Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When I think of our wedding day it plays over in my mind like an old black and white movie… like a rerun I must have watched a hundred times when I was growing up.  I hear the song “home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s on repeat… with the lyrics “home is wherever I’m with you” ringing like a bell over and over again.  With my fiancé at the time, now husband, being a musician, our “home” was different every weekend depending on where he was playing that night.  So as you can imagine, trying to research, create, plan, and organize the perfect wedding for us was difficult yet rewarding for us all at the same time.

I would start by saying we love all things vintage, the older the better in my book. The rustic-vintage-DIY style was a no-brainer.  I spent more hours than I care to mention researching various unique ways of turning traditional wedding ideas into something that reflected “us” in the best ways possible. We wanted our guest to feel at home and comfortable, kind of like they were at a big family party or a picnic. The look that we aimed for was simplistic, handmade, and whimsical.  Since, our wedding was outside in my now new parent-in-laws beautiful backyard, this wasn’t hard to accomplish.  Our ceremony was probably the simplest aspect of the entire wedding.  We decided on the park in the center of the neighborhood.  It had a circular meeting area in the middle, surrounded by tall trees, with stone seating all around it.  Our families were seated around us, his on one side and mine on the other.   It was just us and the preacher, no bridesmaids or groomsmen.  Following our short but sweet ceremony, our guests released butterflies as we walked back down the aisle & then we paraded down the street with our “Just Married” banner waving in the air all the way to the reception site where we greeted all our guests before heading off to take pictures.

Throughout the wedding process there were three things that I was definitely sticking to my guns on.  The first was our pictures, and there was no one who could capture and truly represent “us” better than our photographer Austin.  His style and what we had envisioned was spot-on.  Next, was our caterer, and for us, a food truck was a must!  I just absolutely love the simplicity and relaxed feeling they bring to an outdoor wedding.  It allows people to come and go with ease with a hint of excitement like kids flocking around an ice cream truck.  To make a long story short, when Taylor (my handsome husband) proposed to me, it caught me off guard so much I actually turned and said, “I am really in the mood for some chips and salsa” before I even realized what just came out of his mouth.  Of course I would say something like that!  So, when we found that Moe’s Southwest Grill had a food truck that could not only cater but would set-up a huge salsa bar as well, we knew they were the ones for us.  Lastly but most importantly were the flowers.  I am obsessed with wild flowers!  I’m a firm believer in you can never have too many flowers.  When in doubt, more flowers!  With our budget we knew that ordering in bulk from Sam’s was going to be our best option.  I highly recommend looking into Sam’s if you haven’t already.  They truly exceeded our expectations.  The “thrown together look” of wildflowers in mismatched vases is a favorite of mine and we made sure these covered all the tables.  The imperfection was so uniquely beautiful making each arrangement very distinct in its own way.

Wedding Photography: Austin Gros / Day of Coordinator: Cari Moretz of Socially Circled / Catering: Moe’s Mobile / Flowers: Sam’s Club / Bouquet and Boutonniere: Making Arrangements / Butterflies: Fragrant Acres Butterfly Farm / Wedding Cake and Pies: Piece-a-Cake Bakery / Wedding Invitations: Baumbirdy / Veil: Velvet Owl / Guest Book/Fingerprint Tree: Bleu De Toi / Just Married Sign: Celebrate With Fun / Venue: Private Residence / Utensils: Birchware.com / Dress: Claire Pettibone via Dream Bridal / Makeup: Darin Wright of Elea Blake Cosmetics / Paper Bags: Scrap Bits / Print: Joceybella Designs

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 57 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Austin Gros Wedding Photography, Backyard Wedding, Baumbirdy, Bleu De Toi, Celebrate With Fun, Chattanooga, Fragrant Acres Butterfly Farm, Grooms Fashion, Making Arrangements Florsit, Moe's Mobile, Piece-a-Cake Bakery, Sam's Club, Tennessee, Tented Reception, velvet owl
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired

I know that each of our brides would LOVE feedback from you guys, so please don’t be shy!

Question 1: My partner & I are getting married on Saturday, the 12th of September 2009. The ‘look’ we are going for is vintage chic with a modern twist. The era we are mainly channeling is the 40′s, as we love the whole feel of the 1940′s.

My wedding gown is a Mori Lee dress in a vintage lace & tulle design, in Ivory. My bridesmaids dresses are floor length, silk evening gowns in a deep coral colour with a satin halterneck ribbon ( I hope you can envision them from my rather poor description). The have a very old school glamour feel.

Now this is where my problem starts…I am uncertain as to what flowers to use (I am thinking of picking flowers in very soft colours such as pale peach, soft pink and ivory). However, I still want the flowers to maintain a fresh modern feel?!

I am also unsure as to what I can put my H2B and his groomsmen in. I was contemplating black slim fitting suits but I am unsure whether this will look too dark against the soft colours of the flowers etc. My H2B will not wear an ivory suit and this is not really to either of our tastes…I have also been contemplating gray suits?! I would really appreciate your opinion.

What do you guys think? Flowers? Men’s attire with a vintage feel?

Answer 1: I have to say, this bride has it together. I love the combination of gray and coral, paired with a glamorous 1940′s vibe. I really didn’t have to think too hard to design this board, as I am already convinced that she is well on her way to perfection.

As for flowers, I would up the glamour ante and do tone on tone corals…different shades of coral from a peachy pink to a deep, pink-ish terra cotta. Go for soft, feminine shapes to add a feeling of laid back luxury to the look. To add a touch of modern charm, you could use sleek, lacquered white containers for your centerpieces. Might be a nice contrast to the vintage foundation.

Tip…if you love Peonies and your wedding is in August or September, have your florist source roses that have that same loose, fluffy style. If you are on a budget, go for monochromatic carnations. Sounds like third grade, but I swear, they are gorgeous when presented in one color in a huge bunch.

As for men’s attire, gray suits are a must. Pinstripes would be even better. Then, finish the look with a classic 1940′s Cadillac and man oh man….STUNNING.

* * *

PS…check out Heather Fowler’s (the incredible photographer that we love here on SMP) recent wedding that we are debuting on the Little Black Book Blog. It is all about vintage charm!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Grooms Fashion, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Ask Abby

Those are some really fun and beautiful photos, thank you Kim and Niki! We have another featured wedding on the way!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Color Palette Blue White Black, Cupcakes, Details, Elegant, Grooms Fashion, Kim and Niki Photography, Lanterns
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography