For some reason last week, I found myself poring over our Little Black Book members blogs … looking at cakes and candy buffets and cookies … couldn’t shake my sweet tooth! Here are a few of my favorite finds …

Kakes by Karen is located in Naples, Florida … I LOVE the chic designs and delicate work that went into these cakes!

Here’s what Karen says about her creations on her website, “We pride ourselves in making hand elaborated, custom-made cakes that are never refrigerated, providing our customers a promise of freshness. Our cakes are decorated in high quality, glycerin free, delicious rolled fondant. Each cake is designed separately, working with the client, using only fresh ingredients to ensure quality. Some of our designs have been influenced and inspired by techniques learned from international chefs, as well as various judges and Food Network Cake Challenge winners.”

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A Florida Romance: Two Sides To Every Story

Arden’s Version It was just another Friday night and she was tired. Not much in the mood to go out, but Marianne twisted her arm. They ended up at Finn McCool’s on the beach. In one of those Gray’s Anatomy-like scenes … two hot guys enter the bar and eyes lock. But lo and behold, only one of the guys is available. That’s OK with Arden. It was the other one she was looking at, anyway.

Dave’s Version Friday afternoon, his friend Trip called. Trip’s wife’s friend was in town … she gave him the go ahead to get out. Dave was beat and wasn’t much in the mood, but finally agreed and they ended up at Finn McCool’s. The moment they walked into the bar, this amazing girl gave him, the look. According to Dave, whether Arden knew it or not, she’d been waiting for him.

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We are featuring another beautiful wedding from Michael Schuhmann. His photography talents are industry-renowned and so very well-deserved …

Sara and Jerry were married in Boca Grande, Florida. The stunning lighting effects were provided by Tony Ormonde Productions. The gorgeous floral design was done by our own Little Black Book’s Botanica International Design Studio. Event coordination by Camille S Williams.

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Michael Schuhmann is an unbelievable fine art photographer. We think you’ll agree …

Carol and Ahad’s wedding took place at the remarkable Cá d’Zan Mansion in Sarasota, Florida.

Just a real quick history lesson … The Cá d’Zan Mansion was the home of John & Mable Ringling. John Ringling, one of the five original circus kings of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus was quite the entrepreneur! The Florentine-style mansion, art collection and estate were bequeathed to the people of the state of Florida. Now, part of the Florida State University system, the Ringling estate has been restored to it’s original, magnificent condition. What an amazing wedding venue.

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We have lots of ground to cover on the Little Black Book Blog today, so hold onto your hats!

First … the winner of the suite of letterpress invitations from Love At First Invite is … Susan (#34)! In her comment she said, “Thanks so much for this post. I’ve seen so many posts about “affordable” letterpress, but this is the first time that I looked at the website and actually thought, “wow…that might actually be possible for us.” I know so many brides would love to have gorgeous letterpress invitations, but they are just not in the wedding budget. Thanks, Cathy for finding a way to pass on this little luxury to us (and thanks Abby for telling us about it)! All that said, my favorite is Dotted. It’s not only uniquely beautiful, but those tiny dots just scream for letterpress–the texture would be amazing!” Congratulations Susan. We’ll be in touch.  For those of you who didn’t get in on the Style Me Pretty Sneak Peek of the new “Ready To Love” invitations, heed Susan’s words … they’re letterpress, they’re lovely, and they are totally affordable. Cathy, the super-talented creator of Love At First Invite, was so pleased to read all of your thoughtful answers, that she is extending a runner’s-up prize to ALL those who entered. She is offering all the contestants FREE table numbers with the purchase of any invitation package. Just contact her via her website.

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Today we are featuring Debra and Erich’s chic Palm Beach wedding that I attended over the Summer. This wedding was everything that I could have imagined and more. From the perfect weather, to the gorgeous yellow color palette, it was absolutely beautiful…

all photographs taken by Miguel Irias Photography

This wedding was all about the details. From Debra’s perfect hair accessory to the detailing on her dress, every inch of the affair was thoughtfully designed. You can only imagine how excited I was to see each layer unfold. I have so much more to come, so definitely stay tuned!

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I am so excited that Nikol, of Fresh Beauty Studio in Florida, has agreed to share some tips on Summer Wedding Beauty! Nikol is an incredibly talented make-up artist and if you’re in her area, you should book her for your wedding ASAP!

Some tips from Nikol…

Summer is here, heavy makeup is not. Keep your look Fresh and clean with these must have tips from Fresh Beauty Studio.

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