Beautifully soft, and oh-so-magically chic Charlotte NYE vows between a golfer & his gorgeous wife.

A fresh & modern take on the Ball-Drop wedding in a fabulous inspiration shoot.

Glamorous Chicago New Years nuptials featuring race car drivers, peacocks, and a cake to die for.

A masquerade ball turned New Years wedding, fabulous and straight from the Windy City.

Another fantastically done Chicago affair, taking the new year to a whole new romantic level.

This week at a pretty, pretty glance:

an Old Hollywood theme done right in Pennsylvania
a fresh California soiree filled with what have to be the best smelling florals
a New Jersey wedding that more than gracefully outlasted a hurricane
a perfectly preppy South Carolina fête we LOVE
a breathtaking soiree straight out of Pennsylvania that has left us speechless
a Michigan wedding with the most stunning dress, bride, AND video
a soiree fit for film in South Carolina
a perfect New York NYE bash, with perfect advice.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Avery House, Charlotte, Chicago, Kristin Vining, Kyle Busch Wedding, New Year's Eve, New Years, New Years Eve Weddings, Wedding Inspiration, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… Anthropology meets Urban Outfitters. We wanted our engagement pictures to be fun and light hearted, a reflection of us.  Everything around weddings can be perceived as “stuffy” or too formal or “too black and white…” We wanted to make sure that our engagement shoot really showed our personalities by bringing in a lot of color, smiles and personal touches from our everyday lives. We have lived in so many places and our personal world/home is surrounded by memories of our travels and life experiences. It was important to us to incorporate that into our pictures. Also, we enter this marriage with a hyper-active child already, our puppy Koda.  He’s such a dominant part of our lives and it was important to us to incorporate him into the shoot, as well. 

The way I see it, your wedding is the most important day in OUR life so it should be special for everyone involved. The problem is, food is eaten, bands shut down and cake goes bad….PICTURES are what help you remember the day and what lead up to it…we wanted our pictures to help us remember who we were, who we are, and the special days leading up to our wedding.

Photography: Lauren Jackson Photography / Adorable Dog: “Koda” the Vizsla / Flower Shoes: Steve Madden / Boots: Mossimo via Target / Bride’s Skirt & Scarf: Urban Outfitters / Groom’s Attire: Urban Outfitters / Pink Dress: Bevello / Groom’s Hat: Disneyland / Bride’s Hat: Target / Ampersand, Chalkboard Thought Bubbles: DIY, The Bride / Austin Snow Globe: Gift /  Round Frame: Consignment

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a classic Pacific Palisades soiree
a breathtaking Bali affair
a dreamy Long Beach soiree
an elegant Manhattan wedding
an uber-romantic St. Louis affair
a rustic glam Spokane soiree
a stunning Boston inspiration shoot
a day filled with eight gorgeous weddings
an uber-romantic Seattle photo shoot
a modern New York affair
a gorgeous San Diego photo shoot
a beyond beautiful Temecula soiree
fabulous Texas inspiration
a perfectly pink Ojai wedding

Some fabulous links from around the web:

Abby shares her Top 4 Most Inspiring Weddings of the Week via Glamour
fun DIY clay lollipop ornaments via Creature Comforts
lovely felt ball garland via Oh Happy Day
Abby’s list of fun ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve via Working Mother
fabulous holiday wedding ideas via Tres Sugar
Abby picks her favorite frocks via Weddington Way
the always stylish Kim Fusaro’s Top 3 Dresses of the Week: Trailing Lace Edition via Glamour

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

Trisha Dean Events
Erich McVey Photography
Events of Distinction
Sadie’s Couture Floral & Event Styling
Grand Engagements

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here.  We’d love to hear from you!

And last, but certainly not least… we have some winners to announce!

Jennifer Davis Photography selected one lucky winner to receive a free lifestyle photo shoot in New York City.  Congratulations to Emily!

The winner of the $250 M&J Bridal Salon Gift Card is Katie Zabriskie!  Congratulations, Katie!

Have a pretty, pretty weekend!  See you back here Monday morning. xoxo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bevello, Charlotte, Disneyland, engagement session, Lauren Jackson Photography, Steve Madden, Target, Urban Outfitters
Post categories: engagement session, The Blog

After being able to travel extensively over the years, I slowly began to realize my hometown Charlotte is very unique. It still has the appeal of Southern charm, but with a lot of the perks of a bigger city, including great venues for weddings.  My husband and I knew we wanted an outdoor wedding, and after browsing online for possibilities, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden seemed like the perfect place. As soon as we saw it in person, we knew that this was the venue for us. The White Garden was large enough for all of our guests, but the fact it was enclosed gave the space a very intimate air.

Most of the inspiration came from the venue itself. Being designers, my mother and I found great joy throughout the planning process, setting out to create that perfect balance of décor- giving a subtle nod to times past, without over-doing it and forcing a theme. Images of 19th century English conservatories, vintage botanical illustrations, and apothecary label typographies constantly drove our decisions.

For the ceremony, we used mainly white hydrangeas and lilies. The whole garden was white and green- and we introduced color through the bridesmaids’ dresses, the men’s suits, and the bouquets. When it came to wedding gowns, I was originally interested in Jenny Packham’s signature sheath dresses, reminiscent of bygone eras with her intricate beading. After trying some on, I felt they were more fit for the red carpet than the aisle. My mother-in-law suggested I try on Jenny Packham’s Minerva gown, which had layer upon layer of ivory silk tulle- so light and comfortable! It was perfect for the garden, and I finally felt like a bride.

For the centerpieces we bought large apothecary glass jars and planted silk lady slipper and cymbidium orchids with moss. We chose a navy blue satin for the table linens, and placed the jars on a moss mats in the center of each table. We ordered Jaguar Pink Mokara Orchids from Thailand, and floated each stem in glass cylinders to add some color to the centerpieces. We also decided to give our guests a taste of the South with spiked Arnold Palmers for cocktail hour, and Deep Fried Peanuts for favors.

My favorite part of the planning process though, was collaborating with my husband to design our invitations and programs. We looked to old pharmacy and apothecary labels for guidance, and a friend letterpressed them with his old Vandercook Press.

It is so satisfying to look back and consider how each detail combined to perfectly reflect our desires for this special day. I only wish it could have lasted longer!

Venue: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden / Wedding Website: Designed by the bride & groom, Courtney and Kyle / Reception Flowers & Centerpieces: Jeannie Heth, mother of the bride / Ceremony Flowers & Bouquets: Place for Flowers / Decor: Creative Solutions / Photography: The Beautiful Mess / Cake: For Goodness Cakes / Hair & Make-up: Lindsey Regan Thorne / Gown and Headpiece Designer: Jenny Packham / Shoes: Jessica Simpson / Caterers: Best Impressions / Mens Suits: Banana Republic / Ties: Indochino / Officiant: Didi Wong, Church of the Good Shepherd / Wedding Coordinator: Connie Miller, friend of bride’s family / Invitations & Stationery: Designed by the bride & groom, Printed by Ryan Cook of Something Pressed / Favors: Mr. B’s Fun Foods Deep Fried Peanuts / DJ: Brian Keelan, Z Brothers DJs / String Quartet: Carolina Classic Strings

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Banana Republic, Best Impressions, Carolina Classic Strings, Charlotte, Church of the Good Shepherd, Clean, Color Palette Green White Blue, Connie Miller, contemporary, Creative Solutions, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Didi Wong, DIY Centerpieces, DIY Flowers, DIY Invitations, DIY Stationery, For Goodness Cakes, Indochino, Jenny Packham, Jessica Simpson, Lindsey Regan Thorne, Modern, Mr. B's Fun Foods Deep Fried Peanuts, North Carolina, Outdoor Ceremony, Place For Flowers, Something Pressed, The Beautiful Mess, Traditional Elegance, Z Brothers DJs
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Love that stunning cake? We do too. Which is why we adore The WOW Factor Cakes.

Even though we live in California, we really wanted to have the wedding in Charlotte, my hometown. It was very important to me to say our marriage vows in the church I had attended growing up. And since Morgan and I have family and friends all over the country, we wanted to pick a relatively central location with a big airport to make travelling as easy as possible for our guests. We chose to have the reception in a tent at Carmel Country Club because we wanted to be sure to have enough room for all our guests to be comfortable and we liked the idea of creating a space all our own. We wanted the wedding to have an elegant, warm, and classic feel. Our wedding planner, Ivy Robinson, did an amazing job creating the perfect ambiance in a unique and unforgettable way.

It was important to us to create a fun and memorable evening for our guests that included touches representing our relationship and family histories. We served specialty cocktails called “Red Eye Romance” (a nod to all the overnight flights we made flying back and forth to see each other) and “Captain’s Catch”, which was our obligatory Captain Morgan rum drink (Morgan is a boat Captain). For our favors we gave guests Ghirardelli chocolates since we wanted to incorporate the Bay Area into the night.

I wore my late maternal grandmother’s wedding band on my bouquet and my paternal grandmother was kind enough to let me borrow a bracelet for my “something borrowed”. We decorated the escort card table with pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days.

My favorite touch was the song we selected for the Father Daughter dance – my Dad and I danced to Moon River which was my late paternal grandfather’s favorite song. It was a very special point in the evening for my Dad’s family. The band was fabulous and everyone had a great time dancing the night away – we served sliders and fries late night to give the dancers energy! We were incredibly grateful to have such a beautiful reception to share with our guests to thank them for all the support they showed us over the course of our relationship and all the miles they travelled to help us celebrate!

The reception was beautiful. It everything we dreamed it could be. My parents and all the vendors were amazing. Our favorite memories of the day, though, were of the ceremony. Morgan is not an overly emotional guy, and I’ll never forget seeing him cry as I walked down the aisle. And the best part of all was saying our vows – it felt like we were alone in the church at that moment. And at the end of the long, very beautiful day, those moments in the church were what it was all about!

Event design: Ivy Robinson Weddings and Events / Flowers: Beth Hohensee of Studio Flora Diva / Cake: Amy Craparo of The WOW Factor Cakes / Band: Atlanta Showstoppers / Venue: Carmel Country Club / Linens: Party Tables / Rentals: Party Reflections / Photography: Cunningham Photo Artists / Lighting: Wink Lighting / Cinematography: Gretchen and Erik Smith, Something Blue Video / Invitation Designer: Mindy Sorboro, Paperwhites Press / Wedding Gown: Ulla-Maija Couture / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jim Hjelm

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atlanta Showstoppers, Carmel Country Club, Chandeliers, Charlotte, Color Palette White Black, Cunningham Photo Artists, Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events, Jim Hjelm, Mother of the Bride, North Carolina, Paperwhites Press, Party Reflections, Party Tables, Something Blue Video, Studio Flora Diva, Tented Reception, The WOW Factor Cakes, Traditional Elegance, Ulla-Maija Couture, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wink Lighting
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here for the full image gallery!

I designed everything. From the reception space and what to include, to the types of flowers I wanted, I chose the cake, the cherry blossom theme, the colors, the drums above the dance floor, uplighting, all of it.  It was so much fun to put forth all the effort and see it all come together on our wedding day.

I’m very detail oriented so put a lot of effort into the details. I did have a day of planner that kept things in order and helped with the flow which was great. I bounced different ideas off of her the month leading up to the wedding, which helped a lot too. I think my colors were pretty unique. I used a nectar with browns, ivories, and golds.  I hadn’t seen it before, but thought it would go well together.  Plus my now husband looks great in brown and earth tones so I knew regardless that that color of tux would look fabulous on him.

Something else that was unique was that I had guests throw mini beach balls that said “I had a ball!” at Jeff and I as we walked out of the church.  It was so much fun!  I also had a treasure chest/time capsule that asked guests to leave “well wishes for the new Mr. and Mrs.”  We vowed not to open the chest until May 7, 2012, one year later.

I also did a lot of home made things to make our wedding unique. I designed my own table numbers using frames and paper from Hobby Lobby and cut out the numbers myself.  I also made home made sign that said “Dinner, Dancin’ and Drinks” which my dad made out of wood and myself and friends painted.  Also, I used Etsy a lot.

Ceremony location: Covenant Presbyterian Church / Reception location: Byrons South End / Cake:  Cheesecake, Etc. / Flowers: Flowers from the Cellar / Gown: Paloma Blanca from Classic Bride and Formals / Shoes: Glint from Nordstrom / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Tuxedos:  New York Bride and Groom / Headpiece:   New York Bride and Groom / Veil: Classic Bride / Engagement Ring: Simon G Jewelry / Wedding Rings: Herlzberg Diamonds / Hair & Makeup: Lindsey Regan Thorne / Stationery: Red Stone Press / Entertainment: Split Second Sound / Photography: Kristin Vining Photography / Videography: Ka Studios / Officiant: Mark Deihl / Caterers: Best Impressions Catering / Rentals:  Best Impressions Catering / Transportation: Trolley’s, Inc. / Day of Planner: Sarah Bradley with Blue Feather Media / Uplighting: Sterling Designs / Dance Lessons: Metropolitan Ball Room

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Best Impressions Catering, Blue Feather Media, Byrons South End, Charlotte, Cheesecake Etc., Cherry Blossoms, Classic Bride and Formals, Color Palette Pink, Covenant Presbyterian Chirch, Flowers from the Cellar, Glint, Helzberg Diamonds, KA Studios, Kristin Vining Photography, Lindsey Regan Thorne, Metropolitan Ball Room, New York Bride and Groom, Nordstroms, North Carolina, Paloma Blanca, Pricella of Boston, Red Stone Press, Simon G Jewelry, Split Second Sound, Sterling Designs, Traditional Elegance, Trolley's Inc, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

But for today, we want to wish all of you a blessed and delightful Easter Weekend! And a super-congrats to Wendy and Brad who, along with Kristin Vining, created THE cutest Easter-Inspired Engagement Shoot ever …

You can see Wendy and Brad’s full E*Shoot over on Kristin’s blog!

This e*shoot was styled (wardrobe, makeup & hair) by the always-fabulous Lindsey Regan Thorne!

Ever wonder where the oh-so-talented-Kristin hangs out in her spare time? (Ha! As if she had any!)

Kristin and the amazing ladies at Weddings And The City have been hard at work designing their new office space. Can you imagine working in surroundings like this??

It’s really NO wonder that all of their weddings are over-the-top amazing! If you haven’t already read about their custom design book ~ it’s high time you did: Custom Wedding Design Books from Weddings And The City.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Charlotte, Easter, Engagement Shoot, Kristin Vining, North Carolina, Weddings And The City
Post categories: engagement session, Little Black Book Blog

From Ivy Robinson … Lauren wanted a fresh and modern look. I took the colors of grey and white and introduced the pattern to guests with the invitations and then it was seen again on the cake, soup liner, fish n chips cone, program, menu and candy bar stickers. She wanted to put a spin on the candy bar, so we created glass legs with mirror tops to create columns of candy. This concept was also used as her altar during the ceremony. The room was converted from brown and yellows to all white and at 11:30 pm the curtain pulled back where guests entered a lounge area for dancing and the countdown to the new year. A zebra patterned ice bar with an ice luge serving red bull and vodka was a hit. The DJ spun the latest hits as the guests danced well into the new year. *Read more of the finer details in putting this whole celebration together over on Ivy’s Blog!

More, more and MORE in the gallery!

Oli and I met at Augusta State University when we were there on separate golf teams. We had been together for seven years and were on a holiday in Thailand, when Oli set up a private dinner over the pool with grilled seafood and champagne. That’s when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Even after 7 years I was completely shocked. He’s an incredibly sweet guy and so thoughtful. I’m very, very lucky to have him.

We both have very modern tastes so we wanted the overall look to reflect that; we wanted lots of white and lots of candles. There were two details that were must haves from the beginning… Oliver wanted an ice bar and I wanted a photo booth. These were the biggest hits of the night! Our late night lounge, which was hidden from the guests by draping until 11:30pm, was quite a big hit too. All the incredible details that Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events helped with made for an incredible night.

Photography: Kristin Vining / Ceremony location: Urban Garden, Ritz Carlton Charlotte / Reception location: Ritz Carlton Charlotte / Cake: Josh Cain, Ritz Carlton Pastry Chef / Flowers: Beth Hohensee, Studio Flora Diva / Hair: Lindsey Regan Thorne / Make-up: Lindsey Regan Thorne / Invitations & Stationery: Chic Impressions / Ceremony Musicians: 5th & York / Reception Band: Heather Hayes Band / DJ: Jarrett Gray / Cinematography: Super 8 by Richard Israel / Videographer: Timm Young / Officiant: Jason Davenport / Decor Rentals: Party Reflections / Wedding Night Hotel: Ritz Carlton / Wedding Planning: Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events / Event Design & Decor: Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events / Photo booth: Carolina Photo Booths / Ice Bar: Ice Sensations Calligraphy: Elizabeth Jones Calligraphy / Wedding Dress: Hayden Olivia Bridal

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 5th & York, Carolina Photo Booths, Charlotte, Chic Impressions, Elizabeth Jones Calligraphy, Heather Hayes Band, Ice Sensations, Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events, Kristin Vining, Lindsey Regan Thorne, New Year's Eve, North Carolina, Party Reflections, Richard Israel, Ritz Carlton, Ritz Carlton Charlotte, Studio Flora Diva
Post categories: Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

More from Grace … We met when Sean was in his 3rd year with the Charlotte Bobcats and I was working at a local hole in the wall bar about 2 blocks from the arena where he played. It was the “place to be” for meeting up and having some drinks before a night on the town, so he and his friends walked in one day in November after one of his games. I was behind the bar and he sent over one of my co-workers to ask if I would be his girlfriend! Of course he was being silly and I laughed it off and said “yeah right!” I eventually gave him a chance and we became great friends and quickly escalated to having the beautiful relationship we have today.

On our second year anniversary, that also happens to be Valentines Day, we went to Miami for the weekend. Thinking that we were just celebrating our anniversary and the holiday, I was totally caught off-guard when he surprised me … 13 minutes after midnight on – officially – February 14th I walked into a rose petal and candlelit covered room with 11 beautiful flower arrangements with red roses and white lilies. On each arrangement was a card with a picture of us on the outside and on the inside a different reason why he loved me. He walked me to each arrangement and had me read each card. At the 10th vase I thought it was over but there was one more left. At the 11th arrangement, of all white roses and lilies, the card read “for all these reasons I want to know…will you marry me?” I turned around and behind me was Sean on his knee holding my ring!

When it came to planning the wedding, I must say that Tiffany at Weddings and the City made the planning process effortless! She totally rocked! I would have to say the most unique part of our wedding was where we had our ceremony. We were privileged enough to be the very first couple to get married at The Urban Garden at the Ritz Carlton. The Urban Garden was the perfect setting for a very sticky August day allowing for the natural light of the sunset yet still providing comfort and air conditioning for our guests. It is located between the Ritz and the Bank of America building and is basically an indoor garden area with windows surrounding about 75% of the room. From there we moved our party to the grand ballroom where the mood transformed from a natural outdoor type setting to a classy-chic formal setting. I decided I wanted lots of red and at our reception that’s what I got! We covered the entire ballroom with red draping and it truly made an impact and set the perfect mood for our reception.

For more of this smokin’ hot couple, take a look at their Engagement Shoot, Kristin’s blog of their Wedding, and their feature on Weddings And The City!

Photography: Kristin Vining / Wedding Planning & Design: Weddings And The City / Ceremony: The Urban Garden at The Ritz Carlton / Reception: Grand Ballroom at The Ritz Carlton / Cake: The Ritz Carlton / Flowers: A Place For Flowers / Gown: Lazaro from  J Majors / Shoes: Christian Louboutin from– Saks 5th Ave / Bridesmaid’s dresses: Alvina Valenta from J Majors / Tuxedos: Elevee / Rings designed by Sean May and Mike Ealy from Skatell’s / Hair & Make-up: tylist for portrait: Who’s the Fairest, Kymm McLean / Invitations: Three Little Birds / Music: Split Second Sound / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Cloth Connection and Extravaganza / Favors: Chocolate Menus by Totally Chocolate  Wedding / Photobooth by Carolina Photo Booths

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Place For Flowers, Alvina Valenta, Carolina Photo Booths, Charlotte, Chocolate Menu, Christian Louboutin, Classic Party Rentals, Cloth Connections, Extravaganza, J. Majors, Lazaro, North Carolina, Red Roses, Sean May, Skatell's, Split Second Sound, The Ritz Carlton, The Urban Garden, Three Little Birds, Totally Chocolate Wedding, Weddings And The City, Who's The Fairest
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography