From the beautiful bride, Marissa…

Michael and I got married at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, CT by Rev. Gary Miller.  I walked down the extremely long isle in a gorgeous dress by Anne Barge and a cathedral length veil with 4 inches of antique lace.  My dress has pockets… need I say more?!?!  I wanted a very vintage look as you’ll see in our choice of the 1956 Cadillac from Black Swam Limousine and my antique fur stole.  The ceremony was beautiful but flew by so quickly, which is why we are so happy we chose the BEST photographer in all of CT and we’re 99% sure she’s the best in the world…Carla Ten Eyck and her crew took some amazing pictures that will remind us of just how happy and loved we are.

I’m completely enamored with the bride’s accessories. The fur stole and the antique jewelry are sensible but still so elegant and add just the right amount of vintage-glam to her classic style.

We went to the City Hall in Hartford to take some unbelievable pictures (I’d like to take credit for how truly unbelievable they are but it was the work of Carla and her photographers along with a building that takes your breath away).  Next stop was the reception at The Hartford Society Room.  The food was amazing, the building is exquisite, and the band (Clarke Eno Orchestra) had everyone dancing the night away with their mix of the old (Sinatra) and new (Black Eyed Peas).

Michael and I could not have asked for a better way to begin our lives together. Everything ran smoothly and there is not one thing either of us would change except to do it all over again! A special thanks to Carla Ten Eyck and her photographers, Clarke Eno Orchestra, Dana Montanari at The Society Room, and Shear Artistry in Avon for an awesome job styling the bridal party!

Carla’s style really adds to the vintage quality of the whole day. She completely captured the drama of each location and the pure joy of the couple. Congratulations to Marissa and Michael and a big thank you to Carla Ten Eyck for sending her always beautiful photographs our way!

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Post tags: Carla Ten Eyck, Connecticut, Hartford Society Room, Vintage
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Emily & Joe were married this summer at The Mansion At Bald Hill in Connecticut …

Emily’s daughter, Summer was the flower girl and ring bearer. (See what I mean about the sweetest of moments?)

For all the details and all the pretty … head on over to StudioFoto’s Blog to see Emily & Joe’s beautiful summer wedding in Connecticut!

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Post tags: Bald Head Inn, Casablanca, Connecticut, Studio Foto
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

These flowers are the perfect compliment to this early summer wedding. They’re so fresh and lush, they look like they could burst. And the couple… seriously, how sweet are these two? The bride, glowing. The groom, totally charming… and that little smirk. Adorable.

From the very talented floral designer, Blush…

It was a whimsical wedding featuring whites, greens and golds. The ultra creative bride came up with so many amazing ideas including adding little bowls of shelled green pistachios on each table to coordinate with the pistachio green table linens! There was a bird theme in which gold birds where used throughout as well as a birdcage, ring bearer birds nest, etc.

Along with the beautiful setting, the little birds throughout the decor add a perfect playful touch and just give this event a very organic feel. And the flowers are just soooo romantic. It looks like they were designed with the bride’s dress as the inspiration. Thank you to Elisabeth from Blush for sending this lovely event our way!

Credits: Photographs by Maggie Conley, Flowers by Blush Floral Design, Catering by A Thyme To Cook, Makeup by Jennie Fresa Beauty Library.

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Post tags: Blush Floral Studio, Connecticut, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Now for the real treat! The jump-out-of-your-chair gorgeous reception!

Don’t forget to enter the Weekend Inspiration Board contest (you still have 2 hours) where we will turn one of your designs into reality! We’re going to document the whole thing on Backstage next week, then show you the finished product right here on the main page.

Oh and if you guys are looking for a FAB photographer to shoot your day, head on over to Snippet and Ink where A Bryan Photo is gifting one lucky reader a free e-session!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Artfool, Christian Oth, Connecticut, Jake McBride, Litchfield, Lyndsey Hamilton, Matthew Robbins, White Flower Farms
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Lyndsey Hamilton is the fabulous planner behind the day, Matthew Robbins of Artfool is the designer and florist responsible for the pure gorgeousness and Jake McBride of Christian Oth Studios is the photographer responsible for the perfect photographs…love, love, love.

More to come in just a flash! Oh and see those perfect purple arrangements on the table above…well imagine that as a kicking off point for the unbelievably beautiful reception!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Artfool, Christian Oth, Connecticut, Jake McBride, Litchfield, Lyndsey Hamilton, Matthew Robbins, White Flower Farms
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

The wedding was held at the bride’s father’s Flower Farm (wow) and set the backdrop for Matthew Robbins to work his magic. It seems that every detail just flowed so effortlessly into the next, with a casual elegance and a formal flair that is completely and totally beautiful.

And as usual, the photos that Jake McBride for Christian Oth Studio shot, have left my heart a flutter. They are simply stunning. We have so much more to come from this beautiful affair including an incredible pop of color in the reception decor. Big time gorgeous.

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Post tags: Artfool, Christian Oth, Connecticut, Jake McBride, Litchfield, Lyndsey Hamilton, Matthew Robbins, White Flower Farms
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

And the wedding that we are featuring today is the perfect way to kick off the week…filled to the brim with elegance and style. Plus, the affair was a orchestrated by a bevy of SMP’s Little Black Book Vendors which always makes me really happy. The AMAZING Lyndsey Hamilton planned the entire wedding, while Matthew Robbins of Artfool did the florals and event design and Jake McBride for Christian Oth photographed the story. It’s a lesson in perfection…despite nature’s imperfections!

From the lovely, lovely Lyndsey Hamilton…

White Flower Farm is owned by the bride’s father, Eliot Wadsworth.  WFF is a world-famous flower farm that grows and exports rare and exotic flowers.  The farm also raises livestock.  The caterer, Marcey Brownstein, actually used the farm raised beef for the reception meal!

We worked with Eve from the beginning of the planning: hiring all the vendors, orchestrating the details and coordination, and executing the production of the wedding day.  The ceremony took place at Litchfield Congregation Church, then guests returned to the farm for the tented reception.  The bride wore Vera Wang and then changed into a party dress.  The bridesmaids also wore Vera Wang and their dresses were altered to a short version of the original design.

We have so much more to come and if you haven’t already designed your inspiration board for our Weekend Challenge, you have until 5PM today! We will announce the winner tomorrow!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Artfool, Christian Oth, Connecticut, Jake McBride, Litchfield, Lyndsey Hamilton, Matthew Robbins, White Flower Farms
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

A couple of months ago, we brought you the fabulous photo shoot that Candice Dowling took part in at an amazing old girls’ school in Connecticut. This time, she wasn’t there helping one of her brides, though, SHE WAS the bride!

Here’s one of her engagement shots from Robert & Kathleen Photographers …

Candice is the creative force behind Jubilee Events. Based in Connecticut, and working throughout New England, Jubilee Events is one of the premiere wedding planning and coordination firms in our Little Black Book. During these past few months, the height of the 2009 wedding season, Candice was also planning her own wedding!

She sent us a few of the photos from her wedding shower and we wanted to share!

from Candice …
My poor mother – she sure did have her work cut out for her planning this fabulous party! I had to keep a safe distance from the planning and I’m so glad I did. She did such a tremendous job.

My mother shares my affection for wine and wanted to do something that incorporated my love of Vino into my bridal shower. We booked an amazing honeymoon to Sonoma / Napa Valley, so she used that as her inspiration and created a wine country inspired shower.

The afternoon started at my grandmother’s house – which is this fabulous 100 year old Victorian in Connecticut, nestled in a little oasis near the middle of town. When guests arrived they were greeted by a beautifully decorated staircase that comes into the south side of the house. Rose petals, garland, purple ribbon – it was so beautiful!

We served lots of yummy food and wine on the north side of the house out on the veranda and sun porch, including Pavilion Crossing Cabernet, Haymen Hill Merlot, Bogle Chardonnay, and a delicious White Zin Sangria with lots of pitted fruits. Guests nibbled on lots of scrumptious fruits, breads and cheese, like brie, bel paese, jarlsberg and fontina.

I made individual wine guides for everyone which detailed the wines and the region. I even made a custom map of Napa and Sonoma Valley and we asked guests to suggest a vineyard for us to visit and try while we were honeymooning. They were such fun details!

For lunch, we all moved over to the south side where my mother had beautifully decorated all the tables with these amazing centerpieces, purple runners, and lots of wine corks. She served citrus grilled chicken with a mango salsa, salmon filet will dill cucumber and capers and carpaccio with horseradish and gorgonzola sauce. It was all accompanied by three varied salads which included a lot of fresh fruits and nuts. Too yummy! The event was caterer by a local restaurant and family friend, Jesse Camile’s Restaurant. They did a fabulous job! The carrot cake from Let’s Eat Cake was so gorgeous and almost too pretty to eat. The favors were these absolutely DELICIOUS red velvet cake lollies from Lovely Lollies. They melted in your mouth!!

I had such a fabulous and amazing shower. It was so special, mostly because it was at the home of my grandmother which is inherently special to me. My mom put so much thought and love into every detail – she really blew me away!

Thanks, Candice … and Robert and Kathleen Photographers for sharing the day!!

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Post tags: Connecticut, Jubilee Events, Let's Eat Cake, Lovely Lollies, Luncheon, Raw Photo Design, Robert & Kathleen Photographers, Wedding Shower, Wine
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Planners & Designers

This shoot was done on the groom’s family property (nice, right?) in Connecticut where the wedding will be held. Paul and Krystal were invited to spend the day and photograph the couple having fun. Not a bad gig! The property is actually open to the public and houses one of the best restaurants in the area called The Golden Lamb. Pretty awesome!

If you can’t already tell, I heart Studio Foto in a big way. Ever since they photographed my beautiful baby girl, I’ve been hooked on their unique style and approach. Plus, they are super cool, which always makes the experience more fun. Check out their blog for more e-sessions and beautiful weddings!

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Post tags: Connecticut, e-session, Engagement Shoot, Studio Foto, The Golden Lamb
Post categories: Wedding Photography

From the gorgeous bride…

Matt and I always wanted to have our wedding at a place that was really special to us and that represented who we are as a couple. I grew up in a small Connecticut shoreline town called Guilford that is absolutely beautiful in the springtime and so we decided to hold our wedding ceremony there at the First Congregational Church. We held the reception at the Sachem’s Head Yacht Club where I spent all my summers growing up. In recent years, Matt has also spent many summers at the Sachem’s Head Yacht Club and we have many memories there together. It definitely took a lot of effort and teamwork, but we pulled off the wedding of my dreams.

The bridemaids all wore dresses from Butter by Nadia in tones that matched the ocean-purple, navy and slate–and I gave them lucite earrings and bracelets in all different colors, shapes and sizes to fit their personalities. The dresses were amazing and you could tie them in all different styles which my girlfriends loved. Matt and his wedding party wore ties from J Crew Liquor Store in New York and charcoal pants from the same place.

More on the way!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Butter by Nadia, Christian Louboutin, Color Palette Purple Blue, Connecticut, J. Crew, Purple, Sachem's Head Yacht Club, Steve DePino
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Traditional Elegance

Love it all. The pretty, pretty flowers tucked in mason jars. The family style dinner, where guests can simple reach across the table and toast the beautiful day. The rustic elegance paired with the undeniably gorgeous style. Every little bit of this wedding is simply lovely!

I usually try to feature all of the really pretty, really steal-able details from a wedding. But this one had so many, I didn’t get to share them all. If you want to see even more wedding goodness (including some more fabulous shots from second-shooters  Mike Romano and Katie Slater), head on over to Carla’s blog. Beware, it’s addicting!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carla Teneyck, Connecticut, Katie Slater, Mike Romano, Rustic, Vintage Chic, Webb Barn
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography

And this beautiful pair…did just that.

From the beautiful bride…My florist was my cousin, Moira Thompson. She lives in Cambridge, MA and is just starting her career in the floral industry. She’s a genius. She sent us a flower proposal (because I told her she could do whatever she wants and to just go nuts) and it was literally like she had reached into my mind and created a vision that I didn’t even know was there!

The name cards my mom and I hand-wrote. They were all stamped with clovers (Irish), olive branches (Italian), tropical flowers (South Africa), and daisies (Denmark) which are the main countries of Niels and my origin. Instead of favors, we made donations to three charities – The Jacob Riis Settlement House, which Niels’ father is chairman of the board of, The John J. Gale Scholarship, which is named after my grandfather and given to the senior at HPHS who has the highest GPA in U.S. History, and Art Start, which is a non-profit art program for troubled youth that I volunteer at. So, we wrote on all of the name cards “In lieu of a favor, a donation has been made in your name to __________”, alternating with each charity.

Ahhh, so beautiful. So much more on the way!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carla Teneyck, Connecticut, favors, Lavendar, Moss Florals, Rustic, Vintage
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Vintage Chic

This one, sent to us by the AMAZING Carla Ten Eyck, is a little bit vintage, a little bit rustic. It’s all together completely lovely, filled with details that the bride and her family lovingly infused…

From Carla...Callie and Niels are an amazing couple with such beautiful energy and their entire day really reflected that – from the tiny little floral and photo details, the beautiful invitations and programs, to including their parents who had gotten married at the same location (The Webb Barn) 30 years ago. Absolutely beautiful.

And before we really dive head first into the beauty of  the day, I wanted to share the awesome invitations that Callie’s sister, Adrienne, designed just for this affair. Adrienne is going to be opening her very own print shop in the coming months and if these are any indication of her style, she is sure to be a HUGE success!

More to come from this incredible wedding!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carla Ten Eyck, Connecticut, Rustic Wedding, Vintage Wedding, Webb Barn
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography

Ok, back to the cute, cute nautical inspired wedding that we are featuring.

More from the lovely and HUGELY talented Candice Dowling, the planner behind the day…

The tablescapes were gorgeous and filled with SO many details. We used navy linen as a base, and brought in beautiful beech wood chiavari chairs with white pads from Party Rentals, Ltd out of Greenwich. Centerpieces were of one tall, French galvanized bucket filled with white peonies, ranunculus and hydrangea. They were fluffy and tightly filled — so gorgeous! There were three satellite arrangements of yellow and white gerbera daisies in smaller galvanized buckets. Each bucket had the same yellow and white polka dot grosgrain ribbon from Kim’s bouquet wrapped around them. The taller, French galvanized buckets had thick red grosgrain ribbon.

Guests dined on chilled gazpacho, surf and turf with filet mignon and lobster tail with steamed red potatoes and corn on the cob. There were even toothpicks on the table for pickin’ corn out of your teeth! The entire event was catered by the Club’s restaurant, Riverview Restaurant. Chef Danny and his team did a fabulous job!

More on the way!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Candice Dowling, Connecticut, Events Jubilee, Nautical
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Photographs are courtesy of Kelley and Todd Whittaker (website coming soon)

More details from Candice…

After their beautiful ceremony at Assumption Church in Westport, Matt and Kim went to the spot that was very meaningful and sentimental to them. A place where they spent many nights watching the sun set as a couple. They love Combo Beach in Westport and try to visit at least once every weekend during the summer months. Her love of rowing and his love of the water really drew them together. After the ceremony, Kim took off her gorgeous veil and pinned a fabulous little white flower in her hair. Doesn’t she look STUNNING?

The reception was held at the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport. The views? Stunning. It was obvious to them that it was the perfect location, which would marry her love of rowing and his love of the water. Guests were greeted on the blue slate patio overlooking the Saugatuck River and the docks that lead out into the water. They enjoyed Matt and Kim’s signature cocktail, the Pimms Cup, served from large sea glass canisters into high ball glasses which were garnished with a lemon wheel, cucumber spear, and a seersucker swizzle stick. Heaven.

We displayed escort cards on a red linen wrapped cork board with some retro metal pushpins. It was perfect! We also had custom napkins, swizzle sticks, and coasters made for the event. The beautiful calligraphy was done by Lisa Ridgley of Pen and Ink Calligraphy out of Westminister, Maryland. I LOVE Lisa. She is so good to our brides and does AMAZING work!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Candice Dowling, Connecticut, Jubilee Events, Nautical, Pen and Ink Calligraphy
Post categories: Casual Elegance