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Take a moment to check out this amazing super 8mm film by Dekmar Films!

From Buffy of Buffy Dekmar Photography… We love destination weddings! Cathy and Corey decided to have a small, intimate beach ceremony for their November wedding… and St. John, USVI, was the perfect spot! The ceremony was held on Cinnamon Bay just before sunset. The blue-green caribbean surf was a natural background that didn’t require much man-made enhancement. Cathy’s wine-colored shoes brought out the subtle purples in her beautiful bouquet of white lilies, and her lovely Casablanca gown added the perfect touch of elegance to the affair! The wedding was sweet and simple, with just enough personal touches for an intimate destination wedding. Dinner and drinks followed, and an amazing cake from Katilady Catering topped off the evening. It was a beautiful day!

Photography: Buffy Dekmar Photography / Cinematography: Dekmar Films / Bride’s Dress: Casablanca / Bride’s Shoes: Mootsies Tootsies / Groom’s Suit: JoS. A. Bank / Location: Cinnamon Bay, St. John, United States Virgin Islands / Minister: Robert Nelson / Flowers: Gayle of Bou-Quet / Cake: Kati Lady Catering / Dinner: Asolare

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Post tags: Asolare, Bou-Quet, Buffy Dekmar Photography, Casablanca, Cinnamon Bay, Dekmar Films, Jos A Bank, Mootsies Tooties, Robert Nelson, St. John, St. John Wedding, United States Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands Wedding
Post categories: Destination, Destination Weddings

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From the Bride…We wanted our wedding to be intimate, unique, fun and memorable for our guests. We have THE best family and friends in the world, and it is their love and support throughout our relationship thus far that we were able to stand up and say our vows on September 23rd. We wanted them all to feel included so we chose to make the ceremony as intimate as possible by having all of our guests surround us in a semi- circle as we said our vows. The highlight of the day had to be hearing the vows that Brad had written, and reading the ones I had written to him. It was intimate and romantic and really felt like a rite of passage into marriage. Another highlight was simply that fact that everyone we adored was in the same room for one evening to celebrate us as a couple and as a family. That’s a once in a lifetime occurrence, we had to stop for a moment to really take it all in.

Through the planning process my method of operation was to use ideas and choose things that I loved and had some nostalgic meaning for me, and really just hope that it would all come together on the big day. And it all came together beautifully. I described my lengthy and intricate ideas to Christine Jagoe of One by Design with the hope that it would at least resemble my vision on the wedding day. She completely delivered, even more beautiful than I could have imagined. She might be super-human! And the memories that were created by the moments captured by White Linen Photography will be cherished forever, they delivered perfection in the images from our wedding day. All in all, it was a day I will never forget, for all the right reasons.

From White Linen Photographers…The day was perfection. When starting off with a getting ready location like the Hotel Vancouver, you simply know that the day is going to be amazing. It is days like this, filled with such style, personality and pure joy that make doing what we love that much more fabulous. We could go on and on chatting about the day, the details…the lavender (yes we have a weakness), fun socks, the stunning bride, her incredible girls in their dresses (love)…but really, the images say it all.

Prep Location: Fairmont Vancouver / Venue: Heritage Hall / Caterer: DrewCooks! Catering / Floral Design: Flowers by Antonella / Day-of Coordination: Christine Jagoe of One by Design / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Bisou Bridal / Suits: Burberry via Holt Renfrew / Bridesmaid Dresses: Various / Vintage Furniture/Decor: Jessica of Trove Vintage Rentals / Linens/Decor: Upright Decor / Wedding Videography: Michael Dinsmore / Wedding Photography: White Linen Photographers

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bisou Bridal, burberry, Canada Weddings, Casablanca, DrewCooks! Catering, Fairmont Vancouver, Flowers by Antonella, Heritage Hall, Holt Renfrew, Michael Dinsmore, One by Design, Trove Vintage Rentals, Upright Decor, Vancouver, White Linen Photographers
Post categories: Canada Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From Kurt Boomer Photo…This amazing couple and their families threw one great DIY wedding. Lago Giuseppe isn’t the easiest place to find. But a search through Templeton lands you in the best that Central California has to offer. They went with a “birds in cages” theme. The rustic theme incorporated perfectly with the surroundings. It had that warm look and feeling with a laid back attitude. Outdoor venues are by far my favorite. The light during the ceremony and reception was amazing. The beautiful oaks make for perfect backgrounds throughout the property.  Lago Giuseppe is a perfect venue for couples looking to get married surrounded by nature. The winery is a active and you can enjoy their handcrafted wines during your event.  Every last detail was thoughtfully picked and placed by the bride. Lots of vintage details along with tons of great desserts.

From the Bride…We met our senior year of high school in California– I was a show choir nerd who had just quit dancing at a professional level and he was a very talented wrestler. We were both in the same Poli-Sci class and, what he says, is that one day he “woke up” and just saw me and knew that he was going to date me. The next day he came up to me in the library and we began talking. By the end of the week we were going to our senior winter formal together! We began talking well into the morning every night then waking up earlier in the morning so we could spend time together before school started. At the winter formal we decided to date. Everything spiraled after that and neither of us could fathom enduring a single day that we are not the person who has the other’s heart. On our family vacation to Mexico that summer Josh “proposed.” He was absolutely serious, and I accepted, but it wasn’t official yet.

The following year I went across the country to Gordon College in Wenham, Ma. We stayed together and in September, over labor day weekend, Josh flew out to see me– and proposed. We then began planning an intimate and DIY inspired wedding for July 23, 2011!

Caterer: Popolo Catering / Floral Design: Deborah from Albertson’s Grocery Store, The Flower Lady + Local Farmers Market / Location: Lago Giuseppi Cellars / DJ: Bob Stock of Phase One DJ / Desserts: Albertson’s Grocery Store (mini cakes), / Avila Fruit Barn (peach + olallieberry pies) + C-Cupcakery (mini cupcakes-Maid of Honor) / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Down the Aisle / Bride’s Shoes: Tea and Cakes Shoes / Suits: Hearts Desire / Wedding Photography: Kurt Boomer Photo

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Post tags: Albertson's Grocery Store, Avila Fruit Barn, C-Cupcakery, California Weddings, Casablanca, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Down the Aisle, Hearts Desire, Kurt Boomer Photo, Lago Giuseppi Cellars, Phase One DJ, Popolo Catering, Tea and Cakes Shoes, The Flower Lady
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired

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From the Bride…Erick and I thought about having our wedding at El Convento in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where I was born, or Antigua, Guatemala, where Erick is from.  When we decided on staying in the Pacific Northwest, which represents our present and future, we still loved the colors and romance of the old Spanish architecture from these cities. Heidi from Zenadia created a color palette for us which captured the colors and mood that we loved, and Leslie from Patina Floral helped bring it to life.

From Chantal Andrea… Marlaine and Erick met at salsa class, so they decided to center their wedding around their mutual love to get down on the dance floor and SALSA! Inspired by the book, “Dance me to the end of love” with illustrations by Henri Matisse, Marlaine and Erick stayed true to their theme by using framed quotes about dancing as centerpieces and of course shaking it on the dance floor like only two well-practiced and impressive salsa partners can.  The wedding celebrated a fusion of cultures, and the ceremony reflected that perfectly. Marlaine and Erick chose to put their own twist on the traditional Latin American las arras coin ceremony by asking friends and family to place blessings on the coins before they were presented to the bride and groom (instead of the priest alone). Before the kiss the bridal party and wedding guests recited lyrics to the Leonard Cohen song, “Dance me to the end of love.” Everything about the ceremony was intimately unique to Marlaine and Erick– and deeply moving for guests. After many celebratory hugs and kisses the party moved to devour tapas and paella crafted by the talented Azafron. The night continued with celebration pies by Passionate Pies (pumpkin, blueberry crumble and more) and lavender ice cream from Lopez Island Creamery. As the sun went down Marlaine and Erick continued to dance the night away.

From the Groom… A group of friends and I decided to take a salsa class at the University of Maryland.  We had decided that we would each invite one of the young ladies we met in the class to go dancing in a group. The first day of class, we all met up and went in.  Right before the class started, a tall woman with dark brown hair walked in.  She was wearing a green shirt, jeans, and green sneakers.  At that moment, I knew I had to meet her. As the class progressed, we rotated partners and soon I found myself talking to this mysterious and beautiful person.  Unfortunately, I did not remember her name, but I did remember she was new to the area and she was half German and half Puerto Rican. When the class concluded, my friends and I convened and when it was my turn to say who I would ask to go dancing…I said…”the tall lovely German-Puerto Rican…”

Wedding Photography: Chantal Andrea / Caterer: Azafron / Floral Design: Patina Floral / Event Design: Zenadia Design / Ceremony + Reception Location: Odd Fellows Hall / Invitations: Grafico de Sul, Inhambane Mozambique / Bride’s Shoes: Center Stage (salsa shoes) / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Ido Bridal / Groom’s Attire: J.Crew / Ice Cream: Lopez Island Creamery / Rentals: Orcas Events / Marzipan Hearts: Wiesbaden, Germany / Wedding Rings: The Bride + Jose of Danaca Designs / Bridesmaid + Flower Girl’s Jewelry: The Bride / Wedding Pies: Passionate for Pies

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Azafron, Casablanca, Center Stage, Chantal Andrea, Danaca Designs, Destination Wedding, Ido Bridal, J. Crew, Lopez Island Creamery, Odd Fellows Hall, Orcas Events, Orcas Island, Passionate for Pies, Patina Floral, Washington Wedding, Zenadia Design
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Destination Weddings

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From the Bride… After visiting at Tiber Canyon Ranch for the first time, we fell in love with the location and knew that it had to be our venue. We loved the openness and vintage touches throughout and also knew we wanted our wedding to have a soft, romantic vintage feel.  We wanted it to be small and intimate and a time for us to have all the people we love come together and celebrate our love for each other.

My favorite memory of the day was when I first caught eyes with Matt when I was walking down the aisle. I was so afraid of tripping and was so nervous to walk down the steps, but when I caught eyes with him I truly felt a sense of relief and the confidence I needed. I know all I had to do was look at him and everything was going to be okay. It was truly a magical feeling I will never forget. If I could pick a 2nd favorite memory it would be the dinner. It was so important to Matt and I to have a really good dinner and have it served family style where everyone could sit together. Being able to sit back with my husband and take time during dinner and see all the planning come together was an amazing feeling.

The only advice I would give to planning-brides is to do your research and ask around for ideas and opinions of different vendors. We saved a lot by borrowing things from friends and family to use at the wedding instead of renting or buying it. I was on the internet all the time looking for good deals, finding inspiration and trying to find out how I could make something instead of buying it. There are tons of free templates online that can be used and it is so much fun to get together with family and friends and be able to put your own touch on them. The memories I have from the planning and crafting I did with my mom, friends and family are memories I will never forget and were such a fun part of the planning process.

Wedding Photography: Sarah Kathleen Photography / Wedding Venue: Tiber Canyon Ranch / Catering: Pacific Harvest Catering / Florist: April Flowers / Bakery: Two Little Birds Bakery / Hair + Make-up: Asha at Salon Lux / DJ: John Walker / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Down the Aisle

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: April Flowers, California Weddings, Casablanca, Down the Aisle, John Walker, Pacific Harvest Catering, Salon Lux, San Luis Obispo, Sarah Kathleen Photography, Tiber Canyon Ranch, Two Little Birds Bakery, Vintage Chic
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog, Vintage Chic

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From the Bride… My (now) husband and I both have large families that are consequently spread out all over the United States. When trying to pick a location for our wedding, we came to the conclusion that a destination wedding would be our best fit. We figured if everyone needed to get on a plane (and practically everyone did) we might as well make their destination worthy of the price of the ticket. We wanted our wedding to be a relaxing, casual event. Having our wedding on the beach seemed as natural a progression as our friendship towards marriage. Trying to find the right beach however, was not. After a long search and a bridesmaid’s help, we found Las Caletas, a beautiful location only reachable by boat, located off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. With the help of our wedding coordinator Kelley Kahrhoff, our truly magical, destination wedding became a reality.

My husband is from upstate NY and I have been bi-coastal most my life. I’ve had the luxury of living in the beautiful bay area of California along with spending many years of my life frolicking in the south. I wanted our wedding to reflect “us” and I’m happy to report that most described our wedding in just that way, 100% authentically “us.” Not too many frills, fuss or muss. Three parts sweet southern charm, west coast cool and a shot of yankee. While brides often have a million, creative ideas that they are trying to execute, having to travel to a wedding location makes things even trickier. I was also attempting to have a budget-friendly wedding and so a lot of our items were made ahead of time at the kitchen table with our families and/or purchased in Puerto Vallarta in bulk. Opting out of having tropical colors for a beach wedding, I wanted to simplify the color palette in an effort to save money and enhance the natural beauty of the island. I chose navy blue and lime green to highlight our surroundings in hopes that they would stand-out against the beige undertones of the sand as well as offer a hint of sophistication.

We chose to have a simple, crisp ceremony with white chair coverings and chupa, along with white petals for the aisle. A family member read the an excerpt from one of my favorite childhood books, the Velveteen Rabbit, and along with our programs we made DIY paper bags that held petals to be thrown at the end of the ceremony. For the reception, our centerpieces were large, glass cylinder vases filled with limes to add to the ambiance and using fruit instead of flowers saved us a bundle! Sliced limes also held escort cards and table indicators were made out of used tequila bottles. Our own personal corks saved throughout our relationship held place cards and starfish wine stoppers served as favors. We especially loved how our guests could sit down at their plate and read their cork. Each one had a hand-written memory with either “Chris’s graduation 08”or “Valentine’s Day 03.” It was as if our entire dating history was strewn across the reception tables.

With the atmosphere warranting bon-fires we thought a smore station would be perfect, and our guests really seemed to enjoy the campfire snack. To add to the Mexican culture we had a tequila tasting table for the guests to enjoy as well as cigars. A banner with the words “Te Queiro” was tied above our guest book table, which hosted dozens of Puerto Vallarta post-cards instead of a traditional book. Professional fire dancers helped to seriously end the festivities with a bang! Luckily we had the catamaran sail back to the city of Puerto Vallarta to continue spending time with the people we love under the stars. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to have all of the people that mean the world to us celebrating in one exotic location.

Photography: Nate Broshot of License to Still / Wedding Coordination: Kelly Karhoff of Vallarta Adventures / Location: Las Caletas through Vallarta Adventures, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico /  Dress: Casablanca 1955 purchased at Darlynn’s Bridal & Formal Wear / Shoes: Aldo

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Post tags: Aldo, Casablanca, Kelly Karhoff, Las Caletas, License to Still, Mexico, Nate Broshot Photography, Puerto Vallarta, Vallarta Adventures
Post categories: Destination, Destination Weddings, Mexico Weddings

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From the Bride… When Drew and I started planning our interfaith destination wedding, I had this vision of a relaxed beach house, a fun and laid back place where our families and friends would be comfortable spending lot of time together. We live in Arizona now, but since we are both originally from the East Coast (I’m from New York and He’s from New Jersey), we wanted to choose a location that was within driving distance from most of our guests and had a good chance of being warm in May.  Just a few google searches later, I stumbled on Sandbridge Beach, a beautiful and sleepy beach town about 15 miles away from downtown Virginia Beach.  We rented a gorgeous 11 bedroom house right on the beach for us to stay with our bridal party for the long weekend, and decided to hold our ceremony out back by the ocean and the reception right at the house.

While planning our wedding from across the country, I got used to the feeling of not having a lot of control over the many variables that went into our day. I wasn’t able to do a lot of the things that most brides look forward to; We didn’t get a chance to taste our food, smell our flowers, visit our venue, meet our photographer, or listen to our ceremony violinist or the DJ for our reception (we did manage to talk regularly with our officiant via skype). To make things harder, not a single guest lived within 100 miles so word of mouth was pretty much out of the question. Needless to say, a lot of our choices were based on blind faith, gut feelings, and a friendly voice on the other end of our phone calls.

On our wedding day, the weather was warm and the sun had broken through the thunderstorms that had been forecasted all week.  Somehow, all of the somewhat disconnected planning and preparations we had made from 3,000 miles away came together perfectly.  Our Officiant, Lev, specializes in interfaith marriages and did a truly amazing job of bringing our two very different families together. We started with an intimate gathering to sign our Ketubah with only our bridal party and immediate families present and this is where we had our first look.  I know a lot of brides feel like they would miss out on something if they saw their groom before they walked down the aisle, but this was one of the most meaningful and emotional moments of our entire day.  After the Ketubah, I felt like all of my stress and worries about the day were gone and I made my barefoot way to the beach to join our guests for our ceremony.

After our ceremony, the rest of the day and night was filled with delicious food and specially brewed beer and margarita’s, barefoot dancing with so many people that we spilled off the dance floor and onto the sand, and lots of memories with our 85 closest friends and family that we thankfully have beautiful pictures and video of to help us remember. It was a day that could only be described as magical by the people who were there.

Wedding Photography: Sam Stroud Photography / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Siebert Realty / Officiant: Lev Baesh / Videography: Blue Diamond Studio / Catering: Cuisine & Company / Hair & Makeup: Brooke Primas of Enchanting Hair and Makeup Artistry / Rentals: Distinctive Event Rentals / Wedding Cake: The Lady of Cakes / Ceremony Music: Peggy Watson / Reception Music: Tidewater DJ’s / Floral Design: DIY + Fifty Flowers (Flowers) / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Lillian Lottie Couture / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jasmine / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

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Post tags: Aqua, Beach Wedding, Blue, Blue Diamond Studio, Casablanca, Cuisine & Co., Distinctive Event Rentals, Enchanting Hair and Makeup Artistry, Fifty Flowers, Interfaith Ceremony, Jasmine, Lev Baesh, Lillian Lottie Couture, Men's Wearhouse, Outdoor Wedding, Peggy Watson, Pink, Purple, Sam Stroud Photography, Sandbridge Beach, Seibert Realty, The Lady of Cakes, Tidewater DJ's, VA, Virginia
Post categories: Destination, Destination Weddings

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From Allison Davis Photography… Kaitlin and Sam did an amazing job designing their spring wedding decor. They had two beautiful white tents and strung white, purple and orange lanterns from the tents. I loved the purple table linens with the peach chair linens. Their florist did an amazing job with the unique floral design and I loved how each table was just a little bit different. They also created fun games for their guests to play throughout the night including a Wedding Mad Lib and a Word Search. I loved watching the guests play the games and laugh throughout the night.

I loved being a part of Kaitlin & Sam’s wedding day. They are such sweet and amazing people. I’m so happy for their marriage and all of the joy they’ll share together throughout the years ahead. They had a sweet ceremony that expressed their passion and joy for marriage. I had two favorite parts of their wedding day: they had been worried about crying before the ceremony during their first look, but they held everything together. They held in their tears and emotion until just after the ceremony when they exited. They both turned toward each other and sweet tears of joy they burst from them both. My second favorite part of their wedding day was hearing the speeches from their best man and maid of honor. The maid of honor’s speech was very touching because she also vowed to support and encourage their marriage in any way. It’s encouraging to see friendships like that in the world and it was a blessing to be a part of their celebration.

Photography: Allison Davis Photography / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: The Sanford House Inn & Spa / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Lasting Bridal Couture of Addison / Accessories: Etsy / Floral Design: The Blooming Bride / Wedding Cake: Crème de la Crème Cake Company / Groom’s Cake: The Sanford House Inn & Spa / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / DJ: Chad Alan Events

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Post tags: Allison Davis Photography, Arlington, Casablanca, Chad Alan Events, Creme de la Creme Cake Company, Etsy, Lasting Bridal Couture of Addison, Mason Jars, Orange, Outdoor Wedding, Paper Lanterns, Peach, Purple, Tangerine, Tented Reception, Texas, The Blooming Bride, The Sanford House Inn & Spa, TX, Wedding Paper Divas
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings