To see the full gallery of images, click right here!

From Lisa Vorce, of Oh How Charming!…

This was a 30th anniversary party for the parents of one of the bridesmaids of a former client. We had such a blast with her at the wedding, and were delighted to be called to produce the anniversary party for her parents. Tracy and her brother Teddy wanted to throw a “travel themed” soiree for their parents. We set the tone with an airline ticket inspired invitation by Tiny Pine Press where we asked the guests to “escape” for an evening of great food and great friends.

I ordered vintage luggage tags from eBay and used them to create the escort cards, table numbers, and details for our wraps for the evening. The menu was a global 9 course extravaganza created by Tracy, Teddy, and Jerry from The Food Matters. It was one of the most extraordinary menus I’ve seen!

For the decor — we paired La Tavola’s natural linens with some custom skirted linens I had sewn. I love the femininity of the skirted linens. They hang so beautifully. On the tables, we used vintage silver spoon napkin rings, hand painted stand-up menus from Yellow Owl Workshop, and mother of pearl flatware. R. Jack Balthazar did an amazing job of pairing fluffly white peonies with maiden hair fern, mercury glass, and grapewood. Was such a stunning combination. I asked them to do a “statement” piece on the center table of the dinner party, and they did the most amazing display of clear glass, mercury glass, and candlelight. It was so gorgeous! R. Jack also did stunning lounge set-ups for me complete with transfer ware vessels that had a magical glow. Barker Decor finished off the details by providing ambient lighting that mimicked a gorgeous candlelight glow. As guests dined under the stars, Supernova rocked contemporary tunes on their strings. It was a perfect evening!

Event Design: Lisa Vorce of Oh How Charming! / Photography: Aaron Delesie / Rentals: Barker Decor / Invitations: Tiny Pine Press / Florals and Design: R. Jack Balthazar /Menus: Yellow Owl Workshop / Linens: La Tavola’s / Catering: The Food Matters

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Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Anniversary, Backyard, Barker Decor, Elegant, La Tavola, Lisa Vorce, Oh How Charming, The Food Matters, Tiny Pine Press, travel, Travel Theme, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Real Parties

stunning photography by Jose Villa

This wedding was magic. Layers and layers and layers of magic. Lisa Vorce is always one of my favorite designers but for this particular affair, she completely outdid herself. She plans receptions as if they were rooms in her home being decked out for some really intimate, fabulous party. She uses materials that are so readily available, like thick silk ribbon and burlap runners, little brown bags filled with scraps of ribbon for confetti, oriental rugs that she finds at flea markets…and turns them into a space that is as romantic and elegant as it is completely chic. Lisa is basically a wedding God in my book and this particular affair, was high on my list of favorites for the year. Here is the rest of the perfect affair.

* * *

Second, is the lovely, lovely, lovely wedding that we debuted on Martha Stewart then featured the entire gorgeous spread (including a cute DIY) right here. This Jackson Hole wedding was perfection. The blend of bridesmaids dresses, all in varying shades of blue, the pretty pretty flowers against the rustic feel of the burlap runners. The chic simplicity, the organic elegance. Every little bit of this wedding is so “me.” You can see the rest of the wedding right here.

all of the gorgeous photos were snapped by Carrie Patterson

Other weddings that I fell hard for this year…The ridiculously gorgeous, modern and completely intimate affair that Jennifer and Christian held for $10,000. Mary-Kevin and Patrick’s super cute DIY  affair. Sarah of Spruce’s lovely backyard wedding. And of course, Jessica Claire’s RIDICULOUSLY awesome wedding, filled to the brim with vintage gorgeousness.

That really doesn’t scratch the surface. As I was going through our archived real weddings, especially in the “casual elegance” and “traditional elegance” categories, I couldn’t believe how much goodness was tucked inside the pages. I love each and every wedding that I put up so choosing favorites was kind of like choosing my favorite kid. Whether it was that INSANE Monique Lhuillier dress in a wedding that you guys went nuts for, the absolutely perfect Jose Villa Santa Barbara wedding, Desiree and Ann’s gorgeous backyard affair, the incredible seaside wedding by Gia Canali and Yifat Oren or the millions of other perfect details, perfect photo shoots, perfect brides and grooms…I loved them all. Each and every one.

So, a HUGE thank you to all of the vendors, all of the artists and all of the readers who continually help to make SMP a place of total inspiration, of total magic. May 2010 be just as fun, just as inspiring, just as gorgeous. And may all your wedding dreams come true…

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Post tags: Carrie Patterson, Favorites, Favorites 2009, Jose Villa, Lisa Vorce, Mindy Rice, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Real Weddings, Wedding Style

From Lisa…Barker Decor created two long feasting tables in an “L” formation for an informal “European” dining experience. Ryan worked with the San Ysidro Ranch to create an awesome tasting menu that we served on mixed patterns of Vietri china rented from Tabella. For our flooring, we used antique rugs from our friend Shaw at Summerland Oriental Rugs (who has the most fabulous collection of antique rugs) with newer rugs. We layered them in a perfectly haphazard fashion that was just gorgeous.

Along the tables, we had custom brushed velvet runners made. The chairs were accented with a “mud” colored cushion from La Tavola that were the perfect complement to our velvet runners. On each chair, we hand tied a collection of muted ribbons to create a “carwash” effect. The ribbons flowing in the wind were so beautiful on all the chairs lined up at the dinner table. In the tree adjacent to the dinner tables, we hung industrial chandeliers with the old “Thomas Edison” bulbs. We wanted to hang one of the chandeliers above the cake table as well – but there were no rigging points — so Barker Decor magically built a custom tree for us so we would have a rigging point! It was amazing. No one knew it wasn’t real!

Other beautiful details on the tables were the hand painted menus from Yellow Owl. Christine and Evan at Yellow Owl are another pair of creative geniuses. It was my first time working with them – and it was such a treat! Christine has an amazing ability to listen to a client and literally do an artistic translation of them. With just a few adjectives and a short conversation – she can create individual pieces of art for clients. It’s amazing to witness.

to see the full gallery, click here!

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Post tags: California Weddings, Lisa Vorce, Mindy Rice, Oh How Charming, San Ysidro, San Ysidro Ranch, Southern California, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Casual Elegance

From Lisa…Within the first 5 minutes of my initial phone call with Alissa, I knew it was going to be an amazing partnership. Alissa and her fiance Ryan wanted a wedding that was romantic, bohemian and quirky. Just our style! They wanted to incorporate elements of art, fantasy, whimsy, and fashion. They own a fabulous online boutique, Horne, and have extraordinary taste and an unrivaled database of artisans. It was a delight to collaborate with such creative forces as Alissa and Ryan and be able to incorporate special elements from their boutique into their wedding design.

The wedding was held at the San Ysidro Ranch, which is one of the most insanely beautiful venues to work at. The team there (headed by Willow, Tess, and Scott) are the most hospitable and professional in the business. If we could do an event there once a month, we’d be in heaven!

More from Lisa…The ceremony was in San Ysidro’s stunning garden. As an ode to Alissa’s mother (who wanted at Catholic ceremony) – we brought in gorgeous dark wood church pews from a local prop house. And…an added bonus of the pews was that they were able to showcase the insane programs Yellow Owl created (we tucked them in the back of the pews where you would normally put the mistlettes for church!).  It was adorable. We accented the pews with cozy pillows and throws — and used a beautiful antique rug as the aisle runner.

My favorite partner in crime, Mindy Rice, fabricated a simple “blooming” structure for Alissa and Ryan to stand under.  As a fun detail – Mindy stamped basic brown kraft paper bags with a bird woodcut, and used ribbon clippings in place of petals for a “petal toss”. It was so beautiful to see the confetti of ribbon in the air as Alissa and Ryan recessed down the aisle.

to see the full gallery, click here!

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Post tags: California Weddings, Lisa Vorce, Mindy Rice, Oh How Charming, San Ysidro, San Ysidro Ranch, Southern California, Yellow Owl, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Lisa Vorce, the incredible designer behind the day, imagined a wedding that is as beautiful as they come. Worn, vintage church pews as seating for the ceremony, an organic, incredibly tactile altar, touches of romance and luxury, beauty and simplicity. Sigh. Absolutely lovely.

From Lisa…As the guests made their way to the dinner reception – they passed through an unexpected display of lanterns and tumbleweeds! Alissa’s mother had seen tumbleweeds used in a window display a few years ago…and thought it would be that perfect quirky element for Alissa and Ryan to incorporate into their wedding. Apparently April is “tumbleweed season” in Texas — so Alissa’s father lovingly shipped 15 hand picked tumbleweeds from their ranch in Texas. Mindy and I were SO excited to incorporate them. We hung them “chandelier-style” using velvet “scrunchies” at the entrance to the dinner reception. Mindy also incorporated the smaller ones into her tablescape on the dinner tables. They were so beautiful next to her just-picked-from-the-garden centerpieces, and had such special meaning for everyone.

to see the full gallery, click here!

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Post tags: California Weddings, Jose Villa, Lisa Vorce, Mindy Rice, Oh How Charming, San Ysidro, San Ysidro Ranch, Southern California, Tumbleweeds, Valentino, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Granted, other bloggers discovered this wedding the minute that it went up, but we have the distinct pleasure of having Lisa here to share all of the beautiful details with us. Plus, we have TONS of photos by the fabulous Jose Villa that no one has seen yet! YAY!

photography by Jose Villa

The wedding was held at San Ysidro Ranch and was a lesson in all things gorgeous. Whenever Lisa gets her hands on a wedding where the adorable bride and groom let their personalities shine, she creates absolute magic.

all photos by the fabulous Jose Villa

We have so much more to come from this wedding…tons of incredible, charming details. With a bride and groom that are absolutely lovely. Does it really get any better?

to see the full gallery, click here!

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Post tags: California Weddings, Jose Villa, Lisa Vorce, Mindy Rice, Oh How Charming, San Ysidro, San Ysidro Ranch, Southern California, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Anna told us, “I was able to think of a lot of words that described the weddings that I liked, but actually explaining what I meant by that would have been impossible without all the beautiful images I found on your site to show what that meant to me. Between those images, our great vendors, and talented friends and family, it all came together and we had a wonderful wedding full of happy people and beautiful things.”

Now that’s what makes our day!

As soon as we saw this wedding from Little Black Book member, Jamee Photography, we knew that Anna had achieved her dream day. Not only is the wedding just so darned picturesque, there is also an intangible free-and-easy spirit about the images that resonates true and absolute joy. Not to mention … all of the detail elements were spot on!

LOVE the natural beauty expressed every step of the way … tables (and some of the flowers) were done by family friends, master gardeners. Anna’s uncle built the huppah. Wedding flowers were by Little Black Book member, Bella Fiori.

Anna’s gown was by R0mona Keveza, the maids wore Vera.

Sam & Anna’s beautiful wedding took place at Beano’s Cabin on Beaver Creek Mountain, Colorado. Funny name for a resort! Their website says, “Not exactly roughing it.” A few more credits … Wedding Day Coordination by Little Black Book member Calluna Events; Cake by Mountain Flour; Photo booth from  A Custom Look; Reception paper pieces from The White Aisle.

Anna wrote to us after her wedding …

“I wanted to write and thank you for all the help I got planning my wedding from Style Me Pretty. From the very beginning, I downloaded a whole bunch of inspiration boards that I loved (like an embarrassing number), and took them with me to meet the florist, the cake person, our day of coordinator, everyone. I also purchased a lot of what we ended up using from your recommendations and vendors. You have featured such great vendors with creative and beautiful products. Our menus, place cards, and table numbers, our cake toppers (from Cotton Bird Designs), we registered at Bodanna, our guest books were from Yellow Owl Workshop. When we had a last minute printing need, Rebecca from The White Aisle came to the rescue and turned around some of our stationery in hours. Much of the event was inspired by things I found on your website, so I just wanted to thank you for helping to make planning so fun.”

Jamee, their photographer, is one of our Little Black Book, best of the best Colorado wedding photographers. A huge thanks for sending us Sam & Anna’s heart-warming wedding!

And to Anna, a huge thank-you for your kind words. At the end of some pretty long days, it’s just what we need to hear.

{to see the entire gallery, click here!}

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Post tags: Beano Cabin, Beano's Cabin, Beaver Creek, Bella Fiori, Bodanna, Calluna Events, Colorado, Cotton Bird Designs, Denver, Jamee Photography, Mountain flour, Romona Keveza, The White Aisle, Vera Wang, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography

These are actually cotton watercolor books, which make great wedding gifts, but instead I think that they are absolutely perfect for a guestbook. Each book is adorned with dozens of potato print birds, so every journal will contain a different flight pattern….a complete one of a kind.

Christine also designs wonderfully unique and perhaps even quirky (in the best way possible) wedding stationery…

Each piece is designed to suit the personality of the couple…a forever keepsake that is a true reflection of your day. Thank you so much to Christine for sending me these beautiful ideas! If you are in need of a little inspiration, definitely check out the Yellow Owl Workshop site and Christine’s coordinating blog!

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Post tags: Journals, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts, Wedding Invitations & Stationery