Click here for even more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

When my husband Jeremy proposed, he fully expected me to already have the entire wedding planned and pull out my Monica-Gellar-style binder from under the bed. While I have dreamed of my wedding since before my first Barbie, I definitely did not have the wedding all mapped out, I just knew I wanted something relaxed, vintage chic and “style me pretty” inspired.

Jeremy is from Colorado and I am from the DC area where we call home, but we have family all over the country and virtually no family that live nearby. After looking at venues all over the country, we finally found Veritas Vineyard in Charlottesville, VA. It was the perfect combination of the things we both love. Jeremy loves the mountains and outdoors and my favorite place is my grandmother’s farm in Illinois. Veritas had the best of both worlds with a gorgeous mountain landscape and surrounding farm grounds and a classy barn-like venue.  Once we had the venue selected, it was easier to describe the feel we were going for- romantic and casually elegant with personal touches. I really wanted a romantic, soft feel and opted for a soft pink and off-white for the colors, with black accents. We found ways to add “vintage” touches by wrapping lace around clear vases and using antique looking vases outside. I also used a piece of lace from my mother’s wedding dress to wrap around my bouquet as a little tribute to my mom.

We quickly learned how fast a wedding budget can disappear, and looked for ways to set priorities. My cousin (also a bridesmaid) is a wedding planner in her spare time and advised us to pick three things to focus on and then get creative with our budget on other things. That was some of the best advice we got at a time when we didn’t know where to begin! It was pretty easy for us to narrow down our priorities to the venue, photography, and music. Luckily, the setting at Veritas was so gorgeous that we didn’t need a lot of extra decorations. We cut back in other areas by printing our own invitations through printablepress.com, getting my veil on etsy.com, going for low centerpieces (which met the intimate feel of the wedding more anyway), serving beer and wine, etc.  My favorite part of the planning was finding ways to add personal touches through the finer details. We brought in a local beer (actually called Love beer, very appropriately) because Jeremy is a big fan of microbrews; added fresh raspberries to the pieces of cake as a tribute to my grandmother, since we always had fresh berries on her farm growing up; used an atlas as our guest book, in honor of our love of traveling; made our programs “fans” with different puzzles on the back to keep guests busy pre-ceremony, in honor of my love of games; had a cousin sing our first dance song, etc. For most of those details (like the beer, raspberries, etc) we had little frames placed nearby that said what it was and why it was important to us. Looking back on it now, all of the DIY, (budget-friendly) details that we added are what made the wedding feel like “us”.

Our photographers, Bill and Anne, really captured our excitement and all of the little moments that we wanted. It was beyond hot the day we got married (close to 100 degrees!), which made getting pictures outside more challenging. (Luckily, as a bride no one will ever tell you that you look sweaty, just that you are “glowing”!) We only had a short time for pictures right after the ceremony, so later on Bill and Anne quietly pulled us out of the reception for a few minutes to capture some shots outside as the sun went down. By that time it had cooled off tremendously and it gave us a second to catch our breath, take everything in, and have a moment to be alone… everyone was eating so it was a great time to slip out, unnoticed. Then we came back for toasts, cake, dancing, and s’mores before a sparkler send-off!

The wedding planning process was definitely different than how I had fantasized about it pre-engagement (in other words, somewhat stressful at times). But when it all came together, it was exactly what I had hoped for and even more than I could’ve imagined!

Photography: Holland Photo Arts / Coordinator: Barb Lundgren of Barb Wired / Venue: Veritas Vineyards / Officiant: Reverend Claire Goodman / Ceremony Musicians: Encore String Quartet + Hillary’s cousins, Larissa & Lucas / Baker: Teri Edwards of Cakes Unlimited / Floral Design: Hedge Fine Blooms / Reception Musicians: 10 Spot Band (through Sam Hill Entertainment) / Videographer: Linda Henry with Blue Mountain Weddings / Dress: Monique Lhuillier, Bliss line

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Holland Photo Arts, vineyard, Virginia
Post categories: Casual Elegance

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the Bride…My husband, Jeremy, and I wanted to get married around Charlottesville, VA, which we fell in love with while Jeremy was at law school at UVA.  We’re both from around New York City and now live in Washington, DC, but rather than a city wedding, we decided to get married in rural Virginia.  We had been to King Family Vineyards many times, and the gorgeous location had special meaning to both of us.  It was absolutely perfect for our wedding.

We wanted the decor and feel of the wedding to blend with the beautiful surroundings of the countryside and the vineyard, so we decided to use lots of sunflowers and hydrangea, as well as other summer flowers that blended well with the area, and burlap table cloths.  We used a variety of containers to hold the flowers, such as glass bottles, tin buckets, and pitchers, as well as a mix of flowers at the tables so that everything didn’t match exactly, but still worked well together.  We also had dinner outside under a tent so that everyone could enjoy the beautiful views while it was still light out, and we then had dancing afterward inside the carriage house.

The ceremony was outside, and it was certainly a warm day.  We provided fans and lemonade before the ceremony to help people cool off a bit.  We had an interfaith wedding, so we had two officiants lead the ceremony.  As a result, we were able to craft the ceremony ourselves using aspects personal to us, including readings from our siblings and my uncle, while also incorporating parts of both of our faiths (Jewish and Presbyterian).  My family’s adorable black lab, Norton, got to walk down the aisle.  Even some of the horses in the background gathered as close as they could to listen!

My mother was really wonderful and key player in crafting the design for the wedding.  Additionally, she created and put together the seating cards with each guest’s name and table number on card stock, punched holes in them, and used colorful ribbon so that they could hang from arrangements of branches.  We also draped similar items over wine bottles from the vineyard which we placed on each table that showed the table number on it.   We used a firework image, since the wedding was on July 4, on our invitations, menus, seating cards, and frisbees (which my dad created stickers for).

We wanted to use all local food, wine, and beer for the wedding reception.  Our caterer did a phenomenal job getting delicious local beef, trout, tomatoes, and many other items.  Jeremy and I live in DC, and the chef at one of our favorite restaurants, Birch & Barley, gave us the recipe for their amazing beet risotto which we used during dinner.  We used King Family Vineyards’ wines, and beer from Blue Mountain Brewery, a local brewery close by.  For dessert, we had mini cupcakes, and passed warm chocolate chip cookies with shots of milk (my favorite!) and passion fruit and cucumber sorbets from Splendora, a shop in Charlottesville.

It was a truly wonderful event, and more than we could have ever hoped for.  It meant so much to have so many of our friends and family with us to celebrate on that day.  All of the vendors we worked with in Charlottesville could not have been more kind, helpful, and professional.  Our wedding coordinator Kennon Ibbeken was absolutely phenomenal. The bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen’s pants and vests are from JCrew.  I also won a sweepstakes on the blog, District Weddings (www.districtweddings.com), where I won 10 free Vineyard Vines ties.  The groom, groomsmen, and both dads picked out their own ties that they wore to the wedding.  My wedding dress was by Jenny Lee.

Event coordinator: Kennon Ibbeken, Easton Events / Venue: King Family Vineyards / Caterer: Harvest Moon / Cupcakes: Cakes by Rachel / Florist: Pat’s Floral Design / Photographer: Holland Photo Arts / Ceremony musician: Peter Richardson / Band: Mr. Potato Head / Hair and make up: Serenity Spa / Rentals: Festive Fare / Ties: Vineyard Vines / Dress: Jenny Lee /  Bridesmaids: J Crew

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Post tags: Cakes by Rachel, Easton Events, Festive Fare, Harvest Moon, Holland Photo Arts, King Family Vineyards, Mr. Potato Head, Pat's Floral Design, Peter Richardson, Serenity Spa, Virginia
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Photography by the fabulous Anne & Bill Holland, Holland Photo Arts

The gorgeous Sperry Tents were provided by LBB member, Skyline Tents!

Stunning! Simply Stunning!

from Pineapple Productions …

Maneli and Tim were such an incredible couple to work with. A trans-Atlantic romance, a passion for travel, incredible friends and family, this was destined to be a memorable event! Maneli wanted a wedding that truly felt like an extension of the Italianate style of her family home in Great Falls, Virginia. Having studied design in Italy, she helped her parents design the beautiful gardens and interior and knew it would be a meaningful setting for her wedding. The soft, pastoral look of the Sperry tents from Skyline Tents provided the ideal framework for an event that would feature Spring and Summer flowers, a seasonal menu and sophisticated romance.

While Maneli wanted a relaxed, at-home feeling to the event, there was no doubt that style would abound. The weekend began with a traditional Persian ceremony to honor Maneli’s heritage. The next day, guests gathered at the front of the home and enjoyed rosemary-scented lemonade before the ceremony. To set the tone for the celebration, Maneli and the wedding party walked down the aisle to some of her favorite Italian opera music.

During cocktails, guests enjoyed the terraced gardens, pavilions and fountains and then were seated beneath the tents for an open air dinner and dancing. The young revelers partied into the wee hours under the pavilion.

We wanted the colors of the wedding to be fresh and seasonal, but also high impact. We worked with a color palette of yellow, pink, coral and white, but mostly in monochromatic clusters to create movement for the eye and an eclectic feel. Jack Lucky integrated flowers that Maneli loved, including peonies, ranunculus, poppies and flowering branches, into lush arrangements with a fresh-cut from the garden style. The menu was inspired by Italy, the mid-Atlantic region and Tim’s British homeland. Guests enjoyed a prosciutto carving station, assorted bruschetta , braised short ribs, Maryland style crab cakes, mini Welsh rarebit and mini trifles, and other delicious bites.

Tim is a musician and music producer, and at one point in the reception he picked up his guitar to perform an incredible rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner and then dedicated Foxy Lady to his bride, Maneli. Maneli’s father is a collector of vintage cars and in addition to peaking the interest of the guests, they made their appearance in the wedding too. It was only fitting that Tim arrive at the ceremony in a vintage British Mini with an American flag detail on the roof. This al fresco, at-home wedding perfectly reflected the sophistication and ease of this beautiful, worldly couple!

You can see more of this beautiful wedding in the SMP gallery {here}!

Venue: Bride’s family home in Great Falls, Virginia
Event Planner: Elizabeth Duncan, Pineapple Productions
Tent: Sperry Tents and Skyline Tents
Décor – Jack Lucky Floral Design
Photographers – Holland Photo Arts
Entertainment – Escapade
Caterer – Well Dunn Catering
Ceremony Music: Sage Strings Quartet
Make-up: Laura Ogden
Hair: Christophe Jouenne
Croquembouche: Patisserie Poupon
Dress: Oscar de la Renta

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Holland Photo Arts, Jack Lucky Floral Design, Oscar De La Renta, Pineapple Productions, Sage Strings Quartet, Skyline Tent Company, Sperry Tents, Virginia, Well Dunn Catering
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

In addition to today’s giveaway, Anne & Bill’s website and blog are FILLED with drop-dead gorgeous weddings, so DO take a peek! Good luck if you enter the contest. The winner will be announced on their blog this Friday!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ace of Cakes, Charm City Cakes, Holland Photo Arts
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

Erin and Steve’s wedding was held on the grounds of Johns Hopkins’ Evergreen Museum and Library. What an amazing venue for a springtime wedding!

After the ceremony, they slipped away for a few of the Holland’s stunning signature portrait shots …

The wedding reception was held at the Carriage House, where “library cards” were laid out in neat little rows, each card with a particular guest’s name. (One of the Holland’s “fab finds” !) On the back was a note stating that ‘in lieu of favors, a donation was being made in their guests’ name toward Reading is Fundamental. You can see more photos of these on the Holland’s blog.

These lovely wedding flowers were designed by Radebaugh Florists.

How sweet are these gingham ribbons on the wedding programs? This wedding is a such a great example of how to infuse real personality and fun into an otherwise formal and elegant affair!

VERY cute groom’s attire!

We really thank Holland Photo Arts for these fantastic photographs of Erin and Steve’s glorious wedding day! You’ve managed to capture the festive mood as well as the seriousness of the moments in one fell swoop!! Although we know you don’t need to be “found” … we hope that many, many, many more brides “find” you via Style Me Pretty!!

to see the full gallery, click here!

Congratulations, Erin & Steve from all of us here at SMP!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baltimore, Evergreen Museum and Library, Holland Photo Arts, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, Radebaugh Florists, Seating Cards, Tie, Wedding Programs
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

photography by holland photo arts

I have a confession to make …. every once in awhile, I get overwhelmed looking at all the lovely Real Weddings submitted to us every day {gasp – dare I say that out loud?}. I run out of adjectives and I can’t find anything really new or really different to show you {one more huge gasp and exclamation point!}.

That’s when I go hunting. Hunting for those photos that for what-ever reason … just resonate in me ~ happy or sad, dramatic or simply sweet.  100% of the time, our hand-picked LBB members have so many pictures of THE most interesting people, places and things  ~ and I am lost on their sites for hours! I think I travel, vicariously, thru them and their journeys!

Another confession … every once in awhile, I even venture onto their Facebook and Twitter pages. Ahhhhh …. social networking. Still a tad bit foreign to me!

However … I did stumble upon (ha!) Anne & Bill Holland’s new “Friday’s Fab Finds“ and wanted to give them a shout! Here’s the intro to this newest adventure  of theirs…

“As many of you know and can see in our work, we absolutely adore shooting weddings. We also love reading about them! In our copious amount of “research”, usually via magazines and blogs, we often come across ideas that we love, but have wondered how best to share them with you. So welcome to the first installment of Friday’s FAB Finds! Each and every Friday we’ll be sharing some of our favorite and fun ideas, as well as featuring some of couples’ ideas. We love getting our clients invitations in the mail prior to the wedding, so we may feature a couple of our favorites here, too. Lastly, as an extra bonus, we’ll often include one of our favorite fabulous wedding vendors (and venues) that we’ve have the pleasure of working together … Enjoy and see you next Friday!

An excerpt from this week’s Friday’s Fab Finds from the Hollands ~

Lately we’ve been seeing more and more couples getting creative with their chosen wedding readings. Corinthians certainly has its place, but unique ceremony readings can be very special, as well and can often better define you as a couple. What a wonderful thing and certainly a trend we like seeing. Your wedding should reflect you as a couple. Who wants a cookie cutter affair for their big day?!? Jennifer & Briggs, who married this past Fall, chose an increasingly popular excerpt from the Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams.

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?” “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real.” “Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit …

You’ll have to go to Anne & Bill’s blog for the rest of that classic reading!

A few more pics from their blog … one of their fabulous finds!

Info about these CUTE button place cards {DIY} on their first Friday’s Fab Finds . Photo by Eric Cable.

And … the increasingly popular photo booth shoots!

LOTS more fun features on Anne & Bill Holland’s website and blog …

More from my wanderings a little later on …

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | Comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Button Place Cards, Eric Cable, Friday's Fab Finds, Holland Photo Arts, The Velveteen Rabbit
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography, Wedding Resources

Here are a few beautiful wedding dress photos from our Little Black Book Files, past + present + future.

The bride sitting on the floor between all her lovely maids (above) was featured here in a fabulous wedding sent to us by LBB members Lyndsey Hamilton and Christian Oth.

And of course this bride (last photo above) was from featured photographer Kate Triano this week on Style Me Pretty.

The wedding in the second row (above) wasn’t featured on Style Me Pretty … but is a totally beautiful wedding shot at The Foundry in Long Island City NY. You can see more of Diana and Osman’s wedding on LBB photographer, Karen Wise’s blog.

The images of the bride in the first row above (right) and the last row was sent to us by our great friends and LBB members, Bill and Anne of Holland Photo Arts. Tessie & Matt’s wedding had so many special details! To see it, take a look at Abby’s FACEBOOK page, Bill & Anne’s blog … or a really good slideshow from their wedding. Tessie and Matt own a blacksmithing shop in Charleston, West Virginia ~ Wallace Metal Works. They designed and hand-made many items that they used in their own wedding. How cool is that! Here’s a link to their website: Wallace Metal Works. It might just be that perfect design/inspiration springboard that you need!

Photo / LBB Credits (top to bottom; left to right)

Row 1: Corbin Gurkin Photography

Row 2: Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Christian Oth Studio/Jake McBride

Row 3: Melissa Dunstan Photography,  Justin Marantz Photography

Row 4: Kate Triano Photography

Row 5: Jenne Hohn Events, Card Girl, Michelle Walker Photography

Row 6: Genevieve Nisly Photography

Row 7: Kate Triano Photography

Row 8: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito Photography

Row 9: Karen Wise Photography

Row 10: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito Photography

Row 11: Holland Photo Arts

Row 12: Sweet Pea Events

Row 13: Holland Photo Arts

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridal Gowns, Charleston, Christian Oth Studios, Holland Photo Arts, Justin Marantz, Karen Wise Photography, Kate Triano, Long Island City, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, New York Weddings, The Foundry, Wallace Metal Works, Wedding Vendors
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Style

Top Row: Justin Marantz, First Class Weddings / Middle Row: Holland Photo Arts / Bottom Row: Bella Rose, Holland Photo Arts

Here are some quick tips…first and foremost, plan your menu based on foods you love. After all, your wedding is a reflection of who you are as a couple and your guests will delight in getting to know you through all of your little details. If you are true foodies, go for something really unique and interesting. If you are a casual couple, think about a fun, whimsical spread like this…

photos by Justin Marantz

In terms of presentation, simplicity is king. Whether you are working with a large buffet spread, a seated dinner or heavy appetizers, stick with clean, simple displays. You can’t go wrong with classic dishes presented artfully on perfect white plates…

Top Two Images: Kristin Vining / Bottom Two Images: Holland Photo Arts

And finally, when it comes to the last course (and some would argue the best course), dessert is a fun way to bring a little bit of personality to your style. You definitely don’t have to stick with a standard wedding cake. If you don’t like wedding cake, skip it! If you LOVE dessert, like we do, offer your guests some fun alternatives along with a wedding cake. The options are endless!

Top Row: Bella Rose / Middle Row: Kristin Vining / Bottom Row: IN Photography

Thank you so much to all of the vendors who worked with us on this feature! And, make sure to check out our Little Black Book caterers (using the quick pick list) for even more menu and presentation ideas!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bella Rose, First Class Weddings, Holland Photo Arts, IN Photography, Justin Marantz, Kristin Vining, Wedding Food
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog