Unexpected intense summer thunderstorms didn’t stop photographer Carla and hubby Dave Ten Eyck from renewing their vows at Carla’s childhood home and their current studio and home in Hartford, CT.  The wedding was orchestrated by a team of vendors belonging to the members of the Little Black Book, including Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Studio Foto, Jubilee Events, Datura: A Modern Garden, Dana Bartone & Co, The White Dress by the Shore, and RAW Photo Design.

Details of this wedding were anchored in Carla and Dave’s strong sense of family, her mother Georgianne’s memory, her Mexican heritage and her passion of photography. Carla looked stunning in her tea length dress by Siri and head piece by The White Dress By the Shore. The bridal party, consisting of her children Jack and Georgie and studio members, wore her studio colors – pink and brown. The gowns were from The White Dress By the Shore.

Colorful star and globe shaped lanterns swayed in the breeze, lighting the wooden picnic table that was once Carla’s dinning room table growing up.  The wooden table set up was reminiscent of a dia de Los Muertos altar in Mexico, and was peppered with Carla’s mother’s china, pictures of Carla’s studio members and roses given to Carla’s mother for Mother’s Day.

Amongst family photos, various old cameras were displayed, owned by Carla and her father. Friends wrote well wishes on paper tags and hung them on a Blue Atlas Cedar wishing tree, the tree that Carla gave her husband Dave as his original wedding gift (almost 12 years ago). The words written all described words of wisdom for a strong and lasting marriage. Rodney, their cat and Mexican Food. Yes. Keys to a successful marriage for sure!

To escape the rain, the ceremony was held on the front porch, as guests held umbrellas and snapped pictures. Childhood friend, Susannah McGlamery who officiated the ceremony, reread the same words she spoke at their first wedding years before.

Bouquets by Datura, A Modern Garden, included pink peonies, queen anne’s lace (one of Carla’s mother’s favorite flower), ranunculus and garden roses.  Guests enjoyed pizza and gelato from The Pizza Truck while relaxing on furniture from Ryan Designs.  When the festivities were over, guests left with Carla’s aunt Donna’s homemade “Keep it spicy” hot pepper jelly.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Growing Tree Photography, DeCarlo Photo Studio, RAW Photo Design, Studio Foto / Wedding Dress: Siri at The White Dress by the Shore / Hair & Makeup: Dana Bartone & Co. / Officiant: Susannah McGlamery / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cake: Hope from A Little Imagination Cakes / Video: Jim Altieri, Vintage Cinema / Brides Jewelry: Custom made by Aquina, The White Dress by the Shore / Maids Jewels: Perception Jewelry / Lanterns & Furniture: Ryan Designs / Brides Shoes: Bagdley Mischka / Day of Coordination: Jubilee Events

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Post tags: A Little Imagination Cakes, Bagdley Mischka, Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Chinese Lanterns, Color Palette Pink Brown, Connecticut, Cupcakes, Dana Bartone & Co., Datura: A Modern Garden, DeCarlo Photo Studio, Flower girls, Growing Tree Photography, Hartfort, jam, Jubilee Events, Lanterns, Perception Jewelry, Rain, Rainy Day Wedding, Raw Photo Design, Ring Bearers, Ryan Designs, Siri, Studio Foto, Swings, The White Dress By The Shore, Vintage Chic, Vintage Cinema, Vow Renewal, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

C10: Tik Tok from Jim Altieri on Vimeo.

If you are anything like me, that was just the first time of many that you will watch that video. I love it, I love the laid back, chill atmosphere, and I love the rockstar that is Carla Ten Eyck. I’m telling you now, the rest of the wedding is just as awesome. Think amazing florals, creekside romance, the cutest little flower girl ever, and lots and lots of pink. And the best news? We’ll be back here bright and early Monday morning to share it with you. I will see you then!

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Growing Tree Photography, DeCarlo Photo Studio, RAW Photo Design, Studio Foto / Wedding Dress: Siri at The White Dress by the Shore / Hair & Makeup: Dana Bartone & Co. / Officiant: Susannah McGlamery / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Cake: Hope from A Little Imagination Cakes / Video: Jim Altieri, Vintage Cinema / Brides Jewelry: Custom made by Aquina, The White Dress by the Shore / Maids Jewels: Perception Jewelry / Lanterns & Furniture: Ryan Designs / Brides Shoes: Bagdley Mischka / Day of Coordination: Jubilee Events

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Little Imagination Cakes, Aquina, Bagdley Mischka, Carla Ten Eyck Photogrpahy, Dana Bartone & Co., Datura: A Modern Garden, DeCarlo Photo Studio, Growing Tree Photography, Jubilee Events, Ke$ha, Perception Jewelry, Raw Photo Design, Ryan Designs, Siri, Studio Foto, The White Dress By The Shore, Vintage Cinema, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Video
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

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I practically decided our wedding would be at the New Haven Lawn Club before I even stepped foot inside. I fell in love with the space – the art deco chandeliers, the black and white checked floors and the tiled mirror above the mantle in the ballroom – as soon as I saw pictures of it. Seeing it in person sealed the deal.

The location set the tone for the rest of my style choices: Elegant and romantic with vintage touches. I settled on a color pallet of blush, apricot and champagne. I wanted the room to be decorated in soft, monochromatic tones and accented with gold and ivory. We used a lot of lush blooms like garden roses, peonies, ranunculus and sweet peas. Dusty Miller added texture and gave all the arrangements and bouquets that vintage look I wanted. We decided to display the centerpieces on vintage cut glass cake stands that my mom spent over a year collecting. She found them in all sizes and patterns, which gave each table  a unique and whimsical display. She also collected footed compote bowls that were filled with small arrangements and placed on the bistro tables at cocktail hour.

We created a cake buffet with the extra cake stands. Mini cupcakes and eight 10’’ cakes in flavors like Mexican Hot Chocolate, Orange Creamsicle and Heath Bar Crunch were decorated in blush, apricot and ivory butter cream frosting, trimmed with gold ribbon and topped with large pink and apricot blooms. The cake we cut was a two-tiered lemon raspberry confection decorated with lattice work that matched a pattern from our stationary.

We jazzed up our paper goods by incorporating three different patterns: a gold floral trim, pink lattice work and a pink and gold damask print. Each table number featured a different print and the invitation suite featured all three.

My dress was an Anne Barge ball gown. I loved the way the waist cinched in and the top layer of the skirt floated out, always catching the light just right. I like to think that after spending my childhood dressed in tutus at endless dance recitals this dress picked me. It was the first one I tried on! I borrowed the veil from my new sister-in-law. My hairpiece was a pearl satin ribbon headband with pearl and rhinestone details I bought on Etsy. My something old was a lace handkerchief that both my mother and grandmother carried down the aisle of their wedding day.

A few other personal touches we added to the wedding were the “Mr.” and “Mrs.” letters tied to the back of our chairs with pink and champagne ribbon, a Mad Libs inspired guest book and a display of family wedding pictures. At the end of the night guests were invited to help themselves to freshly popped popcorn, our favorite snack.

The church also matched our color theme, but that was unintentional. We chose it, because the groom’s parents were married there. What more, the priest performing our ceremony married my parents. These personal tributes to our parents were one on the most important parts of the marriage for us.

Wedding Photography: Cynthia Brown Studio / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: Creative Montage / Wedding Ceremony Location: The Shrine of Saint Anne / Wedding Reception Location: The New Haven Lawn Club / Catering: The New Haven Lawn Club / Wedding Gown: Anne Barge via Kleinfeld / Bridesmaid Dresses: WTOO / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: JoS. A. Bank / Floral Design: Blush Floral Design Studio / Hair & Makeup: Dana Bartone & Company / DJ: Paul Hebert / Cakes: Sweet Maria’s

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 40 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anne Barge, Apricot, Blush, BLUSH Floral Design, Cake Buffet, Cake Table, Champagne, Connecticut, Creative Montage, CT, Cynthia Brown, Dana Bartone & Co., Gold, Ivory, Jos A Bank, Kleinfeld, Navy Blue, New Haven, Sweet Maria's, The New Haven Lawn Club, The Shrine of Saint Ann, Traditional Elegance, Vintage Cake Stands, Vintage Chic, WToo
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From Jubilee Events… This was a great photo shoot that derived from a more personal stance than most shoots. This was such a fun, personal photoshoot that was rich with color and details– allowing us to express our fun side. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday full of life and energy—an element we wanted to portray. We coupled it with another tradition, Day of the Dead, and honed in on the spirit of this culture.

Our models, Alicia and Carlos were a great addition to our team for the day—hats off to those shoes that Alicia brought and, of course, the dress, expertly chosen by The White Dress by the shore!  Tony constructed a bouquet and arrangement that, as always, was a beautiful hit and bursting with color! Your eyes can get lost for hours looking at all of the trinkets and pieces we included—each one with a different meaning and purpose behind it.

Our good friend and photographer, Carla Ten Eyck brought in several artifacts from her family’s history, like sugar skulls, masks, colorful lanterns and flags as a nod to the Dia de los Muertos altar, or Day of the Dead, meant to celebrate and remember lost loved ones. Both Carla and Tony Palmieri from Datura – A Modern Garden, brought special notes to include their mothers, quite easily making this shoot even more meaningful to our hearts.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck / Model Styling & Jewelry: Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the shore / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet (Billie) via The White Dress by the shore / Flowers: Datura – A Modern Garden / Event Design: Diana Chouinard of Jubilee Events / Invitations: Coral Pheasant Stationery + Design / Beauty: Dana Bartone & Company / Bride’s Head Piece: Twigs & Honey / Mini Gourmet Donuts: Tastease, Hartford, CT / Original Artwork: Carlos Hernandez Chavez

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blue, Carla Ten Eyck, Carlos Hernandez Chavez, Cinco de Mayo, Connecticut, Coral Pheasant Stationary & Design, Dana Bartone & Co., Datura: A Modern Garden, Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, Jubilee Events, Photo Shoot, Purple, Red, Tastease, The White Dress By The Shore, Twigs & Honey, Vibrant Colors, Yellow
Post categories: Photo Shoot

{click here to see all the gorgeous images in the galleries}

The Loading Dock space itself is raw– with white walls, concrete floors, and great natural light. It provided the perfect backdrop to our shoot. As with most photoshoots, we set out with an idea and create many details on site. We used the beautiful natural ribbon from Paloma’s Nest to add a detail to the white napkins. They also created custom wooden napkin rings, which we re purposed on top of oranges as escort cards. For the drink displays, we submerged tulips and edible flowers and brought out fun colors inspired by the inspiration board. In all, the look is amazing for late spring and into summer, with a crisp and fresh citrus look! –Event Designer, Candice Coppola of Jubilee Events

For the papergoods, we decided on a clean, minimalist design that made use of the bright citrus color palate and hard, architectural lines of the industrial venue. We wanted to create something that felt understated and contemporary for this chic couple. Pops of whimsy in the form of citrus hang tags and a bold wrap-around label gave the invitation suite some personality without being cutesy or overly feminine. We were inspired by the use of the ghost chairs and loved the idea of things disappearing into the scene – which is why we chose to knock out most of the type and use a velum outer envelope. Overall, we wanted to convey a feeling of urban, outside-the-box romance using color and type as the dominant graphic elements of this citrus-infused trousseau. –Gus & Ruby Letterpress

I was inspired by the crisp, clean lines and the fresh contrast of the citrus shades against stark whites. Candice set the perfect stage with her choice of table, chairs and tons of unusual accoutrement. I loved the way the tall branch centerpiece extended into the industrial style ceiling at The Loading Dock and the use of citrus as escort card holders; it added to the overall sense of cohesion between the contemporary space and our modern tablescape. The seamless collaboration between vendors was matched only by our Brides’ sense of whimsy and willingness to play. –A Modern Garden

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Event Design: Jubilee Events / Event Planning: Jubilee Events with help from 14 Stories / Reception Location: The Loading Dock / Invitations: Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Shoes: Zappos / Model Styling, Dresses and Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Catering: Jordan Caterers / Hair & Makeup: Dana Bartone & Co. / Furniture Rentals: Taylor Creative Inc. / Cake & Confections: Ana Parzych / Ring Bowls, Place Cards, Ribbon, and Thank You Notes: Paloma’s Nest / Edible Champagne Flowers: Wild Hibiscus / Tableware, Glassware & Chargers: Party Rental Ltd.

A note to readers…please please pretty please know that everyone is welcome at SMP no matter what your beliefs are. We live in a wonderful country where we are free to feel however we want. It’s a great, great thing . Our comments are a place for a discussion on design, style and all things pretty.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 67 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 14 Stories, A Modern Garden, Ana Parzych, Carla Ten Eyck, Dana Bartone & Co., Gus and Ruby LEtterpress, Jordan Caterers, Jubilee Events, Paloma’s Nest, Party Rental Ltd., Taylor Creative Inc, The Loading Dock, The White Dress By The Shore, Wild Hibiscus, Zappos
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

{click here to see all the gorgeous images in the galleries}

We had so much fun styling this shoot! Since the couple was ‘real brides’ of ours, I wanted to put them in dresses and accessories that reflected their personalities, but were different from what they were actually wearing for their wedding. We kept the lines of the gowns very clean as the feel of the shoot was more modern. For Lindsay, we went a little more ‘glam’ with her gown and accessories and with Kate we kept things minimal and simple. To build on the ‘citrus’ them of the shoot, we had Lindsay and Kate’s maid styled in a lemon shantung dress from Jenny Yoo accented with coral jewelry and shoes. –Stylist, Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore

Our Culinary and Event Team focused on the following words to describe what they saw of the board: Clean Lines, Citrus Colors, Sea, Classic, Simple yet sophisticated, Miami-like, Conservative. The Team thought they could best interpret this with the following items: Sea Inspired Menu Items (seared tuna, shrimp, scallops, lobster), Citrus (both color & flavor in Lemon Pepper Tuna, caramelized lime wheel, grapefruit sections, lime-pomegranate emulsion, lemon asparagus, key lime martini, passion fruit prosecco and clean lines in the choice of china. The combination of the simple ingredients created a symphony for the experienced palette with exquisite/sophisticated taste. — Caterer, Jordan Caterers

I received the beginning of my inspiration from the vision that was drawn up to set the stage for the shoot but once I arrived at The Loading Dock it all came together. The floral arrangements, the cuisine, the setting and the energy of both Lindsay and Kate. Kate was a simple girl who wanted understated style and as little primping as possible so her sophisticated yet natural look suited her and she felt pretty and comfortable. I used neutral tones on her eyes to give a less is more feel to a polished, photographic face. Lindsay on the other hand wanted glamour and drama to her look. She is a fun, adventurous girly girl who like to do it up so we raised the stakes for her. Her gorgeous dark hair styled in a red carpet chignon was accentuated by the makeup of a true maven. She donned long lashes and very expressive eyes to coordinate with her attire for the day and together both she and Kate we a match made in heaven. Kelly’s natural beauty and easy going style made her half up hairstyle an easy choice for a brides maid look. Her classic face and stature allowed me to consider all the surroundings and fun of the day. –Hair and Makeup Artist, Dana Bartone

We used a White Tahitian Vanilla cake layered with Passion Fruit mousseline. Finished in Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Vanilla Fondant. For decor, we added fondant-molded pearls and hand-sculpted sugar lilies. Along with the wedding cake, we had lemon pound cake petit-fours layered with raspberry preserves and finished with almond marzipan and fondant glace in citrus colors. They were hand-painted with edible silver & gold dusts. –confection chef, Ana Parzych

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Event Design: Jubilee Events / Event Planning: Jubilee Events with help from 14 Stories / Reception Location: The Loading Dock / Invitations: Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Shoes: Zappos / Model Styling, Dresses and Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Catering: Jordan Caterers / Hair & Makeup: Dana Bartone & Co. / Furniture Rentals: Taylor Creative Inc. / Cake & Confections: Ana Parzych / Ring Bowls, Place Cards, Ribbon, and Thank You Notes: Paloma’s Nest / Edible Champagne Flowers: Wild Hibiscus / Tableware, Glassware & Chargers: Party Rental Ltd.

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Post tags: 14 Stories, A Modern Garden, Ana Parzych, Carla Ten Eyck, Dana Bartone & Co., Gus and Ruby LEtterpress, Jordan Caterers, Jubilee Events, Paloma’s Nest, Party Rental Ltd., Taylor Creative Inc, The Loading Dock, The White Dress By The Shore, Wild Hibiscus, Zappos
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

Today’s From Inspiration to Reality Feature was inspired by the above board that one of our super chic Style Circle members, Lena, crafted. The designers, led by the fabulous Candice Coppola of Jubilee Events, along with photography by Carla Ten Eyck, Flowers by A Modern Garden and paper goods by Gus & Ruby Letterpress, took the concept and ran with it. The result is a completely fresh, totally modern piece of wedding eye candy.

Back in a bit with the complete design!

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Event Design: Jubilee Events / Event Planning: Jubilee Events with help from 14 Stories / Reception Location: The Loading Dock / Invitations: Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Shoes: Zappos / Model Styling, Dresses and Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Catering: Jordan Caterers / Hair & Makeup: Dana Bartone & Co. / Furniture Rentals: Taylor Creative Inc. / Cake & Confections: Ana Parzych / Ring Bowls, Place Cards, Ribbon, and Thank You Notes: Paloma’s Nest / Edible Champagne Flowers: Wild Hibiscus / Tableware, Glassware & Chargers: Party Rental Ltd.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 14 Stories, A Modern Garden, Ana Parzych, Carla Ten Eyck, Dana Bartone & Co., Gus and Ruby LEtterpress, Jordan Caterers, Jubilee Events, Paloma's Nest, Party Rental Ltd., Taylor Creative Inc, The Loading Dock, The White Dress By The Shore, Wild Hibiscus, Zappos
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

Inspiration to Reality – Ampearsand from Buzz Media Company on Vimeo.

Fun, right?!? Seriously though, we’re so lucky to work with so many talented (and quite frankly, just plain cool) vendors. Thank you to the entire crew of awe-inpsiring Connecticut vendors that brought this design to life.

Credits: Event Design + Catering by A Thyme to Cook /Photography by Steve DePino / Venue by Salt Water Farm Vineyard / Wedding Invitations and Paper Goods by Stonington Paperie / Flowers by Jessica’s Country Flowers / Fashion by The White Dress by the Shore / Cinema by Buzz Media Company / Wedding Gown by Amy Kuschel /Hair & Makeup by Dana Bartone / Rentals by Arrow Party Rentals

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Thyme To Cook Steve DePino, Buzz Media, Buzz Media Company. Buzz Media, Connecticut, Dana Bartone & Co., Jessica’s Country Flowers, Salt Water FArm Vineyard, Stonington Paperie, The White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality