From Margaret…The wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Hotel Antigua Villa Santa Monica, a boutique hotel with 14 rooms converted from a monastery built in the 1400’s. The couple knew they wanted the wedding events to take place outside and this venue provided multiple settings for the ceremony and reception. The outdoor pool provided the perfect backdrop for a garden ceremony and cocktail hour. The reception was held in the open-air courtyard of the hacienda.

This could be my new favorite wedding. Thank you so much to Margaret for sending our way. We LOVE your work and can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve. If you haven’t already, spend some time on Margaret’s site. It’s absolutely incredible.

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Post tags: Colorful, Margaret Singer, Mexico
Post categories: Casual Elegance

LOVE the colors, love the festive, fun environment. Most of all, love the bride and groom that look like they are having a really great time. Just as it should be. So much more on the way!

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Post tags: Colorful, Margaret Singer, Mexico
Post categories: Casual Elegance

The bride is rocking a Pronovias gown and the groom is in a Mark Shale custom suit. Here are a few more wedding details from Margaret Singer, the photographer behind this gorgeous wedding…

Guests were greeted at the hotel prior to the ceremony with traditional Mexican drinks, Jamaica water and horchata. After the ceremony the couple was escorted into the pool-side cocktail hour by a ten piece mariachi band. A traditional “tequila donkey” roamed the courtyard providing tequila shots for guests from custom made porcelain shot glasses. Table cards were tied to tin Mexican stars which each guest took to find their tables aptly numbered in Spanish. At the tables guests were given a bag of Mexican wedding cookies. A surprise fireworks display and taco cart at midnight was the perfect send-off and conclusion to this modern Mexican wedding.

Ahhh, swooning. I SO wish that I was at this wedding. It’s just so full of life, it looks like a complete and total party. We have lots more on the way so stay tuned!

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Post tags: Colorful, Margaret Singer, Mark Shale, Mexico, Pronovias
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Which is exactly why I wanted to share this absolutely awesome, unbelievably vibrant wedding that the oh-so-talented Margaret Singer sent me…

From the lovely photographer, Margaret Singer…

While in his senior year at Miami University in Oxford, Damon heard stories of a beautiful, independent, free spirit of a girl at the University of Missouri through his high school best friend. The beautiful girl was of course Adhar. After graduation in May of 2004 the couple met for the first time while back home in St. Louis. It was love at first sight.

Adhar grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and always imagined her wedding in the beautiful colonial town set in a valley in the Sierra Madre Mountains. On an impulse, Adhar invited Damon down to San Miguel only weeks after meeting. The trip remains one of their favorites. On that trip the couple romantically joked about where in San Miguel they would hold their wedding. Five years later the couple held a welcome reception for their guests at the very hotel that they spent their first night together in San Miguel.

We have so much more to come from this colorful affair!

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Post tags: Adhar and Damon, Colorful, Margaret Singer, Mexico
Post categories: Casual Elegance

from Holley and Paul …

Monisha and Calvin commissioned Four Seasons Films to film their March wedding at the Westin Resort & Spa in Los Cabos, Mexico. Located at the tip of Baja, this exotic location boasts over 300 days of sunshine each year! The wedding guests enjoyed scenic adventure with horseback rides along the white sands and crashing surf and four wheel adventures across the bronze desert sands. Four Seasons Films travels worldwide to document both small, intimate weddings and large, extravagant events. We are the owners and exclusive cinematographers for our company and welcome the opportunity to bring new stories to life in fabulous detail for clientele who appreciate a higher standard. Four Seasons Films was thrilled to produce a breathtaking vignette for Monisha and Calvin to bring back their Mexico wedding to share with all of their family and friends stateside!

Monisha & Calvin — you guys were just stunning! And your vows were so very heart-warming. Congratulations from all of us at SMP!

A HUGE thank-you to Paul & Holley Jackson for sending us Monisha & Calvin’s extraordinary wedding film! As always, your work defines the highest quality in the industry.

UPDATE (April 13)

We heard from Calvin and Monisha over the weekend and wanted to share a little more of their story with you!

from Calvin & Monisha …

Monisha and I are from the east coast in Washington, DC – so the Mexican city of Cabo San Lucas would not be the typical choice for a destination wedding. You see Cabo is on the southern tip of the Baja of California in Mexico, and most easterners would choose the Caribbean (or the eastern part of Mexico) for a wedding event. But, Cabo was special to us. It was the first place that we visited together as a couple in August 2007, and (despite the once-in-a-decade hurricane that just happened to visit Cabo while we were there in 2007) we immediately fell in love with the area.

One year later, when we were engaged and considering wedding locations, Cabo quickly found itself at the top of the list. And, if we were going to Cabo, we naturally had to choose our host hotel from 2007, the Westin Spa and Resort in Los Cabos. We settled on a March 28, 2009 wedding date (the first full week of Spring) and anxiously prepared for our day. With such a beautiful location, we wanted to have the best. We had the best wedding planner (Lerkia Lee-Tidball of Savvy Soirées Event Management), the best photographer-“cousin” (Michael Clark) and THE BEST videographers (Paul & Holley Jackson of Four Seasons Films)! Even before we were engaged, Monisha had seen some of Paul and Holley’s work for other weddings around the world. Four Seasons Films has done large weddings, small weddings and everything in between. They have filmed celebrities and even in a castle. What an amazing treat it would be if they could film our wedding!

So, when our time came, Monisha checked to see if they were available. Fortunately for us, they were – and they had never filmed in Cabo before (lucky us)! Four Seasons Films captured our special day better than we could have even imagined it. This was not just some average wedding video – they captured the entire experience. The film quality and soundtrack belonged on a big screen, and Monisha and I were the stars. Friends that were not able to attend the wedding keep saying “I feel like I was there” when they see the video from Four Seasons Films. Even those in Cabo with us become emotional when they see our video (and I carry the video around on my IPod touch for all to see). For us, the wedding just would not have been the same without Paul and Holley of Four Seasons Films – and because of them, we have memories to last the rest of our lives!

From all of us here at Style Me Pretty … Congratulations on an absolutely stunning wedding!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Destination Wedding, Four Seasons Films, Los Angeles, Mexico, Westin Resort & Spa
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Style

If you’re just joining us, and you haven’t seen their actual wedding day … you have to take a look … start {here}, then {here} and then {here}. The awesome location, naturally saturated colors, the elegance and intensity of Angela’s photos … well, you just need to see it all!

Jennifer and Kevin’s closest friends and family … along with the amazing Angela Talley … joined them for their destination wedding. And when the next day dawned, the newlyweds were ready to crank it up a notch!

The perfect time for a photo shoot! What’s a little sand on your dress …

You gotta’ admit … it does look SO fun!

Pretty darned sexy …

Congratulations Kevin & Jennifer! SUCH a beautiful wedding!

And Angela … oh my gosh! As always, your photos have blown us away. Thanks SO much for sharing today’s wedding with us.

Angela Talley is based out of Indianapolis, but spends much of her time in Nashville … and will travel pretty much anywhere your little heart desires! She specializes in Wedding and Lifestyle Photography, Music Industry Portraits, Family & Child Portraits, as well as Editorial Photography. Angela’s website is filled with gorgeous examples of her work. If you want to see another of her weddings that was a little closer to home, and filled with hundreds of twinkling votives, check out her blog for Megan & Ryan’s Indianapolis wedding! And for all you Indiana Pacer’s fans … scroll down a little further and take a look at some of Dionna and Danny Granger’s wedding photos on her blog!

PS… Those gorgeous little girls in Jen & Kevin’s wedding are Angela’s! And her husband, Chris was second-shooter for this wedding. Must have been a fun wedding for her to shoot.

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Post tags: Angela Talley, Destination Wedding, Mexico, Playa Del Carmen, Trash The Dress
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

Jennifer and Kevin’s wedding at Playa Del Carmen in JANUARY was just an amazing day all-around.

But the fun had just begun …

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Post tags: Angela Talley, Beach, Flowergirls, Mexico, Ocean, Playa Del Carmen
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography

Jennifer and Kevin were married at Playa Del Carmen in January. What a fabulous place for a winter wedding!

Angela has this instinctive sense of romance, spirit and finesse … all rolled up into one incredible photographer!

More of Jen and Kevin’s wedding to come …

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Post tags: Angela Talley, Beach, Mexico, Ocean, Playa Del Carmen
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography, Wedding Style

That’s where the story begins …

Angela Talley, one of Style Me Pretty’s sensational Little Black Book photographers captured Jennifer and Kevin’s wedding day with her distinctive style and unrivaled quality. We have tons of the most incredible images from the day coming right up … so stay tuned!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | Comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Angela Talley, Beach, Mexico, Nashville, Ocean, Playa Del Carmen, Tennessee
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Wedding Style

The El Dorado Royale Resort and Spa provided the perfect backdrop for an oh-so-perfect wedding weekend.

Coordinating and planning a destination wedding might seem to be a huge ordeal … but that’s where wedding professionals like Aimee Dominick step in and smooth the way!

A huge thank you to Katherine & Aimee & Andrew for sending us Jaime and Carl’s beautiful, beautiful, beautiful wedding.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A. Dominick Events, All Inclusive, Andrew Reilly Photography, Beachside Wedding, Color Palette Coral Green, Destination Weddings, El Dorado Royale, Mexico
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers

Sand, sea, sky … you don’t need much of anything else for inspiration here!

Love, love, love these colors … stay tuned for a few more of the finishing touches from Aimee Dominick. Photography provided by Andrew Reilly.

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Post tags: A. Dominick Events, Andrew Reilly Photography, El Dorado Royale, Mexico, Riviera Maya
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers

Jaime and Carl were married in June 08 at the exclusive beach resort, the El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico.  The El Dorado Royale is part of a collection of luxurious all-inclusive, adult-only resorts known for their exceptional hospitality, cuisine and amazing vacation experiences!

Aimee of A.Dominick Events, one of our fabulous Little Black Book wedding planners coordinated this lovely destination affair for Jaime and Carl. We’ll have lots more beautiful photos from Andrew Reilly Photography in just a bit…

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Post tags: A.Dominick Event Planning, Andrew Reilly Photography, Beach Wedding, Destination Wedding, El Dorado Royale, Mexico, Place Cards, Riviera Maya, Sand Dollars
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers

From the bride, Sara…

When designing our wedding, I found that I wanted a Mexico in Iowa feel. I was really inspired by loteria cards, as they are quirky and strange and beautiful. Thus, we used them in our invitations, in our programs, and in the decorations. They were a starting off point for our entire wedding style.

We wanted to keep our wedding very personal, very intimate. Our food was all made by David’s mother and grandmother from old family recipes. The wedding was held in a museum at the University that we attend that was featuring a contemporary Mexican artist, a celebration of David’s heritage. And the reception was held at a Bed and Breakfast called Montebello – which is locally owned and filled with really great Mexican design and art.Paired with the gorgeous Iowa cornfields, it suited us to perfection.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Iowa, Loteria Cards, Mexico, Mindy Meyer, Montebello, Museum Wedding
Post categories: The Blog

(Easy) DIY Tissue Paper Banners
Inspired from the papel picado (cut paper) banners from Mexico, these are a simpler DIY version of tissue paper banners.  They add inexpensive punches of color for any reception. 

Materials

Tissue Paper
Craft Punches
Exacto Knife
Scissors
Glue Stick
String

Instructions

1. Collect all supplies.  Tissue paper, craft punches, exacto knife, scissors, glue stick, and string. 

2. Cut a stack of tissue paper to the desired size (9 1/2″ x 11″ or 6″ x 7″ for mini banners) and use paper clips to keep stack together.  Account for an extra 1″ at the top of the banner.  This will be folded over the string for hanging.  A rotary cutter or an exacto knife works well.

3. Use a craft punches or scissors designed to different edge effects around the bottom and sides of banner.  Alternatively you can use a smaller punch to add detail as shown.  Artisans in Mexico use chisels of different shapes and “punch” out designs.  There are many interesting shapes available in the scrapbooking sections of craft stores that have similar effects and are easy to use.

4. To create a design in the center, fold stack in half and cut a small heart.  Alternatively templates can be used but this requires a steady hand with an exacto knife. 

5. Using a glue stick, place a thin stripe of glue at the top of the banner and fold over a string.  Continue adding banners leaving a few inches between each one.  Allow for a few feet of string at the beginning and end so that the banner can be hung. 

6. Hang the banners and enjoy!  The creases in the tissue can be removed by using an iron on a low setting. 

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Casual Decor, DIY Inspired, Mexico, Papel Picado Banners, Paper Banners, Tissue Paper
Post categories: Contests, DIY Projects

How much do you love the stationery? It was designed by MaybelleImasa-Stukuls…one of the most talented calligraphers out there.  Thank you so much to Lisa Lefkowitz for sharing these gorgeous images. And of course, to the oh-so-talented Amy Nichols for introducing us to this beautiful affair!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Nichols, Destination Wedding, Lisa Lefkowitz, May+Bell Calligraphy and Design, Mexico
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Cultural Beauty, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers