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

Costa Rica’s Natural Beauty Meant Magic for This Intimate Destination Wedding

Perennial Weddings‘ design for this beautiful destination wedding focused on highlighting Costa Rica’s natural beauty. For the ceremony, that meant putting large garland on the Matopalo tree. For the reception, that meant natural wood tables with minimalist florals in shades of ivory, peach and green. See how it all came together, courtesy of Sylvia Guardia, in The Vault!

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From Perennial Weddings…Under the shade of a huge Matapalo tree, 46 friends and family members gathered for the wedding of Devon and Alex. Not rain, snow or flight delays could keep this group away from this destination wedding. Married on March 19, 2016 at Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. They wanted to keep it sweet and simple; from design, to dinner, to the flow of the day (and week).

The design elements were simple and focused on the Matopalo tree and the large Guanacaste wood tables at the beach club. Devon wanted “rustic elegance” to run throughout the design. To keep it light we used soft colors, with lots of foliage, and hints of gold. Because we wanted the tree to be a focal point, we hung a large garland on the tree and used this as their backdrop for the ceremony. For the reception we wanted the natural wood tables to stand out, so the design we came up with was lace runners, gradients of white, green foliage in varying shades and gold mini pineapples. The “vases” were little ice cream dishes, which I spray painted white. Devon even mentioned one of her favorite moments to be “…after we sat down for down dinner. The sun had just set. I looked around at the beautiful perfectly set tables, all lit up by dozens of little votives, highlighting the smiling faces of our loved ones. It was a perfect vision that I will cherish forever.”

My favorite detail of the entire design were the place settings…how perfectly imperfect (or “rustically elegant”) they were. A grey napkin wrapped in twine, a leaf with guests’ names written in gold, and a piece of foliage or a flower tucked in. I think this summed up the wedding and the couple. In the couples quirks and silliness, they were lovely alone, but perfect together.

Catch That Golden Light with This Wedding Inspo

You know how we always talk about that magical golden hour between daylight and dusk? Well, thanks to J. Layne Photography we’ve got the ultimate example to share. A sun-kissed shoot dreamed up by Marble + Pine complete with one stunning Joanna August gown, you’re sure to fall in love with every dreamy detail via The Vault!

From Marble + Pine…When creating this bridal styled shoot, we wanted the table to feel as if it belonged in the environment in which we were shooting and that everything felt very natural and minimal. Our inspiration came from natures pigments, movements, and simplicity.

We noticed that the soft golden tones of the bark of the trees really popped with the sun was setting. We enjoyed the suns reflection off of the pond and the shimmering yellows that came with it. We couldn’t ignore the beautiful oranges and soft pinks that the sky created as the sun set. With all of these inspirational pigments and environmental joys, we created our look.

We brought in the pears to reflect the bark of the trees, the golden roses to embrace the reflective yellows from the pond, the sunsets orange hues in the bouquet and centerpiece, and the soft pink in our models dress.

At the forefront of this shoot was our need to create something that was authentic and true. Something that felt right and complimented our surroundings. And with our senses and awareness of nature, we did just that.

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Escape to Florence with this Sweet E-Shoot

My hubby and I have been creating a list of places we must visit and at the tippy top? Florence. I was there briefly in college and it was way too short – and without my special person. Florence is a city made for lovers and these two would agree. Gert Huygaerts captured their too-sweet-for-words engagement session and their Vault gallery is our wanderlust motivation destination for the time being.

From Gert Huygaerts… When Lynzie and Josh from Chicago contacted me a few months ago to see if I wanted to shoot their wedding next year, I didn’t really doubt for more than a second… as Lynzie knew exactly what she wanted being a wedding photographer herself.

Having a wedding in Tuscany and with Lynzie and Josh looking for a wedding venue for their big day, we decided to have their engagement shoot in the wonderful city of Florence… it was full spring and the temperature was nice, so the moods were good!

In the amazing old architecture of this Italian masterpiece, we had the most beautiful views and moments full of love… an Italian dream come true!

I’m already looking forward to next summer when they will be coming back to Europe to have their big day. It will sure be a day full of love in an amazing place… I can already feel that!

The New It Color This Wedding Season: Terracotta

If you thought orange was overrated then we invite you to peruse this gallery. Because if anyone could make the tang of terracotta look totally chic it’s this dream team right here (we’re looking at you Kayla Barker Fine Art Photography, Bows and Arrows, Sugar Bee Sweets and The Wildflowers). Blooming with beautiful hues and lovely rentals a la Bella Acento, we’ve got every saturated second waiting in The Vault!

From The Wildflowers… The elegant ambience of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas’ iconic residence-turned-posh-hotel, secures its status as a beloved venue. The hotel’s blush and terra cotta hues exude joy, and the exterior walls perfectly complement a gold-toned wedding palette. This was the setting of this private floral workshop hosted by Bows and Arrows.

Imperfect cobblestone paths took the bride through twists and turns in the mansion’s secluded gardens. Her bouquet was loose and draped, creating a just-picked vibe, and included a mix of bright open blooms and smaller delicate buds. Rich purples and dark greens contrasted with happy pinks and yellows to add dimension.

The bride’s undone, looped updo echoed the cascading raw silk ribbons on her bouquet—which were featured in rust hues on invitations with barely-there swirling calligraphy. Her striking gold ring paired beautifully with the warm colors around her.
Both her veil and dress flowed effortlessly in the wind, adding movement to the gown’s feminine and fluid silhouette.

An arch framed the bride in asymmetrical vines in an organic shape, as though they had just sprouted. The arch was left with rustic wood exposed, to add balance to an otherwise bold look.

Tablescapes included light wood flatware, matte ceramics, and lush, low flowers. The cake was similarly sleek, with a smooth finish that gave the lavish floral accents the spotlight.

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Bows and Arrows

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This Organizer’s Home will Give You Maje Motivation to Clear the Clutter

If the pantry is any indication, there is not a junk drawer or jam packed closet to be found in Clea Shearer of The Home Edit’s gorgeous abode. Instead it’s all classic black and white details and modern accessories mixed with really amazing art photography. Find motivation to clear the clutter with even more of this chic and insanely organized home in the VAULT.

Entry

When our house was being built, I had a very simple, but very specific vision. I wanted a white brick house, with a high gloss black door on both the inside and the outside. And that really set the tone for the whole house. White walls, white molding, black light fixtures, back dining room table, black and white photography, and so on.

Dining Room

The dining room is to the left when you walk in through the front door, so it was really important that it coordinated with the entry. We found our black dining room table and chairs at Pottery Barn, and adorned the top with succulents from FLWR Shop – one of our favorite local spots!

Kitchen

I’m such a sucker for a good kitchen.. And I was really excited to make this the all white kitchen of my dreams. With black counters of course. I added a bunch of great canisters from White’s Mercantile, and all white kitchen tools from Williams Sonoma to round it out. My FAVORITE part though is our sitting area with our Jim Marshall photographs hanging above.

Living Room

The living room is open to the kitchen so I wanted all the colors to work together. The couch and chairs are shades of gray, and I allowed little pops of color in the Coral and Tusk pillows (also from White’s Mercantile), and the “Nashville” and “Los Angeles” prints from West Elm.

Mud Room

The mud room is a less formal version of our front entry. The interior black door was the focal point, and the white shiplap walls and chrome hooks were designed as a compliment. And because I never miss an opportunity to organize things, the top cubbies hold baskets of all our on-the-go essentials.

Laundry Room

I know… it’s not white! But it’s the one room where I decided to live a little. My business partner, Joanna, came over and helped me organize all the baskets and cleaning supplies. The perks of being an organizer!

Master Bedroom

I wanted to create a room that was extremely minimal but also really comfortable. The color palette is in grayscale, which I find particularly soothing. And I opted to leave the walls blank and clean to keep the room bright and white. My favorite piece is the lucite rolling cart that has all my important memories and trinkets: The table number from our wedding, the book after which I was named, Bob Dylan lyrics (my favorite!), and a silver box of treasures.

Master Bathroom

There’s nothing like a white bathroom with carrera marble counters. It feels like a spa without even trying! Add in a free-standing tub, and you never need to leave the house.

Master Closet

Moving into this house was the best thing ever… Except I had to downsize my closet. Not the best thing ever. Thankfully I was able to pull off a few organizing tricks to maximize the space. The shelving was transitioned into a shoe wall, and I added our signature script on the shoebox for easy identification. The racks were all categorized and separated by color, and I added an additional standing rack from West Elm to hold my long dresses.

Playroom

Playrooms are one of my favorite rooms to decorate and one of our favorite spaces to organize for The Home Edit clients. It’s also one of the only rooms in my house where I let the rainbow colors run wild, and it’s a fun to just ROYGBIV every square inch. From an organizational point of view, it’s also really practical because it helps kids navigate their toys better, helps parents clean-up at the end of the day, and always makes the room like polished.

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Photography: Clea Shearer | Organization and Styling: The Home Edit

An Elegant + Modern Gown You’ve Got to See

A gown so gorgeous that it’ll makes your head spin? Don’t say we didn’t warn you because Bride has done just that. A modern celebration that’s chockfull of design details that you’re sure to love (like this chignon, that protea bouquet, and gorgeous greenery). It’s as chic as it is camera-ready and Austin Gros snapped the entire celebration share. See it all in The Vault!

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From The Bride…For the thousand of set ups that go wrong, there’s one that goes right.

A few mutual friends had thought Tim and Leland could make a great pair and decided to play matchmakers by setting up a happy hour at a cocktail bar in TriBeca.

The night turned into a spontaneous party on Tim’s rooftop and ended in his apartment where he impressed the whole crew (especially Leland) with his fully stocked bar, his ability to make muddled cocktails on the fly and his excessive order of late night pizza.

As the night wound down, Leland raced out to catch the elevator. Tim ran after her and they exchanged numbers. Five nights later, they went on their first date. Six weeks later they weathered the Sandy Storm together. Seven months later, they went on a two week trip to India and the Maldives. A year and a half later, they moved in together. And two and a half years later, they got engaged.

Despite having lived in NYC for almost 10 years, Leland still has a soft and special spot in heart for Nashville, where she went for business school. Tim and Leland wanted a destination wedding—a place where friends and family could be together for more than a few hours. Nashville was a no-brainer and 240 people descended on the city for a weekend full of festivities including a night at the honky-tonks, a Friday night BBQ with live music, a Saturday morning Kasspatrick Klassic tennis tournament (complete with t-shirts) and an elegant Saturday night Cheekwood wedding.

The vows took place in a picturesque perennial garden with the sun peeking out just in time for everyone to walk down the aisle. The couple danced out to “Islands in the Stream” and guests followed for cocktails inside the beautiful mansion. As night fell, everyone walked into a gorgeous, draped tent with long tables, white flowers and accents of gold. Tim and Leland kicked off the party with their first dance to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder, and the rest of the night was filled with Motown tunes, an abundance of food, lots of laughter and much love.

Highlights include:
When Tim started his vows with “I, Leland, take..” and the audience erupted in laughter…
An outfit change by bride and groom for the party
The rustic and delicious naked cake with three flavor tiers
Frozen Brandy Alexanders and fries served on the dance floor late night

Rock Your Everyday Look with True Beauty Marks’ Tips!

We’re always eager to soak up info on how to get that sultry smokey eye or the dramatic red lip but what about your day-to-day approach? When you want to look put together and oh so fresh but not have it take hours to do so? I don’t know about you (but I bet you’d agree) that I’m in need of advice on how to look fab every single day, not just those nights on the town. That’s where Gina Kay of True Beauty Marks comes into play and her basic – but far from boring – steps for your everyday 101 beauty look.

1. Start with clean hands and a clean, moisturized face. Apply a face primer to prep your skin and it helps your makeup last longer! We love lighter, non silicone based primers, like Hangover by Too Faced, or Auto Pilot by Napoleon. Most of us busy ladies prefer a quick process for getting ready in the morning, so products with multiple uses are always a great time saver! For instance, BB and CC creams (Beauty Balms and Color Correcting Creams) are lightweight, hydrating versions of foundation that have SPF in them with smooth coverage. Apply with your hands or a clean sponge.

2. Next place some concealer where needed for extra coverage, blemishes, dark circles, etc. Blend with your ring finger or sponge. Concealers should match your skin tone or be one shade lighter for a little extra highlight under any tired eyes.

3. Sweep some blush along your cheek bones from the center of your eyes towards your temples – and blend the edges! We recommend filling in your brows lightly, as they frame your face and show off your beautiful eyes! We love Anastasia of Beverly Hill’s soft brow shadow and an angle brush. Light strokes from the bottom brow line up through the hair keep the shape, but feather in the shadow for a nice, natural look.

4. Have a bit of extra time? Apply a light layer of eye primer on your lids with your ring finger and curl those lashes!

5. For an every day look, pick one to two soft, neutral eye shadow colors, keeping the lighter shade on the base of your lid, and one a tiny bit darker along your lash line and outer corner. Make sure to blend them together with a soft eye shadow brush for a lovely, uniform look.

6. To keep things on the softer side with your eyes, all that’s left is mascara; I prefer eyeliner for evening looks. When applying eyeliner, keep the line thinner in the inner corner of your eyes, which makes your eyes look bigger! Blend with some darker eye shadow or if a liquid/gel liner is your thing, use the pencil first as a guideline and then trace over with the liquid/gel liner to avoid the dreaded uneven cat eyes!

7. Finish with the lip color of your choice and a little bit of powder to keep that shine down. Some of my favorite lip colors are Tarte’s Lip tints, they’re super hydrated and give you some pigment like a tinted chapstick, but better! If it’s going to be a long day or night, I use a Sealant Spray (Urban Decay or Ben Nye are favorites) and lightly mist over my makeup and let it dry. It keeps everything in place and keeps you looking fresh all day!

Want to switch up your usual routine? Try a different shade of blush or lip color! A soft peach is fun for summer or a muted berry tone on the lips can make your smile look super bright! Have fun with your makeup!

Photography: Redfield Photography | Photography: Lauren Fair Photography | Hair + Makeup Advice: Gina Kay - bespoke beauty

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Pantone’s Colors of the Year Made the Perfect Wedding Palette

When Pantone announced Rose Quartz and Serenity as the “it” colors of the year, we gave you a few ideas to incorporate the hues into your special day. And this couple? They took that pretty color pairing and ran with it. LVL Weddings & Events helped execute the vision and Brandon Kidd snapped all the pretty you absolutely need to see.

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From LVL Weddings & Events… Jenny and Steven wanted a beautiful outdoor wedding and reception to treat their guests to a personal celebration of their love. They chose to say their I Do’s at the one and only Rancho Las Lomas. She wanted a soft wedding with neutrals and blush, he wanted to incorporate blue. We combined the soft hues for a dreamy result! Hard to pick a favorite detail but the brides shoes might have to be it! Planned by Heather Hoesch of LVL Weddings and Events, floral design by Nancy of Oak and Owl and expertly captured by Brandon Kidd Photography.

From the couple…Rancho Las Lomas is a magical place with an ability to transform itself into anything you envision for your wedding. When we first stepped foot onto the property we knew in a heartbeat that this was the place to say our “I do’s.” Our goal was to find a wedding planner that we could rely on to refer top vendors and manage all of the details before and during the wedding. Heather Hoesch, Partner/Principal Planner at LVL Events did exactly that and made it look easy. Because of her experience, network, and professionalism we trusted and valued her opinions which enabled us to easily select our vendors.

After trying on 40+ dresses, I finally found the perfect dress by designer Liancarlo at Mon Amie Bridal Salon. I was the first to purchase this dress from the 2016 trunk show in 2015. I remember being so surprised and excited when I received a sketch of the dress from Liancarlo. Steven was introduced to a local men’s tailor (b.spoke) that made a beautiful customer blue 3-piece suit. The suit included a special surprise, a little love note to me embroidered under his lapel collar.

There were so many memorable elements and experiences that it is hard to pick just one…. If we had to pick just one moment, it would be our first dance. It was the best dance ever and it felt as though time stopped for us. It was priceless.

Our advice for other couples planning now is to enjoy the planning process with your partner and high five each other after checking off each box of things to do!

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Jenny Yoo

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Supermodel Miranda Kerr is Engaged! See Her Massive New Rock

It’s been a big week for celebrity relationships — Miley and Liam made it Insta-official, Pippa Middleton got engaged to fiancé James Matthews, Lady Gaga broke off her five year relationship with fiancé Taylor Kinney, and now, supermodel Miranda Kerr is sporting a fabulous (and HUGE) new engagement ring from fiancé Evan Spiegel, Snapchat’s cofounder and CEO. Add this adorable duo to the list of celebrity weddings we can’t wait to see.

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I said yes!!! ❤️

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Petit Bouquet

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Matching Bridal Party Gear That’ll Give You Major #SquadGoals

Move over, sashes and tiaras (*cough* 10 Wedding Trends We’re Ready to Retire) because there are some new bridal party trends in in town, and we can’t wait to try ’em! Think matching one-pieces for sipping margs in the sand, ’90s-style chokers for the bachelorette bash and printed dresses practically made for brunching. Because sacrificing style for fun? We don’t think so!

Matching Bridal Squad Gear

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Matching Bridal Squad Gear

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Models Do It Too! See This Supermodel’s Matching Bridal Squad

How to Fake a Blowout

More than 20 Vendors Came Together for this Beautiful Inspiration Shoot + Industry Dinner

When the Wedding Standard, a collective of wedding professionals, gets together, it’s not just a mixer or networking event. Instead, more than 20 of California’s Central Coast vendors (including Karson Butler Events) created a “mock” wedding to highlight their talent. See all the pretty details from Lindsey Gomes and Cameron Ingalls Photography in The Vault!

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From Karson Butler Events…Earlier this spring, a team of the Central Coast’s best wedding vendors came together to produce a community dinner at Terra Mia Vineyard. It was nothing short of amazing! Over 60 Wedding Standard members gathered to enjoy company, cocktails and conversation in the beautiful setting of Paso Robles wine country. The Wedding Standard is a collective of wedding professionals who work for a love for their craft and have a passion for what they do. They are passionate about raising a standard of excellence in the wedding industry.

For this event, we had over 20 Artists pull together to make it not just a typical mixer or get together but a complete wedding experience; something most of us work to create regularly but rarely get to sit down and enjoy. Breaking bread together over an amazing meal prepared by Trumpet Vine Catering was a special treat! Models roamed the event and showed attendees what it would look like to get married at this spectacular new venue. We all got to witness first-hand the potential Terra Mia has to create an unparalleled atmosphere for our couples to say “I do”.

We (Karson Butler Events) worked with Noonan’s Wine Country Designs to pull together a color palette inspired by the venue – plum-tones and greens paired with inspired details that were both luxurious and approachable. Katie is amazing at using local floral and foliage in new and unexpected ways, as evidenced in the chandelier over the dancefloor and beautiful tabletop designs!

We loved partnering with so many great vendors on the Central Coast – home of our west coast office!

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Petit Bouquet

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This is What Pippa Middleton’s May 20th Wedding Will Look Like

It is a truth universally acknowledged that William and Kate’s Royal Wedding was the wedding of the century, but now that Pippa is engaged, we can’t help but wonder what her big day will look like. If her gorgeous and ginormous Asscher cut engagement ring is any indication, Pippa and James Matthews’ May 20th wedding is sure to be classic, glamorous and all kinds of pretty. See our predictions below!

Pippa Middleton Wedding Predictions

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Pippa Middleton Wedding Predictions

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What to Expect at Pippa’s Wedding

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Steal Her Ring Style

Brilliant Earth | Rahaminov Diamonds | Marisa Perry

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Photography: Getty Images

When a Wedding Photographer Gets Married, It’s All About the Details

As a wedding photographer, this gorgeous Bride has seen her fair share of weddings and had specific ideas about how to make her own day as perfect as could be. And with the help of friends and family, it was. From having her French grandmothers walk down the aisle as flower girls to the surprise tango first dance, this wedding is full of special moments you won’t want to miss. See each and every one, captured by Richelle Hunter Photography and Isabelle Courville, in The Vault!

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From The Bride…Simon and I met through a mutual friend from Colombia, who met Simon in Quebec, and me, at a bus stop in Peru! She brought us together during a night out with friends, and we haven’t been apart since! We were friends for six months when we finally realized that we were made for each other. And three years later, on a wonderful trip to California, Simon proposed to me during a photo session on a beautiful beach in Santa Barbara.

We started planning our wedding with the valued help of our wedding planner and dear friend Katayoun of Unikevent, who also ensured that the wedding day events ran smoothly. She was wonderful throughout the adventure and allowed us to focus on what was most important: enjoying our guests and every moment of that beautiful day.

As wedding photographer, I had lots of ideas for our own day, and it was a lot of fun to think about every little detail to get everything as we liked, and to make sure our guests have a pleasant time. Fortunately, Simon and I have similar tastes and also had the same vision for our wedding, We both like simple things and airy and bright spaces. The Pavillon de la Jamaïque was the perfect place to get married: a glass wall reception hall with pretty wooden beams and a beautiful weeping willow for our outdoor ceremony, all on a small island in the heart of Montreal.

The decorative elements were mainly based on the choice of our reception venue and included beautiful bouquets and centerpieces by Atelier Carmel, petals down the grassy aisle and colourful confetti (hand cut by my sister and Simon for our recessional!) and lots of calligraphy by my talented friend Joy of imaginejoy calligraphie. We named our tables after our favourite cities in California and chose Santa Barbara (of course!) for the honour table. I was keen to do many things by myself too. I created our invitations, menus and guestbook, and Simon and I did several DIY projects with the help of our relatives.

Our color palette was composed of soft, pale tones with colourful accents. Our bridal party wore blush, mint green, gray and white, and the hall’s decorative elements and bouquets also included tones of coral.

We were fortunate to have a lovely wedding cake made my matron of honour Anne-Laure, custom-made favours by a good friend of mine (owner at Evy Jo & Co.) and a little flash mob involving all our bridal party and guests, choreographed by my bridesmaids.

And the surprises didn’t stop there. In addition to having my sister as the officiant (she was fantastic!) and my talented friend Kim as the vocalist and guitarist (accompanied by my uncle on harmonica) for the ceremony, we were treated a special song just for us. Written to the tune of “Tant qu’on aura de l’amour” by Les Cowboys Fringuants, our family performed it live while a surprise video from our guests played on a screen. We were so moved!

Simon and I then surprised our guests with a tango as our first dance (after taking secret classes for a year and a half!). And because I sang a song on one of our first dates (which Simon says totally charmed him), I wanted to surprise him by singing one of his favorite songs while walking down the aisle with my father. It was very emotional and brought Simon to tears.

Since I’m originally from France and Simon is Québécois, our guests came from all different corners of the two continents, and it was very important to us that everyone mingled and had a good time together. I was very moved to have my mom, dad and sister by my side. Even my two grandmothers came all the way from France for the occasion, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to have them with me for this important day. They were part of our bridal party as “flower girls”, and they made their entry at the reception hall by dancing! It was just amazing to see them like that, and everyone is still talking about it!

Later in the evening, we gathered our guests outside for the cake cutting and champagne toast with sparklers. This moment – as well as the confetti toss at the end of the ceremony – was truly magical! Seeing all the people we love, surrounding us with their faces filled with happiness…We wanted to stop time!

It was a joy to relive the day and see the expressions on our friends and families’ faces, thanks to our lovely photos by Richelle Hunter and her husband Eric, as well as on our beautiful video made by the talented Isabelle Courville assisted by Jessica Desjardins.

The ambiance was just perfect, thanks to all of the surprises, the excellent team of A1Djs who set fire to the dance floor, and the presence of each one of our guests.

We cherish all of these beautiful memories with our loved ones, and we wholeheartedly thank our parents, family, friends and all those made our day so wonderful!

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A Backyard Wedding Themed “Upscale BBQ”

This wedding? It deserves a standing ovation. Designed in the hands of denae brennan weddings & events, it’s a celebration that makes “upscale BBQ” look completely elegant with too many pretty moments to count. Laura Ivanova snapped every second of the fun, cute babies and cute pups included.

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From denae brennan weddings & events… Courtney and Erik were married on what the weatherman called “the hottest day of the year” in Rochester, MN. Despite the sweltering heat, their day couldn’t have been more perfect as they celebrated on the bride’s family property surrounded by loved ones, including their beloved pup, Stella!

The ceremony took place in Courtney’s mother’s backyard, and when the couple read the heartfelt vows they had written for each other, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Guests then walked down the road to enjoy lawn games, cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres around the private pond on the property. Dinner followed under the tent strung with café lights, and the dance floor, adorned with the words “Everybody Dance Now,” was rocking well into the night courtesy of the Bluewater Kings.

The couple wanted the casual feel of a backyard wedding while keeping the aesthetic romantic and elegant. Farm tables were dressed in vintage lace runners and barnwood boxes filled with lush blooms and spotted with antlers (a nod to the groom’s avid love of hunting). An “upscale BBQ” was the theme of dinner, which was served family style and highlighted by pie à la mode for dessert.

The bride and groom (and the guests!) were treated to a few fun surprises throughout the day– a flyover with a banner showcasing their wedding hashtag, and a humorous song medley performed by the maid of honor and bridesmaids.

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Bluewater Kings Band

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Denae Brennan Events

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The Sweetest Way to Celebrate Your Newlywed Status

The sweetest way to celebrate your newlywed status? Why with a dinner party of course! Because whoever said life post nuptials is anything but pretty clearly hasn’t check out our sister site – SMP Living. With the massively talented Glitter, Inc. behind the scenes and Live View Studios and Six Foot Photography capturing it all to share, we’ve got this delish day in The Vault!

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From Glitter, Inc…A few months back we had this crazy idea to style a very Southern dinner party, meant especially for couples. The inspiration? When my husband and I were first married, we couldn’t wait to use all of our newly acquired dishes and bowls, and play hosts. Now that we’ve moved to North Carolina, making new friends has been a priority. It doesn’t really feel like home until you have family, and for us, good friends are family. Thanks to those awesome friends, we were able to bring the Newlyweds Southern Dinner Party to life.

If you’re thinking about throwing your own dinner party for family and friends, we’ve rounded up a few tips for hosting your favorite dinner ever.

Make it a Labor of Love

A dinner party should be above all else, fun. You could burn the casserole, forget the napkins, drink entirely too much champagne, but if everyone laughed straight through the night, you’ve thrown one very successful dinner party. Invite friends, old and new. Forget seating charts, but do send an invitation – it makes the night feel extra special for both you and your guests.

Bring it Outside

If weather permits, take your party outside. It add a bit of time to your busy day of planning to bring the tables, chairs, and stacks of china outside, but a Southern party under the stars always feels memorable.

Keep the Décor Casual

Based on all our own imperfect dinner parties over the years, we chose to keep the décor light; furniture like farmhouse tables and vintage chairs and sofas borrowed from friends and neighbors, hand-me-downs, mis-matched collections of grandmothers’ china, simple white napkins, a fun drink and dessert station, and food. So much glorious food.

Plan a Menu That Will “Wow”

I grew up believing that every great party had great food. (Thanks, mom!) Whether you spend a day cooking a feast, or you have everything catered in, serve food people will love and remember for years to come. For the event, the menu – handwritten and printed on paper bags – was used to hold Le Farm’s famous crusty white chocolate chip bread (one for each guest). And the menu itself – Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Peppered Honey and Fried Rosemary, Pork Loin with Pecan Bourbon and Spring Carrots, Watermelon and Arugula Salad with Pickled Spicy Shrimp, Country Butter Beans with Cornmeal Oysters, Roasted Beets with Asher Bleu Cheese, Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows, and a Caramel Apple Tart and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for dessert – packed a serious punch.

Don’t Forget the Drinks

In keeping with the Southern theme, we went with a sweet southern spritzer (champagne, peach nectar, and blackberries), and homemade lemonade.

Create Small Details That Last

A Southern dinner party in spring or summer deserves all of the gorgeous native flowers it can get, so Carolina jasmine, spring peonies and wild southern clematis were the stars of our show. Because the flower centerpieces felt more natural, we used DIY gold-dipped candlesticks (white candles spray-painted about halfway up with hold spray paint) scattered throughout to add candlelight to the dinner. Along with each guest’s white chocolate chip bread, they received a small jam jar with a handmade tag that read, “jam-packed with love.”

Don’t Forget to Enjoy

After you’ve welcomed your guests, said your toasts, and served the food, don’t forget to enjoy your party. Eat, drink, and be merry!

A Wedding Squad We Dream of Being a Part Of

Not only does this rooftop cocktail and floral crown party look so fun but it’s super chic too! From the fresh flower decorated cake to the jewel-toned geodes, I’m sold on every design detail chosen by this posse of planners and photographers. With the talented likes of Santorini Glam Weddings, Tie The Knot Santorini and Santorini Bliss Weddings, it should be no surprise. Anna Roussos and Sandy and Odysseas Photography captured all the fun and this Vault gallery is what makes this Wednesday pretty great.

From the Girls… We are so lucky to be working with friends! Here in Santorini we have created a wonderful group of wedding vendor friends! We share so many professional and personal moments together. This year we decided to create a new tradition, to celebrate the beginning of wedding season by throwing a cocktail party for ourselves!

Our day started with a stroll at the stunning village of Oia, in Santorini. Us girls, all dressed up, walked in the picturesque paths of Oia and actually being in front of the camera for once was a terrific experience! Anna Roussos had a double role this time, she was both in front and behind the camera, taking these beautiful photographs of the day with the help of lovely Sandy and Odysseas.

Closer to the sunset time, the best time on a summer day, we went to Sphinx Wine bar in Oia, a listed 1850 mansion, with a cellar including more than 300 labels of local, Greek and international wines. Great wine, delicious canapés and creative cocktails. What else could we ask for?

Maria from Tie the Knot in Santorini, Evita from Santorini Glam Weddings and Manto from Santorini Bliss Weddings (or we can just put “us wedding designers”) designed a fresh and elegant tablescape with all the lovely details that we like to design for our lovely brides. We loved the super yummy cocktails and spoiled ourselves with Alexandra’s divine dessert tapas, and a lemon ginger tart decorated with fresh flowers! We even assembled a flower bar, where we created flower crowns, and flowers cones, having super amusing moments. The flowers, from Myrto and Betty Flowers, were our favourite; king proteas, peonies, hydrangeas and blue thistles.

It really was a day to remember! We had so much fun creating and celebrating at the same time! Cannot wait to repeat next year!

The Genius Tropical Detail Your Summer Party Needs STAT

This party crafted by Milou & Olin is proof that little umbrellas aren’t just for tropical drinks. They also make for the best ever party backdrop. It’s genius really and when paired with tequila cocktails gussied up with watermelon slices, a watermelon cake and a flock of flamingos, it pretty much makes this the best Tutti Frutti inspired 30th birthday we’ve ever laid eyes on.

Tutti, frutti and 30! We rang in Amanda’s big 3-0 with a cookie decorating bar, a smash cake, pool floaties, flamingos, and (of course) plenty of tequila! This 30th was inspired by our birthday girl’s favorite things of summer, and her love of everything tutti and frutti with a modern, tropical twist! Studio 817 proved to be the perfect space for our party as we decorated it with a parasol wall, a pool filled to the brim with balloons and of course a whole flock of adorable orange and yellow flamingos with floral petal accents.

Paper Heart Patisserie arranged a delightful cookie decorating bar, where guests could paint their own design on cookies! Scarlett & Grace’s amazing floral arrangements and flamingos with flower petal feathers are to die for and gave our party such a fun twist! Our main color palette of green, pink and yellow was a key element in pulling off their summer birthday bash! Our birthday girls loves to have fun, so we knew we had to have fun and bright colors to match that energy!

Our Agua Fresca Cocktails were such a refreshing treat on our hot summer’s day! Watermelon, Lemon, Pineapple were the flavors we sipped on, and with a little tequila added they were all that much better. Sipping these delicious cocktails poolside, was delightful and refreshing!

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More Summer Entertaining Ideas

How to be a Master Bartender at your next Shindig
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Dreaming of a destination wedding in paradise? Bali is IT.

I’m the type of girl that spends my days dreaming of two things: beaches and beautiful weddings. So give me a drop-dead gorgeous soiree at The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas in Nusa Dua, Bali and, well… say hello to my happy place. From the picture perfect backdrops to the luxe accommodations, this little slice of paradise is literally a wedding wonderland. And I am sooo on board with that.

There are destination weddings… and then there are destination weddings at The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas, a small island that is BIG on romance. Think everything from intimate + private nuptials with your closest friends and family to larger, more grand affairs with everyone you know and love taking part in the celebrations. Which means that whether you’re saying “I do” in their Eternity, Harmony or Unity chapels, or simply dancing the night away under the stars, The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas will make sure each and every moment of your big day is absolute perfection and YOU can relax poolside knowing you’re about to have the day of your life… and then some.

Contact The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas at wedding@themulia.com to speak to your very own personal wedding consultant and begin planning your dream day NOW. You won’t regret it, loves.

Wedding Venue: The Mulia Resort | Wedding Venue: The Mulia Resort

Hello, Backless Wedding Dress of Our Dreams!

We love a chic backless wedding dress. There’s no doubt about that. And this bride is officially joining our best-dressed list with White Runway that stole the show. Thanks to Kibogo Photography for the beautiful captures, and you can see the full day inside The Vault.

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From Kibogo Photography…I met Carmini and Troy during her sisters wedding in Kenya two years ago. They came all the way from Australia to Kenya to celebrate with family and friends. We only had a short chat together since Troy is a great photographer himself, but that was it until they got engaged last year. Never in my dreams would I believe they would consider having me as their wedding photographer due to the long distance. But nothing is impossible these days in the time of airplanes right, and Tanja Kibogo would never ever say no to a destination wedding, especially if its such a sweet couple like Carmini and Troy. They met more than 16 years ago in university and lived closed by in Melbourne and what was just a friendship bloomed into a relationship and the rest is history. I loved meeting you again C & T and had so much fun exploring Victoria a bit with you as the perfect tour guides! The wedding took place in a small but cute little town called Wangaratta. Lots of sunshine super friendly and amazing folks at the reception venue Watermarc and a beautiful white forest where we did the couple portraits.

See Pippa Middleton’s HUGE Engagement Ring

So she’s not exactly a princess, but Pippa Middleton’s engagement ring from James Matthews, her hedge fund manager fiancé, rivals any royal engagement ring. After saying yes to her on-again-off-again beau Sunday in England’s Lake District, the 32-year-old bride-to-be stepped out in London on Tuesday showing off a beautiful white eyelet dress, her GIANT new ring and an even bigger smile.

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Get the Look

Brilliant Earth | Rahaminov Diamonds | Marisa Perry

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Fabulous Engagement Rings

The Most Gorgeous, Glamorous, Envy-Inducing Engagement Rings Money Can Buy

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The Most Gorgeous, Glamorous, Envy-Inducing Engagement Rings Money Can Buy

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More Royal-Worthy Wedding Details

Royal-Worthy Engagement Rings | Princess-Inspired Dresses | Shoes Fit for Cinderella

Photography: FameFlynet

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