Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica from Buzz Media Company on Vimeo.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Event Design & Planning: Jubilee Events / Model Styling & Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cinematography: Buzz Media / Beauty: DD Nickel / Ceremony + Reception Location: Los Suenos Resort, Costa Rica / Furniture & Rentals: Eventos Boadicea / Invitations: Posh Paperie / Shoes: Zappos / Linens: Gala Cloths / Ring Bowl & Ribbon: Paloma’s Nest / Calligraphy: Primele / Jewelry: Ben-Amun / Paper Flower Garlands: Kate’s Paperie

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Post tags: Ben-Amun, Buzz Media, Carla Ten Eyck, CGala Cloths, Costa Rica, DD Nickel Beauty, Eventos Boadicea, Jubilee Events, Kate’s Paperie, Los Suenos Resort, Paloma’s Nest, Posh Paperie, Primele, The White Dress By The Shore, Zappos
Post categories: Photo Shoot, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details

You can click here for even more!

Before our actual shoot happened and was in motion I tried very hard not to have any preconceived ideas as to what I wanted to do or not do. I wanted to wait and see where we ended up- be it the rainforest or the black sand beaches of Playa Hermosa and let my surroundings inspire how I would photograph Michelle and Alejandro. Lucky for me these two were such naturals in front of my camera and so in love – for the most part I let that dictate a lot of the feel that I was going for in my images- and let the story line come naturally. We had a variety of weather that day – and I used it all to help set the tone but really and truly it was Michelle and Alejandro’s clear, obvious love that came through- whether we were shooting in the sun or the bone drenching rain!

My favorite image is from what we all thought would be the end of our shoot for the day- the skies had opened up and everyone scurried about packing the vans, stowing the musicians and instruments- and Michelle and Alejandro had already fled to the top of the beach to leave. I stopped them and, well since they were already soaking wet? I just had them enjoy being with each other, all wet and in fancy clothes! Michelle’s makeup held up PERFECTLY- and everything just jumps out of the frame at you- their skin tones, the drops of water all over them, the way Alejandro’s white linen shirt just clings to him… it’s all natural, real and completely romantic! –From Carla Ten Eyck, photographer

So much of the landscape in Costa Rica is dense and lush with saturated tropical colors and thick, waxy flowers — this beach was the antithesis of that – breezy and simplistic. i knew the florals needed to be a reflection of that. Most exciting to me was having the opportunity to work with new flowers — many that i’d seen only in photographs, still more that i couldn’t even identify! I chose to create bouquets that moved in the wind – a cascade for our bride and a fan bouquet for her maid. The inspiration for the floral jewelry came from the turquoise stones offset with shades of orange and yellow croton foliage and green shampoo ginger. Local fruits became the focus of the florals for our tablescape – melons and oranges simply accented with braided palm fronds. Fan palm provided just the right touch for the chair backs and gorgeous yellow and green flax foliage (clipped from the back yard of our posh accommodations!) accented the large driftwood pieces used to mark our ceremony. My favorite part of this shoot, as always, was the collaboration between the incredible group of artists and visionaries. — From Tony Palmieri of Datura: A Modern Garden

We absolutely loved being a part of this innovative & inspiring shoot – with such an amazingly talented group of people.  Candice is really the one who came up with the inspiration board & colors that she wanted to incorporate. We took her initial storyboard and ran with it! We came up with a fun and funky pattern to use on several of the pieces– and designed an adorable “postcard style” save the date. The mustard yellow and moss green were a perfect combination for all of the paper goods – and the mix of a funky script with a block font made for a clean but fun look. To incorporate the “beachy” aspect, we pulled in shells filled with moss for the placecards to rest in. This was one of our  favorite shoots ever to be a part of! Thanks to the amazing team who made it come to life. — From Elizabeth Seaton of Posh Paperie

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Event Design & Planning: Jubilee Events / Model Styling & Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cinematography: Buzz Media / Beauty: DD Nickel / Ceremony + Reception Location: Los Suenos Resort, Costa Rica / Furniture & Rentals: Eventos Boadicea / Invitations: Posh Paperie / Shoes: Zappos / Linens: Gala Cloths / Ring Bowl & Ribbon: Paloma’s Nest / Calligraphy: Primele / Jewelry: Ben-Amun / Paper Flower Garlands: Kate’s Paperie

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Post tags: Ben-Amun, Buzz Media, Carla Ten Eyck, CGala Cloths, Costa Rica, DD Nickel Beauty, Eventos Boadicea, Jubilee Events, Kate’s Paperie, Los Suenos Resort, Paloma’s Nest, Posh Paperie, Primele, The White Dress By The Shore, Zappos
Post categories: Photo Shoot, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Style

We have more coming up in a bit, but if you simply can’t wait, you can click here for more!

Our inspiration for the shoot came from our real life couple Michelle and Alejandro, who are avid surfers. Costa Rica is known for some of the best surfing in the world and we really wanted to highlight that. We also wanted to do something casual, relaxed, and beach side that captured the easy going and romantic side of our couple. A lot of what we pulled together was simply based on inspiration when we went to set up that day– finding that instinct and intuition of the natural landscape really influenced our design. In our tablescape my favorite, spontaneous elements are the centerpiece of braided fronds, which was the brilliant idea of our floral designer. I also love the paper chargers created by Posh Paperie, that we intermixed with real leaf detailing on the tiffany blue napkins. The hair and fashion was inspired by runway and an anthropolgie catalog we received a few weeks prior. Overall it’s colorful, light, carefree, and playful– much like the beautiful country of Costa Rica. –From Candice of Jubilee Events

The opportunity to work in Costa Rica was a dream come true!  The lush jungles, stunning beaches and rich culture inspired me to keep the attire very natural.  The accessories that we used were made from wood and shell.  We brought in a small touch of sparkle, because every bride needs some! The bridal gown by was by designer Augusta Jones.  I selected it because it had a very organic feel to it. The silk chiffon fabric was perfect for the beach setting and the touch of metallic embroidery at the neckline had an ethnic feel that made it perfect for Costa Rica.  The bride’s jewelry and headband selected for the shoot were by Maria Elena.  Both contained accents of mother of pearl.The bridesmaid was outfitted in a satin yoryu dress by Vineyard Collection.  I loved the vibrancy of the color of the dress, but also the amazing flow that the fabric had.  We accessorized the dress with wooden bangles from ben amun to bring in a natural element. –From Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore

This trip to Costa Rica was so inspirational in too many ways to list!  The hair and makeup was inspired by a combination of the relaxed beach environment, the casualness of the couple, and the gorgeous styling of the event and the bride.  It’s so important as a hair and makeup artist to understand the full vision of an event, so you can create the perfect finishing touches! Beachy, unconstructed waves for the hair really reflected the personality of the day and flowers  tucked in the hair made the perfect accessory. For makeup, rich, vibrant color was the only way to go!  Costa Rica is such a colorful place!  I highlighted the eyes with bold shades of violet and teal and kept the lips soft in shades of pale coral and peach for balance. –From Deanna Nickel of DD Nickel Beauty–From Deanna Nickel of DD Nickel Beauty

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Event Design & Planning: Jubilee Events / Model Styling & Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cinematography: Buzz Media / Beauty: DD Nickel / Ceremony + Reception Location: Los Suenos Resort, Costa Rica / Furniture & Rentals: Eventos Boadicea / Invitations: Posh Paperie / Shoes: Zappos / Linens: Gala Cloths / Ring Bowl & Ribbon: Paloma’s Nest / Calligraphy: Primele / Jewelry: Ben-Amun / Paper Flower Garlands: Kate’s Paperie

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Post tags: Ben-Amun, Buzz Media, Carla Ten Eyck, CGala Cloths, Costa Rica, DD Nickel Beauty, Eventos Boadicea, Jubilee Events, Kate's Paperie, Los Suenos Resort, Paloma's Nest, Posh Paperie, Primele, The White Dress By The Shore, Zappos
Post categories: Photo Shoot, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details

Inspiration to Reality – Ampearsand from Buzz Media Company on Vimeo.

Fun, right?!? Seriously though, we’re so lucky to work with so many talented (and quite frankly, just plain cool) vendors. Thank you to the entire crew of awe-inpsiring Connecticut vendors that brought this design to life.

Credits: Event Design + Catering by A Thyme to Cook /Photography by Steve DePino / Venue by Salt Water Farm Vineyard / Wedding Invitations and Paper Goods by Stonington Paperie / Flowers by Jessica’s Country Flowers / Fashion by The White Dress by the Shore / Cinema by Buzz Media Company / Wedding Gown by Amy Kuschel /Hair & Makeup by Dana Bartone / Rentals by Arrow Party Rentals

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Post tags: A Thyme To Cook Steve DePino, Buzz Media, Buzz Media Company. Buzz Media, Connecticut, Dana Bartone & Co., Jessica’s Country Flowers, Salt Water FArm Vineyard, Stonington Paperie, The White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

The amazing team is listed below, but here’s a quick look at the vendors involved…Gina Barber at A Thyme to Cook on food and design, Steve DePino on photography, Salt Water Farm Vineyard providing the space, Stonington Paperie on wedding invitations and paper, Jessica’s Country Flowers on flowers, The White Dress by the Shore on fashion and Buzz Media on film. Doesn’t get any better.

Inspiration + Design
We wanted to go with a more contemporary look/feel for this board….more city than country. The site was perfect….an old airport hangar that has been recently refurbished into a working vineyard and winery. With concrete floors, rustic wood planked walls, and stainless holding tanks, the urban chic feel really came through. The Inspiration board did not have many flowers so we kept it minimal as well. The balloons were a fun touch!

Table by A Thyme to Cook
Linen: Custom made gray felt tablecloth with woven fiber runners.
China: White wave plate provided by Arrow Party Rental.
Glassware: highball glasses for red & white wine; rocks glass for water. Provided by Arrow Party Rental.
Flatware: Bastia Hammered Stainless provided by Arrow Party Rental.
Napkins: Custom chartreuse green satin.
Centerpiece: black shadow boxes stacked with antique typeface letterpress blocks; square glass vases and votive candles.

PEAR PAINTING: an original by Steve DePino (our photographer!)

Food by A Thyme to Cook
Seckel Pear with Whipped Chevre and Gorgonzola Topped with Fennel Shoot
Salad of Spicy Asian Greens and Licorice Microgreens Accented with Red
Kaiware Sprouts and Petit Fire Sticks
Dressed with Sesame Honey Vinaigrette Accompanied by a Molasses Crisp
Liquor Lollipop Favors: Whiskey Pear Ginger

Flowers by Jessica’s Country Flowers
The bouquet was made out of white cattelya orchids. I chose those because they have a fluffy beauty to them, simplicity with all one variety of bloom and just that little touch of yellow in the throat of the orchids. The main centerpiece was completely “vendella” roses with hens and chicks (succulents) with copper wire twirled in the vase. White cymbidium orchids and galax leaves in the little surrounding vases. The wristlet was white cymbidium orchids as well. (they are pretty, an old-fashioned flower come back into popularity big time, and very durable)*

Wedding Invitations and Stationery by Stonington Paperie
We used a custom designed graphic identity inspired by the board and a jack kerovac quotation. This included the invitation/rsvp (2 color letterpress), envelopes with handlettered white gouache, a poem by jack kerovac (laserprint mounted on matt board), letterpress pear tags for pear ginger whiskey lollipops and a guest ‘book’…a custom canvas with acrylic paint [collaboration with steve depino]

Coming up next…the AAAAAMAZING film that Buzz Media Company put together.

Event Design + Catering by A Thyme to Cook /Photography by Steve DePino / Venue by Salt Water Farm Vineyard / Wedding Invitations and Paper Goods by Stonington Paperie / Flowers by Jessica’s Country Flowers / Fashion by The White Dress by the Shore / Cinema by Buzz Media / Wedding Gown by Amy Kuschel /Hair & Makeup by Dana Bartone / Rentals by Arrow Party Rentals

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 38 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Thyme To Cook Steve DePino, Buzz Media, Connecticut, Dana Bartone & Co., Jessica's Country Flowers, Salt Water FArm Vineyard, Stonington Paperie, The White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

But before we get to the shoot, here is the board that inspired it all, designed by the very clearly talented “Sticky…“

Coming up in just a flash…the absolutely, positively awesome shoot!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Thyme To Cook Steve DePino, Buzz Media, Connecticut, Jessica’s Country Flowers, Salt Water FArm Vineyard, Stonington Paperie, The White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Inspiration Boards

* * *

First, we have another dream team lined up ready to make one of your fabulous inspiration boards come to life. For this next challenge we have the fantastically talented crew of James Christianson Photography, Carissa Beauty, Sweet Letter Press, RSVP Shindig, Anna Be Bridal Boutique, Delilah’s Flowers of Denver, and cinematographer Kevin Von Qualen. Our vendors will be choosing the winning board on Monday, December 21st, so head on over to the Style Circle and design to your little heart’s content. Make sure to tag and name your board Inspiration Board Challenge #9 to be considered!

* * *

And now… we have the pleasure of sharing with you the winner of Monday’s Inspiration to Reality Challenge…Congratulations Sticky! This completely amazing, completely chic board, appropriately named “ampearsand” caught the eye of our vendors and they just couldn’t resist its colorful, whimsical charm. This design will come life at the hands of style gurus Gina Barber from A Thyme to Cook, White Dress by the Shore, Steve DePino Photography, Stonington Paperie, Dana Bartone, Jessica’s Country Flowers, and Buzz Media.

Loving this color scheme… this one is about as irresistible as they come, but we’ll (try to) wait patiently for it’s unveiling after the New Year.

Credits include: Justin Marantz / vi.sualize.us / Paul Rich Studio / Surface Magazine / Painting by Carol Marine / Kate Spade / Fresh New England / Nick Sherman / Veer.com / On Paper / and Cunningham Photography.

* * *

Last, but most certainly not least is the winner of the vintage car banner from A Bride’s Ride. Renee is giving one very special SMP reader one of her fabulous getaway kits just for stopping by and telling us about their favorite banner and garland. But that’s not all, she is also offering FREE shipping on orders until Jan. 31. So just head on over to her seriously cute site and simply mention Style Me Pretty when purchasing.

Enough talking… it’s time to announce our winner Laura, who said…

Yay! I’m in love with the “Love” banner with the pink flower garland. We’re getting married on my parents farm up in a field of wild flowers by the apple orchards. We’ll be having a yellow and pink lemonade stand and an old yellow antique car up at the ceremony site (complete with those giagantic balloons, of course!)…these banners would go perfectly with the vintage car and is the lovely little finishing detail for a fun-whimsical theamed wedding! Adorable

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Post tags: A Brides Ride, A Thyme to Cook, Anna Be, Buzz Media, Carissa Beauty, Dana Bartone & Co., Delilah's Flowers of Denver, Inspiration to Reality, James Christianson, Jessica's Country Flowers, Kevin Von Qualen, Pears, RSVP Shindig, Steve DePino, Stonington Paperie, Sweet Letter Press, The White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: Contests, From Inspiration to Reality

From the photographer, Anna Sawin…This incredible visual feast, laid out in sumptuous colors, tones and textures as far as the eye could see, was a photographer’s field day, particularly against the stunning winter backdrop of Elihu Island and the cozy family charm of the Big House. We could have worked for days capturing the spectacular details and quirky, humorous and lovable nuances created by Lucinda and team. The chemistry between our bride and groom lit a spark that inspired the rest of the wedding “family.” As the day grew longer, the energy increased, creating an inspired, natural feel among our participants as the sun began to set and the moon rose

From the Florist, Yumiko Fletcher…An all white palette for the table in vintage glasses and milk glass containers…. flowers used were white football mums, spider mums, amaryllis, paperwhites, anemones and accents of white feathers and gold. The milk glass containers had mounds of white carnations and soft pink ornaments. The Bride’s bouquet was a composition of magenta peonies, hot pink garden roses, deep purple anemones, pink oriental lilies, seeded eucalyptus, glittery feathers and feather boa collar along with blush ribbon wrap The Groom’s boutonniere was a deep plum anemone, gold leaf accent and seeded eucalyptus berries wrapped in sheer gold ribbon.

From the Makeup Artist, Jennie Fresa…The 1940′s had the war to set the tone and define a woman’s hair and makeup styles. Glamour was in and the “sex-kitten” look was alive! To create the makeup looks, I used velvety powders in pink hues, to smooth out the skin. Blush was used in pink tones and applied high on the cheek bones. My favorite part of 1940′s makeup, was the lips. Patriotic reds, crimson pinks and deep berries were popular, perhaps to symbolize optimism. Eyes were kept simple, for the most part. We also used a lot of rich brown and deep aubergine shadows. During my research, I discovered that mascara had found it’s place in the 40′s, so we used a lot of black mascara and added length with layered false lashes. Brows were defined and more dramatic than in the past years. Hair was smooth and romantic. Lindsay Milan created stunning styles that were indicative of true “pin-up” glamour.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anna Sawin Photography, Buzz Media, Chocolate Creative Design, Hana Floral Design, holiday, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, Lucinda Wesson, Sara True, Tova’s Vintage, True Events
Post categories: Wedding Fashion, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers