1. Not Scheduling Enough Time for Hair & Make-Up

When your hair and make-up team tell you what time they’ll need to start hair and make-up on the morning of your wedding, you’ll probably think they’re crazy. But you should trust them when they tell you how much time they will need. Believe us, you would much rather have too much time with them then not enough. In order to relieve some of that wedding morning stress, have the hair and make-up team come to your house or hotel room the morning of the wedding if possible.  It takes away the stress of traveling to or from the salon and allows your bridesmaids to immediately get into their dresses when their hair/make-up is done if need be.

Your first instinct is to think you should go last with hair and make-up. Ignore this instinct. Your hair and make-up might take the longest and, let’s be honest, it’s the most important. So be sure to go first or second (especially if you have a large bridal party).Don’t worry, the hair and make-up team will stick around to do finishing touches before you leave the salon or after you put dress on if they’re at your hotel. Plus, going first gives you the opportunity to actually drink that mimosa and relax with your girls instead of stressing about whether or not there is enough time to do your up-do.   Also, be sure to tell all of your bridesmaids exactly how much their hair and make-up will cost. You’d be surprised how much time can be wasted with bridesmaids scrambling around looking for extra cash or their checkbooks. More than likely, they’re expecting to pay for this themselves, just be up front with them and you’ll definitely save yourself time and stress.

2. Attending Your Final Dress Fitting Alone

This may seem like a small detail, but you’d be surprised how much time it can take to get you into your dress. Dresses can be complicated – buttons, lace-up backs – and your mom and/or bridesmaids will probably need some insight from your seamstress about how exactly to get you into it. If you go by yourself (or with someone who will not be there on the morning of your wedding day), even if you try to take notes and remember exactly what you were told at the shop, it’s still going to be difficult to explain. So, bring along your mother, your sister, your maid of honor, all your girls if  you want to. Make sure they know not only how to get you into your dress but also how to bustle it if there is a train. And, if your dress has buttons all the way down, head over to the craft store and get a crochet hook to help with those notoriously small button holes that can be a challenge for newly-manicured fingers to button alone.

3. Not Having Everyone Get Dressed Early Enough

When should your bridesmaids get dressed? Before you do. What about your mother and father? Same answer. Ideally, about half an hour before you do. Why? So that when they are gathered around while you’re getting your dress buttoned/zippered, they’re not in their jeans and tank tops in pictures. So that when you father sees you for the first time in your dress the photographer can capture Dad’s reaction while he’s looking his best. And, most importantly, so that once your ready everyone else is too and you can  jump right into picture time.

4. Too Much Distance

Too much time between where you want to get ready and the ceremony location:
You have probably dreamed of getting ready for your wedding in childhood bedroom since you were a little girl. Most of the time, this is totally possible since the church or ceremony location is close to your parent’s house. But if it’s a long distance (an hour or more), it’s not always worth the time and stress to travel on the morning of your wedding day. Between traffic and the added time and expense to transport you and your girls, you’ll probably be wishing you had decided to get ready at a hotel by the church. Save yourself the stress, get ready in a place near the ceremony.

Too much distance between the ceremony location and the reception location:
This stresses everyone out – you as the couple, the guests and your vendors. There’s no doubt that you have found the most beautiful places for both of the events of your day, but do your best to make sure they are not over an hour’s drive away from one another.  This is especially true if it’s important to you to have your guests attend both the ceremony and the reception since many will opt out of the ceremony if there’s such a long drive in between.  Even for those who do attend both, the distance can really bring down everyone’s energy level and make the day seem too long.

5. Not Planning Out Time for Family Pictures

Family pictures are important.  Your wedding day is probably one of the few times in your life that you will have this particular group of family all in the same place at the same time.  You definitely want to get photos of them all together.  That being said, as you probably know from many family parties, gathering everyone together can be a challenge if it’s not planned out.  So, how do you avoid the chaos?  First, decide how large you want the groups to be (just immediate family? aunts and uncles? all of the cousins?)  Then, let them all know ahead of time (at the rehearsal dinner or the week before the wedding) when and where the family photos will be taken.  We recommend scheduling this immediately following the ceremony if you’re not doing a “First Look” and about an hour before the ceremony begins if you are.  This way, family members look their best (pre-partying) and it saves the trouble of having to round all your family members up once the reception begins, which can be a difficult task.  Lastly, select a few close family members (preferably ones that don’t also happen to be in the wedding party), to help round up the family on the day so that you don’t have to.  Also, if you have a particularly large or diverse family, don’t be afraid to make a list and give it to us.  That way we can even rattle off the names of the family members you would like in the picture to make sure they are all there, know all the groupings you would like and make sure that you don’t forget that important picture you wanted with your godmother.

6. Cutting it Too Close with the Limos

Limos can be expensive, especially when you’re probably paying by the hour. So your instinct might be try to cut back and avoid paying an extra hour,  praying that it will work out.  How ever much you may think you’re going to save by cutting it close, it’s not worth it. You don’t want to be in the back of your limo starring at the clock and wondering if you’re going to have to find cash to give the limo driver if you end up going ten minutes over time.

7. Not Scheduling Time to Mingle With Your Guests

It’s a scenario we have seen far too often at weddings we have attended as guests ourselves: a bride starring longingly at the dance floor knowing she won’t have much time for dancing because she has to go table-to-table and talk to her guests all night long. This is almost always because she didn’t schedule enough time to greet her guests earlier in the day, by doing a receiving line and/or join her guests for cocktail hour. Instead, her first chance to talk with her guests is during dinner or once the dance floor opens up, leaving her with little to no time to get out and dance with her new husband beyond the first dance. Of course, you want to see your guests and thank them for coming to celebrate with you but if you make sure that the reception is not the first time they get to talk to you, you’ll save yourself the frustration of hearing your favorite song and not getting to show off your moves on the dance floor.

8. Too Little Time Between the Ceremony and the Reception

This is probably the biggest and, unfortunately, most common mistake brides and grooms make. We know what you’re probably thinking, “I can’t do that to my guests! What are they going to do during that three hours between?” Two things: first, you’re probably overestimating how much time is between. The average ceremony is about an hour long and if you’re doing a receiving line*, that usually takes up at least another 20-30 minutes. Then you factor in the time it takes to travel, whether or not your guests have to check in to a hotel, etc. and you’d probably be surprised that the amount of time they’ll have in between is probably far less than you originally thought. Secondly, most guests don’t really mind. If they have attended a lot of weddings in the last few years, they’ve probably gotten used to having time to kill. Plus, a lot of the women will use this chance to wear something less dressy for the ceremony and then glam up a bit for the reception. Most importantly, having ample time between gives you the opportunity to get tons of pictures and even select an additional location (besides the church or reception venue) to go for pictures if you would like. It’s a great way to have fun with your wedding party and even have some quiet moments for just the two of you before the party gets started.

* A small side-note about receiving lines. We know a lot of photographers are against them. We’re actually not. They can be a great way for you to get to greet your guests and give them a chance to congratulate and hug you (leaving you with more time to dance at the reception rather than having to spend so much time at each table of guests.) So then why are they sore spot for photographers? Because they make our jobs incredibly difficult when there isn’t enough time scheduled for taking pictures. When a bride and groom have only scheduled an hour between the ceremony and reception and the receiving line has taken up 30 minutes of that time, the photographer is still expected to create just as many amazing pictures, but now in half the time. So if you want to do one, go for it. Just make sure you have plenty of time between to ensure that you won’t have to be rushed, and neither will your photographer. And if you don’t want to do one, that’s fine too. Just be sure to include a note in your ceremony program or have your officiant announce it. Otherwise your guests will be waiting outside the church for you and end up stopping you to chat anyway.

9. Not Doing a “First Look”

They’re become more popular, but there are still a lot of couples that shy away from seeing one another before the ceremony. We totally understand your apprehension. You’re thinking that if you see one another before the ceremony it will be less emotional when you walk down the aisle. Not true.  A lot of our couples have done  ”First Looks” and we can say with complete certainty that we have never seen the couple less emotional when they see each other walking down the aisle. It’s usually exactly the opposite. When they see each other during the “First Look” it’s usually teary-eyed about how amazing they both look, how amazed they are that the day has finally arrived. Then when they see each other during the ceremony, the tears start to flow, each of them realizing that the walk down the aisle means that this is all actually happening: they are about to be married. How could you not get emotional?

“First Looks” should especially be considered if you’re in any of the following situations:

Your Ceremony and Reception are at the Same Location
Why? Because you have probably picked a gorgeous location that is perfect for both events of your day and you want to be able actually enjoy the grounds as much as your guests, soaking in the views while you stroll around sipping champagne.  When the ceremony and reception are at the same place, the end of the ceremony is inevitably going to flow directly into cocktail hour.  Your guests have no where else to go and your venue is going to want to keep them entertained.  The idea of leaving all of your guests right after the ceremony to head off for pictures will probably seem incredibly difficult.Even more, leaving yourself with only an hour to do all the pictures of the two of you,your family and your wedding party is WAY too tight.  So, if you see each other before the ceremony you can take the majority of your pictures (possibly even all of your family and wedding party pictures) ahead of time, leaving you will plenty of time to greet your guests and actually eat some of that delicious cocktail hour food.  Of course, if you want to grab a few shots directly after your ceremony you can do that too.  But getting most of the pictures done beforehand is a great way to ensure that you will have that same relaxing experience as all of your guests.

You Don’t Want a Large Gap of Time Between the Ceremony and the Reception
If the idea of having two or three hours between the end of your ceremony and the start of cocktail hour is way too much for you, you don’t have to do it. But you’re probably still going to want amazing pictures and the best way to make this possible is to give your photographers the time they need to make that happen. Most photographers will say they need about an hour minimum to photograph the bride and groom and wedding party and then about 30 minutes for family photos (depending on the size of the family). If you do the first look, you can schedule all that time before your guests even arrive at the church making sure the time in between the end of the ceremony and cocktail can be much shorter, without jeopardizing any time for photos.

You’re Getting Married Before Daylight Savings Begins or After it Ends and You Want Pictures Outside
Why? One word: light. It’s the photographer’s best friend. Let’s say you’re getting married November 12, one week after daylight savings time ends. Sunset for that day is scheduled to be about 4:45pm. Your ceremony is supposed to start at 3pm and end at 4pm. That leaves you with about 45 minutes of daylight for pictures, assuming you don’t do a receiving line and jump right into taking pictures the minute the ceremony ends. Again, WAY too tight. If you do a “First Look,” you can select a location for your pictures, gather together your wedding party (and even family if you would like) and ensure that your Fall wedding still has plenty of pictures with the foliage even if the sun sets a bit earlier than it did a few weeks before.

10. Failing to Give Yourself a “Cushion”

Ask just about any of your married friends or wedding vendors and they’ll almost all agree that weddings hardly ever start on time no matter how well you plan.  Believe it or not, that doesn’t have to be the end of the world.  Not if you make sure to have some extra time scheduled throughout your day. By padding your schedule a bit you won’t have to stress if your ceremony starts ten minutes late or if your priest’s homily goes on way longer than you anticipated.  You won’t have to cut short a conversation with your favorite cousin because you have to jump in the limo you only have for twenty more minutes.

This is your wedding day, a day you only get to live once and you definitely want to savor each and every moment. So why not schedule time to ensure that you will have extra moments?  Time when you can just sit back, relax and soak it all in.  We even suggest that couples set aside some time for just the two of you, time to just enjoy officially being husband and wife.  Believe us, you’ll be very glad that you did.

A big thank you to Robert & Kathleen Photographers for offering these fabulous tips of the trade! Of course, we want to know what you think too – feel free to leave questions, opinions or additional suggestions in the comments below! Married folks out there, what worked for you? Here are a couple of our favorite tips shared by our twitter followers and Facebook fans today:

- @jolene madison said the Bride and Groom should add some time in the day for them to spend alone, just the two of them. I happen to think that is a fabulous (and important) idea!

- Qiana of Wedding Blush suggested having a list of at least five backdrops you know you want in your pictures prior to the wedding. We are big fans of having a game plan going into the big day so we couldn’t agree more!

Keep the suggestions coming! We would love to hear from all of you!

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Post tags: Advice, Coordination, New York, Photography, Robert and Kathleen Photographers, Timing Tips
Post categories: New York Weddings, Wedding Photography

Click here to see entire image gallery!

From Robert and Kathleen Photography: There are some couples that seem to say a thousand words to one another without actually speaking at all. Ashley and Alex are one of those couples and it was never more evident than on their wedding day. It started from the very first moment they laid eyes on each other that day during their first look on the winding dirt road leading out to the golf course of the country club. While Alex stood there waiting to feel Ashley’s hand gently touch him on his shoulder, he held his hands together in an effort to contain his nervous excitement. Although he couldn’t see her, Ashely was doing nearly the same thing as she walked toward him grinning ear to ear, trying to keep in all the emotions she was feeling as she was about to see Alex. When they faced each other, it all came to the surface. The flurry of emotion between the two of them came flooding out through the sweet expressions on their faces, the way they grasped each other’s hands and how they would gently touch each other’s face when the kissed. That connection stayed strong all night long, each of them knowing exactly how the other felt with the simple touch of a hand or glance. As they signed their Ketubah surrounded by their closest family and friends, they held hands tightly and look over at one another as if they were each trying to reassure the other that this all really was happening. As they exchanged vows, they did so not only with their words but also with their unspoken support in the form of a loving glance or squeeze of the hand. When the night came to an end and the last dance was played Ashley and Alex were out in the middle of the dance floor, holding one another tight and staring into each other’s eyes. In that moment that one look said more than any words every could.

Photography: Robert & Kathleen Photographers / Hair: Brittany DiGiacomo / Make-up: Meredith Hayman / Flowers: Lee Vazquez Floral Design / Bridal Gown: Watters / Bridal Shop: Lovely Bridal Shop / Tablecards: Calligraphy by Bride’s Mother / Ceremony and Reception Location: Highlands Country Club / Reception Entertainment: Fevah Dream

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Post tags: Brittany Di Giacomo, Fevah Dream, Highlands Country Club, Hudson Valley, Lee Vazquez Floral Design, Lovely Bridal Shop, Meredith Hayman, New York Weddings, Robert and Kathleen Photographers, Traditional Elegance, Watters
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From Robert & Kathleen Photography: I could try to put into words the magic that is Danielle and David, but I know I never could. Not like they could, anyway. Both award-winning journalists, Danielle Submi and David had all of their friends and family in tears this past Saturday as they listened to the outpouring of raw emotion and expression of unconditional love that was their hand-written vows. Nearly two full pages each, they each relied on the tools that had always been their strength, words, to try to explain just how important they were to one another. They promised to do the big things, like help each other pursue their dreams and someday create a family. But they didn’t forget the little things, like making sure they always spend Saturday mornings on the couch watching movies and take walks arm-in-arm around their neighborhood. When they were done there wasn’t a dry eye in the room or a doubt that these two would still be just as crazy about each other fifty years down the road.

So I won’t attempt to tell you about how Danielle and David feel about one another. It’s as clear as the smile on her face when she looks at him and the look of pride in his eyes as he takes her hand. Instead, I will tell you about how they met. For seven years they lived in the same city. Each of them had come to New York to pursue the same career, David coming from the midwest and Danielle from the east coast. And, in spite of even being in the same neighborhoods from time to time, their paths never seemed to cross before. But three years and three weeks ago, the timing was exactly right. Danielle was hesitant when she walked into the bar in Brooklyn that night to meet David in person for the first time. But when she spotted him across the room, sitting at a table with a glass of bourbon and a magazine in his hand, she felt the hesitation wash away. When he looked up and saw her smile lighting up the room, he knew without a doubt that this first date was going to be different.

They talked and laughed that whole night long, and according to each of them they haven’t stopped since. Which is easy to believe when you see them together. They have a natural chemistry, a complete easiness about them that makes it clear that there is no where else they would rather be than next to one another. In fact, that was one of the first things they talked about the morning of their wedding. Right after they saw each other for the first time that day, once they had finished gushing about how amazing the other looked, they talked about how many hours they had been apart. From that moment on, they were never more than a few feet away from each other all day. Hand-in-hand nearly the whole night, Danielle with a huge smile on her face and David looking like he just won the lottery. And in a way they both had. Because you don’t get much luckier than finding that one person that you are clearly meant to be with. And there’s no doubt that Danielle and David were destined to be together. It’s clear when you look at their faces, and unmistakable when you listen to the words they say to one another.

Photography: Robert & Kathleen Photographers / Bridal Gown: Jim Hjelm / Bridal Shoes: Kate Spade / Flowers: Fluer De Lys Floral / Ceremony and Reception Location: The New Haven Lawn Club / Getting Ready: The Study at Yale / Make-Up: D.D. Nickel / Hair: Bride’s Best Friend Tara Muldoon from Paradise Salon & Spa / Cake: J Cakes / Band: Swingadelic

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Post tags: D.D. Nickel, Fluer De Lys FLoral, J-Cakes, Jim Hjelm, Kate Spade, Paradise Salon and Spa, Robert and Kathleen Photographers, Swingadelic, The New Haven Lawn Club, The Study at Yale
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From Robert and Kathleen Photographers: Melissa and Jason had a perfect DIY rustic New England wedding featuring super easy, do-it-yourself table “cards” (bell jars painted with chalkboard paint), hand-picked floral arrangements strewn around the reception, and hand-written chalkboard menu sign, candy-coated apples, acorns and a white birch wedding cake.  Their deep purple color scheme was a nice change of pace from the typical rust colored Fall wedding themes. The bride even surprised the groom with his favorite car (a bright red Ferrari), his to drive for the entire wedding day.

There are some decisions in life that you agonize over for months. They’re usually the biggies – where to live, what kind of house to buy, where to go to school. They are life changing choices that can shape the course of your life. The ones that when you see so many options spread out before you it’s difficult to know which one is best.

Then there are decisions you think about for days. The smaller stuff. What outfit to wear to that special event, what color to paint a room, where to go on vacation. The kind of decisions that even as you make them, as you see the paint go up on the wall, you might thing to yourself, did I chose the right one? And there are the decisions that you think about for a few minutes, like going back and forth between two options on a menu or which gift to get for your friend. The kind of decision when you thought you knew what you wanted, but another option catches your eye last minute and makes you question your initial decision.

But sometimes there are the big decisions that you don’t even have to think about for a second. The ones that you don’t even have to hesitate before you answer. The rare life changing choices in which seeing other options actually reinforces your confidence in your decision. The kind of decision that even as you make it, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are, in fact, making the right choice. Because you know it in your heart. You feel it in your gut. And your head is telling you to answer as quickly as possible because moments like these are rare and when they’re in front of you, you have to act on them right away.

That’s exactly the kind of decision it was for Jason when he asked Melissa to marry him. His friend asked him later if he was nervous when he proposed. Not at all, he answered. There was no reason to be. Because he knew this was the easiest, the smartest, decision he had ever made. Melissa makes him happier than he has ever been before and he knew she was the only woman in the world for him. Thankfully, it was very much the same for Melissa. No sooner had Jason gotten the words out of his mouth and she said yes. Because she knew it in her heart. And sometimes, that’s the only decision maker you really need.

Photography: Robert and Kathleen Photographers / Make-up: Christina from Naomi Martinez Salon / Gown: Martina Liana / Caterer: Pavilion Catering / Cake: Cakes Unlimited / DJ: Sylvester Samuels from Atmosphere Productions / Ceremony Location: Catholic Church of St. Mark the Evangelist / Venue: The Barns at Wesleyan Hills

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Post tags: Atmosphere Productions, Cakes Unlimited, Casual Elegance, Connecticut, Martina Liana, Naomi Martinez Salon, Pavillon Catering, Robert and Kathleen Photographers, The Barns at Wesleyan Hills
Post categories: Casual Elegance

They were married in an interfaith ceremony at the New Haven Lawn Club last September …

… and was followed by an absolutely beautiful celebration of their love!

To see all the details and read the whole story, please link on over to Robert and Kathleen’s blog feature!

Congratulations Lisa and Alex!!

PRE-CEREMONY LOCATION: Omni Hotel in New Haven
CEREMONY LOCATION: New Haven Lawn Club
CEREMONY TYPE: Interfaith – Jewish/Catholic
FLOWERS: Fleur De Lys Floral
MAKE-UP: Janice Raccio from Naomi Martinez Salon
HAIR: Angela Dubreuil from Naomi Martinez Salon
PAPERY: Lauren Marinelli Design (graphic designer/sister of the bride)
BRIDAL GOWN: Alvina Valenta
BRIDE’S JEWELRY: Diamond earrings rented from Adorn
BRIDE’S VEIL: Michele Bridal Boutique in Westbrook, CT
BRIDESMAID JEWELRY: Karla Capizzano (Senior Jewelry Designer at Guess, Inc.)
GROOMS/GROOMSMEN: Men’s Wearhouse
PHOTOGRAPHY: Robert & Kathleen Photographers in Fairfield, CT
ENTERTAINMENT: Top Notch Music Productions from New Rochelle, NY
LIGHTING: Correlation Productions
CATERING: New Haven Lawn Club
CAKE: DiMare Pastry Shop in Stamford, CT

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alvina Valenta, DiMare Pastry Shop, Fleur De Lys, Lauren Marinelli Design, Men's Wearhouse, Naomi Martinez Salon, New Haven Lawn Club, Robert and Kathleen Photographers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

Today, we’re sharing one of their Connecticut weddings that, again, shows you just how truly talented these two are! And because they’ve done such a bang-up job blogging about the whole experience ~ we’re going to ask you to link over to their own blog feature of Lisa and Alex’s fall wedding at the New Haven Lawn Club to experience the joy that they share with their couples!

A short excerpt from their blog …

Only one thing was stressing her out that morning as she was getting ready for her wedding. Her hair. All the other details were in place, everyone had arrived, and the getting married part, well, that would be a breeze! …

… so it was no surprise to us that before they had their ‘first look’, he asked us about her hair. He knew she would be stressing out about it…

And so when he saw her for the first time that day, his eyes said what no words could ever express.  That is the kind of couple they are. Her joys are his. Her stress is his … even if it is about her hair …

Lisa and Alex, September 26, 2009
New Haven Lawn Club, Connecticut

We have LOTS more to show you … but until then, you can read their entire story and see the whole gorgeous day over on Robert and Kathleen’s blog!

PRE-CEREMONY LOCATION: Omni Hotel in New Haven
CEREMONY LOCATION: New Haven Lawn Club
CEREMONY TYPE: Interfaith – Jewish/Catholic
FLOWERS: Fleur De Lys Floral
MAKE-UP: Janice Raccio from Naomi Martinez Salon
HAIR: Angela Dubreuil from Naomi Martinez Salon
PAPERY: Lauren Marinelli Design (graphic designer/sister of the bride)
BRIDAL GOWN: Alvina Valenta
BRIDE’S JEWELRY: Diamond earrings rented from Adorn
BRIDE’S VEIL: Michele Bridal Boutique in Westbrook, CT
BRIDESMAID JEWELRY: Karla Capizzano (Senior Jewelry Designer at Guess, Inc.)
GROOMS/GROOMSMEN: Men’s Wearhouse
PHOTOGRAPHY: Robert & Kathleen Photographers in Fairfield, CT
ENTERTAINMENT: Top Notch Music Productions from New Rochelle, NY
LIGHTING: Correlation Productions
CATERING: New Haven Lawn Club
CAKE: DiMare Pastry Shop in Stamford, CT

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Post tags: New Haven Lawn Club, Robert and Kathleen Photographers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

{click here to see all of the beautiful images from this shoot}

From Robert and Kathleen Photographers…

Doing our first workshop in a location thousands of miles away from home may have seemed like a crazy idea, but to us it just made sense. During several trips overseas we had met with European photographers and vendors that were itching to learn more about how we do what we do. After many requests to come back and give a hands-on seminar about our style and approach to a wedding day, we decided it was time finally time to launch our very first workshop. We selected the name “Taking Off” because after completing the seminar the attendees will have the inspiration and tools they need to take their business to the next level. (It also happened to go along with our travel/airplane inspired website and blog.)

Deciding where to hold the very first of these seminars took no time at all. It had to be Paris. We knew the city would be the source of inspiration not only to our attendees and the incredible “dream team” of vendors we complied (in both the U.S. and France), but also to the tons of brides out there that are looking to add a touch of French style to their own wedding. With that in mind, we turned to the always brilliant Candice of Jubilee Events and Beth from the White Dress by the Shore who created an inspiration board of crisp, clean colors, romantic touches, a bit of high fashion and, of course, tons & tons of details.

With the help of Paris-based event planner Kim Peyt from Parisian Events, we secured a location in Paris that happened to quite spacious (a rare find in any city, especially a European one) AND include a roof deck with the most incredible view of the Eiffel Tower.  Clearly, the best location for Candice and Kim to set up our reception table and details, all of which came together to really set the tone for the day.  From the textured linens to the paper flowers and formal place settings it all seemed as each piece had been made to go together.  While the table was being decorated, our bride was being styled by Beth from The White Dress by the Shore who created a look that was absolutely perfect for Paris –  a stunning Modern Trousseau gown, dramatic veils and loads of jewels.

From Candice of Jubilee Events…

The inspiration for our shoot came from a photograph that Robert and Kathleen took on one of their first trips to Paris of a man sitting outside a newspaper stand reading with his two dogs. I loved feeling of the black and white photograph and used it in our inspiration board as a source for the color palette. We decided to do a lot of monotone colors that would feel black and white in color. The inspiration for the tablescape, linens, flowers, and paper was all developed from our own experience of Paris and the fashion inspired inspiration board we developed! Lace heavily inspired me, which can be seen in the linens on the table and the beautiful lace paper by kate’s paperie.

Photography: Robert and Kathleen Photographers / Fashion & Model Styling: Beth Chapman, The White Dress by the Shore / Event Design, Planning & Coordination: Jubilee Events / Event Planning: Parisian Events / Gown: Modern Trousseau / Jewelry: Beth Chapman, The White Dress by the Shore / Makeup & Hair: Masafumi Matsuda / Rentals: Rentals Unlimited / Tableware: Noel Collet /home / Shoes: Vouelle / / Headpieces: Twigs and Honey / Paper Cake Topper Menus and Escort Cards: Posh Paperie / Lace Paper and Floral Garlands: kate’s paperie / Floral Design: Catherine Muller / Tuxedo: Tuxego / Calligraphy: Elizabeth Porcher Jones / Cuff Links / Cake: Sugar Plum Cake Shop / Ruffled Tulle Necklace: Miss Ruby Sue / Gown Cleaning and Shoe Preservation: Madame Paulette

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 37 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: France, Jubilee Events, Paris, Parisian Events, Posh Paperie, Robert and Kathleen Photographers, Sugar Plum Cake Shop, The White Dress By The Shore, twigs and honey, Workshop
Post categories: Wedding Decor, Wedding Photography

Today, though, we’re not hunting.  Today we’re continuing on with a positively radiant Winter Wedding from this year to provide more inspiration and ideas to all of you winter planners, designers and brides!

Allison and Jason’s Wedding at the Hartford Society Room from Robert and Kathleen Photographers & BLUSH Floral Design …

from robert and kathleen photography…

A winter wedding set in the center of the city of Hartford:  The ceremony and reception took place at the Society Room, a dramatic & historic city landmark recently re-purposed as a reception venue. The building was originally a bank and some of those elements remain – the elaborate ceiling and bank vault are still intact, as are many of the mahogany features.

Many spend their days looking for that one person. That person who will understand you, will laugh at your jokes and will appreciate all those little quirks that make you … you.  THAT is a tall order. If you’re lucky ~ you find that person. If you’re REALLY lucky ~ well, you find that person early on in life and start an adventure together that you know will last a lifetime.

Ally and Jason are two of the really lucky ones.

They met in college and were were wise enough to realize that what they had found in one another was something special. They make each other smile. They make each other stronger.

As is the case with MANY couples, the morning of their wedding was filled with a case of “nerves”.  Ally & Jason opted for a “first look” … and a soon as they saw each other, they breathed sighs of relief! In a moment, all nervousness had dissolved …

They separated again right before the ceremony. This time only a few nerves came back and those quickly vanished the moment Ally’s hand was placed into Jason’s and they gazed into each other’s eyes once again.

The ballroom of the Society Room of Hartford looked even more stunning than usual because Ally & Jason brought in an extensive lighting set-up done by the team at Audio Media Solutions. The lighting was used throughout the whole day from the ceremony straight through to the reception, changing at different points to reflect the mood of the particular event or moment. The ceremony took place on the dance floor of the ballroom.  White stars were splashed across the room and the twinkle light branches created by Elisabeth at Blush Floral glowed behind Ally & Jason as they said their vows.

From the moment the reception began, the party vibe picked up! Ally & Jason spent nearly the entire night on the floor surrounded by their friends and family.

When the last song played, in the center of the dance floor, Ally wrapped her arms Jason’s neck and they held each other tight. The night may have been over, but their adventure together had just begun.

Thanks to Robert and Kathleen for sharing your blog feature and the beautiful images from Allison & Jason’s wedding day!

There’s so many more images from this wonderful eventing in their SMP Photo Gallery and on Robert & Kathleen’s blog!

Photography by: Robert & Kathleen Photographers
Dress:  Vera Wang
Make-up: Janice Raccio from Naomi’s Salon
Hair: Headline Hair Designers in Hartford, CT
Ceremony & Reception: The Society Room of Hartford
DJ & Lighting: Audio Media Solutions
Flowers: Elisabeth Zemetis from Blush Floral Design
Caterer: The Society Room
Cake: Creative Cakes by Donna
Bridesmaids Dresses: (The girls wore full-length black gowns, each selecting their own style).

Here are a few more recent weddings from Robert and Kathleen’s blog …

Meghan & Christopher’s Winter Wedding ~ Wedding Flowers: Red Roses

Sarah & William’s Wedding at the Gramercy Park Hotel, Manhattan ~ Bridesmaids in Beautiful Blue Gowns

Allison & Eric’s Christmas Wedding ~ Custom made gown from Modern Trousseau

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Post tags: Audio Media Solutions, BLUSH Floral Design, Creative Cakes by Donna, Headline Hair Designers, Naomi's Salon, Robert and Kathleen Photographers, The Society Room of Hartford, Vera Wang
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography