Hair & Makeup courtesy of It’s A Date at The Powder Room.

My vision for our wedding day was fun and travel. Tommy and I have been to over nine countries and one US road trip together. We love adventure, exploring, culture, food, music and the kindness of strangers all over the globe. I wanted the idea of us concurring and exploring this world together to come across at our wedding. Traveling is something that excites us, intrigues us, scares us and brings us closer together.

One of the main flowers that I wanted to incorporate throughout the day was sunflowers. I have loved sunflowers for as long as I could remember. They are so bright and cheerful and always make me smile. They fascinate me too because they are always reaching for the sun. If you put them in a window the sunflowers will actually turn and face the sun. I have always tried to be a positive, bright and a happy person much like a sunflower!

The venue was a no brainer the moment when I walked through the gates of that magical, secret garden. I only saw the venue one time in the dead of winter. No flowers, puddles of mud, repairs needed but I just knew it was the place where we were supposed to get married. It had a vintage feel to it, and it also made us feel like we had traveled somewhere else! It was the perfect venue for the most perfect day ever!

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we decided to have donuts! Donuts and dancing were there to show off our fun side. Cake is good but who doesn’t LOVE donuts? I wanted our guests to feel our playful, different and adventurous side – and dance! For years Tommy and I have loved to dance not only with each other but just in general. Our DJ really made that party happen with all the lighting and high energy music. All in all, our wedding was a fabulous representation of our love! Romantic, bright, playful, joyful, exciting and full of love. It was hands down the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

Photography: Liz Lovi Photography / Venue: The Garden Pavilion / Wedding Dress: Wine Country Bride / Brides Shoes: TOMS Shoes / Groom’s Suit: Men’s Wearhouse / Groom’s Shoes: Converse / DJ: DJ Jon Moore / Florist: Divine Creations Floral Design / Caterer: Taste of Perfection Catering / Donuts: Harvey’s Gourmet Mini Donuts / Coordinator: Delia Nieto, delia@delianieto.com / Officiant: Jimmy Donaghy, jdonaghy@gmail.com / Hair & Makeup: It’s A Date at The Powder Room / DIY: Table ‘numbers’ picture signs, paper airplanes, seating chart, picture frame pictures for sign-in scrapbook / Travel passport holders: handmade from a friend

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Post tags: beauty, Books, California, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue Yellow, Converse, Divine Creations Floral Design, DIY Projects, DJ Jon Moore, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Donuts, Doughnuts, Globes, Harvey's Gourmet Mini Donuts, It's a Date at the Powder Room, Library, Liz Lovi Photography, Maps, Mason Jars, Men's Wearhouse, Mismatched Bridesmaids, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Polaroids, Sonoma, Sunflowers, Taste of Perfection Catering, The Garden Pavilion, TOMS Shoes, travel, Travel Theme, Vintage Chic, Wine Country Bride
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

My husband John and I found each other when we both moved to the Harrisburg area to pursue our careers. It started with a friendship between two adventure seeking teachers and blossomed into an unexpected romance. The journey of our wedding started 50 feet up in air, climbing on a ropes course element called The Catwalk, balancing on a telephone pole, when he got down on one knee and surprised me by asking me to marry him. The proposal was very much like the life we live, full of surprises and excitement.

I knew I wanted our wedding to represent us and be unique, fun, and entertaining for our guests. I wanted it to be an adventure like our relationship, our life, our engagement. We chose to have our wedding at the rolling acres and pristine views of Lauxmont Farm’s Japanese Gardens, because of my love for horses and our love for nature and the outdoors.

The day of our wedding the sun was shining with a slight breeze, complete with blue skies. It was a perfectly painted summer day. Our ceremony took place overlooking a field with horses running and in the distance the Susquehanna River. It truly was a stunning site. We tried to make our ceremony personal with our dear friend as our officiant and instead of a unity candle, since we both love wine, we did a wine ceremony to remember our relationship will only get better with time. Our ceremony was sincere, light hearted, and memorable, full of love and laughter. Cocktail hour was in the Japanese gardens where wine and cheese tasting took place. Here there were wooden fences from which photographs fluttered in the wind and guests mingled at tables adored with collections of vintage books, antique bottles, and delicate flowers. Signature drinks of lip smacking sangria and puckering pink lemonade were enjoyed along with the appetizers.

The reception tent was filled with personal touches. Through our wedding planning I was the designer with the inspirations and my husband was the builder and project manager. I’d venture to say it was all “do it yourself” because it was such a hands-on event, and I tried to put my heart into everything that was selected. We had a memory tent to celebrate our history together and our family’s history. We also had a kid’s tent, equipped with a lollipop centerpiece, homemade coloring books with our photographs, lots of toys, and things to do to keep our young guests entertained while enjoying themselves. John and I are very much kids at heart, so we knew the adults would enjoy this area too. The guests had a great time in our photo booth filled with silly and vintage props. Since I am from the Pittsburgh area, we had a large cookie table, a tradition in which many friends and family bake tons of delicious cookies for the wedding, and then they are displayed beautifully for everyone to enjoy. It was clear one of our guest’s favorite parts of the wedding was when the ice cream truck drove up to the reception tent to help everyone beat the July heat. Nothing brings out the child in someone like an ice cream truck.

Our wedding truly was a labor of love. My maid of honor designed our gorgeous invitations, our good friend officiated us, my husband’s sister painted signs, one of my bridesmaids, great friend, and an incredible stylist did my hair, and my friends and family helped me create numerous decorations, like hundreds of purple origami flowers that friends and family spent endless hours helping us make.. My husband and I had a blast rummaging through tons of antique stores finding the right pieces for our wedding, such as dishes, books, bird cages, bottles, you name it. Even though I was in the hospital for three days before our wedding, all of the little details fell into place perfectly. All our vendors were so wonderful and helpful with our wedding planning experience.

What I found most important about our big day was to step back, breathe, and take it all in. The kids playing with the toy horses, the laughter spilling out of the photo booth, my husband’s 91 year old grandfather in his dapper purple shirt overlooking the view, the ice cream filled smiles, the energy on the dance floor, the candle light glowing from the lanterns in trees. There were things that got broken, giggling when we forgot and stumbled over our vows’, I mean who needs to be taken as a lawfully wedded wife, when you could be a lover for life, as my husband mistakenly said. There was my torn bustle, and mother-son dance that almost didn’t happen, but thanks to all the love from my friends and family, and my wonderful husband, it was a day that in my eyes was perfect.

Photographer: SANDERSON IMAGES / Videographer: Jewelsheam Films, Jeff Wise / Floral Designer: All Things Beautiful / Event Planning & Design: DIY / Invitation Designer: Jessica Sipe / Cake/Desserts: House of Claredon / Wedding Gown Designer: Anjolique / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: David’s Bridal / DJ: Mad Hatter Productions / Caterer: Festive Board Catering / Photobooth: Katy Trefry Photography / Venue: Lauxmont Farms

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Post tags: All Things Beauitful, Anjolique, Birds, Books, Bouquets, Chalkboards, Chinese Lanterns, Cookies, David's Bridal, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Dove Release, Festive Board Catering, flags,, Flower girls, House of Claredon, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Truck, Jeff Wise, Jessica Sipe, Jewelscheam Films, Katy Trefry Photography, Lauxmont Farms, Mad Hatter Productions, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Ring Bearers, Sanderson Images, Tented Reception, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

Photography by Forever Photography, Floral Design by The Flower Studio.

The week of pretty all wrapped up fancy:

a Texas highlight film to put a smile on anyones face
a gorgeous fall affair in the quaint town of Nantucket
a midday appetite boost in the form of this vendor spotlight
a Philadelphia ballroom soiree, fit for royalty
an eclectically beautiful New York wedding with pops of pink
a perfectly Sonoma féte with the most adorable couple
a Colorado ranch wedding with a to die for floral design
an Army couple tying the knot on this beautiful Delaware day
a Wisconsin soiree with the most perfect inspiration
a capital GORGEOUS southern affair in Charleston

Some of our favorite links from around the web:

an ephemera collage card DIY perfect for Valentines day (it’s coming!) via Design*Sponge
a stunning DIY earring tutorial you really have to see via Ruffles & Stuff
a soft & gorg Florida beach wedding via Grey Likes Weddings

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Post tags: Austin, Bouquets, DIY Projects, Flowers, Forever Photography, Purple, Texas, The Flower Studio, Wedding Inspiration, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

John and I first met in the bleachers overlooking an intramural soccer game, where my floor mates and I were cheering on our “brother floor” during the first few weeks of freshman year at Wheaton College. What followed were two years of college experiences that led us to develop a deep friendship. We had the same friends, were in the same classes, went on the same road trips, and studied at various coffee shops together.

Our dating relationship actually began one spring evening in 2009 as we sat on a bench on the Riverwalk in Naperville enjoying some Red Mango frozen yogurt. About two years later, on February 25, 2011, John asked me to marry him at the same exact place. After dinner at our first date spot, a hole-in-the-wall Senegalese restaurant in Chicago, and after seeing Les Miserables at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, we took a short walk through snow flurries, ending up at “the bench” where our relationship had begun and where so many important conversations had happened. Our favorite frozen yogurt was there waiting for us (Thank you, Chicago weather, it was still very frozen). John got down on his knee and said some wonderful things and asked me to marry him – and the rest is history!

Due to John’s pending Army career, we had limited options when setting a wedding date. We settled on Labor Day weekend of the same year, leaving us about five months to graduate from college and plan a wedding. Because John grew up in Costa Rica, we planned to get married in Delaware, where I grew up.

Spending the summer running around to countless venues and vendors with my mom was a blast! After looking at several beautiful potential wedding sites throughout Delaware and Pennsylvania, we decided it would be most meaningful and special to have our wedding right in the Delaware Valley. Our ceremony and reception venues were both specially chosen. Old Swedes Church, dating from 1699, is a cool, old, stone historic building in downtown Wilmington. It’s not the church my family attends on a regular basis, but it seemed like the perfect place due to my Swedish heritage and its fun setting. We also liked that it was in Wilmington because of our passion for urban culture and development. From there, our guests drove about fifteen minutes to Wilmington Country Club in Greenville, the site of my parents’ reception twenty-eight years earlier.

I’ve never been a fan of bright colors because I change my mind so easily, so our goal was to create an elegant evening by choosing more neutral and classic colors with a few unique elements that would add some modern flair. John and his groomsmen who are also in the military wore their army service uniforms and capped off the ceremony with the saber arch. The rest of the groomsmen wore traditional black tuxes, and the bridesmaids wore long grey dresses from Priscilla of Boston that were flattering on everyone.

Our flowers were natural whites and greens; mine were primarily whites while the girls’ had more greens. The simple yet sophisticated centerpieces of dendrobium orchids and willow branches, set off by beautiful grey linens and enhanced with hanging votives, added a wow-factor upon entering the ballroom.

My long-time friend and bridesmaid who studied design in college spent many long days and nights over the summer helping us with the fun diy elements. She created a monogram for John and me that was at the top of our menus, sewed pennant flags made out of various grey fabrics that were strung around the country club, and designed chalkboard menus for the bars, and we worked together to create our eight foot tall seating boards. A family friend sewed a unique ring bearer pillow, we displayed family wedding photos for a personal touch, we assembled our programs ourselves with the help of some friends, and we made our table numbers out of slate tiles from Home Depot with green ribbon tied around them.

One of our desires for the evening was that people would have lots of fun celebrating one of the most important days of our lives with us, and also that there would be opportunities for guests to catch up and talk and enjoy each other. Wilmington Country Club was the perfect place to accomplish this because it allowed for fabulous dancing and entertainment by the Vincent James Band in the ballroom while the candlelit patio, which was still open to the ballroom, provided a quieter setting for relaxing conversation.

We added some special touches with a dessert bar (cake was served as dessert, but John and I aren’t big cake people, so the dessert bar on the patio featured some of our favorites like peanut butter truffles and mini apple pies). I am known for my love for coffee, so we also splurged to hire a barista for the night; she set up on the patio as well and created custom espresso drinks for our guests.

John and I have never wanted to be doing so many different things at the same time! There just weren’t enough hours in the evening to spend sufficient time dancing with friends, catching up with two hundred of the most influential people in our lives, sipping coffee on the patio, and enjoying our favorite foods. Everything came together so much more beautifully and perfectly than we could have hoped, and fun, special moments from the day continue to be topics of conversation. We are now living in Hawaii where John is stationed, and we are enjoying exploring all that Oahu has to offer. We are loving life as a Mr. and Mrs. and can’t wait to see what the coming years will hold!

Flowers: Belak Flowers / Cake: Liberty Lane Bake Shoppe / Photography: mk Photography / Videography: AOV Productions / Invitations: Apropos / Hair & Makeup: Salon by Dominic / Ceremony: Old Swedes Church / Reception: Wilmington Country Club / Dress: Janell Berté from The Wedding Shoppe / Sash: Jennifer’s Bridal / Monogram, Chalkboard Menus, Pennant Flags & Seating Boards: DIY by Bride & Karen Demaio

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Post tags: AOV Productions, Apropos, Army Weddings, Belak Flowers, Color Palette Green, Delaware, DIY Projects, DIY Wedding Decor, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Flower girls, Janell Berte, Jennifer's Bridal, Karen Demaio, Liberty Lane Bake Shoppe, Military Weddings, MK Photography, Neutral Color Palette, Old Swedes Church, Ring Bearers, Salon by Dominic, The Wedding Shoppe, Traditional Elegance, Wilmington, Wilmington Country Club
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Jon and I wanted a vintage/rustic theme that was elegant and warm. I found vintage plates, wine and champagne glasses that made the tables look so elegant and unique. Our colors were a product of the groom – navy and chartreuse – were the first colors he suggested and it sounded perfect. The colors looked so beautiful with the outdoor setting. The Bridesmaids got instructions to wear anything Navy and the Groomsmen got gifts of green check shirts and green ties that Jon picked out to pair with their favorite navy suite. It looks wonderful that everyone still was able to incorporate their own style. The good thing about planning a wedding in three months is once you make a decision – you have to love the decision move on and not think of 100 other options – it was a great experience!

We bought a lake house and lake front property up north Michigan as an investment and a place to go when we visit our families. My parents and grandparents also have lake houses there. All venues, destinations and ideas flew through my mind for a week – finally we decided that there would be no place as memorable than getting married at the lake house that we have together. We got engaged June 24th, 2011 – Once we picked the venue – we decided to not waste a second and get married this summer. So we looked at our calendars and picked a date – September 24th, 2011 – exactly three months after our engagement;.

We had our dads marry us! My dad got ordained to make the marriage official and it was the most beautiful and meaningful ceremony. It means so much when we look at the pictures and see our dads – who we both look up to and love so much reading our vows and my dad pronouncing us to our friends and family for the first time. We had our mothers be our ring bearers – they have always been there to provide advice, love and trust – it made perfect sense. Finally instead of cutting a cake – we decided to do an art project that everyone at the wedding took part in. Everyone left their mark in some sort of circle with blues and chartreuse. At the end of the night – Jon and I also put our own marks on the painting. It will hang in our lake house forever and always remind us of our wedding and everyone there.

I have so many wonderful memories from the day! I tried to always take deep breaths and enjoy the entire day. I loved seeing Jon for the first time when we were taking pictures – it was so relaxed and fun. Then the time I spent with my dad before I walked down the aisle – we practiced what we were going to say and just really made sure we were in the moment. When I started walking down the aisle – everyone told me that the clouds parted and it beamed sunlight – I could not tell because I was so overwhelmed but everyone said they had goosebumps as soon as the sun came out. I loved walking down the aisle looking at everyone – I wanted to stop and say hello and hug everyone! And finally when I was standing at the alter – I looked out into all of our family and friends and really took it all in – when else is everyone you love going to be together for a celebration? It was really intense.

Photographer: Kelly Sweet Photography / Cinematography: Jason Walen of Bigfoot Films / Floral Designer: M&M Special Events & Design / Event Planning & Design: M&M Special Events & Design / Cake & Desserts: Desserts by Tina / Wedding Gown Designer: Modern Trousseau / Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridal bouquet: Noaki Jewlery and Bouquets / Vintage Handkerchief & Saint Vintage earrings: Maxwells / Band: Ani

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Post tags: Ani, Badgley Mischka, Bigfoot Films, Broach Bouquet, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Green Navy, Desserts by Tina, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Etsy, Flower girls, Gladwin, Kelly Sweet Photography, Lakes, lakeside, M&M Special Events & Design, Maxwells, Michigan, Mismatched Bridesmaids, Modern Trousseau, Noaki Jewelry, Noaki Jewelry and Bouquets, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Ring Bearers, Summer Weddings, Tina Marie Desserts, Water, Waterside, Wedding Photography, Weddings at Home, White Flowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Photography by Chelsea Nicole Photography.

The week of wonderful weddings all ready for your viewing pleasure:

a Florida beach wedding captured in a super cute highlight film
a soiree with the most perfect mix of rustic and vintage in Tennessee
a Michigan affair that makes us all a little green with envy
an über romantic French fête in a castle to start our vaca to France
a stylish Parisian soiree to finish our French holiday
a contemporary & chic California beach wedding
a beautiful bit of Oregon vineyard nuptials
a quirky affair with fab florals in Portland
a winter wonderland of wedded inspiration in Michigan
a beyond glam Chicago soiree to die for

Rain drops on roses, whiskers on kittens, and:

a DIY Pinwheel printable, perfect for the whimsy-est of affairs via Oh Happy Day
a bunch of sea glass (my new obsession for a winter wedding palette) inspiration via Camille Styles
a DIY tutorial for glitter stamped pears (!!!) via Project Wedding

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Post tags: Chelsea Nicole Photography, DIY Projects, Engagement Sessions, Engagement Shoots, Las Vegas, Mt. Charleston, Nevada, Snow, Wedding Inspiration, Weekly Wrap-Up, Winter, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

At the heart of our decision to organize this destination wedding, we wanted this moment to be uniquely meaningful and symbolic. We chose the auspicious date of 10.10.10 for this celebration as it carries a special significance when translated into the Chinese idiom “shi quan shi mei”, which means “Beauty and Perfection”.

Picking Paris as our wedding location was an easy decision as it was where Julien grew up. We chose La Maison des Polytechniciens in the 7th district of Paris, near Musée d’Orsay, for our event. This hôtel particulier with its turn of century architecture and décor together with a meaningful history provided the perfect backdrop for our special day.

The decor and design of our wedding were driven by my love for anything vintage and each of our favorite colors, purple and green. My hobby of crafting quickly became a full-time job, designing and making all our wedding stationary and details from our save-the-dates, invitations, place cards, programs to seating diagrams, signs, menus, and even folding our own napkins. Due to the multilingual nature of guests, all our wedding stationary was made bilingual in both English and French. We slowly realized our vision of the day from our Boston home after hours of web-surfing, picking vendors online and communicating with them via email.

We arrived in Paris five days ahead of the wedding, luggage packed with DIY products, purple napkins and even more supplies for unfinished projects. Thanks to my bridesmaids and good friends who labored day and night in Paris, we managed to get every ribbon knotted and napkins folded in time for the wedding. Other friends and family helped setup and decorate the wedding site.

Following the traditions of my culture, I was not allowed to see my husband-to-be 24 hours prior to the wedding. I crashed at my bridesmaids’ who shared a rented apartment in a neighborhood full of life. It provided the perfect backdrop for Chinese door games, nice photo shoot, and a Cyrano de Bergerac like love declaration.

The wedding ceremony was the most important event of the day and is also the most memorable one. It included elements from my Malaysian Chinese background, Julien’s French Vietnamese origin, his Buddhist upbringing, our American life together, Taking advantage of the multi-cultural dimension of our relationship, we a wanted our guests to experience the different aspects of what our union signified. We customized our ceremony to start with a western wedding procession (I have always dreamed of walking down the aisle), a Buddhist ceremony carried out in Sanskrit by a Buddhist monk who blessed our union, followed by the Vietnamese ancestral ceremony and ending with a Chinese tea ceremony. We provided our guests with a booklet containing the translations of the sutras recited and the symbolism and meaning of each ceremony. I wore three different wedding dresses throughout the day to represent the different cultures we stand for: a western wedding dress, Vietnamese ao dai, and Chinese qi pao.

The celebration after the ceremony was done in Parisian style, serving French classics at dinner, and a delicious croquembouche as our wedding cake. We gave our guests a flower and Chinese tea blend (another DIY) as wedding favors to symbolize our appreciation and thanks. Instead of hiring a videographer, we gave our wedding party Flip video cameras as favors which allowed them to document the event from their experience of the day. We ended the night dancing away to music and drinks in the vaulted cellar cum lounge within the compounds of the hôtel particulier.

Planning a wedding from abroad in a country that I was unfamiliar with, together with the language barrier made this an experience of a lifetime. Every moment beginning from the day we started planning up till the very last minute of the wedding night was truly a memorable one. We are very thankful to have found our wonderful photographers – Andrea and Marcus – who did an amazing job capturing this special day which will allow us to reminiscence this day in true color many years from now.

Venue: La Maison des Polytechniciens / Photographer: Andrea & Marcus / Floral Designer: Charline Michelet / Music + DJ: Eric Ianneta / Piece Montee: Stroher / Hair: Lexi Derock / Event Planning & Design: DIY from Bride / Wedding Invitations & Stationery: DIY / Wedding favors: DIY / Wedding Gown Designer: James Clifford / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Allure Bridals & BCBGMaxazria / Veil: Unveiled Bridal Designs / Engagement ring: Designed by groom, purchased from La Ron Jeweler

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Post tags: Allure Bridals, Andrea & Marcus, Ballroom Wedding, BCBGMaxazria, Buddhist Wedding, Charline Michelet, Color Palette Green Purple, Croquembouche, Destination Wedding, DIY Projects, DIY Stationery, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Eiffel Tower, Eric Ianneta, France, Fusion Wedding, James Clifford, La Maison des Polytechniciens, La Ron Jeweler, Lexi DeRock, Paris, Peacock Feathers, Stroher, Unveiled Bridal Designs, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Destination, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the highlight film from Your Day Productions!

After considering having the wedding at Rachel’s family property on the Northshore, the couple realized that New Orleans was there home, where they met, and would be the most meaningful place to get married. Because there would be a majority of out-of-town guests, they decided to play up the “New Orleans” theme and what could be better than a courtyard wedding? After interning at the Gallier House in undergraduate school, Rachel knew just the place – the sister property: the Hermann-Grima house on St. Louis Street in the heart of the Quarter.

Because the majority of the guests would be traveling in from out of town, the couple decided to make a whole weekend celebration of the wedding and invite all guest to all the events. They really wanted their family and friends to see many sides to the region and have a variety of experiences. Therefore, on Friday evening, the weekend began with a “Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler!” champagne and dessert Welcome Reception at the Martine Chaisson Gallery in the Warehouse District. A string trio, featuring top musicians from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (an organization that both the couple and Rachel’s father are passionately involved with), entertained the guests while enjoying desserts and champagne from Joel’s Catering.

On Saturday, all guests were bused to Lacombe (a small town located north of the lake) to enjoy a Rehearsal Supper at the Chotin Residence on the bayou. Mary Garrett, the Chotin’s long-time house keeper graciously catered the event and cooked her famous Red Beans and Rice, along with Shrimp and Chicken pastas. Guests gathered under the ancient, moss-filled oaks and listened to Bluegrass music by Otis Hurtz & The Cry Babies (Spider Murphy, John Malcovich and Dave Talmage) while sipping on Jason’s favorite drink from the Bloody Mary bar. Praline Bread Pudding and Pecan and Apple Pies (baked by Rachel’s mother) rounded out the menu for the afternoon.

The wedding ceremony and reception were both held at the Hermann-Grima House in the French Quarter on Sunday, October 9th, beginning at 5pm in the afternoon. Between the two, guests were entertained by the same ceremony gypsy jazz band, Zazou City Quartet, in the adjoining Stable Courtyard for a “happy half-hour”. Passed hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktails (“Jason loves New Orleans Sazerac” and “Rachel loves Texas Margarita”) were enjoyed by the guests while the main courtyard was transformed from ceremony to reception.

The bride carried a solid cotton bouquet and the softness was complemented by the bridesmaid’s pop of color with the orange  carnations. Rachel borrowed two large vases from her father’s extensive McCarty Pottery collection and filled them with cotton to flank the altar for the ceremony. Orange roses in vases with sliced oranges were placed on tables at the reception. Not only was orange Rachel’s grandmother’s favorite color, but also orange roses were her favorite flower. Along with the orange color theme, oranges held special meaning to the couple because (as the story goes) the Lincolns, several generations ago, lived in New Orleans on an orange plantation before settling in San Antonio, Texas.

Although what may appear to be an over-the-top, extravagant wedding – Rachel prided herself on cutting corners and being cost-conscious by creating a majority of the details herself and shopping around for the best prices. She designed all invitations/graphics herself and printing at home on recycled paper, borrowed as many family heirlooms as possible. She also designed the flower arrangements herself and therefore used a small neighborhood florist to implement her designs. Rachel’s mother helped tremendously: assembled welcome bags for the guests, sewed the flower girl’s dress, made the ring bearer’s pillow, made the favors. Rachel handled all the planning herself until two weeks before the wedding when she realized she would need a little help in executing the plan! 

We both agree that two of the most special moments were when we were alone and able to soak it all in. After our “first look” on top of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, we went down into the Quarter and took pictures on Pirate’s Alley. This was a great experience for us. We were able to calm our nerves, spend a little time together and capture some great shots.

Photographer: Eau Claire Photographics / Videographer: Your Day Productions / Floral Designer: Audubon Flowers / Day Of Coordinator: Old.New.Blue / Rehersal Planning & Design: Charlotte Weil Event Design / Invitation Designer: Rachel Chotin Lincoln, Printed on recycled paper from Paper Source / Stickers: Sticker Mule / Save the Dates: Smartpress / Cake: Gambino’s Bakery / Wedding Gown Designer: Alyne Bridal / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Ann Taylor Loft / Band: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra String Trio, Otis Hurtz & the Cry Babies / Ceremony & Happy Half-Hour Music: Zazou City Quartet / Reception Music: Jayna Morgan and the Sazerac Sunrise Jazz Band

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Post tags: Alyne Bridal, Ann Taylor Loft, Audubon Flowers, Birds, Charlotte Weil Event Design, Cotton, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Eau Claire Photographics, Flower girls, French Quarter, Gambino's Bakery, Jayna Morgan and the Sazerac Sunrise Jazz Band, Louisiana, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra String Tri, New Orleans, Old World, Old.New.Blue, Otis Hutz & the Cry Babies, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Paper Source, Rachel Chotin Lincoln, Ring Bearers, Smartpress, Sticker Mule, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Your Day Productions, Zazou City Quartet
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance