Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog

Wrap It Up Pretty + Winners!

2012-01-27T22:01:54Z

It’s time to say goodbye to another fabulous week of inspiration here at SMP and we couldn’t think of a more perfect way to send you off into your weekend festivities than with this heartwarming video by Spencer Combs. You see, not only is Spencer one very talented photographer, but he also happens to be a wonderful musician, as well. And the gift he presented his wife on their second anniversary is knock-your-socks-off, out-of-this-world amazing… the gift of song. Lucky for us, every last touching moment was caught on film and, believe me, it will literally fill your entire heart with joy. So, sit back, relax and prepare to take in every romantic second below. Oh, and then press “replay,” because it is just that good. Enjoy!

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From Spencer Combs… For my wife and I’s 2 year anniversary I wanted to do something that scares me more than anything, play music for her. We have been together for over 5 1/2 years and in that time she has been asking me to play and sing for her, but out of fear, I never did. This summer I had the idea to write her a song, and play it for her. So I ended up writing “You” and my friend Zach, who mixed produced and recorded the song, said we should play it for her live with the whole band. At first, I was like “NO WAY, that would be too scary.” But as I thought about it, I couldn’t help but think that is exactly what I should do. The best part about all of this is that Alex thought I was building her something and SHE WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED! I blindfolded her with 2 beanies, put her in the car, and drove around the city, so she wouldn’t know where I was going. Finally, we ended up at our church, where I rented out the sanctuary for the night and hired a sound man and lighting guy. The band was all set up and ready to go. I don’t think I have ever been more nervous, scared, excited, and every other emotion that goes into that, at the same time. This is the video of the whole surprise. Huge thanks to ZACH, Craig, Will, Troy, Ryan, Kirk, and Nick for all their hard work and help on this!

Song Written & Performed By: Spencer Combs / Recorded, Mixed & Mastered By: Zach of ToneFlood Studio

In case you missed any, here are all of the pretty posts from the week…

a gorgeous Austrian wedding
a beautiful California soiree
a stunning Kansas City wedding redo
a glorious North Yarmouth affair
fabulous winter wedding inspiration
a pretty, pretty Minneapolis wedding
a day filled with eight gorgeous weddings
a breathtaking Jamaica soiree
a romantic Austin affair
a sweet Sonoma soiree
a dreamy Ontario wedding

Some fabulous links from around the web…

adorable Mini Crepe Paper Flower Favors via Oh Happy Day
a gorgeous Napa elopement via Once Wed
yummy dark chocolate cookie crisps via Oh Joy!

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

Stems
Cre8ive Invitations
15 Minutes of Frame
Anna K Style
The St. Regis Deer Valley
Cherry Blossom Events
DNA Photographers
Tybee Island Wedding Chapel and Special Events
Honey of a Thousand Flowers
Stephanie Grace Designs
Southall Eden
Anne Robert Photography

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here. We’d love to hear from you!

And, last, but definitely not least… we have some winners to announce!

The winner of the $150 Love vs. Design gift card is Krista! Congratulations!

Congratulations to SMP Canada reader, Carli, for winning 2 VIP Tickets to Meet Randy Fenoli (with photo op and autograph), hear his presentation and enjoy the Style Lounge’s free beauty treatments and fashion shows at Style & Strut!

Congratulations to our SMP New York reader, Devon, for winning the eco-friendly and pretty Doie Robe!

Have a happy, happy weekend, lovelies! See you back here Monday morning! xoxo

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Post tags: Spencer Combs, ToneFlood Studio
Post categories: The Blog

Wrap It Up Pretty Little Black Book!

2012-01-27T16:49:37Z

We’ve sped through yet another week of 2012 (it is almost the SECOND month of the year already!) due largely to the delish eye candy we’ve been featuring all week in the form of pretty, pretty weddings. I guess what they say really is true – time does fly when you’re surrounded by beautiful nuptials! Right? This blogger is really looking forward to Monday morning when we’ll get to check out the rest of this fall beach wedding done right in Nantucket. But for now, just a little preview to send you off into your winter wedding weekends! xoxo

Floral Design by Soiree Floral & Photography by Cary Hazlegrove Photography

The week at a glance in case you missed any of the lovely:

a super cute couple tying the knot in style in this Florida highlight film
an oh-my-goodness Spanish affair that will definitely take your breath away
a Canadian wedding filled with the most fun energy we could imagine
a classic New Orleans fête made from dreams, for dreams
a double rainbow graced this perfect display of Vermont nuptials
a sweet DIY soiree on a beautiful Michigan lake
a whole lot of Southern Charm in this Tennessee Wedding
an Ontario Indian/Jewish/Christian fusion affair TO DIE FOR
an intimate St. Louis wedding small on details and huge on heart
a stunning California vineyard fête filled with amazing little deets & so much love

A few links we’re crushing on around the web:

a perfect color palette (honey & wheat) to warm up any day via Martha Stewart Weddings
a few tips we’re loving about planning the perfect menu via Green Wedding Shoes
a gorgeous Scottish lochside wedding via Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

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Post tags: Cary Hazlegrove Photography, Fall Weddings, Massachusetts, Nantucket, Soiree Floral, Wedding Inspiration, Weekly Wrap-Up, Winter Weddings, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Denver Wedding by Lindsay Carole Photography

2012-01-27T18:31:23Z

We heart this Bride for so many, many reasons. One – for her impossibly gorgeous dress. Two – for the fact that above all else, she wanted to be married near the ones she loved. So, from Australia to Colorado, she flew with her Hubby-to-be in tow for an effortlessly chic garden wedding at the Denver Botanical Gardens. And Three – the girl’s got some crazy good style and when she teamed up with By Design Event Decor, the rest is is a little piece of gorgeous history captured by Lindsay Carole Photography. See it all here!

And before you get lost in all the pretty details that the gallery has to offer, take a look at this film shot by Geoff and Justin of Born Madd. It’s the perfect way to end the day, the week, the month. Basically, it’s perfect and you should watch it right this second…

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… The day Dan asked me to marry him it was the easiest decision in the world. Once I began to plan the wedding, it all quickly became some of the hardest decisions to make. My fiance and I live in Australia, and we were planning a wedding for the other side of the world in Denver, Colorado. We decided on Denver because it was closer to home for me, so I was able to ensure all of my family would be able to come. Since I live in Australia and only get to see my family nearly every two years, it was the only thing I knew I needed to make my wedding day that much more special.

Once we had decided on the Denver Botanical Gardens, all the work went into finding the vendors on the ground to help me make it happen. We were very blessed to find so many talented and helpful people who made planning the wedding not only enjoyable, but also very relaxing. Everything was coordinated by email and short phone calls in between, even the food and decorations! It was so nice to have so many people on our team who are so good at what they do that you could trust them. We couldn’t taste test the food, so we just had to take the word of our caterer and we are so glad we did — the food was amazing! At the end of the day, the only thing I really cared about was being able to marry my best friend and have our families with us for that moment, so I knew it would all work out in the end.

On the day of the wedding everything went so smoothly. I was able to get ready relaxed and laughing with my sisters and my mom. My new sister-in-law did my hair so beautifully for me and we all had so much fun together while sipping champagne. For my something borrowed and something blue, my beautiful mother lent me her amazing blue sapphire ring and it was perfect! I am very close to my mom, so it meant everything to me to have her by my side the whole day. When I finally got to the gardens before the wedding, seeing how beautifully everything actually did come together just took my breath away! I couldn’t believe it looked exactly how I had envisioned it! It was such an enchanting sight, I felt like it was a dream. The gardens were a stunning scene to set the tone, but the combination of all of my designs and the decorations created the lighthearted mood I hoped to achieve. The centerpieces and flowers turned out amazing, and the decor was stunning! The whole day went off without a hitch, and it was so much fun to spend time with our families and all of our amazing nephews and nieces. Of course, the day went by so fast that we wish it could have lasted a little bit longer, but it was a day we will cherish for the rest of our lives. We are so grateful that we were able to have so many people be a part of our wedding.

Wedding Photography: Lindsay Carole Photography / Wedding Venue: Denver Botanical Gardens / Wedding Decor + Flowers: By Design Event Decor / Catering: Catering by Design / Wedding Dress: Roz la Kelin / Headpiece: Feathers and Frills / Wedding Cakes: Cake Crumbs / Hotel: Sheraton Denver Downtown / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Cinematography: Geoff and Justin of Born Madd /

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Post tags: Born Madd, By Design Event Decor, Cake Crumbs, Catering-By Design, Colorado, Denver, Denver Botanical Gardens, Feathers and Frills, Lindsay Carole Photography, Pink, Roz la Kelin, Sheraton Denver Downtown, Turquoise, White
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

San Francisco Wedding by Sasha Gulish Photography

2012-01-27T21:33:37Z

San Francisco, how do I love thee. The gorgeous backdrop, the chic approach to design, the coolest of the cool people. And home to some of the prettiest weddings on the planet. Which very much includes this next make you smile, make you gush celebration. Complete with little girls all in blue, a bride that is positively glowing and a sense of cool that just IS. Photographed by Sasha Gulish, this wedding is all love, all gorgeousness. Oh and click here to see even more fabulous pics, including a pup that will make you crack up laughing and some pretty awesome moped shots.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Sasha of Sasha Gulish Photography… For this event, we were inspired by a color palette of turquoise and gold. The bride had elegant taste and loved sparkle so we incorporated metallic, sparkle and sequins in subtle ways that really made the decor pop. The bride handmade all the paper flowers that were on her wedding arch with glitter paper from a kit from Paper Source. We had gold glitter in baskets, which the flower girls tossed as they walked down the aisle, and gold Grecian headbands for each of the bridesmaids. Even the bride’s bouquet had little berries spray-painted gold. Atelier Joya handmade all the gold pear place card holders on the dinner tables and the gold leaf wreath on the front door. The escort card display was set in sparkly gold beads in vintage glass trays to create a darling entry display, and this table was later turned over as a favor table with handmade soaps wrapped in glitter paper. The bride owns a bath shop in Pacific Heights, so gorgeous hand-milled French soap seemed especially appropriate for the favors. The bride also made the ring bearer pillow, which also fit with the color palette.

One of my favorite details was the custom DJ booth for the dancing portion of the evening. The bride is a wonderful painter, and we took a high resolution photograph of one of her abstract paintings and turned it into the light-up facade for the DJ booth. Often this detail is reserved for logos for corporate functions, but I thought it was really fun how it made the event feel personal (and served as a great backdrop for toasts).

An interesting piece of inspiration was how this wedding was structured. The bride invited about 50 guests — close family and her bridal party — to the ceremony and dinner portion of the evening. After dinner, everyone headed outside for a group photo while we cleaned the dinner tables and prepared for another 150 guests to join the bridal party for a rockin’ party. We had a taco station, a noodle bar, an ice cream sundae bar (with sugared mint leaves, among other things!), some great specialty cocktails, a photo booth and fabulous tunes by DJ Goyo along with layers of heavy passed hors d’oeuvres. It was such a fun way to have an intimate wedding but still have everyone join in the celebration and worked particularly well since the majority of their guests were local.

Wedding Photography: Sasha Gulish Photography / Wedding Flowers: Atelier Joya / Wedding Event Planning: Shannon Leahy Events / Wedding Venue: General’s Residence in San Francisco, California / Catering: Living Room Events / Desserts: The Whole Cake / DJ: DJ Goyo / Paper Flowers: DIY by the Bride / Paper Flower Materials: Paper Source / Wedding Gown: Kali Lambson-Bloom of Dark Gardens / Headbands: Atelier Joya / Flower Girl Dresses: Custom, Wee Scotty / Soap Wedding Favors: Bath Sense, Owned by the Bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: Various Designers

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Post tags: Atelier Joya, California, DJ Goyo, Flower girls, Fort Mason General's Residence, Gold, lily, Living Room Events, Lucite Boxes, moped, Paper Source, San Francisco, Sasha Gulish Photography, Shannon Leahy Events, Succulent, The Whole Cake, Tiffany blue, Turquoise
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Healdsburg Country Gardens Wedding from Jessamyn Harris + Jess Flood

2012-01-18T16:12:53Z

Can you believe we’re already four weeks into 2012? Also, can you believe the amazing weddings we’ve seen already this year? Well believe it, because the pretty continues in this California vineyard wedding, designed, planned, and flora’d by Jess Flood Event Design. It’s a little bit classic, a little bit eclectic, and a WHOLE lotta bit stunning. And… Jessamyn Harris Photographer captured every little detail and put them in a full image gallery in order to satisfy your need for more!

Will and I met at a concert. Going to shows and finding new music has been a key element of our relationship. We wanted our wedding to reflect this, so we made music a theme. We created a compilation of songs from our favorite bands whose shows we had attended together to give away as favors. The tables for dinner were named after different music venues in San Francisco that we’d been to, and the seating cards were made to look like a concert tickets.

The most important thing to us was that people have a really good time and feel welcome. We didn’t want it to be too formal; instead we wanted it to feel like a really fun party in someone’s backyard. We picked a bluegrass band to play for the ceremony and reception. We had a selection of pies rather than a wedding cake. Our flowers were placed in a variety of old bottles rather than vases. We used succulents as our centerpieces instead of cut flowers. We loved the idea that the plants at our wedding would continue to live and be enjoyed by our guests even after the wedding was over.

The best thing about the wedding was that all our friends and family really enjoyed themselves. We kept hearing from everyone how much they liked our other friends and family members that they were meeting. We felt completely loved and supported and lucky to have so many incredible people in our lives.

Photography: Jessamyn Harris Photographer / Floral & Event Design: Jess Flood Event Design / Event Planning: Jess Flood Event Design / Catering: Stark & Co. / Venue: Healdsburg Country Gardens / Pies: Mission Pie

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Post tags: California, California Vineyards, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue Orange, Healdsburg, Healdsburg Country Gardens, Jess Flood Event Design, Jessamyn Harris Photographer, Mission Pie, Outdoor Ceremonies, Outdoor Weddings, Ring Bearers, Stark & Co., Succulents, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wine, Wineries, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Behind the Scenes of Betsywhite Stationery

2012-01-27T18:59:58Z

We are spicing things up a bit this afternoon, and handing over the blogging reins to one of our favorite stationery stars, Gia of Betsywhite Stationery, for our first monthly installment of Behind the Scenes – where we pull back the curtain to the studios of some of our favorite designers! You’ll understand why we are kicking off the series with Betsywhite once you take a look into their lovely studio and see the amazing way their brain goes from inspiration to stationery reality with each design they touch. It’s really amazing, so I’ll stop blabbing and let Gia take it from here!

Hello SMP readers! I’m so thrilled that Abby has asked me to share a little about our studio with you! First, let me introduce myself. I’m Gia Graham, owner and Creative Director of Betsywhite Stationery – a design studio offering invitations and stationery for social events.

As a graphic designer, I initially started out in the world of corporate design. After working on countless boring brochures, I decided that I needed something more inspiring to fuel my creativity so I started designing wedding invitations about six years ago. I quickly realized that although it was important to create beautiful stationery, it was just as important to make sure those designs were reasonably priced. With that in mind, I set out to build a collection of deceptively affordable invitations and stationery. We launched our online store in 2008 and we’ve been designing invitations for brides worldwide since then!

I love the atmosphere in our studio – it’s a bright, airy, music-filled space. We’re pretty laid back around here. A typical day starts with a quick meeting to talk about what’s on the agenda for the day and to make sure everyone’s on the same page. The first part of the day is spent answering customer inquiries, revising proofs and filling sample orders from the day before. The rest of the day is usually spent creating proofs for new orders, packaging completed orders and depending on the time of year, working on new designs.

I think it’s important to be surrounded by the things you love and things which inspire you, especially if you work in a creative field. Here’s a sneak peek at our space…

The details:
fig. A: My desk
fig. B: Aimee’s desk (one of our designers)
fig. C: The vintage Hermes 3000 typewriter my hubby gave me for my birthday a couple years ago (it makes me happy)
fig. D: The Hermes 3000 types in an insanely adorable script font. Every now and then I type a little note so I can admire the font.
fig. E: Vintage postcards
fig. F: Tulips are my fave!
fig. G: My pinboard

The design process:
Ideas for new designs are constantly bouncing around in our heads. I usually jot things down as I think of them, or I pin things (on my actual pinboard or on my Pinterest boards) that spark new ideas. Sometimes inspiration will come from an object, a trend or even a color palette. Before a design makes an appearance in the store, it usually goes through several revisions, variations and critiques. We’re pros at nudging and tweaking around here!

Here’s a peek at how our minds work…

For the Dylan wedding invitation, I wanted to play with hard lines and feminine details:

With the McKenna wedding invitation we wanted a romantic, vintage feel:

The Arya wedding invitation was inspired by colorful sarees and ornate mehndi:

One of my favorite things to design is our wedding logos. More often than not, these designs begin as quick sketches and it’s such a thrill to see the final designs used by brides to brand their entire event, from invitations to favors. Here’s a look at how a couple of those designs began…

Thanks so much for taking a peek into our world! Congrats to those of you who are recently engaged… we hope you’ll join our circle of fabulous Betsywhite Brides!

fig. 1: Thread art by Dominique Falla / fig. 2: Scallop lanterns via Martha Stewart / fig. 3: Wooden scallop image found here / fig. 4: Thread art by Dominique Falla / fig. 5: Doily image found here / fig. 6 + 7: Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden via Design Sponge / fig. 8: Doily photo by Jose Villa via Style Me Pretty / fig. 9: Image found here / fig. 10: Mehndi image found here

Thank you Gia for sharing all of the prettiness that is your day to day! So inspirational! xoxo, A.Blaire

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Post tags: bestywhite stationery, Stationery
Post categories: The Blog, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Aptos Beach Home Wedding by Michael L’Heureux Photography

2012-01-26T22:49:23Z

It might not be ideal beach weather yet in some parts of the country but here in California the sun and the thermostat are almost always agreeable. Of course, once in a while mother nature gets a beef with us but even a little rain can’t stop the magic that happens at a California beach wedding. This fun, modern fête by Michael L’Heureux Photography with its pops of aqua blue and sandy, neutral hues is full of perfect, nautical goodness despite the cloudy skies. See it all in the full gallery!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Together with family and friends, we enjoy countless weekends and holidays at my parent’s beach home in Aptos, California. We love the casual, down-to-earth coastal community where days are spent running on the beach, stand-up paddle boarding, visiting local farmers markets, lounging in the sunshine and dining at quaint local restaurants. Ben and I desired that our wedding be a reflection of us as a couple as we shared our wedding vows in an intimate setting with immediate family. Our wish was for the focus to be on the commitment we were making to one another and the scriptures we selected. We chose to pour sand as an expression of our lives becoming one. Ben’s sand from his family’s farm in Ogallala, Nebraska, and I chose to use sand from the beach in Aptos.

One of our favorite pastimes is catching up during our walks along the shore while hunting for sea shells, which ultimately played a large part in our decorations and wedding cake theme. There are several key shells that carry memories from our visits. The first time Ben and I spent time at the coast for the weekend, we found dozens of silver dollars, only to discover there were still creatures inside the beautiful shells. We were also able to incorporate driftwood from our walks into some signage for our ceremony.

The colors were taken from the elements that surround us at the coast. A natural burlap tan and the ocean’s clear blue, along with the natural elements of shells and silver accents, created the backdrop for the wedding. Sharing very similar styles, my mom created the ambiance for the day that captured our vision. My dress, shoes and handmade flower hair accessory were a perfect reflection of the no frill, yet elegantly timeless style I had envisioned for my wedding day. It was an ideal ensemble to wear down to the beach. As coastal weather would have it in November, it began raining shortly before our beach wedding ceremony was set to begin. Thankfully, we had a backup plan of erecting a large tent spanning the dimensions of our beach home’s balcony, still capturing ocean views from the Monterey Peninsula to Santa Cruz. The moment my father and I began to walk down the aisle and my eyes met Ben’s, a sensation of such emotion welled up inside, it was as if we were the only ones in the room. Although we had envisioned getting married barefoot on the beach, no words can express how perfect our wedding day was.

Wedding Photography: Michael L’Heureux Photography / Wedding Venue: The Bride’s Family Beach Home in Aptos, California / Catering: Barbara & Company Catering / Floral Design: Boulder Creek Flowers / Officiant: Fred Leonard / Hair + Makeup: Valerie & Lauren of Last Resort Salon / Hairpiece: LeFlowers / Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo / Groom’s Suit: Macy’s / Musician: Ken Constable / Wedding Invitations: Scribbles / Rentals: Alexis Party Rentals

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Post tags: Alexis Party Rentals, Alfred Angelo, Aptos, Barbara & Company Catering, California, Fred Leonard, Ken Constable, Last Resort Salon, LeFlowers, Macy's, Michael L'Heureux Photography, Scribbles
Post categories: California Weddings

Elegant Hawkesbury Styled Bridal Shower by Essential Wedding Design

2012-01-26T23:55:51Z

The moment I laid eyes on this bridal shower by Essential Wedding Design I became instantly and absolutely enamored. It is sweet, sweet enchantment through and through from the glittering table settings to the flirty and romantically styled bride and bridesmaids right up to their delightfully coifed hair. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more charming! You’ll be in for the sweetest of treats if you go over to the full gallery!

Click here to see the FULL photo shoot!

From Trish of Essential Wedding Design… Elegant bridal showers in Australia are yet to become commonplace. It’s all too common to see the same games played, the same activities organized and food and decorations set out no differently from ’90s bridal showers. I want to see bridesmaids setting a standard of real bridal elegance and beauty, in such ways as the styling, the themes and the decor. So in designing this styled shoot, I wanted to demonstrate this class through the color scheme, the dessert table and sitting table layout and styling, the dress code and the hair accessories and jewelery. The decor’s beauty was only magnified by the girls, who looked stunningly beautiful, glowing and happy.

Bridal Shower Concept, Styling + Dessert Tables: Trish Thomas of Essential Wedding Design / Photography: Je ssica Ruisan / Make Up + Hair: Helen Sotis + Makeup by Monique / Stationery: Peppermint Press / Cupcakes + Cookies: The Cupcake House / Feature Cake: Put a Cake In It / Side Cakes: Ma’Cake / Desserts: Confetti & Crumbs / Hair Accessories + Jewelery: Bespoke by Renee / Bride’s Pearls: The Joy of Pearls / Models: Carley, Gillian & Celeste / Location: A Backyard in East Kurrajong, New South Wales, Australia

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Post tags: Australia, Bespoke by Renee, Blush, Bridal Shower, Confetti & Crumbs, Cream, East Kurrajong, Essential Wedding Design, Hawkesbury, Helen Sotis, Jessica Ruisan, Ma'Cake, Makeup by Monique, New South Wales, Peppermint Press, Photo Shoot, Put a Cake In It, Taupe, The Cupcake House, The Joy of Pearls, Trish Thomas, White
Post categories: Australia Weddings, New South Wales