Weddings

Photos: Jason Walker and Shannen Norman of Ira Lippke Studios (top); Courtesy of De Beers (bottom) While every wedding is romantic, certain soirées add an extra degree of warmth and intimacy to the proceedings making it an event to remember. Enhance the vibe of your special day with wedding jewelry: A pink gold and diamond heart pendant achieves a traditionally romantic feel, while diamond drop earrings are a royally glamorous way to show your love. We asked the lovely ladies behind 100 Layer Cake to share their favorite pieces from the De Beers collection for a classic. Read about their picks below, and visit the complete slideshow to see more sparkling jewelry ideas for a modern and a classic wedding. 1. "Wear your hair up to show off these pretties and add a major touch of glam." —100 Layer Cake Style J2FQ02Z00W, Eternity Drop Earrings, $4,000, De Beers 2. "Dainty and sweet, this diamond heart pendant is perfect for your wedding day, or any day for that matter." —100 Layer Cake Style J5DD35Z00K, De Beers Diamond Heart Pendant, $2,000, De Beers 3. "A delicate and simple piece, great for everyday." —100 Layer Cake Style J3HA07Z00Y, Azulea Bangle Yellow Gold, $2,800, De Beers 4. "The organic shapes in this beauty have such a delicate, lyrical quality about them. It's perfect for the bohemian bride." —100 Layer Cake Style J1FW02Z00K, Adonis Rose Band, $3,700, De Beers You Might Also Like: Browse all engagement rings and wedding bands Yellow Gold Wedding Bands for Women Princess-Cut Engagement Rings We Love!

Sorry for the lag in posting, but I’m having some family health issues. Anyway, back on track—our wedding is turning into the most expensive backyard cookout of all time. It’s under a tent, next to a river…but there will be no vans in site, sorry Matt Foley… Image via GifSoup.com Early on we decided we did not want the hotel ballroom wedding with crystal chandeliers and uplighting in our designated wedding colors. We knew we wanted it to be more about having a good time and a fun experience, which in our circle of friends means two things: drinking and cornhole. Growing up and going to college in Pennsylvania, we didn’t play much of this wonderful game. When I moved to North Carolina, it was everywhere I turned: Personal photo Personal photo Personal photo Yeah. It’s a big deal with my people. In case you’re not familiar, the object is to throw a beanbag into the hole on the board opposite from where you’re standing. Three points if you make it in the hole, one point if it lands on the board. Zero points if you overthrow the beanbag and hit your fiance in the face. (Sorry, Cam.) So naturally, when thinking of what could make our wedding even more fun (if that was possible!), we turned to cornhole. Cam’s brother-in-law made us a set a few years back. Here’s my cat Milo modeling them on our porch: Personal photo We asked him to construct us a second set, and then, in case I didn’t have enough stuff to do with a mere two months to go, I’m going to design and paint them. I’m at a lack of ideas for what to paint so I turned to the masses, and here are some examples of wedding cornhole boards. Image via Style Me Pretty / Photography by Shyla Photography Image via OneWed / Board by Style My Corntoss on Etsy Image via KlocksWoodworking.com Or who could forget Mrs. Mink’s amazing boards? Image via Weddingbee Ah-mazing, right? I don’t know if I have THAT much time/energy/patience to invest in this project, but as you can see I have a feeling it will be used, and greatly appreciated with our group of friends. I have yet to decide on the design, but I’m partial to the mustache and lips. File this in the yet-to-do stack, which is growing rapidly by the day, but it’s definitely toward the top. I think it’s going to fit in nicely with our crowd and is yet another element to the day that will help ensure it’s just a fun celebration of Cam and me. Anyone else do cornhole boards? What was your design? Was it used?

It doesn’t get dreamier than this shoot from Marianne Wilson Photography. It simply doesn’t. With a beautiful blend of boho and european inspiration mixed with breathtaking florals by Knot Just Flowers - it’s all pinch yourself pretty from the first image to the last.  Pretty that is sure to inspire, and pretty that I plan on getting lost in for many hours today, and you can join me right here. ColorsSeasonsSpringSummerSettingsOutdoorsStylesRomanticRustic From KnotJustFlowers…I’ve always dreamt of visiting French countrysides with their beautiful  natural landscapes.  Since I have yet to visit France, I thought why not bring a little French countryside inspiration into our photo shoot? As an avid thrift store/flea market shopper, I am always on the lookout for pieces that just inspire. I came across a beautiful set of blue patterned plates that really set the tone for this shoot, they had been tucked away just waiting anxiously to be used. Finding a location was easy with the help of the talented and lovely Marianne Sanada of Marianne Wilson Photography.  I’ve worked with her before and I’ve seriously become her biggest fan! She gathered 3 gorgeous and I mean gorgeous models who all happened to be previous brides (and all brides who had their weddings featured on SMP!)  I  enlisted the savory talents of good friend and authentic French Chef Jean Phillipe-Sitbon of At Your Service Catering to provide the delicate cheese and dessert table.  I collaborated with Vickie Berry to source and gather unique vintage items and rentals via Red Door Events. Having these one of a kind pieces really made everything come together – a recipe for a sweet romantic French Country inspired shoot! We also had extremely talented ladies prepping our models with their gorgeous hair and makeup. Lindsay of Wedlocks bridal fashioned their sweet and pretty hair styles while Ayat Malek gave them each a down to earth boho chic look with their make-up. Photography: Marianne + Loretta, Marianne Wilson Photography | Floral Design + Styling: Knot Just Flowers + Vickie Berry | Vintage Table + Chairs, Framed Chalkboard, Metal Hearts: Red Door Events by Becky McCormick | Cheese + Dessert Table: Chef Jean Philippe-Sitbon At Your Service Catering | Make up: Ayat Malek Kiankhooy | Hair: Wedlocks Bridal | Menu + Escort Cards: Anne Robin Calligraphy | Wardrobe: Vintage Collection by Sharon Lopez of Knot Just Flowers + Free People | Models: Pamela Walworth Baker, Sarah Carter Robertson, and Jonna Walsh DeWyze © Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2013. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Post categories: Photo Shoot

Like many brides, I want to be somewhat “traditional” on my wedding day, but at the same time I want our day to reflect us. I think we are planning a good mix of what traditions to use and to what lose. Traditions to Use First Dance: I will go into more detail later, but we are already so excited for our first dance as husband and wife. No, we won’t be one of those cool couples who surprises everyone with an awesome dance, although I love how that is becoming popular. We are just very excited about the song we selected and we can’t wait to share it with our friends and family. Love this! Photo by Kimberley Bednarski Anderson / Image via KB Image Photo Somethings: We all know the expression: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” And sometimes “a sixpence in her shoe” is included, although I don’t think I will go that far. I like this one a lot—it is a neat way to tie us brides together. You can easily incorporate these details into your ensemble, and it is sweet to remember the special meaning of each piece. I already know my earrings (and possibly shoes) will be my something blue. I think I am borrowing Bridesmaid Runner’s veil, so that will be my something borrowed. My dress will be new. Until a few nights ago, the only missing piece was something old—but then Mr. B gave me this: Personal photo This is a pin that belonged to his grandmother. I unfortunately never met her, but it is clear to me her legacy lives on in Mr. B’s family. Incorporating her into our day just feels right. Wedding Cake: I’ve already talked about our wedding cake, so it isn’t news that we are having one. I did, however, consider other options. There are so many ways to sweeten up your reception these days—candy buffets, cupcake towers, ice cream sundae bars, etc. I love all of those options, but I also love the idea of having a wedding cake. It just seems so classic. Another deciding factor is the fact we do not have a lot of room for extra tables at the reception—a small table for the cake will be tricky enough to squeeze in. That seems to be the end of the line for the major traditions we are using, unless you count a wedding dress, bouquet, bridesmaids, and all of the other items that are “traditions” but also no-brainers. I am excited to have some of this history with me on my wedding day. What traditions were important to you?

Photo: Oh, Darling! Photography It's officially wedding season, and whether you're a bride, bridesmaid, or guest, surely many of you are getting in on the "I do" fun in one way or another this year. And while brides are the gals in the spotlight – wearing the crowns at the bachelorette parties and registering for gifts galore – they certainly aren't the only ones enjoying the perks of this nuptial season. In fact, it's a lot less stressful being a guest. Unattached? You don't need a plus-one to take advantage of a friend or family member's big day. Here are nine reasons to love wedding season when you're single and ready to mingle! 1. It's an excuse to dance. It's like a free club with people you know instead of strangers. What beats that? 2. There's an open bar. The alcohol will be flowing, and unlike the bride, you don't have to worry about being sober in front of relatives, awake enough for the "wedding night," and perky the next morning for a flight to Cancun. 3. It's less sketchy than a bar for meeting and flirting with guys. Other single guys attending the wedding have at least passed the crazy test with either the bride or groom, so they shouldn't be quite as creepy as bar hoppers. 4. Two words: bachelorette party. Bachelorette parties and destination weddings mean you have perfectly acceptable excuses to take lots of minivacations. And if you're single, then you'll be able to take advantage of any male attention. Nighty night, marrieds; see ya in the morning! 5. You can catch up with girlfriends you haven't seen in a while. With all the parties, showers, and big-day festivities, a wedding is a great way to reconnect with friends you've been too busy to spend time with. 6. There's free food and cake. While the bride is too busy to eat and too worried about her wedding dress figure to indulge in cake, you can partake guilt-free and just dance it off! 7. It's a reason to dress up. If you've been looking for a chance to rock your favorite cocktail dresses, a wedding is the perfect event to get all glammed up and flirt with a fellow guest (or that hot bartender!). 8. You can take notes for your own future wedding. As a guest, you can see what works and what doesn't firsthand and learn from their mistakes for your own big day! 9. It's a way to make new friends. If you don't know a ton of people at the wedding, there's no better icebreaker than a night of dancing and champagne toasts! —Tara Block, POPSUGAR You Might Also Like: 10 Reasons Eloping is Beautiful Sweet Father/Daughter Moments 10 DIYs For Bridesmaids

Our hearts are heavy as we keep Eric Langlois and his precious family in mind during this most difficult time. For more information and ways to help, please visit our LBB blog. #findericlanglois Tucked inside this affair is the flavor of Texas, the camera skills of the wildly talented Nichols and a classic wedding with punches of color and fun little details woven throughout. Now that is a recipe for an Austin wedding done so, so right. And with the crafting of Keely Thorne Events and florals by Merveille Events, that recipe was turned into pink-hued succulent perfection with a side of margaritas. See so much more in the full gallery. Please upgrade your browser ColorsSeasonsSpringSettingsMansionStylesTraditional Elegance From the Bride…I grew up in Texas, spent most of my twenties in LA, and currently Andrew and I live NYC.  Andrew’s family is from Ohio and New Jersey, so.. to sum it up… 85% of our guests were out of towners traveling to Austin, and we wanted to show them a good time. When we first began our planning we were really searching for some exotic theme or story and then we realized that Austin and Texas in itself was everything we needed. We were asking a lot of our friends and family to travel to Austin so what better way to make everyone feel at home.  We created a website www.cometotexasyall.com which also became our hashtag, #cometotexasyall for our friends, family and guests to post pics on Instagram throughout and leading up to the weekend. I’m a lingerie designer for Victoria’s Secret and I have a penchant for all things vintage. Because of this I knew I wanted to wear a lot of lace. My dress was an all lace, body clinging sheath from Amsale and I wore my grandmothers veil.  That was my favorite part. It’s a hundred years old and she brought it back on a European cruise ship. Both of my sisters wore it and we all wore it differently.  I also loved my shoes. I saw them in a magazine, tracked them down and to my chagrin realized they were much too expensive.  A few months later I walked into the Ferragamo store on 5th ave and there they were half the price. I weeped a little. My clutch is their perfect counterpart. It’s also blue velvet and is from a best friend’s handbag line, Patrick Shannon.  To add to our vintage feel, Andrew had a suit custom made by a NYC tailor in navy, one of our colors, and I gifted him my grandfather’s pocket watch which was the ideal compliment to his look. Our ceremony was perfect in message and sentiment.  A best friend’s serenade of our favorite Patty Griffin song and another best friend’s Dad officiating our ceremony while my twin sis, older sis and cousin stood at our side. Growing up in Texas was a unique experience that’s very close to my heart so we wanted to capture the color and friendliness of the great state.  We hand selected Mexican, Otomi embroidered table runners for the tables and my brother in law had piñatas custom made from a photo.  One of my favorite and most special touches of our wedding were our party favors.  My mom had the idea to give little yellow boxes of worry dolls.  It’s a Guatemalan tradition and you are supposed to give your worry to each little doll and sleep with them under your pillow and legend says they’ll take your worry away. Our friends from LA gifted us the peached tortilla truck. Lucky for me, Andrew is a talented cook and we are both huge foodies so it was the perfect gift. Andrew worked with our friend, Will Sexton to bring together a group of talented musicians for the after party to play our favorite classic rock and country hits.  Tunes from CCR to Willie Nelson had the dance floor jumping til the early morning light.  My favorite moments were when everyone was on the dance floor, of course!  And when everyone got into the cascarón, mexican confetti eggs as we left the reception to head to the after party. It was really fun to see everyone

Finalizing our budget had to be the hardest thing for us to do for a multitude of reasons. One of the main reasons being neither Mr. Scooter nor I have had to really consider one another when making financial decisions. When Mr. Scooter wanted to spend a ridiculous amount of his hard earned money on ONE golf club…I had no say in it. Although I had my personal opinions, I kept them to myself since I didn’t want him to comment on my frequent runs to get outfits. Shortly after Before even getting engaged, I started researching activities to do once you are engaged. My search engine was filled with “you’re engaged, now what” or “top 10 things to do after your engagement.” I wasn’t surprised that every one said SET A BUDGET! So now, we had to decide how our money would be used…interesting. OK, that is simple enough…right? Well, for me it wasn’t. If you are a newly engaged person (or soon to be) don’t feel bad if you don’t have a starting point to creating a budget, the Scooters were in the same boat. So I want to walk you through how we created our budget. Research percentage breakdown of weddings. We researched the typical standard percentage breakdown of the average wedding. This allowed us to understand the baseline of what has been spent. Since we are both analytical people, we want to easily be able to know if we are getting a “bargain” by going with one option or another. We used free resources from websites like The Knot and Cost of Wedding. Add to the list provided by the online resources. So now that we had an idea of large “buckets” that comprise a wedding, we sat down to see if there were any obvious sections we thought we should add. After all, it is going to be our wedding and we wanted to have a comprehensive list of what we want. We actually didn’t add anything to the list. Instead, we made notes of what should be included in a section. (For example, we will put the photo booth in with the entertainment/music.) Prioritize the list and adjust percentage accordingly. After the list is compiled, we then prioritized the list. This actually helped in creating our theme. Since flowers were not that important, we were both OK with slashing the flowers budget because we would only need them for the ceremony. This gave us the latitude to tell people “We are going to have a flowerless reception.” Conversely, we found that cocktail and dinner (read: bar package) was really important. We also knew that would come with a hefty price tag, so we decided to increase our reception/ceremony percentage. We also kept items like miscellaneous and “just in case” because things come up and we don’t want those thing to break our budget drastically. Determine if you will have any help paying. In order to get an accurate picture of what you are working with, you have to know if any family members are going to help with it. The Scooters went into the planning process with the intention of paying for it by ourselves. **news alert** I am somewhat of a control freak, so I didn’t want to accept money and then have to deal with people’s opinions. Funny thing happened after we started planning our big day—both of our families agreed to put money toward our event. Papa Scooter’s contribution really caught us off guard. It was given as a “here is a lump sum, do with it what you want, just remember a wedding is one day and a marriage is a lifetime.” That was sound advice and I have taken it to heart. Like Papa Scooter, Mr. Scooter’s parents graciously agreed to give us money to use as we wanted. Pick a figure that you can live with. We reviewed our long-term financial goals to pick the big number. As cliché as this sounds, we had to determine if we were willing to spend our proverbial “last dime” on this wedding. It was an easy decision for us that we wanted a quality experience for our wedding guests, but it was/is more important that our marriage be set up for success, which meant that we needed to reserve money after paying wedd

Oh, to be whisked away to Portugal where today’s styled shoot takes place. Piteira Photography and the stylists behind Something Borrowed crafted a lovely styled shoot full of Portuguese charm, wildflowers, and lace details, all adding up to some truly charming wedding inspiration. From Luis and Kerry of Piteira Photography: Because of the rural, low-key feeling we wanted to portray, and because the session was styled in the spring, we went with wild flowers from the surrounding countryside for the table decor and bouquet. We wanted to make the styling accessible to DIY and crafty brides while at the same time showcasing the natural beauty of the Portuguese countryside. We also wanted to keep things local and seasonal, reduce the carbon footprint and do our part, as small as it may be, to take care of our planet. Keeping this in mind we sourced the sweet treats and dessert table items (all typical Portuguese pastries) from a local “pastelaria” in the neighbouring town of Mafra. They are particularly well known for their Pasteis da Nata, a delicious vanilla custard tartlet in a crispy pastry shell… one of the most typical, and famous, Portuguese pastries. The cutlery and tableware was all sourced from a variety of grandmother’s cabinets combined with a few pieces from the local antiques market. We wanted every piece to be different and mismatched so everyone contributed to the tableware and the final result was pieced together with rustic charm by Teresa from Something Borrowed. View all images from this shoot in the gallery Event Location: Mafra, Portugal / Photographer: Piteira Photography / Event Styling and Design: Something Borrowed / Event Venue: Aldeia da Mata Pequena / Wedding Cake: Little Upside Down Cake / Sweets: Polo Norte © Ruffled, 2013. | %%postname%% | No comment | Posted under: Wedding Design | Topics: cream, lace, Mafra, Piteira Photography, Portugal, rural, rustic weddings, white

Love love love all the pops of color!

It’s no secret that the gems and baubles at online jewelry retailer Blue Nile are pretty as can be; and it’s also well known that we LOVE to give our lovely readers the chance to win amazing prizes here at SMP. So put the two together, and we’re into something really good, my dears! From June 18 to July 3, 2013, Blue Nile is hosting an amazing Pinterest Sweepstakes asking pinners: What’s your Down the Aisle Style? You’re pinning your perfect wedding anyway, so now you can do it with a chance to win incredible prizes (like this, this and this)! Below are a few examples of Down the Aisle styles we’re loving! Blue Nile is the premier online jeweler by offering shoppers an incredible, and amazingly easy, shopping experience and the latest in jewelry trends. They make an often stressful process incredibly enjoyable.  With prices that are 20-40% below traditional jewelers and incredible quality, shopping with Blue Nile couldn’t be a more simple choice! The icing on the cake? The chance to win your own sparkly something with their Pin to Win Sweepstakes! Amazing, I know. Take a peek below for all the details on how to enter for your chance to win! The Prizes: Grand Prize: Halo Diamond Earrings / First Place Prize: Sapphire Diamond Pendant  / Second Place Prize: London Blue Cushion Bracelet To Enter:  Head over here to fill out the entry form. After that’s checked off your list, follow Blue Nile on Pinterest and re-pin your favorite images from the “Down the Aisle Style” board! After you’ve completed those three steps, consider yourself entered to win. To Win: The three winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted to accept their prize. The winners will also be listed on the entry page, and featured on Blue Nile’s Facebook page. Terms & Conditions: Can all be found right here.  Good luck my dears! xoxo Pins Featured: Floating Halo Diamond Engagement Ring / Semi-Bezel Solitaire Engagement Ring / Cushion Cut Sapphire and Diamond Halo Ring /Gold Striped Place Setting / Low Back Lace Dress / White bouquet with Black and White Tie / White Bow Pumps Metallic Heel / Ruffled Dress / Pink + Red Flowers / Confetti Cake  / Bride + Maids Vintage Bouquet / T-Strap Shoe  // © Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2013. | Permalink | Comments | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Post categories: Sponsored Posts