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From Dragonflight Photography… This snowy shoot took place after the first snowfall of 2012 in Langley, British Columbia, which is just outside of Vancouver. Flowers, and table design were by A Perfect Proposal, and the stationery was by Dragonflight Photography & Design. The bride’s head piece was from La Vie en Rose, and her faux fur jacket was from Melanie Lyne Boutique. The bracelet was from Shine Jewels Fort Langley. The theme was “vintage meets modern snow.” 

Photography: Ashley Ferreira of Dragonflight Photography / Flowers + Event Design: A Perfect Proposal (aperfectproposalcanada@gmail.com) / Location: Campbell Valley Park in Langley, British Columbia / Invitations: Design by Dragonflight / Shoes: Uggs / Groom’s Attire: Guess / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Head Piece: La Vie en Rose / Bride’s Faux Fur Jacket: Melanie Lyne Boutique / Bracelet: Shine Jewels Fort Langley / Models: Dolita Synder + Walter Synder / Cupcakes: Costco Langley Bakery (1-800 463-3783) / Crystal Cupcake Holder + Jeweled Snowflakes: HomeSense

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Post tags: A Perfect Proposal, Ashley Ferreira, Black, British Columbia, Campbell Valley Park, Canada, Design by Dragonflight, Dolita Synder, Dragonflight Photography, Guess, Homesense, La Vie en Rose, Langley, Langley Bakery, Maggie Sottero, Melanie Lyne Boutique, Shine Jewels Fort Langley, Uggs, Walter Synder, White Silver, Winter Wedding
Post categories: British Columbia Weddings, Canada Weddings, Photo Shoot

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From the bride… Sonoma has such a “farm country charm” to it, and that is one of the reasons we love it so much. We love the wine country and the laid back atmosphere of Sonoma. It suits us perfectly as a couple. We wanted our wedding to be easygoing, fun and enjoyable for all of our guests. We had about 72 guests travel from different parts of the country to celebrate with us, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. The view from the tent was breathtaking and exactly what I had envisioned.

I can’t get enough of black and white stripes, so we used an outdoor fabric to make some table toppers. I love the way it looked with the pumpkins. I love October and I love pumpkins, so we used mini pumpkins on each place setting, as well as some of the centerpieces. We used really heavy rustic-looking candlesticks to do some larger flower arrangements and had mismatched mercury glass votives everywhere! I purchased the votives in warm colors like browns and oranges so when they were lit, they gave a warm glow to the centerpieces. The chandeliers in the tent MADE the room! I loved the way they added a little elegance to the tent — having the sides rolled up inside the tent so you could see out over the vineyard was amazing! Everything really turned out perfectly, and to hear guests say that it was hands-down the most beautiful wedding they have ever been to, well, it made me so happy. But not as happy as becoming Ty’s wife made me — I’ve never felt more loved.

Wedding Photography: Ryan Ray / Flowers: Vanda Floral Design / Venue: Viansa Winery / Wedding Invitations + Menu Cards: Three Quill Pen / Dress: Maggie Sottero / Shoes: Gianni Bini / Dessert: Fleur de Lisa Cakes

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Post tags: Black, California, Fleur De Lisa Cakes, Gianni Bini, Maggie Sottero, Orange, Sonoma, Three Quill Pen, Vanda Floral Design, Viansa Winery, White, Wine Country Ryan Ray Photography
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From the bride… I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. You can find me wearing pink and pearls a little too frequently. I love all things delicate … flowers and lace for example. Truth be told, I was in love with the victorian look of Barr Mansion and the classic elegance and the warm glow of the ballroom. When Jason and I were out “venue scouting” the GPS had us take a wrong turn just past the house, and Jason said, “What a cool house”. Little did he know that was where we were headed, but since he liked it, it was done deal. The venue really lends itself to a romantic wedding in the garden, and I was so excited to be getting a wedding I had been dreaming about since I started wedding blog stalking! Also, it was the perfect setting to welcome our guests as they joined us to share in our new journey together. Our officiant sent us questions to answer about each other. What attracted you to them, if you had to describe them, etc. He built this into our ceremony and it was such a special thing to hear those words and to have them shared with our closest friends and family.

I DIY’d the “Mr. & Mrs.” signs for our chairs and the laced votive holders. I also selected the antique glass ware that our centerpieces would be contained in. I put pearls on invitations, floral details on placecards and the welcome table. I’d venture to say it was all “do it yourself” because it was such a personal event, and I tried to put my heart into everything that was selected. I also had some friends with amazing talents (like Lari who created rosettes for my hanger and my rosette garter) that helped along the way.

To the grooms, have an opinion on at least one aspect of the wedding, it’ll show her you’re invested in the event, just as she is. Or you could just say what Jason said to me… “Sweetie, I did pick something for our wedding day, I picked you… and of all the things on our wedding day, you will be the one that will be with me the longest”. I guess I gave him a get-out-of-jail-free card after that. Seriously though, having an opinion will make her feel like you care about the things she cares about. Brides, just know that it’s going to be an amazing day, and no, things won’t go perfectly. When rain threatened, my wonderful photographer told me what great lighting cloudy days were and that it’d make for great pictures (she was right). Surround yourself with people who support you, and that will help you see the bright spots when something minor happens. You’re going to get married that day to your best friend. People will come, share in your joy, laugh, dance, toast the two of you and make it a day to remember. That’s what I remember the most, and the candid pictures show it — we all laughed and had a great time!

Photography: Caroline + Ben Photography / Cinematography: Brett Hardeman Films / Flowers: Melanie Tipton at Last Petal / Event Planning: Rick Rabon at Barr Mansion / Venue: Barr Mansion / Groom’s Attire: Hickey Freeman / Shoes: ZiGi Soho / Dress: Maggie Sottero / Makeup: Kelli Toal of Keep Austin Gorgeous / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Watters / Table Numbers: Mason Rabbit’s Paperie / Personalized Hanger: wisconmon

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Post tags: Austin, Barr Mansion, Brett Hardeman Films, Caroline + Ben Photography, Hickey Freeman, Keep Austin Gorgeous, Kelli Toal, Last Petal, Maggie Sottero, Mason Rabbit's Paperie, Melanie Tipton, Rick Rabon, Texas, Watters, Wisconmon, ZiGi
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Vintage Chic

Three adjectives that describe the day: rustic, romantic, music

The table settings were gorgeous! We loved the burlap and bling theme, it was the perfect mix of rustic country and romantic glamour. The table signs represented concert posters from the many shows Bill and I have seen together and fit in with our theme really well. The candlelit tables at sunset were really amazing and guests constantly remarked about how beautiful everything was.

The first reveal when we saw each other was incredible. I cried as I approached Bill in the front lawn but he did not get emotional until we moved to the Cedarwood porch. It was very touching and reminded me of how we support each other in our relationship. A close second was when we started rapping to the band’s performance of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and Chris Weaver (band’s lead singer) said we were the best rapping bride and groom he’s ever heard!

Our best advice to brides and grooms to be would be to try to accomplish something every week so tasks do not pile up at the end. Be organized because there are so many moving parts you don’t want to forget anything. Don’t hesitate to take ideas from the favorite weddings you’ve attended – your friends will be honored that you incorporated part of their wedding into your own!

Photography: Ace Photography / Venue: Historic Cedarwood / Planner, Floral Design, Decor & Event Styling: Cedarwood Weddings / Invitations & Paper Goods: Designs in Paper / Bride’s dress: Maggie Sottero from The White Room / Bride’s Boots: Old Gringo Erin / Hair: Chrissi Krause and Missy May / Tuxedos: Arzelle’s / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Dessy from Bella Bridesmaid / Wedding party gifts (hand painted stemware): Fizzy Artist / Favors: Brownie Tins from RAE’s Gourmet / Wedding Music Trio: Wedding Musicians Company / Caterer: Copper Kettle / Cake: Patty Cakes / Reception Band: Chris Weaver Band / Photo booth: Ace Photo Booths / Trolly: FADDS Party Bus / Host Hotel: Opryland Resort / Rehearsal Dinner: Mad Platter

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Post tags: Ace Photo Booths, Ace Photography, Arzelle's, Bella Bridesmaid, Burlap, Candles, Cedarwood Weddings, Chalkboards, Chris Weaver Band, Chrissi Krause, Church Pews, Color Palette Purple, Copper Kettle, Cowboy Boots, Cupcakes, Designs in Paper, Dessy, Etsy, FADDS Party Bus, Fizzy Artist, Glamourous, Historic Cedarwood, Maggie Sottero, Missy May, Nashville, Old Gringo Erin, Opryland Resort, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Patty Cakes, Pearls, RAE's Gourmet, Rustic, Rustic Chic, shabby chic, Tennessee, The White Room, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Musicians Company, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

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From the Bride… Cristian and I are, what you might call, an unlikely couple. He was born in Colombia; I was born in Taiwan. Our paths crossed one fateful summer in a city far away from home, after some time getting to know each other long distance across US and international time zones, we both ended up working in Boston, MA. The rest is history as they say. When we embarked on the journey of wedding planning, we had a vision but not a clue on how to execute it. It was entirely a learning process that turned into many creative collaborations, DIY projects and the most fun I had in a long time! We dreamt of a rustic New England barn wedding but didn’t initially follow our instincts. With less than a year to plan, we rushed into our first venue – an exquisite ocean front historical mansion in Rhode Island – only to come to terms that it just wasn’t us. We gave up our deposit, started over, and found the venue of our dreams by by word of mouth with six months to go. Tip #1 – follow your instincts.

Our theme was rustic, vintage, shabby chic. Bittersweet Farms was the perfect venue. Bittersweet, a former barn in Westport, nestled in the woods with a garden gazebo, preserved all of the natural charm of a farm as backdrop to its formal dining amenities. The staff was incredibly flexible in letting us customize our experience – from food and drink menu selections to ceremony & reception set up. They even allowed us to use hay-bales for seating during our ceremony.

We wanted to feel at “home” on our Big Day, so we decided to turn the restaurant into a cozy living room / backyard. Vintage books from the public library (yay for unlimited check out!) and hand picked tea pots, mason jars, mugs, bottles from the thrift shop were spread across burluxe covered tables and various corners of the room. Our florist did a fabulous job selecting romantic muted colors including ivory, nude, and champagne with pops of coral & yellow flowers to fill the hundred plus vessels. She created a unique arrangement for every table that complimented our overall theme – all within our budget!

Tip #2 – Have fun. Cristian and I wanted to ensure that our family and guests enjoyed themselves on our special day. We were both “Gleeks” in high school before there was Glee, so we surprised our guests with a flash mob performance featuring 10 a capella singers dressed as waiters. Many seriously thought they were singing waiters! In crafting a fun filled experience for our guests, we had a ton of fun ourselves in the process including the creating a custom wedding website, interactive wedding invitations, a DIY cupcake tower, a hand drawn finger print “guestbook”, crossword puzzle in our DIY wedding program, a Jib Jab video in our wedding slide show (which our photographer, Amber, helped put together), and designing a marriage advice game that got everyone participating!

I still can’t believe we planned a wedding in six months! It would have been unimaginable without the help of friends, amazing vendors (some of whom are friends like our web designer & musicians and most of the others were found by word of mouth,) my mother-in-law who helped tailor and customize my dress, and our ingenious wedding planner, Veronica. I didn’t believe in hiring help, but I’m very glad we did. We had a million ideas in mind, but time was not by our side. This did not faze Veronica, who after 6 months of refining ‘plan A’ was faced with inclement weather on the day of our wedding (ceremony was supposed to take place outdoors) and had to reinvent our ceremony in a much smaller space. Her execution on the day-of was priceless.

Wedding Photography: Forevercandid Photography / Wedding Planner: Veronica Alexandra of Blue Ivy / Wedding Venue: Bittersweet Farm / Ceremony Musicians: Jenna Ordway, Justin Lee, Jaime Vergara + Kione Ebalaroza / Cocktail Hour Musicians: Receita de Samba / Wedding Videography: Well Spun Weddings / Cupcakes: Konditor Meister / Floral Design: A Victorian Garden / Hair + Make-up: Styling by Lisette / A Cappella Singers: The Harvard Opportunes / Shuttle Service: Groundforce One / Candy Apple Favors: Frenchy’s Popcorn / Formal Invitations: Blue Ivy Designer, Ricardo Morales-Hendry / Printer: Ink Kiosk / Guestbook: Blue Ivy Designer, Ricardo Morales-Hendry / Bridal Gown: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Groom’s Suit: JoS. A. Bank / Wedding Website Design: Variabilis / Custom Bridal Bolero: Rosie’s Bridal (Miami, Florida)

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Post tags: A Victorian Garden, Badgley Mischka, Bittersweet Farm, Blue Ivy, Forevercandid Photography, Frenchy's Popcorn, Groundforce One, Ink Kiosk, Jos A Bank, Konditor Meister, Maggie Sottero, Massachusetts Weddings, Providence Hill Farms, Receita de Samba, Ricardo Morales-Hendry, Rosie's Bridal, Styling by Lisette, The Harvard Opportunes, Variabilis, Well Spun Weddings
Post categories: Massachusetts Weddings, Vintage Chic

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From the Bride…We wanted a wedding where country chic met city classics. Bringing together these two atmospheres – the rustic and urban, the family and the friends, the traditional and the irreverent, the old and the new – was behind everything we did.

We chose a time and place that brought together our families. We were married on the 30th anniversary of the bride’s parent’s wedding, on land which the groom’s grandfather had acquired in a poker match, and had been worked by four generations of his family.

We started by constructing a chapel on the family farm under a grand oak tree draped with Spanish moss. Vintage window’s and stained glass recovered from Canton’s First Friday Trade Show was suspended from the branches to create space and focus. The small group of family members were seated along an isle of white muslin in chairs collected from the farm house and local antique shops. White paper lanterns swung gently in the breeze and white paper parasols bobbed on ladies’ shoulders. The bridal procession was played on a vintage Victrola.

Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero via LuLu’s Bridal Boutique / Bridesmaid + Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Ties: Thomas Pink / Floral Design: Jennifer Pavlovich Designs / Wedding Cake: Black Flour / Music: Bride + Groom / Invitations: Michael’s (design by Bride and Groom) / Hair + Make-up: WET Salon / Wedding Photography: Phenom Photographers / Jewelry: Groom’s Mother via Etsy / Transportation: Lone Star Limousine + Austin Pedicab

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Post tags: Austin, Austin Pedicab, Black Flour, Etsy, J. Crew, Jennifer Pavlovich, Lone Star Limousine, Lulu's Bridal Boutique, Maggie Sottero, Michaels, Phenom Photographers, Pink, Texas Weddings, Thomas Pink, WET Salon
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

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From the Bride… Our goal for our wedding was that we would honor God, our families and each other. We wanted the wedding to be relaxing and fun without being too formal. We loved the rustic, vintage feel and thought it complimented our vision for the wedding beautifully. Our favorite aspects of the wedding were the guest quilt, family heirlooms from jewelry to antique decor, and of course the photography!

Wedding Photography: Ryan Ray Photography / Wedding Venue: World’s Fair Pavilion, St. Louis Forest Park / Hair + Make-up: Kate Huitt / Cake (Pie): Sarah’s Cake Shop / Caterer: With Love Catering / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero / Film Work: Richard Photo

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Post tags: Kate Huitt, Maggie Sottero, Missouri Weddings, Ryan Ray Photography, Sarah's Cake Shop, St. Louis, With Love Catering, World's Fair Pavilion
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Grab the tissues…

Our wedding day was a long time coming.  Donte and I had a distance relationship for seven and a half years and I couldn’t wait for the day when we would be together in one place.  I was never one of those girls who dreamed of her wedding day and imagined myself being a princess.  I did, however, wonder about the guy that I would marry and I knew early on in our relationship that Donte was the guy that I had always imagined.

The ceremony turned out to be more beautiful than expected, despite the rain earlier in the day.  When I got down to the end of the aisle I realized that Donte was crying, and then when he read his personal vows he bawled!  There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and it made for a heartfelt ceremony.

When it came time to plan, we almost immediately knew that we wanted a formal, sophisticated, black-tie affair.  I know that millions of other brides say that their theme is Old Hollywood Glamour, but after envisioning what we wanted, I immediately understood why other brides choose this theme.  When you think of Old Hollywood you almost always think classic, elegant, romantic…and we realized that this was exactly what we wanted.

We chose black, white, and soft pink since it’s a clean palette and very classically beautiful.  I knew that I wanted full tall and short centerpieces so I chose the simple combination of pink roses and hydrangeas to bring color into the reception room.  We know that black-tie usually equals lots of money, so we figured out a way to have a lot of elegant touches without the big price tag.  That meant a lot of DIY projects!

I taught myself how to use Photoshop by watching YouTube tutorials and designed all of our paper items and uploaded and printed them through Vistaprint.  I designed everything from the invitations, wedding announcement poster, dinner menus, programs, escort cards, the aisle runner, table numbers, etc.  The secret to having successful DIY projects is to start early.  My goal was to have a wedding that only looked expensive and I think we pulled that off successfully.  Our wedding day was truly one of the happiest, heartfelt days of our lives and one that we’ll never forget.

Photography: Inlux Photo / Ceremony & Reception: Heritage Golf Club / Flowers: Flowers on Springtree Lane / Cinematrography: Poetic Cinema / Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bridesmaids Dresses: Bari Jay / Makeup: Kelli Ramey of Beautimarkedbykelli / Hair: Michael Matteson of Square One Salon and Spa / Shoes: Me Too / Bride’s Bracelet: Rent The Runway / Cake: The Cake Studio

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Post tags: Bari Jay, BeautimarkedbyKelli, Color Palette Brown Pink, Columbus, DIY Projects, DIY Stationery, Flowers on Springtree Lane, Heritage Golf Club, Inlux Photo, Maggie Sottero, Me Too, Ohio, Poetic Cinema, Rent the Runway, Sparklers, Square One Salon and Spa, The Cake Studio, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography