More of this fantastic wedding, this time as FullFrame Digital Cinema saw it…

We wanted the wedding to match our style – sweet, charming vintage chic with natural colors, rustic luxe elements and fun DIY details. Our wedding was intentionally jammed packed full of details, which makes it difficult to pick a favorite. One of my favorite details were the bridesmaid’s dresses! My family and I went around several local downtown Nashville shops and boutiques and we found each dress specifically for each girl. Initially, I was nervous because I really had to evaluate my sense of style! What if it ended up being terrible? What if they hated them? We went with our gut feeling and stuck to it. I absolutely loved each girl walking down the aisle in something that made her feel beautiful and unique. Each bridesmaid has been an instrumental part of who I have become and I wanted that to be represented. Not to mention, I wanted them to wear these dresses again!

Looking back on our entire engagement there are three things that I wish I could have done better and more consistently. The first and most important, for us, is to keep our focus off of ourselves and on the Lord. It is by his grace that Taylor and I have become who we are and this marriage is now to honor and glorify him. It is so easy to get wrapped up in and obsess over what you want for your day. In reality, marriage is designed for one purpose and that is to bring us closer to God and to make us more like him. Looking back, I wish that I wouldn’t have been so concerned with my desires and my vision but more concerned with His desires and His vision.

My second piece of advice is what people tell you from the beginning of your engagement. Enjoy every day, every idea, every frustration and every moment. This season will pass you by and you will be left wondering how you handled it and what you filled your time and heart with. Be thankful, be joyful and be present in every moment and decision that you make.

Finally, I would encourage someone planning a wedding to plan more for their marriage than they do their wedding. Yes, work hard to plan a beautiful wedding. This is one thing that women dream of for years, so yes, put time, effort and heart into it. Although your wedding is a big deal, keep in mind that your marriage is more so. Your wedding will be perfect, lovely and forgotten. Your marriage is what will endure the hardships of life, not your wedding. Work even harder at preparing your heart and mind to become a good spouse.

Photographer: Kristyn Hogan / Videographer: Full Frame Digital Cinema / Venue: Historic Cedarwood / Planning, Floral and Styling: Cedarwood Weddings / Invitations: Designs in Paper / Table numbers, seating chart and banners: DIY by bride and family / Wedding cake: Patty Cakes / Catering: A Dream Come True Catering / Ceremony Music: Rob Higginbotham and Rebecca Baumbach / Cocktail Hour Music: Mark Barnett Blue Grass Band / Reception Music: Craig Duncan Band / Dress: Alvina Valenta via Arzelles / Hair: Miracles Hair Salon / Stylist: Leslye and Dona

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Post tags: A Dream Come True Catering, Alvina Valenta, Arches, Arzelle's, Babies, Blue Grass, Bouquets, Cedarwood, Cedarwood Weddings, Craig Duncan Band, Designs in Paper, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Flower girls, Full Frame Digital Cinema, Historic Cedarwood, Kristyn Hogan, Mark Bernett Blue Grass Band, Miracles Hair Salon, Mismatched Bridesmaids, Neutral Color Palette, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Patty Cakes, Rebecca Baumbach, Rob Higginbotham, Sparklers, Tennessee, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic, Wedding Cinematography

We had a few visions for our wedding: a venue on the water, modern cocktail style reception, and a boat departure. We were lucky to have over a year to plan the wedding; it was so much fun to be creative and put our own personal spin on everything.

The biggest decision for us was location. Being born and raised in Charleston, I really wanted to showcase its beauty and my favorite aspect, the water. We decided on The Island House, a relatively new but up and coming reception venue on John’s Island. It is a beautiful property on the Stono River with a beautiful low country view. This venue is truly a best kept secret in Charleston. Once the location was booked, everything else started falling into place. We chose our vendors based on personal experiences from family and friends. They were all so wonderful to work with and did such an amazing job bringing our visions to reality.

At first the wedding seemed so far away, but once we got to six months out, time just flew by. I could never have imagined a more perfect day. We decided to have the bridesmaids get ready at my parents’ house and do all of our pictures there before the ceremony. All of the pictures are filled with scenery from a place that is so special to us. We even got a few shots with my favorite pup, JJ, a white lab! One of our favorite memories is our “first look”. There were so many exciting, anxious, and happy emotions, but once we finally looked into each other eyes we were calm and ready to take on the day. It was so awesome to be surrounded by all of our friends and family, it just would not have be the same without them. We have so many fabulous memories from that day, it was better than anything we ever imagined.

Ceremony Venue: The Citadel Summerall Chapel / Reception Venue: The Island House / Caterer: Cru Catering / Cake: D’lish Discriminating Desserts / Bar: Cru Catering / Florist & Rentals: Out of Hand Events / Music: Two 3 Ways & DJ Mahanes, Other Brother Entertainment / Photography: Virgil Bunao Fine Arts Photography / Transportation: Absolutely Charleston / Hair & Makeup: Ash & Co. / Wedding Dress: Martina Liana, Bella Vista / Bride’s Short Wedding Dress: BCBG / Wedding Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Invitations (Save the Dates): MagnetStreet / Sparklers: Sparkle / Bar Tents & Lights: Atlantic Tents / Misters: All Mist/ Film Work: Richard Photo

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Post tags: Absolutely Charleston, All Mist, Ash & Co., Atlantic Tents, Badgley Mischka, BCBG, Bella Vista, Bouquets, Centerpieces, Charleston, Color Palette Purple, Cru Catering, Cupcakes, D'lish Discriminating Desserts, DJ Mahanes, Dogs, Flower girls, Johns Island, MagnetStreet, Martina Liana, Men's Wearhouse, Other Brother Entertainment, Out Of Hand Events, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, South Carolina, Sparklers, Tented Reception, The Citadel Summerall Chapel, The Island House, Traditional Elegance, Two 3 Ways, Virgil Bunao Fine Arts Photography, Water, Water Weddings, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

After spending months searching for the perfect ring, I set out in route for Charleston on Friday, November 5th. Kate new that we were planning to go to Charleston for the weekend, but she thought we were going to celebrate homecoming at The Citadel with friends. Once we got there, we spent time together walking the streets of Charleston and reminiscing on all of the fun times we spent there. When it was time for dinner, I surprised her by driving outside of town to Middleton Place Plantation where we had reservations at their restaurant. Kate and I have always had a special place in our heart for Middleton Place, and we spent many a nights walking the grounds, sipping wine until the sun went down before heading over for dinner at the restaurant. At one point, this was a date we would have together on almost a weekly basis. Dinner was outstanding, and afterward I proposed to Kate on the plantation. It was beautiful, and she said yes!

The inspiration for our wedding was the venue itself! The simplicity of Middleton Place was really the inspiration behind all wedding colors and style. The bridesmaid’s dresses were sable to compliment the greenery around the plantation. I chose lime green, poppy, and gold as colors for the ceremony and reception.   We incorporated moss in the big S hanging behind the wedding cake and also had moss covered pots with floral arrangements on many of the tables. We had poppy colored linens on almost all tables and had a poppy and gold striped stage skirt. That was one of my favorite touches.

It is a Citadel tradition to have the Sword detail consisting 6 Citadel Cadets creating an archway of swords for us to walk under as we exit the ceremony aisle.

Stacey, Missy and the entire crew at Red Letter Events made the entire evening truly magical.They were right by my side if I ever needed them and made the evening seem effortless! Throughout the planning, Stacey listened to my thoughts and dreams and helped to make them a reality.  It was perfect!

Planner: Red Letter Events / Ceremony: Butterfly Lakes at Middleton Place / Reception: Pavilion at Middleton Place / Caterer: Duvall Catering / Bar: Duvall / Ceremony Music: Classical Charleston / Reception Music: Gentlemen & Their Lady / Photographer: Captured by Kate / Florist: Lotus / Pastry: Ashley Bakery / Rentals: Duvall, Eventworks, PDA Lighting, & BBJ Linens / Bride Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaid Dress: Badgley Mischka

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Post tags: Ashley Bakery, Badgley Mischka, BBJ Linens, Black Tie, Captured by Kate, Charleston, Classic, Classical Charleston, Duvall, Duvall Catering, EventWorks, Gentlemen & Their Lady, Lotus, Middleton Place, Military Wedding, Monique Lhuillier, Neutral Color Palette, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, PDA Lighting, Plantation Wedding, Red Letter Events, South Carolina, Southern Weddings, Sparklers, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Grab the tissues…

Our wedding day was a long time coming.  Donte and I had a distance relationship for seven and a half years and I couldn’t wait for the day when we would be together in one place.  I was never one of those girls who dreamed of her wedding day and imagined myself being a princess.  I did, however, wonder about the guy that I would marry and I knew early on in our relationship that Donte was the guy that I had always imagined.

The ceremony turned out to be more beautiful than expected, despite the rain earlier in the day.  When I got down to the end of the aisle I realized that Donte was crying, and then when he read his personal vows he bawled!  There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and it made for a heartfelt ceremony.

When it came time to plan, we almost immediately knew that we wanted a formal, sophisticated, black-tie affair.  I know that millions of other brides say that their theme is Old Hollywood Glamour, but after envisioning what we wanted, I immediately understood why other brides choose this theme.  When you think of Old Hollywood you almost always think classic, elegant, romantic…and we realized that this was exactly what we wanted.

We chose black, white, and soft pink since it’s a clean palette and very classically beautiful.  I knew that I wanted full tall and short centerpieces so I chose the simple combination of pink roses and hydrangeas to bring color into the reception room.  We know that black-tie usually equals lots of money, so we figured out a way to have a lot of elegant touches without the big price tag.  That meant a lot of DIY projects!

I taught myself how to use Photoshop by watching YouTube tutorials and designed all of our paper items and uploaded and printed them through Vistaprint.  I designed everything from the invitations, wedding announcement poster, dinner menus, programs, escort cards, the aisle runner, table numbers, etc.  The secret to having successful DIY projects is to start early.  My goal was to have a wedding that only looked expensive and I think we pulled that off successfully.  Our wedding day was truly one of the happiest, heartfelt days of our lives and one that we’ll never forget.

Photography: Inlux Photo / Ceremony & Reception: Heritage Golf Club / Flowers: Flowers on Springtree Lane / Cinematrography: Poetic Cinema / Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bridesmaids Dresses: Bari Jay / Makeup: Kelli Ramey of Beautimarkedbykelli / Hair: Michael Matteson of Square One Salon and Spa / Shoes: Me Too / Bride’s Bracelet: Rent The Runway / Cake: The Cake Studio

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Post tags: Bari Jay, BeautimarkedbyKelli, Color Palette Brown Pink, Columbus, DIY Projects, DIY Stationery, Flowers on Springtree Lane, Heritage Golf Club, Inlux Photo, Maggie Sottero, Me Too, Ohio, Poetic Cinema, Rent the Runway, Sparklers, Square One Salon and Spa, The Cake Studio, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

And if you’re in the mood for even more pretty, we have the film from Focal Point Media for your viewing pleasure…

Ashley & Mason (Excerpts) from Focal Point Digital Media on Vimeo.

From Luxe Event Productions … Ashley and Mason had a very elegant Oregon vineyard wedding at on of the most coveted places to wed in the north west, Garden Vineyards. There were a lot of great details, from flowers by Page Winograd from Vibrant Table Flowers, to simple yet beautiful place settings, again by Vibrant Table.

They day started at the Nines Hotel, doing some getting ready pictures where Ashley was photographed in the downtown Portland Park Blocks, and Mason and his men stayed at the hotel to play a little pool and relax.

We moved to Garden Vineyards, and continued the day there with live music, signature cocktails and a huge multi course dinner at sunset. From custom suits for the men to sparklers during the first dance to honeymoon in Dubai,this event was a stunner.

Full Service Wedding Coordination & Design: Luxe Event Productions / Photography: Evrim Icoz Photography / Venue: Garden Vineyards / Catering and Floral: Vibrant Table Catering and Events / Makeup and Hair: London Influence Salon / Men’s Attire: Custom from Collier, Tailored by Brent Collier / Transportation: Be So Lucky Limo / Cuff links: San Damian Collection / Getting Ready Location: Nines Hotel / Entertainment: Pressure Point Band / Videography: Focal Point Digital Media / Cake: Judy Reese Dream Cakes / Music: Duo Con Brio and A New Groove

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Post tags: A New Groove, Be So Lucky Limo, Collier, Color Palette White Brown, Duo Con Brio, Evrim Icoz Photography, Focal Point Digital Media, Garden Vineyards, Hillsboro, Judy Reese Dream Cakes, London Influence Salon, Luxe Event Productions, Nines Hotel, Oregon, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Weddings, Pressure Point Band, San Damian Collection, Sparklers, Traditional Elegance, Vibrant Table Catering and Events, Vineyard Weddings, Vintage Cars, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Grahm and I met during our Junior year at East Carolina University when I was running for Student Body Vice President. Grahm helped me campaign and it wasn’t until we graduated that we decided it was time to take our friendship to next level and begin dating.

We got engaged on July 4, 2010 and since I work in politics I decided to hold off on any planning until after the November 2010 election. Planning a wedding in six months proved to be much harder than anticipated!

Luckily with the help of our family and some incredible vendors we pulled of a wedding that we will never forget. The Highgrove Estate was the perfect “Southern” venue and allowed us the flexibility to customize our ceremony/reception and make it perfect for the two of us.

During the whole planning process I “stalked” SMP for ideas and focused on reception details. My mom is very crafty and helped with all of the diy projects from the flower balls hanging from the altar, the drink stirrers, moss monogram and sinage. These diy projects really helped us add a personal touch while staying on budget!

I was the bride that was most looking forward to celebrating at the reception and at the end of the day, the ceremony was the most magical and memorable aspect of the entire day. We were so fortunate to have my Uncle John preform the ceremony. He is an amazing speaker and very close to Grahm and I. The ceremony was incredibly personal and told stories of our childhood and the strength of marriage in our families.  It was very important to Grahm and I to include our guests so we decided to have a “blessing stone” ceremony where we gave each of our guests a stone to keep with them during the ceremony. As our guests held them they were infused with loved and then placed into a glass jar before the reception began. We now have a wonderful keepsake from our wedding and the rocks are proudly displayed on our mantle.

The entire day was a dream. From the mason jars, mini bbq sandwiches and sweet tea, the reception was just as “southern” as I imagined. After heartfelt toasts we dined “family style” and then danced the night away with our friends and family.

We are so grateful for each other and our amazing families that helped us during the process. Our wonderful vendors brought our vision to life and we cannot thank them enough. We can’t wait for the next chapter of our lives to begin!

Photography: Brent and Amanda Holloman, Millie Holloman Photography / Flowers: Suzanne Page / Event Planning & Design: DIY / Ceremony Location: Highgrove Estate / Reception Location: Highgrove Estate / Invitations: Envelopme / Shoes: Nina / Dress: Paloma Blanca / Reception Hair Piece: Etsy

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Post tags: Birdcages, Chandeliers, Color Palette Navy Pink Green, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Etsy, Evelopme, Fuquay Varina, Higrove Estate, Lanterns, Millie Holloman Photoraphy, Nina, North Carolina, Paloma Blanca, pies, Southern Weddings, Sparklers, Stripes, Suzanne Page, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

From Pineapple Productions … Susan and Ashley met while in law school at Vanderbilt University, and after spending time in New York, moved to Washington – Ashley’s hometown – just in time to start planning their wedding.  When I first met with Susan, she described wanting a quintessential Washington wedding, but one that incorporated touches of Southern charm as a nod to her own Southern roots.

The ceremony was held at historic St. John’s Church, located on Lafayette Square just steps away from The White House.  Since St. John’s establishment in 1815, every U.S. President has attended church services there.  In fact, St. John’s is popularly known as the “Church of Presidents.”

After the ceremony, Susan and Ashley led their guests on a bagpipe procession through Lafayette Park, past the White House and onto the reception venue — the Metropolitan Club.  The Metropolitan Club is another historic DC landmark, one that has welcomed nearly every President since Abraham Lincoln as well as many international dignitaries.

Susan and Ashley did a fabulous job making the club their own for the night.  As guests arrived for the cocktail hour, flutes of classic Kir Royale were passed on silver trays alongside mason jar tumblers of Bardstown Sling bourbon punch.  We utilized a distinctly Southern color palette of magnolia green, buttercream yellow and white for the cocktail hour.  Tables were dressed in buttery yellow linens and accented with a variety of distressed verdi gris containers containing magnolia leaves, buttercream garden roses and soft yellow lisianthus.

After the cocktail hour guests were invited upstairs for dinner and dancing.  Dinner was served at a variety of stations including macaroni and cheese with decadent toppings like creme fraiche, truffled mushrooms, caramelized onions and bacon.  The talk of the night though was the fish and chips station, custom created by the club, serving crispy rockfish and lobster tail along with fries in classic newspaper cones.

We utilized a mix of linens for the reception tables.  Some were covered in pale dove grey Irish linen.  Others were covered in heavier grey striped and subtly grey polka-dotted linens for a more formal look.  Flowers were all in an eclectic mix of antiqued silver containers — julep cups, compotes, trophy cups and revere bowls.  We filled the silver containers with lush arrangements of taupe, lavender, beige, pale blush, and dusty grey flowers including garden roses, double tulips, ranunculus, dahlias, eucalyptus berries and dusty miller.  The look was both timeless and distinctive.

Big Ray and the Kool Kats – a fabulous band out of Charlottesville, Virginia – provided the music for the evening. Guests danced the night away to Sinatra standards, Motown and even a little country music to keep the Nashvillians happy.  At the end of the night, guests departed with boxes of homemade chocolate chip cookies courtesy of Tate’s Bake Shop.  For a special send off, everyone gathered outside and lit sparklers in the city streets as Susan and Ashley made their way through the crowd and onto the Hay-Adams Hotel for an after party gathering.

Ceremony Venue: St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square / Reception Venue:  The Metropolitan Club / Event Planner:  Allison Jackson, Pineapple Productions / Caterer:  The Metropolitan Club / Photographer:  Kate Headley / Floral Design:  Jack Lucky / Rentals:  DC Rental / Bagpiper:  Francis Wallace / Band:  Big Ray and the Kool Kats via East Coast Entertainment / Invitations:  Crane & Company / Calligraphy/Signage:  Arney Walker Calligraphy / Wedding Cake: The Metropolitan Club / Guest Amenities:  Charm & Salt / Chocolate Chip Cookie Favors:  Tate’s Bake Shop / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaids Dresses: Simple Silhouettes / Hair: Cevat Topcu / Make Up:  Leah McKay

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Post tags: Arney Walker Calligraphy, Big Ray and the Kool Kats, Bowties, Cevat Topcu, Charm & Salt, Color Palette Navy, Crane & Company, DC Rental, East Coast Entertainment, Francis Wallace, French Fries, Jack Lucky, Kate Headley, Lafayette Square, Leah McKay, Mason Jars, Monique Lhuillier, Pineapple Productions, Simple Silhouettes, Sparklers, St. John's Church, Tate's Bake Shop, The Metropolitan Club, Traditional Elegance, Washington D.C., Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

That gorgeous dress is a Jenny Yoo, purchased from our faves, White Dress by the Shore!

I am a meeting/event planning for a large pharmaceutical company and I plan hundreds of events a year – most of them boring – so I couldn’t wait to plan our wedding and being able to make it personal to Colin and I. We got married on Memorial Day weekend at Saybrook Point Inn.

My grandfather is part of the FCM and he performed the ceremony, which was really special to us. During the ceremony we had a rose ceremony where we had two vases of roses and family members from each side added a flower to a center vase. It was suppose to display our two families becoming one. We had little bags of dried lavender for our guest to toss when we exited.

We went for a a relaxed and simple but elegant theme for the reception. Being an event planner I wanted to do as many DIY projects as I could. For the centerpieces, I collected all the candle sticks from different stores, yard sales, and eBay. I used wooden numbers so our guest could find their table.

For the candy bar I followed the same pattern by collecting jars from different stores and then ordering the candy  from a candy warehouse to match the colors of the bridesmaid dresses. I used stamps to write out the candy labels.

The escort cards were seeded wildflower paper that our guest could take home and plant. We wanted to do something other then a traditional guest book so we did a wishing tree instead. Near the end of the night we lit sparklers, an idea I got from SMP, and it was a huge hit!

Photography: Robert & Kathleen Photographers / Flowers: Gira LLc Stonington, CT / Event Planning & Design: The Bride / Ceremony Location: Saybrook Point Inn / Reception Location: Saybrook Point Inn / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Shoes: Paul Green / Cake: Pastry Fusions / Dress: Jenny Yoo, White Dress by the Shore / Table Runners: eFavor Mart / Birdcages: Save on Crafts / Hair: Beauty Entourage / Place cards: Botanical PaperWorks / Bridesmaid dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Cake Toppers: WeddingStar / Blue and Grey Straws: Etsy Sellery Dandyyou / Wishing Tree tags: Green Acres Cottage / Brides Nacklaces: Virginia Geiger Jewels / Veil: Simple Beauty Veils

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Post tags: Ballroom Wedding, Beach Wedding, Beauty Entourage, Botanical PaperWorks, Candles, Candy Buffet, Color Palette Pink Blue, Connecticut, eFavor Mart, Etsy, Flower girls, Gira LLC Stonington, Jenny Yoo, Old Saybrook, Pastry Fusions, Paul Green, Priscilla of Boston, Robert & Kathleen Photographers, Save On Crafts, Saybrook Point Inn, Sparklers, Traditional Elegance, Vintage, Wedding Paper Divas, Wedding Photography, Wedding Star, White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance