Sneak Preview: Agata's Photo Booth

And there's more of this nautical goodness and goofiness to come!

Real Weddings: Bethany and Mikey: Reception

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Here are the last photos from Bethany and Mikey's wedding...sigh...I wish I could have been there under the warm summer sky, with the moon peaking out through the clouds. But from all the accounts from my relatives, it couldn't have been a nicer wedding.

I love the intimate spaces they set up. The soft lighting on the patio with a few simple Japanese lanterns to bring a summer's ambiance. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

The good news is that rumor has it that another one of my husband's cousins is getting married in Wisconsin next year, so hopefully we'll be able to make that one! It's been one cousin getting married a year in Wisconsin...we'll have to see how long that trend lasts!

Photos courtesy of Brown Street Studios.

Real Weddings: Bethany and Mikey's Reception Details

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Remember how I mentioned that Bethany's family are the nicest, funniest people I know? Point in case: the favors. I love the BBQ sauce with their pictures on it, up to their elbows in finger-licken' goodness.

I really like how well the casual aspects and the formal go together in their wedding, you can see it's a blend of their personalities. A gorgeous cake with orchids...and personalized BBQ sauce. Bethany's amazing dress...and Mikey's awesome shoes. Formal place settings...and handwritten place cards. These casual elements keep the party lively and personal but the overall fee is still elegant.

Photos courtesy of Brown Street Studios.

Real Weddings: Bethany and Mikey's Ceremony

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Mikey and Bethany had a beautiful, open-air wedding with open fields and pines trees among the honored guests. A few notes from these photos that I love- I love Mikey's expression when he first sees Bethany. I tear up every time I look at it. And I really like that the whole bridal party got together for a rally and prayer during the service. It's private moments like that Bethany and Mikey are sure to treasure for years to come with their closest friends.

As I share more pictures too, look for all the oranges! I love that Bethany was willing to use orange, I adore orange in weddings! But it's tastefully done, like the bridesmaid's bouquets and the flowers down the aisle. The fans/programs are a perfect touch to this outdoor wedding as is the acoustic guitarist. It's simple yet elegant touches like these that feel authentic and personal.

Photos courtesy of Brown Street Studios

Real Weddings: Bethany and Mikey

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Bethany and Mikey were married under an endless Wisconsin sky. Bethany is my husband's second cousin, and she and her family are the nicest and funniest people I know. I couldn't be happier for them, not to mention their wedding was stunning. I'll be sharing more pictures in the next days to come, but here's an overview to whet your pallet.

Bethany and Mikey's love story is very sweet and I promise to get more details, but the general story is that Bethany's brother Bradley and Mikey worked at a camp together every summer. Bradley (being a very sweet brother) always bragged about how pretty and nice his sister was until Mikey was more than a little anxious to meet her. When she started working at the camp it seemed like a match made in heaven...except to Bethany. It took a bit of wooing from Mikey before she would agree to their first date.

They soon discovered they were meant for each other and fell deeply, hopelessly in love. Sigh.

More photos from the very talented Rebecca Carpenter, from Brown Street Studios to come this week. And yes, Rebecca does travel, but book her soon, as she's already filling up for 2010. With her amazing work, Brown Street Studios is quickly on their way to being on of US's top wedding photographers.

Preview: Bethany and Mikey's Wedding

Bethany is my husband's cousin. She and her new husband Mikey have the best love story, which I promise to share. They were married last weekend in Three Lakes Wisconsin. More photos to come, so stay tuned!

Photos courtesy of Brown Street Studios

Real Weddings: Erick and Rhiannon

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Meet Erick and Rhiannon, they were married at the Santa Monica Pier. Rhiannon selected the pier because she liked the fact that the reservation costs went toward the restoration- another innoventive way to give back through a wedding! It was a wedding of whimsy and charm! They had the reception out on the pier where Rhiannon said that they were married in front of friends and family....and hundreds of spectators!

Rhiannon and Erick served pizza, pretzels, hotdogs, churros and cotton candy in vintage food carts. It was a fun and casual way to bring in the theme and keep the fun factor high. The amazingly awsome painting of the bride and groom was by a close friend, Jennifer Snodgrass.

I love too that Rhiannon hunted out her vendors from all sorts of locations...and her hardwork really paid off! Her cupcakes were created by Julie Desmeules and Rhiannon couldn't say enough wonderful things about her. Julie doesn't have a shop but does events exclusively and has a booth at the Century City Farmers Market every Thursday. Rhiannon's dress was vintage inspired and crafted by Dolly Couture.

Rhiannon wrote, "I have a few favorite moments. First, the time I spent alone with Erick before the wedding. We spent the day getting ready separately but before the ceremony or pictures we took some us time and it was really nice just to be with each other and away from the hassle and to think about what the day is really about. I also really loved how open our ceremony was - we attracted a huge crowd from the pier of passerbys that stopped to watch. I was a little nervous at first about how they'd react or what types of things they'd yell but they were all really supportive and funny and it really made the ceremony special. Not every wedding has an extra hundred strangers yelling after the first kiss. It made it a lot of fun."

Photography by Harmony Nixon.

As featured on Style Me Pretty

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Two of my most favorite clients to date are Michelle and Henry who were recently married. They tied the knot at the Sugarman Estate in Maui. It was a beautiful ceremony full of personal touches- like a French Fry station and displaying photos from their travels, hung whimsically on trees throughout the property.

Today I discovered their wedding featured on Style Me Pretty! Unfortunately there weren't any pictures of the invitations, but I promise I'll take some nice ones and showcase them Asap! The sweet story behind the monkey-themed invitations is that Michelle and Henry were both nicknamed "monkey" growing up. They really wanted to showcase their sweet affection for each other and with the amazing help of Evonne (from Events by Evonne) they were able to tie in all the details that made their wedding beautiful and touching. If you'd like more pictures, be sure to visit Away Soiree.

Vendors: Events by Evonne, Cakes by JoAnn, Catering from Soup to Nuts, Kahaiali`i Productions, Bella Bloom Floral Boutique, Smitten Invitations, Pacific Event Group, Photography by Dulce by Visionari, Pacific Isle Rentals, Dress by Pronovias

Real Weddings: Nikki and Brian (Part Two)

Nikki and Brian had a charming wedding in Santa Barbara. Nikki shared her breakdown on how she was able to keep her budget to $1,500. Yes! Really! $1,500 for a beautiful wedding. Nikki's budget breakdown:

$500 for the reception lunch
$500 for my dress (there's a story behind that, but that's a whole separate blog)
$100 chair rental
$200 flowers
$100 miscellaneous details
Handmade Invitations
Photos by friends and family

Nikki shares, "The SB courthouse is free to use, but you can't make reservations so a few friends got there early to scope it out for us. Luckily there were no other weddings that day...kinda risky! For the reception, our guests had a selected menu - about 4 meal choices...and the food was great! For our honeymoon, we drove up the coast to San Luis Obispo for a few days."

Nikki's Tip - "DIY events can be stressful and at times it felt like it was all on my shoulders, so I tried to keep reminding myself what it was all about...marrying my best friend...and I was also blessed to have great friends willing to help make the day a success."

Nikki's Regret - "I wish I had been able to have a professional photographer. I love the pictures my friends and family took, but there are a lot of high contrast and blurry shots, etc. that I wish looked a little more professional."

Real Weddings: Nikki and Brian

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Nikki and Brian were married July 1, 2006 at the Sunken Gardens at Santa Barbara Courthouse. For their reception they celebrated with lunch at the Opal Restaurant off State Street in downtown Santa Barbara - walking distance from the courthouse.

Nikki made some very simple yet personal touches that also allowed them to stay within their budget of $1,500. Yes, you heard me right...and see how lovely it was! Nikki made her own invitations. To keep it personal and meaningful, Pastor Jeff of Hope Chapel
officiated. Nikki said that Pastor Jeff was a very close friend of her family and that he knew her for her entire life.

To keep the budget reigned in, as well as to keep the affair intimate, they limited the guests to 20 close friends and family members. For her bouquet and the reception flowers, Nikki's friends made a trip to Trader Joes and the farmers market the day before. Potted flowers lined the aisle and guests took them home afterward...and the bride and groom still have one today on their patio!

The thing I really love about Brian and Nikki's wedding was that they had everything close to their heart. They decided to not be intimidated by their budget but to focus on the celebration. In the next post we'll go over Nikki's breakdown so you can see how she creativly budgeted her wedding, and we'll also have some tips from her as well!

Real Weddings: Terri and Sean

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I think you'll agree- Terri and Sean's wedding is amazing. I was somewhat disappointed in the latest Bride magazine for downplaying DIY/Outdoor weddings. It's true, they take a lot more work, but clearly Terri and Sean did an amazing job pulling it off, though they did have help from Shay Brown Events to make everything flawless...but even more so, the bride completely poured out her heart into this wedding.

Terri and Sean were married at the The Inn at Half-Mile Farm in Highlands, NC. They made their amazing wedding chock-full or personal touches. Every detail was thought out, making their day not only elegant but really memorable and personal. Such as dancing her first dance in her great-grandmother's wedding dress. Or using the bride's collection of antique tins for the centerpieces. And acorns from local trees in the centerpieces, napkin rings and boutonnieres. These are the details that bring your guests in and make them feel like family.

Brides did have some great Menu tips for outdoor weddings that I'll share. I've been to many outdoor weddings that I had wished taken this advice! Especially in sunny CA!

Best outdoor menu items:
Yellow tomato gazpacho shooters, vinaigrette green salads, grilled seasonal veggies, pan-roasted fish, fondant iced cakes.

Worst outdoor menu items:
Cheese displays, anything with mayonnaise, vegetables in heavy cream, heavy or braised meets (such as lamb, beef), butter cream frosted cake.

The wedding was planned with the help of Shay Brown of Shay Brown Events in Asheville. The amazing photography is by Woodward and Rick Photography. Menu tips courtesy of Brides Magazine
and Food For Thought Catering

Real Weddings: Cathy and Greg

Cathy and Greg were married in San Pedro, California - with a view of the amazing Pacific ocean and an amazing sunset for a backdrop. I loved this wedding- her lace wrap is just perfect to keep off the chill while while still being graceful and feminine. The shades of aqua, lavender and pink contrasted with an abundance of white mimicked the hint of warmth during the winter outdoors.

Photos courtesy of Mary Jane Photography

Real Weddings: Susan and Steven

Susan and Steven were married in Pocantico Hills, New York. They had a Farmer's Market wedding! I saw it and thought it embodied everything wonderful! I love all the fresh details and good food...which makes sense because Susan is a cookbook author and a former Martha Stewart Living food editor. And the menu had such farm fresh dainties like chicken and corn stew, miniature tomato sandwiches, heirloom tomato salad and Lamb with summer squash.

The reception was held at Blue Hill, a restaurant that uses only fresh ingredients grown or raised on neighboring farms. I love how they used fresh picked veggies casually set on a table for decorations.

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Eric and Emily

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Eric and Emily were married at the lush Moorpark Country Club. Emily selected black, white and pink for her twelve-person bridal party. It's a classic look, perfect for a winter wedding with just a touch of spring.

"When having such a large wedding party, be forewarned that you'll need an extra photography assistant as you'll need double to triple the amount of photographs within the same amount of time," advises wedding photography expert Judi Bumstead. "With such a large party you'll get triple the closed eyes, funny grimaces, and bad poses and you'll want that extra assistant there to make sure you get all the shots you need."

Sneak-Peek: Selena's Wedding

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Many of you will remember Selena who married her sweetheart Daniel last November. Selena and I worked together custom designing her wedding invitations, Rsvp postcard and her custom wedding "Trolley Ticket." We then worked together to get the designs ready for her many goco projects including the menus, favor labels and bags, and out-of-town guest kits. Selena was the uncommon bride in that most of her wedding was hand crafted or directly based from her genius ideas. I've never seen a bride work so hard! Today is just a sneak peek of the good things to come.

We had such a great collaboration that we ended up becoming fast friends! Selena is now back from her honeymoon and she has agreed to help me share every detail of her wedding with you in the upcoming weeks.

She assembled a talented team including: photography by Mary Jane Photography, flowers by Joey Molina of Cana Flowers (canaflowers99@hotmail.com), catering by Pure Joy, cake by Crumbs Bakery, Santa Barbara Trolley, linens by Elegant Designs Specialty Linens, DJ music by Bonnie, Save the Date cards by My Candy Paper, and custom designed invitations by Smitten Invitations.

New Year 2009

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This is the Miller's wedding from New Years Eve 2007. The fabulous affair was coordinated by Christina Baker St. Louis Wedding Consultants and catered by the entire staff at the Coronado Hotel of St. Louis.

There are so many things I love about this wedding. Jeannie and Jack, the bride and groom, look radiant and so obviously in love. I love that they hosted the wedding on New Year's Eve because it started the new year with a celebration of love. And as you can see, they were clever enough to allow the Christmas decorations do most of the hard work for them. Though I wouldn't ever recommend a wedding the day before/of/after Christmas, I love the idea of a New Year's wedding.

The wedding was shot by the ever so talented Jon Koch. He has a very classic style full of vibrant colors which he refers to as "Fine Art Documentary," that is, photojournalism melded with fashion and fine art aesthetics.

Real Weddings: Mike and Kristin

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Mike and Kristin's were wed on November 9, 2008 at Simi Valley Community Church, California. Mike and Kristin had an elegant Fall wedding, incorporating lots of yellows and browns into her palette. I love that she had sunflowers in her brides maids bouquets- she brought the last hints of summer into her wedding and sunflowers always bring a touch of whimsy.

You can tell this fall wedding is in SoCal- there's still enough warmth for sleeveless dresses. A word of advice though, this bride lost her veil during her pre-wedding photos when a Autumn gust blew it off into a stream. You may want to have an assistant for your photo shoot to help with last minute mishaps like Kristin's!

Photos by Judi Bumstead Photography.

Real Weddings: Kavitha and Ray

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Meet Kevin Lam , the talented photographer from Toronto. Meet Kavitha and Ray. He is a PhD and she is an MD. Both are smart, fun and beautiful. Both are completely green for the environment (they even made sure their alcohol was green) and they are completely smitten with each other!

Kavitha and Ray wed at the Vaughan Estates at Sunnybrook, Sri Lankan style. Then they slipped into American traditional wedding attire and danced the night away! And she got to wear two amazing dresses!! I think both of Kavitha's dresses are simply stunning!

Personal Note: Thanks to Kevin who I discovered online. I asked him to share as I was super impressed with his work. The quick facts are that he is based out of Toronto, Canada (good to know for all of my Canadian readers). He combines his passion for photography and a genuine desire to learn about people and cultures to explore the world through his camera. His photographs have been featured in various publications, Web sites, advertising, and film.

Real Weddings: Meredith and Nathan

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I'm especially glad to write about Meredith and Nathan- Meredith has been a chum from way back when. And I'm thrilled to share these pictures of her because she is so clearly in love.

Meredith and Nathan were married at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point, California. I love that she had nine bridesmaids (three of which are her sisters plus two sisters-in-law) and Nathan had a matching entourage of nine as well! Meredith said she was initially afraid to have such a large bridal party, she wrote, "My parents said to me when I was freaking out about having 9 girls... 'Meredith, no one will be shocked that you have 9 bridesmaids...they might even expect it.'"

I love her elegant yet uncomplicated taste- her dress, the flowers, the location on the beach- they all fit perfectly. Everything is the flattering hues of spring. Nisie's Enchanted did all the flowers, and Meredith says she's absolutely brilliant.

She also wanted to let us know about her photographer. She wrote, "It would be AWESOME if people knew that I had the best photographer in all of California....Barber Photography barberphotography.com. He's located in Orange County but can travel anywhere. He has a great personality and is more on the journalistic end of photography rather than all 'posey' photos."

The most amazing thing of all, is that Meredith much of the planning for her Californian wedding while living on the East coast-with the assistance of Paula, from Champagne Taste. And it turned out amazing. Great work Mer, and I'm so happy for you.

Real Weddings: Myra and Matt

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I'm sure many of you will recognize Myra right away- she's the one and only amazingly talented lady from the Twigs and Honey Etsy Store! She was sweet to share her wedding- featuring some of her amazing handmade items (which are now available in her new Etsy store, Pebbles and Paisley!)

I absolutely adored the details from her wedding- such as the cake toppers! She used two! I also adore how she used moss to display her escort cards! Each flag is cheerfully adorned with ribbons and each guest's name in a fancy script font.

Most of all, I love how happy Myra and Matt look. And if you visit her Twigs and Honey Blog, you'll see that they're still as happy, one year and a month later.

Photos by Paul Rich Studio.