The main inspiration of our wedding was the city of Austin as well as the Barr Mansion itself. We wanted it to have that unique, quirky Austin feel we both love but also be very personal to Derek & I. Our signature cocktail was sweet tea-flavored vodka and lemonade, served in mason jars. Our colors were bright pink & apple green.

We looked at about ten different venues in Austin, Texas, but fell in love with the charm of Barr Mansion. It was by far the most unique place we visited and we knew right away it was the place for us. We booked it in late March 2010 and in June, the ballroom of the facility was struck by lightning and burned down. It was crazy news and definitely not what you want to hear about your wedding venue but we remained in good spirits and kept going as planned… monitoring the rebuild along the way of course. It was a much longer process than everyone originally projected, but we held out hope that it would be completed prior to our wedding in April 2011. Sure enough, Barr Mansion hosted their first wedding in the new ballroom about 2 months before our wedding. To say we were relieved would be an understatement!

Derek’s uncle is a Pastor and married Derek’s brother & his wife in May 2010. We were blessed enough to have him marry us as well and hope to maybe start a family tradition!

One of my most vivid memories from the day was waiting with my dad to walk down the aisle. I was incredibly nervous but so excited. The sun was about 45 minutes from setting and the lighting outside was absolutely gorgeous. We were hidden away behind the mansion itself and when we rounded the corner and I could suddenly see all of our guests, it took my breath away and I knew it was a moment I would never forget. As I got closer and could finally see Derek, tears filled my eyes, as I was finally about to marry my best friend.

Venue: Barr Mansion / Photographer: Kelly Hornberger Photography / Floral Designer: Verbena Floral Design / Event Planning & Design: Keegan ‘O Connell, with Barr Mansion / Invitation Designer: Maria Navarro / Cake: Barr Mansion / Wedding Gown: Marisa, Weddings By Debbie / Bridesmaid’s Dress: Watters / Jewelry: Nordstrom / Entertainment: Look No Further Entertainment / Hair: Black Orchid Salon / Make-up: Carl Crenshaw

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Post tags: Austin, Barr Mansion, Black Orchid Salon, Carl Crenshaw, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Pink Green, Farmhouse, Flower girls, Kelly Hornberger Photography, Look No Further Entertainment, Maria Navarro, Marisa, Mason Jars, Nordstrom, Outdoor Ceremony, Sweet Tea, Texas, Verbena Floral Design, Watters, Weddings by Debbie
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

John and I met in July and were engaged in July, so it made sense to plan the wedding for July of 2011. After looking at several potential venues we found the Williamsburg Winery. We knew right away it was the perfect place. It had that mixture of rustic charm and elegance we were looking for. John grew up in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and I was raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, so having our wedding in Williamsburg, Virginia, seemed like the perfect “marriage” of both of our families.

After selecting the venue we immediately met with a caterer, Laura Reeves from “The Catering Company”, and we knew right away that she understood our vision of a simple yet elegant summer feast. Next we met Echard Wheeler, our photographer. Immediately we sensed that his artistic vision and relaxed personality would capture our wedding memories in a beautiful way . Another important element to us was the flowers. Since the venue already has such rustic charm we knew we wanted soft, romantic flowers to complement it. Jennifer from “My Favorite Things” did a wonderful job of transforming the space and even managed to get peonies in July for my bouquet, which I was really hoping for.

My mom was right by my side throughout the planning process. We had a great time meeting with vendors and planning all the details that made the day so special. We took on a few DIY projects including the table numbers, cookie bar, escort cards and directional sign. My Dad built the sign that we then painted with some of the guests’ hometowns and the distance they had traveled to come celebrate with us.

Finding the perfect dress was easy. The beautiful Marisa gown was the first one that I tried on and I loved it. The lightweight silk organza was great in the July heat and I felt totally comfortable in it. Helping our guests with the heat were parasols and program fans, as well as bottled water during the ceremony.

The day ran very smoothly with the help of our mistress of ceremony, Caroline, and our DJ, Rodney Charles. They both worked hard to make sure that things were organized and happening as they should. Rodney got the crowd dancing as the night progressed and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves on the dance floor.

There was no grand exit for John and I. We danced until the very end with all of our friends and family. It was a perfect way to end our special day and I feel blessed to have married such a wonderful man. As we walked next door to the hotel under a full moon we were excited to begin our lives together and very excited about our honeymoon to Italy.

Dress: Marisa from Pure English Bridal / Photographer: Echard Wheeler / Florist: My Favorite Things / Caterer: The Catering Company / DJ: DJ Rodney Charles / Venue: Williamsburg Winery / Cake: Shockley’s Sweet Shoppe / Carriage: Smithfield Horse and Carriage / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Makeup: Kim Wadsworth / Hair: Cindy Scheper / Programs and Invitations: Paperwhyte

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Post tags: Cindy Sheper, Color Palette Pink Green, Cookies, DJ Rodney Charles, Echard Wheeler Photography, Flower girls, horses, J. Crew, Kim Wadsworth, Marisa, My Favorite Things, Outdoor Ceremony, Paperwhyte, Pure English Bridal, Ring Bearers, Shockley's Sweet Shoppe, Smithfield Horse and Carriage, the catering company, Traditional Elegance, Virginia, Wedding Photography, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Winery, Winery Wedding
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

From SugarLove Weddings … The city chic Rydges in Brisbane was the chosen location for the wedding of Sarina & Eric in summer time. The hotel room was transformed by Rouba Alamein from The Style Salon and SugarLove Weddings was flown in with his team to cover the event. Another treat for guests was international musician & singer Guy Sebastian who sang for guests before Sarina & Eric danced the night away to fireworks on the rooftops overlooking the river. The styling & decor was magical and the fairytale setting that Sarina had always dreamed of. Combined with so many beautiful roses, candles & vines throughout it also smelt divine.

Photography: SugarLove Weddings / Flowers: The Style Salon / Event Design: The Style Salon / Ceremony Location: Rydges Hotel, Brisbane / Reception Location:  Rydges Hotel, Brisbane / Bride’s Pink Gown: Elie Saab

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Post tags: Australia, Ballroom Wedding, Brisbane, Chinese Tea Ceremony, Chivali Chairs, Color Palette Muted, Color Palette Pink Green, Destination Weddings, Elie Saab, Fireworks, Queensland, Romance, Roses, Rydges Hotel, Spring Wedding, SugarLove Weddings, The Style Salon, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cake
Post categories: Australia Weddings, Queensland, Traditional Elegance

In case you’re jonesing for a little more magic, Vidicam Productions has got a fantastic account of the wedding through film, so click here!

From Bob Gail Special Events … Brandon and Leigh wanted a true garden-inspired wedding.  They chose the Beverly Hills Hotel for the event because it perfectly reflected the effortless elegance that they were trying to replicate in each aspect of their wedding day.  Once the venue had been selected, Leigh picked the most exquisite and delicate dress from Claire Pettibone, which ended up being the source for the entire design concept of the wedding. Leigh did the majority of the planning while studying abroad in London while in law school, so Brandon played a very large role in the process, and we even Skyped Leigh in for the table demo.

For the ceremony, we wanted to build off of the already beautiful garden in the center of the hotel, so we picked a color palate and flowers that made the ceremony structure look like a permanent fixture of the hotel.  As the guests arrived at the ceremony, they were greeted by a keyboardist, flautist and two violinists playing classical music, as well as Brandon’s niece, who took Polaroid photos of each person and had them affix their photo to a scrapbook and write a loving message to the couple.

During the cocktail hour, guests munched on delicious hors d’ouevres and sipped cocktails from the martini bar with Leigh and Brandon’s favorite libations while they listened to jazz background music played by a keyboardist and saxophonist.  The escort card table was made up of moss-covered Manzanita trees with custom printed escort cards hanging from each branch.

The reception was decorated with the casual ease of a garden with three different varieties of fresh garden flowers in each centerpiece.  The tablescape was complimented with custom table numbers to match the escort cards, and a single stem of spray roses was tucked into each napkin.

Brandon and Leigh chose a 10-piece ensemble from “Jumpstart,” one of Bob Gail’s premier bands, accompanied by one of Bob Gail’s exclusive DJs, and danced all night to music ranging from Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé to Stevie Wonder and the Black Eyed Peas.

Gina Triglia from the Beverly Hills Hotel executed every detail flawlessly and handled their food and beverage selection, as well as all of the venue-related details, with such ease and grace.

The bride’s cake was made by the talented team at Cake & Art—the very same bakery that has been making cakes for Brandon’s family’s special occasions for his entire life, while the groom’s golf-themed cake was baked as a gift by Brandon’s older sister.
Todd Johnson, who is one of the most talented, passionate, and skilled photographers in the business, artistically captured every single detail of the wedding.

Photography: Todd Johnson Photography / Additional Decor Photography: Watson Photography / Cinematography: Vidicam Productions / Flowers: Bob Gail Special Events / Event Design: Bob Gail Special Events / Event Planning: Bob Gail Special Events / Catering Manager: Gina Triglia at the Beverly Hills Hotel / Ceremony Location: Beverly Hills Hotel / Reception Location: Beverly Hills Hotel / Band/Music: “Jumpstart,” by Bob Gail Special Events / DJ: Brian Pincus at Bob Gail Special Events / Invitations: William Ernest Brown / Jewelry/Rings: XIV Karats, Ltd. / Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Dress: Claire Pettibone / Bridesmaids Dresses: Nicole Miller / Cake: Cake & Art / Groom’s Cake:  The Groom’s Sister, Cara Piazza / Hair:  Exiquio Guterrez from Jose Eber Atelier / Make-Up: Adrianna Guterrez from Jose Eber Atelier

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Post tags: Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Hotel, Bob Gail Special Events, Cake & Art, California, Claire Pettibone, Color Palette Pink Green, Flower girls, Garden Wedding, Jose Eber Atelier, Nicole Miller, Ring Bearers, Stuart Weitzman, Summer Wedding, Todd Johnson Photography, Vidicam Productions, Vintage Chic, Watson Photography, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers, William Ernest Brown, XIV Karats Ltd
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

From Weddings by Design … What an amazing Spring Wedding! Paige and Frank tied the knot at her parent’s beautiful home in Rancho Santa Fe. Paige was radiant in her white silk chiffon gown with wide satin sash, complimented by her lovely bouquet of white peonies and blush roses. Her bridesmaids, in kiwi chiffon cocktail gowns, carried a lovely mix of deep and light pink peonies with pink and white hydrangea.

A brass quartet announced the bride’s entrance with her father which was framed by gorgeous swags of lemon leaf ending in four foot spheres of white carnations.  The altar,  with it’s densely capped arbor of foliage, was completed with an abundant mantle of white tulips atop the lions head fountain backdrop.

Cocktails were poolside, then the bride and groom lead their  guests into a clear tent for dinner. Guests were seated at long tables covered  with crisp white linen and adorned with classic arrangements of white anemone and an abundance of candles. The wedding party was centered around a rustic, wooden table, complete with  antler candelabras and a massive branch candelabra overhead.

An amazing four course dinner was prepared and served by The Kitchen For Exploring Foods, followed by a decadent moss covered desert buffet of cakes and treats from several local bakeries. Following dinner, the guests joined the bride and the groom to dance under the stars to the fantastic music of The Xceptions and a surprise guitar and vocal serenade form the groom to the bride.  A truly magical night was had by all.

Florist: Isari Flower Studio / Photographer: Darin Fong Photography / Caterer: The Kitchen for Exploring Food / Brass Ensemble: Select Brass / Band: Xceptional Music Co / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Culver City / Valet: Sunset Parking Service / Officiant: Rev. Steven Murray / Coordinator: Laura Rizzo, Weddings by Design

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Post tags: California, Classic Party Rentals, Clear Tent, Color Palette Pink Green, Darin Fong Photography, Flower girls, Isari Flower Studio, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Rancho Santa Fe, Select Brass, Spring Wedding, Sunset Parking Service, The Kitchen for Exploring Food, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Weddings by Design, Xceptional Music Co
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Carly & Matthew’s wedding is the perfect mix of classic natural beauty with a splendid touch of whimsy …

Everything about their wedding is just so darned pretty … the flowers are very simple and so very delicate…

And then … there’s the cake! Wow! So cool …

So, who are these extra-special Little Black Book vendors?

The awesome photography team was Dave Miyamoto & Company. The positively perfect florals were from Designs by Hemingway.

Cakelava … of course … designed the fabulous cake. All you have to do is take one look at the cake and you just KNOW it’s one of Rick’s, right?

I read on Rick & Sasha’s blog …

Carly and Matthew gave us plenty of artistic leeway when designing their cake. Their requests were funky, pink and green and white, and swirls, so Rick worked his magic. For their cake flavors, they chose Guava Lava, a completely pink cake, which couldn’t be more fitting for this wedding, and our Hot Fudge Sundae, a nice combination.

Dave really captured the fun … and the sweetest emotions of the day!

The term “fairy tale wedding” might seem cliché … but Carly looks like … she feels like … a princess! And Matthew? Her dashing young prince, of course.

We love it when we can show you that our Little Black Book vendors are all we say they are … and more!

Thanks Dave, for sharing Carly & Matthew’s wedding day with us!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cakelava, Color Palette Pink Green, Dave Miyamoto, David's Bridal, Designs by Hemingway, Hawaii, Military, Waikiki
Post categories: Bouquets, Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

photography by Bryan Ambrose

photographs provided by Jessica’s Country Flowers

And one more gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous example of Jessica’s awesome weddings …

photography by Charles and Jennifer Maring

Jessica’s Country Flowers, a super-talented, highly recommended Little Black Book Vendor!

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Post tags: Brian Ambrose, Calla Lilly Bouquet, Charles Maring, Church Pews, Color Palette Pink, Color Palette Pink Green, Color Palette Pink Peach, Hanging Votives, Jessica's Country Flowers, Orchids, Roses, Wedding Bouquets, Wedding Centerpieces
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers

“Tickled pink” is what immediately came to my mind when we saw Mary and Justin’s wedding!

Mary and Justin knew that they wanted the focus of their wedding celebration to be on family and friends … so there could be no better place than Mary’s parent’s backyard.

Mary and Justin knew that their family would love a candy buffet, so the centerpieces and other floral design incorporated bright candy-colors into the overall style.

“Style Me A Pretty Wedding” … yep … I think Mary, Cindy &  Signature Events did!

Photographs provided by Signature Events. A huge thanks to Amy for sending us Mary & Justin’s delightful celebration!

Vendor Credits:  Photography by Wendy Cahill; Floral Design by D. McLeod; Catering by Red Blazer

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Post tags: Backyard Wedding, Color Palette Pink Green, D. McLeod Florists, MAJical Creations, New Hampshire, Red Blazer, Signature Events, Wendy Cahill
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers