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

A Spare Room turned Bright, Creative Home Office

I dream about spaces like this. A bright white (not to mention organized) backdrop filled with colorful inspiration and a spot to roll your sleeves up and get creative. It’s heaven in the form of a home office transformed by Rookery Design for Akula Kreative. Tour the bright happy space photographed by Kimberly Chau with even more in the VAULT.

From empty room to functional workspace, this project took about three months to complete. Challenges included turning a dark, west-facing room into something with nice natural light, finding space to store a LOT of supplies without a closet, and creating a layout that would fit two workstations (and a dog bed).

When we moved in, this room had off-white walls and a ceiling fan. It looked very much like a home library/study. My goal, however, was to make it feel inviting, creative, and, most importantly, different from the rest of our house. To squeeze as much light as possible out of the windows, my husband spent three days painting it bright white. It made a huuuge difference!

My favorite part of the project is the built-in designed by Caroline of Rookery Design. Prior to moving to Texas, I had a commercial office AND a home office, so when we got here I had to cram two office’s worth of stuff into one. On top of that, there was no closet to hide my ginormous collection of paper, swatch books, work samples, and every arts and crafts supply you can imagine.

After providing a list of requests, Caroline went to work and showed me several options, from a custom built-in to “this is what you can build with IKEA furniture.” Not surprisingly, I was immediately drawn to the custom option. Yes, it was more expensive, but it was surprisingly manageable…AND…I could tell Caroline exactly what I wanted: cabinets that would fit a second printer, drawers for long paintbrushes, and shelves deep enough for desktop file boxes. Six weeks after approving the plans, a contractor arrived to install it.

As a creative, I couldn’t ask for a happier, more inspirational space. I love that I can feel just as professional at home as I did in my commercial space. In fact, this works better for me. I never know when inspiration will hit, so now my computer (and art supplies) are only a few steps away.

[dotted]

Find chic accessories for your office this way…

Chic Office Supplies

View Slideshow

Chic Office Supplies

View Slideshow

Photography: Kimberly Chau Photography | Interior Design: Rookery Design | Studio: Akula Kreative

A Boho Desert Inspiration Shoot with Major Dress Drama

This gallery had me at illusion lace, but what put it over the top was this floral kissed braid. OBSESSED! For this rural inspiration is desert chic done right. The ultimate pairing of elegance with boho chic details, The Blooming Bud blossoms, and one gorgeous backdrop, Lucy Munoz captured it all for you to see in The Vault!

From Lucy Munoz…We took to Joshua Tree National Park to create this amazing inspired bridal shoot. Surrounded by prickly and twisted Joshua trees, plus two deserts (the Colorado and Mojave, which meet right at Joshua National Park) made us feel like we were in such a glorious place! It’s no wonder people come here year after year. Our gorgeous gowns were by Sarah Seven and Xcite. We wanted a day to evening look and something that complemented the surroundings. We started off with the white Sarah Seven that looked amazing against the boulders. At dusk we transitioned to the black sheer evening gown by Xcite. We loved how it mimicked the twisted prickly branches of the Joshua trees. The Blooming bud’s gorgeous floral creations stopped us right in our tracks! She did both the altar and centerpieces that made us jump for joy. Sweet layers created the most spectacular cake with the most perfect hues of blues and golds. Megan Kelso created the beautiful invitation suite that complemented our whole look. In the end we lingered and lingered well after the light disappeared–It was so hard to say goodbye.

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Sarah Seven

Signature Bridal

Gold Label

View All Collections

Dreamy Lakeside Wedding Inspo You’ll Want to Steal

Stephanie Mballo Photography has officially delivered daydreams. Because this inspo? It’s beyond perfect. With an ethereal gown and flourished calligraphy galore, we’ve got it all (and more) waiting for you in The Vault. So what are you waiting for? Get lost in the pretty pronto.

From Stephanie Mballo Photography… This shoot was a true collaboration of many vendors coming together. We wanted to create a shoot that was attainable for brides, and that started with using a real couple to model. Claire (the bride) is also the very talented calligrapher involved in this shoot. Claire and her husband Jordan were the sweetest, most perfect models for this shoot. Claire wore her beautiful Watters wedding dress from her own wedding. The delicate palette of flowers from Laura at Lemon Blossom Designs set the tone for this shoot. Stephanie Mballo, the photographer, chose the lakeside location for its ethereal sunsets. The crown was made by Laura at Lemon Blossom designs and the amazing veil was hand made by Daci Johnson at La Neige Bridal. The candlesticks from Ira and Lucy made for a beautiful beachside ceremony setup. All the elements came together beautifully and made for this dreamy, dockside shoot.

Winter Wonderland Wedding Fit for a Snow King + Queen

Simply put, winter weddings warm our heart. Add in the fact that this daring Bride planned this snow-kissed celebration all on her own and you better bet we’re impressed. A day complete with a handsome man in uniform, dazzling decor, and of course endless love, Melina Wallisch Photography has captured it all to share and we’ve got every bit of it waiting for you in The Vault!

Colors

Seasons

Winter Weddings

Settings

Lodge

Styles

Casual

From Melina Wallisch Photography…Nathan is a Top Gun fighter pilot, as in Tom Cruise but, according to his best man, much better looking, way more skilled, and taller! Courtney is a talented Interior Designer from Fresno, California, who just happens to be smoking hot! Due to Nathan’s fighter pilot duties, the madly in love pair were kept far distances apart from each other. There was a small window of time over the Holidays where he was able to visit, so Courtney planned their wedding on the one weekend in December where they could be together! She would have never envisioned a wedding in the middle of December, but soon became very excited about the idea of a Winter Wonderland destination wedding in Lake Tahoe. She pulled it off seamlessly. Fresh snow had fallen the evening before, creating a blanket of white around the mountainside Chateau in Incline Village, Nevada. Snowflakes, lush white florals and glittery baubles sparkled throughout the design, set against flowy winter white drapery. Tree branches adorned with twinkle lights provided ambient uplighting. Frosty silver bridesmaids dresses looked beautiful next to Courtney’s long sleeve, open back, lace wedding gown and cathedral veil. Courtney’s snow white Ugg boots were perfect for keeping her toes warm throughout traveling to the venue and taking pictures in the snow, saving her rhinestone peep-toe Badgley Mischka heels for the wedding. A classic military sword routine welcomed the newlyweds to their grand entrance. The reception was a spirited dance party indoors (Courtney plays a mean air guitar!) coupled with cigars and smore’s around the fire pit on the veranda. The celebration continued on into the night, and ended with a farewell brunch the following day.

You’ve Got to See This Apple Orchard Wedding

Literally everything about this wedding is awesome. Think a darling bride and groom, heartwarming speeches by some seriously sweet friends + family (read: the Father of the Groom is hilarious) and a breathtaking Sky Top Orchard setting. And honestly? That’s just the beginning. Press play on the brilliant film from Sixpence Productions, then stay tuned for some beautiful imagery from Realities Photography below. (Oh, and head to THE VAULT for sooo much more.)

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/151970329 600 338]

Colors

Seasons

Spring Weddings

Settings

Outdoor Weddings Rustic Weddings

Styles

Al Fresco

From Sixpence Productions… Each year we are lucky enough to be invited to North Carolina to film. This year it was a Flat Rock Wedding at the gorgeous Sky Top Orchard which is owned and operated by Katie’s family. Katie and Sean’s family and friends were full of fun and we laughed our way through our entire weekend with them.

There were so many personal touches which absolutely made this wedding. From Katie’s little sister Margaret performing an acoustic version of “The First Day of my Life” for Katie and Sean’s first dance, to the incredible barrel of apples wedding cake designed and created by Katie’s close friend, chef Lindsay Cromartie. As a wedding film maker, one of the things which delighted me was Katie and Sean’s dog Bandit running around through the weekend with a GoPro on his back. We even managed to include some of the “Bandit-cam” footage in their final film as a surprise for them.

From the Bride… Sean and I met in Washington, D.C. on a kickball team that played every weekend on the National Mall. I had just started graduate school and we weren’t ready to start dating at that time. But we reconnected a couple years later when I graduated and have been together ever since!

One of our favorite things to do in D.C. is walk the monuments at night with our dog. They are lit up and beautiful and the crowds of the day are gone. Our third date was at the Jefferson Memorial, we sat on the big steps, played cards and drank hot chocolate. Two years later Sean took me back to the same place with our dog and asked me to marry him. That weekend before he proposed he took me to all our favorite first date spots, including the first place we had dinner together at Bonsai Sushi in Arlington. He also put a large white bow on our dog, so I suspected something was happening! We left for vacation to Southeast Asia a few days later and got to celebrate our engagement abroad.

Our wedding style was rustic elegant. Since we planned to have the wedding at Sky Top Orchard, the apple orchard were I grew up, we wanted to implement a lot of farm themes, including an open tent, farm tables, soft colors, and wagon rides for our guests to get from the site of the cocktail hour to the reception.

Some of our favorite things about the wedding include my sister singing our song for the first dance, our choreographed dance (only because we had so much fun at dance class together), our delicious wedding cake made by one of my bridesmaid’s Lindsay Cromartie who is a pastry chef and owns her own bakery, Gateaux in Flat Rock, N.C. and the venue. We also loved our caterer, Flipside catering based out of Charlotte, N.C.! The chef won the N.C. State Competition Dining Series in 2014, and the food did not disappoint! The caterer, Melodie McAbee, created such a beautiful cocktail hour with such an incredible eye to detail and presentation. We had the cocktail hour in the fruit stand. It was completely transformed and beautiful! We later moved to a beautifully decorated tent on top of the mountain for dinner and dancing.

Our wedding favors were cider glasses, with a large apple tree and our names and wedding date. The hard cider we served as a signature drink was made from Sky Top Apples.

Our dog, Bandit, wore a Go-Pro during the wedding. We had so much fun looking back at the footage of him. We forgot to feed him dinner that night, but our guests did not!

One of my favorite moments was first look with Sean. It was located in one of my favorite gardens at my parents house and it was special having a moment with just Sean, Bandit and I before the wedding. Our family along with bridesmaids and groomsmen were nearby too, so it was great having all the people we loved in one place.

Glamorous Lake Como Wedding Even George Clooney Would Be Jealous Of

Can you believe that this dreamy celebration was just part ONE of a three day destination wedding? Well, you’d better believe it and better yet? The beauty doesn’t end there. Add in a Lake Como ceremony, one crazy chic cathedral veil, and an alfresco reception, and you’ve got the ultimate celebration that even Hollywood’s elite would vie to attend. Captured by Janis Ratnieks we’ve got it all waiting in The Vault!

Colors

Seasons

Summer Weddings

Settings

Luxury Venue Religious Institution

Styles

Classic Weddings

From Janies Ratnieks…This is a destination wedding of Catherine and Christophe – a couple from Paris – they got married at Lake Como, Italy. August wedding. Day one was a Christian wedding ceremony, held at Parrochia Di S Abbondio church in Mezzegra, reception and party at Villa Giuseppina. Dress and bridesmaids dress design by brides sister – Claudine Ivari. This is a day one of three day celebrations…followed by a persian ceremony and party at Villa Erba, and a post wedding photo shoot.

Feather Caplets + Donuts Are Our New Wedding Must-Haves

I love when a Bride wears a little topper during the ceremony, a bit of modesty for a strapless number. But this Bride took it one chic step farther and donned a blush feather caplet following the vows and holy moly, I’m in love. It should come as no surprise she’s a wedding planner after all (owner of Mr. and Mrs. Wedding Events) because her look was one success among many for her November nuptials. Laura Ann Miller and Ever After Films captured every stylish second – hop over to our Vault for all the goodies!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/148550045 600 338]

Colors

Seasons

Winter Weddings

Settings

Event Venue Religious Institution

Styles

Classic Weddings

From the Bride… What a glorious day it was! As the owner of a wedding planning company in St. Louis, I had a fairly refined vision of the day when Spencer and I decided to get married. However, it was really important to me to set all that aside and make our decisions as a couple. As soon as we stepped foot inside the Boo Cat Club we were instantly in love with it’s sophisticated elegance. It was the perfect space to host the luxurious meal, fireside cocktails, and roaring live band we wanted for our guests. Laura and I had worked together on many weddings and photo shoots in the past and I knew she had to be the one to capture all this on our day.

I had been eyeing Vera Wang’s Ethel gown for years and had a local seamstress altar a lace shirt from Top Shop to give me a winter look for the ceremony. I switched it for a blush feather caplet during portraits which brought out the burgundy peonies in my bouquet. Instead of traditional favors, we gave out rally towels to help us celebrate in true hockey-fan style. At the bar we selected signature drinks which gave a nod to “his and her” favorites of White Russians and Margaritas, as well as placed a bottle of our favorite red wine on the dinner table for everyone to enjoy. We ended the night on a sugar high with the gourmet doughnut food truck parked outside.

I feel so grateful to have been surrounded by friends and family on such a special day, but the one thing I did not account for was the extra joy I would feel by having our team of vendors be made up of such close friends. Each of them went above and beyond to make our day one that will forever go down as my absolute favorite wedding!
[dotted]

More magical Midwest weddings this way!

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Wedding Dresses

Vera Wang

Spring 2015

Fall 2014

View All Collections

A Jewel Tone Wedding Palette? See How It’s Done!

I could go on and on about the design of this day. The rich, jewel-tone color palette. The beautiful Chicago setting. The Rosa Clara dress with an Old Hollywood vibe. But what really, really gets me? The love story behind it all. I’m talking childhood friends who were reacquainted as adults and married in the city near and dear to their hearts. Art of Imagination provided the ceremony backdrop at The Langham, Chicago, the bride planned every detail, and Clary Pfeiffer shot the unforgettable gallery. Pssst: the film below from Amor in Motion is everything.

[iframe https://player.vimeo.com/video/155767440?color=dedede 600 338]

Colors

Seasons

Winter Weddings

Settings

Ballroom Weddings Hotels + Resorts Weddings

Styles

Modern

From The Bride… Sometimes I still cannot believe how absolutely perfect our wedding day was. From the vibrant jewel tone flowers to being surrounded by so many friends and family, our day felt like a fairytale. Our day came together even better than I could have imagined thanks to the talented vendors that we worked with. As we reminisce (often) about the many wonderful moments it is so hard to pick favorites.

One of my favorite moments was seeing my dad for the first time. There were some challenges with my dress prior to our wedding day so finally getting to put it on and feel like a bride was such a special moment. My dad was one of the first people that I saw and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. He walked in, looked at me and with a huge grin on his face said “magnificent.” I’ll never forget that moment.

My mother-in-law always makes a point to recognize when moments happen that aren’t planned. One of my other favorites on our day was one of those unplanned moments. When we walked out to the Chicago Riverwalk to start taking pictures there were a 4 men playing some street music. All of a sudden they started playing songs like “At Last” for us which prompted Kevin and I to brush up on our dancing skills before our official first dance later that night. Kevin and I are both born and raised Chicago and live only a quarter mile from where we got married so it was such a sweet moment to dance on the streets of where our love story began, just the two of us, before the chaos of the day really began.

When we started having conversations about our wedding ceremony Kevin felt strongly about writing our own vows. I’m a crier at almost anything so I didn’t trust myself to be able to speak or receive Kevin’s promises without being a huge puddle but I agreed to write our own because I thought maybe the adrenaline of that day would allow me to keep it together. I cannot believe that at one point I didn’t want to write our own vows. We agreed on the word count and then never talked about them until we shared them with each other. I’m still shocked at how perfect our promises fit together. Getting to stand before Kevin and our community, I got to promise my heart, my support and my life to him. And I got to receive similar but different promises from Kevin. Hands down, the best.

Kevin and I have actually known each other our entire lives. When our moms were twenty somethings they lived in Chicago and ended up working together which started a life long friendship between our two families. When we were kids our families would go on vacations to Disney World and the Rocky Mountains together. Kevin just felt like another older brother.

But the story gets weirder. Three years ago, right around this time, my brother was three months from getting married to my mom’s other best friend’s daughter. Yes, it sounds made up but it’s real. I’ve known my husband and my sister in law my entire life thanks to my mom. I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and didn’t have a date to the wedding. One afternoon I was sitting in the Fort Meyers airport with Kevin’s mom waiting to fly back to Chicago together and she mentioned I should take Kevin to the wedding. She noted that he’d already be there, he’s good friends with my brother, he’d be a great date, he’d dance with me and tell me I looked pretty but there would be no expectation at all. That sounded perfect. I picked up the phone two weeks later and invited him as my date.

As we danced the night away together at my brother’s wedding, it was the first time that we ever spent time together as adults and we realized there might be something else there besides just being close family friends. I like to joke with Kevin that it was the beginning of the end. But it really was the beginning of the best “beginning” – us together. The rest of that summer we spent lots of time together trying to figure out what we were and eventually realized that we didn’t want to do life with out each other. A year and a half later, Kevin proposed on a Tuesday night over a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and frozen pizza in my little one bedroom apartment and made our close family friends officially family.

Dream of Being a Boss Lady? Start with these 4 tips!

Amanda Holstein, the voice behind Advice from a 20 Something and owner of this gorgeous bedroom, is offering up the best advice for building your confidence at work. Whether you’re just starting out in the professional world or a seasoned vet, a good handle on self-confidence can take you far; like boss lady far. Read up on her four easy tips below. More pretty offices can be found right here!

From Amanda Holstein…Whether you’re a recent grad trying to navigate your first job or you’ve been in your industry for years, self-confidence is a common struggle in the office, especially for women. But since having confidence in your abilities is key to a successful career, it’s important to be able to portray that confidence gracefully.

[dotted]

Be aware of your strengths & weaknesses.

No matter what industry you’re in or how far you are in your career, it’s important to know what your unique strengths and weaknesses are (in the office, that is). Ask yourself what tasks you feel most comfortable with and what you tend to shy away from.

Consider not only your industry knowledge & skills, but the social aspect of your job as well — do you feel comfortable speaking up in meetings? Asking for help? Disagreeing with others? Take some time to write down all of these things, without judgment, so that you have a clear perspective of who you are in the workplace. Being aware of your strengths & weaknesses can help you compartmentalize them from who you are as a person.

Don’t let your weaknesses define you.

What often affects our self-confidence at work is when we give our weaknesses too much power. Rather than defining yourself by your strengths & weaknesses, think of them as traits that change over time as you grow. So instead of telling yourself you’re a bad writer, for example, look at it as a skill you’re in the process of working on. Every time you need to use your writing skills, try to be aware of your performance. Maybe it wasn’t so great in that particular instance, but give yourself the opportunity to grow rather than telling yourself you’re just not a good writer.

Don’t let the fear of failure get in your way.

Another reason we often lack self-confidence is because we’re afraid of failing. It’s important to remember that you’re not expected to be perfect or to do everything perfectly all the time. That’s just in your head! You are allowed to make mistakes at work — it’s the way in which you handle those mistakes that really matters.

Let your strengths build you up.

Taking the time to really think about your strengths, appreciate them, and pride yourself on them is a great way to boost your self-confidence. Many times we focus more on the negative than the positive, but remembering how valuable your skills are and how they make you feel about yourself is so important. So anytime you notice yourself feeling less confident, remind yourself what you’re good at, what you like about yourself, and what value you bring to the work place.

What’s most important is understanding who you are as a person and not letting these stressful moments at work define you. Know that you can improve on just about anything you put your mind to and that you don’t have to be perfect — nobody is!

[dotted]

Psst… Learn how to craft an inspiring work space

Chic Up Your Office

View Slideshow

Chic Up Your Office

View Slideshow

[dotted]

Photography: Laura Foote | Office of Emily Ley | Advice:Amanda Holstein of Advice from a 20 Something

Breathtaking Photography from Craig Paulson Photography

Every day at SMP is pretty fabulous, but when your day also happens to include the brilliant work of Craig Paulson Photography, well… that’s a day that is a little extra special. Think breathtaking imagery from a talented team that knows all there is to know about capturing your Big Day perfectly… from that ah-mazing First Look to the last kiss of the evening. You HAVE to meet them, lovelies.

Founded in NYC and specializing in New York and destination weddings, the Craig Paulson Photography team has been organically photographing Big Day moments for over 15 years… and pride themselves on being completely unobtrusive when it comes to your wedding day moments. I’m talking YOUR unique story remembered forever in stunning images you didn’t even know were being captured. They’re just that good. From their high level of professionalism to their artistic take on every second to awe-inspiring images that you will cherish for always, hiring Craig Paulson Photography is an absolute must.

Ready to begin your journey to the images of a lifetime? Contact Craig Paulson Photography TODAY for that perfect blend of modern portraiture and classic photojournalism. We can’t.wait to see the breathtaking results.

Photography: Craig Paulson Photography | Makeup & Hair: SB Beauty | Design and Florals: 5th Avenue Weddings

categories

tags

Categories

Posts By