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From the bride… Despite growing up in the same town practically down the street from each other, Austin and I had never met. Set up by his mother on a blind date, we had a cup of coffee at a little cafe in Boston, the city which has now become our home. There were butterflies right away and the rest is history! When it came time for the wedding, we found the perfect venue at the beautiful Fairmont Copley Plaza right in the center of the city. The historic hotel captivated us with its gilded and lavish European details. As soon as we stepped foot in the Grand Ballroom, we knew right away that a New Year’s Eve event would match perfectly with our vision and the elegance of the space. Both the ceremony and reception were held in the ballroom. The amber-toned uplighting from Boston Event Lighting gave the room an extra glow. Under the guidance of wedding planner Alice Fay, it was a magical weekend captured by our talented photographer, Kelly Lorenz.

Keeping with the air of romance and vintage details of the wedding venue, the Lazaro dress I wore matched the tone of understated glamor. It had a sweetheart neckline, satin bow ribbon belt, and a tiered Victorian lace appliqué pleated and tiered skirt. I didn’t want to take it off! Every detail of the night kept to the warmth and luxury we envisioned. Silver and gold accents on all the paper products from The Greeting Shoppe and Papermart brought in the New Year’s Eve theme in a fun, casual way. The ivory cake with gold scroll embellishment from Cakes to Remember was a rich chocolate framboise flavor. We made sure to have leftovers the next day. The ceremony was held in the round which created an intimate feel as we stood under the crystal embellished huppah with our loved ones surrounding us on all sides. Since words are very special to both of us, we added special touches by writing our own vows, having my grandmother read and our mothers share a poem. The songs were also specially picked to enhance the ceremony. I walked down the aisle with my father to “Songbird,” sung by Katherine Jipson. She also sang “Feels Like Home” and “You Raise Me Up.” After all of the emotion of the ceremony, of course there had to be some laughter, which I provided by missing the breaking of the glass three times in a row until Austin came to my rescue!

The reception had a warm feel set by votive candlelight accenting the gorgeous variety of soft ivory flowers in mercury urns. Secretly, we had taken a few dance lessons at Boston Ballroom Dance Center to learn how to sway and dip in a style to match the elegant feel of the high-ceilinged room and sparkling chandeliers. We danced to “Ache” by James Carrington and then had our DJ, Cory Harding of Murray Hill Talent, start the party early. The dancing continued in to the wee hours of the night. Confetti and champagne at midnight helped to ring in the New Year as a surprise for guests. Before leaving, guests had midnight munchies and were given a medley of torrone from Modern Pastry as a favor — the same yummy dessert the groom hid the ring in when he proposed!

Wedding Photography: Kelly Lorenz Imagery / Wedding Venue: The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts / Flowers: Tony Montano of Montano Grant / Event Planning: Alice Fay of The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel / Wedding Cake: Cakes to Remember / Lighting: Boston Event Lighting / Wedding Paper Goods: The Greeting Shoppe + Papermart / Wedding Dress: Lazaro via Allegria Bridal / DJ: Cory Harding of Murray Hill Talent / Torrone: Modern Pastry (617-523-3783) / Ceremony Music: Katherine Jipson

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Post tags: Alice Fay, Allegria Bridal, Black, Boston, Boston Event Lighting, Cakes to Remember, Cory Harding, Gold, Katherine Jipson, Kelly Lorenz Imagery, Lazaro, Massachusetts, Modern Pastry, Montano Grant, Murray Hill Talent, papermart, silver, The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, The Greeting Shoppe, Tony Montano, White
Post categories: Boston Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings

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From Anna of Anna Routh Photography… Carla and Sean’s French and Marie Antoinette-themed affair was ALL about the details. Every inch of this beautiful event was draped in pale pink and light blue with gold and pearl accents. Every centerpiece was unique and chock-full of items that had been collected throughout the couple’s engagement. Sean, an Army Captain, beamed when he saw his bride coming down the aisle in her stunning gown that was covered from top to bottom with tiny floral appliques. After a heartfelt ceremony rich with tradition and love from their friends and family, Carla and Sean’s guests enjoyed the most amazing dessert and hot chocolate bar I’ve ever seen — macaroons, cake, chocolate, custard and cookies galore! Yum! After plenty of dancing and even an impromptu hip-hop performance by the groom, the lovebirds were swept away in a beautiful vintage auto. Carla’s keen sense of style and both of their kind hearts showed through in all aspects of this intimate and personal evening.

Wedding Photography: Anna Routh Photography / Event Design + Coordination: April Orr of Leave the Details To Me / Wedding Venue: Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs Mansion / Flowers: Flowers Flowers / Invitations, Stationery + Signage: Blue Eye Brown Eye / Rentals: Premiere Party Central + Marquee Rents / Wedding Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Catering: Southern’s Fine Dining / Desserts: Bake Sale Austin / Attendents’ Feather Fans: DIY by the Bride / Makeup: Beauty on the Go / Chairs: Chiavari Chairs of Austin / Bartending: Utopian Bartending / DJ: Kyle Clark / Stickers + Couple Animation: Charlotte Wuthrich / Wedding Gown: Alfred Angelo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bari Jay

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, Anna Routh Photography, April Orr, Austin, Bake Sale Austin, Bari Jay, Beauty on the Go, Blue, Blue Eye Brown eye, Charlotte Wuthrich, Chiavari Chairs of Austin, Flowers Flowers, French-Themed, Gold, Kyle Clark, Leave the Details to Me, Marquee Rents, Michelle's Patisserie, Pale Pink, Premiere Party Rental, Southern's Fine Dining, Texas, Texas Federation of Women's Clubs Mansion, Utopian Bartending
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the bride… Both having been married before in traditional weddings and not having children, Kathy and Randy decided on a private marriage ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kathy wore a dress and shawl from Talk of the Walk. Her shoes (flats) were Vera Wang Lavender Label so that she could be photographed around the city at various locations with her husband including Love Park, Logan’s circle and the Art Museum. Thanks to photographer Alison Conklin and florist Sullivan Owen, who did the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere, they have great memories of that first special day as husband and wife.

Approximately one week later, the couple invited 50 guests, who consisted of their family and closet friends, to a marriage celebration dinner at Terrain at Styer’s in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful Sunday in early October. The couple had Two Paperdolls design the invitation by creating silhouettes from photographs that the couple took of each other. The bride wore a tea length wedding dress and hair piece from BHLDN, a wrap from J.McLaughlin, shoes from Valentino and a vintage purse from her great-grandmother. The flowers at the dinner were designed again by Sullivan Owen. The menu was planned among the couple, Terrain Garden Restaurant executive chef Keith Rudolf and event manager Elizabeth Clark. Two Paperdolls printed a large menu for the event and smaller menus for each guest as a memento of the evening. Additional decorations were purchased by the bride from BHLDN and used in decorating the magical rooms and reception area at Terrain, including the Mushroom Hut, which featured cupcakes and whoopie pies from The Flying Monkey. The bride’s hair was done for both events by Megan Tadeo from John Andrews Salon. She did her own make-up using Bobbi Brown’s latest palette and colors and wore her own jewelry given to her by Randy from Marco Bicego at Neiman Marcus. The bride and groom’s rings are from Sydney Rosen Jewelers. The bride’s engagement and wedding band was designed by Coastal and was hand-engraved on platinum. The guests were given either mint mojito or rosemary sage travel candles as favors in gift bags from Anthropologie. It was a splendid and magical evening, enjoyed by all!!

Wedding Photography: Alison Conklin Photography / Ceremony: City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (215-686-2233) / Reception: Terrain at Styer’s in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania / Flowers: Sullivan Owen / Wedding Invitations + Menus: Two Paperdolls / Ceremony Dress + Shawl: Talk of the Walk / Ceremony Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender / Reception Dress + Hair Piece: BHLDN / Reception Shawl: J.McLaughlin / Reception Shoes: Valentino / Reception Purse: The Bride’s Great-Grandmother’s / Reception Jewelry: Marco Bicego / Hair: Megan Tadeo of John Andrews Salon / Makeup: DIY / Bride + Groom Prep Location: Sweetwater Farm / Rings: Sydney Rosen Company / Cupcakes + Whoopie Pies: The Flying Monkey / Wedding Favors: Anthropologie

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Post tags: Alison Conklin Photography, BHLDN, Blush, Glen Mills, Gold, J McLaughlin, John Andrews Salon, Marco Bicego, Megan Tadeo, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia City Hall, Sullivan Owen, Sweetwater Farm, Sydney Rosen Jewelers, Talk of the Walk, Taupe, Terrain at Styler's, The Flying Monkey: Anthropologie, Two Paperdolls, Valentino, Vera Wang Lavender
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

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From Jen of Jen Huang Photography… Lauren and Brandon’s wedding was held in the beautiful ballroom at the historic Pierre hotel in New York City. The whole night glittered with glam, from Lauren’s beautiful Bergdorf Goodman dress to her Manolo Blahnik shoes. Lauren’s understated elegance matched her down-to-earth, smiley personality wonderfully, and Brandon looked handsome next to her in his Paul Smith suit. Portraits were taken nearby in New York’s Central Park, which was full of autumn foliage. Guests mingled during a cocktail hour outside the Pierre’s ballroom and were escorted inside the stunning room for dinner. Rose-colored lights shone on gorgeously appointed tables dripping with romantic flowers. The only word to describe the night would be magnificent!

Wedding Photography: Jen Huang Photography / Wedding Venue + Catering: The Pierre in New York City, New York / Flowers: Designs by Sam Davis / Wedding Dress: Elizabeth Fillmore via Bergdorf Goodman / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaids’s Dresses: twobirds / Groom’s Suit: Paul Smith / Band: Charles St. Paul Band / Invites: Judy Palen Designs via Bloomingdale’s

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Post tags: Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Charles St. Paul Band, Designs by Sam Davis, Elizabeth Fillmore, Gold, Jen Huang Photography, Judy Palen Designs, Manolo Blahnik, New York, New York City, Paul Smith, Pink, The Pierre, twobirds, White
Post categories: New York City Weddings, New York Weddings

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From the bride… Our wedding took place in November in Marble Falls, Texas. We had the venue booked within 24 hours of our engagement because I’ve known exactly where I wanted to get married since I was a child. I attended Camp Balcones Springs in Marble Falls every summer growing up, and the second I learned that people could get married there, I knew that was my dream. The camp is nestled in the heart of the Hill Country on Lake Travis, and of all the amazing things my parents did for me in childhood, sending me to camp is the one that I treasure the most.

In the off-season, the camp is The Retreat at Balcones Springs, and our guests stayed in the awesome cabins all weekend and enjoyed all the activities I did as a camper. I wanted our wedding to truly reflect the attitude of the Hill Country. Beautiful and cozy. Elegant without being formal. I have a hard time with color, so I always envisioned the wedding being soft and muted while creating a neutral spectrum. To enhance this, I used gold as an accent color. Our wedding bands are both made from yellow gold, and I love the way it glows. My shoes were gold, the crystals on my jewelry and belt were set it gold, the table letters were gold, and the centerpieces used gold urns. My gratitude for our florist is bottomless. Erin at Rosehip Flora completely floored me when I arrived at the reception. I really trusted her expertise and creativity, and with the little direction I gave her, she nailed it. The flower chandeliers made the pavilion feel so decadent, and the grape wood in the centerpieces bridged the gap between a summer camp and a beautiful wedding.

My very favorite details of the big day are walking down the aisle to “This Year’s Love” by David Gray, drinking bottled Coke from Mexico at cocktail hour, the way our cake matched my wedding gown and how overwhelmed I felt from all the love and support my friends gave me that day. I love that everything about our wedding meant something to me. I love that each and every detail came from my heart. And mostly, I love that someday we will be able to take our kids to Camp Balcones Springs and stand in the place that we began the rest of our lives.

Wedding Photography: Caroline Fontenot Photographer / Ceremony: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Marble Falls, Texas / Reception: The Retreat at Balcones Springs in Marble Falls, Texas / Wedding Coordination: Bess Baskin of The Retreat at Balcones Springs / Florist: Rosehip Flora / Dress: Amsale via Stanley Korshak Bridal Salon / Groom’s Suit: J.Hilburn / Band: The Drywater Band / Mariachi Band: Mariachi Los Gallos / Wedding Cake: Lou Carpenter Sapp / Event Décor + Design: The Bride / Bride’s Hair + Makeup: Morgan Stephanian, Best Friend of the Bride / Linens: Marquee Rents / Chiavari Chairs: Chiavari Chairs of Austin / Paper Name Banners: Ay Mujer / Wedding Cake Topper: Vintage Confections / Bride’s Belt + Bouquet Wrap: Kirsten Kuehn Designs / Place Cards + Clothespins: Morrell Décor / Table Letters: Hobby Lobby

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Post tags: Amsale, Ay Mujer, Bess Baskin, Blush, Caroline Fontenot Photographer, Chiavari Chairs of Austin, Gold, Hobby Lobby, J.Hillburn, Kirsten Kuehn Designs, Lou Carpenter Sapp, Marble Falls, Mariachi Los Gallos, Marquee Rentals, Morgan Stephanian, Morrell Decor, Rosehip Flora, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Stanley Korshak Bridal Salon, Texas, The Drywater Band, The Retreat at Balcones Springs, Vintage Confections, Wedding Details, White
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings

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From Shari of As You Wish Events… Allison and Wes Swank’s goal was to astound their guests in every aspect of their wedding. They started by creating a special save-the-date that had a personal touch by incorporating a hand-drawn image of their beloved cocker spaniel, who played a part in Wes’ proposal. The two had been together for eight years before deciding to tie the knot so they wanted to celebrate BIG. Where better to do that than the big city of Dallas? The couple married at First United Methodist Church right downtown. Family and friends gathered in the beautiful sanctuary, which was decorated with large blooming dogwood branches. After the ceremony, the guests made their way to the historic Adolphus Hotel. The soft pinks and creamy vanilla floral with gold accents created a romantic entry and area for guests to mingle before dinner. After cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, guests found their escort cards, which were each calligraphed by hand, and made their way into an inviting room washed in blush lighting with soft, flowy fabric draped throughout. The table tops were drenched in low, creamy floral arrangements that allowed for easy dinner conversation among guests. The menus were carefully tucked into silk napkins that sat on top of gold chargers to add sparkle and depth to the tables.   After a fun night of dinner and dancing, guests grabbed individually wrapped boxes of Tagalong Girl Scout cookies as their favors. They then made their way out the Adolphus lobby doors to send the newlyweds off by waving hand-painted streamer wands. The Swanks spent the first night of their new life just the way they wanted to, in a beautiful place with great food and entertainment, but most importantly, surrounded by their loving friends and family. Wedding Photography: Stacy Reeves / DJ + Lighting: Marcus Rollins / Wedding Reception + Catering: Adolphus Hotel / Florist: Stacey Murdoch of The Wildflower / Wedding Coordination + Event Design:  Shari Johns of As You Wish Events / Wedding Cake: Lauren Kitchens of Fancy Cakes by Lauren / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier via Neiman Marcus / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale via Bridal Collections by Stella / Groom’s Attire: Ralph Lauren / Calligraphy: The Left Handed Calligrapher

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Post tags: Adolphus Hotel, Amsale, As You Wish Events, Bridal Collections by Stella, Dallas, Fancy Cakes by Laura, Gold, Lauren Kitchens, Marcus Rollins, Monique Lhuillier, Navy Blue, Neiman Marcus, Pink, Ralph Lauren, Shari Johns, Stacey Murdoch, Stacy Reeves, Texas, The Wildflower, White
Post categories: The Blog

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From Juli Vaughn of Juli Vaughn Designs… Let me start by telling you that the bride, Ashley, wanted to plan her wedding around her shoes. All of her best girls and one best boy traveled to NYC for a weekend with the specific purpose of locating “the shoes of glory,” as we called them. It was so fun! She tried on so many pairs, but when her toes slid in to these Kate Spades she just knew.

As her wedding planner and best friend, it was then my job to design the wedding around her style and the prized shoes. We knew the wedding would be in Italy, as her future in-laws had family connections with a charming and breathtaking hotel called King’s Residence in Palinuro, a little town on the Amalfi Coast. We decided to go with a “gilded” theme and also to embrace the warmth of Italian romance. I crafted all of the cork board frames which served as place cards and favors for the guests to put a little snapshot of their Italian trip in once they got home. (They were also light enough to not cause problems with packing.) I also arranged all of the flowers (as well as gathering quite a few native plants via a “nature walk” early on the wedding day) and created the menus. Ashley and Juan’s wedding was truly an international affair – Ashley grew up in California, but Juan is from Uruguay. They met in D.C. and their guest list included people from Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and the USA. Their ceremony was performed by their fathers, grandfathers and friends, all while overlooking the incredible views of the Amalfi Coast.

From the Bride… Our wedding day, July 16, 2011, was spent in the breathtaking little seaside village of Palinuro, in Italy, at the amazing King’s Residence resort — a place situated on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. This is the place you think of while you’re sitting in your office, wishing yourself away to a magical Italian paradise where gelato and capuccino are present at every meal and served by a dashing Italian waiter named Giovanni. This place was the stuff dreams are made of, perfectly fitting for a day in which I was to marry the man I had dreamed about all my life. Juan and I chose King’s Residence, having never been to Italy in our lives, based on a recommendation from Juan’s father. He was sure right about the place — it was absolutely perfect. Our day was shared with approximately 60 of our family and friends, who had come from all over the world to celebrate with us. As Juan and I walked to different tables during our reception, we found that almost every table was conversing in a different language! While some would consider our mini-United-Nations-of-a-wedding a little daunting, to us, it was incredibly special to have such an international flavor to our day. Our wedding ceremony was even conducted in both English and Spanish (saying my vows in Spanish was muy dificil!).

Wedding Photography: Jack & Tina Fussell / Wedding Event Design, Coordination + Flowers: Juli Vaughn Designs / Wedding Venue + Catering: King’s Residence Hotel / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Pearl Hair Pins: Borrowed from a Friend / Gilded Picture Frames: Purchased at Michaels and Spray-Painted Gold

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Post tags: Amalfi Coast, David's Bridal, Gold, Italy, Jack & Tine Fussell, Juli Vaughn Designs, Kate Spade, King's Residence Hotel, Michaels, Palinuro, Purple
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Destination Weddings, Italy Weddings

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From Shannon of Shannon Leahy Events… For this event, we were inspired by a color palette of turquoise and gold. The bride had elegant taste and loved sparkle so we incorporated metallic, sparkle and sequins in subtle ways that really made the decor pop. The bride handmade all the paper flowers that were on her wedding arch with glitter paper from a kit from Paper Source. We had gold glitter in baskets, which the flower girls tossed as they walked down the aisle, and gold Grecian headbands for each of the bridesmaids. Even the bride’s bouquet had little berries spray-painted gold. Atelier Joya handmade all the gold pear place card holders on the dinner tables and the gold leaf wreath on the front door. The escort card display was set in sparkly gold beads in vintage glass trays to create a darling entry display, and this table was later turned over as a favor table with handmade soaps wrapped in glitter paper. The bride owns a bath shop in Pacific Heights, so gorgeous hand-milled French soap seemed especially appropriate for the favors. The bride also made the ring bearer pillow, which also fit with the color palette.

One of my favorite details was the custom DJ booth for the dancing portion of the evening. The bride is a wonderful painter, and we took a high resolution photograph of one of her abstract paintings and turned it into the light-up facade for the DJ booth. Often this detail is reserved for logos for corporate functions, but I thought it was really fun how it made the event feel personal (and served as a great backdrop for toasts).

An interesting piece of inspiration was how this wedding was structured. The bride invited about 50 guests — close family and her bridal party — to the ceremony and dinner portion of the evening. After dinner, everyone headed outside for a group photo while we cleaned the dinner tables and prepared for another 150 guests to join the bridal party for a rockin’ party. We had a taco station, a noodle bar, an ice cream sundae bar (with sugared mint leaves, among other things!), some great specialty cocktails, a photo booth and fabulous tunes by DJ Goyo along with layers of heavy passed hors d’oeuvres. It was such a fun way to have an intimate wedding but still have everyone join in the celebration and worked particularly well since the majority of their guests were local.

Wedding Photography: Sasha Gulish Photography / Wedding Flowers: Atelier Joya / Event Planning + Design: Shannon Leahy Events / Wedding Venue: General’s Residence in San Francisco, California / Catering: Living Room Events / Desserts: The Whole Cake / DJ: DJ Goyo / Paper Flowers: DIY by the Bride / Paper Flower Materials: Paper Source / Wedding Gown: Kali Lambson-Bloom of Dark Gardens / Headbands: Atelier Joya / Flower Girl Dresses: Custom, Wee Scotty / Soap Wedding Favors: Bath Sense, Owned by the Bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: Various Designers / Linens: La Tavola

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Post tags: Atelier Joya, California, DJ Goyo, Flower girls, Fort Mason General's Residence, Gold, lily, Living Room Events, Lucite Boxes, moped, Paper Source, San Francisco, Sasha Gulish Photography, Shannon Leahy Events, Succulent, The Whole Cake, Tiffany blue, Turquoise
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance