Sometimes, we get to share our Little Black Book members’ own weddings, but today … LBB photographer Andrea Polito is one of the lovely maids in the wedding! Her friends Alexis and Andy were married on one of those golden October days (2008) in a gorgeous fall wedding in Dallas!

Here’s what Alexis had to tell us about her wedding…

Our floral designers from Fete des Fleurs in Dallas created the most romantic arch for the ceremony with leaves and flowers in rust, cream, and green. Our wedding was in October and we wanted something with a great fall feel, even though Dallas is still pretty green in October. The venue, Marie Gabrielle, created the perfect backdrop with its beautiful trees and gardens, and the flowers (orchids, moss, ranunculus) and small accents (Jan Barboglio iron candelabras, centerpieces, and chargers; candles everywhere, including hanging from the trees; white lights; matchbooks from For Your Party; caramel apple favors from Tart Bakery with hand-calligraphy on letterpress cards by Bella Figura; the flowy green bridesmaids dresses by Vera Wang; the sparkler send-off; our vintage Cadillac getaway car) just tied everything together.

My amazing photographer, Andrea Polito, is a close friend and did double duty at the wedding by also serving as one of my bridesmaids! She was also pregnant and in heels, but was determined to capture all of the details…which she did! She was amazing to watch and during the ceremony had two staff photographers shooting while she stood by my side! It was really great to work with a friend who also happens to be one of the best in the business! She took time to shoot all the little things that often get overlooked, and those details have been the most fun looking back on.

I wore a gown by Lela Rose, a Texan-born designer who I love. She uses unconventional fabrics in her wedding dresses, and I loved the embroidered lace detail all over the dress. I wanted something with a vintage feel that was also comfortable and timeless, and it was perfect.  I also wore a vintage diamond watch that belonged to my great grandmother and carried my grandma’s handkerchief. I found my clutch on Etsy and pinned a brooch on it that matched the ones in my hair. Even though you really couldn’t see my shoes under my dress, I felt so great peeking down at them and seeing those feathers…They are still on display in my closet!

When asked what the most important thing about their wedding was?

Probably the ceremony and vows…We wanted a very personal ceremony, so we pulled from lots of different vows, poems, and traditions to create a custom ceremony that felt like us. We come from different faith backgrounds, so we blended passages that spoke to both of us. My cousin is a judge in Dallas and one of the only people I know who actually towers over my husband, so he officiated. We recognized our grandparents who were no longer with us and had a moment of silence in honor of them. I was very close with my grandmother, in particular, and carried an embroidered handkerchief that belonged to her with her initials. My husband’s brother and best man read a unique version of “these are the hands” during the ceremony, and it was really special to have members from both sides of our family participate in the wedding.

AK Event Design was there for day-of coordination …

Andy and I both love music and knew from the beginning that we wanted a band…He said he knew it was meant to be when I professed my love for Tom Waits the first night we met. We’re both big fans of 70s and 80s rock (Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin), and I’ve always loved Bowie, The Cars, Talking Heads, etc. We listened to a ton of wedding bands online and then came across Skyrocket, a band out of Austin. They were voted Best Cover Band in Austin by the The Austin Chronicle, and we knew we’d found our band! Their setlist had everything from Hot Legs and Rock the Casbah to Brown Sugar and Whole Lotta Love…We were sold! All of the musicians in the band are also recording artists in their own right, including Trish Murphy who fronts the group, so we knew we were getting the best of both worlds…Really talented and really fun! It was a great pick, because everyone from our generation to the older generation was on the dance floor getting down! My husband even did an “unplugged” guitar solo with the band during American Girl that was the highlight of my night!

Ahhhhhh … such a pretty day! Happy Anniversary Alexis & Andy!

And thank you to Andrea Polito for sending us these beautiful images from the celebration!

Andrea has another terrific wedding that she JUST posted on her blog that also took place at Marie Gabrielle ~ Jennifer & Matthew’s wedding celebration!!

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Post tags: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito, Bella Figura, Dallas, Fete des Fleurs, For Your Party, Marie Gabrielle, Tart Bakery, Texas, Vera Wang
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

Moving along  …. to today’s featured wedding sent to us by Becca at A Stylish Soiree in Dallas. Becca and her marvelous team at A Stylish Soiree helped Melissa with her overall wedding vision, helped her work out the details and also went on to create the wonderful floral decor you’ll see here today.

Melissa, knew what she wanted from the very beginning, conveyed her likes and her “not-so-much” thoughts to Becca and after a few consultations, they came up with a perfect game plan …

Melissa and Braydn wanted a sweet and warm-hearted classic chapel wedding followed by a chic, modern celebration. The lovely ladies at A Stylish Soiree helped her achieve exactly that!  A simple religious ceremony at their college campus chapel, filled with school friends, life-long friends and their loving families … well, that’s a forever kind of wedding!

Melissa and Braydn were college sweethearts and really wanted to go back to their roots at Texas Christian University to have their wedding. The ceremony was held on campus at the Robert Carr Chapel.

Becca & Kerrie at A Stylish Soiree helped Melissa and Braydn choreograph the details of the day and created the super floral decor that became an integral part of the loveliness of the day~

LOVE the mix of pinks in these bouquets!

From Becca …

Melissa loved the happy-go-lucky look of polka dots, so we incorporated that wherever we could … pillows, ribbons, paper lanterns and fabric-wrapped vases.

The paper lantern design was a challenge … we used a lighting company but had to work extra hard with the venue to get it approved. After twisting their arms, they finally approved it for this event only!!! It is truly one of a kind lighting.

The wedding cake was designed by Colleen’s Cakes. Instead of a groom’s cake, they served a special groom’s family recipe called “Whoopie Pies” that were made by the groom’s mother and sister!

Planning their wedding was so easy because their style NEVER changed. Melissa knew exactly what she wanted from the start and never changed her mind about it!

And from the beautiful bride, Melissa …

Braydn and I were so excited to get started planning our big day last year. The whole process turned out to be a such a blast because of the amazing people we worked with from day one. We wanted to mix both modern and traditional decor to make the big day classic and unforgettable. With the mix of flowers, wheat grass, large lanterns, and custom touches our reception turned out just how we had imagined. All of our family and friends were able to come and celebrate with us at our very own stylish soiree!

The wedding reception was held at The Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth. Pretty awesome wedding venue!

photography courtesy of Wisner Photo

Beautiful … traditional chic!

A HUGE thank you to Becca at A Stylish Soiree! And Congratulations to Melissa and Braydn!!

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Post tags: A Stylish Soiree, Apples, Colleen's Cakes, Color Palette Black White Green, Dallas, Fort Worth, Lighting, Polka Dots, Robert Carr Chapel, The Modern Art Museum, Traditional Chic, Wisner Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Decor, Wedding Planners & Designers

photographs courtesy of Karlisch Photography

We asked Amy to tell us what she loved the most about her wedding  …

I loved how our monogram was positioned on the back of our Phillipe Stark ghost chairs at the reception (see image below). I also loved how the T and M were hung on the big wooden church doors- cleverly created out of hot pink peonies. The M was later taken off the door and attached to the back of the Rolls Royce that we were riding in!

The escort cards were hung from a stunning silver tree that glistened with dangling crystals. Later shelves were positioned around the tree that contained rows of gift boxes with porcelain red bird limoge boxes sitting on top. Being from St. Louis and a fan of the Cardinals I had to somehow bring my hometown flair into my reception. I really wanted each guest to leave with something tangible that they could smile at and remember the evening.

The whole weekend was themed- “I DO in Dallas!” – Mary Wright Shaw even had stickers on the buses that we rented that had the logo on them. People were spotting them all over town. It was hysterical! My mom and Mary surprised me with the decal on the wall in the suite I got ready in.

I pinned my best friend and maid of honor, Erin’s grandmother’s brooch into my flower arrangement as my something borrowed. My something old was a beautiful handkerchief that was my Grandmothers. The neat thing was that Erin was married 3 months after me and she borrowed my grandmother’s handkerchief.

We had a cigar bar outside on the patio with hand rolled cigars that was a huge hit. My Dad is a real cigar lover. I just had to do it for him! He finally had one after Patrick I drove off to end his night!

Their magnificent celebration was at the Dallas Ritz-Carlton.

From Mary … The look for the reception portrayed contemporary elegance that highlighted the couple’s colorful and warm personalities. The room was adorned with crystal and mirror accents that reflected a feel of old Hollywood glamour. Flowers included grape hydrangeas, David Austin Roses, pink French tulips and over 3,000 Sandra Bernhart Peonies.

photographs courtesy of Karlisch Photography

Amy’s beautiful gown is from the Vera Wang Luxe Collection at Saks Fifth Avenue, Hair & Makeup – L.B. Rosser, Groom’s Attire – Culwell & Son, Bridesmaid’s Dresses – Vera Wang at StarDust Celebrations, Floral Design – Todd Event Design, Cake – Fancy Cakes by Lauren.

* * *

Congratulations, Amy & Patrick! Your wedding was a truly magnificent event!!

And a huge thank you to Mary at Diamond Affairs … spectacular!

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Post tags: Christ The King Church, Christian Louboutin, Dallas, Diamond Affairs, Fancy Cakes by Lauren, Karlisch Photography, Peonies, Star Dust Celebrations, Texas, Todd Event Design, Vera Wang
Post categories: Bouquets, Bridal Party, Centerpieces, Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Decor, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Style

From Kristin at AK Event Design in Dallas, Texas …

David and Julie were a fun couple to work with. They loved bright colors and wanted their event to be FUN! We incorporated the “Four Seasons” into their save the date, invitation, programs, menu cards etc. For example…on their invitation, the belly band said “A Time to Love…” The menu cards said, “A Time to Celebrate.” One of the fun things ~ David gave all his groomsmen black converse to put on at the reception. We also used Flutter Fetti at the end of the night during the last dance. It made a great picture and the guests had so much fun!!

Julie and David were married in August at the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. The reception followed at The Four Seasons Resort & Club in Dallas.

from the beautiful bride, Julie …

“To everything there is a season…

David and I met at college when we both applied for a co-director position to lead a service organization at Baylor University our respective freshman and sophomore years. David was a long haired, eccentric freshman who knew no strangers, and I was a clean cut, reserved sophomore who was not the least bit interested in “his type.” But, as fate would have it we were selected to co-lead this service organization and through our service became the best of friends and eventually more. Guess opposites really do attract!! At our end of the year banquet, David presented me with a charm that symbolized the four seasons. It was round and was divided into four sections, each with a cut out to symbolize a particular season. A flower. A snowflake. A tree. A sun. He gave me this charm because he felt like it was the perefect representation of the seasons we’d been through together as leaders that past year.

David and I, gluttons for committees, served the following year on a focus group that helped to design a new community center on Baylor’s campus. And what was our inspiration? None other than the four seasons charm. Everything from the light fixutres to the builidng’s name, Seasons Cafe, was centered around that charm. Three years later, it was the eve of my law school graduation and David surprised me with an elaborate proposal that included a walk down memory lane on Baylor’s campus and ended with him on his knee in the middle of the transformed community center, Seasons Cafe, that we’d helped design so long ago.

Thus began yet another season of our life together! When we’d narrowed our potential reception sights down to a handful…the Four Seasons was a no-brainer winner!”

Julie and David’s classically beautiful wedding was followed by an equally stunning reception at The Four Seasons Resort and as noted by Kristin, followed through with the “four seasons” inspiration … 

The special lighting effects are just mesmerizing!  

LOVE the confetti!

What a pretty, pretty, pretty wedding! Congrats to Julie and David … and as always … Kristin, Angie and Sarah ~AK Event Design~ … fantastic!!

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Post tags: AK Event Design, Converse, Dallas, f8 studio, Fun Fetti, Simply Personal Invitations, Texas
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

Their wedding was sent to us by the extraordinarily creative Little Black Book team (Angie, Kristin and Sarah) at AK Event Design in Dallas. The gorgeous images are from fellow Little Black Book member Andrea Polito.

from Kristin …

Taylor and Mark didn’t want a traditional wedding full of whites and pale pinks. They wanted to have a party full of color!! Taylor, a modern bride, wanted to use bold jewel tones of navy, plum and raspberry throughout her wedding, which was held at the Dallas Museum of Art in downtown Dallas, Texas.

The wedding ceremony was held outside in the Sculpture Garden, also at the Dallas Museum of Art. During the cocktail hour, the groom’s brother serenaded guests with his incredible piano playing while they enjoyed cocktails around the reflecting pond.

The invitations were bold and beautiful on navy blue iridescent paper, while the other invitation pieces had the plum and raspberry colors incorporated. (Invitations designed by Simply Personal Designs)

The colors of this wedding really made the photos pop!

The cakes were another reflection of their personalities. The bride wanted to play with geometric shapes and designs in her wedding colors, while the groom wanted a cake that reflected where he was from, Seattle. We thought this wedding was a perfect event for the DMA because so many things were like artwork. 

The design process of this wedding was exciting and different and we enjoyed every aspect!

AK Event Design … Kristin, Angie & Sarah … y’all did a fantastic job on Taylor and Mark’s wedding!

And Andrea … wow! The photos are sensational!

Thanks to ALL of you for bringing our readers such dazzling inspiration today.

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Post tags: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito, Confetti, Dallas, Dallas Art Museum, Geometric, Hydrangeas, Mermaid, Monogram, Navy, Plum, Rasberry, Simply Personal Designs, Special Lighting, Texas
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

And speaking of modern, fresh designs, I am also loving the oh-so-now purple hues in this next set of flowers. The purple undertones add a bit of depth and dimension, so the end effect isn’t quite as girly as your standard pink style…

Top Left Photo by Linda Baldwin Flowers, shot by China Jorrin / Top Right Photo by All Things Beautiful shot by KMPhotography / Bottom Photo by Waterlily Pond shot by Erin Beach

Pinks tend to go in one direction or another…either a bit red/orange or a bit blue/purple. The purple hues are perfect for a bit more edgy, modern affair. I love the sleek sophistication of the bottom photo…a more architectural approach to floral design.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: All Things Beautiful, China Jorrin, Color Palette Pink Black, Dallas, Installation Floral, Linda Baldwin Flowers, New York, Pink Week, Sleek Florals, Texas, Tri State Area
Post categories: Wedding Flowers

Melody, of Birdcage Veils in Dallas has totally devoted herself to these little pieces of heaven and she’s stopping by today to share some thoughts!

The birdcage veil brings a new but vintage look to the fashion of wedding attire. Reese Witherspoon wore a birdcage veil in the movie ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ in 2002….which we all fell in love with. When a bride asked me to design a birdcage veil just like the one Reese wore in the movie, I scoured the stores until I finally located a netting source which would help me to duplicate this look.

After posting some photos on my web site, a few brave brides decided to step out of the traditional attire and walk down the aisle wearing netting instead of tulle over their face.  Naturally, grooms, bridesmaids and families’ reaction was mixed as they had not seen this bold new style. And yet, once a few brides began wearing birdcage veils, brides from both the east and west coast liked what they saw and began requesting birdcage veils more and more.  Requests from the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia seemed to be next to request this unique new style. I now shipped birdcage veils to every state and to about 25 countries across the globe.

Birdcage veils or hat veils work best with trumpet or mermaid style dresses.  Any dress that is lace is complimented with the French net look of a birdcage veil. The birdcage can be as simple or as dramatic as the bride wants depending on the overall look that she is going for. Plus, photographers love to capture images of brides in birdcage veils…they are just so chic!

Thanks so much Melody!! Stay tuned, we have more great headpieces on the way!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Birdcage Veils, Dallas, Vintage Chic, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Veil
Post categories: Accessories