When Bryan and I started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted something low-key and relaxed. I remember the first time I started planning for our wedding. It was one or two months after we had gotten engaged and we were kayaking in Northern Michigan with two of our friends. We had been on Lake Michigan for hours it seemed, kayaking 4-5 miles across a bay from the small island where we had set up camp the night before. My arms were sore from the trip out the previous day and our friend Kate was paddling next to me. We were talking about music festivals and I decided that was it – that was what our reception would be like. Laid back, outdoors, and filled with live music played by our talented friends and family. Kate, my lovely friend and kayak buddy, is one of the front-women in the local band The Crane Wives, so that started the wheels turning for the line-up for our wedding. By the time our wedding day arrived, we had also enlisted my younger brother, Garrett, and his friend to play, as well as my cousin Katie and her boyfriend. Once we had decided on the music-focus for the party, we started searching for locations. We lucked out and found an awesome lodge at one of our city parks, a little place tucked away in the woods with a wrap-around porch perfect for hanging out on a September’s afternoon.

Pulling together our wedding plans was a relatively simple process for us. Our ceremony was held at our church and we were so glad to be married in the beautiful tradition of the Orthodox Church. For the reception, we knew we wanted music and we knew we wanted it to feel like a big party. We also wanted it to be supportive of the great local food, beer and wine culture that we have in Michigan. We choose beer and wine from small local companies, as well as a few hard ciders to celebrate the autumn season. For food, we chose our favorite restaurant to cater an all-vegan meal for our 160 guests. The restaurant, Marie Catrib’s, has a great relationship with local farms and they designed a great autumn-themed menu for us. The meal is the number one thing that guests were head-over-heels with at our wedding and we’re still getting compliments on it. We had a local baker make an array of cupcakes, muffins, chocolates and truffles, all vegan, and my mom added to the sweets table with her famous apple pie and a tasty vegan pumpkin cheesecake. Another easy decision for us was choosing our photographers. Bobbi and Mike had taken our engagement photos (which is where Bryan proposed– I thought we were taking promotional photos for our website!), and after getting to know them we knew we wanted them to be a part of our day. They have such wonderful personalities and their work is, of course, just stunning. We were so happy to have them on board with us.

The other details of our day, all the smaller, frilly things – colors, decorations, flowers – were chosen rather easily. I am obsessed with the color mustard (my friends call me mustard mae), and well, purple just looked nice with it. I made most of the decorations in the last few weeks before the wedding, and it was a welcome excuse to get together with my closest friends and have a good time. The bouquets came from a local florist who grows flowers in her backyard and sells them at a local farmer’s market. I had found her through the recommendation of one of our past brides and I loved working with her. Since Bryan and I are wedding photographers, we were lucky enough to have a lot of support from our couples, and to even have one couple who shared their thrifted plate collection with us and another who shared mason jars with us. What a blessing!

So the day-of came, and it was beautiful. Sunny skies and warm for late September. I got ready with my friends, saw Bryan for our first look, and then we got married. And then it started raining. Right before our reception, which was supposed to be both indoors and outdoors. When we arrived at our reception, we were happy to see The Crane Wives, our cocktail band, playing on the wrap-around porch as rain beat down on the roof, with all of our guests on the porch as well. When we first arrived, we wove our way through the crowd and had the opportunity to greet all of our guests for the first time. It was such a wonderful experience. No one minded the rain, nor did they mind when the power went out because of the storm! When it went out, my brothers and our friend Matthew rushed to a local store and came back with hundreds of tea lights, which they lined the tables with. Some of our dear guests contacted folks they knew with generators and before we knew it, the party was back up and running, just in time for dinner and more live music. After dinner, the skies cleared, we snuck outside for a few more photos, and our guests were able to enjoy the lovely landscape and games that we’d set up. We danced into the night to a great mix by our awesome DJ. My favorite moment of the entire evening was after the party, when we ran out through sparklers. Bryan and I got to our car but before we drove off, we held each other and watched all of our crazy friends running around the lawn with the sparklers, yelling and having so much fun. It was beautiful and the best way to finish such a lovely day.

Photographer: bobbi+mike / Floral Designer: The Flower Garden / Invitation Designer: Hitch Design Studio / Desserts: Wednesday Evening Cookies / Wedding Gown Designer: Watters / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Lulu’s / Rings: Touchwood Rings / Groom’s Suit: Topman / Caterer: Marie Catrib’s / Beer: Founder’s Brewing / Wine: Leelanau Cellars / Cider: Tandem Ciders / Veil: DIY / Fabric Flower Headpieces: Darci’s Doodads / Bride’s Hair: Hair by Kayley Heeringa / Cocktail Band: The Crane Wives

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Post tags: Babies, Baby's Breath, bobbi+mike, Bowties, Bryan And Mae, Burlap, Buttons, Casual Elegance, Chalkboards, Color Palette Yellow Purple, Croquet, Darci's Doodads, DIY Veil, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Greek Orthodox, Hair by Kayley Heeringa, Hitch Design Studio, Leelanau Cellars, Lulu's, Marie Catrib's Founder's Brewing, Mason Jars, Michigan, Mustard, Northern Michigan, Outdoor Weddings, Quilts, Tandem Ciders, The Crane Wives, The Flower Garden, Topman, Touchwood Rings, Vintage Chic, Vintage Windows, Watters, Wedding Photography, Wednesday Evening Cookies, wildflowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

My husband John and I found each other when we both moved to the Harrisburg area to pursue our careers. It started with a friendship between two adventure seeking teachers and blossomed into an unexpected romance. The journey of our wedding started 50 feet up in air, climbing on a ropes course element called The Catwalk, balancing on a telephone pole, when he got down on one knee and surprised me by asking me to marry him. The proposal was very much like the life we live, full of surprises and excitement.

I knew I wanted our wedding to represent us and be unique, fun, and entertaining for our guests. I wanted it to be an adventure like our relationship, our life, our engagement. We chose to have our wedding at the rolling acres and pristine views of Lauxmont Farm’s Japanese Gardens, because of my love for horses and our love for nature and the outdoors.

The day of our wedding the sun was shining with a slight breeze, complete with blue skies. It was a perfectly painted summer day. Our ceremony took place overlooking a field with horses running and in the distance the Susquehanna River. It truly was a stunning site. We tried to make our ceremony personal with our dear friend as our officiant and instead of a unity candle, since we both love wine, we did a wine ceremony to remember our relationship will only get better with time. Our ceremony was sincere, light hearted, and memorable, full of love and laughter. Cocktail hour was in the Japanese gardens where wine and cheese tasting took place. Here there were wooden fences from which photographs fluttered in the wind and guests mingled at tables adored with collections of vintage books, antique bottles, and delicate flowers. Signature drinks of lip smacking sangria and puckering pink lemonade were enjoyed along with the appetizers.

The reception tent was filled with personal touches. Through our wedding planning I was the designer with the inspirations and my husband was the builder and project manager. I’d venture to say it was all “do it yourself” because it was such a hands-on event, and I tried to put my heart into everything that was selected. We had a memory tent to celebrate our history together and our family’s history. We also had a kid’s tent, equipped with a lollipop centerpiece, homemade coloring books with our photographs, lots of toys, and things to do to keep our young guests entertained while enjoying themselves. John and I are very much kids at heart, so we knew the adults would enjoy this area too. The guests had a great time in our photo booth filled with silly and vintage props. Since I am from the Pittsburgh area, we had a large cookie table, a tradition in which many friends and family bake tons of delicious cookies for the wedding, and then they are displayed beautifully for everyone to enjoy. It was clear one of our guest’s favorite parts of the wedding was when the ice cream truck drove up to the reception tent to help everyone beat the July heat. Nothing brings out the child in someone like an ice cream truck.

Our wedding truly was a labor of love. My maid of honor designed our gorgeous invitations, our good friend officiated us, my husband’s sister painted signs, one of my bridesmaids, great friend, and an incredible stylist did my hair, and my friends and family helped me create numerous decorations, like hundreds of purple origami flowers that friends and family spent endless hours helping us make.. My husband and I had a blast rummaging through tons of antique stores finding the right pieces for our wedding, such as dishes, books, bird cages, bottles, you name it. Even though I was in the hospital for three days before our wedding, all of the little details fell into place perfectly. All our vendors were so wonderful and helpful with our wedding planning experience.

What I found most important about our big day was to step back, breathe, and take it all in. The kids playing with the toy horses, the laughter spilling out of the photo booth, my husband’s 91 year old grandfather in his dapper purple shirt overlooking the view, the ice cream filled smiles, the energy on the dance floor, the candle light glowing from the lanterns in trees. There were things that got broken, giggling when we forgot and stumbled over our vows’, I mean who needs to be taken as a lawfully wedded wife, when you could be a lover for life, as my husband mistakenly said. There was my torn bustle, and mother-son dance that almost didn’t happen, but thanks to all the love from my friends and family, and my wonderful husband, it was a day that in my eyes was perfect.

Photographer: SANDERSON IMAGES / Videographer: Jewelsheam Films, Jeff Wise / Floral Designer: All Things Beautiful / Event Planning & Design: DIY / Invitation Designer: Jessica Sipe / Cake/Desserts: House of Claredon / Wedding Gown Designer: Anjolique / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: David’s Bridal / DJ: Mad Hatter Productions / Caterer: Festive Board Catering / Photobooth: Katy Trefry Photography / Venue: Lauxmont Farms

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Post tags: All Things Beauitful, Anjolique, Birds, Books, Bouquets, Chalkboards, Chinese Lanterns, Cookies, David's Bridal, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Dove Release, Festive Board Catering, flags,, Flower girls, House of Claredon, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Truck, Jeff Wise, Jessica Sipe, Jewelscheam Films, Katy Trefry Photography, Lauxmont Farms, Mad Hatter Productions, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Ring Bearers, Sanderson Images, Tented Reception, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

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From My Simple Details … With the Mary Katherine and Mike’s love for wine, the groom’s background near the Finger Lakes and the bride’s Maryland and Northern Virginia background, we planned a wine tasting/show-off between Northern Virginia wines and Finger Lake wines with a sommelier during cocktail hour. With the bride’s love for Maryland crab cakes we also planned for a crab cake station for dinner and for the groom, a special Primanti Bros. station.

The unique alter area was made from antique wood wine holders, lots of blue wine bottles and Holly’s florals. Since both the couples initials are MK, the MK2 theme was present thoughout the event with wood carved and letter elements. Other unique details included the wood slice wine tags with hand calligraphy for guest favors that we hung on twine during cocktail hour. Cheese and chocolate food paring for the wine tasting during cocktail hour, a wine barrel lid lasy susan that was imprinted with their last name and the date and used as the guest book with permanent paint pens. Some of the centerpieces also included wine crates with the lids slid partially open to elevate blue candles in glass mason jars on the lids. Invitations were fabric with sunflower design and natural brown paper envelopes.

Venue: Murray Hill / Event Planning & Design: My Simple Details / Floral Design: Holly Chapple Flowers / Catering: RSVP Catering / Photography: Tara Welch Photography / Photography, Second Shooter: Vicki Grafton Photography / Transportation: Reston Limo / Musician: Chris Dunn, Classical Guitar Ceremonies / DJ: DJ Pgee / Sommelier: Lucinda Smith

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Post tags: Casual Elegance, Chalkboards, Chris Dunn, Classical Guitar Ceremonies, Color Palette Blue Yellow, Color Palette Purple Blue, Corks, DJ Pgee, Holly Chapple Flowers, Leesburg, Lucinda Smith, Murray Hill, My Simple Details, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Potomac River, Primanti Bros, Reston Limo, RSVP Catering, Short Gowns, Sommelier, Sunflowers, Tara Welch Photography, Tented Receptions, Vicki Grafton Photography, Virginia, Water, Wine Corks, Wine Themed, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Meg & Dan | A Wedding at Elkhart Lake from I Do Films

Dan and I got married on the most perfect summer day in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin – the same location where we had met six years earlier before my freshman year at Cornell.

I had always dreamed of having a tent wedding, so it was easy to settle on the beautifully-trimmed lawn at Victorian Village as the location for our reception. Using the warm, friendly, and vintage aesthetics of this family-run and family-fun resort as the foundation for our inspiration, my mom and I infused a little “Father of the Bride” and a few homemade touches to create a romantic and unforgettable Midwestern bash.

We started the day at my family’s home on Elkhart Lake, where Dan and I had a “first look,” but a very different kind. We were surrounded by my whole family while I came down the stairs and my brothers, dad, and Dan saw me for the first time. It was so special to have my whole family with us for such an important moment. The ceremony took place at Holy Name of Jesus in Sheboygan, where Dan had grown up and gone to church as a child. Our priest, who flew in from my family’s home parish in Los Angeles, stole the show with an incredibly touching homily that made reference to our “path” around Elkhart Lake. After the ceremony Dan and I took photos at a friend’s barn while our guests sipped homemade vodka lemonades and munched on Wisconsin cheese and meatballs.

Our 242 guests found their seating assignments on frames hung from vintage glass door knobs that Dan helped me power-drill onto a salvaged barn door found at my favorite antique shop, The Red Rooster in Plymouth. Dinner proceeded in a 60’ x 100’ century tent that glowed with warm rosy uplighting, ivory rice paper lanterns, and string lights. The tables were adorned with fresh roses, hydrangeas, and plenty of candles found at a local craft store by our florist Silvana Cassia of Twig Flowers. An oversize slate found at an antique shop and framed chalkboards found on HerMajestysPug’s shop on Etsy served as the menus for dinner and cocktails. To finish the look, we invested in a black-and-white checkered dance floor that exuded a snappy, jazzy feel.

A Beatles cover band called The Cavern Beat played four sets and kept the dance floor packed with guests of all ages. My mom always told me, “Meg, all you need for a great party are the two B’s: booze and a band.” She was so right!

Dessert included chocolate ganache cake from the bakery at the local Piggly Wiggly adorned with hydrangeas, an ice cream bar, and my mom’s molasses, snickerdoodle, and chocolate-chip cookies served on a three-tier cookie tower created with the help of a local carpenter.

We absolutely loved working with Anna and Jonathan Wheeler of Anna Page Photography, as well as Matt Buckman and Élan Villamor of I Do Films. Their ability to go with the flow, their attention to detail, and their cat-like reflexes certainly did not go unnoticed! Dan and I are so grateful to both of them for documenting our memories in such a beautiful and unique way!

Photography:  Anna Page Photography / Cinematography: I Do Films / Tent: Canopies Events / Band: The Cavern Beat / Event Coordination: Laura Cooper, Cooper Consulting / Floral Design: Twig Flowers / Ceremony Location: Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church / Caterer & Reception Location: Victorian Village Resort / Invitations: Bella Figura / Bride’s Dress: Amsale via Belle Vie Bridal Couture / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang / Bride’s Heels: Vince Camuto / Bride’s Flats: Aldo / Bride’s & Bridesmaid’s Earrings: Anthropologie / Bride’s Bracelet: J.Crew / Engagement Ring and Groom’s Ring: Steve Quick Jeweler / Floral Hair Clip: Sara Gabriel / Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse / Groom’s Bowtie and Groomsmen’s Ties: Brooks Brothers / Hair & Makeup: Aspira Spa, The Osthoff Resort / Guest Transportation: Discovery Coach / Wedding Party Transportation: Stargazer Limousine / DJ: Matt’s DJ Service/ String Quartet: Jubilate String Quartet, kayesara@hotmail.com (Sarah Oftedahl ) / Guest Photo Station: Beyond the Booth Photography / Candle Holders & Flower Bases: Hobby Lobby & Pier 1 Imports / Framed Blackboard Cocktail Signs: HerMajestysPug / Ice Cream Sign: The Back Porch Shoppe / Cake: Natalie’s Pastries, natalieblattner@hotmail.com / Ice Cream: Scoops Ice Cream Parlor

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Post tags: Aldo, Amsale, Anna Page Photography, Anthropologie, Aspira Spa, Bella Figura, Beyond the Booth Photography, Black Tie, Bowties, Brooks Brothers, Canopies Events, Chinese Lanterns, Cooper Consulting, Discover Coach, Elkhart Lake, Etsy, Father of the Bride, Father of the Bride Inspired, HerMajestysPug, Hobby Lobby, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, I Do Films, Ice Cream, Invitations, J. Crew, Jubilate String Quartet, Matt's DJ Service, Men's Wearhouse, Natalie's Pastries, Neutral Color Palette, Outdoor Weddings, Pier 1 Imports, Piggly Wiggly, Rustic Chic, Sara Gabriel, Scoops Ice Cream Parlor, Sheboygen, Stargazer Limousine, Steve Quick Jeweler, Tented Reception, The Back Porch Shoppe, The Beatles, The Cavern Beat, The Osthoff Resort, Traditional Elegance, Twig Flowers, Vera Wang, Victorian Village Resort, Vince Camuto, Vintage, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Stationery, White Color Palette, Wisconsin
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography

Being from Australia, James from England, and living in New York, it was important to us to have our wedding at a place that was accessible for all of our friends and family. Our only requirement for our wedding was that we wanted to get married in a vineyard. With its proximity to the San Francisco International Airport, we went to Napa and Sonoma for a few days and fell in love with Sonoma. The vineyards are amazing but the whole atmosphere in the town square was just something that immediately felt right. We visited a number of vineyards and decided on one… which unfortunately fell through a month after we returned to New York. We then took a gamble on Gundlach Bundschu – site unseen – with encouragement from our amazing wedding planner, Stephanie Cole.

When we returned to Sonoma we couldn’t have dreamt of this place being any better. Walking through the wine cave to the vineyard overlook with the glorious sunshine was just magical. We had a cellist, Michael Fesckes, play for us before the ceremony and during our cocktail hour where our guests enjoyed local sparkling wine and a number of delicious passed appetizers prepared by Park Avenue Catering.

We then transported our guests to the timeless and rustic tasting room at Buena Vista Carneros, just a short bus ride away where we dined on cod and lamb and enjoyed the fabulous Buena Vista wines before dancing the night away.

There is not one thing I would change about our day. Looking at all the memorable photos wonderful Megan Reeves took for us and even writing about it now brings a huge smile to my face.

Wedding Coordinator: Stephanie Cole of A Dream Wedding / Hair & Makeup: Grazia Salon & Wendy Walter / Florist: Sally Blue of Sonoma Flowers / Caterer: Park Avenue Catering / Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events / Ceremony Venue: Gundlach Bundschu / Reception Venue: Buena Vista Carneros / Cellist: Michael Fecskes / Band: All Star Jukebox / Photography: Megan Reeves Photography / Second Shooter: Jen Philips / Shoes: Badgley Mishka / Wedding Dress: Galina / Dance Dress: Vintage / Bridesmaids Dresses: Light in the Box

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Post tags: A Dream Wedding, All Star Jukebox, Badgley Mishka, Buena Vista Carneros, Buena Vista Winery, Carneros, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Yellow, David's Bridal, Flower girls, Galina, Grazia Salon, Gundlach Bundschu, Jen Philips, Light in the Box, Megan Reeves Photography, Michael Fecskes, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Park Avenue Catering, Sonoma Flowers, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designer, Windy Walter, Wine Country Party & Events, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Will and I met at a concert. Going to shows and finding new music has been a key element of our relationship. We wanted our wedding to reflect this, so we made music a theme. We created a compilation of songs from our favorite bands whose shows we had attended together to give away as favors. The tables for dinner were named after different music venues in San Francisco that we’d been to, and the seating cards were made to look like a concert tickets.

The most important thing to us was that people have a really good time and feel welcome. We didn’t want it to be too formal; instead we wanted it to feel like a really fun party in someone’s backyard. We picked a bluegrass band to play for the ceremony and reception. We had a selection of pies rather than a wedding cake. Our flowers were placed in a variety of old bottles rather than vases. We used succulents as our centerpieces instead of cut flowers. We loved the idea that the plants at our wedding would continue to live and be enjoyed by our guests even after the wedding was over.

The best thing about the wedding was that all our friends and family really enjoyed themselves. We kept hearing from everyone how much they liked our other friends and family members that they were meeting. We felt completely loved and supported and lucky to have so many incredible people in our lives.

Photography: Jessamyn Harris Photographer / Floral & Event Design: Jess Flood Event Design / Event Planning: Jess Flood Event Design / Catering: Stark & Co. / Venue: Healdsburg Country Gardens / Pies: Mission Pie

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Post tags: California, California Vineyards, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue Orange, Healdsburg, Healdsburg Country Gardens, Jess Flood Event Design, Jessamyn Harris Photographer, Mission Pie, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Ring Bearers, Stark & Co., Succulents, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wine, Wineries, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

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Neil and I met in high school. We became friends first, but it was soon apparent to all of our friends that we should be dating. After working up the nerve, Neil finally asked me out and we’ve been together ever since. Not everyone thought that high school sweethearts would last, but nine years later we were getting married.

Being a wedding planner, I’ve planned countless weddings and events for my clients, so I felt fully prepared to put together my big day. I soon realized how different it can be when it’s your own wedding! Instead of having to reign in my client’s wishes and dreams, it was now my own! Luckily, I got to work with some amazing vendors who helped me bring my vision to life, so on the day I could just enjoy every moment. Neil’s family is Hindu, while my family has both Christian and Jewish sides to it. Trying to bring out all the sides of our cultural and religious backgrounds in a mixed wedding while still honouring their traditions, was one of the more fun challenges of putting together our big day. I think this was also probably one of our guest’s favourite aspects of the wedding. My guests were wowed by all the colour and extravagance of the Indian portions, while we also got to show off some fun Jewish traditions.

I was surprisingly calm the morning of the wedding while my bridesmaids and I got ready at my house. It wasn’t until very close to ceremony time, that I started to get nervous. Normally on wedding days I’m the one in charge to make sure things are running smoothly. Today it was out of my hands; and on the biggest day of my life nonetheless! We started off the day with our Canadian ceremony under the tent at the beautiful Angus Glen Golf Club (the site of all the day’s festivities). As I walked down the aisle on my father’s arm, in between glances at my groom, I tried my best to take in all of my guests. I felt so loved as I saw all the happy smiles and tears from my friends and family. We ended the ceremony in the traditional Jewish manner, with Neil stepping on the glass to a chorus of “Mazel Tov” from the guests.

After some very hot family and bridal party portraits (and I’m not just talking about the people – it was blazing hot outside!), it was on to Wedding Ceremony two! As a proper Hindu bride, I had to get ready and change into my gorgeous plum and pink coloured Indian wedding dress and wait for the ceremony while the fun started outside. Neil, surrounded by his friends and family, looked like an Indian prince while riding a magnificent white horse to greet my waiting family. Despite the heat, Neil’s entourage was dancing up a storm to the beat of the Dhol player. Soon they were ready for me, and I made my walk down the aisle on the terrace, surrounded by my bridesmaids. It meant a lot to have them by my side to share in the special moment. The Hindu ceremony under the colourful Mandap was quite a different experience from the first. There are many steps in the much longer ceremony, and the Hindu Priest made sure to involve the family members in many aspects of the interactive ritual.

After a cocktail hour featuring both Indian and Canadian hors d’oeuvres, we were ready to get the party started. Guests had a laugh at our UFC inspired wedding video for the bridal party entrances. As big Mixed Martial Arts fans, Neil and I then entered with Neil wearing an official UFC belt. I think he definitely felt like a champion as we both danced our way onto the dance floor. Instead of being seated, we then encouraged our guests to come join the party! We followed this with the traditional Jewish Hora, where Neil and I were lifted up in our chairs while our guests circled us.

After working up an appetite, it was time to enjoy our sit down four course meal. Guests were offered entree choices between Canadian dishes, and fusion-style plated Indian dishes, so everyone got to try something they desired! We wanted our guests to really feel special, so we had the menus personalized with each guest’s name at the top. In between courses, after all the heart warming speeches were done, we then had fun watching a Bollywood dance performance by The Wedding Choreographers.

My main inspiration for the theme of the day was colour. It was an elegant and stylish affair showcasing the colours purple, silver and white through most aspects of the wedding. My bridesmaids looked stunning in their individualized eggplant cocktail dresses, while the groomsmen were able to choose their own slim black suits to go with the silver skinny ties we gave them. I also had purple shoes underneath my wedding dress, but my favourite of my accessories was my custom made hair fascinator – a beautiful ivory flower! Most of the real flowers for the day were a creamy white, seen in the bouquets and the centrepieces, while our first ceremony’s carnation pomanders were a bright purple.

One of my favourite parts of the wedding was the candy table I designed featuring only purple, white and silver candies and chocolates. It was a huge hit amongst the guests who filled their goody bags with tons of treats!

Although I had many fantastic vendors to pull off my day, I also couldn’t have done it without the help of my friends and family. My DIY projects, like my homemade card box, popcorn bag favours, program fans and seating chart, would not have turned out the way they did without the help of some great friends. As a wedding planner, I definitely had my dream wedding, though as much as I loved all the details of the day, my favourite part overall was being surrounded by the love and support of all of our guests. I’ve never felt happier than when we were surrounded by all our loved ones, making this a day I will truly never forget.

Photography: Rowell Photography / Event Planning & Design: Silverberry Occasions Event Planning & Design Inc. / Ceremony & Reception Location: Angus Glen Golf Club / Catering: The Host & Angus Glen Golf Club / Videography: Bright Sky Wedding Designs / Decor: Designs by Dina / Floral: Final Touches / Stationery: Palettera Custom Correspondences / Cake: Pretty Sweet Cakes / DJ: Nspire Sound / Third Photographer: Sarah Guy for Rowell Photography / Horse: Dream Catcher Stables / Western Officiant: Enduring Promises / Hindu Officiant: Dr. Ravi Srivastava / Dancers: The Wedding Choreographers & Co. / Transportation: Markham First Choice Limousines / Makeup: SK Makeup Artistry / Bride’s Hair: The Sarum Room Salon & Spa / Groom’s Suit: Strellson from Tom’s Place / Wedding Dress: San Patrick from Mona Richie / Bridesmaids Dresses: Love by Enzoani from Bridal and Beyond / Bride & Groom’s Indian Outfits: CTC West / Groomsmen Ties: Ed’s Fine Imports / Bride’s Fascinator: Blair Nadeau Millinery / Seating Chart, Program Fans, & Candy Buffet: DIY

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Post tags: Angus Glen Golf Club, Blair Nadeau Millnery, Bollywood Dancers, Bridal and Beyond CTC West, Bright Sky Wedding Designs, Candy Buffet, Color Palette purple Silver, Cultural Beauty, Designs by Dina, Dream Catcher Stables, Ed's Fine Imports, Enduring Promises, Final Touches, Fusion Weddings, Glamourous, Henna, Hindu Weddings, horses, Jewish Weddings, Love by Enzoani, Markham First Choice Limousines, Mona Richie, Nspire Sound, Outdoor Weddings, PALETTERA Custom Correspondences, Pretty Sweet Cakes, Rowell Photography, San Patrick, Silverberry Occasions Event Planning & Design Inc, SK Makeup Artistry, Strellson, Tented Ceremony, The Host, The Sarum Room Salon & Spa, The Wedding Choreographers & Co, Tom's Place, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

David and I had been dating long distance for about a year and a half. We had talked about getting married, but wanted to be sure he would be able to move closer to me before we took the plunge. After searching and waiting, he finally got a promotion within his company that would allow him to move. Shortly after, we went on a weekend trip to the mountains with another couple we are friends with. We spent most of the weekend enjoying the peace and quiet at their cabin.

On Saturday afternoon David (a part time photographer) mentioned that he wanted to take some pictures of the sunset since it had turned out to be a beautiful day. So we bundled up and took off to the top of the mountain. When we arrived to the top, he started taking various pictures and kept walking toward this particular tree that he has always been fascinated with. When we got close enough, he told me to turn around. When I did there was the ring box hanging from one of the branches. I turned back around to find him down on one knee holding the ring! We toasted to our future with the champagne and strawberries he had waiting, then our friends, Madison and Ashley, came up to join us and take some pictures. After calling our family and friends we capped off the night with an amazing dinner that they had cooked. It was perfect!

David and I both have so many friends and family from all over the country, so in the beginning we contemplated having a destination wedding. After a while, it became evident that we did not have enough time to plan like we would want. My parents have a beautiful property and graciously offered to have it there. Ultimately, knowing it was FREE and that I wouldn’t have to travel the week before the wedding helped to make the decision. Plus, I knew it would be special to have it in the small town where I grew up.

Since the engagement, my mom and I had spent quite a lot of time on Style Me Pretty. There were so many great ideas out there, and I just couldn’t decide. Once we decided we were having the wedding at my parents’ home, I knew everything needed to fit into the outdoor/garden/Southern look of the property, but I didn’t want it to look like I had a specific “theme”. This actually seemed to help becuase it gave me so many more options than being limited to one look or set of ideas. I eventually decided that I wanted to use mason jars for the centerpieces. I thought they were the perfect way to add a Southern touch. Luckily, we were able to get enough of the blue mason jars to add some extra color. I knew this would be perfect with the salmon colored bridesmaid dresses I had picked. After that, I just started picking the things I liked and figured out how to make them work, and everything came together perfectly.

I didn’t want our wedding to be just another wedding that people went to. I wanted our guests to really enjoy themselves and share in our happiness, so we tried to add as many personal touches as possible. We did several signs around the ceremony and reception. The main one in the middle of the reception area started out just as a sign to point the way to different areas of the party (dance floor, restrooms, etc). Then we thought it would be cute to make it more personal. David and I love to travel together so there were signs highlighting several of the places we had been or were going to…..Savannah, GA, Cape Cod, and Greece (our honeymoon destination). We also had a station where guests could leave us a note to read on various anniversaries in the future. Just about everything had some sort of personal touch or meaning. I also wanted everything to be unique. I made DIY programs that were completely “out of the box” and non-traditional. We also had a local gospel choir to sing before the ceremony started.

We actually had my dad join the minister and perform parts of the ceremony. It was so special to have him marry us. After he pronounced us man and wife, the gospel choir sang “Oh Happy Day” as we walked back down the aisle.

The mother of one of my bridesmaids volunteered to do a photo booth as a surprise for the two of us. She even made the backdrop and found all the props. This turned out to be a huge hit, and now we have so many great photos of all our guests.

As much as I didn’t want to, I let some of the wedding day stress get to me. So one of the best moments was when David and I had our “first look” before the ceremony. When I saw the look on his face I immediately felt at ease.

Photography: Chris & Adrienne Scott, Photographers / Flowers: Jonathan Kendrick / Ceremony and Reception Location: Bride’s parent’s house / Invitations: Robin E Designs / Shoes: Target / Dress: Martina Liana from Low’s Bridal / Hair: Scott Little from Haute Heads / Makeup: Anna Sellers / Rings & Pearl Earrings: Mednikow Jewelers / Suits: Jos A. Banks / Ceremony Music: United Voices of Anointance Choir / Reception Music: Magi / Cake: Dinah Fewell of Take the Cake / Cupcakes: HaliHannigan’s Cupcakery / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale from Bella Bridesmaid

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Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography