Click here for the FULL wedding!

From You, Me and a Photograph … Ana and Mihai got married in August 2011 in Kitchener, Ontario. They both love the French charm of Old Montreal so the place for their engagement session was easily decided. Ana is a big lover of everything Audrey Hepburn-related, so obviously she put on a little black dress, black gloves and pearls, plus a bird cage veil for extra chic-ness. We started our adventure in a blue laundromat, which instantly set the mood of the entire session to silly and romantic. We then strolled around Vieux Montreal with its excellent backdrop of old buildings, stopped at a French cafe, and rested our weary feet in front of a fountain in one of the city’s quaint little squares. Mihai is a fisherman, so the next day we set off towards this cute chalet near a lake. We spent the day rowing in a vintage red boat called Sinker Belle, listening to the local frog concerto and admiring the water lilies.

Photography: You, Me and a Photograph / Location: Montreal, Quebec

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Post tags: Black, Canada, Engagement Photos, engagement session, Me and a Photography, montreal, Navy, Ontario, Red, White, You
Post categories: Canada Weddings, engagement session, Ontario Weddings

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From the Bride… When we began planning our wedding all we knew for sure was that we wanted a small intimate wedding on the beach. We both love the wild beauty of it and have spent much of our time together on the beach.  We felt so lucky to find such a gorgeous location, like we were able to have a destination wedding close to home! One of my favorite colors has always been fuchsia, and my husband loves a deep royal blue. The colors worked so well together and really created the look and feel we were aiming for; modern meets beach – fun and whimsical with a touch of elegance. We really wanted the whole day to reflect who we are both as individuals and as a couple. We wanted to incorporate elements of the beach into the day but with our own special twist on them.

The ceremony was so important to us and we put a lot of time and thought into it. We wanted it to be personal and romantic. We even asked a friend if she would get ordained online and perform the ceremony for us, and we wrote the whole thing ourselves and chose all the readings. I had dreamed of walking down the aisle barefoot in the sand with rose petals all around, so that’s what we did! I even made petal cones for the guests to toss at us after the ceremony. I was so caught up in the moment that I had totally forgotten about it and was surprised when the petals came down on us! I designed the programs myself so that we were able to write something about each member of the bridal party, we wanted to share with our guests why we loved these people so much and what made them special. I chose flowy chiffon blue dresses for the girls and they carried bouquets of hot pink peonies, one of my favorite flowers. Since the groomsmen had such different personalities, we decided to let them choose their own outfits. We thought it was funny to have matching bridesmaids dresses and mismatched groomsmen! The idea of an arch in the middle of the beach felt a little out of place to me, but we wanted to define the space where we would stand, so my mom and I wrapped tiki torches in white tulle and attached flowers to them. It was one of my favorite decisions because it looked tropical and gorgeous and the tulle billowed around us in the sea breeze. It was the most romantic amazing day of our lives.

We loved the light, airy, simplicity of the reception space and we only wanted to add small personal touches so that the beauty of the view of the beach and park would shine. I found beautiful white starfish to use as escort cards and knew that our guests would love to take them home. I found amazing delicate painted blue and white sea urchins to hold our table numbers, and then mixed them with modern bright pink floral centerpieces. We wanted to give a favor that reflected us, but that was also practical. We decided on white moroccan lanterns and had personalized matchbooks made to go with them. So many of our friends have terraces or backyards and we loved the idea that they could enjoy the light coming from them all summer long. One of my favorite touches, and the one that touched so many of our guests, was a large frame holding pictures of our loved ones who are no longer with us or who were not able to be there. These people were so important to our lives and we wanted them there with us in some way. And our guests loved looking at all the old family photos on a day when we were creating new ones.

Wedding Photography: Alexandra Meseke Photography / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Venue: Pavilion at Sunken Meadow Park / Floral Design: Creative Florist Designs by Doris / Wedding Cake: La Bonne Boulangerie / Hair + Make-up: Tonya Noland

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Post tags: Alexandra Meseke Photography, Beach Wedding, Creative Florist Designs by Doris, Fuchsia, La Bonne Boulangerie, Long Island, Navy, New York Weddings, NY, Outdoor Wedding, Sunken Meadow Park, Tonya Noland
Post categories: Casual Elegance, New York Weddings

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It was a love of the outdoors that connected the bride and groom when they first met and after becoming engaged on the top of a mountain in North Carolina, they were determined to find the perfect outdoor setting for their wedding day. They found their ideal location on the dock and in the gardens of Enzo’s Italian Restaurant on the water in Longwood, FL.

The bride and groom wanted a vintage-meets modern themed wedding that was elegant yet relaxed and most of all, fun! The look could be described as J.Crew meets Anthropologie and the color scheme was yellow and navy. The bride spent 6 months collecting antique, hobnail vases for the centerpieces. Paper flowers filled the vases inside, while the outside garden and dock were adorned in craspedia, chamomile, baby’s breath, forsythia and daises.

A highlight of the wedding ceremony was the bride’s niece and flower girl, pulling her two twin nephews and ring-bearers in a vintage radio flyer filled with yellow rose petals.

After the ceremony, the wedding guests enjoyed cocktails on the dock followed by dinner inside. A candy bar was set with Navy M&M’s, Yellow Whirly pops, Lemon Drops and an assortment of mini cupcakes. In lieu of traditional favors, a donation was made to the American Cancer Society on behalf of the wedding guests.

A sign with the couple’s initials was made of navy and yellow fabric flower pins. As the night wore on, guests were encouraged to dismantle the sign and wear these pops of color. As the sun set over the water, hanging vintage lanterns and twinkling lights outlined the deck area for dancing under the stars.

A farewell line of bubble wands adorned with navy and yellow ribbon was the perfect end to a perfect wedding day.

Wedding Photography: Lori Barbely Photography / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Enzo’s on the Lake / Wedding Cake & Catering: Enzo’s on the Lake / Wedding Ceremony Flowers & Bouquets: Kelly Shannon Floral / Wedding Dress: J.Crew / Bride’s Jewelry: Vintage / Bride’s Veil: Borrowed, Sister of the Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Flower Girl Dress: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dresses & Jewelry: Anthropologie / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Michael Kors / Hair: Lambs Eat Ivy Salon / Poms: EmersonMade / Wedding Reception Paper Flowers, Table Numbers & Place Cards: Gigi Goods / Table Decor: Vintage Hobnail / Cupcakes: Blue Bird Bake Shop / Limousine: Sweetwater Limo / Officiant: Reverend Steve Swan of Sensational Ceremonies / DJ: David Rodruguez of JCS Entertainment / Videographer: Mark Leach of Digita Arts

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Post tags: Anthropologie, Blue, Blue Bird Bake Shop, Candy Bar, Central Florida, Christian Louboutin, Digita Arts, Emersonmade, Enzo's on the Lake, FL, Florida, Gigi Goods, intimate wedding, J. Crew, JCS Entertainment, Kelly Shannon Floral, Lambs Eat Ivy Salon, Longwood, Michael Kors, Modern, Navy, Outdoor Wedding, Paper Flowers, Sensational Ceremonies, Sweetwater Limo, Vintage Chic, Vintage Hobnail, Yellow
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Florida Weddings

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Our story began with a soldier overseas at war. He and his fiancé have been writing love letters back and forth, until one day she received a military release order asking her to “save the date” for his return. She and her two bridesmaids anxiously awaited his arrival at the airport. The soldier and his bride enjoyed an intimate ceremony on the tarmac while reading old love letters to each other. An all American reception followed in an airplane hangar.

We used a modern take on the traditional red, white and blue by using navy, ivory and scarlet. We created a tablescape for four including navy linen and mahogany cafe chairs.  The table featured antique washed wooden chargers, red dinner plates and American flag salad plates topped with a trio of silverware tied with blue and brown twine.  Deep red votives provided romantic candlelight against a row of fresh floral.

The bride wore a short lace dress with a scalloped bottom from Amsale’s Little White Dress Collection and accessorized with strappy gold Jimmy Choo’s. The bridesmaids wore strapless knee length dresses from Jenny Yoo and Dessy Collections, accented with vintage brooches.  The groom provided his own Air Force Dress Blues.

All American desserts were served: milkshakes and Coke floats.  Strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream was set out with fresh berries and milk for handmade shakes along with a selection of toppings included chopped nuts, sprinkles and mini chocolate chips.

I wanted the stationery to reflect the aviation, all-American and romantic themes of this event.  For the save the date, I created a discharge notice reworded as a save the date.  The invitation was mailed in a tin box reflecting the aviation theme.  An airmail inspired label adorned the outside, while inside the tin was lined with a vintage map design.  The invitation has a romantic, vintage flair and is wrapped in a gros grain ribbon hand embroidered with the couple’s initials and a heart alluding to skywriting.  We continued the theme with sweet menus again embellished with a ribbon banner with an embroidered heart.  Itty-bitty banners, some of which we attached to miniature silver airplanes, label each of the dessert items, and a large banner draws guests to the dessert table.  Finally, guests signed a passport inspired guest book.

The bridal bouquet was composed of a lush combination of ruffly magenta peonies, white sweet pea, eye catching anemones, some sweet smelling cheerfulness,  touches of dark red ranunculus, filled with different types of greens to bring texture and than accented with a little bit of muscari to highlight with a pop of blue in the design. We wrapped the bouquet with a navy vintage lace and embellished it with a medallion. For the bridesmaids bouquets we played off of the bridal bouquet to make it a cohesive look but mostly used ivory floral and subtle touches of red floral and wrapped them with dark red lace. The centerpiece was designed with a symphony of different bud vases and jars filled with small blooms to create one large piece. Blooming almond branches helped bring a little bit of height to the design while also working as a highlight floral at the base. The light blue of the muscari popped off of the navy linen while the dark almost metallic look helped tie everything together.

Concept, Coordination & Design: Scheme Events / Floral Design: Layers of Lovely / Rentals: RSVP Party Rentals / Attire: Bella Bridesmaid / Wedding Gown: Amsale / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo + Dessy / Hair & Makeup: Your Beauty Call / Venue: Sky Combat Ace / Stationery: A Milestone Paper Co. / Photography: Laura Ivanova Photography

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Post tags: A Milestone Paper Co., Amsale, Bella Bridesmaid, Blue, Dessy, Ivory, Jenny Yoo, Jimmy Choo, Las Vegas, Laura Ivanova photography, Layers of Lovely, Navy, Nevada, NV, Photo Shoot, Red, RSVP Party Rentals, Scarlet, Scheme Events, Sky Combat Ace, White, Your Beauty Call
Post categories: Photo Shoot

Click here if you can’t wait for Part II!

I think the true testament of an incredible wedding is the feeling you get when you look back on the little moments throughout the day – the smiles that greeted you, the shared wishes, the joy of taking that first step down the aisle and that last second at the end of the night when you say goodbye to those you love and you realize that you wouldn’t change a thing. I still get butterflies remembering those moments and every time I think about it, I want to jump back in each memory. To me, it will always be perfect because it was truly a reflection of who we are.

Our first and easiest decision was our location — it is impossible not to fall head over heels in love with the gardens of the One & Only Ocean Club. Layer after layer, it feels like escaping into a whole new world. And once you reach the top of the gardens, the beautiful ruins of the Cloisters literally take your breath away. I had a chance to visit this enchanting place several times over the years and always tucked it away as my dream destination for a wedding. I shared this dream with my husband, Justin, and even though my parents weren’t thrilled about the idea of a destination wedding, my entire family fell for the charms of this incredible resort.

My dress was by Monique Lhuillier and I still get giddy thinking about it. Regardless of what kind of dress you wear, you want to feel incredible on your special day and I will never forget the moment of slipping on that dress, it felt timeless and classic. It is a moment I wish I could bottle. I wore Christian Louboutin shoes in midnight as my “something blue.” My something borrowed was a Judith Leiber clutch that belongs to my good friend Emmy Rossum and my something new was a pair of beautiful earrings from my new husband. I also carried my great grandmother’s handkerchief to represent something old. There were a few teary moments in the wedding and every time I looked down, I felt her there.

Our colors were midnight blue and fuchsia and we used gold as an accent color. Tied together it was the romance and whimsy that we aimed to capture. The bridesmaids wore midnight blue Lela Rose dresses in various styles and the groomsmen wore navy suits and ties by Brooks Brothers. I gave the bridesmaids their shoes as a gift (irresistible!) and the beautiful gold ball bracelets by J Crew. Henri Bendel is also one of my favorite retail escapes (second to Target!) and we had beach bags, luggage tags and travel accessories in HB.

SOOOO much more to come!

Wedding Coordinator:  Weddings in the Bahamas / Photographer: Kristin Vining / Wedding Design Team: Weddings and the City / Florist: Wildflowers / Location: One & Only Ocean Club in Paradise Island, Bahamas / Invitations and Programs: Alyssa Reeves, Paradise Design Company / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier /  Clutch: Judith Leiber / Bridesmaids Dresses: Lela Rose / Groomsmen Suits: Brooks Brothers

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Post tags: Bahamas, Bahamian, Brooks Brothers, Judith Leiber, Kristin Vining, Lela Rose, Masks, Masquarade, Monique Lhuillier, Navy, Navy and Pink, One & Only Blub, Paradise Design Company, Pink, Weddings And The City, Weddings in the Bahamas
Post categories: Destination, Destination Weddings, The Blog

1. Birch Cutlery – Found via Green Feet, this adorable birch flatware is perfect for a rustic chic affair. And at a little more than $8 for a pack of 100, it’s kind of a no-brainer. They also have plates and cups for those who just can’t get enough. Oh and I’ve actually used this company before and had a great experience.

2. Mason Jars – Filled with margaritas or lemonade for the little ones, mason jars are a must-have for this type of gathering. Overstock has 2 different sizes depending on the cocktail you serve. Super cute and can be easily customized with a twine wrap, a chalkboard label or simply with a wooden stir stick (see below)

3. Giant Chalkboard – scribble in something simple like your menu or go crazy and chalk in your entire seating chart. We heart these oversized boards for a casual, fun wedding detail.

4. Fuji Instax Camera – We all mourned the loss of the old school polaroids but Fuji is filling in beautifully. We found this perfect little insta-cam on Amazon and are probably going to be buying one for ourselves. Despite the fact that we tied the knot 5 years ago.

5. Wooden Stir Sticks – The stir sticks in the wedding were actually a SUPER easy DIY project that the girls at Carter & Cook put together. They found the sticks and wooden hearts at Michael’s and with a little glue and a black felt pen, they crafted these adorable little details. If you are looking for a quick fix, we love these stirrers from The Stationery Studio.

6. Waffle Weave Napkins – We loved the casual, homey napkins that were used in this wedding and when we found out that they are actually dish towels from IKEA, we did a little happy dance. With a price tag of 4 / $2.99, this is a purchase that should be done and done. Tuck your birch utensils inside and tie loosely with a pretty piece of twine…voila.

7. Twine – We use twine for everything and as you can see…so did Carter & Cook. Wrapped around napkins, votive candles, the bridal bouquets…oh the options are endless. We spotted some at Michaels the other day but in case you don’t want to leave your sofa, Papermart sells it in bulk.

8. Black Scrapbook – The perfect way to keep all of those adorable polaroids that your guests will be snapping found via Kolo Arts. Leave a pen (white if the pages are black) and encourage your guests to write little notes that you can enjoy over and over again. Gussy up the pages with this adorable lace inspired scrapbook paper by Paper Source.

9. Sealed Bottle – LOVE the idea of using a sealed bottle as decor on the table. You can fill with sparkling or flat water, red wine or even a fun cocktail so guests can refresh at their leisure. Finish it off with a round label and you have the cutest, most useful table accessory EVER. Oh and did I mention that they are a whopping $2.99?

I have to say that I was SO pleasantly surprised to see that many of the picture perfect details in today’s wedding were from uber affordable places like IKEA. Add in some DIY, like the beautiful table runners, and this look is as elegant and as chic as you can possible get. Next up, the fashions. Which to me…complimented the style of the wedding to perfection. Casual, but still elegant. Timeless, but totally unfussy.

1. Bridesmaids Shoes – These adorable shoes were Seychelle’s Shimmy Peep Toe Pumps in taupe, found on Endless.com. SO cute right? And I love the low, kitten heel for an outdoor wedding.

2. Men’s Attire – These outdoor, casual suits were from Jos A. Banks in a two button (3 button pictured above). Love them. Paired with a navy tie from J. Crew and it’s a look that is both totally casual and yet totally chic.

3. Wedding Gown – I am OBSESSED with this wedding gown. Might be my favorite wedding gown ever, with the exception of my own. It’s by Melissa Sweet, style name is Liliana and is basically an amazing concoction of ruffles and taffeta. Too good to be true really.Image found via Pre-Owned Wedding Gowns.

4. Bridesmaid Dress – This little number was scored at J. Crew, style name is Erica in classic navy. Perfection.

There were a few more noteworthy items in the fashions from today’s wedding. The bride’s aaaah-dorable headpiece was by Sara Gabriel, her shoes were by Kate Spade and the men’s shoes were by Sperry Top Sliders. Lots of love to Ashlyn at Carter & Cook Event Co. and of course to the beautiful bride and groom who crafted such a lovely day for us all to devour.

If you liked our first Buying Guide…we’ll be tackling this wedding in our weekly newsletter on Thursday. So if you haven’t already, now’s the time to sign on up (right sidebar). XOXO

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Post tags: Barn Wedding, Birch Cutlery, California Weddings, casual suits, Chalkboard, endless.com, Fuji Instax Camera, Green Feet, Ikea, jos a banks, kolo arts, liliana, Mason Chars, Melissa Sweet, Navy, Overstock, Paper Source, papermart, Scrapbook, sealed bottle, syechelles shimmy peep tow pumps, the stationery studio, twine, waffle weave napkins, wooden stir sticks
Post categories: Buying Guides, California Weddings, Los Angeles Weddings

And all in the bride’s very own words …

My husband and I were married at the historic North Chapel, a recently restored naval chapel that is now open for public use. In the 1940’s the chapel was part of the Naval Training Center in San Diego, where 40,000 plus recruits were housed during WWII. My family has a long history of military service (father, brother, both sets of grandparents ~ grandmothers and grandfathers, and a great-grandfather) so I thought it would be special to be married there in a way to honor my family. With our wedding site in a historic chapel and groom and groomsmen in kilts to honor our Scottish heritage, we thought it would be nice to have our paper designs have a “vintage feel” and Sarah definitely accomplished that in her designs.

About a year and a half before I was married, I contacted Sarah with Fuzzynk Designs to see if she was interested in doing some custom paper designs for my wedding. There were a few things I had in mind from the beginning of the design process and knew Sarah would be able to deliver!

I wanted a cohesive design throughout the process ~ from our engagement announcements to the save-the-dates to the wedding invitations to the wedding signage. I wanted each wedding paper item sent out to follow the theme and to get the guests excited about the upcoming event.

Since Scott and I are both of Scottish descent, it was important for us to incorporate the colors from my husband’s family tartan into our “wedding colors” of navy blue, sage green, and ivory since he would be wearing that kilt on our wedding day. I found a picture of a Scottish luckenbooth ~ one of the most romantic of Scottish symbols since the 1700′s.  Luckenbooth pendants were traditionally exchanged between lovers at the time of betrothal.

I sent it to Sarah to incorporate into my wedding designs. Sarah’s talented husband hand drew a version of a Luckenbooth surrounded by our initials E&S which became a “wedding logo” for us and was included in everything we sent out to the guests. The best part of the luckenbooth design was included on our wedding invitations; a small paragraph explained to our guests the meaning of the luckenbooth symbol that they had seen in every design.

My husband, his family and many of his friends are from the East Coast. I was born and grew up in San Diego. My husband and I met in the Midwest at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), so when it came to our wedding guests, we definitely had people from all over the country. At the rehearsal dinner, my mother-in-law put up a map so that people could pin where they are from in the country. It was amazing to see how many people had traveled so far to be with us on our special day. The finished map was then put on display at the reception.

FIRST LOOK ~ We had our first look at the Point Loma Lighthouse because some of the cliffs and open areas up by the lighthouse reminded us of Scotland and made for some really pretty pictures …

Haydee De La Cruz with Haydee’s Creative Flowers did all of the florals for my wedding. I knew that I wanted primarily white and green flowers with touches of thistle (the national flower of Scotland) as a nod to our heritage. Haydee took creative control from that point on and my wedding flowers were absolutely gorgeous ~ who would have thought orchids, peonies and thistles would look so good together?

Since we were going for the whole Scottish theme, when it came to transportation, I knew I wanted a classic British double-decker bus. A limo wouldn’t feel right for a bunch of men in kilts! All kidding aside, we did our bridal party pictures before the ceremony and the open-air seating on top was a great way for the bridal party to relax and take in the sights of San Diego before the wedding.

It was fun getting my husband’s groomsmen to wear full Scottish attire for the wedding. The groomsmen wore the kilts for the ceremony and pictures. As part of their groomsmen gift, we bought them matching ties to wear with a dark suit to change into for the reception. I think the guys had fun wearing the kilts, it was definitely a “once in a lifetime” experience for most of them.

Cake by Sumi’s Oven in San Diego. It was a beautiful and simple four-tier white fondant cake decorated with flowers from Haydee’s.

All photos are courtesy of our photographer John Schnack with Schnack Studios. He and his second shooter were amazing throughout the day. My husband and I felt very comfortable with him since we had done an engagement session with him a month prior. I feel he really captured the feelings and the special moments of the day and the shots never felt forced or contrived.

Thank you, Erin & Scott for sharing the details and the images from your absolutely lovely wedding!

And thanks to Sarah at Fuzzynk Design Studio for sending it our way! You can see more of Sarah’s incredible designs on her website and blog!

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Post tags: California Weddings, Fuzzynk Design Studio, Haydee's Creative Flowers, Kilt, Luckenbooth, Military, Navy, North Chapel, Point Loma Linda Lighthouse, San Diego, Schnack Studios, Scottish Traditions, Sumi's Oven
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

This wedding, photographed by Sweet Monday,  is just that…and so much more. It’s designed to a “T” with each detail filled with charm and style and a defined elegance that seems to infuse every element.

And all of those ridiculously awesome paper goods? They were crafted by one of our all time favorite letterpress houses…Smock!! This wedding really couldn’t get much better.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Sweet Monday Photography for sending us this adorable wedding. I completely love everything about it…from the perfect color palette to the sweet details. The white vases and vessels add an element of modern to an otherwise traditional look that is so fitting. Perfection defined!

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Post tags: California Weddings, Navy, Navy and Yellow, Pacific Palisades, Riviera Country Club, Sweet Monday, Yellow
Post categories: Traditional Elegance