Here is a last look at today’s GORGEOUS wedding…

I am hopping on a train back to Boston right now, but coming up…my mom (who just happens to be our Little Black Book Blog editor) is going to be back with another really cute mini-feature from Millie Holloman Photography!

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Post tags: Airlie Gardens, Melissa Sweet, Millie Holloman, North Carolina, Salt Harbor, Stellar Events, Wilmington
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Real Weddings, The Blog, Wedding Photography

The event was held at the Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, North Carolina with the reception held at the nearby Level 5 on the rooftop bar. So cool. The teams at Stellar Events and Salt Harbor took a relatively blank canvas and completely transformed it into a warm, intimate dinner party with a color palette that is as soft and sweet, as it is completely chic.

Each of the menus were customized with the name of the guest, serving as seating card as well. Love that. The PERFECT cake was crafted by Nicki’s Cakes in Wilmington.

SWOON. We have a bit more coming up in just a few! Go Millie!

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Post tags: Airlie Gardens, Melissa Sweet, Millie Holloman, Nicki's Cakes, North Carolina, Salt Harbor, Stellar Events, Wilmington
Post categories: Casual Elegance

I wanted to start off the week with this gorgeous wedding that we spotted over on the fabulous Millie Holloman site. I am generally in awe of all things Millie and her team do, and this beautiful day didn’t disappoint.  Rebecca (lead photographer) and Amanda (second-shooter) really rocked Katy and Justin’s wedding shots!

Of course the amazingly talented Salt Harbor Designs was behind the gorgeous floral styling, this time working with the amazingly talented coordination and design team at Stellar Events to make sure the day went off without a hitch. The bride was ROCKING a perfect dress and the groom looks dreamy in his gray suit. Love the combination of colors and textures.

Oh and can I just toot my own horn and say that ALL of these incredible vendors are Little Black Book members! Yup, the book is pretty awesome if I do say so myself!

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Post tags: Airlie Gardens, Melissa Sweet, Millie Holloman, Salt Harbor Designs, Stellar Events
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog, Wedding Photography

First up, the insanely gorgeous bride, Allie…

photography by Jessica Hill

Allie’s gown was designed by Melissa Sweet and her adorable hairpiece by Twigs + Honey. Her gorgeous jewelry was by Tigerlilly.

We have a TON of details coming up from this beautiful affair and even though it’s Friday right before a long weekend, I hope you’ll come back for more!

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Post tags: Charming, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Melissa Sweet, Tigerlilly, twigs and honey
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired

Isn’t she just the prettiest in her Melissa Sweet gown ??

Katie & Brian were married at the Seaside Chapel in Florida. 

Bridesmaids and flower girl wore J. Crew.

Brian and the groomsmen wore ties from Vineyard Vines and their suits were from Jos. A. Bank.

The beautiful floral decor was by Nouveau Flowers in Grayton Beach, Florida. The car is from Bill Penney Toyota, Huntsville, AL.

Thank you SO much to Sheila & Hayley at Goode Green Photography for sharing these fantastic images from Katie & Brian’s wedding!

From Renee …

Believe it or not, Katie is just wearing a little tinted moisturizer, and concealer to make her skin flawless in pictures. It was important to me, and to Katie, that her beautiful freckles show through. Why cover up that unique feature of hers! The days of piling on heavy foundation are over essentially– with new innovations in makeup, foundation specifically, and an effective skincare routine, brides can have the creamy, flawless skin they want.

And just a bit about Shannon’s makeup from Renee …

Another option gaining popularity, is the airbrush machine. I used an airbrush gun on Shannon, and you can still see her freckles shining through. I think modern bridal makeup is about making the woman feel gorgeous, while still looking like herself. There’s nothing worse than having hired a fabulous photographer, and end up not liking your pictures because you had on too much–or not enough–makeup!

We have more from Renee at Two Fishes Artistry coming up next week! She and her team are based in the Florida Panhandle but often have weddings in Alabama and Mississippi.  Thanks so much, Renee, for sharing!

And congratulations to Katie and Brian from all of us here at Style Me Pretty!!

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Post tags: Florida, Goode Green Photography, J. Crew, Make-Up Artist, Melissa Sweet, Nouveau Flowers, Seaside Chapel, Two Fishes Artistry, Vineyard Vines
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance

photographs by Raya Photography

A few details from Ariel…

The wedding was held this past May at the Rockwood Women’s Club.  The wedding’s vibe was that of vintage romance.  Everything about this wedding was “pretty.” The couple, the cake, the flowers, the venues, the gown, everything.  All gorgeous eye candy.

The wedding colors were ivory, pale pink and gray with touches of green. The bride wore a stunning Swiss dot A-line gown designed my Melissa Sweet.

We have so much more to come from this beautiful wedding! And, if you haven’t already wasted a day devouring our brand new Look Book, it’s a must!

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Post tags: Ariel Yve, Look Book, Melissa Sweet, Raya Photography, Rockwood Women's Club, Vintage Romance
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

The short, flirty dress is Melissa Sweet’s Bronwin. The longer one is by Vera Wang and is called Zoe. Both are complete and total perfection! We have more shots on the way!

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Post tags: Belathee, Melissa Sweet, Vera Wang, Wedding Dresses
Post categories: Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion

Love the succulents, the subtle but incredibly elegant palette, the incredible shot of the couple. There is something innately lovely about this affair. Loving every bit of it!

The vendors that helped bring this gorgeous day to reality were of course, the fabulous photographer, Caroline Tran, the flowers were designed by Lucky Flowers (downtown LA) and the cake was done by Pastries by Nancy. Oh and that fabulous dress? It’s a Melissa Sweet.

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Post tags: Caroline Tran, Lucky Flowers, Melissa Sweet, Pastries by Nancy
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

photography by Ben Vigil

From Jen…

The moment I put on my Amy Kuschel dress, I loved it. But for three months after I bought it right off the rack, I was certain it was the wrong dress for me. Finally, one day at a red light, I blurted out, “I don’t think I like my dress!” Andy asked if I could return it, I told him that’s not how wedding dresses worked, he asked if I could figure out a way to learn to like it. It took me a few months, but the second I saw my husband trying on his classic tux, and I imagined that moment-after shot of us walking back down the aisle, the dress seemed perfect. Looking back, I love its simple glamour, and it let me have more fun with my jewelry and hair. I finished off the look with sassy magenta silk Nine West peep-toes I’d bought off the clearance rack. They didn’t go with anything, but I just liked them. My bridesmaids looked lovely in Melissa Sweet gowns, in different styles of gray chiffon, silk and satin. Two have already worn them again!

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Post tags: Amy Kuschel, Ben Vigil, Melissa Sweet
Post categories: Contemporary, Traditional Elegance

Justine & Robert really wanted an outdoor wedding, but opted to move inside for the reception since it’s a little chilly in northern California in October.  The floral designer, Valley Flora, did a tremendous job “bringing the outdoors in!”

These are just a few of the many individual floral arrangements from the reception …

from Gia’s Blog: Pursuing the Picture Perfect Wedding …

Justine and Robert chose wonderful centerpieces that incorporated dahlias, orchids, pitcher plants, fresh in-season fruit, leaves, succulents, etc., in unique still-life style arrangements. I know I’m going a little overboard on the detail shots here … but I want to show the kind of variety I love, and how many natural elements were in their florals. Valley Flora from Napa did a wonderful job. These details were definitely “green” without being pretentious or showy.

Potted herbs adorned the outdoor cocktail tables and buffet created by Back to Earth Catering, which specializes in organic (and especially yummy) dishes from locally grown food.

And when you put it ALL together … voila! This is what you get!

Cake by Margaret’s French Bakery.

Lots more beautiful photos from Gia Canali Photography coming up in a bit …

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Post tags: Back To Earth Catering, Cake, California, Centerpieces, Dancing, Eco Friendly, Gia Canali Photography, Green Wedding, Herbs, Los Gatos, Melissa Sweet, Nestldown, Valley Flora
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Wedding Style

Then, I dug a little deeper into Gia’s blog and discovered that not only is she a fabulous photographer, but she also has an MFA in writing from California Institute of the Arts. Well, duh! No wonder her blog is so great!! So … before getting to today’s wedding, we wanted to share a little bit more … straight from Gia ’s blog …

Every bride dreams of the picture perfect wedding … and so, of the perfect wedding pictures. I’m certain this has a lot to do with how strongly our memories are shaped by photographs as visual evidence, particularly of beauty and happiness. And it probably has quite a bit to do with the few tangible things we keep after the wedding: the spouse, the rings, the photographs. But the truth is that bad photographs (translate: less than perfect ones) occasionally happen to perfectly well-meaning couples. So much goes into creating the picture perfect wedding, and hiring a good photographer is an important step. But everything from cultivating exquisite decor to planning a realistic itinerary and wearing the right gown counts. I realize that photographers are supposed to be the silent and unbiased observers. I do realize that. But what we photographers see and don’t say might count for a thousand words … or a thousand beautiful photographs. (Pursuing the) Picture Perfect Wedding is meant to be an aesthetic critique of weddings, full of tips on how to work with your photographer and how to get the most out of your photography; notes on trends in wedding fashion, florals, and decor; interviews with wedding industry innovators; and the very occasional rant on avoiding fashion disaster. Over the last ten years, my work has taken me to weddings traditional and non-traditional, religious and civil, rural and urban, high-end and handmade, in places as far east as China, west as Scotland, south as Mexico, and every sort of destination in between. I’m here to tell you what works … and what doesn’t.

Our advice for today? Set aside some time this weekend to read Gia’s blog … cover to cover!

And now, on to her day job!

Justine and Robert’s wedding …

Justine and Robert were married in October at Nestldown, a private estate and non-profit organization in Los Gatos, California. Gia Canali was there to capture each and every moment of this gorgeous wedding! We have lots of photos … so be prepared to check in throughout the day to see them all.

from Gia …

The ceremony was outdoors (they couldn’t bear the thought of not having it outdoors). But northern California is quite chilly in October, and although they’d originally envisioned a picnic reception, they decided that the comfort of their guests was of utmost importance. So … they brought the outdoors in. This is one of the better examples I’ve seen of an elegant rustic (and environmentally-conscious) wedding.

Their very peaceful ring bearer … Vinny …

Justine’s absolutely perfect gown is a Melissa Sweet design.

Gorgeous bouquets by Valley Flora.

SO many more photos from Justine and Robert’s wedding coming up in a bit! (Now would be a good time to take a look at Gia’s blog …)

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Post tags: California, Gia Canali, Los Gatos, Melissa Sweet, Nestldown, Photography Blogs, Wedding Blogs
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers

I love that she was able to “map” it all out before the girls made their purchase so as to ensure that they would look beautiful together. The hues aren’t matchy-matchy and yet they compliment each other perfectly. The silhouettes are all lovely and flatter each girl as an individual. LOVE!

From Anne, the beautiful bride…

My color palette was derived from the colors I used in my invite which was originally inspired by the gardens at the Eolia mansion. I really wanted each bridesmaid to look different but similar. I allowed them freedom to choose their dress as long as they stayed within the color guidelines. In the end, I sent them a jpg mock-up before the wedding so they could see what their dresses would look like all together. I also allowed them to wear whatever silver shoes they wanted.

We have so much more coming up from this gorgeous wedding!

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Post tags: Bridesmaids, Jenny Yoo, Melissa Sweet, mismatched, Priscilla of Boston
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

all images by Brides.com

The color palette is to die for, with the soft pinks and yellows paired next to the more sophisticated blacks. Add in that slightly metallic blue and well, it’s perfection. The bottom blue dress (center and the top left pink dress) are hands-down my favs, but as a bridesmaid, I would be thrilled with ANY of them!

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Post tags: Bridesmaids Dresses, Melissa Sweet
Post categories: Bridal Party, Wedding Fashion

Shoes by Kate Spade, Wedding Gown by Melissa Sweet (Style: Natalie), Bridesmaids Dress by Priscilla of Boston, Small Bud Vase by Petelena, Invitations by Paper + Cup, All other photos by Brides.com

From Elizabeth…

Along with raspberry and white, I also tried to include some blush tones to give the look a more subdued tone, which I think lends a sense of elegance to complement the fun and preppy style of the raspberry and white.  In the end, I think the vintage/preppy/fun/ elegant styles all come together very well.  I’m sure the bride’s wedding will be beautiful.

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Post tags: Kate Spade, Melissa Sweet, Paper + Cup, Petelena, Priscilla of Boston
Post categories: Contests, Inspiration Boards

It’s hard not to love this wedding…the perfect flowers, the sweet charm of every detail, the shoes. We have more pictures coming so stay tuned!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Melissa Sweet, Vineyard Style
Post categories: Real Weddings