After that, they didn’t see each other again for several years. However, as fate would have it, they met again, and they both happened to be in the right place at the right time and a college-crush developed into true love.

And yet, once again, career opportunities and obstacles got in the way, and for a while it seemed that is where this story would end. Three years of long distance phone calls and all too brief weekend trips ensued. Finally those came to a halt when Maya joined Jonathan in Northern California. Together again, they decided not to wait any longer to start a new chapter in their lives.

On May 1, 2009, among a small circle of friends and family … in a low-key ceremony in San Francisco, they were married at San Francisco’s City Hall …

After the wedding, they left for the romantic island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia, and spent an unforgettable week in paradise.

From Zoom Photography’s blog … “They found their piece of paradise watching the sunrises and sunsets from a bungalow deck, overlooking a perfectly azure lagoon.”

Ahhh Lauri …. quite the story-teller, aren’t you!

Our sincere congratulations to Maya & Jon!!

* * *

Lauri Levenfeld’s expert and powerful images are splashed all over the pages of Style Me Pretty! Her work is pure, unequivocable art. To see 15 of her MOST incredible weddings, go to her website and click on ZOOM. Then click on WEDDINGS. Then just take your pick! They’re all incredible … from California to around the globe. Pure art.

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Post tags: City Hall, Lauri Levenfeld, San Francisco, Zoom Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Lauri is the creative and ever so amazing spirit at Zoom Photography. If you’ve been with Style Me Pretty for ANY length of time, you’ve seen her features. So when she sent us some of the shots from Jennifer and Matt’s San Francisco E*Shoot we wanted to share.

Here’s a bit of their story from Lauri …

Matt and Jennifer both attended the University of California at Santa Barbara and were introduced by mutual friends. Four months after they first met, they saw each other again at a party. Riding home that evening on their beach cruisers, Matt wanted to give her a kiss goodnight, but he paused a little too long. So, teetering on her bicycle she leaned over, gave him a kiss and pedaled away!

On December 5, 2008, after six years of dating, Matt proposed to Jennifer in the Marin headlands overlooking the San Francisco skyline. Close friends were waiting at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room with champagne to celebrate their engagement!

Jennifer and Matt will be married on October 17, 2009 at the Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, California. The couple fell in love with the property’s Spanish Hacienda charm reminiscent of their time spent in Santa Barbara. They are looking forward to exchanging vows overlooking the stunning hills and autumn colored vineyards of the Carmel Valley.

Pretty darned cute! Our best wishes to Jennifer & Matt!

* * *

Lauri has a self-proclaimed obsession with weddings and babies!

Weddings:  good thing for us ~ she’s totally one of our favorites in the LBB.

Babies: good thing for her ~ because she’s a new mom and a wee bit sleep deprived!

Congratulations Lauri from all of us here at SMP!!

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Post tags: California, Engagement Shoot, Harry Denton's Starlight Room, Holman Ranch, Lauri Levenfeld, San Francisco, Zoom Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

Thank you so very much to Silvana Difranco for sending us this wedding. And to Sharla Flock who did all of the ridiculously gorgeous flowers for the day. It has made me all nostalgic for the beautiful San Francisco! And thank you to the lovely, lovely couple for letting us share in their celebration!

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Post tags: San Francisco, Silvana Dif
Post categories: Casual Elegance

So, when I saw this San Francisco wedding photographed by the lovely Silvana Difranco, I fell in love all over again. It’s a wedding that totally captures the spirit of the city… the fog, the simplicity, the effortless elegance. Love it all.

From Silvana….

All weddings are fun to me but this one was especially easy. Two very fun loving people getting together with family and friends and just enjoying the moment. I’m probably stating the obvious, but Greg and Nancy met in Hawaii! To be gracious to their guests, they decided to host their wedding in gorgeous San Francisco.

The weather changed dramatically once we arrived at the The Cliff House for the ceremony and festivities. Typical San Francisco Summer. It was good to see tropical flowers, designed by Sharla Flock, and Hawaiian attitude amongst all that fog.

We have some really fun details coming up next, so stay tuned!

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Post tags: San Francisco, Silvana Difranco
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Oh my gosh! How precious are these?

So when you have killer invitations … killer shoes … a killer dress … hmmmm …you’ve got one fabulous wedding …

Chenin at Boutwell Studio shared Lindsey and Chris’ wedding with us, not just because she knew you’d love it … but also because Lindsey is a faithful SMP bride and she found Boutwell Studio in our Little Black Book.

If the invitations weren’t pretty enough, what about the vintage mailbox?

Enough oohing and ahhhing from me.

their story, from the beautiful bride, Lindsey …

Five years after meeting at a Halloween party, Chris asked me to marry him. He proposed in the snow at Lake Tahoe. As soon as I got home, I started planning the wedding. I knew I really wanted to have fireworks, but also wanted to get married in San Francisco, which was a little bit of a problem, until I noticed that the 4th of July, 2009 fell on a Saturday. Problem solved. Once I figured that out, everything else fell into place. We chose the Fairmont atop Nob Hill because it has a large reception area at the tip top of the hotel that has panoramic views and we would be able to see all the fireworks. It’s a beautiful and historic hotel. It lent itself to the overall look and feel of the wedding, which was “vintage charm”.

The wedding was beautiful. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the fog didn’t even roll in (a rare thing in SF!). The entire day from start to finish could not have gone better.

I really had the best vendors in the world. The “A Team” I would call them. I actually found our photographer, Chenin, in the Little Black Book of vendors on SMP. Prior to the big day, we had a little bump in the road and had to switch photographers from our first one we hired. It all worked out and I could not be happier with our photos. Chenin was amazing to work with. She is so easy going and made it fun, and our pictures are killer. Our planner, Alice, helped to make the whole process-from start to finish-the best experience. I don’t know what I would have done without her. She made sure everything was perfect, and it was. Nancy did a wonderful job on the flowers, they were stunning. She went above and beyond to make my floral dreams come true, including surprising me with a second bouquet option of Peonies, which were out of season, but she tracked some down for me.

My favorite little items from the Big Day were:

Sign in Mail Box: I bought a vintage mail box (from a lady off ebay) and used vintage looking SF postcards for the sign in book. I had our guests “send” us their best wishes and memories.

Table Numbers: I saw some table numbers from a wedding (on SMP of course!) where they had scalloped cut table numbers and thought they were the cutest thing. I searched high and low for scalloped cards or a large enough punch cutter to do the job, but couldn’t find one. So I ended up buying a heavy duty die cutter and die cut each one. I know it may seem a bit silly for just some little scalloped table numbers, but I just fell in love with the idea. In the end I’m sure not many people really noticed them, but I just thought they looked so charming.

Invites and paper items: The vintage handkerchief invitations were a big hit (from Bird and Banner). Each guest received a different and unique vintage handkerchief. The other paper items (programs, menus, and candy bags) were designed by a friend of mine, who works in graphic design, and me. I loved the stripes.

Photo Booth with vintage props: are you sensing a theme here? but it was really cute. I bought a bunch of these vintage hats off ebay and a few little moustaches on sticks from etsy and everyone got really into it. The photos turned out really cute.

I thought I would be nervous or anxious, or even sad that it was going to be over, but I had a calm sense the whole day. I was just really really happy. It was a perfect day.

Wow! She’s right … just plain perfect!

Our special thanks to Alice at Grisez & Co. Event Design for helping us with all the details of the day.

The absolutely-unbelievably-drop-dead-gorgeous floral designs were by Little Black Book member, Nancy Liu Chin. Seriously, the flowers were amazing!!

And Chenin ~ your photos captured Lindsey & Chris’ wedding with a true sense of grace, charm and artistry. (ps… LOVE your website. super-cool graphics!)

Boutwell Studio has a GREAT BLOG … full of fantastic wedding eye candy!

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Post tags: Bird and Banner, Boutwell Studio, Fairmont Hotel, Grisez & Co. Event Design, Kate Spade, Nancy Liu Chin, Nob Hill, Photo Booth, San Francisco, Vera Wang
Post categories: Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Vintage Chic, Wedding Decor, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Photography

Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, is home to a diverse and vibrant congregation. One of our readers, yesterday commented on the labyrinths at Grace and so we wanted to show you a few of the photographs that Lauri took. There are two amazing labyrinths, one inside the cathedral and one outside.

We also had another comment (yesterday) asking for more images of Melissa. Here’s a great shot of her dress, designed by Jin Wang.

And a few more shots from the magnificent San Francisco City Hall where their reception was held!

Butterfly Cakes designed the elegant wedding cake. {Color images here}.

Again we thank Lauri and her second-shooter Page Bertelsen from Zoom Photography for sending us Melissa and Brano’s utterly gorgeous wedding! If you’d like to see more, Lauri has lots more images on her blog {here}!

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Post tags: Butterfly Cakes, Grace Cathedral, Jin Wang, San Francisco, San Francisco City Hall
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

Melissa & Brano’s spring wedding was at the absolutely breathtaking Grace Episcopal Cathedral in downtown San Francisco with the reception following at historic and equally magnificent, City Hall.

Lauri captured the awesome beauty of Grace Cathedral as well as the sensational details of the day …

Invitations and other beautiful wedding stationery pieces from Little Black Book member, A Day In May.

Bridesmaids dresses by the fabulous Jenny Yoo from Bella Bridesmaid.

From the beautiful bride, Melissa …

Brano proposed on a rainy February afternoon in Napa … it was a perfect proposal! We wanted our wedding to be elegant, romantic and classic. We fell in love with the grand atmosphere in San Francisco’s Grace Episcopal Cathedral for our wedding. For the reception, City Hall was an instant connection … full of charm and simply amazing architecture.

To bring out the existing elegance at City Hall, we chose gold and white as our main palette with lots of candles. Cherries Flowers helped create designs that were clean and traditional with a hint of modern. The flowers were all white with a bit of green in the bridesmaids’ bouquets to bring out the green in their dresses.

This gorgeous cake is from Butterfly Cakes.

Melissa and Brano’s stunning wedding was choreographed by Melissa Panico of MAP Events.

What a fantastic wedding party!! Melissa’s gorgeous gown is by Jin Wang.  Other wedding vendors include: Barbara Callow, calligraphy; McCall’s, catering; Jim Avila, make-up/hair.

Congratulations Melissa & Brano!!

And a huge thank you to Lauri Levenfeld and second-shooter Page Bertelsen of Zoom Photography. We kind of have to agree with Daily Candy’s quote on the front page of Lauri’s website … “If Lauri’s not available … change the date!”

Lauri is one of SMP’s Little Black Book Destination Photographers ~ for more of her gorgeous weddings, take a long look at her website and blog.

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Post tags: Barbara Callow, Butterfly Cakes, Cherries Flowers, City Hall, Grace Episcopal Church, Jenny Yoo, Jim avila, Jin Wang, MAP Events, McCall's, Page Bertelsen, San Francisco, Zoom Photography
Post categories: Bridal Party, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Photography

A few more words from the bride…

We tried incorporating the theme of nature into our event décor as well.  Our florist, Sharla Flock Designs, created stunning centerpieces with floral and natural elements including orchids, calla lilies, horsetails, ti leaves, and manzanita branches.  I had developed an interest in the manzanita after my husband and I spotted one while hiking through the woods.  As a wedding gift, my aunt created the lovely chair arrangements for the ceremony.  All of the flowers coordinated with our color palette of brown, ivory, and blush tones.

We were very fortunate to have Julie Mikos photograph our event.  She was so easy going and a pleasure to work with on the day of.  I appreciate her classic style and photojournalistic sense that really comes through in her photography.  We booked her through the studio of the wonderfully talented Lisa Lefkowitz so in a sense, I felt like we had the best of both worlds with Julie behind the lens and Lisa delivering the beautiful finished images.

* * *

Coming up, we have the Paloma’s Nest Giveaway Winner! We completely forgot to announce it yesterday so forgive our tardiness!

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Post tags: Julie Mikos, San Francisco, Tradition
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Julie Mikos for Lisa Lefkowitz Photography

From the bride…

One of the messages we wanted to convey through our wedding was our love of the outdoors.  Being one of our favorite spots in the city, Golden Gate Park was the ideal choice for our ceremony.  Our reception was held nearby at the Golden Gate Club which had the formality we were looking for yet still felt close to nature.  Located on the Presidio grounds, the venue is surrounded by lush green landscaping and towering cypress.  But what really impressed us were the two-story windows in the main ballroom overlooking a spectacular view of the San Francisco bay and Golden Gate Bridge.

Julie Mikos for Lisa Lefkowitz Photography

As a first generation Filipino-American with strong ties to tradition, it was important to celebrate my heritage.  During the ceremony, we performed the ritual of having a cord draped around our shoulders to symbolize the union of marriage.  We also customized our menu based on influences from both cultures.  Union Street Catering did a fabulous job of reinterpreting a traditional Filipino recipe which consisted of sirloin steak marinated in soy and calamansi (Asian citrus similar to a lime and kumquat hybrid).

More to come!

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Post tags: Filipino-American, Julie Mikos, San Francisco
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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!!

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Post tags: 1 Fort Mason, California, 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

From Clifford Brunk, the fabulous photographer…

The things that really stood out to me with this wedding was the clarity of the theme that the couple had for the wedding.  They had a very “Classic Hollywood” sort of feel that carried through the entire day.  Melissa had the birdcage veil, the bright red lips with porcelain skin, the long white gloves, the 30’s/40’s inspired updo, and this all matched the details and venue perfectly.  I also kept this aesthetic in mind when shooting the portraits, going for the dramatic hardlit look that was typical of the period.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Clifford Brunk, Melissa and Jon, Old Hollywood, San Francisco
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

From the gorgeous bride, Melissa…

I’m Melissa Boyd, architect in San Francisco, and I married my wonderful husband, Jonathan Bodway, also an architect in San Francisco, on July 4, 2008.  Nine months later we’re still blissfully happy with our wedding day.

Our most basic goal in planning our special day was to simply throw the best party our friends and family had ever been to.  No small feat, but for us that meant an awesome DJ and dancing all night, delicious and unexpected food, and a bar that would knock our guests’ socks off.  To that we added a quintessential San Francisco venue with views of the fireworks, the Flood Mansion, an old Hollywood glamour feel, and modern white and midnight blue accents—all layering our personality on to this special day.

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Post tags: Clifford Brunk, Flood Mansion, Melissa and, Old Hollywood, San Francisco
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Vintage Chic

And thus, her new career began! Nessa now designs custom invitations out of Lake Oswego, Oregon and has a consultation studio in San Francisco, servicing clients across the country. Whatever type or style of invitation suite you can imagine, she can help you create!

Take a look at Kelly & Nicholas’ wedding pieces that Nessa designed for their Beaver Creek wedding …

The amazing Laura Hooper, Little Black Book calligrapher designed the fantastic map (above) and did the calligraphy for this beautiful suite of wedding invitations and reception pieces! Take a look at her website … the map section, the monogram & logo section, the totes, towels & more section … well, just take a look around at all Laura’s fantastic work!

Nessa and Laura created just the perfect look for Kelly and Nick’s wedding style!

Nessa’s website is full of great examples of her designs … and … her blog … oh-my-gosh … it is chock-full of fantastic invitation advice and DIY know-how. You DEFINITELY need to check it out!

Before we go … we just wanted to give you a quick glimpse of Kelly and Nicholas’ FUN rehearsal dinner …

Thanks SO much, Nessa for showing us just how much the invitation sets the whole style for a wedding!

Check out her website and blog for tons more of her great designs and DIY advice!

Wedding Vendor Credits: Photography by Michelle Walker; Wedding Coordination by A Savvy Event; Linens from La Tavola Linens

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Post tags: Beaver Creek, Cardgirl, Cardgirl DIY, Laura Hooper Calligraphy, Oregon, San Francisco, Wedding Maps
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Loving. Every. Bit. From the gorgeous pops of color in the flowers to the ultra-cool vibe of the restaurant, this wedding is ALL chic.

The details from Erin…

Lindsay Bierbrauer and Nick Stipinovich were married June 7, 2008. This wedding was very simple but Natasha, of Waterlily Pond, helped make it elegant and completely unique. The 10 minute ceremony was held at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, so minimal decor was needed for that space. They had none of the usual wedding rituals, no cake or first dance. The couple just wanted a small dinner (50 guests) to celebrate. They rented out the uber-urban Globe restaurant in downtown San Francisco where the two are regulars.

And a bit more from Natasha…

I complemented simple but tasteful decor of the restaurant with bright exotic multicolored flowers including peonies, gloriosa lilies and orchids, and multitude of candles. Creating personal to the couple look for this warm and intimate reception with friends and family. Lindsey had so much fun, laughing as she posed for the pictures with the red motorcycle outside of the restaurant.

Fabulous!

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Post tags: Erin Beach Photography, Globe Restaurant, San Francisco, Waterlily Pond
Post categories: Contemporary, Whimsical

Lea Matheson at Simply Sparkling Events, today’s featured Little Black Book member, sent us their very delightful wedding.

from Lea … “Monica & Brandon were married on a beautiful clear day at the Marin Headlands Center for the Arts which is a component of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the San Franciso Bay Area. The Building itself is quite unique. With its grand high ceilings and artistic feel, it makes the perfect setting for a rustic intimate wedding with close friends and family. All the vendors we had the pleasure of working with for this joyful event were extremely friendly and at the top of their game. Joel and Cara with Joel Flory Photography are the perfect combination, personable and professional not to mention their photos are stunning. Katie Powers and her team contributed to the evening a whimsical vibe and a truly delicious organic dinner. To end a perfect evening of dancing and laughs, guest enjoyed the sinfully sweet cupcakes by That Takes the Cake which gives a new meaning to the phrase “sweet tooth”. As a wedding planner it is always a delight to participate in a couple’s special day, especially a couple who are genuinely happy and caring people such as Brandon and Monica.”

There’s no doubt that everyone enjoyed this very special occasion!

As Lea said, a whole new meaning to ’sweet tooth’!

Thanks SO much to Simply Sparkling Events, Monica & Brandon for sharing your very special day with Style Me Pretty!

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Post tags: California, Joel Flory Photography, Katie Powers, Marin, Marin Headlands Center for the Arts, San Francisco, Simply Sparkling Events, That Takes The Cake
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers