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From the Bride…Both Bryan and I are Michigan transplants to Chicago, and we met at a dive bar where Bryan hosted a Motown music night.  Soon after we had our first date – a sunset sail on our little boat in Lake Michigan, and we knew that we wanted to spend our summers sailing together.  Bryan purposed on a weekend trip to Portland Maine filled with Lobster Rolls and as much of the Atlantic as we could soak up.  The engagement ring was made out of jewelry from both our grandmothers and mothers.

Marrying the old and the new was the inspiration for our wedding day. We didn’t have a theme or colors we loved. We both like mixing urban elements with the outdoors.  We just went with soft romantic colors that I typically favor and all things important: food, family, friends and fun.

We chose to get married at a loft in an industrial party of the city, and our friends and family pulled their talents together to create a memorable day.  My aunt and uncle catered the food that is always present at family celebrations, my mom and sisters made the place setting from old post-cards we thirfted together and wrapped the bombonieres (Italian wedding favors) in old-timey Italian maps.  Friends designed my dress from vintage French lace, spun the records, designed and printed menus, coasters and so on.  Our cousins sung at the ceremony and a great friend (and now ordained minister) married us.  Like the rings, we kept the old and maintained some important traditions while putting our new touch into the details and out came a spectacular that truly represented our lives together.

Preparation: Hotel Allegro / Ceremony + Reception Location: Room 1520 / Wedding Photography: Dawn E. Roscoe Photography / Assistant Photographer: Kelly Shaw / Caterer, Florist + Decor: Aunt of the Bride / Wedding Cakes: Sweet Cakes Bakery / Wedding Dress: Friend of the Bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Make-up + Hair: Friend of the Bride / Jewelry: Family Heirlooms / Brooch: Thrift Store

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Post tags: Chicago, Dawn E. Roscoe Photography, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Hotel Allegro, Illinois Wedding, J. Crew, Kelly Shaw, Room 1520, Sweet Cakes, Vintage Chic
Post categories: Chicago Weddings, Illinois Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Clark totally surprised me on our first date when I opened my door and found him outside, smiling, and holding a beautiful bouquet of pink and purple tulips and a small black box.  I was totally flattered by the amazing flowers.  We had chatted on the phone on the days leading up to our date, and I had told Clark that I loved office supplies, which I chalk up to being an elementary school teacher.  I knew that this date was different and I knew that Clark really “got me” when I opened the box he brought for me and found a Staples “Easy Button!” We ended up talking the whole night at an Italian restaurant, and when they were getting ready to close, we took our date to an all-night diner where we shared dessert.  We had an instant connection and quickly realized that we were meant to be together.

Clark has the ability to make me smile like no one else can, and I am the happiest I have ever been in my life.  There are some ways that we are completely different; I have a type-A personality, and Clark is more laid back and able to calm me down.  Clark will also take time to think through his decisions, and I am much more spontaneous… which is why Clark’s proposal almost didn’t work!

In late June of 2009, Clark had purchased a beautiful diamond ring and decided to propose on a summer evening on the beach near our apartment.  The only problem is that when Clark decided it was finally time, it rained for an entire week!  When it finally stopped raining, Clark took me to the beach and brought a nice picnic.  We were enjoying ourselves, but many of my elementary students were there with their families and we kept getting interrupted.  We finally finished dinner and headed home.  Once we got home and got settled, Clark got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

I knew that I wanted to incorporated pink and purple into our wedding, inspired by those beautiful tulips from our first date.  We decided that we wanted to have a wedding that was traditional, classic, romantic, and elegant but full of fun touches that it made it our own.

Photographers: Robert & Kathleen Photographers / Hair: Catie Bane from Dana Bartone & Company / Make-up: Amy Fiordelisi from Dana Bartone & Company / Flowers: Elisabeth Zemetis from Blush Floral Design / Bridal Gown: Modern Trousseau / Lace Bolero: Modern Trousseau / Ceremony Location: Assumption Church / Reception Location: New Haven Lawn Club / Event Planning & Design: Candice Coppola from Jubilee Events / Reception Lighting: Rob Alberti from After Hours / Reception Entertainment: Bales Gitlin Band / Cupcakes: Sweet Cakes

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: After Hours, Art Deco, Assumption Church, Bales Gitlin Band, BLUSH Floral Design, Color Palette Purple Pink, Connecticut, Cookies, Dana Bartone & Company, Jubilee Events, Mondern Trousseau, New Haven, New Haven Lawn Club, Robert & Kathleen Photographers, Sweet Cakes, Vintage Chic, Wedding Bouquet, Wedding Photographers, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

Check out the full gallery for even more inspiration!

Sally and Oliver were married at the Waveny House in New Canaan, Connecticut on September 25th. Sally wore a beautiful lace Birnbaum & Bullock gown with a Maria Elena headpiece and her mother’s lace veil. Oliver and his groomsmen dawned custom grey suits with yellow ties and purple socks. The maids chose gowns in shades of grey with flower and ruffle details. They had a gorgeous evening wedding with a Jewish ceremony in the walled garden with the majestic Waveny House as a backdrop.  Guests arrived to the ceremony greeted with drinks and snacks in paper cones. Ivory pashmina’s were rolled into a rustic basket and tied with gray satin ribbon. The chuppah was planted in four garden urns with a canopy made of the families prayer shawls.

Inspired by yellow with vintage elements, we designed a garden styled affair in yellow, grey, white and black with hints of green. BLUSH created gorgeous arrangements in vintage black urns, silver mirrored vases and square concrete containers in shades of yellow. The centerpieces lined long, family styled tables with slate grey linen and white runners. Custom black and white toile napkins were folded with a menu card highlighting the evening’s meal, which included duck, short rib and mahi mahi. An oversized yellow satin bow adorned each napkin. Sally and Oliver wanted to seat their guests at each table, so we created small square place cards displayed on champagne corks with a silver headed pin. Each table had a dainty plate of chocolate artisan goodness courtesy of Knipschildt Chocolatier.

Guests danced the night away to the sounds of the Clark Eno Orchestra, sipping prosecco and highballs of mint gin fizz and pomegranate margaritas.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Cinematography: Vintage Cinema / Flowers: BLUSH floral design / Event Design, Planning, Rentals and Day of Paper: Jubilee Events / Venue: The Waveny House / Invitations: Pulp & Honey / Shoes: Joan David / Chocolate: Knipschildt / Dress: Birnbaum & Bullock / Beauty: Dana Bartone & Co. / Catering: Gourmet Galley / Band: Clark Eno Orchestra / Headpiece: Maria Elena / Cake: Sweet Cakes, Fairfield

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Birnbaum & Bullock, BLUSH Floral Design, Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Clark Eno Orchestra, Connecticut, Gourmet Galley, Jubilee Events, Maria Elena, New Canaan, Pulp & Honey, Sweet Cakes, The Waveny House, Vintage Cinema
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance, Vintage Chic

Wedding Shots by Ben Vigil and Stationery Shots by Dan Schultz

From Jen…

My good friend and baker extraordinaire, Jenny DeMartini of Sweet Cakes Atlanta, had yet to do cupcakes for a wedding. So when we told her we wanted them, and we wanted her to design them however she wanted, she came through with mini chocolate, buttercream and carrot cake masterpieces that perfectly captured the fresh, eclectic look of our décor. And, to my delight, sparrow cake toppers for our mini-cake. Our guests are still raving about the delish little suckers.

We brought in Geri Sims Productions to create a light, airy, fresh setting. The metal structure where we’d have the ceremony was rusty and weathered, so she softened it up with lots of billowing sheers and strings of crystal that hung from the trees above. We hung crisp white paper lanterns above white garden chairs.

Wedding Shots by Ben Vigil and Stationery Shots by Dan Schultz

Inside, the space was large and open, so we created little vignettes to make it feel comfortable and inviting. Since it was our gallery for the day, we lined the front walls with metal zip lines from Ikea and hung our tribute to our family members. So as guests enjoyed cocktail hour, they could mill around and look at pictures old and recent of the grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins who helped make us who we are today.

Another cute touch…the save-the-dates were flipbooks, with little animated versions of jet-packing Andy and cartwheeling me pulling down a sign that read our date to be saved.

So much more to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atlanta, Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, Ben Vigil, Dan Schultz, Georgia, Geri Sims Production, Sweet Cakes
Post categories: Contemporary, Traditional Elegance