Take a fabulous rustic setting like Spruce Mountain Ranch and add in a plethora of classically styled details (think towering centerpieces from Newberry Brothers + a gorgeous Anna Be creation) and the result is rustic elegance at its absolute finest.  A traditional meets mountain shindig with every last moment captured beautifully by Michele Hart Photography.  Now that’s a party.  See it all here.

From Michele Hart Photography… From the moment I met Rachel in a little coffee shop, I knew we could be friends.  I also knew that I would love their pretty ranch wedding. I enjoyed getting to know these two during their wedding planning process and think they really compliment each other beautifully. Spruce Mountain Ranch became one of my favorite locations. From their horses and mountain views to their beautiful buildings that are situated perfectly to host a wedding. I wish these two the best and can’t wait for my next wedding at Spruce Mountain Ranch! I am so grateful Julie with Bliss Elevated sent them my way.

Photography: Michele Hart Photography | Wedding Coordinator: Bliss Elevated | Florist: Newberry Brothers | Gown: anna be bridal boutique | Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew | Catering: Tony Rosacci's Fine Catering | Transportation: Arrow Stage Lines | AV Company: Starkey Productions | Cake Baker: Sugar Art By Kassie | Ceremony And Reception: Spruce Mountain Ranch | Ceremony Musician: Denver Bagpiper | Ceremony Officiate: University Park Methodist Church | Chair Covers: Linen Hero | Dinner & Reception Band: Funkiphino | Hair/Makeup Stylist: Foundation Hair Studio | Rental Company: Event Rents

True story: about a month ago, my fiance and I ran off to get married… just the two of us and the sweetest ever justice of the peace.  It was the best day ever, and one of the many reasons I am totally on board with this adorable duo’s decision to throw caution to the wind and say “I do” with a joint wedding/honeymoon on the breathtaking cliffs of Maui.  It’s simple, sweet and captured by Wendy Laurel, which means it’s oh-so-pretty.  See it all in the full gallery.

From Wendy Laurel… Kate and John escaped their busy lives in Atlanta for a dreamy romantic elopement and honeymoon. They knew if they had a wedding at home, their guest list would be miles long and that might mean missing out on a spectacular honeymoon. So they chose to run away and get hitched and honeymoon all in one. They choose Maui and the day couldn’t have been better. Bright blue skies, tradewinds, a sprinkling of rain, and loads of sunshine set on the cliffs at Kapalua was the setting for their ceremony. They booked plenty of time for wedding day portraits both at the cliff and the beach, then ended their special day with a romantic dinner for two right next to the beach. What could be simpler or more romantic?

Photography: Wendy Laurel | Rings: Tiffany & Co. | Hair And Make Up: The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC | Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC | Dinner: The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC | Silk Flowers: Etsy

This beauty of a wedding is proof that just because you have a formal wedding, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. With the help of Little Bit Heart, this gorgeous couple beautifully united both tradition and their own personal style throughout their big day, making these images from Maria Vicencio Photography not only gorgeous but meaningful. See them all here. 

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From Little Bit Heart…We are so excited about sharing this submission with you! We have a special connection to this wedding- the bride, Maria, is in the wedding industry herself (as an amazingly talented makeup artist with Amie Decker Beauty ) and happens to be Elizabeth’s sister (and Jenna’s cousin). Also, we were so happy to have the opportunity to STYLE the wedding as well as do all of the papergoods. It was a dream come true for us to see all of these details come together- from the invitations to the ribbon wall to the awesome dessert display.

Maria and Nick found that a ballroom wedding was the best way to accommodate their large guestlist, although that’s not the venue they originally had envisioned. With that in mind, we worked to bring in special touches to make the hotel ballroom feel unique and custom for the couple. We loved working with their lovely color palette of neutrals and pinks to design this gorgeous day! The two words Maria kept using to describe what they wanted for their wedding day were “formal and fun,” and we think the day ended up matching those words perfectly.

The groom’s French heritage inspired some of our favorite details: the letterpress invitation was duplexed to include French and English versions of the wording, and the dessert bar included, along with Italian cookies from the bride’s aunt’s bakery, French macarons from Nick’s favorite local patisserie. In addition to the THREE amazing wedding cakes, 4 Sweet Layers (another of the bride’s sisters!) also made a fantastic groom’s cake: a croissant!

We might be biased, but we think the best introduction to a wedding day is the invitation, and theirs definitely said “formal and fun”: the letterpressed invitation and inserts were held together with a ribbon and wax seal bellyband. The whole set went into a box filled with (one of our favorite details!) shredded kraft paper and handcut tissue paper confetti. For the wedding day papergoods, we paired hearts and French phrases (like “l’amour parfait” on the sweet bags) with the formal script from the invitation. We also incorporated whimsical details in fun places. The escort cards featured a custom punched heart pennies and a scratch off to reveal your table number. We had so much fun putting together the dessert and candy displays, with balloon and chalkboard backdrops- we also got to use the handcut tissue paper and metallic gold confetti again here, which added an awesome touch to the tables.

It’s so so important to have vendors that you love capture all of the details on your wedding day, and Maria and Nick’s team was fantastic. Maria Vicencio documented their love story beautifully, with photos that give us the chills, while Lovesick Inc got it all on video in a way that makes us cry every time we watch it.

Photography: Maria Vicencio Photography | Videography: Lovesick | Floral Design: Crimson and Clover Floral Design, Inc. | Church: Holy Family Catholic Church | Reception Venue: Westin Annapolis | Makeup & Hair: Amie Decker Beauty | Band & DJ: Burnt Sienna | Bride's Garter: The Garter Girl | Bride's Hanger: 2Hands Studios Events | Drapes & Rentals: Chicka | Food Truck: Rolling Ficelle | Photobooth: Booth Love | Styling, Invitations & Wedding Day Papergoods: Little Bit Heart | Wedding Cakes: 4 Sweet Layers | Wedding Gown & Bridemaids Dresses: Carine's Bridal Atelier

Being a recent transplant in New England, I’ve really come to love the Spring and the crazy amounts of gorgeous blooms dotting the area. It’s a flower lover’s dream and bonus, it makes for a beautiful wedding day backdrop. This vintage inspired affair captured by Forevercandid Photography, along with florals by Karla Cassidy Designs is total proof. Check out the gallery for so much more.

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From The Bride…The theme/concept was DIY Rustic Vintage. We wanted our wedding to reflect Alex and I in every way, and have unique and memorable aspects that touched our family and friends throughout the wedding day. We most of all wanted everyone to experience in the pure love and happiness, we were sharing that day in our commitment to each other. We fell in love with the rustic and romantic setting of Moraine Farm and knew it was our perfect venue to say “I do” and start our lives together. We shared our hand written vows to share with each other and our friends and family, which brought us and everyone else to tears (in the highlight video).

My mom, myself and maid of honor put a lot of work into every detail that was DIY including the signage, flowers, my dress, the family “tree”, programs, table names and centerpieces. I even wanted to make our signature drinks unique to us by naming them around our personalities the “Bubbly Bradley” and “Murphy Mule”. Throughout the day we had a subtle theme of A&A (Aidan and Alex), with wooden letters and & throughout the property as well as a large metal A&A.

My mom made the all the centerpieces from scratch and the flower arrangements (18!) as well as the Audrey Hepburn signage “The Best Thing in Life to Hold onto is Each other”, one of my most favorite quotes. We wanted to do something different than table numbers that we see at every wedding, so we decided on words that describe marriage (wonderful, love, forever, friendship). We made these as well.

Alex’s dad made us the wooden signage / guest board, and the birch trellis we got married under from a mere vision I had and they came out perfect! Alex’s Mom made our cake and all the desserts for the guests. My maid of honor designed the welcome sign for the ceremony, the appetizer sign and bar signs listing the signature drinks.

We met as neighbors in South Boston, we both had dogs and would run into each walking them around the block, from our first date we hit it off and knew we were the perfect fit we had been searching for. Alex makes me laugh every single day and still gives me those same butterflies he did when I first met him years ago. He pushes me to do better, be better and is a constant rock and support system when I need it most. Everyday is an adventure together, and we’re so excited to be joined as an official family now and someday start ours.

Since I was a little girl I dreamed of remaking my mother and grandmother’s dress into something of my own, after the ring when it was my turn to go “dress” shopping my mom and I both were so excited to create a unique work of art that was a family heirloom and had so much special meaning. I mean, when else in your life can you design a dress of your dreams that has so much special meaning.

My mother, Nancy wore the dress October 1st, 1977 when she married my dad Kevin. Before that, my Nana Betty Stangle wore the dress October 9th, 1940 when she married Frank. On May 24th, I wore my very own newly designed version to marry Alex. (We displayed before photos of the dress at cocktail hour for guests to see the transformation).

Since we met walking our dogs, and our dogs are such a big part of our life, we wanted to donate to our local animal shelter in lieu of favors. Also, Alex’s dog Charlie was a rescue dog. After going to so many weddings together, we both thought a donation favor is a nice reminder to give back to the community.

Alex and I both love good food, especially local farm-to-table. Elaine, Alex’s mother is a chef at a farm to table restaurant so it is very near and dear to our hearts, eating organic local foods. We are happy to say all the food served at our wedding was from Fireside Catering and farm to fork.

Most importantly, we wanted everyone to experience a lovely, unique and memorable wedding while feeling like family, both coming from two large Irish families (Bradley and Murphy), we really wanted it to seem like an intimate close family affair/celebration of love although there was 175 people, I think we really were able to make everyone feel the love and apart of our big day.

Photography: Forevercandid Photography | Videography: Oxford Media Films | Floral Design: Karla Cassidy Designs | Reception Venue: Estate At Moraine Farm | Shoes: Kate Spade | Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo | Catering: Fireside Catering | Make-Up: Flawless Face And Body | Hair: Lisa Frallicciardi | Tuxes: Men's Wearhouse | Accessories: J.Crew | Bridesmaid Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar

White-Klump Photography and Soiree Key West upped the ante on pretty today, and it’s all thanks to this gorgeous seaside shoot at Fort Zahary Taylor Beach. It’s inspiration overload in the best possible way with invitations from Invites By Danette, a gorgeous cake from Cakes By Karol and drool-worthy gowns from Jeannie Lee  – this gallery is the definition of pin-worthy. 

From White-Klump Photography…What do you think of when you think Key West? Obviously the gorgeous crystal blue and teal waters of both the Atlantic and the Gulf, but it’s so much more than that! Not only did we want to showcase the beach and pristine waters, but obviously the rich history, adorned with local artists and whimsical charm. First of all, we chose the Fort Zachary Fort for the swoon worthy setting. Not only is it located right on the water, but it offers itself as a National Historic Landmark for the US Navy which Key West is greatly known for. Also, we wanted to incorporate vintage pieces such as flowered tea cups, lanterns, and mismatched chairs for the ceremony to bring in the eclectic vibe. Succulents,old driftwood, crates and branches from the fort served as a lovely centerpiece for the table scape and cake. We also used local artists, Jill Regalia and Invites by Danette to incorporate the local flair by using Key West post cards as the Save the Dates as well as delicate hand-made jewelry for the couple. Etsy designers, Bloom Bazaar and Jeannie Lee created completely original designs for the headpieces and dress to show a soft but fanciful feel to the shoot.

Photography: White-Klump Photography | Event Design: Soiree Key West | Flowers: Soiree Key West | Wedding Gown: Jeannie Lee | Cake: Cakes By Karol | Invitations: Invites By Danette | Jewelry: Jill's Regalia | Hair And Make Up: Baddest Beauty | Hairpieces: Bloom Bazaar | Key West, FL: Fort Zachary Taylor | Rentals: Mi Vintage

Can I just say, a pretty pink destination (ahem, Boca Raton Resort) as the backdrop makes for some seriously gorgeous bridal portraits. It’s true. Layer on the beautiful architecture, a talented gal like Captured By Jen behind the lens and the sweetest Bride and Groom, and we’ve got ourselves a romantic-as-ever soiree. Dotted with palms, this gallery is tropical lovin’ drenched in elegance.

From the beautiful Bride…Greg and I were engaged over Thanksgiving while we were vacationing in New York City with his family. We are both big fans of the outdoors so he picked a quiet spot in Central Park. I immediately began crying out of excitement but was able to squeeze out a “Yes” through the tears! Two days later I was at Kleinfeld’s bridal picking out my wedding dress. I love the simplicity and feminine touches of Romona Keveza’s dresses. The beaded belt was the final selling point for me.

I’ve moved around a lot (currently living in state number 6) and my family is spread all over the country. Greg grew up in Boca Raton and has an amazing (and big) family that all lives in South Florida. We immediately fell in love with the outdoor ceremony space at the Addison. The Banyan trees and the old architectural charms are truly unique and special. We booked a Saturday evening in Mid-March. The weather cooperated perfectly! There was not a cloud in the sky and there was the most amazing full moon at night.

The most important part of our wedding was the ceremony. It was incredibly personal and I do not think there was a dry eye in the house. We decided to have one of our good friends marry us. This was his first time officiating a wedding ceremony so he was a little nervous but it was the most perfect ceremony I could have ever asked for. We really wanted the ceremony to reflect who we are and the kind of marriage we hope to have. We wrote the entire ceremony ourselves and had our siblings read. We also wrote our own vows which was more emotional than I could have imagined!

We incorporated a lot of small details into the wedding from our friends and families. Greg’s great aunt said the most thoughtful prayer before dinner, our toasting flutes were a gift from the Best Man’s parents while they were living in India, I carried my Grandmother’s broach on my bouquet and I wore a veil that belonged to one of my bridesmaids from her wedding day.

Boca by Design did an outstanding job with the floral arrangements and décor. I must say this was the hardest decision for me to make. I loved the Addison for its innate beauty and did not want to take away from everything that I loved about the venue. Brett really understood my vision and absolutely blew me away with the final product.

Before the wedding Greg and I made a pact to spend as much of the evening together as possible. We tried to stay glued to each other throughout the evening so we could share all of the memories together. You always hear stories about all of the little details that can go wrong at weddings. Thanks to the wonderful staff and the Addison and our amazing wedding planner, Chasity Navarro, we had the most flawless night and it was more beautiful than we ever expected. It was the best night of my life!

Photography: Captured Photography by Jenny | Floral Design: Boca by Design | Wedding Dress: Kleinfeld Bridal | Cake: Ana Paz | DJ: Good Vibrations | Groom's Attire: Vera Wang | Getting Ready: Boca Raton Resort & Club

With a new generation of budding entrepreneurs popping up left right and center, working with your loved ones is no longer far from the realm of reality. In fact, SMP’s founders – Abby & Tait – are a husband and wife duo! And though the idea can feel both exciting and daunting, it’s important to maintain a few ground rules. Which is why the talented Zahira Domenech is here today sharing her personal tips and tricks!

From Zahira Domenech… If you’ve been waiting for a sign to take that scary leap and make business with your boyfriend or husband here we share some insides on how to work with your loved one and make it work.

COMMUNICATION | Is the #1 rule to create great relationships in your Business and in your Personal Life. Make clear what are the expectations with each other during business together. Never take things personal and always talk with sincerity and in a respectful way.

CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES | This step begins with each of you writing down your top five strengths and the top five things you hate doing or don’t know how to do, if you work in the same business it maybe something like as scheduling or sales calls. From there, you can carve out the roles and responsibilities to leverage each other’s strengths and expertise. Make an agreement to respect each other’s role and expertise and stay out of the day-to-day execution of them. Or if you are like us that we both have their separate business but we work together sometimes in the same events we have talk about what are our expectations from each other and the roles and responsibilities, how to work as a team to make the best experience for us and for our clients.

SET DEFINITIVE MONEY RULES | If you are in the same business with your loved one money arguments are one of the leading causes of marital problems and can carry over into your business. Determine how money decisions will be made within the company to include handling expenses, pricing, and salaries. Maybe you’ll be in charge of one area of the business and your spouse will be in charge of another. Or maybe you’ll decide that any expense under $3K can be made without the other person’s input, but if it’s over $3K you need to make the decision together. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s something you’re both comfortable with.

SEPARATE BUSINESS AND PERSONAL LIFE | This is something that we all that work together in any or other way we struggle, Because the conversations about business they are always in our daily talking. But we often think that make time during the day to only enjoy the relationship is very helpful, make time for dating, for family and friends, to have fun and not talk about business. Having a Business is a very rewarding but consuming face of our daily life, so it is a priority that you both take time for relax, make thing that you both enjoy separately and thing as as couple. Establish time for work {Business Hours} and stick to them, un-plug your phone after that hours and just enjoy life.

SET GOALS TOGETHER | Goals are the map to your future. Sit down together and write your personal and business goals and your plans to achieve them together. I’m often as excited to reach one of Jose’s goals as I am reaching one of my own.

BE EACH OTHER’S CHEERLEADER | You are a team, but you also have to be truly happy for your spouse or partner when they accomplish a personal goal. When I won some of my Awards or Magazine Interviews, Jose is the first one to jump up of happiness. That kind of support is the foundation that our businesses and your relationship.

HIRE A TEAM OF EXPERTS | The most important people in your business are your lawyer, banker, accountant and hairdresser and not necessarily in that order! Experts have the key in guiding you along your path, often acting as an outside voice of reason, so have your team of experts that help you and guide you.

APPRECIATE THE BENEFITS | Owning a business or work together with your Loved one may present challenges, but the benefits of working together are worth it. Flexible work schedules, doing a job you both love and working beside a business partner you trust are just a few of the wonderful perks.

We hope that this few tips help you to have a business and life you love!!

Photography: Pablo Diaz | Makeup & Hair: Caridad Vidro | Location: El San Juan Hotel Casino | Wedding & Event Designer: Eventus by Zahira | Wedding & Life Style Photographer: Jose Ruiz Photography | Zahira's Shoes: Betsey Johnson

I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Chicago, and thanks to this urban-glam love affair captured by Averyhouse, that love is only growing. One part industrial and another part chic, it’s exactly what city wedding dreams are made of with A Perfect Event making magic behind the scenes. Lovelies, believe me when I say your Thursday happy place starts here.

From Averyhouse… An industrial, cobbled warehouse turned wedding reception romance sparkling with chandeliers, southern bourbon bars and Bluegrass. Anjali and Jon dreamed of an intimate candlelight wedding ceremony incorporating Jon’s beautiful Jewish symbols and traditions. Anjali’s vintage gown set the tone for an elegant cum retro speakeasy celebration.

The bride and groom brought together friends and family with their love for all things vintage – from handcrafted his and her bourbon cocktails in collections of styled stemware, to a top tapping blue grass band, to a southern comfort food menu.

Debi designed vintage floral vignettes in Parisian flea market find perfume bottles, cameo vases and Debi Lilly Design for Safeway depression glass vessels placed on top glittered metallic BBJLinen petite bread and butter plates.

Mismatched chiavari and bistro chairs, crystal stemware, china collections and beaded gold tablecloths from Tablescapes and BBJ Linen created a flea market chic ambience for the reception.

For favors donations were made to the couple’s favorite Humane Shelter, packaged into cello sleeves adorned with gold and blush pink washi tape.

Photography: averyhouse | Event Design: A Perfect Event | Event Planning: A Perfect Event | Floral Design: A Perfect Event | Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham | Cake: Toni Patisserie | Invitations: A Perfect Event | Catering: Calihan Catering | Venue: Gallery 1028 | Beauty: Beauty on Call | Cocktail Styling: Femme Du Coupe | Photobooth: Brooke Courtney Photography | Rentals: Tablescapes Event Rentals | Rentals: BBJ La Tavola

New York City creates the most magical backdrops for session like this one. And when those backdrops are paired with a gorgeous couple and a talented photographer like Abby Jiu, that’s when we hit SMP engagement session gold. It leaves us with a gallery that simply can’t be missed, and you can get lost in all the lovely here.

From Abby Jiu Photography….Katie and Mitch live in New York City and wanted an engagement session to reflect the great times they have had in the city. We chose the Top of the Rock for the amazing view of the beautiful city.

Photography: Abby Jiu Photography | Rooftop: Top Of The Rock

I’m always a little jealous of California’s year round sunshine. It offers up the perfect weather for an al fresco affair, even in the Fall. And Beaulieu Garden couldn’t be a more stunning backdrop with it’s garden finery and canopy of twinkling lights. It’s made even more so at the hands of Atelier Joya, Stacy McCain Event Planning and loads of pretty images by Elle Jae. Click here for even more.

From The Bride…I had no idea Morgan was going to propose. It was the morning of my grandmothers birthday and we got up early to take our bulldog, Dexter for a hike along the beach in Half Moon Bay. We were supposed to be at parents house for an early bbq that afternoon to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday. Dexter loves the water and the beach and was dragging me towards the water and Morgan was walking very slowly behind us. I finally stopped to ask him if he was feeling ok and he had already taken the ring box out of his pocket. He asked me if I would marry him and Dexter and I laughed and said yes. He asked me again if I was sure and I said yes. He said “good, because all of our friends and family are going to be at your parents today to celebrate”. Turns out, I was the only one who didn’t know he was proposing. That afternoon was so much fun because it ended up being a surprise engagement party with our closest friends and family…….

When Morgan and I got engaged, we both immediately knew that we wanted to be married in the Napa Valley. We wanted to invite our family and friends to not only celebrate with us on our wedding day but spend the weekend with us and enjoy all that Napa has to offer.

Our weekend began at the Andaz Hotel, located downtown Napa, surrounded by restaurants, shopping and the Napa river all within walking distance. Our family and friends were greeted with a goodie bag and map of downtown with places to see and visit during their stay. We wanted to spend as much time as we could visiting with everyone who traveled to celebrate so we had an open cocktail party instead of a rehearsal dinner on the patio at the Andaz.

The day of the wedding, our guests were shuttled to Beaulieu Gardens, a private estate located in Rutherford. We chose this venue for its obvious beauty and with its many different gardens, we were able to move the party from one area to another, creating a “roaming party” feel.

The overall theme or aesthetic of our ceremony and reception was a natural-rustic Napa feel with pops of glam. Farm wood tables with sequin runners and mercury glass, hanging tea lights from over head, just made everything look so rich glamorous without taking away the already beautiful landscape from the venue. It was perfect clear fall evening and we had placed throws on all the ladies chairs for them incase they got chilly. We wanted everyone to feel like they were included and had the best seat in the house so we had couches and lounge areas set up near the reception area and dance floor to give it a more intimate feeling. Instead of a guest book, we had photo album on one of the coffee tables for everyone to sign and write messages in. That was fun for us to read though the next day.

We still wanted it to be fun and personal and at the end of evening, we wanted our friends and family to leave thinking that it was the best party ever. We chose Pop Rocks as our band because we loved their energy and we wanted everyone to dance. We had late night snacks passed for guests during the last hour of dancing to keep the party going. At the end of the evening, our guests were shuttled back to the hotel and we invited all of our guests who weren’t ready to go to bed yet, to join us after hours for some sushi and cocktails next.

Photography: Elle Jae Weddings | Wedding Planner: Stacy McCain Event Planning | Floral Design: Atelier Joya | Wedding Gown: Vera Wang | Cake: Sweet on Cake | Jewelry: Ippolita | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Joanna August | Caterer: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events | Lighting: Got Light | Band: Pop Rocks | Groomsmen's Attire: Vera Wang | Transportation: Pure Luxury | Hotel: Andaz | Wedding Venue: Beaulieu Garden | Bridal Shoes: Via Spiga | Bridesmaids Bracelets: Anthropologie | Canvas Bags With Bulldog Logo: 4 Promos | Cashmere Throws: West Elm | Ceremony & Cocktail Music: An Elegant Touch Of Strings | Chalkboard Seating Chart: Atelier Joya | Flower Girl Attire: Kmart | Flower Girl Shoes: Gymboree | Flower Girl Wands: Atelier Joya | Groom's Tuxedo: Vera Wang | Groomsmen Sunglasses: Vans | Hot Air Balloon For Cards: BHLDN | Printed Pieces: chewing the cud | Ring Bearer: Gymboree | Sound: Delicate Productions | Vail: Vera Wang

My happy place?  A wedding chock-full of beautiful details and a laid-back elegance that simply screams pretty.  But when you add in a toes-in-the-sand ceremony on a drizzly + oh-so-romantic beach, a bride and groom who simply can’t stop smiling and a world of lovely captured expertly by Daniele Del Castillo, it’s an entirely new level of glee.  Get your smile on right here in the full gallery.

From the Bride… We got married on April 12, 2014 on the sands of Pearl Beach, NSW followed by dinner reception at the restaurant Pearls on the Beach which is located right on the beach. We were a little worried about the weather, so we had a wet weather backup booked, which was the local community hall down the road from the beach. It did rain on the day, but luckily it held out during the ceremony so we were about to get married on the beach as planned.

We used to take day trips around the Central Coast, which is where Sam spent much of his childhood. Pearl Beach was one of my favourite places we visited. It’s so unique and secluded and has the most beautiful and quiet beach. A very romantic and magical place untouched by tourists. 

We had a very small wedding of 45 people with our families and closest friends, which was great because we really got to spend quality time with all of our guests which was important to us.  Everything was planned in under three months and we had lots of help on the day from our friends and family. Everything was done the way we wanted it to be and was full of love on the day.

I made the aisle runner myself by purchasing a long piece of hessian fabric and scattering shells along the edge. I also found these great starfish placecards online, which was a fun project to assemble. We had drinks in between the ceremony and reception at the local community hall and our friends helped decorate this venue and set up a lolly bar.

Photography: Del Castillo Photography | Floral Design: Gai Hyde | Wedding Dress: The Bridal Outlet | Wedding Cake: Project Cake | Ceremony Venue: Pearl Beach | Reception Venue: Pearls On The Beach | Officiant: Judy Frewen

If this wedding had a mascot, it would most definitely be the crown. Whether bridal or floral, there’s plenty of gorgeous crowns making an appearance in this classic indoor affair. It’s a dash of english garden with florals by Exquisite Blooms and a smidgen of race track inspiration designed by Concepts Event Design, planned by After The Engagement, and photographed by Chaz Cruz Photography. See it all here.

We also have the best film by Velare Imaginarium to wrap things up. It’s filled with cape twirling flower girls and an affair best described as magic. Have a look…

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From After The Engagement, Courtney Tibbets…Andrea and Bryn are two of the nicest people I have ever met. Throughout the process, they were kind, loving, and always appreciative of their vendors’ creative efforts, which made working with them over the course of a year fun and productive. The venue, the Del Mar Country Club, hosts many parties and events, but not a ton of weddings, so it was perfect for this one-of-a-kind fete. To honor the groom’s background, the couple decided that their wedding culture would be English Garden meets Del Mar racetrack. Lots of dark wood and vintage art dots the venue, and it was a magnificent place to hold this wedding for 230 guests. Each detail was cultivated with the overall look and guest experience in mind- the Save the Date had a vintage racetrack photo with “A” and “B” on the horse’s bibs, the invitation had a single feather that fluttered out when the guest opened it, the flowers were meant to feel like you walked out into a garden and picked them. Upon arrival, guests were greeted with glass of champagne with floating fresh berry, and were escorted down a winding walkway by a harmonica player, where they found their seats in the lawn, where the ceremony backdrop was a gorgeous chapel screen, built by the bride’s grandfather. At the moment of the bride’s entry, several hot air balloons dotted the sky to accent the sunset. It was truly magical. Following the ceremony, signature drinks of Moscow Mules (served in proper copper mugs with striped straws) and lots of carefully cultivated wine options were served, alongside the full bar. Cocktail hour decor included deep red flowers arranged in vintage trophies and vintage English tea tins. Guests entered the ballroom through custom red velvet curtains with gold tie backs, where they were greeted by soft ivories and golds and a beautiful black and white checkered dance floor. The room was lit by tons of amber uplights, hurricane lamps, and of course, soft candlelight. A lovely English-inspired meal duet of chicken and beef was served, followed by a cake that was designed to match their guest table linens. They also chose to have several mini desserts served, including cookies frosted with the groom’s family crest. Dancing to a DJ and a wonderful 80’s cover band, a photobooth with unique props, and a late night snack of three kinds of tacos rounded out the night. The guests were then offered transportation back to their hotels in double decker red buses, the transportation of choice in London!

Photography: Chaz Cruz Photographers | Videography: Velare | Florist: Exquisite Blooms | Bakery: Hey There, Cupcake! | Invitations: Sideshow Press | Bridesmaid Dresses: Saja | Makeup: Marisa Von Sheere | Hair: Hair By Lindsey Neavitt | Lighting: San Diego Events Lighting | DJ: Positive Energy Productions | Band: Tainted Love | Groom's Suit: Billy Reid | Groomsmen Attire: Bonobos | Transportation: British Bus Company | Bride's Dress: Mark Ingram Atelier | Copper Mug Rental: New England Country Rentals | Country Club: Del Mar Country Club | Designer Rentals: Concepts Event Design | Escort Card Calligraphy: Lisa Simmons Calligraphy | Event Planner + Designer: After The Engagement

This beautiful Bride was left with a broken ankle just weeks before her wedding… A mishap that would have any Bride pulling her hair out. But this Bride? Surrounded by love and happiness, she didn’t let it ruin a thing. And instead of hobbling around for fancy wedding day portraits, these two cuties set out to do one of the most adorable ‘encore’ sessions I’ve ever seen with Delbarr Moradi. It’s utterly sweet and you can find every bit right here.

From the beautiful Bride… As luck would have it, I broke my ankle just weeks before our wedding last year. Two days before our actual wedding day, I had the cast on my right foot prematurely removed but it was nowhere close to being fully recovered. Needless to say, I wasn’t very mobile so we weren’t able to hike through nature and take the couple portraits with the natural backdrop of rolling hills and magical trees that I so wanted. Despite the mishap, our wedding was absolutely a dream come true and we were surrounded by so much love and happiness. A few months as newlyweds had passed, and my ankle was finally healing and feeling stronger. So Jason and I thought an Encore Session would be the perfect solution to our missing portrait shots! It was also a fun opportunity to get dressed up in our suit and wedding dress again and to capture more wedding memories with two healthy feet, heels, and no rushed timeline. It was just us, our amazing photographer Delbarr Moradi, and the beautiful backdrop of the olive grove and Los Altos Hills.

We love going to various Farmers’ Markets on the weekends and picking fresh produce and flowers so I wanted to incorporate this into the styled shoot. Milk Glass Vintage Rentals came up with the “I Picked You” theme and created the cutest fruit stand setup in the olive grove. I love crafting and creating, so other props like the wood burned sign and various bouquets of flowers were DIY. My favorite flowers are tulips and peonies, but they weren’t available during our August wedding. So I took this opportunity to sprinkle them all over the shoot.

Fun but sad fact: We brought our kitty, Pippin with us since we thought it would be fun to have him in some shots at the Olive Grove. He is totally our fur baby and a big part of our lives. He also dressed for the occasion in a peach polka dot bow tie. On the way to the session, however, he got so carsick going up the winding roads that we had to stop twice. Once we arrived to the site, we spent over 30 minutes cleaning him up before the shoot but he was just too sick and miserable to look cute and make a cameo. I also had a nasty cold during the session, which goes to show once again that you can’t plan for everything and to just go with the flow!

Photography: Delbarr Moradi Photography | Floral Design: Bunches&blooms | Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero | Hair And Makeup: Aimee Makeup & Hair Design | Reception Dress: Jenny Yoo | Vintage Rentals: Milk Glass Vintage Rentals

Give me a good rustic, southern wedding, and you’ll have a blogger with a smile as wide as her screen. With the help of Mariee Ami, this Birmingham bride and groom designed the casual-yet-cool day of their dreams, and W&E Photographie didn’t miss a beat. Click right here for soooo much more.

From W&E Photographie… Sara Anne got ready along with her ‘maids in Birmingham’s most charming hotel, The Tutwiler. The Bride & Groom exchanged vows at the historic, european style Independent Presbyterian Church. Their reception was complete with a live jazz band, light up tamborines for the dance floor and tasty signature cocktails. The groom opted for a southern BBQ table in lieu of a groom’s cake. DIY details were in abundance throughout the stables, from the handmade shutters which displayed the couples childhood photos to the Alabama shaped puzzle which served as a fun, interactive guest book.

Photography: W & E Photographie | Event Planning: Mariée Ami Wedding Planning Studio | Floral Design: Buffy Hargett | Wedding Dress: The White Room | Church: Independent Presbyterian Church | Catering: Savoie Catering | Catering: Saw's BBQ | Barn: Swann Lake Stables | Hair & Make Up: Lynsey Richardson

Though my dinner parties are often of the impromptu nature (read: often take-out thai is involved), as I grow older, the incredible dinner parties we’ve featured over the course of the last few years are inspiring me to step it up a notch. But this particular beauty, what with it’s subtle blush and blue hues, is totally doing me in. With design, styling and photography by Mango Studios, there’s more right here.

The wedding industry is constantly busy, always changing and requires quite the team effort to pull off all the fabulous events you see in blogs and publications. So, this past month we wanted to honour these kings and queens of the wedding industry and put together the first in a series of exclusive dinner parties. The night was buzzing, and we enjoyed spirited conversation about topics like the impact of Pinterest and social media on our industry with influencers like Melissa Haggerty of Spectacular Spectacular, Veronica and Ines Di Santo, Allyson and Sarah of Bobbette & Belle, and Fiona Liston of Stemz. It was also a great time to connect with many of the top venue heads, and we had representation from some of the most amazing event spaces in Toronto, including The Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Royal Ontario Museum, Ritz Carlton, and Oliver & Bonacini. In fact, we’re thrilled to have Samira from the Ritz Carlton as one of our very own brides this year! We’re already starting to plan our next event, and can’t wait to collaborate with other inspiring, innovative, and world-class industry pros.

The execution of the dinner party was just as seamless as you would find on any given wedding weekend. All the beautiful decor and floral arrangements came courtesy of Stemz – and boy did it look good! They surprised us all with the rarest bunch of peonies, lining the table from the fairest pink to the richest of reds. Stemz’ floral arrangements are just works of art – simple, elegant, and beautiful. We wanted the decor to reflect the new summer season, and we had our in-house design team (yes, we do much more than just photography!) create all the custom stationary and work with Fiona to streamline the decor for the evening. Here at Mango, we’re widely known for our photography work, but that’s just one piece of the pie. We also have teams dedicated to video, design, and printing! The Food Dudes were the culinary champions of the night, and our palettes were doing jumping jacks with the summer feast they prepared.

Photography: Mango Studios | Floral Design: Stemz | Catering: The Food Dudes | Furniture: Contemporary Furniture Rentals | Linens: Around The Table | Music: St. Royal Entertainment | Rentals: Chairman Mills | Staff: Leave It To Us | Video: North Cinematic

If I had just one line to describe this day I’d say “tradition with a twist.” A modern, color-driven twist, that is. Thanks to a team of top-notch vendors like Downey Street Events and Soulflower Design Studio, Vidya and Krishna designed a day of cultural beauty and modern style, with gorgeous pops of orange everywhere you look. See the pretty from Sabine Scherer right here.

From Downey Street Events… Vidya and Krishna had a wonderful vision for their wedding from the start – a beautiful celebration, inspired by their culture, but with a softer, more elegant feel. They chose a super modern palette of orange, grey, and white, and truly worked with each and every vendor to make sure that every aspect of the wedding looked and felt cohesive.

For the ladies at Downey Street Events, Vidya and Krishna were one of our favorite couples of the year to work with. They participated so beautifully in all aspects of the planning, from coordination to design to customizing a perfect and amazing indian-inspired menu with their caterers. All of the vendors had a wonderful time collaborating with both of them and with their wonderfully families. This wedding was the perfect example of what it means to collaborate as a team of artists, inspired by a wonderful couple with a great vision for their big day.

Vidya and Krishna’s Indian culture was carried throughout much of the wedding decor. Heather at Sixpence Press did an amazing job designing custom paper goods for every aspect of the wedding, from the invitations to the escort cards, using beautiful mandalas and other wonderful illustrations. The escort cards were arranged in metallic trays and sunk into orange lentils for a creative and festive display.

Emily at Souflower Floral Design created lovely arrangements used throughout the wedding, from the traditional marigold garlands surrounding the mandap and ceremony site, to cones of flower petals for guests to toss at the newlyweds in celebration, to custom painted golden bowls filled with florals, oranges, and kumquats on the dinner tables.

Thomas John Events created special dishes just for Vidya and Krishna, after visiting some of their favorite Indian restaurants in the bay area, including custom chaat stations at the cocktail hour. And photographer Sabine Scherer captured the entire event beautifully, at the wonderful Nestldown – a truly unique venue. It didn’t hurt that Vidya and Krishna were married on the longest day of the year, which allowed for a long, leisurely dinner as the sun went down.

Photography: Sabine Scherer Photography | Videographer: Justin Fone Productions | Wedding Planning And Design: Downey Street Events | Floral Design: Soulflower Design Studio | Wedding Dress: jinwang | Cake: Studio Cake | Caterer: Thomas John Events | Hair And Makeup: Meaganne McCandess Hair and Makeup | DJ: Big Fun DJs | Officiant: Unforgettable Affairs | Wedding Venue: Nestldown | Ceremony Musicians: Joanna Mack | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Mandaap Rental: One Only Wedding Design | Rentals: Hartmann | Shuttles: Corinthian Transportation | Stationary And Paper Goods: Heather at Sixpence Press

When you grew up in a backyard as beautiful as this one (hello, lucky Bride!), it only makes sense to call up Jacqui Cole, put on a stunning LWD, pop some bubbly and get snappin’. Because the result is bound to be something you’ll treasure forever and ever. See so much more lovely from Jacqui in the gallery.

From the gorgeous Bride-to-be… Chase and I met at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in the first week of law school. We were in the same section, meaning we had all of our first year classes together, and began dating soon after we spoke at a party Chase and his roommates had thrown for the first year students.

Chase completely surprised me with his proposal in February and it was absolutely better than anything I could have imagined! Chase’s sister told us that she was going to be coming to Jacksonville with her husband and their adorable daughter to visit for the weekend. Chase told me that Friday night we were going to go to dinner with his dad, step-mom, and two little brothers and then pick his sister, brother-in-law and niece up from the airport. When we pulled up to the restaurant in his neighborhood for dinner, Chase said his dad was running late and wanted him to look at something on the dock behind the restaurant. We walked down to the dock and I asked him what we were looking at. He just looked at me with a sweet nervous grin and tilted his head, then he got down on one knee, told me he loved me and asked me to marry him. My response was yes! but are you serious?! because I will still in total shock. He then pointed out a photographer that had been documenting the entire proposal. As she took more pictures of us, I looked up and saw my sister and her boyfriend, who live in Washington D.C. and my parents coming down the stairs with Chase’s family and I burst into tears. We then had dinner in a private room of the restaurant with our families to celebrate.

The next day, his family threw a brunch for my extended family to come over, telling them it was a surprise graduation brunch to get them there, since they didn’t know about the proposal. We spent the entire weekend celebrating with our families and I couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect! Chase had been working on custom designing my ring since Thanksgiving and even had little rose gold H’s placed on each side for my new last name.

Our engagement shoot was taken in my parents backyard and in a family friend’s backyard down the street. We chose the location after our photographer, Jacqui told us to choose somewhere meaningful. My parents home is the house I grew up in and the only placed I have ever lived other than in Gainesville at school. Our proposal shots were taken where Chase grew up and it was only fitting to have the engagement shots taken where I grew up! Chase and I are getting married in April at Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor. We absolutely cannot wait! Chase says that he is most excited about seeing me in my dress and I am most excited about seeing him for the first time that day when I am walking down the aisle.

Photography: Jacqui Cole Photography | White Dress: Ann Taylor Loft

When it comes to weddings, I’m all about keeping things cozy. And that’s the very route this Cali couple took with just 75 guests on the list. Joji Rose brought the “big family dinner” vision to life, and Onelove Photography was on the scene to snap every second. Happy swooning!

From the Bride… Our wedding was an intimate gathering of 75 people, and our wedding guests witnessed us profess our vows to each other at the Old Mission Rey De Espana Church in Mission Hills, on a perfect California winter day. Following our ceremony, we headed at Westlake Village Inn, where we had our venue in the Vintage Room. We feel so incredibly blessed not only to just be married to each other, but that we got to share our day with the people that we love. We also wanted to make sure our family and friends had a good time.

When we were planning our day, we wanted it to feel like a big family dinner. We wanted to be relaxed and not obligated to a wedding day timeline or tradition. We decided to keep our guest list small and everything else really simple and intimate, and we wouldn’t have changed a thing! We wanted to create a vintage rustic, and ethereal feel, and we felt like it really didn’t need a whole lot of decoration.

One of the most important decisions was our photographer, since that is who captures the precious moments and general feel of your day for you to look at for a lifetime. We spent weeks researching until finding my perfect fit. Choosing a venue that included everything so that I didn’t have to worry about the other details made a huge difference. Our special thanks and gratitude to my mom, Joji Rose who designed the event and arranged our floral design together with the rest of the family and our coordinator Korina Banks. Our wedding day turned out absolutely perfect and we couldn’t be happier!

Photography: onelove photography | Coordination: Korina Banks | Event Design: Joji Rose Oliveros | Floral Design: Joji Rose Oliveros | Wedding Dress: BHLDN | Wedding Invitations: Shabby Scrap From Etsy | Ceremony Venue: Old Mission Church Rey De Espana In Mission Hills, CA | Reception Venue: Westlake Village Inn | Bride's Shoes: BHLDN | Wedding Bands: Cartier | DJ: Mark Ray Entertainment | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Guitarist: Juno Rada | Hair & Make Up: Kelly Zhang | Maid Of Honor Attire: BHLDN | Soloist: Viel Marie Oliveros | Wedding Cake & Dessert: Merely Sweets

I’ve admittedly seen the skateboard shelf done before, and haven’t exactly been it’s biggest fan. But then 100 Layer Cakelet came into my life. As it turns out, bronze pulls and nautical rope are enough to make me do a 180 because their DIY skateboard shelf is adorable. Beyond adorable, really. Perfect for a nursery, kids room or heck, front and centre in the living room while we’re at it!

Skateboard deck
Jute rope
Nautical looking hooks
Decorative succulent planters
Succulents

Once you’ve purchased all your materials, you’ll need to drill some larger holes into your skateboard deck. It should be just large enough to place your rope through the holes.

 This is where you’ll need to start eyeballing where you want to place your shelf, and how long you want the rope to be. Our shelf measures 17″ from the hook to the board.

Now that you’ve marked where your hooks will be placed, it’s time to drill and secure them into the wall. Use a level and make sure they’re evenly spaced above the holes on your board.

Once secure, add the rope. Tie a secure knot, and insert rope through hole closest to the wall. Pull up through the hole, and make sure the knot is super tight and secure. Loop rope around hook twice. Repeat this step on the other side. Place rope through front hole and tie a knot making sure the board stays level. Once you have the last knot in place, cute off any access rope.

 Secure the board with a few screws. We placed one screw on top of the board right smack dab in the center. The screw sticks should stick out about a quarter of an inch from the wall. We then placed two screws, evenly spaced, on the bottom of the board. These screws stick out about half an inch.

Decorate your new skate shelf with some pretty succulents, a pretty picture, and Viola!

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DIY: 100 Layer Cakelet | Photography: Scott Clark Photo

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PS: ALL OUR HOME DIY’S IN ONE PLACE!

Pretty doesn’t even begin to describe what you’re about to feast your eyes on, my dears. Inspired by old world craftsmanship and the jewelry history of Europe, Adam Foster Fine Art Jewelry creates truly stunning and unique designs. Each piece is designed by Adam Foster and hand made in his St. Louis, Missouri boutique + studio. I mean, come on, how gorgeous are these sparklers?!

Traveling across the country — and the world — to source incredible stones and to gather inspiration, Adam Foster of Foster Fine Art Jewelry is truly a creative genius. He believes that knowing the source of the materials and the people that cut, mine or make each element of his pieces is crucial to the design process. And we couldn’t agree more. From truly unique engagement and wedding rings to one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets, this line of jewelry is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Working with clients across the globe, Adam Foster Fine Art Jewelry can help you design something incredible. You can see more of his work in his Etsy shop, as well as on Pinterest and Facebook. To schedule your in-person meeting, give them a call at 314.771.3390 or email info{at}fosterjewelry.com.