I think they did a great job tying together the whimsy of the carousel with the decor of the reception! Festive and light-hearted, lots of hanging lanterns, brightly colored flowers in simple antique medicine bottles that Julia & Mike found in antique stores … just so many little touches that made this space so special.

Not to mention romantic!

If you’re just joining us … Abby has given me carte blanche on the SMP blog today. And when she’s away, I feel impelled to share a secret or two with you guys! One quick, little-known fact about Abby …When Abby was a young girl, she LOVED carousels and really wanted a hobby horse in her room! They were kind of ‘pricey’ … but I honestly did look for one that, perhaps, we could refurbish. Never did find one, but to this day, carousels remind me of Abby! On one of our family vacations, we spent a few days at Martha’s Vineyard.  She was SO excited to ride the historic Flying Horse Carousel, but devastated when she dropped the brass ring!

Lots more detail shots from Julia and Mike’s wedding to come a little later this afternoon …

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carousel, Connecticut, First Dance, Hobby Horse, Justin Marantz Photography, New Haven, Paper Lanterns, The Carousel at Lighthouse Point
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

From polka dots and drumsticks to pick-up trucks, sassy yellow shoes and sneakers …

Gotta’ love the Chevy!

Justin & Mary Marantz are two of our favorite Little Black Bookers … We’ve featured a couple of their really great weddings (Katie & Colin, Josh & Beth). But to be perfectly honest, Julia & Mike’s engagement shoot is probably the all-time BEST Little Black Book Blog feature ever. Mary guest-blogged for us about engagement shoots {Getting to Know You!} and Julia & Mike’s was a real hoot! Take a look … {click} A 1952 Better Homes & Garden spread. Super cute. And for more of their vintage-themed engagement shoot, here’s a link to the original Marantz post.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Connecticut, Drumsticks, Justin Marantz Photography, New Haven, Paper Lanterns, Polka Dots, Rose, The Carousel at Lighthouse Point, Truck
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Casual Elegance, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

The prize for the winner, which will be chosen by myself and a small panel of blogging judges, will be $500 to the store where you are registered. If your wedding has passed, this is a great way to complete your registry!

Here is one of my favorite projects from our last contest that we held…

For complete instructions on how to make these adorable coat check tags, click right here. And, if you’d like the free template, just shoot me an email!

As for the contest, just email your DIY entry to abby@stylemepretty.com by October 15th, with a step-by-step instruction guide and at least one image of the final product. Can’t wait to see what you guys have come up with! If you are in need of a little inspiration, I found some great DIY products done by other bloggers, like this one from Design*Sponge…

Check out the complete instructions for these little gems, right here! I also love these amazingly cute little birds that were designed for a baby mobile, though would be absolutely adorable hanging at different lengths from trees at your reception…

You can get the full instructions, as well as the pattern right here on Spool. They also feature these adorable aprons that would make great favors for your guests!

Okay, I’ll be back in a bit with the real weddings that I mentioned earlier! I hope that you are inspired to create a fun DIY project for our upcoming contest!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aprons, Birds, Coat Check Tags, Design*Sponge, DIY project, Paper Lanterns, Spool, Wedding Favors & Gifts
Post categories: Contests, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Wedding Favors & Gifts

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Outdoor Wedding, Paper Lanterns
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic

From Heather…

The reception taking place on the lawn, our guests were greeted with a bucket of comfy flip-flops to change into.  Our cheery color palette of chocolate, green apple, and lemon was portrayed everywhere, from the bright yellow flower girl dresses (J.Crew) to the key lime pie dessert shots.

My sisters and I did all of the baking ourselves, and also made big jars of mojitos and fresh lemonade for the bar.  We ordered the flowers wholesale, then did all of the arranging (including our monogram on the front gate), using concept photos and the talent of my mom and her best friend, interior designers.

Kevin strung strands and strands of bistro lights and dozens of paper lanterns, which not only looked great during the day, but illuminated the yard beautifully when the sun went down.  Votive-filled small mason jars, some hanging from trees, adorned the entire backyard, creating the perfect glow.

More to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Color Palette Brown Green Yelow, Dancing Shoes, Floral Monogram, Key Lime Pie, Lemonade Jars, Lighting, Paper Lanterns
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic