Abby and Michael originally got their inspiration from the Delano Hotel in Miami. They then set about transforming their own venue, NOVA 535, into their own rendition of an uber-sophisticated, modern celebration!

from Abby … Michael and I both like to add our own flavor to most everything we do, so when we started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted it to have a unique twist throughout the details. We kept coming back to the idea of having an elegant, modern party with some whimsy. Having lived in Miami for some time, I immediately thought of the Delano Hotel, as inspiration for whimsical elegance: the lobby décor is stark yet warm with white draperies hanging from the ceiling to the wood floor; the hotel restaurant, Blue Door, has white leather backed chairs and banquettes surrounding white table clothed tables; and the back courtyard is filled with lush greenery and candlelight. Using these elements, we were able to plan an elegant modern wedding with slight unexpected variations to the wedding norms.

After we found our location, NOVA 535, an art gallery and event space in St. Petersburg, we knew we had to have ceiling-to-floor white draperies hanging throughout.

I quickly decided that I wanted my bridesmaids to wear white, so as not to distract from our all white decor. At the same time, I wanted each of my bridesmaids to display her individuality so I asked that they each wear a different style dress. Finding a variety of white bridesmaid dresses proved far more difficult than I expected, but with the help of The Dressing Room, we found Coren Moore dresses. My original plan was to wear red shoes under my dress, but once I actually found my dress (Augusta Jones), it didn’t lend itself to such a distraction. Instead, I asked each bridesmaid to wear a different color shoe. We took the individuality yet another step further and had each bridesmaid carry a different bouquet made up of white flowers, so one carried tulips, one carried orchids, one carried roses, one carried calla lilies, and one lilies. The same flowers were used as different boutonnières for each groomsman. At the reception, the tables were covered with one of two tablecloth options: white fringe or white pintucked satin. There were also five variations of centerpieces made up of a single type of flower, tracking either the flowers in my bouquet (gardenias) or those used in the bridesmaids’ bouquets. Finally, for favors, we had white chocolate lollipops made with our names, Abby and Michael, and our wedding date.

See more of Abby and Michael’s gorgeous wedding on the Pezz Photo website {click featured weddings}!

Photographer: Amy Pezzicara, Pezz Photo / Wedding Gown: Augusta Jones / Wedding Consultant: Alluring Events / Ceremony/Reception Site: NOVA 535 / Caterer: The Wine Cellar / Florist: Botanica International / Ceremony/Cocktail Music: The IBEX Company / Specialty Décor: conceptBAIT / Reception Entertainment: DeLeon Entertainment / Transportation: AllStar Limo/ Stylists: Colours by Linny / Bridesmaids Dresses: The Dressing Room, Coren Moore/ Favors: White chocolate pops by Debbie’s Chocolate Delight / Confectioner: Publix Amy Riggs/Susan Moriarity 1313 South Dale Mabry Highway Tampa, FL

And for more of Amy’s work, take a look at this Vintage Florida Wedding featured on Style Me Pretty!

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Post tags: AllStar Limo, Alluring Events, Augusta Jones, Botanica International, conceptBait, Coren Moore, Coulours by Linny, Debbie's Chocolate Delight, DeLeon Entertainment, favors, Florida, Lollipop, NOVA 535, Pezz Photo, St. Petersburg, The Dressing Room, the IBEX Company, The Wine Cellar
Post categories: Contemporary, Florida Weddings, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Tampa Bay, Wedding Photography

click here to see the full, gorgeous gallery!

From Jennifer of Salt Harbor Designs…

What I love most about my job is the diversity of clients and the challenge that comes with having to stretch outside my design comfort zone.  There are very few clients that come along who embody my own personal style and I appreciate the differences.  But the moment Jessica and I first sat down to chat, I felt like for the first time, I had met a client who shared my exact same style–a combination of natural, comfortable, rustic, and simple.  We had a blast bouncing ideas off of each other.  I am not sure I have ever had a client so involved in the design, and I loved that we were able to work so closely together to create her special day.  Jessica added lots of hand-crafted items from pin-wheels to fabric flowers and we incorporated some of our own with hand painted signs, paper-covered cans, and signage.  In the end the look was very sweet and personal, and I was so happy to have the chance to work with such a great couple!

From Jessica (the bride)…

The overall theme of the wedding came from our love of all things Southern. Both Jeff and I grew up in small towns in Virginia/North Carolina and even though we live in Charlotte now we both love to go “back home” to our roots and enjoy a great “Pig Pickin” every now and again. We wanted to wedding to feel very southern but very elegant as well. Casual but a flair of sophistication at the same time. It was important that the wedding was a true reflection of who Jeff and I are and we didn’t want it to be over the top flashy because at the end of the day, we are just simple people. Plus, we wanted our guests to feel like they were “at home.” It ended up being the best of all that we love- Southern, Casual, Rustic, Elegant, Coastal!

Photography: Rachel from Millie Holloman Photography / Event Design, Florals, Paper: Salt Harbor Designs / Venue and Catering: Bald Head Island Club / Cake: Nicki’s Cakes / Day-of Direction: Jane Roberson / Rentals: Party Suppliers / Bride’s Dress: J.Majors Bridal Boutique in Charlotte, NC, A Romona Keveza dress / Bride’s Sashes: Handmade by Shea Designs / Bridesmaids Dresses: Melissa Sweet (also came from J. Majors Boutique) / Guys Suits: Harley’s Tuxedo and Gifts in Laurinburg, NC / Hair and make-up: Island Retreat Spa and Salon on Bald Head Island

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Post tags: Bald Head Island, Baseball, favors, J. Majors Bridal Boutique, Millie Holloman, Nicki's Cakes, Peanuts, Salt Harbor Designs, Virginia
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes

photography courtesy of Andrew Norton

We’ve heard from many of you about designing beach weddings in a new and personal way. Well, ladies, this is it!

Crystal, from Distinct Occasions, always sends terrific weddings … but Mara & Adrian’s destination wedding in Negril might just take the Grand Prize!

Mara and Adrian’s wedding celebration happened the first part of March at the gorgeous and private Moon Dance Villas along seven mile beach. Their wedding design was eclectic and hippie-chic with a mix of eco-touches and personal tributes to keep it “jammin”…

The tree … oh my goodness!!

Special touches included ~ a Jamaican almond tree as the altar hung with photos of the couples friends/family, a freshly purchased local tree that we helped hand-cut to make charger plates (rubber with vegetable oil), b&g handpainted nesting dolls filled with a thank you note & beach sand, local coconuts chopped and filled with ginger lily, a menu featuring local faves like rice & peas, fresh lobster and conch, the bride’s wedding dress was custom made and featured the lace from her mother’s wedding dress on the train and wrapped around the stems of her ginger lily bouquet, Ukranian traditions & Polish traditions were used including the nesting dolls, traditional dances, and handmade handkerchiefs, a vintage styled fabric was hung with a mix of props to create an on-site photobooth setup, amber glass collected by the bride & groom was mixed into the decor, Jamaican blue mountain coffee beans were used with hurricane lamp shades and candles to add to the fragrant ginger lily on the tables …

I honestly don’t know what to say … Mara and Adrian blended their cultures and traditions with the amazing locale of Negril. For some reason the word ‘harmony’ keeps popping into my head! I think it must be the nesting dolls. So sweet. So different. You guys ~ all of you ~ did an amazing job. So much more to see in the gallery here!

Crystal’s blog has a some great articles you should all read … “Know When To Quit” and Making An Impression At Your Wedding are two of the latest ones that I think we could all take to heart. Thanks to all for sharing this very special celebration!

Wedding Planner & Design ~ Crystal Adair-Benning by Distinct Occasions, Photographer ~ Andrew Norton,
Venue ~ Moon Dance Villas, Catering ~ Villas Personal Chefs

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Post tags: Andrew Norton, Beach, Distinct Occasions, favors, Jamaica, Moon Dance Villas, Negril, Villas Personal Chefs
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Destination, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Details, Wedding Favors & Gifts, Wedding Planners & Designers

From Kathy …Kristine and Tom had an elegant afternoon wedding at one of Detroit’s grandest mansions – The Whitney. A 115-year-old, 52 room mansion with glorious stained glass and ornate wood carvings set the scene for a ceremony and reception that reflected the couple’s desire for a vintage-inspired afternoon.

Kristine shopped Etsy for both her dress and bridal veil – settling on a Canadian designer Catherine Regehr gown that she had altered into a tea-length dress. With the fitted bodice and full skirt she created the perfect 1950s silhouette.

Tom pitched in on the wedding plans by making all of the candles with herbs out of their garden that decorated the reception areas. The favors that dotted the tables were adorned with an old English D for the couple’s beloved Detroit Tigers.

Really, really charming! You can see more of Kristine and Tom’s wedding on the Widdis Photography Blog.

* * *

There are also a couple of gorgeous winter weddings on their blog now, too!

Andrea & Dirk~ (intimate wedding at the White House Wedding Chapel in Warren)

Beth & John ~ (cool blue shoes!)

* * *

Thanks ~Brian & Kathy!  Congrats ~ Kristine & Tom!

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Post tags: Afternoon Wedding, Candle, Detroit, favors, Michigan, Short Wedding Dress, The Whitney, Widdis Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography

And this beautiful pair…did just that.

From the beautiful bride…My florist was my cousin, Moira Thompson. She lives in Cambridge, MA and is just starting her career in the floral industry. She’s a genius. She sent us a flower proposal (because I told her she could do whatever she wants and to just go nuts) and it was literally like she had reached into my mind and created a vision that I didn’t even know was there!

The name cards my mom and I hand-wrote. They were all stamped with clovers (Irish), olive branches (Italian), tropical flowers (South Africa), and daisies (Denmark) which are the main countries of Niels and my origin. Instead of favors, we made donations to three charities – The Jacob Riis Settlement House, which Niels’ father is chairman of the board of, The John J. Gale Scholarship, which is named after my grandfather and given to the senior at HPHS who has the highest GPA in U.S. History, and Art Start, which is a non-profit art program for troubled youth that I volunteer at. So, we wrote on all of the name cards “In lieu of a favor, a donation has been made in your name to __________”, alternating with each charity.

Ahhh, so beautiful. So much more on the way!

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Post tags: Carla Teneyck, Connecticut, favors, Lavendar, Moss Florals, Rustic, Vintage, Webb Barn, Wethersfield
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Vintage Chic

photos 2,3,4(above) and 1 (below) courtesy of betsy dunlap

from the beautiful bride, Abby …

It was very important to me that every detail be incredibly personal and well-thought out. Our wedding was the idea of a weekend on Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. It is an area about two hours outside of Washington, D.C. where I have many fond memories of weekends at my grandparent’s summer house on the beach and later on, at my parents home next door. Summers were spent with all of my cousins and sisters enjoying the water and the traditions of the area.

This area of Virginia, called the Northern Neck, is incredibly historic and I would visit Stratford Hall often, knowing that someday this is where I wanted my wedding to be.  How could anyone resist the drama of those steps and having the entire grounds to yourself for your special day?  I didn’t even know if they would allow a wedding!

For our invitation suite we worked with the very talented young calligrapher, Betsy Dunlap who wrote out all of our pieces. We then had her handwriting engraved in a glossy black ink on Crane’s pearl white papers. Betsy also addressed all of the invitations and we used affectionate names for friends and family on the inner envelopes. We also did this with Betsy for our menu cards, programs, escort cards, and other materials.

Our ceremony was on the steps of Stratford’s Great House and guests were seated on the Great Lawn. We incorporated my husband’s Jewish background and my Catholic background and had both a priest and rabbi present, combining wedding traditions from both. During the cocktail hour we had cigar rollers from Tennessee who freshly rolled cigars for our guests. Stratford Hall provided our local Virginia-inspired catering menu. Other than the Virginia peanut soup and salad course, the meal was served on large silver platters so that guests might be more engaged with one another and be able to serve one another family style. We served whole striped bass, filet mignon, vegetable gratin, and following our wedding cake, Stratford’s recipe for ginger cookies. We sent down pounds and pounds of our favorite La Colombe coffee.

We found a local band where all of the members are in gospel choirs and come together on the side to play soul music. We had taken dance lessons at the American Ballroom Dance Studio (of Mad Hot Ballroom fame-Pierre Dulaine) and our first dance was to a Stevie Wonder version of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”. Father and Daughter first dance was to Otis Redding’s “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay’. We intermingled speeches, dances, and cake cutting throughout the dinner courses.

After running through a sparkler farewell lining the gardens paths, our official getaway from the party was in my father’s antique military jeep which he has saved since he was a child growing up in Montana. He drove us to a waiting car and we had a giant sign on the back where Betsy had written out “Just Married”. All of our guests then returned to the Tides Inn by waiting coaches and the wedding party in a vintage trolley.

Attire:
Bride’s Gown ~ Oscar de la Renta, “bubble dress” from Bergdorf Goodman
Shoes ~ Christian Louboutin
Bridesmaid’s Dresses ~ Diane von Furstenberg, “Kacia”
Tuxedo ~ Ralph Lauren Purple Label.
Gifts to Groomsmen ~ Ralph Lauren black and ivory pocket squares

All of our flowers, including the two hundred pound fresh magnolia wreath at the top of the steps, were from a local florist, Bridget’s Bouquets. We worked with her throughout the year and she understood the vision perfectly on the day. I sent her ivory and hunter green grosgrain ribbon from a source here in New York I knew about from my friend who owns a successful ribbon belt company. We only used magnolia leaves, tons of ivory roses, and boxwood. She built boxwood topiaries adorned with ivory roses for the rectangular tables in the tent. Our cake table was covered in magnolia leaves.  Our cake was all ivory buttercream in a basketweave design with ivory roses filling the top and again was a local source in Fredericksburg, Virginia called Paul’s Bakery.

This plantation was the birthplace of Robert E. Lee and the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who were brothers. There is an elegant history that can be seen in the grounds, the building, and the formal English gardens. We held cocktails and tented a large section of the Cutting Gardens for dinner and dancing. We wanted everything about the wedding day at Stratford to be more of a timeless elegance and to convey an element of the important history, but with our own twist.

Thank you SO much Abby and Matt for sharing your wedding vision and images with us! And a HUGE thanks to Dave Robbins Photography for the fabulous photographs that so elegantly captured the spirit of the day!!

For the full feature, be sure and see Parts I-III of this featured wedding on The Little Black Book Blog.

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Post tags: Betsy Dunlap, Bridget's Bouquets, Calligraphy, Christian Louboutin, Dave Robbins Photography, Diane von Furstenberg, favors, Historic Venue, Oscar De La Renta, Paul's Bakery, Ralph Lauren, Richmond, Sparklers, Stratford Hall, Virginia
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

We LOVE crystals and glitz and so it stands to reason that we would LOVE this wedding …

When it came time to planning their wedding, Jaymie and Carl sought the assistance of Lisa at  The Wedding Planner. Lisa shared many of the cost-saving aspects of this beautiful wedding …

Although their wedding had a fairly small budget – we really focused on putting the money where it would have the greatest impact. Both the ceremony & reception took place at a lovely restaurant called Teatro in Calgary. By choosing a Sunday I was able to negotiate a lower minimum for the evening thus making a venue that would normally have been out of the reach of their budget a possibility. The couple both work as web designers in Chicago and wanted to infuse a mixture of traditional glamour and funky fashion with some elements that really illustrated “them” as a couple.

The restaurant has these beautiful antique iron doors imported from Paris. I had to re-orient the room a bit so that they could stand between them for their wedding vows. The bride incorporated a brooch that had belonged to her grandmother on her bouquet. I had the bride and groom seated at a table by themselves and the groomsmen and bridesmaids were seated at gorgeous damask banquettes which flanked the sweetheart table. The favors were a simple black box filled with chocolate covered almonds (in fun metallic colors) which the bride had decked out with rhinestone buttons & feathers. Another cost saving measure was ordering gorgeous platinum colored raw silk from one of my suppliers and then having one of the bride’s family members hem the edges so we had gorgeous runners down the middle of each long table. Many of the guest tables seated 24 people. I always love an alternative to the traditional sea of round tables. The bronze & crystal trees filled the room in lieu of flowers, which were supplemented with 150 clear votives – so inexpensive but really create both ambiance and sparkle. Two tall bronze & crystal trees flanked the couple during the ceremony and then the smaller trees adorned all the tables during the reception (2-3 per table). The programs, menus, place cards and table numbers were all created by the bride. The cake incorporated the same silver ribbon that wrapped the bouquets and the cake set was the set used by Jaymie’s parents at their wedding (the wedding day was their anniversary).

Congrats to Jaymie & Carl … and Thanks to Lisa at The Wedding Planner for sharing their wedding and your tips on getting the most for the money!

The gorgeous photos are courtesy of f8 photography. Cake is from the Buttercream Bake Shoppe and florals from The Blue Hydrangea Floral Boutique. Thanks everyone!

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Post tags: Brooch, Buttercream Bake Shoppe, Calgary, Canada, Crystals, favors, menu, Table Numbers, Teatro, The Blue Hydrangea, The Wedding Planner
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers

Delish!

Just in case you missed the second post … those are drumsticks (above). Mike is a drummer and Julia secretly had them passed out to their guests at the church. When they were leaving the ceremony, much to Mike’s surprise, they were greeted by the clattering of the drumsticks. Pretty darned cute!

And this is one of my favorite shots from the day!

… more on the way …

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Centerpieces, Connecticut, Cupcakes, Desserts, Drumsticks, favors, Justin Marantz, New Haven, The Carousel at Lighthouse Point
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Whimsical