Texas Weddings

For an ultra modern fête, one needs look no further than the chic backdrop of the W Hotel Dallas. It just might be the coolest place on the planet for a wedding like this number captured by Forever Photography Studio. Hot pink, loads of glamour and drop dead gorgeous flowers by Bella Flora of Dallas. Yes, we are neck deep in a city-dweller’s dream wedding and the view is mighty pretty. See it all here.

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From Forever Photography Studio…

When we first met Elaine and Chris we just knew we were going to love their wedding and love photographing them! Elaine has such great style, and we couldn’t wait for the big day.

When we arrived at the W hotel in Dallas and saw the room where they would be getting married we literally almost started jumping up and down. Silly I know, but us photographers can get a little excited about things like that sometimes. Their wedding was beautiful and chic, and we loved every moment of photographing their event. We wish them both all the happiness in the world!

Photographers: Jona and Jerry Blackwell with Forever Photography Studio / Flowers: Bella Flora of Dallas / Venue: W Hotel Dallas / Dress: Mori Lee, purchased at LuLu’s Bridal Boutique / Jewelry: Nadri, purchased at Nordstrom / Shoes: sparkly champagne shoes were Jimmy Choo, Hot Pink Shoes Kate Spade / Hair and makeup:  by Tisha Corcoran at TC Makeup Studio and Academy / DJ:  Andy Austin / Cake: Frosted Art / Cake Pops: Cake Pop Shoppe / Photobooth: Photobooth Planet / Invitations and Programs: ULuckyGirl

Another week of wedding eye candy has come to a close, and we’re about to head out for the weekend. Obviously, we’re going to leave you with something fantastic to get you through the next couple days before we’re back Monday morning. With Labor Day just around the corner, that means the end of summer is coming into view. So here’s to late summer picnic’s in the park, riding your bike with your sweetie, and just curling up with a good read under a big, shady tree. Stacy Reeves – The Wedding Photographer has given us the cutest little engagement shoot to use as inspiration, so you can soak up all the summer you can get this weekend. See you Monday lovelies! xoxo

Click here for more of this shoot from Stacy Reeves!

In case you missed anything, here is the whole week of pretty all lined up:

a wedding film from Connecticut that has jumped top to the list of my faves
a vow renewal of one of our favorites to follow the fantastic Hartford film
a sweet as pie summery barn wedding in Madison
a vintage charmer of a Pittsburgh engagement sesh
a gorgeous bunch of floral and tablescape inspiration from Australia
a rustic Georgia bash celebrating a special couple’s engagement
a sweet and oh-so-pretty Connecticut shore affair
a stunning fête in the mountains of New York
a California Hindu wedding which was so fun and vibrant
a beyond beautiful bride in a beyond beautiful California barn
a classic and über-chic North Carolina affair

Some links we can’t get enough of from around the WWW

a super cute DIY fabric chandelier via 100 Layer Cake
a bunch of fashionable flower girls via Green Wedding Shoes
a really romantic Michigan wedding filled with DIY deets via Ruffled

All it took was just one second of gazing at this gorgeous Dallas wedding by Andrea Polito Photography, Inc. and I was completely and madly in love.  It’s true.  With amazing blooms by Cebolla (including a beautiful peony-filled bouquet), a charming location and a reception with milk and cookies (And even a milk toast for the groom!), I can’t seem to get enough of this sweet, sweet soiree.  Trust me, you don’t want to miss a single detail of garden party perfection.  See all of the lovely here!

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From Andrea Polito Photography, Inc.… Katie and Tait were joined by their immediate family and closest of friends for their intimate ceremony.  Afterwards the couple celebrated their marriage at a private residence with more of their closest well wishers. After a champagne and milk toast (The groom opted for cookies and milk for his cake!), the couple danced the night away with their friends and family.  Katie and Tait were so enjoyable to shoot and it was easy to capture not only their love for one another, but also the love and happiness shared by their family and friends.  Congratulations Katie and Tait!

Wedding Photography: Andrea Polito Photography, Inc. / Floral Design: Cebolla / Wedding Ceremony Location: Park Cities Presbyterian Church / Wedding Reception Location: Private Residence / Bride’s Cake: Margaret Gragg of Dallas Affaires Cake Co. / Groom’s Cookies: JD’s Chippery / DJ: Randal Stout

I absolutely adore a vineyard wedding.  And a vineyard wedding in Texas, well, I doubly adore that. So, as you can imagine, this Delaney Vineyards wedding has me smiling from ear to ear.  And it’s not just the setting that has captured my heart.  No, I am also loving (in no particular awesome order) those gorgeous bright yellow bouquets by The Gala Guru, the uber-charming windowpane menus and those sweet as can be lantern centerpieces.  And let’s not forget the fashion designer bride, who handmade everything from her veil to the flowers on her dress.  Love. It.  Lucky for us, Taylor Lord Photography was there to capture all of the amazing details, so join me in the gallery for every last stunning image!

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From Taylor Lord Photography… Lindsey and Quinn dated for five years before tying the knot in Dallas, TX and then immediately moving to NYC! Lindsey was a fashion design major and handmade her amazing veil, flowers on her dress, and hairpiece for the reception! She bought vintage brooches from antique stores to create the center of the flowers. The shot of her by her dress is when she sewed on the final flower.

Lindsey went to school in Waco, and had Common Grounds (her favorite coffee shop there) catered just for the wedding! Her mom handmade all the bridesmaids’ and house party necklaces using vintage brooches as well. Lindsey’s family is German and her grandmother led a traditional wedding march during the reception after dinner.

Wedding Photography: Taylor Lord Photography / Wedding Ceremony Location: Robert Carr Chapel / Wedding Reception Location: Delaney Vineyards / Bride’s Cake: Hot Chocolates / Groom’s Cake: Swiss Pastry Shop / Flowers: The Gala Guru (pam_hill2005@yahoo.com) / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Hair: April Lloyd, Sean Lauren 2 Salon / Wedding Invitations + Programs: Ethicus Resources

I am SO in love with every. single. element of this wedding. It has seriously brought a big, fat smile to my face and I’m pretty sure it will remain here for the entire day. This is just the sweetest DIY I’ve seen in quite some time. The bride and her friends put together such a fun day and I can’t help but wish I was there. Oh, and the bride? She’s drop dead gorgeous in her tea length dress and bright, red lipstick. Lucky for us the talents of Nine Photography were there to capture all the pretty details and there’s so much more in the gallery!

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From the Bride…I adore the soft, romantic-garden, Leave-it-to-Beaver-esque segment of the 1950’s era and everything about it, so I decided to go that route.  Tea length dresses, bright red lips, old-fashioned candy, large pink roses, birdhouses, a white picket fence, milkglass, and ice cream hues of pinks, blues, turquoise, and green woven in and out of anything possible.  Weeks before the wedding, my fiance, family, bridesmaids and I were working away. After seeing mason jar lanterns hanging from a tree in a Martha Stewart magazine, my sister had the brilliant idea of just using them as table lanterns instead.  We decided to paint them all turquoise to flow with the colors chosen. The wedding friends and I were fixing and painting an old white picket fence for the ceremony forefront, gluing pennants to ribbons, and hemming green-gingham fabric to make tablecloths.  We located all types of clear glass vessels and jars to create a charming candy station, as well as bought out any candy at stores nearby that reminded us of the ’50’s.  My sister, being the genius of a graphics designer that she is, designed and printed the lovely invitations, program fans, and candy station labels to follow consistent themes and fonts. All of the bridal party’s dresses were  made out of the darling, “Hello Rose in Olive” Nicey-Jane fabric by Heather Bailey, and to make each unique, according to a 50’s style dress each appreciated the most.  The guys wore seer-sucker skinny ties and gray vest suits to complement the ladies.  On my wedding day, I was so delighted to finally see all of the many, tiny ideas come together so beautifully.  It was well worth every bit of the work.

Wedding Photography: Nine Photography / Flowers: Bows & Arrows / Event Planning: Birds of a Feather / Location: Winfrey Point, Dallas Texas / Cupcakes: Sugar Bee Sweets

These gorgeous Dallas nuptials by Shipra Panosian can only be described as classic, timeless, elegant… and downright fabulous.  With an uber-chic pink and blue color scheme and a groom rockin’ a bow tie, it’s about as perfect a wedding as one can be.  Not to mention that the reception was held at the stunning bride’s family home à la Father of the Bride and my 7th grade self is literally squealing with delight.  AND the entire family pitched in on every last amazing detail.  Yes, I do believe you have some serious competition, Annie Banks, because this wedding is awesome.  Join me in the gallery for all of the pretty!

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From the Bride… I was inspired by anything and everything with garden colors and a shabby chic, vintage feel.  Our colors were variations of pinks, greens, ivory, gold, and robins egg blue.  We chose Perkins Chapel in Dallas because of it’s clean white color palette and classic design elements.  Hosting the reception at our family home was absolutely wonderful and a labor of love, to say the least.  We had searched all around Dallas looking for a perfect venue, and knew without a doubt that we wanted to stay away from the atypical ballroom-at-your-local-hotel, and finally decided that doing the reception at my family’s home was more “us” than any other place we came across.  We were particularly fond of the fact that we could set up several weeks in advance, choose our own caterers, band, DJ, set up however we wanted, and stay as many hours into the night as desired without restriction, unlike many venues.  It was different, and it perfectly depicted who we are.  Now with the wedding three months behind us, still one of our favorite past-times is to get a bottle of wine and sit on the back porch overlooking the backyard where our reception took place and talk about memories from that magical evening.

I chose “Dallas” by Watters for my bridal gown because of it’s gorgeous lace details and floral appliques.  My now-husband was insistent that I not get a strapless ball gown dress, so it all worked out with Dallas.  My shoes were a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choo d’Orsay glitter pumps.  One of my great girlfriends and bridesmaid made my hair flower.  And my jewelry was kept simple with a pair of my Mom’s earrings.  Ramon wore khaki slacks and a navy country club blazer from Jos. A. Banks, with a navy, white, and pink bowtie.  We purchased all of the ties for our groomsmen from The Tie Bar.

Most of the wedding was a DIY.  Some of my favorites were the photobooth, which was designed and constructed by my Dad, brothers, and now-husband.  It turned out great and was a fun time for guests.  We did all of the flower arrangements for the tables by ordering flowers in bulk through the market and having many helpful hands.  The cigar booth we designed after handpicking all the different cigars and placing them in jars and cigar boxes.  I hand picked out all of the candy for the candy bar at a local candy shop and tried to match the candy colors to our wedding color scheme.  We picked out all of the fabric and had little bags sewn for the favor bags which we filled with homemade biscotti and tea.

We decided on a buffet, and I was pleased to see that two weeks later the Queen’s Reception for the Royal couple also had a buffet at Buckingham palace.  We decided on two reds, two whites, and two bubbly’s for wine, as well as refreshing sangrias. In one area of the house we had a vodka bar as well.

Wedding Photography: Shipra Panosian / Hair: Sonia Trevino / Makeup: Mayra Rams-Sanabria / Band: The Vendetta Big Band / DJ: DJ Polar + J. Christian Oliver / Catering: The Kitchen at Preston Trail / Wedding Ceremony Flowers: Bella Flora / Wedding Reception Flowers: DIY by Mother of the Bride / Wedding Dress: Watters (Dallas) via Stardust Celebrations / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo via Saks Fifth Avenue / Bridesmaid Dresses: Cynthia Rowley (Style # 8005 in Blush) via Lulu’s Bridal / Flower Girl Dress: Mon Cheri / Men’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank / Ties & Bow Ties: The Tie Bar / Ring Bearer Outfit: Dapper Lads / Garter: Florrie Mitton (Goddess Beaded Garter) / Veil: International Veiling via Circle Park Bridal Boutique / Hair Flower: Custom by Jenna Hotz (jennahotz@gmail.com) / Rentals: Big D Party Rentals / Lace Table Runners: DIY, Mother of the Bride + The Bride / Photobooth: DIY, Father of Bride + Brother of Bride + Groom / Cigar Area Details: DIY, Mother of the Bride + The Bride / Candy Buffet: DIY, The Bride / Guest Favors: DIY, Mother of the Bride + The Bride + Jeulet Noyes, Friend of the Bride / Wedding Cake & Groom’s Cake: The Kitchen at Preston Trail / Limousine: CrossMark Transportation / Valet: John Bailey of All-Ways Valet / Wedding Ceremony Venue: Perkins Chapel – SMU / Wedding Reception Venue: Private Residence / Preparation Venue: The Uptown Women’s Center / Sparklers: Sparkle / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: Jennifer Vaughn of Memento Designs / Wishing Tree Rental: Jennifer Vaughn of Memento Designs / Wishing Tree Tags: Paper Box Studio (Tea Stained Vintage Tags) / Wedding Rings: Custom, Bailey Banks & Biddle

There are wedding flowers, and then there are WEDDING FLOWERS. Like the all caps worthy wedding flowers by Bella Flora of Dallas in this delicious affair. Have you ever seen a such a decadent outdoor display?  Orchids just seem to be oozing from every crevasse, and you just can’t go wrong when that happens. It’s elegant, it’s gorgeous and there is so much more in the full gallery of images!

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From Bella Flora of Dallas...A modern styled fete was created for Kristen Scheble and Steve Flory on April 16, 2011 with a simple ceremony at a private residence and The Nasher Sculpture Gardens.  The color palette was in all whites, grays and dashes of pink/lavender.  Everything about this wedding was carefully coordinated by this super stylish bride who wore a custom tailored lace gown.  Flowers used in the wedding ranged from stark white phaeleonopsis orchids, Dutch jumbo white hydrangea, cymbidium orchids, dendrobium orchids and oh so sweet fragrant lilac.  Mercury glass vessels of varying shapes decked two long tables along with a glorious presentation of glass orbs housing LED lights and single stemmed orchid blooms.  A most memorable wedding for sure.

Wedding Photography: Andrea Polito Photography / Event + Floral Design: Bella Flora of Dallas / Ceremony Location: Private Residence / Reception Location: The Nasher Sculpture Gardens / Wedding Invitations: Bell’Invito / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Lighting: Beyond

I’m totally in love with this sweet Dallas wedding. It’s low key, elegant, intimate, and full of love…and pink peonies and what girl doesn’t just love those big, fluffy blooms? Captured beautifully by Anna Routh, this wedding proves that it’s really all about the love between the couple…and pretty flowers! Click here to see all the darling details.

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From Anna Routh Photography: Emily and Wright had a beautiful Dallas wedding this Spring. After photographing the two at Wright’s family ranch earlier in the spring I had the pleasure of photographing their lovely, low-key nuptials at one of Dallas’s most beautiful churches. The enormous sanctuary echoed with the sounds of their vows repeated back in front of a very small crowd that included the couple’s families. Emily and Wright wanted to keep their ceremony small and the dinner that followed very laid back, so they chose this quaint neighborhood favorite for their families to come together and celebrate their union. Emily’s effortless style showed through in all the details – her simple J Crew dress that fit her like a glove, her JCrew-adorned flower girl (sparkly flats an all!), elegant bouquets complete with the most delicious smelling peonies and the arrangements along the dinner tables using family heirlooms for vases. There was so much love in the room as Emily & Wright tied the knot that is was hard not to be all smiles all day long.

Ceremony Location: Highland Park Methodist Church / Reception Location: City Cafe / Bride’s Dress: JCrew / Flower Girl Dress + Shoes: JCrew / Floral Design: Garden Gate Floral Design / Bride’s Hair: Kirsten Mitchell at Osgood O’Neil Salon / Bride’s Make-up: Lindsay Hartley / Wedding Cake: Romano’s Bakery / Wedding Photography: Anna Routh Photography

Country chic, whimsical and super lovely – this wedding by Jonathan Ivy Photography is the most darling DIY affair. Brides out there, you ladies are constantly amazing me with your craftiness! Case and point – this bride, her family and friends all joined forces to gather all the decor, arrange the flowers and bake the pies (and so much more!). Anyone that can bake a cake that adorable is good in my book! Believe you me, you’ll need to take more than a few minutes to take on all the lovely, so two step on over to the full gallery of images for even more!

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From Jonathan Ivy Photography…This beautiful country chic wedding can actually be described as a DIY wedding.  The bride, Ali, spent months collecting and designing this beautiful event.  Everything from the mason jars, to the china, to the dress she wore down the aisle was created by the bride.  Ali’s gown was sketched and created by her and her designer Classy Concepts in Mansfield, TX.  They drew out the gown and Classy Concepts custom made it for her including the short hem and fixed bow to accommodate her outdoor ceremony.  Ali then spent months along with her mom collecting random pieces of china and mason jars to create her place settings and decor.  The flowers, done by her friend Cameron, are a mix of wildflowers and roses placed on pedestals and jars collected by the bride.  The signs that led her guests throughout the event were built by her dad and painted by Ali.  She had them throughout the ceremony and reception.  All the pies and cakes on her dessert table were baked by her and the ladies in her family.

Ali implemented all her dream elements as well including having a chandelier in the tree above where she was married, having her wedding on the grounds of an old winery, Lone Oak Winery.  After pulling all of the details together she ran then by her coordinator to ensure the practicality behind them, after getting a thumbs up from Rachel with Rachel Events, they tag teamed implementing all her elements. The old car they departed in has a cute background…the groom’s brother was walking through a drug store when he saw the car out the window.  He went out and found the owners there.  He asked them if they would allow his brother and future wife to drive away in their beautiful 54′ Cadillac at the end of their reception and the couple said Yes!  Great ending to this chic setting. Her dream was to bring together a country whimsical wedding and I do believe she accomplished this.

Wedding Photography: Jonathan Ivy Photography / Photo Booth: Jonathan Ivy Photography / Flowers: Friend of the Bride / Event Design + Planning: Rachel Events / Location: Lone Oak Winery / Wedding Invitations: The Bride / Dress: Classy Concepts

This is a wedding to make all Texans proud, especially if you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan, and let’s face it, if you’re in Texas, that’s your team! This is the fairytale wedding of the Cowboy’s backup quarterback and his pretty-as-can-be bride who just so happened to design her own wedding dress. How’s that for talented? There to capture all the details of this elegant day was Spink Studio who put it best when she said that this wedding was the “talk of the town for weeks!” See all the details here in the gallery!

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From Spink Studio…This gorgeous wedding was the wedding of the back-up quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Stephen McGee and his gorgeous bride Brittany Koehl! A lot of this wedding was DIY by the bride and her family. They were married at her home church, First Baptist Church of Midland, Texas. They had about 1,100 people in attendance to see this star-studded wedding! It was so great! Being a lover of fashion, the bride designed her own wedding gown and added lots of other glamorous touches to her wedding! It was a super fun, elegant and huge wedding that had the whole town talking for weeks!

Wedding Photography: Spink Studio / Wedding Gown: Bride’s own design

We like to serve up serious inspiration with a heaping side of style over here at SMP, and this travel-inspired photo shoot brought to us by the Texas talents of Catie Ronquillo Photography, Kate Foley Designs, Southern Fried Paper and Sugar Bee Sweets is just that and then some. The cakes couldn’t be prettier, the bouquet couldn’t be more breathtaking and the travel-inspired stationery couldn’t be more perfect. Heaping serving of style and inspiration – coming right up! Click here for even more!

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From Catie Ronquillo Photography…I love to travel, especially if it involves France! After seeing a travel inspired invitation on Southern Fried Paper’s website, I approached Chelsea about doing a travel inspired shoot. I knew that I wanted some French accents and travel elements, and use the classic airmail stripe colors of red, white, and blue as inspiration. So we merged the two together and created a French Travel Inspiration shoot with a hint of vintage.

For the cakes, Heidi of Sugar Bee Sweets created five coordinating cakes each with its own special element. We displayed the cakes separately, paired with suitcases and cake stands at different heights, to create something different from a traditional tiered cake. For flowers, Kate of Kate Foley Designs created a beautiful bouquet and centerpiece with assorted red flowers and greenery to perfectly complement our color scheme. We used vintage books as part of the centerpieces and used suitcases to accent our design. A few French inspired accessories topped it off.

For the couple’s attire, we thought that the bride would look perfect in a short dress, perfect for a small ceremony or elopement, or for leaving straight away for the honeymoon. She wore the Pins & Needles 3/4 Sleeve dress from Urban Outfitters. The groom wore a seersucker coat from his personal collection with a red striped bow tie – perfect to infuse a bit of Southern into this shoot!

From Southern Fried Paper…Guests received a “wedding passport” save the date tucked inside a hand-lined snap close envelope and a boarding pass wedding invitation with a red airmail envelope. The travel inspired wedding showcased individual menus wrapped around each napkin, airmail escort cards pinned to a vintage map, and kraft travel journal favors accented with custom “Bon Voyage” stickers.

Photography: Catie Ronquillo Photography / Floral Design: Kate Foley Designs / Event Design: Catie Ronquillo Photography + Southern Fried Paper / Wedding Cakes: Sugar Bee Sweets / Stationery: Southern Fried Paper / Makeup: Kay Castro / Location: White Rock Lake, Dallas / Dress: Urban Outfitters

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Indian weddings have got to be so. much. fun. Consider, if you will, this Dallas fusion wedding. Greg Blomberg Photography‘s photos are so full of life, emotion, fun, and color, you almost can hear the music and feel the dancing. It’s amazing! The couple is so adorable together. And, did I mention, the bride has at least three dresses? Any wedding that affords the bride three costume changes is okay in our book! When you’re ready to get your fusion on, check out Greg’s blog for more of this Indian/American couple!

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It’s not often that a couple has two weddings and two receptions. Roxy and her family are of Indian descent and Mark is American. So naturally they had a full blown Indian wedding and reception with all of its traditions and ceremonies and the very next day continued with round two – an American wedding and reception.

Roxy and Mark have been together for over five years and are clearly best friends whose infectious laughter spreads to anyone around them. If you are anywhere near Roxy and Mark, you are guaranteed to have a blast.

Richa Johari and Hala Snyder of Events by Hala did an incredible job coordinating this momentous series of events. Suman Pai of Elegant Affairs designed a full range of amazing decor for both wedding days. She was able to capture the essence of the Indian culture with colorful flower arrangements complimented with extravagant gold details and a mandap (the four column marriage altar)  that was to die for. Not only did she do a beautiful job for the Indian wedding and reception but also for the American wedding and reception, which visually tied together in a subtle manner in keeping with the same color scheme while creating a completely different decorative presentation.

This wedding was as fun as it was gorgeous and visually impressive. Roxy’s Indian heritage was beautifully honored with all of the traditions, customs, attire, and decor. All of the guests loved dressing in traditional Indian outfits and enjoyed the many special events throughout the wedding. We were so honored to photograph this wedding!

Photography: Greg Blomberg Photography / Wedding Coordination: Events by Hala / Event Decor & Floral: Elegant Affairs / Venue: The Fairmont Hotel / DJ: DJ Happy Singh / Hair & Makeup: Mo Bowers of Fairy Godmothers Bridal / Entertainment: Mars Hill Band & Dallas Gigs

I love color. It makes my heart happy, and this Dallas wedding by Ben Q. Photography gave my heart it’s daily dose of color-loving joy. I mean, seriously, how much do you love the seemingly million of lanterns and the orange chairs? How can you not be giddy looking at that fabulousness? I, for one, cannot be, and I have a sneaking suspicion you might have a smile on your face too. Click here for even more!

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From the Bride… When we began planning our wedding, I can honestly say we had no idea what we wanted to do.  I’m not the kind of girl who has had her wedding planned out since she was twelve; in all honesty, I had only the vaguest idea of what direction to head in.  We began brainstorming and scouring websites for ideas, and still we weren’t quite sure in what direction we wanted to head -something more traditional, or something modern and fun.  We discovered Hickory Street Annex and thought it would be an awesome place to have the reception, but we couldn’t decide on whether or not to have a formal church wedding. Without checking a calendar, we made our decision unwittingly -we chose March 12, which is right at the beginning of Lent, and we couldn’t get married in our church.  But it all worked out well, because we had a lot of guests coming in from out of town, and we liked the idea of having the wedding and the reception in one place to minimize travel, etc for our guests.

After that decision was made, things started to fall into place rather quickly.  My sister, who is a wonderful seamstress, offered to make our centerpieces (all hand-sewn), and I began collecting aqua mason jars, hunting them down on Ebay and at flea markets.  Ideas really began to flow when we settled on our invitations.  We chose a design that we found on Etsy that we absolutely adored, because it was FUN, and at the end of the day, we just wanted to throw a good party for our friends and family! The best part was that we were able to use Jamie, the graphic designer, to make our programs as well, so we were able to keep the theme going.  We even ended up asking her to design a guestbook poster for everyone to sign, and it turned out beautifully.  My sister, who was my matron of honor, was so helpful not only in designing the centerpieces, but also in helping me put together our wedding favors.  We own a coffee shop, and we decided to do chocolate-covered espresso beans as favors.  She spent quite a few hours on the Thursday before the wedding packaging them all up and tying 140 ribbons while I stamped the tags and hand wrote thank-yous on each of them.

Our photographers did an amazing job corralling my very large family, and in capturing all of the tiny details that made our wedding special, from our vintage typewriter and radio set, to our exquisite flowers, to the magic of our meeting before the ceremony.  I’m very glad we took a few moments to see and be with each other before the ceremony started, because it certainly was a whirlwind after that.

Our cupcakes were magnificent (pecan pie with salted caramel filling was just ONE of the flavors!) and in general, I can’t say enough about what a great job our vendors did.  April did a magnificentjob with the flowers.  I knew I wanted Gerber daisies, my favorite flower, but I wasn’t sure if they would be elegant enough on their own.  Her idea to add circus roses and dahlias gave just enough class to the bouquets to dress them up, but she maintained the carefree and colorful look that I wanted. All of our vendors (especially our wedding planner) were flexible enough to work with us as our ideas developed, and part of what made all of this so fun was that we were both excited and energetic about bringing ideas to life once they occurred to us. For example – we’re both musicians, and we loved the idea of a very relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, but we weren’t sure how to create it until my fiance (who used to do theater) had the wonderful idea of designing a “set” or backdrop for our altar area. Since we were getting married in a very open-modern-loft space, we wanted to bring some character on board that would help decorate it in a homey way. On the day of the wedding, my fiance and his best man (plus some other wonderful friends) transferred most of our living room – the rug, the chairs, a desk, and some other furniture – out of our house and up the Annex. They hung curtains and completely outdid themselves, transforming the room into a warm, inviting, and familiar space- it really was as though we were getting married in our house with 120 of our closest friends and family present.

Even more wonderful was that we had our brother-in-law (my sister’s husband) as our officiant.  He gave an absolutely lovely homily that incorporated touching stories about watching us grow together as a couple, stories about how I was the matchmaker between him and my sister, and a wonderful interpretation of our favorite Bible verses, as well as the wedding vows from the Book of Common Prayer.   It was one of the sweetest ceremonies I have ever heard, and I am so glad it was ours.

Wedding Photography: Ben Q. Photography / Wedding Planning: Jennifer Ashford of Altar Ego / Hair & Makeup: Tiffany Petry of Paper Dolls Makeup / Flowers: April McNosky of AprilMayJune Designs / Cupcakes: Le Gateau Cakery / Wedding Venue: Hickory Street Annex / Music: Serenata Strings / Wedding Invitations, Programs & Poster: Jamie Konet of JK Design / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Mockingbird Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Jewelry: Dillard’s / Bridesmaid Hair Bands: J.Crew / Bride’s Hair Accessories: Etsy / Groomsmen Attire: Al’s Formal Wear / Groom’s Attire: Nordstrom / Ties: The Tie Bar / Bride’s Shoes: Isotoner

We might be a week past the Kentucky Derby, but this photo shoot captured by Greg Blomberg Photography and designed by Bows and Arrows is just too cute not to share! And I say why not throw a Preakness or Belmont Party instead? Any excuse to host a stylish soriée is a good excuse in my book – mostly when it looks this darn cute. I am particularly in love with the ribbon escort cards handmade by Missing Q Press complete with gorgeous calligraphy by The Left Handed Calligrapher – such a fun touch! As a horse lover and a certified lover of parties, I am having a hay day with this one, and you’ll most definitely want to trot on over to the full gallery for even more!

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From Bows and Arrows…Whether spending a day at the races or a day at the stables, horses evoke a striking natural beauty that impacts the atmosphere, and brings back memories from childhood. We chose to set up a wedding atmosphere in the stables that was casual, rustic, intimate, heartfelt and yet, over-the-top! We broke the barrier vintage rustic chic by using super lush garden flowers, vintage letterpressed paper products, a precious assortment of cakes, fancy intricate hand calligraphy, a couture gown, and quirky luxe gold accents! Every detail was mastered artfully!

The dinner table scape included gold trophy vases packed with blooms in shades of reds and pinks, including garden roses, peony, amaryllis, tulips, anemone, and jasmine. Letterpressed menus were regal, with a pale pink wreath encircling a golden horse and horseshoe. The gold was further enhanced by the gold flatware and gold horse at the place setting. Vintage championship horse prints were used as the table number which paired nicely with the vintage award ribbons accenting the floral arrangements. Place cards were eclectic free standing flags in a mix of papers paired with different calligraphy ink color, making everyone’s place setting unique.

The escort card table held miniature handmade paper award ribbons with the guests’ name and table number scrolled in calligraphy, which were displayed on a lush bed of red carnations.

The cake table was made up of a decadent assortment of single tier cakes embellished with award-winning sugar ribbons, frilly butter cream flowers, and detailed trimming set upon vintage milk glass pedestals surrounding a colossal trophy packed with fresh blooms in the horse arena.  A feast for the eyes, indeed.

Our bride and groom looked equally stunning to the details in couture Carolina Herrera from Carolina Herrera Highland Park Village.  The slim fit and sparkle kept the elegance of derby attire.

Photography: Greg Blomberg Photography / Floral Design: Bows and Arrows / Stationery: Missing Q Press / Desserts: Sugar Bee Sweets / Calligraphy: The Left Handed Calligrapher / Stylist: Cowboys and Indians Styling / Hair: James DeFrange of Pura Vida Salon / Makeup: Carolyn Logan / Location: Rocking M Stables / Wedding Dress: Carolina Herrera via Carolina Herrera Highland Park Village

When your sister is the unstoppable force behind Viva Bella Events, ready to put on a rocking wedding in your honor, consider yourself lucky. We know this Dallas bride (whose sister really is Dora from Viva Bella!) sure did. All her cobalt blue dreams came true on her wedding day. She was able to put together a rockstar team of vendors – including the talented amo-ink and wonderful Kortnee Kate Photography – to travel with her from Ohio to Texas for the big day. Oh yeah, and her groom was there to love, cherish, and dance the sparkly night away with her. Talk about perfect. More about this adorable couple at Viva Bella’s Blog!

More romance and sparkle in the gallery!

It is said everything is bigger and better in Texas and that is certainly how I wanted my Dallas wedding to feel – with lots of cobalt blue and bling! I also wanted my wedding to represent the warmth and welcoming nature of Texas and my family, so I sought to offset the bling with personal, intimate touches throughout.

My inspiration came from the chandeliers in the chapel of Piazza in the Village. I had a brainstorming session with my wedding designer, Dora Manuel of Viva Bella Events and my invitation designer, Amy Owens of Amo-Ink, and we decided the sparkle I sought after for my wedding would best be captured by a “chandelier” theme. The result was glamourous, striking, and original.

We set the tone of the wedding with foiled, stamped invitations. I wanted a modern feel for my reception, so we used various shades and textures of blue and silver for our linens, as well as 4 different types of gorgeous centerpieces.

Lucky for me, my florist, Kim Kenney of Timeless Fiori, is also a planner and designer, so I had her and my sister, Dora, to brainstorm amazing ideas with. Kim helped us with day of coordination, too, so my whole family could enjoy the day.

Again, I wanted our wedding to feel personal and warm so our wedding favors were individually baked 7 inch pans of cinnamon rolls that my grandmother, RoRo, took 3 months to bake. It was the biggest hit of the night. They melted in your mouth!

We brought several of our must-have vendors in from Cincinnati, and I’m so glad we did. The party was hopping and the dance floor full, thanks to the music and mixing of DJ Toad. Kortnee Kate, also from Cincinnati, captured our day perfectly!  We’re so thankful to all of our vendors who helped our wedding vision perfectly come to life!

Venue & Catering: Piazza in the Village / Wedding Planner & Event Designer: Viva Bella Events / Wedding & Floral Design & Day of Coordination: Kim Kenney of Timeless Fiori Floral Design & Timeless Elegance Weddings / Stationery: amo-ink / Photography: Kortnee Kate Photography / Lighting: Beyond / Reception Music: DJ Toad / Favors: RoRo’s Cinna Rolls / Cake: Bonnie Ruth’s Cafe Trottoir et Pastisserie

I just couldn’t resist featuring this fun Cinco de Mayo inspired photo shoot by Greg Blomberg Photography and Bows and Arrows today. All of the fabulous color popping off the page is just making my Cinco de Mayo loving heart happy, and it wouldn’t be right to keep that all to myself.  Complete with mariachi band, pinatas and pennant flags to beat the band it’s the epitome of the perfect party. So pass the guacamole (and perhaps a margarita) and head on over to the full gallery for even more of the fiesta.

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From After Yes… Bows and Arrows was the creative mind behind this fun, Cinco de Mayo wedding shoot by the talented Greg Blomberg. They put together gorgeous, lush arrangements and a bouquet accented with paper flowers. They also created a Frida Kahlo-inspired floral head piece for the bride. We kept the hair and makeup true to the cultural and spirit of Frida as well.

Heidi of Sugar Bee Sweets made a colorful cake dressed with fondant pennant flags and mini cakes to hold place cards. Her cakes are absolutely fabulous in design and taste. The die cut stationery by Southern Fried Paper was perfect for the fiesta theme. We just love how the invitation and table numbers were strung together. The paper flower escort cards tied it all together perfectly.

One of our favorite details are the red chiavari chairs from Ducky Bob’s. The simple pop of red really transforms the table scape into an inviting dinner space.

Finally, no Cinco Mayo party (or wedding) would be complete without mariachis and a pinata!

Photography: Greg Blomberg Photography / Floral & Event Design: Bows and Arrows / Event Coordination: After Yes / Wedding Cake: Sugar Bee Sweets / Hair: Pura Vida Salon / Makeup: Haute Facade / Styling: Cowboys and Indians / Rentals: Ducky Bob’s / Stationery: Southern Fried Paper / Mariachi Band: Mariachi Herradero / Location: Restaurant Bar Monterrey, Dallas, TX

A pair of Vivienne Westwood heels, a yummy croquembouche, funky terrarium centerpieces and two insanely gorgeous dresses?  We may have just found the perfect blend of ingredients for a totally chic, rock n’ roll wedding!  I love the gothic meets fashionista vibe of this Texas affair from Anna Routh Photography.  A dance party at the House of Blues is the only way to cap off this rock star evening.  Check out the full gallery for even more details from this super cool wedding!

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From Anna Routh Photography… Heather is a fashion guru, so when planning her wedding she wanted to focus on a very fashion forward “gothic”-themed event. She chose a beautiful space at the House of Blues Dallas and filled it with towering baby’s breath arrangements and enormous amounts of melted wax. The event, complete with the most beautiful croc en bouche you’ve ever seen and a total outfit change for the bride, was a beautiful night of dancing and a fantastic celebration of Heather and Sam’s love.

Wedding Photography: Anna Routh Photography / Event Planning & Floral: Vera Green Productions / Wedding Ceremony Venue: Oak Lawn United Methodist Church / Wedding Reception Venue: House of Blues / Paper Products (Menus and Programs): Blue Eye Brown Eye / Bride’s Shoes: Vivienne Westwood / Wedding Reception Dress: BCBG / Croc en Bouche: Tart Bakery / Makeup: Brandi Elliott

One detail that we are seeing more and more of these days is COLOR…a bountiful abundance of gorgeous color. And that makes our blogger hearts ever so happy. So you can imagine our excitement when we spied this Dallas wedding photographed by the lovely Kate Osborne. It is packing a mega punch of bright hues all wrapped up in a really beautiful backyard wedding. Plus, this fete scored bonus points on our adorable scale with the bride’s uber stylish bangs and the cutest ballet flats. Yep, this is one heck of a pretty wedding and you can see the whole shebang in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

When Mike asked me to marry him on June 25th, it was no surprise I said yes. Little did mike know, I had already ordered my dress back in April. We were married in the Dallas LDS temple and were lucky to be married by my granddad’s best friend/partner in crime. Our reception was held at the Surrey House, a home in the historic district of downtown McKinney, TX, the town where I was born and raised. It was a very simple celebration- no veil, no wedding cake, no wedding party, no dancing and no bouquet toss. We really wanted our personal touch to be seen in all the details. We decided to do a taco bar and a desert table (inspired by Amy Atlas), which included our favorite salted pear and caramel macaroons from The Little Oven Bakery. We did several diy projects to give the reception a “homegrown” feel. I made and sewed the fabric flower garland while on a road trip. I also made the fabric pom poms, with the help of my lovely sisters. The wood slices on the tables were cut from a tree on our farm. I started collecting vintage milk glass and old glass bottles for the flowers. Mike and I planted all the succulents, and the rest of the flowers were done by a close family friend, Sami Hansen. She did a fabulous job! My jaw dropped when I saw my bouquet. When I ask Mike what his favorite part of our wedding was he can never give me just one answer, he starts rambling about practically every detail. It was truly the happiest day of our lives!

Photography: Kate Osborne / Flowers: Sami Hansen /  Ceremony Location: Dallas LDS temple  / Reception Location: The Surrey House / Invitations: Dapper Paper / Dress: Elizabeth Dye / Hair piece: Lo Boheme

I will probably never get enough of these dreamy, romantic weddings with their soft, pastel palettes and sweet, vintage-inspired details.  This Texas celebration designed by Blue Lotus and photographed by Sarah Kate may rank up there at the top of that list.  They had me swooning at the giant tillandsia in a bell jar all the way to the mossy ampersand!  Click here for more steal-worthy ideas in the full gallery!

Click here for more romantic inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Kallie and Dustin were married in an outdoor ceremony alongside the rustic lake house style venue, named Winfrey Point.  Guests gathered under the trees to watch the union take place before their eyes.  Electric lanterns, fastened by rope to the branches, were suspended above the bride and groom’s head.  And, just beyond the trees was a picturesque lake view of White Rock Lake.

After the ceremony, guests made their way inside Winfrey Point.  As they strolled towards the reception, there was a quick stop to be made in the sunroom.  This is where they were to find their table number among escort cards strung by twine along the wall.  Once inside the main room, you were transported into another era.   The invitations, menu cards, and floral print teacups with planted succulents that held the table numbers were reminiscent of The Great Gatsby.  The room’s décor was eclectic vintage and artistically distinctive throughout.

Requested by the groom, each table consisted of birch wood stumps mixed with the floral design.  Burlap linens topped the round guest tables placed along the edges of the room.  In the middle of the reception were three oversized rustic wood tables, with delicate lace runners and a mixture of floral and décor that filled the table.  Gold metal chandeliers hung low from the beams in the reception, which highlighted other gold accents in the room.  This includes the gold details in the chivari chairs and the hand stamped brown bags for the candy table.

The cake table was lined with a thin mossy layer.  Among the moss were various pies and candy dishes filled with the bride and grooms’ favorite sweet treats.  The cake rested on top of a thick birch stump.  The venue’s fireplace was filled with driftwood and candlelight that added to the dreamy feel of the night.  As the jazz band played, it gave a classic touch to the ambience of the crowd.  The evening concluded with a lively final dance after which the bride and groom exited through a canopy of sparklers.

Wedding Design + Florals: Blue Lotus / Wedding Photography: Sarah Kate / Wedding Venue: Winfrey Point / Catering: Two Sisters Catering / Cake: Romano’s Bakery / Entertainment: Tetra Jazz / Rentals: Posh Couture Rentals / Linens: BBJ Linen / Wedding Makeup: Anita Haar from Elan Beauty / Bride’s Dress: WToo by Waters / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Dessy Group / Invitations and Table Numbers: Brittnye Rutherford Designs

Wednesdays are fast becoming an SMP favorite because this is the day we get to debut a whole lot of weddings every single hour and you, the fabulous readers, get to pick and choose which weddings you want to see more of. Just click on the gallery link and voila, wedding heaven in a variety of styles at your fingertips. We have 9 drool-inducing  weddings on the way so lets get to the festivities, shall we?

As a self-proclaimed design geek, I’ve always loved the pairing of contrasts. It makes for such interesting spaces and that is exactly why I love our first wedding. It is a gorgeous melding of urban loft meets vintage pretty from event and floral designer, Becca of A Stylish Soiree. And we seriously can’t get enough of the ribbon wall and succulent centerpieces. Remember, this is just a snippet of the awesome wedding day. To see all of the pretty photographs by Evan Vanderwall, click on the gallery.

see more of the pretty here!

A note from Meagan, the Bride:

The second we got engaged, I was on the hunt for the perfect venue. Jason wanted industrial and cool and I wanted unique and pretty. We really hit the jackpot when we found the Hickory Street Annex and everything fell into place after that. It was very important to us to have a hand in the overall design of the wedding. My (now) husband, Jason was very much a source of inspiration to me. He is very creative and had a definite idea of what he wanted the day to feel like. I felt very lucky to have his input. I credit my mom for keeping me sane during the 9 months leading up to the big day, and Jason’s mom helped me to sew the Eat, Drink and Be Married banner and also designed and made the programs using vintage hankies. Becca w/ A Stylish Soiree was amazing. She understood exactly what I wanted and made it happen. I am so lucky to have been able to pick her brain! Our photographer Evan really captured how fun and special the day was, and we are thrilled with the photos! The most special moment of the night was when Jason and I were pronounced husband and wife and we walked down the aisle with my son, Roman. It really was the start of our life together as a new family and I think we could all feel it. Those pictures are some of my favorites. Roman also killed it on the dance floor all night long, and the funny thing is, we had no idea he had even the slightest interest in dancing!

Everything was just how I imagined it would be and I can honestly say the day went off without a hitch. Thanks to our wonderful family and friends and our awesome vendors, we had the most amazing time and wouldn’t change a thing!

Photographer: Evan Vanderwall / Ceremony & Reception: Hickory Street Annex / Floral and Décor: A Stylish Soiree / Cakes: Elegant Cakery / Caterer: Gil’s Elegant Catering / DJ: Tim Howard with Groovy Sound Productions / String Quartet: Four Strings / Dress: Lulu’s Bridal Boutique – Watters / Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal / Flip Book: Pic Flips