Michigan Weddings

Just last week, we featured a film from Marrone Video of a terrific photo shoot on SMP {here}. And if you haven’t already fallen in love with their style, today will most certainly do the trick! We have two short films that you’ve got to watch … because no matter whether you’re in the final stretch and can almost see the finish line … or have just heard the starting gun … these videos will inspire, motivate, and totally rejuvenate you!

Leslie & Nicola: Wedding Trailer

Filmed in Troy, Michigan, Leslie and Nicola’s video is a phenomenal reminder of what this whole wedding thing is all about!! {ya’ might want to grab a tissue}

and …

Jessica & Giovanni

… braved a vicious thunderstorm in order for us to get some great shots in downtown Montreal. They had a Catholic ceremony and the reception was lounge style at the Sheraton Laval. We were able to do an Instant Edit for them to show later, during their reception!

Just Say Yes!

See more of Marrone Video Productions SUPER films here!

Photography: Leslie & Nicola ~Sam Sarkis

Photography: Jessica & Giovanni ~ This Is Your Story

Today has run the gamut from pretty hats to yummy cakes and every shade of blue in between. Thanks to Lucia|Paul Design and the awesome team of Michigan based vendors that brought the pretty today. We hope you are feeling inspired and have tons of details tucked away for safe keeping. That is what these From Inspiration to Reality features are for, after all and we love every second of them. We are going to end the inspiration ride with a wonderful gem of a film from Epic Motion. It is too cute for words and the perfect way to send everyone off into the weekend wilds. Enjoy!

The Epic Motion approach to the Inspiration to Reality shoot:

One of the first things we did when we showed up on set for the shoot was meet the models. We quickly found out that Caleb and Laura were good friends of Jess and Nate (the photogs) and that they’ve been married for six years… within the first few minutes we were laughing together and really connecting with them. We also learned that they didn’t love their wedding photos from years ago and they didn’t have a wedding film (shame-shame). They jokingly said they were going to replace what memories they did have from their wedding with the ones that would be made that day.

My thought: let’s really create something awesome for them that they’ll adore and that will be a reminder of their love for each other as well as something that shows off how stinkin’ good looking they are (the latter part was SUPER easy to do). Of course, in the process the hope was to capture all the amazing details from the A-list of vendors that were hand picked for this shoot.

We chose not to use any natural audio as well as decided to forego much of the “behind-the-scenes” stuff for the piece and create a fun little music driven film. Ultimately my thought was that this could become a small treasure for Caleb and Laura and their family.

Photography: Jessica Johnston Photography / Event Design and Styling: Lucia|Paul Design / Cinematography: Epic Motion / Venue – Lovett Hall at The Henry Ford / Stationery and Sweets Table: Dooby Design Group / Floral: Bellisario Florist / Linens: Gala Linen / Video: Epic Motion / Bridal Gowns, Hair Accessories, Jewelry: Katerina Bocci / Lighting: The Lighting Guy / Draping, Chandelier and Rentals: Colonial Party and Event Rental / Cake and Baked Goods: Sweet Heather Anne / Chairs and Chargers: Special Events Rental / Hair and Makeup: Figo Salon / Jewelry: Stones ‘n Sterling / Decorative shapes: Sugar Papers / Models – Laura and Caleb Collier / Shoes – BCBG

Still yearning for more of those bold, beautiful blues in todays From Inspiration to Reality feature? Well you all are in luck. We have loads of gorgeous details, perfect bridal fashion, and a sweets table from Dooby Design Group that dreams are made of. The cake alone by Sweet Heather Anne is enough for its own feature. Bold, modern, over the top pretty…this is what we like to call an inspiration trifecta. Don’t forget to head over to the gallery for the full shoot in one happy place.

{click here for more gorgeous inspiration}

Sweets Table and Paper Goods Inspiration from Dooby Design Group:

I was very inspired by the bold unique color palette in which we used for this inspiration shoot. I decided to use a baroque damask pattern as the main graphic element for the stationery and I carried this through to the sweets table design. We chose to use all different shades of turquoise sweets with slate gray as the accent. Sweet Heather Anne designed a cake as the focal point for the sweets table, inspired by the Katerina Bocci ballgown the bride wore and she hand painted the baroque pattern on a layer that was used throughout the rest of the table. All the stationery elements were die-cut into a gorgeous ornate shapes done by Sugar Paper, a great etsy find. Overall we were very pleased with the way the patterns, colors and textures translated on the sweets table as well as the stationery.

Cake Design Inspiration by Sweet Heather Anne:

When I saw the Katerina Bocci ballgown that was going to be used in the shoot, I completely fell in love with it. I used the silhouette and pleated detail of the dress as a starting point, and worked with the colors and general feel of the inspiration board to complete the design. Balancing the bold jewel tones in the color palate with large expanses of pure white was a lot of fun. I also worked very closely with Aisha Holly of Dooby Design Group, who designed the sweets table. I hand painted the pattern she created for the paper goods on the largest tier of the cake to tie everything together.

Photography: Jess + Nate Studios / Event Design and Styling: Lucia|Paul Design / Cinematography: Epic Motion / Venue – Lovett Hall at The Henry Ford / Stationery and Sweets Table: Dooby Design Group / Floral: Bellisario Florist / Linens: Gala Linen / Video: Epic Motion / Bridal Gowns, Hair Accessories, Jewelry: Katerina Bocci / Lighting: The Lighting Guy / Draping, Chandelier and Rentals: Colonial Party and Event Rental / Cake and Baked Goods: Sweet Heather Anne / Chairs and Chargers: Special Events Rental / Hair and Makeup: Figo Salon / Jewelry: Stones ‘n Sterling / Decorative shapes: Sugar Papers / Models – Laura and Caleb Collier / Shoes – BCBG

We are back with our favorite part of the From Inspiration to Reality series…the gorgeous photographs that are bursting with so many perfect details. This Michigan team, led by Lucia|Paul Design with photography by Jess + Nate Studios, wanted to create a shoot that is equal parts glamorous and gorgeous while staying true to what a real wedding would entail. We happen to be completely enamored with the result and totally crushing on that fantastic bridal hat. Take a look at how this team of rockstars interpreted the Tiffany blue hued inspiration board.

{Can’t wait? Check out the gallery for the full shoot}

Inspiration take from Lucia|Paul Design:

The approach we took to our Inspiration to Reality photo shoot was a little different than most. Our Photographers, the amazing Jessica and Nate Johnston of Jessica Johnston Photography were in charge of finding our models, Caleb and Laura. The beautiful couple was a photographer’s and videographer’s dream; not only were the comfortable in front of the camera, they just so happened to be the most adorable husband and wife couple and exuded fantastic chemistry. As we had the opportunity to learn more about the couple and who they were, we discovered that they didn’t have photos (or at least ones that they loved) or a video from their actual wedding day. A light bulb went off…lets do a shoot to give them (our real couple) something that they would love and always remember. Needless to say, the shoot turned into more than just a way for all of our amazing team of vendors to show off their best work but to also give Caleb and Laura something that they would be excited about and could treasure forever

Our inspiration for the design was a modern take on the traditional. We wanted to get away from uber-styled photo shoots that have been popping up all over the web. While they are all so gorgeous and lovely (we really, really do love them), we wanted to create something that was a little more like a real wedding day, but that would still inspire engaged couples with creative design. We tried to stick to using items in the shoot that are accessible to everyone…. while still making it ultra glam and gorgeous.

From Jess + Nate Studios Photography:

Our approach to this inspiration shoot was the same as we would approach any wedding we are commissioned to photograph-which is to be able to blend our cinematic style of photography while still also showing off all the wonderful details that make a bride’s wedding unique and special. The beauty in a photoshoot like this was the lack of any real wedding day timeline and the ability to create something totally custom. Of course working with the best vendors in Detroit doesn’t hurt either! We adore the final result and think Laura + Caleb will be pretty pleased with their new “wedding photos”!

We will be back in a bit with more from this gorgeous shoot. Sit tight!

Photography: Jess + Nate Studios / Event Design and Styling: Lucia|Paul Design / Venue – Lovett Hall at The Henry Ford / Stationery and Sweets Table: Dooby Design Group / Cinematogrpahy: Epic Motion / Floral: Bellisario Florist / Linens: Gala Linen / Video: Epic Motion / Bridal Gowns, Hair Accessories, Jewelry: Katerina Bocci / Lighting: The Lighting Guy / Draping, Chandelier and Rentals: Colonial Party and Event Rental / Cake and Baked Goods: Sweet Heather Anne / Chairs and Chargers: Special Events Rental / Hair and Makeup: Figo Salon / Jewelry: Stones ‘n Sterling / Decorative shapes: Sugar Papers / Models – Laura and Caleb Collier / Shoes – BCBG

Well hot diggity!  You didn’t get up this morning and think we were going to take you to the fair did you?!  Well get ready cuz we’re kicking the day off carnival-style and there is no shortage of goodies to feast your eyes on – The candy stripe straws, the vintage popcorn bags, the old fashion soda!  Amanda from Bliss Weddings & Events led the creative design for this shoot and I’m sure you’ll all agree she pulled off such a sweet, carefree mood.  She captured perfectly the essence of those pure moments of a couple in love.  Sigh!  xoxo Chantale from La Belle Bride

{click here for ALL of the carnival goodness}

Amanda from Bliss Weddings and Events writes: What screams fun more than a good ole fashioned fair? This shoot was an absolute blast to create! Not only did we have a team of rock star vendors and a fun theme, we had an excuse to spend a few hours at a carnival.

The inspiration behind the inspiration was pretty, light and cotton candy colors. I love how girly and flirty pink and blue can be together and when you throw in a location like the St. Mary’s Fair and an absolutely adorable couple, the shoot basically created itself. I knew I wanted the shoot to have a DIY feel that was easy for someone to recreate without spending a bundle. The centerpiece to the clean and simple event was the pair of sweet tables, which included a simply frosted white cake and sweet cupcakes created by Kerri at Cherry Chip. I loved the idea of pairing them with the retro Faygo bottles (which is a Michigan staple!), mini candy buffet and the two different custom colored drinks. For the paper products, our fabulous designer created stationery that perfectly complimented the charming details. I fell in love with the Ferris Wheels and fonts that were used on everything, especially seeing them next to the paper straws and the striped linens. Robyn, from Meant To Be Sent, did a wonderful job creating everything from the ticket stub invitations to the circular menu cards.

Having a recently married couple, who were completely in love, as our models, really set the tone for the day. Alison and Seth are naturally a very sweet duo and aren’t afraid to get flirty, kiss and love on each other. You can see it in the photos. They really are in love. Not only was Alison a beautiful bride, she made her powder blue dress the night before the shoot. That, my friends, is DIY dedication! I love how it turned out and especially love the way it looked with Seth’s bow tie and suspenders and the perfect fabric flower hair accessory topped it all off. They were really able to let loose on the rides and while playing some of the midway games that the fair had to offer.

For the table top, I chose a beautiful blue linen and covered it with a white striped overlay. The place settings were very simple, to go with the clean look and the flowers added a punch of unexpected red to the peaceful pink and blue sea of feminine touches. On the cake and candy tables, we used a pink linen with the same striped overlay, a vintage 1940s smoked glass cake stand and mixed it up with clear glass and milk glass containers.

Overall, we just wanted something that would be fun, easy to recreate and something a little different from the norm. Thanks to a wonderful team of vendors, we were able to pull this shoot off in exactly one week from start to finish!

Afraid you missed a few glorious tidbits? Not to fear, we also have a delicious little video by Jamie Honce that highlights every juicy detail.

Event Design and Event Planning: Amanda Freeman of Bliss Weddings & Events /  Photography: Nicole Ladonne Photography / Cinematography: Jamie Honce Productions /  Cake & Cupcakes: Cherry Chip / Flowers: Watkins Flowers /  Location: St. Mary’s Polish Country Fair in Orchard Lake, MI  /  Paper Goods: Meant To Be Sent /  Hair Accessory: Bliss Accessories on Etsy /  Dress: Alison, the bride, made it herself  /  Vintage Items: Frank & Me Clarkston, MI  /  Tables & Chairs: Bloomfield Party Rental

Today’s From Inspiration to Reality is a lesson in the whimsical, the magical, the imaginative. Drawing inspiration from this inspiration board , the Michigan based design team headed up by Tifany of Gourmet Invitations, Misty of Bells and Bliss , Don of Take1 Productions and Hollye Mackler Designs, the goal was to create an enchanted forest filled to the brim with steal worthy ideas and little tidbits of gorgeousness that you can apply to your own wedding. From the firefly lanterns to the moss covered chargers this shoot is anything but ordinary. And the best way to tell the story, in our humble opinion, is by watching it unfold on film…

Don Pham of Take1 Productions: “We were asked if we would be interested in being involved in a SMP “inspiration to reality shoot”. Of course we jumped on board! We are always looking to do something different, fun and creative. We brainstormed on what we could shoot once the theme was set…..”An Enchanted Forest”. We envisioned something different and out of the box, not just your typical eye candy music video. A storyline without any spoken words is what we wanted to create. When I entered the set, it immediately felt like a dream to me. The storyline evolved as we started to film. “An Enchanted Forest” conveyed feelings of fantasy, eeriness, non-reality. Our minds raced as we thought of these adjectives. The final story that was conveyed was “Poison Apples”.

{Click here to see the whole enchanted affair in our galleries}

Tifany of Gourmet Invitations: “I immediately knew that I wanted to do something natural and a laser engraved wood invitation was perfect. I used a large piece of wood with bark on the sides and designed the invitation with the look of a fairytale book. The large engraved letter is so reminiscent of old fairy tales and this piece set the mood for the rest of the elements for our shoot.”

A pre-planning design meeting was held at the amazing venue, Flat 151. Located in the heart of the business district, the space boasts over 8,000 square feet with 12 ft ceilings and sweeping views of the Detroit cityscape. Event planner Misty Trompeter suggested the location and the team heartily agreed as it was the perfect “blank canvas” to transform the inspiration into an indoor magical forest.

Next, Bells & Bliss took the team to Special Event Rental, Michigan’s leading Event Rental and Design Company. Here, all of the elements of the design became a reality. A green organza linen with a thick stripe, was inspired by the photo of the butterfly on a striped background. The photo of the fairy had beautiful lilac flowers on her wings and thus the colors of lilac and hot pinks were incorporated into the table décor. The brown Chivari chairs were covered with moss, as well as the chargers, which were large pieces of wood. A bride could achieve this look by using a custom chair pad in a shaggy fabric in the same moss green. Using actual moss as filler and accents on the table helps a bride create the “outdoor” feel.  Near the tablescape a “soft seating area”was created by using a modern wooden bench with complimentary decorative wooden tree stumps. Special and unique elements adorned the table such as tiny gold salt and pepper shakers, gold rimmed stemware and tiny buds of pink dendrobium orchids gently scattered around the table.

Hollye from Hollye Mackler Designs: “I wanted to bring the earth up through the table, creating a natural inspired piece. The curly willow branches were designed to look as though they were growing from the ground and sprouting through the center of the table. Dendrobium orchid blooms along with seeded eucalyptus and natural moss completed the piece and created a cohesive design element for a beautiful Enchanted Forest.”

For the additional paper products, Gourmet Invitations wanted the elements to be very unique and to follow the fairy tale idea. Tifany designed table numbers to hang from the tree centerpiece on each table. The numbers were backed with a wood grain cardstock. The menus were designed as a leaf and placed on each moss covered seat. The placecards are one-of-a-kind laser engraved stones; each customized with the guest’s name. Various paper signs were designed for the “Everlasting Love Potion” (raspberry lemonade), the Poison Apples (caramel apples from Christine’s Cakes), the signature drink (“Drink Me”, Kiwi/Green Tea shooters) and leaf shaped sign for the leaves tossed as a send off . Gourmet Invitations also worked with a longtime friend and artist, Stephenie Fish, to design a guest book. The guest book was a large tree and the guests were instructed to use colored stamp pads and markers to make thumb print animals of their family.

Another piece that Tifany of Gourmet Invitations created was the custom firefly lantern that also doubled as the ring bearer’s lantern. “Using the photo of the fireflies in the mason jar for inspiration, I contacted Fire Flies in a Jar. I purchased their Fireflies in a Jar and removed the lid. I purchased a vintage looking lantern and put the firefly lid in the bottom and then strung the fireflies with fishing line up into the top of the lantern. I covered the bottom of the lantern with green organza with sewn in crystals.”

Dionne of The Shooting Gallery: “Normally at weddings, I am always behind the camera. But for this project, I was in charge of my other love: fashion. First I found the wedding dress from the amazing designer, Sarah Seven. Sarah was thrilled to loan us the dress and it was perfect for the ethereal look I had envisioned for this shoot. The shoes are from Badgley Mishka. The jewelry was from my own collection. Our groom’s tuxedo was donated from Wesner’s Tuxedo. I decided on a silver tuxedo. The tie was a perfect find with the same green stripes that were in our inspiration board.”

Shannon and Carie of Emplume: “While creating the Enchanted Forest Collection we were inspired by images of a mossy, dense forest, the soft glow of fireflies, colorful butterflies and magical fairy wings. The colors of the collection were directly taken from the weepy, murky colors of the inspiration board. The fairy bride’s bouquet is made up of forest green feathers, preserved mushroom ‘petals,’ alight with butterflies, fuschia swarovski jewels, and is finished in back with a moss covered trellis wrapping over a velvety handle. Her bridesmaid is carrying a fairy dust covered twig ball, surrounded by flitting butterflies, complete with a ethereal, glowing, fuchsia light inside. Enchanting!”

Christine from Christine’s Cakes: “When I was ask to do a inspiration cake for the Style Me Pretty photo shoot, I wanted to design a classic four tier wedding cake, but with hidden punches of wow factor. I designed and hand painted butterflies that were placed around the cake. The overlaid fondant flowers were a way to give some dimension and were colored in the same lavender pinks and green touches as the color scheme. Tifany from Gourmet Invitations wanted touches of fairy tale pieces in the shoot as well, and we were asked to design ‘Poison Apples’. Our chocolate dipped caramel apples were all hand drizzled with various toppings and tied with twine. We also created two tiny cakes, that were piped with ‘Eat Me’ and were made of our award winning chocolate poured cake.”

Video: Take1 Productions / Cakes: Christine’s Cakes and Pastries / Bouquet: Emplume / Photography: The Shooting Gallery / Flowers: Hollye Mackler Designs / Invitations: Gourmet Invitations Event Planner: Misty Trompeter, Bells and Bliss / Furniture, Linen and China: Special Events Rental / Venue: Flat 151 Detroit, Michigan / Hair: Roman Barrett from Alex Emilio Salon / Makeup: Elizabeth Arsov, Elizabeth’s Head to Toe / Bridal Gown: Sarah Seven / Tuxedo:  Wesner’s Tuxedo / Cakes and Caramel Apples: Christine’s Cakes and Pastries / Violinist: Karen Krause Rochester Hills, Michigan

On Epic Motion’s website, they say that “No dream is too large. No destination is too far!” And that’s the really wonderful thing about the wedding industry!! Today’s first featured cinematographer is Ryan Koral at Epic Motion …

Lauren and John’s same day edit has to be one of our favorites… they were so excited about every little detail from the day – so you can imagine the reaction we received as they watched this film shortly after dessert that evening. It really is an “epic” moment watching the same day edit with the bride and groom; the beauty and depth of their story is made more real to them as they experience it – by watching it.

Based in Royal Oak, Michigan, a suburb just north of Detroit, we have a strong love for home as well as the other destinations we’ve filmed. The Epic Motion approach to the day is built on relationship. It’s very important for us to connect with our clients as well as for them to connect with us. People will sometimes ask what our style is… I’m never quite sure what to say, but it’s definitely a mix of goodness and fun. We believe in love. And we LOVE a good story.

Epic Motion is one of the event cinematographers named by Event DV in 2009 for excellence in the wedding industry.  And do you know the great thing about this FINE group of people? Wedding filmmakers are soooooooo supportive of each other! They are passionate about their given talents and have grown the wedding cinema industry from an ‘extra’ into a required ‘necessity’!  Congratulations, Ryan ~ it’s an honor to have you on the Style Me Pretty team!

Katy ~ today’s beautiful bride ~ refers to herself as a professional bridesmaid. Having served as an attendant at many a friends’ wedding, she knew what she liked and set about assembling a team who could help her achieve it.  Little Black Book members ~ Tifany at Gourmet Invitations, Abby at Abby Rose Photo, Hollye Mackler and Haute Bride all played significant roles in their areas of wedding expertise! Katy has shared many of the planning details with us!  So we’ll just let her take the mike …

Beyond wanting our wedding to be different, Mike and I wanted it to be modernly elegant, but still feel very intimate…which is a hard balance when you both come from small families and have a huge guest list. At the end of the day, we wanted every one of our guests, whether they traveled from near or far, to feel a part of our day. From the ceremony to the reception we wanted it to be a reflection of us, but something that everyone could enjoy. Because as I said at our rehearsal dinner, “this day is as much about all of you who have made us the people we are today and supported us, as it is about us!”

Katy went on to say … By the time I got engaged, I was pretty much known as a professional bridesmaid. Lucky for me, I had been in so many of my friends’ gorgeous weddings, it gave me a good starting point for everything I wanted for our big day. However, anyone that knows me, also knows that I love to be different, not in a dye my hair blue kind of way, but always have my finger on the pulse of the newest beauty product, celeb line for target, etc… That being said, we chose what I thought were non-traditional wedding colors. However, as I scoured the blogs for some ideas, I realized that my colors (midnight blue and key lime) had become the most popular wedding colors for SUMMER weddings. So I thought great, I have such great taste that every bride is using the same colors! The only problem ~ we were getting married in October. So I decided to add another color that would pop, my “something different” if you will.  It hit me that orange, beautiful pumpkin/fall orange would provide that … and tie into the fall season.

Since everyone who was part of our wedding is so special to us, we really wanted to get them personal gifts.  For my girls, I got Kate Spade make up bags in our wedding colors, a hoodie with a vintage patch with our wedding date, a vintage purse that matched their personalities and a hand-embroidered (again by my amazing sister) handkerchief with their monogram for them to use on the wedding day.

Mike and I are lucky to have such great family and friends who really helped with all of the details, but by far, one of the best decisions we made was bringing on Misty from Bells and Bliss to be our coordinator…to really keep everything running smoothly and on track…it was great to have eyes and ears in Michigan, while we were planning from DC.

After getting all of the big stuff done, photog (yes, I booked Abby before I even had a date), church (the one my parents were married in 32 years ago), the reception place, and the date … I dove into the details. I am from Michigan and Mike is from Pennsylvania, but we met, fell in love, and currently are still living in DC. We knew we wanted to include elements from each place to really give our guests a true feeling of our history and our future.

First, I decided on working with the AMAZING Tifany from Gourmet Invitations and we modeled our invites and extras off of the tie Mike was going to wear! Even the stickers on our out-of-town boxes (filled with MI and PA treats and facts) matched our invitation suite. Our seating chart was modeled after the Washington, DC metro system, and our tables were named for stops that had significance to us individually or as a couple.

(see all SMP gallery images from Katy & Mike’s wedding here)

You can see even more images of Katy & Michael’s wedding on Gourmet Invitation’s blog and on Abby Rose Photo’s blog!

For décor at the wedding, we wanted it to be modern, and fun, yet elegant. We worked with Misty and our amazing florist, Hollye to come up with fresh, different tablescapes. I have always loved chivari chairs, but they had become all the rage, so I wanted to make them different. That is when I came up with the weaving idea (I had seen a picture of one color). This was an extremely labor intensive task, it took the ladies from Happenings almost 20 hours to do. The flowers, I adored…there was just enough orange in the girls bouquets to make it pop, and tight orange rose centerpieces looked amazing in the ballroom against the navy linens.

After all of that planning and thought, I wouldn’t change one thing about our day…my dad walking me down the same isle, he was married in and seeing Mike at the other end…one of our closest friends Amber, reading Mister Rogers instead of a traditional reading, and exiting under rice, and our AMAZING photog stepping on my veil…I wouldn’t change any of it. I know that brides always say this, but it couldn’t be more true, things will go wrong on your day and you can’t worry about it. As I was walking up to get ready to go down the aisle with my dad, I realized our string quartet was playing the wrong song as my girls walked down and I couldn’t have cared less, because the only person that knew was me and it wasn’t stopping me from marrying the man of my dreams.

Congrats to Katy & Mike! And a huge thank you to Abby Rose Photo and Tifany at Gourmet Invitations!!

Photography: Abby Rose Photo Invites: Gourmet Invitations Coordination: Bells and Bliss Floral: Hollye Mackler Dress: Lazaro, Jewelry: Haute Bride, Bridesmaids: Anna Elyse,  Flowergirl/ring bearer: Pegeen, Cake: Zingerman’s Bakehouse

Isn’t it wonderful to show a warm, breezy beach wedding in the middle of January?  Oh how I long for anything but the slushy, gray, snowy roads that grace my morning drives.  There is something  just so delightful about this wedding.  Each intimate detail, each warm color, that amazing cake! My biased favorite would have to be the letterpress printed four page program that doubled as a fan for warm guests.  Yet I think my favorite part is how the wedding is such a genuine reflection of how warm Stephanie and Ken are as people.  Bright and happy surrounded by elegance.  Yeah, that is this wedding.

So to wrap it up, I’m Andrea, the Creative Director for Gwyneth Paige {Couture Letterpress} and the current coolest part of my repertoire is that Abby asked me to be a guest blogger! I am pretty sure I screamed like a twelve year old girl for half a day when I got Abby’s email saying that she would like me to help blog. Thank you so much Abby for this opportunity. Here’s hoping I continue to fill your readers with weddings that are sweeter than strawberries in June.

Photography by Jen Kroll / Wedding Gown by Reem Arca from Kleinfeld’s / Hair Accessories from Kleinfelds / Letterpress Stationery by Gwyneth Paige {Couture Letterpress} / Floral Arrangements by Modern Day Floral / Hair by Studio Q / Makeup by Julie Straiting / Event Planning and Design by In Any Event by Jodi Bos / Linens by La Tavola Fine Linen Rental / Tent and Decor Rental by Special Events Rental / Calligraphy by Designs by Robyn Love

Meet Andrea. She is the voice behind Gwyneth Paige and is the newest SMP writer. And she is so freaking cute. I want to blab on and on about her but since she has SUCH a pretty wedding to share with you today, I’ll let her take the reigns.

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It took me a while to get my first sentence out as all I could type was “Oh my gosh I am blogging for Style Me Pretty–right now! Ahhhhhh!” Seriously, I typed that exact sentence about three times before moving on to writing about the most beautiful Michigan beach wedding EVER.  This particular wedding has a definite hold on my heart strings.  It’s not just the vintage jewelry (but how I love that hair piece), that incredible orange tie, or the stunning embroidery on Stephanie’s wedding dress. It’s because this was the first wedding my letterpress wedding invitation company, Gwyneth Paige, printed the paper goods for.  You have to start somewhere right?  I digress… without further ado, Stephanie & Ken’s wedding at the beach.

Photography by Jen Kroll / Wedding Gown by Reem Arca from Kleinfeld’s / Hair Accessories from Kleinfelds / Custom Bridal Bag by Handbags by Jen / Floral Arrangements by Modern Day Floral / Hair by Studio Q / Makeup by Julie Straiting / Event Planning and Design by In Any Event by Jodi Bos / Linens by La Tavola Fine Linen Rental / Tent and Decor Rental by Special Events Rental / Calligraphy by Designs by Robyn Love

Vintage-Chic weddings are all the rage and this one from Kathy & Brian at Widdis Photography is absolutely precious!

From Kathy …Kristine and Tom had an elegant afternoon wedding at one of Detroit’s grandest mansions – The Whitney. A 115-year-old, 52 room mansion with glorious stained glass and ornate wood carvings set the scene for a ceremony and reception that reflected the couple’s desire for a vintage-inspired afternoon.

Kristine shopped Etsy for both her dress and bridal veil – settling on a Canadian designer Catherine Regehr gown that she had altered into a tea-length dress. With the fitted bodice and full skirt she created the perfect 1950s silhouette.

Tom pitched in on the wedding plans by making all of the candles with herbs out of their garden that decorated the reception areas. The favors that dotted the tables were adorned with an old English D for the couple’s beloved Detroit Tigers.

Really, really charming! You can see more of Kristine and Tom’s wedding on the Widdis Photography Blog.

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There are also a couple of gorgeous winter weddings on their blog now, too!

Andrea & Dirk~ (intimate wedding at the White House Wedding Chapel in Warren)

Beth & John ~ (cool blue shoes!)

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Thanks ~Brian & Kathy!  Congrats ~ Kristine & Tom!

Guess what! The fun isn’t over yet. Sarah and Rupert actually had Matt Bass shoot a fun little film that the couple edited after the day was said and done. Yet another fabulous DIY project and one that you know they will love for the rest of their life.

Sarah & Rupert Wedding 16mm Film from sarahandrupert on Vimeo.

A HUGE congrats to this adorable couple who I know have inspired and inspired and inspired to no end. Lots of love to you both!

You can see tons more of this whole charming wedding in the previous posts here, here, and here, and if that’s not enough you can catch up on all the gorgeous images in the gallery.

This is a DIY wedding dream come true (as one of our readers appropriately coined). Even better than that, it’s filled to the brim with spunk, personality and total charm. Which you know I love. The bride, who happens to run a cute, cute, cute little company called Smitten Studio, went above and beyond, crafting the most perfect details a girl could ever want. And lucky for us… Jess + Nate Studios captured the day to perfection. Paying total homage to the DIY spirit and unabashed fun.

Click here to see the whole affair in the galleries

For the Table linens: I got 27 yards of yellow burlap fabric from a local fabric store and cut them down to size. The Stationery Suite I designed and printed in my studio at home. The flowers were ordered online and 600 roses showed up via fedex. We painted small flower pots and tied the bakers twine a head of time. At the location my mother in law assembled them and made the bouquets. The Fans/Programs, hanging flower print monograms, paper funnels for confetti, menus and place cards were I also designed and printed at my home studio. The Photo booth consisted of: curtains from Urban Outfitters, Mustaches on a stick that my groom and I made, Picture frame from Ikea that we took a coat of paint to and a chalkboard frame from Paper Source.The Pinwheels we also created using patterns that I designed and printed on paper. We then cut them down and used that as the wheely part (lacking the technical term). Wooden dowels, map pins and some beads were used to finish them off. I also painted the cake toppers in our likeness.

There is even more cuteness to dig into with this one. Here is part one, two, and the film of this picture perfect wedding.

Photography: Jess + Nate Studios / Invitations + Paper Goods: Smitten Studios / Dress: La Fluer by Anne Barge / Venue: Inn at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island

Here is the insane laundry list of the adorableness that the bride crafted for this perfect wedding…all of the paper goods, the table linens, the flowers (yep, the flowers), the fans/programs, the photobooth and the mustaches for the booth, the candy buffet and candy bag favors, the cake toppers, the hanging monograms, the paper funnels for confetti. This is not just a DIY bride, this is THE DIY bride. She made sure that every project that she crafted had her signature style on it, that every element added to the whimsy and personality of the wedding. And I for one, am in total awe.

Oh and the photographs by Jess + Nate Studios…flawless.

click here to see all the wedding cuteness

I walked down the aisle to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” playing on a harp. We then walked back down the aisle to the song “All I want is” by Barry Louis Polisar, Which we also created our wedding film to. We planned an entirely outdoor wedding to have it rain ALL day long. Luckily it cleared enough for the ceremony but the reception was forced into the tent. So… we had to forego the lawn games and string lights for shelter from the elements. Luckily the location had that plan B.

Rupert and I wanted to stick with the tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding so we opted to take more photos with Jess and Nate on the day after. We are soooo happy we did that. It not only made the heart pounding, emotions sky high moment when you see each other down the aisle even more special but it gave us the ability to take all the time we wanted with photos and without the stress of missing out on our wedding or keeping our guests waiting.

As the creative director and designer at a small fashion paper products company, I couldn’t wait to tackle all of the little creative details that went into our big day. I think anytime anyone brings in homemade touches it makes the event just that more unique. Whether its doing it yourself or getting things from places like Etsy. I support the handmade :)

Hungry for more? Here are parts one, three, and four of this adorable affair.

Photography: Jess + Nate Studios / Invitations + Paper Goods: Smitten Studios / Dress: La Fluer by Anne Barge / Venue: Inn at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island

You are going to DIE when you see this next wedding. It’s beyond charming, beyond adorable and to top it off, the bride did basically all of the details on her own. It’s a total DIY affair from top to freaking bottom and in the little areas that she didn’t craft, she brought on the best vendors, the most talented group of people. Like the always awesome Jess + Nate Studios, who provided the picture perfect photography. So, while I could go on and on and on about this wedding, I’ll just let the bride and the photographs speak for themselves. It’s just so SUPER stinking cute.

click here to see the whole adorable affair

We wanted to have an intimate vintage inspired homemade wedding. We booked our location on Mackinac Island as soon as we saw the “woodland grotto” ceremony site. Having the ceremony outside and tucked away in a clearing in the woods seemed ideal and was very special to us. We chose Mackinac Island as our destination because I’ve always loved the nostalgia that it brings and Rupert (the groom) also immediately fell in love with its quaint charm the summer before. With no cars on the island and a good amount of our guests coming from England, the Bahamas, California and Florida, it made for an interesting journey for everyone. One that included literally planes, trains, automobiles, ferry boats and countless LONG horse and carriage rides.

Don’t miss out on parts two, three, and four of this super cute celebration.

Photography: Jess + Nate Studios / Invitations + Paper Goods: Smitten Studios / Dress: La Fluer by Anne Barge / Venue: Inn at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island

So if you’re wondering why we are so obsessed with our From Inspiration to Reality feature, I thought I’d shed a little light. For one, it gives the really talented vendors in our book an opportunity to shine. To design with total creative freedom. To get back to their roots and have a day of pure fun, of pure style. Second, it gives our brides such incredible ideas that they can translate into their own wedding. Real, solid, practical ideas from color palettes to style tips. From DIY projects to rental inspirations. We want you to view each shoot as a platform that is overflowing with steal worthy ideas.

And for those of you that are dying to see one of these adventures transformed into a real wedding…lots and lots of logistics to work out. But I am thrilled to say that we are indeed working it out!

image by Aruna B. Photography, you can see the rest of the gorgeous images right here in the gallery.

Here are the steal-worthy ideas…

-The Black and Gold color palette. INSANELY chic. Total glam. Such a great palette for a high fashion, modern wedding.

-Choose a space that is somewhat of a blank canvas. This loft in New York would be perfect. A modern restaurant, an art gallery, a simple but chic hotel would all make perfect canvases for this look.

-High gloss vessels. Yep, scour flea markets for centerpiece vessels (from candle holders to vases) and spray paint them with a super high gloss paint. For an even glossier finish, you can use an oil based paint for metal and wood. You’ll actually save a bundle by creating centerpieces that are more structural than flower-heavy.

-Create a photo frame wall. You can do this inside or out and have SUCH a great little spot for your guests. Mix and match ornate frames to achieve this look. This particular look was created with a few old frames and some gold spray paint. Total DIY.

-Accent with funky but chic details…a black birdcage, gold votives, black or gold branches, gold tassels stitched on the edges of black napkins. Think high glam, high drama detailing.

-If you are already renting china, think about renting a super glossy black style. Of course, this isn’t terribly budget friendly but it will totally change the look and style of the tables. If you are using provided china, just make sure that the other details, which can be DIY-ed are dramatic. A simple black linen (or overlay to save $$), black napkins with gold cord wraps, inexpensive gold chargers.

-Use black satin ribbon in abundance. Wrap your bouquets with it, hang your picture frames with it, wrap cylindrical vases with it.

That is a really good start to designing a wedding that is as chic and as totally doable as this one. Would love to hear your thoughts and ideas too, in the comments below.

If you are as obsessed as I am with the From Inspiration to Reality feature that we are doing today, you’ll be really happy about this next little tidbit. Ryan Koral, owner and creative genius behind Epic Motion, was on hand to capture the entire day on film. And it’s awesome. Seriously awesome. To see the whole gorgeous day unfold and really see the the creativity and thoughtfulness that went into the look is, well…pretty kick ass. I have a new crush on Ryan and his really great video. And I’m pretty sure that you will too.

Click here to see all the images from this shoot in the gallery

These people are ALL talent and I am so beyond thrilled that they decided to share their genius with us here at SMP. Coming up next, we have the design translated with super easy tips as to how to turn the look into a real wedding. A wedding that your friends will be REALLY jealous of.

Rentals: Special Events Rental / Flowers , Table Design and Dessert Buffet: Aisha Holly | Dooby Design Group / Stationery: Molly Myers • Paisley Quill / Calligraphy: Jessica Larbes • Penned & Pretty / Photography: Aruna Mall • Aruna B. Photography / Videography: Ryan Koral • Epic Motion / Venue: The Royal Park Hotel • Kristen Hickey / Hair & Make-up: Angela Valentine & Jennifer Jaroma • Salon U2 / Cake: Papa Joe’s Market/La Sala Banquet • Sue Helzer / Dress: Amsale • Donated by V2V / Model: Andrea Walker

A few quick notes about the photography behind today’s affair from Aruna…

When we were first picking out inspiration boards I think it was important to us to do something unique and bold. Then when we started to brainstorm I got really excited about all the different elements that were coming together. From the frame wall to the croquembouche (french wedding cake), I knew this was going to be amazing to photograph. The Royal Park hotel’s conservatory served as a great background to the modern loft look and allowed us to take advantage of the light coming through all the windows.

One thing that I kept thinking while I was shooting was that all these elements would be really economical to replicate. We spray painted some frames gold, mixed them with more ornate gold frames and added simple black ones to create a wall that added a great décor statement.

And from Molly of Paisley Quill, the genius behind those invitations and paper goods…

It is not often that you get to work with some of the most talented people in your industry all at once. When we were brainstorming on the overall concept of our design shoot, the frames really stuck with me. I knew I wanted to incorporate that image throughout. I wanted it to have the elegant, luxurious, sophisticated, European look, but modern all at the same time.

I chose to do an oversized, triple layered invitation to give it that heavy, luxurious feel. I did the same with the response card and held them together with a gold tassel. We chose bold, classic fonts and paired it with a light, modern font. My favorite part of the paper products were the hanging place cards. They had lots of pretty details. From the feather and gold ribbon, to the hand-done calligraphy. Special thanks to Jessica at Penned and Pretty for doing these totally last minute for us. I had to print and assemble the cards and then overnight them to  Ohio to her. She did them in a matter of hours and shipped them back. I carried the frame and pattern theme through out the table numbers and menus and incorporated a pale blue accent color. We glammed up the menu by using gold metallic paper, triple layers and black cord to hold it all together.

click here to see all the glorious gold and black in the gallery

Rentals: Special Events Rental / Flowers , Table Design and Dessert Buffet: Aisha Holly | Dooby Design Group / Stationery: Molly Myers • Paisley Quill / Calligraphy: Jessica Larbes • Penned & Pretty / Photography: Aruna Mall • Aruna B. Photography / Videography: Ryan Koral • Epic Motion / Venue: The Royal Park Hotel • Kristen Hickey / Hair & Make-up: Angela Valentine & Jennifer Jaroma • Salon U2 / Cake: Papa Joe’s Market/La Sala Banquet • Sue Helzer / Dress: Amsale • Donated by V2V / Model: Andrea Walker

So. The last couple of weeks have actually been our highest traffic weeks of the entire life of Style Me Pretty. Something to be really proud of, which of course we are. But to be honest, we are mostly just thrilled to have partnered up with vendors who are helping us to generate content that gives us that traffic, like today’s From Inspiration to Reality Shoot. The talent, the creativity, the ideas, the style behind this group of Michigan vendors…it’s total insanity. And we feel really lucky to be the ones to share it all with you.

Brought to you by Dooby Design Group, with stationery by Paisley Quill , photography by Aruna B. Photography and the design genius of a whole team of vendors (listed below), this photoshoot makes me really happy. Oh and did I mention that there are an insane amount of steal-worthy ideas tucked inside, perfect for any wedding on any budget? Yep, we’ll tackle all of that a little later. First, more eye candy.

Click here to see all the images in the gallery

From Aisha of Dooby Design Group…

Flowers: I was drawn to this inspiration board by its black and gold color palette as well as the modern sophisticated feel. When choosing the flowers, I wanted something that would be elegant yet understated. I decided to go with classic white roses and accent with black vases and different clusters of shapes in black and gold. I used decorative textured balls to add depth and used them as toppers on the black candle holders. When designing I like to incorporate visual elements that are unexpected that instantly bring guests into the mood of the location. When designing the bouquet I went with white roses and added black feathers with a custom black pleated wrap for a bold dramatic look.

Table Design: We wanted the the overall table design to have a modern feel. We accomplished this by selecting modern elements like black mirage chairs, a black lacquer table, matching black stemware as well as gold beaded chargers, white china with black and gold details and gold flatware. We added black napkins, created a custom fold that was held together by a black feather like embellishment.

Dessert Buffet: No event would be complete without a sweet treat. The gold and black treats were carefully selected and added a perfect touch of glamour. I created custom wraps for the milk chocolate candy bars and baked petit fours and brushed them with gold baking dust. I created my design around the french inspired wedding cake. We were lucky enough to have the pastry chef at Papa Joe’s/La Sala Banquet create the gorgeous croquembouche (french wedding cake) for our shoot. They did a stunning job and it was the perfect focal point for the desert buffet.

Rentals: Special Events Rental / Flowers , Table Design and Dessert Buffet: Aisha Holly | Dooby Design Group / Stationery: Molly Myers • Paisley Quill / Calligraphy: Jessica Larbes • Penned & Pretty / Photography: Aruna Mall • Aruna B. Photography / Videography: Ryan Koral • Epic Motion / Venue: The Royal Park Hotel • Kristen Hickey / Hair & Make-up: Angela Valentine & Jennifer Jaroma • Salon U2 / Cake: Papa Joe’s Market/La Sala Banquet • Sue Helzer / Dress: Amsale • Donated by V2V / Model: Andrea Walker

When I saw the board that our next From Inspiration to Reality team chose, I was a little excited. Okay, I was bursting at the seams. It was the first really modern, high style, totally glam board that had been chosen and with the talent that was going to be working on the shoot (see full list below), I could only imagine the gorgeousness that would come from it. Designed by Dooby Design Group, with stationery by Paisley Quill , photography by Aruna B. Photography and lucky for us, a little video by Epic Motion, here is the inspiration board translated into an insanely gorgeous wedding design…

Click here to see all the images in the gallery

Ummm…wowza. Can you imagine how cool it would be to work on a shoot like this. Or to plan a wedding that looked like this. CRAZY cool. The super chic black china, the gold accents everywhere (with my personal favorite gold touch being the frames), the everything. Madly, madly in love. And to naysayers who can’t imagine why we would embark on this photo shoot adventure…the gazillion of steal worthy designs tucked inside every image. Sure to inspire brides from here to timbucktu.

As a little reminder, here is the winning board that Helena, on of our Style Circle brides, designed…

We have lots more coming up, but before we go, here is the team that made the magic happen.

Rentals: Special Events Rental / Flowers , Table Design and Dessert Buffet: Aisha Holly | Dooby Design Group / Stationery: Molly Myers • Paisley Quill / Calligraphy: Jessica Larbes • Penned & Pretty / Photography: Aruna Mall • Aruna B. Photography / Videography: Ryan Koral • Epic Motion / Venue: The Royal Park Hotel • Kristen Hickey / Hair & Make-up: Angela Valentine & Jennifer Jaroma • Salon U2 / Cake: Papa Joe’s Market/La Sala Banquet • Sue Helzer / Dress: Amsale • Donated by V2V / Model: Andrea Walker