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From Elegant Occasions… Erin Crandall, former buyer for Shopbop.com and now owner of NYC boutique, A Man and A Woman, chose The Tides as the venue of her wedding because of the eco-friendly resort as well as the beauty of it. It was important to her and her fiance, Ben Phillips, that the weekend was relaxing and fun. Their inspiration was the palm trees that grew all around the resort. They used this to create their theme of palm trees throughout the wedding, from the save the dates to the welcome bags.

Because they wanted everyone to enjoy themselves, the rehearsal dinner was meant to bring everyone a little closer together. Elegant Occasions designed a long table seating about 80 people. The organic-like structure was created to go with the feeling of eco-friendly and relaxed yet chic. The Tides was a great choice to host this fun-filled wedding weekend.

For the night of the party, the couple used a mixture of square and round tables to keep it interesting. The tables were set around the pool of the resort so at night when the pool lit up, it would add to the atmosphere. Lights were strung across the pool and more floating lights were put into the pool, again, to make the night even more romantic. This fashionably trendy couple got the wedding of their dreams!

Wedding Planning: Elegant Occasions / Event Design: Elegant Occasions + The Bride / Wedding Photography: Craig Okraska Photography / Music: DJ Monk / Wedding Venue: The Tides, Riviera Maya

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beach Wedding, Craig Okraska Photography, Destination Wedding, DJ Monk, Eco Friendly, Elegant Occasions, Mexico, Orange, Riviera Maya, The Tides, Tropical Wedding
Post categories: Destination, Destination Weddings, Mexico Weddings

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Working with local vendors and supporting green business practices was one of Kelly and Eddie’s main goals for their August wedding. That and to have an amazing celebration supported by friends and family. Kelly and Eddie are both architects with impeccable taste and a strong sense of style they had a clear vision for their special day.

Kelly and Eddie met their florist, Julia Lojo, owner of Bloomies, located in the Rockridge Market Hall, at their local nursery in the East Bay. Julia was just wrapping up a class on floral arrangement using locally grown, sustainable plants when they met. They were striving for a “green” wedding, so much so that they GREW THEIR OWN FLOWERS! Kelly and Eddie’s green friendly idea to supplement their floral arrangements with succulents and dahlias grown in their own garden was an instant hit with Julia.

Julia was the right local florist who agreed to go into their garden the day before the wedding to cut the flowers. Obviously she had to supplement with some flowers, but she managed to harvest a great amount for the wedding. Kelly and Eddie also contributed their own creativity by creating the terrariums that added to the floral centerpieces for each table at the Headlands Center for the Arts “mess hall”. Katie Powers catering staff runs the onsite kitchen; serving organic, locally grown affair of the highest quality. The Headland’s Center itself is a restored barracks from the WWII era, and provides an interesting backdrop for any event. The heavy metal table in the foyer was perfect for escort cards and was soften by a well-suited birdcage with floral arrangement.

On site to coordinate the event, Sadie Waddington, owner of One Big Fish Green Events, located in San Francisco, brought to life Kelly and Eddie’s ideas for their perfect celebration. Lights were hung, air-plants laid in their individual bed of sand and set to hang in glass bulbs, table numbers placed and candles lit. Sadie’s goal to provide each client with an unforgettable experience, one that will last a lifetime, was surely met that day. She managed to coordinate all of these creative pieces for a perfect, colorful and relaxed green wedding in one of my favorite locations. Thanks, Kelly and Eddie for a gorgeous wedding to photograph!

Florist: Bloomies / Reception Venue: Headlands Center for the Arts / Catering: Katie Powers Catering / Photography: Julie Mikos Photographer / Event Planning: One Big Fish Green Events / Photobooth: Magnolia PhotoBooth / Entertainment: Sutherland Entertainment DJ /Acoustic guitar (Owner – Spencer Sutherland) / Wedding Cake: Torino Bakery

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Post tags: Bloomies, California Weddings, Eco Friendly, Eco-Wedding, Green, Green Wedding, Headlands Center for the Arts, Julie Mikos, Katie Powers Catering, Magnolia PhotoBooth, Northern California, One Big Fish Green Events, San Francsico, Sutherland Entertainment, Torino Bakery
Post categories: Casual Elegance

click here to see the full, beautiful wedding!

Todd and I sat down at the beginning (before even planning our wedding) and we talked about what we wanted our wedding to FEEL like.  To me, I did not know what I specifically wanted it to look like – but I knew what I wanted the day to feel like.  Real, authentic, unique, organic, warm, natural, full-of-love and meaningful are some of the feelings that come to mind…we did not want to do things for traditions sake – but rather, we wanted to do things that had meaning to US, and that would make our hearts sing.  We are both vivacious and passionate people who love to live life to its fullest.   We wanted our wedding atmosphere to capture our love story and energize and inspire our guests.  This was a huge payoff in the end as the wedding turned out to be a true reflection of us.

We started with WHERE we could capture this warmth and intimacy.  I knew it would be outside as we are both outdoor lovers.  We wanted something in Northern California as we grew up there.  Todd loves the ocean and I love the mountains so we chose Carmel Valley which gave us both.  During the ceremony we could see birds flying and hear horses nay-ing.  It was blissful.

Our wedding ceremony was something that we enjoyed creating from scratch.  We chose Jim Burklo who is my best friend’s stepfather and he allowed us to shape the ceremony as we wished.  I have always thought the lighting of candles was a simple symbolic idea of uniting families but we wanted to do something different that was more meaningful.  We decided to use a tree in our ceremony.  We found a baby manzanita tree which my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew brought down the aisle in a wagon, then we had our mothers plant some soil in the base of the tree and our fathers watered it.  This was highly symbolic to Todd and I as our parents are still together after 30 plus years and we feel their strong roots and love are values that have brought us to where we are today.  After the ceremony the tree was planted at Holman Ranch in a special location.   Now, for years to come, Todd and I can return to the ranch to see how our tree has grown.  We know it will weather many seasons and changes…(as will we)…but that it will always remain strong and in the location where we started our commitment to each other.  This was incredibly special to us.

My parents travel the world frequently for business and pleasure so my father wanted to collect shells (over the last year) from all of these places.  He brought them to the wedding and we scattered them down the aisle, so that we walked through these “places”.  We also had relatives and friends from distant countries like Australia ……..send us some shells for our special day.  That way, they were there with us in spirit!

At our ceremony site we also had baskets of grapefruits.  The first drink Todd bought for me was a fresh squeezed Greyhound so it was only natural to have grapefruits in the wings and our specialty drink was The Greyhound.

We wanted to make sustainable decisions throughout our wedding day.  Instead of renting dinner napkins for our guests, I found 40 yards of fabric which a family friend, Elisa Cetera, made into napkins.  The wonderful idea behind this is that we were able to take the napkins home after our wedding, wash them, and then gift them to our family members and keep some for ourselves.  This is a wonderful memento from our day that we can share with family for years to come.  Also for place settings we did not print up names on tags which would be thrown out.  I decided to buy river rocks which I wrote guests names on (one per setting).  This also served as a gift as we have seen many friends who took them home to use as decorations, paper holders or have simply placed in their garden.

For table names we had the same sort of idea, we bought wooden frames and placed pictures in them (of Todd and I enjoying places we loved), and wrote the picture location on each one.  These frames can be gifted after the wedding to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and those who could not make the wedding or anybody who might just love a picture of us in one of our most favorite places.  We did not want things to be thrown away.

Homemade streamers, Haybales, homemade wine barrel bar, were some of our favorite sustainable additions. We also had a photobooth, and created a photo book guest book (with pictures inside of us with friends etc.)  Our friends loved finding pictures of places they knew, or had been with us, and signed that page. We also held a private cermony in the hacienda with our immediate family which took place half an hour before the formal ceremony.  This was a wonderful opportunity to gather our family and bless our rings.

The most personal and heartfelt thing I worked on for our wedding day were the escort cards.  I have always loved letters – receiving them, writing them, re-reading them.  When I receive a letter I feel special, appreciated and grateful.  I wanted all of our guests who traveled far and wide to feel that way on our wedding day.  So as escort cards, I wrote each and every guest a wedding note of gratitude.  This was extremely important to me because I did not take for granted the people who attended our wedding day.  I knew that everyone made exceptional efforts to be there…and I needed them to know that with a personal note.

Most of all, I wanted my husband to know how much I appreciated him.  So for months before the wedding I practiced singing the song “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson.  On our wedding day I surprised Todd (and everyone) by singing him that song with the band playing behind me.  It was an intimate moment…everybody was there watching, but Todd was front and center and I sang for him.  He was touched — and it was a magical moment in time that we can cherish forever.  Sometimes I still sing it to him at night when he asks me too!

The most important thing of all?  Todd and my wedding mantra!  We never showcased it or wrote it down for anyone to see…but we always talked about it and told our families how important it was for us to: “Be Here Now”.  In fact, that was the name of the song for our first dance by Mason Jennings.  We knew, if everybody came together on our day of uniting, and was present – really present – that we would be taken to places we couldn’t imagine.  We wanted to remember to take in all the intricacies and enjoy the moment, and be here now.

Venue: Holman Ranch, Carmel Valley, CA (Hunter Lowder) / Minister: Jim Burklo, Los Angeles, CA / Photographer: Tanja Lippert, Los Gatos, CA / Caterer: Paradise Catering, Carmel Valley, CA / Florist: Christine Cater, Carmel, CA / Band: Keith Johnson Band, Oakland, CA / Ceremony Music: Steve Ezzo, Monterey, CA / Dress: Monique Lhuillier Miranda style / Make-up and Hair: freebird productions, Tia Raegan / Napkin Seamstress: Elisa Cetera / Cinematographer: Weddings on Film

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Post tags: Allure Consulting, California Weddings, Carmel Valley, Christine Cater, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Eco Friendly, Holman Ranch, Monique Lhuillier, Paradise Catering, Sustainable, The Way I Am, Weddings On Film
Post categories: California Weddings, Carmel Weddings, Casual Elegance

click here to see the full gallery!

From the Bride…Coming from a design background, we are sole believers in “less is more”; no extra fru fru, but let everything speak for itself. We wanted our wedding to reflect what we were about: architecture, design, classic and chic.

We are both laid back people who love to have fun, so we chose to do a day wedding since it can be a little less formal and makes everything seem brighter and happier. Our intent was a very classic ceremony and for the reception show off more of our design side. In the reception venue we hung as the main decoration photos that Jason has taken around the world and some of our engagement photos. We were also able to bring in our design background by taking up the challenge of designing our own Save the Dates and Invitations we self addressed to the guests.

The main color of the wedding was white with touch of green in the floral arrangements, and grey in the bridesmaid dresses. I loved the way the colors combine because it seems so fresh and clean. As far as other colors, we wanted the art work, food and people to bring the color to the space.

For the floral I wanted all white or green arrangements that were very crisp and clean lined. I loved the calla lily because it just looks so architectural, and is my favorite. Other florals we went with were the succulents in different arrangements and the lily which is a beautiful white flower and the favorite of Jason’s late mother.

During our engagement we always called each other little lovebirds, so of course the wedding topper had to be those. Which I found off Etsy, and they might have been my favorite little addition to the simple white cake.

I would say one of the best ideas we did have for the wedding was to take just a few pictures together the wedding day and set up a photo shoot for the day after with Sarah Kate. Since we were in the process of moving to NYC the day after our wedding, we wanted to spend as much time with our friends and family the day of celebrating. It made taking the photos the next day more relaxing and fun knowing people were not waiting long for you to arrive.

Photographer: Sarah Kate / Bridesmaids Dress: Cooper by Courtney / Ceremony Venue: Perkins Chapel / Reception Venue: Studios 1019 / Hair and make-up: Osgood-O’neil Salon / Cake: Romano’s Bakery / Reception String Quarte: Encore Productions / Coordination and floral: Blue Lotus Floral Design

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Post tags: Blue Lotal Floral Design, Dallas, Eco Friendly, Green, Osgood O'neil, Sarah Kate, Studios 1010, Texas Weddings
Post categories: Casual Elegance

So before we get started for the day, I wanted to send a HUGE shout out to Viola at Chewing the Cud, who gave us our shiny new style. I like to brag about Viola a lot on SMP because I think she is one of those designers that just gets it. Here’s a look at her brand spanking new line of eco-chic (and totally afforadable) line of wedding invitations…

You can see more from this collection, which is all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy-based inks, on Viola’s gorgeous website. That she also just redesigned. And it’s GORGEOUS. So, thank you so much to Viola and to all the readers that gave us feedback to make this happen!

Oh and we have a day of pretty coming up so fasten your seat belts!

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Post tags: Chewing The Cud, eco, Eco Friendly, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

From Karli and Nick…

We let the location set the stage for all of the many details of the day. We chose a caterer, Living Room Events, that understands the importance of using local and seasonal produce. We felt it would be so special for our guests to experience local, fresh produce, especially if it came straight from the farm. We really liked the idea of finding and using little things that made the day completely unique to us. We found so many beautiful, handmade items on Etsy, from the sweet cotton lovebirds on top of our cake, to the bridesmaids’ beautiful citrine and gold bracelets. One of our favorite finds was the distressed white wooden “S” for “Spence.” When we bought it we had no idea what we would do with it, but we just loved it!

Credits: Wedding design and coordination by Tina Reikes of Bear Flag Farm, Photography by Zoom Photography, Flowers by Lush Floral, Wedding and bridesmaid dresses by Amsale, Bride’s hairpiece by Muscari Design, Groom’s suit, J. Crew, Invitations by Dauphine Press, Table Numbers from Funki Folk Art, Catering by Living Room Events, Rentals from Classic Party Rentals, Tent from Zephyr Tents, and Linens from La Tavola.

***

Finally, in response to Abby’s unbelievably sweet comment in the first post of this wedding… I have to say THANK YOU!!! I can’t say enough about the brilliant, hard-working team here at SMP. It’s an incredible crew and I really feel very proud (and insanely lucky) to consider myself a part of it. So, I hope to be back often… because, as you can imagine, I’ve fallen head over heals for my job.

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Post tags: Bear Flag Farm, California Weddings, Eco Friendly, Fall, Fall Wedding, Winters, Zoom Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Real Weddings

From the bride, Megan…

The goal was to have an aesthetic to compliment such a beautiful garden setting; therefore, starting with our eco-friendly invitations, from Bella Figura, the oaktree was the icon of our event. When using paper, we tried to make it double duty or cut back when possible; for example, our escort cards also doubled as our favor and we used a reply postcard which cuts back on an extra envelope. Although small, these little details can add up.

In order to keep things eco-friendly, we had a lot of help collecting vintage mason jars and medicine bottled for our centerpieces. All the baskets used to hold our flip-flops, fans, parasols and even our programs were provided by family and friends so they could feel included in the event but also cut back on purchasing new items. We used recycled fork table card holders and found a great vintage glass terrarium to hold our cards. It was fun collecting meaningful details that were also a reflection of our purpose!

We hoped to create an event that was organically elegant, a reflection of our personal style as much as our respect for the environment and fun for our guests. Our intimate setting definitely helped create an environment that was meaningful and special; we will always remember walking into the field full of friends and family we missed while being abroad and having the sun come pouring from behind the clouds!

I love how well matched this whole wedding seemed to be… all the elements Megan & Matt chose complimented their personalities and style perfectly. From their gorgeous venue, The Morton Arboretum to their fun eco-friendly details, they created an event that was as organic as it was beautiful. Thank you Olivia Leigh for sharing your gorgeous photographs with us. Also congrats to Megan & Matt!

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Post tags: Bella Figura, Chicago, Eco Friendly, Illinois, Olivia Leigh, The Morton Arboretum
Post categories: Casual Elegance

McKenzie and Todd wanted a small intimate wedding and they had a budget of $20,000. {We’re not saying they had a low budget wedding. We’re saying they had a budget of $20,000.) They approached First Coast Weddings and Events to help them orchestrate their plans and made it clear that they didn’t want to exceed this figure.  Additionally, they are a very environmentally conscious couple and wanted their wedding to be as eco-friendly as possible.

Now … the point of the story is that sometimes it’s very difficult to stay within your set wedding budget … no matter what that number is (!) … and most couples planning their wedding can attest to that!  There are so many extras that become so tempting, but it CAN be done.

McKenzie and Todd were married in March 2008 at the Oldest House in America! Seriously … according to the St. Augustine Historical Society …

“The González-Alvarez House has been occupied since the 1600s with the present house dating to the early 1700s.”

from Danielle …

McKenzie and Todd met while attending Saint Johns College, a unique college that bases its curriculum on the works of the most influential minds throughout history. Here, they cultivated their love for history, anthropology, and one another. Their leisure time was spent biking and playing trivia. With college behind them and opportunities and new careers awaiting in Seattle, they wanted to plan this one last hoorah – full of their closest friends and family to bid them farewell.

When I first met with McKenzie and Todd, they were at the very beginning stages of their planning and had several guidelines set in stone.

1. The wedding would cost no more than $20,000. (note: this is where the staying within your set budget comes in!)

2. They wanted the wedding to be reflective of their personalities

3. The wedding needed to be intimate- 50 guests to be exact

4. They wanted it to be as low-key and green as possible, with respect to environmental and socially aware planning.

We chose the location of the ceremony for its strong history which was quite important to the couple. They wanted a space that felt warm and rich while still being able to not overwhelm their intimate ceremony. In keeping with their eco-consciousness, the guests and couple walked the three blocks to the ceremony at The Oldest House. They chose to have no attendants, rather they selected only their immediate family and closest friends to witness their vows. They each walked in solo as a string trio played the works of Bach and Mozart. In all my years of planning, I have never felt so engaged- just the two of them opening up their hearts to one another.

They wrote their own ceremony, with borrowed traditions from several cultures throughout time. Their very talented friends offered up their services to assist with the bread and honey ceremony, with one having a 250 year old starter for sourdough and another who owns a bee farm! We kept the decor simple, with a chuppah wrapped in a garland adorned with fresh locally-grown citrus fruits and a bouquet of hydrangeas. Adorning the entrance to the Oldest House were two topiaries adorned with mini citrus fruits.

Who says that no bridal party means no bridal party fashion? I loved that McKenzie’s mother and sisters all chose to wear dresses from a bridesmaid’s line. They were sophisticated selections that reflected each personality but definitely distinguished them as guests of honor!

In order to maximize the budget, we chose to hold the reception at the gorgeous Casa Monica Hotel’s Sultan’s Pool Deck. The space was discounted because it was a chilly off-season, but included space heaters. What I love most about this space is the stationery cabanas and amazing styling! It means that there is no worrying about tent, table, and lighting rentals. They also have an iPod dock that goes into their PA system, which we used for cocktail hour and background dinner music. Because the space is already highly-styled, there was little need to add more than a few hydrangeas and citrus fruits.

Guests were treated to a polaroid guest book and an extension of the bread and honey ceremony. Their friends made the cutest orange blossom honey escort cards. I thought that the most clever part about them was that the shade of green on the leaves denoted the guest’s dinner selection (fish/meat) which was a subtle way to help Casa Monica’s staff.

McKenzie and Todd announced early on that they were not the tiny dancers… not even close. Thus, they opted to skip dancing all together. Instead, they allocated those funds to a great menu and wine list. And, they employed the help of a friend that they had made over the last few years of trivia night. That’s right, they had a full-on trivia challenge! Designed to match their Dauphine letterpress invitations, these trivia menus were by far the most chic that I had ever seen! I loved that the guests were able to interact and have wonderful food and conversation.

At the end of the evening, we cut the cake. And oh what a cake it was! McKenzie and Todd worked with Sweet Weddings to create a lovely cake which had their college crest on top. Afterward, there was the crowning of the Trivia winners, a sparkler exit (followed by an impromptu dance off by their guests) and the couple was off to their honeymoon (biking all the way up the East Coast!)

In the end, we were able to stay within their budget by determining what was most important to the couple … the food, photography, and ambiance. And then, we found cost-conscious alternatives for the rest … the flowers and entertainment. Last, but certainly not least … they accepted help from their friends. We were able to achieve an intimate affair that was environmentally and socially aware, and completely reflective of the couple’s personality.

It would not have been possible without this amazing team: Coordinated by Danielle Bamba of First Coast Weddings and Events, Flowers by Riverside Event Design, Ceremony Venue – The Oldest House, Reception Venue and Catering – The Casa Monica Hotel, Photography by Leah Powell Photography, Cake – Sweet Weddings, Ceremony Music by Wehners Weddings Entertainment, Details by The Couple’s Talented Friends!

Thanks so much to Danielle for helping McKenzie and Todd achieve their dream wedding! Our congratulations to McKenzie and Todd!!

ps … the original post has been updated in response to our readers comments!

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Post tags: Budget Conscious, Casa Monica Hotel, Eco Friendly, First Coast Weddings & Events, Florida, Honey, Leah Powell Photography, Oranges, Riverside Event, St. Augustine, Sweet Weddings, The Oldest House, Wedding Favors, Wedding Trivia, Wehners Weddings Entertainment
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Florida Weddings, Jacksonville, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers