Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog

Atwood Ranch Wedding by Chrisman Studios

Dawn — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:30:04 +0000

There’s nothing dreamier than a California wine country wedding and this lovely Atwood Ranch affair is about as fabulous as it gets. The sweet combination of lush, romantic florals by Anne Appleman and the uber-gorgeous stylings of Julie Atwood Events is almost too much to comprehend… and I haven’t stopped swooning yet. Luckily, Chrisman Studios was on hand to capture every last moment of rustic meets vintage charm, because I think this gallery and I are going to be lifelong friends. Join me there for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Chrisman Studios… For their wedding day, Lena and Jeff chose one of the most spectacular properties in California wine country – Atwood Ranch in Glen Ellen.

Guests were treated to pre-ceremony jars of pink and yellow lemonade and were given colorful Chinese parasols to shield them from the warm California sun – which also added gorgeous splashes of vibrant color to the green pasture where the ceremony was held.

During the vows, tears were plentiful as Lena and Jeff described how finding one another changed their lives.

Everyone danced the night away inside the barn that had been superbly transformed into a shabby-chic ballroom of vintage quirks and rustic elegance.

The bride made sure to blend some of her own DIY touches into the decor, such as the fabric garland she made herself that wove around the railing of the barn.

Wedding Photography: Ben + Erin Chrisman of Chrisman Studios / Wedding Venue: Atwood Ranch / Consultation, Design + Coordination: Julie Atwood Events / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Wedding Gown: Amsale / Groom’s Suit: Michael Andrews Bespoke / Floral Design: Anne Appleman / Wedding Videography: Burkart Studios

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amsale, Anne Appleman Flowers & Plants, Atwood Ranch, Burkhart Studios, California Weddings, Chrisman Studios, Glen Ellen, Julie Atwood Events, Michael Andrews Bespoke, vineyard
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Northern California Wedding by Jessamyn Harris Photography

Emilia Jane — Wed, 04 May 2011 13:00:19 +0000

California is known for its acres and acres of lush, gorgeous wine country. Probably the most famous vineyards are those up north in Napa and Sonoma so it comes as no surprise that we get a lot of weddings from these areas. With a winery as your backdrop you can hardly go wrong and this smart couple decided to let those breathtaking views speak for themselves. Neutral and berry tones perfectly accentuate the venue and the season plus sweet little touches like the moss letters don’t overpower the natural beauty. Jessamyn Harris Photography images showcase that great California light and the love that is obvious between these two. Click here to see even more!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… I was set up with my now husband by a college roommate, who went to high school with Tim in Michigan. I had recently moved from the East Coast to Chicago for work, and she wanted to play matchmaker. I protested fiercely. She gave him my number anyway. One two hour phone call, and back to back Friday, Saturday & Sunday dates later, I was smitten! Tim proposed just over one year later while picnicking at our favorite spot overlooking the Lake Michigan.

As we live in Chicago and good portion of both of our families reside in the midwest, it only made sense to begin planning for a Chicago wedding. After looking at numerous venues, we didn’t find much we were excited about. We regrouped, thought about what we truly wanted from our wedding (namely an awesome outdoor venue and a killer party for our guests) and made the decision to get married in Northern California where I grew up. From that moment on, everything came together, in great part to my parents, who were our eyes, ears and voices while we tried to plan from 2,000 miles away.

Tim & I wanted our reception location, B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen, to be the star of the day. With unbelievable vineyard views, we capitalized on the beauty of our surroundings by using lots of natural materials. For the reception we set up long wooden Calistoga tables topped with burlap runners, wooden table numbers painstakingly stained by my Dad, and low centerpieces of local dahlias, hyndrangeas, Bells of Ireland (a nod to our shared heritage), and loads of votives. Heather Murdock of Blue Orchid Floral truly understood the feeling of the day, and enhanced our surroundings rather than competing with them. We acknowledged our winery venue by displaying the place cards in used wine corks (again, thanks to my parents for spending hours upon hours gluing them together!) and having our guests sign a book of Sonoma wineries that we now have on our coffee table and look at often. We highlighted the olive grove setting of the dinner by decorating our delicious cake with olive branches, set up a cigar bar by the fire pit for those who wanted a break from the dancing, and offered wraps to all the ladies in case the weather turned chilly.

One of my favorite memories of the day was walking into the church on my Dad’s arm, and seeing the faces of every single person who is important to us. I felt overwhelmed with love, especially when I saw my handsome groom’s face at the end of the aisle. In all photos from our Catholic ceremony (which we thought would be formal and solemn), Tim & I have the goofiest grins on our face…we were just so happy to be getting married! I also loved our first dance. Despite being watched by 150 guests, I felt like we were all alone on the dance floor, singing our favorite song to one another. Another magical moment occurred during the speeches. My Dad killed it- he had everyone laughing, and I was in tears. By the time he passed the mic to the best man, the sky had turned an amazing shade of pink. It was unbelievable. The rest of the night included celebrating with our friends and family, including what was probably the most fun bridal party ever, and not one, but two dance offs.

We feel so blessed not only to have found one another, but that we were able to celebrate our love with everyone around us, and we are thankful that so many of our friends and family made the trip out to California. We hoped for a wedding that not only reflected us, but also provided our guests with something to remember.

For those of you planning a “destination” wedding, I’d recommend really vetting your vendors. The day of the wedding I was completely stress-free because I trusted that each of them was going to take care of everything. I was also incredibly lucky to have a friend of the family act as our Day of Coordinator. She knew every wedding detail inside and out, and took care of all the logistics so I could just enjoy the day. It also helped to have an incredibly detail oriented mom who kept me on track. Our wedding would not have been possible without her!

Wedding Photography: Jessamyn Harris Photography / Wedding Venue: B.R. Cohn Winery / Bride’s Gown: Marisa via The Unique Bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Kenneth Cole / Flower Girl Dresses: Nordstrom / Floral Design: The Blue Orchid / Wedding Cake & Cupcakes: Two For Two Cakes / Hair & Make-Up: Mary at The Powder Room / Moss Letters: Mother and Father of the Bride / Catering: Park Avenue Catering / Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events / DJ: AMS Entertainment / Bagpiper: Jim McElroy / Wooden Table Numbers: Paper Moss / Ring Bearer Bowl: Paloma’s Nest / Wedding Dress Hanger: Etsy

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: AMS Entertainment, B.R. Cohn Winery, Blue Orchid Floral, Burlap Runners, CA, Cigars, Etsy, Glen Ellen, J. Crew, Jessamyn Harris, Jim McElroy, Kenneth Cole, Marisa, Moss Letters, Nordstrom, Paloma's Nest, Paper Moss, Park Avenue Catering, Purple, The Powder Room, Two for Two Cakes, Wine Country Party & Events, Wine Country Weddings, Wooden Table Numbers
Post categories: California Weddings, Napa Valley Weddings

Sonoma Wedding by Meg Smith Photography

Abby Larson — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:00:28 +0000

In wedding-blogger-land, there is nothing better…I repeat, nothing better…than a bride who doesn’t take herself too seriously. A bride that isn’t afraid to throw a little Carrie Bradshaw into them mix and design a wedding with totally unexpected style. Such is the case for this next little number. The bride is one part fun, one part fabulous and the day that she and her hubby crafted…well, it’s total SMP bliss. Photographed by Meg Smith, this wedding shows you what happens when you infuse your party with a little bit of spunk. Click here to see even more.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

Julie never imagined she would be getting married, let alone dreaming about a wedding – that’s too girly for her. She didn’t believe that any successful and self-content women would ever need a man to complete her life. A self-proclaimed feminist, Julie advocated for women’s rights and vowed to fight against any injustice that’s brought upon women. She hated labels, because she refused to belong to anyone or anything, and no one could ever define her identity except for herself. She lived by the motto of “Well-behaved women rarely made history”, and she was independent, out-spoken, and feisty. Well, things somehow changed after she met Kelvin.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Kelvin was changing jobs and Julie was finishing up her degree. They just got some extra time to spend with each other. The DC/NYC trips happened almost every weekend and they spent every possible second with each other. Just when everything went very well, fate had its way of testing people. Julie’s departure was almost unexpected. And this time, she moved away to Taiwan. Without knowing what would lie in the future, Kelvin just wouldn’t let her say goodbye like that. So, they started a seemingly impossible long distance relationship. The distance was not an issue at all, it turned out. Being apart from each other, the relationship only grew stronger each day. They would talk and talk more, and realize, they needed to make a plan. Long distance relationship wasn’t all that hard when there was a goal, a plan. So they did.

Kelvin presented a proposal so promising that Julie was totally willing to give up her career entirely in Taiwan. He wanted to start a family with her. After 2.5 years of a long distance relationship, they graduated with honor and were ready to move on to the next stage of their lives, together.

Julie and Kelvin’s ceremony was sweet and simple. The most important element of their ceremony was the support and love from their family and friends. Since their wedding theme was Rustic Chic, they wanted everyone to enjoy an evening full of delicious food from local farms and Sonoma Valley wines. The reception was indoors in a charming barn, looking out to the vineyards under the star-lit sky.

Wedding Photography: Meg Smith Photography / Floral Design: Anne Appleman Flowers & Plants / Event Planning & Design: Julie Atwood Events / Wedding Location: Atwood Ranch / Caterer: Sage Catering / Event Lighting: Twilight Design / Artisan Mixology: BBC (Best Beverage Catering) / Linens: La Tavola / Event Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Propping & Styling: Julie Atwood Events / Vintage Vehicles: Atwood Ranch / Wedding Gown: Jim Hjelm / Reception Dress: Custom by Kelima K / Headpiece & Veil: Etsy / Bride’s Shoes: Ann Taylor / Necklace: South Moon Under / Bridesmaid Dresses: ModCloth / Bridesmaid Accessories: Anthropologie / Groom’s Suit: Custom by Tom James / Groom’s Tie: Hermes / Groomsmen Ties: Nordstrom / Cufflinks: Cufflinks Depot / Wedding Invitations & Paper Products: The Aerialist Press

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anne Appleman Flowers & Plants, Atwood Ranch, Barn Reception, Best Beverage Catering, CA, California Weddings, Classic Party Rental, Farm Tables, Galvanized Buckets, Glen Ellen, Julie Atwood Events, La Tavola, Meg Smith Photography, Outdoor Ceremony, Pink, Ranch Wedding, Rustic Chic, Sage Catering, Sonoma, Sonoma Valley, Twilight Design
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Napa Valley Weddings

California Harvest Wedding by Myrtle & Marjoram

Erin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:00:33 +0000

We are on a short countdown to Thanksgiving which means family, turkey and a full day of eating is in our sights. This also means that you are most likely pondering the various ways to set your holiday table so to gear up for all of the festivities, we are going to delve into inspiration of the fall/harvesty kind. This wedding is gorgeous, rustic, perfect for pulling inspiration for your own Thanksgiving Extravaganza and all caught on film by the lovely Myrtle & Marjoram. See the rest of this pretty day in the gallery.

see more of this harvest inspired wedding here!

Sara and Ted just celebrated their one year anniversary on October 3rd and I realized that in the past year I never got a chance to share these beautiful photos with anyone. Sara and Ted were both living in NY, so the wedding was a destination and a weekend celebration. Their wedding had such a lovely fall / harvest feel to it, I figured there might be some interest in seeing how they did an autumn inspired wedding with subtlety and elegance. I love the fact that there are pumpkins in the decor. The blue mixed in with the orange gives this wine country celebration an unexpected twist I think. Julie Atwood designed the event and Anne Appleman arranged all the beautiful flowers.

Sara’s shoes were a mauve-y pink Lanvin…mirrored heel and lace up. She gave her maids the sweetest little charm bracelets (all slightly different and personal). Long tables ran the length of the barn and the decor was a mix of harvest flowers and beautiful glass, pumpkins. One of my favorite things about Atwood Ranch is the walk between the ceremony lawn and the barn. Guests stroll down the lane between the vineyards and they couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. The country blues music was perfect for a fall event in a beautiful barn (Performed by the Adam Traum Trio). And the night was topped off with cobblers, cookies, s’mores and dancing.

Photography: Myrtle & Marjoram / Flowers: Anne Appleman Flowers / Event Design and Planing: Julie Atwood Events / Ceremony and Reception Location: Atwood Ranch, Glen Ellen, California / Shoes: Lanvin / Music: Adam Traum Trio

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Adam Traum Trio, Atwood Ranch, California Weddings, Glen Ellen, Julie Atwood Events, lanvin, Myrtle & Marjoram Photography
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Napa Valley Weddings, Real Weddings, The Blog

Wine Country Wedding by Amy Nichols

Abby Larson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:17 +0000

Today is a day of Napa inspired goodness. There are so many styles and ideas that you can take from a Napa wedding and apply to just about any style…the laid back elegance, the warm color palettes, the intimate ambiance. Flowers that are a little bit tailored, a little bit fresh from the garden. Food that is organic and seasonal. Styling that isn’t stuffy or overdesigned. The Napa Valley vibe is all about effortless elegance. Creating a warm and totally personal environment.

And this wedding, that Amy Nichols (who we love here at SMP) sent us…is all of that, and so much more. The photographer, Andy Berry of PurkinjeBlue did an incredible job at really capturing the spirit of the day…telling the story to perfection.

The wedding was held at the Miraval in Glen Ellen and was actually only the second wedding to have taken place at this gorgeous venue. Miraval is a destination home that is available for things like weddings and events…and on a clear day you can actually see all the way to San Francisco. Kind of stunning actually.

There are two things that I love about this day. The color palette…and the RIDICULOUSLY gorgeous flowers. Table after table after table of the most beautiful flowers I’ve every seen. Designed by Taste Catering and Event Planning, the style is romantic and utterly delicious. Add to that a color palette of warm pinks, greens and yellows along with homemade charm in the chalk boards and you basically have perfection in my book.

Thank you so much to Amy Nichols and to PurkinjeBlue for sharing this incredible wedding with us. It’s completely ideal for all of our Spring and Summer 2010 brides. And it’s kind of perfect for me too.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Nichols, California Weddings, Glen Ellen, Miraval, Napa Valley, Purkinje Blue, Sonoma
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Wedding Video from our Favorite Feature

Abby Larson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:00:27 +0000

If there is one feature that has been obsessed over beyond belief here on SMP, eliciting e-squeals of glee around the world…it would have to be the Vintage, Shabby Chic Photoshoot that the FABULOUS Lisa Lefkowitz and Gloria Wong put together for Brides Northern California Magazine. The images from the shoot are by FAR the most used images in our reader inspiration boards, with everything from the fashion to the details being used to inspire weddings from here to tim buck two.

Which, of course, is precisely why we are so excited to share this next little tidbit with you. Andrew Hsu, the hugely talented cinematographer that captured the day, just sent me a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot that caused such pandemonium. And it’s BEYOND delicious. You’ll see the vendors putting together a shoot that is so swoon-able it’s almost hard to believe. You’ll see the perfect bride, the perfect table settings, the perfect style behind the day. It’s one for the books and will definitely go down in SMP history as a major fav!

Beltane Ranch – Behind the Scenes from andrew msv on Vimeo.

To see the entire gallery of images from this shoot, click right here! And if you are as inspired as I was by the affair, head on over to the Style Circle and start creating your inspiration board! Here are the original posts from this very day. Love, love, love.

Vintage, Shabby Chic Wedding Part I / Part II / Part III / Part IV / Part V

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andrew Hsu, Backyard, Beltane Ranch, Brides Northern California, California Weddings, Glen Ellen, Gloria Wong, Lisa Lefkowitz, Photo Shoot, shabby chic, Studio MSV, Vintage
Post categories: Wedding Cinematography

Vintage, Shabby Chic Wedding Shoot, V

Abby Larson — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:07:45 +0000

I want to say a huge thank you, from the very bottom of my heart, to Lisa Lefkowitz and Gloria Wong for sending me this incredible, inspiring, hard-to-put-into-words beautiful wedding shoot. For those of you that have to pick your jaw up off the floor when all is said and done, not to fret. The fun doesn’t stop here! The full spread, including TONS of details, will be featured in Brides Northern California in the Fall / Winter 2009 issue on stands September 1st!

Here is a full list of all the contributing vendors….

Photography by Lisa Lefkowitz / Event Design by Gloria Wong Design / Hair + Makeup by Taylor Pham and Mimi Rickett using Thi Cosmetics / Location, Beltane Ranch / Floral Design by Nancy Liu Chin / Wardrobe Styling by Ameliana Kamstra / Paper Goods by Good On Paper Design / Calligraphy by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls / Letterpress by Flybird Press / Fabric Crafts by Anne Millett of Mira Aster / Printed Fabrics by Peapod Fabrics / Wooden Signs by Darline Treitler of The Back Porch Shoppe / Stencils for Wooden Signs by Joanie Klein of Creative Stencil Designs / Salvage Parts on Sign-In Table by Ohmega Salvage / Cakes by Cake Coquette / Pies by Schubert’s Bakery / Candies by
Miette / Flower Girls’ Dresses by Ses Petites Mains / Floor-length Lace Wedding Gown by Amy Kuschel / Runner on Tables by La Tavola Linen

Models: Khrystyna Kazakova from Look Agency (Bride) / Justin Belcher from Look Agency (Groom) / Ryan Monroe from Stars Agency (Flower Girl) / Sofia Ruiz from Stars Agency (Flower Girl)

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 152 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ameliana Kamstra, Amy Kuschel, Beltane Ranch, Cake Coquette, California Weddings, Creative Stencil Designs, Glen Ellen, Gloria Wong, Good On Paper, Lisa Lefkowitz, Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls, Miette, Mimi Rickett, Mira Aster, Nancy Liu Chin, Ohmega Salvage, Peapod Fabrics, Schubert's Bakery, Ses Petites Mains, Taylor Pham, The Back Porch Shoppe, Thi Cosmentics
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Vintage Chic, Whimsical

Vintage, Shabby Chic Wedding Shoot, IV

Abby Larson — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:40:38 +0000

This is my favorite group of pictures from the series. Not sure why…I think it’s the awesome pops of pink paired with the dark suit. The AMAZING flowers that Nancy Liu Chin designed. The photography by Lisa Lefkowitz that is literally making my mouth water. Or maybe the picture perfect styling by Gloria Wong. Whatever the reason, it’s entirely delicious!