I wasn’t quite done with this stunning couple, and I knew you wouldn’t be either, and lucky for us, 3rd Street Films has sent over a fantastic highlight film to extend our viewing pleasure!

If you can, imagine the feeling of a late summer afternoon, when a gusty breeze billows in with perfect timing, cooling and soothing your sun kissed skin. You feel rejuvenated, yet relaxed; the sensation is heavenly. That would be the best way for me to describe how our love feels. And that is exactly what I wanted our wedding to feel like, too.

One of the most helpful things that Eddie and I did to kickoff our wedding planning was to sit down and figure out, together, what exactly we envisioned for our big day. For Eddie, who is of Chaldean descent, it was important to incorporate Middle Eastern music and dancing into the reception entertainment. As for me, I’m very sentimental, so the color palette and the décor were the perfect opportunity for us to, in a way, tell our story. Collectively, we agreed that we wanted to allocate a significant portion of our budget to the cuisine and the cocktails, and if possible, to find a venue with the option for an indoor/outdoor reception, since Michigan is known for it’s comfortable and colorful autumn season.

We were married at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church on historical Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan. Eddie and I attended mass there on one of our very first dates, and it soon became our home parish. Also, we were blessed to have our wedding officiated by one of Eddie’s childhood friends, who grew up to become an ordained Catholic priest. To attempt to compete with the lavish interiors and the opulent finishes of the church would have been impossible, so we kept the décor to simple white arrangements (an assortment of hydrangeas, lilies of the valley, white roses, and calla lilies) that flanked the altar. Our ceremony was rich with tradition, yet completely personal, and I will cherish it always.

A considerable amount of our guests were from out of town, so we had our hearts set on finding a unique-to-Michigan venue. Meadow Brook Hall was the second spot that we visited, and I loved the look of excitement on Eddie’s face when we stepped out onto the terrace, where we would later host our cocktail reception; it reminded him of the University of Virginia’s campus, his undergraduate alma mater. The mansion, too, was warm and welcoming for our cocktail hour, during which docents provided guests with tours as they enjoyed Southern and Mediterranean influenced hors d’oeuvres. I like to think that dinner and dancing were held under the stars, but in reality, they were just a short chassé away from the mansion beneath a dreamy, white, canopy tent. The billowy draping was the perfect nod to our South Beach reception theme, along with our floral designer’s white-hot creations, some perfectly positioned lounge seating, and Mother Nature’s subtle breeze. Guests danced the night away to a mixture of live Chaldean songs, and the D.J.’s medley of chart toppers and quintessential, Miami house music.

As for the attire, we kept things tailored and traditional. I worked with Stacy Fork from Michigan’s newest wedding gem, The Gown Shop Ann Arbor, to customize my Modern Trousseau Mika gown. A simple, Thai silk bodice met with layers of gauzy silk chiffon, just below the hips, to create cascading tiers that sort of floated along with a romantic subtly. The groom and groomsmen donned Calvin Klein tuxedos with a modern fit, and a traditional bow tie, while the bridesmaids looked elegant in a ballet pink, fit and flare gown, accented with rose gold jewelry. Our flower girl was adorable in a custom, floor length tutu.

My advice for the soon-to-be-newlyweds would be to remain focused on the must-haves, get creative with the details, never underestimate the power of candles, and to truly not sweat the small stuff. In the end, it truly is about the love you share with your beloved, and that is the best décor, detail, and accessory of all.

Photography: Nicole Ladonne Photography / Cinematography: 3rd Street Films / Flowers: Bill Hamilton Designs / Event Design: Bill Hamilton Designs & Affordable Elegance / Event Planning: the Bride / Ceremony Location: National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church / Reception Location: Meadow Brook Hall & Gardens / Invitations: DIY by the Bride / Shoes: Badgley Mischka, Humbie II / Dress: Modern Trousseau via The Gown Shop / Bride’s Earrings: Haute Bride via The Gown Shop / Veil: Haute Bride via The Gown Shop / Tuxedo: Calvin Klein / Bridesmaids Dresses: Impression / Wedding Cake: Le Cakery Bake Shop / Band: The Bells Band / Officiant: Fr. Tony Marques / Hair: Janice Preuett / Make-up: Jeff Marti

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Post tags: 3rd Street Films, Accessories, Affordable Elegance, Badgley Mischka, Bill Hamilton Designs, Calvin Klein, Chandeliers, Color Palette White, DIY Invitations, DIY Stationery, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Haute Bride, Highlight Films, Impression, Janice Preuett, Jeff Marti, Le Cakery Bake Shop, Meadow Brook Hall & Gardens, Michigan, Modern Trousseau, National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church, Neutral Color Palette, Nicole Ladonne Photography, Rochester, Tented Reception, The Bells Band, The Gown Shop, Tony Marques, Traditional Elegance, Veils, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Kyle and I met in college our senior year through mutual friends.  Upon graduation we both moved to Minneapolis and continued our friendship by spending more and more time together until we began dating in 2007.  After two and a half years together, Kyle proposed.  On Valentine’s day, Kyle took me ice skating at our favorite outdoor Minnesota ice rink.  I didn’t think too much of it because we didn’t have any other plans that day and had decided to go ice skating last minute. Kyle’s skating skills have never been impressive; so I was not surprised when he fell to the ground after an aggressive turn.  However, words cannot describe my surprise when rather than crawling to his feet, Kyle instead stayed on one knee and asked me to marry him.  Much to Kyle’s relief, I said yes after spending a few stunned moments on the ice.

We were looking for a venue that was modern, simplistic and had a lot of light. We also planned to have the ceremony outdoors and needed a great space. The Burnsville Performing Arts Center had that modern sleek vibe in the building and also had a beautiful outdoor garden area and amphitheater.   We immediately fell in love with the place.

My inspiration for the wedding was really the colors: yellow and gray. I had seen a gorgeous yellow and gray wedding on Style Me Pretty and fell in love with the color scheme.  I wanted to DIY a lot of items, but also wanted to keep the décor simple and colorful to let the venue shine.  I made chalkboard signs from mirrors, table numbers from scrap wood, made my own hair piece, hand stamped cocktail napkins and spray painted votives gray for the tables. I also found some funky yellow jug and white circle vases on craigslist and used them as my centerpieces.  The florist, Carra Otten, did a beautiful job of seeing my inspiration and putting together amazing arrangements that complimented my DIY projects.

We incorporated a Dutch love letter ritual into our ceremony.  We wrote each other love letters and sealed them in a trunk with a bottle of wine and two glasses.   The trunk will remain sealed until our 5th anniversary when we will drink the wine and read our letters to each other.

I had a brooch added to my bouquet.  It was a gift I had given my grandmother when I was 5 years old. She had held onto it for many years so I wanted to show her how important she is to me. I also had some of my mom’s lace from her wedding dress wrapped around my bouquet.

My most vivid memories are of my first look with my husband and when we released butterflies.  Natalie did a beautiful job of capturing our emotions in the first look.  It was so reassuring to see my future husband and have a few private moments with him before the wedding.  I also loved the butterflies.  The venue had several butterflies flying around and my bridesmaids grabbed a couple for us to release.  It was so much fun, even though I look quite scared in the photos.  My favorite photos also included the ceremony photos. The amphitheater was so beautiful and there is so much emotion in everyone’s faces.

We had frosted sugar cookies from a local non-profit bakery in North Minneapolis that teaches young people employment and interpersonal works skills to prepare them to enter the workforce. I felt it was a great way to support a cause that is important to me (I’m a Recruiter for a living) and the cookies are absolutely delicious.  We did simple gray frosted and yellow frosted cookies.

Photographer: Natalie Champa Jennings / Floral Designer: La Petite Fleur / Event Designer & Planner: Bride / Invitation Designer: Bride / Cake & Desserts: The Baker’s Wife & Cookie Cart / Wedding Gown Designer: San Patrick, from Raffine Bridal / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: J.Crew / Hair: Jess Pratt from Pixie Salon / Make-up: Mariah Herndon from Mariah’s Beauty Marks / Venue: Burnsville Performing Arts Center

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Post tags: Burnsville Performing Arts Center, Butterfly, Butterfly release, Chinese Lanterns, Color Palette Gray Yellow, contemporary, Cookie Cart, DIY Inspired, DIY Invitations, DIY Projects, J. Crew, La Petite Fleur, Mariah's Beauty Marks, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Modern Wedding, Natalie Champa Jennings, Outdoor Ceremony, Pixie Salon, Raffine Bridal, San Patrick, The Baker's Wife, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog

Sitting down together at the beginning of our 13 month engagement, we thought that there would be plenty of time to leisurely plan the most unique, intimate, and perfectly personal wedding of all time. Now, here we are, a year later, and after  spending endless hours browsing Etsy and eBay, driving all over Northern California, and overcoming all of those personal differences that we didn’t think we had, we can sit back and share our story.

I am married to the most amazing guy, and the memories that we share of our wedding day are sublime. What made it so good? The planning involved in creating the perfect picture. When you think that you’re totally overdoing it with the details or feeling exhausted because you can’t remember the last weekend that you didn’t spend organizing, coordinating, and designing, don’t stop. Looking back, we’re so happy with the way things turned out, proud of the hard work, and especially thankful for all of our vendors and friends that helped make it happen.

The proposal came as a complete surprise to me while enjoying an August sunset at the edge of a spring-fed lake on an old Vermont farm. Andrew had spent summers there growing up, and we both felt so peacefully at home walking down the dirt road, past the big, red barn and through the gangly apple trees that probably hadn’t been picked in years. That week was a romantic utopia and ultimately inspired the theme for our wedding a year later.

First, we needed a venue. Many of our closest family and friends didn’t live in California, so planning the guest experience was important.  Because we had such a clear vision of what we wanted, finding the place was not easy. Driving all over the Bay Area, we became distraught over the prospect that we’d fail at our first wedding planning attempt. One venue was too eccentric, the next didn’t have a barn, another was too far away, “Oops! How much did you say?!” And so on. It came down to our final destination for the day at a little place with a barn in Kenwood, CA. When we got there, the entrance to Kenwood Farms and Gardens was unassuming (retrospectively, a plus), but the next five minutes would become a memory that neither of us will ever forget. Walking in, we saw cute sitting areas with vine laden trellis, a bridal cottage, slightly rusted early century farm equipment on display, a converted equestrian barn, cutesy pond with fountain, redwood pines, a beautiful garden…little apple orchard?! Neither of us said a word as I hugged Andrew with tears in my eyes, thinking “this is it.”

After the venue ordeal, my memory is a blur of a thousand details and ideas. My mother and I spent a whole day making strawberry jam for party favors, my sister and one of my bridesmaids letter pressed the invitations and programs, a close friend baked cake pops for the candy bar, my mother hand-stitched the ring pillow from a picture I found on the internet, and I spent hours with a very dear friend planning the day of coordination.

Over countless emails, a natural rapport was built between us and all of our vendors, but I’m especially elated with the relationship gained from our photographers; Emma suggested that we use a thumbprint tree instead of a traditional guest book, and it turned out beautiful. Our florist was such a pleasure to work with as she helped us craft insightful and passionate ideas about the “feel” that we wanted the flowers to portray.  It truly is a relief when a vendor expressively wants to figure out a way to fulfill your vision while staying within the original budget.

My advice to my “year ago” self would be the following: Create a detailed budget early, update it as often as possible, and then find vendors that work within your vision and boundaries. If you feel something isn’t right, it probably isn’t going to work on your special day and you will be disappointed.  Communicate as openly and passionately with your fiance, but remember you’re both in this as a team.  Adjust and be flexible as soon as your intuition gives you the uh-oh feeling that won’t go away. We chose the Sound Effect over another band mostly because of the price difference, but they were was absolutely perfect! Their professionalism carried us through a seamless ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception! Lastly, don’t forget to set some time aside that doesn’t involve planning to just be with your fiance. Go on dates and enjoy being engaged. You’re only going to be doing this once, so make the most of it!

Photography: Alfred & Emma Photography / Floral Design: Violetta Flowers / Cake: Petaluma Cake Company / Entertainment: The Sound Effect / Hair & Makeup: Danielle & Angelica, Mes Amis Salon / Venue: Kenwood Farms and Gardens / Dress: Doreen, Maggie Sottero, from Rin’s Bridal / Shoes: Randall, Badgley Mischka / Swarovski Crystal and Rhinestone Hair Comb: Etsy / Swarovski Crystal & Rhinestones Bracelet: Lisa Bracelet, Sara Gabriel / Earrings: Nordstrom Crystal Collection, Nordstrom Rack / Groomsmen Suits: Men’s Wearhouse / Groomsmen Shirts & Ties: Nordstrom / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Ring Bearer: J.Crew / Ring Bearer’s Bow Tie: Nordstrom / Flower Girls: Charming Champagne, My Girl Dress / Flower Baskets & Mason Jars: World Market / Baby Ramona’s dress: Pink Princess / Table Numbers: Etsy / Address Stamp: Etsy / Sweet Love Sign: Etsy / Block letter names: Etsy / Wood Slices & 3 Tiered Cup Cake Tower: Etsy / Mr. and Mrs. sign: Etsy / Candy Bar Sign: Etsy / Thumbprint Tree: Etsy / Ring Pillow: DIY / Jam: DIY / Stationery: DIY / Pie Pops: DIY / Love Letters on Candy Bar: Cotton Bird Designs / Thumbprint Guest Book: Your Keepsake Co.

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Post tags: Alfred & Emma Photography, Badgley Mischka, Barn, Barn Weddings, California, Color Palette Green, Cotton Bird Designs, DIY Favors, DIY Invitations, DIY Projects, DIY Stationery, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Dogs, Etsy, Flower girls, Garden Wedding, J. Crew, jam, Kenwood Farms and Gardens, Maggie Sottero, Men's Wearhouse, Mes Amis Salon, My Girl Dress, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Petaluma Cake Company, pies, Pink Princess, Rin's Bridal, Ring Bearers, Rustic Chic, Sonoma, Sunflowers, Swarovski, The Sound Effect, Violetta Flowers, World Market, Your Keepsake Co.
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

From I Do… Weddings! … Heather and Nick were married on July 29 in San Diego. Their ceremony took place at the Immaculate Concepcion Church in Old Town San Diego. Their reception for almost 200 guests took place at Marina Village, in the Mission Bay area of San Diego.

Heather and Nick’s wedding was very much a reflection of their interpretation of a vintage wedding, with a San Diego twist. Their ceremony photos took place in the historic and oldest area of San Diego called Old Town. The celebration was certainly a labor of love for both families. Almost every detail of the day was handmade. For example, the Mother of the Bride hand painted every single charger, created a unique display of glass shutters for seating arrangements, as well as the bride’s incredible brooch bouquet. The Mother of the Bride also hand-created beautiful and ornate Save-The-Dates and programs. The Mother of the Groom made incredible programs, as well as provided fun vintage signage.

The bride and groom served a fun signature drink, “Love Spell,” a blueberry daquiri with fresh blueberries. Heather and Nick also displayed photos from their engagement shoot (shot by Acqua Photo), as well as family wedding photos. Their cake was served as individual tiers, served on a vintage cake rack, with bridesmaid bouquets tucked throughout the rack. Vintage porcelain bells were placed on each table for guests to ring for the newlyweds to kiss. The room was swagged with organza and white twinkle lights to create a warm and inviting environment. At each placesetting was a cherub, holding a sign that read “Love in Bloom” and was filled with complimentary florals. At each table was a centerpiece of colorful hydrangeas, crystals and cut glass and candles for a romantic effect.

After leaving the ceremony, the newlyweds sped off in a classic car after an exciting send off by guests with ribbon wands. And, to keep the dance floor packed all evening, a vintage bicycle was placed on the dance floor with a basket filled with flowers. At the base of the bicycle was a basket of flip flops to help ensure guests could dance all night.

Photography: Acqua Photo / Cinematography: Jeff Hendler / Flowers: I Do…Weddings! / Event Design & Planning: I Do…Weddings! / Ceremony Location: Immaculate Conception Church / Reception Location: Marina Village / Invitations & Stationery: Mother of the Bride / Shoes: Demetrios / Dress: Demetrios / Lighting & Reception Music: DJ Daniel Peterson

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Post tags: Acqua Photo, Bells, California, Color Palette Purple Pink, Demetrios, DIY Invitations, DIY Stationery, DJ Daniel Peterson, Hydrangeas, I Do...Weddings!, Immaculate Conception Church, Jeff Hendler, Lace, Marina Village, Ribbons, San Diego, Streamers, Vintage Broaches, Vintage Chic, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

After being able to travel extensively over the years, I slowly began to realize my hometown Charlotte is very unique. It still has the appeal of Southern charm, but with a lot of the perks of a bigger city, including great venues for weddings.  My husband and I knew we wanted an outdoor wedding, and after browsing online for possibilities, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden seemed like the perfect place. As soon as we saw it in person, we knew that this was the venue for us. The White Garden was large enough for all of our guests, but the fact it was enclosed gave the space a very intimate air.

Most of the inspiration came from the venue itself. Being designers, my mother and I found great joy throughout the planning process, setting out to create that perfect balance of décor- giving a subtle nod to times past, without over-doing it and forcing a theme. Images of 19th century English conservatories, vintage botanical illustrations, and apothecary label typographies constantly drove our decisions.

For the ceremony, we used mainly white hydrangeas and lilies. The whole garden was white and green- and we introduced color through the bridesmaids’ dresses, the men’s suits, and the bouquets. When it came to wedding gowns, I was originally interested in Jenny Packham’s signature sheath dresses, reminiscent of bygone eras with her intricate beading. After trying some on, I felt they were more fit for the red carpet than the aisle. My mother-in-law suggested I try on Jenny Packham’s Minerva gown, which had layer upon layer of ivory silk tulle- so light and comfortable! It was perfect for the garden, and I finally felt like a bride.

For the centerpieces we bought large apothecary glass jars and planted silk lady slipper and cymbidium orchids with moss. We chose a navy blue satin for the table linens, and placed the jars on a moss mats in the center of each table. We ordered Jaguar Pink Mokara Orchids from Thailand, and floated each stem in glass cylinders to add some color to the centerpieces. We also decided to give our guests a taste of the South with spiked Arnold Palmers for cocktail hour, and Deep Fried Peanuts for favors.

My favorite part of the planning process though, was collaborating with my husband to design our invitations and programs. We looked to old pharmacy and apothecary labels for guidance, and a friend letterpressed them with his old Vandercook Press.

It is so satisfying to look back and consider how each detail combined to perfectly reflect our desires for this special day. I only wish it could have lasted longer!

Venue: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden / Wedding Website: Designed by the bride & groom, Courtney and Kyle / Reception Flowers & Centerpieces: Jeannie Heth, mother of the bride / Ceremony Flowers & Bouquets: Place for Flowers / Decor: Creative Solutions / Photography: The Beautiful Mess / Cake: For Goodness Cakes / Hair & Make-up: Lindsey Regan Thorne / Gown and Headpiece Designer: Jenny Packham / Shoes: Jessica Simpson / Caterers: Best Impressions / Mens Suits: Banana Republic / Ties: Indochino / Officiant: Didi Wong, Church of the Good Shepherd / Wedding Coordinator: Connie Miller, friend of bride’s family / Invitations & Stationery: Designed by the bride & groom, Printed by Ryan Cook of Something Pressed / Favors: Mr. B’s Fun Foods Deep Fried Peanuts / DJ: Brian Keelan, Z Brothers DJs / String Quartet: Carolina Classic Strings

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Post tags: Banana Republic, Best Impressions, Carolina Classic Strings, Charlotte, Church of the Good Shepherd, Clean, Color Palette Green White Blue, Connie Miller, contemporary, Creative Solutions, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Didi Wong, DIY Centerpieces, DIY Flowers, DIY Invitations, DIY Stationery, For Goodness Cakes, Indochino, Jenny Packham, Jessica Simpson, Lindsey Regan Thorne, Modern, Mr. B's Fun Foods Deep Fried Peanuts, North Carolina, Outdoor Ceremony, Place For Flowers, Something Pressed, The Beautiful Mess, Traditional Elegance, Z Brothers DJs
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

My husband and I tried to make our wedding day a mix of both of our styles – vintage and modern.  I fell in love with Castle Green when we first visited, though I had to convince my husband a bit.  I loved that it was an old historical hotel and landmark.  I also liked that the grounds and rooms were so beautiful on their own that it wouldn’t need a whole lot of additional decoration.  It was the perfect spot because we could have the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all in one location, and there was plenty of room for guests to roam.  I loved the gorgeous staircase, the old elevators, the elegant ballroom…each room was loaded with character.

For colors and theme, we went with a fairly monochrome theme – blacks, whites and grays.  Then we added pops of color with a mix of coral, orange and creme flowers.  In the end, instead of bringing in truly modern elements, we ended up going for an updated, modern version of a vintage look.  That meant the men wore slim-fit, modern suits with a throwback style cut and decor (pocket squares, tie clips, etc.).  And we used vintage silver pieces as table settings combined with updated white dishware, silver napkins and black linens.  Our florist used dusty miller, succulents, and gray ribbon to achieve that “modern vintage” theme.  The bridal party’s floral arrangements doubled as centerpieces, finding their way after the ceremony to the silver teapots, vases and buckets located on the reception tables.  Somewhere along the way, I became obsessed with vintage brooches and used those on the bridesmaids’ belts, the cake topper and the wraps for the flowers.

While the vintage theme was definitely reflective of my tastes and personality, we wanted to find a way to incorporate my husband’s wishes and style too.  He’s a big fan of “Mad Men”, which inspired the groomsmen suit choices.  And one of his favorite hobbies is photography, so he was really active in choosing our photographer, Gabriel Ryan.  In addition, we found a Groupon discount for Magnolia Photo Booth – which ended up being one of the big hits of the evening!  He also designed the table naming cards and menus, using photographs he’d taken of different cities we’ve both lived in and/or visited.

The day was amazing from start to finish, so it’s hard to pick a single most meaningful moment.  Instead, what was most meaningful to me is the love and support of family and friends throughout the day.  I paused several times to take it all in and enjoy the fact that all the people I love were there celebrating with us.

Wedding Planner: Kristeen LaBrot Events / Photography: Gabriel Ryan Photography / Cinematography: DP Weddings / Flowers: Fujiko’s Flowers / Venue: Castle Green / Invitations: Friend of the couple / Dress: Enzoani / Hair and Makeup: Design Visage / Desserts: Vanilla Bake Shop / Officiant: Friend of the couple / Caterer: Simply Elegant Catering / Photobooth: Magnolia Photobooth / Silver Rentals: Found

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Post tags: California, Castle Green, Classic Color Palette, Color Palette Black Grey White, Design Visage, DIY Invitations, DP Weddings, Enzoani, Found, Fujiko's Flowers, Gabriel Ryan Photography, Kristeen LaBrot Events, Magnolia PhotoBooth, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Pasadena, Simply Elegant Catering, Traditional Elegance, Vanilla Bake Shop, Vintage Chic, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Rich proposed to Sarah on December 12, 2009 in San Francisco in front of Union Square on a rainy night, surrounded by beautiful Christmas lights and bundled up ice skaters.  He presented Sarah with his grandmother’s wedding ring, fully prepared for her to take the 2 carat diamond stone from it and design the perfect engagement ring of her dreams. To his sweet surprise, Sarah, who has never received a gift she didn’t enjoy exchanging, instantly fell in love with his grandmother’s ring, and would never have dreamed of changing it in any way!

Planning the wedding was a dream come true for Sarah, as she has always been a planner at heart and loves crafting and making daily trips to Michaels and Joann’s.  The couple instantly agreed upon four things they wanted for their wedding: fall weather, beautiful nature, good food, and lots of friends.

Living in the Bay Area made finding these things easy, as Wine Country was a stone’s throw away and a perfect match.  After finding a winery that felt like it was in the middle of a forest, it was easy for Sarah to pick her colors and work around the beautiful backdrop that is Buena Vista Winery (California’s oldest winery).  With shades of purple and with fall as the time of year, Sarah built the wedding around a theme of leaves.

Since Rich and Sarah are both sweets lovers (and excellent cooks) it was important to Sarah that the favors were handmade candies (caramels by Sarah and toffee by Rich) and that the dessert table offered not only a variety of cupcakes (great mini-cupcakes from Moonbaby Cakes!) but candies in shades of purple as well.  Every cake plate and decoration used on the dessert table was purchased by Sarah in the year long search for glass plates on Ebay. Etsy was another favorite website of Sarah’s, as she purchased the cake topper, fabric leaves, pompoms and mother gifts (handmade quilts with pictures of the bride and groom as children) from the site.

All of the “save the dates”, invitations and place cards were designed and made by Sarah using tools purchased from local craft stores and put together with help from her Mom and Sister during weekend long craft-fests.

Shanni and Blaine Weilert from What Shanni Saw captured the day beautifully on film and took great pictures of the many magic moments it entailed – including capturing the gorgeous Oak trees that flanked the outdoor wedding altar and that perfectly changed from green to vivid colors of orange, red, and yellow the day before Sarah’s wedding.

Jessica from Fleurs de France helped Sarah achieve her rustic floral vision and worked with Sarah to choose beautiful flowers within her budget.  It was easy for Sarah to trust that Jessica would choose just the right flowers to fulfill her vision of the day.  Not only did she do just that, but she even surprised Sarah by having two beautiful tall birch containers with fall leaves placed by the honeymoon table. The flowers were a great surprise for Sarah and one of the few she actually got to have that day, since she planned everything down to the last detail.

Overall, an important lesson to be learned from the day was to not over think/analyze things, which Sarah often has the habit of doing and go with your gut.  Choose great, highly recommended vendors and learn to trust. Enjoy your day and don’t worry about the things that you can’t control and you will find that everything turns out the way it should in the end.  Remember why you are there: to marry the one you love!

Venue: Buena Vista Winery / Wedding Planning: DIY / Caterer: Grapevine Catering / Wedding Stationery:  DIY / Officiant: Reverend Peadar Dalton / Photographer: What Shanni Saw / Bridal Gown: Jim Helm / Bridal Shoes:  Jimmy Choo / Hair & Makeup:  Erin Tate, Lewis & Company Hair Salon / Bridesmaids Dresses: Trudy’s Brides / Favors: DIY / Florals: Fleurs de France / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / Equipment & Lighting: Classic Party Rentals / Transportation: California Wine Tours / Tuxedo & Suits: Banana Republic / Wedding Cake: Moonbaby Cakes

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Post tags: Autumn Wedding, Banana Republic, Buena Vista Winery, California, California Wine Tours, Classic Party Rentals, Color Palette Purple, DIY Invitations, DIY Projects, DIY Wedding Planning, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Fall Wedding, Fleurs de France, Grapevine Catering, Jim Hjelm, Jimmy Choo, Lewis & Company Hair Salon, Moonbaby Cakes, Reverend Peadar Dalton, Sonoma County, Trudy's Brides, Wedding Flowers, What Shanni Saw
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

From Craig Photography … Abby and Jesse are one of our engaged couples and Abby had the fabulous idea to turn their Engagement Session into an Inspiration Session so that she could try out all of her wedding ideas to see what they would look like on her wedding day. She titled her look “Dreaming of Wheat.” Abby is a designer in the Pittsburgh area and her ideas for this session were incredibly creative and so much fun for me to photograph.

As you can see, this is a non-traditional wedding as Abby has chosen to wear a gown, but not a white wedding gown, for her wedding day. Abby is so incredibly creative; she designed every single thing in these photos, except the floral arrangements. Abby designed and printed her own invitations and designed and wrote the calligraphy on all of her guests’ envelopes. The eggs you’ll see are a tradition in her family and have all been hand-painted by her and all of the women in her family over the years.

Abby also had the eclectic idea to set each setting at her wedding table with all different plates and chargers, using antique settings from her own collection that she has collected since she was a child. Abby also designed and created all the favors, which were lavender essential oils. Essential oils are a passion of Abby’s and she created each label and hand-wrote each tag for each guest. You will also see a crepe cake in the photos, another non-traditional detail from Abby. She baked the cake herself, with a little help from her mother.

The session took place at her uncle’s barn right outside of Pittsburgh. Abby also had the whimsical idea to hang really long ribbons from tree branches on one of the trees on the property for another set to go along with all the other scenes she designed.

Her fiance is Jesse, who is a successful painter in the Pittsburgh area. Abby and Jesse really wanted to incorporate both of their styles so as you’ll see, there are two paintings hanging in different settings. One is above the cake table, the other behind and above the main table. Both are original paintings by Jesse. Jesse also created and hand-painted the “Abby and Jesse Just Married” sign.

Photography: Craig Photography / Event Styling and Design: Abby Warhola / Invitations: VevaSteva / Artwork: Jesse Best / Hair & Makeup: Justine Lynn, Beauty Justified / Florals: April Mason, Mocha Rose Floral Designs / Linens: Mosaic, Inc.

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Post tags: Beauty Justified, Craig Photography, Crepes, DIY Invitations, DIY Projects, Engagelemt Sessions, Engagement Shoots, Inspiration Shoot, Lavender, Mocha Rose Floral Designs, Mosaic Inc., Photo Shoot, Ribbons, Wedding Inspiration
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Photo Shoot