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From My Simple Details … With the Mary Katherine and Mike’s love for wine, the groom’s background near the Finger Lakes and the bride’s Maryland and Northern Virginia background, we planned a wine tasting/show-off between Northern Virginia wines and Finger Lake wines with a sommelier during cocktail hour. With the bride’s love for Maryland crab cakes we also planned for a crab cake station for dinner and for the groom, a special Primanti Bros. station.

The unique alter area was made from antique wood wine holders, lots of blue wine bottles and Holly’s florals. Since both the couples initials are MK, the MK2 theme was present thoughout the event with wood carved and letter elements. Other unique details included the wood slice wine tags with hand calligraphy for guest favors that we hung on twine during cocktail hour. Cheese and chocolate food paring for the wine tasting during cocktail hour, a wine barrel lid lasy susan that was imprinted with their last name and the date and used as the guest book with permanent paint pens. Some of the centerpieces also included wine crates with the lids slid partially open to elevate blue candles in glass mason jars on the lids. Invitations were fabric with sunflower design and natural brown paper envelopes.

Venue: Murray Hill / Event Planning & Design: My Simple Details / Floral Design: Holly Chapple Flowers / Catering: RSVP Catering / Photography: Tara Welch Photography / Photography, Second Shooter: Vicki Grafton Photography / Transportation: Reston Limo / Musician: Chris Dunn, Classical Guitar Ceremonies / DJ: DJ Pgee / Sommelier: Lucinda Smith

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Post tags: Casual Elegance, Chalkboards, Chris Dunn, Classical Guitar Ceremonies, Color Palette Blue Yellow, Color Palette Purple Blue, Corks, DJ Pgee, Holly Chapple Flowers, Leesburg, Lucinda Smith, Murray Hill, My Simple Details, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Potomac River, Primanti Bros, Reston Limo, RSVP Catering, Short Gowns, Sommelier, Sunflowers, Tara Welch Photography, Tented Receptions, Vicki Grafton Photography, Virginia, Water, Wine Corks, Wine Themed, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Being from Australia, James from England, and living in New York, it was important to us to have our wedding at a place that was accessible for all of our friends and family. Our only requirement for our wedding was that we wanted to get married in a vineyard. With its proximity to the San Francisco International Airport, we went to Napa and Sonoma for a few days and fell in love with Sonoma. The vineyards are amazing but the whole atmosphere in the town square was just something that immediately felt right. We visited a number of vineyards and decided on one… which unfortunately fell through a month after we returned to New York. We then took a gamble on Gundlach Bundschu – site unseen – with encouragement from our amazing wedding planner, Stephanie Cole.

When we returned to Sonoma we couldn’t have dreamt of this place being any better. Walking through the wine cave to the vineyard overlook with the glorious sunshine was just magical. We had a cellist, Michael Fesckes, play for us before the ceremony and during our cocktail hour where our guests enjoyed local sparkling wine and a number of delicious passed appetizers prepared by Park Avenue Catering.

We then transported our guests to the timeless and rustic tasting room at Buena Vista Carneros, just a short bus ride away where we dined on cod and lamb and enjoyed the fabulous Buena Vista wines before dancing the night away.

There is not one thing I would change about our day. Looking at all the memorable photos wonderful Megan Reeves took for us and even writing about it now brings a huge smile to my face.

Wedding Coordinator: Stephanie Cole of A Dream Wedding / Hair & Makeup: Grazia Salon & Wendy Walter / Florist: Sally Blue of Sonoma Flowers / Caterer: Park Avenue Catering / Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events / Ceremony Venue: Gundlach Bundschu / Reception Venue: Buena Vista Carneros / Cellist: Michael Fecskes / Band: All Star Jukebox / Photography: Megan Reeves Photography / Second Shooter: Jen Philips / Shoes: Badgley Mishka / Wedding Dress: Galina / Dance Dress: Vintage / Bridesmaids Dresses: Light in the Box

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Post tags: A Dream Wedding, All Star Jukebox, Badgley Mishka, Buena Vista Carneros, Buena Vista Winery, Carneros, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Yellow, David's Bridal, Flower girls, Galina, Grazia Salon, Gundlach Bundschu, Jen Philips, Light in the Box, Megan Reeves Photography, Michael Fecskes, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Park Avenue Catering, Sonoma Flowers, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designer, Windy Walter, Wine Country Party & Events, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Will and I met at a concert. Going to shows and finding new music has been a key element of our relationship. We wanted our wedding to reflect this, so we made music a theme. We created a compilation of songs from our favorite bands whose shows we had attended together to give away as favors. The tables for dinner were named after different music venues in San Francisco that we’d been to, and the seating cards were made to look like a concert tickets.

The most important thing to us was that people have a really good time and feel welcome. We didn’t want it to be too formal; instead we wanted it to feel like a really fun party in someone’s backyard. We picked a bluegrass band to play for the ceremony and reception. We had a selection of pies rather than a wedding cake. Our flowers were placed in a variety of old bottles rather than vases. We used succulents as our centerpieces instead of cut flowers. We loved the idea that the plants at our wedding would continue to live and be enjoyed by our guests even after the wedding was over.

The best thing about the wedding was that all our friends and family really enjoyed themselves. We kept hearing from everyone how much they liked our other friends and family members that they were meeting. We felt completely loved and supported and lucky to have so many incredible people in our lives.

Photography: Jessamyn Harris Photographer / Floral & Event Design: Jess Flood Event Design / Event Planning: Jess Flood Event Design / Catering: Stark & Co. / Venue: Healdsburg Country Gardens / Pies: Mission Pie

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Post tags: California, California Vineyards, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue Orange, Healdsburg, Healdsburg Country Gardens, Jess Flood Event Design, Jessamyn Harris Photographer, Mission Pie, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Ring Bearers, Stark & Co., Succulents, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wine, Wineries, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

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From A Kurant Event…On a sunny July day in Eastern Washington, Seattle couple Okeyse Warren and Ben Karas took their vows in front of 60 of their closest friends at Steppe Cellars – a working orchard and tasting room owned by Susan and Tom Garrison. Ben and Okeyse had frequented the cellar’s tasting room so often, and were such big fans of the wine there that they asked the Garrisons if they could get married there and the winemakers were honored to accept!

With many hand-made details including the invites to the menus to the programs and a lot of elbow grease from friends and family and A Kurant Event, the couple turned the orchard outside the tasting room barn in to multiple magical vignettes for each portion of the day.

The ceremony, officiated by a close friend, was nestled in between the rows of cherry trees with a homemade bamboo chuppa and plenty of water and parasols for guests under the sunny skies. Following the ceremony, guests were served appetizers, candy, cocktails, and slushies inside the tasting room barn while listening to the smooth vocal stylings of the Mycle Wastman Band. Dinner was served directly from Skillet’s iconic silver air-stream and guest were invited to sit between the rows of trees decked with candles, flowers, and whimsical tulle pom-pom strings while kids had their very own art table (and contributed to the decor by adding their own pictures to a twine clothesline). After dinner, the groom’s sweet tooth was satisfied by a pie buffet complete with vanilla frozen custard and guests enjoyed an evening of dancing inside the romantically lit old barn while the bride and her friends surprised guests with a flash-mob choreographed dance. It was truly a magical evening from start to finish!

Event Planning + Coordination: A Kurant Event / Wedding Photography: Garret Grove Photography / Flowers: DIY / Ceremony + Reception Location: Steppe Cellars / Invitations: DIY / Handwritten Signage + Additional Stationery: Wyatt Ink / Additional Handcrafted Decor (wooden sign, pom strings, photo-booth set-up): Heathoriginal / Live Band: Mycle Wastman / Catering + Dessert: Skillet Street Food

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Post tags: A Kurant Event, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Garret Grove Photography, Heathoriginal, Mycle Wastman, Skillet Street Food, Steppe Cellars, Washington, Winery, Wyatt Ink
Post categories: The Blog, Whimsical

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From the Bride…Brian and I fell in love with our venue from the moment we visited it a year ago.  We knew we could get everything we wanted in our wedding by choosing this location.  Located on a bluff overlooking the vineyards with lush greenery and twinkle lights, a glass of wine and good company is all you need. We wanted a small, intimate and romantic wedding with lots of dim lighting, neutral colors, white rose petals and subtle hints of lavender and amethyst.  When I was planning my wedding, I knew I wanted a variety of white flowers in low vases as our centerpieces so our guests could talk easily with one another in a laid back atmosphere.  At the reception, a slideshow played which included pictures of Brian and I growing up, our relationship together, and pictures of our friends and family.  We then danced to Keith Urban’s “Making Memories of Us,” one of our favorite songs from a concert of his we went to so long ago.  As guests mingled throughout the night, they heard thunder and saw lightening in the distance from a storm that had threatened us all day.  Luckily we only caught the tail end as it began to sprinkle just as the dancing was coming to an end…

Some personal touches we added to make our day special:  My bridal bouquet was adorned with a brooch that belonged to my late grandmother.  Our aunts, uncle’s, and parent’s were given special corsages and boutonnieres as they arrived to the wedding.  And each person’s place card was hand written by me in the same printed paper that I used to line the envelopes for our wedding invitations.  My shoes were plain silver flats I found at Nordstrom that I had added a brooch too. Our wedding favors were vintage coca cola’s with brown wooden tags (painted by the groom) that said, “Michel & Brian – It’s the Real Thing.”  My amazing cake is a replica of one I saw and fell in love with on SMP!  I HAD to have this cake!

My favorite memory of our wedding was sitting down at the reception for the first time, as dinner is being served and the sun is going down looking at all our guests enjoy each others company at our wedding.  The twinkle lights became brighter and brighter as the sun went down and Sinatra began to play, what an amazing feeling being just married celebrating our love with our family and friends.

Wedding Photography: Ken Kienow Photography / Bouquets + Boutonnieres: Flowers by Denise / Wedding Venue: Castoro Cellars / Catering: Epic Weddings / Wedding Cake: The Cakery SLO / DJ: Haro Entertainment / Make-up: Kelli Munger / Invitations: Bella Figura / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridal via Mia Bella / Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom / Groom’s Suit: Tallia / Ties: Burberry / Brooches: Fabulous Brooch

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Post tags: Allure Bridal, Bella Figura, burberry, California Weddings, Castoro Cellars, Epic Weddings, Fabulous Brooch, Flowers by Denise, Haro Entertainment, Kelli Munger, Ken Kienow, Mia Bella, Nordstrom, Tallia, Templeton, The Cakery SLO, Winery
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance

I fell in love with Thacher Winery a couple of years before falling in love with Matt.  I thought to myself, when visiting for some wine tasting, that I wanted to get married there if I ever found the right person.  And when I met Matt, he mentioned that he knew the Thacher’s.  I couldn’t believe it!

I was never one to dream of my wedding day but I found myself thinking about it and decided to pull out some pictures from magazines of things that inspired me hoping it too would help focus my energy on making it happen one day. When that “one day” eventually happened, I went back to the folder of ideas and pulled out  a picture from Martha Stewart Weddings magazine.  I realized that the bride in the picture had the exact same wedding dress on that I had just purchased and the wedding was in a barn!  Crazy how dreams come true.

We wanted it to be an amazing celebration: good music, good food, good beer and good wine with our most favorite people!   No fuss, just a great party.  We were so fortunate to work with some of the best vendors you can get, most of whom were or have become great friends.

Venue: Thacher Winery / Wedding Coordination: Touch of Style Events / Photography: Mike Larson / Florist: The Green Vase / Catering: Cass / Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Bremen Town / Reception Music: Mark Adams & The Westsiders / Lighting: Bill Gaines Audio / Limo Transportation: Lush Limousines / Hair and Makeup: The Queens Bees / Shoes: Bagdley Mischka & Frye Boots / Dress Designer: Pricilla of Boston

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Post tags: Bagdley Mischka, Barn, Beer, Bill Gaines Audio, Bremen Town, Cass, Casual Elegance, Cowboy Boots, Cupcakes in a Jar, farm, farm wedding, Frye Boots, haybales, Homebrewed Beer, Lush Limousines, Mark Adams & The Westsiders, Mike Larson Inc, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, pies, Pricilla of Boston, Ranch, Rustic Chic, Summer Wedding, Thatcher Winery, The Green Vase, The Queens Bees, Touch of Style Events, Wedding Planners & Designers, wildflowers, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

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From the Bride…My wedding style was vintage, romantic, classy and detailed. I didn’t want my wedding to be generic (a wedding where you could simply switch out the bride and groom for another couple and not know the difference). I wanted my wedding day to be special, unique, and a day to celebrate our love for each other and God’s love for us. This ended up costing me (and my wonderful friends) hours upon hours of DIY work, but the result was better than I could have imagined.  We put our bridal party to work: my husband & his groomsmen spent hours drilling holes in pennies and weaving them through wire just so I could spell cute things with them and my bridesmaids and I shared many late nights stitching table numbers onto felt, and tying twine onto mini spice jars.

We personalized each and every name card for our guests. We used scrabble letters, made our own fabric flowers, made pinwheels and used vintage buttons to make each guest’s name card unique. My dad’s scrabble pieces spelt out “hero” because of all of the sacrifices he has made for my family and my mom’s spelt out “pray” because of the prayers she has showered over me throughout my life.

Our colors were originally light grey, coral and yellow, but during the planning I felt so constrained to them and realized I wasn’t really a matchy-matchy person–so I just went with a mesh of colors that accented each other well. A bride should be able to do whatever she wants with her wedding!  Our decor was DIY galore. We made our rounds at antique stores, collected mason jars, painted and baked a few of them so they would be blue, wrapped twine around coke bottles, made our own lanterns for centerpieces, sewed our own burlap runners & ring bearer pillow (with the help of my aunt), bought 10 lbs of paprika and put them into corked spice jars, hung polaroid pictures of us across wine barrels, hand stitched signs, and much much more. DIY can sometimes come off as cheap but I tried to make sure I didn’t go overboard and that everything stayed classy. All of our flowers were very organic, wild and soft-toned. Our florist did a beautiful job filling all our jars and making the bouquets looks elegant and classy.

I’ll never forget the moment when my husband and I glanced at each other right after we were pronounced husband and wife. We were both beaming and full of excitement and joy to be around all of our loved ones. It was such a feeling of accomplishment, as if we had just finished a long race together. But instead of finishing a race, I know that moment marked the beginning of our lives together as one. Our photographers caught the perfect shot of this moment, and I’ll treasure it forever.

I’ll never forget dancing the night away with all my crazy friends and family. I could have never imagined a wedding without a dance floor and I’m SO thankful none of my friends held back that night! It was a night to remember!

Wedding Photography: Brandon Wong Photography / Ceremony + Reception Location + Catering: Faulkner Winery / Wedding Dress: Casablanca Bridal / Bridal Alterations: Rose Anderson Sews Bridal / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew/ Wedding Videography: The Anthem Cinema / Event Planning: Tiffany Woon / Wedding Rehearsal + Prep Location: Faulkner Winery / Officiant: Pastor David Finch / Hair: Samone at Jeslin Salon & Boutique / Make-up: Stephanie Yu / Lighting, Dinner + Dancing Music: Just 4 Fun Entertainment / Floral Design: Exquisite Blooms / Wedding Cake: Sumi’s Oven / Photobooth: MeBo Photo / Programs, Favors, Name Cards, Table Numbers, Decorations: The Bride

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Post tags: Brandon Wong Photography, California Weddings, Casablanca Bridal, Exquisite Blooms, Faulkner Winery, J. Crew, Jeslin Salon & Boutique, Just 4 Fun Entertainment, Mebo Photo, Pastor David Finch, Rose Anderson Sews Bridal, Stephanie Yu, Sumi's Oven, Temecula, The Anthem Cinema, Tiffany Woon, Winery
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance

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From the Bride… From the moment Greg and I got engaged I was completely over-the-moon with excitement.  After contemplating the idea of having a small and intimate beach wedding, we ended up deciding on having a larger wedding closer to home so that we could share this special day with all those who mean so much to us.  We began scoping out different venues and when we came across Concannon Winery we both fell in love and knew this was exactly what we envisioned for our wedding day.  It was such a beautiful venue with many different elements that made it perfect for Greg and I.  It had a gorgeous Victorian house (the Glen Ellen home) for the ceremony, a beautiful vine covered arbor for dinner and my husband’s favorite, the barrel room with large wine casks for the reception.  The venue was surrounded by hills covered in vineyards which gave it such a romantic and elegant feel.

When picking out many of the details for our wedding, I wanted the day to feel very romantic with small handmade touches to give it a more personalized feel.  I love the relaxed and vintage feel of burlap and twine so for some of our centerpieces my mom and I wrapped mason jars with twine and added a cute little bow, then staggered them around the table on small wooden blocks.  Through the planning process, ETSY and I became best friends, finding many great ideas to incorporate into our day like our love bird cake topper, that I absolutely adore, our burlap signs, and the Mr. and Mrs. Signs for our chairs.  Greg and I were also very lucky to have his Aunt Allie (a local artist) to paint a tree to match the one on our invitation as our sign-in for our guests.Our florist Nicole was also amazing and was able to capture my vision perfectly.  She used a combination of peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, and lisianthus, with sage green foliage to give it a romantic and soft feel.  I couldn’t have been happier with the florals.  She did an amazing job!

Looking back I have so many amazing memories of our day, from the excitement and overwhelming happiness I felt when I first saw Greg, how on an extremely cloudy day the sky opened up and the sun shined down as we said our vows, and how all our family and friends celebrated the night away.  It was the most amazing night of our lives and Tanja our photographer captured that day exactly how I remembered it, she is truly amazing at what she does and I couldn’t imagine a better way to be able to look back and remember those memories. Our day was perfect thanks to all of our amazing vendors, family and friends.  Without their love and support, our wedding would never have been so special.

Wedding Photography: Tanja Lippert Photography / Wedding Venue: Concannon Vinyards / Florist: The Petal Pusher / Event Planner: Maggie Wise + The Bride / Caterer: Alex’s Catering / Bride’s Dress: Enzoani / Cinematographer: Bryan Mclain / DJ: Rob from Amos Productions / Cake: Cake Delight / Lighting: Amos Productions / Rentals: Chairs for Affairs

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Post tags: Alex's Catering, Amos Productions, Bryan Mclain, Cake Delight, California, Chairs for Affairs, Concannon Vineyards, Enzoani, Livermore, Maggie Wise, Tanja Lippert Photography, The Petal Pusher, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog