Tommy and I knew we wanted our wedding to be at the beach. If felt like we looked at every possible venue from San Francisco to San Diego before we found the perfect site: the Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club located in Redondo Beach. We wanted our wedding to be beach chic; I used white flowers infused with pops of color to highlight the beautiful natural setting. The wedding favors were cookies from our favorite local baker, Isabella’s Cookie Company.  Since we were on a budget, I enlisted the help of a friend to create the rehearsal dinner invites and schedules for the bridal party. Paper Source became my new favorite store as I created DIY escort cards and table numbers.

Weather in the South Bay is usually pretty mild and predictable but on the day of our wedding there was a high wind advisory. We were happy that we stuck with our original plan to have the ceremony outside and to take pictures at the Manhattan Beach pier beforehand. Despite a few misplaced strands of hair, we were so happy with the pictures. All our vendors were phenomenal to work with, and were able to adapt to the last minute curve ball the wind threw us.

Planning a wedding from across the country on a budget would have been impossible without the help of Katie Tiffany from Tiffany Weddings.  I strongly recommend any bride who is planning a wedding in a different state to hire a wedding planner. They will help manage the stress of wedding planning and attend any meetings on your behalf.

Photography: Kaysha Weiner Photographer / Flowers: Rebecca’s Bloomers Floral Design and Decor / Event Planning: Tiffany Weddings / Ceremony & Reception Location: Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club / Invitations: Bella Figura / Dress: Adele Wechsler / Make-Up & Hair: Serene Bridal Beauty / Favors: Isabella’s Cookie Company

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Post tags: Adele Wechsler, Beach Wedding, Bella Figura, California, Casual Elegance, Chandeliers, Color Palette Blue White, Isabella's Cookie Company, Kaysha Weiner Photography, Pearls, Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club, Rebecca's Bloomers Floral Design and Decor, Redondo Beach, Serene Bridal Beauty, Signature Cocktails, Starfish, Tiffany Weddings, Wedding Stationery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

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And if those magical photographs weren’t enough…please, take a peek at this baby by Goodwin Films…

Elsie & Jeremy | May 15th 2011 from Goodwin Films on Vimeo.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the crazy talented bride… When Jeremy and I envisioned our wedding day, we wanted it to be really personal. I’m a designer and he’s a song writer, so we spent a lot of time and energy on pretty visuals and our music selection. I own a boutique and we chose to host our ceremony on the third floor of our building, above my shop. The space is open with huge windows and peeling wallpaper. The ceilings are partially exposed. It’s a really amazing old building. We loved the idea of holding our ceremony here because we knew we’d be the first couple ever to get married in that spot! Our aisle was covered in white feathers and the flower girls threw colored feathers as they walked down the aisle.

My sister walked down the aisle with her puppy. That was our “something borrowed” from a friend’s wedding last year. Our family has a love for pugs (we have three) so I’m happy that one of them got to walk down the aisle!

For the dresses I chose vintage lace inspired dresses with bright jewel toned tights. The girls had amazing beehives and looked like they came straight out of a 50s movie! My dress was by Orla Kiely. She’s my all time favorite designer, so it only seemed right.

After our rehearsal dinner we had a bouquet making party. All of the girls made their own bouquet. I loved how each one was different. We made velvet flowers and mixed them with roses, daisies and feathers. I made all the boutonnieres with pretty feathers I found on Etsy. They were really fun to make and even cuter than flowers, I thought. I made my grandmothers’ corsages with feathers and vintage brooches and our mothers’ bouquets with feather birds.

Our reception was styled with vintage lamps, lace and jewel tones. My favorite details were the raspberry cupcakes and the hand painted holga cameras on the tables. We chose signature cocktails and my favorite was the raspberry mojito. For dinner, we chose heart shaped pancakes.

My favorite memory from the reception was when we were dancing. I told Jeremy that I was so happy and he said, “I’m sad it’s almost over.” I thought that was cute. Always a good thing to hear from your husband after so many long months of wedding planning!

In our memories the day has a warm glow about it. We loved every moment!

Wedding Photography: Arrow & Apple / Cinematography: Goodwin Films / Wedding Ceremony Venue: Red Velvet (The Bride’s Boutique) / Wedding Reception Venue: Savoy Ballroom / Wedding Reception Design: Sharon Taylor and Stylizing by Kendra Skinner of Lonie Mae /Bride’s Shoes: Harajuku Lovers via ModCloth (Red Shoes) + Swedish Hasbeens via Olivine Atelier (Silver Shoes) / Bride’s Dress: Orla Kiely via BHLDN / Hair: Holly Neufeld + Sarah Lockhart / Wedding Invitations: Ello There / Flowers: DIY, The Bridesmaids / Desserts: Emma Chapman, Sister of the Bride / Engraved Forks: Lisa Leonard / Gelato: Gelato Mio / Fringe Banners: Nice / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vintage + ModCloth / Bride’s Head Piece: Vintage / Men’s Ties: Vintage

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 104 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 1950's Style, A Beautiful Mess Blog, Aqua, Arrow & Apple, Balloons, BHLDN, Blue, Candy Bar, DIY Flowers, Ello There, Emma Chapman, Feathers, Gelato Mio, Goodwin Films, Jewel Tones, Lisa Leonard, Missouri, Mod Wedding, ModCloth, Nice, Olivine Atelier, Orange, Orla Kiely, Paper Streamers, Pickwick House, Purple, Red, Red Velvet, Savoy Ballroom, Signature Cocktails, Springfield, Swedish Hasbeens, Velvet Flowers, Vintage Chic, Whimsical, Yellow
Post categories: Vintage Chic, Whimsical

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… We envisioned a wedding that was uniquely us.  We didn’t want a theme.  We are eclectic people who like to mix and match and wanted our wedding to reflect that.  Color was really important to us.  Originally, we really wanted to do an Indian tent but found that was going to be way out of our budget.  We started searching the internet for Indian table cloths, to achieve a similar look and feel, and ended up finding very affordable Indian bedspreads that could act as table cloths. This was the beginning and centerpiece of our wedding aesthetic.

A few other touches, instead of having the regular table numbers, we hand painted animal silhouettes.  We collect a lot of animal art at home, so we wanted to reflect that in our wedding.  For gifts, we made everyone pickles months in advance because we love pickles and had a fun time with friends helping us get those done.

Additionally, David, my husband, made two specialty cocktails that reflected our personalities. The Groom’s Cocktail included smoked bourbon (made at home using an aquarium pump to bubble smoke into the bourbon), home-made grenadine, and black pepper. The Bride’s cocktail included Prosecco, blood orange juice, and basil-infused vodka.

As for my wedding attire, I knew that I wanted a very simple dress and for the accessories to stand out.  This is generally the way I like to dress.  My mom has an antique jewelry business, so I knew I had many beautiful pieces to pick from – I knew I wanted color in my jewelry.  I felt stuck about what kind of shoes I wanted for a long time, but found these beautiful Anya Hindmarch gold shoes at a discount stores and I just knew.

An old friend of mine from around town was in this awesome Brazilian band we had heard a few times before, and we just knew that their sound was right for our wedding.  Celebratory, colorful, and vibrant.

In terms of flowers, I collaborated with the florist wanting a lot of greens of various shades and textures with pops of different color – no pastels and mix and match.  The insides of the glass rounds were lined with moss – I loved them.

One of the most important features of our wedding was our photographer.  Katherine’s style really fit with what we were going for – she does beautiful work.  She really understands color and captures the intimacy and celebratory nature of the wedding.

Our wedding was awesome.  The style of our wedding and the warmth of having all of our family and friends there made it a success.  It was intimate, stylish, and vibrant.

Wedding Photography: Katherine O’Brien Photography / Venue: French Legation Museum / Wedding Coordination: Jessica Caplan of Novel Concepts Events / Floral Design: Janine’s Florals / Catering: Pink Avocado / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Music: James Filon + Seu Jacinto / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Anya Hindmarch / Jewelry: Lynne Brody Antiques / Hair: Rachel at Frenchy’s Beauty Parlor / Groom’s Cufflinks: Vintage, Oleg Cassini / Bride’s Wedding Ring: St. Kilda Jewelry / Bride’s Engagement Ring & Groom’s Wedding Ring: Custom by Steve Kriechbaum

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Post tags: Anya Hindmarch, Austin, Bright Colors, David's Bridal, DIY Projects, French Legation Museum, Frenchy's Beauty Parlor, Ilios LIghting, Indian Inspired Wedding, James Filon, Janine's Florals, Katherine O'Brien Photography, Lynee Brody Antiques, Novel Concepts Events, Oleg Cassini, Outdoor Ceremony, Paper Lanterns, Pink Avocado, Seu Jacinto, Signature Cocktails, St. Kilda Jewelry, Steve Kriechbaum, Tented Reception, Texas, TX, Vibrant Wedding
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Whimsical

Eclatante’s Kendall Brown and Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Bloom collaborated with today’s stunning bride, Roseann and her mother, Rosemary to create a super-chic, super-warm, super-fabulous wedding and reception … and they sent it to us … to share!  The day was documented, forever, by the amazing photography team at Marie LaBanncz Photography.

And now … Plan B! It rained buckets on Roseann & Paal’s wedding day. Thanks to the quick-thinking Kendall Brown … their post-wedding shoot turned into something that we will never forget!!

from Marie Labbancz … at Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia … Roseann & Paal.

A huge thanks to Becky at The Fawcett Group!

Kendall & Donna … unbelievably chic!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beautiful Blooms, Chic, Eclatante, F.U.E.L., Fawcett Group PR and Marketing, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Signature Cocktails
Post categories: Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Resources