After eleven months of bliss Marc and I decided to go on vacation to my favorite vacation spot growing up – Hawaii. On the second day of our trip Marc told me he had booked a photographer to take professional photos to satisfy my mom who was always complaining that she didn’t have any (I hate taking pictures!). We went down to the beach to meet with the photographer and had a blast being silly and posing for forty five minutes. When we were done the photographer said goodbye and Marc escorted me to a private hut on the beach. There were yellow rose petals on the sand leading to the dinner table set for two. There were menus with our names on them with all of my favorite foods listed. As soon as we were fully in the hut Marc got down on one knee and tried to recite something he had written earlier but ended up getting out the words “will you marry me.” We both were crying with joy and embraced for what felt like a few hours but in reality was only a few minutes. The photographer returned to our watery faces for some shots after the monumental moment. We then enjoyed a delicious private feast on the beach in Kauai! At the end of the evening we returned to our hotel room covered in roses and on the bed roses in the shape of a huge heart.

Marc and I immediately bonded over our love of food. Marc graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and owns and runs his own catering company. Marc spends his time planning and executing other people’s parties. He was so excited to finally be able to plan his own!

We had a vision of getting married by the water – we find the water to have a very calming and romantic presence. I have lived on the upper west side of Manhattan for the last five years and loved sunny days eating and drinking at the boat basin on 79th Street. After ruling out a few places due to number constraints and overall feel I walked Marc over to the Boat Basin thinking it could be a great venue for us if his company would be allowed to cater there. As luck would have it they allowed him to cater and the date they had available was perfect for us!

In five months we were able to put it all together and our reality wedding was better than all of my dreams. It was an amazingly sunny, 62 degree day in the midst of fall in NYC. Marc and I didn’t do the big wedding party – as it was too much of a hassle and we didn’t want to tell our most loved ones what they could and couldn’t wear. His brother was his best man and my best friend was by my side all day and night. Our attire on the invitations read “Cocktail wear with a nautical flare” Our vision was since this was a boat basin it should have a nautical feel. My maid of honor wore red, while my mother wore navy. We had a life ring made with our names and the date for people to pose with as they entered the ceremony to give it a feel of a forced cruise entrance photo.

The food was really at the heart of the party. We were very focused on having fun delicious food that everyone could enjoy. Our cocktail hour included a raw bar as well as passed micro lobster rolls, kobe beef sliders, mini fish tacos, tuna ceviche, pecking duck crepes, Panko chicken frites, and Vietnamese summer rolls. We had two signature drinks passed which were the drinks we enjoyed on our first date – dark and stormy and mojitos. Our meal at dinner was served family style since we really wanted everyone to be able to try everything and experience an interactive dining experience. Each table was served two different salads as an appetizer. For the main course we chose braised beef short ribs with macaroni and cheese and glazed heirloom carrots as well as seared ahi tuna with Himalayan red rice over a roasted wild mushrooms and endamame.

Dessert was very important to me – as my sweet tooth is very well known by everyone who has ever met me! My favorite cookies were layered rainbow cookies. I asked Marc if we could make a cake out of these cookies and before I knew it we had ordered two sheet trays of the cake, then cut them into cookie bites, layered them to resemble a cake and vwhala! Our cake cutting was so fun! Marc took a cookie off the pile and we shared our first one. Immediately following was a free for all of everyone just taking a cookie off the pile that resembled a cake. They were so moist and delicious – the best rainbow cookies I have ever tasted! We had a dessert table filled with all of my other favorites: micro ice cream sandwiches, banana pudding, lemon glazed cake doughnuts, peanut butter mouse pretzel cups, pistachio, chocolate orange, and almond biscotti’s, and assorted fruit.

The ceremony took place under a Chuppah that has been in Marc’s family for over 100 years. It was from Marc’s Great, Great Grandmother who started her own temple in Montreal. Music was very important to us as well. The song we exited the ceremony to was hakuna matata from the lion king. Our first dance was to our favorite song “give into me” sung as a duet.

The wedding day as a whole was point blank the best day of our lives. A very vivid memory is Marc and I getting ready. We both got ready in our apartment with Dori, the maid of honor. Dori had the job of keeping us separated so that we would not see each other before the grand reveal for the cameras. While Dori was helping Marc with his bowtie in the other room I was standing nervously alone in the dining room. All of a sudden Marc screamed “Erica” to which I replied “Yes?” – then he said “I love you.” In that moment my anxiety and fear disappeared and I became overwhelmed with joy with the reminder of what this day was about; committing to spend the rest of our lives as best friends together forever.

Photographer: Jonathan Hanson, ReadyLuck / Videographer: Bruce Cullen / Floral Designer: Banchet Jaigla of Banchet Flowers / Event Design & Planning: On The Marc Events & The Spark Group / Makeup: Jackie Gomez / Caterer: On The Marc Events / Cake & Desserts: On The Marc Events / Wedding Gown Designer: Monique Lhuillier / Band: Marianne Bennett / Venue: The West 79th Street Boat Basin Café

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Banchet Flowers, Bowties, Bruce Cullen, Calla Lilies, Chuppah, Fall Weddings, Food, Jackie Gomez, Jewish Weddings, Manhattan, Marianne Bennett, Monique Lhuillier, Nautical, New York, New York Weddings, On The Marc Events, Outdoor Ceremony, Readyluck, The Spark Group, The West 79th Street Boat Basin Cafe, Traditional Elegance, tulips, Water, Waterside, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

When we got engaged, Lee said that he’d found his southern belle, though not exactly true, I’m from Southern California, not the deep South!  I met and married a charming Tennessee boy in the city where we fell in love and now live, San Francisco.  With our nearest and dearest traveling from near and far, we decided to create a wedding that celebrated the City.

Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral is the oldest Catholic cathedral in California and is truly a blessed location, built in 1854, the outer walls and bell tower were just about the only things in downtown SF that withstood the shaking and fires after the great 1906 earthquake.  The priest who married us, Father Bart, was perfect too—he is a Catholic Southerner!  During our engagement, Father Bart took the time to get to know us and his homily was spot on.  He had the congregation laughing with him and our ceremony could not have been more special.  We fell in love with the Ferry Building as a venue—it’s a historic building on the water with beautiful views of the Bay Bridge and the added bonus was that Paula leDuc Fine Catering is the exclusive caterer.

Once we had a date, the venue and the church, it was time to start thinking about the details!  After searching through all kinds of poof and lace at bridal salons throughout San Francisco, I finally found a dress that fit my personality at Priscilla of Boston.  From the minute I tried it on, I knew my search was over.  I then began working with the fabulous husband and wife design team, Samantha and Owen Troy, the brains behind Designs des Troy.  They created every printed piece imaginable from our save the dates and invitations, to the table cards to the welcome bag letters.  All in all, they created 25 unique icons to represent some of our favorite landmarks in San Francisco which we later used on each of our tables in lieu of simple table numbers. Their work was simply stunning!  Classic Cable Cars trotted our guests from the hotels to the church and back to the celebrate at the Ferry Building in style.  Tainted Love was on board to ensure the dance floor was rocking all night long with fabulous 80′s tunes—and they did not disappoint.

Then, we were in over our heads.  We brought on Amy Nichols Special Events to provide creative feedback, make vendor suggestions and orchestrate our wedding weekend with pizzazz!  Amy put me in touch with Emily from Soulflower, thank goodness.  Emily was able to take my lack of floral knowledge and comments like, “I like these, but not this” and create a beautiful ambiance.  Paula Le Duc put together a menu including the finest seasonal and local ingredients.  They even paired local wines to match perfectly with the meal.  Simply perfection.  Gerhard Michler created a delicious cake with multiple flavored tiers for when guests needed a sweet bite between dance moves.  Thanks to Lori Paladino and her talented team, we have lasting memories of a beautiful evening!

It was a night I will never forget!  But, most importantly, none of this would have been possible without my parents.  They truly believe that love is something that should celebrated, and so they threw one hell of a party!

Photography: Lori Paladino Photography / Ceremony Venue: Old St. Mary’s Church / Reception Venue: Ferry Building / Event Planner: Amy Nichols Special Events / Caterer: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Floral Design: Soulflower Floral Design / Band: Tainted Love / Lighting: Got Light? / Cake: Gerhard Michler, Creative International / Stationery: Design des Troy / Transportation: Classic Cable Car / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Shoes: Jimmy Choo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Nichols Special Events, California, City Wedding, Classic Cable Car, Color Palette Navy Green White, Color Palette Navy White, contemporary, Design des Troy, Ferry Building, Flower girls, Gerhard Michler Creative International, Golden Gate Bridge, Got Light, Jimmy Choo, Lori Paladino Photography, Old St. Mary's Church, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, Priscilla of Boston, San Francisco, Skyline, Soulflower Floral Design, Summer Wedding, Tainted Love, Trolley, tulips, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog

Check out the entire image gallery here!

From Wednesday, Inc. We embraced the approach of spring with vintage umbrellas and a handcrafted shower to create a scene that felt very dream-like and intimate, while still maintaining a strong sense of play. The ceremony was held in a sophisticated loft in downtown Fort Worth. Dramatic windows offered perfect natural light for our afternoon ceremony, and umbrellas hovered above the scene to offer a delicate touch of whimsy. The setting for the reception could not have been more picturesque! Our cozy table sat on top of a hill in a park overlooking the Fort Worth skyline. It was undeniably a site for sore eyes!
Teacups overflowing with ranunculus and french tulips doubled as table decor and favors for the guests. The flowers, provided by Kate Foley Design, were truly my favorite part of the day and tied everything together perfectly.

Event Design and Paperworks: Wednesday Inc. / Florals: Kate Foley Designs / Photography: EE Photography and Amanda Marie Portraits / Bakery: The Pie Place / Models: Crystal and Sammy, Brandi and Tyler / Brides Dress: Ella Bleu / Bow Ties: Nerds of a Feather

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 31 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amanda Marie Portraits, EE Photography, Ella Bleu, Etsy, Fort Worth, Intimate, Kate Foley Designs, Natural, Nerds of a Feather, ranunculus, Spring Wedding, The Pie Place, tulips, Vintage, vintage umbrellas, Wedding Favors, Wednesday Inc., Whimsy
Post categories: Photo Shoot

click here to see the full spread of gorgeousness!

Ariel and Andrea wanted a carefree and genuine, yet chic affair for their family and friends.  The Miami residents were looking for casual comfort and achieved this by creating lounging nooks both inside and outside of the Pierre’s oceanfront venue. Crisp white lounge furniture groupings were accentuated by their accent colors of navy blue and yellow for that “nautical chic” look. The dining room at Pierre’s was transformed with elegant and clean designs featuring white french tulips along with breakaway vases cascading across the table showcasing white hydrangeas, polo white roses and white irises.  The final touch of class came from an extravagant amount of multi-level candles which created the perfect romantic feel. The couple shared their first dance in the sand surrounded by guests holding sparklers.

Photography: KT Merry / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier / Event Planning: Divine Design by Guerdy / Floral + Decor: Ocean Flowers / Venue: Pierre’s, Islamorada / Make-up + Hair: Sobe Studios, Amy Palma / Officiant: Joaquin Perea / Cake: Ana Paz / Linens: Panache Party Rental

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ana Paz, Ballroom, Beach, Diine Design by Guerdy, Florida, Islamorada, KT Merry, Lace, Monique Lhuillier, Ocean Flowers, Panache Party Rental, Pierre's, Restaurant, Sand, Seaside, Sparklers, tulips, White
Post categories: Florida Weddings, Key West, Traditional Elegance

from Jesse and Whit’s blog …

Sometimes i take a break from my day and write a little what-i-am-thankful-for list and this past month jacqui and lachlan were on the top of my list. they are the kind of people that shine the light and no matter what kind of day you are having, they will rub right off on you. so needless to say…the whole wedding went like this. completely filled with light and love ...

… we already felt like old friends when the wedding began. our first meeting with them was over tacos and beers. it was instant love. then we met for their engagement shoot about 11 days before the wedding and it seemed like we were all a little frazzled between rush hour traffic, wedding plans and the wedding season that was ahead of us.  it took about 5 minutes before we all found ourselves rolling in green grass, breaking through fences and laughing our tails off! jacqui is the social sales manager at king plow so how she found time to plan her own wedding amongst everyone else’s is beyond me.

Jesse and Whit are the fantastic photographers of Our Labor of Love. They are based in Atlanta, but split their time between there and California, with a few trips to Martha’s Vineyard along the way. In other words, they will be more than happy to join you at your destination of choice! Just looking at the images of Jacqui and Lachlan’s wedding … well, you can see that Jesse and Whit totally connect with their couples in an intimate and privileged way. And isn’t that what you want for your wedding day? A photography team who really ‘gets’ you!?

From the beautiful bride, Jacqui …

We had the most fantastic experience from start to finish with all of our vendors! From our planner, Christina Zubowicz from Magnolia Weddings, to Bold American Events and Catering for their unreal flowers and food, to Michelle Smith from Inviting Ideas for her invitations, programs, and menu cards, Frosted Pumpkin for his unreal hanging wedding cake, and lastly but most importantly Whit and Jesse from Our Labor of Love!!!!

Lachlan and I met in Aspen Co while both working a Ski season. He was the bartender at the famous Little Nell Relais and Chateau and I was a hostess he is Australian and I am South African, so it was really important to incorporate this into our wedding. One of the ways we did this was to serve red wines from Australia and white wines from South Africa. We had over 4 continents represented, making it a truly well traveled wedding crowd! I love black and white but wanted a fresh spring feel, so all of our flowers were yellow – my favorite color! I also love the contradiction of modern and vintage so having when I found my Rivini lace dress, I knew we had to have some fun old fashioned elements – hence the yellow umbrellas, soft personal flowers, and long vintage veil. We have been in Atlanta for 3 years and love it! Lachlan is starting his MBA at Emory in the fall and I have been a Sales Manager for Bold American for 3 years.

Again, from Our Labor of Love’s blog … this was “out-of-the-box” and “into-amazing” wedding for king plow. steve, michelle, susan blew minds with their interiors. Tulips hung upside down from a moss base that reflected into the mirrors of the table tops. hanging cakes. rooms filled with umbrellas. floor to ceiling tapestries. it was insane. and so was the smilebooth. {If you’re not familiar with the Smilebooth, you totally need to take a look {here}! SO much fun for your guests!}

Upside-down tulips??? Hanging cakes??? Whoa!!!!

Now that is truly awesome! The stunning cakes were provided by Little Black Book member The Frosted Pumpkin Gourmet, Inc.

The yellow, black and white color palette has made a big splash in the wedding world, but none so grand as this!

What a warm and enticing wedding celebration this was. Just the perfect mix of sophistication, bubbly charm and a big dose of whimsy !

THANK YOU~ to Jesse & Whit and the whole OLOL team for sharing this day! And a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Jacqui & Lachlan !!

Be sure to visit the Our Labor of Love website and their blog for so many more gorgeous examples of the work!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 40 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atlanta, Bold American Events & Catering, Color Palette Yellow Black White, Daisies, Decor, Frosted Pumpkin Gourmet, Georgia, Inviting Ideas, King Plow, Magnolia Weddings, Our Labor of Love, Parasols, Smilebooth, Table Settings, tulips, Umbrellas
Post categories: Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Details, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Whimsical