Ohio Weddings

Up next is a photo shoot with so much style I want to crawl into it and call it my real life. Or at least pretend it’s mine for one day. The mod stationery by Five Dot Design, the succulent-infused florals by Marti’s Floral Designs and all the details in between curated by Blue Dahlia Events make me want to grab one of those delicious cocktails and toast to all the images by Nathan Peel Photography. And toast I shall, because the gallery is just that good.

From Marti’s Floral Designs… For this evening affair, inspiration came from all around. The venue. The couple. The style. All three blended together to create a scene that was contemporary yet romantic, modern yet classic. Following their afternoon nuptials, Ava and James strolled over to the Rookwood Restaurant and Bar for their evening celebration. Former home of the 1800’s Rookwood Pottery factory, this historic venue is now home to a hip, urban eatery known for its distinct space (Who wouldn’t love to eat in a kiln!?) and legendary eats and drinks (Don’t pass up the hanky panky starter and tailored misfit cocktail!).

From its exposed brick interior to laid-back, outdoor patio, the Rookwood offered the perfect backdrop for all of the couple’s portraits. They enjoyed cocktails on the deck, snuggled by the fire, and eventually made their way to the main event – their dinner table tucked in one of the kilns. As Ava checked out her wedding spread, she took in each and every detail. The chalkboard place cards, Patron and shot glass favors (paired with lime and salt, of course!), succulent and floral centerpiece arrangement, signature cocktails at each place setting and those comfy ikat pillows on each chair. After dining, who can pass up their final touches – an ice cream bar and cake room! Jeni’s Ice Cream was paired with Bullet bourbon for this liquor-inspired ice cream bar. And there was no question where they would showcase their cake! The couple topped of their night with one more snuggle in the lounge kiln, along side their trendy cake.

Photography: Nathan Peel Photography / Photo Shoot Venue: The Rookwood Restaurant & Bar in Cincinnati, Ohio / Floral Design: Marti’s Floral Designs / Event Planning: Blue Dahlia Events / Paper Goods: Five Dot Design / Wedding Cake: Maribelle Cakery / Ice Cream: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams / Liquor: Patron / Rentals: Adora Event Rentals / Clutch: Shelter Protects You / Makeup: Cincy Makeup

It took a fabulous shoot from Arielle Doneson Photography to remind me just how romantic the stars can be. Teaming up with Kirkbrides, Arielle built a team to put together a perfect shoot taking inspiration from the night sky. The navy blue and peach color scheme seem to be the perfect compliment to the fantastic constellations this fab team was able to incorporate, and seriously? I can’t get enough of this gallery.

Click here to see the rest in the full image gallery!

From Arielle Doneson Photography … Valarie of Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design and I are so excited to share our Bright Star shoot with you! The theme for our shoot came to me while going through my bookshelf. I found myself thumbing though an old copy of John Keats’ poem,”Bright Star.” It got me thinking about the romance of stars, of the night sky in Spring, and there I had it – Bright Star the wedding – An astronomy inspired Wedding!

As I was collecting ideas I was chatting with Valarie and as luck would have it she had also been envisioning an astronomy/celestial wedding theme. Combining our efforts the two of us put together some of Cleveland’s most creative vendors and thus the Bright Star shoot was born. I captured the details of the day in both film and digital.

We were fortunate enough to shoot at the luxurious Walden Inn in Aurora. The greenery of the surrounding grounds was the perfect backdrop for Bright Star. Not only do they have a gorgeous inn, spa and restaurant, but they also have pastures, forests and horses! What could be more serenely Ohio than that! While the theme was connected with the night sky, being at the edge of the Eastern Time Zone in Ohio provides us with dreamily long days and late sunsets in Spring and Summer. With this in mind we came up with our color scheme-rich navy blue for the approaching night sky and peach with gold accents for the sunset that proceeds it.

Baci Designer’s stationery suite was inspired by the age and elegance of the Bright Star Poem. Anchored in navy and light peach tones on luxurious, white felt stock, the suite was accented with a hand embroidered star and constellation in shimmering gold thread. Finishing off the suite was a navy envelope with gold lining and vintage postage. Baci also made a table runner for our guestbook station from vintage book pages-it is a perfect DIY project for a literary couple! Another DIY project was our constellation globe-an old globe spray painted navy and adorned with constellations in gold paint pens. In continuing our theme, A Cookie and a Cupcake gave us a beautiful peach fondant cake encircled with edible metallic “asteroids.”

In interpreting the Bright Star theme, Bouquet Studio’s florals featured reminders of the night sky in organic form; star-shaped succulents, scabiosa pods, and starburst pomp, peach Ilse spray roses, fragrant peach stock, ivory ranunculus, trachelium, peach lizzy miniature peonies, white lisanthus, and to add some sparkle, interspersed vintage brooches in the centerpieces with a handmade a star brooch as the bridal bouquet’s focal point. The boutonnier was made of lamb’s ear decorated with rice flower, ranunculus, starburst pomp, and white hyacinth.

We set the tables on the grounds of Walden where they often hold tented receptions in late Spring, next to lighting and draping from Rock the House. We chose crystal-clear chiavari chairs, peach table linens and clear glass chargers from Event Source topped with beautiful navy and white-patterned vintage plates and mismatched silver settings from Hodge Podge Vintage Rentals. Our favors were a fun DIY project for crafty couples, constellation embroidery hoops (many of which I personally sewed while watching the Jane Campion film about John Keats, BRIGHT STAR).

Our bride, Laura, wore a feminine lace trumpet gown from Amy Kushel, complete with delicate lace cap sleeves and finished off with a jeweled sash and headband from Something White, a Bridal Boutique. In designing her hair and makeup, artist Ramona Dauksa subtly blended our shoot’s color scheme into a romantic look for any Spring bride. Given that “star” was our shoot’s theme we added some sparkle to her look with custom jewelry form Clagett Designs. Our groom, Curtis, wore an impeccable suit from the exquisite bespoke menswear clothiers at Astor & Black. We were lucky enough to have our planner, Valarie’s, baby daughter, Sadie with us that day showing off a gorgeous glittering hyacinth pomander from Bouquet Studio and headband from Something White-perfect for a (very) junior bridesmaid!

Photography: Arielle Doneson Photography / Event Design: Arielle Doneson Photography & Kirkbrides / Event Planning: Kirkbrides / Cinematography: Attention 2 Detail Films / Flowers: Bouquet Studio / Venue: Walden / Vintage Rentals: Hodge Podge Vintage Rentals / Event Rentals: Event Source / Lighting/Draping: Rock the House / Tux: Astor & Black / Invitations: Baci Designer Stationery / Dress: Amy Kuschel Paris, courtesy of Something White / Hair & Makeup: Ramona Dauksa Studio / Jewelry: Clagett Designs / Cake: A Cookie & a Cupcake

I think I’ve found the cutest chapel in the entire world and it’s tucked away in the woods on an old horse farm turned brewery and seats just sixteen people. It’s almost too cute for words. This adorable couple is all about supporting local businesses so everything from the beer to the flowers to the food was sourced nearby. Responsible and oh-so-pretty have collided and the result is one fabulous party with perfect images from Studio Uma. Click here for all the fun details.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… When Donnie and I started planning our wedding, the most important thing to us was that it be FUN and feel like us. So we focused less on the traditional wedding components and more on throwing a fun party. Because Donnie owns a wine shop, libations played a big part in the festivities. We had over two dozen craft brews by the bottle, plus Columbus Brewing Company on tap, over a dozen wines and a handful of signature cocktails featuring locally-made liquors like OYO vodka and Watershed Distillery gin. We also are very into food and are big supporters of all things local, so we tried to feature as many local products as we could, from the flowers grown on a farm up the road (we ran very close to the end of the season but luckily had a late frost!) to having a friend design our invitations that featured our heart (over the wedding location) in Ohio logo. For centerpieces we cleaned and spray-painted lots of bottle and jars, and I popped flowers in them randomly. The invites were a great precursor to the evening’s fun, from the cheeky wording and fun chevron envelope lining (hand-cut and glued by me!) to the mad-lib style RSVP postcards.

The party took place at the local Rockmill Brewery, which is situated on a beautiful old horse farm. We set up a tent outside the beautifully restored farmhouse, which we surrounded with food trucks! Wanting something for everyone, we had tacos, gourmet sandwiches, pizza, and local favorite Jeni’s Ice Cream. Jeni’s crew even made a special flavor for the evening featuring Rockmill’s Dubbel beer. We had Rockmill’s owner Matthew do a beer tasting at the beginning of the party, with which we paired cheeses (some local) and chocolate, plus my dad’s famous pistachio pork pâté and crab dip. For dessert, in addition to Jeni’s, we set up a s’mores bar down by the fire. Our guests were sent home with dark chocolate truffles I made with Rockmill beer and topped with sea salt we brought back from our first vacation together.

The party was preceded by a very intimate ceremony in the tiny chapel sitting on the property. It barely seats 16, so only our immediate family and closest friends were able to join. Even that felt festive because the small space meant that we could laugh with each other during the personal ceremony. We escaped for a few moments for photos with Uma afterwards to take advantage of the naturally beautiful setting. It was truly an amazing and fun day, and we love that our friends and family are still talking about how unique and awesome our wedding was!

Wedding Photography: Studio Uma / Wedding Venue: Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster, Ohio / Floral Design: Sunny Meadows Flower Farm / Wedding Invitations: Marit Hanson Weddings / Food Trucks: Mojo Tago, Skillet, Mikey’s Late Night Slice + Jeni’s Ice Cream / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee via Wendy’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Nine West / Hair: Max the Salon

We all know that our wedding day is going to be up there amongst the top five days of our entire lives. Probably number one. When a bride is so radiantly beautiful because of her gorgeous smile, we can see that she is fully enjoying what is the most amazing, special, romantic, and monumental day in her entire life. And that, my friends, is why I love my job. Spending my days visiting the BEST days of our sweet couples’ lives. Kourtnee Kate Photography captured this smiling beauty and her fabulous day. And we are ever grateful that she has filled a gallery full of images to make your afternoon a bit toothier.

When we saw that Studio Z Films had a Same Day Edit to share from this stunning soiree, we just had to pass it along to you…

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Click here to see the full image gallery!

The most important thing I wanted in my wedding day was an amazing venue. Greenacres Arts Center was just that. Greenacres provided a back drop that took everyone’s breath away as they entered the old historic estate. The guest drove in on a mile drive that was lined on both sides with trees. Guests were then escorted into the gardens where the romance began.When you enter the gardens the old trees provide romance that makes you feel lost in your love.

The ceremony took place in the gardens. While the water from the fountains was trickling in the background and the violins were playing the moment of “I Do” was enchanting. There was a peace and ease about that day. After the ceremony the guests were directed towards cocktail hour were fun, flavorful and different h’orderves were served. I wanted to serve things that people had never tried before. One of my favorite parts of cocktail hour was our live acoustic guitar player. His sound and songs were so unique allowing the cocktail hour to break up the event.

Throughout the whole event I wanted to tell a story. I wanted people to take a journey through our love. It is so pure, patient, and gentle. From the emotional and romance setting to livening up the mood with cocktail hour. When it was time for the guest to head to the reception area, the curtains were opened and each guest was provided a table mirror as their escort card. The guests were then shown the way down a large stair case to the beautifully decorated reception site.

When the reception started, it was time to party! We all had a great time dancing the night away enjoying our close friends and family. The wedding was all about details! As you can see in the pictures, the whole event was done in exquisite detail. Our wedding had a lot of personal touches that made it so special and romantic. 

Photography: Kortnee Kate Photography / Ceremony: Greenacres Arts Center / Event Planner: Cecilia Rose, Eventurous / Catering: Funky’s Catering / Videographer: Studio Z Films / Florist: Ford-Ellington Wedding Design

Glittering bridal shoes are where it’s at. Meaning, we adore sparkle around these parts and sparkles of the shoe variety are at the top of our list. This wedding is more than the Bride’s gorgeous heels though. It’s ripe with DIY details by Ink & Ivory (the Mrs. herself!) along with N. Black Design. It’s a sweet-as-can-be first kiss in the rain captured by Jacquelyn Poussot Photography that melted our hearts the second we spotted it and so much more. You can see it all right here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… One sunny day Nate proposed over a game of scrabble while we were on a picnic, near a fountain in our favorite park. He had picked the letters “marry me” out ahead of time and put them in his pocket, and when I was looking away, he arranged them on the board, with ring in hand. I cried happy tears for 20 minutes. Our whole wedding was a labor of love from start to finish. We did almost everything ourselves, which in the long run, requires a great deal of dedication and time commitment, but we found it to be much more rewarding because each task was a fun, bonding experience for everyone involved. We truly could not be more grateful for all of the time and love our family and friends poured into making our day perfect. The biggest piece of advice I have is even if you are a control freak, don’t be afraid to ask for help — you’ll make priceless memories with the ones you love in the little projects.

My parents live in the country on a lot of land that used to be owned by my grandfather. Nate and I spend a great deal of time there and the guesthouse B&B just up the road from their house has great sentimental value since it is where my mom grew up. Not to mention that the views are picturesque, so it was a no-brainer for us to get married there. Since it was an outdoor wedding, we wanted it to be earthy and bohemian, with a hint of vintage glam and sparkle. I was thinking gypsies in a field/eclectic/granny chic sort of thing. My mom and I spent months collecting vintage furniture and decorations and storing it in my parents’ garage. My family helped paint furniture and make the hundreds of feet of bunting out of spray painted kraft paper and twine to hang above the dance floor. I made my headpiece and veil as well as the hairpieces for all of the girls. I let my bridesmaids chose their own “neutral” dresses and shoes, and I was so pleased with what they picked.

Our wedding was spectacularly fun! Okay, I’m a little biased but honestly people are still telling me it was one of the most memorable weddings they have ever been to. It had been sunny and beautiful all day long, then as guests started to take their seats, the sky turned really dark and just as my dad and I were about to walk down the aisle, the sky opened up and it poured! And I’m not talking the typical little summer sprinkle — it was an effing downpour! Everyone was soaked, but they rolled with it like complete troopers! As soon as we had kissed and our officiant pronounced us man and wife, Nate scooped my soaking wet Nicole Miller-clad-self up in his arms and carried me up to the guesthouse where we held the reception under a tent. Girls, take note: If it rains on your wedding day, skip the mascara and just opt for fake lashes. It will make all the difference! The furniture and little details that we had spent tireless hours making were soaked and our gorgeous cake looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa because of the humidity. At one point, the caterer couldn’t keep his burners going because it was raining and blowing so hard. For one split second, I felt the slightest tinge of disappointment that our months of hard work was going to be ruined, but then I remembered how thankful I was that all our friends and family had gathered to honor us, and I felt so blessed and extraordinarily happy. I had just married my diamond-in-the-rough man, and nothing could possibly ruin the love high I was on! Eventually the rain stopped, the sky turned a gorgeous color, a rainbow came out, and everyone moved out from under the tent onto the dance floor. No one cared about their hair or how they looked because everyone was wet, and it allowed people to just let loose and dance their little hearts out to celebrate our love.

Wedding Photography: Jacquelyn Poussot Photography / Wedding Venue: Felicia’s Guest House in Mt. Vernon, Ohio / Event Design: Ink & Ivory (The Bride) + N. Black Design / Flowers: DIY by the Bride, Her Mother + Bridesmaids / Wedding Invitations: Ink & Ivory (The Bride) / Bunting, Table Runners, Cake Topper, Guest Buttons + Rock Candy Favors: DIY / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Bride’s Shoes: Bordello / Bridesmaids’ Hairpieces, Groomsmen’s Boutonnieres + Ring Pillow: b. poetic (The Bride)

Shelby Street Photography is pretty much the coolest photography team in Cincinnati and they definitely have the coolest clients.  Case in point: this creative cutie couple who crafted their incredible Coney Island wedding from start to finish.  It is a hearty dose of inspiration, starting with the super fun paper goods all the way to sweet and simple vintage-inspired details.  See the entire day in all its gorgeous glory in the full gallery!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… Ben and I met in college. We went to different schools but had mutual friends. I was so pleased when I met him because he was a breath of fresh air: sensitive, kind and a great sense of humor. We hit it off instantly, staying up late quoting our favorite movies and laughing about anything that came to mind. He was perfect. A great guy from Cincinnati with a big heart and amazing family. I knew I had found my match.

Our wedding was focused around DIY and family as much as possible! I designed and handmade our save-the-dates, invitations and programs. With some help from Hobby Lobby, Kinko and friends and family, they turned out better than I could ever imagine. Our cake was made as a gift from Ben’s aunt, Margie Conners. She has her own local cake business — I believe is called AmaZing Grace Cakes. She’s the most creative person I know. Our flowers blew me away. They were arranged by Kim Wilson of Event Florals of Mariemont. Our DJ was Zach of All Trades. My dress was by Watters, and I got it at Bridal and Formal for a great deal. I got my shoes online at Zappos — the brand is Me Too. The bridesmaids dresses were from J.Crew, and a couple girls altered them to be more unique! They all wore nude pumps, and I picked up coordinating necklaces at Forever 21 for all of us.

My favorite photo is us with the balloons, standing side by side and looking at each other with a smirk. I love it because it sums up our emotions that day: There was so much going on around us, we were dressed up and fancy, nervous, all eyes on us, but all we needed to do was focus on each other to stay calm. I was glowing the whole day, and I think the picture shows it was all because of Ben. Black and white or color, they’re both amazing!

Wedding Photography: Shelby Street Photography / Wedding Venue: Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio / Floral Design: Kim Wilson, Cincinnati, OH / Wedding Invitations, Save-the-Dates + Programs: DIY / Wedding Cake: Margie Conners of AmaZing Grace Cakes, The Groom’s Aunt /  DJ: Zach of All Trades / Wedding Dress: Watters via Bridal and Formal / Bride’s Shoes: Me Too via Zappos / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Jewelry: Forever 21

Smiles galore. I’m guaranteeing smiles galore once you’ve laid those pretty little peepers of yours on this modern affair. This modern affair that has left a love-induced permagrin on all of us at the SMP HQ. Captured in stills by Amanda Donaho Photography, and captured in live motion by Poetic Cinema, it is FABulous. Click here for the gallery!

Before we get too far into this FAB soiree – let’s fall in love with this couple, courtesy of Poetic Cinema, shall we?

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After a one year long-distance relationship and one year of wedding planning, we were married on June 25, 2011. Our wedding was the simple, contemporary event we envisioned – we could not have been happier!

We live in a loft in downtown Cincinnati, and we wanted our wedding to reflect our urban lifestyle. We chose to marry downtown at The Contemporary Arts Center because its clean, modern look aligned perfectly with our wedding style. The museum’s concrete columns/floors and wall of windows overlooking the bustling city streets provided the perfect indoor setting for a modern summer wedding. It was a venue that could stand on its own, and no heavy decorations were necessary – we wanted guests to enjoy the energizing environment the museum provided.

We chose a charcoal gray color palette, with an accent of spring green for a pop of color. From the beginning, we envisioned a simple, fresh, and contemporary affair. Our minimalist floral centerpieces resembled abstract art, our paper products portrayed the same straight-forward, contemporary sensibility, and the bridesmaid dresses displayed sculptural silhouettes. We found contemporary, unique wedding pieces from Etsy, IKEA, and Anthropologie.

The DIY projects that we are very proud of include our reception table names, guest thank you cards, well-wishes note cards, and the reception seating chart. We learned through our DIY projects to align everything with the look and feel of our wedding, which created the cohesive appearance we desired.

Photography: Amanda Donaho Photography / Cinematography: Poetic Cinema / Flowers: Designs By Tia / Event Planning: MIY! Event Planning / Venue: The Contemporary Arts Center / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

We have Mandy & Me Studio to thank for this next little number, and it couldn’t be more personality-filled. This couple has style for miles, from the converses to the cardigans (on the groomsmen! love that!), so it shouldn’t be a surprise we fell head over heels for this adorable duo the minute we laid eyes on their fab fête. It’s actually impossible not to fall in love with every single image, and you can see for yourself in the full gallery of images!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Mandy of Mandy & Me Studio… Erin and Tim are some of the nicest people we have ever meet, and we enjoyed every second of their wedding. It’s a great honor to be the chosen photographer for someone’s wedding, and it’s even a greater honor when that someone is over a thousand miles away from you. There is also a little pressure that comes with that — after all, Erin and Tim chose us over other photographers in their town. Based on the continuous communication we had with Erin, we headed to Cleveland knowing that we were in for a treat. The wedding was simply spectacular, from the rad venue (The Luxe) and the tasty food to the custom converse shoes, the sweet details and everything else in between. But perhaps the most memorable thing to us was how welcome everyone made us feel, to the point where shedding a little tear was inevitable.

Wedding Photography: Mandy & Me Studio / Wedding Venue: Luxe Kitchen & Lounge in Cleveland, Ohio / Floral Design, Catering + Decor: Luxe Kitchen & Lounge / Band: Ashes / Cake Pops: The Mixer Sisters

I might have gone a little image crazy with this wedding – but as soon as you lay eyes on the photos from Jess + Nate Studios, you’ll understand. The wedding, planned & designed by the bride, her mother, and Kirkbrides, is absolute perfection. One for the books. Top of our favorite weddings list. Click here to see exactly what I mean!

Click here for the video from Z Media!

Patrick and I both attended Loyola University where we meet at the college gym. I was a freshman and he was a sophomore, I was attempting to use the fly machine (improperly according to Patrick) so he was determined to teach me proper fly machine form. I was pretty embarrassed, so needless to say that was a brief encounter. Throughout college Patrick would talk to his roommates and refer to me as the “the fly machine girl”. I still blush whenever he brings up the story.

After a year of dating I moved from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. for graduate school. The following year Patrick made the trek to D.C. as well. Three years to the week we started dating Patrick proposed!

Patrick proposed by giving me a cubed notebook with a handwritten timeline of “us” as a gift for our third anniversary of dating. I flipped through the pages, each containing notes of little events and important dates. As I turned to the last page there was an adorably gouged out square containing a beautiful engagement ring. He dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him.

My family belongs to The Chagrin Valley Hunt Club and my horses have called it home for many years. I have ridden and shown horses in the hunter ring for 20 years, and it only seemed natural to have an equestrian inspired garden wedding at The Hunt Club. I knew that the Hunt Club’s charm and beautiful setting would provide the perfect backdrop for a garden wedding.

My mother and I love design so we had a very specific idea of what we wanted- an elegant shabby chic garden wedding with a splash of equestrian. We engaged the services of Valarie Kirkbride, as our wedding planner and my mother’s good friend, the very talented florist Michael Day to help us create the perfect wedding. I have always loved blue hydrangeas, especially the colors they turn in late summer early fall. They are such a whimsical and happy flower, perfect for a wedding. We decided to use the beautiful range of blues that the hydrangeas offer as our color pallet with accents of silver and white.

Patrick and I wanted our wedding to be personal and for the officiate to have a close relationship with each of us. We asked a very close family friend who has been like an uncle to me and is someone Patrick has grown close to over the years to preform our ceremony. Patrick and I recited an 850-year-old love poem by Frau Ava as our vows.

One of my favorite memories came not from the wedding, but after it was all said and done. After the last of the guests had left, Patrick and I made our way to the cottage where we were staying. We passed through the tent and looked up at the stars. We looked at the flowers, the lights, the tables and the chairs and saw how beautiful everything had turned out. After all the hustle and bustle of the day was over, this was the first time that we were alone as husband and wife. It gave us a moment to reflect on all the people who had made this day so special.

Photography: Jess + Nate Studios / Cinematography: Z Media / Flowers: Flowerville / Event Design: Flowerville  & Kirkbrides / Event Planning: Kirkbrides / Ceremony Location: Chagrin Valley Hunt Club / Reception Location: Chagrin Valley Hunt Club / Invitations: Chocolate Butterbean / Desserts and Cake: Flour Girl/Luna Bakery Cafe / Tent and Floor Rental: Everything Tented / Lighting and Sound Amplification: Rock the House / Reception Stationery: Sobella Paper Boutique / Hair: Ken Novak

This Ohio couple is gorgeous. The bride is a vision in her stunning gown, and the groom looks pretty dapper himself in his black tux. But aside from that, they love they share is so obvious, so deep, so beautiful. Just wait until you see the Wedding Day Preview from Poetic Cinema. All I have to say is grab a tissue. But before we get there, I’ll warm up those tear ducts with the most amazing photos from Inlux Photo – of the bride, the groom, and the love and tears they shared on their wedding day. Click here for more!

Grab the tissues…

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Our wedding day was a long time coming.  Donte and I had a distance relationship for seven and a half years and I couldn’t wait for the day when we would be together in one place.  I was never one of those girls who dreamed of her wedding day and imagined myself being a princess.  I did, however, wonder about the guy that I would marry and I knew early on in our relationship that Donte was the guy that I had always imagined.

The ceremony turned out to be more beautiful than expected, despite the rain earlier in the day.  When I got down to the end of the aisle I realized that Donte was crying, and then when he read his personal vows he bawled!  There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and it made for a heartfelt ceremony.

When it came time to plan, we almost immediately knew that we wanted a formal, sophisticated, black-tie affair.  I know that millions of other brides say that their theme is Old Hollywood Glamour, but after envisioning what we wanted, I immediately understood why other brides choose this theme.  When you think of Old Hollywood you almost always think classic, elegant, romantic…and we realized that this was exactly what we wanted.

We chose black, white, and soft pink since it’s a clean palette and very classically beautiful.  I knew that I wanted full tall and short centerpieces so I chose the simple combination of pink roses and hydrangeas to bring color into the reception room.  We know that black-tie usually equals lots of money, so we figured out a way to have a lot of elegant touches without the big price tag.  That meant a lot of DIY projects!

I taught myself how to use Photoshop by watching YouTube tutorials and designed all of our paper items and uploaded and printed them through Vistaprint.  I designed everything from the invitations, wedding announcement poster, dinner menus, programs, escort cards, the aisle runner, table numbers, etc.  The secret to having successful DIY projects is to start early.  My goal was to have a wedding that only looked expensive and I think we pulled that off successfully.  Our wedding day was truly one of the happiest, heartfelt days of our lives and one that we’ll never forget.

Photography: Inlux Photo / Ceremony & Reception: Heritage Golf Club / Flowers: Flowers on Springtree Lane / Cinematrography: Poetic Cinema / Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bridesmaids Dresses: Bari Jay / Makeup: Kelli Ramey of Beautimarkedbykelli / Hair: Michael Matteson of Square One Salon and Spa / Shoes: Me Too / Bride’s Bracelet: Rent The Runway / Cake: The Cake Studio

It’s so hard to describe the feeling the bride gets right before she walks down the isle. It’s nerves, excitement, an extreme elation, a little bit of anxiousness, a little bit of calm, and a lot of butterflies. But until you’ve been there, or until you’ve been at the other end of the isle, waiting for your beloved, it’s impossible to really know what it feels like. But this film, from Studio Z Films, comes pretty stinkin’ close. The closest I’ve ever seen. Consisting of little moments throughout the big day of this lovely Cincinnati wedding, the film gives you that feeling – waiting to walk out into the isle and start the rest of your lives together. You’ll love it. But first, a few beautiful stills from Neysa Ruhl Photography, to wet your palette. Click here for more!

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Jenny and Jim: Cincinnati Wedding Film from Steve Zugelter on Vimeo.

Jim and I wanted our entire wedding themed around friendship and Cincinnati, which is how our love story all began.  Jim and I met at work and quickly became  good friends.  Our shared interest in sports, Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, friends and living life to it’s fullest was hard to ignore and our friendship quickly blossomed into a love story.

As soon as we began planning our wedding we knew it had to be around the city we love and our friends.  Our invitations played a large part in informing our guest about our wedding weekend events and our passions.  Our custom made save the dates featured us on Cincinnati Reds Diamond Club seats and our custom made invites featured the skyline of Cincinnati.  We also wanted our rehearsal dinner to be intimate and promote our beautiful city – it couldn’t have been any better when we found our perfect rehearsal venue, Friendship Park.

We wanted a wedding weekend that was unique and special to us.  Our venues were extremely important.  We decided to get married in an old Cathedral that has since been converted to a venue to host events.  The beautiful floor to head stained glass windows, delicately painted ceilings, and collective bell towers decorated the interior and provided a warming touch.  Lush flower pots filled the red brick patio where guest had the chance to enjoy post ceremony cocktails.  As soon as the doors opened guest were wowed by the amount of candles we lined the church with.  With such a beautiful ceremony location the simple floral arrangements added a fresh scent and burst of purples, greens, and white.

We wrote our own vows and created a ceremony that was unique to each of us.  Embedded in my wedding bouquet was a locket with my Father’s picture so he was with me on my special day.  Our programs gave shout outs to friends and family, featured our aspirations as a couple, and even acknowledged our best canine friend Chili.

Our day was amazing, our wedding video was even more amazing.  It captures how special and unique our day was to us and our family. It captures the love that was in that room, how much fun Jim and I have together, and the overall theme of our lives – friendship.

Photography: Neysa Ruhl Photography / Makeup: BRIDEface / Floral Design: The Tulip Tree / Venue:  The Bell Event Center / Cinematography: Studio Z Films

We’re bidding adieu to yet another lovely week of inspiration here at Style Me Pretty… and to a very special day of tribute to those men and women who so selflessly serve our country – and keep us safe every single day and night.  But, before we say a final farewell, we thought this darling photo shoot captured by Connection Photography was the perfect way to wrap up the day.  These two adorable lovebirds have captured our hearts with their wonderful story, which started as a beautiful shoot honoring their long-distance romance and ended with a surprise proposal at the end of the night.  And just when we thought this delightful duo couldn’t possibly be any cuter, we learned today that they have been named the official winners of the Operation Reward Romance Contest with Operation Homefront, receiving a Ritani engagement ring.  If that doesn’t just leave you smiling for hours with joy, I don’t know what will.  Congratulations you two!  Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Connection Photography… This photo shoot was designed around Jessica and Bo’s current relationship. They have been together for a year and most of their relationship has been spent sending letters and video chatting on the computer. They have spent the majority of their relationship apart because Bo is in the military. In the photo shoot Jessica wanted to be sending Bo a package and as she is walking up to mail it, he is walking up the other road to surprise her. He’s coming home. The pocket watch in the photos Jessica had made for Bo. Although their relationship has been long distance you wouldn’t know it. They are so in love and it radiates when you are around them. During the photo shoot we joked with Bo about asking Jessica to marry him and he just laughed it off. But when they got home he did ask! He is being deployed to the Middle East in the next couple months but they are definitely making the time they have together now, unforgettable.

Photography: Connection Photography / Location: Marietta, Ohio

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a darling North Carolina fête
a sweet as can be proposal film
a beyond breathtaking New York affair
a dreamy Los Gatos soiree
an awe-inspiring Los Angeles wedding
a charming Washington barn affair
a magical Atlanta soiree
a day filled with eight gorgeous weddings
a stunning New York City affair
a shabby chic Oregon fête
a Fall-inspired California wedding
a breathtaking boudoir session

Some fabulous links from around the web:

colorful modern wall art via A Beautiful Mess
uber-fabulous wildflower ice cubes via A Cup of Jo
gorgeous DIY herb and wildflower bouquet via One Lovely Day

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

Seasons of Life Events
Something Blue Weddings & Events
Julie Swenson, Beauty PhD
Nam Nguyen Photography
LittleOwl Letterpress
Janelle Brooke Photography
Belle of the Ball
Syracuse Makeup Artistry
Clean Plate Pictures

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here. We’d love to hear from you!

And last, but certainly not least…

Don’t miss your chance to enter the Inspiration to Invitation Challenge with Sarah Drake happening right now as.we.speak on SMP Illinois!  The uber-fabulous Ms. Drake will be picking her favorite board next week and turning it into one very amazing invitation!  So, don’t miss out… head on over to SMP Illinois and start building those boards!

Have a pretty, pretty weekend, lovelies!  See you back here Monday morning!  xoxo

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Event Planning

Belle Events

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What makes a wedding truly beautiful? Is it the picture perfect details, crafted with care by the bride and her maids? Is it the vows that come together into seemingly one piece of music? Is it the flowers or the food or the fun had dancing the night away? Yes, it’s all that. But when push comes to shove, the most beautiful part of a wedding is that when all stripped down and naked, it’s two people promising to love each other forever and ever. When we received this wedding, the beauty was obvious. The bride is glowy and gorgeous, the groom completely smitten. The flowers, the color palette, the perfect touches threaded through every last moment all made our hearts happy. But that wasn’t even half of the story.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images.

You can check out the rest of the magic right here…

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From the photographer, Corey Ann… This wedding was a wish granted by Wish Upon a Wedding to Jon and Alyssa.  Jon has terminal brain cancer and doesn’t have much longer to live and his dying wish was to marry his soulmate, Alyssa.  The entire wedding was beautiful thanks to amazing donations from the talented group of vendors. Alyssa’s gown inspired the wedding design and the result was flawless.

We are so touched that Jon and Alyssa chose Style Me Pretty to share this with the world. It’s days like this one that remind us of just how important the heart of a wedding really is. The core, at it’s very purest form, is all about love. And love is the very first thing I saw when I opened this beautiful affair. Congratulations to Jon and Alyssa. Your wedding has touched our hearts just as it has your friends, family and the millions of people around the world that have shared your story.

Wedding Photography: Corey Ann Photography / Wedding Cake: The West Side Bakery / Catering: Spice of Life / Wedding Ceremony Music: Arion String Ensemble / Dance Floor: National Party Rental / Dessert: Bittersweet Chocolates & Culinary Occasions / DJ: The DJ Crew / Favors: Drummond Chocolates / Florist: Lynda Loren Floral & Event Design / Hair: Tiffany Ford of Dino Palmieri Salon / Hotel: Wyndham Hotel / Lighting: Vincent Lighting / Linens: L’nique Linens / Makeup: Kajal by Kimberly / Officiant: Bob Javorsky with Our Wedding Officiant / Rentals: Event Source + Lasting Impressions / Ring Pillow: Emici Bridal / Stationery: Pink Hearts Paperie / Transportation: A1 Mr. Limo / Valet: MVP Services LLC / Veil and Accessories: Christina Garcia Accessories of Distinction / Wedding Venue: Glidden House / Videography and Photo Booth: Moonstruck Productions / Wedding Planning: At Last Events / Wine: Colonial Beverage

There are few things I adore more than a garden wedding… the beautiful blooms and gorgeous setting get me hook, line and sinker every.single.time.  So, it pretty much goes without saying that I have fallen head over heels for this charming Chagrin Falls affair by Kortnee Kate Photography.  Held on the grounds of the breathtaking The Club at Hillbrook and filled to the brim with fabulous DIY details and vintage meets modern charm, this gorgeous fête has captured my heart one beautiful milk glass vase at a time.  Plus, I am loving those candle centerpieces!  All coordinated by Allison Miller of Kirkbrides, the pretty does not stop here.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… My husband and I knew from the start that we didn’t want a traditional formal wedding. Instead of extravagance, we opted for a lot of simple personal touches that would make our day memorable for us and our guests. I consider myself relatively crafty so I knew right away that if there was anything I could make instead of buy out of a box, I would try to do it.

We really wanted our venue to stand out on its own so we wouldn’t have to do a whole lot to make it beautiful. The Club at Hillbrook could not have been more perfect for us. All of the stone detail of the house and the beautiful grounds made you feel like you’d been transported to an old English manor. I credit so much of the day’s ambiance to our venue. I knew it was the perfect backdrop to the chartreuse, gray and white color scheme I had been in love with for so long. Soft and romantic with punches of chartreuse to keep it fresh and modern. If modern-vintage makes any sense at all, I’d say that’s what we were going for.

My friend Sara designed our invitations and they couldn’t have done a better job of setting the tone for the big day. I had them printed and mounted/stuffed them myself. I foraged eBay and Etsy for little things that could add unique touches to the day. Our chuppa was constructed by our florist from a vintage lace tablecloth I ordered off eBay from a seller in England for only about $12! It came pretty close to matching the lace on my dress and was a beautiful centerpiece for the ceremony. I ordered old milk glass vases off of eBay and my florist filled them with delicate flowers and accented different tables with them. We went very simple with the flowers which were a mix of mostly white flowers such as tulips and freesia with a little bit of hypericum berries and hydrangea for some green.

Our awesome wedding coordinator from Kirkbrides introduced us to L’Nique linens who just happened to have light gray tablecloths and chartreuse napkins. The combination looked so clean and put together with the white flowers and silver chargers we used. We did cupcakes instead of cake to stick to our more casual theme and had three tiers with a mix of flavors. I hand wrote the flavors on chartreuse paper, framed them in vintage style white frames and put them on the dessert table. Marshall’s is a great resource for inexpensive frames! We had a little cake that we cut and the adorable topper was a handmade pair of bride/groom birds I bought on Etsy. I spray-painted one of those giant letter E’s from the craft store chartreuse green and it made a nice little photo prop. Guests still tell me today how unforgettable of a day it was and that’s what we really wanted to do. Celebrate our love and show everyone a good time while doing so.

Wedding Photography: Kortnee Kate Photography / Wedding Coordination: Allison Miller of Kirkbrides / Wedding Cupcakes: Main Street Cupcakes / Wedding Ceremony Music: Athena Strings / DJ: The DJ Crew, John Kerata / Floral Décor: Grande Designs, Bernie / Hair + Makeup: Michael Christopher / Officiant: Rabbi Eddie Sukol / Wedding Videography: Z Media / Beverages: Colonial Beverage / Transportation: Thomas Limousine / Wedding Venue: The Club at Hillbrook / Linens: L’Nique / Cake Topper: Etsy

Hello, SMPers.  Meet my new best friend.  Her name is Jillian and she is awesome.  Not only is she the genius behind the oh-so-lovely Pretty Little Weddings, but she also happens to be the breathtaking bride below who is about to fill your afternoon with gorgeous.  I know.  I heart her, too.  And when you jump into all of the fabulous that is her big day, you won’t know what to do with yourselves.  A sophisticated black and white color palette, a beyond stunning vineyard location, a plethora of beautiful DIY blooms and brilliant images captured by Aruna B. Photography have left me completely speechless.  And don’t even get me started on that amazing necklace.  Swoon.  Worthy.  I could spend all day wrapped up in this lovely… and I think I just might.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride (Pretty Little Weddings)… My husband, Michael, and I met nearly 12 years ago as teenagers. I’d just traded ballet training for karate lessons at the studio Michael attended. The attraction was hardly instantaneous — Michael teased me relentlessly and in return, I decided to hate him forever. But in time, Michael’s teasing turned to kindness and our relationship grew to friendship and, four years later, love. In the eight years Michael and I have dated on-and-off, we’ve been together and thousands of miles apart. We’ve endured intense love and unimaginable heartache. We even broke off a previous engagement. So when we finally decided to commit our lives to each other and we began to plan our wedding, our story seemed like the perfect theme. Because true, lasting love, isn’t perfect — it fails and falters and then it fights to get back on track. Our theme became “A Love Story,” and I, as a journalist, began to write it.

Our invitations were novellas I wrote and printed from our home computer. The details of our wedding reflected the scenes from that book: Our colors were black and white, in honor of the karate studio where we met; I carried only white orchids in my bouquet because when Michael proposed, he filled my apartment with those flowers; we served pizza as our main course in honor of our trips to NYC for the delicacy; and our tables were named for our most memorable moments, including “Orchids are Engaging” and “Moonpies Were Calling,” to symbolize Mike moving with me to the South.

With the exception of our bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages, my mother selected and arranged all of our flowers. She has an incredible eye for beauty, and an even bigger heart. When we realized we couldn’t afford the look we loved, my mother jumped into action, ordering more than 200 white blooms and storing them in her basement the week before the wedding. On our wedding day, with the help of two friends, she cut and arranged all our reception flowers, along with our other DIY decor.

Our banquet style tables were filled with white flowers — a mixture of lisianthus, roses, hydrangea, stock and tulips — and herbs that we’d potted the week before the wedding. We purchased or re-purposed all the containers we filled with flowers, shopping discount and craft stores and our basements for vases, bowls and planters to use. At the end of our reception, we encouraged guests to take the arrangements and plants home as a gift.

So many of our wedding details were DIY projects. While Baumbirdy custom designed our programs, menus, place cards and wine labels, we printed and assembled each piece. Oh, the assembly lines! In lieu of an aisle toss, we also crafted ribbon wands from foot-long dowel rods, ivory ribbon and jingle bells — as Michael and I came down the aisle, our friends and family celebrated by waving them in the air. My mother also made a “Here Comes The Bride!” sign for our sign bearer to carry.

Michael and I wanted to have lounge areas for our guests, but they didn’t fit into our budget. Instead, we bought four inexpensive wrought iron benches, four side tables from IKEA and pillows from Marshall’s, and threw together our own lounge areas, complete with board games for guests to play. They were a hit, and we can now use the pillows and furniture in our home.

Wedding Photography: Aruna B. Photography / Catering: Joe Pileggi’s Catering / Ceremony + Reception Venue: Gervasi Vineyard / Bouquets + Boutonnieres: Cathy Cowgill Flowers / Program, Menu Card, Place Card + Wine Label Design: BaumBirdy / String Trio: The Classic Touch / Bridesmaid Dresses: Cynthia Rowley / Wedding Gown: Emerald Bridal / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Chair + Table Rentals: Canton Chair Rental

Thanks to two years of traveling while in a long distance relationship and the creativity of The Finer Things Event Planning, this adorable couple celebrated their special day in style with a travel themed wedding. All twenty three tables were named after cities they had traveled to together and even their save-the-dates and invites were custom made by Oscar and Emma Custom Design to look like boarding passes. Picture the Love captured their day to perfection and lucky for us, there’s an entire gallery full of images just waiting to be adored!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Jennifer at The Finer Things Event Planning…Lyndsey and Eric are an amazing couple! Their destiny began with Lyndsey (from Ohio) had flown to California for a friend’s wedding… it was love at first sight when she met her Groom Eric in Cali. Just like a seen from a movie, Lyndsey was smittened by Navy Pilot, Eric. From that night on, Lyndsey and Eric spent nearly two years flying all over the United States to see each other as their love turned a first glance into their wedding. The travel inspired wedding began with custom save the dates and invitations that even look like boarding passes. Throughout the reception, special places where the couple had traveled were brought in. The food stations boasted foods from San Diego, Kansas City, and Virginia where the couple currently resides. Each guest received a wooden airplane from “E & L airlines” to escort them to their destination city. (all 23 guest tables were cities the bride and groom had visited together!) Post Cards from various cities were signed by all of the guest and placed into the couple’s luggage! One of my favorite touches was the special Southwest Airline drink stirs that adored the signature cocktail “The Married Mojito” The custom groom’s cake, an actual replica of the F18 Plane that the Groom proudly flys on many trips to Iraq. The couple was blessed to have many guest travel from several states to help them celebrate in style…

Event Planning: Jennifer Kontomerkos of The Finer Things Event Planning / Photography: Picture the Love / Ceremony: King Avenue United Methodist Church / Reception: North Bank Park / Transportation: Columbus Trolley / Floral Design: Elegant Touch Events / Caterer: Sandman Gourmet Catering / Musicians: Alex White & Friends / DJ: Platinum Music Productions / Cake: Anita Kline Cakes (614-766-8288), Jan Kish La Petite Fleur / Stationery: Oscar and Emma Custom Design

Rise and shine SMPers! We have a big day ahead! So grab your cup of caffeine, and let’s get this wonderful day full of weddings (seven to be exact) started. For those of your new to Wedding Wednesdays, it’s the day we here at SMP crank out snippets of seven beyond GORG weddings. Hour after hour of pretty. Because we can only feature a snapshot – be sure to get lost in all of their galleries, because there is so much more to see here folks.

First on the docket of delightful weddings, is a budget friendly Ohio beauty by Todd Pellowe. Since the bride is a wedding photographer herself, she was well-versed in what she wanted her big day to look like, and it looks like her vision was quite the success. It’s pink and pretty as can be, and there is even more in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…On December 16, 2009 my best friend and love of my life Michael asked me to marry him. Due to the fact that we are both active duty Air Force officers at different bases, our wedding was delayed until June 12, 2011. We had over a year and a half to plan the details of our wedding, and what a beautiful day it was! Between contributions from both sets of parents, myself, and the groom, the total wedding budget was $20,000. We knew having a beautiful country club wedding might quickly push the envelope on our budget. But I wanted to have my cake and eat it too… so we got creative. Instead of investing thousands of dollars on multiple large bouquets for the ceremony, we focused our money into two large beautiful arrangement to be placed at the end of the aisle and an aisle design of pink rose petals. Since our wedding was outdoor, the large willow trees created a gorgeous landscape that needed no competition.

Since I am also a wedding photographer (www.lindsaysmithphotography.com), the most important aspect of our wedding to me was the quality of my photographer. I chose Todd Pellowe after being engaged a week. I knew by having him as my photographer I could relax on my big day. He used both digital and film cameras to capture all the details.

My wedding style was distinctively modern with a 1950s throwback. Clean lines were a must-have, but ivory and pink accents softened the overall appearance of the decor. Our wedding was on a Sunday afternoon, and the weather was 77 degrees with a slight breeze. Although the ceremony was outside, the reception was inside the country club in a room encased by full length windows. Adjacent to the room was a white outdoor covered tent, where my husband and I shared our first dance. Since my husband and I work as an engineer and mathematician, respectively, we choose to use famous historical mathematician’s last names instead of table numbers. Each table had a small photo frame with a photograph of a mathematician and a few facts about the mathematical contribution that he made. To keep the look of the wedding decorations and paper goods consistent, we chose only two different fonts: Honey Script and GeoSansLight. To save money, I created my own seating chart in Photoshop, and had it printed at Kinkos for only $30. I found a large frame at Michael’s Craft Store and put the seating chart inside to give it a polished look.

At the end of our wedding, Todd Pellowe took Michael and I out to a nearby wheat field to snap a few more couples shots. The sun was just settling on the horizon, producing beautiful warm-toned images. In fact, those images are our favorites photos from the entire day. But, the best part of the wedding was marrying my best friend!

Wedding Photography: Todd Pellowe / Flowers: Sherwood Florist / Ceremony + Reception Location: Country Club of the North / Invitations: Gartner Studios / Bride’s Shoes: Colorful Creations / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal

We ache for gorgeously elegant ballroom weddings over here at SMP Headquarters, and we know so many of you out there do too. So when a classically chic celebration pops up in our submissions like this one from Ely Bros. Photography, there is a collective squeal from each and everyone of us. And maybe even a jump up and down. Ok, we definitely jump up and down. It’s timeless, yet personal and there is a pair of fab shoes thrown in to keep you ballroom wedding lovers jumping up and down throughout the rest of the feature. Of course, you can see what all the squealing is about (and join us) in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Dana and I met at Ohio University when his fraternity was paired with my sorority for a Greek fundraising event. We dated while I went to graduate school, but once I graduated, I was offered a great opportunity to work in Washington DC.  I knew Dana was special when he encouraged me to take the job and announced that he would move.  I followed my professional dreams to DC where we both now live and work, but once we were engaged, we knew we wanted to have our wedding with family and friends in Ohio.

The goal for the wedding was to add details and memorable touches but to not have anything too over the top.  I wanted it to look like we threw a fabulous dinner party with full flowers in a variety of shades of pink flowing over their vases.  We chose slate grey for the bridesmaid dresses and settled on classic tuxedos for the men.  We had a catholic ceremony at St. Joseph cathedral in downtown Columbus followed by a reception at the Westin hotel.  The Westin has a beautiful marble ballroom with stain glass windows and gold trim, which required minimal decorations.  The table numbers were displayed in corks, we added labels to Godiva chocolates for the favors, had personalized drink stirrers made, and my cousin designed invitations that matched our décor perfectly.  The escort cards were accented with pink cotton flower pins that guests then wore as the evening went on, and we displayed photos of our parents and grandparents at their weddings on either side of our guest book, which was filled with pictures of us as children and with family and friends through the years.

Moving away made it clear how important the relationships with our friends and family are to us.  Our wedding came together exactly as we had planned but was amazing because of the people.  I looked around at the end of the night and was surrounded by my friends and family, and standing next to my husband.

Wedding Photography: Ely Bros. Photography / Wedding Videography: Columbus Wedding Videos / Ceremony Location: St. Joseph Cathedral / Reception Location: The Westin Columbus / Wedding Dress: Lea Ann Belter Bridal Boutique via Le Jeune Mariee / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Hair Flowers: Twigs and Honey / Tuxedo: Calvin Klein / Bridesmaid Dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Flowers: Flowers on Springtree Lane / Escort Card Flowers: Emerson Made / Wedding Cake: Piece of Cake / Band: Greg Lee and the Chuck Taylors

Not only are you about to lay your eyes on some gorgeous photography by Annie Sturgis but the images entail some lovely, lovely Ohio nuptials designed and coordinated by Bliss Wedding and Events AND (yes there’s more) an ever so fabulous film by Studio Z Films. We can’t think of a nicer way to end this day of wedding bliss. Pop on over to the gallery for more, more, more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

And now make a little time for the perfect-in-every-way same day edit shot by Studio Z Films. It’s four minutes of total perfection

From the Bride…The moment I realized our wedding reception completely came alive is the moment Matt and I waltzed into our reception to a roaring crowd of amazing friends and family. I couldn’t get over the details, especially the perfectly chosen three dimensional flower linens in a beautiful royal blue, the petite and very modern silverware, the lighting, the flowers, and what I had always dreamed… a clear tent for dancing with a rocking live band to complete the space! I felt like a movie star, but most importantly I’ve never felt so much love, passion, and genuine happiness in one place. Our chandeliers over the green grass gave the tent a a very romantic and rustic feel. I’m a bride that wanted elements from every aspect of my life – A little city, a bit of tradition, a spark of modern flare, of course some country, and topped with rustic Tuscany flair! Who would have thought we could combine all these elements, make it work and have a BLAST?!  Advise for any bride — pick a planner you can spill all your dreams and thoughts to, have someone to follow you and capture every moment live, and YES- that absolutely goes together on your wedding day!!

From Studio Z Films…Lesley and Matt’s incredibly stunning wedding took place in Marion, Ohio, just north of Columbus.  The insanely talented Kasey Conyers with Bliss Weddings and Events was at the helm with her eye for design and second to none coordination skills.  After their beautiful ceremony, the party began at the home of Lesley’s parents.  A massive multi-tent reception greeted the guests as did Kasey’s designs.  This wedding could only be described as an elegant rock concert.  It was very classy but also equally fun and full of life.  Lesley’s brother even wrote and performed their first dance song that was full of their story.  Lesley and Matt asked us to create a Same Day Edit to play for their guests that night.  This is the film that played during dinner.

Design + Coordination: Bliss Wedding and Events / Floral Design: Flowers on Orchard Lane / Wedding Photography: Annie Sturgis Photography / Entertainment: Grand Avenue Band / Wedding Cinematography: Studio Z Films

Before you launch into all the lovely of this Lake Erie affair by Lauryn Byrdy Photography, I highly recommend scrolling on down to read the bride’s description of her day because it will make each image so incredibly special. Go ahead, I’ll wait up here…Back? Ok now do you see what I mean? This couple not only pulled off a gorgeous waterside soiree complete with bright, happy florals and details around every corner, but they also incorporated so many heart felt touches to the flow of their big day that made this little blogger shed a tear or two. The gallery is full of sweet as can be images, but the fun doesn’t stop there – be sure to stick around after all the pretty pictures for this adorable couple’s wedding film by red Bicycle Media!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

And if that wasn’t enough to keep you dreaming of pretty (and maybe wiping a few tears) until the clock strikes 5 PM, check out this fabulous video from red Bicycle Media…

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From the Bride…Our day began on my late father’s Lyman, a 1966 Sportsman out on Lake Erie.  It was actually my first ride.  Considering the significance of our outing, it was a very emotional little journey.  This is where our Sand Ceremony took place, where we spread my father’s ashes over the water while his favorite musician, Bob Marley, was playing in the background.  It was one of the many ways I was able to have him there with Matt and me on our special day.

After our boat ride, we met James of Red Bicycle Media and Lauryn Byrdy, our inspiring photographer, on a little patch of sand and rocks by the water.  It was a perfect way for us to get away and enjoy one relaxing moment before all of the preparation began. They did their thing, snapping shots, while we sipped our Bloody Marys and chatted about the day.

Back up at the condo, all of our family was having lunch out of little boxes designed by my mom (which had the very first picture of us printed on the outside) and making sure our son, Jack, was entertained.  Since I was obviously distracted with the thoughts of my wedding day, I can only imagine my mother running around, making sure everyone was taken care of.  You see, not only did we have our wonderful “Bees” Brooke and Heather from Bee For The Day, we have my mom to thank for the tiny little details only she could come up with.  She’s one of those people that stands apart from the rest and in turn, so does her imagination.  If you could only see her ‘inspiration board’ for the wedding, you’d book her in an instant!

Fast forward a little bit and we’re on our way to the Marblehead Lighthouse where our friends and family were waiting to witness our moment.  My brother, Matt, walked me to our spot and my nephew was the one to pull our rings from his pocket.  We said our own vows, Matt from his mind and mine from a little piece of paper.  I can’t recall anything but the kiss…it was an amazing kiss.  And there we were.

Wedding Photography: Lauryn Byrdy Photography / Wedding Cinematography: red Bicycle Media / Floral Design: Bartz Viviano Flowers & Gifts / Event Planning: Bee For The Day / Ceremony Location: Marblehead Lighthouse / Reception Location: Mon Ami Winery / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero via Alan Ray Bridal / Boat Restoration: Sandusky Bay Restoration / Make-up: BeautimarkedbyKelli / Hair: Leanna Haye of Primp Hair Studio / Wedding Cake: Cakes By Jess / Reception Band: Bob Szmik Trio, Vocals by Ramona Collins / Wedding Invitation Design: Sarah Oravecz / Custom Lettering at Reception: Lisa Ragland