Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Both having been married before in traditional weddings and not having children, Kathy and Randy decided on a private marriage ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kathy wore a dress and shawl from Talk of the Walk. Her shoes (flats) were Vera Wang Lavender Label so that she could be photographed around the city at various locations with her husband including Love Park, Logan’s circle and the Art Museum. Thanks to photographer Alison Conklin and florist Sullivan Owen, who did the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere, they have great memories of that first special day as husband and wife.

Approximately one week later, the couple invited 50 guests, who consisted of their family and closet friends, to a marriage celebration dinner at Terrain at Styer’s in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful Sunday in early October. The couple had Two Paperdolls design the invitation by creating silhouettes from photographs that the couple took of each other. The bride wore a tea length wedding dress and hair piece from BHLDN, a wrap from J.McLaughlin, shoes from Valentino and a vintage purse from her great-grandmother. The flowers at the dinner were designed again by Sullivan Owen. The menu was planned among the couple, Terrain Garden Restaurant executive chef Keith Rudolf and event manager Elizabeth Clark. Two Paperdolls printed a large menu for the event and smaller menus for each guest as a memento of the evening. Additional decorations were purchased by the bride from BHLDN and used in decorating the magical rooms and reception area at Terrain, including the Mushroom Hut, which featured cupcakes and whoopie pies from The Flying Monkey. The bride’s hair was done for both events by Megan Tadeo from John Andrews Salon. She did her own make-up using Bobbi Brown’s latest palette and colors and wore her own jewelry given to her by Randy from Marco Bicego at Neiman Marcus. The bride and groom’s rings are from Sydney Rosen Jewelers. The bride’s engagement and wedding band was designed by Coastal and was hand-engraved on platinum. The guests were given either mint mojito or rosemary sage travel candles as favors in gift bags from Anthropologie. It was a splendid and magical evening, enjoyed by all!!

Wedding Photography: Alison Conklin Photography / Ceremony: City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (215-686-2233) / Reception: Terrain at Styer’s in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania / Flowers: Sullivan Owen / Wedding Invitations + Menus: Two Paperdolls / Ceremony Dress + Shawl: Talk of the Walk / Ceremony Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender / Reception Dress + Hair Piece: BHLDN / Reception Shawl: J.McLaughlin / Reception Shoes: Valentino / Reception Purse: The Bride’s Great-Grandmother’s / Reception Jewelry: Marco Bicego / Hair: Megan Tadeo of John Andrews Salon / Makeup: DIY / Bride + Groom Prep Location: Sweetwater Farm / Rings: Sydney Rosen Company / Cupcakes + Whoopie Pies: The Flying Monkey / Wedding Favors: Anthropologie

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Post tags: Alison Conklin Photography, BHLDN, Blush, Glen Mills, Gold, J McLaughlin, John Andrews Salon, Marco Bicego, Megan Tadeo, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia City Hall, Sullivan Owen, Sweetwater Farm, Sydney Rosen Jewelers, Talk of the Walk, Taupe, Terrain at Styler's, The Flying Monkey: Anthropologie, Two Paperdolls, Valentino, Vera Wang Lavender
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Tammy + Erik from CinemaCake Productions

Within five minutes of our first date I knew Erik was “the one.” The evening went by too fast and left us both excited to see each other again. On our second date, we held hands and started to feel like there was something developing between us. By our third date Erik and I became inseparable. After that, the rest was history and within a few months he got down on his knee the night before we were moving in together and made me the happiest woman as I confidently said “Yes!”

We immediately started planning our wedding. I had the advantage of being immersed in everything bridal on a daily basis since I work in the industry and am a graphic designer. I already had a vision of what would be perfect for our special day. We wanted our wedding to be intimate, whimsical, elegant and traditional with a vintage feel with touches of gold, crystals, ivories and shades of pink.

Our venue needed to reflect our daily lives living in the city and we also wanted it to be convenient for all of our guests who would be coming from out of town and in some cases from around the world. After seeing a few venues, we absolutely fell in love with the Ritz Carlton. The architecture of the building is stunning and offered the elegant and intimate feel that we were seeking.

I designed two Save the Dates, each with a different engagement portrait. I had Two Paper Dolls print them for us. Two Paper Dolls took care of the rest our wedding materials. We wanted our invitations to look elegant, ornate and have a vintage feel. Our wedding invitation was letter pressed and engraved. It included a beautiful ornate design in two different shades of pink along with gold. We had custom stamps designed with our names along with gold metallic envelopes. Our programs and menu’s carried the same design. We used white calligraphy in all our wedding stationery. I had custom napkins made with our names.

Claudia Seyler was in charge of all my bridal party’s hair and makeup. She has a way of making anyone look absolutely natural and beautiful! She makes the experience fun and has a way of keeping me calm with her soothing personality.

I had always been a fan of Evantine Design’s work and knew that they were the only team I wanted to have create our wedding and make all our dreams come true. Evantine Design blew us away! They created the most beautiful wedding we have every seen, truly magical, a Fairy Tale come true. I felt like a princess that day!

I walked down the aisle wearing an incredible Kenneth Pool ivory silk taffeta strapless low waist wedding gown with a tiered skirt and gently curved neckline. Silver crystal beadwork adorned the empire, hipline, and skirt along with my Jimmy Choo champagne glitter shiny heels. Evantine Design created the most stunning hand-tied bouquet of ivory, cream and pale pink flowers composed of fragrant Stephanotis and Roses. Crystals were inserted into the Stephanotis. The bouquet was wrapped in embroidered crystal ribbon. My husband wore a Ralph Lauren black tuxedo with a small Rose and Stephanotis boutonniere. The stem was wrapped in black satin ribbon detailed with a crystal. My bridesmaids wore beautiful Lazaro Raspberry silky taffeta floor length A-line gowns. Their gowns had an asymmetrically pleated sweetheart bodice, self-band with flower accents with crystals at their natural waist. They carried gorgeous hand-tied bouquets with pale pink flowers with a touch of deeper pink such as Roses, Cockscomb and miniature Calla Lilies. The stems were wrapped in pink velvet ribbon detailed with pearl pins. Our groomsmen wore a deep pink-colored Rose to compliment the bridesmaid gowns.

Our guests were welcomed into a ballroom foyer lit up with warm ethereal lighting. They walked by long marble and iron tables that had a collection of candles and flowers, creating a beautiful, dreamy effect before entering the ceremony space. Our parents wedding frames were also displayed there. Once the entrance doors were opened our guests saw a beautiful aisle showered with rose petals along an ivory linen runner. Ivory organza fabric was swagged from our gold chairs with ivory shiny pillows to the aisle. Flanking the entrance to the aisle, two tall pedestals supported the large arrangements of flowers in classic low-profile stone urns with candles placed on the bottom. Further along the aisle, tall white-washed Spanish iron candle stands holding delicate designs of flowers were placed in progression along with low weathered iron candle stands holding beeswax candles and flowers and crystal droplets and crystal swags. Our chuppah had a unique design of six posts that were covered in soft ivory fabric. There was a stunning curtain of crystals behind the chuppah. All of the flowers on the chuppah were in shades of white, cream, ivory and very soft touches of blush. Roses, Hydrangea, Lilies, Peonies and French Stock were used as final touches along with crystals to make our ceremony into a magical place.

Our wedding reception design was simply breathtaking. Our guests were welcomed into a space with a spectacular view highlighting our beautiful tall cake based on a photograph I presented to the Ritz Carlton. Evantine Design put together a combination of traditional elements such as crystal candle stands and crystal floral/candle stands combined with white-washed Spanish iron stands, low ceramic bowls, silver trays, crystal pedestals and glass pedestals with crystal drops. Crystal swags were added to crystal stands and to Italian tall fluted glass vases holding flowers. Every table design was different. The mix of vessels and candleholders were beautiful and elegant in the room, the flowers commanded attention upon entering the grand ballroom. The flowers on the tables were a beautiful soft romantic blend of shades of white, cream, antique, silvery gray and soft blush. There was a combination of Roses, Peonies, Ranunculus, Tulips, Hydrangea, Sweet Pea, Lilies, Amaryllis and garden roses along with Lamb’s Ear and Hypericum Berries. Pillars, votives, floating candles, tea lights were displayed differently in each table with crystal, silver and glass candles as well. Our round guest tables were covered to the floor with ivory pleated shiny linens overlaid by ivory beaded tulle. Traditional glass charger plates with a gold trim were added to finish the look along with gold chairs with shiny ivory pillows. Our bridal family table was a long community table covered in the same linens as the guest tables. Various tall elements were added to the design to create two dramatic tall floral arrangements complimented with low designs and candles down the length of the table. Many candles were used as well. We had Mr. and Mrs. signs for the back of our chairs. Lighting played an important role both in our ceremony and reception.

Hiring Evantine Design is the best decision we made. They made our Fairy Tale wedding come true. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by such a creative and talented team that is truly passionate about their work.

We hired the fabulous Marie Labbancz to capture all of our special moments. She shot all of our engagement and wedding portraits. Since I am a graphic designer she was more than happy to let me design my entire wedding day guest book with our engagement photos. Working with her has been such an amazing experience. She is incredibly talented. Only Marie knows how to capture those spontaneous emotions in such a powerful and natural way. We will forever treasure all the beautiful memories Marie captured for us.

I had seen CinemaCake’s work in the past and was in awe with their films. I knew that the day I would get married that CinemaCake would be my ONLY option. The quality of their work is so consistent yet each wedding story is unique. CinemaCake has a way of telling a story like no one else does…. Their eye for detail is unlike no other. Every single video portrays the happiness, love and emotions of the day. It amazes me how they are able capture all the special moments in such beautiful ways, leaving me teary eyed all the time. The editing, music, story telling is always right on. We are thrilled with all of our wedding films and love watching ourselves as characters in our own love story.

Our guests danced the night away to EBE La Starz. They are such an incredible band. We loved how they interacted with all of our guests. We were grateful that they were willing to learn a few more songs that had sentimental meaning to us. They also did an outstanding version of “Marry Me,” by Train for our first dance. Our wedding favors were Godiva chocolate wedding cakes with raspberry pink ribbon that had our names written in gold.

There are no words to express how thankful we are to our incredible team. You gave us the best night of our lives. Our friends and family had an amazing time and are still raving about the beauty of all the flowers and how much fun they had dancing! Our wedding vendors made it possible for us to relax and enjoy our special day. The wedding was everything we could have dreamt of and more. Thank you for making our Fairy Tale wedding come true!

Cinematography: CinemaCake Filmmakers / Photography: Marie Labbancz Photography / Floral & Event Design: Evantine Design / Venue, Catering & Cake: The Ritz Carlton, Philadelphia / Entertainment: EBE LA Starz / Paper: Two Paperdolls / Bridal Gown: Kenneth Pool / Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Hair & Makeup: Claudia Seyler / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lazaro

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Post tags: Ballroom Weddings, Candles, CinemaCake Filmmakers, City Weddings, Claudia Seyler, Color Palette Pink, EBE LA Stars, Evantine Design, Glamourous, Highlight Film, Jimmy Choo, Kenneth Poot, Lazaro, Marie Labbancz Photography, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Romance, romantic, The Ritz Carlton Philadelphia, Traditional Elegance, Two Paperdolls, Wedding Cinematography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

Jon and I met in college through mutual friends at an annual beach themed party. The night after we met Jon called me to go on a date but I got so nervous on the phone that I turned him down. When I told my roommate that I had said “no” to going on a date she immediately convinced me that it was a bad decision and that I had to change my mind. I think her words were “Why would you say no? It’s just a date…it’s not like you’re going to marry the guy!” I sent Jon a message apologizing for not being available that night and suggested we get together another night that week. He luckily took me up on my counter offer. It was because of my roommate’s convincing that I went on that first date – little did we all know that five years later Jon and I would be getting married!

My family has been spending our summers on Conneaut Lake for three generations now and it has always been a special place to me – there is just something about the laid back lifestyle we live while staying at our lakehouse that I love – the air is fresh, the days are spent with friends on the lake and there is always time for a cocktail while watching the sunset. Jon knew how much I loved it there and even decided that it would be the perfect location to propose (which it was!).

My mom is an assistant to an interior decorator and just has impeccable taste in decorating our house– so I knew that I would never find a location that was as unique and had as much meaning to me – so having the wedding at our lake house was an easy decision. The house has a classic shabby chic cottage feel to it with splashes of color all over the house. Since the scenery at the lake is naturally so beautiful and colorful– we wanted the outside tenting to be open and airy with a “shabby chic but elegant” feel to it. I chose soft blooms with mostly hydrangeas and large open garden roses for floral arrangement with crisp navy blue and white table linens. We complimented the shabby chic feeling with lace accents throughout many other wedding details including my dress and veil, our invitations, bouquets, vases on the tables and even our cake.

We wanted our guests to feel like we thought about them in the planning process as much as we thought about ourselves. Be it from the transportation we offered (a shuttle bus, valet parking and water taxis) or the food we picked (five courses so everyone could taste a little of everything!), we wanted each of our guests to enjoy the day just as much as we did.

Even though we had almost 230 people at our wedding, we personalized a menu at each person’s seat so that they could feel a little personal touch when they sat down for dinner. Also, since most of our guests came from out of town – we wanted people to have the experience of “the lake” so we offered mini boat cruises around the lake after dinner so that our guests could get a tour of Conneaut Lake and see the tents and wedding from the water. All of the décor, flowers and food were impeccable and better than I could have ever imagined thanks to my amazing vendors but I think that our guests really enjoyed the little touches of “us” too!

It was very important to us that we try to incorporate things about the two of us into our wedding. We did this through a number of ways – our tables were all named after our favorite places at Virginia Tech (where we met), the appetizers were all of Jon’s favorite foods, and Jamie loves to drink wine, so we had a wine bar with wines that we could tell stories about that involved the two of us. Each of the details had a purpose behind it from adding a silk rose from Jamie’s Mom’s wedding gown to her bouquet to offering classic Pittsburgh (where the Jamie is from) and Baltimore (where Jon is from) beers after dinner and having a cigar bar, which reminds us of Jamie’s Dad.

Photography: Michaelwill Photography + Sarah Winkler Photography of JPC Event Group / Cuisine and Bar Services: JPC Event Group / Wedding Cake: JPC Event Group / Wedding Gown: Priscilla of Boston / Wedding shoes: Jimmy Choo / Ceremony location: Our Lady Queen of the Americas / DJ Service: Elegant Performances, Kirk Dietrich / Table Linens: La Tavola Linens, JPC Event Group, + Chaircovers & Linens / Floral: Mocha Rose Floral Design / Tent & Equipment Rental: All Occasion / Hair: Brooke Rockwell / Make-up: Simply Beautiful / Day of Coordination: Simply Perfect Weddings / Stationery: More Than Words

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Post tags: All Occasion, Brooke Rockwell, Casual Elegance, Chaircovers & Linens, Color Palette Blue Pink, Elegant Performances, Jimmy Choo, JPC Event Group, Kirk Dietrich, La Tavola Linens, Lake, lakeside, Michaelwill Photography, Mocha Rose Floral Design, Our Lady Queen of the Americas, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Priscilla of Boston, shabby chic, Simply Beautfiul, Water, Waterside, Waterside Weddings, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Food
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… We chose to get married outside on a hillside overlooking the breathtaking Laurel Highlands in Southwest Pennsylvania.  I’m an environmentalist by trade, Executive Director of Tree Pittsburgh, and my husband and I share an affinity for the outdoors – particularly that landscape where we have made so many great memories.  Kentuck Knob, our venue, is an architecturally significant home created by the famed Frank Lloyd Wright, surrounded by sculpture gardens and a magnificent native forest.  While our guests could not fully appreciate the grounds, the view, in the midst of a rainstorm, was a seldom seen wonder.  Everyone was in awe of the fog rising from the surrounding valleys – the scene was truly magical.

Keeping with the natural beauty of the native environment, our party tent was decked out with local flowers, all procured from within 100 miles of Pittsburgh – thanks to my friend Jimmy Lohr at Green Sinner. Our caterer, Rania, prepared a seasonal comfort dish that greeted our guests like a big warm hug – just what they needed.  The Mon River Ramblers, a local bluegrass band, got the party started during the cocktail hour, and my maid of honor’s dad and brother-in-law provided a polka jam for the ages – both helping to raise the temperature in the tent by ten degrees.  DJ Jay Malls carried the remainder of the party with everyone’s dance favorites.  Joey Kennedy, our oh! so talented photographer, made the best of the situation – working with the chaos, he somehow captured the magic and rockin’ party that it was.  

The saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.  Indeed!  Reflecting on our wedding, I think of all of the fine details that were so meticulously planned – all of which played second fiddle to the unseasonably cold and rainy conditions (39 degrees & pouring rain).  Guest comfort becomes the priority and all things “pretty” lose their importance.  Once we admitted to ourselves that the aesthetically beautiful wedding that we had worked towards (for months) had become soggy and mushy, and we opened our eyes to the pure, un-staged beauty that stood before us in the form of loving friends and family, we could relax, breathe and let the energy of the moment carry us. Many of our guests commented that it was the best wedding in the worst conditions that they ever attended – that our calm and convivial spirit set the mood, signaling to our guests that it was “okay.”  Just let your hair frizz and have a ball! My advice to other brides is to keep everything in perspective – a wedding is a ritual to celebrate the love and life-long commitment of two people – a muddied dress is not cause for tears. 

Photography: Joey Kennedy Photography / Event Styling: Kyle Ethan Fischer / Wedding Gown: Custom for Carlisle’s of Pittsburgh / Stationery + Signage: Jonathan Fobear / Catering + Cake: Rania Catering / Flowers: Jimmy Lohr of greenSinner / Rings: Keith Belles of Wax Studio / Venue: Kentuck Knob / Band: Mon River Ramblers / Hair + Makeup: Autumn Anderson of Salon Nuvo (412-391-4755) / DJ: Jay Malls / Tree: Tree Pittsburgh

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Post tags: Autumn Anderson, Chalk Hill, Frank Lloyd Wright, Green Sinner, J. Malls, Jimmy Lohr, Joey Kennedy Photography, Jonathan Fobear, Keith Belles, Kentuck Knob, Kyle Ethan Fischer, Mon River Ramblers, Pennsylvania, Rania Catering, Salon Nuvo, Tree Pittsburgh, Wax Studio
Post categories: The Blog

After a day of interviewing at medical schools in Philadelphia, I was invited to a dinner party in Center City by my childhood friend, Kaitlin. Before fully committing to the evening, I inquired about the guests. Kaitlin secured my attendance by saying, “There’s a cute guy here I know you’ll love.” And she was right. The connection was instant. After spending most of the evening huddled in the corner discovering all of the things we had in common, he asked me to dinner “in a few weeks,” citing his upcoming medical exams as the reason for the delay. True to his word, two weeks later, he called and asked when I was free.

While our connection was easy, our relationship was tested with five years of long distance, while I completed my medical studies at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and he continued his schooling and residency at Jefferson in Philadelphia. We often spent our weekends absorbed in things we loved to do together, particularly spending time outdoors. On one of our weekend picnics, Brian handed me a card he’d written, thanking me for being his best friend. When I finished reading it, I looked up and he was on his knee, waiting to ask for my hand in marriage.

When we set out to find a venue, we were looking for a place with privacy, character, and depth. We looked at a dozen places, but nothing spoke to us like Hollyhedge. It was this little house nestled in the woods, that revealed its beauty slowly as you made your way up the long drive. In a way, it reminded Brian and I of our relationship, as we slowly came to know each other and fell in love through our long distance relationship. I wanted each of our guests to feel personally selected to be included in our special day. The courtyard, enclosed in its stone walls, promised to lend our ceremony the air of intimacy and togetherness we were striving for. Additionally, the ” Rain Plan,” which every bride has to be concerned with, would hardly have registered as a “second choice” at any other venue: it was a rustic stonewalled barn with 12 foot windows, a fireplace, and a wooden balcony that overlooked the first floor for an aerial view of the ceremony if you so desired it. No matter what the weather was, we were going to be nestled in and surrounded by our loved ones as we said our vows. The grounds were so layered, every corner you peaked around had something beautiful to discover. There was so much texture and detail to our surroundings. It felt inspiring.

I have never planned anything of this magnitude, and the task felt overwhelming at first. But, I considered my vision too personal and my personality too exacting to relinquish control to a planner. I basically started with a mental list of things that I love, that make me happy. Things that made the list included nature (particularly the woods and greenery), sunflowers, things of a vintage feel, literature, photography, warm vibrant color, my family, and my friends. After that, I perused various magazines and websites, including Style Me Pretty, to discover ways that other brides had incorporated these motifs into their own weddings.

As for the wedding colors, I picked colors that felt organic to the time of year we were getting married, and the vision I was trying to create. My girls were in burgandy, which is such a rich and warm color, and I accessorized them with yellow gold – I found a jeweler, Candace Marsalla at The Eastern Market in DC who helped me create green and gold necklaces at a reasonable price. I also found beautiful hammered gold and bejeweled bangles at The Scarlett Bride in Philly. So, in short, my inspiration came from things that I love, and from websites like SMP.

In addition to the place, my florist Pamela Hale, was really responsible for making this vision come true. She listened to qualities that were important to me and found a way to incorporated them into every detail, from the stack of vintage books under the birdcages, to the moss hanging from the flowers in the tall arrangements.

Brian and I always envisioned ourselves getting married in our places of worship. Since we each fell in love with someone of another faith,  that vision was an impossibility. If we couldn’t be married in the “traditional way”, we decided to bring the tradition to us. Our wedding was chalk full of family history, religious and ethnic tradition, and personal touches. We had a priest and a rabbi. And they alternated throughout the ceremony. They ended by placing there hands on our shoulders and said a closing blessing in hebrew which was translated line for line by the priest. 

I wore my mother’s wedding gown. An extremely talented seamstress, Linda Mesaros, from One Special Evening in Toms River, created an extraordinary, updated version of the dress that emanated a vintage romance with its cathedral train, rose underlay, scalloped V neckline and pearl studded lace overlay. It was spectacular.

We dug up old family wedding photos from our parents, grandparents and great grandparents and had them blown up to 11×14. I shopped flea markets for shabby, ornate frames and mounted each of the photographs in them. I had them dispersed throughout the reception room, which somehow made these family members feel truly present, celebrating our day with us. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. I found myself, along with many other guests, giving pause to these black and white photos of our grandparents beaming on their own wedding day, and realizing how much of who we are we owe to our past.

Bride’s Gown: Vintage Eve of Milady, updated and redesigned by seamstress at One Special Evening in New Jersey / Floral & Event Design: Pamela Hale, Passion for Petals / Band: Janis Nowlan Band / Photography: Cliff Mautner Photography / Ceremony & Reception Venue: HollyHedge Estate / Bridesmaid Jewelry: The Scarlett Bride + Candace Marsalla, The Eastern Market

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Post tags: Birdcages, Books, Candace Marsalla, Cliff Mautner Photography, Color Palette Red Yellow, Eve of Milady, Fusion Wedding, HollyHedge Estate, Janis Nowlan Band, Jewish Wedding, New Hope, One Special Evening, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Passion for Petals, Pennsylvania, Sunflowers, The Eastern Market, The Scarlett Bride, Traditional Elegance, Vintage Gown, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Jordan and I met in college after being introduced by mutual friends. After dating for five years Jordan proposed one week before Christmas. Loving all things romantic I have dreamed of my wedding day since I was a young girl. So it was only fitting that I dove right into planning. Early on in our planning I was introduced to Style Me Pretty by my friend Renee (Designs by Renee), who also designed our beautiful letter pressed wedding invitations and coordinating paper stationary. I was immediately hooked, visiting the website multiple times a day! It was such an inspiration in not only providing details for our wedding, but amazing advice and stories from other brides and grooms.

I could not imagine our wedding anywhere else other then the town I grew up in. Our ceremony was held in the church where I was baptized and had my first communion. Our reception was held at a private residence that happens to be my aunt and uncles home. Although our reception was held outdoors, we wanted a formal wedding with a romantic feel. I loved that Jordan and I could design our celebration from start to finish incorporating our personalities and interests into every last detail.

My mom was my partner in crime throughout the planning process. Whether it was traveling up and down the east coast to find the perfect antique birdcage for our cards or rummaging through old photos of our grandparents and great grandparents on their wedding day, we had such a fun time. Even my dad joined in on the fun taking dance lessons and surprising all our guests with a choreographed father-daughter dance, something completely out of his element.

After a year and a half of planning and waiting, torrential downpours and record flooding reminisce of Tropical Storm Lee threatened our day. Unable to get the tents and rentals in, we almost had to completely move our reception location to an indoor venue. Two days later on our wedding day September 10, 2011 the rain gave way to beautiful blue skies and our reception was able to go on as planned.

Absolutely everything turned out perfect and our day was amazing, sprinkled with beautiful blush, ivory and gold details! We were so fortunate to work with the most wonderful wedding professionals that took our vision and turned it into reality. It was the best day of our lives and we are so happy we could celebrate our marriage with all our amazing family and friends.

Photography: Tennison Photography / Cinematography: Neil Benjers, Blue Sky Films / Flowers: All Things Beautiful / Event Design: Shumaker PDT / Event Planning: Planned Perfection / Ceremony Location: Redeemer Lutheran Church / Reception Location: Private Residence / Invitations: Designs By Renée / Shoes: Valentino and Jimmy Choo / Dress: Melissa Sweet, Bee via Priscilla of Boston / Linens: La Tavola Linens / Catering: The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lela Rose via Hitched Salon / Tuxes: JoS A. Bank / Rings: Kaplans Fine Jewelry

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Post tags: All Things Beautiful, Blue Sky Films, Bouquets, Centerpieces, Chiavari Chars, Designs by Renee, Hitched, Invitations, Jimmy Choo, Jos A Bank, Kaplans Fine Jewelry, La Tavola Linens, Lancaster, Lela Rose, Melissa Sweet, Neutral Color Palette, Outdoor Wedding, Pennsylvania, Planned Perfection, Priscilla of Boston, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Shumaker PDT, Tennison Photography, Tented Reception, The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar, Traditional Elegance, Valentino, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Stationery
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Brock and Bethlene, both being creative artists, wanted something eye catching and classy with a modern flare. Even though the wedding was going to be in Pennsylvania, an Old Hollywood like flare seemed appropriate given that they live in Southern California. The bride and groom knew from the beginning that they wanted a black and white wedding, which really started their brainstorming process to create an elegant theme for their wedding. A damask print was chosen to elegantly marry the black and white theme. This print was used for favors, table runners, program design and many other features to help tie the entire Old Hollywood theme together. They chose an accent color of yellow to add some vibrancy into the ceremony and reception and to emulate their cheerful and positive outlook on life. With the wedding being at the end of summer, yellow hit the spot.

Their inspiration for their wedding was largely driven by things that were important to the couple as our relationship formed in California. The most important element for inspiration was their family of Serta sheep. Since the sheep were part of the proposal; they absolutely had to be part of the wedding. “Sweet Sheepy Dreams” was the theme behind this elegant Old Hollywood-esque wedding. The save-the-dates, ceremony programs, groomsmen’s cufflinks, and later thank you cards, were all designed by Brock and included many sheep influences.

The Old Hollywood elegance was also incorporated into the flowers designed by Marie Huss of Flowers Sculpture by using bold yellow mums, roses, cymbidium orchids, and calla lilies accented with black feathers and sparkling strands of crystal.

Bethlene’s father officiated the ceremony. This meant that in addition to giving away his daughter to Brock, he would also have to marry them. As Bethlene’s father escorted Bethlene down the aisle, Brock and Bethlene could only describe that first sight moment as “breathtaking.” It took so much self-control for both of them to refrain from kissing each other as soon as they were standing together at the end of the aisle.

Another important element was the inclusion of butterflies, as one of Brock and Bethlene’s first dates was at a butterfly exhibit. Again, butterflies were featured in some of Brock’s designs, and Persnickety Ladies suggested butterfly tags to be placed on each guest’s pillow favor. In addition, and most cleverly, Persnickety Ladies found edible butterfly wafers that were attached, using corn syrup, to every guest’s champagne flute. Bethlene wore rhinestone-butterflies on her shoes and carried a butterfly brooch in her bouquet.

After tying the knot, their memories consisted of a lot of chatting with dear friends and family, a magical kiss along the illuminated driveway, dancing the night away and just continuing to fall more in love with each other.

Photography: Tyler Boye Photography / Cinematography: Blossom Productions / Flowers: Marie Huss, Flower Sculpture / Event Design: Persnickety Ladies / Ceremony & Reception Location: Northampton Valley Country Club / Invitations: Nida’s Boutiq / Short Dress Shoes: Vince Camuto, Miston Ivory / Long Dress Shoes: Aruna Seth, Butterfly Shoes / Short Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Long Dress: Priscilla of Boston

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aruna Seth, Blossom Productions, Bowties, Classic, Color Palette Black White, Flower Sculpture, Highlight Films, Nida's Boutiq, Northampton Valley Country Club, Old Hollywood, Pennsylvania, Persnickety Ladies, Pricilla of Boston, Richboro, Traditional, Tyler Boye Photography, Vince Camuto, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Films, White Blazers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

Mike and I didn’t know where to begin when it came to planning our wedding.  We knew only a few things that we wanted from our big day. We wanted an open outdoor space, an informal but delicious meal, we wanted our guests to mingle, and most important we wanted people to dance!  The Audubon center caught our eye because there were indoor and outdoor elements.  There were trails for our guests to roam and explore, and then there was that 100 year old barn… we were sold.

To encourage our guests to mix and mingle we asked for smaller tables for dinner, and mixed our families at each.  We also had a buffet style meal hoping that guests would get up and move about.  Our wedding party was quite large so we started the party off by introducing them in pairs.  We hand picked some unique songs for each pair to enter to and tried our best to keep it a secret.  We wanted to have a playful vibe to get everyone loose and ready to rock the dance floor.  We even had our DJ create a fun mash up of our favorite songs for us to enter into the reception.  Thanks to our talented DJ and a wedding party without shame the crowd got going, and we danced the night away.

We chose colors that would set the mood for our night.  We chose a modern grey, with a pop of orange and bright green to show our fun side.  Mike and I went on vacation and I saw a field of poppies and fell in love with the wild and delicate look of the flower.  I started calling florists and got many call backs insisting that my choice was impossible.  I even had a few people refuse to work with me based on inquiring about poppies at all! One day I happened to find a card for Christine Brown at Market Fresh Flowers. We set up an appointment to meet and to my delight when I mentioned poppies to Christine she did not immediately turn me down, she got excited!  Due to the delicate nature of the flower Chrisitine ordered a bunch of poppies and tested them out for durability for our bouquets.  When she realized the flower was too delicate for handling and hugging instead of giving up she created the most amazing centerpieces that I will never forget.

The wedding day went without a hitch due to not only our new friends at market fresh flowers but also some of our dearest friends and family.  My extremely talented sister-in-law designed all of the print materials for our wedding including save the dates, invitations, and place cards.  My mother, who is an incredible baker, made bride and groom cookies as a take away treat for our guests.  Even the my nephew, the ring bearer, got in on the action creating a ring box for our wedding bands out of legos.  The day went by so quickly and I am forever grateful to our wonderful friends and photographers Justin and Mary Marantz who captured every moment of our wedding day so beautifully.  Every time I look at our wedding photographs I can smell the afternoon air, sense sun on my shoulders, and feel my husbands hand in mine as we say “I do.”

Photography: Justin & Mary / Location: John Audubon Center / Catering & Cake: Jeffrey Miller / Floral Design: Christine Brown of Market Fresh Flowers / DIY Details: Bride & Groom and Groom’s sister / DJ: Steve Seegers of DJ Collision / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Graphic Designer: Brass Feather

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Audubon, Barn Wedding, Brass Feather, Casual Elegance, Christine Brown, Color Palette Grey Orange, DIY Projects, DIY Wedding, DJ Collision, Jeffrey Miller, John Audubon Center, Justin & Mary, Legos, Market Fresh Flowers, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Pearls, Pennsylvania, Poppies, Priscilla of Boston, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog