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

Ireland Sunset Inspired Wedding Inspiraton

I may be a proud Irish lady but you won’t see me guzzling any Guinness, decked out in head to toe green any time soon. But this Ireland inspired shoot right here is one that I’ll fully and eagerly embrace. Photographed and styled by Kay English, with help from MBM Calligraphy, this shoot is pure beauty, from the calligraphed veil to the views of the Cliffs of Moher. So in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day festivities, let’s head to our Vault and spend some time with these smiling, stylish Irish eyes.

From Kay English… Anne Marie and Dara from Dublin, drove all the way to the Cliffs of Moher for this amazing sunset photo shoot in Ireland.

This wedding shoot was inspired by the natural beauty of Ireland. The stunning Mark Zunino gown from Kleinfeld sparkled in the sunset on the gorgeous bride from Ireland, Anne Marie. The gorgeous calligraphy veil and decor was designed by MBM Calligraphy and designed by Michael Cosentino Designs.
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Peruse more Irish inspiration here!

Ethereal Emerald Inspired Wedding Inspiration

In the event that you didn’t wear a pinch of green today, fear not little lads and ladies because Charla Storey Photography has got you covered. See this emerald green Mrs. Box? It’s as good as gold (at the end of a rainbow of course), and this gallery? Enough to make Saint Patrick green with envy. Thanks to Bella Accento rentals and lovely details it’s the type of pretty you’ll want to pin. See it all in The Vault!

From Charla Storey Photography… Our Late Summer Floral Workshop took place in the breathtaking White Sparrow Barn in the peaceful north Texas countryside. We knew that this gorgeous space, with its beautiful white washed interior, stunning natural lighting, and tall arched ceilings would be an inspirational setting to learn and play with the gorgeous floral.

This one-day floral intensive was centered around designing with a natural, garden-style aesthetic. Instruction and discussion focused on creating movement and depth within a large compote arrangement using classic floral frogs. After a design demonstration by Maxine Owens of The Southern Table, each attendee chose a vase of copper and mixed metal and was able to create their own design from a spectacular assortment of both locally and globally sourced blooms and greens. Inspired by the vibrant colors of late summer sunsets, we chose floral in warm rich tones of coral, orange, pinks and plums. Each student worked individually with with photographer Charla Storey, to style and shoot their arrangements. After lunch and a Q&A of floral business life, the group collaborated with their designs to put together a head table inspiration with gorgeous rentals from Bella Accento. The class also built a simple yet striking ceremony space inspiration using layers of hops vine while discussing tips and techniques for creating successful inspirational shoots. In beautiful Watters gowns, hair and makeup by Beauty and The Blush, our model posed with a bouquet by Maxine, bringing the tablescape and ceremony backdrop to life.

While Charla continued to capture images of the collaboration, the group toasted the day with sips and bites. The day was filled with learning and laughter and produced an lovely display of floral magic. Coming together over a passion for design and flowers is something we love to do! This day was so wonderful. We can’t wait to design and host another workshop adventure!

The One Party Detail We Can’t Stop Talking About

There’s no denying this baby shower’s many gorgeous details. It probably has something to do with the dream team at Bustle Events + Isari Flower Studio who planned this alfresco number for another wedding fave, Waters Catering. But there is one detail that we cannot stop talking about: that homemade potato chip bar! I’m calling it now, this is the next big thing people. See that and so much more captured by Shane And Lauren Photography in the VAULT.

As the darling of the San Diego event and catering scene it’s only fitting that Terri Wedell of Waters Fine Catering had the baby shower of the year in honor of her sweet dumpling, Beckett, who will be making her way into our world in mid-February.

The beautiful mama wore a luxurious metallic poncho from Anthropologie and stunning gems from Love Tatum Designs. Gathering on a blustery December afternoon on the stunning terrace of Jeffrey Strauss’ home overlooking the glittering Pacific Ocean coastline, friends and family raised a glass in her honor. Every detail thoughtful and every moment magical.

Pulling the sweet mamas vision together is the wonderful Marina Tolentino of Bustle Events. She worked with Terri to bring the whole shindig together and allowed Terri (an event planner herself) to enjoy the day without worry or stress.

Twinkle & Toast created darling indigo blue washed invites, thank you notes, menu signs, and a sign leading guests to the al fresco celebration. The pregnant mama had In-n-Out on speed dial for all nine months but for the shower she called on her dear family friend Jeffrey Strauss (home owner and chef/owner of Pamplemousse Grille) to make his signature beef sliders and handmade potato chip bar. What a yummy pairing with loads of rosé flowing during the fete, not to mention adorable stir sticks and coasters from The Roc Shop.

Adore Folklore provided pale pink glassware, rustic pillows, cozy throws and funky rugs. Paired with Pow Wow vintage rentals tossing in assorted baskets, pillows, and side tables creating a chic intimate surrounding. To top it all off, the ever brilliant Tam Ashworth from Isari Flower Studio created fun, girlie arrangements in modern white vases and one stunner of a photo backdrop. Shane Hopkins was on hand to capture every hug, tear, giggle and moment during the afternoon!

And because Marina Tolentino of Bustle Events knows a thing or two about throwing a killer party, we grabbed her top 5 tips for pulling off a stunner like this potato chip alfresco number. It includes cocktailing if that’s your jam and never forgetting the sweets plus a few other genius tricks.

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Five Tips for A Slam-Dunk Baby Shower

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1. Do you.

If you’re a game lover and want to do all the traditional things that come along with a baby shower go for it. But if that’s not really your jam, don’t be afraid to do your own thing and keep it simple. A few hours of cocktails and small bites can still be a super fun shower. That still gives friends and family a chance to hang out and celebrate the mama-to-be.

2. Set the mood.

Invitations are the first impression guests will get of whats to come at your shower so be creative. For Terri’s shower, she loved the indigo dyed look so Twinkle & Toast created some beautiful watercolor invites inspired by the theme.

3. Use gifts as part of the decor.

You can expect to get plenty of pretty packages for your shower so instead of cramming them to the side when the time comes, why not show them off? Make a table dedicated to gifts, add some pretty signage, and it will become a focal point for guests to admire as they mingle.

4. Have fun with the details.

A baby shower happens only once, maybe twice in a persons life, so splurge on the little things that will help make your guests feel special. Adding unexpected items like stir sticks and coasters will impress even your trendiest friends.

5. Don’t forget the sweets!

A party isn’t complete without some sort of indulgence. Small, individual portions are easiest for a crowd so stick to bite size delights. Donuts, cupcakes, or french macarons never disappoint and make for great favors too!

A Wedding Story with Upper Story by Charlie Palmer + Style Me Pretty

We recently teamed up with the fabulous Upper Story by Charlie Palmer to co-host an awesome night of inspiration, A Wedding Story. Think breathtaking micro-wedding displays, uber-talented vendors and yours truly talking all things pretty in one of our fave Manhattan venues. Yummy treats, wedding inspiration and bubbly? It was sooo amazing.

You know we never ever turn down a party and chatting with all of YOU about your upcoming nuptials is most definitely a reason to celebrate. Which is why we couldn’t wait to co-host A Wedding Story, plus mix and mingle with some of the most brilliant vendors NYC has to offer. I’m talking experts like Maggie Margerite Studios, Aureole, The Booth, Beyonder Events, Baccarat, Rosa Rosa, Christina D’Asaro Design… and sooo many more. Not to mention the breathtaking backdrop that is Upper Story by Charlie Palmer, a venue that has everything you’ll EVER need to seamlessly create your dream day. Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday evening.

From the tasty cuisine samples from Jennifer Day (three words: Mac & Cheese Bar) to the delicious glasses of champagne from Taittinger to the ah-mazing desserts from Aureole’s Michelin-starred pastry chef, Pierre Poulin, A Wedding Story was a night we won’t soon forget. Weren’t able to attend? We missed you, but no worries. You can contact Upper Story by Charlie Palmer to discuss all things wedding and plan your Big Day at a space that combines awe-inspiring views with understated elegance. Do it today, loves.

Photography: Maggie Marguerite Studios | Event Planning: CHARLIE PALMER STEAK | Vendor: Baccarat

Abby Capalbo

Design, Styling, Parties

Abby Capalbo Styling

Whimsical Summer Wedding at Lake Tahoe

When it comes to planning a wedding our unofficial mantra resolves around these two key ingredients – make it pretty, make it personal. And today we’re got a celebration that perfectly encompasses that sentiment thanks to the designers behind it – Elise Events and BandB Designs, just to name a few. It’s a long-awaited ending to a classic love story (these two met as teenagers!) and the incredible Ryan Ray and Johnny B Films beautifully told the story. Head to The Vault to see why we’re hopelessly obsessed.

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From the Bride and Groom… It’s not every day that a person meets their husband at 15 years old! By the time I turned 16, I knew Michael and I had something that some people only dream about. After 13 amazing years together, we decided it was time to walk down the aisle. Needless to say, our wedding was a long awaited event for many of our friends and family members. This was part of the reasons that we wanted to make it a very personal affair with many details that came from our hearts.

We both grew up spending our summers on the beaches and our winters in the snow of Lake Tahoe, so it made perfect sense to have our wedding there. Since we now live in North Carolina, this made for a destination wedding for us and many of our guests. We wanted a location that was unique, but I wanted to have the amazing Tahoe water in the background. When we stumbled upon the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion, we knew it was perfect. The beautiful stone house is perched upon a grassy hill, full of Tahoe pines, and down the hill is the gorgeous water. Since one of our first dates was to Michael’s prom, we included our picture from that night in our save the date! To give our guests some inspiration, we included a copy of a Lake Tahoe watercolor-done by my father.

The day of our wedding started off so perfectly. Our rehearsal had been almost washed out by rainstorms the evening before, but we awoke to perfect temperatures. Small personal details made our day even more special for us. The ceremony took place in the grass-near the water of Lake Tahoe with several boats in the background joining in the fun! Before the ceremony, guests were greeted with lemonade and sweet tea. I was escorted down the long hill by my father to Sigur Ros, “Untitled 1” – a song that Michael and I listened to together in college and throughout the years. We were married under an arch built by my father-in-law that was adorned with flowing greenery and floral by Brandie from B & B Floral Designs. We wanted to add something special to the service so we included a ribbon tying ceremony. Each of our parents, grandmothers and attendants tied a ribbon around our hands while giving us a personally written blessing. This was one of my most treasured parts of the day. Their words will be something we always remember and cherish. I’m so happy that Johnny B Films was there to catch each one on film.

I surprised Michael with a bluegrass band (The Pine Street Ramblers) as a nod to our home in North Carolina. They played through cocktail hour and part of dinner. Before the reception guests had to locate their seat by finding a funny picture of themselves on our escort wall. Michael and I had scoured the internet for months to find photos of each person and Michael’s father built the free standing wall. Together we handmade paper pockets to go under each picture, and inside was a card that I hand-lettered with their name and table number.

Our florist and wedding coordinator both went above and beyond with our vision. It was even more beautiful than we planned out. We spent so many hours carefully preparing with Danielle, from Elise Events, and watching it unfold was so magical. I loved seeing the set tables and the gorgeous flowing flowers at our reception! Each table setting had a beautiful menu with a ribbon that my mother and I hand-dyed together. These same ribbons were in my bridesmaid’s bouquets. Almost all of the gold vases and candlesticks were gathered by my mother. We included celebration crackers that I hand-lettered with each person’s name as their place card. In each cracker there was a handwritten note from either Michael or me. We were later told that these notes brought tears to a few of our guests. That meant so much to us to hear!

The night was perfect under the mountain stars! We danced under the bistro lights, ate delicious food and had a wonderful time being silly in our big photo booth. I only wish it could have lasted for hours longer. All of our vendors did such an amazing job pulling our day together. We cannot thank our team enough-they truly were the stars of the day.

The best advice I received and would pass on is that something may go wrong and you just have to flow. No one even knew that something we had planned was missing on our day, and everything was just as perfect without it.

Blogger Bride: Michaela Noelle Designs Tips on Wedding Inspiration

As a little girl, I’d often dream about what my wedding would one day look like. Of course at that time, Barbie and Ken weddings were a common occurrence in our household (I’d even go so far as to pick wildflowers for Barbie’s mock-bouquet). It’s memories like this that remind me that even from a young age I’ve had a relentless passion for celebrations, beautiful and meaningful details, flowers, and love.

Now that I’m actually engaged, it’s been so fun to dream up what I really want our big day to look like and feel like. While getting caught up in the inspiration and endless possibilities of decor is fun (sometimes!), we always try to remind ourselves what’s most important: we want to create a marriage more beautiful than our wedding day, because that is what lasts! We want to have a beautiful wedding day, because thoughtful details and beauty evoke feelings of love, and that’s what a marriage is all about. So today I’m sharing our wedding inspiration with you and how I went about pulling our colors and initial design elements together.

First off, the sweet gals at Southern Weddings sent me their Southern Weddings Planner. It has helped keep me on track, given me helpful tips for the planning process, and is filled with inspiration from cute ideas to favorite wedding vows. It has space for me to write down all my vendor’s information to help me stay organized. Towards the end, it also has a section to “prepare for your marriage”. It’s filled with fun questions to ask each other, which we have loved.

Where to start? Create a Vision for Your Day!

Obviously I had a general idea of the feel I wanted for our wedding. I envision it being romantic, a bit eclectic, warm, sophisticated but totally comfortable and inviting. We aren’t formal people, so we don’t want anything overly formal. We want our guests to feel loved and experience our love on our big day, so setting the backdrop for that is our goal. Creating this vision is what the foundation was to our design elements.

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Choosing a Color Palette

Our colors are lavender, blush, navy and a touch of silver. When I was choosing a color palette, I wanted something light and airy. I thought lavender and blush would be perfect for that. Initially navy wasn’t in the mix, but upon further consideration, I thought adding in a hue with some contrast to make the lighter colors pop would be beautiful, both for the day of and in our pictures.

Tips on choosing a wedding color palette

Go with what you love! This may be obvious, but don’t choose colors that aren’t your favorite, just because someone else is pushing for them. You need to be happy with the palette.
Look to your venue for inspiration. This is true for all details of your wedding, but perhaps the colors and feeling of your venue will spark your inspiration for the colors you use. Our venue is outside, so I’m incorporating a lot of greenery into our centerpieces and bouquets, with pops of our main colors.
Take note of the season. If it’s an October affair, deep purples, berry colors and gold would be beautiful for fall.
Use the color wheel! As a design student in college, I know how helpful of a tool this can be. If you know you want to use pink as a color, but don’t know what to pair it with, look to the right, left, and across from pink on the color wheel to find good matches. My favorite color palettes are monochromatic, which uses one hue in a variety of tints and shades; analogous, which combines colors that are right next to each other on the color wheel; and complimentary, which is a more bold looking using colors directly across from one another on the color wheel.

Determine the Use of Color

Once you land on a palette, I found it was helpful to determine how much and where each color will be used. Here is our break down:

Lavender: Flowers, bridesmaid dresses, envelope liners
Blush: Flowers, bridesmaid dresses, ribbon on bouquets and favors, linens
Navy: Groomsman suits, napkins, and ink on signage
Silver: Vases and chargers

Once you break it down like that, you can better envision the amount of each color to be sure you like the ratio. I knew we wanted to use Navy sparingly, so other than the guy’s suits, we reserved navy for small details like signage and napkins. Blush and lavender will make up the majority of our palette.
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Find Your Style

Where will your wedding be?
What are some words to describe your vision?
What is your color palette?
Where are your favorite places to shop for home decor? (Hey, your home decor style will definitely relate to your wedding style!)

Our style is aided by our venue, Holman Ranch. It’s a rustic, yet elegant ranch in the hills of the Carmel Valley. Accented with stone, wood, a refined barn, and sweeping views of the hills, this really helped us find our style. We will incorporate wood signs, natural / organic looking arrangements, highlight the view, and accent with soft linens and upholstered furniture. To keep things fun and interactive, we are going to have a smore station around a fire, cornhole and horseshoes for guests to play at the reception.

Dream Up Your Bridesmaid Style

I wanted to do something a little different with my bridesmaids. Rather than them all wearing the same dress, or even the same color dress, I had a vision of everyone wearing a different shade of pink or lavender, making up our color palette for the wedding. I love floral prints so much, but thought that everyone wearing a floral gown would be a bit much, so we decided to just have my Maid of Honor wear a floral gown. I think the combination of lavender, blush and a floral gown will be beautiful! All the maids will be in floor length gowns to bring the elegant and flowy feel we want to capture.

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Michela’s Wedding Inspiration board

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That’s a little bit about how I dreamt up our inspiration and direction for our wedding. How are you going about this fun process?!

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Follow Michaela’s Journey down the aisle!

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10 Must-Have Baby Items Your Friends Haven’t Told You About

This insanely gorgeous wallpapered nursery spread like wildfire through the SMP offices. The oohs the awws could probably heard through our computer screens. Do you really blame us? It’s a floral glam masterpiece designed by Emily Henderson for Lulu & Georgia founder, Sara Sugarman. We picked Sara’s brain for must haves that you might not know about and really more of an excuse to drool over this gorgeous space one more time. See even more captured by Monica Wang in the VAULT.

The 10 Must-Have Baby Items Your Friends Haven’t Told You About

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Exercise ball – The #1 must-have item in our nursery! Soon after giving birth, we discovered there was only one thing that could calm our crying baby and do it in under a minute — holding her while bouncing on an exercise ball. It became our security blanket. We brought it literally everywhere and the first thing we’d ask before even saying “hello” was, “Where can we pump up our exercise ball?” You just can’t get the motion you need to soothe a hysterical one-month old by pacing the room and moving your arms up and down — although you can get a good workout as this method might take a half hour or more. If you’d have told me to buy one of these balls when I was pregnant, I would have said it ruined the decor. Priorities change. Also, if your baby doesn’t like the car seat, you can put them in the car seat, then bounce them on the ball for a bit.

Lulu & Georgia Sheepskin – I think most moms know about this sheepskin, but there are issues with other varieties. The acrylic ones tend to mat out and the real ones shed everywhere. This one doesn’t shed and is white (no yellow imperfections). Perfect for the nursery and doubles as the background for all your baby photos.

Leg warmers – I’ll admit up front that I didn’t buy these for their function. As a child of the Eighties, I have a special place in my heart for leg warmers and seeing a baby in them with their rolls spilling out is just the cutest. But I’ve also discovered that they’re actually super practical as they keep the baby warm and you don’t have to take them off when you’re changing diapers. Less time on the changing table means less time for the baby to have a breakdown. I also love these high socks.

Straw Tumbler – When you’re breastfeeding or pumping, you get really thirsty, but you don’t have use of both hands. The straw makes it easy to drink and keeps you from spilling all over your baby.

Dog pee pads – I was using a wipeable diaper changing pad that came with my diaper bag, but when you’re at a restaurant and your baby has an accident while you’re changing her, you don’t want to spend an extra ten minutes just cleaning your changing pad. The solution? Disposable pads. If you’re in a place where you really just want to toss the pad (and there will be plenty of moments you’re feeling that need), these are really helpful. Not great for the environment but neither are diapers.

Pouf – In addition to a great décor piece, it offers additional seating in the nursery. You will have a lot of guests coming to see the baby and it’s nice to offer them a seat other than the floor. Plus, Vivi is now using the pouf to pull herself up so it’s a developmental tool as well!

Nogginstick – A good friend gave this to us and it quickly became Vivi’s favorite toy. It helps with baby’s development to encourage tracking and master grasping. It makes a soft rattle sound that is not too annoying. A definite favorite in our house!

Sconces – Besides the fact that I generally dislike overhead lighting, it’s important to have dim lights during our bedtime routine. The issue with table lamps and floor lamps (we have to get rid of our floor lamp soon!) is that the baby can pull them down when she is crawling/walking. Sconces are a perfect choice for a nursery.

Music – Nothing calmed Vivi down like music. And it calmed us down too! My mom quickly discovered Vivi’s favorite song, Pontoon by Little Big Town — to this day, she smiles as soon as it comes on! We use a Sonos player.

Woombie – It’s truly challenging to perfect a swaddle! My husband was a much better swaddler than me. I found it frustrating, Vivian would cry while I struggled, and inevitably an arm or foot would creep it’s way out. The Woombie was great when she was a newborn. It has 1 zipper and is super easy to put on.

Photography: Jessica Isaac | Design And Styling: Emily Henderson | Event Planning: Amazon | Nursery Of : Lulu & Georgia

Bohemian Garden Estate Fall Wedding Film

Every now and then, we can use a little pick-me-up, and this wedding film from Creative Films will definitely do the trick. Not only is every detail, planned by Simple Elegance, beautiful, but the Bride and Groom’s love will instantly bring a smile to your face. Head to The Vault to see all the pretty from Mike Morse, and watch this heartwarming video now for an instant mood boost!

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Bohemian Rustic

From Creative Films…Maggie and Benjamin celebrated their wedding on a perfect fall day in October. A creative blend of bohemian and rustic design made this wedding beautiful and undeniably unique. From the family dogs wandering during the ceremony to the one of a kind teepee located near the reception tent, this beautiful wedding had equally stunning and creative details that were incredibly personal to the couple and their families.

Slainte With These Green Cocktails Just in Time for St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is synonymous with green beer. But there’s a whole world out there of festive drinks that fit the bill without going the emerald hued beer route. These 10 cocktails are perfect for partaking in a very Irish sláinte this St. Patrick’s Day. And for the record, a green drink in hand totally counts towards that whole no-pinch rule.

St Patrick's Day Cocktails

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St Patrick's Day Cocktails

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Romantic Farm Wedding

There’s rain… and then there’s the rain that made an appearance on this darling duo’s big day planned to perfection by Elizabeth Bailey Weddings. Think torrential downpours of three inches and tow trucks pulling cars out of the mud at the end of the evening. But despite the inclement weather (and the lake on the dance floor), this sweet twosome celebrated like the sun was SHINING. See every moment captured by Jennifer McMenamin in THE VAULT right here.

From Jennifer McMenamin Photography… Libbie + Doug had one of the loveliest farm weddings that I’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing. In addition to being beautiful, it was also incredibly meaningful. Both Libbie and her mother, Ginny, rode horses at Caves Farm and the bride’s horse, Romeo, is still boarded there. He made an appearance during portraits and happily munched grass alongside the bride and groom in their wedding finery.

With the help of Elizabeth Bailey Weddings, the couple planned an elegant black-tie wedding on an active horse farm amidst sprawling fields and pastures north of Baltimore, Maryland. There were bright summer blooms and cafe lights, a bluegrass band during cocktail hour and lawn games. There was a dramatic uncorking of a very special bottle of French champagne that has great meaning in the bride’s family. There was a popsicle stand from Washington DC, where the couple lives and works. There was also a touching ceremony that involved a gaggle of darling children and a half dozen friends and family members who served as readers. Even Libbie’s dog was included in family photos and the ceremony processional! Oh yes, and the weather was rather memorable, too. The forecast for Libbie + Doug’s wedding day included a flash flood warning with a predicted 2 to 4 inches of rain from powerful thunderstorms. On Baltimore’s humid summer days, those types of forecasts are often inaccurate. This one turned out to be 110 percent correct. It started raining just before the ceremony. Then, as the families and wedding party members lined up with umbrellas for the processional, it stopped. Glorious sunshine burst through the clouds, allowing outdoor mingling and playing throughout cocktail hour and the early evening, just as the couple had hoped. Then, it poured and poured, flooding the field where the reception tent was set up. Crews dropped the sides on the tent and staked them into the ground and worked like crazy to empty accumulating water that threatened the tent where the band was set up. This happened several times throughout the evening until there was a good 2 or 3 inches of standing water in parts of the tent and everyone’s feet were wet and muddy. Here’s the best part: No one seemed especially bothered. The fantastically good band played on. Guests kicked off their shoes, rolled up their dresses and pants and danced in bare feet or flip flops. People ate cake and popsicles and more than a dozen kinds of cookies lovingly baked by the bride’s family members. Buckets of umbrellas magically appeared wherever they were needed. The mother of the bride pulled on rubber boots and the bride simply shrugged whenever anyone pointed out the mud caked to the bottom of her lace gown. And tow trucks were called at the end of the evening to help extract cars stuck in the mud of the field-turned-parking-lot-turned-swamp. It could not have been a more splendid day.

Pastel Filled Autumn Wedding in Burgundy France

What could possible be better than a pastel filled wedding at a Chateau in the always stunning Burgundy, France? That’s right, nothing. Especially when said celebration includes French Grey Events officiating and French Grey Photography behind the lens capturing every moment of merriment. It’s a wedding that we’re completely obsessed with and you can see it all in The Vault!

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From the Bride…I started dress shopping by going to a few appointments with my Mum and Sister in Perth, Australia and whilst holidaying in Melbourne. After a few viewings I still hadn’t yet found the “one”. I ended up getting a last minute appointment on a Saturday due to a cancellation at Brides by Design in Perth. As soon as I walked in, I was taken by a dress hanging on the rack because of the lovely champagne colour (I didn’t want traditional “white” dress) I tried it on & after discussing with the dress maker about a few alterations, I had found the one!! As I was by myself, I was a bit nervous about making such a decision so I remember skyping my Mum from the changing room for her opinion. After her hearing my voice and enthusiasm she told me to go for it! My dress was made from 100% raw silk and I really enjoyed the simple yet elegant style of it. It was also so light and easy to wear.

From the couple…We were introduced through a close friend of mine at the end of 2007. We then spent the following year getting to know each other and becoming good friends. It was at the start of 2009 when we went on a 5 week holiday together to Africa when the relationship became more serious. Dan had done a bit of travelling before but that trip was only my second time overseas so it was very exciting. After that holiday we realised we both shared a love of travel and we spent the next couple of years going on as many holidays as we could fit in. It was on a trip to France in 2010 that we fell in love with the Burgundy area in the French countryside. It wasn’t until a year later that we got engaged in a beautiful spot on a trip to Bali with our families. Immediately afterwards we both discussed our thoughts on wedding ideas and a destination wedding in France was what we both said we would like. We decided we wanted a smaller, relaxed wedding with only our immediate family and close friends and we achieved that and only had 35 people on the day. It felt lovely and intimate and by having it small, it meant we had more time to spend with each of the guests. The “vision” for the wedding was for us to have good food, good wine and to enjoy in a fun party with everyone.

The day had a very relaxed start with getting ready. We enjoyed some Champagne and had a nice time together with my sister (bridesmaid) and mum whilst getting ready. She wore a coral coloured bodice and skirt. I chose coral as a colour scheme and the florist worked so well with adding in a variety of softer colours into the flowers for the day. I loved the flowers so much!

Sweet + Rustic At-Home Summer Wedding

Home is where the heart is, and my heart is with this sweet at-home wedding. The sweet horse, the bountiful flowers in bright hues, the Bride’s beautiful wedding dress and Hey Lady shoes, the tented reception from Newport Tent Company—every inch of this wedding is perfection. Head to The Vault for lots of Pin-worthy pretty thanks to Lindsay Hite of READYLUCK!

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Al Fresco

From The Bride…Michael and I had a dream-worthy wedding day, and once we got rolling everything (well, almost everything!) went very smoothly. We all had so much fun, and Mike and I feel so lucky to have had such a beautiful day with so many of our loved ones. We are so glad that Lindsay of READYLUCK was there to capture so many of the wonderful moments!

John and Jasmine of Westport Art & Garden really went the extra mile and really owned the decor and the feel of our beautiful event, they truly made it one of a kind and I just love them for it. Additionally, Russell’s Catering did a phenomenal job with the food and drinks. We, as I’m sure many do, ran a bit behind schedule, but Russell was still able to serve everyone at the appropriate time with absolutely amazing food. I heard the apps were out-of-this-world good…I can only imagine compared to how delicious the salad and entrees were!

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Intimate Villa Woodbine Wedding in Miami

It’s not every day you meet the love of your life while casually waiting for your luggage at the airport, but for these two cuties, it totally happened. And what followed their movie-like meeting? A whirlwind romance + a lovingly intimate soiree at Villa Woodbine in Miami. Think a fab team of vendors, including Ines Naftali and Unearthed Vintage, mesmerizing images from Merari Photography and a cheese cake to boot. See every moment (+ the world’s cutest flower girl) right here in THE VAULT.

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From Merari Photography… Just like a real-life romantic comedy, Danny and Jen met at the LAX baggage claim. They immediately hit it off and bonded over being school teachers and their mutual love of travel. After a whirlwind romance Danny proposed to Jen and they jumped in to wedding planning.

They decided to have an intimate Thursday wedding with only their nearest and dearest. Danny opted for a blue suit instead of a traditional tux and Jen wore a gorgeous Cotin Sposa gown and veil. Danny also helped design the bolero Jen wore for their ceremony!

They exchanged vows under a lush Chuppah decorated with hints of dark blue, deep purple and cream flowers. It was a lovely ceremony that celebrated not just their love, but honored their families as well, particularly Jen’s grandparents who were Holocaust survivors.

After the ceremony guests were lead under a chandelier-lit tent for dinner. Each table had individually curated centerpieces with a variety of vases and blooms. For dessert, everyone was treated to a Humboldtfog cheese-inspired cake. Danny and Jen spent the rest of the night dancing under the start with their loved ones.

Classic Black Tie Wedding at the St. Regis Atlanta

I have a special spot in my heart for traditional black tie weddings and that adoration isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But add some chic Southern style to the mix and my breath quickens and my hands start shaking in excitement because you just KNOW it’s gonna be good. And this gem, captured by Lauren Kinsey and created by the crazy talented Amy Osaba, is just that and more. From the fabulous fashion to the bouquets I want to live in, it’s all in our Vault for us to enjoy pic after pic!

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From the Bride… Once deciding to marry in Atlanta, my childhood home and a city that holds such a special place in my heart, it did not take long to choose the venues. We knew we wanted a traditional Southern black tie wedding with some unexpected twists that paid homage to the city and region’s heritage. Finding a wedding planner was tricky because I wanted a very specific aesthetic and it was important that nothing felt too contrived or predictable. It did not take long after finding Amy Osaba to know that she would be the perfect fit and a dream to work with.

The ceremony took place in my church, First Presbyterian of Atlanta, which also happens to be one of the oldest and most beautiful sanctuaries in town. The reception, immediately following the 6:30 in the evening service, took place at the St. Regis Atlanta. Located in the heart Buckhead, the ballroom and terrace used for the cocktail hour and sit down dinner were the perfect combination of glamour, elegance and brought the exact ambiance that we were hoping to achieve. The late summer night was beautiful and an outdoor whiskey bar and cigar roller under bistro lights and gorgeous stars painted a perfect canvas. Inside the ballroom were meticulously set long tables profiling the dance floor, cake, furniture vignettes and the moss wall backdrop for the stage and 14-piece band. With a large hanging floral installation above the main table and ethereal lighting and flower arrangements thoughtfully placed all over the timeless ballroom it painted the picture of an enchanted garden.

It was easy to see and feel all of the attention to detail and careful attentiveness that took place in selecting everything from start to finish. The night was an absolute dream come true and everything we had hoped for and more!
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15 Wallpaper Patterns That You’ll Crave Instead of Cringe

The wallpaper of today is the new cool kid at school, and I love it. Design gurus and style savvy homeowners are turning a once-cringed-at trend into a timeless design choice, and the inspiration at hand makes me want to dedicate at least one of my walls to a little makeover. Shop the gorgeous selection below and get ready to pin any favorite picks to your home files!

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15 Wallpaper Patterns That You'll Crave Instead of Cringe

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A Springtime French Chateau Wedding

Call me a Francophile, call me a wannabe, but my love of all things French weddings runs deep. Luckily this Bride shares those feelings and set out to plan a destination wedding her guests would remember forever. Once she found the venue, Chateau La Durantie while Internet browsing on her lunch break (see: How to Wedding Plan and Keep a Full-Time Job) the rest fell right into place. Caught The Light came along to capture, and The Vault is your got-to for every last bit.

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From The Bride…Sitting here trying to write about the happiest day of my life has created both a mixture of writer’s block and the potential for a novel. There aren’t words to truly describe how incredible you feel the day you wake up and realize you are about to marry your best friend and for all your favorite people in the world to share this with you.

I was never one who dreamed of my wedding as such, but the evening Tim got down on one knee and I realized what was happening after a decade together, I was in shock! Not only for the proposal but at how eventually my inner bride-to-be was unleashed. Working as a Personal Assistant with a background in art, I felt I was fully equipped for the job but wow Wedding Planning in my opinion, is a full time job (especially for you fellow perfectionists out there). What an incredible job it is!

Having shared so much already, both experiences and friends, it was easy for us both to agree on ultimately what the main word for our special day was to be centered around: FUN. We weren’t necessarily interested in themes as such, but I knew in my heart growing up with a mother whose love for flowers was infatuating, that flowers had to be a major star of the show. Spring and the month of May was decided pretty much instantly and off we went, driving around my favorite area of the UK (Devon) and actually where we had got engaged that Boxing Day. We focused ultimately around the idea of the day having the potential to be a long weekend and as I began turning into a Pinterest addict, I realized very quickly how I longed for a romantic and floral wedding in a setting that had grounds and space, but not overly fancy. Nothing seemed to hit the mark until on a fleeting visit, one of Tim’s ushers remarked that he had always imagined us getting married abroad in Europe. Tim and I looked at each other and that was it, Bonjour France! (Tim had lived and worked there for two years whilst I am a full-blown Francophile). A long weekend for our nearest and dearest, guaranteed sun, good food and no stress! (…little did we know!).

When Chateau la Durantie appeared on my screen one lunch break at work I gasped – with only two dates remaining that year, we secured our May Bank Holiday weekend without even visiting! When we did visit a few weeks later, it was love. The Chateau (I felt like Belle from Beauty and the Beast when we entered), the stunning grounds, vineyards, it was perfect. We could totally envisage the garden party style setting that felt like a home from home (the accommodation on site hosts up to around 45!). The planning from them on in terms of colors, décor, flowers, small touches was easy. The building and grounds were so stunning I did not want to be overly fussy and fight with its beauty, but compliment it. Lisa from French Flower Style just knew exactly what my mother and I were thinking when we talked flowers: lily of the valley made up my whole bouquet and was heavily featured all over the venue and in our marquee. I kept the color simple, just white and green and well, romantically fresh I guess? We had stunning displays wrapped around the marquee poles and clusters of spring flowers placed in vases all over. When we walked into the marquee the smell was incredible and I can honestly say it was unbelievably stunning. Lisa really was my flower godmother. I kept the tables classic again with mirrored centre pieces, sprigs of rosemary, and stationery in grey and white with hand written calligraphy place cards. We had small mirror hearts hanging on the chairs and small crystals to echo to beautiful marquee chandeliers dotted around too.

Coupled with flowers and an open bar (ha!), from very early on in the planning stage photography was an incredibly important element for us. I had stumbled across Chloe Browne pretty much within week one and had fallen in love with her stunning style of capturing emotions, details, just love in general. When we met up I fell in love even more. Both Tim and I are not the most naturally relaxed in front of the camera, so not only did we want that perfect person to capture our story, but to also laugh with us and feel like a friend. Chloe did not only do that, but also kept our spirits high and smiles beaming through the bad luck we had with weather. The day before the wedding when we had to set up, it was pretty much a monsoon. The day of our wedding started with cloud and then rain. However, I want to reassure you brides-to-be that this does not mean disaster! No lie, we had not prepped AT ALL for rain, being slightly naïve to the fact that actually the Dordogne region of France is very similar to the UK (rain was likely). My vision of drinks, canapés, garden games and speeches on the grounds was stolen, but this in turn allowed for everyone to stay together, to mingle, laugh and to actually take in the beauty of the Chateau. I also think we have some really unique and special photos with the rain (huge thanks to my wonderful mother for using her head and stocking up on pretty white brollies). I can hand on heart say it did not change anything about the day, I honestly believe it made it even more fun – I don’t think either of us have smiled or laughed more and the whole day I felt like I could burst with love.

I could literally carry on writing and re-living every gorgeous detail from our day, but I will end with some of my favorite and unforgettable moments. Ladies, cherish the one on one intimate moments you share together – I felt like we were the only people in the world when we were sat together with our Priest at the front of the church, it really is magical. Then again when we journeyed from the church to the venue, squashed into our classic car together, champagne in hand, rain lashing down but giggling and feeling on cloud 9 together tucked in the back. Those were the times that I remember so vividly from the day. I also could not believe how calm I was on the day (I put this down to bridesmaid dresses getting lost en route prior to fittings and French Air traffic Control strikes threatening to cause the whole wedding to be unable to attend!) so getting ready with my mum and best friends in the morning really was special. The look on my father’s face when he came to meet me, the FOB speech which had not only me but grown men sobbing, when both Tim and I slipped down the stairs outside of the church, and our first dance to ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ by Coldplay as Tim free-styled to the max and our lack of any pre dance planning showed (I can hands down say it was the best first dance in the history of first dances, thank goodness Tim did not get his way with his suggestion of ‘I’m a Scatman’).

Any advice? Be wise and always have a plan B for rain mainly to avoid last minute stresses in itinerary updates. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – you are going to need it whether you want it or not! Remember, these are literally your most loved friends and family, they will cherish being involved. However do not worry about a thing as whatever happens, it really is the perfect day. And if you do have a mini meltdown the night before? Make sure you have solid bridesmaids like myself equipped with cucumber slices and reassuring words (such as ‘what would Beyonce do?’)

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Classic + Elegant French-Themed Estate Wedding

I think I’ve died and gone to wedding heaven. Not only does this wedding feature the most beautiful Oscar de la Renta wedding dress, but it also has a pair of Chanel sandals that would make even Cinderella jealous. And that’s just the start. After seeing their engagement session, I knew this couple would have a beautiful wedding, and with help from Peony Events and Laura Clare Design, they definitely did. See it all from Paul Francis Photography in The Vault!

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From Paul Francis Photography…This beautiful wedding has details galore! They were honored to have SMP Publish their French themed engagement session (the groom is French).

From The Bride…Choosing a theme for our wedding was simple given the story and background of Victor and myself. I met Victor in The Bahamas on spring break in college. We were both seniors at different universities, but happened to be on the same spring break. I locked eyes with Victor right away and then when we started talking, I was immediately swept off my feet by his French accent! So, fast forward a few years later in June of 2013 when I arrived in his hometown of Nice in the South of France with my family. When we arrived, Victor took me to a small, romantic village in the South of France while my family met up with his family. He proposed to me that night and we spent the night together celebrating over a beautiful dinner in the countryside of France. We celebrated the next few days with our families and friends. As soon as we got back to the U.S., we started our wedding venue search immediately. Being from New Jersey, we were looking for places near where I grew up, as I knew it was really important and special to my mom to be able to get ready and leave from the house I grew up in. I was between a few places, but really wanted to make sure I found a venue that Victor and I connected with. When we saw The Park Savoy in Florham Park, NJ, we knew this was the place for us. What I loved most about The Park Savoy is that it had a classic, American aesthetic that coincided with my heritage, yet at the same time, when you entered the ballroom there were so many details that reminded me of being in France, for example the beautiful molding, chandeliers and sconces. Not to mention that I knew The Park Savoy was really well known for their impeccable service and abundance of food! So, once I saw the ballroom, I knew that my love for all things French would play a large role in the décor for our big day.

We had almost a two year engagement because I knew I wanted to be a summer bride and there were limited days left that I could choose from. So, I had a long time to think and plan my wedding day. For colors, I knew I wanted soft tones – so I was so excited to see that Amsale came out with a new palette of colors in their lace collection. I went with blush, dove grey and champagne for my bridesmaids. I had nine girls, so I had three girls in each color dress and they chose different necklines from Amsale’s lace collection. I chose the lace because I thought it was different and went perfectly with our French theme. When I found my wedding dress, I was immediately drawn to the applique flowers and wanted that to be a detail throughout different décor elements on the day of. For example, the flowers in my hair were similar to the ones on my dress and when I saw Chanel made shoes with similar floral details, I knew I had to have them! I even designed my cake to match my dress and it had the same design and pattern of the flowers on my gown.

My flowers were a mix of blushes, ivories, and soft greenery like dusty miller. Not only did I want the colors to be very light and romantic in look and feel, but I also wanted all the flower arrangements to appear loose and organic. My wedding planner and I worked closely with my florist to develop a look that went with the vibe of the venue, but also complemented myself and my bridesmaids. Each bridesmaid carried pink astilbe as their bouquet with some dusty miller accents that were tied with lace to match back to their dresses. I also bought them crystal earrings that were the same shape as the floral appliques on my dress.

When guests arrived at the venue, we had a life-size vintage bicycle planter with flowers coming out of the baskets and two signs, one saying “welcome” and the other “bienvenue.” When the guests walked into the entrance of The Park Savoy , their Escort Cards were placed in beds of lavender seeds surrounded by vases and candles. Nearby, was our guest book which was not a traditional guest book, but instead a “Love Lock Bridge” (like the one in Paris!) where guests would sign their names on a wooden vintage tag that was connected to a lock and they would then discard the key. I fell in love with mirrored signs with calligraphy writing, so had those throughout the venue. My favorite was our Signature Cocktail mirrored sign which told guests about our French inspired drink “Lavender Lemonade.” Around the perimeter of the ballroom were vintage chairs and chaises, so on each were either French inspired pillows or the bridesmaids pink astilbe bouquets. At the sweetheart table, our chairs had laser cut mirrored calligraphy signs – one saying “madame” and the other “monsieur.” As favors we gave Rose wine from the region of Provence, France. Something else that was unique to our wedding was that we had a live painter capturing the evening.

Looking back at the photos from our wedding day, I have such great memories. Although the planning of every detail can be daunting, it all came together beautifully in the end, especially with the help of my wedding planner who understood my vision inside out. All of our vendors were amazing and played a part in making our day so special. We were so pleased with everything and I was so happy to see my inspiration come to life on our big day!

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Little White Dresses for All Your Wedding Planning Needs

Forget the little black dress, when you’re a bride-to-be, it’s all about the little white dress. From your engagement party to your bridal shower to the post-wedding brunch, there are countless occasions during the wedding planning process where you’ll want to look “bridal.” And, we’ve got the perfect LWD (and the shoes and accessories to match!) for every single one!

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Five Tips for A Slam-Dunk Baby Shower

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Five Tips for A Slam-Dunk Baby Shower

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3. Use gifts as part of the decor.

4. Have fun with the details.

5. Don’t forget the sweets!

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