Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog

Wrap It Up Pretty Little Black Book!

Mallory — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:15:21 +0000

It’s my favorite time of the year, and I am crossing my fingers that we’re going to get a big influx of snowy and fabulous winter weddings, despite the crazy weather we have been having this season. In fact, I’m really hoping some of you are getting married this weekend and embracing the cold weather trends. As it is almost quitting time, we’ve got one last treat for you LBBers in the form of a fantastic farm engagement session á la Ulysses Photography. Enjoy, and we’ll see you Monday morning! xoxo

Photography by Ulysses Photography.

The week of wedded bliss, just in case you missed anything:

an adorable Texas bride & groom absolutely in love in this highlight film
a Santa Barbara affair with the perfect mix of romance, vintage, and chic
a bride and groom from Canada with the sweetest sentiments
a modern (and vintage), chic (and clean) soiree in Austin
a gorgeous, organic affair straight from the California wine country
a beautiful New Orleans wedding dripping in southern charm
a very touching story accompanied by a stunning fête in New Jersey
an American wedding in Paris, the epitome of romance
a piece of perfectly nautical nuptials straight from a Maine island
a lakeside Pennsylvania wedding with the perfect combination of pink & blue
a few of our favorite cinematographers, chatting about the biz in a vendor spotlight

A few pieces of inspiration we’re digging from around the web:

a bit of classic romance inspiration we’re totally loving via The Sweetest Occasion
a great star cake topper DIY, perfect for any affair via Project Wedding
our Best Weddings of 2011 digital magazine, in case you missed it last week via Style Me Pretty

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ducks, Engagement Sessions, Engagement Shoots, farm, Little Black Book, New York, Teepee, Ulysses Photography, Wedding Inspiration, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: engagement session, Little Black Book Blog

Vintage Texas Wedding

Abby Larson — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:00:53 +0000

Whenever we hire someone new at SMP, we generally just skip the whole resume thing and instead ask to see their wedding. Just kidding. But seriously, we SO could. It seems like all of our SMP girls know how to throw the best shindigs ever and Ms. Callie, a Little Black Book guru here at Style Me Pretty, is no different. Callie’s wedding was basically the very picture of what we preach…full of personal, unique, totally fun details that completely reflected her and her hubby’s personalities. It’s just about the sweetest little wedding I’ve ever seen and I am so glad that she’s agreed to share it with all of you! Click here to see even more!

Click here to see the full wedding!

From the very earliest stages of their engagement, Callie and Cason knew they wanted their wedding day to feel intimate and not over the top. Their aim was to make their 180 guests feel like they’d come over for a dinner party, albeit one hosted in a stunning tent on the lake of the her parents’ property. The color scheme incorporated the grey, blush and ivory tones that fill Callie’s parents’ home, and everything that could be made by hand was done so by a loved one or friend.

Callie wore a Vera Wang gown and two garters, one University of Georgia themed (Cason’s alma mater) and her paternal grandmother’s garter worn in 1951, with the original penny still attached. Her bouquet was tied with her grandmother’s handkerchief and wrapped with the lace from her mother’s wedding hat. Her grandfather’s college ring and grandmother’s rosary were also fastened to the bouquet. Since Cason’s dream is to go on a great sailing adventure, Callie bought him gold sailboat cufflinks for his groom’s gift.

The ceremony took place on Callie’s parents’ front porch (where Cason proposed). They kept it simple with two memorial wreaths on the front door; one honoring Cason’s dad and the other for Callie’s maternal grandparents. They also opted for black chairs for the guests instead of white, with rose petals lining the aisle. The lovely program fans were ordered from Etsy, made with an original painting of the front porch done by Callie’s cousin.

Making a “bridal” entrance posed a problem because the house faces out onto an open field, so there wasn’t anywhere for Callie to stay out of sight before her entrance. So she and her father snuck out to the barn about 30 minutes before the ceremony and waited in a black 1950’s Chevy truck that was lent for the day. When it was time to walk down the aisle, she and her dad drove out of the barn and right into the yard near the back row of chairs. Callie’s dear friend and bridesmaid, Cat, played a violin solo of Brandon Heath’s “Love Never Fails” as they processed, and there was not a dry eye on the premises!

After the ceremony, guests followed a path of luminaries to the reception site just across the lawn. Surrounded by grotto lights, guests enjoyed the couple’s two (regional) signature cocktails: Firefly Sweet Tea for Cason’s gang of Georgians, and Margaritas for the Texan crowd. The sweet tea was served in mason jars, while the ‘ritas were served in cups with a printed cartoon image of the Chevy truck and “just married”. One of Callie’s bridesmaids wrote the menu on a chalkboard (which they made themselves with chalkboard paint, posterboard and a frame).

Wade Schindler from Party Thyme Catering served passed hors d’oeuvres included Raspberry Lamb Lollipops, Brie Puffs with fig/strawberry/raspberry jam, crab cake and peppered chicken skewers. The cocktail area held Callie’s bridal portrait (done by Callie’s mother, portrait photographer Mary Little, who also and sewed all 24 burlap runners in the tent), which was hung on an old door. They used the family’s dining room side table for the memorial display, and created an outdoor lounge with their own patio furniture. Thank you’s were placed at each guest’s place setting instead of a menu, and Callie and her mother designed all the reception signage: thank you’s, memorial table, and place cards.

One of the easiest and prettiest DIY projects was the painted globes that were suspended with tulle in the trees across the pond. They created a lovely setting for my favorite images of the night, Callie and Cason savoring their first few hours as husband and wife. It was a perfect day!

Photography: Abigail Seymour Photography / Cinematography: Bella Vista Productions / Flowers: Katy House of Flowers / Event Planning: A Bash Events / Dress: Vera Wang / Ceremony Music: Divisi Strings / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Catering: Party Thyme Catering

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 35 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Abigail Seymour Photography, Backyard Wedding, Bella Vista Productions, Callie Little, Divisi Strings, Katy, Katy House of Flowers, Little Black Book, Party Thyme Catering, Priscilla of Boston, Texas Weddings, Vera Wang
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired

Traditional Elegance with Sweet Style

Abby Larson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:00:29 +0000

I have multiple personalities when it comes to weddings. I love a little bit of everything…from rustic chic, to sophisticated and contemporary. Lately, I’ve been on a little bit of a Traditional Elegance kick and the wedding that I am featuring this morning fit the bill to perfection.

Sent to us by THREE of our favorite Little Black Book members, Docuvitae, Bella Figura and Celebrations of Joy!, this wedding is all together lovely!

From Cyd at Bella Figura…

Lisa and Stephen were married September 13, 2008 at the Malibu Nature Preserve in Malibu, California. Picking up on the flowers that bloom in the California hills in late summer, Lisa was inspired by soft romantic shades of sage green and lavender. They were married in a sycamore grove and opted to allow the beauty of the natural setting to stand on its own. The result was an enchanting celebration that exuded a soft fairy-forest feel, from a beautiful and ethereal dress by Claire Pettibone to little flower girls dressed in fair wings. Aside from the collection of lovely fairy flower girls, Lisa had just one adult attendant dressed in a stunning emerald green dress. Lisa was inspired by her backyard in the mountains growing up outside of Los Angles and wanted the day to feel lush, green, and magical. The green linens for the tables were custom made and Lisa picked up lots of silk butterflies from a local craft store and strung them everywhere she could.

More to come in just a bit!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bella Figura, Belvue Manor, California Weddings, Celebrations of Joy, Docuvitae, Little Black Book, Malibu, Malibu Nature Preserve, Traditional
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Engagement Session by Jessica Johnston

Abby Larson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:35:12 +0000

Remember these ADORABLE save the dates that we featured the other day? Well, the ridiculously lovely bride emailed me to let me know about her oh-so-cute engagement session that our Little Black Book photographer, Jessica Johnston shot. And, since it just happens to include balloons, my favorite accessory, I just had to share!

LOVE! To see the rest of the adorable shoot, click right here!

That’s all for today kids but tomorrow…we are featuring the most gorgeous rehearsal dinner you’ve ever seen, and are announcing the winner of the WedVert Wedding Gown Giveaway! You still have time to enter so if you haven’t already, click here!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: e-sessions, engagement session, Jessica Johnston, Little Black Book
Post categories: Wedding Photography

Real Wedding: Michelle + Henry, III

Abby Larson — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:00:08 +0000

I mentioned in our last post that the reception from today’s affair was beautiful…but I am just not sure that the word beautiful does it justice. It’s spectacular, truly and utterly spectacular!

From Evonne, the incredible designer behind the affair…Michelle selected some of my favorite wedding colors – blush, peach and burgundy. She wanted the wedding to look romantic, and her style was simple yet elegant. To tie in with her vision, we decided to use this beautiful canvas tent with the 3 crystal chandeliers in the middle. Outside the tent were little gold lanterns hanging around the perimeter for added ambiance. It is the only Raj Tents in Hawaii.

We also incorporated a lot of elements that were Henry’s favorite. For one, he loves coffee… so for some of the smaller centerpieces, instead of putting orchids in the water, we filled the vases with coffee beans. At the end of the reception, we put all those coffee beans in a bag and Henry took it with him. Hopefully he is still enjoying his morning coffee everyday!

More on the way including a ridiculous giveaway later today!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beach, Events by Evonne, Hawaii, Huesca, Little Black Book, Maui, Michelle and Henry, Pronovias, Sugarman Estate
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Real Wedding: Michelle + Henry, II

Abby Larson — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:40:31 +0000

The FABULOUS (and by fabulous, I really mean holy-cow-so-so-so-talented) Evonne of Events by Evonne sent us today’s second featured affair. And, it’s all about the beauty. The seriously spectacular seaside beauty!

From Evonne…Michelle wanted to display their travel photos in an unconventional way. So she decided to use clothes pins to hang the photos and tie them around each tree at the Sugarman Estate. Guests had fun walking around the estate looking through all the photos while having their pupus (Hawaiian word for appetizers) and cocktails. For the cocktail highboys, there were a few games for the guests such as chess, Connect Four and a few decks of playing cards and poker chips.

Another great thing that we did was the French Fry Station! Michelle LOVES fries, and I wanted to incorporate that into the reception. We were able to collaborate with the caterer to provide them with all the different types of fries from the regular ones to the sweet potato fries… they were all served in little cones with different dipping sauce. It was a huge hit!

And along with all of these so fun details, Evonne put together a reception style that will literally make your heart skip a beat. Just you wait…you are going to LOVE what’s coming up next!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beach, Events by Evonne, Hawaii, Huesca, Little Black Book, Maui, Michelle and Henry, Pronovias, Sugarman Estate
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Real Wedding: Michelle + Henry

Abby Larson — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:10:25 +0000

If today’s earlier affair was all about simple elegance…this next one is all about the luxury. Styled by hands-down one of my favorite designers, Events by Evonne, the wedding was held this past April at the Sugarman Estate, Maui, Hawaii. Oh and the bride was a frequent SMP reader (who actually found Evonne through our Little Black Book!) so she found lots of inspiration from our site. LOVE THAT.

A few details from the lovely Evonne…Michelle contacted me last August after she saw my listing on the Style Me Pretty Little Black Book. We hit it off right away and before long, we were already discussing her wedding plans and ideas. She told me that her favorite gown designer was Pronovias, and that she would be going on a Mediterranean cruise in late August with a stop over in Barcelona. She ended up buying the dress there. Even with a few issues with the dress, she looked stunning in it on the day of.

The bridal bouquet consisted of ivory calla lilies, ivory/peach roses, freesias and peach spray roses. As for the lovely centerpieces, there were burgundy dahlias, peach and ivory roses, peach spray roses, tuberose, ivory hydrangeas all in a square vase wrapped with ti leaf inside.

So much more to come from this incredible affair and a HUGE giveaway coming up in just a bit!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beach, Events by Evonne, Hawaii, Huesca, Little Black Book, Maui, Michelle and Henry, Pronovias, Sugarman Estate
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Real Wedding: Liz and Ken

Abby Larson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:35:07 +0000

We feature a pretty incredible amount of outdoor weddings on SMP. Outdoor affairs have that elegance, but effortless charm that we love so much. But not every couple has the luxury of living in California or Hawaii or some other fabulous state where weather just isn’t a concern, right!

Well…we put our Little Black Book members to the task of finding the chicest, loveliest indoor affairs that they could get their hands on and over the last week, we’ve been given a wonderful little collection of the most beautiful, totally approachable indoor weddings and receptions. From lofts and restaurants, to intimate gatherings at the most exclusive hotels, over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be featuring (along with a sprinkling of stunning outdoor affairs) truly beautiful indoor weddings filled to the brim with charm and style.

The first was sent to us by the fabulously talented Jessica Johnston, whose photographs will honestly give you butterflies…

Liz and Ken were married at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn with an intimate setting of only 15 of their nearest and dearest. Two days later, they had a holiday party where more friends and family could join in the celebration.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dearborn, Indoor Weddings, Jessica Johnston, Little Black Book, Michigan, Ritz Carlton
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography