North Carolina Weddings

There are SO many things about Rachel & Dan’s North Carolina wedding that strike me as particularly special …

Photographed by Little Black Book photographer, Michael Oppenheim, Rachel and Dan’s wedding is the perfect example of how the special touches added throughout the day ARE what makes your wedding celebration uniquely yours!

from Rachel … The Biltmore was originally just a joke ~ even before Dan and I got engaged …  “oh wouldn’t it be incredible if we could get married there?”  We hadn’t even seen it in person.  However, on our tour up the east coast to search for sites, we realized that Asheville was a perfect meeting point for all the guests, as they came from PA, VA, FL, and nearly every state in between.  After we actually saw the Biltmore Estate, the decision was final… the estate was too gorgeous to pass up.

We had a memory candle for all who couldn’t be there. My sister and father passed away 8 years ago, so I made sure they were remembered without letting it override the day.  They were also remembered in our ceremony program. My Uncle Jan (my dad’s brother) walked me down the aisle, and my best friend Maggie served as my Maid of Honor, standing for my sister.  I also wore a bracelet that had gold from my dad’s wedding ring and a ruby from my sister’s favorite ring in it, serving as my something old. And Dan’s mother embroidered a horseshoe for my bouquet for my something blue!

As for decoration, the Biltmore location was beautiful already, so I didn’t want to compete with huge, bright flower arrangements or giant centerpieces.  I wanted everything to flow with the natural aesthetic, but still add elegant touches here and there… I think “elegantly earthy” was the term coined to describe the theme.  I love brown & baby blue together, which became our wedding colors, and I wanted to add in some green as well, so Audrey came up with the incredible apples & robin’s eggs theme, adding moss and natural elements along the way.  The stationery (from The Green Kangaroo in Cary, NC) was one of my favorite parts of the decor, since we used it everywhere and it helped tie everything together.

We greeted everyone with Arnold Palmers as they arrived for the ceremony.  The cocktail hour had a few menu additions as well (being Italian, my mom wanted to make sure our family was well-fed).  There were two different cake flavors (chocolate with raspberry, and vanilla with cream) to satisfy both cravings, an ice cream sundae bar for a late-night snack, and a candy bar, which served as the favors, when people left.

The day went perfectly for us, and even though we were late and hectic and battling rain during the cocktail hour, Michael kept his cool, rolled with the punches and helped us relax and enjoy the photo shoots.

Our thanks to you ALL … Rachel & Dan and Michael Oppenheim Photography … for sharing this beautiful wedding celebration with us!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Woodward + Rick for sending us today’s featured affair! The flowers alone, designed by Aria Floral, are enough to bring a girl to tears. The entire affair was the perfect way to kick off the week so we are thrilled to have been a part of it!

Coming up, we have an INCREDIBLE little video that you are really going to love! Oh and if you haven’t already, make sure to enter our latest Crate and Barrel Giveaway! Back in a flash!

If you are just now joining us, brace yourself. Today’s featuring wedding has been a complete joy to write about but it’s the reception that literally blew my mind. The design is a little cluttered in that absolutely perfect way, a little vintage without seeming themed, a little bit perfect while still being completely approachable. How can you NOT love this wedding?

The couple managed to bring the outdoors in with their garden like decor that almost seems like it has always been there.  A style that is completely cohesive in all it’s mismatched glory!

Swoon. It’s no surprise that the photographs were shot by the incredible team at Woodward + Rick. If you don’t already know all about this talented duo, you should definitely spend some time on their portfolio. Eye candy to the max.

More on the way!

Ok, back to today’s featured affair. If you thought that the ceremony was gorgeous…wait until you see the reception that this lovely couple threw!

The event was PURE romance and the photographs only help us to see the absolute, unabashed beauty of the day. If there is one lesson from today’s wedding, it’s this…layer, layer, then layer some more. The bride used this gorgeous garden inspiration as her starting point, then continued to bring in different textures and mismatched layers to create a sense of effortless elegance.

all photographs by the AMAZING Woodward + Rick

I have absolutely no idea if this bride spent $10,000 or $100,000 on this wedding…everything looks expensive and yet still captures that handmade charm that we love so much on SMP. The look is so organic, using fresh from the garden greenery and simple, inexpensive accents like river rocks, moss and even little pieces of unexpected fruit! This is one of those weddings that I will forever love for it’s personality and intimate styling.

More on the way!

Love, love, love everything about this wedding. When I was at Engage ’09, a lot of the designers were chatting about purple and how the hue will continue to be popular throughout this next year. It’s easy to see why…with a layered palette of varying shades, the purple looks completely chic and yet totally at home in the surrounding.

The oh-so-fabulous team at Woodward + Rick sent me this wedding and I have to say, it opened a total can of worms. I ended up spending WAY too long on their gorgeous blog, eating up their incredible talent. This wedding alone is enough to make me completely jump for joy. And, lucky for us, we have so much more to come!

Today we are featuring one of the loveliest weddings I’ve seen in a long, long time. It has that effortless elegance that I love so much, with fresh from the garden style flowers, a bride in a simple but stunning lace gown, a feel that is both intimate and completely special.

Woodward + Rick shot these absolutely gorgeous photographs, managing to capture the story of the day to complete and utter perfection. The wedding itself was held at the Crest Center in Asheville, NC with the fabulous, Shay Brown of Shay Brown Events in Asheville planning the affair. The flowers, oh the flowers, were done by Aria Floral. LOVE.

Getting a little bit of a late start today, but the good news is that I am putting the finishing touches on THE most gorgeous garden inspired real wedding you’ve ever seen. Shot by one of our favorite North Carolina Little Black Book members, Woodward + Rick, this wedding is pure and simple beauty. Here is a sneak peek…

So much more to come in just a bit!

Today, we are featuring Nisha and Jay’s spectacular wedding sent to us by Woodward+Rick Photographers.  Brian and Gry are a husband and wife team based out of Asheville, North Carolina but they also shoot in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida (and LOVE to travel!). Their images … from the littlest details to the biggest emotions … are simply awesome!

Nisha and Jay were married in September ’08 at the Biltmore Estate. When you think of a tented reception, wow! Fit for royalty!

The colors used in this wedding are nothing short of extraordinary! Pairing the rich reds and corals with the golden orange hues is so beautiful.

All of the fabulous flowers were done by Blossoms at Biltmore Park. And the cake! LOVE the cake … by the Biltmore Estate bakers. The whole thing was planned by Little Black Book event planner, Nicole Riley at Verge Events. Oh my gosh … this was a fabulous celebration and the details were simply stunning.

Look at the way the placecards are arranged in a bed of crystal glitz! ADORE …

We just heard from Nisha ….

I did the invitation design myself. I found the images that I wanted to use (the paisley, etc), bought the rights to it, had a graphics firm do the layout on the stationery I chose, and used  The Baggie Goose to print the final pieces. If you’ll notice, the same motif is on the cake, the border of the bridesmaid saris, the placecards, the menu, and even projected as an image on the dancefloor! I really like branding, so I had a lot of fun with it.

The saris that these lovely ladies are wearing were purchased in India by Nisha’s mom. Nisha’s gown is designed by Lazaro.

Jay, the oh-so handsome groom, appears to be every photographer’s dream! The emotions on his face that Brian and Gry captured throughout the day are simply priceless.

Today’s elegant wedding ceremony took place in the Walled Garden at the Biltmore. The celebration that followed was in the Italian Garden. The Biltmore Estate is about as spectacular as it gets for a wedding venue! For more of Nisha & Jay’s wedding, take a look at their slideshow!

Brian, Gry and Nicole ~ truly brilliant! We feel very fortunate that you guys are part of our Little Black Book of select wedding professionals.

We started the day by telling you about what great people we think Brian and Gry  (a.k.a., Woodward + Rick) are. We feel it only fitting to close with a quote from their website that sums up their philosophy …

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is. Laugh!”

by Mary Ann Radmacher

Here’s a well known FACT … when you love what you do, it will be obvious in your performance and your product. Here’s a little SECRET … when you love the people that surround you, it will show in your life.

Brian and Gry are Woodward + Rick. They are two extraordinarily talented photographers in Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book of so-so-so important wedding vendors. A visit to their website will reveal that they model the FACT and the SECRET!  Send them and email … call them on the phone … you’ll see right from the get-go that this husband and wife team are all about loving their work and sharing their passion with you!

Nisha & Jay’s wedding photographs are total and absolute proof.

The photograph below is one of our all-time favorites, ever …

Nisha and Jay were married on September 6, 2008 at the Biltmore Estate Walled Garden in Asheville, North Carolina.

The stunning beauty of their surroundings, their ceremony, their maids & men … well, just all of it … are so expertly captured in these images!

To back-track just a bit … here are a few of Nisha’s getting ready shots. Goodness!!  She is just gorgeous.

And how cute are these ladies!

Nisha and Jay’s wedding planner was the fantastic Nicole Riley of Verge.  She has a team of planners, designers and even a style consultant! Her website and blog are full of photos of the exquisite weddings and events they’ve helped realize. our wedding stylist, alexe jayne weymouth, draws upon her unique style expression to emphasize your best features and ensure a beautiful image. working as a private image consultant for a high end women’s apparel designer, she has the keen eye and experience to help any bride find her perfect wedding image. alexe will work with you one-on-one to match your tastes with the picture you have drawn a million times of your dream wedding!

We have so many more photos of Nisha & Jay’s wedding coming up this afternoon, so do check back in! In the meantime, you can see more of Brian and Gry’s sensational work on their website: Woodward + Rick Photographers.