The wedding was held this past August at The Mountain Top Inn & Resort, Chittenden, Vermont. All of the girls’ attire, including the bride’s, was by J. Crew. From the beautiful bride…

We wanted our wedding day to be perfectly “Vermont”. We really succeeded! It was comfortable and had a very natural feel. I wanted to use oranges and greens because I  felt like they were such earthy colors and really cried out “Vermont” to me. We wanted our wedding to express how much we love the outdoors and the mountains.

So much more gorgeous to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amanda Herzberger, Blue Toad Flowers, J. Crew, Mountain Top Inn & Resort, Orchard Cove Photography, Vermont
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog, Wedding Photography

We have tons of gorgeousness coming up in just a bit from this lovely, lovely day!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: J. Crew, Orchard Cove Photography, Summer Wedding, Vermont
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Not too long ago, Amanda at Orchard Cove Photography sent us two of her June weddings and Abby has already featured one of them {here}. So today, we wanted to show you Liz and Dan’s wedding. Not in Connecticut … but in Groton, Massachusetts …

Liz and Dan were married at the The Barn At Gibbit Hill ~ in June ~ and from the looks on the faces of their family and friends, they had a blast!

The beautiful flowers were designed by Tangerine Creations.

And the dresses? Who do you think? All of them by Vera, of course!

For a change, we even have the guys info ~ groom’s suit by Zegna, groomsmen’s pants by J.Crew; tie by Nautica.

Don’t you just love a big red barn wedding?

Catering by The Barn At Gibbet Hill. Entertainment by The Chicken Slacks.

Oh … such a pretty wedding! Congratulations Liz & Dan!!

For more of Orchard Cove’s fantastic photography that we’ve featured, here are just a few:

Vermont Wedding

Long Island Wedding

Cape Cod Wedding

And of course Amanda’s own blog is chock-full of more great weddings! As always, thank SO much to Amanda for sharing:)

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Apples, Barn, Groton, J. Crew, Massachusetts, Nautica, Orchard Cove Photography, Tangerine Creations, The Barn At Gibbet Hill, The Chicken Slacks, Vera Wang, Zegna
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography

Isn’t this wedding just perfect? Elegant, understated designs. Thoughtful but incredibly chic details. A bride that literally lights up a room when she smiles. I so so so wish that I was a guest at this wedding at Migis Lodge, as I kind of think that every couple fell in love all over again. And the kiddies? Well, they had some fun too…

Lots and lots of love to Rachel and Will…we hope that your lives are as beautiful and as full as this incredible day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Camp, Just Married, Migis Lodge, Orchard Cove Photography, Rustic, shabby chic, Succulents, Will and Rachel
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired

Rachel & Will’s wedding receptions took place at Migi’s Lodge (about 45 minutes North of Portland, ME), where most of their guests were staying. According to Amanda, this place was “pure magic”!

Ahhh, those centerpieces. Long rectangular tables were decorated with vases and mason jars of all shapes and sizes filled with both full arrangements and single stems. Rachel had purchased them on the last day of the Brimfield Antique Show (which if you are lucky enough to live in New England, is AWESOME). Table numbers were identified by a simple pine cone and dragon flies were made out of sticks and leaves to add a little bit of charm.

I am in love. Giving my hubby a kiss as we speak. This wedding is just heaven…and lucky you! We have so much more from Orchard Cove Photography on the way!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Camp, Migis Lodge, Orchard Cove Photography, Will and Rachel
Post categories: Casual Elegance

The wedding ceremony was held at Camp O-At-Ka in Sabego, Maine and is a little piece of heaven right here on earth. The bride spent Summers at the camp, playing with her family, making memory after memory. It’s the kind of place that, despite the cool cloudy weather, guests easily had an absolute blast playing whiffleball, cards or whatever else made them smile.  Bagged lunches were made for all the guests to pick up and eat where they landed!

Rachel’s oh-so-cute Dad created all the birch details – signs saying “Just Married,” “Rachel & Will,” “Cheers” and “Wedding” that were used to decorate the ceremony and reception sites. I mean, come on! Do you love that?

We have so many more incredible details on the way, so stick around…we’ll be right back!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Camp, Camp O At Ka, Orchard Cove Photography, Rachel and Will
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Children made up our wedding party; all kids I have nannied for; two from NYC while I was a student at Parsons and the other two from the Cape, whom Reid had taught tennis to as well. I made the girl’s dresses using styles from my children’s clothing line in silk the color of sea glass. I added bolero jackets in with beading the like the inside of seashells to dress them up a bit. Noah, our ring bearer, wore seersucker pants from Crew Cuts and a boy’s linen guayabera from My Cuban Store. While we were all getting ready, he spotted a boater hat of my father’s and it was the perfect addition. I got ready with my family and the kids – even doing my mom’s hair and my own.

More to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: My Cuban Store, Orchard Cove Photography, Sarah Waldo
Post categories: Casual Elegance

From the lovely bride, Sarah…

Before Reid and I were even engaged we talked about getting married on Cape Cod. I grew up on the Cape and Reid had spent summers less than a mile from my home in a string of cottages on the beach that his great grandfather had built in the 1940s. Dennis (small town on the Cape) was also the perfect place to celebrate our union, as we met there when Reid was giving tennis lessons to the children I nannied for (they were our flower girl + ring bearer).

More to come from this lovely affair!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beach Wedding, Cape Cod, Orchard Cove Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Daria and Andy Bishop have been so good to us by sending lots of real Style Me Pretty “style” weddings. You’re going to be seeing lots more from them here on the LBB blog!! But, we’d be remiss if we didn’t start off with their photos from Amanda & Jeff’s wedding. Amanda and Jeff Herzberger of Orchard Cove Photography had their own gorgeous wedding this past July at Shelburne Farms, Vermont.  And when one great photographer weds, who does she ask to capture her special day? Why, another Little Black Book member, of course. Enter, Daria Bishop Photography!

Amanda and Jeff’s first look photographs …

Seeing this hug … well, I honestly can’t imagine a more magical moment …

First looks … to see each other on this momentous day, before that walk down the aisle …

Now, you know that one of the questions you too will face when planning your wedding photography is whether you do (or don’t) want to have that first look alone. Seeing each other before the wedding is a hot topic. Some couples are vehemently opposed to it while others have now started thinking, hmmmm, well, maybe…?

Before you decide, talk to your photographer and really listen to the pros and cons. Talk to other couples who have taken the high road and decided to experience this moment privately. I seriously doubt that you will find many, if any, who wish they hadn’t.

And now, more from Amanda and Jeff’s wedding …

I love the shades of blue they used … such a natural pop of color. And the Vermont countryside … wow!

Talk about a pop of color. How much better does it get than beside a red barn?

It just looks like a wonderful location, time of year … lovely people … everything a wedding should be!

Congratulations to Amanda and Jeff from all of us at Style Me Pretty!

And a huge thank-you to Daria and Andy Bishop, today’s Little Black Book featured photographers. Your passion for wedding photography is soooooo evident in your work !

Visit their website and blog to see tons of weddings with tons of special details that will truly inspire you.

Amanda wrote a tremendous post about the “first look” photography decision on her blog at Orchard Cove Photography. If you are on the fence … at all … you really need to read it!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Color Palette Blue, Daria Bishop Photography, First Look, Orchard Cove Photography, Shelburne Farms, Stone Barns, Summer Wedding, Vermont
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Inspiration Boards, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

Abby’s original concept for Style Me Pretty came shortly after planning her own dream wedding. She hopes to fill your heads with visions for your wedding on a daily basis. Knowing that everyone’s dreams differ, she set out to provide you with as many styles and varieties of weddings that brides and grooms around the world could use as a stepping stone for planning their own fanciful weddings. Incorporating style with tradition, whimsy with timelessness.

And so, to help you dream a little more … we have a few additional photos of two lovely weddings from Amanda at Orchard Cove Photography.

from Chris and Leigh’s wedding…

and from Kevin and Vanessa’s wedding …

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Orchard Cove Photography, Vibrant Floral Inspiration, Wedding Inspiration
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

To see the rest of the stunning wedding, check out our Little Black Book Blog! We will be back to our normal post schedule on Friday! Until then, have a Merry Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Little Black Book Blog, Orchard Cove Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Traditional Elegance

Adrienne and Justin were married in October. The afternoon Catholic ceremony was held in Waterbury, Vemont. The reception followed at the historic Round Barn Farm in Waitsfield.

Adrienne’s dress is by Christos. Isn’t the detailing stunning?

As guests arrived, little bells were handed out to the guests to use in Adrienne and Justin’s send-off (or so they thought!).  Much to the couple’s surprise, and thanks to her clever mom, their first kiss was rewarded by the sound of tinkling bells throughout the church. Adrienne says it’s a sound she will always remember with great joy! So cute!

What beautiful colors { … and the look on that calf’s face made me bust out laughing} !

Now, on to the reception … and this is where the details get truly amazing …

from Adrienne:  As a child, I was always really into the idea of an enchanted forest and “The Secret Garden”.  When our wedding planning started, I immediately knew that I wanted the reception to have a woodsy feel and the barn was an ideal setting. When the guests first entered the barn there was a big old wagon that presented us with the perfect opportunity to wow them.  I had our florists cover the wagon  with moss and grass that they had grown in their studio. Our escort “cards” were stuck into the grass to look like wooden flower markers. In addition to the floral arrangements that were made, the florists actually dug up tree saplings from the woods and fastened them to the beams.  They also hung lanterns that I purchased at Ikea onto the branches. It really created the perfect first impression and set the rustic, foresty tone I had dreamed of …

I wanted the centerpieces to look as if they were just growing out of tree stumps. The tall centerpieces consisted of white orchids mixed with manzanita branches and curly willow set into a vase wrapped with birch bark and topped with moss. The shorter centerpieces had the same birch wrapped vases with moss and ferns, roses, lisianthus, and ranunculus. We had candles in mosaic glass throughout the room and on the tables.  My mother tirelessly worked on the table numbers which consisted of wooden stands that she covered with moss and small birds nests.  The actual numbers were spray-painted and stuck into the nests.  We also included mini mushrooms that I had purchased online.  To top off the table settings, my mother found gold bird salt and pepper shakers which were absolutely adorable.  For table runners we purchased light sage brocade curtains that we had found online (on sale – love it!) and my grandmother cut and sewed them into runners.   We echoed the foresty feel in our wedding cake as well which was made to look like birch bark with flowers and ferns and two finches.  And again, our candy bar was covered with moss and signs made to look like flower markers, and mini mushrooms...

We’ve shown you some pretty great candy buffets on Style Me Pretty … but this is one of the best we’ve seen! If you’re going to do candy … this is the way to do it!

To back-track just a bit … Adrienne’s family was full of surprises!

from Adrienne … Right before the cocktail hour ended, my family decided to spring a few more surprises on us.  I am originally from Germany but moved to the States when I was a child.  Aside from my parents and brother 90% of our immediate family still lives in Germany.  I was fortunate that a good number of my family was able to come to the weddig.  And with them they brought some German traditions that I had no idea we were going to partake in.  First up was the tradition of cutting a log. The log represents the first obstacle that the couple must overcome in their marriage.  The couple then demonstrates their ability to work together and overcome the obstacle by sawing through the log.  The next tradition was cutting out a big heart drawn on a sheet which also had pictures of us all over it.  Cutting out the heart and then having the groom carry the bride through the opening of the sheet is the German equivalent to carrying the bride over the threshold.  Lastly, we released a cluster of balloons into the air with blessings and good wishes from our family and friends.

This wedding from Orchard Cove Photography embodies the spirit of Style Me Pretty! Your Wedding–Your Way–Your Style!!  So much of Adrienne & Justin’s wedding was a family effort. So many so-so-special touches that will live on in their hearts forever.

We can’t leave you without a final parting shot of Adrienne’s SMP’s-LBBB’s-now-famous-wedding-shoe-shot (first featured here on the LIttle Black Book Blog).

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Adrienne for supplying all of the fascinating details about your dream wedding … and to Amanda at Orchard Cove Photography for sending us these fabulous fotos!

Additional credits: Eileen Broderick Photography (photography assistance),  The Blue Toad (fabulous florals), Cooking From The Heart (Catering from Round Barn Farm), Irene’s Cakes By Design, Attire by J.Crew and Ann Taylor Celebrations, DJ: BTE Entertainment.

For another of Orchard Cove’s fun-filled (DIY) weddings, take a look at Ben and Hedda’s Fourth of July Long Island Wedding.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bell Ringing, Christos, Color Palette Green Pink, Orchard Cove Photography, Secret Garden, The Round Barn Farm, The Round Barn Farm Inn, Vermont, Waitsfield, Waterbury, Wedding Shoes, Woodlands Themed Wedding
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings

Maybe it’s because I love gorgeous rings … or maybe it’s because of the unbelievable creativity of wedding photographers. I just think ring-shots are so artistic.

So … when we posted yesterday’s LBB Blog with the cute-cute little man RING bearers … it just seemed natural to follow-up with our first Little Black Book Ring-Shot Gallery.

Wait, though. There’s more to the story. About two weeks ago, I saw a post on Carla Ten Eyk’s blog that made me realize I wasn’t alone. There’s an entire website devoted to amazing photographs of wedding rings. And Carla has twenty-one (*21!) featured on it. Take a look at just a few of hers …

Carla rocks the ring shots! And you should hear what her brides (& fellow-photo buffs) say about her {inspiring, generous, awesome, genuine, creative, passionate, encouraging, amazingly talented … just a few of their words}. Carla’s studio is based in Hartford CT, but she’ll travel anywhere! We can’t recommend her highly enough.

Now, back to the ring-shots. The site is ROCKTOGRAPHERS … and I seriously spent a couple of hours mesmerized by the beauty in these images. I found more of Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book members featured and started ’snipping’ photos left & right. I was on a roll! Once again, I turned back to the LBB photography blogs, and voila’ … a virtual smorgasbord of fabulous ring-shots …

Ring-shots (above) by Little Black Book photographers StudioFoto, Hollye Schumacher, Daria Bishop, Mark Garber, and another by Hollye.

Ring-shots (above) by Jeremy Hess, Justin Marantz, Orchard Cove, StudioFoto and Daria Bishop.

Ring-shots by StudioFoto, Walters and Walters, StudioFoto, and two more from Daria Bishop. I LOVE Daria’s Ring/Ant-Shot!!

This last shot from Hollye Schumacher has a great story behind it. We’ll save that for another feature!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Connecticut, Daria Bishop Photography, Hartford, Hollye Schumacher Photography, Jeremy Hess Photography, Justin Marantz Photography, Mark Garber Photography, Orchard Cove Photography, Photography Blogs, Rocktography, Studio Foto, Walters and Walters, Wedding Rings
Post categories: Jewelry, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

Today’s LBB Real Wedding: Ben and Hedda, Greenport, NY in July 2008: from the bride … Ben and I were married on the North Fork of Long Island.  We wanted a Fourth of July weekend-wedding where our friends and family would feel relaxed and happy. Our wedding was small, about 80 people, no bridesmaids or groomsmen.

We picked sunflowers … this was the first and easiest starting point. The sunflower is simple, but brilliant. Our friend, Sarah, did an amazing job with the flowers!

Our invitation invited our guests to join us “on the lawn”.

Coliseum Catering specializes in Fourth of July BBQs, and we served huge ice cream sandwiches for dessert. They’re Biggy Iggy and Chewie Louies! Ben and I discovered them in New Hampshire and have deemed them the most amazing ice cream cookies EVER. We also had a fabulous local “Newgrass” band, Astrograss.

Our wedding goal was to simplify….. I think we pulled it off!

Well, Hedda and Ben may have simplified, but I can’t imagine a more beautiful wedding.

Amanda, a Connecticut and Vermont based photographer, traveled to Long Island to photograph Ben & Hedda’s wedding.  Thanks Amanda for sharing their special memories with us.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Astrograss, Biggy Iggy, Coliseum Catering, Connecticut, Fourth Of July, Greenport, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Long Island, New York, North Fork, Orchard Cove Photography, Sunflowers, Vermont
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, The Blog, Whimsical

Row One: Orchard Cove Photography; Row Two: Photography by Walters and Walters

Row Three: Michele DeVries (left), Elegant Engagements/Cape Wedding Planner (right)

Row Four: Jennifer Davis Photography - ABC Dragoo Designs (left), Cake Lava - Visionari (right)

Row Five: Kristin Vining for Weddings And The City

But then … we saw the next shots taken by Robin Dini  (row one) and Kristin Karzmit (rows two and three). Pictured is one of SMP’s Little Black Book members, Steve DePino … composing a couple of tricky shoe-shots … (found ‘em on Steve’s blog). Wow, we knew that being a photographer took true creativity, but this is a whole new perspective!

ooooooohhh….so that’s how they do it! Isn’t art grand? Seriously, Steve’s work is grand.

Here are a few more great shoe-shots.

Row One: Justin & Mary Marantz (left),  Walters & Walters (right); Row Two: Holland Photo Arts

Row Three: Karen Wise (left),  Walters & Walters (right)

Many thanks to the SMP-Little Black Book photographers and event coordinators who sent us their favorite shoe shots!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ABC Dragoo Designs, Cake Lava, Cape Wedding Planner, Elegant Engagements, Holland Photo Arts, Jennifer Davis Photography, Justin Marantz Photography, Karen Wise Photography, Kristin Karzmit, Kristin Vining, Michele DeVries, Orchard Cove Photography, Photography By Walters and Walters, Robin dini, Steve DePino, Visionari, Wedding Shoes, Weddings And The City
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Shoes, Wedding Style