Click here for the FULL wedding!

What could make this day even better?  How about the highlight film by Mike Picard Videography!

From the bride… On July 16, 2011, Sarah and Zack were married at Belle Mer’s ocean-side lawn with one of the summer’s most beautiful sunsets as their backdrop. An event nearly two years in the making, Sarah and Zack’s vision of a romantically glamorous and chic evening affair came to life. With the help of an all-star team of vendors, Sarah’s love for all things pretty and Zack’s love of being near the ocean were blended together perfectly. Sarah and Zack did not need to look far for inspiration; from the start, they knew they wanted to welcome their guests to Newport with a fun-filled weekend they would never forget. Enter the pineapple, a traditional symbol of Newport hospitality that was delicately carried throughout the event, from the invitation suite to the refreshing signature pineapple mojitos. A beautiful blend of white flowers with fresh lavender and crystal accents filled the salon with a modern, elegant atmosphere, making for an evening that Sarah and Zack feel was nothing less than “pineapple perfection.”

Wedding Photography: SNAP! Photography / Wedding Venue: Belle Mer in Newport, Rhode Island / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: Paper Moss / Flowers: Village Arts & Flowers / Videography: Mike Picard Videography / Wedding Cake: Confectionery Designs / Bride’s + Bridesmaids Attire: Allegria Bridal / Entertainment: DJ Raffi Professional Music Production / Cigars: Boston Cigar Factory / Lounge Furniture + Linens: Rentals Unlimited / Hair + Makeup: Breanne, Kristen + Marie of All About You Salon and Day Spa / Ceremony Officiant: Honorable Frank Camera / Ceremony Musicians: Martha Niemiec with Upstairs Quartet (781-640-5980) / Wedding Gown: Judd Waddell / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bride’s Jewelry: Haute Bride / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jim Hjelm

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Post tags: All About You Salon and Day Spa, Allegria Bridal, Belle Mer, Boston Cigar Factory, Confectionery Designs, DJ Raffi Professional Music Production, Haute Bride, Honorable Frank Camera, Jim Hjelm, Jimmy Choo, Judd Waddell, Lavender, Martha Niemiec, Mike Picard Videography, Newport, Paper Moss, Rentals Unlimited, Rhode Island, Snap! Photography, Upstairs Quartet, Village Arts & Flowers, White
Post categories: Massachusetts Weddings

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Our wedding was my dream combination of my past, present and future. My husband and I met in ski academy high school in Vermont but fell out of touch for over 10 years before we literally ran into each other on the streets of Manhattan, where we were both living. We fell in love with each other as friends and then he became the love of my life. Our photographers were also friends of ours from high school. My bridesmaids are the family I found when I moved to the big city from Vermont. The wedding was in Watch Hill, the town where I want my grandchildren to play on the beach in, as my cousins and I did as children.  The gorgeous church across from the Ocean House holds memories of my grandparents and now my wedding. I was left my grandmother’s engagement ring after she passed away, and my husband also was given his grandmother’s ring when she passed away.  I wore them both along with a cross given to me by my parents on a chain my husband gave me before the wedding.  It was a way to have our loved ones that could not be there close to our hearts. I feel so blessed to have this wonderful town in my life and it was the perfect place to get married.  

The theme was inspired by the colors of sea glass.  The focus was on having a wonderful weekend.  Incredible food, bright and sunny drinks and amazing company made it the best weekend of my life.  

Special thanks to Carla from Elements Flowers who was not only an amazing help with the flowers but everything else we did, and to Geoff who made sure our photo booth was a huge success! We custom-ordered our frames from Etsy after trying for a month to find cute photo booth frames and I was thrilled with the result.  The bridesmaids’ dresses were custom-made by the extremely talented and sweet Katie Ermilio. Our parents were the most amazing support team during the entire wedding process. It was amazing to have our wonderful parents, incredible friends and beautiful memories made during our sunny wedding weekend in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

Wedding Photography: Lauren + Abby Photography / Flowers: Carla of Elements Flowers / Wedding Planning: The Bride’s Family / Ceremony: Watch Hill Chapel in Watch Hill, Rhode Island / Reception: Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island / Photobooth: Photobooth Planet (401-316-1423) / Wedding Invitations: Mr. Boddington / Save-the-Dates: Julie Holcomb / Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta via Bergdorf Goodman / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Earrings: A Gift from the Maid of Honor / Bracelet: Borrowed from the Groom’s Mother / Bridemaids’ Dresses: Custom by Katie Ermilio / Bridesmaids’ Shoes: Halston Heritage / Flower Girl Dress: Ralph Lauren via Saks Fifth Avenue / Photobooth Frames: Custom by 2DogsWoodWorking

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Post tags: 2DogsWoodWorking, Bergdorf Goodman, Blue, Christian Louboutin, Elements Flowers, Halston Heritage, Julie Holcomb, Katie Ermilio, Lauren + Abby Photography, Mr. Boddington, Ocean House, Oscar De La Renta, Photobooth Planet, Ralph Lauren, Rhode Island, Saks Fifth Avenue, Watch Hill, Watch Hill Chapel, White
Post categories: The Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… I scanned dozens of bridal magazines looking for inspiration but ended up finding my inspiration in a bit of an odd place — a dressing room! While I was bridesmaid dress shopping at J.Crew, one thing that really caught my eye was the room we were sitting in. It was was warm and traditional like our venue but also felt modern. I took photos of the dressing room and used the images as my inspiration. We didn’t follow the exact look but looked to the decor as guidance. The dressing room brought in crystal and gold for a modern feel. Similarly, we brought in black, white and pewter to complement the warmer tones of the venue.

Artie and I were married outside on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We lined the aisles with silver buckets of pink flowers and scattered white rose petals throughout. In the front, we added two large silver vases topped with wire spheres and light pink flowers woven in creating a unique and modern look. Cocktail hour also took place outside and we moved the ceremony flowers to our cocktail tables so to bring in a bit of color. We had custom gray napkins made with our names on them as well as wooden stir sticks with our initials. To make things even more personal, we had “Bride” and “Groom” specialty cocktails — mine was a spiked pink lemonade (with a purple flower as garnish) and his was a Dark and Stormy. As the sun set and guests entered the indoor reception, they were greeted by a more modern and elegant look. The room was lit with purple lighting and highlighted beautiful white floral centerpieces. We also used dusty millers to bring in silver into our floral arrangements. For our menus, table numbers and escort cards, we incorporated black and white by using black paper with white calligraphy. We also re-purposed the large silver wire spheres from the ceremony and placed them behind the sweetheart table. Following dinner, guests were surprised by a spread of desserts and candy. We tried to stick to our colors in the layout, using pink, black and white. As New Yorkers, we were excited to bring in some of our favorite desserts including Momofuku truffles and black and white cookies. Artie and I both have a big sweet tooth so we wanted to have items we loved and could share with everyone. We also love cupcakes and cookies so we had a huge display of various flavors. Design-wise, I wanted to keep the set up to look modern, so we found mirrors and lucite trays, which we thought would be an interesting touch.

Our goal was to throw a fun and beautiful celebration that truly represented us as a couple and most importantly, fit within our budget. Artie and I were paying for the wedding ourselves, and while Artie wanted nothing more than to give me the wedding of my dreams, we both agreed we wanted to start our life together on the right foot by making smart financial decisions. Most people we have spoken to have been surprised at how many ways we were able to save money by combining an element of DIY with help of professionals to create a more affordable version of what we were trying to achieve. A perfect example are our menus. They were round black menus with white script. Initially, I reached out to someone in the wedding industry to help me but when I received the pricing, I realized I would need to find another route. I went online and found a calligrapher who was willing to design a sample and then help me digitize the file. From there, I sent the file to an online printer, which was very affordable. The only problem was that they couldn’t do a round cut within my budget so I ordered a regular cut and then purchased a circle cutter. Sure, it cost me hours of sleep, but I actually loved the DIY projects, and they made the process that much more memorable. When else will I see my now-husband helping me with arts and crafts?

Wedding Photography: Kristin Spencer Photography / Wedding Venue: OceanCliff Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island / Wedding Cinematography: Newport Wedding Films / Wedding Flowers: Stoneblossom Floral & Event Design / Entertainment: Victor Events / Desserts: Momofuku Milk Bar, Cupcake Charlie + Fatulli’s  / Ceremony Music: Sukada Trio / Linens + China: Rentals Unlimited / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew

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Post tags: Black, Cupcake Charlie's Fatulli's, J. Crew, Kristin Spencer Photography, Momofuku Milk Bar, Newport, Newport Wedding Films, OceanCliff Hotel, Pink, Priscilla of Boston, Rentals Unlimited, Rhode Island, Stoneblossom Floral and Event Design, Sudaka Trio, Victor Events, White
Post categories: Massachusetts Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… We spent our first “real date” in Newport, Rhode Island, at a small, cozy bed and breakfast during winter. Newport in winter is truly a unique experience. Historic mansions, cozy restaurants, quiet streets and empty beaches create the setting for a perfect romantic getaway. It became a regular trip for us so when we got engaged, deciding on a location and a time of year to get married was easy. Selecting our venue was also easy. Belle Mer is absolutely stunning. We used white, gray and black accents to create our winter wedding theme. The bridesmaids wore soft gray dresses and the groomsmen wore classic tuxedos. To complement the tuxes, the girls wore black faux-fur shrugs purchased on Etsy. I found my vintage fur stole in my grandmother’s closet and thought it would tie in nicely with our winter backdrop. However to our amazement, we had an absolutely beautiful, fall-like day, which made our photos absolutely breathtaking. For our reception, we wanted to keep it elegant, romantic and most of all, fun! Our escort cards were attached to custom ornaments filled with personalized paper hearts. I used clear glass ornaments, card stock and a heart punch put them together. Flowers by Semia created several types of beautiful high/low arrangements using all types of white flowers illuminated by a variety of candles. In addition to the candles, we used up-lighting throughout the room to add color. The lighting changed color throughout the night to depict transition between cocktails, dinner, and dancing. Also, I added a little sparkle of my own by wearing an embellished belt for the reception, which was inspired by the gorgeous chandeliers at Belle Mer. As for dessert, we decided on cupcakes because it allows guests to select their personal favorite, and more importantly, I’m a cupcake fanatic! We wanted to be playful with the cupcakes and stick to our winter theme so we brainstormed flavor combinations and came up with fun types such as “gingerbread” and “sno-cap.” Confectionery Designs put their elegant spin on everything and created the most delicious cupcakes. If that wasn’t sweet enough, we also gave guests chocolate nonpareils as our favors because the white pearls reminded us of snow.   I have always loved DIY projects, and weddings are the optimal platform to create fun and unique items of your choice. A lot of my inspiration came from browsing through wedding and photography blogs such as SMP and Snap! I would save all of my favorite pictures to my own vision board, which inspired the design of our invitations, ceremony cards, menu cards and escort cards. Using fonts downloaded from dafont.com, products from Paper Source and the help of family and friends, we created our own unique designs for all of the printed items. I think back on how many hours went into these personalized items and how rewarding it was to see the final product – I wouldn’t have it any other way. Wedding Photography: Snap! Photography / Florist: Flowers by Semia / Wedding Venue + Catering: Belle Mer in Newport, Rhode Island / Cupcakes: Confectionery Designs / Wedding Gown: Angelina Faccenda via La Reine / Bride’s Belt: Enzoani “Fabi” / Brides Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Earrings + Fur Wrap: Antiques Owned by the Bride’s Grandmother / Bridesmaids Dresses: Bill Levkoff / Black Faux-Fur Shrugs: Alexbridal / Hair: New Leaf Salon / Makeup: Kristina Jones of Alayne White Spa / Invitations, Ceremony Programs + Holiday Ornament Place Cards: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Favors: Chocolate Delicacy / Transportation: Newport Wedding Trolley + Viking Tours / Lodging: Pearls of Newport

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Post tags: Alayne White Spa, Alexbridal, Angelina Faccenda, Badgley Mischka, Belle Mer, Bill Levkoff, Black, Chocolate Delicacy, Confectionery Designs, Enzoani, Etsy, Flowers by Semia, Gray, Kristina Jones, La Reine, New Leaf Salon, Newport, Newport Wedding Trolley, Pearls of Newport, Rhode Island, Snap! Photography, Viking Tours, White
Post categories: The Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I have to bashfully admit my vision for our wedding didn’t really start coming together until I found my wedding dress. I originally thought I wanted a really modern, stylish wedding based around the elegant black and white damask print. The course I had originally envisioned for my wedding completely changed directions when I found the dress! After trying on 40 wedding dresses, the last dress I tried on brought me to tears and was my inspiration in planning the rest of the wedding. As soon as I found my wedding dress I was reminded of the old movies that I love and Grace Kelly! I realized I wanted to achieve a romantic, classic feel for our wedding. I wanted it to be simple and sweet; for our family and friends to be able to say- ‘This is SO Ben and Jess.’

After Ben and I relentlessly toured several wedding venues in Florida, we came to the understanding that what we were looking for may not be in our home state. We ventured to Rhode Island to visit family, and stumbled upon the perfect venue for us. The Towers in Narragansett is a romantic venue combined with elements of sweet historic charm. We were ecstatic, and for the next six months we aggressively planned a long distance wedding through email and Skype chats.

The colors for our wedding were a combination of tans, ivories and pale pinks. We tried to play off the amazing brick and cobblestone architecture of the Towers when determining the wedding colors and striving to reach that romantic look. We tried to keep it simple with the decorations, relying on the natural beauty of the venue and the understanding that we were going to be limited in how many decorations we could travel with!

The sweet touches were added by our family and friends. My mom made all the lovely table runners and my sister-in-law baked the remarkable cupcakes. It meant so much to have these personal touches in our wedding. This wedding would not have been possible without the immense support of our family and friends. Being surrounded by the people we love was most important to us and truly made our wedding day special.

Wedding Photography: Ryan Ray Photography / Venue: The Towers / Hair: Dellaria / Cupcakes: Raspberry Eggplant / Caterer: Simply Devine Catering / Wedding Dress: Justin Alexander / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Floral Design: Weedweavers of Wakefield / Film Work: Richard Photo

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Post tags: Badgley Mischka, Dellaria, Justin Alexander, Raspberry Eggplant, Rhode Island, Ryan Ray Photography, Simply Devine Catering, The Towers, Weedweavers of Wakefield
Post categories: Vintage Chic

And because we just cant get enough of this lovely wedding, we just had to share the GORGEOUS film from the fête by David Bettencourt…

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Nick and I both attended the same high school in Ridgefield, CT but we weren’t friends at the time. It was not until college that we would meet again through mutual friends and quickly become best friends and then in 2006 we began dating long distance (Nick in Pennsylvania and Maria in Florida) while in our senior year of college. We spent almost four years doing long distance until Nick proposed under the Brooklyn Bridge at The River Café and soon after moved in together in Jersey City finally putting an end to the long distance.

When I started planning the wedding I knew I didn’t want any kind of theme. I knew I wanted to focus mainly on the color pink and stick to a traditional and classic wedding. My mom and I did most of the planning together, ripping pages from wedding magazines, and of course often visiting etsy.com and of course stylemepretty.com for inspiration.  When looking for my wedding dress I knew I wanted a timeless look which I could look back twenty years from now and wouldn’t be out of style. The Lazaro ballgown was perfect because it was simple and elegant and the jeweled belt added sparkle without being too much. My veil which completed the look was made by Provnovias in Barcelona. My veil was one of my favorite parts of the wedding, it really made me feel like a bride!

Newport, RI is one of those most beautiful cities in the United States. It is surrounded by water and the cliff walk and mansions emit the classic New England charm. Nick and I both had many friends and relatives coming from all over the country and overseas so we wanted our guests to not only enjoy our wedding day but also enjoy our wedding location as they would probably be spending a few days in the area. We were married at Trinity Church, one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in Newport. When we visited Belle Mer I knew immediately it was “the one”. Three words describe Belle Mer: location, location, location! The views are breathtaking and it has a very modern and sophisticated feeling. The Island House at Belle Mer is surrounded by a sprawling lawn where our guests enjoyed cocktail hour looking over the Narragansett Bay. Belle Mer also provided croquet and bocchi ball. The lawn games were a great way for guests to relax and have fun. One of the best parts of the wedding reception was definitely the photolounge by Snap Photography. Our guests were taking photos all night long and they were able to take them home as a favor.  The photolounge pictures are also a great way for Nick and I to laugh and see how much fun our friends and family had on our wedding day.

Our wedding day was a dream and one we will never forget. We had beautiful weather, a beautiful location and celebrated with our loved ones. Who could ask for anything more?

Wedding Dress: Lazaro / Veil: Pronovias / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Hair + Make-up: Sandra Downie / Maid of Honor Dress: Jenny Yoo / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Ceremony Location: Trinity Church / Reception Location: Belle Mer / Wedding Photography + Photolounge: Snap Photography / Floral Design: Sayles Livingston Flowers / Cocktail Linens: Rentals Unlimited / Macaron Favors: Confectionary Designs / Wedding Cake: Scrumptions / Wedding Videography: David Bettencourt / Lighting: High Output / DJ: DJ Derek Holtie / Transportation: Viking Tours / Limousine: A1 Limo

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Post tags: A1 Limo, Belle Mar, Confectionary Designs, David Bettencourt, DJ Derek Holtie, High Output, Hugo Boss, Jenny Yoo, Jimmy Choo, Lazaro, Massachusetts Weddings, Newport, Pronovias, Rentals Unlimited, Rhode Island, Sandra Downie, Sayles Livingston Flowers, Scrumptions, Snap! Photography, Trinity Church, Viking Tours
Post categories: Massachusetts Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From Rebecca Arthurs…The day of Danielle and Grant’s wedding the weather didn’t look promising. It was the day before hurricane Irene was about to hit New England. There was a chance of rain, wind and strong fog in the forecast. However, Grant and Danielle were not affected in the slightest. They both were filled with joy and excitement in anticipation for the events about to take place. It must have had some effect on the weather because it never more than sprinkled all day.

Grant and Danielle are one of those couples who makes everyone around them feel good, beaming with love and laughter. The theme for the styling of the wedding came from DIY ideas and the bride’s love for all things vintage. She hand crafted most of the vintage elements that made their wedding unique, like the place cards, programs and block words. The venue, Linden Place, is a historic property in Bristol, Rhode Island and was the perfect setting for this delightful wedding.

Wedding Photography: Rebecca Arthurs / Venue: Linden Place / Floral Design: Joy of Flowerthyme / Caterer: Blackstone Catering / Wedding Gown: Watters / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Cake: Ashley Owens, Groom’s Sister / DJ: Larry of Engagements / Wedding Videography: Wellspun Wedding Films / Invitations + Place Cards: The Bride / Hair: New Leaf Salon / Make-up: Kirsten Brusse of Joli Visage / Rentals: Fancy That

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Post tags: Ashley Owens, Badgley Mischka, Blackstone Catering, Bristol, Engagements, Fancy That, Flowerthyme, Joli Visage, Linden Place, New Leaf Salon, Rebecca Arthurs, Rhode Island, Watters, Wellspun Weddings
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Jen Huang Photography…Kelly & John were married at stunning Belle Mer surrounded by gorgeous blue water and the Rhode Island downtown marina. What I loved most about their wedding was the undeniable fact that both Kelly and John were gushing with l-o-v-e! Everyone at the wedding had huge smiles on their faces all day and on top of that the wedding was so beautifully put together and thought out. Every detail reflected Kelly & John’s personal styles, a mix of modern and classic touches. We had so much fun during their portrait session, walking in the light of the setting sun, capturing every moment of their romance. A beautiful outdoor ceremony was followed by a teary eyed bride and groom at the dinner speeches and then everyone was ushered to a beautifully appointed and lit dance hall where the guests danced till morning! What a wonderful night…

From the Bride…We chose our venue because it was a crisp clean palate/blank canvas unlike a lot of places where you have to go with and work around an already established design theme. I loved that we were able to create an atmosphere that reflected our style from this already fabulous space. Belle Mer also happens to be located in one of the BEST New England towns, especially in the summer. So, all of our out of town family a guests could spend the weekend and have a mini vacation at a fabulous location not to far from home.

We thought it would be special to have our guests experience a new space, decorated and laid out in a new and interesting way for each part of the evening. What every space had in common, where the breath taking views of the illuminated Newport Bridge at dusk. When starting the design process I pictured a sheik, very crisp and clean feel for the ceremony, I wanted it to be about us and the beauty of the ocean and the sculpted green grass with crushed white shells shaping the isle and surrounding our guests and John and I as we exchanged our own written vows to each other.

After the ceremony guests moved to the garden area for a cocktail hour . A 3 piece band played sultry and upbeat latin and retro favorites while small hor’ dourves were passed with our signature drinks in hopes that guests would start to loosen up and feel the romance of the evening. It was important to me that dinner was modern but also comfortable and timeless. I love the old time summer “cool” that the black and white Cabana stripe brought to the mostly white palate mixed with shades of grey to give depth and dimension. I wanted dinner to be all about candle light and romance. Bon Musique played French love songs in the background an owed to my French Meme who has passed. Once dinner was over I wanted the element of surprise not only by moving our guests to the other side of the property but by show them a completely different feel and atmosphere. I wanted everyone to step into that Hot Pink and Black and what striped sprawling room and think now this is going to be a party! And it was!

Wedding Photography: Jen Huang Photography / Wedding Videography: Hello Super 8 / Event Planning: JZEvents / DJ: Generation Events / Floral Design + Candy Bar: The Green Vase / Rentals: Taylor Creative / Wedding Dress: Oscar De La Renta via Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaids Dresses: LulaKate / Make-up: Clair Marshall / Hair: Butterfly Studio / Cocktail Band: Bon Musique / Lighting: High Output / Transportation: Viking Tours of Newport / Wedding Cake: Montilio’s / Invitations: Mr. Boddington’s Studio / Film Work: Richard Photo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bon Musique, Butterfly Studio, Christian Louboutin, Clair Marshall, Generation Events, Hello Super 8, High Output, Jen Huang Photography, JZEvents, Modern Style, Montilio's, Oscar De La Renta, Rhode Island, Taylor Creative Inc, The Green Vase, Viking Tours of Newport
Post categories: Contemporary, Real Weddings, The Blog