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From Lisa at Oh How Charming!…We fell in love with Kim on our first phone call with her. She’s hysterical. We basically had 3 months (my favorite!) to plan Kim & CJ’s wedding — and Kim knew exactly what she wanted. The entire color palette for their wedding was inspired by a fabulous necklace Kim purchased for her sweet dog “Blu”. The color way consisted of Cobalt Blue, Turquoise, Fuchsia, Mustard, and “Stone”.

Kim & CJ’s wedding was one of the first events on San Ysidro Ranch’s upper estate lawn. So fabulous! We had a little bit of a cloudy day, so Kim’s vibrant color palette was a welcome burst of color to the cloudy skies (and not to mention a lovely burst of color to the regular neutral color palettes in my portfolio!).

For the ceremony – we paired fruitwood chiavari chairs with mustard cushions. The fabulous team at R. Jack Balthazar did a gorgeous residential installation for the ceremony “altar” and the flower girls and ring bearers sat on mustard bean bags which was a sweet addition to the ceremony decor. You can see the influence of Blu’s necklace all the way down to the bridesmaid dress selections which were beyond extraordinary. R. Jack created beautiful hot pink peony bouquets for all the bridesmaids to carry which looked so amazing next to their vibrant dresses.

For dinner –  we paired stone colored Irish linen with white hemstitch runners on our long tables, and then beautiful white linens with organdy overlays on our round tables. All chairs had mustard cushions on them for continuity.  On the tables, we had silver rimmed glass chargers, silver rimmed glassware, vintage silver spoon napkin rings, vintage flatware, and vintage silver salt cellars. R. Jack created gorgeous floral tablescapes complete with grapes, peonies, white majolica, maidenhair fern and then paired them with turquoise votives and “collected” silver pieces, and crystal decanters filled with table wine.

The wedding was just beautiful and the weather held up for a gorgeous, gorgeous evening. Thank you to Kim and CJ for letting us be a part of their grand affair, and thank you to Blu for all the inspiration!

Wedding Photography: Aaron Delesie Photographer /  Event Production + Design: Lisa Vorce of Oh How Charming! / Venue: San Ysidro Ranch / Florals & Decor: R. Jack Balthazar / DJ: Red Shoe LA / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Lighting: Lighten Up / Stationery: Mélangerie Inc. / Hair: Marilee Albin / Make-up: Fiore Beauty / Celebrant: Jon Ireland / Ceremony Music: Friends of the Groom / Cocktail Music: Supernova / Wedding Cinematography: Paper Tape Films

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 30 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie Photographer, California Weddings, Classic Party Rentals, Fiore Beauty, Jon Ireland, Lighten Up, Marilee Albin, Melangerie, Oh How Charming, Paper Tape Films, R. Jack Balthazar, Red Shoe LA, San Ysidro Ranch, Supernova
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

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From Mélangerie Inc… The premise of this design grew out of an invitation concept we had to create a wedding invite using a Viewmaster (yes, like the ones we had as kids). We just love the Viewmaster form and thought it could be a great way for couples to integrate their engagement photos into their wedding invitations.

Viewmaster reels were originally conceived of as stereoscopic postcards in the late 1930’s, so this got us thinking about how we could blow out a wedding paperie suite based on other nostalgic souvenirs, like felt pennants, collectible USA state plates, vintage key chains, etc.

We began discussing the idea of styling a “nostalgic souvenir” inspired wedding design with our colleague, Ara, from Rock Paper Scissors Events, and she introduced the complimentary “Road Trip” idea. When seeking a location for our photo-shoot, we instantly thought of a local favorite, James Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. James was the perfect setting for our intimate, vintage fete aesthetic.

We began brainstorming with Ara and together came up with a ton of fun ideas to fit the nostalgic souvenir/road trip concept. The Mélangerie team got started on the felt pennant Save the Date, Viewmaster Invite, and vintage key chain escort card display, while Ara and her crew began working on the tablescape design.

From Rock Paper Scissors Events… When Melangerie approached me with the idea to do a styled shoot based on a Viewmaster invitation with roadtrip ephemera I was excited as it was such a fresh idea, and I also had to get really creative about how we were going to take inherently kitschy things and make them pretty. So we started scouring Ebay and flea markets and vintage shops for the right elements so that we could create this quirky and fun vintage Americana souvenir shoot. By layering objects that were either neutral or fit a color palette of blues, blue-greens and red, we kept everything cohesive and pretty.

Table top particulars included a selection of vintage USA state plates, beautiful glass seltzer bottles to hold floral, a runner constructed of re-printed state maps, and table number vignettes themed after road trip locales with corresponding kitsch collectibles. Nostalgia is even a hallmark in the signature drink we came up with for the couple: “Jack & Coke” (especially pithy since the groom’s name is Jack) served in old-style coke bottles.

Mélangerie also translated the road trip aesthetic into a welcome gift for out of-town-guests with goodies from the Bride and Groom’s most memorable road trip destinations packaged in Mélangerie’s popular State-By-Food tote bag.

We recruited our talented colleague, Jen Huang to photograph the affair. Her romantic shooting style seemed like a perfect match for our design. An engagement session she photographed is also featured on the Viewmaster invite reel.

This Vintage Americana design theme offers couples so much room for personalization, and we hope you are all as inspired by it as we were while creating it!

Event Design: Mélangerie Inc. + Rock Paper Scissors Events / Floral & Styling: Rock Paper Scissors Events / Paper Goods: Mélangerie Inc. / Welcome Gift Design & Curation: Mélangerie Inc. / State-By-Food Tote Bags: Mélangerie Inc. / Photography: Jen Huang Photography / Venue: James Restaurant

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Post tags: Americana Inspired, Blue, Brooklyn, James Restaurant, Jen Huang Photography, Melangerie, New York, NY, Red, Road Trip Inspired, Rock Paper Scissors Events, Vintage Chic, White
Post categories: Brooklyn Weddings, New York Weddings, Photo Shoot

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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 even more gorgeousness!

From Heather Waraksa…When Xochitl, from Always a Bridesmaid, and I met, we knew that the venue was key. We thought 632 on Hudson would be the perfect backdrop to the story. We imagined our couple were worldly, long distance lovers who kept in touch with lengthy love letters. We just loved this sense of longing. We also liked the idea of them being “serendipidous and a little sentimental”. For the shoot, we wanted to capture several model scenes… A boudoir look (which I love shooting before the bride gets into her dress), wedding look (feminine but not princessy) and an after party look. We imagined an intimate gathering for the wedding with a late lunch following and a dessert table.

Other ideas that we infused included classic literature with personalized book plates for favors, personalized “Love Postion” cocktails and the fabulous guest bags with the ” To Have and To Hold” icon by Melangerie NYC. For entertainment, we imagined shadow puppets (click thru the gallery to see) that would tell their love story as guests were waiting for the ceremony to begin and a music box that would play as the bride walked down the aisle. Very fairytale chic.

Photography: Heather Waraksa / Flowers: Saipua / Event Design/Planning: Always a Bridesmaid / Venue: 632 on Hudson / Stationery Design: Regas New York / Cakes and Desserts: Nine Cakes / Props, Linens and Unique Rentals: Props for Today / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Guest Bags: To Have and to Hold Tote: Melangerie NYC / Model: Giulia at MC2 Model Management / Hair: Stacy Pitt / Make-up: Sally Duvall / Boudoir: Pants from Doucette Duvall, Accessories and Vintage Jacket from Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Wedding Look: Dress and Hairpiece by Alisa Benay, Veil by Malis-Henderson, Handbag by Amanda Pearl, Shoes by Aruna Seth from Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Party: Dress by Anne Bowen , Accessories from Gabriella New York Bridal Salon

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 31 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 632 hudson, Alisa Benay, Always a Bridesmaid, Amanda Pearl, Anne Bowen, Aruna Seth, Classic Party Rentals, Doucette Duvall, Gabriella New York Bridal Salon, Heather Waraksa, Inspiration Board, Malis Henderson, Melangerie, Nine Cakes, Props for Today, Regas New York, Saipua, Sally Duvall, Stacy Pitt
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Photo Shoot, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Fashion

I mean…insanely beautiful right?? The vintage perfume bottles (which would be so amazing re-used with a single stem for the actual wedding), the lingerie pants by Doucette Duvall that are so freaking cute I would wear them to a party. Dying over this. And what an amazing gift for your hubby on your first anniversary. Boudoir photography is becoming huge these day and with this shoot…I am officially a fan!

Photography: Heather Waraksa / Flowers: Saipua / Event Design/Planning: Always a Bridesmaid / Venue: 632 on Hudson / Stationery Design: Regas New York / Cakes and Desserts: Nine Cakes / Props, Linens and Unique Rentals: Props for Today / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Guest Bags: To Have and to Hold Tote: Melangerie NYC / Model: Giulia at MC2 Model Management / Hair: Stacy Pitt / Make-up: Sally Duvall / Boudoir: Pants from Doucette Duvall, Accessories and Vintage Jacket from Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Wedding Look: Dress by Alisa Benay, Veil by Malis-Henderson, Handbag by Amanda Pearl, Shoes by Aruna Seth from Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Party: Dress by Anne Bowen , Accessories from Gabriella New York Bridal Salon

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 632 hudson, Alisa Benay, Always a Bridesmaid, Amanda Pearl, Anne Bowen, Aruna Seth, Classic Party Rentals, Doucette Duvall, Gabriella New York Bridal Salon, Heather Waraksa, Inspiration Board, Malis Henderson, Melangerie, Nine Cakes, Props for Today, Regas New York, Saipua, Sally Duvall, Stacy Pitt
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Photo Shoot, Wedding Fashion

From Heather and Xochitl: We fell in love with the inspiration board immediately. It seemed feminine, dreamy, magical, airy, romantic and had a lovely fairytale quality to it. In a way, it had the mood of classic wedding but with a modern twist. This gave us a lot of creative freedom and a lot to play off of.

Coming up in just a few…the gorgeous shoot!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 632 hudson, Alisa Benay, Always a Bridesmaid, Amanda Pearl, Anne Bowen, Aruna Seth, Classic Party Rentals, Doucette Duvall, Gabriella New York Bridal Salon, Heather Waraksa, Inspiration Board, Malis Henderson, Melangerie, Nine Cakes, Props for Today, Regas New York, Saipua, Sally Duvall, Stacy Pitt
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Inspiration Boards

Are you dying to know what each and every little goodie is? Well, here’s the low-down from the girls at Melangerie…

In May 2009, Eve & Peter were married on the bride’s family farm in Litchfield, CN. Inspired by their lush wedding location, we created this welcome gift featuring a variety of organic and locally sourced products.

These items were all packaged together in a silk-screened burlap sack we designed to reference farm grain packaging. A coordinating hang-tag with a note from the bride and groom attached on the outside of the bag, welcoming guests to the wedding weekend.

So stinking cute! And, if that wasn’t enough, the girls are also starting to craft details for the chic bride that they are selling in their etsy shop. Take for example this RIDICULOUS “Dirty Laundry Kit”…

Love, love, love!!! I completely heart Melangerie and find so much inspiration from the work that they do. They often work hand in hand with some of the best planners, florists and designers to craft wedding accoutrements that are unbelievably thoughtful and unique. Check out their site for more eye candy!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Gifts, Melangerie, Welcome bags
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts

From the horse’s mouth…

“Wedding genealogies are customized charts, similar to a family tree, that detail the relationships of the bride and groom to all of their wedding guests. Great for the cocktail hour and receptions, these charts fill guests in on who’s a friend from childhood, a neighbor, a family member, and more.

We have three distinct chart aesthetics available in a myriad of formats. Couples can customize the chart best suited to the style and environment of their wedding, and keep the diagram afterwards as a unique piece of memorabilia. We hope you enjoy glancing through the following samples!”

The above option is my fav…this chart features a modern design using seating information, icons, color and size of tables to denote personal connections. All information and colors are customizable. SO COOL.

I also love this family tree style option…a design that organizes groups of friends and family by branches of categories and color. All information and colors are customizable.

If these aren’t the perfect way to personalize your wedding, I’m not sure what is! It’s also a pretty incredible keepsake that will forever remind you of those people who were there to help make your wedding the best day of your life. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Melangerie for designing such an innovative product!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Genealogy Charts, Melangerie, Wedding Favors & Gifts
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts