Nevada Weddings

Pink and romantic, with a setting sun reflected in the gorgeous Flamingo Hotel, this soiree has changed my mind forever about Las Vegas weddings. Sure, it was a destination affair, small and intimate, but it was beyond gorgeous and uber classy – the kind of day I kind of want to hang on my wall. And with Buffy Dekmar Photography working her camera, the images are pretty enough that I totally could. As one final treat before you hit up the gallery, we have a fabulous Super 8mm film from Dekmar Films to enjoy!

Click here to see the full image gallery!

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From Dekmar Films … Summer and Aidan got married with a small and intimate ceremony in the garden at the Flamingo.  The wedding day was simple, relaxed and fun.  The emphasis was obviously on celebrating the couple and being together with friends and family.  The Flamingo fit perfectly into Summer and Aidan’s vision for a Las Vegas destination wedding.

Photography: Buffy Dekmar Photography / Photography Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab / Cinematography: Dekmar Films / Cinematography Film Lab: Pro8mm / Venue: Flamingo Hotel

As someone who looks at weddings day in and day out by the hundreds, I love when a wedding surprises me. When a bride or a groom is so giddy, so inspired, so ready to make the journey of planning a wedding all about the fun, well I always smile a little bit bigger. As is the case with this next beauty. A day inspired by the movie 500 Days of Summer with DIY for days and a bride that just can’t stop grinning. I love that. Oh and I can’t forget to mention the stunning photographs by our sweet friend Chelsea Nicole of which there are tons more right here!

From the Bride… It was hard for me to explain the ideas that have been swirling around in my head for a year. I couldn’t even describe my wedding in words. I was holding on to a feeling that I wanted to be openly felt by all our wedding guests. As I was walking down the aisle to the Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition,” everything just clicked. The wedding was largely based on the 500 Days of Summer movie (I mean, duh, I did base our song selection on the movie soundtrack). After being pronounced husband and wife, we were showered with bubbles by our guests. It’s like we were doing a touch-down dance to Florence and the Machine’s “Dog Days are Over.” This was my favorite memory of the day.

I’m a bit of a control freak and as a graphic designer, I set out to set the tone for the day, from invitations to escort cards. So when my mom brought back 200 photo clips and collapsible toys from the Philippines, I flipped out. We never discussed this, and I was already working on my s’mores kit (complete with heart-shaped marshmallows)! I have a soft spot for my mommy though, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I didn’t want to use these cute little favors. She spent so much time personalizing each favor with our names, wedding date and drawings. Everyone was so excited about them! Not to be outdone, I did force one of my bridesmaids who flew in all the way from Japan (thanks, Ai!) to help me stuff, label and staple each of my s’mores kits. Some things are just better together…

My advice for other brides would be to start an “inspiration” folder. Whenever I came across something that touched me (wedding-related or not), I filed it away. Who knows? You might use it for something unexpected one day.

Wedding Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Wedding Venue: Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, Nevada / Floral Design: Enchanted Florist / Catering: Wolfgang Puck Springs Preserve / Heart-Shaped Marshmallows: Madyson’s Marshmallows / Paper Goods: DIY by the Bride / DJ/MC: DJ Harry O / Photo Booth: Shutterbooth / Wedding Dress: Sarah Seven via Little White Dress / Bride’s Hairpiece: Lo Boheme / Hair + Makeup: Francesca Lombardo of Bobbie Pin Beauty / Suits: J.Crew / Bow Ties: Me and Matilda + The Belle and The Beau

This adorable couple proves that life just keeps getting better long after your jaunt down the aisle. Even with two daughters and a business, they still seem to find time for one another and when their five year anniversary was coming up, they knew they wanted to do something special. So they threw themselves a mini wedding with loads of pretty, personal touches. Cardin Creative, aka, the bride, designed and planned everything while Paper and Home made all the pretty paper. Ron Miller Photography snapped up all the goodness and there’s even more right here.

From Cardin Creative (The Bride)… Casey and I are both so busy with work, our two beautiful kids and renovating our new house, but I always find time for us. The five-year wedding vow renewal was something that I really wanted to do as a romantic gesture for us, and that’s exactly what it ended up being. Casey and I picked a beautiful location at Springs Preserve, wrote our vows, and had a “mini-wedding” in every sense. It was great to work with a great team of wedding vendors, and they were all on board to help make our vision into a reality. We incorporated a ton of personalized details into the day. It was important to us that everything had meaning and really fit our style. The gray, white and yellow color palette fit our “modern with a hint of traditional” style. Springs Preserve offered the lush green background that I wanted and gave us a perfect backdrop for the romantic natural light, and Trump Hotel offered a more luxurious setting with sexy, dramatic lighting. Together, it was exactly the style that we envisioned. All of the details and props that we used had meaning to us. The vases with our names engraved on them are the original vases we used during our sand ceremony at our wedding five years ago. The “Cardin Family” sign hangs outside our front door to our home, and Casey surprised me with an engraved necklace that says “1+1=4” on one side and “Cardin Family Est. 07-08-07” on the other as a way of symbolizing our kids. I also had the idea of having our vows nicely designed as the “Story of Us” so we can frame them and proudly display them in our home.

A couple of weeks before the vow renewal, I had the idea of doing a pillow fight at the end of the night. I wanted to do something different to show our fun, playful side … plus I wanted to do something that I have never seen done before. A pillow fight – with real feather pillows – was exactly what I had in mind! We only had one shot to get it right, and after a full day, we were ready to unwind and have a bit of fun. With the first swing of the pillow, feathers went everywhere and Casey and I were laughing hysterically. (Dear Trump Hotel: we picked every last feather up, I promise!) This five-minute pillow fight was the perfect way to end a perfect day, and I’m so glad that Casey and Ron were on board with my crazy idea. We wanted the day of our vow renewal to be a mix of romantic, sexy, and playful, and we accomplished exactly that thanks to the “dream team” of wedding vendors. You are all amazing. and Casey and I are forever grateful!

From the Groom… There are so many things that I love about Chelsy: her beauty, her smile, her laugh, her passion for what she does; I could go on and on. I feel so lucky to have my best friend be my wife, as it makes life so much more enjoyable. Our lives since the wedding (7-8-07) have gone by so quickly and have lead up to such a well-thought-out vow renewal. Our oldest daughter, Kylei, who is now 7, has blossomed into a smart, fun, not-so-little girl. When we found out we were having another baby in 2010, we were so excited to have a little one join our family. Kynlee has definitely been such a joy to have — she is now almost 2 and is growing up so fast.

The vow renewal that we planned was definitely full of surprises. We knew we were going to Springs Preserve, but we didn’t realize what we got ourselves into. As we drove to the back area, we pulled off the road and Ron pointed out where we were going. When Chelsy and I got out and looked, we gave each other that look of, “We are going where again?!” We trekked through the shrubs, down a few steep rocky “cliffs” (think tall steep hill) and ended up in a secluded area beneath some beautiful trees. Chelsy said she had wanted grassy fields and to feel like we weren’t in Vegas, and that’s definitely what she got. Afterwards we got to have some fun with feathers and had a pillow fight. I could not believe so many feathers could come out of two pillows! That is something that I will never forget. The day was amazing, and I was very impressed with how everything turned out.

Photography: Ron Miller Photography / Vow Renewal Venues: Springs Preserve + Trump Hotel Las Vegas, Both in Las Vegas, Nevada / Event Coordination + Design: Cardin Creative (The Bride) / Floral Design: Layers of Lovely / Stationery: Paper and Home / Cake: Gimme Some Sugar / Dress: Adrianna Papell via Nordstrom / Hair + Makeup: Amelia C & Co.

This wedding is home to some of the most amazing vintage details I have ever seen – all from the bride’s (and her MOH sister’s) rental shop. The super amazing turquoise dessert hutch was actually her grandmothers – which she painted and made fabulous. I mean really, how cool is that? The wedding itself was a gorgeous soiree that has me begging for more from Chelsea Nicole Photography… Lucky for you there is a whole gallery of more!

Is it incredibly cliche of me to say that our wedding was the absolute best day of my life? Oh well, I don’t care because its true! Brian and I met the same way so many others have… through a mutual friend (who everyone made sure to thank at the wedding). This friend had been telling me about Brian for awhile, saying we were perfect for each other. One day he told me I should go see Brian’s band play that night. After much persuasion from another friend, I decided to go, but just sneak in real fast to check “this guy” out. Well I wasn’t sneaky enough because Brian spotted me (from behind his drum set) as soon as I walked in….  two years later we were engaged and on April 28th 2012 we tied the knot… woohoo!!

When I first started trying to visualize our wedding, the first thing I imagined was trees… lots and lots of trees. Since we live in the desert, I thought this meant I needed to plan a destination wedding until I was fortunate enough to stumble onto Legends Ranch. When walking the property for the first time, I didn’t even feel like we were in Las Vegas anymore… I was sold. Wooden family style tables, bistro lights, paper lanterns and lots of mismatchy antique decor/ furniture, were just a few details I couldn’t live without. I started collecting pieces I thought were fun and would add some character to our special day (it helps owning a small vintage rental business with my sister/MOH). The pie hutch was actually my grandmother’s that I found just stored away. A few people thought I was crazy when I had my dad haul it to my house so I could use it in the wedding, but once I painted and antiqued it, then added chicken wire and cute knobs… they came around. Most the furniture and decor that we used, my sister and I rehabbed ourselves. One of my favorites was the chalkboard door that we used to put the menu on (good way to save paper)!

In the interest of staying true to ourselves, instead of a fancy catered meal, we opted for some seriously delicious, freshly grilled barbecue. To help really tie it in, we fashioned each guest a “BBQ surviver kit.” We took napkins, eating utensils, ‘I heart Ribs’ bibs, toothpicks, wet naps, mints and straws and placed them in mason jars that the guest then used to serve themselves lemonade or sweet tea (which we titled ‘Sweet Momma Tea’ because Brian has always called me his sweet momma). This was the best decision ever because it was a huge hit! People are still talking about how good the food was and how funny the cook was (he was added entertainment). We seriously had the best vendors, my makeup artist is always perfect, our florist helped any way she could (on top of supplying the best floral arrangements ever!) and our photographer stayed until the very end (our guest LOVED her), rolling in the dirt and grass… whatever just to get the best shot! I can’t say enough great things about these wonderful and incredibly talented people!

The night was truly, truly amazing and filled with so much love everywhere you looked (lots of happy tears!). Our family and bridal party went above and beyond to help make our day exceptionally great, working on projects and helping us set everything up the day before…. We are seriously so lucky!! Of-course having our dogs there with us all day was awesome because they are such a big part of Brian and I (we are kind of obsessed). Walking down the aisle to Brian was the best moment of my life, I can’t even describe it. My father/daughter dance was so special, but makes me laugh because my dad spent all this money on dance lessons (it was supposed to be choreographed), but we started crying right away and just got a few twirls in… I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Brian surprised me with an acoustic performance of one our songs (and a few others), which everyone, especially me, enjoyed. Line dancing with my bridesmaids was so much fun and put the finishing touch on our country-ish wedding. Dancing all night with everyone was the most fun I have ever had in my life, there was some serious magic on the dance floor that night (which includes a few backspins by my husband). But all and all, just having the people we love most in the world there to support us and celebrate all night was the best feeling in the world. We are both just so thankful and excited to spend the rest of our lives together!

Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Flowers: Layers of Lovely / Event Design and Vintage Decor: The Wooden Trunk / Ceremony and Reception Location: Legends Ranch / Dress: Wtoo Brides / Hair: Jonathon Kristen at The Exclusive Salon

If I said this wedding is filled with the kind of romance you can float on all afternoon, would you know what I meant? It’s the kind of romance that pours out of Chelsea Nicole Photography‘s images. Romance that smells like roses, that tastes like chocolate, and feels like the softest of cashmeres. Romance that is ever present in smiles, always dancing in the eyes of those who are in love. The romance that can fill a gallery with images worthy of an entire afternoon of perusing!

Click here to see the full image gallery!

Andy and I met 15 years ago at work where we eventually became friends, then best friends and finally we fell in love. In the beginning of becoming best friends we wrote 1000 emails to each other in 6 months. We discussed everything from mundane daily check-ins, recipes, to our dreams and hopes for the future. We also both love poetry and knowing the story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning who wrote each other prolifically we found the inspiration for our wedding. Elizabeth and Robert courted through many letters but finally through much turmoil were married and had a wonderful loving life. Years later, she died in his arms and her final word spoken was to his question “How do you feel” – she responded “Beautiful” and then took her last breath. I think no one can ask for a greater love than that. Sonnets from the Portuguese is considered Elizabeth’s finest work and she wrote those poems during their courting period. Robert Browning who was the lesser poet wrote his best work after falling in love with her. They brought out the best in each other and Andy and I feel that way about our relationship.

We wanted our wedding day to reflect the romance, the emotion and intimacy that existed in their work and the way we felt about each other. We wanted our special day to have an intimate feel, a touch of vintage elegance and still be fun! We thought we would never find what we needed until we wandered into the Four Seasons Las Vegas. Intimate, personal, classy without being stuffy and did not feel at all like you were in Vegas while still being convenient for our guests traveling in. Also, the Four Seasons is known for their fabulous afternoon High Tea – my favorite meal.

For the décor, we wanted something to reflect the easy afternoon feel we wanted. We had our fabulous florist incorporate our collection of mercury glass and silver serving ware with her beautiful creations. She understood our vision and was able to include all of my favorite flowers for a look that was from the garden but not rustic. She also had the fun idea of swaging the pearls on the back of the chairs to keep it whimsical.

I also knew I wanted to include lots of personal touches. From vintage handkerchiefs that we collected for the ceremony, handmade organza flower pins for the favors, the escort cards and board, assembling the lace drink parasols, and the 42 paper hydrangea pomanders (these were very time consuming) we worked on each project together. We kept the Browning theme going with quotes in our signage, each of the 60 menus having a different quote from their collected works and we picked our favorites from Sonnets from the Portuguese as our table numbers so that our guests could read them too. One of our guests’ favorite touches were the signs that we did for our photobooth. We sat down and came up with over 30 phrases, some sweet, some fun and some just plain stupid for our guests to play with.

On the Monday after our wedding we had an amazing honeymoon planned starting in Paris and then the Loire Valley. In one of the early emails years ago, we both expressed a strong desire to go to there someday. It seemed to bring it full circle to visit there for our honeymoon. We had some touches in our wedding with a nod to the trip to come, from the Madame and Monsieur signs (also a family joke since Catherine calls him Monsieur Andy), the le photomaton sign for our photobooth and the vintage reproduction postcards for our guests to write us notes on and finally the yummy French pastilles that are meant to be dissolved in tea but always end up as candy for me.

We had so much fun putting our hearts into every aspect of our wedding, and in the end, it was the perfect day. I always thought it was wrong to say that your wedding day was the best day of your life. Does it mean that it goes downhill from there? The answer is no! Our wedding day was truly a magical day – and yes, it seemed like the best day of our life. Until the day after our wedding day which was just a smidge better, and each day has added to that. I am so glad we took the time to make the day very meaningful and keep it special, intimate and full of love.

Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Flowers: Las Vegas Event Flowers & Decor / Ceremony & Reception Location: Melanie Anderson, Four Seasons Las Vegas / Hair and Makeup: Makeup in the 702 / Shoes: Christian LaCroix + Menbur / Dress: Enzoani / Officiant: Dr. Kenneth Harper / Photobooth: Shutterbooth / Harpist: Kim Delibero

Have you ever wondered what SMP would look like in the wedding capital of the world? We like to think it’s something like this. Sexy, glam, and chic, with dark glittery linens, a gorgeous ombre cake, clean white flowers, and luxe paper goods from Paper and Home. Melissa Schollaert Photography‘s camera got quite the workout capturing all the fabulous deets we are totally loving from this inspiration shoot. There are so many amazing details, I couldn’t decide where to draw the line, so I made sure to load the gallery with ALL of them!

Click here to see the rest in the gallery!

From Scheme Events … Las Vegas is known as the Wedding Capital of the World and we wanted to showcase why this is true outside of our infamous chapels.  We gathered the best vendors in the Las Vegas Wedding industry and created a wedding vision with a mix of modern elegance and old school glamour.  Midnight blue sequin linen accented with gold tableware and a pop of fresh white floral complemented the coloring of The Barrymore restaurant.  The gold cake incorporated the hot ombre wedding trend and contemporary stationery made the pieces cohesive.  Our bride and groom are a stylish young couple who enjoy the juxtaposition of old and new.  For example, everyone is familiar with a sommelier and great wine at a wedding.  So for a modern twist, a beer station with an in-house cicerone (a beer expert) was highlighted.  The overall feel is glamorous, trendsetting and sexy.

Photography: Melissa Schollaert Photography / Coordination and Design: Scheme Events / Hair + Makeup: Your Beauty Call / Stationery and Signage: Paper and Home / Cake: Gimme Some Sugar / Venue: The Barrymore / Desserts & Cocktails: The Barrymore / Film: Naz Films Inc. / Bride’s Attire: Bella Bridesmaid / Groom’s Attire: Tuxedo Junction / Floral: Divine Events / Linen: La Tavola / Chameleon Chairs: Classic Party Rentals / Flatware: RSVP Party Rentals / Female Model: Jessica Gamez / Male Model: Shane Kawamura

And now lets delve into some of the projects behind this fab shoot. Get ready to take some notes because we have a whole lot of steal-worthy ideas coming your way in 3, 2, 1…

Materials:
spray adhesive
paper box
colored sand
paint and paint brush
paper with your table number
scissors
bowls for mixing sand

1. Prep the sand by mixing different amounts of the colors you want to fade into each other. A lot of yellow with a little orange in the first bowl, an equal amount of both in another bowl, and a lot of orange and a little yellow in the last bowl

2. Paint box to create a lighter surface so your color stands out more, let dry

3. Spray the glue all over one surface of box, spoon lines of sand across the glued area in a gradient pattern, tip off excess sand, let dry

4. Cut out the number from the paper, place the template over the sanded gradient, spray glue directly over the template, spoon purple sand over the template, remove template and tip off excess sand, let dry. Repeat steps 1-3 for better color and sand coverage

5. Repeat on all sides

Materials:
Rit dye
100% cotton napkins
bucket or deep container
boiling water
salt
embroidery floss
embroidery hoop
pencil

Before you Start:
Prep napkins by running them through the wash without softener

1. Follow directions on dye box for mixing dye, boiling water, and salt. The salt helps hold the dye in the cotton fabric

2. Slowly lower napkin into dye, trying to keep it level with the water to maintain an even line of dye. Lower 3/4 into water, hold 10 seconds and lift out 1/4, hold another 60 seconds and lift out another 1/4 (only 1/4 of the napkin should still be in the water), hold for another 60 seconds (or longer) and remove completely from water

3. Carefully place wet napkin on drying rack. As you complete more napkins be sure not to overlap a dyed portion with an un-dyed portion so as not to get drips on the white part of the napkin. Let dry completely

4. Sketch out a design for your monogram

5. Place napkin in embroidery hoop and pull tight. Chain stitch your monogram, remove from hoop and iron flat

Materials:
a canvas the size of your liking
embroidery floss
needle
ultra fine tip sharpie
glue gun
a yard of linen fabric (or faux linen like I used!)
graphic map of the US enlarged to fill the canvas
tags

Before you Start:
Prep fabric by cutting it about 3 inches larger on all sides than your canvas (keep this in mind when you buy the fabric), cut out the map

1. Hot glue top center, then bottom center, then the centers on of the other sides, then glue around the corners, pulling fabric taught on each side.
2. Turn the canvas over and place the map in the place you want on the canvas, making sure you leave room for Alaska and Hawaii, outline the entire US with sharpie with dotted line (cause it’s cute!)
3. Begin cutting out a few states at a time and tracing around them with a dotted line on the map. I did this with only a couple at a time to be sure I put them all in the right places.
4. Write on the tag a message to your fiance and make a stitch in the place you met. Then each guest can tie on a stitch and mark where they met with a tagged message to the newlyweds!

A big, huge thank you to MegRuth and her fab team for sharing this collaboration of awesome!  xoxo

Photography: MegRuth Photography / Venue + Catering: Bar + Bistro @ The Arts Factory in Las Vegas, Nevada / Floral Design: Layers of Lovely / Wedding Cake: Gimme Some Sugar / Invitation Suite, Menus, + Place Cards: SHE Paperie / Custom Hanger: Handcrafted Affairs / Table Rental: RSVP Party Rentals / Table Linen: La Tavola / Chairs: Collected + Spray-Painted / Runner + Napkins: DIY / Guest Sign-in Board: DIY / Table Number: DIY / Wedding Dress: Saja Weddings via Bella Bridesmaid / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid / Birdcage Veil and Hair Piece: Pomp & Plumage / Hair + Makeup: Your Beauty Call / Lash Extensions: Ciao Bella Studio / Models: Ali, Kavin + Lindsey

Inspiration shoots are great for pulling ideas and pretty details for your upcoming wedding. But when a shoot is also jam-packed with THREE awesome DIY projects; that’s like hitting the blogging lotto. MegRuth Photography teamed up with a bevy of fabulous creatives including Layers of Lovely who whipped up some insane florals and SHE Paperie with her perfect paper goods for a desert shoot infused with modern color. It’s succulents and feathers like you’ve never seen. Catch it all right here.

Click here for the FULL photo shoot!

From Meg of MegRuth Photography… This is not your typical Las Vegas affair. We chose to keep it light and fresh with lots of color, succulents, feathers and braided details. The color palette was tangerine tango, purple and a gradient of teals with yellow accents. Every vendor that worked on this shoot was completely inspired. We incorporated a small amount ombre to tell the story. I dip dyed the napkins and embroidered them with a monogram that the couple could keep for their home after their wedding day. There were a few DIY projects that I did for the shoot that any bride could do leading up to her big day: a colored sand table number, DIY dyed and embroidered napkins and a map guest book. The ombre effect on the cake was created with sanding sugar to mimic the ombre sand table number, and succulents were added to tie in with the table setting. Our florist wasn’t shy about spray painting the succulents to add pops of color throughout the centerpiece and for the cake. We also used one succulent nub sprayed teal and tied to the bridesmaid’s wrist with twine in lieu of a bouquet. Hair and makeup continued the color scheme and braided accents on the invitations and menus and really tied everything together. Those subtle details are what really makes a wedding stand out against the rest. The invitation suite was custom designed for the shoot and can now be ordered through SHE Paperie! Everything was set against the backdrop of The Bar + Bistro at The Arts Factory in the arts district of downtown Las Vegas. Such an eclectic and unique setting for any wedding affair and amazing food to boot! 

Photography: MegRuth Photography / Venue + Catering: Bar + Bistro @ The Arts Factory in Las Vegas, Nevada / Floral Design: Layers of Lovely / Wedding Cake: Gimme Some Sugar / Invitation Suite, Menus, + Place Cards: SHE Paperie / Custom Hanger: Handcrafted Affairs / Table Rental: RSVP Party Rentals / Table Linen: La Tavola / Chairs: Collected + Spray-Painted / Runner + Napkins: DIY / Guest Sign-in Board: DIY / Table Number: DIY / Wedding Dress: Saja Weddings via Bella Bridesmaid / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid / Birdcage Veil and Hair Piece: Pomp & Plumage / Hair + Makeup: Your Beauty Call / Lash Extensions: Ciao Bella Studio / Models: Ali, Kavin + Lindsey

This week we’ve been from Florida to Michigan to France and back again, and we have just one last stop before we bid you adieu for the weekend. We’re spending the last few moments of our work week with a ridiculously adorable couple in Mt. Charleston, courtesy of the lovely Chelsea Nicole Photography. Hopefully you’re weekends look a little something like this snowy engagement sesh – then make sure to meet us right back here Monday! xoxo

Photography by Chelsea Nicole Photography.

The week of wonderful weddings all ready for your viewing pleasure:

a Florida beach wedding captured in a super cute highlight film
a soiree with the most perfect mix of rustic and vintage in Tennessee
a Michigan affair that makes us all a little green with envy
an über romantic French fête in a castle to start our vaca to France
a stylish Parisian soiree to finish our French holiday
a contemporary & chic California beach wedding
a beautiful bit of Oregon vineyard nuptials
a quirky affair with fab florals in Portland
a winter wonderland of wedded inspiration in Michigan
a beyond glam Chicago soiree to die for

Rain drops on roses, whiskers on kittens, and:

a DIY Pinwheel printable, perfect for the whimsy-est of affairs via Oh Happy Day
a bunch of sea glass (my new obsession for a winter wedding palette) inspiration via Camille Styles
a DIY tutorial for glitter stamped pears (!!!) via Project Wedding

Hat’s off to all of you brides and grooms who can plan a wedding in three months or less, and make it killer fab. It always amazes me to see the detail you are able to put into something that came together so quickly. This Nevada wedding did not take place in Las Vegas, wedding capital of the world and the brides hometown, but instead just outside at Mount Charleston. And the bride and groom pulled it together in two and a half months. Yep. Ten weeks. They are crazy good. The bride is a photojournalist herself, so it was no question that she had to have some amazing talent on hand to capture the day they had worked so hard to plan – and with Twin Lens, that is just what she got. Seriously, I could go on about this wedding all day, but that wouldn’t be fair to you. So check it out, then meet me in the gallery where I’m bound to still be gushing about this gorgeous affair.

When I moved to Las Vegas five years ago, after a decade in Oregon and Montana, I joked with my friends, “Just never let me get married in Las Vegas!” As a mostly outdoor girl but a photojournalist first, I moved to the wilds of Las Vegas for a great job. To keep my wits about me I would head to the mountains or desert on my days off, and sometimes before work on Sundays. That’s where I met Kirk, on a ski lift on a Sunday morning at the small ski area on Mt. Charleston, just outside Las Vegas. The romance and outdoor adventures together grew from there.

Engaged around our two-year anniversary in December of 2010, we had talked loosely about a warm water, tropical destination wedding. After weighing out the options, cost and travel time would limit who would be able to attend and we decided having all of our friends and family present was most important. That’s when Mt. Charleston dawned on us. It’s outside of the city, technically not IN Vegas proper, and it has special significance of where we met and spent many a great days snowboarding and getting to know one another.

I had never really thought about what I’d want for my wedding. I knew I wanted to create a day that would be aesthetically beautiful, relaxed and abundant in thoughtful, personal details, but I had no idea of the limitless creative discovery I was in for.

Photography was my first priority once we reserved the venue and date. I have known Kitty & Craig Fritz, of Twin Lens Images, through our common professional circles since before I moved to Las Vegas. As soon as they crossed my mind I knew they would be our dream pick. Luckily they were available for our short notice March wedding. Kitty and Craig and I didn’t have to talk about too much. I knew their work well and had 100% confidence that they would make magic in images of our day.

It’s hard to believe all the work by so many that made the weekend come to life. It was a perfect day, kissed with sunshine and the warmest day in the month and blessed by our friends and family. The best part was the memories made and shared, and to boot, now we’re married!

Wedding Design & Planning: Yelena Johnson, The Stylish Soiree / Flowers: Enchanted Florist / Photography: Twin Lens / Videography: Lovespun / Ceremony Music: Phat Strad / Venue: The Resort on Mt. Charleston / Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Bag: BeeGee Bags / Groom’s Suit:  Stitched / Guestbook: Rag & Bone / DJ: Smiles Davis / Deserts: Red Velvet Café / Print design: Coco Paperie / Paper Printing: Mama’s Sauce / Ring Pillow: Llubav Choy Duerr / Photo booth: Shutterbooth / Cake Topper: Celeste Welch / Dessert Flags: Victorian Station / Photobooth Signs: Em&N Designs

When I first spotted this wedding, I literally had to pick my jaw up off the floor. It is singing a pretty, organic outdoor song and is so not what I was expecting when I saw the Las Vegas title. Meredith Carlson Photography did an amazing job of capturing the family style festivities all hand-crafted by the bride and family alike. Gorgeous, right? See more of the day here!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Meredith Carlson Photography…Jana and Collin were married in the LDS Las Vegas Temple, and held their reception at Gilcrease Orchards, Las Vegas. Their wedding was a very DIY affair, as the bride comes from a very artistically talented family (Jana and Collin are graphic designers as well). Jana’s dress (styled after a JCrew dress), as well as her flower girl’s dress was made by a family friend. The fingerprint tree at their guest table was made by Jana, and the typewriter was Jana’s grandfather’s. Jana’s dad made the wood cake stand, as well as the wooden candle holders, Jana’s mother made the jam and apple butter that was handed out as guest favors, Jana’s sister designed their wedding invitations and thank you tags. Friends and family helped arrange the flowers on the banquet-style table. They used some burlap fabric bought at JoAnn’s for the table runner.

Wedding Photography: Meredith Carlson Photography / Wedding Gown: Family Friend / Catering: Gaya Guymon / Wedding Cake: Lezlee Goronsen / Flowers, Favors, Decor, Cake Stand: DIY / Wedding Invitations: Linsey Laidlaw-Morris / Gazebo: Target / Rentals: RSVP Rentals / Table Runners: Joann’s / Reception Location: Gilcrease Orchards

Okay ladies and gents, this wedding is so super duper fabulous and first class that I have to refer to you all like that. Picture delicious champagne, glittery chandeliers, ruffly Vera Wang, romantic mercury glass, sparkly Jimmy Choo’s, and adorable men in bow ties. I know, I know. It’s out of control amazing! My heart is legit jumping for joy for this stunning southern féte. Luckily for us Kristin Vining was there to capture all the elegant details and they’re all here in the gallery for us to swoon over!

Click here to see entire image gallery!

Mallory’s Side of the Story: William warned me that he was going to have a busy weekend full of work so I was not expecting to see a lot of him. We did our normal Saturday morning cycling class at the YMCA. We got our normal Brugger’s coffee and went to my place to relax for an hour before William went to the office. After finishing our coffee, I asked William if he was ready for me to take him back to his condo. William said he would not be going into the office that day and instead we would be going to Charleston for the remainder of the weekend. He told me to pack my suitcase and be ready in an hour. I looked at him in total disbelief. After a few minutes of shock, William finally convinced me that we were actually going out of town. I packed, got ready as quickly as possible and we excitedly got on the road. William kept everything a surprise and would not tell me where we were staying or what we were doing. I sat the whole three hours in suspense. We finally got to Charleston and arrived at the Planters Inn. It is the most adorable and charming hotel in the middle of historic Charleston. I walked around marveling at the art and architecture. I stopped in front of a lit fireplace, candles and roses. When I turned around, William was down on one knee with my ring in hand. He muttered a speech, but all I heard him say was, “I love you. Will you marry me?” Of course, I said yes (I knew I wanted to marry William after our first date). We spent the next hour calling our family and friends. William then took me to Blossom Restaurant. We sat at the same table where he told me he loved me for the first time. A gentleman even sent us a bottle of champagne from across the room to congratulate us. He said he got engaged in Charleston several years ago and was now expecting his first child. What an amazing night!

William’s Side of the Story: I first told Mallory I loved her on the first of our many trips to Charleston, South Carolina, so I had no doubt that Charleston was the perfect place to propose to her one day. During the first few weeks of January 2010, I was very busy at work and not able to spend much time with Mallory. But I was also secretly arranging the purchase of a ring and a trip to Charleston. Once the ring finally arrived, I wanted to give it Mallory as quickly as possible. I told her that I was going to have to spend another weekend in the office, but on Saturday morning (January 16th), I surprised her and told her to pack her bags for Charleston. Initially, she reacted with total disbelief. But news quickly sank in and she was ecstatic.On the drive to Charleston, I never told her about my plans for the trip. Though she obviously knew what was ultimately going to happen, she let the plans unfold and everything went off without a hitch. As soon as we got to town, I took her straight to the fireplace at the Planters Inn, got on one knee and proposed to her on the spot. I had gone over my words to her in my head dozens of times, but I have no idea what I ended up saying. Fortunately, she said yes. We then enjoyed a bottle of champagne, called our families and had dinner at the same table at Blossom restaurant where I first told her I loved her almost two years earlier. It was the perfect day.

From the moment Will and I walked into the Duke Mansion, we knew it was perfect venue for our wedding. Tucked quietly within the gorgeous Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte, it is less than five miles from where I lived.  I had never heard of it. With the surrounding neighbors’ blessing, the Duke Mansion had just started holding weddings. Lucky us! Besides the elegant wedding ballroom, our guests were able to roam throughout the estate with its black and white floors, beautiful courtyard, porches, glass walled solarium and lush gardens.  We reserved the Duke Mansion’s twenty elegant guest rooms for family members and the bridal party. Many of the rooms have walkout screened porches which were a huge hit especially with the dry warm spring weather.  My mom specially ordered pizzelles, a delicious Italian cookie my grandfather and I baked together over the years, and we placed a box of them wrapped in tulle in each room as welcome gifts. The Duke Mansion was my wedding venue dream come true. Words I used to describe the vision I had for William and my wedding included classic, couture, fun and most of all “intimate.” We wanted a small wedding of 100 guests so we would be able to converse with everyone and make them feel special.  Décor was also extremely important to me. After looking at numerous wedding magazines and blogs, I learned: I love glamour and glitz, I love draping, I love the colors of black, blush and ivory, I love big tree-like flower arrangements and I love ribbons and bows! We decided to drape the dining room at the Duke Mansion with ivory taffeta drapes and tie back the entrances with big black bows.  We lined the dance floor with eight foot banquet tables covered with custom ribbon taffeta linens.  The Bloom Room created huge arrangements of blush and pink flowers and positioned them along the tables.  We placed large crystal candelabras in the middle of the arrangements.  The room was up-lit with amber lighting to give a candle glow.  The stunning laced edged cake with silver brooches and bows was placed in the middle of the white dance floor. The end result was more than I could have ever dreamed of. It literally took my breath away.With all said above, the best moment of the whole wedding day was William and my first look.  The expression on his face the first time he set his eyes on me in my wedding dress will forever be etched in my mind.  I have never felt so beautiful or loved.  The day was more than perfect. Later, William and I danced our first dance in the grand foyer under a massive crystal chandelier with family and friends closely surrounding us. What made this wedding so unique can be decided in the comments our guests made.  They had never being to a wedding where they were constantly entertained with every tiny detail being important. Waiters holding glasses of champagne welcomed guests.  Crystal hung tiered escort cards complemented the rhinestone embellished name cards and menus. The band even surprised our guests wearing decorative costumes at the end of the night. We hired an artist who uniquely cut everyone’s silhouette out of black paper.  One silhouette was secured in a book where guests signed their names and another was given as a memento of the special occasion.  A late evening chef’s finale dessert which consisted of Southern Comfort Peach Foster and ice cream was served. The night ended with guests holding sparklers gracing the elegant steps of the mansion as William and I rode off to the Ritz in a Bentley. Our wedding was the result of months of creative thought and careful planning.  All the details blended together to create an unforgettable wedding celebration.

Ceremony location:  Covenant Presbyterian Church / Reception: Duke Mansion / Cake: Cake Lady Jill / Flowers:  The Bloom Room /  Gown: Vera Wang / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Jim Hjelm / Tuxedo: Trussini / Engagement ring: Mavilo / Hairstylist: Kymm Mclean, Who’s the Fairest / Make-up: Kymm Mclean, Who’s the Fairest / Invitations and Stationery: Smock / Music: Hot Sauce / Photography: Kristin ViningPhotography / Videography: Richard Israel, Timm Young / Clergy: Robert W. Henderson / Caterers: Duke Mansion / Rehearsal dinner: Bentley’s on 27 / Lighting: Eye Dialogue / Linens: Custom / Candelabras: Regal Candelabra / Rentals: Party Reflections / Drapes: Party Tables / Wedding night hotel: Ritz Carlton / Bridesmaid luncheon location: Duke Mansion / Bachelor Party: Las Vegas / Bachelorette Party: Napa Valley / Specialty gifts and favors: Silhouette Portraits by Edward / Transportation provider: Trolley’s Inc., / Wedding consultant: Tiffany Ratliff, Weddings and the City / Earrings: Dannijo / Broach: Enchanted Atelier

Oh how I wish I could dive head first into this adorable and delicious photo shoot by Scheme Events and A Milestone Paper Co. I’m not quite sure what I would reach for first. The bottle of red wine or the scoops upon scoops of ice cream at the float and milkshake stand? I guess it would depend on the time of day. But really, how stinkin’ cute is that? I’m feeling lots and lots of inspiration coming on…and there’s so much more in the gallery! And if that’s not enough for some of you, there’s even more inspiration here. Happy planning!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

Our story began with a soldier overseas at war. He and his fiancé have been writing love letters back and forth, until one day she received a military release order asking her to “save the date” for his return. She and her two bridesmaids anxiously awaited his arrival at the airport. The soldier and his bride enjoyed an intimate ceremony on the tarmac while reading old love letters to each other. An all American reception followed in an airplane hangar.

We used a modern take on the traditional red, white and blue by using navy, ivory and scarlet. We created a tablescape for four including navy linen and mahogany cafe chairs.  The table featured antique washed wooden chargers, red dinner plates and American flag salad plates topped with a trio of silverware tied with blue and brown twine.  Deep red votives provided romantic candlelight against a row of fresh floral.

The bride wore a short lace dress with a scalloped bottom from Amsale’s Little White Dress Collection and accessorized with strappy gold Jimmy Choo’s. The bridesmaids wore strapless knee length dresses from Jenny Yoo and Dessy Collections, accented with vintage brooches.  The groom provided his own Air Force Dress Blues.

All American desserts were served: milkshakes and Coke floats.  Strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream was set out with fresh berries and milk for handmade shakes along with a selection of toppings included chopped nuts, sprinkles and mini chocolate chips.

I wanted the stationery to reflect the aviation, all-American and romantic themes of this event.  For the save the date, I created a discharge notice reworded as a save the date.  The invitation was mailed in a tin box reflecting the aviation theme.  An airmail inspired label adorned the outside, while inside the tin was lined with a vintage map design.  The invitation has a romantic, vintage flair and is wrapped in a gros grain ribbon hand embroidered with the couple’s initials and a heart alluding to skywriting.  We continued the theme with sweet menus again embellished with a ribbon banner with an embroidered heart.  Itty-bitty banners, some of which we attached to miniature silver airplanes, label each of the dessert items, and a large banner draws guests to the dessert table.  Finally, guests signed a passport inspired guest book.

The bridal bouquet was composed of a lush combination of ruffly magenta peonies, white sweet pea, eye catching anemones, some sweet smelling cheerfulness,  touches of dark red ranunculus, filled with different types of greens to bring texture and than accented with a little bit of muscari to highlight with a pop of blue in the design. We wrapped the bouquet with a navy vintage lace and embellished it with a medallion. For the bridesmaids bouquets we played off of the bridal bouquet to make it a cohesive look but mostly used ivory floral and subtle touches of red floral and wrapped them with dark red lace. The centerpiece was designed with a symphony of different bud vases and jars filled with small blooms to create one large piece. Blooming almond branches helped bring a little bit of height to the design while also working as a highlight floral at the base. The light blue of the muscari popped off of the navy linen while the dark almost metallic look helped tie everything together.

Concept, Coordination & Design: Scheme Events / Floral Design: Layers of Lovely / Rentals: RSVP Party Rentals / Attire: Bella Bridesmaid / Wedding Gown: Amsale / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo + Dessy / Hair & Makeup: Your Beauty Call / Venue: Sky Combat Ace / Stationery: A Milestone Paper Co. / Photography: Laura Ivanova Photography

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Jenny Yoo

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What do you get when you combine the keen eye of an interior designer, the stunning backdrop of a Nevada mountainside and genius photographer Chelsea Nicole behind the camera?  One of the chicest, desert soirees we’ve ever seen ’round these parts.  I absolutely adore the comfy yet stylish bridesmaids ensembles.  And don’t even get me started on the phenomenal floral design from Layers of Lovely!  That succulent bouquet is just out of this world!  I’d never guess from these tranquil images of lovliness that this wedding took place just 30 minutes from the Vegas strip.  Check out the full gallery to see even more from this rustic desert fête!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Ian and I are high school sweethearts and were excited to tie the knot in December after dating for almost 8 years! We’ve known we wanted to get married for a while but decided to pursue our goals first. For me that meant going to school in San Diego and getting my degree and for Ian it was becoming a firefighter paramedic. We spent 4 years driving to and from San Diego and Las Vegas every other weekend to spend time together. It wasn’t much fun at the time, but it definitely made us a stronger couple. We got engaged in front of our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve 2009 and instantly started making plans for our wedding!

We wanted to be budget conscious but still have a beautiful affair, so we opted to have our wedding at Cascada, a gorgeous country club tucked away in Boulder City just a bit outside of Las Vegas. We had originally wanted to get married in October but December meant non-peak golf season and non-peak golf season means much lower prices, so we bumped our date to December to be able to put the money saved towards others areas. Ian and I both really wanted our day to be laid back and not too traditional – especially not your traditional “Vegas” wedding. I’m an interior designer so I used some of my design and crafting skills to save us money by doing the planning myself, along with several DIY projects and the help of lots of wedding blogs. The control freak in me was happy to be able to craft many of our wedding details myself and with the help friends but I was also very grateful to find great vendors, like Chelsea Nicole Photography and Catherine with Layers of Lovely Floral, that were young, fresh, and knew exactly what I wanted.

A few DIY projects we took on to save money were the save-the-dates, invitation suite, programs, crossword puzzles, ceremony twine pomanders, blanket tags, the boys’ neck ties, refinishing an old trunk, escort card display, table numbers, menu, table runners, centerpiece vases, ornament favors, wood planks for centerpieces, tree guest book, my garter, doily sign, and most importantly the cupcakes-in-a-jar. A lot of our design inspiration was drawn from our love of nature, especially succulents. Our entire color pallet was taken from a photo I took on my phone of a bowl of succulents at Home Depot. I decided I wanted our wedding to be flowerless and Catherine executed that beautifully. We decided to use several types of weeds, fillers, wheat, pine flowers, balsa flowers and succulents to bring the vision to life. I found the antique bottles for the centerpieces at the Pasadena flea market. We also used mason jars which I borrowed from my MIL who has a MASS collection, 99 cent store cylinder vases, 99 cent store tea light candle holders and wood planks cut from our old trailer. We used all different types of shabby chic picture frames for our table numbers that I found at TJ Maxx, HomeGoods or Marshalls. We decided to make the ceremony very simple because the backdrop of the Vegas desert was so beautiful. I found a great little white table for $40 at the flea market that we put an old planter on, which housed our programs. We also found a great trunk at an antique store that held the fleece blankets. It was about 55 degrees and breezy during our ceremony so they were definitely necessary and very appreciated by our guests! We decided to buy a lot of things we could use in our house after the wedding, as well as using things we already owned. We literally took the picture frames off our wall the morning of the wedding and displayed them on the fireplace at the venue. Little things like that made such a huge difference when it came to the budget. We decided there were much more important things to spend money on! In the end, our wedding turned out more beautiful than I could have imagined but the best part of the day were the moments we shared with family and friends. Like, chasing around my nephew in my dress before the ceremony, the boys showing up in fake mustaches, my brother-in-law playing the guitar as we walked down the aisle, my choreographed dance to “My Girl” with my dad, our first dance, Ian shoving cake up my nose, and an impromptu rap performance by my brother-in-law and cousin. Those are the things that made our day absolutely perfect!

Wedding Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Flowers: Layers of Lovely / Venue: Cascata Country Club / Wedding Dress: Tara Keely by Lazarro / Shoes: Seychelles / Hair Flowers: Forever 21 / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie / Bridesmaid Sweaters: NY & Co / Hair: Katie Stocks

Are you ready for this one? We realize it’s Monday and towards the end of the day, but we promise this chic celebration will be more than enough to help inspire the rest of your afternoon. There is something about a modern wedding that always captures my attention – with the clean lines and attention to detail, I find myself in awe of their complex simplicity. This wedding, which was inspired by an amazing pair of Christian Louboutins and captured by the talented Chelsea Nicole Photography, is a perfect example of why modern weddings are just so stunning. Believe me, you’ll want to soak up every bit of this chicness so be sure to check out even more in the gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

For months after our engagement my fiancé, Eddie, and I had procrastinated on planning the wedding. All that we were certain of was that we wanted a wedding in Las Vegas. We thought it would be nice for friends and family visiting from all over the world to enjoy a mini-vacation of their own. Who doesn’t like Vegas?! Aside from selecting a destination, planning a wedding seemed like a daunting process and we had no idea were to begin. I finally found inspiration in the most gorgeous pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. I pulled the gold and burnt orange colors from the shoes and began to design our wedding around them. My bridesmaids wore lustrous light gold dresses paired with custom freshwater pearl necklaces I designed for them. The necklaces included gold, champagne and copper colored pearls. For our wedding favors, I sewed luggage tags following a sewing pattern by StudioCherie that I bought on Etsy.com. I had never operated a sewing machine in my life, but I thought it would be fun to try. I felt it was the best way for me to create a meaningful wedding favor that reflected our passion for travelling and encompassed our personal style…unique and creative, yet practical. I chose a vibrant fabric with hues of orange and tied it off with a gold ribbon.

Suddenly, a mere 3 months before the wedding, Eddie and I were notified that the restaurant we had booked 8 months prior would be closing for renovations. Unbelievable! I desperately contacted my photographer, Chelsea Nicole, and asked for venue recommendations confident that with her great eye, she would know of the perfect place. And boy, did she pull through! Vintner Grill had amazing food, the restaurant’s modern and chic décor suited us perfectly, and the restaurant’s green and white motif complemented my wedding color palette completely. We even decided to add touches of green to our wedding invitations and programs (which we created and printed at home) and asked our florist, Naakiti Floral, to include the vibrant green in our arrangements. Just as I had found inspiration in my wedding shoes, Vintner Grill happened to be my second muse. The restaurant had an amazing outdoor patio which we were determined to make use of. So, during the reception, we had 3 stations set up outside for our guests to enjoy. An ice cream sundae bar, cigar roller, and wine tasting bar. The Ice Cream Sundae Bar featured 3 ice cream flavors and a huge selection of our favorite ice cream toppings which were displayed in charming ice cream sundae glasses. Eddie hired a master cigar maker from Don Yeyo Cigars in Las Vegas to roll cigars for our guests and I made custom match boxes with our names, wedding date, and monogram to accompany the station. Wine tastings were conducted by the restaurant’s sommelier and a wine decanter shaped vase filled with corks decorated the tasting table.

My favorite part of the planning process was working on the little details. And by hosting craft parties a few weeks before the wedding, I was able to add a lot of DIY touches to the ceremony and reception. Handmade cones with hydrangea arrangements adorned the pews of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, amusing custom crossword puzzles and Mad Libs sheets entertained guests, and escort cards made from Ferrero Rocher chocolates led guests to their table which was with hand painted table numbers. I made the table numbers using wooden numbers which I purchased on clearance from JoAnn’s Fabrics, painted a burnt orange color, and mounted on wooden blocks that I had painted white. It was a simple and fun craft project. Another detail I adored was the personalized “Mrs. Liang” hanger for my wedding dress which was made by the Etsy.com seller, lilafrances and is a wonderful keepsake gift given to my by one of my bridesmaids. The day was just bursting with delightful details!

The loss of our original venue proved to be a blessing in disguise. We were fortunate enough to have an amazing restaurant, a strong group of vendors, and loving friends and family to help us plan our wedding. It was everything we hoped our wedding would be…a bit alternative, modern, creative, and absolutely unforgettable!

Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Hair and Makeup: Megan at Makeup in the 702 / Flowers: Naakiti Floral / Ceremony Location: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton / Reception Location: Vintner’s Grill / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Custom hanger: Lila Frances

Chelsea Nicole ~ of recent SMP Inspiration to Reality fame ~ is sharing one of her fantastic weddings that took place at Las Vegas’ The Springs Preserve. A GORGEOUS place to say “I DO!”

See the entire gallery here!

from the newlyweds, Whitney & John …

Since our wedding would be a destination wedding for at least half the guests no matter where we had it, we decided to pick a neutral destination that we knew everyone would enjoy – Las Vegas! In our search for the perfect venue, we wanted to stay close to the Strip yet feel a million miles away from Las Vegas. The Springs Preserve was perfect. The grounds are amazing, and there are so many options for the location of the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception—all designed with an eye toward sustainability and preservation. And the catering ~ by Wolfgang Puck ~ surpassed all expectations!

We chose to have the ceremony outside in their garden arboretum, which was so lovely that the only flowers we added were hanging white pomanders.

The bouquet was filled with irises, garden roses, lisianthus, dahlia, bavardia, spray roses and freesia variety of herbs as accent. We incorporated fern buds and sprigs of herbs to the bouquets and the boutonnieres, which added great texture as well as a wonderful scent.

It was important to us that our parents be involved in the wedding ceremony, but we wanted to find a unique way to accomplish this. After we said our vows, we had our parents come up one at a time to participate in a little ceremony. They each poured one of the ingredients for our signature cocktail into two champagne glasses, and we had a nice private moment with each of them. My husband and I then toasted to our marriage with the signature cocktails our parents had created, and our minister invited our guests to go out to the cocktail hour, take one of our signature cocktails (which were champagne-based) and do the same.

For the flowers and décor, we wanted to keep a very natural and colorful spirit to harmonize with and elaborate on the beauty of the Springs Preserve. We used purples and greens for our theme colors, and our florist created two different types of centerpieces: manzanita trees decorated with pomanders and hanging candles, and mossy terrarium-inspired displays in low, short bowls. In keeping with the garden atmosphere, we used small iron birds to hold the table markers, and old-fashioned bird cages to hold the programs. We also used a bird cage to hold flip-flops we gave away to guests to encourage everyone to get up and dance!

The catering ~ by Wolfgang Puck ~ surpasses all expectations!

We were very excited about our honeymoon, which included a week in Uganda visiting the mountain gorillas as well as a week in the Maldives. To include our guests in our excitement, we used the names of the different places we would visit as our table names. It took a while, but by the end of the evening most of the guests had figured out our theme.

I was well-prepared with my something borrowed (the purse my sister used at her wedding), something old (my mom had my grandmother’s old jewelry remade into a bracelet and decorations for my bouquet), and something new (the dress, of course!) For my something blue, I asked my cobbler to paint the bottom of my wedding shoes blue. They were my little secret most of the night, but they peeked out a few times while we were on the dance floor!

I loved all of the different laces decorating my wedding gown, and so I asked our bakery to incorporate these different laces into the decoration of our wedding cake. Each tier of the cake featured a different lace design hand-done in buttercream icing.

See more of Whitney & John’s wedding here!

LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to share Chelsea’s fantastic shots side by side with the story of the day! Congratulations and thank you to all!!

Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography (www.chelseanicole.com)
Invitation and programs: Bella Figura (bellafigura.com)
Coordination: Stephanie Smith
Floral and Design: Jason Kenneth Designs
Hair and Makeup: Makeup in the 702
Cake: Leopold’s
Ceremony and Reception Location: Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, NV
Dress: Vera Wang
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

So, was I right or was I right? Total gorgeousness on SMP today, thanks to the amazing team of vendors that put together our From Inspiration to Reality shoot. Well, we just happened to have saved the best for last. The incredible behind the scenes video that Jayse of Chelsea Nicole crafted. And I know I say this a lot, so it’s kind of like the girl who cried wolf, but take it from my colleague Elaine who freaked out when she saw this. It’s simply awesome. Oh and if you are in need of more inspiration, we’ve loaded tons more images into the galleries.

Video
For the video I wanted to take you through the different moods that we experienced during the day: Starting with all the excitement and preparation of getting ready – culminating in the magic of seeing it all come together for the first time – and then ramping up to a new high with the excitement and energy of the bridal shoot with Chelsea Nicole. I used Color (an application just for grading video) to simulate the Technicolor two-strip process that Chelsea came up with for her stills. I combined everything together with a custom mix of vintage and high-energy music to complete the story. –Jayse

And more pictures and details from Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge, Chelsea Nicole, Tifany of Gourmet Invitations, Shannon of Emplume, Naakiti Floral Design, and a collection of really great vendors (full list below)…

Photography
I loved “The Aviator”, so when Tracey mentioned it as a way to give our own Vegas twist to the board I got even more excited. I knew the predominant colors in that film matched the board’s colors perfectly and this was because the filmmakers copied the vintage techniques they used in the 20’s and 30’s when color was first introduced to film. It was a Technicolor two-strip process: the film could only reproduce red and green. Eventually they figured out that dying the film yellow would give them a third color and produce amazingly beautiful, if slightly unreal, skin tones. So, rather than do the usual ‘desaturated and sepia toned’ vintage look, I wanted to do my own modern-twist on the technique: Instead of ‘old’ looking images, I wanted to do Vintage as if it were brand-new and shiny. I ended up using various curves in Photoshop to accent the red and green channels and mixed yellow overlays to create a digital reinterpretation of the Technicolor two-strip process. The result is a mix of rich, sparkling golden tones with a vintage-vibrant feel to the images. —Chelsea Nicole

Details
The Aviator” movie gave us more ideas! We found models of old bi-planes (I love the gleaming silver one Tifany brought us). The keys and maps from the board inspired our monogrammed; crackle textured door designed by Randi of Naakiti Floral Design. Monogrammed oval tags created by Tifany were tied to vintage skeleton keys with peacock blue ribbon and hung on the door. This is a super-chic idea for an escort-card board (seating chart) or a favor display to say “You were the Key to a Great Wedding”! It also makes a fun backdrop for pictures! –Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

Signature Cocktail
“The Plume” cocktail was inspired, of course, by the peacock décor elements from the board and what was being used for shoot. The drink’s exotic taste and gorgeous iridescent blue hue was created by blending Vodka, Lichee Juice, Blue Curacao and Asian inspired “Ty.ku” liquor. I thought the whole style of this wedding was so glamorous so I ‘Dressed the Drink’ with edible gold-flake accented with gold embedded chocolate leaves. –Cindy McClure, owner of Dress the Drink

Fashion
Desert Glamour was defined by this Vera Wang sheath. This dress encompassed all of the glamour, sophistication and timeless elegance that dictated an era where sexy and couture styles dominated the fashion industry.  A v-neck siren sheath with a draped bodice, bias cut skirt and cowl at the back in a deliciously creamy ivory crepe back silk-satin fabric captured glamour at its best!” As our handsome groom “William”, our model Jesus Ochoa wears an elegant chocolate brown tuxedo, ivory vest, shirt and tie with matching boutonniere accented with peacock feathers from Emplume.–Dawn Heaney, Couture Bride Salon

Wedding Beauty
For the makeup, I wanted to give our bride that classic bridal allure, with a little modern twist. I incorporated the beautiful neutral tones of the desert landscape and gave her skin a flawless glow. I introduced the exquisite peacock colors that were being used in the details of the wedding, without matching her eye shadow directly to the color scheme. Instead, I used soft teal eyeliner underneath her eyes and blended it out to hint at the vibrant wedding colors, without over powering the makeup or our bride’s delicate facial features.” Allyson Stagg, Las Vegas Style Sirens

For our bride’s hair, I wanted to create a modern silhouette with a vintage feel. I used several different sized barrels to give our bride’s hair the texture and volume I wanted. I decided on a style that accented the back of her gorgeous Vera Wang gown, so I created a side swept design. I did not want to use a traditional veil so instead I opted to create custom hair pieces made especially for this bride. The teal birdcage veil and peacock feather hairpiece featuring natural stones are a perfect way to accent the simple yet elegant gown and hair style.”  Monet McRay for Las Vegas Style Sirens & MUMO Hair Pieces by Monet

Jewelry
With the v-neckline of the sheath gown, I chose a delicate crystal encrusted “Glint Necklace” and complementary stud earrings. The glamorous, vintage-sparkle touch to the bride’s look was added with one of my favorite pieces, the Czech crystal “Heirloom Deco Bracelet” inspired by a style that any 30’s or 40’s starlet on the arm of Mr. Hughes might have worn. –Carrie Hogan Stylist for Stella & Dot Jewelry

Coordination by Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge / Invitations by Tifany of Gourmet Invitations / Bouquet by Shannon of Emplume Modern Couture Bouquets / Flowers and Design by Naakiti Floral Design / Photography by the FAB Chelsea Nicole / Film by Jayse, also of Chelsea Nicole / Venue: Springs Preserve / Chaivari Chairs + Table/Bench & Credenza by Sit on This Chair / Linen Rentals by Wildflower Linens / China Rentals by Unique Tabletop Rentals / Cake by Gimme Some Sugar Custom Cakes / Signature Drink by Dress the Drink / Fashion & Bridal by Couture Bride Salon / Shoes by Manolo Blahnik / Gown by VeraWang / Hair & Makeup by Allyson Stagg & Lauren Gardiner (makeup) Monet McRay (hair) – Las Vegas Style Sirens / Hair Accessories (peacock birdcage veil) by MUMO Custom Hair Accessories / Jewelry (necklace & deco bracelet): Carrie Hogan Stylist for Stella & Dot Jewelry / Decor / accessories: ZGallerie / Models: Jesus Ochoa, Gabbi – RED Models Agency

I am the girliest of girls and when it comes to weddings, I’m all about the pink, the pretty, the totally frilly. But every now and then, I see something from the other end of the spectrum that completely changes the way I see weddings and the many, MANY loves that I have. Inspired by Chiara’s inspiration board, This From Inspiration to Reality design did just that. Built by Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge, Chelsea Nicole, Tifany of Gourmet Invitations, Shannon of Emplume, Naakiti Floral Design, and a collection of fabulous vendors (full list below) it’s a gorgeous look at boy meets girl, at fashion meets substance. We have a big spread coming up throughout the day but if you want to cheat and see all of the pictures, go ahead and hit up the galleries right here.

{to see all images before we blog about them, click right here}

Venue
The Springs Preserve is a 180-acre cultural institution located just fifteen minutes NW of the Las Vegas Strip. It was designed to commemorate Las Vegas’ dynamic history and to provide a vision for a sustainable future. It is an ideal venue for “green, sustainable” weddings with many beautiful locations and trails that take you miles away in ambience and adventure from the bright lights of the strip. Wolfgang Puck Catering is the sole catering company where every food and beverage, dish, fork and element they consider is organic and sustainable and 100% delicious as you would expect.

Invitations
Using the movie “The Aviator” as the underlying theme, I started with an airplane motif invitation. I found the amazing table number stand at Hobby Lobby and that piece became a huge part of the look for all of the paper pieces. As the oval shaped fames are so “vintage” in style, I decided to make everything oval. Oval menus, oval favor tags, an oval seating chart sign and oval RSVP card. I added some modern design elements to the invitation with the couple’s name, Mary and William, in an all-lowercase script contrasted by subtext in an all-capitalized classic-serif font in a justified layout. The invitation was covered in brown faux-fur and then layered with peacock colored cardstock and ribbon. I included a large fold out map to the suite to keep with the theme of travelingr. In the steamer trunk, the guest also finds an adorable gold vintage compass with matching peacock needle “to find their way”. For the seating chart, I really wanted to do something different for this shoot and found a large collage frame. I love the idea of displaying the seating arrangements in a unique set of frames and this could be accomplished by buying all coordinating but different frames for your own wedding. Displaying them in this format also makes them easier to print and makes a great DIY project. –Tifany of Gourmet Invitations

Bouquet
The Inspiration Board has beautiful warm fur elements and worn smooth leather details with ‘just right’ sparkle and, of course, the bold sexy color in the peacock-eye feather and bridesmaid dress which we love. We arranged a simple composition of our gorgeous signature feather flowers with crystal rhinestone centers. Faux-leathery leaves are glam’ed up with shimmering bronze and copper-glitter trims the perimeter of the bouquet. We then finished in a satin ribbon handle, peacock sword feathers and crystal sprays, each in the fabulous bold teal color. Finally to fully honor the “Aviator” / Vegas Desert theme, the bouquet handle is embellished with a crisscross detail of leather lacing.” —Shannon & Carrie, Emplume Modern Couture Bouquets

Event Design
With the inspiration board, the botanical setting and much of the natural, muted colors and scenery at Springs Preserve, we had our design in mind. ‘Mary and William’s’ wedding would be intimate, elegant, a bit bold and sexy with a warm, romantic golden glow that would evoke vintage 40’s glamour but feel completely at home amongst this setting. We certainly wanted to incorporate many textures, natural woods and treats for the eye as possible for the reception. Our beautiful dark wood dining table, bench seating and credenza, provided by Randi Garrett of Naakiti Floral Design and Sit on this Chair, provided our ideal canvas to create an inviting dinner setting for our bride and groom and their guests.

Our table was set with elegant “Vintage Gold” china, accented with “Operetta Gold” rimmed stemware and “Antique Gold Swirl” flatware for a classic, vintage look. A soft golden, neatly folded napkin was placed to highlight Gourmet Invitation’s fabulous table number stand and elegant peacock blue, oval menus. Of course the table got a crowning touch of sexy Las Vegas pizzazz thanks to magnificent crystal peacocks perched atop a champagne glass. –Tracey of Your Las Vegas Weddings Concierge

Floral Decor
My inspiration for the floral and décor design was, of course, the peacock hue and feathers as well as the natural setting of our venue.I brought the outside in and used White Hydrangea, Root Beer Cymbidium Orchids, Magnolia Tips, Succulents, Manzanita tree and Sahara roses. Guests can dine in the soft glow of amber glass votives and varying height pillar candles in cream, burnt orange and moss tones. –Randi Garret of Naakiti Floral Design

Wedding Cakes
Our inspiration for the cake design was primarily drawn from the Peacock Feathers in the style board, not only in the colors, but the “feather-esque” detailing as well. The three coordinating designs we chose highlight different techniques, and show the versatility that is available with a single wedding theme and set of colors. We also chose to go with the haute trend of miniature tiered cakes rather than one large cake centerpiece. It allows the opportunity to showcase more than one style and design. –Kristen of Gimme Some Sugar Custom Cakes

So much more to come from the Fashion to the Photography!

Coordination by Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge / Invitations by Tifany of Gourmet Invitations / Bouquet by Shannon of Emplume Modern Couture Bouquets / Flowers and Design by Naakiti Floral Design / Photography by the FAB Chelsea Nicole / Film by Jayse, also of Chelsea Nicole / Venue: Springs Preserve / Chaivari Chairs + Table/Bench & Credenza by Sit on This Chair / Linen Rentals by Wildflower Linens / China Rentals by Unique Tabletop Rentals / Cake by Gimme Some Sugar Custom Cakes / Signature Drink by Dress the Drink / Fashion & Bridal by Couture Bride Salon / Shoes by Manolo Blahnik / Gown by VeraWang / Hair & Makeup by Allyson Stagg & Lauren Gardiner (makeup) Monet McRay (hair) – Las Vegas Style Sirens / Hair Accessories (peacock birdcage veil) by MUMO Custom Hair Accessories / Jewelry (necklace & deco bracelet): Carrie Hogan Stylist for Stella & Dot Jewelry / Decor accessories: ZGallerie / Models: Jesus Ochoa, Gabbi – RED Models Agency

Okay. Grab a cup of coffee or a cocktail (it’s noon somewhere right) and have yourself a very comfortable seat. This From Inspiration to Reality shoot isn’t your standard wedding fare. It’s so much more. A little bit masculine, a little bit feminine. A little bit high fashion, a little bit vintage. A little bit pretty, a little bit gorgeous. It’s a blend of everything I love, done with a delicate hand and an eye for design. Big, big props to Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge, Chelsea Nicole, Tifany of Gourmet Invitations, Shannon of Emplume, Naakiti Floral Design,  and all of the other vendors (full list below) for putting together such great eye candy…

From the moment Chelsea Nicole and I found out about the “Inspiration to Reality” features, we were both on the same page in wanting to give Style Me Pretty readers a glimpse into a different side of Las Vegas; one that evoked the glamour that was the early hey days of this fabulous city! Our entire Las Vegas creative team was absolutely thrilled when we found this stunner of an Inspiration Board called, “Fur & Feathers” that was created by Chiara. The weathered luggage, fur (but only faux for us) and feathers made us think of the movie, “The Aviator” about the legendary Howard Hughes who is as much a part of the “dreamer-can-do” spirit, history and development of Las Vegas as Bugsy Siegel is. As we browsed through the production still images from the movie we became increasingly giddy about our choice knowing it was a perfect way to tie the essence and style of this inspiration board to our unique location in Vegas. Hollywood and Las Vegas have always shared an allure of design, fashion and love of the good times since the 40’s. Alas, starlets in beautiful, demure, vintage inspired designer gowns and handsome men dressed sharp in tuxedos or dinner jackets may not be the scene d’jour anymore, but for us it was a dream we made come true to inspire you all to “Return to Desert Glamour”.

xoxo, Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

Coordination by Tracey of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge / Invitations by Tifany of Gourmet Invitations / Bouquet by Shannon of Emplume Modern Couture Bouquets / Flowers and Design by Naakiti Floral Design / Photography by the FAB Chelsea Nicole / Film by Jayse, also of Chelsea Nicole / Venue: Springs Preserve / Chaivari Chairs + Table/Bench & Credenza by Sit on This Chair / Linen Rentals by Wildflower Linens / China Rentals by Unique Tabletop Rentals / Cake by Gimme Some Sugar Custom Cakes / Signature Drink by Dress the Drink / Fashion & Bridal by Couture Bride Salon / Shoes by Manolo Blahnik / Gown by VeraWang / Hair & Makeup by Allyson Stagg & Lauren Gardiner (makeup) Monet McRay (hair) – Las Vegas Style Sirens / Hair Accessories (peacock birdcage veil) by MUMO Custom Hair Accessories / Jewelry (necklace & deco bracelet): Carrie Hogan Stylist for Stella & Dot Jewelry / Decor accessories: ZGallerie / Models: Jesus Ochoa, Gabbi – RED Models Agency

Today’s featured Little Black Book member is Tracey Kumer-Moore of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge. Planning destination weddings in Las Vegas is Tracey’s specialty!  She’ll help you with everything from start to finish ~ leaving you to bask in the fun and celebration.  Vegas weddings can run the gamut from stylish and sophisticated to theme-based or whimsical and everything in between. But, there is one thing that they all have in common. Your guests are sure to have a blast!

Granted, not all Vegas weddings are destination weddings, but since the vast majority of them are, it’s critical that you find an expert like Tracey who specializes in making your wedding weekend stress-free … one that you and your guests will never forget!

And now, from  Tracey and Elizabeth (today’s beautiful bride)…

images courtesy of altF photography

Our wedding ended up being a destination wedding… sort of!  Las Vegas is our “home town” at present, but almost all of our family and friends would be journeying to our wedding from all over the US and Europe. We realized we were getting married in the quickie drive-through wedding capital of the world, but we absolutely wanted a sophisticated, modern wedding that was full of unique details and reflected our personalities. We also wanted our out of town guests to know how honored we were that they made the trip, and so it was very important to us to throw a super fun and unforgettable wedding that would be the highlight of their Las Vegas experience. With those ideas in mind, we set about assembling our “Dream Team” of wedding professionals.

WEDDING VENUE
The Four Seasons Hotel was the best of all possible worlds for us—it’s an intimate non-gaming, non-smoking property at the southern end of The Strip (which appealed to us), but it’s within walking distance of several big resort casinos (which we knew would appeal to our guests). The Fountain Terrace itself is like an oasis of calm and beauty in the midst of vibrant non-stop Las Vegas. It features a picturesque waterfall, lush landscaping and seasonal flowers, and dramatic up-lit statues. What Andy and I loved about it was that being on the Terrace, you could almost forget you were in the middle of noisy non-stop, Las Vegas, until you looked up and saw the golden tower of neighboring Mandalay Bay Resort stretching to the sky. We felt like the juxtaposition perfectly captured exactly what we wanted for our un-Vegas Vegas wedding!

FLORAL DESIGN
We told Randi Garrett of Naakiti Floral Design that we didn’t want a single rose anywhere in any of our wedding flowers, and that we liked materials like reeds, moss, rocks, grasses, Lucite and stainless steel. She didn’t bat an eyelash! She created our chuppah as a modern, geometric structure with black wrought iron columns and sheer white silk panels with white pillar candles glowing from behind. The result was a soft yet modern silhouette. The rest of the ceremony design included a custom white runner lined in our lime color flanked by alternating arrangements of high horsetails with moss beds and low black lacquer trays of floating green and white orchids. Flowers for the cocktail hour and reception followed in this vein, with lots of bamboo, wheat grass, orchids, and votive candles. One of the most important design elements of our wedding ended up being our reception linen choice: a crinkled white taffeta with a thick black floral design winding through. We carried this theme everywhere!

OUR INVITATIONS
First, we had custom invitations designed by Tifany, the genius of Gourmet Invitations. Tifany created all the paper products for our wedding using variations on this black and white floral graphic accented with lime green: a seating chart with our dinner menu, table numbers, postage stamps, bar menus, and thank you cards. The reception linen inspired graphic even made its way on to our cake and on to the pages our wedding album!

invitation images courtesy of Gourmet Invitations

OUR CAKE
Our cake was truly a work of art. It was a square, three tiered confection of alternating layers of vanilla sponge cake and mango mousse and chocolate sponge cake with milk chocolate hazelnut praline filling. It was white featuring our signature floral graphic done in black fondant, and was topped with a custom topper of our “miniature family”: a four-inch tall recreation of me, my husband, and our two pugs Grover and Petunia! Not only was our wedding attire correctly depicted on the figurines, but the pugs’ blue dog tags were too. {Cake topper from Nicole W Clark)

OUR CELEBRATION
Throughout the evening, Andy and I tried to incorporate as many details as possible that were uniquely “us”. Our ketubah {from Micah Parker Artworks) was a nod to Roy Lichtenstein (a fun comic book rendition of a groom’s foot stomping on a glass, and a comic book style voice bubble crying “Mazeltov!” in the background).  We used “green” as more than just one of our colors, and purchased our recycled platinum and diamond wedding bands from eco-friendly jeweler Brilliant Earth.

Music was another top priority for us. We didn’t want a DJ spinning the same ubiquitous songs that we’ve all heard a million times. We loved the idea of live music, but also recognized its limitations when playing more contemporary songs our younger guests would appreciate. Our compromise? We got a band AND a DJ! The Steve Beyer Band provided all musical entertainment for the evening. It was a perfect blend and a real chance to showcase our musical personalities. We relied solely on the DJ for our ceremony music. As our guests were arriving, they were serenaded by classical string arrangements of all our favorite contemporary pop songs. It was great to hear guests were asking each other “Is this Nirvana?” or “I’m pretty sure this is a U2 song”. For the processional, it was all covers of favorite pop tunes—my husband entered with his parents to the Eagles of Death Metal’s version of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love”, and I walked down the aisle to a remix of Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door”. Our guests spent the cocktail hour following the ceremony on the winding path adjacent to the Fountain Terrace, where they listened to the sounds of the band’s jazz guitarist.

In keeping with our wedding colors, I’d made a slight costume change and added a thick black satin sash and black patent Manolo Blahniks to my romantic lace Monique L’Huillier strapless gown from Couture Bride Salon. Andy and I made our grand entrance to the band playing “Walking on Sunshine”, and in lieu of our first dance (which we had midway through the reception), we transitioned directly into a rousing Horah. Getting lifted up on those chairs was fun but scary!

We had two signature cocktails: the Meddling Moms Martini (in honor of our mothers, who set us up), and the Parisian Picnic (in honor of Paris, the site of our engagement). When cocktail hour was finished, the guests made their way back into the Fountain Terrace, which had been transformed into all its reception glory.

Our final surprise of the evening happened around 11 PM, when servers began passing trays of frozen Eskimo Pies and spiked Root Beer floats, and the fresh, hot doughnut station opened! As if that wasn’t enough food, we also had a savory snack of French Fries and Tater Tots in paper cones for those with a salty tooth.

We truly had the wedding of our dreams. We kept it very small, so each and every guest was a beloved friend or family member. We infused our modern-looking wedding with sentimental touches like using the Kiddush cup and tallis from Andy’s Bar Mitzvah during our ceremony.

OUR WEDDING PLANNER

When Tracey showed us a three inch binder containing all the planning notes, vendor contracts and important documents from a wedding she had just coordinated, we knew she was the one for us! Her expertise and professional connections got us off to a great start and kept us on track up until the band played the last song at our reception.

In a city that can be lovingly synonymous with all thing Elvis and kitsch, we had an elegant, sophisticated wedding that we felt was really “out of the box” in all the best possible ways. Our wedding was everything we had hoped and imagined it would be. And best of all? It was all just icing on the wedding cake, since we were finally married to each other!