While preparing for today’s feature, I went to check out Heather Fowler’s website. I read something in her bio that I wanted to share with you.  It said, “Heather has an eye for detail, light, balance and humor.” And then I looked through the 104 wedding images in her wedding gallery to see for myself! These images, convey all that … and more.  Here are a few of my favorites …

And then, for a peek at some of my favorite posts on her blog …

There’s Jackie and Greg’s Downtown Club Wedding in Philadelphia with these killer shoes!

Catherine and Franklin’s Merion Golf Club Wedding … with another beautiful bride and some great bridesmaids dresses …

Laura and Patrick’s fall wedding at Normandy Farm … again LOVE this shot of the bridesmaids (and the color of their dresses) and LOVE Laura’s dress …

You can see more of each of these weddings by clicking on the links above. The slideshows that Heather has compiled are loaded with images that will definitely inspire you! (AND convince you she’s one fantastic lady!!)

As always, Heather, thanks SO much for sharing these beautiful memories with us.

And for any newcomers to Style Me Pretty, if you haven’t seen Heather’s own vintage-style wedding … you have to take a look {here}!

photography by Sarah Miller

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Downtown Club, Heather Fowler, Merion Golf Club, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography

And if you’re fortunate enough to book Fiore Films, you will be forever blessed with a masterpiece! Because Sharrone is a master … a master at creating intensely romantic, edgy, cinematic-style wedding films.  Her dramatic style pulls you to the edge of your chair, waiting to see what happens next! True, passionate storytelling at its best.

We have a trailer from Andree and Bryan’s stunning spring wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia to prove our point. See for yourself …

See what we mean? Fiore Films is phenomenal!

ps … just as a follow-up on a previous feature {Sivanne & Omar’s Save The Date}, their Engagement “Hot Shot” is super-steamy {see it here}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fiore Films, Four Seasons Hotel, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography

Little Black Book Photographer, Amanda Kraft McGary sent us their beautiful wedding photos to share with you today!

LOVE the LOVEBIRDS!

from Amanda …

Jennie and Rob met in college while working at a local radio station. They exchanged vows on the terrace overlooking Independence Hall in the distance. Jennie wore a Pricilla of Boston gown paired with blue Jimmy Choo’s. Rob opted for a black tux and bow tie.

During the ceremony, Rob performed a song entitled “The Book of Love.”  The ceremony was performed by Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia.

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed the cocktail hour before transitioning into dinner and dancing. The lovely floral decor was by Petals Lane.  All paper products {invites, programs, escort cards,etc.} were via the enormously talented ladies at bird and banner, based here in philly. The cake was from the brown betty dessert boutique.

How cool (ha!) is this dachshund ice sculpture … {in honor of their beloved dog, Leo!}.

So beautiful!

Congratulations to Jennie & Rob … and a HUGE thank you to Amanda Kraft McGary for sharing their day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amanda Kraft Photography, Bird and Banner, Brown Betty Dessert Boutique, Cake Topper, Color Palette Yellow Gray, Hairpiece, Ice Sculpture, Jimmy Choo, Lovebirds, National Constitution Center, Pennsylvania, Petals Lane, Philadelphia, Pricilla of Boston
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

Oh! And the feathers!! The feathers just added that extra special panache …

Dana was the essence of beauty …

the guys … just had to have their say in the day …

Perfect … isn’t it!?

These gorgeous photos are courtesy of Rebecca’s Place;  the stunning floral design by Neubauer’s Flowers.

Dana & BJ’s wedding planner was, of course the sensational Simone, owner of Pittsburgh’s 5Senses Events! Thanks SO much for sharing. To see more of her stylish weddings, take a look at her website and blog.

We’re delighted that so many of our Little Black Book vendors have blogs of their own. Our cups runneth over with inspiration! For a complete list of all of our LBB Bloggers … click here! You’ll think you’ve gone to heaven.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 5Senses Events, Monique Lhuillier, Neubauer's Flowers, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Rebecca's Place, Shannon Britt
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

Isn’t that bouquet to-die-for! Beautiful Blooms is one of Philadelphia’s premiere floral design firms.  And now, they have a brand new retail location that is just fantastic! Janie has a great write-up about Beautiful Blooms’ new boutique over on The Bride’s Cafe.

To see more pics of the beautiful bouquet and the luscious florals (above), take a look at the complete  April Color Story.

Kendall and her team at Eclatante are responsible for some of THE most extraordinary events in and around Philadelphia. Their website is full of gorgeous photos (thanks to the awesome Marie Labbancz) as well as some truly great advice from Kendall on creating the wedding of your dreams. And just a heads up … Eclatante will be moving into their own new space (across the street from Beautiful Blooms) in the next few weeks. We can’t wait to tell you more about that!

We’ve just given you a quick peek at the photos from the April Color Story … but you really, really, really need to see the real deal {click here} for the whole story … the bridesmaids dress, the City Garden backdrop,  the fabulous linens from The Total Table, and so much more!

Remember those china plates that everyone fell in love with on the  Pennsylvania Appleford Estate wedding (Amanda Kraft) last month … the mismatched antique china? They were provided by Party Rental Ltd., and you’ll see them again in this month’s Color Story.

So definitely check it out! April Color Story from Eclatante

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beautiful Blooms, Color Palette Pink Aqua, Eclatante, Marie Labbancz Photography, Party Rental Ltd., Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Table Settings, The Bride's Cafe, The Total Table
Post categories: Color Palettes, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Resources

A lonnnnng time ago, Amanda sent us one of her favorite weddings and as luck would have it, one of those pesky little SMP elves came around and buried the images deep within our  overflowing SMP gallery.  Eeeeeeee–gads! Should I even admit that? But all is well now at SMP, and Caitie and Mike’s wedding was re-discovered … it’s simply charming.

Caitie and Mike’s Appleford Estate Wedding in Villanova, Pennsylvania from Amanda Kraft Photography…

During the ceremony one of Caitie’s bridesmaids sang a song entitled “Favorite Day,” bringing tears to everyone’s eyes. Guests enjoyed cocktails on the grounds at Appleford, with a tented dinner and dancing following.

Fun Wedding Story From Caitie … “For the rehearsal dinner I had one of my bridesmaids alter my mothers floral polyester wedding dress to something halter and shorter. It looked great and my mother loved it! We had a picture of her in it next to the placecards. We didn’t realize it until later, but her dress was the exact colors I had already picked for my wedding! Spooky!”

Amanda asked Caitie, “If there is one thing that you want to express about your wedding day, what would it be?” Her reply, “It was the most fun I have ever had at a wedding!  The energy was amazing, and I didn’t want the evening to end!”

How they met? Caitie and Mike first met while Caitie was waiting tables on a Sunday afternoon in December. Mike came in because it was cold out and she decided to give him whatever he wanted free, just to get him to stay. They’ve been together since Dec. 2001.

Caitie’s proposal story … “During a trip to Rome, Mike proposed. He ended up having to go with his “plan C” because plan A, the Spanish Steps, was a bust (drunk teenagers everwhere) and then I ruined plan B, the Opera. I had been up for 36 hours from the flight and was tired. He proposed in our cute little hotel room in the morning after a good night sleep, starting his proposal with “Do you wouloooooolike this room?”

A few more of the details from Caitie and Mike’s wedding …

Wedding Gown Designer and Description: Atelier Aimee. Strapless, empire waist, pearl beading on the top and silk charmeuse on the bottom.

Tux Designers: Demetrios, Destiny Sand, Two Button Notch Suit.

Something Blue, Something New, Something Borrowed? Blue was the garter from her mother, old & borrowed was her great grandmother’s handkerchief and something new was the dress.

Cake: Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Caitie opted for 5 flavors of cupcakes from Doughmain Baked Goods (cute name for a baker!).

Floral Design from Offshoots: The centerpieces were made of red & green grapes and green apples, roses, daisies, fiddle head ferns and hydrangeas.

Event Coordinator- Merissa Kilbrith, Perfect Weddings

Caterer- Feastivities (LBB Member)

Officiate- Elizabeth Frumin

A huge thanks to Amanda Kraft Photography for sharing Caitie & Mike’s absolutely charming wedding with us on The Little Black Book Blog!

For more of her work, check out her website and blog. And HERE is another of Amanda’s weddings {Melissa & Rob} that we featured on Style Me Pretty!

AND NOW … by popular demand, is a photo that Caitie just sent in of her REHEARSAL DINNER dress (read the story above for the particulars!).

SO PRETTY! (photo on right provided by the lovely Caitie)

Thanks again to Amanda Kraft Photography, a terrific photographer listed in Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book of Wedding Professionals.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amanda Kraft Photography, Appleford Estate, Apples, Atelier Aimee, Centerpieces, Cupcakes, Pennsylvania, Tented Reception, Villanova
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Style

Eclatante’s Kendall Brown and Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Bloom collaborated with today’s stunning bride, Roseann and her mother, Rosemary to create a super-chic, super-warm, super-fabulous wedding and reception … and they sent it to us … to share!  The day was documented, forever, by the amazing photography team at Marie LaBanncz Photography.

And now … Plan B! It rained buckets on Roseann & Paal’s wedding day. Thanks to the quick-thinking Kendall Brown … their post-wedding shoot turned into something that we will never forget!!

from Marie Labbancz … at Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia … Roseann & Paal.

A huge thanks to Becky at The Fawcett Group!

Kendall & Donna … unbelievably chic!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beautiful Blooms, Chic, Eclatante, F.U.E.L., Fawcett Group PR and Marketing, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Signature Cocktails
Post categories: Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Resources

Roseann searched far and wide for the perfect locket to be attached to her bouquet that would contain photos of herself and her late father, so that, in this small way, he would truly be with her as she walked down the aisle.

This entire day was filled with so much love and so many exquisite touches! But as you all know, for each and every Plan A, there should always be a Plan B … and that is when the blissful newlyweds must roll with the punches, and allow the experts to step forward! On this particular day, it was simply rain. The planned post-wedding shoot was out, and Plan B implemented. You won’t believe where Kendall arranged for Roseann and Paal’s photo shoot.

Roseann & Paal’s luscious letterpress invitations were by the fabulous Elum. {If you’ve never actually felt one of Elum’s invitations, you should. To die for.)

We’ll be filling in more of the details and lots more photos from this amazing wedding in a bit …

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beautiful Blooms, Eclatante, Elum, Monique Lhuillier, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, St. Augustine's Catholic Church
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

And now to Stacie’s wedding. The Real Wedding of a Berté Bride …

Stacie and Matt were married on October 4th at HollyHedge Estate in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

We asked Stacie to tell us about her search for her wedding dress.

from Stacie …

I began my dress search online trying to find the style I wanted. After trying on a handful of dresses at several shops, my mom and I went to a trunk show for another designer to try on what I thought would be the perfect dress. When I got there I realized it was not for me. The sales woman then decided to show me some other similar dresses, one of which was a Janell Berte’ design. As soon as I put Janell’s dress on I fell in love with it. I asked if they had any more of her dresses and unfortunately, they did not.  As soon as I got home I went back to my computer, and to my surprise, the bridal shop in my town, A Beautiful Bride, carried her entire line. I was ecstatic and called them immediately for an appointment. I went in and tried on 2 of her dresses, first the one I tried on previously. Then I tried on “The One”, Bliss. The dress was absolutely breathtaking and so simply elegant I knew I must have it. They were having a trunk show a few weeks later so I came back at that time to meet Janell and purchase my dress. It was fantastic to work with Janell, she is so personable and down to earth, and made my decision that much easier. I bought the dress of my dreams that day and never once did I second guess my choice. On my wedding day I felt like the perfect princess bride.

Gorgeous Bride. Gorgeous Fall Wedding. Gorgeous Gown!

Congratulations Stacie & Matt, and a huge thank-you to Kris Rupp Photography for sharing these wonderful photos!

Janell’s 2009 Spring Collection and other Couture gowns are pictured on her website. We are so honored to have Janell in our Little Black Book of Very Important Wedding Vendors!

For those of you who have already selected your gown or those who just need more REAL WEDDING eye-candy, head over to the Little Black Book Blog where we’re featuring a bold and beautiful Moroccan-inspired wedding in Arizona from Katrina and Andrew of Sedona Bride Photography.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Beautiful Bride, Custom Gown, Fall Wedding, Holly Hedge Estate, Janell Berte, Kris Rupp Photography, New Hope, Pennsylvania, Real Weddings
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Inspiration Boards, Real Weddings, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion

LOVE the photography (Little Black Book member,  Jeremy Hess)

I adore everything about these gowns!

We have a Real Wedding and a Real Berte’ Bride coming up … so please check back in a bit …

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Couture, Janell Berte, Jeremy Hess, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Post categories: Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Style

In a recent interview with her, I asked how she defines her wedding gown design aesthetic. Her answer was swift and straight-forward … “clean lines and luscious fabrics that incorporate french lace and decorative accents.”

I think, though, that the most significant thing Janell told me was that she designs for real brides with real figures and real curves.

Each of Janell’s gowns has a definite personality, a definite style. Once created, each gown will prompt the unfolding of a young lady’s dream-come-true wedding day.

We’ll be back with a few of our favorite gowns from Janell’s Couture Collection …

And if you’ve already selected your gown, head on over to The Little Black Book Blog for a stunning, classic Illinois wedding from Jeffrey and Julia Woods Photography. A little later today, we’ll be featuring another dazzling Real Wedding From Andrew and Katrina at Sedona Brides on the Little Black Book Blog!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Couture, Designer, Janell Berte, Lancaster, Nick Gould Photography, Pennsylvania, Wedding Dress Styles, Wedding Style
Post categories: Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Style

Wedding dresses! We ALL love looking at wedding dresses. We all LOVE spring collections of wedding dresses. That is why today is such a lovely day! Believe it or not, the snow and ice that is slamming much of the country will melt and spring WILL arrive. What better way to spend a few minutes brightening up your day than oohh-ing and aahh-ing over the 2009 Spring Collection from Janell Berté. We have the distinct pleasure of saying that Janell — an award winning couture dress designer — is one of the founding members of Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book.  Janell’s private bridal studio and workshop is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Brides from as far away as New York City and Baltimore have traveled to her salon to work with her in fashioning their very own, perfect, dream-come-true wedding dress.

The Spring 2009 Collection from Janell Berté …

photography by Nick Gould

I spoke with Janell a few days ago and found her to be absolutely delightful. Very approachable. Very enthusiastic about her designs (her ‘babies’)! I asked if she had a favorite design from her 2009 collection and she replied that it would be impossible to name just one. Her gowns are her babies and each stands on it’s own merits. She loves them all.

We’ll be back in a bit with more …

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridal Gowns, Janell Berte, Lancaster, Nick Gould, Pennsylvania, wedding dress
Post categories: Wedding Dresses, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Style

from Heather: The ceremony was in Rittenhouse Town, part of the Wissahickon woods. We could only invite immediate family and a handful of our oldest friends. To see every one’s smiles after the ceremony was the best part of the day!

My stepfather, Paul, drove me up to the ceremony in a 1932 Ford pickup he built himself from pieces. I was so proud to ride in it and loved that it matched the time period. He started building it while my mother was still alive and she never got to take a ride, so getting into it for the first time on my wedding day was an emotional roller coaster, so happy, but also sad. We were both bawling when I arrived to the sounds of the bagpiper playing “Here comes the bride.”

Did I mention everyone was crying at the ceremony!? My best friend Sarah read a passage from the Velveteen Rabbit about what is “real”. Jason, Shawn’s brother, read the last paragraph from “The Road” by Cormick McCarthy. After the ceremony Jason said a beautiful toast about how I have always been a part of the family, but it was good now to make it “official” and again I cried!

The reception was at the Sedgwick Theatre on Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy. It is an art deco movie theatre built in 1928. I love the fashion and styles of that period so it was really important to me to have “vintage” hair and a cocktail dress.

The reception was a blast! I did not want a formal wedding reception, just a big party. It was a representation of us and our loved ones. We had a pool table and games for the kids. I also had a dress up photo booth for guests to take their own photos. On the center stage, there was a slide show running of my photographs from the past 14 years of our friends and family. The kids had fun jumping around on the stage and dancing in front of the photos! There was theatrical lighting to add to the ambiance. We had an Irish trio play at the cocktail hour who actually knew my mother, she played traditional fiddle in her life time. I also had the redware pottery she made put out on the tables. After cocktails the dj took over with a great assortment of country, indie rock, 80’s music videos played on the screen, hip hop and lots of dance music from our generation. It was overwhelming seeing every person I know and love in one room, all there just for us! I am so lucky to have met Shawn 14 years ago and gained so many friends and family.

These fabulous photos were taken by Sarah Miller, her friend and frequent second-shooter. For more of Sarah’s work, check out her website and blog!

LOVE the vintage-styled wedding touches that Heather executed flawlessly! Isn’t she totally gorgeous!!?

Heather has written about her wedding on her own blog and has provided a list of recommended vendors. It’s a really comprehensive list with great comments about each one. She’s also included the sources for her veil, shawl, dress, etc… There are a few photos taken by other photography friends of Heather’s and their names are also credited on her blog.

True vintage glamour ~~~

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Art Deco, Bagpipes, Birdcage Veil, Hair Accessories, Heather Fowler Photography, Mt. Airy, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Photo Booth, Sarah Miller Photography, Vintage Hairstyle, Vintage Style
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic