Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When Peter and I decided to start planning our wedding, our main priorities were to have an event that would be relaxing and enjoyable for family and friends, and to have great food and wine. Chateau St. Jean was perfect for our summer outdoor wedding. The winery is located in an area called “Valley of the Moon” in Sonoma, California.  Having lived in San Francisco for many years, I had the opportunity to visit many Napa and Sonoma wineries, and Valley of the Moon became one of my favorite areas. I loved its natural beauty – it had such a relaxing atmosphere, with a Southern European feel.

Sonoma in July can be very warm. To diffuse the heat, we greeted our guests with chilled pomegranate lemonade and Asian paper parasols.  As they were seated, they enjoyed a Spanish guitarist, who also played during the ceremony and cocktail hour.  Our ceremony took place in the shade of the trees, and Chateau St. Jean’s vineyards were the beautiful vistas for the reception dinner. Chateau St. Jean provides Japanese lanterns that are hung between trees over the reception area. We loved those lanterns – they created a magical, fairytale setting.  With good food, music, wine, and desserts: this was the best way to enjoy our special day with friends and family.

Planner: Kiyoe Logan of Celebrations by Kiyoe / Catering: Elaine Bell / DJ: Perfect Day Events / Floral Design: Fleurs de France / Guitarist: Wine Country Music / Hair + Make-up: Mimi + Taylor Salon / Officiant: Dave Weidlich / Wedding Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz Photography / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals + Wildflower Linen / Wedding Cake: Fleur de Lisa / Wedding Dress #1 (getting ready + ceremony): Alfredo Angelo / Wedding Dress #2 (family pictures, cocktail + dinner): Mori Lee / Bride’s Shoes: Grazia / Groom’s Tuxedo: Calvin Klein / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfredo Angelo / Venue: Chateau St. Jean

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alfredo Angelo, California Weddings, Calvin Klein, Celebrations by Kiyoe, Chateau St. Jean, Classic Party Rentals, Dave Weidlich, Elaine Bell Catering, Fleur de France, Fleur De Lisa Cakes, Grazia, Lisa Lefkowitz, Mimi & Taylor Salon, Mori Lee, Perfect Day Events, Sonoma, Wildflower Linens, Wine Country Music
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Napa Valley Weddings

1) Blush Pink Linen Sofa: Pale, dusty pink with a bit of an orangey undertone is actually quite a neutral color. It’s lovely mixed with other colors, but best of all it’s super complimentary with every skin tone. You’ll look and feel beautiful sitting in your living room!

2) Sunrise Print: The soft colors in this photograph are so calming and pretty! I love the little hits of dark colors and shapes for contrast. Isn’t it magical when feminine and modern come together?!

3) Gold Moroccan Pouf: Any pouf is a practical addition to a room. It’s a place to prop up your feet, put down your popcorn bowl, or even extra seating in a pinch. But I really love this pouf in shimmery gold! It’s such a great accent piece!

4) Blue Stripe Alpaca Throw: Anything striped gets my vote, but I’m just crazy over this super soft and very pretty throw by Dwell Studio! I’m pretty sure this one would move from room to room in my home.

5) Rustic Portico Mirror: I like the mix of country and modern happening here with this mirror from West Elm. It would be perfect for a nook or a small wall in just about any room in your home.

6) Ceramic Gourd Lamp: Lamps are a great place to get adventurous with color. This Robert Abbey lamp is a classic. I’ve used it in many design projects and can say that it’s definitely even more beautiful in person! The color is amazing and the quality is worth the little jump in price tag from ho-hum lamps.

7) Agate Boxes: These stone veneer boxes are stunning! I’m imagining a special one on an entry console or a coffee table. I’d want to be able to see and enjoy this piece every day.

Hot Pink French Desk: Can you believe this French style reproduction desk is only $225? A pretty small price tag for a big statement piece!

9) Gray Ombre Rug: This pretty ombre rug is a great way to incorporate the ombre trend, but the gray color is classic and also a little masculine. It’s all about find the balance in colors and styles. A rug like this one would help to balance out the pink sofa.

10) Guava Block Print Pillow: Pillows are my favorite part of home decor. I love fabrics and color and this is a great place to go a little crazy and have some fun. The investment is pretty small too, so it’s easy to commit to and also easy to change.

11) Rose Pink Velvet Pillow: Here’s another pretty pillow with a really interesting shape. The velvet looks so soft and is a great way to add a new layer of texture.

12) Ikat X Bench: X Benches look great sitting at a desk or in a pair in front of a console table or a sofa. They’re another really versatile piece of furniture with an interesting shape. I love the ikat fabric here too. It’s a softer color and a smaller scale, which makes it feel a little less graphic and more organic. A good choice for this room!

Omg, I want every single one of those gorgeous items in my house like right now…okay, maybe more like yesterday! A big thanks to Jenny Komenda from The Little Green Notebook for playing along! We love you! Make sure to check out all her other fabulous ideas here on her blog and check back next week for our forth and final (for now) Blogger’s Challenge!

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a pretty Sayulita wedding
a beautiful Laguna Gloria fete
a nautical, stipe infused Malibu wedding
an urban chic Chicago affair
a colorful Sonoma stunner
a gorgeous Santa Barbara wedding
a day full of seven gorgeous weddings
a whimsical New York wedding
a beyond beautiful Bayside fete
a Santa Barbara stunner

Some fabulous links from around the web:

A cute-as-can-be DIY tea favor via Once Wed
A not so vertically challenged DIY garden via DesignSponge
A guide to fun with fall fruit and flowers via One Lovely Day

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

Erica Weddings
Jason Q Tran Photography
Bella Angel, LLC
Fine & Fleurie
The Finer Things Event Planning
Casa de Novia Bridal Couture
Lachlan Burrell Photography
A New York City Wedding by Rev. Will
The Pink Orange, LLC.
HEY MISTER DJ “DJs that PLEASE without the CHEESE”
Russell Morin Fine Catering
Hart to Heart Media
Haiku Mill
Captured Photography by Jenny
All You Need Is Love Events

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here. We’d love to hear from you!

And lastly, we have a lucky winner to announce! The winner of the Ceci NY vintage postcard save the dates and thank yous (with the purchase of a 4-piece Invitation suite) is Mandy! Congrats chica!

Have a pretty, pretty weekend! See you back here Monday morning. xoxo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blogger's Challenge, Jenny Komenda, Lisa Lefkowitz, Napa Valley, The Little Green Notebook, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: The Blog

This week my dream wedding would be oh-so-much fun for a summer fête in the sunshine state full of bright, sherbet colors and packed with modern details.  The luscious pink, orange and yellow blossoms would just look delicious against the sandy seashore, don’t you think?

Now it’s your turn so get out there and start board building!  And don’t hold back!  I can’t wait to see what y’all come up with because I know it’s going to be out-of-this-world.  Remember to TAG your boards Inspire Me Pretty FL and get back here to see if we picked your board!

If you need help creating a board with our handy dandy board building check out the video tutorial and FAQs!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Board Builder, Elizabeth Messina, Florida, Inspiration Board, Lisa Lefkowitz, Luxe, Maggie Harkov, Modern, Sherbet
Post categories: Florida Weddings, Style Circle

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From Lisa Lefkowitz: Carolyn and David’s request: a beautiful event that was as playful as they are. Mission accomplished! Helmed by Jubilee Lau, their gorgeous, modern affair took place at San Francisco’s de Young Museum, whose cutting-egde architecture was a dramatic backdrop for our portrait session. Inside, uber-talented designer Gloria Wong, alongside florist Hunt Littlefield, created a landscape of playfulness and glamour mixed into one. A forest of white trees, a mock “exhibit” of mementos from Carolyn and David’s lives, snappy little sayings on drink swizzle sticks and a photobooth all made for an amazing evening.

Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz / Planner: Jubilee Lau Events / Event Designer: Gloria Wong Design / Location: The de Young Museum / Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Floral Designer: Hunt Littlefield / Hair and Makeup: Get Your Do Up / DJ: Ron Grandia / Cake : Cakework / Musicians: Golden Gate Strings / Lighting and Draping: Enhanced Lighting / Rentals: Hartmann and Classic Party Rentals Custom Fabricated Pieces: Blueprint Studios / Photobooth: Photoworks Interactive / Paper Goods: Olive-Route

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blueprint Studios, Cakework, DJ Ron Grandia, Enhanced Lighting, Get Your Do Up, Gloria Wong Design, Golden Gate Strings, Hartmann and Classic Party Rentals, Hunt Littlefield, Jubilee Lau Events, Lisa Lefkowitz, Paula Le Duc Fine Catering, Photoworks Interactive, San Francisco, The de Young Museum, Traditional Elegance
Post categories: Contemporary

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Michael and I met and fell in love in San Francisco.  We live and work amongst its landmarks and wanted very much to make them a part of our story.  We were engaged at the Palace of Fine Arts, pass the Flood Mansion on nightly walks, and frequently visit and dine at the Ferry Plaza Building.  Seeing these everyday landmarks made up especially for us, helped to wed us not only to each other, but to the city itself and symbolized our putting down roots as a family in our adopted hometown.  Each day, we are reminded of the happiness of our wedding as we pass by and interact with these landmarks that have become interwoven with our lives.

It was important to us that our ceremony be personal and honest, and that our reception be a party from start to finish all the while showcasing the best that San Francisco has to offer in terms of views, music and food.  To that end, our officiant and readings were all done by friends and family amidst the Flood Mansion’s sweeping views of the Golden Gate bridge from the top of the Pacific Heights neighborhood.  Flowers were chosen not only for their beauty, but particularly for their fragrance with heavy accents of bay leaf, gardenias and lavender.  Afterwards, guests enjoyed a picturesque cable car ride from Pacific Heights to the waterfront Embarcadero for a reception at the Ferry Plaza Building. Given the Ferry Building’s reputation for leading the organic food movement, we decided to forego a traditional sit down dinner and instead offer various food stations, allowing the caterer to highlight offerings from independent farmers and purveyors including locally roasted coffee, line caught fish from the Bay, and Humboldt and Sonoma county artisanal cheeses.  San Francisco’s famous Jazz Mafia Realistic Orchestra, a 22 piece Jazz band, provided the musical backdrop for an evening of nonstop dancing.

Wedding Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz / Wedding Planning: Melissa Panico of MAP Events / Officiant: Stu Peterson / Ceremony Music: Ambience Trio of Starlite Strings / Floral Design: Torryne of Birch / Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Lighting & Audio: Got Light? / Band: Jazz Mafia / DJ: J-Boogie / Wedding Cake: Butterfly Cakes / Rentals: Luxe Event Rentals / Trees, Tables & Chairs: Hartmann Studios / Transportation: Events West (Cable Car) + Pure Luxury (Suburbans) / Hair & Makeup: Sarah E. Hyde / Save the Dates: Carrot & Stick Press / Wedding Invitations: A Day In May Design / Wedding Dress: Selia Yang / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jin Wang / Groom’s Tux: Giorgio Armani / Wedding Ceremony Location: The James Leary Flood Mansion / Wedding Reception Location: Ferry Plaza Building

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 32 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Day in May Design, Ambience Trio, Bay Area, Birch, Black, Butterfly Cakes, CA, Carrot and Stick press, Christian Louboutin, Events West, Ferry Plaza Building, Flood Mansion, Giorgio Armani, Got Light, Hartmann Studios, J-Boogie, Jazz Mafia, Jin Wang, Lisa Lefkowitz, Luxe Event Rentals, MAP Wedding & Events, Northern California Wedding, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, Pure Luxury, Purple, Red, San Francisco, Sarah Hyde, Selia Yang, Starlite Strings
Post categories: California Weddings, San Francisco Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Gloria Wong Design… When asked what they are known for as a couple, Leslie and Jeff said that they are known for being great hosts for overnight guests. Friends have actually told them that their guest facilities rival those of a nice hotel! They take great pride in making their guests feel as though they’re at home. As their wedding designer, I latched onto this comment. We decided to create a concept based on the idea that Beaulieu Garden was Leslie and Jeff’s summer home at which they’ve invited guests to spend an enchanting evening. Therefore, we infused elements that you would normally find in Leslie and Jeff’s apartment (i.e. modern lamps, gold dishes with keys, newspapers, Leslie’s favorite Antipodes water from New Zealand, framed art, interesting books, cashmere throws, comfy pillows, etc). Leslie and Jeff described their style as clean, classic modern. So we tried to present their personal belongings in a neat edited manner.

Leslie also mentioned that she wanted her guests to feel as if they had woken from a summer reverie. We felt that we could capture a dream-like quality with our use of tone on tone color. For a blended look, we decided on infusing gradations of pink and aqua, two of Leslie’s favorite colors, wherever we could. We neutralized the soft palette with whites, greys and beiges. For a touch of luxe, we threw in some gold as an accent!

Lisa Wong Jackson of Good On Paper created all the paper products around an upholstery pattern that Leslie had pulled. Upon first view, we all concurred that the abstract pattern reminded us of a print that you would see on a weekend tote bag. It was an easy choice that this pattern would serve as inspiration for all the graphics on the invitation as well as all the framed art that would be showcased throughout the wedding.

An interesting commonality that Leslie and Jeff share is the fact that they both call multiple places their home. They wanted to pay tribute to all of their homes by presenting their guests with a vignette filled with photos, books, food, and mementos from these special places.

We decided to display guests’ names and table assignments in three different ways. The first way was having names and table numbers calligraphed onto a notebook. The second way really reinforced the idea of home; we printed this group of escort cards in various shades of pink to look like paint chip swatches. The third way involved coffee beans! Leslie credits the aroma of coffee for waking her up in the morning every day. So, we inserted the third group of escort cards into trays of coffee beans!  A drink tray, keys, and a basket filled with the wedding graphics disguised as wrapping paper served as decorative accent pieces.

The cake was inspired by Leslie’s pleated Vera Wang wedding gown. Leslie’s beautiful wedding dress looked as though it was constructed with individual layers of silk ribbon. We wanted a similar pleated look for the cake. We decided to enhance the cake by playing with gradations of pink as we had done with other elements from the wedding. We went with an ombre effect and colored the strands of ribbon from dark pink on the bottom to light pink on top.

For the dessert buffet, we wanted to present something simple and clean with a homey spirit. Pastries were arranged neatly on clean white cake ceramic stands, mugs, and colanders. Cupcakes and cookies were embellished with frosting in different shades of pink to echo the different shades of pink from the “paint chip” escort cards, the framed artwork, and the cake. Leslie and Jeff wanted to include their parents’ sweet wedding photos in this display of treats! They also wanted to include their favorite Asian snacks. As kids, they both loved munching on pineapple cakes and Pocky Sticks. So, we packaged the cakes and sticks and encouraged guests to take some home.

Photographer: Lisa Lefkowitz / Wedding Planner: Jubilee Lau Events / Wedding Designer: Gloria Wong Design / Wedding Venue: Beaulieu Garden / Caterer: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Floral Design: Nancy Liu Chin Designs / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaid Dresses: J Crew / Wedding Stationery: Good On Paper / Letterpress Printing: AccuColor / Calligraphy: Tracy Joe Calligraphy / Event Lighting: Got Light? / Event Rentals: Classic Party Rentals + La Tavola Linen / Wedding Cake: Cake Coquette / DJ: A. Long Music / Wedding Cinematography: Weddings On Film / Ceremony Music: Lawrence Strings Group / Photobooth: Magnolia Photo Booth Co. / Makeup: Christine Craven Makeup / Hair: Kien Hoang

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 53 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Long Music, Accucolor, Aqua, Beaulieu Garden, Beige, CA, Cake Coquette, California Weddings, Candles, Christine Craven Makeup, Classic Party Rentals, Garden Wedding, Gloria Wong Design, Gold, Good On Paper, Got Light, Grey, J. Crew, Jubilee Lau Events, Kien Hoang, La Tavola Linen, Lawrence Strings Group, Lemonade Stand, Lisa Lefkowitz, Magnolia Photo Booth Co., Manolo Blahnik, Nancy Liu Chin Designs, Napa Valley, Outdoor Wedding, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, Pink, Rutherford, Tracy Joe Calligraphy, Vera Wang, Weddings On Film
Post categories: California Weddings, Napa Valley Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Here is some perfectly pink eye candy from Lisa… generous AND a truly gifted artist…

We’re also extremely proud to be sponsoring Jose and Jill LaFleur at this year’s WPPI event. We hope you have the pleasure of attending one of their platforms. We’re talking the best of the best. We can’t even tell you how much we’d like to be there with you all.

Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz / Event Design and Coordination:  Special Events by Jennifer Stone / Floral Designer: Loop Flowers / Location: Meadowood, Napa Valley, California / Film Work: Richard Photo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California Weddings, Lisa Lefkowitz, Loop Flowers, Meadowood, Napa Valley, Special Events by Jennifer Stone, WPPI
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the full wedding gallery!

From Joanna, the bride…

Although we live in New York City and love it, I just couldn’t see us getting married here.  We decided to have an intimate, destination wedding in the Napa Valley, which was close to my husband’s family and many of our friends.  I had absolutely fallen in love with its natural beauty and wide-open spaces on our engagement trip.  

We didn’t have a planner or a limitless budget, so we really had to figure out what was most important to us.  I think that the key was finding amazing vendors who were able to accomplish wonders with our budget and capture the feeling we were going for.  My ideal wedding was a simple, elegant dinner party with our family and friends — great food, great wine, great company (and an excuse to bring many people we love together in one place).  At the same time, tradition is very important to Chris, so we also wanted to incorporate some traditional elements. Both our ceremony and reception were held at the Carneros Inn. The property and its surroundings (vineyards, mountains, open fields with horses) are already beyond gorgeous, so we were able to keep everything simple.  Carneros also met all of our other requirements — it has a fantastic chef, a great wine list and wonderful staff, including an onsite wedding consultant, Brooke Baglietto, who made sure everything ran smoothly.  Instead of a traditional rehearsal party, my wonderful in-laws hosted an open-invitation dinner for all of guests at one of the Homes at Carneros, which allowed us to spend more time with everyone.

I fell in love with letterpress invitations and we loved the simple elegance of hand calligraphy, which we then carried through from our invitations and envelopes to our menus, and escort and place cards (all created by the fabulous Debi Zeinert and Bella Figura).  Rather than choosing a particular color, we went with a fall-inspired color palate of green, ivory, and shades of orange, apricot and pink/red and relied on the creativity of Jennifer French at Lush Floral to bring our vision to life.  We incorporated the green of the cymbidium orchids into our envelope liners and linens. A few months before the wedding, the wedding photographer we had hired canceled on us.  This turned out to be an incredible blessing, because a friend then recommended Lisa. Lisa captured our day so beautifully and was such a joy to spend time with. In truth, I hate being photographed and always end up looking uncomfortable, but Lisa made it easy.  The only photographs of me that I have ever liked are Lisa’s.

Some of the more unusual aspects of our wedding were the most meaningful to us.  It’s not exactly in keeping with tradition, but my husband and mother-in-law cast the deciding votes on my dress and cathedral-length mantilla.  My fabulous sister-in-law, Kate, made our wedding rings for us and brought the most exquisite, diamond jewelry for my “something borrowed.”  My 10-year-old daughter, Madeleine, participated in our ceremony (and later exhausted our friends on the dance floor).  I loved seeing how happy and included she felt.  Chris lost his first wife to breast cancer, and we wanted her family to know that they will always be a part of ours. I know it was very difficult for them, but we are so grateful that they came to celebrate with us. We also made a donation to the Breast Cancer Foundation in her memory in lieu of favors. While I am not sure it was what either of us would have planned on our own, I am happy to report that we wouldn’t have changed a thing. For the two of us, it was perfect. We can’t thank our family and friends enough for sharing it with us.

Wedding Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz / Wedding Flowers: Lush Floral / Wedding Venue: Carneros Inn / Wedding Invitations: Bella Figura / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Wedding Dress: Rivini

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Barn, Carneros Inn, Christian Louboutin, Elegant, Lisa Lefkowitz, Lush Floral, Napa Valley, Outdoor, Rivini, Winery
Post categories: California Weddings, Destination, Napa Valley Weddings, Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance, Whimsical