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

A Romantic Emerald Green Editorial Inspired by the Scottish Highlands (Complete with Wreath-Adorned Sheep!)

Yup, you read that right – wreath. adorned. sheep. And we thought puppies at weddings were cute! One look at this stunning wedding inspiration planned by Marae Event Management and you’d never guess it wasn’t shot in the Scottish Highlands. Every detail of this day perfectly represented Scottish heritage – from the sounds of bagpipes at the ceremony to the elegant paper details. The romantic and timeless color scheme of emerald and rust couldn’t have been a more beautiful pair (just wait ’till you see the bridesmaid dresses!) Yup, a visit to the full gallery captured by D’Arcy Benincosa is an absolute MUST. Major inspo ahead.

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So much of a wedding day depends on the couple’s history with the location. You take two wild mountain hearted people who crave only their closest friends surrounded by only the biggest mountains and you have the perfect intimate celebration.

With the gorgeous neutrals and colors of the earth, this wedding focused on elegant and timeless romance–long cathedral veil, white and earthy florals, the perfect sweeping updo, and classic touches of emerald and rust to echo the mountain colors.

With a Scottish groom it was important to have the sounds of bagpipes echoing in the hills and the ranch is known for its cranes, horses, and a set of local Utah sheep made the space feel even more like the highlands.

From the paper details and vow books down to the cocktails and champagne fountain, we wanted every detail to be reflective of Scottish heritage and stunning landscape. The photographer ended the shoot by recreating an epic dinner scene inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

Art meets Romance meets the Mountains.

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River Bottoms Ranch

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Gingerbread & Royal Frosting Recipe

GINGERBREAD

1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
4 1/2- 5 cups flour
1 tbs ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add sugar & molasses, stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat & cool.

In a large bowl, sift 4 1/2 cups of flour, then add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix together. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the warm butter mixture. Blend well, until dough is too stiff to stir. If the dough feels too soft, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.

Knead dough with hands into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Roll the ball of dough out on an un-greased cookie sheet to about 1/4″ thick. Lay out the cookie cutters on the surface to make sure you can fit 2 of each shape on the sheet, but don’t cut yet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cut out the gingerbread house shapes with the cookie cutters. Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes, then use a large spatula to move to a cooling rack.

ROYAL ICING
2 egg whites
2 tbs lemon juice
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp salt

Place 2 egg whites in a large bowl. Sift in 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, add the cream of tartar & salt.

Beat slowly on low speed until the mixture is smooth & creamy. Stir in lemon juice until the mixture is the consistency of whipped cream. If the icing is too thin, add in more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

This icing hardens quickly, making it perfect for assembling the house, but it should be put in a sealed container quickly to prevent premature hardening.

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Assemble house according to the instructions here.

Photography: SMP Living | Recipe: SMP Living

You Won’t Believe This Modern White Barn Venue Is Located in the Heart of Hollywood

Today’s beautiful couple tied the knot at The Lombardi House, aka the hidden gem of Hollywood, and celebrated their newlywed status with their closest family and friends at an intimate indoor reception. Guests dined under rows of string lights at long tables adorned with bud vases and adorable succulents from Twigs and Twine. Marisa Nicole Events planned and executed every detail to perfection, allowing the brides to relax and soak in every second of their special day. See all the magic unfold at the full gallery – taken by Birds of a Feather!

From Marissa Nicole Events… Ginny and Jaime’s big day was truly one to remember. We brought their mid-west, desert, and coastal hometown roots to Hollywood, and it combined flawlessly! These lovebird’s wedding festivities took place at the Lombardi House in Hollywood, CA.

From the moment they saw the barn, mixing something so quintessential Americana smack in the middle of the excitement of Hollywood, the gals were in love. Natural green tones were complemented by vibrant pops of blues, greens, and pinks.

Since families traveled from around the country for this destination wedding, it was important to Ginny and Jaime that the evening feel like one big dinner party for their nearest and dearest. We paired textured light linens with wooden vineyard chairs to evoke both the modern and rustic feels.

The tables were decorated with a mixture of soft, open blooms and potted cacti and each setting included foxy patterned china and textured glassware. These touches, along with strung bistro lights, created an elevated, comfortable affair.

Check out a memorable cake cutting (think: feather military sword meets cake cutting utensil) and more in the full gallery!

You Won’t Believe This Chic Private Home Wedding Was Planned in Just 3 Weeks!

There is so much heart in this sweet, intimate wedding planned in just 3 weeks by the couple, their loving family and friends who all chipped in, and Maggie Francisco who led the way! The gorgeous couple (no seriously they could be models they’re so beautiful) decided to tie the knot at the bride’s parents’ newly finished home decorated with minimalist greenery and neutral colors. The bride’s son and daughter looked beyond adorable as their ring bearer and flower girl (heart melting!!) Head on over to the full gallery to see all the natural beauty of this day captured by Jennefer Wilson!

From Meggie Franciso Events… When a woman with four sisters meets a man with four brothers, it’s easy to suspect that fate might be at play. That’s exactly what happened when Meghan McFarland and Jacob Nelan were finally introduced by Meghan’s father. It wasn’t long before the couple knew they were meant to be, and after Jacob asked for Meghan’s hand in marriage, they had no hesitation in planning the wedding!

Meghan’s parents were in the process of building a beautiful new home, and the couple envisioned a small, intimate ceremony there – in three weeks. In a pinch for time, the bride made a miraculous find with a knockout off-the-rack Monique Lhullier gown at Dallas bridal salon Warren Barron. She also contacted family friend Allison Lockett of Equally Yolked Events right away for help with the catering. Several talented family members stepped in to handle floral, cake, and officiating. During in-depth consultations with the couple’s beloved photographer, Jennefer Wilson, Meghan and Jacob began to realize that even with such a strong team on board, they needed more help. Their small wedding vision had ballooned into a much larger affair with over 100 guests! Jennefer suggested they bring in destination wedding planner Meggie Francisco to work her magic on the event.

With fresh leadership on board, the concept came together effortlessly. A seating chart quickly brought much-needed organization to the event, and Francisco provided expert guidance to create a smooth flow throughout the home. As guests arrived, they enjoyed a refreshing spa water station and gathered in the backyard for the private ceremony. During the processional, the couple’s siblings walked around the sparkling pool to join up and take a seat beside the covered gazebo. The bride took her time, stepping with her dad down a beautiful oak wood staircase. As “I Get to Love You” by Ruelle came to a crescendo, a set of floor-to-ceiling glass windows opened for her grand entrance.

After the couple celebrated their vows with their first kiss, guests socialized in the beautiful front courtyard of the home. They enjoyed light bites from a charcuterie display and mingled over fresh sparkling mock-tails garnished with rosemary and thyme. Meanwhile, the couple escaped for a private photo session in a romantic nook of the neighborhood. They wandered through any idyllic field of tall grasses surrounded by cypress trees; the scene could have been plucked right out of Tuscany!

When it came time for dinner, guests gathered together at three long tables set with pure white linens, elegant white taper candles, and modern place cards. Delicate greenery hung from the chandeliers above the tables and wandered down the centers of the tables. Equally Yolked served up a delectable buffet of the couple’s favorite Greek food, and the meal ended sweetly with decadent cake baked personally by family member Allison Fox. After dinner, everyone went outside for a dance party beside -and inside! – the glowing pool. The new Mr. And Mrs. Nelan were sent off by their closest loved ones under a canopy of sparklers.

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Social Media Etiquette Guide: Honeymoon Edition! Here’s What You Should and Shouldn’t Share

You’re probably very excited to embark on your honeymoon and also eager to share the photos with friends and family on social media. You usually only have one honeymoon, so why not make these photos the best you’ve ever taken! Wondering how and what to share from your trip? Read below for tips in the honeymoon edition of our social media guide!

Safety on Social Media

Ok, this totally isn’t a tip you might have expected. Always be mindful that when you’re posting on social media from a vacation, everyone seeing your posts knows you’re not home. Unfortunately, some people will take that opportunity to break into your home while you’re gone.

You could wait until you return home to share honeymoon photos or post during your honeymoon and ensure you have enough home security just in case. And I don’t mean to say this to scare you, but rather encourage you to simply be aware of safety in our modern world!

Do You Actually Need a Fancy Camera?

Nope! There’s a huge misconception that nicer cameras always take better photos. That’s totally false as technology continues to improve and even the most basic phones do a great job with photos. I’ve taken some bad photos on very expensive gear and gorgeous photos from my iPhone. It’s all about how you use it rather than what you’re using.

That said, I totally recommend buying, borrowing, or renting something like a GoPro if you want underwater photos. I wouldn’t risk my iPhone with water even though Apple says I could!

What to Photograph

Although you might be super excited to share very specific kinds of photos on social media (i.e. selfies or photos only of the two of you), don’t forget to document all aspects of your honeymoon for your own memories. Take images of wildlife, nature, your hotel room, landscapes, food, and anything else that stands out to you.

Editing Your Images

When I post an iPhone image to Instagram, I make very few edits. Keeping my images clean and timeless is important to me, so I always skip filters. I normally only brighten my image, adjust its contrast, and make sure it’s straightened. This gives the image just a little pop without going overboard.

On the note of editing your own appearance, less or none is usually more. Slight and subtle skin smoothing is usually a nice enhancement that doesn’t look too “photoshopped.” You’re beautiful the way you are and that’s how everyone sees you, so try not to be tempted into crazy slimming, airbrushing, or anything else that unrealistically distorts your already gorgeous look!

Pacing Your Social Sharing

Frequent daily Instagram feed posts might be too much for your followers to absorb. I recommend posting to your feed with at least a few hours between posts. Additionally, you can always make use of Instagram’s carousel feature to share multiple images in one post.

For stories, I think you can easily post more often and share tons of behind the scenes images and videos that don’t need to be as “polished” as your permanent feed posts.

Do ensure that although you’re capturing tons of beautiful memories, you’re also living in the moment. When you see a beautiful landmark, soak it up with your actual eyes and not just a screen. While traveling, I’ve seen many people make their spouse take 50+ photos of them in different poses and that’s all they did for their entire visit to that site. Don’t forget to actually enjoy your honeymoon’s location and offerings!

Hiring a Honeymoon Photographer

If you adore the idea of having professional images captured of the two of you, hire a honeymoon photographer! If you have the budget, fly your wedding photographer or someone else you admire to your honeymoon destination for a half day shoot. My husband and I had our portraits taken in Paris and loved how they turned out!

You can also find someone local to your destination, though do be aware that resort-provided photographers in rural areas can be risky. Their portfolio might be comprised of multiple photographers’ work and it might not be the aesthetic you want. I recommend searching local hashtags on Instagram a few months before your trip to find a photographer whose style you love!

Cavin Elizabeth is a wedding film photographer based in San Diego, California. Her wedding work has taken her all over the United States and abroad. In addition to being a photographer, Cavin is an educator and an avid blogger of wedding planning tips for brides and grooms. She authored the book A Bride’s Guide to a Picture Perfect Wedding, which teaches couples how to make wedding plans that are best for photography.

Holiday Greenery 101: Where to add Christmas Garland in your Home

If You’re Having A Multi-Cultural Wedding, Tirtha Uluwatu in Bali May Be The Venue For You

When it comes to a multi-cultural affair, Tirtha Uluwatu in Bali has got you covered! From a versatile mix of diverse celebrations, the husband and wife team pride themselves on creating any style of multi-cultural wedding. With breathtaking views, the architectural masterpiece of a venue sits on 1.5 acres of land surrounded by clifftops in Southern Bali. Steps away sits The Stone House, a picturesque setting for cocktail hour or rehearsal dinner!

Just recently, Tirtha added two new locations to their growing portfolio; The Glass House, a private retreat and the Dining Pavilion within Tirtha Uluwatu, giving couples even more luxurious options to consider for their Bali wedding! If that wasn’t enough, the team at Tirtha can provide full planning services from floral design to hair and makeup styling! Read below on how they craft the perfect multi-cultural wedding day, and everything included!

Love has no boundaries and so when a cross-cultural couple from different parts of the world decide to embark on a journey of shared destiny, they deserve a magical wedding day that represents them both.

At Tirtha, we understand the importance of honoring traditions, religious values, national pride, and ethnic heritage. Therefore, we offer a versatile collection of multi-cultural celebrations and distinctive venues to anticipate the needs of bridal couples from diverse backgrounds in addition to our usual Christian and Commitment (non-religious) ceremonies.

From ceremonies and ritual blessings to stylish receptions and vibrant after-parties, we meticulously craft events featuring a fusion of elements and customs from both sides of the aisle. Our service involves detailed research so that we get every last detail including décor, food, and choice of music just right.

Mixed couple Christian from the Philippines and Kat who has Indian heritage recently invited family and friends to be part of their love story with a Bollywood themed welcome dinner. Hosted at The Stone House, it was a superb evening with all the energy of a colorful Indian festival. Similarly, Fisca and Ming chose to have a traditional Javanese Akad ceremony at The Glass Stage. This also involved the age-old Javanese custom Sungkeman with both the bride and groom kneeling before their parents as an expression of gratitude for nurturing them from birth to adulthood.

A symbolic Buddhist Blessing at Tirtha Uluwatu Chapel was how Melia and Suwandi chose to seal their union in accordance to their faith. The couple bowed down before a golden statue of the Buddha where they promised to water the seeds of love and support each other on the path to enlightenment.

The grandeur of a time-honored Indian wedding was on full display when Keya and Aditya sealed their love at Tirtha Uluwatu. A small gathering of traditionally costumed family members participated in a ceremonial procession to escort the bride to her groom. Several symbolic rites, including a Holy Fire Ritual, were performed throughout the course of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, America and Iranian couple Jesse and Mahsa enjoyed the splendor of a Sofreh Aghd ceremony at The Stone House. This Persian wedding custom included a lavish wedding spread set out on a decorated table. It featured an array of edible items believed to tie the newlyweds together and bring them love, happiness, health, and good fortune.

Sho and Vanda also recently exchanged vows with a unique Japanese and Javanese ceremony. It was conducted in the elegant ambiance of the Plumeria Room of the Glass House decorated with Japanese touch where hundreds of white origami cranes were suspended from the ceiling. The groom wore a Hakama with respect to his Japanese background and the bride looked radiant in a lace Javanese attire and matching veil.

Supported by a team of professional event organizers, designers, florists, and culinary experts, any style of a multi-cultural wedding celebration is more than expected at Tirtha.

Christmas Decor Trend Report: Citrus!

Do you remember getting an orange in your stocking at Christmas as a kid? It was almost always followed with a story about appreciating the humble luxuries, and during the Great Depression, our great grandparents looked at the gift of an orange as if it was actual gold!

Citrus around Christmas has been a longstanding tradition, but lately it’s been coming in STRONG as not just a gift but also as a decorative element! This trend has many benefits. The colors stand strong on their own if you’re opting for a brighter festive color palette, but they also complement traditional green and red as well. Incorporating citrus in your standard decoration adds some earthy dimension to your garland, much like ornaments do, but in a lot more organic way. And, most importantly, it smells FABULOUS.

We gathered up a round up of some of our favorite uses of citrus in Christmas decor!

Citrus in Wreaths

The delicate wreaths on the back of rattan barstools are SLAYING it. It’s bright, festive and just plain gorgeous. Top it all off with the elegant blue bow and what you have right here is what we like to call a “scroll stopper.”

photo by Christina Dandar from The Potted Boxwood
styled by Heather Chadduck Hillegas and Buffy Harget Miller, photo by Laurey Glenn
photo from Better Homes and Gardens

Citrus in Garland

As it turns out, citrus garland and our favorite color (blush, duh) go hand in hand. Citrus decorations thrive in this color palette and we are here for it. You can also opt to include just one fruit, like the lemon garland, and make a BOLD statement.

photo from Country Living
photo from Magnolia
photo by Hector Manuel Sanchez, styling by Lilt Floral Design

Dried Citrus Accents

Now here’s where Christmas Citrus REALLY packs a punch — dried. When you dry your citrus for decor it has a two-step effect. It’s beautiful to look at and positively delicious to smell. Take the afternoon and make drying your citrus a new family tradition! The results are well worth the effort.

Whether you incorporate citrus decorations in your own home or add a sweet tangerine in the foot of your stocking, take a minute to appreciate what the tradition means and how fortunate we are for getting to partake in such a prized luxury! Great-grandma would be real proud.

For more holiday decor inspiration check out:

SMP Christmas Tree Roundup — Our 10 Favorite Christmas Trees

Decorating For Your First Holiday in Your Own Home — Three Christmas Decorating Basics

When a Wedding Planner with a Love of Color Ties the Knot in Lowcountry – Magic Happens!

Get ready, folks… ’cause this is a good one. First of all, this might be one of our favorite “how they met” stories of all time. She was the wedding planner, he was a guest at the wedding, he asked the bride for her number… and the rest is history. I mean is that not a real life rom-com or what!? Folie A Deux brought the bride’s colorful vision to life, with bright florals from Gray Harper adorning every corner. Lucky for us, The Happy Bloom was there to capture every can’t miss moment – including the sweetest surprise bridesmaid ever! See the full gallery for more!

From The Happy Bloom… What happens when a wedding planner with a love of color plans her own destination wedding in the lowcountry state of South Carolina? Magic! Joanna, owner of Square Mile Events in New Jersey, set her eyes on the state of South Carolina for her big day.

With a love for details and passion for family, she began to design the perfect destination weekend for her closes friends and family. At first glance – we saw Joanna joined by her 7 bridesmaids starting hair and makeup early in the AM. But upon closer inspection, we discovered that their pup (French Bulldog, Ellie) donned her own honorary bridesmaid attire during the getting ready process of the day. Guests were treated to Southern cuisine, an incredible view of the ocean and tequila shots that acted both as a refreshing cocktail hour started AND an escort card to help a guest find their seat.

From Bride, Joanna… It is only fitting that Eric and I met at a wedding where I happened to be the bride’s wedding planner. He asked the bride for my number after her big day and we have been together ever since. We knew we wanted to host a destination wedding to give our guests an opportunity to unwind and relax over the course of a weekend. Joanna’s family has had a vacation home in Hilton Head for over ten years and after the first site visit to Sea Pines Resort we both knew the venue was perfect for our big day. The kindest compliment we received about our wedding was that we made a large wedding with 200 guests feel intimate and personal.

Joanna included a handful of wedding details as a nod to her Scandinavian heritage including leading guests in a traditional Swedish toast and escort card margarita straws with “Skål!” printed on the flags. Our florist attached Joanna’s grandfather’s medal from when he was knighted in Finland in 1939 to her bouquet to keep a piece of him with her for the day. We included our beloved French Bulldog Ellie in our ceremony processional as well as her silhouette in various decor elements including our custom crest and French Bulldog topiaries framing our tent. Our close friend served as our officiant and we recited personal vows under the iconic Liberty Oak tree at Harbour Town. We loved our bright blooms and our florist donated all of our flowers to Savannah Hospice the day after our wedding so others could enjoy them as we had the night before.

This Wedding Is So Full Of Charleston Charm That It Will Make You An Instant Southern Belle

Attention all Southern brides: this is the wedding you need to drop everything and see. Southerners are known for their hospitality and style, and this wedding shot by Aaron and Jillian Photography pulls out all the stops. From a greenery adorned bed swing perfect for taking in waterfront views to a bloom-forward reception space straight out of a fairytale, Amanda and Matt’s wedding will have you booking a plane ticket down south ASAP! See all of the swoon-worthy wedding superbly planned by Pure Luxe Bride in the full gallery.

From Pure Luxe Bride… The focal point of the ceremony was a gorgeous oak tree, spilling with lush florals and greenery with the beautiful Ashley River as their backdrop. To take in the waterfront views, guests could sit on the bed swing adorned with greenery, fluffy pillows, and a beaded chandelier hanging overhead.

Amanda and Matt’s gorgeous Lowndes Grove wedding was packed full of decor inspiration and flowers galore! Their design showcased a neutral palette of whites, blush, and mauve with soft wooden accents and dusty rose velvet linens.

For the reception, we opted for bloom forward, garden-style arrangements with greenery accents and neutral decor pieces. Handtorn calligraphed menus, pink show plates, and airy runners brought texture and movement to the tablescape settings.

There was a large statement floral piece with lounge seating near the bar for guests to break away from dancing as the perfect place to rest their feet after partying the night away. From beginning to end every detail came together to create beautiful memories that will last a lifetime.

These Ultra Romantic Vow Renewal Ideas Will Steal Your Heart

Looking for a vow renewal bursting with romance? Look no further than this magical California garden event, a vision in the making for the past 10 years since the couple first said, “I Do.” The day is filled with unique and heartfelt touches you won’t want to miss, from the ceremony backdrop printed with a favorite love quote to the natural and airy florals by April Baytan Designs. The love and happiness practically bursts out of every picture beautifully captured by Honey Gem Creative. See it all unfold in the full gallery.

From the bride… We wanted a venue that could provide beautiful lush gardens with minimal distractions. Park Winters was the first and only venue we visited because it had everything we were looking for.

Our ceremony backdrop was a beautiful hand-drawn calligraphy quote by our sweet friend Shelby Libretch. “I’d chose you in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds,” was framed with dreamy blooms and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces.

My husband is from Brooklyn, NY and I grew up in California. We knew that we wanted to incorporate a little bit of our past, and when I found the Ink Press & Co. city skyline of Brooklyn, our escort display began to take shape. Shimmer and Stain and I worked very closely to create what I had envisioned, something I hadn’t yet seen done in the industry.

The details from the tablescape to the dining chairs were intentional, I wanted to give my guests an elevated experience. Florals were one of the most important aspects of the design, April Baytan Designs has this unique style of putting together delicate blooms with beautiful lush texture and greenery, she created that lush garden atmosphere we were looking for.

My favorite part of our wedding day was being able to include our two amazing children Jenna (10) and Kyle (7). Seeing my daughter smile during our vows and my son dance the night away, I knew in my heart that this was how our life was meant to unfold.

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SMP Christmas Tree Roundup — Our 10 Favorite Christmas Trees

One of our ABSOLUTE favorite elements of the holiday season is decorating the Christmas trees. Think about it – love, attention, and design happens *specifically* to celebrate a month-long holiday celebration and people go all out for it. Like ALL out for it. We’re talking 10 feet of decor commitment in some cases. So in celebration of all of that design effort, we’re rounding up a few of our favorites we’ve come across this season, and we hope it inspires to go all out on your own Christmas tree this year.

by: Jackie Hempel with Finding Lovely

1. Three Tree Setting

Classic and timeless, this is a good tall and lean shape with a metallic color scheme. But what takes this setting over the top is the inclusion of ACCENT TREES. Yes, two beautifully adorned trees flank the sides of the center tree giving it a grand presence. And any time you put a tree in front of a window like this one it not only makes your setting beautiful, but it adds to your outdoor Christmas decor as well. Win win.

2. Lucious Velvet

This stunner is making a good case for color coordinating your decorating efforts — especially when velvet is involved! The deep colors paired with shiny silver details make this tree truly fabulous.

3. Sweet, Simple and Nostalgic

You know what we love about this tree? We can actually SEE the green branches. Instead of ribbon, she opted for beaded garland and we are here for it. And don’t get us started on the dogs + Christmas tree combo. #slay

4. Glam Neutral

Do you love Christmas but are scared to commit to bold reds and greens? Well, this tree is here to tell you that NEUTRALS ARE FESTIVE TOO. There is no lack of Christmas spirit here, and this lush, glamours tree is seriously making us consider opting for a gold palette this year.

5. Tall, Sleek, and Designer chic

This tree is here to say loud and clear that a dark, moody color palette is not only elegant and chic, but just plain SHARP. The thing that this tree does SO well is balance with its surroundings. The colors are festive but align well with the design of the home and the overall effect is so easy on the eyes. This is also another “tall and skinny” and we are really about this size because it makes a grand statement without taking away valuable square footage.

6. Sweet Nursery Pink

Do you put a tree in your kid’s room? Do you want to now? This delicate pink tree is making a strong case for adding a little festive holiday decor to all of the spaces in your home. Your kids might not *appreciate* it as much as you do, but this is also a time where you can go extremely whimsical or themey with your decor and totally get away with it. Are you seeing that tree topper? Gold.

7. Frame it Up!

This tree is gorgeous on its own, but when you frame it with dramatic garland — it STEALS the show. The tree itself is pretty simple — ornament dominant, lights and a subtle blue color palette — but when framed by this garland it is a festive showstopper.

8. Festive Moody Blues

Navy blue never looked so festive! This tree is cool, chic, and moody. Pair it with the gorgeous trim work right behind it, we’re in love. Going with a tree color palette like this takes some serious commitment, but that’s why we are always in support of two trees in the home. One for design and the other for all the memory ornaments.

9. Flocked Winter Wonderland

This all-white ensemble is DREAMY. The flocked tree, white beads, crips “snow” ornaments and (let’s not forget) that luscious tree skirt all come together to create what Micheal Buble could only describe as a ~Winter Wonderland.~

10. Pretty in Pastels

And, finally, PASTELS! This color palette is all things whimsical, delicate and dainty and we love it. The ornaments are fantastical, the sweet ribbon tied up and dangling down are almost more than we can handle.

Happy decorating, friends! Be sure to tag #mysmphome to show off all of your decorating efforts this season!

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A Classic Wedding With Touches of Glam Including Luxurious Velvet Linens!

The modern London Hotel in West Hollywood is the picture-perfect venue in Los Angeles mixing modern vibes and the most beautiful views of the city! For this bride and groom, it was the perfect location for their rooftop wedding with touches of glamour including luxurious velvet linens by La Tavola and a stunning head table full of florals by Lovestruck Blooms. With special touches like rice cake escort cards, a note to their Korean heritage, Master Plans Events & Design had no shortage in details to plan! Take a look below and see all of the glam and gorgeous reception decor that Ether & Smith photographed!

From Ether & Smith…The couple’s wedding day was set among Hollywood’s lush rolling hills and palm trees. They exchanged vows in a beautiful church and celebrated the start of their marriage at the gorgeous London West Hollywood. The venue had a great mix of classic and glam and their reception took it up a notch with a dusty purple color palette and textures of velvet.

A stand-out piece was the long farm table with candles and florals from end to end for the couple and their wedding party. Guests enjoyed dinner and dancing with the most beautiful sunset and seamless views of Hollywood.

From Master Plans Events & Design…Margaret and James’ wedding day exuded romantic and soft delicate details. Being that the London Hotel is a very modern venue, a lot of the colors and textures brought to the space had to counter that to ensure it presented the vision that the couple wanted. Going from sunset to night, all the soft candlelight glows made for even more of an intimate ambiance.

The couple wanted to represent their Korean heritage. By adding personalized rice cakes that doubled escort cards it also served as a favor for the guests. At the end of the evening, to ensure guests went home with a fully satisfying meal, Chick-fil-a was catered to the rooftop alongside sweet bites.

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Master Plans Events & Design

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Petit Bouquet

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This Couple Turned Their Centerpieces into A Flower Bar At The End of Their Wedding!

An all-white wedding with hints of light gray is what Olive & Belle planned for today’s beautiful feature at the Villa Del Lago in Austin, Texas. A stunning and, classic outdoor ceremony and reception made up for the day and Honey Gem Creative captured it all! The special couple wanted to incorporate special details for their guests including taking the centerpieces by Lovelily Flowers and creating a flower bar for guests to take home with them! Take a peek below and check out the full gallery here!

From Lovelily Flowers…Liz + Alex were absolutely dream clients of mine. They were the perfect cocktail of classic meets creative. We incorporated this feeling within the florals by keeping an all-white palette while mixing in dried, bleached, and painted foliages to add sparks of interest. They cared deeply about their guests and focused on making the night special. With that, we decided to break down centerpieces after dinner, and use these florals to create a flower bar! We handed out individually wrapped posies at the end of the evening for the guests to take home with them! It was an unforgettable night!

From the Bride and Groom…

What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning? We had a very simple vision for our wedding, we wanted three points to be covered. 1. Fun 2. Memorable and 3. Simple, Elegant and Reflective of our Personalities

What was your color palette and your style vision?

We are big fans of muted pastel colors so we tried to keep with that and ended up with blue and grey hues which ended up complimenting the day really well.

What unique elements or DIY details did you include?

We didn’t have too many DIY details, but Elizabeth picked some really unique elements as part of the wedding which included 1 really long table for everyone to sit at, tied instead of folded napkins, a champagne tower, and fireworks!

What was your favorite moment?

Our absolute most favorite moment was seeing all of our family and friends sitting together for dinner at one long table. It’s something we will more than likely never see again so in that moment in time it was extra special.

What is one piece of advice that you could give brides-to-be?

Stay true to your self and do exactly what you want. It can be easy to get influenced by others but don’t do it, stay authentic to your desires and the day will be fun, genuine and filled with love.

How did you meet?

A love that sparked on Spring Break AND CONTINUED AROUND THE WORLD From Sweden to London. From Italy to Portugal. From Aruba to the US. Our love story began in Panama City Beach, FL back in 2010. Alex and Liz were enjoying the fruits of life on a college spring break (the kind of spring break you used to see on MTV) and bonded over a rambunctious night out. The two didn’t go to the same school nor lived in the same country but they stayed connected over the years. Their lives would go on separately for quite some time, but there was never much time passing without a gentle reminder of the presence of each other through a comment, like or text message. It wasn’t until Alex resided for a year in the US for an internship that they finally got to meet up. Alex came to Houston for a week, and instantly neither wanted to be without the other. They knew it wasn’t going to be easy as there were life commitments such as college, let alone an ocean (the Atlantic Ocean to be exact) between them. Fast forward 7 years worth of memories, many air miles earned and used and Alex turning into a fully-fledged Texan (or so he claims!) and we’re ready to share the next chapter of committing to forever with our family and friends!

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Petit Bouquet

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Chic Snow-Caped Sunday Supper Dinner Party

This moody, two-day winter gathering with Sobremesa by Sunday Suppers is quite possibly one of the chicest things we’ve run across in a while. Tucked away in one of the coolest homes in Rhode Island, this snow-capped gathering is sure to inspire you to host your own elevated, seasonally inspired dinner this holiday season.

This past year I had the pleasure of co-hosting Sobremesa by Sunday Suppers in Tiverton, RI. The dinner series started by Karen Mordechai is now a global event, and we all loved participating. Hosts around the world embrace 10 guests in their space and execute and serve a meal that celebrates the seasons. The theme carried throughout this series was Winter Harmony. The balance between light and dark was used by Karen to create the recipes and vibe of the meal that the hosts went on to prepare.

Taking place at the beautiful Quonset Hut, sustainably restored and designed by Moore House, guests were welcomed in from the morning’s snow to enjoy a housemade cocktail in the living room. Once everyone was present, we moved into the Quonset Hut area itself for our community activity, making preserved lemon altogether. Guests had a seat, and our meal service began.

From a design perspective, our dinner curation was an ode to infrastructure versus nature, focusing on creating in a slower, more economically sound frame of mind within the home and how nature can help reflect that change. We took the concept of winter and harmony between light and dark and created two unique yet similar dining experiences for our two nights of Sobremesa by Sunday Suppers.

The menu and execution remained the same, however on night one we embraced the light, and on night two we looked to the dark for a well balanced weekend of creation and collaboration.

Design notes from Kim Lamothe of Greenlion Design

+ Consider your backyard or neighborhood for tabletop treasures. Many dried
elements from your yard or gardens translate well to the tabletop. Think
beech tree branches, dried grasses or pods from perennials.

+ Use all the same flower elements to mix with some dried or foraged pieces,
fewer ingredients can add that warm and modern feel.

+ Warm hued candles in caramel or sand add warmth and mood with their color.

Design notes from Blair Moore of Moore House

+ Find a neutral color palette: Look at what color of plates and or linens
you have and build from there. Layering in different tones and hues derived
from that color.

+ Sparsely layout your plates and cutlery. Remember space and absence is
your friend.

+ If you have any fabric lying around and or you can head to your local
fabric shop and buy a few yards of fabric. If you buy a linen or
cheesecloth you can rip the edges and use them for a table cloth and or
napkins. You don’t have to have perfectly hemmed edges for a fabulous
dinner scape.

+ Layer in sparsely laid out dried foliage and tall candles

+ Then set your napkins laid out with some individual salt and pepper in a
small dish or plate for the guest’s individual use.

+ Top it off with a handwritten card and or menu and your table is set!

Find out the Meaning Behind Cherry Blossoms at Their Wedding – Warning: Major Happy Tears Ahead!

Not only is this wedding one of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen – from the venue to the fleurs – but it’s also sprinkled with sentimental design elements that all have a beautiful story behind the them. Wep in Provence took inspiration from the bride’s childhood memories to create a truly personalized and special day from start to finish. The couple’s adorable 7 month old son completely stole the show, the amount of “awww’s” that happened while going through Oliver Fly Photography’s stunning images were too frequent to count. Oh, and did we mention BIG DAY’s INSANE floral arrangements? I mean…. that arbor.is.everything. Keep on scrolling to see all this French fairytale has to offer.

What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning? What was your color palette and your style vision?

From the Bride… When we first started to plan the wedding, I envisioned an intimate and romantic setting. We wanted to celebrate our special day with our closest family and friends. Therefore, choosing La Bastide de Gordes worked perfectly with the vision of the wedding. Then, came the wonderful wedding planner who introduced us to Morgane of Big Day Flowers. The initial starting point was the floral arch. I wanted to create an ethereal, romantic, yet natural setting. I had taken a picture of a natural arch in one of my daily walks at Regent’s Park, London (I lived there for 10 years, before moving to Paris and meeting the love of my life in Paris). I showed the picture of the arch to Morgane, and then I told her the story of how I made a wish under a cherry blossom tree on Hyde Park, where I spoke to my late grandmother and asked to unite my life with my soulmate: someone who gets me, who is there for, someone I dance and laugh with together. 7 months after making this wish under the cherry blossom tree, I met my husband in Paris, where I had just moved. I asked Morgane if we could somehow incorporate the cherry blossoms into the floral arrangements, and she did so. It was a spring, a new beginning, love and romance featured in the wedding. The other detail was white butterflies. When I was a little girl, growing up in Bulgaria, my grandfather will take me to our villa in the summer, and on the way there, he will point out white butterflies that we will see flying above the grass and say to me ,”If you see a white butterfly, it means your whole summer will be beautiful!”

This is why, I found paper white butterflies, and had the lovely calligrapher Jessica Shady, write the names of our guests on them. The wedding style was very intimate, authentic, and romantic. It felt like a fairytale, and a dream come true.

Why did you choose this wedding venue?

We chose the wedding venue, because we had taken a weekend trip there two years prior to getting married. It was still the beginning of our relationship, and it is a special place for us. The venue is intimate, and incredibly romantic. We also thought the staff showed incredible hospitality towards us, and we thought it will be a great place to get married. I am Turkish-Bulgarian, and my husband is American. Many of our guests travelled from far away, and we wanted to give them an experience where they will truly enjoy themselves and have a lovely time. What uniquement elements or DIY details did you include ? The butterflies, the arch (the write up above explains it), but another detail is also the cake. It was litchee vanilla, and Made in Cake recreated the cake I used to have in London with my maid of honour, Anabela, during our coffee dates. Another unique detail was having my friend Tania (Grier) do my makeup. She was there during cocktail, wedding, and brunch, never leaving my side for a minute. I met her in London more than 10 years ago, and we immediately became friends. Whenever she would do my makeup for events I was invited to, we would jokingly say that she will one day do my wedding makeup. It was wonderful to have her there. She was also the one to put my veil on before I walked down the aisle – a very special moment for me.

What was your favorite moment? Your favorite detail?

All of it, but here are some of our most special moments:

– Our son :
This was the most wonderful and blessed moment of our wedding: to have our son be present and celebrate with us. He was there with me when getting ready, and he was the one to bring the rings down the aisle. The day after we had the ceremony, he turned 7 months exactly, and we had a ‘birthday party’ for him during brunch with his own cake and balloons that spelled his name. He was the highlight of everything.

– The ceremony led by my father in law :
It was very personal to have my husband’s father lead the ceremony. He did a beautiful job. It was personal, warm and lovely. In addition to that, we had three people that are very special to us (my husband’s two sisters, and my cousin) read three special poems to us. It was a very intimate and personal ceremony.

– Having Anabela as my maid of honor :
Anabela, my maid of honor, was absolutely wonderful. She has a very special place in my heart, and she has been such an inspiration, a friend. When my husband decided to propose to me, he had contacted her (she is a jewellery designer) and asked her to create the engagement ring. There is a pink heart inside the ring, to symbolize ‘the eternal romantic’ that I am. I wore her earrings during the ceremony, cocktail party the night before, and even during brunch. She was next to me along the way in this journey, and not only during the wedding. When I look back, it feels like she has been there in the most crucial moments of my life. An incredible friend, and it was such an honour and a blessing to have her there at every step of the way.

– The vows :
We decided to write our vows, and it was incredibly beautiful and touching. When my husband started to speak, I could not hold back my tears. It was the most romantic and wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me, and I will remember this very moment for the rest of my life. He wrote them that morning, and he kept showing me funny vows on Youtube couple of days before. He is also not someone to be very vocal about his emotions (instead he shows it with his actions), and I did not expect the vows to be so heartfelt, so beautiful and touching.

– Walking down the aisle, entering the aisle and seeing it all for the very first time :
We had spent a long time with Morgane planning the arch, the floral details, and the aisle decorations. However, I did not see any of it and how it all came together until I walked out into the gardens. It’s already a very emotional moment, but the second I walked out, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. It is an indescribable emotion, and it is absolutely thrilling, and beautiful. Overall our wedding made me feel that my whole life came together, from my childhood in Bulgaria, life spent between London, Istanbul, Paris and US, and the end was a fairytale like ending. I said in my vows that many years ago I had rewritten my life story as a fairytale, where everything that has happened good or bad, makes sense in the end, because it all leads me to my one true love. Our wedding day was truly the representation of that. In the end, it was only and ever love.

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors for your guests, your cake… we want all the deets!

I have a leather goods label, and we decided to create custom business card holders for all the guests. We had our names and a logo that was created for us, by our talented graphic designer friend (Blackballoon Agency) printed on them. It was a personal touch to the wedding, and something the guests could take with themselves and use every day.

What is one piece of advice that you could give brides-to-be ?

Simply relax and know that this is a day to celebrate your love. I did not stress over any details, including my dress. In fact, I chose it in few hours. It was the second store I went, and the second dress I tried on. I could have spent months trying to find another dress, but I focused on what matters: celebrating love, and that wedding celebration is only one day of your life. We also invited only closest family and friends, which made the wedding even more special and everyone commented on the positive and happy vibe. It was a wonderful wedding, because of the people we got to share it with. They were the ones who made it beautiful. This also reminds me of another important factor: choosing the wedding planner and all the other vendors. Once again, I chose everyone very quickly and looked not only at their portfolio, but their positivity as people. I spoke to my wedding planner over the phone (I live in Paris, and she is based in Provence). She was the second person I had spoken to, and I knew right away, she was the right one. I didn’t need to call anyone else on the list. I believe choosing the right people around you is important, because they can be there to support you and remember to have trust. This is very important.

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Petit Bouquet

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Chocolate Martini

Chocolate lovers—you’re in for a serious treat! This decadent chocolate martini from Olivia’s Cuisine is a must-try. It’s made with vodka, Bailey’s and a special ingredient – chocolate ganache instead of the typical chocolate liqueur – for an extra rich and creamy take on the dessert cocktail.

How genius is the grated chocolate rim? We think it’s the perfect drink for parties or really whenever a chocolate craving strikes. Go ahead and treat yourself!

For the full post and more delicious recipes, check out Olivia’s Cuisine!

Chocolate Martini

prep time
10 Minute/s

cook time

total time
10 Minute/s

Ingredients

For the chocolate ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
5oz semi sweet chocolate (I use 1.5 bars of Lindt), roughly chopped
For the Chocolate Martinis:
1oz good quality vodka, divided
4oz Baileys irish cream, divided
Grated chocolate to decorate glasses

Instructions

To make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream, over medium high heat, until it starts to boil.
Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl and stir until the chocolate melts.
Let it cool before making the cocktails
To make the Chocolate Martinis: To decorate the glasses, moisten the rim of your glasses with cold water. Turn the glasses upside down and dip them into the grated chocolate, twisting them around so you get more chocolate on the rim. Reserve.
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway through with ice.
Add 1 cup of chocolate ganache, 0.5oz of vodka and 2oz of Baileys. Shake it vigorously for 30 seconds.
Pour the Chocolate Martini into one of the decorated glasses.
Repeat those steps to make the 2nd cocktail.
Serve cold.

Photography: Olivia's Cuisine | Recipe: Olivia's Cuisine

The Many Subtle yet Special Details Honoring the Bride’s Late Mother Will Bring You to Tears

Sometimes a wedding is so special, it feels like no words can do it justice – that’s how we feel about Kari and Cam’s gorgeous Lake Tahoe wedding. Every detail of their day was so thoughtfully chosen to honor Kari’s mother, Rosemary. Her dream was for their guests to feel her presence through the design elements of their day, and Jenn Lazon, their amazing wedding planner, made sure of just that. Keep on reading and check out the full gallery to learn the stories behind every subtle detail, from the arbor to the place settings – all captured by Mandy Ford Photography!

From Mandy Ford Photography… Not only were the details to this wedding stunning, the bride chose to honor her mother, Rosemary, throughout the entire day with subtle notes of detail. Kari and her mother were extremely close, before she lost her battle with cancer in 2011.

Rosemary has been described fun-loving, outgoing, and loved by everyone. She had no problem being the center of attention, and was truly the glue that held her family together. When Kari spoke with me briefly about her mother, I couldn’t help but draw similarities from Kari’s own magnetic presence. There’s clearly no question that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. When first deciding to plan their wedding, Kari dreamed of being wed in a rose garden, so that she was surrounded by her mother’s presence. Since there aren’t many rose gardens in Lake Tahoe, the team at Love and Lupines put together the most lush, romantic, rose-filled, garden-inspired altar I have ever seen.

After the ceremony, guests were invited to light a candle in honor of Rosemary. What a beautiful thing it was to see. The subtle hints of roses continued into the reception. Each place setting displayed a sprig of Rosemary wrapped in lush crushed-mauve velvet napkins. Cam’s Swiss heritage was intertwined into the event as well where they had an array of the best chocolates I’ve ever tasted. They couldn’t have blended Kari’s rose-filled vision with the place Cam grew up any more perfectly. It was a true reflection of both of their styles.

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Petit Bouquet

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You’re Going To Love This Not So Typical Color Palette For This Seaside Soiree!

A San Diego, seaside wedding is exactly what we all need on the first day of December! Taking place at Scripps Seaside Forum, with a bright color palette and an array of palm trees, today’s wedding will have you daydreaming of warmer weather! With beautiful blooms by The Dainty Lion and stunning tables and views, Natalie Bray Studios had quite the day to photograph and she captured it all! Take a peek below and see how Kelsey Rae Designs, brought this day to life!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/375964068 600 338]

From the Bride: A few sentences about our love story…
We met in 2014 at my best friend’s St. Patrick’s Day party through her roommate. We ended up talking to each other the entire night. From that point, we went on dates weekly. We’ve spent our relationship sharing in each other’s hobbies, passions, family and friends. From Marc’s love of playing golf and enjoying craft beer to my love of Irish dancing has led us all over the country and world to live out the most incredible experiences. At around the time of our four-year anniversary, on a cold, rainy day, Marc surprised me with lunch at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. Shortly after, we made our way to the hotel balcony, completely secluded and he proposed. We later visited a Dana Point restaurant to continue soaking up the moment and enjoy some live music, but I was surprised again with an enthusiastic welcome from our families.

How did you pick venue?
Hours and hours of research but we eventually settled in narrowing our venue search to San Diego because 1) we love it there and 2) it was really important for us that we selected an area that our family and friends, especially those traveling from out-of-state and out of the country, could share in some of our favorite places as well as see the beauty and variety of California. We knew we wanted to get married in church and (ideally) find a reception venue with an ocean-view to have an outdoor dinner. We committed to researching venues available in the summer season for the great weather and to not impact our relatives with young kids and their school schedules.

We came across Scripps Seaside Forum and knew we found our reception venue. We loved that it was a blank slate, an ocean-view venue that wasn’t a hotel and thus had more privacy. It was also a priority that the venue had an indoor space in case the weather didn’t permit an outdoor reception. We were only able to book our date because a couple released their hold for a Sunday date. Around the same time, we found a church we loved, Our Lady of the Rosary, in Little Italy (our favorite area of San Diego). Their website didn’t explicitly state no Sunday ceremonies, which Catholic churches are notorious for. After writing a letter to the priest and meeting the deacon, we were able to schedule our marriage ceremony!

Dress choice?
I discovered the dress during my first dress shopping experience, at Kinsley James Couture Bridal. I fell in love with a Liz Martinez dress for its delicate 3D floral detailing in the bodice and crystal beads on the skirt. However, the original bodice was very revealing, especially for a church ceremony. After visiting tons of other bridal stores, I came back to Kinsley James during a Liz Martinez trunk show, met the designer (who is so sweet and generous) and I tried on the dress again. By this time we confirmed our venues, which was a big determinate of picking the dress style. I still loved the same dress from the first visit and was able to do a custom design using the shape of another one of Liz’s dresses for the bodice and added detachable cap sleeves to wear for the ceremony. A huge part of my making my wedding dress vision a reality was the seamstress and owner of Folklore Dress Studio, Lara Prawat.

Design ideas
For the church, we wanted to maintain it’s authenticity (plus it was so intrinsically beautiful already) so we opted out of any decor. This also allowed more room in our budget to use for the reception venue. For the reception venue, we loved that it was a blank slate. The overall design vision was simple, modern, coastal elegance that exuded joy. We felt colors of the sunset would be the perfect color scheme to illustrate our joy and complement a beach-side wedding.

Learnings from the wedding:
There are soooo many! Finding the right vendors predicts the success of the wedding because the reception space was a venue only rental, we needed to select every vendor for every element of the wedding. We had a selection of about 15 caterers to choose from that the reception venue allowed, but everyone else was found through researching online. We looked for vendors that had experience with our venue. A coincidental bonus was finding vendors who have also worked together. We set our priorities and selected the best vendors we could afford because we didn’t want any pre-wedding planning stress to leak through to our wedding day. It was very important to us that our families and friends were not responsible for anything at the wedding. We wanted everyone to soak in the day, be present and not worry about setting up or tearing down the venue (especially since we were having a mini-destination wedding). Hiring a full planner was outside of our budget but thankfully Kelsey Rae Designs offered month-of coordination and that was game-changing. On the day of the wedding, the only thing our family and friends had to worry about was where to keep their tissues. Be gracious to your vendors! Yes, you’re paying for their service but they work extremely hard to ensure your day is as you envisioned it.

Venue search:
Finding a church and reception venue that both connected with us and was available on the same day was the most challenging and stressful part of the wedding planning journey. All I can say is that we were lucky that our dream venues ended up being available.

Wedding dress shopping:
Try on every silhouette because you really don’t know how it will frame your shape until you do. If you want to avoid trying on tons of dresses (like I did), decide on the silhouette early on. The variety of dresses is endless but narrowing down the silhouette first makes it easier to then narrow down the neckline, then the fabric, then the detailing. If you decide to make changes from the original dress, don’t expect that it will arrive as you envisioned it. It was very hard to commit to paying for a dress that wasn’t what I tried on. Things do get lost in translation and there were many changes that were needed to work through with the seamstress. But after several fittings, the vision came to life.

Keep in mind how your guests (and vendors) will experience the day. Ask yourself a lot of questions: How will people travel to different venues? Is there free parking nearby (especially if located in the city)? Restroom amenities? Are your dining chairs comfortable? Do you need to rent high chairs? There are so many little details to consider. Everyone will tell you to just do what the two of you want, but we both wanted to make sure our wedding was just as special to us as it would be for our family and friends. Guests traveled from all over to be there, so making sure we were having a meaningful and fun-filled day was top priority. Though we did have our non-negotiables specific to us, so much of our decisions were made to ensure we honor the people that made us who we are and led us to each other. Accept the help of your loved ones. I wish we did this more but we planned everything ourselves and didn’t want to burden anyone. However, you learn that your wedding day is anything but a burden to those that care about you. Whether it’s helping collect addresses or researching transportation companies, accept the help.

Details designed:
We wanted to include as many personal touches where we could. Instead of doing engagement photos to use for the Save the Dates, we featured a portrait sketch of us drawn by Marc’s uncle who is a plein air artist. That little piece of paper means so much to us.
We displayed wedding portraits of our parents and grandparents to honor their relationships, which have been a model to ours.
Once we booked the dining and lounge rentals, we mocked up designs of the floorplan for various guest counts in a Word doc by cropping screenshots of the tables, chairs, candle votives, you name it. That was then provided to our month-of coordinator, Courtney Heath of Kelsey Rae Designs. We then worked with her on refining the floorplan to ensure everything would flow nicely at the venue.

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Natalie Bray Studios

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A Magical Night Under The Stars in Positano At A Classic Italian Villa!

For these two lovebirds who also love travel, a destination wedding in Italy was a no-brainer and once they saw Villa San Giacomo in Positano, they were sold on a magical night under the stars with everyone closest to them! With the venue itself, as the inspiration, Weddings Italy by Regency went to work planning and detailing their elegant and timeless affair with blush and light pink florals by Flora Garden Positano and a stunning tablescape! Julia Kaptelova Photography captured all of the moments like the couple playing homage to the bride’s Vietnamese background to the breathtaking views for days! Take a look below and be sure to read all about their epic honeymoon!

The sweetest couple Christina and Will with their family and friends traveled all the way from sunny California to the Italian Amalfi coast, where they had an absolutely dreamy 2-day destination wedding in a picture-perfect Positano.

From the Bride Christina: Since the day we started dating, Will and I shared the same passion and love for travel. We knew immediately when we started planning that we wanted an intimate destination wedding with our family and closest friends, and Italy has always been a dream location! As soon as we saw Villa San Giacomo, we couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to say I do. From its beautiful views to the incredible cuisine and wine, Positano was everything we had imagined, and we are so blessed to have shared an entire weekend with so many of our loved ones!

Villa San Giacomo was the inspiration for our wedding style. We wanted the day to be elegant, classic and timeless while highlighting the picturesque views of the Positano cliffs and stunning coastline. All we ever wanted was a magical night under the stars and our venue provided the perfect romantic setting for us.

My journey to finding the wedding dress was an eventful one after several different bridal boutiques with my best friend/MOH. Lucky for me, she was extremely patient and went to every single appointment! Galia Lahav was the 7th store, and my experience was truly unforgettable from the start. I’ve always imagined a long train and veil to match, so the second I tried on my gown, I knew it was the one. The detachable train was also great for a more elegant look for my reception, and I was able to dance all night without having to worry about tripping over it!

Our wedding flowers were blush, ivory, and light pink to complement the neutral colors of our venue. I wanted soft florals and natural greens to create a romantic, soft, and organic feel throughout the garden and terrace.

Our favorite detail of the day was the Neapolitan quintet during cocktail hour. We wanted to create a unique Italian experience for our guests and also loved having a live band kick off the evening, while everyone drank and danced into dinner!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? It’s easy to get lost in the pressure of planning the “perfect wedding day,” but remember to enjoy the process and that the day is truly about you and your significant other! Second, on your wedding day, breathe and stop to take in moments with your husband as the day goes by so quickly and you’ll want to cherish every second if you can!

It’s so difficult to choose one, but our most memorable moment would be dinner along the terrace. Seeing the smiles and laughter of our family and best friends across the long imperial table with the gorgeous view of Positano at night is truly a moment we’ll be cherishing forever.

Even with a destination wedding in Italy, we wanted to incorporate some traditional elements into the evening and honor our families. While our guests enjoyed dinner, we snuck away to change into our traditional Vietnamese wedding attire and surprised all of our guests, as we walked around the table and greeted them with hugs, kisses, and lots of wine! We chose the color red to symbolize luck for our new journey ahead as a married couple.

We had the best honeymoon and are so grateful to have been able to visit 2 amazing countries! We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to travel with our best friends, so we opted for a “friendmoon” for the first half, followed by a romantic week in Santorini as newlyweds. We had an amazing time with our friends in Hvar, Croatia and then made our way through Dubrovnik as my husband is a huge fan of Game of Thrones. Following Croatia, we left for Greece, and everything was incredible – from the history in Athens, the beaches and parties in Mykonos, to the stunning views of Santorini, we fell in love with the country and cannot wait to go back!