Hair & Makeup courtesy of It’s A Date at The Powder Room.

My vision for our wedding day was fun and travel. Tommy and I have been to over nine countries and one US road trip together. We love adventure, exploring, culture, food, music and the kindness of strangers all over the globe. I wanted the idea of us concurring and exploring this world together to come across at our wedding. Traveling is something that excites us, intrigues us, scares us and brings us closer together.

One of the main flowers that I wanted to incorporate throughout the day was sunflowers. I have loved sunflowers for as long as I could remember. They are so bright and cheerful and always make me smile. They fascinate me too because they are always reaching for the sun. If you put them in a window the sunflowers will actually turn and face the sun. I have always tried to be a positive, bright and a happy person much like a sunflower!

The venue was a no brainer the moment when I walked through the gates of that magical, secret garden. I only saw the venue one time in the dead of winter. No flowers, puddles of mud, repairs needed but I just knew it was the place where we were supposed to get married. It had a vintage feel to it, and it also made us feel like we had traveled somewhere else! It was the perfect venue for the most perfect day ever!

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we decided to have donuts! Donuts and dancing were there to show off our fun side. Cake is good but who doesn’t LOVE donuts? I wanted our guests to feel our playful, different and adventurous side – and dance! For years Tommy and I have loved to dance not only with each other but just in general. Our DJ really made that party happen with all the lighting and high energy music. All in all, our wedding was a fabulous representation of our love! Romantic, bright, playful, joyful, exciting and full of love. It was hands down the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

Photography: Liz Lovi Photography / Venue: The Garden Pavilion / Wedding Dress: Wine Country Bride / Brides Shoes: TOMS Shoes / Groom’s Suit: Men’s Wearhouse / Groom’s Shoes: Converse / DJ: DJ Jon Moore / Florist: Divine Creations Floral Design / Caterer: Taste of Perfection Catering / Donuts: Harvey’s Gourmet Mini Donuts / Coordinator: Delia Nieto, delia@delianieto.com / Officiant: Jimmy Donaghy, jdonaghy@gmail.com / Hair & Makeup: It’s A Date at The Powder Room / DIY: Table ‘numbers’ picture signs, paper airplanes, seating chart, picture frame pictures for sign-in scrapbook / Travel passport holders: handmade from a friend

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Post tags: beauty, Books, California, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue Yellow, Converse, Divine Creations Floral Design, DIY Projects, DJ Jon Moore, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Donuts, Doughnuts, Globes, Harvey's Gourmet Mini Donuts, It's a Date at the Powder Room, Library, Liz Lovi Photography, Maps, Mason Jars, Men's Wearhouse, Mismatched Bridesmaids, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Polaroids, Sonoma, Sunflowers, Taste of Perfection Catering, The Garden Pavilion, TOMS Shoes, travel, Travel Theme, Vintage Chic, Wine Country Bride
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

When Bryan and I started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted something low-key and relaxed. I remember the first time I started planning for our wedding. It was one or two months after we had gotten engaged and we were kayaking in Northern Michigan with two of our friends. We had been on Lake Michigan for hours it seemed, kayaking 4-5 miles across a bay from the small island where we had set up camp the night before. My arms were sore from the trip out the previous day and our friend Kate was paddling next to me. We were talking about music festivals and I decided that was it – that was what our reception would be like. Laid back, outdoors, and filled with live music played by our talented friends and family. Kate, my lovely friend and kayak buddy, is one of the front-women in the local band The Crane Wives, so that started the wheels turning for the line-up for our wedding. By the time our wedding day arrived, we had also enlisted my younger brother, Garrett, and his friend to play, as well as my cousin Katie and her boyfriend. Once we had decided on the music-focus for the party, we started searching for locations. We lucked out and found an awesome lodge at one of our city parks, a little place tucked away in the woods with a wrap-around porch perfect for hanging out on a September’s afternoon.

Pulling together our wedding plans was a relatively simple process for us. Our ceremony was held at our church and we were so glad to be married in the beautiful tradition of the Orthodox Church. For the reception, we knew we wanted music and we knew we wanted it to feel like a big party. We also wanted it to be supportive of the great local food, beer and wine culture that we have in Michigan. We choose beer and wine from small local companies, as well as a few hard ciders to celebrate the autumn season. For food, we chose our favorite restaurant to cater an all-vegan meal for our 160 guests. The restaurant, Marie Catrib’s, has a great relationship with local farms and they designed a great autumn-themed menu for us. The meal is the number one thing that guests were head-over-heels with at our wedding and we’re still getting compliments on it. We had a local baker make an array of cupcakes, muffins, chocolates and truffles, all vegan, and my mom added to the sweets table with her famous apple pie and a tasty vegan pumpkin cheesecake. Another easy decision for us was choosing our photographers. Bobbi and Mike had taken our engagement photos (which is where Bryan proposed– I thought we were taking promotional photos for our website!), and after getting to know them we knew we wanted them to be a part of our day. They have such wonderful personalities and their work is, of course, just stunning. We were so happy to have them on board with us.

The other details of our day, all the smaller, frilly things – colors, decorations, flowers – were chosen rather easily. I am obsessed with the color mustard (my friends call me mustard mae), and well, purple just looked nice with it. I made most of the decorations in the last few weeks before the wedding, and it was a welcome excuse to get together with my closest friends and have a good time. The bouquets came from a local florist who grows flowers in her backyard and sells them at a local farmer’s market. I had found her through the recommendation of one of our past brides and I loved working with her. Since Bryan and I are wedding photographers, we were lucky enough to have a lot of support from our couples, and to even have one couple who shared their thrifted plate collection with us and another who shared mason jars with us. What a blessing!

So the day-of came, and it was beautiful. Sunny skies and warm for late September. I got ready with my friends, saw Bryan for our first look, and then we got married. And then it started raining. Right before our reception, which was supposed to be both indoors and outdoors. When we arrived at our reception, we were happy to see The Crane Wives, our cocktail band, playing on the wrap-around porch as rain beat down on the roof, with all of our guests on the porch as well. When we first arrived, we wove our way through the crowd and had the opportunity to greet all of our guests for the first time. It was such a wonderful experience. No one minded the rain, nor did they mind when the power went out because of the storm! When it went out, my brothers and our friend Matthew rushed to a local store and came back with hundreds of tea lights, which they lined the tables with. Some of our dear guests contacted folks they knew with generators and before we knew it, the party was back up and running, just in time for dinner and more live music. After dinner, the skies cleared, we snuck outside for a few more photos, and our guests were able to enjoy the lovely landscape and games that we’d set up. We danced into the night to a great mix by our awesome DJ. My favorite moment of the entire evening was after the party, when we ran out through sparklers. Bryan and I got to our car but before we drove off, we held each other and watched all of our crazy friends running around the lawn with the sparklers, yelling and having so much fun. It was beautiful and the best way to finish such a lovely day.

Photographer: bobbi+mike / Floral Designer: The Flower Garden / Invitation Designer: Hitch Design Studio / Desserts: Wednesday Evening Cookies / Wedding Gown Designer: Watters / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Lulu’s / Rings: Touchwood Rings / Groom’s Suit: Topman / Caterer: Marie Catrib’s / Beer: Founder’s Brewing / Wine: Leelanau Cellars / Cider: Tandem Ciders / Veil: DIY / Fabric Flower Headpieces: Darci’s Doodads / Bride’s Hair: Hair by Kayley Heeringa / Cocktail Band: The Crane Wives

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Post tags: Babies, Baby's Breath, bobbi+mike, Bowties, Bryan And Mae, Burlap, Buttons, Casual Elegance, Chalkboards, Color Palette Yellow Purple, Croquet, Darci's Doodads, DIY Veil, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Greek Orthodox, Hair by Kayley Heeringa, Hitch Design Studio, Leelanau Cellars, Lulu's, Marie Catrib's Founder's Brewing, Mason Jars, Michigan, Mustard, Northern Michigan, Outdoor Weddings, Quilts, Tandem Ciders, The Crane Wives, The Flower Garden, Topman, Touchwood Rings, Vintage Chic, Vintage Windows, Watters, Wedding Photography, Wednesday Evening Cookies, wildflowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

My husband John and I found each other when we both moved to the Harrisburg area to pursue our careers. It started with a friendship between two adventure seeking teachers and blossomed into an unexpected romance. The journey of our wedding started 50 feet up in air, climbing on a ropes course element called The Catwalk, balancing on a telephone pole, when he got down on one knee and surprised me by asking me to marry him. The proposal was very much like the life we live, full of surprises and excitement.

I knew I wanted our wedding to represent us and be unique, fun, and entertaining for our guests. I wanted it to be an adventure like our relationship, our life, our engagement. We chose to have our wedding at the rolling acres and pristine views of Lauxmont Farm’s Japanese Gardens, because of my love for horses and our love for nature and the outdoors.

The day of our wedding the sun was shining with a slight breeze, complete with blue skies. It was a perfectly painted summer day. Our ceremony took place overlooking a field with horses running and in the distance the Susquehanna River. It truly was a stunning site. We tried to make our ceremony personal with our dear friend as our officiant and instead of a unity candle, since we both love wine, we did a wine ceremony to remember our relationship will only get better with time. Our ceremony was sincere, light hearted, and memorable, full of love and laughter. Cocktail hour was in the Japanese gardens where wine and cheese tasting took place. Here there were wooden fences from which photographs fluttered in the wind and guests mingled at tables adored with collections of vintage books, antique bottles, and delicate flowers. Signature drinks of lip smacking sangria and puckering pink lemonade were enjoyed along with the appetizers.

The reception tent was filled with personal touches. Through our wedding planning I was the designer with the inspirations and my husband was the builder and project manager. I’d venture to say it was all “do it yourself” because it was such a hands-on event, and I tried to put my heart into everything that was selected. We had a memory tent to celebrate our history together and our family’s history. We also had a kid’s tent, equipped with a lollipop centerpiece, homemade coloring books with our photographs, lots of toys, and things to do to keep our young guests entertained while enjoying themselves. John and I are very much kids at heart, so we knew the adults would enjoy this area too. The guests had a great time in our photo booth filled with silly and vintage props. Since I am from the Pittsburgh area, we had a large cookie table, a tradition in which many friends and family bake tons of delicious cookies for the wedding, and then they are displayed beautifully for everyone to enjoy. It was clear one of our guest’s favorite parts of the wedding was when the ice cream truck drove up to the reception tent to help everyone beat the July heat. Nothing brings out the child in someone like an ice cream truck.

Our wedding truly was a labor of love. My maid of honor designed our gorgeous invitations, our good friend officiated us, my husband’s sister painted signs, one of my bridesmaids, great friend, and an incredible stylist did my hair, and my friends and family helped me create numerous decorations, like hundreds of purple origami flowers that friends and family spent endless hours helping us make.. My husband and I had a blast rummaging through tons of antique stores finding the right pieces for our wedding, such as dishes, books, bird cages, bottles, you name it. Even though I was in the hospital for three days before our wedding, all of the little details fell into place perfectly. All our vendors were so wonderful and helpful with our wedding planning experience.

What I found most important about our big day was to step back, breathe, and take it all in. The kids playing with the toy horses, the laughter spilling out of the photo booth, my husband’s 91 year old grandfather in his dapper purple shirt overlooking the view, the ice cream filled smiles, the energy on the dance floor, the candle light glowing from the lanterns in trees. There were things that got broken, giggling when we forgot and stumbled over our vows’, I mean who needs to be taken as a lawfully wedded wife, when you could be a lover for life, as my husband mistakenly said. There was my torn bustle, and mother-son dance that almost didn’t happen, but thanks to all the love from my friends and family, and my wonderful husband, it was a day that in my eyes was perfect.

Photographer: SANDERSON IMAGES / Videographer: Jewelsheam Films, Jeff Wise / Floral Designer: All Things Beautiful / Event Planning & Design: DIY / Invitation Designer: Jessica Sipe / Cake/Desserts: House of Claredon / Wedding Gown Designer: Anjolique / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: David’s Bridal / DJ: Mad Hatter Productions / Caterer: Festive Board Catering / Photobooth: Katy Trefry Photography / Venue: Lauxmont Farms

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Post tags: All Things Beauitful, Anjolique, Birds, Books, Bouquets, Chalkboards, Chinese Lanterns, Cookies, David's Bridal, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Dove Release, Festive Board Catering, flags,, Flower girls, House of Claredon, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Truck, Jeff Wise, Jessica Sipe, Jewelscheam Films, Katy Trefry Photography, Lauxmont Farms, Mad Hatter Productions, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Ring Bearers, Sanderson Images, Tented Reception, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

On a beautiful August morning in the Old Church of Portland, Oregon, Lindsay Reichardt married her high school sweetheart, James Buckles. With a long-stemmed, gardenia studded, bouquet of pink roses in one hand, Lindsay’s other hand clung tightly to her new hubby for balance all day, as her Vera Wang ball gown of swirled tulle could barely squeeze down the isle.

A vintage Bentley drove Mr. & Mrs. Buckles away to a private photo shoot while guests made their way to the Heritage ballroom in the Governor Hotel for the reception. Guests were greeted by the passing of savory hors d’ouveres: Jake’s famous crab cakes, cucumber tea sandwiches, salmon lox bruschetta, quiche, brie en croute bites, and caviar deviled eggs as well as a Parisian-inspired Patisserie spread, which displayed sweet treats: a croquembouche of cream puffs, topiary trees of fresh strawberries, triple berry and lemon tarts, panna cotta parfaits, meringues, biscotti, madeline cakes, palmiers, macaroons, brioche, mini-muffins, cheesecake bites, éclairs and napoleons!

Perfectly pruned boxwoods, floating gardenias and lush arrangements of hydrangea, sugared apricots, raspberry vines and cascading jasmine transformed the reception into a French garden. Placecards and menus were lined to mimic the border of Laudree macaroon boxes, sugar cubes rested inside rose petals on china teacups and vintage botanical print reproductions by Pierre-Joseph Redoute (the official court painter of Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution) differentiated each tulle-layered table. The head table was overflowing with salal garlands, rustic candles, mercury glass votives, fresh fruit, cinched tulle and mossy, terrarium-encased arrangements.

When guests made their way to the bar, they had a number of specialty drink choices. There were five champagne cocktails options, all with fun names, for example, the “Blissful Bellini” featured peach puree, vanilla vodka, champagne and fresh mint, while the “Honeymooner” featured ginger syrup, lime juice, champagne and cucumber. Those still waking up also had 5 drink options at an Espresso station, for example, the “Crème Brulee Cappuccino” with cinnamon-infused espresso and raw cinnamon and sugar dusting, or an “Opposites Attract” caramel macchiato given sweet caramel drizzle and a dash of sea salt.

Crepes au citron, dulche de leche French toast and strawberry shortcake waffles were plated during brunch and Jake’s servers then circulated the ballroom offering hot sausage and bacon as well. Finally, as if guests weren’t already stuffed to the brim, Lindsay and James cut their cake: a five-tiered fresh strawberry and cream cheese masterpiece with diamond quilting, silver dragee detail, pink macaroons and a “B” cameo. After such an indulgent day, “favors” were simply notes letting the guests know that a donation had been made to the Portland Rescue Mission in their honor. 

Bridal Gown: Vera Wang / Bridal belt: Monique Lhullier / Bridal shoes: Valentino / Bridal headpiece & bracelet: Jenny Packham / Bridal earrings: J.Crew / Bridesmaids dresses: Monique Lhullier / Bridesmaids earrings: Anthropologie / Makeup & hair: Madeline Roosevelt / Stationery: French Lil Designs / Ceremony site: The Old Church / Reception site: The Governor Hotel, Heritage Ballroom / Reception catering: Jake’s Catering / Cake & Patisserie: Papa Haydn’s / Espresso Bar: Espresso Elegance / Specialty China: West Coast Events / Flowers: Geranium Lake / Transportation: Imperial Limousines / Photography: Altura Studio

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Post tags: Altura Studio, Anthropologie, Black and White, Bouquets, Breakfast, Brunch, Brunch Weddings, Centerpieces, Champagne, Champagne Bar, Chanel, Chiavari Chairs, Color Palette Black White Pink, Color Palette Pink, Croissants, Croquembouche, Dessert Bar, Espresso, Espresso Bar, French Lil Designs, Geranium Lake Imperial Limousines, Governor Hotel, J. Crew, Jake's Catering, Jenny Packham, Macrons, Madeline Roosevelt, Marie Antoinette, Monique Lhullier, Morning Weddings, Neutral Color Palette, Oregon, Papa Haydns' Espresso Elegance, Patisserie, Pink Champagne, Portland, Roses, Strawberries, Stripes, The Old Church, Traditional Elegance, Valentino, Vera Wang, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, West Coast Events
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Three adjectives that describe the day: rustic, romantic, music

The table settings were gorgeous! We loved the burlap and bling theme, it was the perfect mix of rustic country and romantic glamour. The table signs represented concert posters from the many shows Bill and I have seen together and fit in with our theme really well. The candlelit tables at sunset were really amazing and guests constantly remarked about how beautiful everything was.

The first reveal when we saw each other was incredible. I cried as I approached Bill in the front lawn but he did not get emotional until we moved to the Cedarwood porch. It was very touching and reminded me of how we support each other in our relationship. A close second was when we started rapping to the band’s performance of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and Chris Weaver (band’s lead singer) said we were the best rapping bride and groom he’s ever heard!

Our best advice to brides and grooms to be would be to try to accomplish something every week so tasks do not pile up at the end. Be organized because there are so many moving parts you don’t want to forget anything. Don’t hesitate to take ideas from the favorite weddings you’ve attended – your friends will be honored that you incorporated part of their wedding into your own!

Photography: Ace Photography / Venue: Historic Cedarwood / Planner, Floral Design, Decor & Event Styling: Cedarwood Weddings / Invitations & Paper Goods: Designs in Paper / Bride’s dress: Maggie Sottero from The White Room / Bride’s Boots: Old Gringo Erin / Hair: Chrissi Krause and Missy May / Tuxedos: Arzelle’s / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Dessy from Bella Bridesmaid / Wedding party gifts (hand painted stemware): Fizzy Artist / Favors: Brownie Tins from RAE’s Gourmet / Wedding Music Trio: Wedding Musicians Company / Caterer: Copper Kettle / Cake: Patty Cakes / Reception Band: Chris Weaver Band / Photo booth: Ace Photo Booths / Trolly: FADDS Party Bus / Host Hotel: Opryland Resort / Rehearsal Dinner: Mad Platter

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Post tags: Ace Photo Booths, Ace Photography, Arzelle's, Bella Bridesmaid, Burlap, Candles, Cedarwood Weddings, Chalkboards, Chris Weaver Band, Chrissi Krause, Church Pews, Color Palette Purple, Copper Kettle, Cowboy Boots, Cupcakes, Designs in Paper, Dessy, Etsy, FADDS Party Bus, Fizzy Artist, Glamourous, Historic Cedarwood, Maggie Sottero, Missy May, Nashville, Old Gringo Erin, Opryland Resort, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Patty Cakes, Pearls, RAE's Gourmet, Rustic, Rustic Chic, shabby chic, Tennessee, The White Room, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Musicians Company, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

Mike and I met when he was relocated from Galveston to Austin after Hurricane Ike. We met while working at the same hospital and we had our first date at Stubb’s music venue and saw a Ben Folds concert. Mike proposed to me in June 2010 on the beach at my family’s summer home on Cape Cod. The proposal was romantic, thoughtful and a complete surprise! We knew almost immediately that we wanted a small and intimate wedding to share with our close friends and family. We are both very close with our families and given they are on different coasts, mine on the East Coast, his on the West Coast, we decided our home city of Austin, Texas made for the perfect place in the middle to have our wedding. Mike and I both have a very traditional and classic style and found that Barr Mansion’s organic and vintage feel made for a perfect venue! We were very fortunate to have family support in planning our wedding and especially my mother and brother who helped in making our vision come to life. We had envisioned the beautiful glass artisan ballroom to be transformed into an environment that felt enchanted and whimsical. We chose to have both our ceremony and reception in the artisan ballroom as we feared our guests, especially those from the Northeast, would melt in the Texas heat! The details were our favorite part as we incorporated personal photos from our travels and engagement session. The table assignment cards were displayed in a box containing the same sand from the beach where Mike proposed. My bridesmaids wore vintage pins on their dresses and I had used family heirlooms as part of my something old, new, borrowed and blue. Mike and I had our first dance to the Ben Folds song, “The Luckiest”, and we did a break out dance to Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” to display our crazy dance moves and set the tone for a night of dancing! We felt that our wedding was a true reflection of who we are even down to our wedding attire. Overall, we loved every minute of our wedding and will forever cherish the many moments that were captured by our wedding photographers, Jona and Jerry Blackwell! Photographer: Forever Photography Studio / Floral Designer: Last Petal / Lighting: ILD Lighting / Make-Up: Maris Malone Calderon / Hair: Jen Hoover / Invitation Designer: Wedding Paper Divas / Cake: Barr Mansion / Wedding favors: Cake balls from The Mixing Bowl / Wedding Gown Designer: Siri from Unbridaled / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Tie: Burberry / Special Jewelry: Austin Diamond District / DJ: Texas Pro DJ

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Post tags: Austin, Austin Diamond District, Barr Mansion, burberry, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue White, contemporary, DIY Favors, Forever Photography Studio, Hugo Boss, ILD Lighting, J. Crew, Jen Hoover, Last Petal, Maris Malone Calderon, Modern, Siri, Stuart Weitzman, Texas, Texas Pro DJ, Unbridaled, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Paper Divas, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

And now a little more of this fabulous affair from Aqua Vivus Productions (break out the tissues!)…

Brian and I met four and a half years ago at Westmont College in Santa Barbara – he was a senior and I was a sophomore. Once Brian graduated, much of our relationship was long distance, but Santa Barbara remained our home base. It felt completely right that we should get married there!

When we first looked at the Montecito Country Club, we immediately fell in love with the venue. It possesses every characteristic of Santa Barbara that we love – the lush green hills, the view of the ocean, the Spanish architecture. It was absolutely perfect! From there, everything kept falling into place so easily. My mom and I (and Brian too!) had the best time planning together, and every vendor that we worked with was incredible to say the least! I LOVED my wedding team.

Our inspiration for the wedding was, first of all, romantic and whimsical. We wanted to create a beautiful day, but we also wanted our guests to have fun! Second, we really focused on textures – I absolutely loved how the dresses, linens, and flowers all played off one another. We also wanted to incorporate the Spanish style of the venue and kept that in the “theme” with lots of lace and flowers, the papel picado banner, and the amazing Spanish guitarist, Anthony Ybarra. Lastly, Brian is a lover of golf so we also tied that into the details throughout the wedding.

The whole day was a perfect dream come true – it was the happiest day of my life. We were overwhelmed by the love and support surrounding us in our wedding. And it was so fun to see everything come together more beautifully that I ever hoped for!

Photography: Allyson Magda Photography / Cinematography: Aqua Vivus Productions / Floral & Event Design: Blue Magnolia Events / Event Design: Sonia Hopkins, XOXO BRIDE / Event Planning: Sonia Hopkins, XOXO BRIDE / Ceremony Location: Montecito Country Club / Reception Location: Montecito Country Club / Shoes: Pink / Dress: Watters Collection, Dallas / Bakery: Christine Dahl / Hair and Makeup: Drea Rohrbough / Ceremony Music: Anthony Ybarra / Reception Music: Scott Topper Productions / Lighting: Ambient Event Design / Linens: La Tavola Linens

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Post tags: Allyson Magda Photography, Ambient Event Design, Anthony Ybarra, Aqua Vivus Productions, Beach Wedding, Birds, Blue Magnolia, California, Chandeliers, Chivari Chairs, Christine Dahl, Drea Rohrbough, Golf, La Tavola Linens, Lace, Montecito Country Club, Outdoor Ceremony, Pink, Santa Barbara, Scott Topper Productions, Vintage Chic, Watters, Watters Collection, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, XOXO Bride
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

I knew that Ben was going to propose soon. It was no secret that we were perfect for each other and that we wanted to get married. I did not expect him to propose on the day he did, nor did I expect him to propose the way he did: at our home, one ordinary Friday night in December. But it was just our style. Just the two of us, nothing fancy, at the place where we love to spend most of our free time. It was perfect, and so was the ring – a beautiful vintage-style oval diamond ring. I immediately knew that the style of our wedding had to be vintage, with a modern twist.

At first we were thinking about getting married in the San Francisco area, because that’s where Ben grew up and where his parents still live, and there are a lot of really great venues that would go perfectly with our style. But we quickly realized that planning a wedding would be difficult enough in itself and decided to spare ourselves the headache of having a few hundred miles between us and the venue. So we set our sights on our hometown, Los Angeles. We wanted to get married close to the beach, and we didn’t want to get married in a sterile ballroom. When we walked into the Marina Vista room at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, we were blown away, and knew it had to be the place. It was right on the marina, with huge windows, vintage wallpaper, and the stunning chandeliers clinched it. It fit our theme perfectly.

After picking the venue, we set out looking for a wedding coordinator. That is not an easy task when you live in Los Angeles, because there are so many options! We didn’t know where to begin, or who to trust. Brooke, from Orange Blossom Special Events was recommended to us by Ben’s aunt who was a friend of Brooke’s family. So we met with her, and right away knew that she would be perfect for us. She was outgoing and friendly and it felt like we were chit-chatting with an old friend. Plus she was super organized, really on top of everything, and had tons of great ideas.

A photo of a bridal bouquet that my maid of honor sent me became my inspiration for the color scheme and the flowers. It was a mix of cream-colored dahlias, light pink and lavender garden roses, and other romantic pastel-colored flowers. I fell in love with it. I gave the photo to my florist, Megan from Honey and Poppies, and talked to her about my idea of a modern-vintage, romantic wedding, and told her how much I loved birds. She was carrying a handbag that day with an appliqué of a bird on it! So I knew we would see eye to eye on the floral design. The bouquets and centerpieces that she designed left me breathless. There wasn’t a single detail that she over-looked; from the little white milk vases to the lace around the candle votives, it all tied my theme together so wonderfully.

I am an actuary by trade (an actuary is basically another name for math nerd), which needless to say doesn’t allow me to be very creative. But I’ve always loved arts and crafts, so I used wedding planning as my creative outlet. I decided to design and make everything myself because I had such a clear vision that nothing I found online or in stores was perfect enough, and also because I finally had my chance to do meaningful arts and crafts projects. I don’t have a graphic design program on my computer, so rubber stamps became my best friend. I ordered a personalized one to stamp the tops of our favor jars and the return addresses on our invitation envelopes, I used alphabet stamps to stamp each guest’s name, letter by letter, onto their place cards, and I used other decorative stamps for the invitations! I knew Ben was perfect for me when he helped me stamp place cards instead of playing golf on Sunday! My absolute favorite home-made piece at our reception was the vintage cabinets that my dad built to hold the place cards. I was inspired by a vintage medicine cabinet on ebay, but it was too expensive. Luckily for me, my dad happens to be a cabinet maker, so I sent him the photo and he recreated two of them for us. They came out better than I could have imagined. I think I got more compliments on the cabinets than I did on my dress!

Since I’m not a big dessert person, I didn’t want a big, fancy cake. I did want a little one that we could cut, but I also wanted cupcakes and French macarons so that our guests could have different options. I really love vintage cake trays, so I rented trays in different colors, sizes, and designs from Bountiful Homes in Venice Beach. Amy, from Vanilla Bake Shop, created a gorgeous cake for us, complete with a lace-like border and two little birds staring lovingly at each other (my mother-in-law actually found the birds at a wild bird seed store for us). She also created an incredible display of cupcakes and macaroons in various pastel colors. It all came together so well, and ended up being one of my favorite things at the wedding.

Overall, our wedding day was surreal. I had a very vivid vision of what I wanted, and, everyone came together to help me create it, down to very last detail. I was extremely lucky that I had the most wonderful people helping me, and that I have such an understanding husband, family, and friends who went along with all of my ideas and helped create my vision of a vintage wedding. To my surprise, the most memorable moment of the day for me was one that was unplanned. When the night came to an end, most of our guests were still there on the dance floor with us. There was an overwhelming feeling of love in the air, and we all had one big group hug. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Photography: Greg Slick Photography / Flowers: Honey & Poppies / Event Planning: Orange Blossom Special Events / Ceremony Location: Ritz Carlton, Marina del Rey / Reception Location: Ritz Carlton, Marina del Rey / Hair & Make-Up: Veronica Lane / Entertainment: Woody Diaz / Cake & Dessert Bar: Vanilla Bake Shop

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Post tags: Birds, California, Color Palette Purple, Cupcakes, Dessert Bar, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Honey & Poppies, Los Angeles, macarons, Marina del Rey, Once Studio, Orange Blossom Special Events, Pastel Color Palette, Ritz Carlton, Vanilla Bake Shop, Veronica Lane, Vintage Chic, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers, Woody Diaz
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic