Style Me Pretty: Wedding Blog for the Style-Obsessed Bride

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From The Bride…For the reception, we loved the idea of using a public space & that some of the wedding costs would go to something worthy (like preserving art!). The Asian Art Museum, all openness and marble and light, was an easy choice. At some point we also learned that the architect who designed the space, was the same one who designed the Musee D’ Orsay in Paris, which happened to be where Michael and I were the day we got engaged!

The day really felt like a collection of perfect moments strung together by a sort of euphoric disbelief that I would be married to my best friend by the day’s end. It’s hard to pluck out a favorite moment when I was spoiled with so many, but here are a few I come back to all the time:

I loved putting on my Godmother’s shoes. My aunt Kirsty is not only my personal hero, but also a personal style icon. What started at 11 (when I finally hit a size 9 and inherited a pair of her Converse sandals) grew into a extremely fruitful one-sided shoe relationship I’m still shamelessly benefiting from today. But never so meaningfully as I did on the morning of the wedding. It was truly an honor & a special delight wear the same shoes both she and my aunt Melina both wore on their wedding days.

I loved our ride to the church. Between the champagne pulls and marriage advice, I remember feeling so thankful for my mom, step-mom and bridesmaids– who had not only spent the entire day with me, but had been wildly generous with their time, effort, ideas, and patience to help me plan out that day for months. And just perfectly stunning, all of them.

I loved the few minutes spent alone with my dad before we walked down the aisle. Hearing the first few chords of Ave Maria start, waiting for the doors to open, seeing the emotion on his face and knowing the same was on mine, knowing we were in it together– it was all really wonderful.

Predictably, I most loved the moments I got alone with Michael. Holding his hand for the first time that day, as we looked out on our friends and family during the ceremony, was like coming home. Our trip to Land’s End for photos was magical.

Walking into our reception was like walking through a dream– seeing a million tiny decisions I’d made as one collective expression in reality was a bizarre and fantastic experience.

And every single second I got to spend in that dress. Every. single. second.

My only advice to other brides is to delegate. I wish I listened to it more. The best is also yet to come! I found that as long as I kept the end goal in sight and focused on how excited I was for the actual marriage, the planning-related panic/stress/anxiety would dissolve. Also: Bring water to the Church. Try to get a second alone during the day to breathe it all in. Carry breath mints. Bring dancing shoes to change into, and stay close to your husband.

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Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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Jam & Cheese Crepes

Now that Erin has let us into her sweet Dancing Goat Dairy world, I want to share a ridiculously simple recipe for Jam and Cheese Crepes. This recipe makes Erin’s goat cheese shine and can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late night snack! Even better, pack up a stack with a jar and cheese to tote along to a friend-filled brunch this weekend.

Jam and Cheese Crepes

prep time
5 Minute/s

cook time
15 Minute/s

total time
20 Minute/s

Ingredients

FOR THE CREPES
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 eggs
1-1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
FOR THE FILLING
Goat cheese, to taste
Jam, to taste

Instructions

Blend the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and butter together in a blender or by hand, and let the batter sit for 15 minutes.
Brush extra melted butter on a nonstick pan over medium heat. Ladle about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, leaning the pan from left to right to spread the batter thinly and get a nice round shape. Cook until brown then turn; each side should only take a minute or two to cook. As crepes finish cooking, place in a towel to keep warm.
Fill a warm crêpe with a couple tablespoons of leftover goat cheese and whatever jam you have on hand. Fold over a few times and serve.

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Photography: White Loft Studio | Copy: Eat Boutique

Maggie Battista

Food & Lifestyle

Eat Boutique

Rustic Chic Austin Wedding at The Wildflower Center

This wedding has it all. A rustic, vintage and yet chic vibe planned by 36th Street Events? Check. Stunning florals from Verbena Floral Design? Check. A gorgeous Bride and a stunning Groom head over heels and love with each other? Check, check, check. Every image sitting pretty in this gallery from Jason + Anna Photography is as pretty as they come, and you can see what I mean here.

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Stylish Quebec Wedding at Le Belvedere

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Academic Venue Settings

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Rustic

From 36th Street Events…‘Rustic vintage Texas’ were the words that this San Francisco couple described upon first meeting with 36th Street. Most importantly, what I saw from that first meeting was the love they had for each other and everyone that surrounded them. Their love showed through with every aspect of their day from the wedding ceremony by a close friend to the donations given to a local San Francisco animal shelter. We spent almost a year planning this gorgeous, clean and elegant wedding. On their wedding day, guests were surround by the beauty of the Wildflower Center adorned with clean crisp white linens, wooden tables, an abundance of candles and a touch of rain. One thing about Austin, Texas is you can never predict the weather, but the tents made the space that much more elegant. Even with a the afternoon showers, Meagan and Carl knew the most important part of the day was that they got to marry each other, and you can see it in the pictures. Jason and Anna did such an amazing job capturing their love and the fun that they had on their wedding night.

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36th Street Events

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It starts with the amazingly orange shoes and then, just when you think it can’t get any better, it does. In a big way. Seen through the lens of Joel Bedford, this wedding is simply stunning from start to finish – and will have you pinning the day away in this gorgeous gallery.

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Traditional Ballroom Wedding

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Romantic

From Joel Bedford…We are so thrilled to have photographed Pam + Arjen’s jam-packed-family-filled-romantic wedding day. They are an absolutely beautiful couple with loving friends and relatives. The whole day was a whirlwind with one great photo opportunity presenting itself after another. Thank you for having us there!

From The Bride…A year in the making and I can’t believe that our wedding day has finally arrived. Today is the beginning of our story as I’m marrying my partner in crime, my best friend and my love. Who would have though, May 31/2014, a perfectly sunny day, 25 degree celsius… and there it was in all its glory. A perfect day in a dreamlike location; we couldn’t be happier. I designed the entire day myself and Grace executed my vision beautifully!

Suddenly, you realize that time is flying: he looks dashing in his grey suit and friends and family have gathered to celebrate us. I’m nervous but excited and so is he. Soon enough, the ceremony is over, the music starts and the guests are enjoying the scenery and delicious hors d’oeuvres. The truth is that there many blurs about our special day; everything happens so fast and when you blink, the night is over. Although you work at striving for perfection on your wedding day, the reality is that there are always small glitches. However, the irony is that the wedding is still perfect. Perfect because we were surrounded by love, laughter, joy and fun! Those are the memories Arjen and I hope to remember for the rest of our lives.

On May 31 2014, I married my partner in crime, my best friend and my love.

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Wedding Dresses

Pronovias

ATELIER PRONOVIAS

PRONOVIAS

Dancing Lights, Cruise Collection

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This wedding right here? It’s awesome and then some. The kind of awesome that comes with drop-dead gorgeous traditional details, seriously sweet purple + peach hues and a ballroom reception perfectly styled for celebrating. Oh, and on top of all of that lovely is a bride and groom who are the epitome of adorable with their super cute story. See it all captured by Love Tree Studios right here.

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Hotels + Resorts Weddings Religious Institution

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Beautiful Midsummer Wedding

Purples, peaches and grays set the tone for this simply elegant wedding on June 22, 2013. Friends and family traveled to the heart of Missouri to the surround Katie as she walked down the aisle in her stunning Watters dress, complete with hidden pockets, to wed Andrew in the local Methodist church. The flowers and bouquets were a stunning array of pinks, purples and peaches and were all uniquely designed by Ruth at My Secret Garden. Katie carried photographs of her grandparents in her bouquet in order to keep them close in her memory as she walked towards Andrew to say ‘I do’ and place his grandfather’s wedding band on his finger. The band had previsously been engraved with Andrew’s grandparent’s wedding date, and Katie had it also engraved with their wedding date to continue the tradition. The celebration continued in the ballroom of the historic Tiger Hotel where quests were greeted with exquisite tables-capes and scrumptious cupcakes as they celebrated with the newly wed couple.

From the Bride… Andrew and I met while attending Mizzou. I was in my second year of law school and was a teaching assistant for an undergraduate Business Law course in which Andrew was enrolled. About a year and a half after the class was over, I received a Facebook friend request and a sweet message from a very attractive guy. His message stated that he wasn’t sure if I remembered him, but that I had left an impression on him and was curious if I would like to get together. I said yes and we met for dinner a week later at his favorite restaurant, which is also where we had our rehearsal dinner. We hit it off immediately, neither of us wanted the date to end and we have been together since that day.

It was just another Monday, or so I thought. June 4, 2012, I received an email at work from Andrew stating that he had a surprise for me when I got home from work. I really didn’t think anything of it because he always has little surprises. I was making dinner when he got home and he told me told me to reach into his suit pocket. In his pocket he had two tickets to a Royals game – he was trying to get me to think he was proposing – sneaky! Because he frequently pulls my leg, I thought nothing of it and our night went on usual, except, he was acting incredibly nervous. Because it was a beautiful night out we decided to sit out on the patio. After a few awkward minutes, he was more nervous than on our first date! He got down on one knee and proposed. A few minutes later, he pulled out the most beautiful ring that he had designed with stones from his grandma’s ring.

Inspiration, color, shape, and design for our wedding came from a flower arrangement I pinned on Pinterest.

I used the flower arrangement/bouquet I had seen on Pinterest for color and overall theme. I wanted all the flower arrangements to have a round shape. As for flowers, Ruth Lahue at Secret Garden picked all the flowers.

My dress was by far my favorite “detail” if you can call it that, it had pockets! I also loved the pictures of my grandparents, who were unable to make it to the wedding, secured in my bouquet.

What stands out to me is how incredibly blessed and at peace I felt. Starting on Wednesday night our family and friends started pouring in from all over. Andrew and I were overwhelmed by all of the support and love we felt from family and friends. I think that is something that neither of us will ever forget.

The Tiger Hotel offered an unmatched all in one package. The food was to die for, the bridal sweet overlooked the University of Missouri, they had a great wedding coordinator, an incredible bakery attached and amazing renovated rooms for guests to stay.

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Badgley Mischka

Spring 2014 Bridal

2014 Bridesmaids

Spring 2014 Accessories

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This wedding is the epitome of simple and sweet. It’s that sort of wedding where a beautiful, laid-back setting plays nice with DIY details (hello, expertly crafted paper goods), flower crowns and the most heartwarming of ceremonies. In other words, it’s the definition of pure pretty. See it all captured by Natascha Unkart in the full gallery.

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Chic Backyard Wedding in Beverly, Massachusetts

From the Bride… When we decided to get married , we had immediately set two priorities: the dress and the photographer. I wanted my dress to be fairly simple yet festive and found the perfect one at elfenkleid. Our second focus was the photography, which would keep the memories of our wedding day alive for years to come. A friend had recommended Natascha Unkart as a very talented and also easy-going photographer and her aesthetics matched ours completely.

As for the rest, we simply wanted to throw a great party for our friends and family. We had put quite some thought into how we wanted to go about it. Our commitment to one another was supposed to be a very personal public act, so to speak. So we asked our two best friends to officiate our marriage, which was personal and fun, as well as emotional. Just the right mix! We chose a beautifully restored monastery at Sopron, Hungary as the venue for our wedding. It gave us the perfect mix of gorgeous environment (we used the garden for our ceremony), the ability to host all of our guests at the hotel, seclusion and yet proximity to our hometown of Vienna, Austria.

As an illustrator and graphic designer I designed the invitation cards and all the little details myself. Friends and family helped us with the decorations, from sewing picnic blankets to filling little paper bags with wildflower seeds as wedding favors.

As a theme I was inspired by midsummer. My family on my mother’s side is from Sweden where this day holds a special meaning. Also, my grandparents were married on midsummer in 1946, so there was also a meaningful component to it. It’s the longest day of the year and the flowers are particularly important in this tradition. In fact, you are even supposed to pick them from seven different meadows for midsummer, but we left that to the lovely people at blumengestalten who provided us with a beautiful, colorful mix. Finally, our delicious cake was made by my friend Nessa Heschmat who is just starting out with her own catering business.

We had the most magical day with our little daughter and our closest friends and family, with lots of personal bits and pieces that made it so fun and special.

An intimate backyard wedding filled to the brim with chic stylings and love? Sign me up. You’ll want to sign yourself up too when you see all the sweet images from Ebersole Photography, because there is no resisting the sweetness sitting in this gallery, and you can see what I mean here.

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Backyard Religious Institution

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Mardis Gras Inspired New Orleans Wedding

From The Bride…Sandy is originally from Baltimore and I’m from Beverly, Massachusetts. We met in Brooklyn, while he was in grad school for architecture and I was making my first music videos (I’m a filmmaker). But we bonded on a rock-climbing trip with mutual friends: playing new music for each other, singing and car-dancing the whole ride. We began dating and eventually moved to Los Angeles together, where we currently live.

We decided to have our wedding at my parents house in Beverly, MA, which is a really unique historic house. Planning the wedding, our focus was on having an epic dance party with amazing music which celebrated our two big families. We were married at Manchester First Parish church, which has great acoustics and a beautiful room-shaking organ. My talented sister Kat and bridesmaid Kelly, a bluegrass musician, sang a beautiful acoustic version of an Adele song, and Sandy’s cousin played Spanish Guitar. In addition, the Beverly High School Vocal Ensemble sang three beautiful acapella songs, including “In “Do you Realize” by the Flaming Lips. I still can’t believe that actually happened. The choral director Lyn is now my personal hero.

For the reception, we hired “Madhouse,” a soulful mo-town band that kept us dancing all night. My sister and Kelly both sang with the band for different songs: Kelly did a beautiful slow-dance version of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” for our first dance, and everyone began singing along. It was a moment. Kat made a hilarious vampy entrance from a balcony, singing “Love me Like a Man,” which pretty much brought down the house with the help of a family friend Gabe on saxophone. We gave all the guests mix-CDs as party favors, which included songs from that fateful rock-climbing road trip. For the decor, we never really had a strict color scheme, just black bridesmaid dresses with gorgeous colorful flower arrangements by Chapmans florist. This included a flower crown, which we paired with a beautiful veil sewn by my Aunt Priscilla. My parents Jen and Gary and my mother’s friends, “The Design Team,” as we called them, all pitched in to decorate the tent with candles and borrowed chandeliers. In addition, Sandy’s parents threw an amazing Rehearsal Dinner the night before, with decor provided by Sandy’s Aunts and Uncles.

The best part of our wedding was bringing together so many wonderful, fun-loving people. The energy in the room was pumping with love and excitement and we danced long after the band stopped. It was such a whirlwind, we are so happy Daniel was there to beautifully capture this phenomenal experience.

This is what happens when traditional elegance meets a seriously fun duo, a fab team of New Orleans vendors and a little dose of Mardis Gras goodness: a day that is as awe-inspiring as it is pretty. I’m talking an enchanted garden-like ceremony meets drop-dead gorgeous details and Mardis Gras masks perfect for a dance party. See it all captured by Koby And Terilyn Brown right here.

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Fall Weddings

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Family Farm Engagement Session

From Koby and Terilyn Brown… Meribeth’s wedding card for Lad features two skeletons holding hands and the words, “Till Death Do Us Part Is For Quitters.” This couple’s love runs deep and we had the opportunity to create some fascinating pre-wedding portraits for them in one of New Orleans’ oldest cemeteries. What made this especially challenging was Meribeth and Lad’s request NOT to see each other before the ceremony. We accomplished the images taken in the gorgeous cemetery by keeping the bride and groom on opposite sides of the architecture and occasionally using double exposures to make it appear the couple is standing side by side in the frame. This set of images is one of our favorites from this fall – we really enjoyed all the unique aspects of this wedding.

Meribeth and Lad currently reside in Houston, TX, but they have strong family roots in New Orleans, LA. They really wanted to embrace the flavor of the city and give their guests an authentic adventure. Meribeth chose the beautiful, historic Opera Guild as the venue. Guest were provided with venetian masks, snacks, and maps to the city in the welcome gift bags. A lovely outdoor ceremony followed by a fabulous 2nd line march around the block, lead into an indoor-outdoor reception complete with a tarot card reader and a band that had guests dancing well into the night. Bridesmaids were given the freedom to choose their own dresses for the event, and a sagebowl was available for guests wishing to be smudged before the ceremony.

M’dears, when we mix up the ingredients for today’s completely adorable e-sesh from Lindsey Pantaleo, we’re left with swelling hearts and goofy grins. Cori and Robert danced in the stormy, rainy weather, kissed in a sweet pop-up tent, splashed around in the family farm river and even invited their fuzzy white pup, Harleigh to come along for all the fun. This gallery is as cute as they come.

From Lindsey Pantaleo… Cori and Robert met in January of 2013 when they became coworkers. As Rob opened the front doors for Cori on her first day, she instantly knew that there was something different about him. His chivalry and kindness was unexpected. When Spring finally arrived, Robert asked Cori to go on their first “date”; a bike ride. As spring turned into summer, the bike rides continued, as well as hikes and camping trips. Their love for the outdoors brought them together. By August of that year, Robert asked Cori to marry him.

After setting their wedding date for the fall of 2014 at Cori’s family farm, Flying Z Ranch, they decided to incorporate both the farm and love for the outdoors into their engagement photos. They have spent numerous weekends hiking and spending time at the farm together. They have lots of memories there and it was the perfect spot for their engagement session. Their pup, Harleigh, also joined their engagement shoot. She loves the outdoors as much as her parents :)

As soon as we started photographing their engagement session, pop-up storms rolled into the area. Instead of rescheduling, Rob and Cori built a small romantic tent. They enjoyed some wine and laughs while the rain persisted. At the conclusion of their shoot, the two decided to dance in the rain! Rob loves to dance and Cori loves to be his partner. Their outgoing and adventurous personalities are the perfect match.

Photography: Lindsey Pantaleo Photography | Hair Stylist: Catherine Crum The Salon Jere Keefer | Venue: Private Farm

Tented Arabian Wedding in Texas

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you cross backyard elegance with a little cultural flair, this wedding holds the answer. Designed by LUXE Event Decor and covered in blooms by Uptown Flowers, it’s black tie glam with an Arabian fusion, and the result is something truly special. Prepare for jaw-dropping goodness captured by J Wilkinson Co, and you can click here for so much more.

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Estate Weddings Rustic Weddings

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Behind the Scenes: Dancing Goats Dairy

From the Bride…. Having Arab blood in me I have always been drawn to Arabian style. There is a mystery and a beauty that is deep in the culture. I arrived at my style by looking at a lot of pictures on Pinterest, online and going with what felt good in my spirit. I just had a lot of fun, I added ideas my friends and vendors had. The raj tents took my breath away. When it came to making decisions about the decor I asked myself, does it fit within the context of what I want to experience on my wedding day?

Before I met Chris, I was learning about the power of intention, setting the intention and then believing and trusting God for the mechanisms and the results. I wrote…”I want to be in a healthy, wildly romantic, passionate, and long lasting relationship with a wonderful man on or before 90 days.” Signed up for Match.com. Within a month I was already chatting with Chris. While at first I did not think we were a match – city girl meets real ranching cowboy if you know what I mean – the sparks between us were undeniable. It was my daughter who insisted I give him a chance. I’m really glad I did.

Chris proposed on a night that was storming in San Antonio. We had gone out to dinner with his friend Brian and had planned on going dancing yet because of the weather decided to take his friend who was staying at Chris house home. The storm got worse and lights went out at Chris’s house. Chris and I were embracing and kissing when all of a sudden he tells me he has a ring. It was a romantic night. I felt silly thinking surly he is kidding. Sure enough it was happening. He was proposing.

His home has impressive, top to bottom main room windows and some wall to wall windows in other rooms. I felt shock when he asked and was not expecting it. As soon as he placed the ring on my finger lightning hit the transformer in his back yard. Sparks went everywhere as if you were in a fireworks show. He’s proposal was heart felt and timing could not have been more perfect as scared as i felt and unprepared. It was also his grandmother Mary’s ring, who was very special in his life. That made it super special for me.

I feel there were so many special touches starting with our guest list. We were surrounded by people we had real connection with. To make it super special for the guest, I printed images of all our guests. Images of special times in our lives with them or just great images of them. We ask them to sigh in on the back or front of the image that was mounted on art board. Many left some crazy amazing love notes that had me crying on the couch as I read them after our wedding.

As a photographer in the industry I was blessed to have my best friend who was a wedding planner plan my wedding. I was supported by many great friends in the industry, who with great joy and excitement showed up to play, give and work the event. We released Chinese lanterns as the sun set as a tribute to both our grandmothers and Chris’s mom who had past away before I met him. Our vows were beautiful and vulnerable. For someone who does not cry especially in public I was a mess.

One of the most special moments was when it started raining and sheet lighting covered the sky as we were photographed by Jeanann Wilkinson. In the rain and I felt the presence of God blessing our day.

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Wedding Dresses

Jim Hjelm

Fall 2015

Spring 2016 Collection

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Twenty six year old Erin Bligh is most definitely an old soul. She’s the sort of lady who prioritizes the following, though not necessarily in this order: her goat dairy; beach living over city life; homesteading all things food; vintage riding pants and wool sweaters; found or salvaged furniture and quilted Ball jars. She’s most definitely our kind of lady.

Erin runs Dancing Goat Dairy, a small, goat dairy that specializes in artisanal, farmstead cheese, confections and soaps, near her home on Plum Island, a barrier island just north of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Plum Island is a busy summer vacation destination that is home to a small population of winter residents, and her family has a home on the island. Before making a life out there, Erin learned all about goat rearing — from milking, feeding and goat midwifery — and cheese making during her time working at Consider Bardwell Farm in rural Vermont. She now spends her days running the farm and experimenting with flavors complimentary to all things goat milk and cheese, like chocolate, spices and orange-rubbed rinds.

Erin graciously answered some of my nosy questions about her new business. And don’t forget to scroll to the very end for my Jam & Cheese Crepes recipe, a dish that makes goat cheese shine.

1 // Why do you make food? What makes you get up early or stay up late to do what is generally considered to be some of the hardest work out there?
I have an innate desire to create and share with the people around me. Making food gives me the unique opportunity to share my art in a way that not only nourishes the soul but the body too. When I bring my friends and family together for a handcrafted meal, often times with guests contributing something that was grown, raised or created by their own hands, it’s the best gift I could ask for in this life. With regards to the hard work, I am lucky enough to have found a job that I am so passionate about that it stops feeling like “work” and starts just being life. The fact that the two hours I spend twice a day milking the goats is some of my most relaxing and therapeutic time makes it a heck of a lot easier to do when it feels like its too early or too dark or too cold.

2 // What’s been the greatest struggle in becoming a professional maker and goat farmer?
The greatest struggle for me is a struggle that is shared by many entrepreneurs: keeping all aspects of a business leak-tight so that the whole ship can float. This means wearing many different hats. I started with a fairly strong knowledge of cheese making and goat husbandry. Along the way I have had to learn quite a bit about everything from marketing and accounting, to town zoning laws, to framing and pouring concrete. I have also learned more than I ever wanted to know about loans and insurance. In this new social climate where more and more people seem interested in locally produced, sustainably crafted, artisan foods, it might have just been easier to work for someone else. But I felt like I had a unique vision for how I wanted to make and share my products with my community. To do that, I would have to build something from the ground up. I feel incredibly blessed that I have the type of support system that allows me to both dream big and make that dream a reality.

3 // What dish makes your goat products shine?
I’m a big fan of overly elaborate breakfasts, second breakfasts and breakfast for dinner. I’ve recently been using my garlic & herb chèvre in a variation on an eggs and hash. The cheese itself has this great, slightly tangy, lemony flavor. I’ve been serving it with a bed of sweet potato hash on homemade, toasted pumpernickel bread, topped with a friend’s homemade tomato chutney, a poached egg, homegrown kale and the chèvre. The richness from the egg yolk and bread, sweetness from the hash, and the acidity of the tomato chutney and cheese make the dish perfectly balanced.

4 // What do you eat when no one is looking?
Chocolate, endlessly. I’m a sucker for all of the Mast Brother’s dark chocolate bars, but especially the Papua New Guinea; it’s got this amazing smoky flavor. Normally, the only chocolate confection I make with my goat milk is a dark chocolate fudge but this winter I had a blast experimenting with making goat cheese truffles using the Mast Brother’s chocolate. I ended up making a little sampler box to give to friends for St. Valentines that had sea salt, espresso, ginger fig, and chili pepper flavors. My kitchen was a mess and I probably ate way to many in the name of “quality control” but everyone was thrilled.

5 // What’s the best homemade food gift you’ve ever received?
Awhile back I reconnected with an old friend from elementary school, and we bonded over both of us falling in love with farming. She is currently working at Kupa’a Farms, an organic farm in Maui. She returned home to see her New England family and visited my goat dairy operation. I sent her home with tons of goat products. A few weeks later, she sent me this amazing care package with a bunch of homemade Maui products from her friends out there on surrounding farms, including a Lilikoi spread, a sweetened passion fruit purée. It blew my mind! I go crazy for unions of opposites, it’s a major player in all of my food pairings, and this spread just had this fantastic tangy, sourness that was cut with just the right touch of sweetness. I ate it on homemade toast for days and days.

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Dancing Goats Dairy is a small, goat dairy on the North Shore that specializes in artisanal, farmstead cheese, confections and soaps. They are currently in the process of building a new cheese room and will be offering their cheeses and other products for sale in October 2014 at local farmers markets, retail establishments, and at their farm in Newbury, Massachusetts. Find out more about their products, their farm and updates on their cheese room construction on their website.

Photography: White Loft Studio | Behind The Scenes: Dancing Goats Dairy | Copy: Eat Boutique

Maggie Battista

Food & Lifestyle

Eat Boutique

Upper Story by Charlie Palmer

When it comes to iconic Manhattan locales, the D&D Building is at the top of that list, so when renowned Charlie Palmer Group announced they would be opening Upper Story, a premier private event space in the stunning space in November of 2014, let’s just say we were smitten!

Offering breathtaking views from the 14th story with oversized windows and an incredible, expansive balcony, Upper Story will be a totally luxe + modern space for your next celebration. Perfect for showers, rehearsal dinners, engagement parties and weddings, the space can be split into two separate spaces (accommodating 80 and 100 guests) or can be combined to accommodate up to 180 for a seated dinner! The jaw-dropping venue will also offer couples state-of-the-art audio visual equipment as well as a bridal suite.

Fresh, modern and able to be transformed no matter your style, Upper Story is a brand-new must-see for NYC brides. I’m already thinking up an excuse to have my next party! For more information, head over here or check out Upper Story on Facebook. Happy planning, dears!

Unique Locations for Your Engagement Session

Every engagement session is special in its own right, but when it comes to picking that perfect location it’s worth thinking outside the box. Stumped for fresh ideas? Fear not, m’dears! We’re highlighting some of SMP’s coolest engagement spots to inspire you’re own perfect portraits.

Engagement Session Ideas

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Engagement Session Ideas

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Picture Perfect Smile with Pyrmont & Sydney Dental Health

Looking your best and feeling your best for your big day go hand in hand. And when it comes to making sure your smile is picture perfect, look no further than the multi-award winning Pyrmont & Sydney Dental Health. Offering brides (and grooms!) a full range of aesthetic options from teeth whitening, Invisalign and veneers, you can be sure your pearly whites are shining bright.

At Pyrmont & Sydney Dental Health, it all starts with a smile. Working closely with patients to educate and promote a positive attitude about dental health, the practice makes sure each and every visit is as enjoyable as possible! Well known for their quality of care, honesty + service as well as one of the best designed office spaces in Sydney, Pyrmont & Sydney Dental Health makes prepping your smile for your big day easy as can be. Boasting several awards + achievements (City of Sydney Small Business Nominee 2010 & 2011, City of Sydney Small Business Finalist 2008 & 2009 and Winner Best Dentist (Alternative Media Group) 2008, 2009 & 2010), makes choosing Pyrmont & Sydney Dental Health a no-brainer. For more information and to contact the practice, head over here. Smile big, my dears!

Elegant Midland Country Club Wedding

Darlings, I want to live in this pretty, pretty wedding today. From the classically beautiful invitations, to the graceful veil-wrapped portraits, to the hints of peachy-pink throughout, this gorgeous Bride + Groom made their vision of elegance come to life, fueled by the sweetest love and support of their families. A big thanks to our Little Black Book member, Kayla Barker for sharing this stunning day with us!

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Winter Weddings

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Country Club Religious Institution

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Intimate Playa Del Carmen Destination Wedding

From the beautiful Bride… Our wedding took place on a beautiful sunny January day in my hometown of Midland, Texas. After more than four years of dating, over half of which was long-distance, we were so excited to be getting married. We were filled with great anticipation as our wedding day approached because it marked the beginning of the life we would finally spend together. We’d walked through plenty of moments as a couple over the years, but we were so anxious to finally begin to build—together as one—the life, home, friendships, careers, and family we’d been dreaming about.

We wanted our wedding to be classic, simple, and beautiful, and to clearly show that the love we have for each other finds its source in the love of Christ. Our ceremony took place in the chapel of my hometown church, which was beautiful with the sun shining in through the stained glass windows. One great thing about our wedding day was that the church was able to live stream the ceremony to our friends and family, specifically Bryan’s extended family in Ohio, who were not able to make the trip down to Texas. It was extra special to have them “there” with us as they watched the ceremony online.

During the wedding planning process, the most important thing I, usually a perfectionist, learned was to let go of creating a picture-perfect or Pinterest-worthy wedding. Trying to do so in the beginning had caused much unnecessary anxiety and frustration, especially given that Bryan, I, and our families were planning the whole event without the help of a professional wedding planner. We planned diligently, said “no” to unnecessary details, hired awesome vendors, and then relaxed and enjoyed our wedding day. Of course, little things went wrong and there were details that in a perfect world would have turned out differently, but at the end of the day those who love us most celebrated as we each married our best friend, and it really was the perfect day.

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
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Stella York

Fall 2014

Spring 2017

EveryBody/EveryBride Fall 2017

Fall 2017

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Having been to a destination wedding in Mexico, I can safely say they’re awesomeness wrapped up in sunshine and love. And the details of this affair, think driftwood with calligraphy by KAKalligraphy and florals from Canteiro, add a layer of all out romance to this tropical locale. Have a look at the full affair choreographed and designed by LVL Weddings And Events along with imagery by Brandon Kidd Photography right here.

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Destination Hotels + Resorts Weddings

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From The Bride…Three adjectives that describe the day are: beautiful, romantic, and wild.

We wanted it to feel like an extension of us, as if we were having a casual dinner party at our house but with amazing food and everyone dressed up. We let the natural ocean side surroundings really shine by keeping everything else quite intimate. The details we did use were pulled from our likes and backgrounds. Me, being in fashion, I love textiles and things with texture so many of the details we used were from that inspiration. I loved the chairs we draped with soft multi colored ribbon, and the arch we built that was filled with yards and yards of fabric draped over ocean driftwood.

The flowers were beautifully different. We incorporated lots of textures, driftwood, branches, dusty miller, tulips and roses. I wanted so much to have anonome’s but since we were married in the south of Mexico where virtually no flowers are grown there, we either had to fly them in or use the ones they offered so we decided to add in ribbon and extra fabric from my bridesmaids dresses to make them unique but at the same time really brought the whole look together.

We rarely followed the typical “wedding protocol” We are traditional people but we are also very fun and we like to do things our way. So, we tried to steer away from the “traditional” wedding things. If we did the traditional things, we did them our way, like our first dance, we lead into our first dance right after our entrance, and we didn’t do it to your typical love song, we danced like crazy to the song by Hall and Oats, You make my dreams. It was great, and much more a reflection of us than your typical slow dance. Same thing with other traditions like not sleeping in the same room the nights before, etc. We not only stayed in the same room, but we got up together as we normally do and had breakfast as a couple with our friends. We tried to make it a more casual, relaxed and un-planned.. more so than a day full of times, and places we had to be.

We didn’t have many challenges as our planning team and the hotel helped accommodate all of our wish list. If anything, it would probably be, just getting all of our friends, family and vendors down to mexico.

By far, our most memorable moment of the day is the pool party! Jason and I had joked about who was going to go into the pool first and we never thought is would be us!! Once we finished with Cake cutting, we were able to sneak away to “get cleaned up” (we both had cake all over us!) so, everyone was not paying attention to us, we quickly prepared our photographer, and took off our shoes and 1-2-3! JUMPED in the pool!! At first I think our guests were shocked that someone would be so rude to Jason and Heidi by ruining the wedding and getting in the pool but once they saw it was the bride and groom (FULLY clothed in wedding attire still…) were the ones who jumped in…it was a free for all. Jason and I laughed in the pool while we watched people jump in from every side of the pool! It was like they were jumping from a burning building, everyone was doing it, and they were jumping from every angle. It was so fun because our amazing musician, Kevin Miso, played a great session while we all splashed like 10 years old in the pool for a while!

We did not write our own vows, but we had some input on what we wanted included in our ceremony. A theme, throughout our wedding was a quote we love by Jeremy Taylor, “Love is Friendship set on fire.” We even had a reading during the ceremony of a poem by Laura Hendricks. “Love is friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough.”

I’m a perfectionists and very detail oriented so my brain automatically goes to the logistics of the day….like; make sure you outline the songs, make sure you have enough welcome bags, we must have a vegetarian option for dinner, table seating arrangements, etc….but at the end of it all, my only real advice would be to surround yourself with the people who truly matter to you. The ones who you could laugh all day with no matter what’s happening. Because, everything could go wrong on your day from the weather to vendors not showing up, but at the end of it all, if your jumping in the pool fully clothed (wedding gown and all) with your best friends and family, all that other stuff goes away. No one can remember what color flowers were on the table or even what song you first danced to. Those people remember the experience and who they were sharing it with. So, focus on the people you are celebrating with and the person you are committing your heart to and nothing else matters.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was having our close friend marry us. We opted for a more personal feel by having someone who really knows us and our story be the one to help us commit our futures to each other. So we had the best man do double duty and he was our officiant. We didn’t say vows but Karl told our story better than I think we could have.

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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Plum Pretty Sugar

Castelbel & Trumpet

Signature

Lilli Tru

PomPon

Plum Pretty Sugar for BHLDN

PPS Couture

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Banana Split Cake

Can you even handle this right now? Because I, for one, am loosing my ever loving mind! Hear me out: rich, moist banana and ganache layer cake, topped with heaping scoops of ice cream and all the fancy sundae fixins’. It’s a cake and ice cream all in one picture perfect package. If that isn’t dessert nirvana, well I just don’t know what is!

Banana Split Cake

prep time
1 Hour/s 20 Minute/s

cook time
35 Minute/s

total time
1 Hour/s 55 Minute/s

Ingredients

Cake:
2 boxes yellow cake mix
6 eggs
⅔ cup canola oil
2 cups mashed banana (4 medium bananas)
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs milk
Yellow food dye
Ganache:
2 cups heavy cream
18oz dark chocolate chips
Topping:
Chocolate, vanilla, & strawberry ice cream
3 bananas
Maraschino cherries
Sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease (3) 8” cake pans.
Combine the cake mix, banana, eggs, oil, & water and bake according to the mix directions. Let cool 30 minutes on a wire rack. Slice off the uneven tops of each cake layer so they are perfectly flat and place the first layer on a cake stand.
Place 9oz chocolate chips in another mixing bowl. Bring 1 cup heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, then immediately pour over the chocolate chips. Stir or whisk briskly until all the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly until spreadable, then spread ½ ganache over the first cake layer. Top with a second layer of cake and spread on remaining ganache, then top with the third layer of cake.
Mix butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes, then add vanilla, milk, and several drops yellow food coloring. Mix on medium speed 3 minutes until frosting is spreadable, adding more milk if necessary. Continue adding yellow coloring until you reach desired shade.
Frost the cake with yellow buttercream. Keep the top and sides smooth & flat. Place cake in the refrigerator to chill.
Make a second batch of ganache with remaining chocolate chips & cream, then remove cake from fridge and pour ganache over cake top. Place cake back in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Immediately before serving, top cake with scoops of vanilla, chocolate, & strawberry ice cream. Add slices of banana, whipped cream, sprinkles, and maraschino cherries.

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Photography: Ruth Eileen Photography | Recipe & Styling: SMP Living

Jacquelyn Clark

Couple’s Adventure Bucket List with Target!

Back when my now-husband and I got engaged we made a pact to never stop traveling. To see the world every chance we could, and to seek out adventure both across the globe, and in our own backyard. After all, making incredible memories together is what marriage is all about, and it starts with a Target Wedding Registry equipped for the journeys ahead.

Target’s Wedding Registry enables couple’s to build a truly unique registry experience with products fit for adventures big and small. Whether it’s backpacking through Europe, sipping cocktails on the beach or camping in the great outdoors, Target has you totally covered with everything you’ll need for your newlywed life.

Feeling inspired? Plan a date night and draft up a bucket list of anywhere and everywhere you want to explore…scheming and dreaming with the one you love. And while you’re at it, head over to Target and start crafting a registry perfectly fit for all the places you’ll go.

So wait are you waiting for? Adventure is out there – go find it, together.

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Romantic Napa Valley Winery Wedding

This stunning Bride described her wedding day as a blur of amazing love. And from the looks of the beautiful imagery from U Me Us Studios, that’s exactly what it was. Splashed in coral charm peonies, blush tones and set amongst the gorgeous vineyards at Brix, every bit of pretty made way for smiles, sweet kisses and a whole lotta love. Peruse the full gallery right here!

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