From the Groom … My most vivid memories of the day include taking an early morning run across the beautiful ranch, passing by the cabins where my bride and her bridesmaids were getting ready, enjoying the solitude of the open valley, and envisioning the amazing day to come.  Also, the paired grooms and bridesmaids slowly winding their way through the meadow and down to the alter, followed by my gorgeous bride-to-be.

From the Bride … I love the photos of the bridesmaids amongst the aspen trees.  The contrast of the blue dresses with the tall trees is gorgeous.  I also love the photos of Geoff and I just after our ceremony when we walked around the ranch.  Jenna Walker Photography captured the sun’s rays of light beaming through us and nature in a way that appears so magical.

Wedding Planner: ZaZen Event Design / Venue: Devil’s Thumb Ranch / Photographer: Jenna Walker Photographers / Floral Design: Swank Stems – Fine Floral Fashion / Cinematography: Sky Focus Films / Invitation Designer: The Paper Guppy / Cupcakes: Bites Cupcakes / Wedding Gown: Watters / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Amsale

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Post tags: Amsale, Baby's Breath, Billy Balls, Bites Cupcakes, Bouquets, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue, Colorado, Devil's Thumb Ranch, Frasier, Jenna Walker Photographers, Modern, Mountain Weddings, mountains, November, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Ranch Wedding, Sky Focus Films, Succulents, Swank Stems - Fine Floral Fashion, The Paper Guppy, Watters, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photographers, Winter Wedding, Zazen Event Design
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

David and I met online and had our first date at a little Irish pub near my old apartment, right before he left for a short vacation to visit friends in LA. I thought the time apart might kill the momentum, but we talked the whole time he was away and by the time he returned and we were on our second date we both knew something special was happening.

On our third date I made a romantic dinner at his place, and then we went downstairs to watch a movie. There was a wild thunderstorm outside, and suddenly we heard slow creaking footsteps over our heads. We paused the movie, listening carefully, and I whispered “I think the front door is unlocked”. He sprinted up the stairs; I heard him yell and then two pairs of running feet. After a few seconds of silence I slowly crept upstairs, looked around, and walked toward the front door, which was wide open. There he was, alone, walking barefoot down the middle of the wet road, carrying my purse in his hand. He swears it wasn’t chivalry, but it made an impression. “Why on earth would you do that?” I asked, still a little shaken. “I thought he had my computer,” he answered, also a little startled by what he had just done. “Well,” we laughed, “it’ll be a good story to tell our grandchildren.”

A few weeks after that stormy night David asked me to go with him to his sister’s cottage on Georgian Bay for a few days. I was a bit nervous about heading into the woods with someone I hadn’t known very long, but a close friend reminded me of something my mother often says: don’t postpone happiness.

A little less than a year later, we returned to that cottage and as the sun set over the water, Dave asked me to marry him. After calling our friends and families to share the giddy news, we sat holding each other on the same beach where a year before, watching the Perseids meteor shower, I had wished on a falling star that that moment together might last a lifetime.

When we were first researching venues, it was Dave that suggested that he loved the idea of getting married in Sault Ste. Marie, the Northern Ontario town where I grew up and where my parents still live. Once we had made that choice, the rest of the decisions came easily. The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Museum was a place where we could have an outdoor ceremony on the water, which we wanted, and had a funky, nostalgic feeling, which we loved.

We picked Nick Drake’s song “Northern Sky” as our processional music, and the lyric “brighten my northern sky” emerged as a kind of theme. The museum made us picture a 1940s bon voyage party, or a Canadian picnic under the stars, and these ideas became an inspiration for what we wanted to create: an event with both an old-world formality and the playful ease of the outdoors.

I loved that my dress had a slight classic Hollywood look to it, and I asked Karyn Gingras at Lilliput Hats to create a vintage fascinator with a birdcage veil that would complement it. David had a tux created by Don Fabien Lee at Trend Custom Tailors that also had svelte mid-century lines and a classic feel.We picked blue and grey as our primary colours, with small touches of mauve. I asked my bridesmaids to pick out their own dresses in a palette of blue. It was partly a coincidence that they ended up as matching pairs.

My mother-in-law, Jo-Anne, discovered Palettera and brought me to meet Deborah. We really enjoyed looking through all the options, gathering ideas, and being shown beautiful papers and designs. It was also a chance for us to have time alone. On the way there we would chat and catch up. Afterward, we shopped for china together, or tried our hands at calligraphy. Heartbreakingly, we lost Jo-Anne a few months before the wedding to unexpected complications from surgery. It was, and is, a devastating loss. As difficult as it was, we knew in our hearts that she would have been adamant that we continue with our plans. I treasure all of our beautiful letterpressed stationery because it reminds me of that carefree, creative time with her.

In the end, almost every detail held some significance for us. My mother and her friends arranged the flower centerpieces. My “something old” was the necklace my grandparents had given me, pearl by pearl, as a child, which was strung together for my 16th birthday. For my “something borrowed” and “something blue”, I wore my mother-in-law’s sapphire engagement ring, lent to me by my sister-in-law who hadn’t once taken it off since her mother passed away. And the Sault itself…

Taking the formal family photos in my childhood home, the center of my emotional universe, was a very powerful moment in the day. Sault Ste. Marie is almost 700 km from where we live now, and we wish it were nearer. To have everyone we love from all corners of the world gathered in that place was very special.

Venue: Canadian Bushplane Heritage Museum / Caterer: A Thymely Affair / Event Planning & Floral Design: A Thymely Affair / Stationery: PALETTERA Custom Correspondences / Photography: Calla Evans Photography / Lighting and Sound: Crank Sound Distribution / Bride’s Dress: Cymbeline, Becker’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka & J.Crew / Headpiece: Lilliput Hats / Bridesmaids: J.Crew, Alfred Sung, Alfred Angelo / Groom’s Tux & Shoes: Trend Custom Tailors / Groom’s Cufflinks: Wedgwood / Ring Bearer Bowl, Table Numbers, Cake, Music: DIY

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Post tags: A Thymely Affair, Airplane Hanger, Airplanes, Alfred Angelo, Alfred Sung, Badgley Mischka, Becker's Bridal, Birdcage Veil, Call Evans Photography, Canadian Bushplane Heritage Museum, Color Palette Blue, Crank Sound Distribution, Cymbeline, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Flower girls, J. Crew, Lilliput Hats, Ontario, Outdoor Ceremony, PALETTERA Custom Correspondences, Pearls, romantic, Sault Ste. Marie, Trend Custom Tailors, Vintage Chic, Water, Wedding Stationery, Wedgwood
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

From Southern Event Planners … Guests traveled from all over the country to be a part of Amanda and Erik’s wedding day. They were greeted at the hotels with goodie bags that included a bunch of Memphis favorites: GooGoo Clusters, Goody’s Powder, Elvis Postcards, Jelly Krimpet TastyKakes, an itinerary of the wedding, and brochures from local museums and tourist attractions.

Amanda and Erik met at a sushi restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada where they both lived. A year and a half later, Erik proposed at the top of the Stratosphere…or as they like to call it “the top of the world.” For their wedding, they knew it would be a requirement to incorporate the elements of Las Vegas. Amanda grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and that’s where she wanted to be married. Planning this wedding from afar was nothing new to Southern Event Planners, and the details were quickly worked out in the first few visits.

It was important to Amanda and Erik that the adult guests of their wedding could enjoy the celebration, so they hired an event sitting service to watch the children. The sitters brought activities and gift boxes for each child, and the parents were free to have fun!

The ceremony was held in the Japanese Garden overlooking the lake at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. A guitar and violin duo serenaded the crowd as the family and bridal party entered and took their places. Amanda looked stunning and overjoyed as she made her way down the aisle to her future husband. One of Amanda’s closest friends sang “Songbird” as the flute and guitar accompanied her, and there was not a dry eye in the house! After being pronounced “Mr. and Mrs.” by the officiate, guests made their way inside to Hardin Hall.

Blue lighting, candles, and elegant place-settings topped with a California Mixed Greens Salad greeted the guests as they entered the room. Soft music was playing and the atmosphere was very cool and relaxed. Guests sipped on cocktails as they found their seats. Amanda made real casino chips into escort cards! She printed labels with the guests’ names and table numbers and stuck them on the chip. She purchased custom shot glasses that housed glittered bonbons, and the escort chip was laid on top of the glass for each guest! On each table, a picture frame housed a photo of the casino and the corresponding poker chip. Guests had fun calling out their casino names and helping each other find the tables.

Amanda and Erik were soon announced into the reception, and the dances begun. Their first dance was a medley of songs, but little did the guests know…they had a second choreographed dance planned! The reception carried on as planned with a Father/Daughter Dance, Mother/Son Dance, and dinner. Wedding guests feasted on two buffet stations: a Jersey station (for Erik’s personality) and a Southern station (for Amanda’s personality). Hand rolled sushi, mini cheese-steak sandwiches and stuffed manicotti were among the groom’s choices, while grits, fried green tomatoes, and catfish bites with hush-puppies were among the bride’s requests.

After the champagne toast and cake cutting,  Natalie Cole’s voice began the first verse of “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).” Amanda and Erik waltzed across the dance floor to each other and guests clapped and shouted when they realized what was happening. This was their second surprise dance for the guests. All of the events of the night were captured on video and edited together with footage from the rehearsal dinner the night before. A few minutes before the grand exit, Amanda and Erik invited their guests to huddle around the projection screen to watch a recap of the wedding events. The videographer did a wonderful job with the same day edit!

After the video, sparklers were lit outside as the bride and groom made their way to their waiting towncar. It was truly a day they will never forget!

Photography: Christen Jones Photography / Cinematography: Daybreak Cinema / Flowers: Deedra Stone Designs / Event Design: Deedra Stone Designs and Southern Event Planners / Event Planning: Southern Event Planners / Ceremony Location: Memphis Botanic Gardens, Japanese Garden / Reception Location: Memphis Botanic Gardens, Hardin Hall / Invitations: RSVP Stationers / Dress: Alfred Angelo / Catering: A Moveable Feast / Transportation: Tennessee Limo and Cline Tours, Inc. / Event Sitters: Elegant Event Sitters, Inc.

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Post tags: A Moveable Feast, Alfred Angelo, Beer Coozies, Casual Elegance, Christen Jones Photography, Cline Tours Inc, Color Palette Blue, Coozies, Daybreak Cinema, Deedra Stone Designs, Elegance Event Sitters Inc., Fans, Floral arch, Japanese Garden, Memphis, Memphis Botanic Gardens, Outdoor Ceremony, RSVP Stationers, Southern Event Planners, Southern Weddings, Tennesee, Tennessee Limo, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Manny and Tara met while working at Bloomingdale’s in NYC. They had worked together for over a year but it was never more than a friendly hello. Then one day a mutual friend asked them to go to her wedding. Neither one of us had a date, so she said you don’t live far from each other just go together. So Manny and Tara went to the wedding and had an amazing time. That night they made plans for a date the following week.

Manny and Tara had gone through their share of ups and downs. Manny was promoted to a Senior position at Bloomingdale’s and moved to Orlando while Tara stayed in New Jersey. They spent every few weeks trying to see each other for nine months. Then one day when Tara was visiting Manny in Florida he was offered another promotion in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Manny came and told Tara and asked her if he should take it, and if she wanted to go? Tara always loved the area around Washington DC, and her roommate had just gotten engaged and was moving out. So she figured why not, I have to move anyway — so that’s what she did. Tara followed Manny down to Alexandria.

After five years together Manny popped the question on the Fourth of July while watching the fireworks at the Chart House in Alexandria, Virginia, since that was the first place they shared a home.

It took Manny and Tara five months to find a venue for the wedding. Tara’s worst fear was to have a typical wedding, she wanted it to feel different and special. Tara’s Mom and Dad took Manny and Tara there as an engagement celebration, and Tara knew this was it! The ceremony took place on the Grounds for Sculpture at the nine muses, cocktails and dinner followed at Rat’s restaurant. It could not have been more perfect.

Venue: Rat’s Restaurant at Grounds for Sculpture / Cake: Design Cakes / Flowers: Dee’s Flowers and Gifts / Hair & Makeup: Valina Salon and Spa / Photography: mk Photography

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Post tags: Aldo, Color Palette Blue, Design Cake's Dee's Flowers and Gifts, Flower girls, Garden Weddings, Grounds for Sculpture, MKPhotography, New Jersey, Outdoor Ceremony, Rats Restaurant, Ring Bearers, Traditional Elegance, Valina Salon and Spa
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

We met at Colby College, while living in the same dorm our sophomore year.  After dating for about seven years, we became engaged in Paris in October 2010 when Will flew over to surprise Kate (who was on a business trip) on the point of Ile de la Cité.

We were married on Malden Island, a 10-home summer community off the coast of Maine. Will’s family has been part of the island community since 1881 (the Home Club was founded in 1872); his is the sixth generation to spend summers there. Kate and her family have been visiting for years now, too.

With the lobster boats, buoys and fog in the harbor, boardwalks, old wooden houses, and pine trees on the island, the location is classic coastal Maine. Our hope for the wedding was that it was “of the place” – laid back and rustic – while being fun and distinctive. Instead of ribbon we used twine, the groom and his brothers wore boat shoes, flowers were in wooden boxes and medicine bottles. While we didn’t have a single wedding color – flowers were a medley of hues – blues predominated. The maid of honor’s dress was navy and the flower girl’s was light blue seersucker, the groom and his brother wore navy suits (with ties in their family’s Scottish tartan), escort cards were lots of different blues, invitations incorporated a cobalt blue, the bride wore lapis earrings.

The ceremony, held in the island’s cookhouse (where island members eat together during the summer months), was intimate, simple, and thanks to our minister, pretty funny.

Location: Private Home Club, Malden Island, Maine / Event Design and Planning: Maine Seasons Events / Catering: Ian’s Eats / Music: Steam Powered / Airplane: Steam Powered Airplane / Flowers: Friend / Tent: Sperry Tents / Rentals: Be Our Guest / Photography: Jenny Moloney Photography

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Post tags: Be Our Guest, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue, DIY Flowers, Fog, Ian's Eats, Maine, Maine Seasons Events, Malden Island, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Rain, Sperry Tents, Steam Powered Airplaine, Tented Reception, Water, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Hair and Makeup by the always talented Jennie Fresa Beauty Library.

From Carla Ten Eyck Photography … This sweet couple declared their vows in an amphitheater over looking Long Island Sound at Harkness State Park, where the groom’s family would visit often during his childhood. During the ceremony, they included a parent recognition ceremony and wine ceremony. The father of the groom surprised the couple by playing the accordion as they walked down the isle while the groom’s aunt played the violin.

This wedding was overflowing with beautiful and ecologically sustainable details which the couple wanted to use from local vendors. Details included a tent decorated with cornflower, butter and white colored lanterns, two local cheese stations, bamboo paper with soy ink, a candy bar, lilac bush wishing tree, bird’s nest name cards and cake decorations, and food recipes from the Bride herself.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Hair: Nedelyn Perry, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Makeup: Emily Denny, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Flowers: Hana Floral Design / Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero / Event Coordinator: Gina of A Thyme to Cook / Cake: A Thyme to Cook / Ceremony Location: Oceanside Ampitheater, Harkness Memorial State Park / Reception Location: Eiola Mansion, Harkness Memorial State Park / Invitations: Bamboo Paper and Soy Ink-Sustainable from NYC / Shoes: Hey Lady Shoes / DJ:Todd from Powerstation Events

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Post tags: A Thyme to Cook, Bird, Birds, Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue, Color Palette Blue White, Connecticut, Eiola Mansion, Flower Girl, Hana Floral Design, Harkness Memorial State Park, Hey Lady Shoes, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, Maggie Sottero, Outdoor Wedding, Pearls, Powerstation Events, Summer Wedding, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

After eight years of adventures together, Mike decided to make it official during a vacation in Kauai. He popped the question on a sandy beach with a stunning blue topaz ring right before our anniversary dinner as the sun was setting and the surfers dotted the ocean. It was so picture perfect that I forgot to answer his question! At some point later, over cocktails with umbrellas in them, I said yes.

We really felt it was important for our guests to have a good time and knew that hiring the band Swingin’ Swamis would do the trick. As a video editor and art educator, respectively, Mike and I also wanted to make sure that we had great photographs, and Jonathan Hanson of Readyluck did not disappoint.

We took our inspiration, loosely, from the work of artist Joseph Cornell, who artfully and poetically juxtaposes pre-existing images and ideas to create something new. So our wedding had a vintage-inspired and eclectic look and feel. For example, I asked my bridesmaids to find blue vintage dresses with brocade designs. And instead of place cards, we provided magnets depicting vintage images of things we enjoy (i.e., bicycles, books). Guests were invited to find the image depicted on the magnet at the reception tables. Also, Cornell uses a lot of blues and yellows in his work, and those were the colors we chose for our wedding.

My favorite moment of the wedding was also one of the biggest surprises. My mom surprised us by singing a touching rendition of “Sunrise, Sunset,” accompanied by my aunt on the guitar. They had been practicing in secret, and their performance brought tears to many guests’ eyes – especially mine.

Band: The Swingin’ Swamis / Dress: Nicole Miller / Cake: SugarBakers Cakes / Flowers: Fleur de Lis / Venue & Catering: Belmont Manor House / Photography: Jonathan Hanson for Readyluck

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Post tags: Belmont Manor House, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue, Elkridge, Fleur de Lis, Gemstone Engagement Ring, Maryland, Nicole Miller, Outdoor Wedding, Peacock Feathers, Readyluck, SugarBakers Cakes, Summer Wedding, The Swingin' Swamis, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photographers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Check out that gorgeous Monique Lhuillier gown!

Visit the gallery for more of this lovely wedding.

The inspiration for our wedding came from my engagement ring. I love blue and my engagement ring is a three stone ring, a diamond center-stone surrounded by sapphires. We chose to use sapphire blue as the accent color and a softer baby blue and shades of white for our flowers and decor. I’m drawn to the early art deco, jazz band period and wanted to capture those characteristics for the decor at the reception.

There are many special memories from that day. Chris and I didn’t see each other until the ceremony, but we wrote letters for the other to read in the morning. Reading his letter was so special and helped me stay calm and relaxed during the rush and excitement of the busy day.

My last moments alone with my father, before he walked me down the isle, were special. I had dreamed about that moment with him and I will always cherish it.

At the reception, sitting down and enjoying our meal together with the head table was so nice. The menu was well-planned and executed. It was important to me enjoy the dinner, which I had always heard the bride and groom never get to do. Then we danced the night away. And poof, the night was over before I knew it.

Our photographer, Joe Cogliandro, was amazing! He has the unique ability to capture scenes when you don’t know he’s there. The result is magic. We have many “in the moment” shots and I relive the day every time I see our photos. Joe has such a creative eye. Our engagement and wedding pictures are pieces of art to us.

Photographer: J. Cogliandro Photography / Floral Designer: Darryl & Co. / Event Design & Planning: Darryl & Co. / Ceremony: Chapelwood United Methodist Church / Reception: Hotel ZaZa / Invitation Designer: Ann Werme Stationers / Cake & Desserts: Edible Designs by Jessie / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier, from Casa de Novia / Shoes: Oscar de la Renta / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Vera Wang and Amsale

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Post tags: Amsale, Ann Werme Stationers, Casa de Novia, Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Color Palette Blue, Darryl & Co, Edible Designs by Jessie, Hotel ZaZa, Houston, J. Cogliandro Photography, Monique Lhuillier, Oscar De La Renta, Sapphire Blue, Texas, Traditional Elegance, Vera Wang, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography