Click here for the FULL wedding!

And on top of all those gorgeous photos, there’s this amazing music video-themed film from Rock & Roll Hearts for you to enjoy…

From the bride… Brandon and I met five years ago through a setup by a mutual friend. I was living in San Francisco at the time but planning to re-locate to San Diego, where Brandon was currently living. We instantly hit it off and, because to the distance, we were able to develop a wonderful friendship over the phone for the first few months of dating. Upon moving to San Diego, our relationship grew even through two moves, including one to a new state for both of us: Arizona. When planning our wedding, we knew we wanted to have our wedding at a winery, not only because wineries offer such beautiful scenery and landscape, but because we both very much enjoy wine and wine tasting trips. With Brandon’s family and friends from Southern California and mine from Northern California, the Santa Ynez Valley and Firestone Winery offered us a central spot to host our big day. Firestone Winery has the most amazing vineyard mesa with an enormous oak tree that provided the perfect backdrop for a sunset wedding. The day couldn’t have been more perfect. While the early evening breezes did sweep my veil away a few times, it made for some wonderful photos and some laughs that eased wedding nerves!

While planning the wedding from Arizona did prove to be logistically challenging at times (flying into LA with a 1.5 hour rental car drive north to Santa Barbara), I was privileged to work with best-in-class vendors, including Michael and Anna Costa Photographers, Jessica Kuipers at Bijoux Events, Juniper Presence at Juniper Flowers, Matt Odom at Rock and Roll Hearts, Pure Joy Catering and Enjoy Cupcakes, among others. Their professionalism allowed us to truly enjoy the day stress-free. I can say without question that was the best day of my life — I married my best friend in the most beautiful setting.

Wedding Photography: Michael + Anna Costa Photographers / Wedding Venue: Firestone Vineyards in Los Olivos, California / Firestone Events Contact: Rachel Korrey (R4orrey@Firestonewine.com) / Flowers: Juniper Presence of Juniper Floral Designs / Planner: Jessica Kuipers of Bijoux Events / Catering: Pure Joy Catering / Cake + Cupcakes: Enjoy Cupcakes / DJ: Morgan William of AMS Entertainment / Transportation: EOS Transportation / Lighting: LBPS Lighting / Cinematography: Matt Odom of Rock & Roll Hearts / Hair + Makeup: LunaBella Makeup Art / Officiant: Rev. Barbara Laughray / Bridal Suite: Hotel Corque Wedding Gown + Sash: Jim Hjelm via Destiny’s Bride / Bride’s Belt Brooch: 2007musarra / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jim Hjelm

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2007musarra, AMS Entertainment, Bijoux Events, California, Destiny's Bride, Enjoy Cupcakes, EOS Transportation, Etsy, Firestone Vineyards, Hotel Corque, Jessica Kuipers, Jim Hjelm, Juniper Floral Designs, Juniper Presence, LBPS Lighting, Los Olivos, LunaBella Makeup Art, Matt Odom, Michael + Anna Costa Photographers, Morgan William, Outdoor Wedding, Pink, Pink Wedding, Pure Joy Catering, Rev. Barbara Laughray, Rock & Roll Hearts, Santa Ynez Valley, Vineyard Wedding, Winery Wedding
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here for the entire image gallery!

From Stephie Hicks Photography… Talk about a gorgeous wedding!  Everything from the gorgeous dress to the super cute favors was absolutely fantastic!  The best part about the day was that everything (except attire) was designed and made by the bride and groom.  I was instantly in love with the location – breezy field of hay lining the ceremony, awesome old barn as a backdrop for the reception – everything was dripping with charm!  The drive through the field to get to the location was just as beautiful!

The bride and groom handmade everything – even the small table used for an altar area was refinished and stained.  They made the cake, put together the bouquets, made directional signs, designed/put together the table decor for the reception, etc.

Wedding Photography: Stephie Hicks Photography / Flowers: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Event Design & Planning: DIY, The Bride & Groom / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Private Farm, Ballground, GA / Bride’s Shoes: Restricted

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ballground, Burlap, DIY Flowers, DIY Wedding, farm wedding, GA, Georgia, Georgia Weddings, Green, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Reception, Outdoor Wedding, Rustic Chic, White
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Georgia Weddings

Jim and I first met in my hometown of Toronto in 2003 where we worked together at a publishing house and got to know each other over lengthy lunch breaks. Jim eventually moved back to his birth city of London, England and we lost touch. Three years later, after deciding to quit my job to travel to India for my close friend’s wedding, I was at a loose end with what to do with my life, when a friend encouraged me to move to London and invited me to stay with his family. After settling into my new life in the UK, I was out one night when a friend spotted someone looking at me on the dance floor. It was Jim! He found his way over to me and we spent the rest of the year getting to know each other again and eventually spent the rest of my stay in London side-by-side until deciding to move to Dubai together in 2009.

Over the Christmas holidays of 2010, Jim paid me a surprise visit in Toronto and proposed in the city where we had first met. With another move on the horizon in 2012, we had decided that we wanted to get married in the summer of 2011, seven months after we were engaged.

With friends and family scattered across the Americas & Europe and with us planning the wedding in Dubai, this made choosing a wedding location quite challenging. However, since majority of our guests and family would have to travel no matter where the wedding took place, it was actually quite liberating, as it meant that we had a blank slate when it came to choosing our location! We decided to have the wedding in Andalucía, Spain, as I left my heart in Spain the first time I went backpacking and wanted to share this amazing country with Jim. The dramatic landscape, hilltop villages, and amazing food and wine were an added plus as it really spoke to our idea of romance.

Language barriers, time differences, and distances meant that we needed the help of a local wedding planner. Initially disheartened after receiving templated responses and formulaic wedding proposals from various planners, we eventually received the kindest, most enthusiastic, detailed, and open-minded response imaginable from Lucia Fraga of Caprichia Marbella, who gave us confidence we could have the wedding we wanted. Choosing Lucia was the best decision we made since deciding to get married!

With Lucia’s help, we found our dream location in Casares, a small Spanish pueblo blanco (white village) nestled in the Andalucían hills. We were married in a ruined castle on a mountaintop overlooking the town. For the reception, we did some digging and found the Molino Los Medicos, a beautiful converted olive mill in a nearby town called Gaucin, which had a gorgeous inner courtyard for an outdoor dinner, and a large outdoor space with unspoiled views for the cocktail hour and dancing. The villa coupled as our accommodation for the week, which was a dream on two accounts: we were able to live in luxury and have the space we needed to organize things before the big day. We also found the Molino Del Carmen, another villa in Gaucin, which agreed to let our family and friends have sole use of their property for the week building up to the wedding.

As Dubai has a very small bridal market, I knew that I might have to find my wedding dress elsewhere, which was the only real pressure I felt planning my wedding. But with a trip to London, New York and then Toronto planned for some major dress shopping, I knew as long as I remained open-minded, positive, and relied on my gut feeling, I would be fine. A trip to New York with my sister found me a backless Pnina Tornai sold exclusively at Kleinfeld’s. When the designer herself walked out to add the cathedral-length veil, I was sold!

Planning the wedding away from our families wasn’t so bad, as we engaged our family in as much preparation as we could, so they would feel involved in our big day. My mother helped with the invitations, and my sister, mother and grandmothers helped sew decorations for the reception and the welcome picnic. Jim’s brother helped make a sign for the welcome picnic, and the table name-card holders (later adorned with Laura Hooper’s beautiful calligraphy) for the reception dinner, and his mother made us our guest book.

The day of our wedding, Jim’s uncle served as officiant, while two friends gave readings from D.H. Lawrence and Plato, and another friend acted as videographer. Since we were wed on a mountaintop (and thus far away from any power source), we hired a cellist to accompany our ceremony. Jim had asked his talented friend Carl to arrange a special solo cello version of Sigur Ros’ Hoppipolla to use as our recessional song, as it’s the most joyous piece of music I’ve ever heard!

Lucia found a local florist to provide rustic-looking Mataline roses in soft shades, with berries, eucalyptus and other foliage, and verdant ivy to wrap around the ceremony chairs. As an unexpected bonus, a big festival was underway in the town on the same day, so the town was decorated and I got plenty of attention from the local revelers as I was escorted through the town on a golf cart.

After the ceremony, the flowers arrangements were transported to the reception site, where we had fairy lights and candles dotted all around, including floating candles in the fountain, and Victorian-style tea-light holders hanging above the head table. When our guests arrived, we shared with them a cava and cocktail hour with over twenty different canapés and custom drinks, followed by an exquisite four-course meal with local flavours from Lepanto Catering. We gave each guest a bottle of Andalucían red wine with their name hand-written in calligraphy on vintage-style luggage tags. A Gordon Ramsey-designed iced lemon meringue followed dinner with raspberries for dessert, with coffee and a late night snack offered to guests in the wee hours. Before we had our dance, Jim surprised me by turning up with his guitar, and serenading me in front of our guests with a beautiful song he had written just for the occasion.

Our wedding photographer, Anna Gazda, who we found online, captured the whole day in her energetic and candid style and we’re able to relive the incredible experience through her work.

Wedding Planner: Lucia Fraga of Caprichia Marbella, Couture Destination Wedding & Event Planning / Ceremony Venue: Castillo Casares, Casares, Andalucia, Spain / Reception Venue: Molino Los Medicos / Wedding Gown: Pnina Tornai, Kleinfeld Bridal / Groom’s Suit: Dior / Bride’s Shoes: Ellie Saab / Groom’s Shoes: Paul Smith / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Thayer Godess Dress, Shopbop / Groomsmen Suits: Tristan / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy / Catering: Lepanto Catering / Photographer: Anna Gazda from Limelight / Makeup: Lyndsey Cavanagh

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andalucia, Anna Gazda, Caprichia Marbella, Caprichia Marbella Couture Destination Wedding & Event Planning, Casares, Castillo Casares, Castle, Cats, Destination, Dior, Ellie Saab, Kleinfeld Bridal, Laura Hooper Calligraphy, Lepanto Catering, Limelight, Lyndsey Cavanagh, Molino Los Medicos, mountains, Muted Colors, Outdoor Wedding, Paul Smith, Pnina Tornai, Shopbop, Spain, Spanish Weddings, Thayer Godess Dress, Tristian, Wedding Calligraphy, Wedding Paper Divas, Wedding Stationery
Post categories: Destination, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Jona and Jerry of Forever Photography Studio… Jacob and Caroline’s wedding was at one of our favorite Austin venues: Barr Mansion! There are so many reasons we love this venue — the property is gorgeous in person, but it photographs even better! Take that with a gorgeous wedding party and some amazing vendors and you have a unique, beautiful wedding! When I first met Jacob and Caroline I knew we were going to love photographing them. One major indicator was they LOVE photos, and of course anyone who loves photos is awesome in our eyes. We had such an awesome time with you both at your wedding, and we hope you enjoy your images for years to come!

Wedding Photography: Forever Photography Studio / Hair: Miranda McGuire / Makeup: April Monroe / Flowers: Stems Floral Design / Dress: Jim Hjelm via Serendipity Bridal / Wedding Venue: Barr Mansion

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: April Monroe, Austin, Barr Mansion, Blue, Forever Photography Studio, Green, Jim Hjelm, Miranda McGuire, Outdoor Wedding, Red, Serendipity Bridal, Stems Floral Design, Texas
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings

Click here to see the full image gallery!

From Geranium Lake Flowers … Love, love, love this wedding palette of kumquat and steel for this destination wedding.  Claire and her handsome groom Jeff are from Seattle and chose the gorgeous Garden Vineyards estate for their summer nuptials.  One of the fun things about working on this wedding was that it was primarily planned by Claire’s mom!  She traveled back and forth from Seattle to Portland to conceptualize everything from  her bouquet to the well wishes chuppah.  Darling!

Photography: Rebekah Johnson Photography / Photo Booth: Portland Photobooth / Flowers: Geranium Lake Flowers / Event Planning: Kara Markovich, Ella Events / Ceremony & Reception Venue: Garden Vineyards / Dress: Carolina Herrera / Hair: Evolution Hair Design – Mark Putnam / Makeup: Kymm Ernst / Music: Effesenden Music

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autumn Weddings, Bouquets, Bout, Carolina Herrera, Casual Elegance, Centerpieces, Chuppah, Color Palette Green Orange Grey, Effesenden Music, Ella Events, Evolution Hair Design, Fall Weddings, Flower girls, Garden Vineyards, Geranium Lake Flowers, Hillsboro, Kymm Ernst, Mark Putnam, Oregon, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Portland Photobooth, Rebekah Johnson Photography, Ring Bearers, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Mandy of Mandy and Me Studio… A few weeks after Lauren and Jonathan booked us, they found out that their venue had double booked their date, so they had to start their search all over again. They wanted a fall wedding and, given this was already spring, they were having trouble finding a venue they like that had a date open. In the end, they chose to get married at a small park down the street from their home and have their reception in their backyard. It turned out awesome. We think more people should have a backyard wedding. Why? It brings the intimate feel that you get at weddings to a whole new level. Lauren and Jonathan’s wedding was quite awesome. Between the two of them and their family and friends, there was a lot of effort put into making this a night to remember. We know we won’t forget this sweet wedding anytime soon.

Wedding Photography: Mandy and Me Studio / Flowers: FH Weddings & Events / Food: DIY / Cake: Publix / DJ: A family friend / Wedding Dress: La Sposa Bridal / String Lights: Home Depot / Hanging Candle Lights: CB2 / Tables + Chairs: Signature Events By Design

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Backyard Wedding, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, FH Weddings & Events, Florida, Mandy and Me Studio, Outdoor Wedding, Succulents, Tampa, Yellow
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Florida Weddings, Tampa Bay

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Melissa of Melissa Andre Events… This white and lavender Muskoka wedding was sweeter than sweet showcasing a gorgeous summery view of the beautiful water. Guests were greeted with iced lavender teas served in vintage teacups. The lovely bride, Emily, personally baked each guest an individual heart-shaped pie that sat on each individual place setting. They also identified what table each guest was seated at. Since Emily is fluent in French – we translated the types of pies into Francais — tarte aux pommes, tarte aux cerises, etc. It was divine. The sweets table became “La Patisserie” and guests were pointed in the direction of the white tented reception with a sign that read “Champagne & Bonbons.” Baby’s breath, dried lavender, and peonies floated through the bride’s bouquet, hung in miniature vases from the top of the tent and were found in the beautiful white bird cages that lined the guest tables. When I met Emily and Quinn, I fell completely in love with how absolutely sweet they are. I pulled that sweetness into every beautiful detail and their wedding was completely magical.

Wedding Photography: Rebecca Wood / Wedding Designer + Planner: Melissa Andre Events / Makeup + Hair: Melissa Andre Events / Custom Dress Design + Creation: Ines Di Santo / Wedding Cake: Cake Opera Co. / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Venue: Delta Rocky Crest Resort

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baby's Breath, Cake Opera Co., Canada, Ines DiSanto, Jimmy Choo, Lavender, Melissa Andre Events, Muskoka, Ontario, Outdoor Wedding, Purple, Rebecca Wood, Tented Reception
Post categories: Canada Weddings, Ontario Weddings, Traditional Elegance

After we got engaged, I accumulated an extensive bridal magazine collection, constantly perused SMP for inspiration and became obsessed with Etsy. Having a love for fashion and style, I absolutely loved every moment of the planning and design process!

We set out to plan a gorgeous wedding full of LOVE, fun and vintage glamour. We wanted a celebration of our love for each other, and our love for our family and friends. A fun and elegant party where our guests would have a ball.

Both of us immediately fell in love with the seaside forum, the gorgeous lawn over-looking the Pacific for the ceremony, the amazing oceanfront patio for a cocktails and the open-air reception space for dinner and dancing. We instantly knew it was the perfect venue for our wedding celebration.

The theme for the styling of the wedding came from my love of all things vintage and the color silver. We wanted something special, with lots of attention to detail. We added all the glamour with shimmering crystal chandeliers and candelabras, sparkling mercury glass and gorgeous white ruffled florals.

I fell in LOVE with my dress the first time I saw it in a magazine. With the drama and all the ruffles, it was love at first sight and I immediately knew it was the dress before even trying it on. My veil, headpiece, pearl necklace and sash were all custom designs. I had a vision…I absolutely loved creating the look and how it all came together.

Our wedding party looked gorgeous. The gentlemen looked very sharp in grey tuxedos, my lovely bridesmaids were stunning in platinum and pewter dresses and Dallas (the adorable flower puppy) pranced down the aisle in a silver tutu, pearls and a crystal leash. We had the most fabulous and fun wedding party, we are so lucky to have such amazing friends.

The entire day was pretty magical, there were so many favorite moments…I will never forget my excitement walking toward Erik for our “first look” – seeing the smile on his face and enjoying that very special moment with my handsome husband to be, the photo shoot and limo bus ride with our wedding party, walking down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Moeller dancing to “Marry You” and kicking off the reception with a pre-dinner dance party (everyone was on the dance floor from the first dance until we were seated for dinner). We really set the tone for a truly fabulous celebration! We danced the night away, ending with “Keep On Loving You” surrounded by all of our family and friends singing and swaying to the music.

Our wedding could not have been more perfect. It was the happiest day of my life, we had an absolutely amazing time celebrating with all the ones we love! It was unforgettable and we loved every moment. It was so incredible to be surrounded by our family and closest friends—dancing, eating, drinking and celebrating. We were overwhelmed by all the love and joy…we couldn’t have been more excited to begin our happily ever after…

Florist: Isari Floral Studio + Event Design / Photography: Angie Silvy Photography / Wedding Consultant: Shelly Fortune, Bella Sera Event Design / Ceremony & Reception Site: Scripps Forum / Catering: Catering by Barry Layne / Music: Disco Friend, Daniel Peterson / Linens & Draping: Fusion Linens / Bakery: Babycakes / Videography: Taylor Films / Wedding Dress: Lazaro / Bride’s Shoes: Vera Wang / Bridesmaid Dresses: Karen Millen & White House Black Market / Tuxedos: Calvin Klein

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Angie Silvy Photography, Babycakes, Beach, Bella Sera Event Design, Bouquets, California, Calvin Klein, Catering by Barry Layne, Centerpieces, Chandeliers, Chiavari Chairs, Color Palette White Silver, Daniel Peterson, Disco Friend, Fusion Linens, Glamourous, Isari Floral Studio + Event Design, Karen Millen, La Jolla, Lazaro, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Roses, Scripps Forum, Taylor Films, Vera Wang, Waterside, Waterside Weddings, Wedding Flowers, White House Black Market
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers