From the lovely bride … Everything about our wedding was personal, in that we chose every single detail of the wedding. The head table garland and all floral arrangements were handmade and were absolutely beautiful. It was exactly what we wanted.

We felt strongly that we wanted our wedding to reflect all we love abut wine country, exuding casual elegance. We wanted it to be all about good friends, food, wine and the unbelievably beautiful scenery. Our flowers were soft and romantic. The head table garland was absolutely stunning, stretching the length of the head table. The flowers included David Austin roses, hydrangeas, orchids and other soft, delicate flowers. The colors were soft peaches, creams, bright greens and pinks with pops of brighter coral here and there.

Photography: Julie Mikos | Photographer / Flowers: Green Valley Growers / Event Design: Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating / Event Planning: Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating / Ceremony Location: Mayacama / Reception Location: Mayacama / Invitations: Minted / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Cake: Fleur de Lisa / Wedding Gown: Romona Keveza / Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew / Hair & Makeup: It’s A Date at The Powder Room

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Coral, Color Palette Pink, Covenant Coordinating, Fleur de Lisa, Flower girls, Green Valley Growers, J. Crew, Jimmy Choo, Julie Mikos, Lace, Lavender, Mayacama, Minted, Napa Valley, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Pearls, Ring Bearers, Romona Keveza, Santa Rosa, Traditional Elegance, Vineyard Wedding, Watercolor, Wedding Photographers, Wine Country, Winery Wedding
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Marc and I almost never met, if not for my best friend Kristina. Always the matchmaker, she ran back in to a birthday party as we were leaving to give Marc my number. 3 years later, we are happily married not once but twice! We knew we had to have a reception at home in Hawaii, but I always wanted a small, intimate wedding. We realized early on that it had to be a destination wedding to accomplish this. After getting engaged atop a snowy mountain peak in Whistler in April 2010, we stopped by Napa and Sonoma for a quick getaway. There we fell head over heels in love with Viansa – a Tuscan style winery with a view to kill. Most of my family lives in the Bay Area, making Sonoma the perfect choice.  We live in Hawaii and had to plan from afar, but planning long distance was made much easier by the endless resources and inspirations found on wedding blogs such at SMP. One word to describe our wedding day – magical. You don’t have to spend a down payment on a house to achieve the wedding of your dreams. Our fete for 50 was an intimate, emotional event we will never forget. I fully intended to buy a pre-owned wedding dress, but after 3 failed attempts, I finally found The One just 2 months before the big day! It was fate – I would have missed out on the White by Vera Wang collection released Feb 2011 had any of the 3 dresses worked out. I didn’t picture myself in a strapless gown with a big skirt, but I never felt more beautiful.

Incorporating handmade elements was important to me, not just for sentimental value but budgetary reasons. I never considered myself an artsy crafty person (I can barely wrap a present), but after getting engaged, I was inspired to make my own hair accessories. One veil and hair flower turned into 20, and Live Adorned on Etsy was born. Who knew getting engaged would unearth a hidden passion for hair accessories? For me, marriage marked the genesis of many new beginnings. I ended up making not only my hair accessories, but my MOH’s hair fascinator and my flower girl’s sash and hair flower as well. Other DIY elements: favors made with brown Kraft bags, doilies, mini clothespins  each stamped“Thank you” in Chinese. Programs, table numbers, and cake signs made using a free online template that I printed and cut with craft scissors. Mustache and alien photobooth props using felt, hot glue and skewers. Best money saver – a free photobooth automator application that served as my photobooth on my Mac! Etsy was my go-to place for many of my wedding goodies: creamy ivory vintage suitcase with an interior the perfect shade of peach, mini bunting “Cards” burlap sign in the suitcase, romantic invitation suite, and the most fabulous chandelier earrings.

Photography: Micah and Megan Photography / Flowers: Blooms by Martha Andrews / Ceremony & Reception Location: Viansa Winery and Marketplace / Invitations: Paper Mango / Shoes: Enzo Angiolini at Nordstrom / Dress: White by Vera Wang for David’s Bridal / Hair: Gayle Parker / Bride, Maid of Honor + Flower Girl Hairpieces: Live Adorned (Bride’s Etsy Shop) / Favors: DIY by bride

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blooms bt Martha Andrews, California, Destination Wedding, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Enzo Angiolini, Gayle Parker, Live Adorned, Micah and Megan Photography, Paper Mango, Sonoma, Viansa Winery and Marketplace, White by Vera Wang for David's Bridal, Wine Country
Post categories: California Weddings, Napa Valley Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Greg and Elise met during their senior year of college at Santa Clara University.  Despite attending a small college and sharing many friends, their paths had never crossed.  While getting to know each other over drinks at the local college bar, they discovered their shared passions for wine and the San Francisco Giants.

After many trips to his family home in Sonoma, Greg surprised Elise with a proposal in the middle of the vineyards.  While she was taking pictures of the beautiful surroundings, Greg dropped to one knee and waited for her to turn around… he surprised her with a very romantic proposal and they began planning a wine country wedding right away.

The wedding day was a perfect celebration of family and friends… and was made all the more special because the Giants won the World Series in the days leading up to the wedding!

Floral: Fleurs de France / Photographer: Andrew Weeks Photography / Cake Vendor: Michele’s Corner Cakes / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Bridal Gown: Watters / Veil & Accessories: Forget Me Knot / Bridal Shoes: J.Crew / Hair: Stella Stevens / Makeup: Audrey Crandell, Glowing Bridal / Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew, Ralph Lauren / Linens: Park Avenue Catering / Tuxedo & Suits: Men’s Wearhouse / Videography: Thomas Hughes Films / Ceremony Venue: Our Lady of Mt Carmel / Reception Venue: Trentadue Winery / Caterer: Park Avenue Catering / Hair: Stella Stevens

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andrew Weeks Photography, California, California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Black White, Fleurs de France, Flower Girl, Forget Me Knots, Glowing Bridal, J. Crew, Men's Wearhouse, Michele's Corner Cakes, Park Avenue Catering, Ralph Lauren, ring bearer, Sonoma Valley, Thomas Hughes Films, Trentadue Winery, Vineyard Wedding, Watters, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Paper Divas, Wine Country
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I was born in Northern California but living in Austin, TX.  We both wanted to get married outdoors and love the scenery in Napa, so we decided on a destination wedding. Plus, we planned on getting married in the summer and it was too hot in Texas during the summer to get married outdoors. For the ceremony, we kept it simple and let the beauty of the natural surroundings speak for itself. The ceremony took place outside in a large courtyard by a fountain. The tables and chiavari chairs were covered in ivory silk and I chose silver bowls and candle sticks with pink flowers and ivory silk linens for the decor. Flower arrangements of blush pink garden roses, ranaculas and hydrangeas were held in silver footed revere bowls.  All 50 guests sat at one long table under a vine-covered pergola entwined in white lights. The entire menu was kept local with many of the greens harvested from the on site garden. Dessert was chevere cheesecake with seasonal fruit compote with flower petal confetti.

We wanted it to be timeless and classic.

Rehearsal Dinner: Rutherford Hills Winery / Venue: Beaulieu Garden / Catering, Rentals, Linens, Lighting: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering/ Bride’s Makeup: Sarah Hyde + Rainan Romberio / Bride’s Hair: Sarah Hyde + Antonio Venegas / Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Laurie Moore / Reception Music: Hollywood Swingers / Officiant: Fr. Stephen Carpenter / Florist: Cherries Flowers / Wedding Photography: Diana M. Lott Photography + SMS Photography / Transportation: Napa Valley Tours & Transportation / Wedding Coordinator: Clink Events

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Antonio Venegas, Beaulieu Gardens, California Weddings, Cherries Flowers, Clink Events, Destination Wedding, Diana M. Lott Photography, Elegant Cheesecakes, Hollywood Swingers, Ivory, Laurie Moore, Napa, Napa Valley Tours, Outdoor Wedding, Paula Le Duc Catering, Rainan Romberio, ranunculus, Rutherford Hills Winery, Sarah Hyde, SMS Photography, Wine Country
Post categories: Destination

So what can we take from this first fête? Obviously, the couple choose yellow for their big day. The color closely associated with sunshine, warmth, and happiness. But to avoid the yellow being overwhelming, which is a definite threat, they chose to incorporate the color in the florals alone. Almost all other colors of the affair are neutral, allowing the yellow to take center stage, along with the couple, of course. The black attire of the bridal party, the white bridal gown and linens, and the green foliage backdrop all allowed a minimal amount of the vibrant hue to make a big impact.

Venue: Madrona Manor / Florals: Fleurs de France / Photography: Deborah Laver Photography / Hair & Make Up: Tenia of JS Makeup / Cake:  Fleur de Lisa / Wedding Stationery: Paper Source / Officiant: Michael LeBlanc / Bridal Gown: Augusta Jones, Perla / Bridal Shoes: David’s Bridal / Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Groom Tuxedo: Hickey Freeman / Entertainment: Jeanette Isenberg

Next in our lineup is a brilliantly purple hued wedding, captured by Marc Blondin Photography. Click here for the whole thing!

With associations like passion, sophistication, and wisdom, a purple wedding is bound to be good. This wedding differs from the first wedding from Fleurs de France, in the fact that purple is everywhere. It’s on the ‘maids dresses, on the tablescapes, in the florals. It could be overwhelming, if there were no accent colors. My absolute favorite thing about this Napa Wedding is the contrasting Mother’s dress. She picked a color that worked so well with the purple and pink palette, yet was completely different. The wedding was outdoors, which means there was a plethora of green, brown, wood, stone. Each of these colors and textures works with the purple in a different, great way – balancing the vibrancy from the other side of the color wheel.

Venue: The Harvest Inn / Florals: Fleurs de France / Photography: Marc Blondin Photography / Wedding Planner: Sarah Ghazzagh of A Dream Wedding / Catering: Wine Valley Caterer / Lighting: Twilight Designs / Stationery: Crane & Co / Hair & Make Up: It’s A Date at the Powder Room / Bridal Gown: Romona Keveza / Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids Dresses: Jessica McClintock / Linens: Napa Valley Linens / Equipment & Other Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Officiant: O.S. Hawkins

Last on our list we have another Sonoma wedding photographed by Deborah Laver Photography. You can see the whole beautiful affair in the gallery.

This one is very different. While the amazing florals from this wedding had a rosy tint, the rest of the wedding was very neutral. There are lots of whites, the color of purity, cleanliness, and peace. This is a great option to go with if your wedding will take place outdoors, where nature provides the most beautiful color palette. The white details of this wedding serve as a canvas featuring the stunning couple and the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country. Very minimal color was used, but the effect is breathtaking.

Venue: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards / Florals: Fleurs de France / Photography: Deborah Laver Photography / Caterer: Elaine Bell Catering / Cake: Michelle Marie’s Patisserie / Wedding Planner: Robbin Montero of A Dream Wedding / Hair & Makeup: It’s a Date at the Powder Room / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / Equipment & Lighting: ATL Events / Transportation: Pure Luxury Transportation / Ceremony Musicians: Notable Talent / Reception Entertainment: California Mobile DJ / Officiant: Rev Peadar Dalton / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Bridal Gown: Brides by Demetrios / Veil & Accessories: Brides by Demetrios / Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew / Grooms & Groomsman Tuxedo & Suits:  Men’s Warehouse

All three of these weddings could have had completely different feels if the palettes had changed. All had very similar backdrops – wine country, lots of greens, natural land – but each had a different feel because of the colors chosen. One thing I’ve picked up from studying gorgeous weddings on a daily basis, is that a little color goes a long way. You can see this in all three of these weddings. The yellow florals in the first wedding made the entire affair feel happy. The deep purples in the second wedding were juxtaposed perfectly with the natural world around for a moody, luxe feel. The neutral whites of the final wedding let the surroundings set the mood – clean and fresh.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Dream Wedding, Alfred Angelo, ATL Events, Augusta Jones, Badgley Mischka, Brides by Demetrios, California, California Mobile DJ, Classic Party Rentals, Color Palette, Color Palette Purple Pink, Color Palette White, Color Palette Yellow, David's Bridal, Deborah Laver Photography, Elaine Bell Catering, Fleur de Lisa, Fleurs de France, Hickey Freeman, It's a Date at the Powder Room, J. Crew, Jeanette Isenberg, Jessica McClintock, Jimmy Choo, JS Makeup, Madrona Manor, Marc Blondin Photography, Men's Warehouse, Michelle Marie's Patisserie, Napa Valley, Napa Valley Linens, Notable Talent, Paper Source, Pure Luxury Transportation, Romona Keveza, Sonoma, Sonoma County, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, The Harvest Inn, Twilight Designs, vineyard, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Paper Divas, Wine Country, Wine Valley Caterer, Winery
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

From Gertrude & Mabel Photography … Jessica and Ryan chose B.R. Cohn Winery for their June wedding destination and said I do on Foxhill among the grape vines. Their color palette, bold reds and yellows, were incorporated in splashed linens, sunflowers, pin wheels and ribbons. Plaid neckties of a variety gave a fun offset to the groomsmen. A poolside cocktail hour cooled off the afternoon followed by a family-style dinner that was enjoyed in the gorgeous Olive Grove and was specially prepared with locally-grown ingredients by Grapevine Catering.

Photographer: Gertrude & Mabel Photography / Caterer: Grapevine Catering / Reception Venue: B.R. Cohn Winery / Planner: My Flair Lady

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: B.R. Cohn Winery, California, Casual Elegance, Color Palette yellow red, Gertrude & Mabel Photography, Grapevine Catering, My Flair Lady, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Summer Wedding, Sunflowers, Wedding Photography, Wine Country
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

We knew we wanted a fall wedding in Wine Country centered around the harvest so that we could share this wonderful time of year with our family and friends. Many of our family members had been married in September, so we continued the tradition and selected September 25, 2010.

Because it holds a special place in our hearts, there was no question that Wine Country would be the setting of our wedding. When selecting a venue, we wanted somewhere we could have our reception dinner and as much of the wedding outside as possible to enjoy the beautiful fall weather in Wine Country. And because of Walter’s food background, the most important aspect in selecting a venue was the food and wine served.

Solage Calistoga is an environmentally-friendly resort with a rustic and yet sophisticated vibe. At the restaurant, SolBar, which also handles event catering, they work with local farmers to showcase the farm to table philosophy. We decided to have a four course dinner paired with wines selected from some of our favorite wineries. The best way to have everyone together for dinner as a group was to have our guests seated at a long king’s table.

To incorporate our love for the classic jazz standards, we had a jazz quartet play during the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner. For the ceremony, the quartet played “The Best Is Yet to Come” while Walter walked down the aisle, “Let There Be Love” while I walked down the aisle, and “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” as we exited the ceremony.

After dinner, the sliding doors opened to reveal a 10-piece Motown band and the lounge we had created inside. We wanted to separate the dinner area from the dancing area to create a fun vibe and keep people dancing! We also took dance lessons to polish our first dance to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”

Photography: Lauri Levenfeld & Jessica Epstein for Zoom Photography / Flowers: Atelier Joya / Invitations: Ceci of New York / Wedding Coordination: Jennie Janzen of MAP Events / Lighting: reFRACTion / Band: Keith Johnson All Stars / Venue: Solage Calistoga

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atelier Joya, California, Ceci New York, Keith Johnson All Stars, MAP Events, refraction, Solage Calistoga, Wine Country, Wine Country Wedding, Zoom Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… My wedding was everything I imagined it would be. Nic proposed Christmas morning of 2009 and during our year and a half engagement I moved back home to the Bay Area while Nic traveled every month to several hospitals to finish up his medical school rotations for the Air Force.  With Nic gone for most of the planning and engagement period, we decided to come up with a clear vision and goal of what we both wanted our wedding. Easy enough, we decided we wanted our wedding to be fun, informal, uniquely us, and nontraditional.

Nic and I both love the outdoors and a glass of wine so we thought a wedding near my hometown in Northern California’s wine country would be perfect for us. We decided on Atwood Ranch in Glen Ellen that not only had the natural beauty of the ranch, vineyards and surrounding hillsides, it also provided the organic look and feel we wanted. The venue helped inspire my overall theme, “Rustic Vintage Chic”. As for my color scheme for a May wedding, I went for fun vibrant yellows and oranges along with gray and black accents for a hint of modern-chic, and then tied them both together with a soft antique ivory.

Because nothing in Northern California’s wine country comes cheap, I tried to find ways to save money where I could. I found that going with “green” options were a great way to save money and even add to our overall theme such as hanging chalkboards to display our dinner menu or sending e-save the dates and having our guests RSVP on our wedding website. I saved money on rentals, lighting and other décor by using the venue to really be the main focus and only accent it by simple things like going with string lighting and candles in glass jars my mom brought from home or that the venue already had. We used wine barrels already available at the ranch as cocktail tables and to display our floral designs. I also found that working with vendors we already knew helped keep the costs down and just made the overall planning process and wedding so personal and fun to work with, like our photographer, Sasha Gulish, who was with us throughout the entire wedding. My friend’s mother did the beautiful flowers, an old neighbor of mine did my makeup and a friend from work’s mother baked the delicious cakes. Overall, we hired very few vendors that we didn’t have a previous relationship with. Other affordable but special tidbits that added to our wedding as a whole was incorporating friends and family into the wedding, like having Nic’s cousin sing our first song and dance or my cousin’s beautiful calligraphy on our invites and menu boards. My girlfriend even helped me with the graphic art for our table names. Our favors were even homemade chocolates by Nic’s mother.

I had a lot of fun coming up with unique ways to keep the wedding truly “us” by representing Nic and I as much as I could. To show Nic’s love for the Beatles, I surprised him with an acoustic performance of “Blackbird” as I walked down the aisle. Being that Nic is in the Air Force, I had a custom Air Force garter belt (also my something “blue”) made on Etsy and displayed my father’s antique airplane lighter collection on our bar tables. Our tables were named after our favorite ski resorts and with our family style seating arrangement I was able to sit at the Squaw Valley table and be next to Nic who was on the Park City table where he grew up ski racing.

One of the many non-traditional elements in our wedding was having my bridesmaids pick a gray (any darker shade of gray was fine) dress they liked, in a style that suited their personality and body type. Instead of having one big cake we had many small cakes in two. We even asked Nic’s dad to marry us. Nic’s dad did an amazing job representing both Nic and I as during the ceremony he included cultural traditions from my Irish and Jewish heritage and Nic’s Greek heritage. It was so special and so unique.

Flowers: Marian LeBrun of Savage Rose Florals / Wedding Photography: Sasha Gulish Photography / Wedding Venue: Atwood Ranch / Wedding Coordinator: Julie Atwood Events / Wedding Cake: Anna Pier Cakes / Catering: Sage / Beverage Catering: BBC / Bridal Hair: Jordan Tircuit / Makeup: Kathryn Favaro / Wedding Gown: Amsale / Bride’s Shoes: Betsey Johnson

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amsale, Anna Pier Cakes, Atwood Ranch, BBC, Betsey Johnson, California Weddings, Casual Elegance, DIY Inspired, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, intimate wedding, Jordan Tircuit, Julie Atwood Events, Kathryn Favaro, Rustic Chic, Sage, Sasha Gulish, Savage Rose Florals, Sonoma, Vintage Chic, Wine Country
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired