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From the Bride…Sam took me to Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes for a special night on May 25, 2010.  I arrived to our room filled with all my favorite flowers. We had heard the sunsets were beautiful from the bluffs so, before dinner we went for a walk along the bluffs.  As we watched the sun set, Sam looked down to the beach below and said, “looks like something washed up on the shore.”  Spelled out in drift wood down below was “Marry Me Stephanie.” Then, I looked over and Sam was down on one knee! We had a blast celebrating at the resort. Amazing!

My vision was a romantic, intimate and personal wedding where all the guests felt at home.  The Adamson House was so beautiful on its own so, I wanted the wedding to feel like an extension of the vintage touches, colorful gardens and the peaceful sound of the ocean waves.  The vintage furniture and wooden dining tables felt like they belonged at the house and the amazing flowers felt like they had been picked from the gardens. The blues drew on the ocean and the flowers were the colors of the sunset (pinks, peaches) along with vintage silver touches.

I had always dreamed of getting married under a big beautiful tree or by the beach so when we found the Adamson House, it was a dream because I would have both!  There was something so magical and peaceful about the location.  When I would visit it during the planning process, all the stress would melt away, just the most beautiful place.

Kate Holt’s (Flowerwild) flowers are art to me.  They looked like she just picked the flowers from a magical garden. Kate also has a style all her own and I love that they have a natural organic feel.

The cocktail hour was held in a courtyard of the house and the guests took tours of the home which is a museum. The reception was held on the back lawn of the Adamson House with incredible views of the coastline and the beach. The ocean waves could be heard from everywhere on the property.  The mix of long and round tables made the reception feel like a dinner party so, every table was a part of the celebration.  The blue and sand colored linens drew on the ocean and sand and the sunset colors of the flowers popped on the tables.  We really wanted everyone to feel at home at the reception so, we did family style food with comfort food like mac and cheese.  Everything was outside so, we also provided an ivory pashmina for all the ladies that was draped over their chair wrapped in a ribbon that said “With Love”.

We also infused my mother’s French heritage with fresh macarons as favors. Vanilla Bake Shop made the cake. Vanilla also did the mini desserts. The dessert table was something I was very excited about.  I went to flea markets looking for the perfect vintage cake stands for the table.  Then, Found Vintage Rentals filled in the rest!  This was a favorite of mine. I have to add that I think my favorite part of the wedding was the ceremony.  The vintage tables down the aisle, the colorful flowers, the tree and all the guests. Walking down the aisle with my dad, knowing Sam was at the end. The best way I can describe it was.. it felt like a warm beautiful hug.  I will never forget that feeling and how it was the most beautiful setting I have ever experienced.

Wedding Photography: Jasmine Star Photography / Floral Design: Flowerwild / Event Planning: Kelley Gin of Picture Perfect Events / Ceremony + Reception Location: Adamson House / Invitations: Urbanic Paper / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza via Panache Bridal / Belt: Monique Lhuillier / Veil: Panache Bridal / Earrings: Borrowed from 23rd Street Jewelers / Sapphire Ring: Mother of the Bride / Bracelet: Etsy / Wedding + Engagment Rings: 23rd Street Jewelers / Groom’s Attire: Zegna / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Hair + Make-up: Sheree Pouls of Lips and Locks / Calligraphy, Chalkboards, Placecards, Programs, Petal Tags & Drink Signs: Laura Hooper Calligraphy / Vintage Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals / Linens: La Tavola Linen

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Post tags: 23rd Street Jewelers, Adamson House, California Weddings, Etsy, Flowerwild, Found Vintage Rentals, Jasmine Star Photography, Jimmy Choo, Laura Hooper, Lips and Locks, Malibu, Monique Lhuillier, Panache Bridal, Picture Perfect Events, Romona Keveza, Urbanic Paper, Zegna
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From Johnny Productions: While their romance started in the heart of the city of  Hong Kong, Winnie & Andrew were looking to capture a warmer, more intimate vibe with an outdoor and relaxed venue for their July 2010 nuptials. After an extensive search (from Italy to Bali) they found their fit with the Istana Villa in Bali, Indonesia. With panoramic views of the ocean and a perfect blue sky, their reception was filled with beautiful speeches and a lively after party that went well into the night. Family and friends flew in from eight different countries including England, U.S., Switzerland, Japan and Australia to begin the celebration in Bali just before sunset. The aisles were trimmed with bouquets and glass-lanterns and lined with white rose-petals. Her four bridesmaids wore floral dresses which echoed Winnie’s Vera Wang lace applique gown perfectly. To set the tone for the event, Winnie worked closely with Laura Hooper for her custom designed letter-pressed invitations and wedding itinerary. An after-dinner dessert buffet was sat close to the dance floor so that all of the guests could enjoy free-flowing drinks and all the sweet treats throughout the night.Winnie and Andrew also welcomed their guests to Bali with a dinner beginning with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony at Sarong restaurant. The wedding was followed by a poolside sunday brunch party at the wedding venue. It was a perfect wedding weekend with the perfect weather to match.

Photography: Susan, Johnny Productions / Cinematography: Johnny, Johnny Productions / Flowers: Gloriosa Bali Wedding / Event Cordinator: Elite Events / Welcome Dinner Location: Sarong / Ceremony, Reception and Sunday Brunch Location: Istana / Invitations and custom map: Laura Hooper / Programs, Menus, Favors and all other wedding stationaries: Etsy / Groom’s attire: Neil Barret / Wedding party’s attire: J.Crew / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bride’s welcome dinner dress: Marchesa / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Reception Dress: Alexander McQueen / After-party dress: Stella McCartney

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alexander McQueen, Bali, Christian Louboutin, Destination Wedding, Elite Events, Etsy, Gloriosa Bali Wedding, JCrew, Johnny Productions, Laura Hooper, Marchesa, Neil Barret, Sarong Restaurant, Stella McCartney, The Istana
Post categories: Destination, Traditional Elegance

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Natalie & Pat wanted nothing more than to provide an intimate and unique experience for their wedding celebration and bringing together their family and friends from both coasts to Napa, offered just that! After many a trips to Napa, Natalie & Pat thought there would be no better a location for their day. Natalie’s never ending passion for interior design fueled the process with me and her design team referencing architecture, restaurant design and the like for inspiration for her day. She certainly didn’t want a day that looked like any old wedding and in the end, I think we accomplished just that. Sleek and modern with just the right amount of charm played off of the juxtaposition of the venue’s industrial meets rustic design. For the ceremony, Natalie chose the Apple Orchard as the place to exchange vows and kept the area understated with simple black X back chairs and shepard’s hooks. The main statement piece at the ceremony was the black baby grand piano that played Coldplay’s Reign of Love as Natalie walked down the aisle.

During cocktail hour, the pianist continued as guests enjoyed elderflower champagne and wines selected during several trips to the Napa area by the bride and groom. For dinner, we had a true Napa Valley inspired menu that included seasonal ingredients straight from the valley. For design, based on a color story inspired from the interior of a cathedral that Natalie couldn’t get enough of, we worked with a pale slate blue as the base for everything from the invitations to the linens. To keep the look clean and streamlined, Natalie had her heart set on ghost chairs designed by Philipe Starck and the design team was happy to oblige. Clean vessels filled with soft white flowers added romance to the look while maintaining the sophisticated vibe and touches of whimsical yet mod butterflies for everything from place cards to random moments on the drum shades to the picture display.

The evening ended near the outdoor fire place surrounded by modern meets romantic lounge furniture and an elaborate S’mores display. Guests enjoyed, cocktails, cocoa and sweets until the wee hours of the morning when Natalie & Pat said their goodbyes to all of their guests that traveled so far to celebrate with them in true Napa style.

Photography: Jose Villa / Event Planner: Beth Helmstetter / Floral Designer & Rentals: Kathleen Deery / Linens: La Tavola / Venue: Carneros Inn / Cake: Perfect Endings / Stationery: Village Invites / Entertainment: Patrick Numair / Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: Michael Udelson / Piano Rental: Santa Rosa Music Center / Calligraphy: Laura Hooper / Macarons: Paulette Macaron Dress: Oscar De La Renta / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaids Dresses: Amsale

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 36 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beth Helmstetter, California Weddings, Carneros Inn, Jose Villa, Kathleen Deery, La Tavola, Laura Hooper, Michael Udelson, Napa Valley Weddings, Patrick Numair, Paulette Macaron, Perfect Endings, Santa Rose Music Center, Village Invites
Post categories: California Weddings, Napa Valley Weddings, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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This beautiful rehearsal dinner, designed by Beth Helmstetter, took place in the Wine Cellar at Westlake Village Inn in Southern California. Beth kept the decor simple playing off the natural beauty of the room using tons of candles to give the room a beautifully soft glow. Florals in shades of blush pink and ivory from Holly Flora added to the the look, and rattan chargers and a simple champagne linen completed the room. The cellar had enclaves that opened onto the lake where Beth left seating for guests to enjoy the view.

The printed materials included custom invitations, individual place cards with various icons representing the dinner entree options, and a hand painted menu board to be displayed on the stone mantle in the cellar.

The groom’s family even shipped in pralines in the shape of Texas (his home state) as a favor for each guest! All of the out-of-towners also received a tote bag featuring a custom map created for the couple’s wedding invitation suite.

Beth Helmstetter: Planning and Design / Laura Hooper: Calligraphy / Steve Steinhardt: Photography / Flowers: Holly Flora / Venue: Wine Cellar at Westlake Village Inn

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beth Helmstetter, California Weddings, Calligraphy, Holly Flora, Laura Hooper, Rehearsal Dinner, Steve Steinhardt, Wine Cellar at Westlake Village Inn
Post categories: California Weddings

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Jeremy and I had moved into our home about 8 months ago but still hadn’t had a “housewarming” of any kind, so after we got engaged we thought this would be the perfect time to have our friends and family over to celebrate! Since our wedding is taking place in later this year in Hawaii and will be full of bright colors, we wanted to keep the engagement party in metallics – think gold, silver, sparkles and black.

We used a gorgeous gold crinkle paper for our round invitations and I also glued crystals onto each one to add a little bling!

Beth transformed our small backyard into a comfortably elegant lounge area using hanging lanterns to help set the mood. We thought this would create a nice balance of casual and chic for our friends and family to enjoy! Guests headed inside for our heavy hors d’oeuvres display and Beth also created a fabulous champagne cocktail bar complete with our custom cocktail napkins! We made adorable swizzle sticks to tie it all together and everyone indulged in the delcious skewers, champagne, wine and strawberry margaritas.

The evening flowed like a cocktail hour, with everyone mingling, chatting and catching a glimpse of our photo slideshow which we had up on our tv to brighten up the room (big thanks to Steve Steinhardt for producing our engagement photos so quickly!), and at the end of the night we all enjoyed desserts out in the lounge area…we of course had comfy blankets and heaters to keep warm on the cool night.

Event Design: Beth Helmstetter Events / Photography: Steve Steinhardt Photography / Calligraphy and Paper Details: Laura Hooper Calligraphy / Hair + Makeup by Summer Noelle / Catering: Joan’s on Third / Desserts by Vanilla Bakeshop / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 33 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beth Helmstetter, California Weddings, Classic Party Rentals, engagement party, Joan's on Third, Laura Hooper, Los Angeles, Steve Steinhardt, Vanilla Bakeshop
Post categories: Real Parties

see more of the gorgeous details in the gallery!

From Beth Helmstetter…

Talia and Aaron are one of those couples that everyone truly wishes they were…they are so vibrant, hip and madly in love! And, while Talia definitely had a few other preferences for her day, the biggest directive she gave me for the day was she wanted it to be fun! And, despite being in a uber sophisticated ballroom, she wanted to make sure that the day didn’t feel overly formal and stuffy nor did she want anything to feel too kitschy and out of place.

We started out by bringing on one of the best bands in Southern California to ensure the fun quotient was high. This paired with great food and quirky details such as cute silhouettes and a cake covered in sprinkles made sure that guests saw the couple’s personality in every part of the day.

Now, there obviously was a sophisticated and chic side of Talia too which was brought into the day with luxurious linens made of satin ribbons interwoven to make the most stunning pattern. Hundreds of teardrop lanterns hung over the custom dance floor and Kate from Flower Wild completed the day adding her effortless style with garden flowers in just the right shades to remind guests we were very near wine country. It was posh, luxurious and a million other adjectives, but overall, the day was very much like the couple…fun!

Event Design & Planning: Beth Helmstetter Events / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Hair & Makeup Stylist: Fiore Beauty / Flowers: Flower Wild / Photography: Aaron Delesie / Videography: Living Cinema / Linens: La Tavola / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Dance Floor: Barker Decor (no website) / Invitations: Urbanic / Calligraphy, Programs & Map: Laura Hooper / Lighting: Bella Vista Designs / Dinner Band: The Cowling Band / Spanish Guitars: Cale Music / Venue: Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Bella Vista Designs, Beth Helmstetter Events, Cale Music, California Weddings, Classic Party Rentals, Fiore Beauty, Flower Wild, Four Seasons Biltmore, La Tavola, Laura Hooper, Living Cinema, Monique Lhuillier, Santa Barbara, The Cowling Band, Urbanic
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Real Weddings, Santa Barbara Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

{click here for the FULL gorgeous spread}

When Mark and I first started looking into places to be married we envisioned being near water. After visiting a few locations in California, my brother, Alex, mentioned looking into Italy. Villa Balbianello in Lake Como was Colpo di Fulmine (love at first sight) as the Italians would say! We knew as soon as we stepped on the property that it was the place for us. The ambience was perfect – we were in love with the deep blues of the water, the intense mountains, the gorgeous villas along the shores and the incredible gardens. It truly is a magical location! Bellagio, where we stayed before the wedding day, was the ideal little town the guests to enjoy a true Italian experience – quaint cafes, stunning views, truly an amazing place for a holiday.

My favorite colors are red, pink, green and silver. Lisa Hoffman (Ceci NY) helped me to find the specific shades of those colors when we were planning out the save-the-dates and invitations. We decided to go with just the pink, green and silver and work the red in through floral arrangements. Once we had those colors chosen we maintained it through all aspects of the wedding planning. Laura Hooper, who designed all my accessories paid specific attention to the colors as well as what had already been put in place. She created the most amazing maps, which I was able to use on totes (given as gifts to my bridesmaids) and to be given as keepsakes. She also used the same color green and silver on all of our menus and place cards. In doing so, she made everything look elegant, polished and consistent

Photography: Corbin Gurkin/ Venue: Villa del Balbianello / Invitation Design: Ceci New York / Event Coordination: Helen Kershaw & Helen Lord of Love & Lord / Flowers: Vertuani Fiori, Milan / Catering: Food Couture / Wedding Gown Designer: Jenny Lee / Shoe Designer: Jimmy Choo / Tuxedo Designer: Favourbrook, London England / Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Coast / Accessories: Earrings – Fourtane Estate Jewelers, Bracelet was a wedding gift from Mark / Veil: Judd Waddell / Calligraphy Menus, Table Cards, Totes: Laura Hooper / Music: Michelle Pappadia

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 32 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ceci New York, Coast, Corbin Gurkin Photography, Favourbrook, Food Couture, Fourtane Estate Jewlers, Italy, Jenny Lee, Jimmy Choo, Judd Waddell, Lake Como, Laura Hooper, Love and Lord, Michelle Pappadia, Vertuani Fiori, Villa del Balbianello
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Destination, Destination Weddings, Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

I know, right!!! And lucky for us, Julie is starting a new little adventure…documenting real brides and the process of planning a wedding. In little, fun to watch minis that we’ll all be able to enjoy. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with (more info below).

From Julie Hill at Elysium…I’ve always been in awe of the brides whose weddings we film.  They each have a unique vision of how they want their wedding to look and how they want their guests to feel.  I thought it would be so fun to document the REAL process of planning a wedding.  What inspires the bride?  What challenges do they have along the way?  How did they pick their dress, venue, and vendors?  For Libby & Patrick’s wedding, I wasn’t able to film the entire planning process since they live in Nashville and I am in S. Cal but I was able to film the building of all the floral decor the day before as well as all the setup on the wedding day.  Can I just say that I had massive respect for wedding coordinators and designers before I did this, but after?  Let’s just say that they are priceless!!

I am excited to document future couples as they go through the process.  Brides often tell me that they are so inspired by Style Me Pretty (among other things) yet get somewhat stuck at times on how to make their concept a reality.  This series will document the realities, the pitfalls, and the satisfaction and enjoyment of making their wedding dreams come true!  I’m also hoping to document more DIY projects that brides take on that can not only make their wedding more personal & unique, but also a budget saver.

Libby & Patrick’s wedding was an eye opener and so much fun to film behind the scenes.  It turned out so beautifully due to Libby’s great taste and awesome vendors she had on board.  I hope you enjoy this little film of their wedding behind the scenes!Oh and If you are newly engaged and planning a unique wedding based on what you see here on this amazing blog and would be interested in having your wedding planning documented from start to finish, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

COMING UP NEXT…all of the fun DIY projects that went into the day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Arlund Imagry, Calligraphy, Chase Rivers, Classic Party Rentals, DIY Menu, Elegant Weddings by Angela, Elysium, Estillo, Fabric Rosette, Flair, Hana Floral Design, Ikea, Laura Hooper, Melangerie NYC, milk glass, Nashville, Sarah True, True Event, Urban Outfitters, Zumi Sushi
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography