Photography courtesy of Shira Weinberger.

The week at a pretty little glance, in case you missed any:

a beachy Same Day Edit with the most adorable couple hailing from Florida
a bit of Colorado Mad Hatter inspiration ripe for the holiday
a California Halloween soiree, á la Dia de los Muertos
a perfrectly classic and elegant Washington D.C. affair
a sweet as cotton candy North Carolina engagement sesh
a rustic Oregon bridal session with the most beautiful bride
a great word of advice on how to plan a wedding in a week
a very modern, very San Francisco wedding
a contemporary La Jolla fête, black, white and yellow all over
a scrumptious Malibu wedding of one of our loved LBB vendors
a beautiful beach affair on the shores of Mackinac Island

A few of our favorite links from around the web:

a great personalized glass jar DIY, perfect for favors via Oh Happy Day
an absolutely perfect Martha’s Vineyard wedding on Once Wed
a graphic bit of wedding inspiration featuring a Missoni bike from The Sweetest Occasion

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Post tags: Chandelier Events, Engagement Inspiration, Halloween, Halloween Weddings, New York, Shira Weinberger, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Planners & Designers, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

And for those of us who aren’t quite done yet (guilty!) click here for the fab Same Day Edit.

Right off the bat, I knew I wanted to have a super creative, unique, and FUN wedding… and like nothing my guests had seen before, so I decided to design the day from scratch. Being super crafty anyway, I was thrilled to craft our wedding by hand. I was going for glamorous, funky, and really romantic – and I wanted our guests to have a blast!

I was inspired by the colors and textures of Dia De Los Muertos (the day after our wedding) but didn’t want to have skulls all over the place. So our wedding was full of bright colors, feathers, and tons of paper flowers and poms! All of the flowers (made of tissue paper) were handmade by me and my sweet friends. We also glittered lots of different sized pumpkins and set them among centerpieces, and put together a candy buffet that matched our colors. It was on Halloween, after all! I also made our hair fascinators, bridesmaids’ bouquets, flowergirl wand, bouts, and corsages. It was so special to see all the people we care about wearing one of a kind pieces!

My then-fiance and I realized that puzzles are a significant part of our love story, so we incorporated them into lots of our decor. (Years ago, when we were broken up for a few years, I knew Scott was the man I was going to marry… though he definitely didn’t know it yet. For Valentine’s day, I mailed him a handmade heart shaped puzzle that simply said, “Love is patient,” when put together. And how true that turned out to be! We also both love to do puzzles- something we didn’t know about each other.) Our escort cards were puzzle pieces – guests turned over their puzzle piece to see a pattern, and then searched out the other 9 people with the same pattern. Once the pieces were fit together, the puzzle revealed their table number! Secretly, it was also a fun way to break the ice and get everyone chatting with each other. We also included puzzle pieces in lots of other places; you’ll find them peeking out of bouquets, boutonnieres, programs…

We included what we call our “power couple” name – Scigitte (Scott and Brigitte) – in a lot of our wedding elements. We custom-designed Converse shoes for Scott and his groomsmen with Scigitte on them, and we even had our wedding website at Scigitte.com. To this day, our friends still call us that!

The very best part of our wedding day by FAR was our first kiss – when we got back together, we decided not to kiss until our wedding day. It was hard, but it was well worth it. It was the most incredible, special thing, and definitely the crowning jewel of a perfect day. Although I’m sure our guests would say the best part was the photobooth! We also got to have one of our favorite bands, the Pawnshop Kings, come and perform our first dance song called “You and No Other.” Our Same Day Edit was also amazing and had all our guests in tears. There were so many incredibly special things that happened that day, its hard to pick a favorite!

We left the reception through an aisle of sparklers waved by our friends and family. Our getaway car was a gorgeous 1930′s Rolls Royce – a very sweet surprise from Scott!

It was an amazing day – perfectly us from start to finish, and the best way to start a marriage to the man I’m more in love with every day.

Venue: Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club / Event Planning & Design: Artsy Heartsy Events / Photography: Focus Photography Inc. / Cinematography: Threaded Films / Cake: It’s All About The Cake / Invitations: Minted / Photo Booth: Poetry Photo Booths / Band: Pawnshop Kings / DJ: Generations Entertainment / Hairpieces: Brigitte Scigitte / Bridal Bouquet: Desicra / Dress: Allure from Mon Amie Bridal Salon / Hair and Makeup: Lashes to Locks / Necklace: White Owl

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Post tags: Allure, Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Artsy Heartsy Events, Brigitte Scigitte, California, Color Palette Black Purple, Converse, Desicra, Dia de los Muertos, Etsy, Feathers, Flower girls, Focus Photography Inc., Generations Entertainment, Halloween, Halloween Wedding, It's All About the Cake, Lashes to Locks, Minted, Mon Amie Bridal Salon, Orange County, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Pawnshop Kings, Poetry Photo Booths, Puzzles, Ring Bearers, Threaded Films, Whimsical, White Owl
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Whimsical

click here for the full gallery of images!

Photography: Adorro Impressions Photography / Makeup and Hair: Five 1 FOUR Cosmetics / Black Peonies: Dragonfly Expression / Vogue for Witches Tag: Dorothy Jane Shop

Some fun Halloween-worthy tid bits from around the web:

A Sleepy Hollow inspired wedding via Green Wedding Shoes

A Fall foliage tutorial that would be total perfection for a Halloween affair via Design*Sponge

The perfect black and white dessert table from Glorious Treats

A spooky yet incredibly romantic Enchanted Ranch Wedding via Ruffled

Gorgeous Halloween Wedding Invitations via Atelier Isabey and more paper goodness by Wit+Delight on Oh So Beautiful Paper

Yum! Pumpkin Pudding complete in little pumpkin bowls via the ever fabulous Amy Atlas

A Masquerade Ball sounds like our idea of a glamorous Halloween from Snippet & Ink

Pumpkin decorating taken to a whole new level of cool via Alisa Burke

Seriously stylish, yet spooky, Halloween decor idea from Sweet Paul

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Post tags: Halloween, Holiday Inspiration
Post categories: Round-Ups, The Blog

Click here for the full gallery of images!

From Cuppa Photography… Louie and Mary Elisa are chic without the pretension, edgy without being sharp. When they invited me to capture their big day, I knew I was in for artsy cool and urban modern and was so excited to see what they’d come up with! I got my first hint of what was to come when I received one of their gorgeous invitations, completely designed and hand letter pressed by the bride, inspired by the handbills to a rock show. I think it can be really difficult to design a wedding that falls on a holiday like Halloween without having the decor feel a bit kitschy, but Mary Elisa managed to even use traditional Halloween colors and still have it feel contemporary and modern and sophisticated! Their mutual love of music, especially punk,  was one of the shared delights that brought Louie and Mary Elisa together in the beginning and having that theme run through their day kept it so fun and personal. Their invitations and scrumptious cupcakes featured guitar picks stamped with their wedding logo and their guestbook was a beautiful electric guitar covered in messages of love from their guests. They incorporated a touch of Halloween in the costume props in their photobooth, and their guests spent the evening laughing hysterically in witch hats and sombreros! It was truly a delight to capture Louie and Mary Elisa’s unquestionable love for one another and the laughter and fun that defined their wedding day!

Wedding Photography and Photobooth: Cuppa Photography / Wedding Flowers: Celeste’s Flower Barn / Wedding Cupcakes: Michelle’s Pastries / Hair: 26th on Hanover / Wedding Ceremony Location: St. Joseph’s Cathedral / Wedding Reception Location: The French Building at The New Hampshire Institute of Art / Invitations: The Bride / Shoes: Converse / Dress: J. Crew

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Post tags: 26th on Hanover, Black and White, Celeste's Flower Barn, Converse, Cuppa Photography, Halloween, J. Crew, Michelle's Pastries, New Hampshire, Orange, photobooth, rock & roll, St. Joseph's Cathedral, The New Hampshire Institute of Art
Post categories: Contemporary, Whimsical

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

We chose October for our wedding because we love fall and all the colors and smells that it brings. I wanted it to be rustic and warm and you can do so much with all the natural elements that fall brings!

We did a lot of DIY. I made the jam with one of my girlfriends and her mom. We got together and whipped out 178 jars of jam in 3 and a half hours! I did the labels on the jars as well. I had a custom stamp made from impressrubberstamp.com and cut out the circles with a 2″ whole cutter from Michaels and just used hemp string to tie them on. I just stamped it onto cardstock and cut them out then used a tiny hole punch to put the string through. I also made the “CAKE” sign. I used the same font from the programs and just blew it up to fill a page with each letter and my mom sat at my dining room table and cut them all out! Then we just bought one of those “Autumn” cardstock books from Michaels and pasted the letters onto the cute paper.

We grew all the pumpkins that were used throughout the wedding from our own garden:) Shan is quite the gardener! My dad got all the apples from a grower he knows in the area. We cut the centerpiece logs and log cake stands from a fallen tree on probably the hottest day in July. Shan was strapped with his dad’s little tiny chain saw and we cut out 32 log plaques, trying to keep them about 2 inches thick. It was so hot outside and the little chainsaw did so much work that it was literally smoking profusely by the time we were done! Then I had him cut some smaller branches to make the cake stands. Shan leveled off the top as well as he could then just put a screw through the top to secure everything.

Our ring holder for the ceremony was actually a Bible that belonged to Shans great-great-grandfather who was born in 1863. He used it to teach sunday school. But the most special element…right before my dad and I walked down the aisle my dad pulled out a bracelet from his pocket that he bought for me and told me how much he loved me and put the bracelet on my wrist. It’s something I’ll have forever, it touched my heart!

Photography: Tonhya Kae Photography / Flowers: Bugs Garden Girl in Prosser, WA and put together by bridesmaids / Ceremony + Reception Location: American Homestead in Naches, WA / Invitations: Hand-made by bride and individually sewn by Shari Michels / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Dress: Maggie Sottero / Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse / Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal / Cakes: Homemade by Bride’s cousin, Vanessa Norner / Wedding Favors: Homemade jam made by the bride

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: American Homestead, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Halloween, Maggie Soterro, Prosser, Tonhya Kae Pho Photography, Washington
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

Thorpewood, perched high a top the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland, is a sought after wedding/events retreat. Corey and Bruce are both actors in Hollywood, but have family ties near Frederick Maryland, so the dramatic Halloween date and the equally dramatic setting that Thorpewood provided was a perfect match.

The grooms family are both Scottish and donned their respective traditional tartan patterns. The bride wore glamorous 1940′s inspired gown and details. The luxurious bronze palette was woven through every detail of the day…from bridesmaids dresses, to programs, to table linens.

The ceremony took place in the forest “cathedral” in between rain showers. The sky opened up as they recessed to the main lodge and all photos had to be taken under the huge stone arch of Thorpewood. I actually love a rainy, atmospheric wedding day because it allows me to concentrate on mood, emotion, and details. And of course the romantic, foggy lighting actually did feel like something out of a Hollywood movie.

The reception was beautiful. Bride and groom practiced an amazing first dance for weeks…and wowed the audience with a hilarious medley of tribute dances (Thriller to name one). I photographed the bride’s brothers wedding two years ago, and I it is the greatest compliment to be asked once again to capture this special day for both families.

Reception + Ceremony: Thorpewood, Thurmont, MD / Floral: A Country Florist / Catering: Canapes / Cake #1: Eagles cake made by my cousin Kim David of Uniontown, PA / Cake #2: made by Canapes, in-house catering at Thorpewood / DJ: Shew-sical Entertainment Services, Frederick, MD / Dress: Watters via Lilli’s Bridal, Tarzana, CA / Bridesmaids: David’s Bridal / Kilts, Groomsman: Atlanta Kilts / Kilts, Groom and Bestman: Highland Heritage of Elkton, MD / Bruce’s Sporan (purse-like thing around his waist): family heirloom / Officiant: Pastor Katrina Holland, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church / Bagpiper: Tim Carey / Invites: Gartner Studios Invitation Kit from Michael’s / Favors: Caramel Apples by Daffy Apple / Jewelry: All purchased at antique stores around Frederick County, MD / Shoes: Brand: Dilba, via DSW / Veil: Something Bold / Photographer: Geneve Hoffman

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Post tags: Halloween
Post categories: Whimsical

photography by Art of Love /cookies by Whipped Bakeshop -   click here to see all of the gorgeousness!

So hold on to your hats, kids. We’re doing Halloween SMP style…with the most gorgeous details you can imagine and weddings that are as whimsical as they are chic. Back in a flash!

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Post tags: Beautiful Blooms, Donna O'Brien, Halloween
Post categories: Wedding Details, Wedding Flowers

photography courtesy of Studio 563

Before we move on to the story, remember ~ you can see all the images from the day in SMP’s photo gallery!

Alyssa & Jason also really wanted to forgo a traditional ceremony and so they they opted for a cocktail hour as guests arrived at the beautiful Barr Mansion. The guests were able to enjoy the grounds just before sunset. Then, once the sun was setting, bells on top of the Artisan Ballroom sounded ~ inviting guests to the East Lawn of the house for the ceremony. The ceremony took place on the exquisite porch of the home while 200 guests watched from the lawn just below.

Marrying the couple was long time family friend, Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright.

The very talented team at Verbena Floral Design created this fantastic moss wall that was used as a photo backdrop. Too pretty!

Halloween-inspired wedding details …

And just one more shot of Alyssa’s killer Louboutin’s …

A very whimsical approach to the celebration!! Thanks to our Little Black Book members, Verbena Floral Design and Keely Thorne Events for sharing!

* * *

Wedding Credits:

Invitations: Sicily Eason, Florist: Verbena Floral Design, Consultant: Keely Thorne Events, Photographer: Studio 563, Videographer: Ladyflash Productions, Wedding Gown: Anne Barge, Hair & Makeup: Rochelle Rae – Rae Cosmetics, Transportation: Transportation Consultants, Cake: Blue Note Bakery, Dessert: Amy’s Ice Cream, Lighting: FILO (First In, Last Out), Tenting & Rentals: Marquee Tents, Linens: BBJ Linens, Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Edward Grigassy (guitarist), Reception Entertainment: Skyrocket!, Draping & Lounge Furniture: Townsley Designs

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy's Ice Cream, Anne Barge, Blue Note Bakery, Christian Louboutin, Halloween, Keely Thorne Events, Ladyflash Productions, Photo Backrop, Rae Cosmetics, Sicily Eason, Skyrocket, Studio 563, Townsley Designs, Transportation Consultants, Verbena Floral Design
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Whimsical