Beautifully soft, and oh-so-magically chic Charlotte NYE vows between a golfer & his gorgeous wife.

A fresh & modern take on the Ball-Drop wedding in a fabulous inspiration shoot.

Glamorous Chicago New Years nuptials featuring race car drivers, peacocks, and a cake to die for.

A masquerade ball turned New Years wedding, fabulous and straight from the Windy City.

Another fantastically done Chicago affair, taking the new year to a whole new romantic level.

This week at a pretty, pretty glance:

an Old Hollywood theme done right in Pennsylvania
a fresh California soiree filled with what have to be the best smelling florals
a New Jersey wedding that more than gracefully outlasted a hurricane
a perfectly preppy South Carolina fête we LOVE
a breathtaking soiree straight out of Pennsylvania that has left us speechless
a Michigan wedding with the most stunning dress, bride, AND video
a soiree fit for film in South Carolina
a perfect New York NYE bash, with perfect advice.

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Post tags: Avery House, Charlotte, Chicago, Kristin Vining, Kyle Busch Wedding, New Year's Eve, New Years, New Years Eve Weddings, Wedding Inspiration, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

And if you’re dying to see more (we were!) click here for the full image gallery!

In case you missed any of the pretty parade this week:

a golden Los Angeles affair
a New York Nigerian wedding
a Indian Fusion wedding from Chicago
a classy California fête
a sweet soiree in Massachusetts
a Connecticut circus engagement shoot
a stunning Ojai wedding
a Key Largo fabulous fête
a plantation affair in New Orleans
a sweet beach wedding in Massachusetts

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Post tags: Engagement Sessions, Engagement Shoots, Kristin Vining, Lindsey Regan Thorne, Nantucket, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

But for today, we want to wish all of you a blessed and delightful Easter Weekend! And a super-congrats to Wendy and Brad who, along with Kristin Vining, created THE cutest Easter-Inspired Engagement Shoot ever …

You can see Wendy and Brad’s full E*Shoot over on Kristin’s blog!

This e*shoot was styled (wardrobe, makeup & hair) by the always-fabulous Lindsey Regan Thorne!

Ever wonder where the oh-so-talented-Kristin hangs out in her spare time? (Ha! As if she had any!)

Kristin and the amazing ladies at Weddings And The City have been hard at work designing their new office space. Can you imagine working in surroundings like this??

It’s really NO wonder that all of their weddings are over-the-top amazing! If you haven’t already read about their custom design book ~ it’s high time you did: Custom Wedding Design Books from Weddings And The City.

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Post tags: Charlotte, Easter, Engagement Shoot, Kristin Vining, North Carolina, Weddings And The City
Post categories: engagement session, Little Black Book Blog

From Ivy Robinson … Lauren wanted a fresh and modern look. I took the colors of grey and white and introduced the pattern to guests with the invitations and then it was seen again on the cake, soup liner, fish n chips cone, program, menu and candy bar stickers. She wanted to put a spin on the candy bar, so we created glass legs with mirror tops to create columns of candy. This concept was also used as her altar during the ceremony. The room was converted from brown and yellows to all white and at 11:30 pm the curtain pulled back where guests entered a lounge area for dancing and the countdown to the new year. A zebra patterned ice bar with an ice luge serving red bull and vodka was a hit. The DJ spun the latest hits as the guests danced well into the new year. *Read more of the finer details in putting this whole celebration together over on Ivy’s Blog!

More, more and MORE in the gallery!

Oli and I met at Augusta State University when we were there on separate golf teams. We had been together for seven years and were on a holiday in Thailand, when Oli set up a private dinner over the pool with grilled seafood and champagne. That’s when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Even after 7 years I was completely shocked. He’s an incredibly sweet guy and so thoughtful. I’m very, very lucky to have him.

We both have very modern tastes so we wanted the overall look to reflect that; we wanted lots of white and lots of candles. There were two details that were must haves from the beginning… Oliver wanted an ice bar and I wanted a photo booth. These were the biggest hits of the night! Our late night lounge, which was hidden from the guests by draping until 11:30pm, was quite a big hit too. All the incredible details that Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events helped with made for an incredible night.

Photography: Kristin Vining / Ceremony location: Urban Garden, Ritz Carlton Charlotte / Reception location: Ritz Carlton Charlotte / Cake: Josh Cain, Ritz Carlton Pastry Chef / Flowers: Beth Hohensee, Studio Flora Diva / Hair: Lindsey Regan Thorne / Make-up: Lindsey Regan Thorne / Invitations & Stationery: Chic Impressions / Ceremony Musicians: 5th & York / Reception Band: Heather Hayes Band / DJ: Jarrett Gray / Cinematography: Super 8 by Richard Israel / Videographer: Timm Young / Officiant: Jason Davenport / Decor Rentals: Party Reflections / Wedding Night Hotel: Ritz Carlton / Wedding Planning: Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events / Event Design & Decor: Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events / Photo booth: Carolina Photo Booths / Ice Bar: Ice Sensations Calligraphy: Elizabeth Jones Calligraphy / Wedding Dress: Hayden Olivia Bridal

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Post tags: 5th & York, Carolina Photo Booths, Charlotte, Chic Impressions, Elizabeth Jones Calligraphy, Heather Hayes Band, Ice Sensations, Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events, Kristin Vining, Lindsey Regan Thorne, New Year's Eve, North Carolina, Party Reflections, Richard Israel, Ritz Carlton, Ritz Carlton Charlotte, Studio Flora Diva
Post categories: Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

Planning my wedding was a little hard for me. I had an idea of what I wanted, but I felt like no one else could get the same visual picture I was going for. So I hooked up with Tiffany Ratliff from Weddings and the City. I told her I wanted a sleek, modern, contemporary wedding and I gave her a million pictures of different styles that represented me and my dream wedding! When I walked in the room the day of my wedding I was speechless and would only stand there in AWE as she gave me what I wanted and so much more!

Ceremony + Reception Location: The Ballantyne Charlotte, NC / Cake: Cake Lady Jill / Flowers: The Place for Flowers / Gown: Angoliques / Shoes: Designer – Michael Shannon from Off Broadway Shoes / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Designer: Enzoani / Hairstylist & Make-Up for wedding: Kymm Mclean, Who’s the Fairest / Music, Entertainment: Method Productions { DJ} , Hot Sauce { Band} / Photography: Kristin Vining Photography / Caterers: The Ballantyne / Rental providers (tents, linens, tables, chairs, etc.): Classic Party Rentals { Dance Floor, linens}, Extravaganza {pipe and drape and lighting} , Starlight Design Group {lighting, chiavari chairs}, Ice Sensations {Ice bar} / Specialty gifts + favors: All you can Treat / Wedding Planner: Tiffany Ratliff, Weddings and the City

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: All You Can Treat, Angoliques, Cake Lady Jill, Classic Party Rentals, Enzoani, Extravaganza, Ice Sensations, Kristin Vining, Pink, Starlight Design Group, The Ballantyne, The Place For Flowers, Weddings And The City, Who's The Fairest
Post categories: Color Palettes, Contemporary, The Blog

Click here if you can’t wait for Part II!

I think the true testament of an incredible wedding is the feeling you get when you look back on the little moments throughout the day – the smiles that greeted you, the shared wishes, the joy of taking that first step down the aisle and that last second at the end of the night when you say goodbye to those you love and you realize that you wouldn’t change a thing. I still get butterflies remembering those moments and every time I think about it, I want to jump back in each memory. To me, it will always be perfect because it was truly a reflection of who we are.

Our first and easiest decision was our location — it is impossible not to fall head over heels in love with the gardens of the One & Only Ocean Club. Layer after layer, it feels like escaping into a whole new world. And once you reach the top of the gardens, the beautiful ruins of the Cloisters literally take your breath away. I had a chance to visit this enchanting place several times over the years and always tucked it away as my dream destination for a wedding. I shared this dream with my husband, Justin, and even though my parents weren’t thrilled about the idea of a destination wedding, my entire family fell for the charms of this incredible resort.

My dress was by Monique Lhuillier and I still get giddy thinking about it. Regardless of what kind of dress you wear, you want to feel incredible on your special day and I will never forget the moment of slipping on that dress, it felt timeless and classic. It is a moment I wish I could bottle. I wore Christian Louboutin shoes in midnight as my “something blue.” My something borrowed was a Judith Leiber clutch that belongs to my good friend Emmy Rossum and my something new was a pair of beautiful earrings from my new husband. I also carried my great grandmother’s handkerchief to represent something old. There were a few teary moments in the wedding and every time I looked down, I felt her there.

Our colors were midnight blue and fuchsia and we used gold as an accent color. Tied together it was the romance and whimsy that we aimed to capture. The bridesmaids wore midnight blue Lela Rose dresses in various styles and the groomsmen wore navy suits and ties by Brooks Brothers. I gave the bridesmaids their shoes as a gift (irresistible!) and the beautiful gold ball bracelets by J Crew. Henri Bendel is also one of my favorite retail escapes (second to Target!) and we had beach bags, luggage tags and travel accessories in HB.

SOOOO much more to come!

Wedding Coordinator:  Weddings in the Bahamas / Photographer: Kristin Vining / Wedding Design Team: Weddings and the City / Florist: Wildflowers / Location: One & Only Ocean Club in Paradise Island, Bahamas / Invitations and Programs: Alyssa Reeves, Paradise Design Company / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier /  Clutch: Judith Leiber / Bridesmaids Dresses: Lela Rose / Groomsmen Suits: Brooks Brothers

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Post tags: Bahamas, Bahamian, Brooks Brothers, Judith Leiber, Kristin Vining, Lela Rose, Masks, Masquarade, Monique Lhuillier, Navy, Navy and Pink, One & Only Blub, Paradise Design Company, Pink, Weddings And The City, Weddings in the Bahamas
Post categories: Destination, Destination Weddings, The Blog

We have 4 pretty  P E R F E C T examples for you today!

First up … Erica & Brandon. They are planning their May 2011 wedding in Boone, North Carolina ~ along with the help of Lindsey & Tiffany at Weddings & The City and, of course, Kristin. They are really, just too cute for words! Take a look at their entire beautiful autumn engagement shoot on Kristin’s blog!

styling by lindsey regan thorne

See their whole e*shoot on Kristin’s blog!

Emily & Matt just got married in September. Their full engagement shoot is here ~ Part I, Part II. Between Kristin’s clever shots and Lindsey Regan Thorne’s expert styling ~ again, the personality of these guys just oozes fun!

You can see even more of the beautiful Emily in her bridal shoot on Kristin’s blog ~ here!

Lisa and Lance decided to get in on the foto-action and borrowed a few vintage cameras!  Shot at Blowing Rock, North Carolina, their E*Shoot is beyond delightful!

styling by Lindsey Regan Thorne

See THEIR full shoot here!

And last ~ but certainly not least … a huge SMP hug to Lauren & Rocky ~ just married on November 5!

A D O R A B L E !!

Kristin Vining’s art … always blows us away!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fall, Kristin Vining, Kristin Vining Photography
Post categories: engagement session, Little Black Book Blog

click here to see the full, absolutely beautiful wedding gallery!

We got engaged in December a few days before Christmas. Neal was very romantic and pulled off a surprise romantic mid week dinner at the McNinch house (a very romantic restaurant in Charlotte) at the chef’s table no less. He told me we were going to a holiday party for his work – but no, it was a ring, roses and a romantic evening for two! We savored it together and let family and friends in on the big news the next day.

Planning the wedding was a whirlwind! One of the highlights was dress shopping at Kleinfeld’s in New York with my mom and 2 sister’s! I really enjoyed the creative process of wedding design with my wedding planner (Dina Berg Blazek), mom, and Todd Crawford (the florist) after deciding on the venue – the new Ritz in Uptown Charlotte, the perfect combination of modern classic! I wanted it very modern, organic and classic with a theme of white in the reception, but at the last minute decided on a raspberry/pink theme for the cocktail hour for a punch of color and absolutely loved it!!

Ceremony: Christ Lutheran Church / Reception Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel / Cake: Cake Lady Jill / Flowers: Crawford & Company Fine Flowers / Gown: Carolina Herrera / Shoes: Manola Blahnik / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Melissa Sweet / Invitations: Salutations / Invitation Calligraphy from Yellow House / Hairstylist for wedding: Jami Svay / Placecard Calligraphy: Bonnie Clark / Music + Entertainment: Audio to Go, Drew Parham and Noel Friedline Quartet / Photography: Kristin Vining Photography / Rental providers (tents, linens, tables, chairs, etc.): Party Tables (linen), Party Reflections (dancefloor, chairs, tables), American Furniture Rental (soft furniture), Wink Lighting and Swank AV (lighting) / Specialty Gifts: Welcome Amenities for out of town guests by DBB Events / Wedding Planner: Dina Berg Blazek Events / Ice Sculpture: Ice Work, Ice Sensations / Film: Dreamlight Films /

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 28 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black and White, Charlotte, Kristin Vining, North Caroline, Ritz Carlton
Post categories: Contemporary, Traditional Elegance