When I moved to Las Vegas five years ago, after a decade in Oregon and Montana, I joked with my friends, “Just never let me get married in Las Vegas!” As a mostly outdoor girl but a photojournalist first, I moved to the wilds of Las Vegas for a great job. To keep my wits about me I would head to the mountains or desert on my days off, and sometimes before work on Sundays. That’s where I met Kirk, on a ski lift on a Sunday morning at the small ski area on Mt. Charleston, just outside Las Vegas. The romance and outdoor adventures together grew from there.

Engaged around our two-year anniversary in December of 2010, we had talked loosely about a warm water, tropical destination wedding. After weighing out the options, cost and travel time would limit who would be able to attend and we decided having all of our friends and family present was most important. That’s when Mt. Charleston dawned on us. It’s outside of the city, technically not IN Vegas proper, and it has special significance of where we met and spent many a great days snowboarding and getting to know one another.

I had never really thought about what I’d want for my wedding. I knew I wanted to create a day that would be aesthetically beautiful, relaxed and abundant in thoughtful, personal details, but I had no idea of the limitless creative discovery I was in for.

Photography was my first priority once we reserved the venue and date. I have known Kitty & Craig Fritz, of Twin Lens Images, through our common professional circles since before I moved to Las Vegas. As soon as they crossed my mind I knew they would be our dream pick. Luckily they were available for our short notice March wedding. Kitty and Craig and I didn’t have to talk about too much. I knew their work well and had 100% confidence that they would make magic in images of our day.

It’s hard to believe all the work by so many that made the weekend come to life. It was a perfect day, kissed with sunshine and the warmest day in the month and blessed by our friends and family. The best part was the memories made and shared, and to boot, now we’re married!

Wedding Design & Planning: Yelena Johnson, The Stylish Soiree / Flowers: Enchanted Florist / Photography: Twin Lens / Videography: Lovespun / Ceremony Music: Phat Strad / Venue: The Resort on Mt. Charleston / Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Bag: BeeGee Bags / Groom’s Suit:  Stitched / Guestbook: Rag & Bone / DJ: Smiles Davis / Deserts: Red Velvet Café / Print design: Coco Paperie / Paper Printing: Mama’s Sauce / Ring Pillow: Llubav Choy Duerr / Photo booth: Shutterbooth / Cake Topper: Celeste Welch / Dessert Flags: Victorian Station

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Post tags: Acrobats, BeeGee Bags, Celeste Welch, Coco Paperie, Color Palette Red, Cupcakes, Dessert Table, Enchanted Florist, Etsy, Las Vegas, Llubav, Lovespun, Maggie Sottero, Mama's Sauce, Mount Charleston, Mountain wedding, Nevada, Outdoor Ceremony, Phat Strad, Pinwheels, Rag & Bone, Red Velvet Cafe, Shutterbooth, Smile Davis, Stitched, The Resort on Mt. Charleston, The Stylish Soiree, Twin Lens, Victorian Station, Wedding Photography, Winter Wedding
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Whimsical

From LUCIA|PAUL Design … After their first meeting, Ankur was instantaneously taken with Mayssoun, owner of The Institute of Higher Learning. Even though Mayssoun was smitten with him as well, Ankur was a tutor on her staff, and she was not comfortable dating an employee.  So Ankur did the noble thing and quit… he knew deep down inside he didn’t want to allow this opportunity to pass him by. And thus the perfect love affair began.

Ankur, now a successful Attorney in New York City, and Mayssoun, who recently expanded her company from Ann Arbor to New York, are two of the busiest people you can imagine. Planning their wedding was quite the challenge, given that we only had three months to pull the entire three-day event together.  Even though Mayssoun is Middle Eastern, born in Lebanon, and Ankur is Indian, they didn’t want a traditional Indian or Arabic wedding. Instead, we, along with a crew of talented vendors, created their dream wedding that was inspired by their love for the French style.

The weekend was kicked off by two wedding ceremonies.  The first was a traditional Muslim ceremony held at Mayssoun’s family’s home.  While the ceremony itself was simple, it was rich in cultural and religious tradition for only immediate family members from both sides.  The first ceremony was followed by a cocktail hour at the Rattlesnake Club and a surprise civil ceremony, performed by the Honorable John Corbett O’Meara in front of 150 of their closest friends and family.  The civil ceremony was held in a garden overlooking the Detroit River.  Guests joined Mayssoun, clad in a gorgeous customized Chanel gown carrying a bouquet of lush white Calla Lilies, and Ankur as they were joined as husband and wife.  After the second ceremony, guests were invited inside the Rattlesnake Club for a delectable six-course menu, hand-selected by the bride and the groom.

The following day was the official wedding reception.  Preparations began first thing in the morning with a violinist and master pianist acting as an alarm clock to wake our bride from her slumber.  Throughout the day, Mayssoun and Ankur prepared for the main event, and midway through the day, they had to take a break from “getting ready” to join LUCIA|PAUL DESIGN and the entertainers in an hour-long rehearsal for the evenings festivities.

As guests arrived to The Henry, Dearborn, they entered through a hallway adorned with Boxwoods and custom frames which displayed the escort cards.  Once guests found their card, they proceeded into the cocktail hour where they nibbled on a selection of gourmet hors d’oeuvres and mingled between the custom linens and hundreds of Roses.

Guests were invited into the ballroom and were wowed as an opera singer performed while they found their tables and their seats.  The guests were awed by the experience of the custom Ice Sculptures, custom linens, a Live Event Artist, draping and production lighting, a stage wrapped with four foot tall Boxwood, over 15,000 cream colored roses and thousands of candles made the room completely breathtaking.

At the tables, which were custom built specifically for the wedding, guests were greeted by an eight page booklet, Le Programe Du Soir (The Program of the Evening) that included a poem written by Mayssoun for Ankur, The Men which is a beautiful poem by Khalil Gibran, and a thank you note for the guests from Mayssoun and Ankur

The Bride wore a custom, one of a kind Carolina Herrera Bridal Gown and veil, and a stunning Cartier Diamond necklace and earrings. Mayssoun carried a lush bouquet, which was inspired by a beautiful design that she had found in the pages of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, filled with Phalaenopsis Orchids and a hand dyed braided ribbon that matched the boutonnière that was designed just for Ankur.

Once the guests were seated, the Bride and the Groom entered in the grandest of fashion, called An Operatic Zaffe.  Accompanied by four Prima Ballerinas and a male ballet dancer, they were escorted through the maze of strategically placed tables to the dance floor.  It was a true experience right out of a Degas painting.  Once the Grand Entrance concluded, the Ballerinas joined Mayssoun and Ankur on the dance floor for the first dance… all while accompanied by a 12-piece band, the Opera Singer and a Grand Pianist.  It was truly an event within the event.

Throughout the night and while guests dined on a six-course meal, they were reveled by an array of entertainers, which included Arabic Drummers and DJ, six ballroom dancers, the ballerinas, a 12-piece band, the Opera Singer and a Live Event Artist who painted the scene of the entire wedding.  Once guests completed their six-course meal, including the five-layer, all white meringue wedding cake, they were then invited to enter into the desert room, which donned over seven additional wedding cakes, a grooms cake adorned with chocolate shavings and curls and over 45 feet of table top with additional French inspired pastries and deserts.  Needless to say, no one left the wedding reception hungry.

After dinner and the extensive dessert, the entertainment ramped up rotating between the 12-piece band, the DJ and Arabic drummers.  For an entire two-hour time period, the dance floor was jammed packed with guests.  Mayssoun even took center stage and sang a solo with the band to her beloved Groom…the crowd went wild.

At the conclusion of the six-hour reception, guests were sure to not leave empty handed.  Mayssoun and Ankur presented each couple or guest with a special gift from Tiffany’s as a way to say thank you to all 250 of the guests who helped them celebrate their union.  However, just because the Reception was over didn’t mean the party was.  Guests who still had the energy, were invited to an after-party which included a full bar and afterglow while the DJ spun until 4 am.

The next morning, everyone was invited to a Brunch at Gulio & Son’s, where Mayssoun and Ankur took the time to personally talk with every singe guest and to thank them once again for making their wedding weekend such a memorable one.

The entire weekend and wedding celebration was truly one to remember.

Event Planner and Designer: LUCIA|PAUL DESIGN / Photographer: Widdis Photography / Reception Venue: The Henry, Autograph Collection / Stationery: Cartier / Brides Jewelry: Cartier / Ceremony Gown: Chanel / Reception Gown: Carolina Herrera / Wedding Ceremony: Rattlesnake Club / Videographer: AV7 Weddings / Hair: Figo Salon / Make-up: Jon Liekfelt of Priss Makeup / Opera Singer: Elena Repnikova / Ballerinas: Valentina / Lighting and Draping: The Lighting Guy / Band: Simone Vitale / Custom Linens: Nuage Designs and Gala Linens / DJ: DJ Rumzei / Ballroom Dancers: Fred Astaire / Live Event Artist: K.A. Von Hasenbalg / Rentals: Special Events Rental and Elite Rental / Florist: Bellasario Florist / Cake and Desert Tables: Sweet Dreams / Ice Sculptures: Ice Dreams Sculptures

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Post tags: 12-Piece Band, Arabic Wedding, AV7 Weddings, Ballerina, Bellasario Florist, Carolina Herrera, Cartier, Chanel, Dearborn, Dessert Room, Dessert Table, Dog, Elite Rental, Event Painter, Figo Salon, Fred Astaire, Gala Linens, Ice Dreams Sculptures, Ice Sculpture, Indian Wedding, K. A. Von Hasenbalg, Lucia|Paul Design, Michigan, Nuage Designs, Opera Singer, Pianist, Priss Makeup, Rattlesnake Club, Roses, Simone Vitale, Special Events Rental, Sweet Dreams, The Henry Autograph Collection, The Lighting Guy, Tiffany & Co., Wedding Photography, Widdis Photography, Yellow Diamond
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

We’ve served up a full course of pretty California weddings this past week and what better way to wrap it up than with a little dessert!  This adorable bridal shower designed by Intertwined Events and photographed by Aaron Shintaku was inspired by the indecisive dessert lover’s favorite treat – neapolitan ice cream.  I love how many ways the strawberry, vanilla and chocolate palette were incorporated especially the ribbon-wrapped chairs!  Click here to see the full gallery! We’ll see you back here next week once the sugar rush has died down!

As delicious as a trip to the ice cream store, as timeless as Neapolitan, this styled bridal shower created a playful yet feminine and sophisticated design that truly celebrates how sweet love is. Creating a more modern feel, we worked with the traditional color blocks built into a carton of Neapolitan ice cream, ensuring each decorative element in the shoot was represented in three “flavors.” From the ribbon table linen, to the chiavari chairs wrapped in color-coordinated ribbon, to the floral centerpieces that moved from one color to the next, the table design was three dimensional and completely unique. Capitalizing on the warm vanilla, strawberry and chocolate colors of Neapolitan, we also incorporated the playfulness of the palette with a wide variety of desserts by Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach that included meringue cookies, cream puffs, macaroons and mini cakes. Cherish Paperie incorporated the trio of flavors into the stationery items to the continue the Neapolitan theme. This bridal shower was inspired sweetness!

Planning + Design: Intertwined Events / Photography: Aaron Shintaku / Desserts: Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach / Stationery:  Cherish Paperie / Florals: Heavenly Blooms / Venue: Shade Hotel / Produced by: Be Inspired PR / Chairs: Classic Party Rentals

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a pink and preppy Malibu wedding
a modern, rustic affair in Rancho Santa Fe
a stylish and silky bridesmaids’ gift
a modern garden party in San Rafael
a Seal Beach bird and book theme wedding

Some fabulous links from around the web:

a white + modern succulent tabletop on coco+kelley
a sweet wedding momento on 100 Layer Cake
a sunny California palette on the sweetest occasion

Have a glorious weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Shintaku, Be Inspired, Bridal Shower, Cake, California, Cherish Paperie, Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach, Dessert Table, Desserts, heavenly bloom, Ice Cream, Intertwined Events, macarons, Manhattan Beach, neapolitan, Shade Hotel
Post categories: California Weddings

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From 1. Art Beauty Life : Jenny Ebert Photography… Chris Lane, a 30-year-old Production Coordinator in New York City’s film industry, and Lindsay Chandler-Alexander, a 28-year-old architecture student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, first met in 1999 at summer camp.  Ten years later, while back at camp for a weekend away, Chris proposed on the bridge where they first kissed.  After an enthusiastic acceptance, the couple dove into planning a wedding weekend in the Catskill Mountains, five minutes down the road from the camp where they fell in love.

Lindsay and Chris, both coming from creative fields, jumped at the opportunity to make the wedding a personal project, designing everything themselves down to the last detail.  Lindsay, having an affinity for stripes, immediately had the idea to make black + white stripes the wedding theme.  The green accent color, inspired by the couples love for the outdoors and the natural setting of the reception, offset the graphic stripes.  The palate filtered through every element of the wedding from the handmade wood invitations, down to the hand-tied napkin rings.

Wedding Photography: 1. Art Beauty Life : Jenny Ebert Photography / Wedding Reception & Ceremony Location: Full Moon Resort / Event Coordination (On-Site): Melanie Warner of Full Moon Resort / Catering: Full Moon Resort / Hair: Jan of Emerson Resort & Spa / Makeup: Emerson Resort & Spa / Music: Eric of JTD Productions / Wedding Cake: Sharon of Bread Alone Bakery / Floral Design: Jim of Elderberry Flowers / Officiant: Rev. Sara Henderson (reverendsara77@aol.com) / Wedding Dress: Amsale via Vows / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade (Ivana) / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Attire: DKNY / Groomsmen Attire: Michael Kors / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Bride’s Hair Piece: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Welcome Bags: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Sailor Knot Key Chains: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Hand Painted Centerpiece Vases: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Wood Table Numbers: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Cake Toppers: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Dessert Bags & Labels: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Wedding Party Flower Arrangements: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Wedding Cake & Dessert Table: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Photo Booth (Props & Backdrop): DIY, The Bride & Groom

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Post tags: 1. Art Beauty Life : Jenny Ebert Photography, Amsale, Black, Bread Alone Bakery, Catskill Mountains, Catskills, Dessert Table, DIY Invitations, DIY Projects, DKNY, Elderberry Flowers, Emerson Resort, Full Moon Resort, Green, J. Crew, JTD Productions, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, New York, NY, Outdoor Ceremony, Photo Booth, Preppy Wedding, Tented Reception, Vows, White
Post categories: Casual Elegance, New York Weddings

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From Emily of White Room Events… Part of the first correspondence I had with the gorgeous bride, Alanna, went like this… “We are picturing gorgeous white chairs set up for the ceremony, tied with long ribbons that sway in the breeze. Pretty crystal chandeliers and lots of lovely long ribbons hanging from the trees, vintage sheet music, romantic quotes, sweet vintage typewriters, vintage cameras and beautiful old poetry books. We need somebody who can help us to put a look together… We want our day to be filled with fun, laughter and love. It needs to be beautiful, romantic and unique. We want to incorporate some fun and whimsical elements (like balloons and maybe some pinwheels) without sacrificing on style. We want our Wedding to be unique and gorgeous, filled with lots of fun details to make our guests smile.”

Alanna and Tim are the sweetest couple you’ll ever meet, their love for each other and for life is palpable, they are giving and authentic and styling the wedding turned out to be so much fun as they are both incredibly creative. Alanna is a powerhouse of creativity, every single detail of this wedding was thought out and had meaning. Starting with the letterpressed save the date cards from Twin Ravens Press, the letterpressing of paper goods never ended.  From the escort cards to a 6-page ceremony program, all were designed by the bride and all were perfectly executed. We used the monogram of an elm tree, a subtle nod to the season of Autumn and a link to the wedding venue. Carrick Hill is a beautiful estate that fittingly was given to a bride and groom by the brides father, the couple then constructed the most magnificent mansion and gardens that overlook the city of Adelaide.

The Ceremony took place underneath the 100-year-old elms trees, these were the perfect shelter and created a sacred space for the couple to take their vows. Pre-dinner drinks began with a balloon release, each guest being handed a large white balloon in the shape of a heart and wishing the couple and their new life together off to the pale grey sky. Guests were able to wander though the magnificent house and when it was time to be seated they each found their table numbers strung up on an old blue bed head with their escort cards attached with a vintage key, simple but so effective. We covered 3 long banquet tables with soft white muslin and then filled each table with all sorts, no two sections were the same. We had 60 beautiful arrangements by Lotus Flowers going down the centre of each table and in between these were carefully sourced items, an eclectic mix of vintage cameras, poetry, books covered in old sheet music, jars of all types, candles, enamel tea pots, glass cake stands and so much more. Little pewter dishes filled with the most stunning cookies crafted by Spoon & Fork were just the start. Alanna also requested a cake buffet inspired by Amy Atlas, all white with round balloons hovering above.  The cake by Sugar & Spice Cakes was the centrepiece to hundreds of beautiful, all white bites of deliciousness made by Belinda of Sweet Treats Cakes & Cupcakes.

To the side of this, we created a guest “book,” a wall of envelopes stood tall behind a beautiful vintage desk, placed on the desk were little vintage postcards for the lucky guests to write a message and “post” to the bride and groom. A small lounge area with all white blooms standing tall in vintage green and blue glass bottles was a feature of this area. At the other end of the tent there sat another cake table, the backdrop for this was inspired by Alanna and Tim’s love of vintage papers and old sheet music played a perfect part. Three individual ruffle cakes stood proudly on the most lovely old and worn blue vintage table. As well as lining the roof of the tent with 400 tissue paper pom garlands, we also custom made a beautiful “kissing booth” and a “photo booth” that was made from a wall of long, flowing ribbons. All in all we used 2500 yards of ribbon on this wedding. Alanna’s mother told me that as a little girl Alanna loved playing with ribbons, her love never ended, there is something so pretty yet so fun and playful about them.

All of this love and beauty was captured by the sweet and truly amazing Christine Pobke of Pobke Photography.  I have been blessed to work with Christine on a number of occasions now, she is a machine and artist, pure coolness and all round inspiring person to be in the presence of.

All in all this day was perfect, most importantly this couple are LOVE, you can feel it in their presence. This makes for a very special wedding day, one that is ceremonious and simply leaves you feeling blessed and happy. I hope you enjoy Chirtsine Pobke’s magical images as much as we all enjoyed working with this couple.

Wedding Venue: Carrick Hill / Catering: Red Jam Catering / Wedding Photography: Pobke Photography / Cinematography: Cinecraft Australia / Event Stylist: White Room Events / Wedding Coordination: OnCue Events / Flowers: Lotus Flowers / Chairs & Ottomans: Elegant Event Management / Wedding Dress: Custom by Annette of Melbourne Couture / Bride’s Shoes: Shoes of Prey / Groom’s Suit: Tailors of Distinction / Flowergirl Dress: Custom by Eliza French Couture / Pageboy Suit: Fred Bracks / Bridemaid Dresses: Forever New / Groomsmen Suits: Joseph Uzumcu / Groom’s Cufflinks & Bride’s Bouquet Pin: Paloma’s Nest / Letterpress Stationery: Twin Ravens Press / Transportation: Jag-It In Style / Balloons: Balloons Galore / Sparklers: Lombard Paper / Desserts: Sweet Treats Cakes and Cupcakes / Cookies: Spoon & Fork / Cakes: Sugar & Spice Cakes / Celebrant: Richard Lawley of I Do Forever / Makeup: Dale Dorning of D&D Solutions / Bride & Groom’s Hair: Tania Lonardo / Bridesmaid’s Hair: Kabuki Hair Studio / Groom & Groomsmen Preparations: Destination For Men / Bride & Bridesmaid Nails: Polished On Greenhill / Ceremony Music: L’amour Vocal Ensemble / Reception Band: Tania Savelli of Melodies by Tania / Wedding Rings: DDS Diamonds / Accommodations: Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury Hotel

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Post tags: Adelaide, Australia, Balloons, Balloons Galore, Cake Table, Carrick Hill, Cinecraft Australia, D&D Solutions, DDS Diamonds, Dessert Table, Destination For Men, Elegant Event Management, Eliza French Couture, Forever New, Fred Bracks, Grey, I Do Forever, Jag-It In Style, Joseph Uzumcu, Kabuki Hair Studio, L'amour Vocal Ensemble, Lombard Paper, Lotus Flowers, Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury Hotel, Melbourne Couture, Melodies by Tania, OnCue Events, Outdoor Ceremony, Paloma's Nest, Peach, Pobke Photography, Polished On Greenhill, Red Jam Catering, Ribbons, Shoes of Prey, Spoon and Fork Cookies & Cakes, Sugar and Spice Cakes, Sweet Treats Cakes and Cupcakes, Tailors of Distinction, Twin Ravens Press, Vintage Chic, White, White Room Events
Post categories: Whimsical

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From Bows and Arrows…Whether spending a day at the races or a day at the stables, horses evoke a striking natural beauty that impacts the atmosphere, and brings back memories from childhood. We chose to set up a wedding atmosphere in the stables that was casual, rustic, intimate, heartfelt and yet, over-the-top! We broke the barrier vintage rustic chic by using super lush garden flowers, vintage letterpressed paper products, a precious assortment of cakes, fancy intricate hand calligraphy, a couture gown, and quirky luxe gold accents! Every detail was mastered artfully!

The dinner table scape included gold trophy vases packed with blooms in shades of reds and pinks, including garden roses, peony, amaryllis, tulips, anemone, and jasmine. Letterpressed menus were regal, with a pale pink wreath encircling a golden horse and horseshoe. The gold was further enhanced by the gold flatware and gold horse at the place setting. Vintage championship horse prints were used as the table number which paired nicely with the vintage award ribbons accenting the floral arrangements. Place cards were eclectic free standing flags in a mix of papers paired with different calligraphy ink color, making everyone’s place setting unique.

The escort card table held miniature handmade paper award ribbons with the guests’ name and table number scrolled in calligraphy, which were displayed on a lush bed of red carnations.

The cake table was made up of a decadent assortment of single tier cakes embellished with award-winning sugar ribbons, frilly butter cream flowers, and detailed trimming set upon vintage milk glass pedestals surrounding a colossal trophy packed with fresh blooms in the horse arena.  A feast for the eyes, indeed.

Our bride and groom looked equally stunning to the details in couture Carolina Herrera from Carolina Herrera Highland Park Village.  The slim fit and sparkle kept the elegance of derby attire.

Photography: Greg Blomberg Photography / Floral Design: Bows and Arrows / Stationery: Missing Q Press / Desserts: Sugar Bee Sweets / Calligraphy: The Left Handed Calligrapher / Stylist: Cowboys and Indians Styling / Hair: James DeFrange of Pura Vida Salon / Makeup: Carolyn Logan / Location: Rocking M Stables / Wedding Dress: Carolina Herrera via Carolina Herrera Highland Park Village

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bows and Arrows, Carolina Herrera, Cowboys and Indians Styling, Dallas, Dessert Table, Gold, Greg Blomberg Photography, Grey, horses, James DeFrange, Kentucky Derby, Missing Q Press, Photo Shoot, Pink, Red, Rocking M Stables, Rustic Chic, Stable, Sugar Bee Sweets, Texas Weddings, The Left Handed Calligrapher, TX
Post categories: Dallas Weddings, Photo Shoot, Texas Weddings

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Dini and I met and began dating in high school. We were so overjoyed to be getting married nine years later. Our main goal for the wedding was to have it be a big celebration with all the people who supported us over the years. We wanted it to be fun, personal, and beautiful.

Sarah True helped us develop a romantic garden theme with a soft herbal color palate and Tuscan accents. Yumiko of Hana Floral designed the gorgeous centerpieces, which alternated between soft, romantic blooms and lavender, artichokes, and other herbs. Gourmet Galley designed a delicious Tuscan inspired menu and put together a beautiful dessert table in place of a cake. The Branford House was the perfect place for our reception. We had dinner and dancing on the lawn, with spectacular views of Long Island Sound and Fourth of July fireworks.

It was really important to us to make our wedding a reflection of us. Dini is Greek Orthodox, so the ceremony took place at his church. My uncle is a Catholic priest, so we asked him to be a part of the wedding as well. After the ceremony, we drove away in a custom roadster that Dini’s father and grandfather had built together. The car brought us to a dock, where the whole bridal party boarded Dini’s cousin’s boat. We drove the boat to the reception site, giving us time to relax with our closest friends before the reception.

Given that Dini is a marine engineer and that we met while on our high school’s crew team, it was important for us to incorporate our love of and lives on the water. For that reason, we also replaced a traditional guest book with a pair of wooden oars that we had our guests sign. At the reception, we displayed photographs from the weddings of our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. My mom and I made favors of homemade truffles, which we put into kraft boxes and tied with sage ribbon. Our family members made Greek and Italian sweets to add to the dessert table. The personal touches made the already beautiful reception feel like it was really representative of our relationship, and we could not have had a better time celebrating with all the people we love.

Wedding Photography: Justin & Mary / Wedding Venue: Branford House / Wedding Planning: Sarah True of TRUE Event / Catering: Gourmet Galley Catering / Floral Design: Yumiko of Hana Floral Design / Wedding Gown: Melissa Sweet via The White Dress by the shore / Bride’s Shoes: J.Crew / Tenting: Sperry Tents / Jewelry: Roberto Coin / Flower Girl & Ring Bearer Attire: The Blue Horse / Hair & Makeup: Rob Rivers / DJ: Renzo / Bridesmaid Dresses: Melissa Sweet

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blue, Branford House, Chalkboards, Connecticut, CT, Dessert Table, Gourmet Galley, Grey, Groton, Hana Floral Design, J. Crew, Justin & Mary, Melissa Sweet, New England Wedding, Peach, Purple, Rob Rivers, Roberto Coin, Sarah True, Sperry Tents, Tented Reception, The Blue Horse, True Event, Tuscan Inspired, University of Connecticut, White, White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… I made all of the decorations myself, and no, they were not just forms….I was a very busy girl!  The paper flowers were completely serendipitous. I originally was thinking about making those tissue paper orbs that hang from the ceiling that you see a lot.  I went to Martha Stewart’s website to see how they were made and as I went along, I found that although I wasn’t getting my originally intended result, I thought what I was ending up with would make beautiful flowers if I just tweaked a few things.  So I then went about the task of making what felt about a million simple tissue paper flowers of varying sizes and colors of cream/white/blush (As a side note– whatever they use to wrap purchases in at Anthropologie is the most gorgeous cream tissue paper!) and then embellished them with whatever cuteness I could find at the local craft stores or already had in my craft boxes.  After I had the blooms put together, I made stems and whatnot out of basic floral arranging items, threw in some pipe cleaners and feathers and I had a bouquet.

For the flower containers, I raided both my grandmothers’ cupboards and searched antique shops for old bottles and filled the vessels with sand/rice to keep the flowers upright.  For the candles strewn about, I had my heart set on square candles in shades of cream and ended up finally finding them online.  I embellished the bottoms of some of them with gold adhesive borders intended for scrapbooking.  The table coverings were just burlap I bought wholesale online topped with a few of my grandmother’s vintage handkerchiefs and some doilies found antiquing. The cookie table did have a bit of faux raw silk fabric I found on sale at Hancock Fabric. The branches were almost as labor intensive as the paper flowers since they were all handpicked by my VERY helpful mom and dad from the woods in their backyard and then spray painted gold.  I also included wedding day pictures from both sets of parents, grandparents, and my great grandparents in frames picked up for very little at TJ Maxx and Homegoods.  I bought the DIY type of invitations at Target and my dad helped me print them out, piece of cake.

After searching everywhere for a dress, I actually ended up getting the discontinued sample from the floor for $600 from Fantastic Finds in Lansing.  Shoes were a little tougher since I love me a sky high heel, but Mike and I are the same height and I needed to find something that was a little funky, but would not make me look ridiculous when standing next to him.  I searched high and low at every consignment/antique shop, but couldn’t find anything to fit my boat-sized feet, so I settled for a shoe from Macy’s. Same goes for jewelry. I scoured antique shops for the perfect accessories, but since I wanted over the top AND gold, it was hard to find, so I ended up getting the earrings and one of the rhinestone bracelets at Cherie’s in the Centerpointe Mall in GR.  The dress did originally come with a brooch in the center of the bow, but I wasn’t crazy about it, so I went antiquing yet again and a million shops later, I finally found the perfect piece at the antique shop in Eastown.  I also ended up stacking a bunch of my grandmother’s vintage bracelets and wore my grandfather’s wedding band, along with the original ring Mike used to propose on my right hand.

Instead of a guest book, we asked guests to write a small message to us on fabric quilt squares I had precut, with the intention of making a wedding quilt, however, the fabric pens ran out before everyone got a chance to use them, so that was a bummer.  Since we love to travel, we also asked guests to let us in on their most favorite “must go” place.  I set that little section up with the instructions for that in another picture frame and provided unused vintage postcards originating from either Grand Rapids (my hometown), Pittsburgh (Mike’s hometown), The Netherlands (I’m Dutch) or Italy (He’s Italian) for guests to write on.  Those were surprisingly easy to locate, and I found those for a steal at the antique shop on Wealthy/Charles in GR.  The vintage suitcase I used for displaying the postcards was found at an antique shop in Lake Odessa, MI.

The cookies/pastries were really none of my doing at all!  I knew I wanted one since I’m not crazy about wedding cakes and I thought it was a fun replacement for one. Plus, “The Cookie Table” is a tradition in Mike’s family (his mom’s not sure where it started, or if it’s an Italian or Pittsburgh thing).  I just found different cake pedestals, interesting vintage dishes, turned to the grandmas yet again, and was able to find enough pieces to create a display.  The to-go bags were just handled brown bags I found at Joann Fabric and I stamped them with a cute image and threw some tissue paper in there.  Mike’s mom/aunts/friends starting baking away for about a month before the wedding to create the enormous amount of cookies (his parents had to rent a van to haul the enormous amount of goodies and drove with the AC full blast all the way from Pittsburgh!) I am so grateful they went to all the trouble because I think the cookie table was the most beautiful thing at the wedding. Everything was made with love, nothing store bought and Mike’s mom and extended family were the ones that created the whole look without much help from me and they did a WONDERFUL job.

Wedding Photography: Kelly Sweet Photography / Wedding Ceremony Location: The Brayton House / Wedding Reception Location: The Photography Room / Wedding Planning & Design: The Bride / Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo via Fantastic Finds / Bride’s Shoes: Capparos via Macy’s / Bride’s Jewelry: Cheri’s Bridal & Accessories + Vintage / Wedding Dress Broach: Vintage / Wedding Invitations: Target / Frames: TJ Maxx + HomeGoods / Cookies & Pastries: Family of the Groom

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, antiques, Blush, Burlap, Capparos, Cheri's Bridal & Accessories, Cocktail Reception, Cookie Bar, Cream, Dessert Table, DIY Invitations, DIY Wedding, Fantastic Finds, Grand Rapids, Homegoods, Kelly Sweet Photography, Macy's, Michigan, Non-Traditional Wedding, Paper Flowers, Target, The Brayton House, The Photography Room, TJ Maxx, White
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired