I just couldn’t pass up this gorgeous southern wedding held at Flint Hill, a beautifully restored 1835 mansion in Norcross, Georgia. Not only is the location to die for… the wedding is as classic as they come.
Photographer: Katie Snyder Photography / Reception Venue: Flint Hill
Ravayna and David recently moved from Louisiana to Los Angeles and love their new home… so they decided to take their engagement shots in the city. They chose the Bradbury Building and the Hollyhock House by Frank Lloyd Wright, and I can’t think of two better places! Their modern, super-fun shots really show how crazy about each other they are… and that’s the best thing of all.
Photographer: Monstrous Joy
Do you ever just have a pit in your stomach that won’t leave? Or your throat, maybe…
Things have been busy around here. Super busy. So busy that it just doesn’t seem to stop… except now it’s the weekend and I’ve done almost nothing for two days, and I’ve still got the pit.
The list is so long.
We’ve ticked off a load, but it seems that for every item scratched off, another five pile up…
And the thing is that when planning a wedding, especially when taking on the majority of the financial burden, you start out with so many unknowns… and the price seems to rise with each revelation.
I’m starting to worry about just how far the cost might go.
I can see the utility of a wedding planner, here. Not because of the organizing and design, necessarily… that part is fun. More because a wedding planner is able to remain removed from the emotion of the day. To look at a budget and stick to it no matter what…
This is not my strongest suit.
I can see all of the options… the ways to cut corners… but somewhere in the back of my head is a little voice that says, “This is going to be the most important day of your life… you’ll regret it if you really cut corners.” Of course, I’ll regret a big load of debt too… right?
I love the contrast of traditional beauty with those things that might be a little more worn… each element is beautiful in its own way, but when you put the two together… something magical happens.
Country Sugar Events and 3-Design Photography have managed to capture that contrast beautifully in this nerdy chic inspiration shoot set in an old factory… and along with an amazing team of vendors, they’ve styled the perfect bookish bride to complete the look.
Photographer: 3-Design /Hair Stylist: Richard Giddens / Event Designer: Country Sugar Events / Dress Store: Bella Bridesmaid / Heirlooms and Extras: RG Vintage / Makeup Artist: Sarah Tolleson / Personal Stylist: Styled Rotten
I am so excited for this next feature, because it comes from one of my very favorite photography teams, Matt and Anna Novak of Tin Sparrow Studio. Not only are they super talented, they are also unbelievably cool and fun to work with. And if you’re not convinced by me, check out this little blip from their site…
We fell in love in a parked car in a vacant parking lot. We are best friends, married in the summer at sunset. We love long drives going nowhere, we love fireworks in july, mason jars & walking juice, surprise face on our little ladies, kraft paper and micron pens, we love most things vintage, but most of all, we love to be together.
I know… you love them already, right?
Oh you know there was no way I could resist that sweet vintage bug. Or the equally adorable couple who call it their own.
Yvonne and Benjamin are both lovers of vintage things and, of course, Beetles. They wanted a fun, simple, and natural shoot featuring their very own super cute car, appropriately named “Kermit.”
(I know. SO cute.)
And that’s not the only special item they included in the shoot. Yvonne’s charm bracelet was a birthday gift from Benjamin, and each year since, at Christmas, they’ve added a charm.
Seriously, how cute are they?!
By the way… do you name your car? Mark and I totally do… mine being “Henry,” and his, “Peggy” (this makes total sense to us). But, in all honesty, I think the whole thing might be a little dangerous. Personifying my little “Henry” has made him kind of like my beloved pet… I need to think about trading him in, but would you trade your family dog?
No. You would not trade your dog. So how could I trade Henry?
It is at this point that I know I move completely beyond the realm of reality… but I can’t help it. Once you give the thing a personality it takes on a whole new meaning…
This has become a problem.
Photographer: Confetti* Peektures
With so many options out there, I know how hard it can sometimes be to come up with the perfect theme. But occasionally, a couple can be so lucky that the theme comes to them.
This was definitely the case for Lindie and Nate, all they needed was the right venue…
From the start, we knew that we didn’t want the typical country club or hotel wedding. One visit to the the Botanical Center was all we needed to decide that it was the unique setting that we had been in search of. Before choosing a venue, we had a really hard time narrowing down a palette, graphics and other design elements for our wedding but the gardens provided direct inspiration for all of that and our wedding theme quickly grew…even the dress was chosen with the venue in mind. With a background in art & design, I was heavily invested in adding handmade personal touches…table runners, basket liners and a ring pillow from linen and silk dupioni, and invitations and programs with custom graphics. A lot of people didn’t understand why I was putting in so much time creating these items but to us it completely finished the look and added something totally special that spoke to who were are. We decided a station style reception worked best for the format of the Botanical Center. Colorful tapas plates were available throughout the gardens and we had a cupcake variety (banana nutella and chocolate peanut butter included – yum!) and strawberry shortcake instead of a typical cake. Our day was absolutely amazing…our families are a wild bunch but it still felt very relaxed; the ceremony went off without a hitch; and we got to share some incredible, intimate moments with the people we are closest with. We wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Photographer: Olivia Gird Photography / Venue: Roger Williams Park Botanical Center / Caterer: Blackstone Caterers / Floral Designer: Deb Romano / DJ: MTB Entertainment / Bakery: Duck and Bunny
“For you I know I’d even try to turn the tide.”
~ Johnny Cash
Despite the fact that I am well on my way to my first official cold of the season… I am super excited to take a little trip down to Shenandoah this weekend. There is just nothing like Skyline Drive when the leaves start to turn. It might be a little early yet for full-on color — at least that’s where we are up north — but maybe (fingers crossed) that will mean a slightly less crowded park?
We will see!
Do you all have any special fall plans for this weekend?
If (like me) you’re already counting down to the end of the day, here are a few things to keep you busy…
Hands down… my favorite part of my day job.
Every single thing in the newly opened shop from Besotted Brand.
Okay, seriously, this is right up there on the list of funniest things I’ve ever read.
I would really like to get into canning… I think I need this.
These gorgeous art deco-inspired invitations.
Caramel sauce favors at this super cute Oregon wedding.
This unreal amazing hard cider that is new to me.
If I had my way I would have at least 50 sets of china.
Oh be still my heart… I think you already know that nothing gets to me more than a gorgeous ranch wedding… especially when it’s set in the heart of wine country! Martha and Brian were married at Beltane Ranch with a yellow and gray birdhouse theme… yellow to match the venue and gray because it is Martha’s favorite color. Every detail was special to the couple… they even had a close friend officiate, and because Martha and Brian spent three years far apart, depending greatly upon their Apple products to connect, their officiant read from an iPad covered in yellow, and their reader from an iPhone.
… how cute is that?!
And Martha was sweet enough to answer some questions for me!
How did you choose your venue… did it have any special significance?
We both live in PA but many of our family members live in Northern CA and the bay area, so we chose the Napa/Sonoma area because first of location. I really was the one who found Beltane Ranch through online research. I always envisioned getting married outdoors, in a farm/country setting with many colors, flowers (rustic style if you would say). I found Beltane Ranch through a wedding blog (!) and then continued searching through other blogs with Beltane Ranch as the venue, and I LOVED all the pictures that came out. I sent the pictures to Brian (who at that time still living in WA) and his response was: I have always thought of getting married in a place like this (getting this kind of response from him was a huge, huge green light!!).
Anyway, we visited the place during the Thanksgiving weekend. We absolutely loved it. There was a sense of warmth when you are at this place, like being in a place familiar to you or being at home. I like the fact that the venue was authentic, old/vintage (it is not sparkling new or fancy). I love the lights, the openness, the colors of the flowers.
What kind of music did you play?
We had a solo guitarist (playing the Spanish guitar). He played “Somewhere in Time” (as a little girl I loved this love story – did you ever watch the movie?). For my entrance, I asked the musician to sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” — Brudda Iz’ version. I knew that if I played anything else, I would have just cried, and I did not want to cry for the ceremony (LOL!) so I wanted light, happy music and he played it so beautifully!!
After the ceremony, when we and the bridal party left the “altar” he sang “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.
For the cocktail and dinner reception, we had pop Latin music.
What was your favorite part of the day?
Walking down the aisle with both my parents who both had big smiles on their face. Watching Brian smile as I walked down the aisle. And also, during dancing, our band re-sang “Somewhere over the Rainbow” so that we could have our last dance of that night.
Any advice for other brides?
I did a lot of research on wedding blogs to get inspiration. I think I also listened to what I wanted and just followed my heart. Some decisions may have turned out to be not what I expected and it was just okay, but most of the things were super special, and those are what I remember the most now.
For example, music choice (hiring the Latin band) was really a risky choice, because I was afraid that most guests could not relate to these music, but my whole life I had loved the Gypsy Kings and wanted a Latin touch to the wedding. It was the BEST decision I made! Everyone danced, even our parents and grandparents!!!!
Photographer: 39 East Photography / Venue: Beltane Ranch / Event Coordinator: Mary Ellen Murphy/Off the Beaten Path Weddings / Music: Rolando Morales / Flowers: Valley Flora / Make-up: Veronica Passalacqua / Hair: Lauren Kelsay / Bride’s Dress and Accessories: Bridal Sophisticate
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