Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Vignesh and I met through a friend at a Fourth of July party in 2007.  The party was actually at Vignesh’s apartment, which had roof deck, and I thought he was very handsome the minute I saw him.  He didn’t ask me out until 2 weeks later and even that was just an invitation to another party.  Our first real date was at a bar in Union Square and we had an incredible conversation there that ranged from light topics to philosophy and religion.  Within 3 months, we knew we both wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.  Neither one of us was in a rush to get married so Vignesh didn’t propose until New Year’s Eve 2010.  We were on St. John in USVI and he proposed on the most beautiful, remote beach during the day.

We wanted the wedding to represent us and our two cultures so being transcendentalists of sorts, we got married outside by a beautiful lake with Indian musicians playing sitar, tabla and an Indian flute.  We created our ceremony from scratch and my father’s best friend, who we’re both close to, was our Officiant.  We incorporated the Indian tradition of the exchange of garlands (to symbolize our acceptance of each other and eternal bond) and readings that are meaningful to us (Joseph Campbell).  The ceremony flowers were a mixture of hot pink, purple, green and orange… mostly Indian colors. The reception – held in a beautiful Sperry Tent – was more American.  We had an incredible DJ, DJ Johnny Stuart, who made the night for us.  We were dancing until the very end, when a friend surprised us with fireworks he had set up by the lake.  It felt like a fairytale come true.

I can’t say there was one moment during the day that was my favorite; all of it was special.  Getting ready with my sister, cousin and bridesmaids (my four best friends) was so wonderful.  And the only word that comes to mind when I think about the ceremony and the reception is magical.  My advice to other couples would be to stay true to yourself and make sure every moment of your day should be about you, your family and friends.

Venue: Mashomack Preserve Club / Event Planning: Carrie Sartor of Lyndsey Hamilton Events / Wedding Gown: Reem Acra / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Floral Design: Linda Baldwin / Wedding Cake: Alternative Baker / DJ: DJ Johnny Stuart / Tent: Sperry Tent / Wedding Photography: Kathi Littwin Photography

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alternative Baker, Amsale, Cultural Beauty, DJ Johnny Stuart, Indian Wedding, JCrew, Linda Baldwin Flowers, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Mashomack Preserve Club, New York Weddings, Reem Acra, Sperry Tent
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, New York Weddings

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… We knew right away that Kelly from Lyndsey Hamilton Events was the planner for us after our initial meeting. She was very easy to talk to, knew her stuff, and from what we saw from photos of other LHE events, they had the exact same aesthetic we wanted for our wedding.  And it was the right choice: Kelly meticulously handled every single detail with a smile, never lost her cool, had some great ideas but was never pushy about anything, and is just an all-around amazing, incredibly organized and wonderful person. Any bumps along the way (there might’ve been a few at most) were met with a sense of humor and then smoothed over. We feel incredibly fortunate we were able to collaborate with Kelly and Lyndsey on our wedding day.

For our venue, the private Church Estate in Malibu was just perfect. No ocean view, but the expansive grounds were so lush and beautiful—and we could have it all to ourselves. From the boathouse and pond to the vineyards to the horse barn to the tennis court to the creek, there was so much flora and fauna filled space for us and our guests to explore. The bridal party prepped in the spacious upstairs master bedroom, with a balcony overlooking the lawn, what a perfect perch. Our dinner in the courtyard almost felt like a garden party, and the lawn where the ceremony was held overlooked the cliffs of Malibu, which is very near to our hearts because Ben lived in Malibu when we first started dating and we spent a lot of time getting to know each other there.

We chose Campanile as our caterer.  Mark Peel (the Executive Chef of Campanile) and his wife Daphne Brogdon are Ben’s good friends, so naturally we wanted to enlist the help of friends to make the day as personal as possible. Ben and I had a few wine and food tastings at their La Brea restaurant, and it was hard to narrow down the menu choices because everything was so good! People are still raving about the pork belly appetizers (moi included), potato gnocchi with truffles and afterparty snacks. Also, their wait staff was topnotch.

My cousin, Marcia, is an interior decorator in Toronto, Canada, but came out of retirement as an invitation designer to create my save the date cards and invitations. We went with heavy-duty duplex and three shades for the letterpress. I am a huge paper lover, and these far exceeded my expectations. They were so elegant, yet modern and really set the tone for the day. Marcia also sent extra paper to be used throughout the grounds. Having a close relative be so intimately involved with the invitations meant so much to me, and was another personal touch that both Ben and I were so glad to have.

The ladies of Fiore Beauty did my hair and makeup. They listened to what I wanted and amped up the drama just a bit more for the big day, and I LOVED my hair and makeup. All the bridesmaids were happy with their looks, too. And Jaime, the owner, couldn’t have been more accommodating and lovely. Afterward, she sent a CD of the music that they played while we were getting ready, to remind me of that special morning. What a wonderful and thoughtful touch. AMAZING.

Our dessert table and cake were created by Jin Patisserie.  Jin is just around the corner from where we live in Venice on the very trendy and chic Abbott Kinney Blvd. I’d been going there for years to buy birthday cakes because the flavors are very unique and the cakes are works of art, and knew I wanted them to make my cake. The flavors they came up with were truly delicious and slightly unusual. We did different flavors for each layer: chocolate with caramel and sea salt, green tea with ginger filling, raspberry with vanilla cream. All to die for! Annabelle, the baker, is a genius and a really lovely person.

Our escort cards were created by Peony & Plum.  Susan blew up a photo of Ben and I on a motorcycle road test for his magazine, Popular Mechanics. The photo was cut up into little rectangular magnets with names of guests and their table number, which they could use on their fridge afterward. And behind the magnets was another copy of the exact same image so we could take hang it in our home…bonus!

Our officiant was Pastor Robert Garber, an old family friend.  We flew Pastor Bob out from Pennsylvania to marry us. He and his church sponsored my family when they were refugees of the Vietnam War back in 1975. Though we moved away and settled in California, we stayed in touch over the years. Pastor Bob was the officiant at my two elder brothers’ weddings, so of course I wanted him there for mine. The mood he set during the ceremony was playful, fun, which was exactly what we wanted, but it was also serious when appropriate, natch. Having our old family friend marry us was one of the most special moments of our day.

We chose Laura and Rebecca from Docuvitae as our photographers. They are pretty fabulous at what they do. Unbelievable that their shots, except for the portraits, aren’t posed. They captured a lot of beautiful moments from our wedding day, and they’ve always been so passionate about what they do and it shows in the quality of their work. We’ve been thrilled with how the slideshow and all the photos have turned out.

Wedding Photography: Laura Kleinhenz of Docuvitae / Second Shooter: Rebecca of Docuvitae / Wedding Planning & Coordination: Kelly Dunphy of Lyndsey Hamilton Events / Wedding Venue: Church Estate Vineyards / Catering: Campanile / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Groom’s Suit: Custom, Giorgio Armani / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Flower Girl Dresses: Us Angels / Hair & Makeup: Fiore Beauty / Wedding Invitations: Cousin of the Bride / Floral Design: Hoot & Heart / Church Estate Maps: Hoot & Heart / Tent & Flooring Rental: Zephyr Tents / Furniture Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Wedding Signs, Favors & Menu Board: Melangerie / Wedding Cake & Dessert Table: Jin Patisserie / Officiant: Pastor Robert Garber / Escort Cards: Peony & Plum

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Post tags: Black, CA, California, Campanile, Christian Louboutin, Classic Party Rentals, Docuvitae, Fiore Beauty, Fuchsia, Giorgio Armani, Hoot & Heart, Jenny Yoo, Jin Patisserie, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Malibu, Melangerie, Outdoor Wedding, Peony & Plum, Pink, Romantic Wedding, Southern California Wedding, Tented Reception, The Church Estate Vineyards, US Angels, Vera Wang, Vineyard Wedding, Zephyr Tents
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

The bride wanted a New York themed wedding, as many guests were traveling. The couple arrived at the Bowery in a classic yellow cab. The gift bags were NYC themed with Dean & Deluca snacks, Dylan’s Candy Bar treats, a donation to the Central Park Conservatory, and a DVD of Sex & the City, as the bride works for HBO. Gift bags were created by Melangerie. The meal was served family style with a selection of wines based on the couple’s personal favorites. Each wine had it’s own story relating to the couple and their travels. We had Mr Boddington create cards at each table to explain the significance of each wine.

We obviously wanted to incorporate the beauty and uniqueness of the space. We hired a sexy, vintage music trio, Bon Musique, for the cocktail hour. Because the meal was catered by the hotels’ restaurant Gemma, the bride wanted to infuse Tuscan-rustic elements into the evening. One of the ways we did so was sourcing an antique gelato cart from a prop house in Manhattan. The couple opted not to have a wedding cake, but rather passed mini-desserts and cookies in the shape of wedding cakes from Eleni’s.

The decor was complimentary of the rich, romantic space and Fall season. The color palette was a mixture of rich, deep burgundy and purples, with accents of green. Belle Fleur created the amazing florals. We chose rich wine-colored Dupioni silk linens. To complete the menu and table, we placed rosemary sprigs at each setting. We used colored water goblets to compliment the color palette. To incorporate the season, we used green suckling pears as place card holders.

Photography: Jake McBride of Christian Oth Studios / Venue and Caterer: The Bowery Hotel / Planner: Carrie Sartor with Lyndsey Hamilton Events / Florist: Belle Fleur / Bride’s Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Hair and Makeup: Nikki & Heidi at Damali / Band and DJ: cocktail hour – Bon Musique, reception – Soulsystem / Invitations: Mr. Boddington’s Studio

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 34 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Belle Fleur, Bon Musique, Christian Oth Studios, Damali, Jake McBride, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Mr. Boddington's Studio, New York City, NY, Soulsystem, The Bowery Hotel
Post categories: All Real Weddings, New York City Weddings, New York Weddings, Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Here are a few beautiful wedding dress photos from our Little Black Book Files, past + present + future.

The bride sitting on the floor between all her lovely maids (above) was featured here in a fabulous wedding sent to us by LBB members Lyndsey Hamilton and Christian Oth.

And of course this bride (last photo above) was from featured photographer Kate Triano this week on Style Me Pretty.

The wedding in the second row (above) wasn’t featured on Style Me Pretty … but is a totally beautiful wedding shot at The Foundry in Long Island City NY. You can see more of Diana and Osman’s wedding on LBB photographer, Karen Wise’s blog.

The images of the bride in the first row above (right) and the last row was sent to us by our great friends and LBB members, Bill and Anne of Holland Photo Arts. Tessie & Matt’s wedding had so many special details! To see it, take a look at Abby’s FACEBOOK page, Bill & Anne’s blog … or a really good slideshow from their wedding. Tessie and Matt own a blacksmithing shop in Charleston, West Virginia ~ Wallace Metal Works. They designed and hand-made many items that they used in their own wedding. How cool is that! Here’s a link to their website: Wallace Metal Works. It might just be that perfect design/inspiration springboard that you need!

Photo / LBB Credits (top to bottom; left to right)

Row 1: Corbin Gurkin Photography

Row 2: Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Christian Oth Studio/Jake McBride

Row 3: Melissa Dunstan Photography,  Justin Marantz Photography

Row 4: Kate Triano Photography

Row 5: Jenne Hohn Events, Card Girl, Michelle Walker Photography

Row 6: Genevieve Nisly Photography

Row 7: Kate Triano Photography

Row 8: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito Photography

Row 9: Karen Wise Photography

Row 10: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito Photography

Row 11: Holland Photo Arts

Row 12: Sweet Pea Events

Row 13: Holland Photo Arts

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridal Gowns, Charleston, Christian Oth Studios, Holland Photo Arts, Justin Marantz, Karen Wise Photography, Kate Triano, Long Island City, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, New York Weddings, The Foundry, Wallace Metal Works, Wedding Vendors
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Style

Unfortunately, at the time of the post, we {at Style Me Pretty} were having a few technical problems bringing you the VIDEO from Riley-Town Productions. {By the way, SMP is BIG on wedding videography.}

So today, we bring you a snippet of Ashley and Rob’s luscious wedding from Riley Towne Productions. After you watch this, you’ll see just why it’s SO important to choose a professional videographer to capture these special moments.

Click on the image to view…

Ashley and Rob’s wedding was officiated by Riki Berlin, Santa Barbara Wedding Minister

Thanks, SO much, Harmony for working through our video issues with us! You guys are great!!

Riley Towne Productions‘ approach to wedding videography truly delivers an artist’s canvas of sound and motion that documents your wedding day … and forever … preserves the most precious memories of your life! To see more of their amazing weddings, check out their website.

Just a quick re-cap … Ashley and Rob were married at the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara, California. Ashley knew what she wanted and with the assistance of a fabulous team of Little Black Book members … Lyndsey Hamilton (event coordination), Aaron Delesie (photography), Mindy Rice (Floral Design) … I do believe her expectations were exceeded!!

To see the rest of the photos from this dreamy wedding, click HERE.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie Photography, Bacara Resort and Spa, California Weddings, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Mindy Rice Floral Design, Riley Towne Productions, Santa Barbara
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

photos by Jake McBride at Christian Oth (and I am loving every single image)

The flowers for this wedding were done by one of my favorite designers, Matthew Robbins at Artfool. His sense of style is unmatched, really…with each design complimenting the whole to perfection. The catering was done by Thyme and Again and if it taste as good as Jake made it look…well, it must have been exquisite. Just wait until you see the absolutely gorgeous reception that Lyndsey designed. It’s FLAWLESS.

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Artfool, Christian Oth Studios, East Hampton, Hamptons, Jake McBride, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Mulford Farm, New York Weddings, The Hamptons, Thyme and Again
Post categories: Casual Elegance

photos by Jake McBride of Christian Oth Studios

I love that the colors of the linens echo the colors of the bridesmaids dresses…a great way to tie the styles together without going overboard. More to come!

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian Oth Studios, East Hampton, Jake McBride, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Mulford Farm, New York Weddings, The Hamptons
Post categories: Casual Elegance

photographs by Jake McBride of Christian Oth Studios

From Lyndsey….

The wedding was to be outdoor and tented.  We planned to use the various barns and structures located on the property for cocktail hour and also incorporate them as a unique element for the flow of the wedding.  Their ceremony was held at St. Luke’s church, directly next to Mulford Farm.  Guests then walked from the ceremony into beautiful gardens and passed thru an antique turnstile to Mulford Farm.

More to come!

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian Oth Studios, East Hampton, Jake McBride, Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Mulford Farm, New York Weddings, The Hamptons
Post categories: Casual Elegance