Andrew and I met in the fall of 2008. Me, a transplant from the suburbs of D.C., and Andrew, a Chicago ‘burbs-boy’ moved downtown. We were set up on a blind date by family members. To call it a blind date is accurate, but perhaps you should think of it as “triple-filtered” or “pre-approved.” True, we hadn’t ever met, but we had all the confidence we were meeting a person which with we could make it through a dinner. Why such a prediction? Call it sibling love: a sister’s careful and watchful eye.

Andrew’s sister, Aarin, began watching my nephew, Miles in the early fall of 2008.  Andrea, Miles’ mom, was part-time teaching, and both ladies became fast friends and were thrilled at their new found discovery . . . they both have a single, young sibling living in Chicago. The new matchmakers got to working. Andrew sent an email to set up a time to meet. That first email I received had seventeen words in the subject line!

At any length, I agreed to his proposal to meet for casual drinks — thinking it could easily turn into a pleasant, paid-for dinner. AVEC is where we met for the first time. It is Andrew’s favorite restaurant and gave him the comfort of familiarity; a “home-field” advantage. I did not know it then, but it was a test of my culinary taste, adventurous ordering and the all-important, sharing a plate of food. Drinks turned to four plates and hours ticked away at the bar. In true Chicago commuter fashion we said good night, polite thank you on the #8 bus. To most, this would have been the deal breaker, but it fit our way of living and became a big part of our dating life.

My last name is Lewis. Andrew’s last name is Clark. Thus, we are Lewis & Clark. In planning for our wedding we couldn’t pass up the much anticipated ideas of Lewis & Clark, but also keeping everything very much ‘us’, simple chic, with a twist on traditional. Our wedding was in my hometown of Northern Virginia. It ended up being a difficult search for the reception because most places were too small or too pricey. We went with a country club, which is not what we had planned but we were able to add elements that fit our personality and things we love. Our goal was for guests to know us better.

All the design work (invitations, name cards, table numbers, blog) were all designed by Andrew. Using the inspiration of the original journey of Lewis & Clark, he drew a line where I had lived and another line where he had lived, which created the base design for all our paper items and is found on all our items. To tie the theme together but not go over the top, we used Moleskine books to hold our invitation, as well as, a keepsake for our guests. For the front of the Moleskine Andrew designed a custom stamp to imprint our logo and get that “Lewis & Clark” feel. We used Moleskine books because it is something Andrew uses when sketching, writing ideas/thoughts, and is part of his everyday life.

The table numbers are one of my favorite elements of our wedding. Each table number represented an important number in our relationship. The numbers seem random, 3, 28, 250, and more. I found two sided frames from Ikea. One side has the table number and the other side shares the meaning. For example, table 250. The number of cents a Trader Joe’s Lava Cake costs and our favorite dessert. Or table 17. The number of words in the subject line of the first email Andrew sent me.

Photography: Laurie Bracewell Photography / Venue: Springfield Golf & Country Club / Brides Dress: Amsale / Veil: Erin Lindsay Design / Bridesmaid Dress: Donna Morgan via Nordstrom / Bridesmaid Jewelry: Erin Gallagher Jewelry / Groom’s Suit: Le Chateau / Groomsmen Suit: Alfani via Macys / Flowers: Growing Wild / Cake: Cakes by Wanda / Invitations, Stationery, Blog, Social Media: Andrew Clark, the groom / Rent: Rent-All Center

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Post tags: Alfani, Amsale, Bundt Cake, Cakes by Wanda, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Navy White, DIY Projects, DIY Stationery, Donna Morgan Nordstrom, Erin Gallagher, Erin Lindsay Design, Growing Wild, Laurie Bracewell Photography, Le Chateau, Macy's, Rent-All Center, Springfield Gorl & Country Club, Travel Themed, Virginia, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I’m not an overly traditional person however my husband and his family are. Our goal was to find a unique venue that was elegant yet has distinct character and reflected a bit of who we are and our personal style. With my husband’s love and appreciation of history and architecture combined with my eclectic, retro-vintage taste The Rookery was not only an easy and thrilling decision to make. Once we selected the venue it was easy to figure out all the details by spending time on Style Me Pretty’s website.  I came across a “vintage elegance” inspiration board and decided right away that’s what I wanted because of us and our venue.  It was a visit to my favorite retail store, Anthropolgie, when I decided what my décor was to look like.  I wanted an eclectic mish-mash of vintage pieces that added to the character of our wedding day.

My florist Alison, from Stems, was amazing and did a wonderful job of brining my vision to life.  I chose to have a color pallet opposed to one or two distinct colors.  For me, the most fitting colors for our vintage theme included colors like ivory, taupe, champagne, sage, silver, pewter, bronze and gold with a splash teal.  She made the most incredibly beautiful and fragrant bouquets which include Cattleya orchids, dahlias gardenias, garden roses, mini calla lilies, succulents blossoms and peacock feathers!

I fell in love Monique Lhuillier’s lace dresses from the first moment I tried them on.  My all lace, deep V, sheath fitting dress was coupled perfectly with a bird-cage veil both from Ultimate Bride in Chicago.  I accomplished the exact look I was going for and it fit The Rookery perfectly!  My bridesmaids were in beautiful pewter colored dress made of a romantic, flowing crinkle chiffon.  They looked gorgeous and elegant and the color was the perfect backdrop for their lovely flowers. I couldn’t wait to accessorize all of our dresses with the most stunning jewelry from my favorite jeweler, Erin Gallagher.  I wore custom-made earrings were gold with white topaz, with small pearls and a rose quartz stone at the end.  I wore a beautiful pearl necklace that complimented both my earrings and my dress.  The custom-made silver and white topaz statement earrings that were a perfect for their dresses and added just the right amount of sparkle for the occasion.

Our photographer Becky Hill captured our wedding and the sentiment of the day brilliantly.  Her pictures are stunning and remind us daily of how wonderful our day truly was. Overall we would describe our day as more than perfect.  It was truly enchanting.  We worked with the most talented vendors and artists and without them our day would not have been.

Jewelry: Erin Gallagher – Custom Jewelry Boutique / Wedding Photography: Becky Hill Photography / Flowers: Stems / Event Design + Planning: DIY / Ceremony + Reception Location: The Rookery / Invitations: DIY / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Catering: Jewell Events Catering

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Post tags: Badgley Mischka, Becky Hill Photography, Chicago, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Erin Gallagher, Illinois Weddings, Monique Lhuillier, Stems, The Rookery, Traditional Elegance
Post categories: Chicago Weddings, Illinois Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Our pretty bride, Ashley, wanted to add a bit of sparkle to her bouquet and thought our Ingrid brooch was perfect!

She is also wearing an Erin Gallagher bracelet ~ Carmen. Carmen is a five strand white topaz bracelet with a 14k white gold diamond clasp.

The flower girls are both wearing the Isabelle necklace with Amethyst on sterling silver.

The bridesmaids are each wearing different Erin Gallagher necklaces: (left) a completely custom necklace with Labradorite and Swiss Blue Topaz on a sterling chain, (middle) the Bette necklace with Labradorite on a 14k gold-fill chain, (right) the Gwen necklace with Swiss Blue Topaz on sterling silver.

Whether you’re a soon-to-be bride or not … the temptation to do a little window-shopping is always just too hard to resist! Take a look at the Erin Gallagher shop and we’re positive you’ll find a piece YOU adore! There are even ‘design your own’ options. And while you’re there, take a moment to read a little bit about how Erin got her start! Pretty terrific.

Thank you, Ashley, for sharing these photos from your own beautiful wedding!

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Post tags: Brooch, Erin Gallagher, Necklace
Post categories: Jewelry, Little Black Book Blog

Just use the code CECISMP0109 when you contact Lisa (either by phone at 212.989.0695 or via email) and your discount will be honored.. Thank you, Lisa, for being so sweet and making our Friday!

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In other discount news, one of my FAVORITE jewelry designers, Erin Gallagher, is having their semi-annual sample sale in just a couple of days…40% off all custom jewelry from January 19th-25. Mark your calendars ladies, this is a good one!

I have a bracelet that Erin designed for me and I am being modest when I say that I wear it twice a week. It goes with everything and is so completely elegant and yet so completely modern. LOVE!

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We are going to announce the winners of the Paloma’s Nest giveaway on Monday!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ceci New York, Erin Gallagher, Paloma's Nest
Post categories: The Blog

The best part? Erin will work with brides on their own jewelry, or for their bridesmaids, with collections started at $20 (prices go up from there). She will also give price breaks when you order more than 5 pieces. Pretty good, right?

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Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, Erin Gallagher
Post categories: Jewelry, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Favors & Gifts