Click here to see the full image gallery!

Neil and I met in high school. We became friends first, but it was soon apparent to all of our friends that we should be dating. After working up the nerve, Neil finally asked me out and we’ve been together ever since. Not everyone thought that high school sweethearts would last, but nine years later we were getting married.

Being a wedding planner, I’ve planned countless weddings and events for my clients, so I felt fully prepared to put together my big day. I soon realized how different it can be when it’s your own wedding! Instead of having to reign in my client’s wishes and dreams, it was now my own! Luckily, I got to work with some amazing vendors who helped me bring my vision to life, so on the day I could just enjoy every moment. Neil’s family is Hindu, while my family has both Christian and Jewish sides to it. Trying to bring out all the sides of our cultural and religious backgrounds in a mixed wedding while still honouring their traditions, was one of the more fun challenges of putting together our big day. I think this was also probably one of our guest’s favourite aspects of the wedding. My guests were wowed by all the colour and extravagance of the Indian portions, while we also got to show off some fun Jewish traditions.

I was surprisingly calm the morning of the wedding while my bridesmaids and I got ready at my house. It wasn’t until very close to ceremony time, that I started to get nervous. Normally on wedding days I’m the one in charge to make sure things are running smoothly. Today it was out of my hands; and on the biggest day of my life nonetheless! We started off the day with our Canadian ceremony under the tent at the beautiful Angus Glen Golf Club (the site of all the day’s festivities). As I walked down the aisle on my father’s arm, in between glances at my groom, I tried my best to take in all of my guests. I felt so loved as I saw all the happy smiles and tears from my friends and family. We ended the ceremony in the traditional Jewish manner, with Neil stepping on the glass to a chorus of “Mazel Tov” from the guests.

After some very hot family and bridal party portraits (and I’m not just talking about the people – it was blazing hot outside!), it was on to Wedding Ceremony two! As a proper Hindu bride, I had to get ready and change into my gorgeous plum and pink coloured Indian wedding dress and wait for the ceremony while the fun started outside. Neil, surrounded by his friends and family, looked like an Indian prince while riding a magnificent white horse to greet my waiting family. Despite the heat, Neil’s entourage was dancing up a storm to the beat of the Dhol player. Soon they were ready for me, and I made my walk down the aisle on the terrace, surrounded by my bridesmaids. It meant a lot to have them by my side to share in the special moment. The Hindu ceremony under the colourful Mandap was quite a different experience from the first. There are many steps in the much longer ceremony, and the Hindu Priest made sure to involve the family members in many aspects of the interactive ritual.

After a cocktail hour featuring both Indian and Canadian hors d’oeuvres, we were ready to get the party started. Guests had a laugh at our UFC inspired wedding video for the bridal party entrances. As big Mixed Martial Arts fans, Neil and I then entered with Neil wearing an official UFC belt. I think he definitely felt like a champion as we both danced our way onto the dance floor. Instead of being seated, we then encouraged our guests to come join the party! We followed this with the traditional Jewish Hora, where Neil and I were lifted up in our chairs while our guests circled us.

After working up an appetite, it was time to enjoy our sit down four course meal. Guests were offered entree choices between Canadian dishes, and fusion-style plated Indian dishes, so everyone got to try something they desired! We wanted our guests to really feel special, so we had the menus personalized with each guest’s name at the top. In between courses, after all the heart warming speeches were done, we then had fun watching a Bollywood dance performance by The Wedding Choreographers.

My main inspiration for the theme of the day was colour. It was an elegant and stylish affair showcasing the colours purple, silver and white through most aspects of the wedding. My bridesmaids looked stunning in their individualized eggplant cocktail dresses, while the groomsmen were able to choose their own slim black suits to go with the silver skinny ties we gave them. I also had purple shoes underneath my wedding dress, but my favourite of my accessories was my custom made hair fascinator – a beautiful ivory flower! Most of the real flowers for the day were a creamy white, seen in the bouquets and the centrepieces, while our first ceremony’s carnation pomanders were a bright purple.

One of my favourite parts of the wedding was the candy table I designed featuring only purple, white and silver candies and chocolates. It was a huge hit amongst the guests who filled their goody bags with tons of treats!

Although I had many fantastic vendors to pull off my day, I also couldn’t have done it without the help of my friends and family. My DIY projects, like my homemade card box, popcorn bag favours, program fans and seating chart, would not have turned out the way they did without the help of some great friends. As a wedding planner, I definitely had my dream wedding, though as much as I loved all the details of the day, my favourite part overall was being surrounded by the love and support of all of our guests. I’ve never felt happier than when we were surrounded by all our loved ones, making this a day I will truly never forget.

Photography: Rowell Photography / Event Planning & Design: Silverberry Occasions Event Planning & Design Inc. / Ceremony & Reception Location: Angus Glen Golf Club / Catering: The Host & Angus Glen Golf Club / Videography: Bright Sky Wedding Designs / Decor: Designs by Dina / Floral: Final Touches / Stationery: Palettera Custom Correspondences / Cake: Pretty Sweet Cakes / DJ: Nspire Sound / Third Photographer: Sarah Guy for Rowell Photography / Horse: Dream Catcher Stables / Western Officiant: Enduring Promises / Hindu Officiant: Dr. Ravi Srivastava / Dancers: The Wedding Choreographers & Co. / Transportation: Markham First Choice Limousines / Makeup: SK Makeup Artistry / Bride’s Hair: The Sarum Room Salon & Spa / Groom’s Suit: Strellson from Tom’s Place / Wedding Dress: San Patrick from Mona Richie / Bridesmaids Dresses: Love by Enzoani from Bridal and Beyond / Bride & Groom’s Indian Outfits: CTC West / Groomsmen Ties: Ed’s Fine Imports / Bride’s Fascinator: Blair Nadeau Millinery / Seating Chart, Program Fans, & Candy Buffet: DIY

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Post tags: Angus Glen Golf Club, Blair Nadeau Millnery, Bollywood Dancers, Bridal and Beyond CTC West, Bright Sky Wedding Designs, Candy Buffet, Color Palette purple Silver, Cultural Beauty, Designs by Dina, Dream Catcher Stables, Ed's Fine Imports, Enduring Promises, Final Touches, Fusion Weddings, Glamourous, Henna, Hindu Weddings, horses, Jewish Weddings, Love by Enzoani, Markham First Choice Limousines, Mona Richie, Nspire Sound, Outdoor Weddings, PALETTERA Custom Correspondences, Pretty Sweet Cakes, Rowell Photography, San Patrick, Silverberry Occasions Event Planning & Design Inc, SK Makeup Artistry, Strellson, Tented Ceremony, The Host, The Sarum Room Salon & Spa, The Wedding Choreographers & Co, Tom's Place, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

My husband, Nick, and I met while attending the University of Washington in Seattle. We formally met when Nick interviewed for a job with the student government. I was the student body president at the time and served on the hiring committee. He was such a professional during the interview – he took each question very seriously and I knew right away that he would be a fantastic student leader. I certainly did not look at him in any romantic capacity at that time! Nick ended up getting hired for the position and we became co-workers and great friends. We both still look back fondly at our time together in student government and treasure the moments we shared with other students, all passionate about doing good in the world.

Nick and I stayed good friends for the next few years, even after we moved to different cities. Nick eventually moved to Connecticut and I left Seattle to attend law school at Cornell. I’ll never forget arriving at the Syracuse airport, with only two suitcases (nothing short of a miracle for me, the consumate clotheshorse!), and with my only friend on the East Coast – Nick – waiting to pick me up and help me move to my new town. I was incredibly nervous, but the second I saw him I felt myself breathe a small sigh of relief, knowing that at the very least I had one friend nearby to rely on.

Over the next months, our friendship grew into much more and we eventually started dating. In fact, we dated for more than six years before deciding to get married. We went through so much change over those years but were lucky that the one thing that stayed consistent was that we grew with each other and developed an incredibly strong relationship throughout the various trials and tribulations. Let this story be a lesson to those out there looking for a life partner — a friendship can most certainly develop into the greatest love of your life! …

We loved this couple so much that when we heard that in addition to this gorgeous wedding and highlight film, courtesy of Stott Shots Photography and Videography, there was also a full Cambodian ceremony to celebrate this couples love, we just had to see it. And when we saw it, we just had to share it. So here you go!

I am Cambodian American and grew up in a very traditional Cambodian home. It was incredibly important to my family (and myself) to incorporate our culture in the wedding celebrations. Nick and I decided to have a traditional one and a half day long Cambodian wedding weekend in my hometown, Vancouver, WA, followed by a small civil ceremony in New York in support of marriage equality (we always knew we wanted to get married in a state where marriage is legal for all — we originally planned on Washington D.C. but were thrilled when our own state passed the new law) and, last but not least, a “Western” wedding in Portland, which incorporated my Cambodian heritage and Nick’s Scottish heritage, as well as other cultures, one month later. How lucky were we to have three weddings?!?

The Cambodian wedding weekend was a family and community effort. My parents, auntie, uncles, cousins, and countless friends and loved ones (including two from Cambodia) worked tirelessly to prepare the wedding festivities. They cooked amazing traditional food, pulled together the most beautiful wardrobe (I had seven costume changes!), decorated the venues, played the music at the reception — they really did it all! The Cambodian ceremonies at my parents’ home featured traditional wedding rituals, including blessings from monks, a procession of the groom, his family, and the guests through my childhood neighboorhood, a hair cutting ceremony (to signify the shedding of our old selves and the start of our new life together), string-tying ceremony (guests tied red strings around our wrists and provide a blessing; the strings tied by the parents and the elder running the ceremony remain on until they fall off), a circle of light ceremony (couples married 10+ years sat around us and passed a candle around while providing blessings). All of this was topped off by a dinner reception for 450 people, with live Cambodian classical and modern music, as well as a performance by children from the Cambodian classical dance troupe that I performed with when I was younger.

My favorite memory from the Cambodian festivities was seeing how seamlessly Nick’s non-Cambodian family blended with my very Cambodian friends and family, and feeling all of the love and energy from both sides of the family. Truly, all of our friends and family came together for a magical weekend — my uncle from Cambodia, who was separated from my dad over 30 years ago during the terrible war in Cambodia, came to the the US for the festivities (his first trip outside of Cambodia), and even Nick’s 93 year old grandfather pushed aside his wheelchair at the reception in order to dance!

As for our “Western” wedding, Nick and I spent a lot of time and effort coming up with every little detail and were blessed to find the perfect vendors, in addition to family and friends, who helped execute our vision. We actually secretly started wedding planning six months before we got engaged because we wanted the planning to be “our” thing, without input from anyone else. I highly recommend this for couples who are antsy about too much family involvement! The experience was a great way for us to bond in a new way.

We chose our ceremony venue because we wanted to get married in a church, but a church whose principles and religious views align with our own and explicitly seek to include of people from all walks of life. We found the perfect fit with the First Unitarian Church. We chose our reception venue because we immediately liked and trusted Via, our contact with the venue (super important since we live across the country from our reception venue), and also because the catering featured locally sourced products and is in my favorite Portland neighborhood, the Pearl District, which feels like a little slice of Brooklyn to us.

Our wedding ceremony was planned from start to finish by the two of us. We wanted the ceremony to feel very intimate, so each detail came from one of our heads and involved someone close to us. We opened the ceremony with a prayer by my best friend and matron of honor, in recognition of our Christian beliefs. The officiant was a dear friend and judge who I used to intern for in law school. We worked with her to develop the script for the ceremony, which included some reflections that she shared during our civil ceremony in New York. We wrote our vows together and also wrote personal sentiments to share with each other in front of our friends and family. I am a huge music afficianado, so the songs selected for the string quartet to play before, during and after the ceremony, as well as some of the DJ’s song selections at the reception, took a long time to choose. For example, I’ve wanted to walk down the aisle to a string version of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Hysteric” for years, and I spent a lot of time tracking down the sheet music online!

We also asked four of our friends to share their reflections on marriage and love. Each person brought a unique perspective: there was a modern version of the Seven Blessings (we have great affinity for the Jewish religion and culture since moving to NYC), a Navajo blessing, a reading of “Love” by Roy Croft, as well as one friend’s personal reflections. At the altar, we created a small display in recognition of our ancestors. Rather than lighting a unity candle, both sets of parents lit incense at the altar, a Cambodian Buddhist tradition. We incorporated the Cambodian string-tying ritual into our ceremony, and each set of parents tied a red string to our wrist as a blessing. We also incorporated the Scottish “pinning of the tartan” ceremony, where Nick’s mom, on behalf of his family, pinned their family tartan to me as a sign of their acceptance of my family and I into theirs. It was incredibly meaningful to have our ceremony feature each of our heritages, as well as other cultures that we respect and love. Hands down, my favorite moment of the ceremony was when Nick and I exchanged personal sentiments with each other, reflecting on why we love each other in front of our family and friends.

We wanted the cozy feeling to continue at the reception, so we worked with the venue to create four very long rows of tables to seat our 180 guests, which made the dinner feel more “family style.” We also wanted the reception to feature a mix of elements from the Pacific Northwest (where we grew up), parts of my Cambodian heritage, with touches of NYC (where we’ve lived for almost our entire relationship). To that end, the reception featured gorgeous, lush and woodsy floral installations, and locally sourced food, desserts, beer, wine and liquor to reflect the Pac NW; table runners made out of traditional Cambodian silk and homemade Cambodian desserts as a shout-out to my heritage; and miscellaneous “city” touches to reflect our current hometown — the open, gallery-like venue, naming each table after some of our favorite city locations, along with a description of why each location holds a special place in our hearts. Other favorite reception items were: the stunning floral wall, which stemmed from a picture I found during a late night on Pinterest, the collection of love related books, a wall and table of family wedding photos and photos of us (created by Nick’s mom), as well as a bevy of awesome Etsy finds, some stemming from my ideas, others purchased directly from buyers (“Keep Calm and Marry On” signage, personalized cake topper, “Mr.” and “Mrs.” chair signs, birdcage for cards, photobooth props, love and marriage themed books, etc.). Although it was a very small thing, our favorite touch at the reception was handwritten notes written to each guest, which we placed at each table, thanking them for coming and explaining why they are an important part of our lives.

As for wedding favors, we created CDs of our favorite love songs, each of which played at some point during the wedding festivities, found a design for the CD label and cover, and one of our wedding attendants went through the painstaking process of assembling almost 200 labels and covers. We also made out-of-town guest bags which were filled with local snacks and information on Portland, sourced from farmers markets, local stores, and the Chamber of Commerce by another amazing wedding attendant.

Photographer: Kacie, Kyle and Dylan of Stott Shots Photography and Videography / Videographer: Troy Costa, Stott Shots Photography and Videopgraphy / Floral Designer: Rosemary Stafford Floral Design / Day-of Coordinator: Ryan Mattson / Stationery: Jack & Jill Wedding / Dessert Table & Floral Wall: Amy Childs of One Divine Party / Wedding gown: Jenny Lee, from Divine Designs / Reception Dress: Leanne Marshall / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jenny Woo / Linen, Chair and Lighting Rentals: West Coast Productions / Hotel: The Nines / Out-of-Town Guest Bags: Wedding Chicks / Ceremony Music: Collage Music / DJ: Maushole / Ceremony Site: First Unitarian Church / Reception Site & Catering: Urban Studio, Pearl Catering / Hair: Salon 77 / Makeup: Event Cosmetics / Photobooth: The Original Photobooth

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Post tags: Cambodia, Cambodian, Cambodian Wedding, Collage Music, Color Palette Purple, Cultural Beauty, Devine Designs, Etsy, Event Cosmetics, First Unitarian Church, Fusion Wedding, Handkerchief, Highlight Films, Jack & Jill Wedding, Jenny Lee, Jenny Woo, Leanne Marshall, macarons, Maushole, One Divine Party, Oregon, Pearl Catering, Pinterest, Portland, Rosemary Stafford Floral Design, Ryan Mattson, Salon 77, Stott Shots Photography & Videography, The Nines, The Original Photogbooth, Urban Studio, vintage car, Wedding Chicks, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Photography, West Coast Productions
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

And, of course, some snippets from the rest of the weekend festivities full of gorgeous dresses and lots and lots of love…

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Jillian Mitchell…I met Connery and Pash at a wedding I shot in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. I’m originally from Massachusetts so when they asked me to be a part of their wedding in Wellesley, MA I jumped at the chance. Besides being amazingly fun and genuine people, Connery and Pash have awesome friends and family which made the three day festivities a blast.

The welcome party was held at the TZE house at Wellesley College and we got to shoot most of the wedding photos around the campus as well. The ceremony and reception were held at Wellesley Congregational Church where Pash’s father is a minister. There is nothing more intimate than having your father preside over the ceremony.

Pash’s family is originally from Ghana so throughout the weekend there were amazing Ghanian touches throughout the wedding. Whether it was the pieces of fabric that the couple gave away as gifts or the beautiful dresses of women at the Sunday brunch the day after the wedding. They even made Connery and her family their own Ghanian outfits for the occasion. They are incredibly intricate and so colorful. The brunch was also full of the most unbelievably delicious Ghanian food. Amazing!

Wedding Photography: Jillian Mitchell / Floral Design: Petal Pushers Floral Studio / Event Design + Planning: DIY / Ceremony + Reception Location: Wellesley Congregational Church / Bride’s Shoes: Cole Haan / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals / Groom’s Suit: Custom Prada / Groom’s Shoes: To Boot NY

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Allure Bridals, Cole Haan, Cultural Beauty, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Jillian Mitchell, Massachusetts Weddings, Petal Pushers Floral Studio, Prada, To Boot NY, Wellesley, Wellesley Congregational Church
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Massachusetts Weddings

I, Meline, am an aspiring actress and Coco, my husband, is a technology entrepreneur from Newport Beach California, met one evening while dining out with mutual friends. After that night, they were pretty inseparable.

I always dreamed of getting married in Italy.  I have always had a passion for art history and so Rome’s monuments, architecture and history made it the perfect setting for our wedding day.  We wanted something intimate with close family and a vintage vibe was a must for our special day.

Our wedding planner, Brenda Babcock of Italia Celebrations came highly recommended through a celebrity network in Los Angeles and we couldn’t have been happier, we worked so well together.  When we started discussing details the movie Roman Holiday came to mind. It is one of our favorites and we loved the idea of darting around Rome on a Vespa just like they did in the movie. For practical purposes the Vespa became a vintage Fiat 500 from that same period.  From there we added in my poppy red Christian Louboutin shoes, pink peonies, robin’s egg blue and kraft paper and twine.

Rain was in the forecast, in fact, it rained all week.  Brenda prepared us for rain but, miraculously, it did not rain that day.  The morning of the wedding no one could locate my mother, she had slipped out to the church down the street from our hotel to pray that it would not rain.  We thought this was very funny but then it didn’t rain all day.  It was such a relief.

We had a beautiful church ceremony before driving off in our getaway car.  Our guests followed closely behind in a minivan.  They didn’t know they were in for a tour of the city.  We had photos taken around Rome. In Piazza Navona there was a street band and they started playing in our honor! The crowds cheered as our convertible pulled out of the piazza. We felt as though we had been celebrating with everyone in Rome.  We went to St. Peter’s Square then up to the top of the Janiculum Hill which has a spectacular view over the center of Rome. On to the Fontanone which is a huge fountain built to honor the spot where an Ancient Roman aqueduct brought water into the city from the countryside.  We all got to see parts of the city they would not have normally seen. It was exquisite and unforgettable.

Our reception was at Palazzo Manfreddi on an intimate terrace with a bird’s eye view of the Colosseum.  The dining experience with the city lit up at night right in front of us was just incredible.  The cuisine was so good that our guests want to go back to Rome just to dine there again.  Brenda had blue linen table runners made and a traditional Italian Millefoglie wedding cake done in a way that suited our antiqued wedding topper perfectly. The pink peonies and roses with green hyperium berries were wrapped in an egg shell cloth with natural twine. We had vintage Vespa miniatures for our wedding favors. They were perfect for our theme, really adorable and a fun way to pay homage to the groom and his love of riding motorbikes.  It was truly an unforgettable day, with memories we will cherish forever.

Wedding Planning: Italia Celebrations / Photography: Ruggero Farina for Italia Celebrations / Bride’s dress: custom made, silk / Bride’s bracelet: Tami Hickman for Relics / Bride’s headpieces: Erin Cole Couture / Bride’s shoes: Christian Louboutin / Groom’s suit: J.Crew / Groom’s Shoes: Santoni / Cake Topper: Goldbug Studio / Wedding Map: Natty Michelle / Welcome bag, Favors & Printing: Italia Celebrations

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Post tags: Christian Louboutin, Colosseum, Cultural Beauty, Custom Gown, Elopement, Erin Cole Couture, Fiat, Fontanone, Goldbug Studio, Italia Celebrations, Italy, J. Crew, Janiculum Hill, macarons, Natalie Crowley, Oggi Sposi, Palazzo Manfreddi, Peonies, Piazza Navona, Rome, Santoni, St. Peter's Square, Tami Hickman for Relics, Vintage Chic
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

We’re jump starting our day of lovely with one very stunning Delaware affair designed by Make My Day Event Planning.  Held in the breathtaking backyard of the bride’s family home, these intimate nuptials had me at hello with each and every darling detail, including the fabulous florals by The City Florist, a gorgeous custom gown (Designed by the sister of the bride!) and a charming ceremony held beneath a cherry tree.  Seriously, I don’t believe it gets any sweeter than this.  Maria DeForrest Photography was on hand to capture every heartwarming moment and you can see them all in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Make My Day Event Planning… This wedding was on a perfect June evening, set in the backyard of the bride’s family home in Harrington, Delaware. The traditional elements and personal touches spoke to the couple without saying a word, except “I DO,” of course!

The bride’s sister created a one-of-a-kind wedding gown for the bride which paid an ode to Korean tradition and form, but followed American tradition in it’s color. The two flower girls also wore handmade gowns by the bride’s sister, as well. The ceremony consisted of about 60 close family and friends who gathered underneath the old cherry tree, perfectly green and full, to witness the wedding ceremony performed by the bride’s most inspiring professor from college who flew in for the occasion. The professor spoke of Korean tradition and referenced the history of marriage, Korean wedding tradition and the history of the couple in his meaningful service. At the center of the ceremony, sat two wooden ducks – symbolizing a long and happy marriage in Korean tradition. Guests celebrated and showered the newlyweds with walnuts as they celebrated their recent vow exchange, which in Korean tradition symbolizes luck in fertility in their marriage.

As guests enjoyed the soft sounds of a string ensemble, orange mojitos and mint juleps were flowing (a favorite of the groom) and passed hors d’oeuvres were presented which began to introduce the cultural fusion menu to guests with fresh sushi rolls and eastern shore mini crab cakes. The bride and groom shared a few quiet moments together before mingling with their guests during cocktail hour.

A true sense of family and tradition was the highlight of this couple’s wedding day, just as they had envisioned. The reception tables were dressed in colorful flowers and elegant touches of gold and porcelain complimented to match the “English Country meets Korean Tradition” decor – and wedding photos (dating back to the 1920′s) of their family members were scattered throughout the outdoor space bringing an even more personal and real sense of family and history to this wedding.

Guests made their way to their seats inside the dinner tent and enjoyed a family style feast of traditional kimchi (brought all the way from the couple’s favorite restaurant), Korean short ribs, soybean salad (all Korean dishes) and inspired by the Eastern Shore of Delaware (and all grown  locally) guests also shared/passed platters of grilled scallops, barbecue chicken, and summer potato salad. The meal was finished with the groom’s mother’s famous strawberry shortcake, served individually to each guest and wedding cake made by the groom’s mother herself. Throughout the evening, guests mingled, swayed to the jazzy string ensemble, witnessed an impromptu Korean calligraphy demonstration from the bride’s grandfather and to end a magical evening of family and love, “What a Wonderful World” played (a surprise request from the groom to the bride) under the soft string lights dancing in the ceiling of the tent. This wedding was not only full of family, culture, history and tradition – but everyone present could feel the love.

Wedding Photography: Maria DeForrest Photography / Floral Design: The City Florist / Event Design + Planning: Make My Day Event Planning / Ceremony + Reception Location: Private Residence / Wedding Invitations: Bride’s Grandfather / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Bride’s Sister / Wedding Cake: Groom’s Mother / Caterer: Plate Catering / Favors: Fifer Orchards (Jams)

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Backyard Wedding, Badgley Mischka, Cultural Beauty, Delaware, Fifer Orchards, Harrison, Make My Day Events, Maria DeForrest Photography, Plate Catering, The City Florist
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

For even more fabulous, you simply MUST check out this video by studio205films. There really is something so special about seeing it all unfold on video, isn’t there?

From Sweet Monday Photography…Rakhee and Jacob had a gorgeous two day Indian Wedding in Los Angeles (August 26 & 27th). The first day’s festivities were held at Vibiana, a former cathedral in downtown LA.  During the Garba (traditional Indian dancing), guests dined on Korean BBQ tacos and Indian dosas from food trucks in the courtyard, and later cooled off with shaved ice.

For the wedding day, Rakhee and Jacob chose Union Station as the backdrop for their ceremony and reception.  Details were, naturally, travel themed, with guests being sent to a “track number” for their seat, passing by a scrumptious dessert ticket counter on their way!

Garba Venue: Vibiana / Ceremony + Reception Venue: Union Station / Event Coordinator: Catherine Cindy Leo / Wedding Photography: Sweet Monday Photography / Wedding Videography: Peter Chang of studio205films / Hair + Make-up: Theresa Huang / Florist: Dandelion Ranch / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Pies: Simple Things / Cupcakes: Susie Cakes / Graphic Designer: Chris Kim / Reception Caterer: Feast Catering / DJ: Ripe Media

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Catherine Cindy Leo, Chris Kim, Cultural Beauty, Dandelion Ranch, Feast Catering, Kate Spade, Los Angeles, Ripe Media, Simple Things, Studio205films, Susie Cakes, Sweet Monday Photography, Theresa Huang Makeup & Hair Design, Union Station, Vibiana
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, The Blog

With the timing of the wedding at the very beginning of fall, we took inspiration from the idea of an Indian Summer. We were also inspired by Marrakesh (cultural inspiration) which led us to use the lanterns and votive holders seen throughout the event. Last but not least, we wanted to celebrate the occasion and have FUN!

We wanted the night to be filled with color and achieved this by using jewel tones of some of our favorite colors – teal, orange, pink and gold. The gray bridesmaids dresses were selected for the sophisticated look that would also work well with our colors.

We wanted the rooms to feel warm to give the night a more intimate feel – which is why we went with low flower arrangements for the tables – so talking and laughing was easy for our esteemed guests.

We also wanted our guests to dance the night away – so the band was a difficult decision but we definitely chose well as the dance floor was packed all night!

For us, our wedding was absolutely perfect! We had the most incredible time – from the personal and emotional ceremony to the touching speeches from family and friends, to the stunning decor that encapsulated us and our guests, to the fun, high-energy band that kept us on our feet – we wish the night could go on forever.

Photography: Shira Weinberger / Wedding Planner: Amy Shey Jacobs, Chandelier Events / Flowers & Decor: StoneKelly / Music: Vali Entertainment / Photobooth: We Love Photobooths / Video: Anna Davis of Open Eye Media / Venue & Catering: Tarrytown House Estate / Dessert Bar: Baked / Cake: Oreos / Ketubah: Rachel Warschawski / Lights: Levy Lighting / Favors: Donation to the Wounded Warrior Project / Stationery: East Six

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baked, Chandelier Events, Cultural Beauty, East Six, Indian Wedding, Jewel Tones, Jewish Wedding, Lanterns, Levy Lighting, New York, Open Eye Media, Oreos, Rachel Warschawski, Shira Weinberger, StoneKelly, Tarrytown House Estate, Vali Entertainment, Vibrant Color Palette, We Love Photobooths, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Stationery, Wounded Warrior Project
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Sweet Caroline Photo…This was a 3-day event, the first day consists of a beautiful sangeet, the 2nd day was the wedding ceremony, the 3rd was a day after session held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the sangeet they had professional Bollywood dancers come in as well as a Plena band (playing traditional Puerto Rican music).

From the Bride…My favorite photograph is from the sangeet night when William, my husband and I performed to a Bollywood song on stage. The performance was a surprise to our wedding guests. The photo is full of so much life (and color) and I loved to see our friends and family around the stage supporting and cheering us on. We took 3 classes and practiced almost everyday for a month leading up to the wedding. We were so excited to surprise our family and friends!

I was lucky to have two nights to celebrate our wedding. I wanted these two events to look different from each other and represent some of the cultures we were celebrating. The sangeet night was modern, colorful, and lavish. The decor was moroccan themed. The reception venue, the next night, was held at an old convent house turned hotel. It’s located in the heart of Old San Juan which has an old vintage feel. I was inspired by these locations and used them to create a different look for the wedding ceremony and reception night. I wanted something romantic and simple. Color was understated and we used a lot of candle-light to set the mood.

My brother/officiant/groomsman created and sang a song just for me. He performed, guitar in hand at the sangeet. It was a beautiful and rare moment. What a great brother! Also, in the few days leading up to the wedding, I woke up to find a hand-written letter from my husband under my hotel room door that went into detail about the vows he would make to me at the wedding. At the ceremony, I knew exactly what he meant when he recited his vows. They were perfect and full of hope for our future. The tears wouldn’t stop rolling.

My biggest piece of advice for brides and grooms planning their wedding today would be start planning early. I can’t stress this enough. Your wedding day was meant to be stress-free and it’s important to get all the details out of the way early. If your budget allows, hire a wedding planner or a day-of coordinator. These planners know their stuff and give good advice. You know the old adage, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”? Well, your wedding is no exception to the rule. Despite the best efforts of many detail-oriented brides (trust me, I’m one of them), something may go wrong. So, go with the flow and don’t let the “small stuff” stain your memories. Additionally, if something does go wrong, don’t let guests in on your frustrations; your family and friends will feed off your vibe- so just enjoy it! In a few weeks, you won’t even remember you’re guests were rained on. True story.

Wedding Photography: Sweet Caroline Photo / Locations: Caribe Hilton, Fort San Cristobal + Hotel El Convento Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Floral Design, Linens + Rentals: Arquetipo / Jewelry: Made by Bride’s Parents / Hair + Make-up: Didi Saldana / Groom Attire: Zegna / Groomsmen Attire: Suits U / Bridesmaid Dresses: The Dessy Group / Event Planning + Coordination: Yma Doitteau at INvita Wedding and Event Designers / Invitations, Save the Dates: Inviting Affairs / Catering: Caribe Hilton (Day 1) + Hotel El Convento (Day 2) / Wedding Cake: Granito De Azucar / Cupcakes: Diseno Dulce / Favors: DIY + Etsy / Guest Book Puzzle, Ring Holder, Welcome Bags + Hanger: Etsy

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Post tags: Arquetipo, Caribe Hilton, Cultural Beauty, Destination Wedding, Didi Saldana, Diseno Dulce, Etsy, Fort San Cristobal, Granito de Azucar, Hotel El Covento, INvita Wedding and Event Designers, Inviting Affairs, Monique Lhuillier, Puerto Rico, San Juan, Stuart Weitzman, Suits U, Sweet Caroline Photo, The Dessy Group, Zegna
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Destination Weddings, Puerto Rico Weddings