Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog

Los Angeles Wedding by Sweet Monday Photography

Erin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:30:11 +0000

It is no secret that we absolutely adore anything Sweet Monday Photography sends our way. These ladies know how to capture the best moments, the most gorgeous details and yes, even the love that is weaved throughout an event. I swear it is practically bouncing out of each and every picture. And this Los Angeles wedding is the perfect example of all the things we are smitten with wrapped up in one pretty package. Mega swoon-worthy flowers? check. Totally head over heels in love couple? double check. Perfectly gorgeous wedding that completely bumps us out of that beginning of the week funk? infinite amount of checks. Yes…it is a sweet, sweet Monday indeed. See the rest of the pretty details here.

click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride…

Michael and I are East-Coast transplants, who met on the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus commuting to Los Angeles, a rarity in LA since everyone is truly obsessed with their cars. We’d get on the same bus in the morning; I was on earlier stop than he, so there was always a free seat next to me. Soon, we became friends, and then eventually, started dating. The regular bus commuters and drivers were ecstatic when we announced our engagement. Deciding where to get married, in the Northeast where our families still live, or in California, was a hard one to make. Eventually, there were too many factors in favor of a wedding in California to ignore, including my wish to really be involved in the creative process, our church, and the fact that California was “our home” now.

Tom Colicchio’s Craft is a special place to us. Each time we go, we just have the best meal and a superb experience. We love Colicchio’s style of cooking. simple (but not simplistic), hearty, and with attention and love. The meals are served family-style so we loved the thought of our newly-joined families sharing the wedding experience over a fantastic meal. The service is incredible – Anna Morini, the private dining coordinator, and the whole staff truly know what you want/ need before you do. We were the first wedding celebrated at Craft and there was nothing that the Craft Family wouldn’t do to make our day perfect.

One lesson I learned throughout this process was to find vendors you trust and let them do their job. A bride can easily get caught up in trying to sweat the details and in that, you lose the creativity of the professional. For example, when it came time to decide flower arrangements, I met with Craft’s in-house floral designer, Matthew Sawicki. We discussed a color scheme and general ideas about what I’d like (truthfully, it was more what I wouldn’t like). However, I trusted him to use his creativity to design arrangements. I didn’t know even what flowers I would have in my bouquet. The result was centerpieces and arrangements that I could never have dreamed. The same held true for items such as our cake, the cake topper, the calligraphy, our wedding bands, my hair and makeup… state your preference (or what you wouldn’t prefer) and trust the professionals. You’ll have a better time planning your wedding. On the other hand, try to add a little bit of yourself into the wedding. Michael and I ordered personalized wooden cards from Paloma’s Nest and as part of our wedding favor, wrote a note from each of us to a guest. It was important to us that each guest know just how much we were honored that they were there to celebrate this big day with us. Their presence meant so much and we really wanted to communicate that to the guest.

Another lesson I’d like to pass on to future brides would be to trust your gut. This happened with our photographers, April and Lindsey, of Sweet Monday. They were the first photographers we went met with, and after having spent countless hours meeting with others (photos were extremely important to us), we kept comparing others to them and their exceptional work. It’s OK if you like someone on the first try—don’t think you have to turn over every stone and exhaust every possibility. You may have just lucked-out and found the right vendor on the first try. Trust yourself. Finally, last but not least by any stretch, I’d like to mention Sarah Drake and her team. As someone obsessed (seriously, it may be a condition) with all things paper, I was over the moon when I won the SMP contest. Sarah and her team worked with me to create our monogram, which was enlarged as a poster for our guests to sign at the reception, as well as the cover to our wedding programs. Sarah was creative, patient, prompt and responsive (which is huge), and just lovely to work with. She even made my thank-you cards. I’d recommend her unquestionably to anyone.

Photographers: Sweet Monday / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Headband and Veil: Justine M Couture / Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids Dresses: Aria / Hair and Makeup: Luxe Lab / Tuxedos: Men’s Warehouse / Invitations: Lilywillow Paper & Press / Rings: Bostonian Jewelers / Reception Location: Craft / Calligraphy: Kathryn Murray / Flowers: Matthew Sawicki of Datura Designs / Monogram and Ceremony Programs: Sarah Drake Design / Wooden Cards: Paloma’s Nest / Escort Card Holder: Treehouse Wood Designs / Cake Topper: Concarta

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Post tags: Aria, Bostonian Jewelers, California Weddings, Concarta, Craft, Datura Designs, Justine M Couture, Kate Spade, Kathryn Murray, Lillywillow Paper & Press, Luxe Lab, Men's Wharehouse, Paloma's Nest, Priscilla of Boston, Santa Monica, Sarah Drake, Sweet Monday, Treehouse Wood Designs
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Los Angeles Weddings, Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

From Inspiration to Reality: The Design, III

Abby Larson — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:04:04 +0000

I am in awe of what the vendors behind our From Inspiration to Reality feature have done to date. More than in awe really. I am excited, humbled, thrilled, shocked (in a good way) and always surprised by what they bring to the table. And this photoshoot, inspired by Shawna’s inspiration board, definitely made me smile from the top of my head down to the tips of my toes. A HUGE thank you to Megan Fickling of La Partie Events and Lindsey + April of Sweet Monday Photography, along with the full list of way-too-talented vendors below. This was a day of wedding heaven on SMP and we really couldn’t be any more excited.

{click here to see all of the images}

In an effort to stay as close to “reality” as possible, we created many of the other details of the day ourselves. Napkins were sewn by hand from fabric bought in Los Angeles’s garment district, as were the burlap and silk table runners. Milk glass and cake plates were gathered from our own collections. While the silverware was purchased new especially for the shoot, it could just as easily have come from a thrift store (granted, collecting vintage silverware for 150 people would be pricey!) or rented. The wedges of cheese were wrapped in inexpensive but lovely muslin, and tied with baker’s twine. Our biggest undertaking was the backdrop we created for our ceremony! Again, we used inexpensive cotton fabrics and burlap and attached them to a wooden backdrop. It was time consuming, but super fun to work on, and very inexpensive. We’d love to see more brides incorporate custom backdrops into their ceremonies or receptions. A nice way to personalize and spice up an outdoor event!

The Vendors

Styling and Coordination: Megan Fickling of La Partie Events + Lindsey Hinderer & April Killingsworth of Sweet Monday Photography / Photography: April Killingsworth & Lindsey Hinderer of Sweet Monday Photography / Flowers: Megan Fickling of La Partie Events / Cake & Sweets: Amy Berman of Vanilla Bake Shop / Stationery & Paper: Megan Gonzalez of MaeMae Paperie / Calligraphy: Kathryn Murray / Make & Hair: Jaimi Brooks of Fiore Beauty

The Good Stuff

Birdcage Veil: Le Chic Studio / Chairs: Fete Accompli Events / Sea Salt Caramels: Little Flower Candy Co. / Pies – Dupar’s / Cheese: The CheeseStore of Silverlake / Bridesmaid’s Dress: Anthropologie / Wedding Gown: Edgardo Bonilla / Plates and rubber lace Coasters: Gretel

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fiore Beauty, From Inspiration to Reality, Kathryn Murray, La Partie Events, MaeMae Paperie, Sweet Monday, Vanilla Bakeshop
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

From Inspiration to Reality: The Design, II

Abby Larson — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:15:03 +0000

I am just going to dive right into today’s featured From Inspiration to Reality Shoot by the FAB Megan Fickling of La Partie Events and Sweet Monday Photography‘s adorable (and crazy talented) duo April and Lindsey. Because really, the photographs all speak for themselves…and their absolutely perfect, totally girly, totally chic perfection. To see Shawna’s inspiration board that started it all click here. And if you’re anything like me and seriously can’t wait to see all of the images, click here.

We always think it’s a good idea for couples to start planning the look and feel of their day based around what aspect is most important to them, and for us, that was the FOOD! Our design began to come together as we discussed ideas for the sweets table and the guest favors. We knew we’d have some pies, but we also wanted to incorporate some other treats, and the bundt cake and sea salt caramels made their way into the plan. We brought Amy from the wonderful Vanillla Bake Shop on board to create a cake that would be a perfect mix of the down home feel of the rest of our desserts and the more glam elements we were bringing in with the rest of the shoot. Once we found a perfect pink birdcage veil for our bride, Amy gave our cake a veil of it’s own! For our favors, we selected artisan cheeses and gave each guest a wedge of their own, along with cheese knives and mini graters.

Next we brought in Megan Gonzalez of MaeMae Paperie and calligrapher Kathryn Murrayy to create the paper goodness that would tie all the parts of the day together. Especially when incorporating several different “feels” in a wedding, as we did, it’s wonderful to have a suite of paper elements to unify the look, from the invitation through the reception.

The Vendors

The Good Stuff

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Post tags: Fiore Beauty, From Inspiration to Reality, Kathryn Murray, La Partie Events, MaeMae Paperie, Sweet Monday, Vanilla Bakeshop
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

From Inspiration to Reality: The Design

Abby Larson — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:21:39 +0000

Okay, kids. Now is the time to grab that cup of coffee and find a very comfortable seat. And if you’re at work and there is no such thing as a comfortable seat, just make sure your boss can’t see you because you are going to be swooning hard in one very short second. This shoot was put together by Megan Fickling of La Partie Events, along with Lindsey and April Killingsworth of Sweet Monday Photography, and is pretty much…all of my dreams come true. Especially the dress. And the really cute pink and navy palette. And the cake. And the flowers.

{click here to see the inspiration board that started it all}

In searching through the inspiration boards for our favorite, the first thing we fell in love with about the board Shawna created was the dreamy color palette. We were drawn to the contrast of the dark berry with the pale shades of pink. We also loved that the elements in the board appealed to both our homey sides (those pies!) and our glamorous sides (that dress!), and we hoped that in order to keep things fresh, we could inject a little bit of a modern feel into the shoot as well.

As wedding vendors and former brides, we know all too well how easy it is to blow your wedding budget – things add up fast! In conceiving this shoot, we really wanted to try as much as possible to keep things realistic overall. We did allow ourselves a few splurges – namely, Ghost chairs for the table and some seriously gorgeous flowers for the centerpieces and bouquets, but we know that in an actual wedding with 20 plus tables, those items alone would eat up a large portion of any budget. So for the rest of the shoot, we tried as much as possible to sway toward the “reality” side of things, and choose just a few things that we felt were really important to the overall look.

The Vendors

The Good Stuff

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Post tags: Fiore Beauty, From Inspiration to Reality, Kathryn Murray, La Partie Events, MaeMae Paperie, Sweet Monday, Vanilla Bakeshop
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

From Inspiration to Reality: The Board

Abby Larson — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:43:22 +0000

Today is ALL about eye candy. Really gorgeous, really girly, really REALLY perfect eye candy. It’s time for another From Inspiration to Reality shoot! But before we get to the incredible details and design that Megan Fickling of La Partie Events, along with Lindsey and April Killingsworth of Sweet Monday Photography, put together (full vendor list below), I thought we should take a moment to obsess of the gorgeous board that inspired it all. What makes it even more special is that SMP’s own Shawna Brinkley was the designer behind the creation!

Vendors who participated on the upcoming shoot…

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fiore Beauty, From Inspiration to Reality, Kathryn Murray, La Partie Events, MaeMae Paperie, Sweet Monday, Vanilla Bakeshop
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Inspiration Boards

Los Angeles Wedding by Sweet Monday Photography

Elaine — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:12:59 +0000

Shot by the incredibly talented ladies of Sweet Monday Photography, this wedding in downtown Los Angeles is truly a jaw-dropper. Beautiful flowers, an AH-mazing venue, and a couple that will make your heart melt. It’s the whole package…

From Sweet Monday…

Melissa & Chris were married at Café Pinot in Downtown Los Angeles, which was so perfect because they live in NYC. Melissa grew up in SoCal and most of her family lives here, so it worked out great for them to get married close to home but still have the urban vibe that really represents them as a couple. We just loved this wedding so much, not just because of the cool location, amazing light, awesome dress, etc. but these are just the nicest people you’ll ever meet and they are so much in love and I think it really shows in the photos.

I am beyond amazed by Café Pinot. Such a stunning location and the decor could not have been more perfect for a warm California evening. Seriously, so gorgeous. I also kind of have a love-affair with city weddings. Something about the modern backdrop and the timeless beauty of the couple is just so breath-taking. Look at these two, aww…

Credits: Coordinators: Cori Sponagle at Corinne Sponagle Wedding & Event Planning and Cynthia White at The Patina Group, Dress by Pronovias, Suit by Sean John, Flowers: Mr. B’s Flowers, Cake by Crumbs Cupcakes, Rentals (linens, chairs, stage, lighting, etc…) from Signature Party Rentals, Music by High Rize, DeBois Entertainment

If you’re dying to see even more of these unbelievable photos head on over to Sweet Monday’s blog to take it all in. Thank you very much to April and Lindsey from Sweet Monday Photography and a great big congratulations to Melissa & Chris on their marriage.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cafe Pinot, California Weddings, City, City Wedding, Lanterns, Los Angeles, Orhcids, Sweet Monday
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Chic, Beach Wedding by Details, Details, II

Abby Larson — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:50:45 +0000

So, if you haven’t already fallen head over heels in love with the wedding that we are featuring, this next post is sure to do you in. Designed and planned by the fabulous Shelly Wakefield of Details Details and photographed by our forever talented photographers at Sweet Monday, the wedding is a lesson in all things fabulous.

The wedding was held in Malibu at the Sunset Restaurant. And just as you would expect from a couple this chic, the wedding was all about style. The talented team at White Lilac made sure that every flower was perfect, every tablescape stunning. And, it’s this perfect balance of city sophistication and a relaxed beach vibe that I love so much. Bottom line, it’s total awesomeness.

To see even more from this wedding, check out Sweet Monday’s blog. Oh and that incredible cake? Who else but Vanilla Bakeshop! SUCH a fun day of fashion inspired posts. Loved every bit of it!

to see the full gallery, click here!

* * *

A quick note for those of you that applied for the open positions…we received literally hundreds of resumes, so it is going to take us a while to give the TLC that each one deserves. We’ll have an update to you by next friday!

Oh and we are keeping our fingers crossed that our new fashion tool will be out the door for you to use on Monday! Say a little prayer for us!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 28 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California Weddings, Details Details, Fashion, Malibu, Meriah, Monique Lhuillier, Sunset Restaurant, Sweet Monday, Vanilla Bakeshop
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Whimsical

Fabulous Wedding Dresses

Abby Larson — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:26:19 +0000

Over the last couple of days, I have been on a ridiculous hunt for brides that are ROCKING their wedding dresses. I’m not just talking about pretty dresses, I’m talking holy-cow-gorgeous dresses. The dresses that literally make you cry.

Why you ask? Well, the crazy search is in anticipation of a brand spanking new, fashion inspired tool that we are launching in the next few days…that is sure to make you REALLY happy. It’s going to be good, but I can’t share too much just yet.

Anyway, when I saw this stunning bride and her amazing dress over on Sweet Monday, I knew it was a keeper. Photographed by the fabulous, fabulous, fabulous Sweet Monday, the showstoppingly gorgeous dress is by Pronovias…

And if that dress wasn’t great enough, the bride changed into this amazing pink ruffled gown for the reception. UM, hello! How cute is she? And the groom. Oh, how I love them!

To see the whole spread, head on over to Sweet Monday’s Blog. It’s SO worth the trip!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Pronovias, Sweet Monday
Post categories: Wedding Dresses