Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Having spent summers at my grandmother’s home on the Eastern Shore, I always knew I wanted to get married overlooking the bay in a place that meant so much to me. Being a corporate event planner and venue manager myself, I had a good idea of what I wanted, however, I enlisted the help of Bellafare to bring my vision to life. Starting with “preppy” and “shabby chic” as inspiration, we created an elegant, vintage look with a focus on the things that were important to us like good food, great music and an atmosphere that was both magical and fun for everyone, from our family and friends to our dogs who were in attendance as well.

Being from a musical family, I knew I wanted to include my talented brothers (one being a band member of Darlingside) during my ceremony and reception and incorporate special musical elements throughout the evening. As I walked down the aisle with my father, Darlingside played an Irish Jig that the band had written followed by a duet performed by my brothers.  The Pocket Band played Calypso and Reggae music as guests sipped ice teas served via a circular bar and relaxed by the water while lounging in wicker sofas and chairs. After cocktails, guests were invited into the main tent for dinner. Due to a string of unforeseen weather, Sperry created a village of tents which, along with an eclectic mix of lanterns strung from the ceiling by A Vista, added a bit of magic. On the tables, vintage milk vases were filled with white and green florals including cabbage roses, peonies, ranunculus, and hydrangeas and linens were mixed throughout to add a bit of texture.  Live music played in the background while guests enjoyed watermelon heart salad, beef tenderloin and sea bass. After dinner, we had a cake cutting accompanied by an a capella selection from Darlingside and then Jangling Reinharts brought up the tempo and we danced late into the night.

Entertainment: Jangling Reinharts, Darlingside + The Pocket Band / Wedding Cake: One Sweet Cake / Catering: Federal City / Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau via Hitched Maids / Florist: Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD / Wedding Photography: Charlotte Jenks Lewis Photography / Wedding Planning: Bellafare / Rentals + Decor: A Vista + Party Rental Ltd. / Stationery: Sue Coe Designs / Tent: Sperry Tent / Sound: TEBJR / Lighting: Summit Event Productions / Bridal Party Trolley: Annapolis Trolley / Transportation: Chesapeake Charter

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Vista, Bayside, Bellafare, Charlotte Jenks Lewis Photography, Chesapeake Charter, Darlingside, Discover Annapolis Trolley Company, Federal City, Hitched Salon, Holly Chapple, Jangling Reinharts, Modern Trousseau, One Sweet Cake, Party Rental Ltd., Sperry Tent, Sue Coe Designs, Summit Event Productions, TEBJR, The Pocket Band
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Dan wanted to do a destination wedding from the start so we looked at the Cape, Martha’s Vineyard, Newport RI, and Nantucket.  After the trip, Nantucket was it, hands down. We just loved the quaint old feel of the island.  During our trip we met with Nicole Wheldon of Unique Nantucket, who I could tell from the first meeting knew Nantucket inside and out and would make a great wedding planner, as she did.  She brought us to the Heidi Ho Cottage which we agreed would make a fabulous private wedding location.

After the location was chosen I started on my color palette.  I fell in love with the natural elements and colors of the island, so I decided to do a robin’s egg blue (hydrangeas of the island), sea green (the natural sea grass and brush all around the island), with hints of light pink (the rose covered cottages on ‘Sconset).  We even ended up choosing a color to represent the beach sand when my mother and I chose her Mother of The Bride dress.  I wanted all the flowers to represent the natural flora of the island so of course I chose hydrangeas, roses, stock, lady’s mantle, bells or Ireland, and other cottage garden flowers.  I even had little sea anemones wired into my bouquet.  To help me with ideas I actually used  Home and Garden Nantucket summer 2009.  I would carry it around with me and show it to all my vendors, dress stores etc so they could see the feel and colors was going for.  I just found the pictures to be so inspiring.

My background is horticulture so it was important to me to be married outside in the islands natural beauty. I think I succeeded and we even had some wonderful Nantucket fog during the ceremony. Although we wanted an elegant wedding we also wanted it to be relaxed and comfortable for the guests. We made our dress code resort casual and I made the wedding party’s dress a little more casual as well.  The maid of honor, JB’s, Flower girl, and MOB dresses were all from Alfred Angelo and I had them wear cute ballet flats from J Crew or flips flops.  The junior groomsmen and ring bearers wore little green gingham shirts, cargo shorts, boat shoes, and pink boutonnieres. And finally the little flower boy wore a pink polo. So sad he never made it down the aisle (he got sleepy!), he was so cute!

Wedding Planner: Nicole Wheldon of Unique Nantucket / Wedding Photography: Brea McDonald Photography / Wedding Dress: Anna Maier-Ulla Maija Couture / Bride’s Shoes: Hitched / Bride’s Veil: Erin Cole / Brooch: Homa Jewelry / Floral Design: Soiree Floral / Tent + Rentals: Nantucket Party Rentals / Save the Dates: Dauphine Press / Wedding Invitations: DIY with supplies from Paper Source / Hair: Darya Salon / Wedding Cake: Pam Goddard / Caterer: Island Creations / Transportation: A-1 Taxi / Venue: The Heidi Ho Cottage

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A-1 Taxi, Anna Maier-Ulla Maija Couture, Brea McDonald Photography, Darya Salon, Dauphine Press, Erin Cole, Hitched Salon, Homa Jewelry, Island Creations, Massachusetts Weddings, Nantucket, Nantucket Party Rentals, Pam Goddard, Paper Source, Soiree Floral, Unique Nantucket
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Massachusetts Weddings

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Shelby Leigh Photography…Julie and Aaron’s planned their very Washington wedding on their own. The ceremony was held at the gorgeous Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, while they had their photos taken afterwards blocks away in front of the White House at Lafayette Square.  The reception at the St. Regis was an elegant affair with vintage touches, their silhouette adorned many of their details, laced was used throughout the decor and babies breath (one of the brides favorite florals) was used in their reception centerpieces. The bride had many costume changes throughout the day.  She wore her traditional veil and ivory sash for her ceremony and changed into her veiled fascinator and black sash for cocktail hour and finally a short ivory lace frock for dancing.

Wedding Photography: Shelby Leigh Photography / Floral Design: Occasional Flowers / Event Design + Planning: Bride / Ceremony Location: Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle / Reception Location: St. Regis Hotel / Wedding Invitations: Memento Designs / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dress: Modern Troussau via Hitched Salon / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale via Hitched Salon / DJ: DJ Deep Sang

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amsale, Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, DJ Deep Sang, Hitched Salon, Jimmy Choo, Memento Designs, Modern Trousseau, Occasional Flowers, Shelby Leigh Photography, St. Regis Hotel, Traditional Elegance, Washington DC
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

{find the FULL wedding gallery here}

Jen, a super duper talented crafty girl, was in the midst of her Master’s program when she and her fiancé Tim hired me to plan their wedding. They had Smog Shoppe as their venue and Natalie Moser as their photographer. Throughout that year, we would have bursts of planning periods when Jen was on school breaks and we could knock out things like tastings with the caterer and design meetings. Design was a team effort of ideas, research, and lots of Etsy purchases.

Just one month before their wedding, Jen finished school and all of the DIY ideas that she had been playing around with in her head came spilling out. She made all of her escort cards by stamping each letter of each person’s name, she made the programs/menus, and all of the signage for around Smog Shoppe. She also completely trusted my interpretation of her work by turning everything over to me and letting me go wild with it. Just a few days before her wedding she emailed me to say that she printed handkerchiefs and would love them hung anywhere I could find to hang them. So I pulled out the big Egyptian statues at Smog and hung a clothes line between the statues. Fun! We wanted the ceremony to have a living room feel to it, so I used a combination of benches, sofas, and chairs for guest seating. Jen and Tim stood on a grouping of Persian carpets with a little end table and a sweet flower arrangement on it.

DIY ELEMENTS from Bride:
Invitations: Added embellishments & printed rsvp cards
Wedding Books/Programs: Designed, printed, & assembled
Hankies: Designed and printed on each one 
Table letters, escort cards and place settings: Designed & assembled.. stamped each name letter by letter
Cake sign
Pom garlands

PS from the SMP Family…HUUUUUGE props to the The Smog Shoppe for the awesome feature on The Next Food Network Star. SO super cool!

Photography: Natalie Moser / Venue: The Smog Shoppe, Los Angeles, California / Wedding Planning and Design: Amber Events / Florals: Holly Flora / Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau from Hitched, Washington D.C. / Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Headpiece: Untamed Petals / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie / Groom’s Suit: J Crew / Site Management: TACT Event Management / Valet: Jeffrey Valet / Caterer: Urban Palate / DJ: Hey Mister DJ / String Quartet: Strings by Reiko / Wedding Cake: My Sweet and Saucy / Bridal Beauty: Fiore Beauty / Rentals: Town and Country / Wooden Invitation: designed by Unless Someone Like You / printed by Night Owl Papergoods

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amber Events, Anthropologie, California Weddings, Fiore Beauty, Hey Mister DJ, Hitched Salon, Holly Flora, J. Crew, Jeffrey Valet, Los Angeles, Modern Trousseau, My Sweet and Saucy, Natalie Moser, Night Owl papergoods, Strings by Reiko, Stuart Weitzman, TACT Event Management, The Smog Shoppe, Town and Country, Unless Someone Like You, Untamed Petals, Urban Palate
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Los Angeles Weddings, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, we rarely encounter “bridezillas” at Hitched… in fact, our brides are usually the complete opposite. We love our brides and always feel so honored to be a part of their special day – but there are some brides who we REALLY get to know because they do everything at Hitched (wedding gown, bridesmaids, invites, etc.) and we affectionately call those ladies FOH— Friends of Hitched.

One of our favorite FOH’s is Kimberly Joy Brown (now Moore J), who walked into our store for an appointment this past March and told us she needed a dress in two weeks (!). The Howard University med student went on to explain that she had just discovered she had breast cancer. Because she would be undergoing surgery, she wanted to bump up her Fall 2008 nuptials in order to have her dream wedding before she began treatment.

One small catch– she had no gown, no venue, and no photographer…. just a date in mind, and, of course, her wonderful groom, James! The Hitched team swung into action and started placing phone calls to some of our favorite vendors, all of whom were ready and willing to pull through in a pinch for Joy and James! While Joy happily chose the perfect gown and veil, a team of DC’s top wedding vendors were assembled to create Joy’s wedding vision. No one thought twice about making this wedding happen in just two short weeks.

We have to share some photos from the event— doesn’t it look like it took years to plan? Joy’s cherry blossom theme was perfect for springtime in the nation’s capitol. Check out the emotion that photographer Ralph Alswang captures in each photo… you can see why we love him so much!

It’s quite a rarity that we visit brides on their wedding day, but Hitched ladies Carin, her daughter Leia, and Lynette couldn’t resist stopping by to see the final outcome!

Joy’s bridesmaids wore adorable dresses from Simple Silhouettes in Strawberry Ice Silk Shantung. Simple Silhouettes is based in New York, and owner/designer Christina was able to have the dresses made and shipped in just a few days so the girls had time to get them altered before the big day.

We always loved Modern Trousseau for their beautifully unique use of lace. Now we love designer Callie Tien even more, because she created Joy’s stunning custom gown, matching bolero, and cathedral length veil in record time!

The folks at the Fairmont (a gorgeous hotel right in the heart of DC) really took care of Joy and James. Alice and Bob pulled the whole event together with total professionalism and the results were incredible.

We’re so glad to end our story on a happy note– Joy is doing well and her surgery went smoothly. She’s enjoying being married to “the love of her life”, James, who’s been so supportive throughout the past year. We still hear from Joy and think of her often…she will forever be a Friend of Hitched.

Thank You, thank you, thank you to the girls at Hitched Salon for sharing this amazing story with us! And for spending the day talking shop on SMP!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridesmaids Dresses, Callie Tien, Fairmont Hotel, Hitched Salon, Ralph Alswang, Simple Silhouettes
Post categories: Real Weddings, Wedding Fashion

* * *

OK, we’ll admit it. We’ve got a crush on Reva Mivasagar’s bridal collection. His line is new to us here at Hitched (though he’s already quite established in the bridal industry), and we’re falling fast and hard for his exquisitely detailed gowns. What strikes us most are his silk organza dresses, where delicate embroidered patterns seem to melt right into the fabric.

all images courtesy of Reva Mivasagar via Mike Colon

The detail on the train of these gowns alone is mesmerizing!

Reva’s designs are elegant and romantic but have a sophisticated edge—perfect for the modern bride. His gowns are especially fitting for outdoor venues because the light, delicate fabrics create such beautiful movement.

We also love the unique necklines and silhouettes that Reva offers, giving all of his gowns such distinctive beauty.

More to come!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Hitched Salon, Mike Colon, Reva Mivasagar
Post categories: Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion

To get the ball rolling, I’ve enlisted the help of the girls at Hitched Salon in DC…they own one of the most chic, jump-up-and-down gorgeous shops around, so I am thrilled that they are here chatting about fashion trends!

* * *

As you can imagine, at Hitched we see a ton of different bridal gowns, and we never get tired of white dresses! However, we will admit that we love anything new and interesting that allows a bride to make her dress unique… which is why we’re so excited for the new trend of adding a beaded or embroidered belt to an otherwise simple gown to add some sophisticated flair. We’re loving the detachable belt options that are now being offered by designers like Lela Rose, Oscar de la Renta, and Modern Trousseau.

These eye-catching accessories can really enhance your wedding day look, and since most of them are removable, you can pick-and-choose when to add that extra bit of sparkle during your special day. We love the idea of adding a belt to your gown just for the reception, giving you a whole new, party-ready look.

We’ve even used accessories in non-traditional ways such as a knotted Erin Cole crystal organza headband around the waist of a fitted peau-de-soie Judd Waddell gown to create a totally unique look. Opening your eyes to creative accessory options can help you add just the right amount of pizazz to a gown that doesn’t already have a lot of embellishment. And feel free to be adventurous by mix-and-matching a belt from one designer with a gown from another, which will really make the look your own!

So much more to come!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Hitched Salon, Lela Rose, Modern Trousseau, Oscar De La Renta
Post categories: Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion