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From the Bride…Curtis and I met while working in the same research lab. We were also both students, so when we decided to get married, budget was our first priority. We wanted a practical wedding that would reflect our love as well as who we are without breaking the bank.

We planned an intimate vintage-inspired wedding with 35 guests. I was able to create our invitations, RSVP cards, reception cards, thank you cards, etc. all from just two templates! I made paper and ribbon cones that were filled with flowers and lined the aisles of the church. They provided the perfect simple elegance to accent the historic feel of our location. I also combed Etsy looking for other perfect details including hand made feather boutonnieres, jewelry made from mismatched vintage pendants, and matching vintage compasses to symbolize our love, forever guiding us toward one another. We made sure to add in plenty of other personal and unique details too, like an engraving on my engagement ring that inspired subtle fleur de lis decorations throughout our day including our use of lilies and irises in the flowers.

The ceremony was held in the historic St. John Church in downtown Houston. The cute antique country church is set against the Houston skyline and provided the perfect backdrop – a blend of the modern world with the historic, hometown feel. We had a short “cake and champagne” reception but instead of cake we served whoopie pies, a New England favorite straight from my family’s Maine heritage. Instead of a traditional guest book, we selected individual postcards with vintage love-related images and a vintage birdcage to hold the cards. It was such a treat to read the comments, advice and fun answers that our family and friends left for us! I definitely feel like it was the personal touches that made our day so special, from my little sister’s ring pouch, to the inspiration from my engagement ring and the whoopie pies from my childhood summers in Maine and so many other small details that made our wedding day truly unique.

Wedding Photography: Alyse French Photography / Bride’s Hair & Makeup: Empire Faces / Wedding Gown: Watters / Bride’s Shoes: MAXSTUDIO / Flowers: DIY / Whoopie Pies: DIY / Ceremony Music: Marion Haase / Wedding Ceremony Location: St. John Church of Sam Houston Park / Wedding Reception Location: Heritage Society Tea Room / Feather Boutonnieres, Vintage Jewelry & Vintage Compasses: Etsy

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alyse French Photography, Casual Elegance, Church Ceremony, Cocktail Reception, compass, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Empire Faces, Etsy, Feathers, Fleur de Lis, Heritage Society Tea Room, Houston, intimate wedding, Marion Haase, Maxstudio, Purple, Ring Pillows, Sam Houston Park, small weddings, St. John Church, Texas, Vintage Jewelry, Vintage postcards, Watters, whoopie pies
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Houston Weddings, Texas Weddings

Oh and they also carry and an ADORABLE glitter monogrammed cake topper. Too, too cute.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Evie S., Ring Pillows
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts

Top/left: “Green was the chosen palette for this East-meets-West wedding. The bride’s family is originally from Japan, and the groom traces his heritage to Ireland. Spider mums and yoko ono mums were paired with stripy flax leaves, set in a silver lacquered box to function as a ring pillow.”

Top/right: “Mums and stephanotis ~ Adorned with white and green blossoms, a coastal white chapel with view to the Pacific was the ceremony location for this wedding.”

Above: Row 2/left ~ Inspired by the outdoor garden ceremony in early autumn, this ring pillow highlights a mélange of textural materials and celebrates the gradual change in colors of foliage.

Above: Row 2/right ~ Lady slipper orchid.  The bride comes from a family of orchid lovers; her affinity had burgeoned at an early age because her father is an orchid hobbyist and grower. The use of a singular blossom in the ring pillow epitomizes the simple grace embodied in an orchid.

Below/left ~ Kiwi vine. This ring pillow was inspired by the natural setting of the ceremony location, a sunken amphitheater facing a majestic redwood grove. Foliage and twig are emphasized in the design.

Below/right ~ This ring pillow was designed for a 20′s inspired wedding that took place at a beloved historic building designed by Julia Morgan, best known for her design of the Hearst Castle. Peacock feathers were one of the key design elements and used throughout the wedding.

A little bit more from Karen at Grandiflora …

Botanical ring pillows are designed for the ring bearer to carry down the aisle with the rings attached, and serve as a unique detail element of the wedding ceremony. The idea of making a ring pillow out of flowers is not new ~ the green yoko ono mum ring pillow and the moss ring pillow are both well-published designs. We have embraced the concept by customizing each botanical ring pillow we make. The design of the ring pillow follows a process of blending the botanical elements left over from the wedding floral designs instead of ordering extra materials for its creation. The rest is a truly organic design process, inspired by the mood and feel of the location and the textures and palette of the flowers. I am a “less is more” girl, and most of our brides share the same sentiment, so the designs are clean and minimal yet dramatic.

Our design team loves making these because the creative process is spontaneous and impressionistic. An added bonus is that we are giving new life to botanical materials that would otherwise head to the green recycle bin. All of our ring pillows are the result of impromptu composition. We are fortunate that our brides have a true sense of adventure, and wanted us to have fun with the design and surprise them.

Just one more super to make your wedding details truly unique!

Thanks so much, Karen, for sharing! You can see more of Grandifloral’s beautiful and innovate ideas on their website.

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OH … and we just announced the winners from last Friday’s giveaway from The Wedding Main St.! You can check it out {here}! Thanks to all who entered!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eco Friendly, Flax Leaves, Floral Ring Pillows, Green, Kiwi Vine, Orchid, Peacock Feathers, Ring Pillows, Stephanotis, yoko ono mums
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Details, Wedding Flowers

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bklyn Bride, Ring Pillows
Post categories: Featured

Since we didn’t get to post the remaining entries in our Color Palette Contest on Friday, we are going to finish up today then start the voting tomorrow. Let’s get right to it!

This next entry is all about white, inspired by the amazing tile ceiling on the right from Maribeth of Red Ribbon Studio’s gorgeous office…

Top Left Photo of Z Mansion in Tucson, Arizona, White Dress by BCBG on Bluefly, Invitation by Bella Figura, Ring Pillows on Martha Stewart, Cake by Martha Stewart, Florals by Martha Stewart

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BCBG, Bella Figura, Martha Stewart, Red Ribbon Studio, Ring Pillows
Post categories: Color Palettes, Contests