Design-Inspired Engagement by Hunter Ryan Photo

This shoot features two extremes, both of with I love! Beach shots filled with tons and tons of beautiful driftwood, then insane interiors and beautiful fashion all the way through. Hunter Ryan Photo did a wonderful job on this shoot. 

From the Photographer: Sonika and Greg met as students at Ringling College in Sarasota, FL. Greg is an amateur photographer and graphic designer, and Sonika is now an interior designer. It was VERY fitting for them to have their engagement shoot first start at New College, then over to the amazingly beautiful Ringling Museum (Ca d'Zan Mansion). The architecture, details and design was so very "them." Finally we ended their shoot at one of their favorite locations - the stunning Longboat Key beach. It's almost magical there at sunset as the orange sun hits the weather-worn trees that just jut right out of the beach and water. From a design standpoint for Greg and Sonika it was THE perfect ending to the day.

DIY Farm Wedding by Holly Cromer

Florals make the best first impression, don't you think? These caught my eye and I just can't stop staring! This is a wedding filled to the gills with personal touches and plenty of DIY projects.

Inspiration behind your day/Your wedding vision:

We knew early on that we wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our family and friends, while also paying homage to our Virginian roots.  And... above all else, we wanted to have ridiculously good food throughout the night.  We worked closely with John and Karen Schopp to develop a unique menu utilizing local foods and flavors, and also featured beers and wines from our favorite local breweries and vineyards.

Your Special DIY Projects:

The entire event was based on what we and our family + friends could do ourselves, so every aspect was DIY to some degree.  For example... in each invitation we mailed out, we enclosed a small sketchbook and asked guests to fill it with memories, advice, wisdom, photos, etc and then bring it with them to the wedding to become part of a "library" that we can keep forever.  We both agree, though, that the altar was the most special project we put together for the event.  We're both architects, so utilizing reclaimed materials in a unique way helped us put a very personal touch to the ceremony.

Favorite memory of the day:

Brett's favorite memory is looking out at the guests during the ceremony and seeing everyone wearing the colorful sunglasses we provided --  even the grandmothers had on hot pink and lime green glasses... priceless!  My favorite memory was the end of the night, when everyone really cut loose and sang their hearts out to Bohemian Rhapsody with us.  Really can't top that in my mind!

 Advice for brides planning now:

Don't be afraid to call on your friends to offer their talents.  Having those extra personal touches are exactly what made our wedding so special and memorable to us! And you never know, you might stumble upon a friend with at 1963 Plymouth Fury to drive off in!

Photographers - Holly Cromer

Event coordination: That Wedding Bridal Consulting

Venue: Boxtree Lodge, Vinton, Virginia

Floral Design: Arrington's Flowers 

Wedding Dress: WToo Emerson Dress, from Ann's Boutique in Burke VA 

Groom Attire: Ties from Tie Bar, Suits from JoS. A Bank, Shirts from Ledbury, and Shoes from Vans

Paper Goods/Wedding Invitation: Printer Gatherer

Videography/Stop Motion: Holly Cromer

Cake and Catering: John and Karen Schopp of Center Stage Catering 

Bluegrass Band: Blue Moonshine 

Lighting, Draping, and DJ: Whatchaneed Productions 

Honey Favors: Bearer Farms  

A softer birdcage

Recently I met with the seamstress who will be doing some alterations to the gown I found at a charity sample sale earlier in the spring. This makes the whole thing feel real and has spurred me into figuring out the rest of my look. One of the images inspiring me was this fresh bride with smoky eyes, bright lip, simple curls, and a retro-inspired birdcage look.

Source: The Bride's Cafe

Gorgeous, right? I really love the vintage inspiration behind the netted birdcage veil, but the more I looked for options to purchase the more I wasn't sure it was QUITE right. As you can see from my dress inspiration, the silouettes that inspired by gown purchase aren't particularly retro (they're not tea length circle skirts or anything), and have some more modern elements. So I started to wonder how to channel the inspiration of the birdcage but in a more streamlined, simpler way. Here are some of the options I found and what I love about them:

Tulle blusher from Tessa Kim. I love that this has the same general shape as a birdcage, but falls a little lower and generally softer. Plus, the simple tulle has a cleaner look than the vintage netting. The Tessa Kim option comes in varying lengths (my favorite is the 18") and varying colors.

Source: Tessa Kim

 Polka Dot blusher. I mean, Polka Dots. Originally I really wanted an Ivy + Aster gown in a swiss dot (unfortunately the bust line wasn't quite right for my girls), so I thought this might be a way to channel that sense of whimsey.

Source: Sibo Designs

Short Tulle Birdcage. I really loved the double-layer of this for a more modern line. Doesn't get more simple than this.

Source: BHLDN (No Longer available, but similar styles available at the other links in this post)

Circle Drop veil. I've been really loving the clean lines of drop veils lately since they avoid that ruched look at the comb. This veil is so simple its literally just a tulle circle cut to lay over your hair and face. Ultimately, i think the length is a little too traditional, plus I was worried about the logistics of uncovering my face during the ceremony with this one.

Source: Melinda Rose Design

Ultimately I ended up stumbling upon an amazing Tessa Kim pop up sale and chose hers because it fit the original birdcage blusher shape, had a soft simplicity, and I got an amazing deal. Actually, if I'm being honest, I actually bought a shorter one too that I might add some sparkle to and wear for my bachelorette and/or the rehearsal.

Now, off to finalize hair and find a hairpiece for the reception (I might DIY that, we'll see!). For more ideas on what I'm considering for my bridal look, visit my Bridal Attire pinterest board.

Aviation Engagement by Brinton Studios

How sweet is this?  Brinton Studios did such a fabulous job on this planes, trains and automobiles shoot! I mean seriously, this is such a fun idea for an engagement shoot. 

Engagement by Brittanee Taylor Photography

The natural light & those dogs make this shoot even more perfect! Brittanee Taylor Photography did a wonderful job capturing these two. The location, San Dimas Canyon, is simply perfection. Wait for it, there is a special appearance from a beautiful blue car later on in this shoot.

I'm Loving Leather

  I'm obsessing over leather when it comes to fashion, interiors and of course weddings! It is a whole new approach to the rustic wedding that we all know and love. Leather can be incredibly sophisticated with a little calligraphy action. Gorgeous right?

1. That calligraphy menu is just to die for. 2 & 3: Jose Villa's wedding had one of the best invitation suite's ever. The mix of organic textures, calligraphy, and of course leather is making my hear skip a beat. Similarly. those place cards from their wedding were so sophisticated. 4. These notepad favors are such a perfect touch for a beautiful wedding.

Ralph Lauren Inspired Engagement Shoot

This could quite literally be a fashion shoot if you ask me. These outfits are just so fabulous. You'll be spending the next bit of time gawking over these details, the collection of found items and the beautiful florals!

From The Photographer: "High School sweethearts, Brooke and Trevor are more of a real life Ken and Barbie than just about anyone we've met. But what is even more amazing than this couple's looks is their love for each other. Recently married, we decided to give them a post-wedding shoot to continue to showcase the love story that is only continuing to develop. Styled by Kaleb Norman James Design, this Ralph Lauren, prep-inspired shoot began with the couples love for fashion and all things Americana. We wanted the overall feel to transport you to a Hampton's manor home, complete with manicured gardens, sparkling silver and old world touches like the reclaimed trunk, vintage trophies and candelabras. Many of the items such as the fabric spools, flag and trunks were sourced from Snohomish, a local town, minutes from the location full of antique stores. We wanted the items to be authentic and original to the location we were shooting in and we couldn't have found more perfect items. We chose to work with purple florals, which might have been rather unexpected, due to Ralph Lauren's signature Purple Label line- a nod to his glamorous 1920's inspired designs."

Photography: Daniel Cruz Photography Styling & Floral: Kaleb Norman James Design Model's Dress: Rachel Zoe Groom's Suit: Gucci with Zara Jacket Venue: Private Residence - Snohomish, WA

Ceremony Backdrop

So we've nailed down the venue, I've got a dress, and I'm dreaming about cake. Almost all our vendors are in place (just a couple smaller ones left), so I've left myself start dreaming about the decor. With pinterest inspiration in my face every day, I was wanting to jump into decorations the very first thing. I made myself a deal that I would wait until I had all the big components nailed down so that I wouldn't get my heart set on a decor idea that wasn't feasible for the venue or would clash with some of the larger items. Since almost all those are in place: full steam ahead! The first thing I'm scheming is our ceremony backdrop. The venue already comes with an amazing brick wall backdrop and some lights hanging overhead, but I want some other color and pattern as our main focal point. Something a little more dynamic than the white curtain that has been used in the space in the past:

Source: Photo Elan

I went back to our pattern and decided that maybe I would just do the simplest thing and re-create it in a larger format, with several types of hanging garlands. Globe lights  (which the pattern was designed around), pom pom yarn balls for the colorful circles, a bold geometric garland, and maybe even the paper airplanes that are a nod to our long distance relationship. I think a few of these garlands hanging side-by-side or overhead would be just the focal point I'm looking for.

Sources (Top then left to right): The Ravenna Girls, Cramer Photo, Ruffled Blog, Gather and Build , Lulu the Baker

What do you think? Is it too much, or just enough??

Peach Wedding Inspiration by Carlie Statsky + Engaged & Inspired Events

During the off season I was excited to jump into some design work that was just for fun as opposed to for a specific client. Together with Carlie Statsky and Floral Theory, we created some wedding inspiration magic on a beautiful sunny day in Carmel Valley (It was actually my two year wedding anniversary!). I picked Holman Ranch as the venue because of all the amazing awe-worthy locations the property holds.

I feel like coral goes so well with the beauty of Holman Ranch and wanted to create a sophisticated type of rustic wedding that brides could actually achieve. This is the result! The gorgeous lace dress was from Haute Bride in Los Gatos and Melissa Hoffman did the best job with the model's hair & makeup. The amazing Mariko of Bee Curious Designs made the most perfect signs to match the coral bar I designed as well as a sorbet station. For my services, portfolio, and all that other goodness, Engaged & Inspired Events is my planning & design site.

You can see much more of this amazing shoot featured on Style Me Pretty.

Photography: Carlie Statsky | Venue: Holman Ranch | Coordination + Styling: Engaged & Inspired| Floral Design: Floral Theory | Cake: Amour Patisserie | Custom bar menu mirror + chalkboard sign:Bee Curious | Stationery: Little Miss Press | Rentals: Hartmann Studio Rentals | Flatware + Glassware:Anthropologie | Dress: Haute Bride | Accessories: J.Crew | Shoes: Valentino | Hair + Makeup: Melissa Hoffman

West Hollywood Wedding by Megan Welker

I'm so in love with this west hollywood wedding by Megan Welker Photography. The bride and groom  look like two people I'd love to be friends with. This home is incredibly awesome and I love that the bride did so much herself without it looking like a "DIY wedding". This exudes casual elegance at its finest.

Photography - The fabulous Megan Welker Catering - Tender Greens Officiant - Elizabeth Oakes Flowers/styling - Vanessa Friedman :) (The Bride!)