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

A Romantic Garden Wedding Above The Clouds, Between The Beverly Hills Rooftops

For today’s wedding, the bride wanted a romantic garden wedding and the groom, a glamorous rooftop affair, so together along with their planner, L’Amour Events combined the two for the ultimate garden-party, rooftop wedding! With a whimsical color palette, of cream, gold, and blush incorporated into everything from the table design to the floral arrangements by City Flowers, you could feel the elegance radiating from the rooftops of The London Hotel….and don’t get me started on the ceremony arch! Jessica Grazia Mangia Photography captured it all with her artistic eye and mix of digital and film photography! Take a peek below and be sure to check out the full gallery!

From Jessica Grazia Mangia Photography…Oh my gosh wait until you see the reception!!! When Kathy and Peter decided to get married, Kathy wanted a romantic garden wedding and Peter instead was drawn more towards a modern rooftop affair among the West Hollywood-Beverly Hills hotels.

The combination of modern architecture and the soft and feminine flowers creates a unique contrast that makes this wedding really outstanding. The overall romantic garden feeling is muted by the straight skylines and the more contemporary look of the hotel, and the seamless union between the two created a really gorgeous, enchanting scenery keeping it very Hollywood and modern.

From the Bride…It was very important for me to find a photographer that was able to photograph with both film and digital, I have been obsessed with the aesthetic for many many years and one major advice I would give to future brides is not to skimp on your wedding photographer. We chose Jessica Grazia Mangia for her film and digital photography. She blew our mind away with her artistic eye and professionalism. It is needless to say that we’re thrilled with our wedding photos. The vision for our wedding day was captured perfectly, beyond flawlessly and it shows.

I wanted a garden wedding and my fiancé (now husband), wanted a glamorous rooftop affair to revisit the day he proposed to me. We toured several venues and then I’ve got inspired by the London Hotel West Hollywood for its terrace and rooftop with sweeping views of the entire city. I envisioned a canopy tented reception space with elegant chandeliers. I really wanted an elegant garden feel with lots of greens, blush tones, and touches of gold. Charlene and Sanam of L’amour Events did an incredible job bringing to life my ideas, alongside City Flowers who did an extraordinary job with the florals in both the ceremony and reception spaces.

From L’Amour Events Production…For this wedding, in particular, we planned for a magical and whimsical, yet soft and sweet vibe to attribute to the beautiful couple. In order for us to bring this vision to life, we took an outdoor venue, tented it with draping fabrics, and added chandeliers to finish off an enchanted and elegant look.

Our color scheme consisted of light colors, such as cream and blush, for a romantic feel. We incorporated tea lights, and roses galore, along with hints of greenery. At every seating, we placed yummy cupcakes topped with delicate flowers made out of frosting by the amazing Dear Cake for the guests to take home with them and look back on after the event.

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Petit Bouquet

View Portfolio

How to Perfectly Add, Just the Right Amount of Tropical Decor to Your Wedding Day

If you’re wondering how to add in just the right amount of tropical elements to your wedding day, look no further! Chloe & Mint along with Luna de Mare Photography put together the (dare I say) perfect inspiration shoot to show you exactly how with pops of color, carefully placed coconuts, and the most beautiful hand-drawn invitation suite with the most delicate details crafted by Salt Paper Co. With plenty of palm leaves and brightly colored blooms, Lovesome Blossoms created stunning centerpieces to accent the venue and an overflowing bridal bouquet! Take a peek below and get your Pinning fingers ready!

From Luna de Mare Photography …Inspiration is everywhere if we let ourselves find it. Drawn to the vibrant colors and abundant vegetation of Tropical landscapes, this editorial was created to exude a relaxed yet elevated aesthetic of what can sometimes come across as casual by nature.

Caressed by the warm breeze of tropical climates, we created a tablescape full of Seasonal florals and coconuts which was high on the list to add that bit of expected whimsy. Bold and Bright were fully embraced in every aspect of the design, with pops of color incorporated into the smallest detail. Lovesome Blossoms further accentuated the existing aesthetic of the venue by creating a simple yet beautiful ceremony aisle with large palm fronds along with a stunning installation of greenery to the altar.

A modern invitation suite was embraced for its fresh feel along with one of a kind hand-drawn depictions of the venue on multiple paper goods as part of the Bespoke Collection created by Salt Paper Co.

Our bride’s look was one of minimal beauty with a classic top knot and golden highlights with a bit of whimsy tied in with the accessories. She wore two looks, a beaded Lee Grebenau for the traditional look and a second more casual yet elevated J.Andreatta imprinted gown for that ‘dance the night away yet still look chic’ vibe.

This Tropical inspo was a joy to creatively direct and capture!

Simple Southern Style in Sepia Tones (Plus a Wheelbarrow Bourbon Bar You Have to See!)

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall…” – Oscar Wilde… Somehow we blinked and it’s already halfway through Fall – my personal favorite wedding season! Luckily, we have this gorgeous shoot from Pure Luxe Bride allowing us to relive those first feelings of Fall all over again. There is so much goodness in this Southern editorial, bouquets in baskets from Petaloso, romantic boho hairstyles by Pampered and Pretty, stunning horses and even a serve yourself wheelbarrow bourbon bar! Check out the full gallery captured by The Happy Bloom and immerse yourself in sepia tones and all the warm, Fall vibes.

From The Happy Bloom… There is something romantic about the first touch of Fall. Cuddling under a blanket with the one you love until the sun sets on the horizon. The warming sensation of bourbon on the rocks. It all just feels like home. These are the emotions that we wanted to bring forward in this Autumnal inspiration shoot in historic Charleston, South Carolina.

From Pure Luxe Bride… We gained inspiration for this styled shoot from the natural elements of Middleton Plantation. We wanted to showcase a different space that isn’t used as often, so we chose the stable yards as the perfect location. Middleton is for a bride that wants a more sophisticated feel but still incorporating southern elements.

The base of our color palette was a range of sepia tones with accents of rust and copper with masculine touches. We incorporated leather material, pampas grass, organic foliage, and wood accents. We wanted to take a simple southern style and refine it to create a more sophisticated look.

A wheelbarrow became the inspiration for a self-serve bourbon bar overflowing with florals. The bride’s attire was a bohemian lace flutter sleeve dress with sleek black details and a wide brim felt hat. To escort guests to their table, we opted for vegetables from the garden in a tobacco basket for a fun twist on seating.

Why The Ritz-Carlton Waikiki Beach Should Be Top Of Your Dream Wedding Destination List

If you’re dabbling with the idea of a destination wedding — go for it, you can’t go wrong with warm weather and scenic beaches! — consider The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach. Yes, any wedding in Hawaii may feel like a dream, but this hotel, in particular, offers breathtaking amenities, like seamless wedding packages, exquisite accommodations, as well as locations with unparalleled Pacific ocean views while you say your “I do’s”. If that sounds like a done deal to you, scroll on to learn more about this romantic locale we can’t stop thinking about.

Overview

Your day of ultimate romance starts at this swoon-worthy property situated in Oahu. Picture greeting your guests in this tropical paradise complete with 552 stylish, ocean-facing rooms, insta-worthy infinity pools (complete with their own private cabanas, of course!), spa, fitness center, movie theatre, and more. As if that wasn’t enough to get guests feeling like they’re *really* on vacay, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach offers on-site dining options like legendary sushi from Japan (yum!), contemporary French cuisine, Italian fare, and a gourmet market. It’s safe to say with all of these top-of-the-line choices, your friends and family will happily make the trek to Hawaii for your Big Day.

Weddings

Next up, wedding planning! Choose from hosting your outdoor ceremony in a 22,000-square-foot park or a terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean (the sunsets are *magic* here!). Once you make your selection, make preparing from afar easy by choosing from a customized wedding package, inclusive of a chef-tailored menu to compliment your wedding day. A stunning setting and a seamless planning experience? Aloha!

Spa

The beauty is all in the details at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach. Prepare for your perfect day (or relax after-the-fact with your honey) at the raved-about spa. Your tranquility journey includes four treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge, and a cedar sauna on the 8th floor of the hotel. Invite your hubby, or guests coming from afar, to join you for their signature 80-minute treatment, the Pilialoha, which features items sourced from the island in a soothing scrub and warm stone application. After being primped and pampered, you’re bound to leaving feeling like a true Hawaiian goddess.

Dining

All great experiences are tied to a great meal (am I right?!). That said, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach offers five (!) dining options and bars to enjoy during your stay. Indulge in French-influenced 3- and 5-course menu selections at La Vie, or get your carbo-load on at the delicious outdoor Italian restaurant, Quiora. The Lounge offers small Mediterranean bites overlooking the ocean, while Sushi Sho features an intimate sushi counter with lots of delectable sake options. Finally, if you want to get a taste of island fare, explore the Dean & DeLuca market, or mozy on up to the second-floor wine bar overlooking the notable Waikiki Beach. You can’t go wrong with any of these!

There you have it, the ins and outs of this fabulous Hawaiian resort, perfect for your wedding day. Just head to The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach to get started on your planning journey. (And don’t forget about us for an RSVP!)

An Intimate 14-Person Wedding Inspired by Tuscan Architecture Decorated in All Things Ochre

Today’s wedding at Savoia Castle planned by Svatby Podle Adely screams intimate wedding #goals. From the unique ochre color palette to the creative details inspired by Tuscan architecture to the intimate post-ceremony lunch… it truly couldn’t have been a more romantic day. There’s nothing we love more than when a couple decides to do their day – their way! See all the magic unfold at the full gallery – all taken by Katka Koncal!

From Katka Koncal… The autumn wedding inspired by Tuscany architecture and ochre yellow color was the perfect match for this intimate family wedding at Savoia Castle just few minutes outside of Prague.

The wedding planner Svatby Podle Adely and florist Frezia Fleur did an outstanding job designing the wedding with using ochre yellow as a main color filling with gold, creamy and green colors. They picked Hydrangea, Eustoma, Roses, Matricaria, Ranunculus as the main flowers for the wedding.

Even though the bride herself is hair and make up artist, she wanted to enjoy the day as any other bride and trusted her friend Natalie to do the hair and make up for her. The result was really elegant and matched perfectly with the wedding dress which perfectly underlined bride’s silhouette, and had a timeless style.The wedding gown consisted of a bouffant skirt and a corset with bra-cups with detachable straps. The multi-layered skirt with a train. The waistline is decorated with a belt, covered with bead belt.

The color matching stationery was designed by Laskou Psane and the wedding planner prepared the flat lay in combination with honey, bees and butterflies to match the overall design.

Intimate weddings can be real fun. The bride and groom wanted to have a celebration with their closest family members to have enough time for everyone. They had a lovely lunch outside of the castle followed by cake cutting. A week after the wedding they had a party for all the friends so at the end every one who was special to the bride and groom was a part of their wedding celebration.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/361630079 600 338]

Holiday-Themed Registry Gifts You Didn’t Know You Needed

Season’s greetings, y’all! If you’re feeling festive for the time of year, we have the perfect way to incorporate the sentiment into your wedding planning ⁠— with your registry! Fill your newlywed adobe with cozy flannels, holiday-scented candles, metallic serveware and more, to use on all the holidays to come. With the help of Wayfair, we’re giving you the ultimate themed-gift inspo to get your list started. Scroll on to see what we’re scanning for!

The Holiday Aisle Kelton Velvet Touch Ultra Plush Throw ($40): Drape this adorable throw over your couch for decor, or snuggle up to it for a night of Christmas-movie watching. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this textile!

Three Posts Newmanstown Cable Knit Throw Pillow ($70): Give us ALL the cable knits for the season — including accents around the home.

Fitz and Floyd Confetti 20 oz. Stemless Wine Glass ($37): Make spirits bright (literally!) with these confetti-print, gilded glasses perfect for toasting with!

KitchenAid 100 Queen of Hearts Tilt ($390): Don’t you love it when your kitchen staples look cute too? This red KitchenAid fits the bill.

Mikasa Christmas Tidbit Platter ($38): This silver tray, complete with holly and berries, is the ultimate addition to your festive table. Plus, it doubles great as an appetizer holder!

Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse Preserved Boxwood Wreath ($59): Boxwood wreaths are IN. Throw a red bow on this one to make it speak to the season. Once that’s over? You can take it off and keep it up for the rest of the year.

Greyleigh Norfork 4 Piece Plate Set ($19): We’re a sucker for graphic details on plates like these ones. Use them on your table setting to make things feel extra festive.

Millwood Pines Seay Buffalo Plaid Glass Picture Frame ($13): Found: A cute frame to house your favorite wedding photo.

The Holiday Aisle Christmas Ball Ornaments ($29): Don’t forget about your Christmas tree! Your registry is a great way to stock up on all the trimmings for it!

Baxter Manor Artisan Blue Spruce Jar Candle ($47): This best-selling fragrance will make your home rich with the aroma of a fresh spruce. We’re all for it!

Highland Dunes Bezu Coffee Mugs Set of 4 ($65): Serve your mom’s famous hot cocoa recipe in these perfectly cheery mugs that nod to the season!

This Former Campground Wedding Venue Just Outside of New York City Is a Nature-Lover’s Paradise

New York locals, this (ridiculously adorable) couple wanted the feel of a destination wedding weekend while keeping the travel as easy as possible for their friends and family – enter Cedar Lakes Estate! This gorgeous venue is popping up everywhere all thanks so it’s gorgeous property and endless amenities in the heart of Hudson Valley. Guests enjoyed a weekend of yoga, canoeing, swimming in the lake… it’s the perfect little escape outside of the city. Amanda Savory Events brought the bride and groom’s romantic wedding dreams to life while Tin Can Studios completely wow’d us with their floral instillations. The lovely Rebecca Yale was there to capture every moment – including the sweetest father-daughter first look reaction ever! See it all at the full gallery!

From Rebecca Yale Photography… Britt and Brian were married on a beautiful September weekend at Cedar Lakes Estate, a former camp just a couple hours outside of New York City. They found the venue early on in their search- in fact it was the very first venue they looked at! It came highly recommended from Brian’s mom’s best friend and they knew right away that it would be perfect for them. They wanted to plan a destination wedding weekend, but since they’re both local to NY they wanted to make the travel easy on their guests and CLE delivered on exactly that.

With the help of Amanda Savory Events, the couple planned an incredible weekend of fun events for their friends and family, who mostly stayed onsite in the beautifully renovated cabins. Activities included: color wars, canoeing, jumping onto the blob into the lake, yoga and an incredible welcome party on Friday night for all of their guests. Britt says “It was nice to spend time with everyone in a more relaxed setting and to allow guests from each side to get to know each other. I think it really set the tone for the rest of the weekend.” Guests dined on farm to table fare and sipped flights of tequila at the bar. The tables were decked out in beautiful tequila bottles that they spent a year leading up to the wedding collecting for decoration. Guests ended the evening making s’mores over the fire pit and then dancing the night away.

Britt used instagram to help her plan the day and select her vendors, using review sites and recommendations from friends and family to help vet them. She picked elements that she loved from various weddings on instagram and then as she put it “completely trusted the experts (i.e., our planner, florist, photographer, etc.) to take all the disparate elements and make them into something coherent. I wasn’t too tied to any one detail, so I mostly let them run with it. I think the final product was absolutely incredible and it was fun to be a little bit surprised at how it came together at various moments throughout the weekend.”

Tin Can Studios created the most incredible surprise moments first by creating a soft organic feel in the cathedral of trees for the ceremony where the bride and groom said their I Do’s on a dock as the sun streamed in behind them. Then later the big surprise was the reveal in the barn where the reception took place, which was decked out with large floral hoop installations strung up all over the dance floor, creating a fun and festive mood for the guests when they entered and gasped at the vibrant colors and fun atmosphere.

Britt said, “the ceremony was undoubtedly the most special part of the wedding day for both of us. It was amazing to be standing up there together surrounded by all of our friends and family. We wrote our own ceremony, so every word of it was meaningful to us. The ceremony was what I was most looking forward to, and it was exactly as beautiful and surreal as I had imagined.” Her advice to other brides and grooms? “During your ceremony, take a moment to turn around and look out at all of your guests who are there to celebrate your love. It’s an incredible sight. Your wedding should be all joy because it really is this amazing opportunity to express yourselves as a couple. The entire celebration should just be so authentically you and all of your loved ones should see your values and tastes woven throughout the weekend.”

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

View Portfolio

Rebecca Yale Photography

View Portfolio

You’re Going to Want to Steal These Stunning “Something Blue” Bridesmaids Dresses for Your Wedding

It was the perfect Spring day for a wedding at Sanderling Resort! The gorgeous couple tied the knot on the sandy beaches of Outer Banks in front of 150 of their closest family and friends, including their adorable golden retriever pup who just so happened to be named after their wedding locale – “Banks”! (How cute is that?!) Kristin Allen had the festivities running perfectly while Holiday House Weddings & Events decorated the day in blush pink and white blooms. Lucky for us, Lauren Fair Photography was there to capture every sweet moment, check out the full gallery to see all the inspiration this wedding has to offer!

From Sanderling Resort… They were married by the sandy beaches of the Outer Banks at Sanderling Resort. The florals were dusty pink and stark white to pair with the pale blue skies. Jessica’s bridesmaids completed the soft romantic vibe with long, flowing blue and white dresses.

After a magical first look with both her father, and her soon-to-be husband, a string quartet led Jessica to the Event Lawn to say her “I do” to Chris on the Event Lawn in front of 150 of their loving family and friends.

The couples’ pup ‘Banks’, who’s name stems from the ‘Outer Banks’, was right beside to watch over the whole event. The Pavilion was a vision of crisp, clean whites complete with a cornhole set and lounge furniture from Amaranth + Artifact on the deck!

Long white drapery and strung lights by Holiday House Weddings & Events overlooked the couple and their guests as they danced the night away.

[iframe http://www.youtube.com/embed/uJkmeu5G5Xg 600 338]

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Lauren Fair Photography

View Portfolio

Style, Fun & An Ever-Flowing Champagne Tower Complete This Brooklyn Wedding!

I LOVE a fun, modern wedding…especially when it takes place in Brooklyn and at one of THE coolest boutique hotels, The Wythe. But when the bride and groom shared their one request with DM Events, an ever-flowing champagne tower, I love it even more! DM Events got to work to keep the champagne flowing and the florals overflowing with the help of Ivie Joy Flowers, creating one of the most gorgeous ceremony backdrops with an array of soft blooms against a contrasting brick wall. Take a peek at all of the style and fun, captured stunningly by Samm Blake Photography!

From DM Events…From the instant we met Misoo and Damien, we knew that their wedding would be as special an event as they are a couple. With their innate sense of style guiding the design process, it was an amazing collaboration from the start. The minute Misoo shared with us her only request – an ever-flowing champagne tower- it was instant love!

When you have a couple who embody style and fun, the Wythe Hotel is the only choice to host their wedding. Located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the Wythe is a true boutique hotel housed in a meticulously restored 100-year old textile factory. The space features tons of exposed bricks, wooden beams, and steel columns. While the natural aesthetic of the hotel is industrial and masculine, it is also romantic and charming. In order to highlight these features, we focused on a delicate ambiance to balance the industrial feel and soften the architectural design. We worked with the talented Ivie Joy Flowers layering the beautiful spring wedding details with soft white and blush blooms, tons of candlelight, and beautiful linen runners.

Misoo’s stunning wedding dress from Berta was followed by a playful reception dress by Kalmanovich. Damien opted for a custom tux from Michael Andrews Bespoke paired with Louboutin velvet loafers. Also, in true Damien form, a barber was onsite for fresh shaves and cuts for him and the groomsmen. Who says it has to be all about the bride?!

Photography is always a place we tell clients to splurge because it’s so incredibly important! Samm Blake from The Wedding Artists Co. was such a pleasure to work with and captured all of the details so beautifully! We didn’t want to give Samm all the fun, though, so we also had Neeko Booths on-site to make sure all of the guests were enjoying the floral-lined photo booth and the dance floor Boomerang booth!

The night ended with our one must-have: the champagne tower! The bubbly was, indeed, flowing! There’s something so special about having a natural connection to a couple. Misoo and Damien were a dream to work with and we know their life together will flow with as much excitement as that ever-flowing champagne tower!

This Creative Envelope Escort Display Is About to Break Pinterest

Today’s stunning Santa Barbara wedding planned by RMBO Collective has everything we could ever need – a sweet couple in love, a fluffy ring bearer, creative design elements at every turn and a knockout vendor team. Oh, and did we mention the bride’s beaded, off-the-shoulder Netta Banshabu gown? To put it simply, the entire day is a total dream. Check out the full gallery, captured by the always fabulous Rebecca Yale, to see every swoon-worthy detail of this seaside fête.

From RMBO Collective… Santa Barbara has always held a special place in the hearts of Dana and Jordan. They first met in the dorms freshman year at UCSB. Years later, when Jordan was ready to pop the question, he surprised Dana with a trip back to their favorite coastal city for their anniversary and presented a gorgeous ring and an incognito photographer to capture the joyous event!

Naturally, when it came time to plan their wedding, Santa Barbara was the natural choice and Bacara resort, with its sweeping coastal views, was the perfect location.

The day would not have been complete for Dana and Jordan without their beloved rescue pup, Griffey, by their side. He really excelled at his role as ring bearer and looked dashing in his pup tux!

Dana and Jordan wished to have a wedding that felt distinctive to them, filled with special design details, textural finishes and an overall elegance. We incorporated a mix of both neutral and moody tones, custom illustrations and soft calligraphy and an abundance of floral and greenery to surround them.

The seaside ceremony was kept simple to celebrate the amazing coast line. A clear plexiglass backdrop was decorated with amazing textural floral and greenery from Honey & Poppies. Subtle transparent signage allowed the natural location to take center stage.

At cocktail hour, we wanted a visually impactful escort card display that was interactive, but wouldn’t get messy or picked over when guests selected their cards. We worked with Copper Willow to design a streamlined envelope installation with each guest’s name on the outside and their seating cards on the inside. We played with the transparent panels again to relate to the ceremony details.

Specialty cocktails were based off of Dana’s fave—a spicy margarita—and Jordan’s fave—a recreation of a vodka, grapefruit, elderflower concoction from their favorite restaurant.

As a nod to their love of wine, we created a non-traditional “guest book” where we displayed 3 of Dana and Jordan’s favorite wine bottles for guests to sign. The couple will open a bottle at their first, 5th and 10th anniversaries with the guests’ messages to remind them of their special wedding day.

Before heading to dinner, the crowd got in a quick dance set, kicked off by the newlyweds, who danced to their favorite, “Brave for You” by The XX.

The al fresco dining room consisted of round guest tables and an exposed wooden rectangular head table with its own distinctive place setting opposite the guest tables. The amazing specialty tabletop items were provide by The Ark. Guests feasted on a gourmet dinner of seasonal salad, chicken and steak under twinkling lists and stars. Guests were treated to local hand-made chocolates as yummy favors.

Afterwards, guests moved to the rotunda for a wild dance party led by Liv Entertainment and a serious selfie session in the photo booth with a custom neon sign displaying the song lyrics, “there’s no place I’d rather be” from their favorite artist, Rufus Du Sol. That quote truly summed up a wonderful evening of celebration for an amazing couple and their guests.

It was an evening to remember! The amazing photos by Rebecca Yale will always help Dana and Jordan relive what they describe as “the best day of our lives!

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

TEAM Hair and Makeup

View Portfolio

Rebecca Yale Photography

View Portfolio

My Mom’s Traditional Apple Pie Recipe

Thanksgiving is a big holiday in our family. It’s always been my dad’s favorite, and for good reason, it’s based on the things he loves the most – family, laughter and pie. Apple pie to be exact. And my mom’s apple pie is that nostalgic kind of good that will leave you dreaming of it all year. So we’ve established a tradition – the night before Thanksgiving, my mom and I have a pie-making party. The boys retire to the living room, and my mom and I break out the bubbly and whip up all the pies for the festivities of the next day. We chat, we laugh, we talk about every little thing on our minds, oh, and we make delicious pies. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year. xo, Abby Capalbo

My mom has this amazing, old Betty Crocker cookbook she’s had since she married my dad, and even though I’m pretty sure she has every detail of this recipe engraved in her brain, we still bring it out every year. There is something undeniable special about it, and all the messy memories it’s shared with us. It’s all the little traditions like this little ‘ol cookbook that make this time of the year the very best.

[dotted]

Apple Pie Filling Recipe

[dotted]

Ingredients

8-10 Granny Smith Apples ( you can also use a combination of 1/2 Granny Smith Apples, 1/2 Cortland apples)

Approximately 1 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Flour

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

Instructions

Peel & thinly slice apples into a large bowl.

Add dry ingredients and mix well; set aside while making the crust.

[dotted]

The Perfect Apple Pie Crust

[dotted]

From the Betty Crocker Cookbook

Makes: 8-9 Inch Two-Crust Pie

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour ( I use Unbleached King Arthur)

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons shortening (Crisco works best)

4-5 Tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Measure flour and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly.

Sprinkle in water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl.

Gather 1/2 dough into a ball; shape to flattened round on lightly floured board. With floured rolling pin, roll dough 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan. Fold pastry in half or quarters and gently unfold into pan.

Pour Apple mixture into dough lined pan. Roll out top crust, fold in half, and cut 5-6 small slits in fold for venting. Place over top of Apple mixture. Pinch pie crust edges together.

Brush with slightly beaten egg white ( I beat it with a fork) and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour or until pie crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Photography: Erin McGinn | Styling And Recipe: Abby Capalbo

Abby Capalbo

Design, Styling, Parties

Abby Capalbo Styling

An Intimate Glamorous Destination Wedding in Bali That Mixes City and Country!

Today’s Bali destination wedding certainly pulled out all of the stops when it came to the details, with the help of planner, Bali Wedding Paradise! From elaborate florals by Rose & Willow to a traditional Chinese tea ceremony to the intricate table designs for the intimate guest list – not a detail was missed. The bride who wore multiple gowns for every part of the day describes the vision and how her city girl background mixed perfectly with her hubby-to-be’s country side to make for the perfect day, all captured by Angga Permana! Take a look below and read all about the planning and the big day!

From the Bride…Jian and I met each other for the first time in a hospital on our first day of work (How unromantic!) — It’s our little inside joke on how we are a classic couple of country boy meets city girl so when it came down to our wedding, we knew we had to incorporate this part of our story into our wedding.

Our wedding took place in the cliffs of breathtaking Bali — The beautiful island nestled between our homes of Australia and Malaysia. We knew right from the start that we wanted an intimate but personalized affair — Our wedding brought together 25 of our closest & dearest with us (We were told later that we had a team of 88 people who brought our wedding to life — It really does take a village!)

For the theme of our wedding, we dug deep into our roots as we wanted every bit of our wedding to have a piece of our story in it. We incorporated rustic foliage to reminisce Jian’s childhood of growing up in the plantations of Cameron Highlands and we added modern elements of crystal chandeliers to represent the big city girl in me (I am also well-known as being a magpie because of my love for sparkly things!).

Our welcome dinner took on a lush & luxurious tropical theme with animal accents with velvet tiger cushions, tropical monkey table runners and calligraphed tropical leaf place cards. We amped up the colors of our actual reception theme for our welcome dinner — From blush to fuchsia, greenery to emerald & jade with accents of gold — Styled entirely by my sister-cum-maid of honor who also happened to be a wedding stylist (Yay, lucky me!). She took it in her hands to design an entire invitation suite and had a larger-than-life floral crown made just for me, just like a tropical princess.

Our invitation suite was designed to give our guests a sneak peek into our wedding, EVERY SINGLE DETAIL WAS HAND-PAINTED. We had our wedding crest which illustrated the exact aisle I will be walking down with our initials. The main body of our invite incorporated lush foliage & chandeliers with an iconic view of our colonial wedding villa. Our envelope liner was one of my favorite parts of the invitation suite — An illustration of the exact view of our ceremony which is right on the clifftop overlooking the expansive sea. We also included an illustrated map of our favorite haunts in Bali as we hope our guests will learn to love Bali as much as we did.

We then kicked start our wedding day to a traditional Chinese tea ceremony whereby we serve tea out of respect & gratitude to our parents for their years of love & care. I had a traditional cheongsam made in a deep shade burgundy (Red is considered auspicious in Chinese culture), with a detachable cape to cater for Bali’s weather — The detachable cape was made to resemble butterfly wings to match my Sophia Webster butterfly heels. My decorator from Rose & Willow subtly added butterfly elements to the rich hues of a red backdrop, set against ocean view. The biggest surprise came when all our guests arrived in traditional costumes.

There were many favorites on our wedding day but our private first look session where we read each other our first letter as soon-to-be man & wife takes the deal. Happy tears ensued when Jian read to me ‘With you, home went from being a place to a person.’ I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to steal a private moment with just the both of you amidst everything.

For our ceremony, our guests were welcomed with refreshing tropical coconuts embossed with our initials (The exact same script on our invites!). We included interactive touches for our wedding such as a Floral Confetti Bar for our guests where we had customized ‘To Have, To Hold’ pouches for the confetti. We chose a lush floral arch with hanging chandelier, perfect juxtaposition against the cliff & rolling waves. Our wedding vow books read ‘With My Whole Heart’ and the other ‘For My Whole Life’, which really struck a chord with me.

I walked down the aisle to ‘La Vie en Rose’ which was actually the song we heard a street performer played (while we danced to ourselves on the streets of Paris as though no one was watching) minutes before Jian proposed to me in the city of Paris. It was so surreal when we were pronounced man & wife at the edge of the cliff facing the endless sea, with all the people we love behind us — It was a moment that neither of us will ever forget in this lifetime.

I loved the idea of an all-white bridal entourage. My bridesmaids wore boho dresses of their own choosing, with layers of fringe and tassel, a contrast from my Monique Lhuillier beaded trumpet dress with a detachable overlay tulle skirt (I eventually changed into a white jumpsuit at night for our first dance reusing the exact same Monique Lhuillier detachable overlay tulle skirt!!). Rose & Willow made me the dreamiest bouquet with my favorite florals to match our dresses — Peonies and cascading pale pink orchids.

Our wedding reception started with a sparkler welcome as we danced our way through a floral tunnel adorned with crystal chandeliers to The Best Day of My Life by American Authors. Our decorator went above and beyond for our reception — We were greeted with lush hanging garden dripping with crystal chandeliers over every reception table, set against sunset hues overlooking the sea. Our dance floor had our initials hand-painted on, again with the same script from our invitations. We had a 4-piece live band playing our favorite songs and it was hilarious when my mom stole a moment to herself on our dance floor. Our wedding favors were luggage tags to celebrate our love for traveling — We had a live customization booth for our guests to initial their luggage tags. Again to celebrate our love for traveling, we named our tables after our favorite cities.

The craziest thing I did for my wedding would definitely be having my 3 designer wedding dresses made in 3 different countries — The fitting schedule was insane, I was always flying between Australia, New York, Singapore & Indonesia!! And if that wasn’t crazy enough, I decided at the 11th hour that I was wearing a gorgeous fuchsia crochet lace dress from Marchesa for our welcome dinner and another white jumpsuit for our first dance. In saying that, I wouldn’t change A THING as it was truly the best day of our lives.

Final piece of advice — No matter how hard we planned, there were bound to be surprises — My grandparents had to cancel their flights last minutes, the closure to my wedding dress snapped before I was about to walk down the aisle and a stranded guest but the biggest advice I can give is to kick back, soak it all in & laugh over the mishaps as you are already walking away with the biggest prize — Your man!

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Petit Bouquet

View Portfolio

How to Get That Romantic, Organic Wedding Look While Keeping It Totally Timeless

No matter your wedding style, it’s a always good idea to air on the side of timeless when designing your day – but that’s not to say you can’t indulge in your fave trends at the same time! Allow this shoot from Star Hansen Events to inspire you! This dream team of vendors created an effortlessly romantic wedding day look filled with lace, bows and bold textures while remaining timeless in style. From the trendy torn edges in the day-of stationery to the romantic, lush blooms by Honeycomb Affair, every detail of this editorial is stunning. Check out the full gallery from Travis Bateman Photography to see all the pretty!

From Travis Bateman Photography… Inspired by organic textures and romantic florals, wedding planner Kelly Patrice of Star Hansen Events, Photographer Jenny Quicksall and Managing Director Rob Pausmith of TresLA created a timeless design throughout the shoot, which is captured through Quicksall’s 1:1 mentorship shoot for Travis Bateman Photography at Cielo Farms in Malibu, California.

While designing, Quicksall, Patrice, and Pausmith worked with Nayri to choose Berta gowns that create the ultimate wow factor, emphasizing the models long and feminine figure. Dana created a classic textured updo with romantic and soft makeup to complete the look. The florals were designed and styled by luxury florist, Christy, who brought to life our vision of romantic delicate florals in whites, creams, pinks, and pops of dark berries.

Emphasizing our timeless, classic design, we brought in a classic car and a custom stationery designer, Kelly Patrice. Patrice used handmade paper, vellum, and delicate ribbons from Silk and Willow to adorn the beautiful styling by Quicksall. The tablescape and stunning sunset views at Cielo Farms were the stars of the show. Rentals coming from Premiere Party Rentals and linens from La Tavola. Tres LA prepare the following delicious appetizers for our shoot:

Halibut Brulee, Mango Salsa, House Made Potato Chip, Micro Cilantro
Sesame Crusted Blue Fin Tuna, Cucumber Medallion, Yuzu Crema
Sweet Yellow Corn Tamale Cake, Wild Mushroom, Fresno Chile, Cilantro
Korean BBQ Chicken Wing Lollipops, Scallions, Toasted Sesame Seeds

Drinks were also prepared by Tres LA:

Sweet Daisy
Gin, Triple Sec, Honey Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Club Soda, Flower Garnish
Rolls Royce
Gin, Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth, Benedictine, Orange Bitters, Lemon Peel Garnish
The Hapsburg
Gin, Aperol, Sweet Vermouth, Sparkling Wine
Beach Day
White Rum, Tequila Blanco, Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice, Mango Juice, Simple Syrup, Pineapple Leaf Garnish

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Photography

Jenny Quicksall Photography

View Portfolio

Petit Bouquet

View Portfolio

Romance, Special Family Memories, and Views for Days For This Laguna Beach Wedding!

Stunning views and special family memories make for today’s romantic wedding day at The Ranch Laguna Beach, with a mountainous backdrop and years of saving wine corks from family dinners to use as place cards. The special moments didn’t stop there, as the bride’s twin baked for the special day and memories of their late mother were present throughout. Amy Golding Photography captured all of the love and all of the details, including the bride’s favorite detail – the head table which was had a lush centerpiece created by Florals by Jenny! Take a look below and check out the full gallery here!

From Amy Golding Photography…Aiming for a day filled with timeless elegance and sentimentality, Sam and Kathryn wanted their wedding day to highlight the natural beauty of Laguna Beach and be focused on those that meant most to them- their family.

Kathryn’s sweet dad saved wine corks for years because she told him she wanted to use them in her wedding someday. Together they made wine cork place card holders representing years of family dinners and holiday celebrations. All these moments were interwoven within the wedding celebration. The wine corks represented years of sentiment, especially since the bride’s mother had passed away a few years before, and having the corks brought her presence to their wedding day. This thoughtful touch brought the past to the present as the family celebrated the future beginnings of a new family.

Another literally sweet and sentimental element of their wedding day was Kathryn’s twin sister baking her classic heart-shaped sugar cookies for every guest to be found next to their menu at every seat.

From the Bride…The head table was our absolute favorite! We had a long eucalyptus runner, full with blush and white florals, candles, and a long grey linen that created such a beautiful king’s table that really stood out. We chose lush garland to fill the runner because it allowed us to easily engage those at our table as well as see the whole ballroom (also allowing people to see us). Our wedding flowers were soft and organic with added touches of greenery. Everything from the ceremony to the table arrangements was lush, classic, and timeless. Each table was adorned with hurricane candles and gold votives which set a romantic vibe throughout the evening. Seeing everything come to life was absolutely incredible! So much of wedding planning is concept based – you don’t get to see everything come to life until the day of. We were elated with how well every detail complemented one another. It was absolutely perfect!

This Bride Had The Perfect Pinterest Board To Bring Her Wedding Day Ideas To Life!

When it came time to plan their wedding day, Leah along with L’Relyea Events took a look at her Pinterest board (as every bride creates,) and through that, the wedding came to life! Full of long farm-style tables and earthy greens with modern touches, the bride’s original vision was exactly what was created on her wedding day, at The Barn at Tyge Cellars! With a beautiful bridesmaid’s dress color palette and the most adorable flower girls, the day was full of love, laughs, and stories, all captured by Mike Larson Photography. Add in Valley Flora’s lush centerpieces and bouquets and you have a real-life Pinterest board brought to life! Take a peek below to see it all!

From L’Relyea Events…Early in the design discussions, Leah said, “I like the idea of long natural wood.” Keeping this in mind, we collectively decided on an earthy, yet modern feel for their wedding. It was also decided early on we wanted to incorporate a pop of deep green throughout the design.

Leah’s original Pinterest board included images of long farm wood tables with luscious long green garland, a beautiful wood arbor, bistro chairs, and a fabulous gold monogram display. We LOVED her ideas and couldn’t wait to bring it all to life!

Guests flew in from all over the country to celebrate this sweet couple in Sonoma on their wedding day. The ceremony took place outdoors with sweeping views of the beautiful vineyards surrounding them. As Leah had envisioned, a wooden arbor covered in leafy greenery and lush florals framed their vows which was officiated by the couple’s mutual friend. After a few humorous stories, some vows, and a kiss, Leah and Mike were married!

After the ceremony guests enjoyed tray passed champagne and canapés. Dinner was served on the lawn at long farm tables paired with elegant black chairs. Long flowing garland filled the center of the tabletops and place settings featured gold flatware and beautiful grey stoneware.

After dinner, guests made their way into the barn for dessert and dancing. The room was dressed with two beautiful green couches, candles and behind the bar, and gold monogram letters, “L + M” just like Leah’s original vision.

Feeling Stumped on Ways to Personalize Your Wedding? Allow This Wedding to Inspire!

Endless personalized details, an iconic ballroom reception, the sweetest couple and a late-night pretzel bar… this my friends is what we call a dream wedding. Kirkbrides Wedding Planning and Design left no detail left unturned, making sure the couple’s unique personalities and background were well represented throughout the wedding day decor. Head on over to the full gallery captured by Lauren Gabrielle Photography to see all the magic unfold!

From the Bride… Stephen and I have been together for eight amazing years. We were set up by my older sister and her now husband, who lived with Stephen in college at Ohio State. They forced Stephen and me to sit next to each other at a group movie outing, even though we had never met. I was a freshman and Stephen was a junior, and I never thought an older guy could be interested in me! We hit it off right away. I knew Stephen was special as soon as I met him—he was kind, smart, generous, and warm. We spent almost every day together while we were both in college at the same time. Stephen then moved back to Cleveland to start medical school at Case Western Reserve, but we visited each other on the weekends. I eventually joined him and our families in Cleveland and started at Case’s dental school two years later. Then, Stephen moved to Chicago for residency at Northwestern, so we were long-distance again. Once I graduated from dental school, I was able to move to Chicago as well.

We always joke that we never got out of the “honeymoon phase” of people who are newly dating—every day with him feels like the best day ever. I feel so lucky to be with him and for the beautiful life we have shared. And our engagement and wedding both felt like something out of a dream! For my spring break in March 2018, we decided to visit some college friends who had moved to London. I am Irish, so we decided to visit Ireland too. We stayed in an old castle that is now a hotel for our first night in Dublin. Stephen had given his camera to the hostess at the hotel’s restaurant while I was getting ready for dinner. While I was perusing the menu, Stephen got down on one knee. It was so romantic for an Irish girl who was born on St. Patrick’s day to get engaged at a former castle in Ireland! I still can’t believe it was real. My favorite thing about our wedding was the personal details. Allison Miller from Kirkbrides helped Stephen and me choose details that represented our heritages, likes, and family traditions. I love that we stayed true to ourselves throughout the wedding planning; we wanted our wedding to feel not just classic and timeless, but uniquely ours—and not a wedding where the bride and groom could have been anyone.

Stephen is Jewish, so we had a Jewish ceremony performed by a rabbi from Stephen’s family temple. I am Catholic, so we had a priest, who is a friend of my grandmother, join us at our rehearsal dinner for a blessing. We included an old Irish prayer on the wedding programs, which also explained the Jewish traditions such as the breaking of the glass. My aunt is a florist in Philadelphia, and it was amazing to have personal bouquets and boutonnieres be from her. A friend from college has her own calligraphy/stationery company, and it was so great to work with her for all of our stationery.

In addition to our wedding cake from Luna Bakery, which is walking distance from my parents’ house in Cleveland Heights, it was so special to include my grandmother’s famous orange cookies and my grandfather’s beloved Swiss rolls into our dessert trio. Other personal touches included having the most adorable pretzel bar (Stephen’s favorite food) as our midnight snack, having toothbrushes and Advil in our favors since we are a dentist and a doctor, having Irish Jameson cocktails for our signature drink, and having one of Stephen’s and my favorite foods, sushi, at our cocktail hour. Our love for our hometown also shined through greatly at our wedding. We only looked at one venue, the Old Courthouse, as we both knew it is a stunning Cleveland landmark and piece of history. Our guests constantly tell us that it’s the prettiest wedding venue they’ve ever seen! Stephen is an avid Cleveland sports fan, and since it was both Browns and Indians season, we were sure to incorporate our love for these teams. The groomsmen got ready in the Hilton suite overlooking First Energy Stadium, and they wore Cleveland Browns cufflinks and socks. The Cleveland Indians mascots, who are three hotdogs, were also special guests at our wedding! Dancing the night away with three giant hotdogs was definitely a memory we will never forget! Between sobbing through my twin sister’s maid of honor speech and laughing at Stephen’s face when he saw the hotdogs run in, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding. I am still in awe of how stunning our already amazing venue looked, decked out by our extremely talented florist, gorgeous linens and lighting, and antique rentals. Our wedding was truly the best day of my life and I am forever grateful to everyone involved!

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Petit Bouquet

View Portfolio

See How This Interior Designer Bride, Along With Her Wedding Planner Created a Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding!

WOW – was the first word that came to mind when I first saw the images from this California wedding at The Monarch Beach Resort! From elaborate florals by Shawna Yamamoto Event Design to stunning table decor, all planned by the interior design bride and her wedding planner, Details Details you can certainly see why sometimes it is ALL in the details. Walker Studios captured the most magical images for a lifetime and Elysium Studios was there for the perfect cinematography to highlight the day! Take a look below and be sure to check out the full gallery for all of the magic!

From Details Details…Working with the Bride Olivia was a dream. We aligned immediately on taste and style. The collaboration process was challenging in the best of ways and a joy to see the end result. There are Wedding Planning companies that are strictly task list based. We are a Wedding Planning Company that is task AND design-based. We pride ourselves on our contributions to the design process. I can’t say that we are 100% the originators of every item selected but I can see we definitely dive in, and deep to understand our Client’s likes and dislikes. Sometimes they don’t even know and may have never thought about colors or flowers. Our approach is to understand them from a non-wedding style, and then come up with options from a broad scale and then refine to get to the small touches, hence Details Details.

An interview with the bride…

Describe your vision/inspiration for your wedding day. Did you have a specific theme?

As an interior designer, I usually start with one concept/keywords or piece of inspiration and build an entire design from it. For the wedding, the keywords were movement and textural and the inspiration was Ruth’s (from Seniman Calligraphy) watercolor illustration she created for our save the date envelope liner. Nailing down the rentals was huge. Jeannie from Details Details and I probably visited every event rental company in Southern California to find the perfect tables, chairs, chargers, and linens. Probably the most insane thing I did (but I don’t regret) was working with a downtown LA fabric store to get the perfect shade of gray chiffon for the tent. If I gave the wedding a “theme” I would say …. “a black (tie) midsummer night’s dream”

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

The weekend was spectacular and unforgettable in so many ways but it’s really all about family and friends. Having all your closest people in one place is surreal. When else does that really happen in your life!

What was your color scheme?

Mid green, cream, charcoal, dove gray, touches of black and silver

Were there any new trends that you incorporated, or did you decide to go more traditional?

I consider myself up with the latest trends and then thought more of that would come into play. Originally, we had much more avant-garde floral arrangements with king protea and pampas grass. After I thought on it for a while I realized I might not like that look five years down the line.

Whenever I questioned a design choice, I came back to the inspiration (Ruth’s watercolor) and made a conscious decision whether or not it was going to mesh.

I would say the final product was a modern take on a classic look.

How would you describe your personal style and fashion (wedding dress/tux)?

My first dress for the ceremony and the first half of the reception was extremely romantic and ethereal- not what I thought I was going to choose. I thought about how I wanted to feel walking down the aisle and that was what I based my decision on. There are so many beautiful dresses out there that I loved but the Berta made me feel exactly how I imagined. The second dress was a completely different silhouette and feel. Sleek, modern but classic and SO comfortable. I hope if we have a daughter one day she will wear it.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/353191069 600 338]

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

View Portfolio

A Masterpiece Wedding Cake Inspired by the Cake Served at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Wedding

I’m pretty sure we can all agree that when it comes to destination weddings, no place does it quite like Tuscany – and today’s wedding is proof! After getting engaged in Italy, the beautiful bride and groom decided it was the perfect place to come back for their organic-chic themed wedding. The Tuscan Wedding planned every thoughtful detail of their weekend, from the pizza party welcome dinner to the jaw-dropping fireworks show to end the wedding night. Our favorite moment? It had to be the ceremony, featuring breathtaking views of the medieval village of Il Borro – I mean, does it get any better than that?? Don’t miss the full gallery captured by PureWhite Photography for a glimpse into this heavenly day.

From The Tuscan Wedding… For this lovely couple from US, Italy was their dream destination for their wedding. They had gotten engaged after three years in the beautiful city of Venice, and decided that coming back to one of their favorite countries to tie the knot was a must. They love to explore new places trying new and native foods and immersing themselves in the culture. It was also important to incorporate nature, history, and art into their location while also being mindful of their organic, romantic, chic theme. What better place than Tuscany to accomplish all of those things? Yolanda and Ronald called on The Tuscan Wedding to help turn their dream into a reality. The couple chose Il Borro as their ideal location, a wonderful property in the Tuscan countryside, a place where you are transported back to medieval times.

They wanted a beautiful romantic ceremony to share with fifty of their closest friends and families. Before the wedding day, they welcomed their guests with an Italian style Pizza party arranged at the Bistrot at Il Borro. It was the perfect way to begin integrating Italian culture into their big day, with good friends, great food, and fine wine. The pizza party was an exciting way to get the festivities of the weekend started. They enjoyed the customary Italian treat while listening to live music and swapping fun stories about the bride and groom to be, surrounded by the lemons’ scent of the flowers decorations arranged by Flowers Living. On the day of the wedding, the guests shared a drink and eagerly awaited the groom’s arrival for the start of the ceremony on the terrace overlooking the Italian garden, already set up for the symbolic ceremony. The view on the medieval village of Il Borro was absolutely breathtaking.

The bride got dressed in her elegant satin gown and took her beautiful bouquet created by Flowers Living made of ivory peonies and light pink astilbe, the perfect mix to create the romantic and organic theme. The groom put on his handsome white jacket, hopped in a Mercedes Benz 190 sl, and drove down to meet his future wife under a beautiful round flowers arch, that symbolized their endless love. The ceremony space had this kind of timeless elegance. The groom stood at the altar as the bridal party came flowing down the grand staircase. As the bride revealed herself, you could see the pure happiness in Ronald’s eyes. The couple stood in front of a beautiful fountain, under an arch of endless flowers. They exchanged heartwarming vows and sealed their love with a kiss in front of their friends and families. After the ceremony came to an end, The Tuscan Wedding guided all guests to join the newlyweds on the terrace for a cocktails and aperitif arranged by Galateo Ricevimenti.

For the wedding reception, they sat under the trees with magical lighting by Wedding Music and Lights. It was a fairytale. They shared a menu packed full of Italian cuisine. After a sunset photoshoot perfectly captured by Purewhite Photography, where Yolanda & Ronald shared some of their first moments as Mr. And Mrs. Walking across the Italian countryside, for the newlyweds it was time for the cake cutting. We cannot forget about the masterpiece wedding cake created by Tuscan Wedding Cakes and inspired by the cake served at the Royal wedding of Megan Markle and Prince Harry.

As the reception came to an end, Yolanda & Ronald wanted to leave their guests with one last bit of entertainment… And what better way to do this than a dazzling fireworks show? What an electric way to end the perfect evening. The photographer, Purewhite, and videographer, Vertigo Wedding, had an amazing landscape to capture the most precious moments of this beautiful reception orchestrated by the Tuscan Wedding. Yolanda & Ronald, together with their guests, danced into the late hours of the night not wanting their day to end. The day had been nothing short of a dream that ended under the Tuscan stars. Yolanda & Ronald are truly soulmates and made for each other, this day really represented the intimate bond they share. Our team was so appreciative to have met this lovely couple and we wish them a life full of happiness and love together.

[iframe http://www.youtube.com/embed/VLL4eeC11rY 600 338]

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

The Tuscan Wedding

View Portfolio

Blogger Bride Hilary Shares How She Picked Out Her *Perfect* Platinum Wedding Band

Blogger Bride, Hilary from By, Hilary Rose, shares her wedding band shopping journey below…

As the big day approaches, things are becoming more and more real! I just went to my Bachelorette party last week, our invitations go out this month, and we picked out our wedding bands!!! Choosing the perfect wedding band has been something I’ve been dreaming about ever since Brent gave me my beautiful engagement ring. I wanted a wedding band that would shine alongside my engagement ring without making my diamond appear any less beautiful. (Insider tip: as a naturally white metal, platinum will not cast any color into a stone, unlike yellow or rose gold.) I had a lot of ideas in my head, but nothing could compare to actually seeing the gorgeous rings in person and trying them on myself.

We decided to shop for our rings at the place where Brent found my engagement ring, Polly’s Fine Jewelry in Mount Pleasant. He was so impressed with the wonderful experience he had while shopping for my diamond that we agreed there was no better place for us to go for our bands.

While we weren’t sure of the exact designs we wanted, I knew I definitely wanted to choose a platinum wedding band. (Insider tip: Platinum as a metal is long-lasting and is known for having an extra white and brilliant finish. Even better, it’s hypoallergenic!) Considering I wanted something high-quality that would be durable and stay beautiful for years and years, it was a no-brainer!

Polly’s Fine Jewelry is the largest locally-owned jeweler in Charleston and has three locations in the area. The team in the Mount Pleasant location helped Brent before, so of course, that’s where we returned. We stopped into Polly’s on Brent’s lunch break, and we were so excited to find that Polly herself was there to greet us and help us choose our perfect bands! You can tell how passionate she is about helping couples find exactly what they’re looking for, and also gave us a huge selection to choose from. (Insider tip: I was given pavé, four-prong, and channel set bands to choose from — the variety of platinum bands to choose from is truly outstanding!)

I’m pretty picky and am always looking for something a little different when it comes to jewelry, but Polly showed me tons of platinum rings that fit my style exactly. (Insider tip: Platinum is 30 times rarer than gold, so I knew I was choosing the crème de la crème of a selection!) It’s so funny though, she brought out about 10 rings to start with and the first one I picked up was the one I ending up choosing. I immediately fell in love with the beautiful, intricate design of the diamonds, and when I tried it on with my engagement ring, I knew it was a match made in heaven. I actually teared up when I put them on together!

We left Polly’s Fine Jewelry with our perfect wedding bands! Honestly, I just want to wear mine now, but I guess I’ll be patient and wait until after the wedding. We are so excited to be married!!

A Ceremony Entrance on Horseback, a Pottery Decorated Boxwood Garden, and a Miniature Pony Processional – Yup, This Is a Real Wedding.

Listen up, folks. We’ve seen a lot of weddings here at SMP – it’s been over a decade so you’d think we could safely say “we’ve seen it all”. Well, today’s wedding hit us with a big fat “nope!” as every inch of this day is truly unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. There are so many words we could use to explain this wedding planned by Kate Phillips Events with blooms by Photosynthesis – whimsical, enchanted, ethereal, floral-filled, animal obsessed… completely and utterly unique, but we figured it’d be best to see for yourself at the full gallery – taken by Shannon Moffit Photography!

From Shannon Moffit Photography… Emy and Jaime are an adventurous couple currently living in Los Angeles. The two share a love for travel, art, and hiking, so it was only fitting that they got engaged on the top of an Aspen Art Museum and planned to travel across the country for their wedding. Emy’s family owns a beautiful property in Virginia on the James River, a well-known wedding venue, Upper Shirley Vineyards. When it came time for Emy and Jamie to plan their own wedding, there was no question that the pair would host a destination wedding on the water in front of Emy’s childhood home.

Some of the most memorable moments of the day include the bride’s ceremony entrance on horseback, a quaint cocktail hour in a ceramic pottery decorated boxwood garden, and a miniature pony processional to the reception. Many guests gasped as they walked into the reception space that was transformed into an indoor garden. There were black and white plates and flatware set on green velvet tablecloths. In the center of each table were unique floral arrangements situated in large beds of moss. Also, a custom hanging installation of greenery drew eyes to the ceiling. Other unique details… Custom horse opener gifts, family style charcuterie boards, a hand painted cake that looked like a living Monet painting, and homemade donuts covered in edible flowers. There was definitely no shortage of flowers at this whimsical garden wedding.

From Kate Phillips Events…When I first spoke to Emy and Jamie, it became a priority to put together a wedding day design that would compliment their artistic and whimsical style. One of the first elements of inspiration came from a Dutch Master’s floral painting that hung in their home. We incorporated similar types of colorful, loose, and wild floral arrangements with contrasting black and white chargers and candles. Once it all came together, it felt very true to their whimsical garden vision with subtle glam accents. The invitation suite featured a custom illustration of the bride’s childhood home (also the location of the ceremony) and a custom watercolor crest by Empress Stationery. One of the highlights of the day was the couple’s waterfront ceremony, framed by a birch chuppah covered in colorful blooms by Photosynthesis Floral Design.

From the beginning, Emy wanted to incorporate her love of horses into her wedding, so we arranged for her to make a grand entrance on horseback. After the ceremony, guests were invited to enjoy cocktails in the boxwood garden, featuring the family’s heirloom blue and white vases. We added a touch of glam the the decor by incorporating beautiful embroidered linens from La Tavola Fine Linen. The garden theme was woven into every facet of the day, including the custom menu–Chef de Cuisine Ernie LaBrecque incorporated edible flowers into spring rolls and house-made rosé donuts. Mini horses led guests through the hidden garden to Upper Shirley Vineyards, and were greeted by the couple in a carriage pulled by a team of white horses.

For the reception, we wanted to transform the space into a wildflower garden. Greenery hung the length of the room, with accent candles to draw guest’s eyes up. Moss green velvet linens set the base of the table tops and textural moss and blooms ran down the center of the tables. We wanted it to feel as if the blooms were growing naturally. Gathering around the table, sharing a meal, and drinking wine evokes such a sense of togetherness, so for the first course we wanted to hone in on that feeling by offering a shared first course. Charcuterie boards were nestled into the centerpiece design, paired with the vineyard’s award winning wine. The cake, by Kadi Bakes, was an artistic site to behold. The custom flavor and design was inspired by the bride’s favorite wine and love of art. Infused with Upper Shirley Vineyards Sparkling Rosé, this was truly a one-of-a-kind wedding cake.