A 4th of July Engagement Celebration!

Sometimes having a wedding blog is really, truly, awesome.  Like, for example, when I get to share super cute, super fun parties with everyone!  This particular celebration was in honor of my brother A. and future sister-in-law Diana, which was held at my mom’s home in Ohio on the 4th of July!  The weather was perfection and we ended up with a huge crowd and loads of tasty food, courtesy of my mom.  I made the invitation-postcards on VistaPrint, my dad brought the red velvet cake and 1931 Packard with him, and the decorations were scored on a budget from the Christmas Tree Shop (my favorite)!  Guests brought some great gifts for the happy couple, including customized honeymooner tees, and a book of family recipes my mom and I collaborated on.  It was such an all-American party too, with bocce ball, whiffle ball, horses, flowers, and lots of family.  Who could ask for more? 

We are so excited to welcome D. into our family and I can’t wait to share their upcoming October wedding with you all!

Vedrana and Josh’s Gorgeous May Day

Remember when Josh bought his bride Vedrana last week?  Well this week I’m back with the rest of their stunning May wedding!  The ceremony was held at  St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Joliet, Illinois, where the couple participated in a crowning ceremony (as opposed to traditional wedding vows).  After the gorgeous, gorgeous ceremony, the celebration continued at The Abbington in Glen Ellyn where the crowd was romanced by accordion AND a DJ.  And best of all, these incredible photos were taken by Mark Meravy, who spent the entire day photographing the love birds.

The bride’s lace gown is from Maggie Sottero, and the bridesmaids had two chocolate-confections to choose from at Davids Bridal.  The darling pink flower girls’ frocks were scored at Nordstrom, and the little girl in brown wore an etsy find!  Even with so much romance and eye candy, however, the bride’s favorite moments of the day were seeing her husband’s face when she walked down the aisle, the moment when the crown was put onto his head (he was raised Catholic, so this was new territory for this good-humored groom), and of course, their first dance (to The Prayer)!  At the end of the day, the guests had an incredible time, and the couple had a personal, perfect day!

Congratulations and best wishes to Vedrana and Josh!

Buy the Bride! (or why I wish I was Serbian)

Coming up soon (as in, as soon as I can get it together) I am going to feature the adorable and absolutely romantic wedding of Vedrana and Josh, but before I do I wanted to first tell you about this awesome tradition they incorporated into their wedding.  Vedrana’s family is Serbian and so before the wedding, they participated in an event known as the buying of the bride.  Ok, so maybe I’ve taken enough feminist legal theory to know that one might argue this is unfeminist- you know, the whole “women are not chattel” thing.  But with those days long gone, the way I see it, embracing a tradition like this is exactly what weddings are all about.   Personal, meaningful, and fun.  And when you see these pictures, I think you will agree.

On the big day, while Vedrana and her girls got their hair done, her parents pitched big white tents in their front yard, decorated, got out loads of tasty food, and invited over a slew of family and friends.  The groomsmen then brought Josh to “buy” Vedrana from her cousin Danilo.  Before she was “sold”, two fake brides were paraded out of the house (guys dressed as girls) and “heated negotiations” ensued (all in hilariously good fun).  Eventually Josh left (clearly fed up with the faux-bride antics), and the best man finally negotiated a “price” and bought Vedrana for the groom- which in actuality, was the best man’s wedding gift to the couple.  Afterwards, everyone celebrated until it was time to head to the church!

I mean, isn’t this the best way you can think of to get rid of those pre-wedding jitters?  I love it!

Phara and Jeff’s Sophisticated Outdoor Engagements

It’s not every couple who can pull off looking both ultra cool and incredibly in love at the same time.  And yet between the sunglasses, the shoes, and the obvious affection they have for each other, Phara and Jeff do so effortlessly.  Of course, that is probably because they are ultra cool and incredibly in love in real life too!  J. and I got to celebrate Phara and Jeff’s wedding with them recently, and we are so HAPPY for this wonderful couple!  These are their engagement photos, which were taken in Central Park.  I love how their photographer captured so much of their essence, and yet so simply (and yes, photo credit to come- as soon as Phara returns from her honeymoon!)

Congratulations Phara and Jeff!!

Real Wedding Friday: Kate and Justin’s Coney Island Wedding

Get ready.  Get set.  Because today’s wedding is an absolute stunner from start to finish.  I seriously have never seen a more gorgeous, personal, vintage-inspired wedding, and I think you’re going to fall head over heels for it too.  Kate and Justin got married at Coney Island last fall and they planned an incredible, colorful, vintage wedding.  The celebration involved oodles of DIY touches.  Take for example the parasols: custom-made by the bride herself from fabric, with lace, beads, hot glue, silkscreens, paint, fringe, feathers, flowers and so forth.  The bride says they were a serious project but I think seeing the guests carrying them during their post-ceremony second parade- a nod to tradition in the groom’s home town, New Orleans- makes it all worthwhile. 

Of course, it helps that the couple is so gosh darn adorable.  I love the juxtaposition of the bride’s tattoo (tattooed brides unite!) against the ladylike wedding dress- an incredible thrift shop find.  And can we please talk about that birdcage veil (she made herself), not to mention the amazing hair and makeup?  I’m inspired. 

The ceremony was held at Our Lady of Solace church, where the priest played accordian and the guests threw fruit loops at the couple as they exited!  And the reception was held at Cha Cha’s of Coney Island, right on the boardwalk.  The venue is both nontraditional and totally breathtaking and was the perfect spot for all the great entertainment the couple planned!  Jambalaya Brass Band led the parade, and of course there was a sword-swallower, a fire-dancer, and a fire-eater.  Al Duval played the banjo, and sparklers were provided for the guests.  One of the evening’s highlights took place when Coney Island launched it’s weekly fireworks display- the couple didn’t even know it was going to happen, but they took advantage, enjoyed the moment, and told everyone it was their own special arrangement.

And those cupcakes?  They are from Babycake’s bakery and they are both vegan and gluten free.  I can personally attest to the deliciousness of Babycakes because I recently sampled a red velvet cupcake, sweetened with agave, from their bakery, and I totally forgot that it was vegan/gluten-free/sugar-free!  Well that did it, now I’m hungry.

Congratulations Kate and Justin!

First, the incredible engagement shot.  And then, the spectacular wedding.  Who’s in love?  MEEEEEE!

Real Wedding: Amanda and Wesley!

Hey, its Friday (!!) and I know it’s been a while, but I’ve got another jaw dropping wedding to share with you this week!  Today’s feature comes from Kim Chelwick of Black Pixel, an up-and-coming photographer in Columbus, Ohio who, as you can see, absolutely nails the casual, natural-and-yet-glamorous elegance of this outdoor event.   Of course, it helps that she had such a drop-dead gorgeous bunch of subjects.

So let’s talk turkey- if you can believe it, Amanda and Wesley are actually high school sweethearts who met at a ninth grade dance!  After learning they lived only one mile from each other, the couple soon found out they were “meant to be” and the rest was history!  After six years together, they finally tied the knot on September 26 at Brush Lake Lodge.  The day started out gloomy with rain but the clouds parted just in time for the ceremony, sending out the most perfect light for the photos!   The bride wore a stunning full length gown with intricate lace and beading, and the bridesmaids wore green and fuchsia frocks which suited them and the outdoor event perfectly!  I am particularly fond of the flower girl’s 1930’s style party dress, which to me channels everything both subtle and glam about this wedding!  Perhaps most special of all, the couple’s adorable baby girl (the charmer with those sparkly eyes!) was there to celebrate with them.

I won’t ramble on, I’ll just let these amazing photos do the talking.  Congratulations to Amanda and Wesley, and to Kim for capturing their day with absolute and utter flair!

Our Winter Wonderland Wedding: Getting Ready Pro Pics

I’m still sifting through all the amazing candid shots taken by family and friends so I can give my loyal and wonderful readers real recaps, but until then, get thee to Jessica Morrisy’s blog and check out the getting ready highlights!  Our photographer rocks my world, and this is why.  Why are you still reading this?  Go!

(image by Jessica Morrisy)

Reason #6,875 Why I Heart Our Venue

So its not Friday, and I’m not going to do a full recap, but I absolutely had to share this wedding which was recently held at our venue, the Nyack Seaport!  And yes, we were there!  The bride and groom are actually good friends who will be attending our wedding too- I know J. and I had SO much fun at theirs!  When you see the photos, you’ll instantly know why.  So go check it out already!

Congrats Josie and Bill!  And special props to their photographer Stacey Ilyse, who did an excellent job capturing their day!  (The above photo is Stacey’s, swoon!)

Heather and Greg’s Garden Party Wedding

Its Friday, and I’m in a great mood, which means it is once again time for a feature wedding!  This week I am thrilled to be able to show you one of the most lovely weddings I could ever imagine, the wedding of Heather and Greg.  I’ve known these two as dear friends since way-back-when, and let me just tell you this wedding was ALL about the details, from the argyle groomsmen’s socks, to the four perfect flower girls (along with two adorably insolent ring bearers who refused to participate).  The festivities took place at the drop dead gorgeous Estate at East Wind in Wading River, New York, with the ceremony outside in the garden, accompanied by a string quartet and the smell of fresh garden flowers.  For cocktail hour and dinner, the guests moved indoors where they were greeted with gobs of food and a fantastic band!

The bride wore a trumpet-shaped Amsale gown covered in the most delicate lace I’ve ever seen, and she carried cattleya orchids, her ladies in green and carrying hydrangeas.  She chose Wendy Kromer marzipan cherries and Ann Wood birds to adorn the cake, and did all of the most impressive details herself- customized menus with hilarious descriptions, lovely hand-sewn programs, out-of-town boxes filled with local goodies and covered in paper lace, and etsy finds for favors, lovingly wrapped with paper and ribbon.  My personal favorite part of the evening was watching their first dance- She’s Always a Woman- romance was everywhere that night!  Congrats to Heather and Greg, who just celebrated their first wedding anniversary!

Oh and PS- do you like her veil?  Me too!  Heather is generously letting me wear it in my own wedding as my “something borrowed” 

Enjoy!

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Happy Friday!

These four-day work weeks are killer, so I’m especially glad today is Friday.  And in honor of Friday I have decided to feature some eye candy- the wedding of my FSIL and her husband, Tami and Steve.  Yes, they do look like Barbie and Ken, and no, you can’t hate them because they’re even nicer than they are cute.  This wedding was an absolute stunner from start to finish, with every detail elegant and classic, from the pair of flower girls in their perfect dresses to the pink and white calla lilies!  Swoon!

The ceremony was held on August 2, 2008 at the bright and soaring St. Gregory the Great Church in Hamilton, New Jersey, and the reception followed at the ultra-charming Battleground Country Club in Manalapan, New Jersey.  For fun, the group also took some photos at Princeton University nearby.  I just love the bride’s gown by Jasmine, an RK Bridal discovery that the bride customized by altering the bodice to a sweetheart neckline and the back to a deep V shape.  It has such a light, airy quality that absolutely floats in the photos.  Or maybe it is the bride herself who is floating?  And that train!  I also adore how the bridesmaids dresses (pink, my favorite!) just pop in every single shot against the black of the groomsmen’s tuxedos and the white of her gown.  But perhaps the most striking thing of all about these photos, is how absolutely in love these two are.  You can’t help but smile when you see them!

Enjoy!!

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