography, Bow Ties, California Weddings, Christian Louboutin, Got Light, Mr. Boddington, Navy Blue, Passiflora Designs, Pink, Preppy Chic, Preppy Wedding, Solage Calistoga, White, Wine Country Party & Events
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Napa Valley Weddings

Intimate Farmington Country Wedding from IRIS Photography

Mallory — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:15:50 +0000

There is something so peaceful and beautiful about this Connecticut country wedding, and I am eating it right up. It’s the perfect piece of calm beauty to spend all Friday afternoon soaking up, recharging before the weekend. I absolutely love the intimate love that shines through every one of IRIS Photography‘s fantastic photos. This is just one of those weddings that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside from all the love, commitment, and romance. And those adorable bow ties aren’t too bad to look at either! Click here for the full image gallery.

We met our senior year of high school, in a college interview for FIT. We actually did not get the best first impressions of each other during this meeting! But we both enrolled at FIT and ironically had most of our classes together our first semester and ended up becoming friends. After a lengthy pursuit by Price, we started dating at the beginning of our Sophomore year.

Price proposed in Central Park by the pond. It was an intimate proposal, just the two of us. After the proposal we sat on a bench overlooking the pond and soaked in the moment. Then we made our way to a photography gallery, the union square farmers market, and our favorite ice cream shop. It was all very casual but we spent it doing the things we loved to do together.

We wanted everything to be really personal and really reflect our personalities and our styles. We tried to use a lot of local suppliers, such as the jam favors. We decided to cut a pie instead of a cake as were both not huge cake fans. And the pies that we offered were gluten free and vegan.

We decided to display our flowers in mason jars as we thought they would be a little more casual and rustic than traditional vases. We also wanted to keep the floral arrangements on a smaller scale so that the guests didn’t feel blocked and were able to easily talk to other people at their table. Some things we struggled to find what we were looking for, such as the table numbers, so we actually made them ourselves. Price really likes to wear bow ties and wanted to find a special one for the event. He found a cool company that makes limited runs out of vintage fabrics, and they had just enough fabric in the pattern he liked to make two, one for him and one for the best man!

We actually first found Iris Photography on Style Me Pretty! After looking at the blog and galleries, we knew they would be perfect. We wanted a more photo journalistic style that would allow for more candid’s and less posed shots. This allowed our natural feelings to come through in the photographs. Now when we look at the pictures we can really remember how we felt.

It was just such a happy day and I don’t think well ever forget how it felt! Everything just seemed to come together so perfectly from the weather to all of our personal touches.

Photography: IRIS Photography / Venue: Apricots, Farmington CT / Bowties: Forage / Florals: Lane and Lenge / Pies: Dee’s One Smart Cookie / Bride’s Dress: Nicole Miller / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Shoes: Pelle Moda and Kate Spade / Hair: Defining Styles / Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Entertainment: The Hartt School / DJ: Connecticut DJ

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Apricots, Birds, Bow Ties, Casual Elegance, Connecticut, DIY Projects, Farmington, forage, IRIS Photography, Jewish Wedding, Neutral Color Palette, Outdoor Ceremony, Restaurant Venue, Vintage Cars
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Bow Tie Round-up from XOELLE

Emilia Jane — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:16 +0000

Bow ties are having a moment right now and I couldn’t be more thrilled. These adorable accessories aren’t just for the ring bearers anymore either. I love to see a groom get a little daring and don some funky neck wear. Why should the bride have all the fun with her outfit? A bow tie is quite versatile and can work with any wedding style. It can be sophisticated and dapper as we saw in this elegant New Haven affair. It can be quirky and whimsical like in the Wizard of Oz-inspired photo shoot. And, of course, it can be totally dreamy and romantic like this amazing Brooklyn bridal shoot over on the New York Weddings blog! It doesn’t even need to be worn on a neck but can be used as decor as well like we saw in this adorable no-sew bow tie DIY project! I got in touch with one of my favorite bow tie creators, XOELLE, who just happens to live in destination wedding heaven – Honolulu, Hawaii. She shared with us a few of her favorite neck accessories and some tips on planning a wedding away from home.

What do you do, how long have you been doing it and what makes you awesome?

I make bow ties out of vintage neckties and second-hand clothing. They are sentimental, fun, and totally rad- just like the story of how I sarted making them. It goes like this: I started collecting vintage neckties in high school that I planned to gift to my future husband. When I did meet Mr. Right he was wearing a bow tie, which is what motivated my “yes” response to his first date request. After we were married I converted the whole lot of neckties to bow ties and have been happily churning them out in my little online shop for 3 years, almost the same amount of time that we’ve been married.

What sets Hawaii weddings apart from weddings anywhere else?

There is no place in the world like Hawaii. It is magical. The locale is enough to make Hawaii the perfect place to get married- the beaches are lovely, the breezes and the flowers are divine, and the people are so happy to share the island with newlyweds!

What kind of weddings do you love the most and what is your favorite trend right now?

I love handmade weddings- the ones where the bride’s sister made the cake, her cousin did the flowers, and her and her bridesmaids stayed up late making all of the placecards for the table. I love weddings that are outdoors and are first and foremost celebrations. I love when the couple really takes the time to make the event meaningful for their guests and family. This list could be really long because I just flat-out love weddings. My favorite trend has to be all of the vintage elements and mixing and matching that is going on- like letting bridesmaids wear a dress they choose in a cohesive palette, serving the guests their wedding cake on an assortment is vintage china, and mixing florals and stripes and polka dots in the decor (I am not big on matchy-matchy in most cases). And, of course, the resurgance of bow ties as something fresh and fun, even for casual weddings.

What is your biggest piece of advice for people planning a wedding?

Delegate. When I got married a wanted to make everything (and I mean everything- tableclothes, photo booth, wedding dress, garlands, invitations, centerpieces, the band’s playlist…) because I was worried that someone else would get a detail wrong- but it meant that I didn’t get to everything and some of the most important pieces were completely left out. Our families and friends are capable and they are usually just waiting for the opportunity to be a part of our once-in-a-lifetime day. Delegate the list to the capable hands of the trusted people in your circle!

Guys, if you’re having a little trouble tying the knot check out this great resource on how to tie a bow tie! And, girls, bow ties don’t have to be just for the boys anymore! Forage has an amazing new summer collection of bow ties just for the ladies!

Bow ties: XOELLE

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Accessories, Bow Ties, Destination, Fashion, forage, groom, Hawaii, honolulu, xoelle
Post categories: Destination Weddings, Round-Ups

The Groom ~ Connecticut Wedding From Justin & Mary Marantz

Eddye — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:47:35 +0000

It’s Friday! And bloggers do fun stuff on Friday’s, right?… Friday finds and Friday follows are super … but Friday friends are best!

OK, so we didn’t exactly find the Marantz’ … but we do count them as friends!

This is straight up, off their website …

A chill New England wind blew in out of the south and waded its way through a mire of blue-gray fog … she pulled her veil close around her and stood quietly in the background. She didn’t have to be there. Didn’t have to wait. Her pictures were finished and she could’ve gone inside among the warm glow of friends & family. But she just smiled as she quietly declined. “I’ll wait for him.”

She’d been waiting for somebody like him her whole life. Someone who would love her with his whole heart and take care of her the way that she knew she would always take care of him. Someone who takes her hand when she’s getting out of a car and holds her just a little tighter when they dance. Someone who would love not only her, but her whole family as if they were his own. A comfort in the quiet, a compass in the storm. And today, more than any day, she knew that she had found him. See, she didn’t have to be there. Didn’t have to wait. But somewhere along the line she decided, “I’ll wait for him.”

Married: Joe & Jenna

Jenna & Joe were married at the beautiful Black Rock Yacht Club with the help of the amazing Traci Romano Events and Katherine Jacob of KD&J Botanica. And they got the coolest day EVER with all this crazy beautiful fog. ‘Cause as any photographer will tell you, we’ll take clouds and fog over bright sun any day!! So as you will very soon see why, I think their whole day felt like one big ongoing Ralph Lauren ad. Yea, it was nautical yumminess at its finest! First up, Justin went to hang with the guys and got some of my favorite guys getting ready shots…ummm… EVER:

Nobody tells a story better than Mary & Justin Marantz … their images, their words … the best!

More of the story … tomorrow!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black Lake Yacht Club, Bow Ties, Bridgeport, Color Palette Navy, Connecticut, Getting Ready, groom, Gucci, Justin & Mary Marantz, Men's Attire, New England, Polka Dots
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

Real Wedding: Lindsey and Grayson at Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Eddye — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:00:46 +0000

We have a such a charming wedding to get your inspirational juices flowing this bright and brisk Saturday morning! So let’s get straight to it …

From the beautiful bride, Lindsey …

“Grayson and I decided that we wanted to spend our entire wedding day together, so instead of bucking the tradition of waiting to see each other, we chose to have our wedding ceremony at 12 noon. This posed only a slight problem for the guys, the North Carolina humidity on an August afternoon. Seersucker suits were key.”

“We were married in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, our beloved college town where Grayson was still in law school. For Grayson and me, the ceremony was the most important aspect of our wedding day and we wanted to make it very personal. My brother was my “man of honor” while Grayson’s brothers and father served as “best men.” We included all of our best friends in our wedding party and it really felt that they were there supporting and rooting for us. Grayson’s only requests were bowties, his signature look, and a gospel choir. They sang “They sang ‘Oh Happy Day’ as we were pronounced husband and wife and everyone danced and clapped and sang their way out of the church. It was truly a celebration!

The reception was held at the historic Carolina Inn which was only a few blocks from the church. We had trolleys take our guests back and forth to avoid the summer humidity. Cocktail hour was all southern-cuisine with a twist with Mojitios served as our signature drink. We danced to a classic beach music band, The Attractions, ate Shrimp and Grits, and ended our reception only to have an after party at Top of the Hill, another nostalgic Chapel Hill landmark where Grayson and I met.

Because I knew it was going to be sweltering hot, (100 degrees that day!) my aunt and I created a short linen dress for me to change into. We left in a pedicab, rode around while people cheered, and enjoyed the late afternoon as newlyweds.”

Now doesn’t Lindsey and Grayson’s enthusiasm just put a big ol’ smile on your face !?

A big thank-you to Joey Seawell Photography for providing us with these great shots of Lindsey & Grayson’s wedding.

Lindsey is the event coordinator at the Bald Head Island Golf Club, one of our fabulous Little Black Book members in North Carolina. If you are thinking that you’d love a destination wedding, right here on our own home turf, you really ought to check out Bald Head Island Golf Club. They’re located on the southernmost of North Carolina’s cape islands, accessible only by passenger ferry or private boat … no cars and no crowds. The island boasts 14 miles of gorgeous beaches, thousands of acres of protected salt marshes, and a spectacular expanse of maritime forest. Apparently, Bald Head Island a “one-of-a-kind destination”. Sounds just about perfect. Tell Lindsey you saw her wedding on Style Me Pretty and we’re sure, she’ll help you plan the most perfect destination wedding imaginable!

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bald Head Island Club, Bow Ties, carolina inn, chapel hill, Color Palette Pink Navy, North Carolina
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance