As we approached our last year in medical school and began to apply for residency we were forced to think very seriously about our commitment to each other. We needed to decide whether it was worth it to apply for residency as a couple or risk not being in the same city.

In the midst of an incredibly hectic interview season, Jono suggested we get away for a weekend in Vermont. We drove up to his ski house near Mount Snow and he had arranged for dinner at a new restaurant. I suspected he was up to something, and asked if I should wear a dress – no ring…

The next morning he surprised me with skins that we could attach to our skis so that we could hike up the mountain. It was a beautiful morning and we set off up the Cascade Trail. Skiers in the lifts above shouted, ”You’re going the wrong way” but we loved the challenge. Just near the top, Jono had pulled ahead and was fixing his boot by the time I caught up. While down on one knee, he said the most beautiful words about our relationship and our future and pulled out a gorgeous ring from his ski jacket. I was jumping up and down, and of course, said yes. A ski patrol officer noticed the commotion and came over to ask if we were ok. I showed her the ring and we got our first congrats!

We drove back to NYC that evening and Jono suggested dinner at our favorite restaurant on the upper east side called Sfoglia. There, we were escorted to a hidden back door, up a flight of stairs, and into a private dining room filled with both of our families. Jono has pre-selected for all of our favorite dishes to be served family-style and as usual dinner was amazing. It was the perfect proposal from start to finish!

I remember when we were getting ready, the site coordinator came over to explain that it was raining and the lake was flooding the dock (the site for the cocktail hour). She explained that we could move the ceremony inside at the last minute, but the cocktail hour needed to be decided on earlier on. The room was quiet, as my parents, each of my 9 bridesmaids, and even the hair and make-up stylists stared at me, waiting for a decision. I remember feeling surprisingly calm, looking out over the lake, through the rain, and seeing a patch of clear skies heading in our direction. I knew exactly what Jono would want us to do… I decided to go ahead with everything outside as planned. Sure, I walked out in the rain, but we got the rainbow and the cocktail hour was beautiful. The rain started up again once we were in the tent and didn’t even affect the fireworks!

The ceremony was my favorite part of the day, I feel like I remember every second of it. I wasn’t sure how our interfaith ceremony would turn out (he is Jewish and I am Catholic), but our officiant did an amazing job of balancing our traditions and focusing on our love for one another and our families. She also met with us each individually beforehand to remind us to be present, and it really helped. A friend sung “Feels like home” during the ceremony, while the wedding party and our immediate family members passed around and each blessed our wedding rings. We stood holding each other, looking out over our guests and the beautiful surroundings and listening to our friend’s beautiful voice and the sweet lyrics; we really soaked in the moment and I will never forget feeling so happy and fortunate. It was incredibly special.

Another memorable part of the ceremony was the weather. It was crazy for those 40 minutes, we had rain, sun, wind… and best of all a double rainbow, just as the officiant had finished saying something about how couples who get married in bad weather can weather any storm! We felt so blessed that weekend, but the rainbow was like a sign from nature affirming our commitment.

Ceremony & Reception Location: Basin Harbor Club / Florist: Blomma Flicka Flowers / Photography: Orchard Cove Photography / Band: Sultans of Swing / Bride’s Dress: Sassi Holford / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J.Crew / Hair: Erin McKenna / Makeup: Heather Garrow of Makeup Artists Guild / Invitations: Shindig Invites / Wedding Structure: Brian Gluck of Vermont Rustic Cedar / Rentals: Vermont Tent Company / Photobooth: Vermont Photo Booth Company

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autumn, Autumn Weddings, Basin Harbor Club, Blomma Flicka Flowers, Bowties, Cherries, Chuppah, Dogs, Erin McKenna, Fall, Fall Weddings, Heather Garrow, Interfaith Ceremony, J. Crew, Makeup Artists Guild, Orchard Cove Photography, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Weddings, Pumpkins, Rainbows, Sassi Holford, Shindig Invites, Sultans of Swing, Tented Receptions, Vermont, Vermont Photo Booth Company, Vermont Rustic Cedar, Vermont Tent Company, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

From A Garden Party … Last October, we were lucky enough to do the flowers for an adventurous couple that had a wedding full of so many fun details, that I have been waiting breathlessly for the photos to come in. Lucky for Rachael she has an amazing photographer as a brother-in-law, Photography by Gary Johnson.

You know you are in for a fun wedding when you see groucho glasses set out for every guest with a note that says “To honor Rachael and Connery, the humor of Groucho Marx, and the eve of Halloween; Please have fun with us by putting on the Groucho Gear when the Chaplain gives the newlyweds permission to kiss!”  The expressions on the faces of Rachael and Connery when they turned and saw their guests was priceless!

We kept the flowers pretty and informal to keep with the fun theme of the wedding.  For the bouquets we used orange dahlias, orange tulips, orange mini calla lilies, yellow crapesdia, orange ranunculus and bittersweet.  Each bouquet was accented with a small vintage charm tied on with velvet ribbon, so cute! For the centerpieces we used assorted mason jars filled with sunflowers, dahlias, and roses.  We hung the mason jars full of flowers down the aisle on shepherds’ hooks and decorated the adorable arbor at Pratt Gardens with more hanging mason jars and hanging ribbons with fresh flowers glued to them.

I was so impressed with the amount of work, planning, and love that the bride’s older sister and her mother did to make sure Rachael’s wedding was perfect. All the planning took place in four months! It was truly a DIY, family affair.

Ceremony and Reception: Pratt Gardens / Florals: A Garden Party / Photography: Photography by Gary Johnson / Bridesmaids Shawls: Etsy / Invitations: Mr. Ellie Pooh, LLC / Bride’s Gown: Eden Bridals / Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew / Hair: Salon Nicole / Boots: Ariat / Guestbook: Bleu de Toi

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Garden Party, Ariat, Autumn, Calla Lilly Bouquet, Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Etsy, Fall, J. Crew, Mason Jars, Mr. Ellie Pooh LLC, New Jersey, Photography by Gary Johnson, Pratt Gardens, Pumpkins, Salon Nicole, Sunflowers, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

From mk Photography … Amanda and Joel chose the wonderful Loch Nairn Golf club for their fall ceremony and reception. They wanted to make sure to include their dog Dara in their wedding day. The ceremony under the giant oak tree was perfect, very fall, with it’s golden leaves, and dog friendly. So was the adjacent corn field for photos. The most unique decision Amanda and Joel made was to cut and serve pies instead of the traditional wedding cake. What a tasty hit!

From the lovely bride … We knew from the start we wanted something other than the traditional ballroom for our wedding.  With its exposed beams, old wood floors and antique décor, the Greathouse at Loch Nairn Golf Course fit the bill perfectly.  An old tree provided a beautiful canopy for our guests to gather under for our autumn ceremony.

We made sure to incorporate many of our favorite things into the day, while still accenting the fall season.  Real pumpkin candles decorated the tables, pies were served in lieu of cake, complete with vanilla ice cream, and of course our 15 year old lab, Dara, was in attendance and donned a purple collar to match the bridal party.  The day was a true reflection of us, and the perfect way to start our life together as husband and wife.

Photography: mk Photography / Venue: Loch Nairn / Pies: MyHouse Cookies / Flowers: Marcus Hook Florist / Entertainment: Laughing Out Loud Productions / Invitation Designer: Birchcraft Studios / Wedding Gown Designer: Paloma Blanca / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jim Hjelm Occasions / Flower Girl Dress Designer: Bill Levkoff / Flower Girl Basket: Shangri Lara Design / Men’s Tuxes: Iacobucci Formal Wear / String Trio: Heart Strings Entertainment / Photo Booth: Shutter Booth Philadelphia

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autumn, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Orange, Fall, Laughing Out Loud Productions, Loch Nairn, Marcus Hook Florist, MK Photography, MyHouse Cookies, Pennsylvania, Pumpkins, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… Planning our wedding was more of a learning process in who we are than I ever could have imagined. Sean and I love to laugh and we are not fancy. When I finally realized we needed to use these attributes, instead of trying to play the traditional bride, I made our gleeful simplicity as the basis of every decision. And finally everything started falling into place.

Fall is my favorite time of year, it is so beautiful and rich, and was the unifying theme for every decoration for the wedding and reception. I also incorporated birds wherever I could.

The wedding was held in our little church, Grace Church of Tallahassee and was adorned with just a few decorations. Wreaths made by our florist at Bella Flora greeted our guests when they arrived through the front doors of the church. Bows with pine cones in the center of them draped the pews, handmade by my sister and mother.

The reception was held in my parent’s backyard on a deck that my father and grandfather built for us to dance the night away. They even made a fabulous fountain out of wine bottles for the backdrop. One of the most special parts of the day was the cake table where different friends and family showcased their favorite cakes for us. The fall theme followed all the way through the wedding to the final send off with fall leaves being tossed at us as we left.

Our photographer, Elizabeth Davis Photography, captured everything beautifully for us and was such a joy to work with. She added so much goodness to the day and best of all, I now have the wedding photos I have always been jealous of other brides having!

I am extremely thankful for the fact that we were on a tight wedding budget. Everywhere we turned there were personal touches added by our loved ones who helped us make everything from the cakes to the tables centerpieces and that is something you cannot put a price on.

Wedding Photography: Elizabeth Davis Photography / Catering: Carrie Ann and Co. / Flowers: Bella Flora / Wedding Dress: Emerald / Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Bride’s Shoes: Liz Claiborne / Wedding Invitations: Target / Wedding Ceremony Location: Grace Church of Tallahassee / Wedding Reception Location: Private Residence / Cakes: Friends & Family of the Bride & Groom / Cake Stands: Grandfather of the Bride / Wedding Programs: Sister of the Bride / Flag Pennants: The Bride + Family of the Bride / Pew Decor: Sister & Mother of the Bride / Birdhouse: The Bride / Centerpieces: The Bride + Sister of the Bride

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Backyard Weddings, Bella Flora, Brown, Budget Beautiful, Carrie Ann & Co., DIY Inspired, Elizabeth Davis Photography, Emerald, Fall Wedding, FL, Florida, Grace Church of Tallahassee, Liz Claiborne, Men's Wearhouse, Orange, Outdoor Reception, Pumpkins, Tallahassee, Target, Yellow
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Florida Weddings

They were married at Terra d’Oro in September and the images that Allison Stahl captured are nothing short of fantastic!

Here’s a little bit from Kristi about their wedding inspiration …

The inspiration for our wedding started with the lovely town of Sutter Creek. Justin and I both loved the friendly, comfortable, small town feel. It was really important for us to have a fun day that reflected us as a couple. Once we discovered Sutter Creek, we started checking out wineries and fell in love with Terra d’Oro. When they described to us how my dad and I would enter down the stairs and through the huge doors, it was too good to pass up.

Most of our favorite times together involve getting outside, fishing, camping and enjoying fresh air. The fall colors came naturally to us once we settled on the venue. With the beautiful trees, vineyards, and wooden trellis, it was the natural choice. Justin does a lot of graphic design for his work and since we both love fishing together, we decided to name all of the tables after local fish. Justin was inspired by a book on vintage travel posters and he came up with all of the designs for the table cards which also served as the menus. I got to choose my favorite country songs for the reception which included “River of Love” by George Strait and “Fishing in the Dark” by the Nitty Gritty Band. It was the perfect setting and the perfect group of family and friends.

* * *

We designed the cake with a lot of help from Justin’s sister, Shannon. She lives in San Francisco and took us to this lovely shop which sells nothing but beautiful ribbon. We spent hours sorting through different styles until we came up with the final design. Ingrid did a wonderful job putting it all together – and it tasted it even better.

Martha Andrews designed some pretty incredible florals to wow Kristi & Justin’s guests!

So to those of you planning fall weddings in the future, we’ve shared some beautiful examples of autumn florals at their very best from Martha Andrews. We thank Allison Stahl and Justin & Kristi for sharing this gorgeous day with us!

* * *

Credits: Blooms by Martha Andrews, Allison Stahl Photography, Chef Beth Catering, Ingrid Fraser Cakes, Stephanie J. Designs (Invitations), Rivini, J.Crew

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Allison Stahl, Blooms by Martha Andrews, California Weddings, Fall Wedding, Ingrid Fraser Cakes, Pumpkins, Sutter Creek, Terra d'Oro
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers

This gorgeous couple was married last November and we LOVE what they did to embrace the season …

Little Black Book VIP ~ Jessamyn Harris shared these images with us … simply delightful!

Isn’t Amy dreamy!

from Jessamyn …

Amy and Brent came to San Francisco from Vancouver, B.C., for their November 1st, 2008 wedding. Since it was the day after Halloween/ Dia de los Muertos, Amy and Brent had a fabulous mixture of autumnal elements (like orange-gelled lighting, brightly orange and red toned florals), nods to Halloween (wedding-themed jack-o-lanterns, glitter-covered mini pumpkins, Dia de los Muertos bride and groom topper on a deliciously decorated cupcake tree), and vintage elegance. The venue (1 Fort Mason in San Francisco – an old officer’s club from World War II) had vintage elements that complimented Amy’s beautiful dress and style, and Amy and Brent incorporated great wedding vendors with some DIY decorative elements . It was a beautiful wedding, with so many unique elements.

In case you hadn’t noticed, we have a thing about shoes and chandeliers around here …

If you haven’t ever done the glittered-mini-pumpkin thing … we highly recommend it! {Takes the season to an all-new height!}

Congratulations Amy & Brent on a spectacular wedding! And a huge thanks to Jessamyn Harris Photography for sharing!!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 1 Fort Mason, California Weddings, Fall Wedding, Halloween, Jessamyn Harris, Pumpkins, Rain, San Francisco, Umbrellas
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical