An island wedding in Maine is a feat to plan in itself, but when it happens on the same weekend that Hurricane Irene blows into town, well that is another story entirely!

 Rachel and Jon chose to be married on Peaks Island, Maine and contacted Maine Seasons Events for design and planning for their island event.  Many factors have to be considered for an island wedding, not only getting all guests onto and off the island, but transporting staff, food, beverages, ice, flowers, linens, rentals, and décor have to be planned for, factoring in ferry schedules, and land transportation on the island side. 

Rachel and Jon live in Philadelphia, but adore the coast of Maine, where Rachel grew up. The two were married on Peaks Island at Trefethen Evergreen Improvement Association (TEIA). Originally built in 1912, TEIA is a lovely wooden boathouse with a large maple floor once considered to be “the best dance floor this side of Boston.” The couple wanted their wedding to be whimsical, rustic, fun, and chock full of Maine flavor. They also wanted the entire day to be a celebration of their incredible friends and families. Guests arrived by sea after taking a cruise through Casco Bay on “The Islander” ferry.

Maine Seasons Events created a design that reflected the natural feel of the coast of Maine, while being conscious about reusing or recycling as many of the design elements as possible.  Lanterns,  recycled glass votive holders and driftwood, mussel shells and rocks sensitively gathered over the winter after storms were worked into the table design, all atop custom made  blue ticking fabric runners and sand colored linens. Nautical monkey fist knots were used as table number holders and hand cut place cards were pinned on authentic depth charts of the area.   The bride designed the wedding stationery and each envelope was lined with a hand cut tide chart map in the color palette and tied with yellow and white twine. Her family gathered driftwood and shells for the tables and the bridesmaids got together before the wedding for an evening of wine and flower picking at organic Little River Flower Farm. The ceremony music was provided by the couples wonderfully talented cellist friend Nick Ogawa of Takenobu.

The food combined seasonal, sustainable Maine ingredients with Greek inspired flavors to honor Rachel’s Greek heritage. The caterer, 111 Maine, took the time to learn some of Rachel’s grandmother’s recipes to share with guests. After dinner, guests participated in Greek dances they had learned at the rehearsal dinner the night before with a Greek dancing instructor.  The signature cocktails– “Dark & Stormies” for him, “The Honey Badger” for her– incorporated local Maine Green Bee soda, sweetened with Maine wildflower honey. A variety of Maine craft beers were also enjoyed by guests. For favors, guests left with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies from Old World Gourmet Deli, Rachel’s favorite childhood treat.

Hurricane Irene held off just long enough for guests to enjoy the outdoor ceremony and evening reception overlooking the bay, and Irene’s gift was an incredible Maine sunset almost too vibrant to be real.

Photography: Andrew Davis Photography / Location: Trefelen Evergreen Improvement Association / Design and Planning: Maine Seasons Events / Flowers: Little River Flower Farm / Catering: 111 Maine Catering / Ceremony music: Nick Ogawa, Takenobu / Reception music: DJ Bob Wilson / Bride’s Dress: Monique Lhullier / Bridesmaids: J.Crew / Groom’s Suit: Ralph Lauren / Boat Transportation: Portland Discovery Land and Sea Tours / Ferry transportation: Casco Bay Lines / Car service: Maine Limousine / Hair styling: Voila Day Spa / Save the dates: Anela Selkowitz

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 111 Maine Catering, Andrew Davis Photography, Anela Selkowitz, Braids, Casco Bay Lines, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Navy, DJ Bob Wilson, flags,, J. Crew, Little River Flower Farm, Maine, Maine Limousine, Maine Seasons Events, Monique Mhullier, Nautical, Nautical Wedding Theme, Nick Ogawa, Peaks Island, Portland Discovery Land and Sea Tours, Ralph Lauren, Takenobu, Trefelen Evergreen Improvement Association, Voila Day Spa, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

That gorgeous Lilly of the Valley bouquet and all the other fab florals courtesy of Beautiful Blooms.

On Friday, February 12, 2010, Scottie was on her way from New York City to meet Cooper in Greenwich, CT for a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend. Scottie was in a particularly good mood, and quite distracted, as it was her last day of work before going on vacation for two weeks prior to starting her new job. Cooper had arrived in Greenwich a few hours before Scottie because she stayed late in the city to take a yoga class, so to her – there was nothing suspicious about their mismatched arrival times. When the cab arrived at the house in Greenwich, Scottie walked to the back door and found a note saying “Follow the Candles…” Scottie proceeded to follow a trail of 5 candles that led through the house. At each candle, there was a portion of a note written by Cooper, and the last candle was located at the threshold of the living room where Scottie could see a beautiful fire had been made. The end of the note at the last candle read “Ms. Elizabeth Scott McQuilkin…” Just as Scottie finished reading the note, Cooper walked into the doorway, got down on one knee with a ring in hand, and finished the sentence “…will you marry me?” Scottie of course said yes, and immediately needed to sit down for fear of fainting!

Scottie grew up outside of Philadelphia, and had passed The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia numerous times growing up. The architecture is beautiful and the backdrop of City Hall made for excellent photographs!  We also wanted a venue where we knew we would get exceptional service so we wouldn’t have to worry about anything on the big day.  The Ritz-Carlton exceeded out expectations every step of the way and their service was impeccable.  They comfortably accommodated all of our guests and provided a beautiful central location for out of towners to reach.  The food and accommodations were great for our reception and ceremony!

The most important thing for Scottie to decide on first was the dress since it determined the tone and level of formality of the rest of the wedding….Scottie went to Vera Wang with her mom, mother-in-law to be, and a close family friend.  She tried on about 15 dresses, and when she put the last one on – she knew it was the one!  It was simple, classic and elegant.  Once her consultant at Vera Wang put on the cathedral length veil, Scottie knew her choice was made!  The dress also happened to match the PERFECT Christian Louboutin shoes Scottie had picked out a few weeks before.  After the wedding, Scottie donated her dress and veil to The Bridal Garden in NYC, which is a non-profit that benefits children in New York City. Scottie kept the sash from her dress as well as her shoes, in case there is a daughter some day who may want to wear them.  As a surprise addition to Scottie’s outfit at the end, Betteridge, the Greenwich, CT jeweler who custom made Scottie’s engagement ring and both Scottie and Cooper’s wedding bands, loaned Scottie an incredible pair of diamond chandelier earnings to complete her wedding day look!

For the photographer, Scottie immediately knew who she wanted.  Scottie’s colleague had worked with the mkPhoto team for her own wedding a few years ago, and when Scottie saw their incredible photos – mkPhoto was the only photographer she reached out to!  Scottie and Cooper were incredibly impressed with mkPhoto’s professionalism throughout the wedding planning process, and appreciated their expertise on the big day to ensure we got more great photos than we imagined!

For the flowers, Scottie worked with the team at Beautiful Blooms.  Beautiful Blooms had been recommended by a number of people, and for good reason.  Maya Shumar and her team executed perfectly on the concept Scottie outlined – white flowers of all kinds and lots of fresh green throughout the ceremony and reception combined with romantic low lighting and candles.  Scottie chose a bouquet entirely made of lily of the valley for her walk down the aisle, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen were accessorized with mini calla lilies and sprigs of lily of the valley to match.

Photography: MKPhotography / Flowers: Beautiful Blooms / Ceremony Location: Ritz Carlton Philadelphia / Reception Location: Ritz Carlton Philadelphia / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Veil: Vera Wang / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang / Stationery: Dana Charette, Salt & Paper Design / Calligraphy: Mindy Mraz / Hair & Makeup: Richel D’Ambra Spa & Salon / Band: City Rhythm, Brandywine Valley Talent

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ballroom Wedding, Beautiful Blooms, Brandywine Valley Talent, Candles, Christian Louboutin, City Rhythm, Classic, Color Palette Navy, Glasses, Lilly of the Valley, Mindy Mraz, MKPhotography, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Richel D'Ambra Spa & Salon, Ritz Carlton Philadelphia, Salt & Paper Design, Traditional Elegance, Vera Wang, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

From Pineapple Productions … Susan and Ashley met while in law school at Vanderbilt University, and after spending time in New York, moved to Washington – Ashley’s hometown – just in time to start planning their wedding.  When I first met with Susan, she described wanting a quintessential Washington wedding, but one that incorporated touches of Southern charm as a nod to her own Southern roots.

The ceremony was held at historic St. John’s Church, located on Lafayette Square just steps away from The White House.  Since St. John’s establishment in 1815, every U.S. President has attended church services there.  In fact, St. John’s is popularly known as the “Church of Presidents.”

After the ceremony, Susan and Ashley led their guests on a bagpipe procession through Lafayette Park, past the White House and onto the reception venue — the Metropolitan Club.  The Metropolitan Club is another historic DC landmark, one that has welcomed nearly every President since Abraham Lincoln as well as many international dignitaries.

Susan and Ashley did a fabulous job making the club their own for the night.  As guests arrived for the cocktail hour, flutes of classic Kir Royale were passed on silver trays alongside mason jar tumblers of Bardstown Sling bourbon punch.  We utilized a distinctly Southern color palette of magnolia green, buttercream yellow and white for the cocktail hour.  Tables were dressed in buttery yellow linens and accented with a variety of distressed verdi gris containers containing magnolia leaves, buttercream garden roses and soft yellow lisianthus.

After the cocktail hour guests were invited upstairs for dinner and dancing.  Dinner was served at a variety of stations including macaroni and cheese with decadent toppings like creme fraiche, truffled mushrooms, caramelized onions and bacon.  The talk of the night though was the fish and chips station, custom created by the club, serving crispy rockfish and lobster tail along with fries in classic newspaper cones.

We utilized a mix of linens for the reception tables.  Some were covered in pale dove grey Irish linen.  Others were covered in heavier grey striped and subtly grey polka-dotted linens for a more formal look.  Flowers were all in an eclectic mix of antiqued silver containers — julep cups, compotes, trophy cups and revere bowls.  We filled the silver containers with lush arrangements of taupe, lavender, beige, pale blush, and dusty grey flowers including garden roses, double tulips, ranunculus, dahlias, eucalyptus berries and dusty miller.  The look was both timeless and distinctive.

Big Ray and the Kool Kats – a fabulous band out of Charlottesville, Virginia – provided the music for the evening. Guests danced the night away to Sinatra standards, Motown and even a little country music to keep the Nashvillians happy.  At the end of the night, guests departed with boxes of homemade chocolate chip cookies courtesy of Tate’s Bake Shop.  For a special send off, everyone gathered outside and lit sparklers in the city streets as Susan and Ashley made their way through the crowd and onto the Hay-Adams Hotel for an after party gathering.

Ceremony Venue: St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square / Reception Venue:  The Metropolitan Club / Event Planner:  Allison Jackson, Pineapple Productions / Caterer:  The Metropolitan Club / Photographer:  Kate Headley / Floral Design:  Jack Lucky / Rentals:  DC Rental / Bagpiper:  Francis Wallace / Band:  Big Ray and the Kool Kats via East Coast Entertainment / Invitations:  Crane & Company / Calligraphy/Signage:  Arney Walker Calligraphy / Wedding Cake: The Metropolitan Club / Guest Amenities:  Charm & Salt / Chocolate Chip Cookie Favors:  Tate’s Bake Shop / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaids Dresses: Simple Silhouettes / Hair: Cevat Topcu / Make Up:  Leah McKay

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Arney Walker Calligraphy, Big Ray and the Kool Kats, Bowties, Cevat Topcu, Charm & Salt, Color Palette Navy, Crane & Company, DC Rental, East Coast Entertainment, Francis Wallace, French Fries, Jack Lucky, Kate Headley, Lafayette Square, Leah McKay, Mason Jars, Monique Lhuillier, Pineapple Productions, Simple Silhouettes, Sparklers, St. John's Church, Tate's Bake Shop, The Metropolitan Club, Traditional Elegance, Washington D.C., Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

I’ve got goosebumps already! So without further ado, here is Nate & Nancy – The Highlight.

Nate & Nancy – The Highlight from 31Films on Vimeo.

From the groom … For us, it was all about the fun. With the wedding, we wanted the day to represent who we are, or more importantly, who we have become, as a couple. And, we may be biased, but we like to think we are pretty fun people, and we wanted our friends and family to feel that “fun” every second of the day.  So, we didn’t have much criteria other than that, but in the end it turned out to be a pretty great guiding principle.  It was what I was thinking when I decided to propose with my one ski on near the top of a Breckenridge Mountain.  Thinking back, it is how we make most decisions as a couple.  ”Will this be fun, or an adventure, or some kind of awesome? Yes, ok, let’s do it then….”

We love Colorado dearly, but with Nancy’s large family in her hometown of Houston we wanted to have the wedding there.  I was just starting graduate school in the Boston area, so we decided over champagne the night of our engagement that we would marry over the school’s winter break.  Nancy had her eye on the beautiful Catholic Co-Cathedral in downtown Houston, and we found out soon after that they had an open date the beginning of January, so things started falling into place fast.  The reception site was a bit tougher, and we didn’t fall in love with anything right away.  But Nancy had heard about a new development on the west side of town that included the swanky and modern Hotel Sorella. CityCentre Houston is an urban chic complex, and very convenient for our many out of town guests with several upscale restaurants, bars and unique boutiques nearby.

But the real all-stars of the the day were our photographer, Jason Huang of Table4 Weddings, and our filmmaker, Aaron Tharpe of 31Films. Jason came first, and nobody else really had a chance.  My wife knew what she wanted here, and the man is a pro and a visionary.  Very talented at his craft, and Jason can manage a wedding day.

Aaron came later, and even though it took some convincing from Nancy to hire a cinematographer, we are most happy we decided to partner with Aaron and his wife Rachel. The video is maybe the coolest thing we have been a part of.  And Aaron and I hit it off, especially from a music standpoint. What I was most impressed with was how he took very detailed information that we provided in his questionnaire about who we were as a couple, and somehow translated that message via the medium of cinematic film.  We wanted to show that we like to have our fun, that music is a big part of our relationship, and that we have some very special people in our life that play an important role in who we are as a couple.

For Nancy, the details in the flowers, the styling, and the overall look of the day was important. She fell in love with the wedding gown immediately upon seeing it, and then, she carefully selected the flowers in the bridal bouquet and accessories that could hold up against the beautiful backdrop of her dress.  I surprised Nancy with her wedding gift shortly before the wedding, so that she could plan a “costume change” around the one-of-a-kind vintage bib necklace we had seen several months prior at the J. Crew Bridal Boutique on Madison Avenue in New York City.  Once the dancing started, Nancy changed into a shorter reception dress and wore the special necklace as we celebrated love and life well into the early hours of the next morning.

At the end of the day, it was a very beautiful wedding, and a very FUN time.  All the guests walked out laughing out loud and singing at the top of their lungs.  And Nancy and I?  We headed off to the next adventure.  We always do….

Event Coordination: Kelly Balfour of Eventology Weddings / Cinematography: Aaron and Rachel Tharpe of 31FILMS / Photography: Jason Huang of Table4 Weddings / Ceremony Site: Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart / Reception Site: Hotel Sorella / Hair & Make Up: Kristina Prats of Flawless / Floral Design: Dazzling Bouquets / Wedding Cake: Le Duc Gourmet Bakery / Cupcakes: Crave Cupcakes / Band: The Grooves / Invitations: Minted / Calligraphy: The Bride / Rehearsal Dinner: Cadillac Bar / Wedding Gown, Beaded Belt & Veil: Monique Lhuillier via Joan Pillow Bridal (Previously Impressions Bridal Salon) / Wedding Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Reception Dress: J.Crew / Reception Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridal and Bridesmaids’ Jewelry: J.Crew / Bride’s Bib Necklace: One-of-a-kind from J. Crew Vintage Collection / Bridesmaids and Flower Girl Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Tuxedo: Ralph Lauren / Groomsman and Ring Bearer Tuxedos: Calvin Klein via Men’s Warehouse / Engagement and Wedding Rings: Custom design via Meierotto’s Jewelers

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 31FILMS, Badgley Mischka, Cadillac Bar, Calvin Klein, Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Color Palette Navy, Crave Cupcakes, Dazzling Bouquets, Eventology, Flawless, Highlight Film, Hotel Sorella, Houston, J. Crew, Joan Pillow Bridal, Le Duc Gourmet Bakery, Manolo Blahnik, Meierotto's Jewelers, Men's Wearhouse, Minted, Monique Lhuillier, Ralph Lauren, Table4 Weddings, Texas, The Grooves, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Films
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography

Winslow and I met in college. After graduating he was commissioned as an officer and started his military career in the Army. In the summer of 2009, Winslow deployed to Iraq as I continued my life in New York City. We went on a cruise for his two weeks of leave and he proposed while cruising to Jamaica! Winslow returned to Iraq to finish his tour and I started planning.

I wanted to have a simple yet elegant wedding and loved the idea of a rustic outdoor celebration. I have a passion for wine and decided that a vineyard would be the perfect location for our reception. We chose Benmarl Winery located along the beautiful Hudson River, close to where I grew up. It was the perfect backdrop for our fall wedding with its rustic charm and breathtaking river views.

I decided to take on a lot of DIY projects for the decorations. I found an amazing vendor on Etsy and worked with her to create a simple design for the invitations. Since the reception was outdoors in the late afternoon, I wanted tons of candlelight. My mom and I found rustic style lanterns and wrapped faux grape vines around each as the centerpieces.

The day was exactly how we had imagined and we loved every minute of it. It turned out to be a relaxed and personal celebration that our friends and family are still talking about, six months later. Our photographers Rupert and Kellie from 4Eyes have a gift for imagery and did a wonderful job capturing the fun and emotion throughout the day.

We used to always talk about how wonderful it would be when we were finally in the same time zone, and I am truly happy to finally have my other half by my side. Needless to say, we would not have been able to put the wedding together without the amazing support and help of our family and friends.

Photography: 4Eyes Photography / Wedding reception site: Benmarl Winery / Catering: Pamela’s Traveling Feast / DJ: Tim Tubridy of DJ’s @ Work / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaid Dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Makeup: Christina Amador / Hair: Jessica Gaffney / Flowers: Michael’s Florist / Invitations: LB Creative Paper on Etsy

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 4Eyes Photography, Army Wedding, Badgley Mischka, Benmarl Winery, Casual Elegance, Christina Amador, Color Palette Navy, DJ's @ Work, Etsy, Fordham University, LB Creative Paper, Michael's Florist, Military Uniform, Military Wedding, New York Weddings, Pamela's Traveling Feast, Priscilla of Boston, Traditional Elegance, Vineyard Wedding
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

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

This is straight up, off their website …

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

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

Married: Joe & Jenna

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

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

More of the story … tomorrow!

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