John and I first met in the bleachers overlooking an intramural soccer game, where my floor mates and I were cheering on our “brother floor” during the first few weeks of freshman year at Wheaton College. What followed were two years of college experiences that led us to develop a deep friendship. We had the same friends, were in the same classes, went on the same road trips, and studied at various coffee shops together.

Our dating relationship actually began one spring evening in 2009 as we sat on a bench on the Riverwalk in Naperville enjoying some Red Mango frozen yogurt. About two years later, on February 25, 2011, John asked me to marry him at the same exact place. After dinner at our first date spot, a hole-in-the-wall Senegalese restaurant in Chicago, and after seeing Les Miserables at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, we took a short walk through snow flurries, ending up at “the bench” where our relationship had begun and where so many important conversations had happened. Our favorite frozen yogurt was there waiting for us (Thank you, Chicago weather, it was still very frozen). John got down on his knee and said some wonderful things and asked me to marry him – and the rest is history!

Due to John’s pending Army career, we had limited options when setting a wedding date. We settled on Labor Day weekend of the same year, leaving us about five months to graduate from college and plan a wedding. Because John grew up in Costa Rica, we planned to get married in Delaware, where I grew up.

Spending the summer running around to countless venues and vendors with my mom was a blast! After looking at several beautiful potential wedding sites throughout Delaware and Pennsylvania, we decided it would be most meaningful and special to have our wedding right in the Delaware Valley. Our ceremony and reception venues were both specially chosen. Old Swedes Church, dating from 1699, is a cool, old, stone historic building in downtown Wilmington. It’s not the church my family attends on a regular basis, but it seemed like the perfect place due to my Swedish heritage and its fun setting. We also liked that it was in Wilmington because of our passion for urban culture and development. From there, our guests drove about fifteen minutes to Wilmington Country Club in Greenville, the site of my parents’ reception twenty-eight years earlier.

I’ve never been a fan of bright colors because I change my mind so easily, so our goal was to create an elegant evening by choosing more neutral and classic colors with a few unique elements that would add some modern flair. John and his groomsmen who are also in the military wore their army service uniforms and capped off the ceremony with the saber arch. The rest of the groomsmen wore traditional black tuxes, and the bridesmaids wore long grey dresses from Priscilla of Boston that were flattering on everyone.

Our flowers were natural whites and greens; mine were primarily whites while the girls’ had more greens. The simple yet sophisticated centerpieces of dendrobium orchids and willow branches, set off by beautiful grey linens and enhanced with hanging votives, added a wow-factor upon entering the ballroom.

My long-time friend and bridesmaid who studied design in college spent many long days and nights over the summer helping us with the fun diy elements. She created a monogram for John and me that was at the top of our menus, sewed pennant flags made out of various grey fabrics that were strung around the country club, and designed chalkboard menus for the bars, and we worked together to create our eight foot tall seating boards. A family friend sewed a unique ring bearer pillow, we displayed family wedding photos for a personal touch, we assembled our programs ourselves with the help of some friends, and we made our table numbers out of slate tiles from Home Depot with green ribbon tied around them.

One of our desires for the evening was that people would have lots of fun celebrating one of the most important days of our lives with us, and also that there would be opportunities for guests to catch up and talk and enjoy each other. Wilmington Country Club was the perfect place to accomplish this because it allowed for fabulous dancing and entertainment by the Vincent James Band in the ballroom while the candlelit patio, which was still open to the ballroom, provided a quieter setting for relaxing conversation.

We added some special touches with a dessert bar (cake was served as dessert, but John and I aren’t big cake people, so the dessert bar on the patio featured some of our favorites like peanut butter truffles and mini apple pies). I am known for my love for coffee, so we also splurged to hire a barista for the night; she set up on the patio as well and created custom espresso drinks for our guests.

John and I have never wanted to be doing so many different things at the same time! There just weren’t enough hours in the evening to spend sufficient time dancing with friends, catching up with two hundred of the most influential people in our lives, sipping coffee on the patio, and enjoying our favorite foods. Everything came together so much more beautifully and perfectly than we could have hoped, and fun, special moments from the day continue to be topics of conversation. We are now living in Hawaii where John is stationed, and we are enjoying exploring all that Oahu has to offer. We are loving life as a Mr. and Mrs. and can’t wait to see what the coming years will hold!

Flowers: Belak Flowers / Cake: Liberty Lane Bake Shoppe / Photography: mk Photography / Videography: AOV Productions / Invitations: Apropos / Hair & Makeup: Salon by Dominic / Ceremony: Old Swedes Church / Reception: Wilmington Country Club / Dress: Janell Berté from The Wedding Shoppe / Sash: Jennifer’s Bridal / Monogram, Chalkboard Menus, Pennant Flags & Seating Boards: DIY by Bride & Karen Demaio

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Post tags: AOV Productions, Apropos, Army Weddings, Belak Flowers, Color Palette Green, Delaware, DIY Projects, DIY Wedding Decor, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Flower girls, Janell Berte, Jennifer's Bridal, Karen Demaio, Liberty Lane Bake Shoppe, Military Weddings, MK Photography, Neutral Color Palette, Old Swedes Church, Ring Bearers, Salon by Dominic, The Wedding Shoppe, Traditional Elegance, Wilmington, Wilmington Country Club
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Drew and I met on a blind date in December 2009. We met for sushi and closed the place down! It was no surprise then that we were both interested in seeing each other again. For our second date, we ended up visiting a Meals on Wheels client of mine in the hospital and then went to dinner afterwards. That’s when I knew that Drew was different from anyone I’ve ever dated.

We spent the next year getting to know each other better and it wasn’t long before we realized that what we had was very special. A little more than a year after we met, on December 18, 2010, Drew surprised me with an engagement proposal! We had made plans with my mom and brother to go to the Cleopatra exhibit in Philadelphia. On the way there, we coincidentally found out that Drew’s brother and wife were at the Philadelphia Art Museum. So, he decided that we should stop by and see them! Little did I know, he had a big surprise planned. As we climbed the steps of the Art Museum and we took turns taking pictures of each other doing the ‘Rocky’ pose, I found Drew and I at the top of the stairs, looking down at our own personal paparazzi. At this point, I still had no idea what was about to happen but thought it was funny how our family was standing in front of us and side by side taking our picture doing the ‘Rocky’ pose. Figuring that they were done taking our picture, I started to walk away until Drew called my name to get my attention. As I turned around, he went down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course, I said YES! While we were dating, Drew and I had many great times and memories in Philadelphia. I’m not an easy person to surprise, so by making plans for us in Phildelphia, Drew figured it was his best bet! There’s actually a video of the proposal on YouTube.

It was important for us to bring a little bit of my culture into our wedding. We added Middle Eastern hor’dourves and desserts to our menu. Our favors were a set of Middle Eastern tea cups and our guests will probably never forget our surprise bellydancer performance!

Thoughts about wedding planing to share with other brides would be that everyone has their opinions but at the end of the day, do what makes you and your husband-to-be happy! Remember that the two most important opinions are yours and his! You may not be able to stay within a budget so try to decide and prioritize what is most important to you. Some things that you’ll spend a fortune on, or that you’ll spend a lot of time debtaing about, will never even be noticed the day of your wedding. Lastly, and most importantly, be sure to stop and take it all in. Don’t miss out on one of the happiest days of your life.

Photography: mk Photography / Brides Dress: Private Label By G / Brides Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Bridesmaids Dresses: Bill Levkoff / Bridesmaids Jewelry: Charter Club / Flower Girls Dress: Jordan / Stationary: ESpecial Day / Venue: Hotel du Pont

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Post tags: Ballroom Weddings, Belly dancing, Bill Levkoff, Charter Club, Delaware, Enzo Angiolini, ESpecial Day, Glamour, Glamourous, Hotel du Pont, Jordan, Middle Eastern Wedding, MK Photography, Neutral Color Palette, Private Label by G, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wilmington
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

We first met each other in August 2008 on a rock climbing day trip organized by a mutual friend.  We small talked a bit, but I don’t think either of us guessed then that we would end up dating each other.  We crossed paths again a couple months later when a second rock climbing trip fell through at the last minute.  I asked Evan if he instead wanted to go for a hike at Great Falls, just outside of Washington, DC, where we were both living at the time.  We had a great time together and pretty much started dating right after that.

At that time, Evan was in the process of applying to graduate schools out west.  Only a few months later, when it came time for him to decide which school to enroll in, I had just gotten laid off from my job at an architecture firm and was up for the adventure of moving to a new city.  We decided on Vancouver together and in August 2009 packed everything we owned into a Penske truck and drove across and out of the country!

Our relationship has grown so strong since we have been here, and on the first day of spring in 2010, Evan packed a surprise picnic and took me to Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver, where we hiked and picnicked on a rock outcropping just like we did on the day at Great Falls.  He proposed there with a gorgeous ring that he designed himself and had made by a local artisan.  It was perfect!  We watched the sun set over the beautiful Strait of Georgia, which also meant hiking back in the dark (very funny, and a little scary!).
We originally wanted to have a small wedding out here in Vancouver, but realized it would be much easier on our families to have it close to home.  We happened to make that decision while we were in Pennsylvania visiting, so in just a day or two, we ran around to look at different venues.  Greenville was a no-brainer.  It is beautiful and we are both so outdoorsy that we knew we wanted an outdoor wedding.

We couldn’t afford to fly back east again before the wedding, so all the rest of the planning was done from afar.  We used vendor recommendations from Greenville to find the rest of our vendors. We asked our Pastor from when we lived in Washington, DC if he would preside at the wedding.  He had gotten to know us a bit while we were in DC and was able to add the most wonderful personal touch to our ceremony.

My mom and aunt flew out here to take me wedding dress shopping, which was extremely nice of them!  We stuck with only our siblings in our bridal party, and I asked my sisters to pick out their own dresses (they coordinated them on their own) and Evan’s brother wore a suit he already had.  Evan and I were fairly laid back about the planning.  While as designers we had a general look that we were going for, we had no desire to get caught up in the details.

I think we really understood that it was a day to celebrate our commitment with each other, and our families and friends.  Not a work project to be designed or perfected.  I think that worked well for us because we had such a great day, even with the record-breaking heat!  Everyone was worried about it,except for us.  Perhaps living so far away in a rainy cold climate, we were happy for a sweaty hot day surrounded by family and friends!

Bride’s Dress:  Paloma Blanca from Isabelle’s Bridal / Brides Hair Flower:  Isabella’s Bridal / Shoes:  Nine West / Bridesmaids Dresses:  Alfred Angelo / Flower girl: Alfred Angelo / Photography: mk Photography

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, Casual Elegance, Flower girls, Garden Weddings, Greenville, Isabelle's Bridal, MK Photography, Nine West, Outdoor Ceremony, Paloma Blanca, Pennsylvania, Ring Bearers, Staircase, Summer Weddings, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Photography by MK Photography

The week of weddings, all in one spot – in case you missed any:

a soft and oh-so-romantic Navy wedding in Texas
a crisp autumn wedding in Canada, uniting the sweetest of high school sweethearts
a modern and chic art gallery soiree in Colorado
a gorgeous Long Island vineyard affair
a fantastically exciting highlight film with the most adorable Ohio couple
a southern garden soiree to die for in Tennessee

A few of our favorite things, courtesy of the world wide web:

a fantastic Thanksgiving rehearsal dinner via Ruffled
a cranberry bourbon sauce perfect for the holidays via Design*Sponge
a winter board from Veils & Vows we’d love to see come to life via our Inspiration Builder

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Post tags: Greenville, MK Photography, Pennsylvania, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Photography, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Will and I met the second semester of our freshman year at Tulane University in New Orleans. I was from Delaware and he was an Oklahoma native. We were from two very different places with two very different backgrounds. Will grew up on a farm in a small Oklahoma town and I was an East Coast girl. We dated for three months and then summer hit and we each headed back home until the fall semester. Little did we know, this would be the first of several separations. On August 29th, 2005 I flew back to New Orleans and was picked up by Will at the airport. I had two frantic missed calls on my phone, one from my father, and another from a school friend in Baton Rouge, “Get out of the city,” they said, “A hurricane’s coming.”

We evacuated New Orleans that day and didn’t return to the city until January 2006. Upon returning for what should have been second semester of our sophomore year, Will’s engineering program was cut, and he made heartbreaking decision to  transfer to the University of Tulsa.  For the second time if felt like a rug had been swept from beneath our feet. The thought of maintaining a long-distance relationship for the remainder of our college careers (three years!) was daunting to say the least.

Dozens of crazy phone bills, plane tickets, and airport good-bye’s later , we had made it! Maddie and Will graduated – check. Maddie moved to Oklahoma – check. Maddie and Will were living in the same state, thriving in a non-long-distance relationship – finally!

Two years later Will popped the quested on bended knee in Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana. For the life of me I cannot remember what Will said (and he can’t remember either). For those several seconds I didn’t hear anything, I just saw him kneeling, the ring in his hand and felt his hand grab mine. I burst into tears and we hugged for what felt like forever. I was nodding like a crazy person. Being a Sunday morning the square was bustling and a group of tourists clapped and whistled. Two girls asked us to replay the moment so they could take a picture. It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life. This was of course before the wedding day.

There were three things I absolutely would not compromise on when it came to our venue. I wanted the ceremony outside. I wanted the reception tented. And I wanted it to be place that required no decoration, a place that was naturally beautiful. I imagine that finding your wedding venue is similar to finding your wedding dress. You just know. You feel it. When I walked into Greenville Country Club, I knew it was the place. The expansive green field, the garden, the trees, the brick terrace; It was perfect!

For Will and I, New Orleans is our shared ground. Its where Will proposed, its where we fell in love, its where we started our relationship, and that city has seen the best and worst of us. If felt right that it should be a part of our wedding day. A French quarter garden became the inspiration for the scene. The fleur de lis seemed a natural symbol to use for invitations, seating cards, programs, gift bags. I wanted everything to make sense together, but I didn’t want it to be a theme wedding.

Will and I repeated the vows that my Mother spoke to my father on their wedding day, 29 years ago. They were exactly how Will and I felt and what we wanted to say to each other. My brother performed an original song at the reception for Will and I as our wedding gift. It was the most amazing gift I’ve ever received.

I vividly remember standing with my father waiting to walk down the aisle. I had my hand on his shoulder and he was holding my hand. It was in that moment that it actually hit me. I was getting married today.

Dress: Watters, Lasara / Ceremony and Reception Location: Greenville Country Club / Florals: Sweet Peas of Jennersville / Hair & Make Up: Claudia Seyler / Cake: Liz Marden / Entertainment: Toner Sound / Photography: mk Photography

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Claudia Seyler, Country Club Wedding, Delaware, Greenville, Greenville Country Club, Kilts, Liz Marden, MK Photography, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, String Quartet, Sweet Peas of Jennersville, Tent, Tented Reception, Toner Sound, Traditional Elegance, Watters, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

From mk Photography … Amanda and Joel chose the wonderful Loch Nairn Golf club for their fall ceremony and reception. They wanted to make sure to include their dog Dara in their wedding day. The ceremony under the giant oak tree was perfect, very fall, with it’s golden leaves, and dog friendly. So was the adjacent corn field for photos. The most unique decision Amanda and Joel made was to cut and serve pies instead of the traditional wedding cake. What a tasty hit!

From the lovely bride … We knew from the start we wanted something other than the traditional ballroom for our wedding.  With its exposed beams, old wood floors and antique décor, the Greathouse at Loch Nairn Golf Course fit the bill perfectly.  An old tree provided a beautiful canopy for our guests to gather under for our autumn ceremony.

We made sure to incorporate many of our favorite things into the day, while still accenting the fall season.  Real pumpkin candles decorated the tables, pies were served in lieu of cake, complete with vanilla ice cream, and of course our 15 year old lab, Dara, was in attendance and donned a purple collar to match the bridal party.  The day was a true reflection of us, and the perfect way to start our life together as husband and wife.

Photography: mk Photography / Venue: Loch Nairn / Pies: MyHouse Cookies / Flowers: Marcus Hook Florist / Entertainment: Laughing Out Loud Productions / Invitation Designer: Birchcraft Studios / Wedding Gown Designer: Paloma Blanca / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jim Hjelm Occasions / Flower Girl Dress Designer: Bill Levkoff / Flower Girl Basket: Shangri Lara Design / Men’s Tuxes: Iacobucci Formal Wear / String Trio: Heart Strings Entertainment / Photo Booth: Shutter Booth Philadelphia

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autumn, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Orange, Fall, Laughing Out Loud Productions, Loch Nairn, Marcus Hook Florist, MK Photography, MyHouse Cookies, Pennsylvania, Pumpkins, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Thank you so much to Jon Gangwer of Well Spun Weddings for introducing us to his gorgeous work and to this lovely wedding. And thanks to MK Photography for sharing the ridiculously beautiful images!

We have more to come, so check back soon!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: MK Photography, Well Spun Weddings
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Isn’t the sorbet shot pretty great? And the napkins…I swear people, it’s ALL in the details! More to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Add new tag, MK Photo, MK Photography
Post categories: Traditional Elegance