Loads more details in the full gallery!

From Jessica  of Jessica’s Country Flowers…Caitlin and Mike applied for our deserving couple contest back in 2009.  They were going through some family issues and struggling financially.  Mike was leaving his job to go back to school full time and they were living off of one income.  They are such a loving couple, devoted to their family and to each other.  We couldn’t of selected a more grateful and truly deserving couple.

The setting: The Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown, New York.  They were married in the chapel on the grounds, Cornwallville Church.  Then the reception following in the barn at the museum.  The Farmer’s Museum is a spectacular venue that has deep roots in New York State’s rural history.  The museum is set on 120 acres of pristine farm land which has been a working farm since the 1790′s.  The Farmer’s Museum is a private, non-profit educational organization.

Caitlin had a really great inspiration board she had created for us.  I used old aluminum sap buckets from my parent’s sugar house to showcase some antique purple hydrangea I picked out of my gardens at 4:30 am the morning of the wedding.  For her centerpieces we created three different looks.  One was in wooden crates, lined with sheet moss and overflowing with seasonal flowers.  The other were chocolate footed metal urns filled with antique hydrangea, garden spray roses and locally grown flowers.  For a simple look, we gathered bright pink and purple salvia, fresh mint, fresh sage leaves and garden roses in various sized mason jars.  Then, clustered them together on the tables.  The smell of fresh herbs is intense and wonderful for a summery wedding.

We created a “family tree” with manzanita branches in tall cylinder vases and purple mokara orchids.  The bride created her own DIY escort cards of flower seeds in envelopes.  We strung natural twine from the two trees and then hung each escort card with a wooden clothes pin.  Natural twine can be found at your local Home Depot or hardware store.  We dressed the escort card table with chocolate color burlap.

Since many guests were traveling, we created cute out of town guest bags.  We filled natural burlap bags with tissue paper, then added raspberry rhubarb jam from Lamothe’s Sugar House, bottled water, Crunch and munch, raisinettes and lavender oatmeal soap from Goat Boy soaps.  I picked up prepackaged “thank you” notes at Walmart and attached them to the handle of each bag with a wooden clothes pin.

Along with Jennifer from Cookie Creatives, we created a really awesome candy station.  She hand made caramel/chocolate popcorn, sea salt caramels, homemade marshmallows, chocolate dipped pretzel rods and three different kinds of chocolate bars.  We added maple lollipops and maple salt water taffy from the sugar house to the display.  I also made my parents famous Maple farmhouse chocolate chip cookies and placed them in jars for guests to help themselves to.   Jennifer also hand decorated sugar cookies with the couples monogram on and flowers.  We displayed those in vintage wooden trays amongst all the candy jars.

For a little candlelight romance, the staff at the Farmer’s Museum helped us hang green oxidized metal lanterns with real candles.  We used thin copper wire to hang them from little eye hooks that were already in the wood beams.  Since the ceilings were so tall, it helped to break up the space and add some drama.”

Vendor Credits: Photography: Justin & Mary / Event Design, Planning and Flowers: Jessica’s Country Flowers / Venue: The Farmers’ Museum /  Invitation Design: Darryl Norsen / Letterpress: Michael Dacey at Repeat Press / Bride’s Dress: Modern Trousseau from White Dress by the Shore / Band: The Lustre Kings / Bridesmaids Necklaces:  JustMade Jewelry / Bridesmaids Dresses: Davids Bridal / Head Piece: Lo Boheme / Ring Bowl: Paloma’s Nest / Candy Station: Jennifer of Cookie Creatives / Cake: Duran of ABC Cakes

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Post tags: Cooperstown, Creative Cookies, David's Bridal, Jessica's Country Flowers, Justin and Mary Marantz, JustMade Jewelry, Lo Boheme, Modern Trosseau, New York Weddings, Paloma's Nest, Repeat Press, The Farmer's Museum, The Lustre Kings, White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Budget Beautiful, Casual Elegance, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance

From Justin & Mary Marantz…

When we first started planning the workshop we had a completely different theme in mind altogether!  But the morning we were going to post the design board, we started our day with a quick peek at Style Me Pretty as we usually do!  Lo and behold, the gorgeous wedding being featured that morning was spot on for what we had put together. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, we decided to head back to the drawing board and pow wow a quick redesign. We knew we wanted to keep the vintage southern feel of the original design so we kept the bride and groom’s attire and the mint juleps.  We love it when a couple uses fruit to compliment their flowers so we added a picture of lemons to the design board and the theme just sort of took off! We wanted to have a workshop full of DIY details that brides could easily put together for their own weddings so we looked for some fun projects to put into the design board, combined with some more lemonade-y details like crates, beverage jars, and a vintage sign. I think it turned out better than we ever could have hoped!  The design board ended up looking like this: click here.  

When we put together a workshop we want it to be as much like the real deal as possible.  We start with getting ready and move right through to the last dance.  When we plan the reception, we make sure to keep in mind all of the little details that make a wedding extra special. That means we plan everything from table settings to good night favors.   

The lemonade theme really let us have fun this time.  We started with the idea of an afternoon wedding and wanted to transform the carousel house into a southern lemonade luncheon. We wanted the tone set as soon as the guests walked through the door, so we decided to do a little something extra for the placecards.  We made them using lemons and small green envelopes, finished off with red bows to add a pop of color to the otherwise green and yellow pallet.   We enhanced the Summery, relaxed mood by decorating with home made paper flag garlands, tissue paper pom poms, and a lemonade stand that could double as a favor display and a desert table.  For favors, we had made candied lemon peels and put them in little burlap bags made by Stonington Paperie propped up with some lemon stick candy.  For a touch of unexpected whimsy we used miniature lemon merangue pies and key lime tartlets for dessert.   To enhance the scene even further, we made homemade lemonade in vintage looking bottles and placed them around the reception.  We also added  extra limes and lemons, mason jars full of wildflowers, and a few homemade signs that read, lemonade 5 cents.

We love it when our couples go the extra mile and plan something fun for portraits.  We added flags with fun sayings on them, cute polka dot glasses, and a lemon and lime bouquet so our bridal party had some extra things to work with. The lemonade stand was also a really great “set” for them to play with.  We attached the lemonade sign to dowels and used the stand for some of our portraits.   It was tons of fun!!  

Although we did most of the planning ourselves, (we even put together the flowers!!) we needed some expert help to complete our vision.  Stonington Paperie made us some amazing details including the menus, favor bags, and bottle tags.  Traci Romano jumped in and designed our table for us and it looked stunning!  We also had Purdy Hill Bakery put together some mini key lime tartlets and lemon merangue pies for us at the last minute and they were just perfection!!

We also owe a huge thank you to The White Dress by the Shore for providing the Bride’s gown and the Bride’s Maid’s dresses and jewelry.  To Larissa Lake who made the stunning hair pieces and necklace for the Bride, and to Professional Makeup by DiLieto who did a fabulous job for us!!  We also have to send a huge thank you to our friend, Alicia Candelora of No Eye Has Seen Photography and our bride Jil, whose help was immeasurable!

The posts for our DIY extravaganza are here: Candied Lemon Peels / Mint Juleps / Old Fashioned Lemonade / Pom Poms / Flag Garlands / Bridal Party Flags

A little info for newly minted photographers on how we shot the details…

The carousel house has amazing light so we used natural light to shoot most of the details.  When shooting details, we prefer to use side lighting to create depth and also try to get as close as we can to showcase unexpected angles. We’re also shooting those wide open (with the 50 1.4 or 85 1.4) for low depth of field and really creamy pictures. When we shoot the couple, we look for slices of life to capture. We look at the way a couple holds their mint juleps as they lean in to one another, or how his grandfather’s watch catches the light when he pulls her close.  For us, slices of life are just as important as the big picture!!  When it’s time to process our images, we try to keep it clean and simple.  Most of our processing actually happens in camera raw and then we season our images with minimal actions that are lowered to about 10 percent each.  We want all of our images to look clean and enduring.

The end results just blew us away and we can’t wait until the next workshop!!

Photography: Justin & Mary Marantz / Fashion + Styling: Beth at The White Dress by the Shore / Paper Goods: Stonington Paperie / Table Design: Traci Romano / Baked Goods: Purdy Hill Bakery / Hairpieces: Larissa Lake / Venue: The Carousel House at Lighthouse Point, New Haven, CT / Make-Up: Professional Makeup by Dilieto

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Post tags: Connecticut, Justin and Mary Marantz, Larissa Lake, New Haven, Professional Makeup by Dilieto, Purdy Hill Bakery, Stonington Paperie, The Carousel House at lighthouse Point, The White Dress By The Shore, Traci Romano
Post categories: DIY Favors and Gifts, DIY Wedding Decor, Photo Shoot, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Photography

OK. Now for the step-by-steps. We’ve included more pictures than are necessary just so that you can get a clear sense of how to craft these bracelets. You can really choose any hearty stem to use on these…you can even make it more elaborate by adding 2-3 flowers. They make for a perfect flower girl accessory or a mother-of-the-bride detail.

Materials
Flower of your choice
Pliers
Copper Wire (one thick, one thin gauge)
Floral Tape
Scissors
Ribbon
Hot Glue Gun

1. Begin by taking copper wire and using pliers snip the wire to the desired length. Use the pliers to bend in the ends so that they are not sharp and wrap the wire with floral tape.

2. Next, wire your flower/s. To wire the flower select a thinner gauge wire so that you can get it through the throat of the flower. You want to form a hook on the end of the wire as you thread it through the center.

3. Cut the stem and the wire to approximately 1 inch in length. Wrap florist tape around the stem and the wire together. Start at the top and pull the tape while you twirl the stem. It should cover the stem and wire evenly and smoothly. Cut the tape and press against the stem so that it sticks.

4. Once you have the flower/s wired you can begin to attach them to your copper wire by twisting the wire around the bracelet.

5. After the flower/s are attached to the copper wire, begin to wrap ribbon around the bracelet to cover all of the tape and to secure your blooms. You can use a hot glue gun to secure the ribbon.

Easy as pie, right? Well, if you still need a little extra help, Julie over at Elysium sent us a video of the DIY project so that your project is super seamless. Here you go!

LOTS more DIY projects coming up next!!

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Post tags: Chase Rivers, Do-It-Yourself, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Elysium, Flower Bracelet, Justin and Mary Marantz, Justin Marantz, Libby and Patrick, Sarah True, True Event, Wrist Corsage
Post categories: DIY Favors and Gifts, DIY Flowers, DIY Projects, The Blog, Wedding Flowers

Starting with the film that Elysium crafted, making it incredibly easy to see how to build your bouquet from scratch…

The video makes this project SO, so easy but if you need to really take your time and use the pictures that Justin and Mary Marantz snapped as your guide, we’ve got those for you too! We’ve included lots of pictures so that you really understand how to build your bouquet, probably even more than necessary. But, we want to make sure that your bouquet is as pretty as they get, so without further ado…

Materials
Variety of Florals
Scissors or Pruning Sheers
Floral Wire
Floral Tape
Ribbon
Glue Gun

1. Gather Tools. Cut the ends of the stems on a 45 degree angle with the proper flower tool or scissors so as to not damage stems and give them a fresh cut prior to beginning so they get a good drink of water. If possible, cut stems under water.

2. Remove Foliage. Remove the thorns, and any foliage off the bottom half of the stems before you begin.

3. Lay your flowers out on the table, blooms facing toward you. Start off with the largest flower to form the center. Hold the stem between your thumb and first finger on the left hand, about 6-8 inches from the base of the flower head.

4. Now with your right hand, add about 4- 6 stems to frame your center flower, evenly and just below the flower head to help fill in the bouquet, criss-crossing the stems on an angle and rotating the bouquet as you work. The goal is to create a point where all the stems cross each other.

5. Point the blooms toward you as you work — not the stems. Continue to hold the bouquet and place 5-6 stems of the same type of flowers evenly around, turning the bouquet clockwise, and inserting the stems at a 45 degree angle. Continue adding flowers for the next round, arranging these flowers slightly lower. Keep the bouquet a gentle rounded shape across the top. Criss-cross all the stems, and give the bouquet a quarter turn clockwise after adding a few stems. Secure stems in place with floral tape.

6. Continue adding flowers and foliage stems, turning the bouquet around clockwise until the bouquet is the desired size. Secure all your stems together with floral tape, winding it firmly around several times in the same place as before.

7. Cut the ends off the flower and foliage stems, so they are about 6-8 inches long and all the same length. Spray lightly everything with water. Finish off the bouquet by wrapping a length of wide ribbon around the stems to cover the tape.

8. You will want to keep the bouquet in water over night and in a cool place. Preferably a refrigerator, just be careful not to let the flowers hit the edge of the shelves as it will cause them to turn brown.

COMING UP NEXT…another floral DIY project!

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Post tags: Chase Rivers, DIY Bouquet, Elysium, Flair, Justin and Mary Marantz, Sarah True, True Events
Post categories: DIY Flowers, DIY Projects, Wedding Flowers

photos by Business Insider and the Huffington Post

It was about 19 days from the wedding and we were entering the home stretch. We started working on the DIY projects (mapping out the DIY chandeliers we would make, the fabric rosettes, the fun translucent menus, the chandelier Christmas ornament favors that would celebrate Patrick’s proposal while decorating the Christmas tree…oh the list goes on and on and on). We were busy ordering the rest of the pillows and rugs, flowers and chandeliers, chosen specifically to celebrate this fabulous modern space. We were movin’ and groovin’ with all hands completely on deck. Then we turned on the news.

photos by Business Insider and the Huffington Post

Nashville, our wedding city, was flooding. And not just flooding…they were drowning. Families were literally swimming out of the homes, holding on to only each other. In one fast instant, friends of mine lost everything and Libby’s wedding, which we knew needed to take a backseat to the devastation became a big, fat question mark. After waiting out those first days, waiting to see what would happen, how the city would fare…we began the process of determining whether or not we could still have the wedding.

Here is what we knew…

Libby’s GORGEOUS gown was lost in UPS space as their facilities were flooded. Thus the search for a back-up wedding gown started, 2 weeks before the wedding.

Her venue had flooded to the second floor of the parking garage and had called off all events for the month of May, Libby’s included. Luckily, we found a back-up, thanks to Jackie and Angela at Elegant Weddings by Angela, though it was pretty different from the original space, which meant that our design concept needed to be re-thought from soup to nuts. Again, 2 weeks before the wedding.

The peony farm that was going to let us scour the grounds for perfect peonies was mostly flooded. Luckily, Chase Rivers had thoughtfully ordered enough flowers in case of an emergency so although it wouldn’t be quite as lush as we wanted, it would still be beautiful.

We had NO time to do the DIY projects that were literally going to make this wedding into something so unique for all of you. Not to mention, with a new space, some of them wouldn’t work anyway. We instead chose the doable ones and scrapped the rest. The favors, the chandeliers, the guest book idea and the lacy luminary bags all got scrapped.

Most importantly, Libby and Patrick made the thoughtful decision that they wanted to move forward with their wedding, despite the forces of nature being completely against them. SMP, along with Sarah, Chase, Justin & Mary (photographers), Classic Party Rentals and Julie at Elysium, all supported the decision 100% and banned together to give Libby the wedding of her dreams. We put back-ups in place for nearly every decision that was made and for those that didn’t have a plan B, Libby gave us full creative freedom to execute the wedding that we knew she would love. She was possibly the most gracious, classy, lovely bride that I have ever encountered and she handled this CRAZY disaster with a sense of togetherness that I can only envy. She was game on…and so were we.

Oh and thankfully, Libby’s dress made it safe and sound. HUGE relief.

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Post tags: Classic Party Rentals, Elegant Weddings by Angela, Elysium, Justin and Mary Marantz, Nashville, Nashville Floods., Sarah True, Tennesee
Post categories: Casual Elegance, From Inspiration to Reality, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

gorgeous arrangement from last year’s wedding giveaway by Jessica’s Country Flowers

The first talented group includes the fabulous Jessica’s Country Flowers, our dear friends Justin & Mary Marantz, the incredible team at Details Wedding & Party Planning and the wonderfully talented Christine at Stonington Paperie, the sweet peeps at Lovely Cake and the always great Beth at The White Dress by the Shore.

The second group of vendors participating in the second wedding will be Jessica’s Country Flowers, the super talented Steve Depino Photography, the awesome event staff at Sixpence For Your Shoe, perfect invitations by Paper Olive, a cake to die for by Toria Dolce Fine Desserts and THE gown by The Plumed Serpent.

* * *

So here’s what the two winning couples will get. An entire wedding to start. That includes invitations, flowers, photography, coordination, cakes, a gown and so much more! Plus the comfort of knowing that you are in the best hands humanly possible to help plan the biggest day ever. It’s really the chance of a lifetime and we feel pretty great about helping the amazing team of vendors announce it.

To enter, you’ll want to go over to Jessica’s Country Flowers and fill out the contact form. In the “additional comments” section, make sure to tell the team all about you (or the friend/family member you are referring) and why you feel like you need this wedding. It’s VERY important to note that the wedding will be a gift to a couple that is in financial hardship and yet is giving back to our world in one way another. Good people who deserve something special. The deadline to enter is July 1st but the sooner you enter, the better as they want to really take their time in choosing the perfect couple.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 44 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Details Weddings, Jessica's Country Flowers, Justin and Mary Marantz, Justin Marantz, Stonington Paperie, Wedding Giveaway
Post categories: Contests

And if you love them as much as I do, make sure to vote for the Marantz’s to with Top Knots on PDN Mag’s current contest!

From the bride…

For our escort cards, I purchased various peacock, 1950s and complementary themed postcards from the Etsy sellers listed above. I then used my home printer to print the name of the guest and table number onto labels by Martha Stewart. The labels were fixed to the postcards and framed in simple frames purchased from a chain store. I asked Colleen of rockabillybebe (Etsy seller) to design the table numbers to match some of the escort cards. I loved the 1950s vibe and the contrasting colors of the card against the rest of the reception decor. She was a pleasure to work with!

The bride took a relatively simple, traditional invitation design and added a single peacock feature to each tied together with a white ribbon. SUCH an incredible way to add a bit of glamour to your paper suite without spending a fortune!

Here are the vendors that helped to make this day so beautiful…

Photography: Justin & Mary Marantz / Ceremony Venue: Fisher Chapel United Methodist Church, Romance, West Virginia / Reception Venue: Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences,  / Ceremony Music: Montani Music Ensemble / Reception Music: Dr. Sean Parson’s Jazz Quartet / Floral Design & Decor: Winter Floral & Antiques / Wedding Cake: Frans Cakes / Make Up: Nina Nolfi Pewdo, Dermatology Center for Skin Health / Hair and Bride’s Manicure: Head To Toe Salon, Kelly Fisher / Catering: Embassy Suites / Officiant: Pastor David Peters / Ceremony Invitations/Programs: Dudley’s Hallmark, Parkersburg, West Virginia / Rehearsal Dinner Invitations: ShopPaperWhite / Bridal Shower Invitations: Siouxsane / Wedding Signs: CatsDogsandDesigns,  / Table Numbers: rockabillybebe / Escort Cards: Peacock Postcards: mynameissmith & AFancifulTwist / Happy Housewife Flashcards: rockabillybebe

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 30 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Audrey Hepburn, Clay Center, Frans Cakes, Justin and Mary Marantz, Marant, Romance, Vintage, West Virginia
Post categories: Vintage Chic

Another really important part of the equation was the hair and make-up that Jennie Fresa designed. Here’s what Jennie had to say…the makeup features smooth, matte skin with subtly contoured cheeks. Eyes were kept simple with champagne shimmer on the lids, a touch of black eye liner, and two coats of mascara for long, flirty lashes (and we added a few falsies!). Cherry red lips finish the look with a dab of clear gloss to make for a kissable pout. For hair, we paid homage to the beehive, with volume at the roots and a soft, simple twist in the back. We allowed the hair accessory make the statement.

Next up…the AMAZING team of photographers, Justin and Mary Marantz. I don’t really have to say much about this duo as the images speak for themselves. But, what I do want to tell you is just how graceful they were throughout the day. Pitching in when needed, quietly capturing little pieces of perfection for us to enjoy. I cannot say enough about just how talented they are, just how lovely.

And last but SO far from least, the lovely and ridiculously talented Karen Bartolomei, creative force behind Grapevine Invitations. Karen whipped together the adorable little “Life is Sweet” gift tags for our pies and the ridiculously clever name tag + menu combination that we tied to the back of each chair. Super, super cute.  Karen is one of those people that can design perfect details in her sleep…and she actually has a pretty awesome book devoted wholly to this concept! She’s a genius and I’m thrilled to call her a friend.

It was beyond a pleasure to work with all of these talented vendors. And with the beautiful model Lindsey who brought our story to life. We will have lots of fun DIY projects from this photo shoot next week.

Stay tuned to hear all about our next inspiration board weekend challenge coming up in just a bit!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 50’s Inspired, Grapevine Invitations, Hana Floral Design, Inspiration Board, Jennie Fresa, Justin and Mary Marantz, Justin Marantz, Photoshoot, The White Dress By The Shore, True Events, Vintage
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers