Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog

Lella Foster Giveaway

2010-02-09T13:36:27Z

We have a real treat for you today… and by treat, I mean a completely fabulous giveaway that is going to make one of you brides a very, very, happy girl. Lella Foster Designs is offering one lucky reader a custom bridal jewelry package valued at $4,500. I promise it’s not a typo (I had to check myself when I got the news). Just to give you an idea of the possibilities… feast your eyes on these beauties….

You’ll be working with Della (one of the sweetest people we know and the design goddess behind Lella Foster) to create your custom bridal collection. The best part is you can create any combination of pieces… a necklace to match the details on your dress, a gorgeous brooch for the mother-of-the-bride, earrings for your bridesmaids, you name it. The package includes an consultation with Della about the pieces and design, so you’re sure to create pieces that are not only sophisticated and beautiful, but are completely tailored to your wedding day style.

What’s the catch you say? Well, it’s not exactly complicated. All you need to do is tell us about the type of jewelry you would like to wear on your wedding day and why. Just tell us about your vision in the comments below and we’ll announce the winner this Friday, February 12th.

Lella Foster Designs is a member of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

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Post tags: Jewlery, Lella Foster
Post categories: Contests, Jewelry

From Inspiration to Reality: Translated

2010-02-09T01:08:55Z

So it’s just fine and dandy looking at these beautiful pictures, filled with beautiful people, and beautiful details. But how do you translate it into a wedding design, where there are 10 tables to fill and a limited amount of funds to devote to styling. Well, we have some ideas. Ideas that are gorgeous and that won’t break the bank. A HUGE thank you to James Christianson Photography, RSVP Shindig, Anna Be Bridal Boutique and Delilah’s of Denver for providing such a fun day of inspiration.

The Color Palette. This color palette is so insanely striking. It’s girly without being over the top. It’s modern while still being totally timeless. To get the same look, start with a patterned black and white fabric (or rented linens). If you don’t want to splurge on the entire table covering, head to your local fabric store and buy bolts, trim them down and use EZ hem to create large square place mats for the center of each table. Alternatively, a raspberry colored linen would look just as fantastic.

To add that amazing pop of pink, go for brightly colored roses or carnation, tightly packed into a large bowl. Carnations will save a bundle but you need to make sure that you really pack them in there. Accent with black napkins and you’re good to go.

The Chic Decor. We found these amazing black picture frames at IKEA for $24.99. We loved them so much, we bought them ourselves! Perfect for your wedding signage. Long pillar candles in silver holders like these to accent the tables, along with petite silver clocks each add to the drama.

The Fashion. We loooove the Vera Wang dress that the model is rocking, but it’s pricey. So if you are looking to save a few, we all fell madly in love with this one by Galina. Or, go even flirtier with a cocktail dress by our latest obsession, Ciarla bride. Add to that a cute pair of hot pink pumps and bridesmaids who are wearing their own little black dress and you have the recipe for gorgeous.

The Invitations. We spotted these cuties on 4th and Folded. Printed in Blossom with the Lexington liners…total perfection. And, at $55 for the templates, um…hello bargain.

The Food and Drinks. Save on your bar bill by just doing a signature cocktail (or beer, wine and a cocktail). For this look, a cold glass of champagne or a champagne cocktail is ideal. We can totally see a dessert and champagne reception with perfect French macarons and sweet crepes. Love, love, love.

So now we want to hear from YOU! Got any other great ideas as to how we can translate this picture perfect shoot into an actual wedding design?

Photography by James Christianson Photography / Event Design by RSVP Shindig / Fashion by Anna Be Bridal Boutique / Delilah’s of Denver / Sweet Letter Press / Carissa Beauty / Venue, Clock Tower Events / Video by Kevin Von Qualen / Headpiece by Sarah Gabriel / Calligraphy by Designs Girl / Sweet Treats by D Bar Desserts / Rentals by Butler Rents / Belt, Earrings and Bracelets by Haute Bride / Shoes by Prada / Bridesmaids Dress by Jenny Yoo / Bridesmaids Earrings by Meg Jewelry / Men’s Ties by Kannon’s Clothing of Wendell / Wedding Gown by Vera Wang

James Christianson Photographer, RSVP Shindig, Anna Bé, Delilah's Flowers of Denver, Sweet Letter Press, Carissa Beauty and Jenny Yoo are members of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.
Jenny Yoo and Vera Wang are members of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anna Be Bridal Boutique, Carissa Beauty, Clock Tower Events Kevin Von Qualen, D Bar Desserts, Delilah’s of Denver, Designs Girl, James Christianson Photography, Jenny Yoo, Meg Jewelry, RSVP Shindig, Sarah Gabriel, Sweet Letter ress, Vera Wang
Post categories: The Blog

From Inspiration to Reality: The Design, III

2010-02-08T20:54:18Z

It’s kind of blowing my mind today just how close to the actual inspiration board our team of vendors got. It’s almost uncanny. It’s the reason that I am such a huge advocate of the inspiration board. There is no better way to dream up your wedding day style, to hone your vision, to come up with a concept and edit in a way that everything makes sense. There is no better way to show your vendors all of the wedding beauty in your head and make sure that they are on the same page. And today’s shoot, photographed by James Christianson and designed by RSVP Shindig, just shows how invaluable that little board can be!

The champagne tower of glasses we knew we had to do. We not only had the perfect backdrop with the clock face but we wanted to make sure that they popped with color. So we added a rim of pink sugar. Who wouldn’t love to have a champagne tower of glasses at their wedding? It’s a trend we hope to see make it’s way back.

Anna Be had more dresses than we could even use. It was if Annie knew what dresses Anna Be had on hand. The Vera Wang dress in our shoot showed that you can be romantic, glamorous yet even modern. Known as the Sex and the City dress it was stunning. Sweet Letter Press ran with the pink for the menu cards, invite, and escort cards. The pink of the stationery kept the feeling of romance yet sophistication. We hope you love the end result as much as we all did. I know I can’t wait to hear what Annie thinks! Thank you so much!

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Post tags: Anna Be Bridal Boutique, Carissa Beauty, Clock Tower Events Kevin Von Qualen, D Bar Desserts, Delilah’s of Denver, Designs Girl, James Christianson Photography, Jenny Yoo, Meg Jewelry, RSVP Shindig, Sarah Gabriel, Sweet Letter ress, Vera Wang
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

From Inspiration to Reality: The Design, II

2010-02-08T20:54:44Z

We are off to the races with the most ahhhhmazing shoot ever and I can’t wait to unveil this next set of pics. If you need a little reminder of Annie’s board that inspired so much wedding goodness, click right here. Although with this talented crop of vendors, I can totally get how it turned out so awesome, I am still completely and totally blown away. The pink and black color palette, the incredible use of the clock icon, the perfect balance of girly and glam. Every little bit of this shoot is making me happy and I can’t wait to brainstorm ways to translate this into a real wedding a little later today.

Thanks so much to James Christianson Photography, RSVP Shindig, Anna Be Bridal Boutique, Delilah’s of Denver and a fabulous collection of other vendors for making it happen! (see full list below)

The space along with the design board inspired all of us in the design. Delilah’s chose to go with the lush flowers chosen by Annie since they played such a part of the design board. In keeping with the romantic feel they picked magnolia for the garlands along with garden roses and peonies in corals, pinks and dark reds.

The clock tower lent so many ideas for the tabletop. Travel clocks, to salt and pepper shakers in the shape of towers. RSVP Shindig was able to pull rental items from their inventory that matched perfectly with the space as well as giving a table that showed how to bring a modern approach to a traditional design. By mixing the Lenox art deco salad plate with the antique Francis I silverware it brought so many textures together to create a table that anyone would love to dine at on their wedding night or as a guest.

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Post tags: Anna Be Bridal Boutique, Carissa Beauty, Clock Tower Events Kevin Von Qualen, D Bar Desserts, Delilah’s of Denver, Designs Girl, James Christianson Photography, Jenny Yoo, Meg Jewelry, RSVP Shindig, Sarah Gabriel, Sweet Letter ress, Vera Wang
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

Engagement Shoot From Zoom Photography

2010-02-08T19:22:57Z

I’ve always said that the most romantic dinner EVER would be at an old diner with a cheeseburger, fries and a great bottle of champagne. So clearly, when I saw this e-session, I swooned. Sent to us by Lauri Levenfeld of Zoom Photography, this little photoshoot will most certainly make you smile! And the “love” hamburgers that say it all.

We met freshman year of college in English class at Washington University in Saint Louis. If we saw each other around campus or at parties, we would say hello but that was about the extent of our friendship. At the end of sophomore year we both decided to transfer to the art school and study Visual Communications. Our mutual friend told me this and I was excited. I always had a little crush on him.

The first day of our major we had to chose our seats for the year. I asked him if he wanted to share a cubicle with me and two of my friends. He agreed. Our class hours were long and we had to stay late several nights for projects. We became great friends over that year and were there for each other’s highs and lows. At the end of junior year we started dating.

The proposal came as quite a surprise. The morning he proposed he told me he wasn’t feeling well and took the day off from work. While he was home, preparing to propose, he found a ring that I had lost. This ring was very important to me and I was devastated that I couldn’t find it. At work, I got a message that he had discovered it, I was so excited to come home and get my ring back. I opened the door and there he was, apartment clean, beautiful flowers and him dressed very nicely. I walked in, looked around, and then asked him for the ring that I had lost. He showed it to me and put it on my finger. I thought to myself, that’s funny, it’s like a proposal. After that he looked at me and said that there was another ring he wanted to give me as well. Then he took a different box, opened it and proposed. I said yes!

Since we are both designers, we want to have a strong hand in all of the design elements of the wedding. We designed and used the letterpress ourselves for the save the dates and plan to do the same for the invitations and all printed pieces for the ceremony and wedding. All though it will be a larger wedding, we want to incorporate a lot of hand made pieces so it feels more personal and intimate.

We are getting married in the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento. This building used to be the old farmers market in Sacramento so we would like to play up that theme in the graphics and elements.

We didn’t have very many expectations for the photo shoot. We just wanted it to be laid back and let our personalities shine through. I think that Lauri was able to capture that very well. We loved the results. Russ enjoyed it so much that he thinks we should do something like this every five years to document the different stages of our lives.

Zoom Photography is a member of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

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Post tags: Engagement Shoot, Zoom Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

From Inspiration to Reality: The Design

2010-02-08T16:10:48Z

I would pretty much do anything to see a wedding inspired by today’s photo shoot. I would probably get on my hands and knees and BEG one of you super stylish brides out there to design a day that looks just like this. A little bit punk rock, a little bit high fashion…totally and completely glam. The inspiration board that started it all was a lesson in all things chic, and James Christianson Photography, RSVP Shindig, Anna Be Bridal Boutique, Delilah’s of Denver and a whole slew of other vendors (see full list below) took it to an ENTIRELY new level…

The vendors for our shoot unanimously chose the ultra glam, romantic style board created by Annie Packman. In Colorado we all have clients that love the rustic elegance in their design choices. So we all were ecstatic to bring to life a style board that was something so different than what we all typically work on. It was a challenge that we embraced!

Clock Tower Events is a new venue to downtown Denver. Prior to 1950 the Daniel & Fisher Department store was the ‘crown jewel’ of the Denver skyline. In the 1960’s after financial ruin the building was set to be demolished. Due to immense effort from preservationist in the early 1970’s Denver was able to save the actual Clock tower from being destroyed. Listed now on the National Register of Historic Places, it nightly lights up the Denver skyline and is remains a defining building for downtown. Thanks to Holly Kylberg the owner of the top five floors of the Clock Tower, we were able to use the space for our shoot. Once everyone saw the clock faces, the interiors along with the gorgeous mirrored mantles and fireplaces chosen by Holly we all knew that it was the perfect spot to shoot in.

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Post tags: Anna Be Bridal Boutique, Carissa Beauty, Clock Tower Events Kevin Von Qualen, D Bar Desserts, Delilah's of Denver, Designs Girl, James Christianson Photography, Jenny Yoo, Meg Jewelry, RSVP Shindig, Sarah Gabriel, Sweet Letter ress, Vera Wang
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

From Inspiration to Reality: The Board

2010-02-08T14:41:00Z

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We are starting the week off right with THE most incredible From Inspiration to Reality features you could ever imagine. Literally. It’s modern inspiration at its finest…with bits of rock and roll, serious glam and the most girly of girly details tucked in for good measure. And as I am putting the finishing touches on the day’s posts, I thought I could give you a quick peak at the board that Annie Packman designed…that inspired it all!

Kind of Marie Antoinette meets Pink, right? I mean the board alone is enough to elicit squeals of glee so you can only imagine what I did when I saw this…

OK. That was just a sneak peek kids. I’ll have the whole shebang coming up in just a few!

James Christianson Photographer, RSVP Shindig, Anna Bé, Delilah's Flowers of Denver, Sweet Letter Press and Carissa Beauty are members of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

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Post tags: From Inspiration to Reality
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

Wrap It Up Pretty

2010-02-06T14:24:19Z

It just so happens that many of this week’s weddings took place in warm, sunny California. Being an east coast girl myself, I don’t often get the opportunity to attend a wedding in say, Malibu. So, getting a glimpse of how west coast brides incorporate their surroundings totally makes me happy. I bookmarked a ton of ideas from the weddings below and wish I could find some way to include the mini Palm Spring cactus in my upcoming Pennsylvania wedding…

a little something that we have planned for next week, photographed by James Christianson, event design RSVP Shindig, floral design by Delilah’s of Denver

Enjoy these pretty posts and we look forward to seeing you on Monday!

DIY dream wedding in L.A.

Modern wedding in Malibu (and the groom designed the cake!)

A wedding giveaway for TWO deserving couples, read more here

Birds, bud vases and bikes make for one charming Texas wedding

San Fransisco wedding with an old fashioned vibe

The Ace Hotel was the perfect place for this couple’s retro vibe

Bright and sunny wedding in Palm Springs, (even the catuses look happy!)

Three couples take part in a vintage love shoot

LBB BLOG: Wine country wedding (How amazing is that tree?!)

Fairytale Michigan Wedding

Blue + White = Nautical Bliss

BACKSTAGE: Our new submissions tool

Fun links from around the web:

Bird and Banner’s adorable hankies can be found at an Anthropologie near you, via Bird and Banner

Charming invitation suites (and embellishments) via Green Wedding Shoes

Let your cookies do the talking, via Something Old, Something New

Gorgeous vintage head pieces, via Ritzy Bee

XOXO, Libby

James Christianson Photographer, RSVP Shindig and Delilah's Flowers of Denver are members of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

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Post tags:
Post categories: The Blog

Annapolis Wedding by Arthur Remanjon

2010-02-05T15:48:51Z

This wedding is all about the pretty. It’s East Coast style done to perfection with a little bit of prep, a little bit of pure elegance and an incredibly lovely understated style. Planned and designed by the forever fab Elizabeth Bailey Weddings and photographed by one of the best, Arthur Remanjon, all of you East Coasters are totally going to fall for this perfectly pretty affair.

We are so sad to say that the photographer behind this beautiful day, Arthur Remanjon, passed away shortly after the wedding. We hope that this feature speaks for itself as to just how talented, just how lovely he was. We are so honored to be able to brag about him here today.

This cute couple was all about personality. Little things, like the steel band for cocktail hour and the blue crab lollipops that served as escort cards, made the wedding that much more charming. They went for a laid back preppy style inspired by the fantastic color palette of the sea and the grounds. With green paper lanterns decorating the ceremony aisle, ring bearer pillows made of bright green flowers, blue sea glass chargers and a collection of antique silver vases and pitchers used as centerpieces…the wedding married the seaside theme with a sense of understated elegance. As for bride’s favorite detail…the monogrammed “L” for her new last name that was threaded through different elements, from the moss monogram hanging in the tree to the linen monogram dinner napkins that were given as gifts after the wedding.

Wedding Day Vendors: The Gibson Island Yacht Club – site of the ceremony and reception / Elizabeth Bailey Weddings – wedding planner / Arthur Remanjon – wedding photographer / MyDeeJay – reception music / The Calvert Duo – ceremony music / The Mellowtones Steel Band – cocktail hour music / Karen’s Flower Market– florist / Graul’s Market in Annapolis – the wedding cake / Party Rental Ltd. – chairs and tabletop rentals / Karen Schoelkopf – calligraphy / The Pleasure of Your Company – invitations and table name cards

Elizabeth Bailey Weddings and MyDeejay are members of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

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Post tags: Annapolis, Arthur Remanjon, Gibson Island Yacht Club, Maryland
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Michigan Wedding At The Townsend Hotel From Gourmet Invitations

2010-02-05T06:26:04Z

This is a tough one! Tifany at Gourmet Invitations sent us these beautiful images from the amazing photographers at The Shooting Gallery of Shannon and Aaron’s wedding, and it’s nearly impossible to rave about this wedding enough! Shannon’s to-die-for gown. The unbelievable art nouveau invitations. The edgy photography and gorgeous florals … well, you be the judge!

And from Tifany’s website …

According to Tifany, the invitation design was born from Shannon’s exquisite dress …

And from there … a fairytale dream come true celebration!

LOVE this shot … {Aaron is a chef}

LOTS more photos of Shannon and Aaron’s invitation suite on Gourmet Invitation’s blog!

Our THANKS to The Shooting Gallery for sharing these gorgeous images!

And here, from Shannon, their wedding “inspiration” …

I got my Lazaro gown at a trunk show at Macy’s State Street in Chicago. My Mom flew to Chicago for the weekend to attend the trunk show with me – Lazaro was there and drew a sketch of me in the dress … Super cool! I gave our floral designers at Blossoms a picture of my dress and that’s all. We knew whatever Norm & Dale did would be beautiful. Dale had suggested having a mini pocket on our place cards with the name of the guest on the outside- and a card on the inside with the table number and their entree choice. We met with Tifany and she made it happen! She also designed the custom menus (each guest’s name and their specific entree choice) ~ they were just perfect. The boxed invitations were beautiful and a result of us throwing around a few ideas- they morphed into the neatest invites I’ve ever seen. Aaron’s artistic side had the idea of using shadow boxes and mini stones to display the place cards.

How We Planned Our Wedding: We really and truly planned the wedding 100% together. We chose all of our vendors with the ‘coffee test’- if we met them and wanted to go have coffee with them- they were the one!

Congratulations on a positively stunning wedding!!

Credits: Photographer-The Shooting Gallery Photography; Stationery-Gourmet Invitations; Event Planner-Bells & Bliss; Venue-The Townsend Hotel; Bridal Gown: Lazaro, Macy’s, State Street, Chicago; Hair & Makeup-Posh Brides; Music-Panache Entertainment; Forals-Blossoms; Cake-The Townsend Bakery

Gourmet Invitations is a member of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

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Post tags: Gourmet Invitations
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Malibu Wedding with Modern Style, II

2010-02-04T19:22:33Z

We have tons more goodness from our latest featured wedding, but before we dive right in, I wanted to mention that Amy Nichols is guest blogging over on Backstage all about becoming a wedding planner. Lots of great tips and info!

So, I’m thinking you guys are about as jealous of this wedding as I am. It’s the kind of wedding that I want to model my home after…modern but not too stark. Elegant but not stuffy. Eclectic, meaningful and filled to the brim with organic, but oh-so-chic details. Oh and the cake that Amy at Vanilla Bakeshop crafted…well, it’s the reason that I am so obsessed with my job.

photographs by the FABULOUS Jasmine Star

Carissa and Brian wanted their wedding to feel totally relaxed, totally laid back. So a formal sit down dinner wasn’t going to work. Instead, they created a lounge style space with cabanas, ottomans and coffee tables. Carissa’s mom made over 50 pillows in varying shades to make the area seem even more cozy. They accented with capiz shell chandeliers (that her mom actually re-made from an existing chandelier), chunks of white coral and shells andhe most fabulous cake you’ve ever seen in your life.

And speaking of the cake, Brian (the cute groom) actually designed it himself. Being an architect, he wanted something that had clean lines and was really structural. Amy at vanilla bakeshop brought it to life, adding white coral and green succulents to make it even more perfect. How cool is that? They placed the cake on a clear acrylic podium filled with white crushed glass and sand blasted manzanita branches.

A few more details…the very small bridal party all got to choose their own chocolate brown gowns in a non formal fabric, accessorized with gold jewelry and shoes. Since Brian and Carissa are tv junkies (a couple after my own heart), they printed their favorite lines on cocktail napkins for guests to enjoy. “No soup for you!” “We were on a break!” and “Let’s talk about chicks man (chicks man)” were a few of the favs. They hung over 50 glass vases with water and floating candles from the large tree behind the cake display. They also added about 25 glass test tubes that held cymbidium orchids to make the effect even more beautiful.

I know what you are thinking…it just keeps getting better and better. Impossibly beautiful. Well, you can read all about the process and even more fabulous details by checking out Carissa’s blog, JL Designs. It’s SO worth the trip!

Amy Nichols Special Events and Vanilla Bakeshop are members of our Little Black Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

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Post categories: Casual Elegance

Malibu Wedding with Modern Style

2010-02-04T19:03:29Z

This isn’t your average pretty wedding. Nope. Not even close. It’s so unexpectedly modern. So clean, so refined, so undeniably gorgeous it’s almost hard to believe that it’s actually a real wedding. Oh but it is. The bride is the fabulously chic designer behind the brand JL Designs and her hubs is a crazy talented architect. So obviously, their wedding was going to reflect the insane sense of style and modern but absolutely luxe design sensibility that they share.

all photographs by Jasmine Star Photography

The wedding was held at a private residence in Malibu with the most incredible views on the planet. The couple decided on a classic modern look that they appropriately coined “Calvin Klein Meets South Beach,” with clean, modern lines and a beautifully chic style. They wanted it to seem as if they had simply invited their guests to the best cocktail party that they’ve ever thrown.

Carissa, the beautiful bride, took a completely edited approach to her wedding day style. From the sweet but subtle hints of bling in her bouquet (her grandmother’s engagement ring, her grandfather’s fraternity ring and her mother’s pendant) to to the beaded trim on her bridesmaids bouquets, every little bit of this wedding was a lesson in luxury. Oh and that gorgeous Nicole Miller gown…$450!

The cute pair kept the ceremony design really simple and streamlined so that the focus stayed on the ceremony itself and of course, on the jaw droppingly beautiful view. They splurged on bench seating and lined the aisle with tall glass vases filled to the brim with chunks of coral.

Lots more to come!

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Post tags: California, Jasmine Star, JL Designs, Malibu
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Palm Springs Wedding at The Ace Hotel II

2010-02-04T21:41:21Z

You know how some people are insanely chic and it all seems so effortless? Well, Sarah and Andrew are definitely one of those couples. Their day was a study in retro — from the old records to the succulents to the wedding dress made from lace doilies — and I could not be more excited to share it. Abi Q Photography did a wonderful job of capturing the vibrancy and spirit of this crazy, beautiful couple. They had one of those weddings where style and fun go hand in hand. Apparently, Palm Springs isn’t just for bachelorette parties anymore.

Venue - The Ace Hotel / Photographer - Abi Q Photography / Wedding Coordinator – Laurie Lund / Flowers - Rancho Mirage Florists/ Dress Designer - Alina Pizzano / Bridesmaid Dresses - J Crew / Videographer – Jacob Morales of Moving Pixel Films / Photo booth - Capitol Photo Booths / Hair and Makeup – Monique Montano from Bravo Salon, Pasadena / Hair Piece – Tarah Thomas / DJ – Albert Gonzalez

xoxo, Erin of Erin Ever After

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Post tags: Abi Q Photography, Alina Pizzano, Bravo Salon, California, J. Crew, Moving Pixil Films, Palm Springs, Retro Chic, The Ace Hotel, Vintage Glam
Post categories: The Blog, Vintage Chic, Whimsical

Palm Springs Wedding at The Ace Hotel

2010-02-04T21:39:49Z

I have been patiently (or maybe not so patiently) waiting for the fabulousness that is The Ace Hotel to be showcased in all of its glory at an uber chic wedding. It is the IDEAL backdrop… a little bit retro and a whole lot of cool. So you can imagine my excitement, and maybe a bit of squealing, when I came across Sarah and Andrew’s October wedding shot by Abi Q photography. The blogger gods must have been shinning down on me because this lovely, lovely shindig is perfection squared.

From the photographer:

Ever since I did their engagement session, I have been waiting for this wedding. Not only are Sarah and Andrew an amazingly stylish couple, but they are also over the moon in love (which makes a wedding, hands down), and the location made their wedding all the more delicious.

Sitting on the bed of her hotel room, Sarah was a vision, and quite possibly the calmest bride I’ve ever met. She bustled around the busy tent-like room checking her bridesmaids’ makeup, doing her mom’s and, most importantly, enjoying her special day.

While the girls were joking and sipping on champagne, there was a knock on the door. When they answered it , a brilliant bouquet of flowers was waiting for the lovely bride and inside was a note from her groom. “Today I marry my dream girl and I don’t have a care in the world.”

More to come in a bit from Sarah and Andrew’s fab day.

xoxo, Erin of Erin Ever After

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Post tags: Abi Q Photography, California, Erin Ever After, Palm Springs, Retro, The Ace Hotel, Vintage Glam
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Vintage Chic, Whimsical

Los Angeles Wedding by Shannon Renee, II

2010-02-03T20:58:31Z

It’s hard to imagine a more thoughtfully designed wedding than this one. Every detail, from the invitations to the mason jar centerpieces, was lovingly designed by the bride and her super cute groom…and in a way that was not only approachable and charming, but also incredibly elegant. Photographed by Shannon Renee Photography, we heart this wedding. Big time.

We had paper birds hanging from the lights outside where we had the ceremony. They were cut and put together by the bridesmaids from a stencil designed by my husband and strung up by the groomsmen. Our welcome wedding sign was painted by my husband and we used easels to put it up as well as the seating assignment board put together by hubby. Instead of table numbers, we had names of famous couples. We printed up photos of them and put them in wooden frames we found at a thrift store. The picture of us on the invitations was hand drawn by my husband. We scanned it in our computer and printed them out ourselves, then put everything together. We bought the envelopes and most of the paper from Paper Source and cut everything up on a cutting board we purchased. We also saved mason jars to be used as vases for the centerpieces.

All my married girlfriends were saying how fast the day goes by and they were so right! Just really try to be present and enjoy every moment with each other. Take comfort in knowing that everyone will do what they can to help get you married! Not everything will be perfect and some things are really beyond your control. For example, our venue didn’t have air conditioning and it was a 100 degrees that day so it was incredibly hot. All you can control is your attitude. It really was so much fun. My face was hurting at the end of the night from smiling so much!

As for the planning process, it really can be overwhelming at times, especially at the beginning. I was really lucky because my husband is super creative and talented and was really involved in the process. There’s just so much information out there. Don’t second guess yourself too much because then nothing will get done. There will always be a ‘better’ dress, ‘prettier’ hairtyle, ‘nicer’ location. Also, really trust your instincts when choosing your vendors. For example, we saw a venue early on that we really liked but I didn’t find the owners to be particularly friendly or welcoming and that rubbed me the wrong way so we decided to move on. When we met with Shannon, the photographer, she was the first photographer we met. We were already impressed with her work and when we met her, she had an incredible energy and warmth, so we booked her without meeting anyone else. It’s really important to infuse the day with as much supportive and positive energy as you can. Take up your friends’ offers to help out. You’ll need it.

At the end of it all, it really is just one day. The best part is that you get to marry the love of your life, everything else is just pretty decoration.

Stationery made by bride and groom / Flowers by Betty Lang of Vanda Events / Chairs by Arcadia Party Rentals / Tables provided by Party Divine / Personalized Silk Fans by TheKnot.com / Music by The Richard Glaser Band / Gown by Sean Collection / Shoes by RSVP on Zappos / Earrings by Nadri / Tuxes by Calvin Klein / Bridesmaids Gowns their own, chosen in different shades of blue / Korean Buffet catered by Palace Catering / Desserts by Portos Bakery / Photography by Shannon Renee Photography

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Post tags: California, Los Angeles, Palace Catering, Shannon Renee, The Richard Glaser Band, Vanda Events
Post categories: Casual Elegance