From Lauren Rutten Photography … Annie & Sebastian were married on a family farm in Oldwick, New Jersey.  Annie’s mother took on much of the responsibility for planning the event, since Annie & Sebastian live on the west coast and were in the last few months of medical school (Annie) & law school (Sebastian). Many of the details of the day reflect back to how Annie and Sebastian met over 10 years ago in Tunisia. They spent every moment together and they choose a star to remind them of their summer in Tunisia.  Sebastian’s sister took the Night in Tunisia theme and created all the invitations, programs and stationery.

Uncle Henry’s farm provided a very relaxed and natural backdrop for their wedding. Annie grew up visiting the farm, so when it came to deciding where to shoot the first portraits of the couple, we stepped into a quiet trail of luscious woods, near where she used to play as a child.

Annie and Sebastian had friends arriving for the weekend from all parts of the world. Naturally, they wanted to keep their friends partying late into the evening. Dinner and dancing was capped off by a late night bon fire in the middle of the field where earlier they had been married under a beautiful white chuppah.

Photography: Lauren Rutten Photography / Gown: Amy Michelson / Hair & Makeup: RBA Salon in Millburn / Bridesmaid Dresses: Maggie London / Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Suits: Sam’s Fine Men’s Clothing / Caterer: Ross and Owen / Florist: The Rose and Radish / Officiant: Officiant Cantor Stahl / Invitations & Stationery: Groom’s sister / Cake: Ross and Owen / Musicians: Funktion 11 / Venue: Private Residence

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Michelson, Chuppah, Color Palette Red White, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, farm wedding, Flower girls, Funktion 11, Honey, Jewish, Lauren Rutten Photography, Maggie London, New Jersey, RBA Salon, Ross and Owen, Sam's Fine Men's Clothing
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

When today’s featured Little Black Book photographer, Lauren Rutten sent us two weddings and said, “You choose …” well, we just couldn’t! They were both so great! This morning we posted Michele and Chick’s stunningly romantic wedding in NYC at the Harold Pratt House.

And now, this evening, we’re featuring the very hands-on, DIY-styled fall wedding of Jaclyn and Kevin …

Married in early October at Kevin’s family church in Westfield, New Jersey, their ceremony was a true reflection of their lovely personalities. They made this day their own by all of the fabulous and fun touches from beginning to end!

from Lauren …

Jaclyn, Kevin and their friends made all the pew cones, boutonnières and bouquets. Jaclyn says she was going for all muted creams and pinks, hints of blues and browns…with no one color dominating. They wanted a clean, unfussy, organic feeling…artful but non-traditional.

To make the pew cones Jaclyn used 2 layers of papers, a heavy card stock in various pale colors overlaid with patterned and lace-like hand-made paper. They punched holes to hang on the pews using ribbons. The cones were filled with hydrangeas, using florist tubes to keep the flowers fresh. The 2 big wreaths at the church were made with hand-tied willow and ribbons…using a Bowdabra bow-maker she found at Michaels craft store.

. . .

And then their reception! The Mezzanine … with a true 1930′s Supper Club feeling … is in the National Newark Building ~ a really grand setting! They wanted to emphasize the height of the reception space…so using tall centerpieces with willows worked beautifully. Jaclyn wanted to have a hand-tied look…and incorporated Rosemary sprigs as a symbolic remembrance for her grandfather who had recently passed away. The large “I” banner that hung at the grand two-story entrance was made by the mother of the bride…using felt and glue.

Most of the stationery and printed matter was designed & created by Jaclyn {with Kevin’s assistance with assembly}. They purchased the paper supplies from MY GATSBY. Jaclyn kept with the art deco look in choosing her font for her invitations and little motifs and accents.The escort cards are particularly fun, incorporating a wax stamp with 9 trivial sayings inside…each pertinent to the couple.

The penguin symbol on the cards is also a reference to the guest favors. Those little gift boxes held a lovely treat of a chocolate penguin from L.A. Burdick in NH … a favorite place of theirs. Good-bye hang tags saying “Thanks from Mr. & Mrs. Iglesias” were also placed on all the valet cars at the end of the night.

. . .

Kevin believes that “food should tell a story” and so he and Jaclyn set out to do just that! Influenced by a European wedding they had attended the previous year… they served a 5-sampling course meal … each with a slight twist. Frungillo Caterers handled all the food brilliantly. Milk & cookies at the end of the night were a huge hit!

Jaclyn’s gorgeous dress was from Anjolique.

In shooting the couples’ formals … we chose to take a quick trip to Liberty State Park in Jersey City, for its amazing view of New York City. Jaclyn and Kevin wanted relaxed and fun portraits that reflected their love of the city … that’s part of their relationship. We shot the photos before the ceremony so they would be fresh and could also enjoy the entire cocktail hour with their guests. It is my belief that I allow my couples to lead the way on how their day unfolds … to see each other before the ceremony or walking down the isle is a very personal choice.  And given the opportunity to shoot unrushed, relaxed portraits is a wonderful added bonus. The breeze off the Hudson & the cheers of the people around…all added to the delightful spirit of the day for Jaclyn & Kevin.

Kevin sent a wedding gift to Jaclyn on the morning of the wedding … a first edition of Love Letter between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning … a nod to their London engagement.

. . .

Wow! What a wonderful day! Congratulations Jaclyn and Kevin !!

A HUGE thank-you to Lauren Rutten for sharing not one … but two fabulous weddings with us today!! For more of her great wedding images, take a look at her website and blog!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Lauren Rutten Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

First, the subtle but rich bundles of exquisite  flowers amassed in elegant, old-world silver vessels. Followed closely by one single, simple bloom. A ‘catch your breath’ kind of moment …

… bunches of joy … simple love …

Lauren had this to say …

It is one of the great privileges that I am blessed with the opportunity to share very intimate moments of my couples’ lives. I mentioned to Michele that she reminds me of Ali McGraw in Love Story…such down to earth, graceful beauty …

She & Chick are the sort of true New Yorkers who love their city for all the old romance it continues to embody.

from the beautiful bride …

“The setting of our wedding was the Council on Foreign Relations ~ the Harold Pratt House ~ and we were lucky enough to have access to all of the wonderful rooms of this classic Park Avenue limestone mansion. The mansion represents old New York at its best, lots of mahogany, marble and understated elegance. I wanted guests at our wedding to feel as though they were guests at a very fancy dinner party, right out of an Edith Wharton novel. We loved being able to celebrate different portions of the evening in different rooms, ceremony in the drawing room, cocktails in the library, dinner in the ballroom, dancing in the study, dessert in the living room, etc. While our wedding was a very formal black-tie event, it was very intimate and cozy, with candles and fireplaces everywhere. There were tons of flowers, ranunculas, peonies, hydrangeas, roses, tulips, etc, no two arrangements were alike, and the goal of this late fall wedding was to incorporate as many rich jewel tones as possible. The food was delicious and included many local and seasonal ingredients. This evening surpassed all of our dreams and I really owe it all to my mom, who worked tirelessly to make everything absolutely perfect. And it was!

{from eddye … hooray for Michele’s mom!}

more from Lauren …

What resonates most with me as a photographer are the rituals of a ceremony, a couples’ body language, and how people find comfort within a space. Seeing Chick tear up at the first sight of Michele brought me to tears…and then again, under the Chuppah, the way in which Michele gently embraced Chick’s face just as they are about to kiss…this gesture I had seen before when we spent some time shooting their engagement photos. It tells me they are so at ease and gentle with each other. My preference in shooting is always to be in the midst of the goings ons…no long lens and off to the side for me. I want to feel immersed in the space & the emotion of what is happening. Often I find myself in very tight little spots in order to capture a truly unique perspective of what’s going on. I pride myself on being like a very stealth cat and not disturbing the setting…scooting in and out for just enough time to catch a few frames.

What else I remember of the day?  How beautifully illuminated the rooms felt…the Chuppah appeared as though it was bathed in a lovely white glow…and the dinner in the ballroom had a sparkle of rich color everywhere.

from Lauren’s blog …

As I’ve look through the photographs during my editing process, what strikes me most are the joyful expressions on Michele and Chick’s faces. I could tell you all about how elegant everything was, how much fun everyone was having, how delicious the food was, but mostly I want to tell you about the smiles I saw radiating from this couple…

Presenting … Michele and Chick …

What a totally awesome couple!

And for a change, we’re going to give you each and every wedding vendor that we know of!

Catering: Abigail Kirsch Events; Event Designer: Frank Alexander, NYC (Flowers, Chuppah & Candles); Music: Hank Lane Productions; Lighting: GG Productions; Gown: Monique Lhuillier; Shoes: Rene Caovilla; Hair: Mahogany at Bergdorf Goodman; Makeup: Mercedes at Bergdorf Goodman; Gown Assistant/Dresser: Anna Tenorio from Kleinfeld ( she was truly wonderful!); Groom Tuxedo: Ermengildo Zegna custom made at Bergdorf Goodman; Stationery: Vera Wang; Cake- Carl Dean Heddon (designed it to look similar to Michele’s gown).

Thank you SO much Lauren & Michele and Chick for sharing all of these fantastic images from your phenomenal wedding day!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Abigail Kirsch Events, Bergdorf Goodman, Carl Dean Heddon, Chuppah, Frank Alexander NYC, Hank Lane Productions, Harold Pratt House, Kleinfeld, Lauren Rutten Photography, Monique Lhuillier, New York Weddings, Rene Caovilla
Post categories: Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography