Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride and groom… We just had time to sit down and organize our wedding photos. A lot of hard work went into the celebration! Though we’re from the Bay Area, Napa is a far way out for most of our family, and coming from Chinese and Italian backgrounds, great food was important to us. We decided that we wanted to spend money on the perfect “destination” location with amazing cuisine — The Carneros Inn. Much of everything else we did was DIY. We didn’t have a wedding planner, and we handmade all of our 120 of our wedding favors (a collection of our favorite recipes), menus, programs, table runners, etc.  Since we had 9 months to plan, Christine shopped off-season for bridesmaids and flower girl dresses. (The total for all five dresses? Less than $200!) The wedding was really everything we wanted it to be — beautiful and meaningful but relaxed and a great way for our friends and family to have an incredibly special weekend with us.

Photography: TinyDot Photography / Bride’s Dress: Lazaro via Matina’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Veil: David’s Bridal / Umbrellas: Luna Bazaar / Wedding Favors + Paper Products: PaperSource / Groom’s Suit: Armani / Groom’s Tie: J.Crew / Groom’s shirt: Ted Baker / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Mother of the Bride: Carolina Herrera / Flower Girl Dresses: Macy’s / Ring Bearer’s Bow Ties: J.Crew / Ring Bearer’s Slacks: Land’s End / Venue + Food: The Carneros Inn / Burlap Runners + Mats: DIY / Source for Tree Burlap: ULine / Band: A.M. Radio Band / Flowers: Michael Daigian Design / Photo frames: IKEA

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A.M. Radio Band, Armani, California, Carolina Herrera, David's Bridal, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Ikea, J. Crew, Jimmy Choo, Lands End, Lazaro, Luna Bazaar, Macy's, Matina's Bridal, Michael Daigian Design, Napa Valley, Papersource, Ted Baker, The Carneros Inn, TinyDot Photography, ULine
Post categories: Destination, The Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Every time I think of Napa, I think of the gorgeous green rolling hills. The smell of grapes reminds me of all of the wonderful times spent with our friends. We’ve eaten at some of best restaurants in the world and of course enjoyed copious amounts of our favorite beverage — wine. Amir & I definitely consider ourselves to be huge “winos” and foodies. I really wanted our wedding to have a romantic feel and really capture what we love in life: great times with friends and excellent food and wine. Napa was the perfect fit for us and without much deliberation we chose it as our wedding location.

For the décor and overall style I wanted to stick with the following themes: vintage, French countryside, and understated elegance. Naturally, Napa provides a rich and colorful setting for a wedding, so I didn’t want to overwhelm tables with elaborate flower arrangements. Instead, I opted for simple peony bouquets in glass vases. I absolutely love peonies, and I have to admit that the wedding date was planned around the peony season, which is fairly short – only 6 weeks (May through early June). I do love my peonies! I also really liked the idea of dessert buffets and I wanted our dessert table to incorporate some our favorite treats. Our table featured baked goods from our favorite bakery: Bouchon. Ah, Bouchon, where do I begin … known for their French macaroons, eclairs, chocolate bouchons and pretty much any other baked deliciousness. We decided to skip favors and offered to go boxes that our guests could fill up with whatever they chose from the table. I heard it was quite a huge hit with everyone.

Words can’t describe how happy I was to wake up to a warm, sunny morning. We definitely got very lucky with the weather, as it was cold and heavily rainy the entire week leading up to our wedding. The day was beautiful, full of emotions, happy tears, and of course as I have been warned, flew by in what seemed like 5 minutes. I am glad that I remembered to take Kathy’s advice, before the last song, I grabbed Amir’s hand and stepped away from the dance floor to just stand there for good 10 minutes and soak in the moment. Watching friends & family dancing, popping in and out of the photo booth, munching on late night snack, I will never forget that moment. Looking back, I would not have changed anything and I am completely overjoyed with the thought that now Napa will always have a special place in our hearts. Every time we come back to Napa we will get to re-live the memories of our wedding day..

Photographer: Sylvie Gil Photography / Venue: Beaulieu Garden / Cake: Michael and Angela of Perfect Endings / Catering: Geoffrey and Tim of Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Celebrant: Tannaz (Taz) Mokayef, groom’s sister / Ceremony + Cocktail Music: Brian Moran of Ever Music Group / Wedding Planner: Kathy Higgins Weddings /DJ: Chris Fox / Florals: Polly Harrington of Valley Flora / Sound System + Lighting: Jon Retsky of Got Light / Rentals + Linens: Deirdre Muller of Classic Party Rentals / Lounge Furniture: Neil Adams of Blueprint Studio Collection / Rehearsal Party: Brix / Transportation: Karen Dooley of California Wine Tours / Dessert Table: Bouchon / Hair and Makeup: The Makeup Dolls

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beaulieu Gardens, Blueprint Studio Collection, Brian Moran, Brix, California, California Wine Tours, Chris Fox, Classic Party Rentals, Deirdre Muller, Every Music Group, Got Light, Jon Retsky, Karen Dooley, Kathy Higgens, Napa Valley, Neil Adams, Paula LeDuc, Perfect Endings, Polly Harrington, Sylvie Gil Photography, Valley Flora, Wine Country Wedding
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

From the Couple… The two most memorable moments of our day were our “first look” and the Ketubah signing. WIth everything that led up to the wedding, traveling, picking up last minute items, and meeting up with our guests, those moments were the most relaxed and intimate of our entire weekend.

My wife and I wanted our wedding to reflect the things we really enjoy: food, wine, close friends and family. When we thought of the first two, it was a no-brainer that we would get married in Napa Valley. We also wanted an atmosphere where everything could come together in a relaxed way, something that did not seem like a typical wedding. Insert the beautiful outdoor estate here, picturesque views of Napa Valley, and all of the easy natural decorations. With almost all of our guests traveling long distances to come to the wedding, we planned several events to facilitate people enjoying the Napa experience. We also stocked our bar with our favorite Napa wines and local microbrews; as well as plenty of sparkling wine.

We really wanted the gorgeous views that surrounded us to be our main “decoration” so the bare farm tables with just a few seasonal flowers were perfect. We were also very excited about some of the decorations that we could enjoy the wedding day and years to come. One of the coolest aspects was our tree “guest book” that guests left their “leaf” thumb print on. Our chef did an outstanding job of making food that was fresh from local produce and in season. The ultimate food experience had to be the tomato bar. Stocked with in-season fresh tomatoes, flavored salts and spices, oils, and pesto, this kept the guests coming back for different combinations. It also made for great pictures that we plan to frame and hang in our home to remind us of our amazing day.

Knowing our limits and finding Mary Ellen Murphy from Off The Beaten Path Weddings was the best decision we made! Because we were planning a destination wedding while finishing up our degrees in two different states (I was in Florida while Evan was in Texas for the year prior to our wedding) it was very important for us to have a wedding planner/designer who could take care of all the important details and whose personal aesthetic worked with our goals for our wedding. Her easy approach to wine country weddings was a perfect fit and kept the stress to a minimum.

Photography: onelove photography / Cake: Signature dessert bar by Off the Beaten Path Weddings /
Caterer: Off the Beaten Path Weddings, Chef Tim Vallery / Floral: Off the Beaten Path Weddings, team designer, Erica Rose / Officiant: Rabbi Gershon

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Napa Valley, Off the Beaten path Weddings, onelove photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Real Weddings

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Davide and I just missed each other during our time at Lehman Brothers as I was on my way out when Davide was an incoming summer associate. Our former colleague thought we would get along and suggested numerous times that the three of us get together. However, given three busy persons’ schedules (I’m just a busy bee), it never happened. Davide finally asked for my number and called me the night after Halloween, five years ago. We had dinner and discovered how similar our backgrounds were and that was the beginning. Davide grew up in Italy and came to the U.S. when he was about 10 years old with his mother and brother. He didn’t have a lot growing up but thanks to his smarts and good looks, he graduated from USC and got a job in banking. I came to the U.S. with my mother and brother when I was about 3 years old. You may have heard stories of Vietnamese refugees and boat people, that was us. The rest is history and now we’re pursuing the American Dream together…

Given our two different cultures, he’s Italian and I’m Vietnamese, we decided on a setting and style that reflected how we met and our bond in a third culture, the American culture. We’re reminded everyday of where we came from so we weaved certain elements of our heritage throughout the day. We also knew we wanted a smaller, intimate wedding and we knew exactly where we wanted to get married – The Carneros Inn in Napa, California.

A year into our relationship, we went to a good friend’s wedding there and fell in love with the venue. It’s unique, cozy and private setting has incredible views of the rolling hills –just one aspect of the beautiful backdrop. Good food was a big piece of our wedding requirement as we wanted to treat our family and friends to a really great dinner and a fun time. For all the times that we’ve been to Napa, each meal was incredibly delicious, including the Farm and Boon Fly Café at the Carneros Inn. We both had demanding jobs that didn’t allow for a lot of time to plan so we chose to keep things on the simple side but are fortunate enough to have wonderful, talented family and friends to help with the many DIY details. My two maids of honor helped with all the stationery. The invitations were from Smock Paper but the programs, menu cards, name cards and all paper goods were hand and home made with one-of-a-kind details by our maid of honor.

We didn’t necessarily want to go with a main theme or color but rather chose to believe that all the details would come together nicely the day of. Given our love for The Carneros Inn, we incorporated hints of orange throughout the invitations, the ribbons that were used to wrap the pashminas and the tissue paper that lined the Welcome to Napa bags. We also had parasols that were tied with orange ribbons, although it was unused because of the rain. (And yes, it rained – the Italians and Chinese believe it brings good fortune but we saw it as just another hurdle, such is life). The flowers were alternating arrangements of white and pink peonies. My mother spent days on making the crystal sash I wore with my dress as well as the bird cage veil.

As for the tables, we looked at quite a few table linens and didn’t quite find one that was just right, they were either too overwhelming with color and texture or too expensive. Thankfully, the Los Angeles fashion and textile district is just a hop through traffic away and we scoured over blocks of stores to finally find the mini rosette fabric in ivory. Instead of covering the entire tables, we decided to use it as a runner, which was perfect and more economical! The bridesmaids all wore dresses of their choice in shades of white, ivory and cream. (For the record, decisions were made and dresses were bought before Pippa’s debut…) The groomsmen wore classic, black tuxedos. My Vietnamese infusion was having all the girls change into traditional Vietnamese dresses and the Italian side came out when Davide’s dad danced a traditional Italian number.

It was an unforgettable day. The planning and details were all worth it and so much fun to plan and coordinate! Until next time when we renew our vows…

Wedding Photography: Angie Silvy Photography / Photo Assistant: Shawnee Pedraza / Hair + Make-up: Jane Kim – The Glamourist / Location: The Carneros Inn / Floral Design: Fresh 4 Us / Invitations: Smock / Wedding Cake: The Carneros Inn / Wedding Videography: Thomas Hughes Films / Wedding Planner: Always a Bridesmaid

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Always a Bridesmaid, Angie Silvy Photography, California Weddings, Fresh 4 Us, Napa Valley, Shawnee Pedraza, Smock Paper, The Carneros Inn, The Glamourist, Thomas Hughes Films
Post categories: Contemporary, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…We wanted our wedding to be a reflection of who we both are – individually and as a couple. Just as importantly, we saw the wedding as our chance to give our closest friends and family a glimpse into our love story and to celebrate their part in it. Almost all of the decisions we made – both big and small – reflect this.

Our venue, the Carneros Inn, was absolutely perfect for us. The fact that it is in Napa appealed to Ben (a wine lover), and I was pretty much smitten with the property from the moment I set foot on it. From the quaint apple orchard where we had our intimate ceremony, to the adorable cottage where we had our first look, to the gorgeous courtyard with overhanging string lights where guests could grab a drink and warm up by the fireplace, the Carneros Inn was a dream come true. It is the perfect blend of clean and modern, but also comfortable and inviting.

Our ceremony was equally personal. One of Ben’s best friends, Elliot, officiated the ceremony, while one of my bridesmaids read a poem that holds special meaning for the two of us and another – an amazing violinist – played a heartfelt piece. We hoped that even the smallest details would help tell our story, so we chose to give guests jars of our favorite Korean citron tea as favors and created photo collages of our memories from each month we dated to designate the tables at our reception. We decorated the courtyard with photographs of our parents and grandparents at their own weddings and lined our dessert table with many of our favorite treats. The slideshow that my brother-in-law painstakingly made for us added the perfect finishing touch, painting an even fuller picture of the most meaningful moments we’ve shared with friends, family and each other.

We wanted our decor to be fresh, clean, cute, and personal. Because our ceremony took place in an apple orchard, we incorporated green apples into our color scheme and design. We placed bright, granny smith apples at each place setting, which simultaneously added a punch of color to our tables and served as the perfect holder for our guests’ place cards. Our wonderful planner, Cay Lemon, also helped us create a wishing tree filled with congratulatory wishes from our guests. Their notes were written on green apple-shaped cards, reminiscent of the apple orchard where we were just married. Many elements of our wedding and decor were also handmade by the two of us (with help from family): the place cards, menus, welcome sheets and candy bags for guests, favors, petal bags, and photo collages. We hope they added a personal touch to our day.

A few of my favorite memories: the look on Ben’s face when he pulled me out from behind our cottage doorway and we saw each other for the first time, the sound of my sister’s sniffling behind me during the ceremony when Ben gave his vows, the sweet and special moment I shared with my dad during our father-daughter dance, seeing our parents get down on the dance floor, jumping up and down in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by our cheering friends and family at the end of the night.

Wedding Photography: onelove photography / Event Design + Coordination: Zest Productions / Make-up: Audrey Crandell / Hair: Rachel Gardea of It’s a Date at the Powder Room / Caterer: Carneros Inn / Wedding Videography: Sandbox Love / DJ + Lighting: DJ Saint Patrick / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Floral Design: Vanda Floral Design / Groom’s Attire: Astor & Black / Jewelry: Haute Bride / Pearl Bracelet: Grandmother of the Bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Officiant: Elliot Ling / Bride’s Shoe: Kate Spade / Stationery: Minted

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amsale, Astor & Black, Audrey Crandell, California Weddings, Carneros Inn, DJ Saint Patrick, Haute Bride, It's a Date at the Powder Room, Kate Spade, Minted, Monique Lhuillier, Napa Valley, onelove photography, Sandbox Love, Vanda Floral Design, Zest Productions
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Napa Valley Weddings

Alex and Kendall’s Napa Valley wedding was thirteen years to the day after they met.  A high school service trip to Costa Rica brought them together, and their initial puppy love blossomed into an enduring friendship that followed them to separate colleges and eventually back to each other in San Francisco.  Together again at last, their love for each other grew deeper still and it was only a matter of time before they decided to take the next step and get married (a decision they had each made many years before).

Kendall and Alex wanted to create a wedding that reflected this growing up together.   They wanted the day to feel playful and relaxed, like they are, without losing the elegant and sophisticated elements that maintained the significance of the long-awaited day.  Naturally, Kendall, a fourth grade teacher who likes little more than crafting, wanted to create this atmosphere with as many do-it-yourself projects as possible.  Fortunately her mom, Paula, lived nearby and likes little more than working on craft projects with Kendall.

When Kendall and Alex saw Beaulieau Gardens in California’s Napa Valley they knew it was the perfect setting for their dream wedding.  The space was beautiful and didn’t require any fussing.

Kendall considers her best decision in dreaming up the wedding day was not complying with a strict color palate.  She started with gray and yellow because she loved how gray was sophisticated but not stuffy and yellow seemed so playful against it.    Still, she never felt forced to select details in only these two colors when so many other colors complemented them so well.  Quickly the palate grew with shades of orange, light blue, greens, and even natural earth tones in some of the linens.

Katherine of Cherries in San Francisco completely understood Kendall’s request for beautiful, loose flowers.  Kendall didn’t want anything too structured or within too strict of a color palate.  She didn’t require Katherine to stick within a list of acceptable flowers, instead just trusted her to pick out what seasonal flowers looked best.  The yellow, orange and pale green blooms were incredible.  Yellow, “Billy Balls” for the groom and groomsmen were the perfect, playful accessory.  Old-fashioned tea tins held flowers over yellow and white striped linens in the cocktail area, and a variety of more rustic stone and metal containers held arrangements over natural linen tablecloths in the dining area.  Kendall and Katherine agreed on a flower palate that wasn’t “matchy matchy”.

Going along with this varied palate, the six bridesmaids more an assortment of dresses, with the maid of honor in a long gray dress from JCrew.  Kendall told the girls to look for a dress they liked in gray, yellow or a complementary orange or pattern.  They accessorized with jewelry and shoes in similar shades or neutrals.  Kendall didn’t see the dresses together until the wedding day, and couldn’t have been more pleased.  The various dresses added incredible color to the ceremony and a depth to the photographs that a monochromatic bridal party wouldn’t have achieved.

At some point early on, Kendall decided that the pinwheel was the perfect playful symbol for the wedding day.  She and her mom made over 250 of them using patterned paper, wooden dowels, and ribbon.  The pinwheels became the escort cards for the wedding–a paper strip attached to the dowel had each guest’s name and table number hand-written (in a few different ways).  After making them, they realized they needed some way to hold the pinwheels, so Kendall’ father, Steve, was enlisted to build two 6ft by 6ft foot garden stands.  Painted gray and adorned with pale yellow window planters, the colorful pinwheels looked fabulous and fun.

Viola, from Chewing the Cud in Oakland, California, worked with Kendall to create other paper goods to suit the concept of the wedding.  She used lined school papers and hand-drawn fonts to satisfy the idea of growing up together.  The pinwheel symbol was repeated in gray and yellow on the invitation and on the ceremony programs that doubled as fold-out fans.  Viola also created table number tents that shared numerical facts about the couple (Kendall and Alex met 13 years ago today at table #13).  The menu was done on natural colored paper with “EAT and love well” (a sentiment close to Alex and Kendall’s hearts) displayed at the top.  Chalkboard signage throughout the wedding was in keeping with the playful school concept.

The fabulous food and assortment of desserts (no wedding cake) were catered by Paula LeDuc. Tim Lilly at Paula LeDuc cleverly had the servers all in yellow ties, unbeknownst to us.

Perhaps the highlight of the whole incredible evening was the rising of the full moon in the warm, Napa sky while guests danced under the stars and twinkly lights.

Photographer: Gertrude & Mabel Photography / Floral Designer: Cherries / Event Design & Planning: Stacy McCain / Invitation Designer: Chewing the Cud / Catering, Desserts & Location: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Wedding Gown Designer: Amy Kuschel, Astaire Nosegay / Groom & Groomsmen Suits: J.Crew / Ties: Handmade by Emy / Location: Beaulieu Gardens

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Kuschel, Beaulieu Gardens, Billy Buttons, California, Cherries, Chewing The Cud, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Etsy, Flower girls, Gertrude & Mabel Photography, Handmade by Emy, J. Crew, Lemonade, Library, Napa Valley, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Paula LeDuc, Pinwheels, Stacy McCain, Summer Wedding, Twinkle Lights, Vibrant Color Palette, Vineyard Wedding, Wedding Photography, Wedding Stationery
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

From the lovely bride … Everything about our wedding was personal, in that we chose every single detail of the wedding. The head table garland and all floral arrangements were handmade and were absolutely beautiful. It was exactly what we wanted.

We felt strongly that we wanted our wedding to reflect all we love abut wine country, exuding casual elegance. We wanted it to be all about good friends, food, wine and the unbelievably beautiful scenery. Our flowers were soft and romantic. The head table garland was absolutely stunning, stretching the length of the head table. The flowers included David Austin roses, hydrangeas, orchids and other soft, delicate flowers. The colors were soft peaches, creams, bright greens and pinks with pops of brighter coral here and there.

Photography: Julie Mikos | Photographer / Flowers: Green Valley Growers / Event Design: Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating / Event Planning: Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating / Ceremony Location: Mayacama / Reception Location: Mayacama / Invitations: Minted / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Cake: Fleur de Lisa / Wedding Gown: Romona Keveza / Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew / Hair & Makeup: It’s A Date at The Powder Room

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Coral, Color Palette Pink, Covenant Coordinating, Fleur de Lisa, Flower girls, Green Valley Growers, J. Crew, Jimmy Choo, Julie Mikos, Lace, Lavender, Mayacama, Minted, Napa Valley, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Pearls, Ring Bearers, Romona Keveza, Santa Rosa, Traditional Elegance, Vineyard Wedding, Watercolor, Wedding Photographers, Wine Country, Winery Wedding
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

As promised, this fabulous film by Thomas Hughes Productions will leave you smiling for the rest of the day.  Enjoy!

From A Dream Wedding… I don’t often see contemporary, modern weddings in Napa, but Sara and Bryan wanted just that when they traveled from Las Vegas for their May 2010 wedding.  The sister of the bride styled the wedding and created the stationery with the theme “Fate, Friendship, Forever.”  This was carried through to the invitations, programs, favors, and décor in the reception space, and was the perfect message for this beautiful couple!  Clean colors and lines, and modern floral arrangements by Fleurs de France perfectly suited the contemporary resort, and large canvas portraits of the couple were installed over the existing artwork in the dining room.  The day brought some unusual weather to the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour  – rain, wind and hail – but the couple simply smiled and reminded me that all that mattered was that they were together with their friends and family.  It was a beautiful day!

Wedding Photography: Ken Viale / Wedding Coordination: Suzy Berberian for A Dream Wedding / Wedding Location: Solage Calistoga / Floral Design: Fleurs de France / Officiant: Chris Licata, Family Friend  / Hair + Make-up: It’s a Date at the Powder Room / Wedding Videography: Thomas Hughes Productions / Music: Audio Journal / DJ: AL3 / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Lighting: Twilight Design / Wedding Cake: Sweetie Pies / Audio Visual: Napa Valley Audio Visual

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Dream Wedding, AL3, Audio Journal, California Weddings, Classic Party Rentals, Destination Wedding, Fleurs de France, It's a Date at the Powder Room, Ken Viale, Napa Valley, Napa Valley Audio Visual, Solage Calistoga, Sweetie Pies, Thomas Hughes Productions, Twilight Design
Post categories: Contemporary, Destination, Destination Weddings