Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Melina of DM Events… When you have a bride who loves succulents as much as hydrangeas and burlap as much as silk, the first design hurdle is to find a space as eccentric, stylish, and unique as the duo saying “I do.” When we first brought Amanda and Mike to the Metropolitan Building, it was a perfect pairing! Every nook and cranny of this amazing warehouse is filled with antiques and memorabilia of a glamorous age gone by. The next challenge was to create a wedding so beautiful it could outshine this one-of-a-kind locale. The floor plan is vast and open, so we opted for both square and rectangular tables to give the eye variety as guests entered the room. The long tables were mismatched barn tables paired with a linen runner in a natural hue and square tables were covered in matching linen. Amanda did not want a lot of flowers so we used a combination of florals and casual objects in the centerpieces including lanterns, wooden boxes of lush green hydrangeas and succulents, buds vases of white flowers on wooden slabs, and tons of romantic candlelight.   

The table décor was all about subtle details: The napkins we chose were actually kitchen towels, complemented by rattan chairs to incorporate natural elements.  Bryn, the amazing gal behind Paperfinger, created menu cards printed on birch! The table numbers we selected were glass bottles affixed with metal numbers, which could double as bud vases for the centerpieces. One of our favorite (and tastiest!) design elements was the dessert bar. We teamed with the fabulous Emily of Lael Cake who whipped up three gluten-free confectionery creations, including a large apple spice cake with caramel icing and two smaller, complementary vanilla bean cakes with lavender/rosemary icing.  Can we just say … yum!!!  Around the three cakes, we used antique trays and cake stands to display a variety of macarons. Our goal was to create an atmosphere where the bride and groom would feel as if they were celebrating in their own private vintage mansion for the night.

Wedding Photography: Ryan Jensen Photography / Event Planing, Design + Flowers: DM Events / Wedding Venue + Catering: Metropolitan Building / Wedding Gown: J.Crew / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. / Wedding Stationery: Paperfinger / Wedding Cakes: Lael Cakes / Macarons: Macaron Cafe / Hair & Makeup: Facetime Beauty

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Post tags: Brown, DM Events, Green, J. Crew, Lael Cakes, Macaron Cafe, Metropolitan Building, New York, New York City, Paperfinger, Party Rental Ltd., Queens, Ryan Jensen Photography
Post categories: New York City Weddings, New York Weddings, Vintage Chic

Click here for the FULL photo shoot!

From Kristin of Bellafare… During a recent site visit to Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, we were inspired to create a modern yet timeless shoot with a black and white color palette. After enlisting the help of the fabulous Jen Huang, our goal was simple — create beautiful images with a touch of fashion, going back in time to a classic New York wedding inspiration with a contemporary twist. With the space’s floor-to-ceiling windows, clean white walls, high ceilings and access to Lincoln Center’s campus and Central Park, we knew this unique, landmark venue would be the perfect backdrop for our winter “wedding.” Our bride and groom sipped on champagne from retro glassware and looked city-chic as they walked hand-in-hand through the Upper West Side. The gorgeous florals were provided by Quatre Coeur and added a bit of softness to the otherwise glitzy and modern décor. After seeing the recent Spring 2012 line of one of our favorite bridal designers, Vera Wang, we were insistent on having our bride wear a black wedding gown to add a bit of high fashion — echoing Fashion Week’s new home at Lincoln Center. This shoot is all that a New York City wedding is about – classic elements, a touch of glitz, unparalleled cityscapes and an iconic venue.

Planning + Design: Bellafare / Photography: Jen Huang Photography / Florist: Quatre Coeur / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. / Linens + Napkins Rings: Nuage Designs / Makeup: Kerry Makeup / Hair: Once Upon a Bride / Wedding Dress: Angel Sanchez via Gabriella New York / Bride’s Accessories + Shoes: Gabriella New York / Venue: Lincoln Center in New York City, New York / Stationery: East Six / Wedding Cake: Gail Watson of A Simple Cake

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Post tags: A Simple Cake, Angel Sanchez, Bellafare, Black, East Six, Gabriella New York, Gail Watson, Jen Huang Photography, Kerry Makeup, Lincoln Center, New York, New York City, Nuage Designs, Once Upon a Bride, Party Rental Ltd., Quatre Coeur, White
Post categories: Photo Shoot, The Blog, Wedding Style

From the Bride… We married on 09/10/11 in NYC and had another reception on 11/11/11 in Taipei, Taiwan for family and friends who weren’t be able to come to New York to celebrate with us. We wanted our wedding to be a blend of everyone and everything we love from New York and Taiwan, and of course, to ensure everyone would have a great time. We fell in love with The Foundry, a metal foundry in the 19th century, as soon as we saw it on their website because of its old brick walls and beautiful ivy. The space aligned perfectly with our vision: historic yet contemporary, industrial yet organic, urban yet romantic, simple yet glamorous. It was the ideal venue for what we had in mind. We selected our colors: purple, lilac, gray, gold and bronze. This color scheme was infused through everything used in the event. We wanted to put as much effort as we could to make this event special, so we designed all our invitations, programs, menus, photo booth logos and favors by ourselves with a drawing of Brooklyn Bridge as our wedding logo on them. I also made all the wreaths for the flower girls. We knew we wanted some special details in the space to make it unique, so we asked the florist to create a structural yet organic piece using drift wood and flowers to hang in the main space, and we used fresh leaves as escort carts. We also used drawings of landmarks in NYC instead of table numbers. We picked ghost chairs to give the space a modern vibe while incorporating drift wood into the centerpieces to give a soft and organic feel. Our favors in New York were candles with different traditional Chinese symbols to represent our roots.

For our second reception venue in Taiwan, we fell in love with the ballroom in the Palais de Chine Hotel. With the neo-classical design concept, the ballroom has copper draping ceiling with 18 chandeliers. For colors, we used royal purple as the main hue and mixed with the deep blue and red of Taiwan. Everything was very classic and glamorous.

The most amazing and fun experience was with our cinematographer, Mr. Jose Ortiz, who flew all the way to Asia to shoot our reception in Taiwan. We went to different places that represent Taiwan for shooting the day before the event. It was raining, but we all had a good time. Through the lenses, Jose can see the world differently in an artistic way. The best part was Jose not only edited all the images from our wedding day in New York and the shooting we did in Taiwan, but also did a same day edit video using images from our Taiwan reception to make a trailer! All of our guests were wowed by the trailer and asked for more! We were very glad to have this special experience working with Jose in two different countries. We had many people coming from all over the world in both events to celebrate with us. With the loving support of our family and friends, our wedding was a magical experience!

NYC Vendors — Cinematography: Jose Ortiz Films / Wedding Photography: Xavier Munguia Photography / Floral Design: Petal Design Studio / Venue: The Foundry / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Dior / Groom’s Tuxedo: Gucci / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Wedding Cake: Black Hound New York / Caterer: Thomas Preti / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. + Taylor Creative Inc. / Photo Booth: IncrediBooths

Taiwan Vendors — Wedding Cinematography: Jose Ortiz Films / Wedding Photography: Oscarshoots / Floral Design: CN Flower / Venue: Palais de Chine Hotel / Reception Dresses: Tadashi Shoji + LinLi / Wedding Favors: Baggu

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, Baggu, Black Hound New York, Christian Dior, CN Flower, Gucci, Jose Ortiz Films, Linli, Monique Lhuillier, New York, New York City, Oscarshoots, Palais de Chine Hotel, Party Rental Ltd., Petal Design Studio, Tadashi Shoji, Taipei, Taiwan, Taylor Creative Inc, The Foundry, Thomas Preti, Wedding Video, Xavier Munguia Photography
Post categories: Destination Weddings, Wedding Cinematography

From the Bride… We married on 09/10/11 in NYC and had another reception on 11/11/11 in Taipei, Taiwan for family and friends who weren’t be able to come to New York to celebrate with us. We wanted our wedding to be a blend of everyone and everything we love from New York and Taiwan, and of course, to ensure everyone would have a great time. We fell in love with The Foundry, a metal foundry in the 19th century, as soon as we saw it on their website because of its old brick walls and beautiful ivy. The space aligned perfectly with our vision: historic yet contemporary, industrial yet organic, urban yet romantic, simple yet glamorous. It was the ideal venue for what we had in mind. We selected our colors: purple, lilac, gray, gold and bronze. This color scheme was infused through everything used in the event. We wanted to put as much effort as we could to make this event special, so we designed all our invitations, programs, menus, photo booth logos and favors by ourselves with a drawing of Brooklyn Bridge as our wedding logo on them. I also made all the wreaths for the flower girls. We knew we wanted some special details in the space to make it unique, so we asked the florist to create a structural yet organic piece using drift wood and flowers to hang in the main space, and we used fresh leaves as escort carts. We also used drawings of landmarks in NYC instead of table numbers. We picked ghost chairs to give the space a modern vibe while incorporating drift wood into the centerpieces to give a soft and organic feel. Our favors in New York were candles with different traditional Chinese symbols to represent our roots.

For our second reception venue in Taiwan, we fell in love with the ballroom in the Palais de Chine Hotel. With the neo-classical design concept, the ballroom has copper draping ceiling with 18 chandeliers. For colors, we used royal purple as the main hue and mixed with the deep blue and red of Taiwan. Everything was very classic and glamorous.

The most amazing and fun experience was with our cinematographer, Mr. Jose Ortiz, who flew all the way to Asia to shoot our reception in Taiwan. We went to different places that represent Taiwan for shooting the day before the event. It was raining, but we all had a good time. Through the lenses, Jose can see the world differently in an artistic way. The best part was Jose not only edited all the images from our wedding day in New York and the shooting we did in Taiwan, but also did a same day edit video using images from our Taiwan reception to make a trailer! All of our guests were wowed by the trailer and asked for more! We were very glad to have this special experience working with Jose in two different countries. We had many people coming from all over the world in both events to celebrate with us. With the loving support of our family and friends, our wedding was a magical experience!

NYC Vendors — Cinematography: Jose Ortiz Films / Wedding Photography: Xavier Munguia Photography / Floral Design: Petal Design Studio / Venue: The Foundry / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Dior / Groom’s Tuxedo: Gucci / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Wedding Cake: Black Hound New York / Caterer: Thomas Preti / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. + Taylor Creative Inc. / Photo Booth: IncrediBooths

Taiwan Vendors — Wedding Cinematography: Jose Ortiz Films / Wedding Photography: Oscarshoots / Floral Design: CN Flower / Venue: Palais de Chine Hotel / Reception Dresses: Tadashi Shoji + LinLi / Wedding Favors: Baggu

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, Baggu, Black Hound New York, Christian Dior, CN Flower, Gucci, Incredibooths, Jose Ortiz Films, Linli, Monique Lhuillier, New York, New York City, Oscarshoots, Palais de Chine Hotel, Party Rental Ltd., Petal Design Studio, Tadashi Shoji, Taipei, Taiwan, Taylor Creative Inc, The Foundry, Thomas Preti, Wedding Video, Xavier Munguia Photography
Post categories: New York City Weddings, New York Weddings, Wedding Cinematography

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Shira Weinberger Photography…I’m happy to share Michelle & Steven’s beautiful New Jersey Estate wedding with you. This estate has been in Michelle’s family for generations, and it has become a tradition for everyone in the family to get married there. The ceremony was very intimate, outdoors- there were lots of flowers and soft colors.

Wedding Photography: Shira Weinberger Photography / Wedding Dress: Jane Wilson Marquis / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Groom’s Suit: Davide Cenci / Groom’s Shoes: Bally / Bridesmaid Dresses: Various / Make-up Artist: Piera Canu / Hair Stylist: Brandy McDonald / Florist: Garden’s Bloom / Caterer: Encore Catering / Location: Private Home / DJ: Rob Kelley of 74 Events / Tent: Sperry Tents / Invitations: Paper Thin Design / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. / Officiant: Bishop George Lucey

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Post tags: 74 Events, Bally, Bishop George Lucey, Brandy McDonald, Davide Cenci, Encore Catering, Gardens Bloom, Jane Wilson Marquis, Jimmy Choo, New Jersey Wedding, Paper Thin Design, Party Rental Ltd., Piera Canu, Shira Weinberger, Sperry Tents
Post categories: Casual Elegance, New York Weddings

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Having spent summers at my grandmother’s home on the Eastern Shore, I always knew I wanted to get married overlooking the bay in a place that meant so much to me. Being a corporate event planner and venue manager myself, I had a good idea of what I wanted, however, I enlisted the help of Bellafare to bring my vision to life. Starting with “preppy” and “shabby chic” as inspiration, we created an elegant, vintage look with a focus on the things that were important to us like good food, great music and an atmosphere that was both magical and fun for everyone, from our family and friends to our dogs who were in attendance as well.

Being from a musical family, I knew I wanted to include my talented brothers (one being a band member of Darlingside) during my ceremony and reception and incorporate special musical elements throughout the evening. As I walked down the aisle with my father, Darlingside played an Irish Jig that the band had written followed by a duet performed by my brothers.  The Pocket Band played Calypso and Reggae music as guests sipped ice teas served via a circular bar and relaxed by the water while lounging in wicker sofas and chairs. After cocktails, guests were invited into the main tent for dinner. Due to a string of unforeseen weather, Sperry created a village of tents which, along with an eclectic mix of lanterns strung from the ceiling by A Vista, added a bit of magic. On the tables, vintage milk vases were filled with white and green florals including cabbage roses, peonies, ranunculus, and hydrangeas and linens were mixed throughout to add a bit of texture.  Live music played in the background while guests enjoyed watermelon heart salad, beef tenderloin and sea bass. After dinner, we had a cake cutting accompanied by an a capella selection from Darlingside and then Jangling Reinharts brought up the tempo and we danced late into the night.

Entertainment: Jangling Reinharts, Darlingside + The Pocket Band / Wedding Cake: One Sweet Cake / Catering: Federal City / Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau via Hitched Maids / Florist: Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD / Wedding Photography: Charlotte Jenks Lewis Photography / Wedding Planning: Bellafare / Rentals + Decor: A Vista + Party Rental Ltd. / Stationery: Sue Coe Designs / Tent: Sperry Tent / Sound: TEBJR / Lighting: Summit Event Productions / Bridal Party Trolley: Annapolis Trolley / Transportation: Chesapeake Charter

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Vista, Bayside, Bellafare, Charlotte Jenks Lewis Photography, Chesapeake Charter, Darlingside, Discover Annapolis Trolley Company, Federal City, Hitched Salon, Holly Chapple, Jangling Reinharts, Modern Trousseau, One Sweet Cake, Party Rental Ltd., Sperry Tent, Sue Coe Designs, Summit Event Productions, TEBJR, The Pocket Band
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

We selected the beautiful and breathtaking Winvian property in Morris, CT to be the site of our wedding on June 11, 2011.

The style of our wedding was whimsical, romantic, and with a touch of elegance. We couldn’t have asked for a more talented team of vendors to help craft our perfect wedding.

Our florist did an amazing job of using flowers that were in season and local to the surroundings. The centerpieces were all unique works of art that mirrored our color palette and became a great conversation piece for our guests

Our wedding cake was the best cake we ever ate.  It was a chocolate cake with hazelnut and raspberry filling with handcrafted edible orchids running down the side of the cake.

The chef at the Winvian made a fabulous selection of using organic and seasonal ingredients form their garden to create wonderful food for our guests.

The color palette for the wedding was to use earth tones colors with bursts of yellow, blue and purple to compliment the rustic charm of the Gordon Brown House. We added pin spot lighting to the tables, up lighting to the barn house to attain a romantic mood.

We had so many wonderful moments from of our wedding. One moment was hearing the raindrops against the roof of the tent during the exchange our vows. The sound was so peaceful and calming to us. Another favorite moment was our first dance to Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion’s “The Prayer.”

Our wedding day was filled with love, unity and spirituality. Above all, we could not have got married without the support and love from both our family and friends. For that we are truly thankful and blessed.

Floral Design: Datura – A Modern Garden / Photography: JAGstudios / Venue: Winvian / Wedding Cake: City Cakes / Invitation Design: An Invitation Studio / Band: Franklin Wayne Music / Lighting & Sound: Rob Alberti / Table Setting: Party Rental Ltd. / Transportation: Gateway Limos / Party Favors: Sara Beth Kitchen / Tuxedos: J. Lindeberg / Tuxedo Shirts: Valentino & Hugo Boss / Bow Tie: Paul Smith & DunCan Quinn / Shoes: Calvin Klein / Make Up: Diego Salazar / Hair: Kanna Masatani / Wedding Ring: David Yurman & Family Heirloom / Cufflinks: Swarovski

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: An Invitation Studio, Barn Wedding, Bowties, Calvin Klein, City Cakes, Connecticut, contemporary, Datura: A Modern Garden, David Yurman, Diego Salazar, Duncan Quinn, Franklin Wayne Music, Gateway Limos, Harp, Hugo Boss, J. Lindeberg, JAGstudios, Kanna Masatani, Morris, Party Rental Ltd., Paul Smith, Rob Alberti, Same Sex, Sara Beth Kitchen, Swarovski, Tented Ceremony, Valentino, Wedding Flowers, Winivan
Post categories: Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog

We wanted a celebration, a chance for all of our family and friends who might never all be together again, to join with us in a weekend full of activities and parties that represented us as a couple. We felt strongly that we wanted to be able to spend time with every guest and actually enjoy those who had come from so far away to be with us so we did a weekend wedding. Golfing, a yoga class, family dinners, a huge “Boots and Boat shoes” theme BBQ/Clambake rehearsal dinner, the wedding and a good bye brunch; three days full of smiles, laughs and so many memories.

Jack and his parents have lived in the Avon area for years and knowing that it was central location for both of our families we started our search there. We must have looked at at least ten different places before we finally gave in and let Jack’s parents take us to the Avon Old Farms School, practically in Jack’s backyard. Instant connection! The school is elegant and charming, intimate and grand, rustic and refined; perfect in every way. A very “Harry Potter like” atmosphere without all the doom and gloom.

Because the hall and chapel were both very stark and simple in their decor, Sixpence and I decided that the only way to go was equally as simple but as light, airy and refined as possible……loads of white an accent of spring green. Jack’s mother kicked the color scheme off during a trip to India where she had sixteen bright green silk table runners made during a day trip to a fabric bazaar there. The flowers, chairs, chargers, napkin rings, candles and other accessories all fell into place after that. Lots of Etsy shopping and crafting by my bridesmaid’s was done to bring to life the fun details that I made sure were everywhere.

We wanted every guest to walk away from the weekend saying that they had the best time so I made sure that there were things to do and see at every turn; custom placemats, scrap tubs, drink stirrers, pillows, bibs and wet wipes at the rehearsal dinner, lawn games, vintage mason jar lanterns, custom napkin rings, a photo booth guest book, Old fashion ice cream sandwiches, popcorn and a candy bar for late night snacking during the reception.

Jack is a huge music person so he spent hours creating a play list that when executed by Rob, had everyone, old and young, on the dance floor until well after midnight. Our stationery was such a defining part of the wedding, Nicola Darrach at Lettuce Paper, patiently worked through draft after draft with us and came up with our “logo” that repeated itself throughout the weekend from the custom welcome bags to the menu tags. My uncle played music that he had written for me for the procession and recession at the ceremony, another one of my uncle’s and his family sang Jack and I a blessing, the place tags; mini chalk boards, were handmade by one of my best friend’s parents, just a few examples of the love and generosity that went into making our weekend even more special.

My dress was made for me by Modern Trousseau, I absolutely LOVED working with them, they made the whole process easy and fun. I truly think I could have worn the dress for the next week and been happy. My bridesmaid’s dresses were a fortuitous find at a boutique called Big Drop in New York. My maid of honor, Amy and I walked into the Soho boutique one night after work and bought every one they had on the spot. My shoes were Manolo Blahnik and were purchased for me by one of my best friends who was not able to come to the wedding, he wanted me to have something of him with me when I got married. Jack’s gift to his groomsmen were their Beau Ties LTD. ties and their custom Chuck Taylor’s. He had nicknames for each of them embroidered up the back. Their suits were from J.Crew and their shirts were from Charles Tyrwhitt.

Venue:  Avon Old Farms School / Planning and Design:  Sixpence For Your Shoe / Dress:  Custom Design via Modern Trousseau / Suits:  J. Crew / Ties and Pocket Squares:  Beau Ties / Brides Shoes:  Manolo Blahnik / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. & Taylor Rental of Manchester / Linens: Linen Hero / Table Runners: Custom Made in India / Florist: Just For You Floral Design Studio / Invitations and Stationery: Lettuce Paper / Napkin Rings: EAB Designs / Lighting & Photo Booth: ShinDig / Ceremony Music: Bride’s Uncle / Reception DJ: Rob Waldron, Standing Ovations / Transportation: Premier Limo / Rings: Lux Bond and Greene / Hair: Salon Naomi / Make-up: DD. Nickel / Cake: Cakes by Donna / Cinematography: Steven Fowler Films / Photography: Benoit Photography, Dolce Photography, Brian Khang Photography / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Avon Connecticut, Avon Old Farms School, Beau Ties, Benoit Photography, Brian Khang Photography, Cakes By Donna, Chuck Taylors, Color Palette Green Navy White, Croquet, Custom Gown, DD Nickel, Dolce Photography, EAB Designs, J. Crew, Just For You Floral Design Studio, Lettuce Paper, Linen Hero, Lux Bond and Greene, Manolo Blahnik, Modern Trousseau, Party Rental Ltd., Premier Limo, ShinDig, Sixpence For Your Shoe, Standing Ovations, Steven Fowler Films, Taylor Rental, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance