New York Weddings

For those of you looking for a way to spruce up those bridal portraits, how about striking a pose at an airport hanger? That is just what this darling duo decided on, and it’s particularly adorable considering they actually lived on that airport as their first home was being built. Sentimental and stylish? Sign this lady up! To top it all off they even had a little helicopter ride to celebrate, and all this before cocktail hour! They most certainly had their wedding day timing under control, and the result was a super adorable shoot. Thanks to Kay English Photography there is even more to get swept away by in the full gallery of images!

click here for the full gallery of images!

From the Bride…Home is where the heart is and it’s what our relationship is built on. So when it came down to where we wanted to have our ceremony there was no second thought that it would be in the town that we both grew up in. We had attended high school together but it wasn’t until years after college that we actually got to know each other. Nick shares my love for family and children that we really hit it off from the start.  We had the same goals for the future and same outlook on life. From the very beginning I knew that he was everything I was looking for and I was always so thankful he picked me.  We have accomplished so much together over the past three years and have always worked together to accomplish our goals Our beautiful house and the most magical day to celebrate us officially becoming a family. Standing there together as we said our vows, surrounded by all our beloved family and friends was really the most special moment and a time I will never forget.

We wanted the day to really represent who we are individually and as a couple. From the tan suits to accessorizing simple bridesmaids dresses with printed peep  toes, hand made invitations, programs, seating charts, guestbook and even hand painted centerpiece pots! I really wanted to highlight our day with my own special touches.  And every one of our guests said wow this is so you.

We had the most amazing engagement pictures that really captured our emotions, our fun filled personality and our love that we wanted that to be a big focus in our big day. And thanks to Kay English people still rave about them. So when it came time for wedding pictures I wanted to really think of something that was different and fun and meaningful to us. And as nick was texting his groomsmen about suits I thought… We should take them at Monmouth airport!!! One of our very best friends and groomsman happens to live on the airport and we had spent a good amount of time hanging out there and even lived there with him while our house was being built. Well the pictures turned out so great and we were even surprised with a helicopter ride along the jersey shore! I mean who can say they did that before cocktail hour?

After a year and a half of planning and working hard we really couldn’t have had a better day. It was amazing from start to finish. We are both really close with our families and it was so nice to finally call Nick my husband. Everyone smiled laughed cried and most importantly danced the night away and I could not be happier to finally share my life with the man that holds my heart.

Photography: Kay English Photography / Hair: Auriello Salon / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / DJ: Kris at Elite Entertainment / Florist: Sunset Florist / Cinematography: Harry Ferone Videography

I just couldn’t wait any longer – it’s time for another Inspire Me Pretty, New York edition! I had SO much fun seeing all of your boards last time, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me this time around. To get this pretty party started, I whipped up something different from my last board which had New York City glamour written all over it – this time I’m moving up to the Hudson Valley and going rustic chic. A black tie barn wedding of sorts. Are you with me? Mason jars are replaced with chandeliers and cowboy boots are replaced with Badgley Mischkas (like these). Fluffy florals are EVERYWHERE. Ok, before I drift off into dream land, it’s your turn to create your dream New York Wedding. So Inspire Me Pretty ladies and gents – and get to board building! Don’t forget to TAG your board Inspire Me Pretty NY and I’ll pick the winner on Friday!

So what do you think? Anything you would change? Let me see your dream New York wedding! Be sure to use the new board builder and TAG your board Inspire Me Pretty NY so we can easily find your masterpiece. The winner will be announce in the Wrap It Up Pretty New York post on Friday! xoxo, A. Blaire

There is a lot I love about weddings, I think that is obvious. A good dress makes me gush, stationery makes me swoon and overflowing florals make my heart flutter – just to name a few. What I love most of all is when the details in a wedding 100% reflect the personalities of the couple, and I feel like this lovely fête captured by NYLA Photography has the darling duo written all over it. All the pops of reds and polka dots make for a lovely full gallery of images, and I highly recommend you check them all out!

click here for the full gallery of images!

From the Bride and Groom…So our story is a funny one that will be told over and over and may change a little bit with time. Upon graduating from Harvard University Law School, Jairo and his friends traveled to Miami Florida to start some missionary work. They somehow landed on Ocean Drive, extremely thirsty and in need of shade.  Wet Willies Natural Juice bar was open. Maylin and her friends walked in a few minutes later. After a long day of community service, the ladies needed to replenish their electrolytes. It is a known fact that “Call the Cab” drink is FDA approved and an essential part of every Floridian’s daily diet.

The two groups joined thanks to Manny Torres who approached the ladies and introduced himself. Manny states that Jairo couldn’t stop talking about Maylin as she stood on the other side of the bar. Several drinks and pictures later the groups called it a day and went their own way. A few hours later the groups randomly bumped into each other on the beach. Although there are some rumors that Jairo encouraged his friends to look for the girls. He wanted to see Maylin one last time.  That was all for that weekend. There was no further communication other than a few text here and there for the next 10 or so months.  Seemed like an eternity. Jairo and Maylin eventually chatted on the phone (almost 10 months from meeting) and agreed to go out and catch up. The rest as we say…is history.

Wedding Photography: NYLA Photography / Ceremony Dress: Yolanda Couture / Reception Dress: Pnina Tornai / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Button Bouquets and Boutonnieres: Lillybuds / Event Design and Florals: D Events by Diana Ruiz / Catering: Prestige Caterers / Venue: Green Tree Country Club / Birdcage Veil: David’s Bridal / Bridesmaid Dress: Diane von Furstenberg / Bride’s Makeup: Stephanie Barr / Wedding Stationary: Momental Designs / Photo Puzzle: Bella Puzzles Too

We have such a special little treat for all the brides out there this pretty Monday morning. With wedding season in full swing, we know planning is top of mind for many of you right now – and in the world of weddings, timing is key. How in the world can you figure out the do’s and don’ts of pulling all the pretty little details together of your special day and make the timing work? Well have no fear, our friends Robert and Kathleen of Robert & Kathleen Photographers swooped in to save the day and sent over their top ten timing tips for making your big day flow beautifully while allowing you to actually have time to enjoy your guests. Imagine that! So get out your bookmarks, because this post is a keeper for sure – without further adieu here are “The 10 Common Day Wedding Day Timing Mistakes” from Robert & Kathleen Photographers!

1. Not Scheduling Enough Time for Hair & Make-Up

When your hair and make-up team tell you what time they’ll need to start hair and make-up on the morning of your wedding, you’ll probably think they’re crazy. But you should trust them when they tell you how much time they will need. Believe us, you would much rather have too much time with them then not enough. In order to relieve some of that wedding morning stress, have the hair and make-up team come to your house or hotel room the morning of the wedding if possible.  It takes away the stress of traveling to or from the salon and allows your bridesmaids to immediately get into their dresses when their hair/make-up is done if need be.

Your first instinct is to think you should go last with hair and make-up. Ignore this instinct. Your hair and make-up might take the longest and, let’s be honest, it’s the most important. So be sure to go first or second (especially if you have a large bridal party).Don’t worry, the hair and make-up team will stick around to do finishing touches before you leave the salon or after you put dress on if they’re at your hotel. Plus, going first gives you the opportunity to actually drink that mimosa and relax with your girls instead of stressing about whether or not there is enough time to do your up-do.   Also, be sure to tell all of your bridesmaids exactly how much their hair and make-up will cost. You’d be surprised how much time can be wasted with bridesmaids scrambling around looking for extra cash or their checkbooks. More than likely, they’re expecting to pay for this themselves, just be up front with them and you’ll definitely save yourself time and stress.

2. Attending Your Final Dress Fitting Alone

This may seem like a small detail, but you’d be surprised how much time it can take to get you into your dress. Dresses can be complicated – buttons, lace-up backs – and your mom and/or bridesmaids will probably need some insight from your seamstress about how exactly to get you into it. If you go by yourself (or with someone who will not be there on the morning of your wedding day), even if you try to take notes and remember exactly what you were told at the shop, it’s still going to be difficult to explain. So, bring along your mother, your sister, your maid of honor, all your girls if  you want to. Make sure they know not only how to get you into your dress but also how to bustle it if there is a train. And, if your dress has buttons all the way down, head over to the craft store and get a crochet hook to help with those notoriously small button holes that can be a challenge for newly-manicured fingers to button alone.

3. Not Having Everyone Get Dressed Early Enough

When should your bridesmaids get dressed? Before you do. What about your mother and father? Same answer. Ideally, about half an hour before you do. Why? So that when they are gathered around while you’re getting your dress buttoned/zippered, they’re not in their jeans and tank tops in pictures. So that when you father sees you for the first time in your dress the photographer can capture Dad’s reaction while he’s looking his best. And, most importantly, so that once your ready everyone else is too and you can  jump right into picture time.

4. Too Much Distance

Too much time between where you want to get ready and the ceremony location:
You have probably dreamed of getting ready for your wedding in childhood bedroom since you were a little girl. Most of the time, this is totally possible since the church or ceremony location is close to your parent’s house. But if it’s a long distance (an hour or more), it’s not always worth the time and stress to travel on the morning of your wedding day. Between traffic and the added time and expense to transport you and your girls, you’ll probably be wishing you had decided to get ready at a hotel by the church. Save yourself the stress, get ready in a place near the ceremony.

Too much distance between the ceremony location and the reception location:
This stresses everyone out – you as the couple, the guests and your vendors. There’s no doubt that you have found the most beautiful places for both of the events of your day, but do your best to make sure they are not over an hour’s drive away from one another.  This is especially true if it’s important to you to have your guests attend both the ceremony and the reception since many will opt out of the ceremony if there’s such a long drive in between.  Even for those who do attend both, the distance can really bring down everyone’s energy level and make the day seem too long.

5. Not Planning Out Time for Family Pictures

Family pictures are important.  Your wedding day is probably one of the few times in your life that you will have this particular group of family all in the same place at the same time.  You definitely want to get photos of them all together.  That being said, as you probably know from many family parties, gathering everyone together can be a challenge if it’s not planned out.  So, how do you avoid the chaos?  First, decide how large you want the groups to be (just immediate family? aunts and uncles? all of the cousins?)  Then, let them all know ahead of time (at the rehearsal dinner or the week before the wedding) when and where the family photos will be taken.  We recommend scheduling this immediately following the ceremony if you’re not doing a “First Look” and about an hour before the ceremony begins if you are.  This way, family members look their best (pre-partying) and it saves the trouble of having to round all your family members up once the reception begins, which can be a difficult task.  Lastly, select a few close family members (preferably ones that don’t also happen to be in the wedding party), to help round up the family on the day so that you don’t have to.  Also, if you have a particularly large or diverse family, don’t be afraid to make a list and give it to us.  That way we can even rattle off the names of the family members you would like in the picture to make sure they are all there, know all the groupings you would like and make sure that you don’t forget that important picture you wanted with your godmother.

6. Cutting it Too Close with the Limos

Limos can be expensive, especially when you’re probably paying by the hour. So your instinct might be try to cut back and avoid paying an extra hour,  praying that it will work out.  How ever much you may think you’re going to save by cutting it close, it’s not worth it. You don’t want to be in the back of your limo starring at the clock and wondering if you’re going to have to find cash to give the limo driver if you end up going ten minutes over time.

7. Not Scheduling Time to Mingle With Your Guests

It’s a scenario we have seen far too often at weddings we have attended as guests ourselves: a bride starring longingly at the dance floor knowing she won’t have much time for dancing because she has to go table-to-table and talk to her guests all night long. This is almost always because she didn’t schedule enough time to greet her guests earlier in the day, by doing a receiving line and/or join her guests for cocktail hour. Instead, her first chance to talk with her guests is during dinner or once the dance floor opens up, leaving her with little to no time to get out and dance with her new husband beyond the first dance. Of course, you want to see your guests and thank them for coming to celebrate with you but if you make sure that the reception is not the first time they get to talk to you, you’ll save yourself the frustration of hearing your favorite song and not getting to show off your moves on the dance floor.

8. Too Little Time Between the Ceremony and the Reception

This is probably the biggest and, unfortunately, most common mistake brides and grooms make. We know what you’re probably thinking, “I can’t do that to my guests! What are they going to do during that three hours between?” Two things: first, you’re probably overestimating how much time is between. The average ceremony is about an hour long and if you’re doing a receiving line*, that usually takes up at least another 20-30 minutes. Then you factor in the time it takes to travel, whether or not your guests have to check in to a hotel, etc. and you’d probably be surprised that the amount of time they’ll have in between is probably far less than you originally thought. Secondly, most guests don’t really mind. If they have attended a lot of weddings in the last few years, they’ve probably gotten used to having time to kill. Plus, a lot of the women will use this chance to wear something less dressy for the ceremony and then glam up a bit for the reception. Most importantly, having ample time between gives you the opportunity to get tons of pictures and even select an additional location (besides the church or reception venue) to go for pictures if you would like. It’s a great way to have fun with your wedding party and even have some quiet moments for just the two of you before the party gets started.

* A small side-note about receiving lines. We know a lot of photographers are against them. We’re actually not. They can be a great way for you to get to greet your guests and give them a chance to congratulate and hug you (leaving you with more time to dance at the reception rather than having to spend so much time at each table of guests.) So then why are they sore spot for photographers? Because they make our jobs incredibly difficult when there isn’t enough time scheduled for taking pictures. When a bride and groom have only scheduled an hour between the ceremony and reception and the receiving line has taken up 30 minutes of that time, the photographer is still expected to create just as many amazing pictures, but now in half the time. So if you want to do one, go for it. Just make sure you have plenty of time between to ensure that you won’t have to be rushed, and neither will your photographer. And if you don’t want to do one, that’s fine too. Just be sure to include a note in your ceremony program or have your officiant announce it. Otherwise your guests will be waiting outside the church for you and end up stopping you to chat anyway.

9. Not Doing a “First Look”

They’re become more popular, but there are still a lot of couples that shy away from seeing one another before the ceremony. We totally understand your apprehension. You’re thinking that if you see one another before the ceremony it will be less emotional when you walk down the aisle. Not true.  A lot of our couples have done  “First Looks” and we can say with complete certainty that we have never seen the couple less emotional when they see each other walking down the aisle. It’s usually exactly the opposite. When they see each other during the “First Look” it’s usually teary-eyed about how amazing they both look, how amazed they are that the day has finally arrived. Then when they see each other during the ceremony, the tears start to flow, each of them realizing that the walk down the aisle means that this is all actually happening: they are about to be married. How could you not get emotional?

“First Looks” should especially be considered if you’re in any of the following situations:

Your Ceremony and Reception are at the Same Location
Why? Because you have probably picked a gorgeous location that is perfect for both events of your day and you want to be able actually enjoy the grounds as much as your guests, soaking in the views while you stroll around sipping champagne.  When the ceremony and reception are at the same place, the end of the ceremony is inevitably going to flow directly into cocktail hour.  Your guests have no where else to go and your venue is going to want to keep them entertained.  The idea of leaving all of your guests right after the ceremony to head off for pictures will probably seem incredibly difficult.Even more, leaving yourself with only an hour to do all the pictures of the two of you,your family and your wedding party is WAY too tight.  So, if you see each other before the ceremony you can take the majority of your pictures (possibly even all of your family and wedding party pictures) ahead of time, leaving you will plenty of time to greet your guests and actually eat some of that delicious cocktail hour food.  Of course, if you want to grab a few shots directly after your ceremony you can do that too.  But getting most of the pictures done beforehand is a great way to ensure that you will have that same relaxing experience as all of your guests.

You Don’t Want a Large Gap of Time Between the Ceremony and the Reception
If the idea of having two or three hours between the end of your ceremony and the start of cocktail hour is way too much for you, you don’t have to do it. But you’re probably still going to want amazing pictures and the best way to make this possible is to give your photographers the time they need to make that happen. Most photographers will say they need about an hour minimum to photograph the bride and groom and wedding party and then about 30 minutes for family photos (depending on the size of the family). If you do the first look, you can schedule all that time before your guests even arrive at the church making sure the time in between the end of the ceremony and cocktail can be much shorter, without jeopardizing any time for photos.

You’re Getting Married Before Daylight Savings Begins or After it Ends and You Want Pictures Outside
Why? One word: light. It’s the photographer’s best friend. Let’s say you’re getting married November 12, one week after daylight savings time ends. Sunset for that day is scheduled to be about 4:45pm. Your ceremony is supposed to start at 3pm and end at 4pm. That leaves you with about 45 minutes of daylight for pictures, assuming you don’t do a receiving line and jump right into taking pictures the minute the ceremony ends. Again, WAY too tight. If you do a “First Look,” you can select a location for your pictures, gather together your wedding party (and even family if you would like) and ensure that your Fall wedding still has plenty of pictures with the foliage even if the sun sets a bit earlier than it did a few weeks before.

10. Failing to Give Yourself a “Cushion”

Ask just about any of your married friends or wedding vendors and they’ll almost all agree that weddings hardly ever start on time no matter how well you plan.  Believe it or not, that doesn’t have to be the end of the world.  Not if you make sure to have some extra time scheduled throughout your day. By padding your schedule a bit you won’t have to stress if your ceremony starts ten minutes late or if your priest’s homily goes on way longer than you anticipated.  You won’t have to cut short a conversation with your favorite cousin because you have to jump in the limo you only have for twenty more minutes.

This is your wedding day, a day you only get to live once and you definitely want to savor each and every moment. So why not schedule time to ensure that you will have extra moments?  Time when you can just sit back, relax and soak it all in.  We even suggest that couples set aside some time for just the two of you, time to just enjoy officially being husband and wife.  Believe us, you’ll be very glad that you did.

A big thank you to Robert & Kathleen Photographers for offering these fabulous tips of the trade! Of course, we want to know what you think too – feel free to leave questions, opinions or additional suggestions in the comments below! Married folks out there, what worked for you? Here are a couple of our favorite tips shared by our twitter followers and Facebook fans today:

– @jolene madison said the Bride and Groom should add some time in the day for them to spend alone, just the two of them. I happen to think that is a fabulous (and important) idea!

– Qiana of Wedding Blush suggested having a list of at least five backdrops you know you want in your pictures prior to the wedding. We are big fans of having a game plan going into the big day so we couldn’t agree more!

Keep the suggestions coming! We would love to hear from all of you!

Hopefully you had a chance to dab your eyes and reapply mascara after the seriously adorable proposal video we featured this morning from Moetic Wedding Films. I can’t think of a better way to end the week than by sharing a few of the sweet pictures from that day Blue Daisy Weddings was there to capture. Thanks again to Brilliant Event Planning for sharing this adorable proposal and sending us off into the weekend so sweetly! Click here for even more!

click here for the full gallery of images!

More from Sarah of Brilliant Event Planning…First, I did my research and called in a few favors from Korean friends and colleagues. After watching hours of Korean dramas (and thanks to the translation skills of my friends & colleagues), I had a spark.  The proposal had to be private but personal. Nothing kitschy, clever or tongue-in-cheek would do – it needed to be seriously romantic.  While searching for the right venue, I found a tiny art gallery in SoHo.  Not only did it provided the right layout, including a space for an intimate dinner for two post-proposal, but it was also the customizable space that we needed.  The “Surrounded by Love” concept took an amazing turn when the gallery offered their digital panels as part of the proposal. We designed the panels to be interactive and rotate through a selection of photographs of the couple and a handful of quotes that Paul selected about love.  With the help of Kayleigh Jankowski, the quotes became works of art (in pink of course) adorning the walls of the gallery.

The big project was creating a ribboned installation which would function as the backdrop for Paul’s proposal. Because he would be speaking to her in Korean, I thought it would be perfect to incorporate the artistic characters of their language into the backdrop.  The panels were made from layered paper and the Korean letters cut out by hand of a special Peruvian stock.  At the last minute on the day-of we had an extra raspberry-colored table linen which served as the canvas to create the installation. The remaining decor items were specifically chosen for Grace:  Typical rose petals wouldn’t do for the floor decoration, not only did we use roses in multiple hues of pink, but they were also arranged in a super-chic paisley floor pattern.  A perfect dinner table for two with a small arrangement of white blooms in an etched crystal Tiffany vase, pink-hued ribbons woven into the back of the chairs, a pink bubble plate to offset the ivory china, satin napkins and a coordinating menu & escort card set – with just a touch of bling for our city girl!

On the day of the proposal, Paul put on his best pink necktie, told Grace that a family member was having an art exhibition in SoHo and they needed to stop by.  She had no idea what was waiting for her as she opened the door to the gallery!  The room was fragrant with the smell of the rose petals and she saw the digital panels with their photos and the quotes about love.  The soft notes of her favorite Korean love song floated throughout the room as they made their way to the backdrop.  Surrounded by the photos, love quotes and the backdrop of Korean characters spelling out “Will You Marry Me,” Grace said YES! After the proposal, they popped a bottle of champagne and took a spin around the block, basking in the glow of being engaged.  They returned to the art gallery to dine at an intimate table for two with a menu of her favorite dishes by Chef Ashton Keefe and continued celebrating with their friends at a nearby lounge.  The best news of all?  They’ve already set their wedding date for August 28th in Korea!

Photography: Blue Daisy Weddings / Cinematography: Moetic Wedding Films / Flowers: Brilliant Event Planning / Proposal Planning & Design: Brilliant Event Planning / Location: SoHo Gallery for Digital Art / Stationery: Brilliant Event Planning / Chef: Chef Ashton Keefe / Graphic Design: Kayleigh Jankowski

In case you missed them, here are the pretty posts from SMP New York this week:

a charming Chautauqua wedding we all loved
…and the buying guide for that wedding
a sweet as can be Brooklyn library wedding
an amazing look inside the kitchen of Ron Ben-Israel
…and a recipe straight from the cake master himself!

A few pretty things we found around the web…

some seriously fab images of the BAN.DO‘s latest collection via Max Wagner
a mouth watering watermelon frosty via La Petite Coquin
I have an artist crush on Britt Bass via mint

Have a simply fabulous weekend everyone! We’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo, A.Blaire

It’s no secret we are saps for a good proposal over here at SMP. And I’m not going to lie, tears flow quite a bit at my abode whenever I see someone get down on bended knee. So let’s just say a tear or two might have fallen when I watched this amazing proposal arranged by the groom and Brilliant Event Planning and filmed by Moetic Wedding Films. Oh it’s just so good. Get your tissues out good, and there’s more to come – come on back for the Wrap It Up Pretty post this afternoon to see all the pretty pictures from the proposal by Blue Daisy Weddings!

Proposal! Paul+Grace from Moetic Wedding Films on Vimeo.

From Sarah of Brilliant Event Planning…Paul contacted me because he wanted to propose to Grace in a way that was epic, memorable yet intimate. No skywriting or Times Square engagement for them – it needed to be private and personal. Since I’m known in New York City for creating dream proposals, I was ready to help.

Before I could get started on the creative side of their proposal, there were some nuts and bolts that needed to be fit into the picture.  Paul definitely wanted to get engaged in New York City on a particular Sunday afternoon because some friends were visiting from out of town and he wanted to organize a surprise engagement party after the Yes.  It had to be in the afternoon because they have a strong commitment to their church on Sunday mornings and he wanted to have a chic, sexy dinner for two immediately following the proposal.

Once I had all the criteria for the date & time nailed down, I moved into the design phase.  Having spent over an hour chatting with Paul about Grace, going over photos along with her likes and dislikes and learning about their unique love story, the biggest inspiration was the Korean dramatic TV shows that Grace was absolutely head-over-heels for. Besides the fact that she is an accomplished professional, natural athlete and a world traveler, at her core she is a true romantic.  I was also able to identify that Grace was not your “daisies and fingerpaints” kind of romantic. She is a city girl, born & raised in Korea, graduate of New York University – someone whose as fashionable as she is sweet and kind. And, her favorite color was pink.  Keeping all of those qualities in mind, I developed a concept of “Surrounded by Love.”   From the moment she stepped into her proposal, I wanted Grace to feel that she had entered a world where she was completely surrounded by Paul’s love….

Stay tuned for even more from this sweet proposal in this week’s Wrap It Up Pretty New York!

Photography: Blue Daisy Weddings / Cinematography: Moetic Wedding Films / Flowers: Brilliant Event Planning / Proposal Planning & Design: Brilliant Event Planning / Location: SoHo Gallery for Digital Art / Stationery: Brilliant Event Planning / Chef: Chef Ashton Keefe / Graphic Design: Kayleigh Jankowski

Hopefully you had a chance to devour all the deliciousness that was this morning’s post. Pretty doesn’t even begin to describe the images of all the gorgeous Ron Ben-Israel cakes the ladies of Belathée sent over. Lucky for all of us, the cake-fest isn’t over. The folks at Ron Ben-Israel Cakes were feeling a bit generous and passed along Ron’s very own vanilla cake recipe and a few tips of the trade. I don’t know if I am worthy, but I do know I am book marking this post for sure.

Thanks to everyone at Ron Ben-Israel for sharing all this goodness with us today! xoxo, A. Blaire

I am so in love with today’s feature I just don’t know where to start. I knew Ron Ben-Israel Cakes was the bee’s knees of wedding cakes, but after getting to know him and the seriously amazing Rebecca (who proudly owns the title Operations, etc.) I have a full-on cake crush on everything they touch. The talent in this studio is something I’ll never be able to understand, but I can tell you I appreciate each and every sugar flower they carefully craft each day with all my being. The cakes that come out of Ron Ben-Israel are nothing short of art, and knowing such fabulously personable people are behind that magic make them that much tastier in my eyes. And there is just so much to love about Ron Ben-Israel – from his 15 years as a professional dancer to his BFF status with Martha, I just had to jump at the opportunity to ask him a few questions. Thankfully the lovely ladies of Belathée passed along a beautiful look inside the studio and filled the full gallery with so much tastiness to help keep the eye candy coming as we get to know the cake master a little better. But it doesn’t stop here, oh no – stay tuned later in the day for a recipe straight out of the Ron Ben-Israel kitchen!

What do you do, how long have you been doing it and what makes you awesome?
I am a baker, and I produce decorated cake for special occasions. It’s nice to be refereed to as a “cake designer” or even a “cake artist”, but I stick to the title “baker”. I’ve been providing my cakes for 15 years now. The business really became a reality when I built my kitchen in SoHo ten years ago.It’s hard to define what keeps me apart; maybe it’s the combination of obsessive details and techniques along with outrageous designs.

What sets New York weddings apart from weddings anywhere else?
The people of New York are very style-oriented, and put a lot of effort in planning for their weddings. There is so much talent available to choose from, so every New York wedding can be very unique.

What kind of weddings do you love the most and what is your favorite trend right now?
I really love them all – from an intimate gathering for 50, to a grand occasion for more than 500. As long as we have a strong concept and harmony with the couple, I would flip backwards to make them happy. As for trends, I’ve started using black as an accent on our cakes few years ago. This year it became a very strong trend. We’re also seeing a return to very tall cakes, that shamelessly tower over the bride.

What is your biggest piece of advice for people planning a wedding?
I alway suggest to be realistic about the expectations; budgets are made to be broken, of course, but only if the good will really make you happy. I always give the couple few design and pricing options, and never push them to choose one or the other.

Who are your favorite vendor friends in New York that keep your inspiration flowing?
Oh, I love the gowns I see curated by Mark Ingram’s Bridal Atelier, and also have enjoyed visiting Gabriella NY Bridal Salon for getting inspired by the newest and most creative gowns. We bring our cakes to many wonderful locations, but the New York Palace has been an continuous source of inspiration with the grandeur of the surroundings coupled with impeccable service and attention to details.

click here for the full gallery of images!

There is more deliciousness coming you way later this afternoon, so come on back for a bookmark-worthy recipe straight from the talented (and beautiful) kitchen of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes!

Photography: Belathée Photography / Cakes: Ron Ben-Israel Cakes

Who knew pink + lavender could be such a smashing combo? And set against the backdrop of the Metropolitan Building with it’s exposed brick and perfectly peeling walls, this styled shoot is fast becoming our favorite and is positively brimming with fabulous details for you to infuse into your own big day. Perhaps it’s the lavender dress that you take away from this (we’re dying over that number), the single blooms at each place setting or maybe the feathers are what really caught your eye? Styled by the virtuoso of wedding decor, Jill La Fleur with photography by Matthew Lee and Chung of CLY Creation, FABULOUS hair and makeup by Mar of TEAM Hair & Makeup and gorgeously crafted paper goods by none other than Ceci New York, we have quite the gem on our hands. It’s boasting a dream palette of romantic colors mixed with gorgeous feminine details and old world charm woven throughout. J’adore to bits and bits. See it all here!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Jill La Fleur… As soon as Matthew, the photographer, showed me images of the Metropolitan Building, inspiration for this shoot came rushing in. I fell in love with the location! The 9,00 square foot, 4 story building is filled to the brim with antiques, furniture and all sorts of collectibles that we were able to incorporate into the shoot. With huge wrap-around windows with beautiful city views, exposed brick walls with chipping paint & wood floors, we were able to create a unique, antique, ultra-romantic Victorian feel.

The colors for the table setting were ivory, creams and touches of light dusty blue/grey. I wanted the flowers to bring a pop of color to the table with shades of pink. The vibrant pink bouquet also played nicely off the lavender dress. For the escort card table, I had individual antique tea cups with a bloom in each one placed next to an antique door knob as the card holder. We also incorporated the antique door knobs next to the name tags on the table, along with ostrich feathers placed across the menus to add that bit of Victorian romance. The etched crystal with brass lids also added my favorite touch of Anthropologie to the table. For the linens, I layered a blue/grey natural linen with an antique ivory lace overlay, to give texture. I had a wonderful time visiting New York and being apart of such a wonderful shoot with such talented vendors. I can’t wait to plan a wedding at this amazing location!

Styling: Jill La Fleur / Photography: Matthew Lee and Chung of CLY Creation / Location: Metropolitan Building / Invitations: Ceci New York / Hair & Makeup: Mar for TEAM Hair & Makeup / Linens: La Tavola / Floral: Designs By Ahn / Cake: Magnolia Bakery / Dresses: Tadashi (Lavender Dress) + BCBG Max Azria (Ivory Lace Dress)

Oh Brooklyn, you are one seriously stylish place, and the weddings that come out of your beautiful borough always seem to be show stoppers. Case and point – this elegantly eclectic affair full of sweet, personal decor by Oh, Darling! Photography at the Brooklyn Historical Society. How can you not love a ceremony of a book-publisher bride and her handsome hubby amidst all those stories old and new? I would say their Brooklyn romance is off to a pretty gorgeous start and you can see even more in the full gallery of images.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Branden and I met in Brooklyn, fell in love in Brooklyn, and make our home in Brooklyn, so it was a natural decision to invite our friends and family to celebrate our marriage with us in our beloved borough. In fact, we wanted it to feel as if Brooklyn was a guest at our wedding. We took care to spend as much of our wedding budget on products and vendors from Brooklyn, and to infuse a sense of our neighborhood into our wedding.

After attending a friend’s wedding at Bubby’s in DUMBO a few years prior and admiring it’s comfortable atmosphere, incredible views of Manhattan, ample space, and amazing food, Branden and I knew that Bubby’s would be a part of our wedding too. We chose the Brooklyn Historical Society for our ceremony and were married in the gorgeous library on the second floor—the perfect setting given my career in book publishing.

When we started envisioning our wedding in these unique Brooklyn settings, we saw a wedding where we were surrounded by books and the Brooklyn Bridge stood as a nearby witness; a reception where our guests feasted on fried chicken and pie, danced and drank all night, and left us photobooth strips full of smiles in our guestbook; an event where fluffy flowers and colorful bunting combined with a relaxed atmosphere and unexpected personal touches to form an elegantly eclectic feel. I am so lucky to have incredibly crafty and talented family: my mom sewed the bunting that served as a dominant decorative theme; and my sister designed and created the table number flags, menus, programs, and place-settings. The three of us had so much fun planning these details and I was so happy to be able to incorporate their creativity into our wedding.

My favorite part of our wedding was our ceremony, which we crafted together with our officiant, Joanna Fernandes, to highlight our commitment to our partnership and to declare our love for each other. With the light of our friends’ and families’ love shining on us that day, our wedding will always be a bright spot in our memories.

Wedding Photography: Oh, Darling! Photography / Wedding Gown: The White Gown / Floral Design: Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design / Wedding Invitations: Moontree Letterpress / Ceremony Location: Brooklyn Historical Society / Ceremony Music: NY  Ceremony Music / Officiant: Joanna Fernandes / Reception Location: Bubby’s DUMBO / Reception Music: Jonathan Mendelsohn / Programs, Menus, Table numbers, and Place cards: Sister of the Bride / Bunting: Mother of the Bride / Bride’s Hair: Fresh Face Forward / Necklace + Hair Accessory: Virginia Geiger

We simply adored everything about the woodland wonderland that was yesterday’s Chautauqua wedding.  We love the casual, overgrown garden feel mixed with French-inspired vintage pieces all set against the barn backdrop.  The whole affair just hollered rustic romance.  This laid back farm look is simple to create with just a few DIY projects and a little vintage shopping.  We found some easy, budget-friendly options for your vintage-loving hearts!

1.  Instead of going overboard in the vintage rental department which can add up fast, choose one or two key, show-stopper pieces like old church window frames for your ceremony backdrop.  These are from Found but you can find cool, old pieces like this at many architectural salvage stores and ofte times, if you ask, they’ll rent you a piece for a fraction of the retail price.

2. These Steve Madden sandals are romantic, chic and oh-so easy to dance in plus at less than $100 they won’t break the bank.

3. We swooned over the vintage French wire baskets filled with wildflowers for the centerpieces.  The real deal can be kind of pricey but these replicas from Origin Crafts are a sweet substitute!

4.  The vintage typewriter is a tried and true guest book accessory for vintage weddings.  We love that they incorporated the typewriter font into their paper goods as well!  If you don’t have an old typewriter that you can borrow from a relative or friend there are some good finds on eBay!

5. I love using shipping tags (find them at your local office supply store) for decor.  They are so versatile and super cute.  Use them for escort tags, place cards, favors or a guest book!

6.  The groom and groomsmen were looking good in their beige suits and plaid ties!  There is some serious neckwear going on right here in every color and pattern!

7. Lanterns are popping up more and more in weddings and in unexpected places!  I love them here on the tree but they can also be used as centerpieces or in lieu of a bouquet!

8. Probably my favorite detail from yesterday’s wedding were the French flashcards used for the table assignments.  Such a fun and unexpected little touch and Etsy is full of affordable options!

This adorable couple hit the pretty barn jackpot when they decided to get married at Plumbush Bed & Breakfast. The picturesque backdrop it provides are what barn wedding dreams are made of, and it’s pretty obvious why these farm fêtes are all the rage these days. How can you not love a laid-back, detail-filled fest? It’s what makes our hearts flutter over here at SMP and thankfully Beauty For Ashes Photography filled the gallery with beautiful images of this affair so we wouldn’t have to miss a minute of it.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… I wanted to share with my favorite wedding site, my wedding that took place July 3rd, 2010. My photographer did such a great job of capturing the wedding and all the beautiful details. The wedding took place in the lake town of Chautauqua NY at Plumbush Bed & Breakfast in a (gorgeous) barn.

There were so many simple details that graced this wedding: from vintage typewriters, a love tree for a guest book, burlap wrapped succulents for flowers, and old school flashcards for table names, topped off with sparklers and a vintage getaway car. Guest played badminton as they waited for the reception to start.

This wedding was vintage, classy, laid back, with a J.Crew look on a budget.  We did a very easy DIY for our favors- we simply wrapped flower seeds and tied them with twine, with a stamp that read “And they lived happily ever after.”

Wedding Photography: Pranee Loffer of Beauty For Ashes Photography / Floral Design: Joan of The Secret Garden Flower Shop / Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse (Suits) + Urban Outfitters (Ties) / Wedding Cake: Cakes by JP / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Plumbush Bed & Breakfast

It might be a bit dreary in the Empire State today, but that is far from the case over here at SMP New York Weddings. It’s been a downright gorgeous day here in blog land and an extremely pretty week. As much as I am sure you are excited for the weekend, we are equally as excited for Monday to roll back around so we can start next week’s pretty parade with the wedding of this beautiful couple shot by Pranee Loffer. So be sure to meet us back here bright and early on Monday so you can see all the goodness! Until then, have a fabulous weekend!

Photography: Pranee Loffer

In case you missed them, here are the pretty posts from SMP New York this week:

a sweet as can be Cooperstown wedding
a New York City nautical engagement shoot that can’t be missed
a downright darling wedding video
…and the gorgeous images from the occasion 
my love affair with all things Preston & Olivia

A few pretty things we found around the web…

seriously stylish handkerchiefs for your summer shindig via Brooklyn Bride
a giveaway that gets our stamp of approval via Hello to Hitched
how to write a thank you card via The Wedding Chicks

Have a simply fabulous weekend everyone! We’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo, A.Blaire

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re really jonesing for the beach this week at the LBB Blog, and lucky for us, we have another seaside affair to close out the week. This Long Island wedding features all things nautical, from sailboats, to lighthouses, to boatloads of blues. And it’s fabulous. I’m seriously so envious of those of you who can take a quick weekend retreat to the ocean, after spending time with this wedding’s amazing images from Robert & Kathleen Photographers. Luckily for those of us who are landlocked, there is a blog (Robert & Kathleen’s) jam-packed with more salt water beauty.

Need even more? Here’s the gallery!

Mike and I are both fun-loving, laid-back “beachy” people, fitting for growing up on the south shore of Long Island.  We met on while working on the ferryboats that bring the masses to and from Fire Island.  I was a deckhand while Mike was a Captain on the ferries, and we were close friends for a few years before we started dating.

Four years later, we took a long weekend trip to Nantucket in July. We had brought our bikes to explore the island, and the first night we were there we decided to take a 6-mile bike ride to Madaket beach, famous for it’s beautiful sunsets. It’s a tradition of ours to see a sunrise and sunset, in every new city we are in. While still slightly sweaty, we found a spot on the beach to have a glass of wine while the sun set.  We were playing a game of “Either Or,” where you give your partner two options to choose from. Mike asked me “Forever or for now?” My response was “Forever” and he slipped the beautiful, round, brilliant cut diamond onto my finger.

The inspiration for our wedding was the casual, beach-chic style that we have grown up with and made our own. I tend to favor classic, understated and timeless approaches to style. My icon is Audrey Hepburn – simple glamour. For me, it’s all in the details.  We wanted the wedding to stay true to who we are as a couple – we wanted people to walk into the wedding and say “this is soo them” with subtle touches of the things we love the most.

After the ceremony, the bridal party and immediate family took a ferry ride over to the Fire Island Lighthouse for pictures. Since the Fire Island Ferries are were Mike and I met, it held a lot of meaning for us to be able to have a piece of our wedding take place their as well.  Robert and Kathleen photography took amazing photos of Mike and I running the boat, and our friends and family enjoying the ride.

The colors, raspberry and navy blue with hints of grass green, are a nod to our nautical ties – Long Island’s south shore, Fire Island, the ferries, and our engagement on Nantucket. The ladies in the bridal party wore navy blue pumps with their raspberry Coren Moore dresses. I loved the pops of colors and think it made a simple statement – young and trendy with classic fresh water pearl jewelry. I worked with designer, Meghan Hand of Shells by Hand to design the pearl necklaces that the girls wore: three strands of twisted pearls. The groomsmen wore custom-fitted navy blue Brooks Brothers suits with raspberry and green ties to match the bridesmaids.

Photography: Robert & Kathleen Photographers / Ceremony Location: Church of St. Patrick / Reception Location: The Bay View House / Formal Picture Location: Fire Island Lighthouse / Bridal Gown: Paloma Blanca / Bride’s Jewelry: Tiffany & Co. / Hair & Makeup: Drew Patrick Spa / Flowers: The Little Flower Shop / Transportation: Fire Island Ferry / Entertainment: The Touch / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Coren Moore

My little heart will always remember the first time I laid eyes on the fabulousness that is Preston & Olivia. It was most certainly love at first beautiful sight when I saw the images Dara’s talented husband Trent of Trent Bailey Photography took of her completely breathtaking line of fashion accessories. Gushing much? Yes. But I feel like I have every right to covet each of these beautiful works of art that other people refer to as accessories – I like to think of them as necessities. And when they are presented in such a fabulous shoot styled by Merci New York, well, I just can’t be held accountable for all the gushing. Click here for even more pretty!

click here for the full gallery of images!

What do you do, how long have you been doing it and what makes you awesome?
I like to think of myself as apparel designer by day, accessory designer by night. I am a full time freelance apparel designer and I run Preston & Olivia when I am not freelancing. I like to think that I have the best of both worlds. Though I just recently launched my first collection for Preston & Olivia entitled, Home, I have had the concept for my wedding day accessories company for well over a year now.

I am very much inspired by fashion, whether it’s vintage or of the season. I try to incorporate what is relevant in fashion now into my collections as fashion trends ultimately dictate wedding trends. I think that my southern roots also give me an edge among the other New York based wedding day/bridal accessory designers as I have a deep appreciation for southern charm.

What kind of weddings do you love the most and what is your favorite trend right now?
I love intimate weddings with lots of attention to detail. My favorite trend in weddings right now is the use of the color blush. From rose gold wedding bands, to blush pink wedding gowns, I love it all. This collection is all about color and texture, and I think it’s awesome when a bride is brave enough to wear color on her wedding day.

What is your biggest piece of advice for people planning a wedding?
Don’t be afraid to take risks, this is your big day, and be sure you allow the wedding to express who you are as a couple.

Who are your favorite vendor friends in New York that keep your inspiration flowing?
I feel so blessed to have made so many creative friends within the industry, and they all truly inspire me. With that being said, my husband, Trent of Trent Bailey Photography, keeps me inspired daily. We love creating concepts for shoots together, and I love seeing his work from concept to final image. Jackie of Merci New York is beyond talented. I had the privilege of having her on board as stylist for my first collection shoot, and I love that she is able to do fashion and set design at once, she’s so versatile. Kathleen of kat flower is lovely. Her work is so organic, and I’m always blown away by her floral designs.

So now that you had some time to fully enjoy the fabulous wedding video from I Do Films, we just had to share a few precious images of this seriously sweet event from the lovely Shira Weinberger. It would be a crime to keep them to ourselves. So enjoy this little afternoon pick me up and we’ll see you back here bright and early tomorrow morning!

Cinematography: I Do Films / Wedding Photography: Shira Weinberger / Wedding Ceremony Location: Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church / Wedding Reception Location: The Royalton at Roslyn Country Club / Hotel Accommodations: The Inn at Great Neck / Wedding Dress: La Sposa via Pronovias NYC / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Bride’s Handbag: Via Bella / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Tuxedo: Trussini via Boyds / Makeup: Anni Bruno of NYC Faces / Letterpress Invitations: Plume via Two Paper Dolls

I feel like Thursday is a perfect day for a little break of the wedding video variety. By this time in the week, you’ve logged one to many hours thanks to the daily grind, you’re hoping for the weekend and you just need a little pep in your pretty little step. Well ladies and gents, I bring you pep. It might make you get a bit sappy, but I think we all secretly love that. I mean, you can seriously place bets on the fact that I WILL cry when the couple exchange vows in every.single.video., and this one is no different. So tell your boss I said it’s break time, take a deep breath and enjoy this fabulous film from I Do Films.

Mark & Jennifer from I Do Films on Vimeo.

From I Do Films… Mark and Jen first met at the flat rock saloon in Philadelphia, not long after Jen moved there from New York. They are a fun-loving couple that enjoy live music, the World Cup, and cheering on the Phillies. Jen has a style all her own and really let it shine through with her choice of shoes, jewelry, hair pieces and colorful flowers.

Their Long Island wedding was full of tradition, dancing, and lots of wonderful Croatian music. Plus, Jen’s dad even stepped in to play the accordion for a few songs. Rumor has it he has become quite famous for his skill among his native Croatians!

We had a great time filming the wedding and working with so many talented wedding industry professionals.

Cinematography: I Do Films / Wedding Photography: Shira Weinberger / Wedding Ceremony Location: Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church / Wedding Reception Location: The Royalton at Roslyn Country Club / Hotel Accommodations: The Inn at Great Neck / Wedding Dress: La Sposa via Pronovias NYC / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Bride’s Handbag: Via Bella / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Tuxedo: Trussini via Boyds / Makeup: Anni Bruno of NYC Faces / Letterpress Invitations: Plume via Two Paper Dolls

Up next is a photo shoot captured by Maggie Harkov that is blurring the lines of your typical rustic shindig and proving that you can take the wedding out of the city but you can’t take the city out of the wedding. With sherbet hued florals by the lovely Blossom & Branch, a deliciously modern invitation suite by Seamless Paperie, loads of gorgeous confectionery treats courtesy of One Girl Cakes by Francina and an adorable horse that we just can’t seem to get enough of, this shoot is opening up a whole new chapter in the Book o’ Rustic. After all, who says you have to limit your city-infused festivities to the confines of a ballroom or fancy hotel? Try adding touches of modern glamour to more rustic surroundings for a fête that will knock your guests socks off. Modern Rustic, it’s a new category and we’re LOVING every second of it. You too? See it all here! And sit tight because coming up in a bit, we have a buying guide that’s breaking down all the pretty components one by one.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Maggie Harkov… As lovers of both the fabulousness of New York City and the simplicity and warmth of the country, we set out to style a wedding inspired by the greatness of each.  We wanted the shoot to evoke the feeling of warmth and depth one can only experience in the country while being filled with chic and modern touches that only the city can bring.

Courtney of Seamless Paperie used bold black and white type to represent the city juxtaposed with orange tissue details and gingham pattern to bring in the country feel.  All the paper goods incorporated both city and country elements throughout all designs to create a modern yet warm feel.

Sarah of Blossom & Branch used bright, sorbet inspired colors to play off the organic, muted tones of the farm. The designs were kept modern and sleek and poppies, tulips, sweet peas, peonies, Star of Bethlehem, lamb’s ear, and bunny tail adorned the tables in silver “skyscraper” evocative containers to bring in subtle touches of New York City.

The bride wore a stunning feather cocktail dress that was the perfect balance of city in the country and finished off her look with black heels and fabulous modern accessories, all from Gabriella New York. The groom wore a modern bespoke suit from Duncan Quinn, and topped it off with a checkered grey bow-tie to bring the feel of the country back in.

Everything was aimed to have a certain warm sophistication, and the farm, horses, and modern touches all yielded what we found brought just a bit of the city into the country.

Photography: Maggie Harkov / Floral Design: Blossom & Branch / Paper Goods: Seamless Paperie / Venue: StonyCreek Farm / Cakes: One Girl Cakes by Francina / Dress & Accessories: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Groom’s Suit & Bow-tie: Duncan Quinn / Hair & Makeup: Jina of JAC Beauty / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Flowers: Purchased at Dutch Flower Line via the 28th Street Flower Market / Vases & Containers: Jamali Garden + The 28th Street Flower Market / Table Linen: Grayline Linen / Paper Supplies: Paper Presentation / Vintage Stamps: Champion Stamp / Memo Books: Field Notes

Be still my nautical-lovin’ heart. Not only does this engagement session by Lauren Gabrielle Photography zone in on my love (borderline obsession) for all things ship and sea, but they also went all adorable vintage on me, and that my friends is what really did me in. Can we also talk about the sweet little sail boat cake toppers?! I mean really, those are seriously adorbs. There isn’t one thing I don’t love about this engagement shoot, and thankfully there is even more in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Lauren Gabrielle Photography… New York has endless amazing and unique locations for photos, and we took advantage of this in both parts of our adventurous photo shoot. The first part was taken at South Street Seaport in Manhattan, where the cobblestone streets, vintage buildings, and large old fashioned ships provided the perfect backdrop for our vintage nautical theme. The second part of the shoot took place on Sunken Meadow beach in Long Island, where we had the perfect sunset and incorporated lots of fun vintage props. Paula and Emanuel were amazing to work with and were very open to just about anything. Definitely my kind of couple!

Photography: Lauren Gabrielle Photography / Hair: Stacy Pitt of Styles on B / Dresses: Anthropologie / Love Banner, Newspaper Ships, Silverware, Vintage Letter & Belt Buckle: Etsy / Cake: Crumbs Bake Shop / Additional Decor: Home Goods / Locations: Sunken Meadow Beach + South Street Seaport

Okay everyone, by now I’m sure you’ve checked out our fabulous local blogs and know all about the gorgeousness that is happening over there on the daily. And just in case you haven’t been in a while, we figured we’d give you a glimpse into each one. Right here, right now. So get ready for a cross country trip, no $4.00 a gallon gas required!

First up is this beyond beautiful Cooperstown wedding on SMP New York Weddings by Orchard Cove Photography.

Check out this adorable week long island party on SMP Florida Weddings by Robert Rios Photography!

Totally dying over this gorgeous Italian wedding by Jacqueline Schmitz Campbell on SMP Destination Weddings.

Who doesn’t just love this happy, vibrant wedding by Sweet Caroline Photo on SMP Texas Weddings?

A good ol’ fashioned ranch wedding on SMP California Weddings by Melisa Munding Photography.

So there you have it! A glimpse into the wonderful wedding world that is our local blogs! I hope you’ve enjoyed the trip!