We chose to do a wedding in which every part of the ceremony was meaningful to us. If it wasn’t meaningful to us personally, we didn’t do it. This meant that we wrote and emceed the ceremony ourselves and had a total of 13 guests (plus a stray dog), who sat in a semi-circle and each spoke during the wedding. Our guests were our closest family members–the people who would find our ceremony as significant and meaningful as we did. To us, marriage is both a very private and a community affair, so we wanted people who would be an active part of our married life to be a part of our wedding.

Throughout the wedding process, we made sure to stay true to ourselves. At the end of the day, we were the ones getting married, and we were the ones to whom every choice would matter the most. Plus, our parents got to plan the receptions that came a few months later, so they could funnel all of their own preferences into those. Also, we tried not to sweat the small stuff or fall prey to the belief that more extravagant is always better. Matching dresses and hair, decorations, and seating arrangements wouldn’t have made the day any more special to us. Nor would anything more expensive than we chose. (Some good resources for others trying to decipher what elements of weddings are truly meaningful to them are the books Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert and A Short History of Marriage by Ethel Urlin.)

One aspect of the wedding that was very important to us from the get-go was having a really, really good photographer. We wanted more than anything to remember the emotions we and our families felt on that day, and the best way to do that was to get the kind of photographer that captures people as they are, not people as they look. I think you will agree that our wish was more than fulfilled.

In fact, the whole day was absolutely perfect. And every bit our dream wedding.

Photography: Hawes Photography / Venue: Old Orchard Gallery / Hair & Makeup: Dominic Michael Salon

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Post tags: Black and White Photography, Dominic Michael Salon, Hawes Photography, Intimate, Intimate Weddings, Missouri, Old Orchard Gallery, Rain, Rainy Day, Short Gowns, St. Louis, Umbrellas, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

From the beginning stages of the planning process, Ken was involved in every part of the planning process. Our three most important aspects that we kept in mind throughout the process were family, friends and romance! The gorgeous St. James Chapel and Trump Tower Chicago locations allowed us to maximize the amount of time we spent with our guests but also take in the beautiful photo opportunities of downtown Chicago.

My dress choice was a total surprise to myself. I had pictured more of a traditional satin top lace bottom dress but immediately fell in love with the contemporary vintage style of Lazaro. When I tried the dress on everyone in the dressing room came immediately over to me to oo and aw and admire the dress. I knew that was the one! It was such an amazing dress that even during photos when it got all muddy, by the time we got to the church, it had dried and all the mud fell off!!

The dress helped set the theme of the wedding — contemporary vintage. Ken described the vision to the florist and they hit the nail on the head with the floral scheme. The flowers were probably my favorite detail of the wedding and I will always remember the unbelievable smell of gardenias in my bouquet!

Everyone says it is good luck if it rains on your wedding day. I always thought this was just something everyone said to make you feel better. Boy was I wrong! I could not have imaged a more perfect day, rain and all. The umbrellas were amazing props and captured some romantic photos being snuggled up under the umbrellas! Had it not been raining, we would not have taken photos under the Trump Riverwalk — where we captured some phenomenal photos reminiscent of the Kennedy’s (or so says Ken!). Some of my all time favorites!

Larry King Orchestra set the tone for the reception and everyone had such a great time. Besides the gorgeous venue, the top two compliments following the wedding were the band and the food. Larry King even timed the memorial day fireworks viewable from the reception to the Katy Perry song firework!

I loved the toasts too…the uniqueness and creativeness of my father’s which laid the foundation to the video, the history toast from the best man, the best wishes from Ken’s father to the most eloquent and heartfelt speech from the maid of honor!

Photography: Riverbend Studio / Event Planning & Design: Engaging Events by Ali / Cinematography: Xpress Video Productions / Flowers: The Flower Firm / Orchestra: Larry King Orchestra / Lighting: Frost Lighting / Ceremony Location: St. James Chapel / Reception Location: Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago / Invitations: William Arthur from Yellow Bird Stationery / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Dress: Lazaro / Wedding Rings and Engagement Rings: Tacori / Linens: BBJ Linens / Bridesmaid Dresses: Coren Moore – Bella Bridesmaid, Chicago

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Post tags: BBJ Linens, Black and White Photography, Chicago, City Views, City Weddings, Classic, Color Palette Purple White, Engaging Events by Ali, Frost Lighting, Glamourous, Illinois, Jimmy Choo, Larry King Orchestra, Lazaro, Rain, Rainy Day, Riverbend Studio, St. James Chapel, Tacori, The Flower Firm, Traditional Elegance, Trump Chicago, Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, Trump Tower, Umbrellas, Wedding Planners & Designers, William Arthur, Xpress Video Productions, Yellow Bird Stationery
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

I fell in love with John because of playfulness and his wit.  After I accepted his proposal, he immediately gave me a card that said, “Congratulations on your engagement.”  Then he cheerfully added, “Allow me to be the first.”

Our wedding was an opportunity to reconnect and revitalize our community.  We chose local vendors from our home in Portland, Oregon and prioritized a lovely setting, delicious food, wonderful music, and a sense of humor.  Family and friends traveled to Garden Vineyards in Hillsboro, Oregon for a garden party.  We greeted guests with family wedding photos and included a snap of our favorite newlyweds, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Programs with apricot branches designed by Studio Olivine also welcomed guests.  John’s mom made everyone beautiful handkerchiefs, which slid into the programs’ fronts pockets.  Guests posed with silly props to snap instant photos they taped in a handmade guest book.  It is hilarious to see how the pictures evolve throughout the evening.  By the final pages, our cousins are posing with our college friends under wine-infused captions such as “new friends.”

John is a violinist and worked with Classical Revolution PDX to transcribe string music for our ceremony.  We walked down the aisle to Radiohead, the Velvet Underground, and Nina Simone.  Our dear friends Sara-Catherine Wheatley and W.C. Beck also sang tunes by Laura Veirs and Johnny Cash.  The most meaningful part of our ceremony was when we explained why we wanted to marry one another.  John once again cracked everyone up when he said, “I love how you challenge me in overt and subtle ways.  You told me you were tired of cooking most meals, then you bought me a waffle iron.”

Pam Zsorsi, owner of Ink & Peat, designed breathtaking floral arrangements.  Both our moms are avid gardeners and Pam’s creative use of seasonal flowers delighted them.  Pam compiled full centerpieces with peaches and creams punctuated by bright and pale yellows.  She incorporated Karamel Antik garden roses, Peach Avalanche roses, pale peach hypercium, unripe blackberries, peaches and dream dahlias, coxcomb, lemons, and feverfew.

Art of Catering prepared delicious dishes with fresh, local produce.  We served baguettes with salmon terrine, tomato mozzarella on focaccia, and risotto cakes at cocktail stations so everyone could spread out and enjoy the vineyard.  Our family and friends played croquet and drank estate-grown wines.  Bakery Bar made five cakes in flavors ranging from orange poppy seed to red velvet, which we supplemented with miniature lemon-basil and chocolate cinnamon macaroons from Little Bird Bistro.  Kate Greiner made the festive garland we strung as cake toppers.

Once my dad gave his heart-melting toast, W.C. Beck jumped on stage with the band and unexpectedly played Mary Jane’s Last Dance.  You probably remember this as a goodbye love song, with a music video that features Tom Petty on a date with a dead Kim Basinger in a wedding dress.  That didn’t stop anyone from getting on the dance floor, where we celebrated the rest of the night.  It was magical.

Photographers: Kim+Phil Photography / Flowers: Ink & Peat / Dress: Elizabeth Dye, English Department / Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Suits: Duchess Clothier / Ties & Shirts: Collier & Brooks Brothers / Hair: Dosha / Makeup: Blush Beauty Bar / String Trio: Classical Revolution PDX / Singers: W.C. Beck & Sara-Catherine Wheatley / Reception Band: Swingline Cubs / Cake: Bakery Bar / Mini Macaroons: Little Bird Bistro / Sign In Book: Artist Katie Ries / Photo Props: The Funny Side of Life / Cake Toppers & Sign Garland: Kate Greiner / Invitations & Programs: Studio Olivine / Venue: Garden Vineyards

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Post tags: Artist Katie Ries, Bakery Bar, Blush Beauty Bar, bouquet, Brooks Brothers, Centerpieces, Classic Revolution PDX, Collier, Color Palette Peach Cream, Croquet, Dosha, Duchess Clothier, Elizabeth Dye, English Department, Etsy, Garden Vineyards, Hanker chiefs, Hillsboro, Ink & Peat, Jenny Yoo, Kate Greiner, Kim+Phil Photography, Little Bird Bistro, Oregon, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Parasols, Sara-Catherine Wheatley, Striped Straws, Studio Olivine, Swingline Cubs, The Funny Side of Life, Umbrellas, Vineyard Weddings, W.C. Beck, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Marrying in a church was most important to us. From the beginning, we felt strongly that the importance lay in the ceremony. It was the main reason why everyone was gathering to celebrate and we didn’t want to forget that.  So we carefully selected the music, readings and included our special unique touches that we felt would best represent us and the day. We felt like you couldn’t find a more beautiful and perfect church than one in New England.  Since we made many trips to Vermont while we dated we feel in love with the area and the old white steepled churches. We dreamed of a beautiful church with stained glass, candles, lots of flowers and even more love. We found that in The First Congregational Church of Manchester.  Not only did we find the perfect church we found the perfect venue at the Equinox Resort’s Ponds Pavilion. The venue was in the most idyllic setting and the way we felt walking down the berm to the venue was something we wanted our family and friends to experience too.

We are both outdoor nature lovers, so while we dated we made many trips to the Green Mountains of Vermont and fell in love with the state. We considered California where I grew up or New York/New Jersey where we met and where Kevin was from, but ultimately kept coming back to the idea of a destination weekend wedding since so many of our family and friends would already have to travel, why not make it in a place we both love and shared many wonderful weekends while we dated. We also wanted a small, intimate, casual but elegant wedding surrounded by nature. We knew having a wedding where we grew up would ultimately be hard to keep small.  Asking our guests to travel was asking a lot, but we knew since we wanted an intimate wedding our closest family and friends that would be able to make it was all that we wanted.  We decided since all of our guests were traveling to be a part of our special day we wanted it to be a weekend of events.  We really wanted our guests to fall in love with Vermont like we have.

Throughout our relationship traveling has been a passion of ours.   So we decided to go with a travel theme.  We started with our Save the Dates, carried it over to our invitations and throughout our reception details. Our escort cards were compasses, our guest book/table was vintage postcards from the places we traveled spread on a gorgeous table filled with travel pieces, vintage luggage, wedding pics of our grandparents, and our table numbers were the countries we visited with a little story about our travels to that country.  Since our heritages are different we incorporated this into our wedding by having a cookie table with Dutch Specula’s (made by the groom’s mom) and Mexican Wedding Cookie’s (made by one of the bridesmaids) for our guests to enjoy.  Our thank you cards will also be pictures of us holding “Thank You” signs in Spanish and Dutch. (Gracias and Dank U!) We are also big campers and love s’mores, so we made sure to have a s’mores bar for our guests to enjoy around the fire pit snuggling up in the blankets we had in baskets for our guests to take home. We truly feel like it was a magical weekend that we will never forget.

Wedding Photography: Carla Ten Eyck / Wedding Cinematography: Vintage Cinema by Jim Altieri / Flowers: Blomma Flicka / Officiant: Wayne Bell / Event Planning: Carrie Lane of Storied Events / Wedding Ceremony Location: The First Congregational Church / Wedding Reception Location: Equinox Resort, Pond Pavilion / DJ: Supersounds / Wedding Cake: Irene’s Cakes by Design / Wedding Dress: San Patrick / Hair Stylist: The Green Door Day Spa / Makeup: Christian Burran / Wedding Invitations & Paper Products: Lilah Paper / Linens: The Linen Shop by Occasions Catering / Calligraphy: Pretty Pen Jen

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Post tags: Blomma Flicka, Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Carrie Lane, Equinox Resort, Irene's Cakes by Design, Orange, Peach, Pond Pavilion, Rainy Day Wedding, Red, Rustic Chic, San Patrick, The First Congregational Church, Umbrellas, Vermont, Vintage Cinema by Jim Altieri, VT, Wayne Bell
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Click here for more of this rainy engagement!

A week of wonderful weddings, in case you missed any:

a little amoré from Florida’s Carillon Beach
a gorgeous Pennsylvania affair with the most amazing colors
a fantastically white wedding in Australia
a very sweet Arizona affair
a Sonoma vineyard wedding with the most beautiful bride
a preppy chic Charlottesville summer soiree
a über cool and classic affair in Palm Springs
a Canadian castle wedding fit for a princess
a romantic pink and purple fête in Austin
a homespun New Jersey farm wedding

Some pretty links from around the world wide web:

a bit of unique wedding cakes from Martha Stewart
a summer sea food boil from Once Wed
a industrial-pretty flower shop makeover from Design*Sponge

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Engagement Sessions, Engagement Shoots, Jennifer Lindberg Weddings, Rain, Rain Boots, Texas, Umbrellas, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Vela Images… Luke and Melati travelled from Sydney, Australia to be married in New Zealand at The Ridge Country Retreat in the spectacular Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand.  Melati not only made all of her decorations (yes that does include the meters and meters of hand sewn bunting!), she also brought it all over on the flight from Australia to New Zealand with the help of her bridesmaids and guests. This hilltop wedding was an intimate affair with 35 close family and friends taking part in the celebration.

Melati’s advice for anyone planning an overseas destination wedding would be to make sure you have plenty of friends to help you transport decorations and do make sure you confirm all hair and makeup bookings in advance. Melati was double booked at her hair salon but a local Tauranga salon, Salon One, pulled some strings to accommodate her at the last minute.

Wedding Photography: Vela Images /  Wedding Dress: Custom, Friend of the Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Wittner / Event Styling: The Bride / Bride’s Engagement Ring: Antique / Wedding Bands: Michael Hill / Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Stylecorp Australia / Hair & Makeup: Salon One / Wedding Venue: Ridge Country Retreat / Bridesmaid Dresses: Portmans / Wedding Cake: Family of the Bride & Groom / Flowers (Bouquets & Buttonholes): Blanc / Flowers (Table Centerpieces): The Bride 

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bay of Plenty, Bird Cages, Blanc, Book Centerpieces, Bunting, Casual Elegance, Country Chic, Michael Hill, New Zealand, North Island, Papamoa Range, Portmans, Ridge Country Retreat, Salon One, Stylecorp Australia, Tauranga, Umbrellas, Vela Images, Wittner
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Whimsical

This gorgeous couple was married last November and we LOVE what they did to embrace the season …

Little Black Book VIP ~ Jessamyn Harris shared these images with us … simply delightful!

Isn’t Amy dreamy!

from Jessamyn …

Amy and Brent came to San Francisco from Vancouver, B.C., for their November 1st, 2008 wedding. Since it was the day after Halloween/ Dia de los Muertos, Amy and Brent had a fabulous mixture of autumnal elements (like orange-gelled lighting, brightly orange and red toned florals), nods to Halloween (wedding-themed jack-o-lanterns, glitter-covered mini pumpkins, Dia de los Muertos bride and groom topper on a deliciously decorated cupcake tree), and vintage elegance. The venue (1 Fort Mason in San Francisco – an old officer’s club from World War II) had vintage elements that complimented Amy’s beautiful dress and style, and Amy and Brent incorporated great wedding vendors with some DIY decorative elements . It was a beautiful wedding, with so many unique elements.

In case you hadn’t noticed, we have a thing about shoes and chandeliers around here …

If you haven’t ever done the glittered-mini-pumpkin thing … we highly recommend it! {Takes the season to an all-new height!}

Congratulations Amy & Brent on a spectacular wedding! And a huge thanks to Jessamyn Harris Photography for sharing!!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 1 Fort Mason, California Weddings, Fall Wedding, Halloween, Jessamyn Harris, Pumpkins, Rain, San Francisco, Umbrellas
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

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