With Valentine’s day just around the corner, we’re getting a little giddy here at SMP.  An entire day devoted to LOVE?!?  Yep, you guessed it… we adore every little thing about February 14th.  Which is why we’ve decided to dedicate our very last post of this oh-so-fabulous week to Cupid’s Special Day, complete with beyond gorgeous inspiration and fun links from around the web… so, whether you are planning on a night out on the town, staying in with your honey or getting your craft on for the ones you love, we’ve totally got you covered.  So, grab that glass of wine (and that box of chocolates!) and join us for a Friday night of sweet, sweet Valentine’s Day inspiration! xoxo

1. Monique Lhuillier Resort Collection Dress 
2. Geronimo Balloon Troopers
3. ban.do sequin heart
4. Shanna Murray decal
5. Kate Spade Lipstick
6. Heart Paper Straws
7. Madewell Dress
8. Rifle Paper Co. I love you Card

Some Fabulous Valentine’s Day Links from Around the Web…

Recipes
sweet milk heart cubes via A Subtle Revelry
yummy red velvet hot chocolate via A Beautiful Mess
fabulous conversation heart cookies via Martha Stewart

DIY

fun downloadable VDay scratch off cards via Better Homes & Gardens
fabulous DIY Favor Bags via Camille Styles
cute downloadable sweets bags via Twig & Thistle
lovely Je t’ aime’ coffee cup wrappers via Eat Drink Chic

Paper Goods

fabulous Oh Sizzle! Valentine via Christine Wisnieski
fun Valentines fruit Stickers via Twig & Thistle
lovely heart art via Just A Few Prints
sweet Valentine’s card via Oh My Deer Handmades
amazing custom Valentines via Betsy Dunlap
the sweetest love letter via Paperfinger
a V-Day Mr. Boddington’s Way via Mr. Boddington

Decorations

gorgeous valentines wreath via The Glitter Guide
adorable heart place cards via {frolic!}
fabulous glitter banner via BHLDN
colorful paper Twine via BHLDN
fun streamers via Martha Stewart

Pink and Red infused affairs

a beyond gorgeous Napa Valley soiree
a sweet Valentine’s Day wedding
a cute as can be baby shower
a breathtaking Carmel Valley affair
a stunning Napa Valley soiree
a pretty Calistoga affair
fabulous pink wedding inspiration
from inspiration to wedding

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

Amelia Lyon Photography
Makeup & Hair by Hanna C.
Sisters Vintage Party
Hudson River Photographer
Hana & Posy
Jules Bianchi Photographers
Paper & Poste
Page Sargisson
Michelle Garibay Events
Cherry Tree Films
All Things Girlie Hair & Makeup Artistry
Kathleen Deery Design
Josh Gruetzmacher Photography
The Cake Zone
Christopher Confero Design
THE LITTLE BRANCH

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

And last, but definitely not least… we have some winners to announce!

The five winners of the the popular knottedrush rings from Bario-Neal (in either silver or 10k gold) are Liesa, Barbara, Mary, Ashley Marie and Courtney!  Congratulations!

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

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Yaab

Another week has come and gone, and we’re so close to the weekend we can almost touch it. We’re hoping there are oodles of Winter weddings flooding our inbox after this first wedding weekend in February. Of course, we couldn’t bid you farewell before giving you a little preview to get you excited to be back here nice and early Monday. We’ll be showing off the rest of this gorgeous Texas wedding from Forever Photography, so make sure to pop in with your morning coffee! Until then, LBBers. xoxo

Photography by Forever Photography, Floral Design by The Flower Studio.

The week of pretty all wrapped up fancy:

a Texas highlight film to put a smile on anyones face
a gorgeous fall affair in the quaint town of Nantucket
a midday appetite boost in the form of this vendor spotlight
a Philadelphia ballroom soiree, fit for royalty
an eclectically beautiful New York wedding with pops of pink
a perfectly Sonoma féte with the most adorable couple
a Colorado ranch wedding with a to die for floral design
an Army couple tying the knot on this beautiful Delaware day
a Wisconsin soiree with the most perfect inspiration
a capital GORGEOUS southern affair in Charleston

Some of our favorite links from around the web:

an ephemera collage card DIY perfect for Valentines day (it’s coming!) via Design*Sponge
a stunning DIY earring tutorial you really have to see via Ruffles & Stuff
a soft & gorg Florida beach wedding via Grey Likes Weddings

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Post tags: Austin, Bouquets, DIY Projects, Flowers, Forever Photography, Purple, Texas, The Flower Studio, Wedding Inspiration, Weekly Wrap-Up, Wrap it up Pretty
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

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Yaab

After taking a little bit of time off to refuel my wedding fire, I am back with a few major projects checked off my list!

A long time ago I decided I would buy canvas tote bags from cheaptotes.com (99 cents each!) to use for out of town bags. They cost about the same as typical gift bags that I have seen used, but are reusable which I really appreciate. I bought about 50 bags a few months ago, and have had them sitting in my living room since then, waiting to be made special. The problem was I couldn’t decide what to put on them.

My original thoughts were to put a design that did not overwhelmingly scream Mr and Mrs Elks wedding, so guests could potentially reuse them if they wanted without our names and wedding date screaming at the world. Since I love bows, that was the first idea that really suck with me, and I found this adorable tote as inspiration:

Lauren Moshi Taylor Bow Canvas Tote

If anyone needs to get me a gift for any reason, this $88 bag would do the trick. Adorable! Unfortunately, my skills at designing bows aren’t great, and the best clip art bow I could find just wasn’t cutting it—so I moved on to my next amazing idea—llama llove.

Llama clipart via Arthur’s Silhouette Clip art

Do you get it? Llama is spelled with 2 ls! Love is now spelled with 2 ls?! I know it has nothing to do with us or our wedding, but I thought it was kind of hilarious! Nobody around me got it, though. My mom thought it was dumb. Mr Elk didn’t understand what I was thinking. And so, my llamas were nixed.

Finally, I had a genius rush of inspiration! The mascot of our college is a bee. It used to be a cute fuzzy bee until he was deemed “too cuddly” and retired for a more menacing looking wasp. But I loved that cute little bee! I found a picture of him (his name is not so creatively URbee for University of Rochester bee) and got to work.

via the University of Rochester (now officially retired)

I found a cute little bow and arrow silhouette from clip art and made it look like URbee was holding on to it. At first, he looked like a bee archer. I quickly added two little hearts, and easy as 1 2 3 he was cupid URbee!

Next, I printed him out and created a screen for my Gocco printing press (which I’ve been looking to use in another project for a while now). I had bought black ink that was supposedly fabric friendly a while ago, and so this was the perfect use.

Finally, I ironed the print once it had dried completely to heat set it. And amazingly, they came out great! Here is the finished product:

And with that, I’m back in the game! Did you incorporate how you met into any parts of your wedding?

By Miss Elk
Yaab

Just going to break a few things down. Here we are, a West Coast same-sex couple getting hitched in the Midwest. We were a bit worried about how people would react to our relationship and the concept of our marriage in the Heartland.

We fully appreciate that not everyone is in love with the idea of same-sex marriage, and honestly that is fine because everyone is entitled to their beliefs. But we do care that every vendor involved in our wedding is open to the concept, and we hope our guests are down for it, too.

So we tested the waters: we started telling friends and family. The shocking part—when we told people on the West Coast the response often was “But that isn’t legal, right? So you aren’t really getting married.” The Midwest response: “That is awesome. It is going to be a great party, We love you guys!” It wasn’t an across-the-board response on the West Coast, but it was in the Midwest. We absopositively did not foresee that difference.

We really are getting married, in our eyes and in the State of Iowa’s eyes (and maybe Washington’s if legislation is passed)…but we will have to wait for another day for California and Missouri to support our marriage. But we are going to have a marriage; we are going to work toward our commitment day in and day out. We are going to push each other to be better people, and when things are scary we are going to hold on tight. We are going to support our loved ones, they are going to support us…and just maybe if we are lucky we will have a family of our own. Married people do those things. (Unmarried people do them, too.) But we are going to have a marriage.

After testing the waters with acquaintances, family, and friends, we branched out to vendors via email. (I didn’t want to hear the rejection immediately over the phone or in person.) Our emails were all pretty similar to this one. And guess what? NOT ONE single vendor said “Well, you aren’t really getting married,” or “I don’t believe in that.” By and large the people we met with genuinely support same-sex marriage and are open to the idea of participating in one.

Now it’s true we really researched vendors and had some standards that I mentioned earlier. I do think those standards helped us find vendors that were open and interested in working with us. There was only one vendor we met with who couldn’t look us in the eye, and we still aren’t sure if it was because he just can’t look people in the eye or if he was uncomfortable with the idea of working with lesbians. It may be funny that looking people in the eye is important, but growing up, when my dad really wanted to get through to us, he always said, “Look me in the eye.” I kind of think there is something to it…

So after all of our worry about how people in the Midwest would react, the reality was they welcomed us with open arms. Our experience on the West Coast has been a little different…

By Miss Scone
Yaab

You might have noticed that throughout my wedding planning, there has been one (pretty huge, if I do say so myself) thing missing:

We are not going on a honeymoon. Not now, anyway.

For some reason, this doesn’t bother me at all, and I am still super excited about our day. So why no tropical sun? There are a couple reasons, but this is the main one:

Image via Sign A Rama

Our wedding date just happens to be smack dab in the middle of me starting my new career. Like a week after. I’ll graduate in May with my sixth year degree and start working at a school in September. We didn’t plan it this way, and ideally we wanted an August wedding, but once we decided on a venue, we were a little disappointed to hear that there were only two weekend days (the venue only books one event a day) available: one in June, and one in September.

Image via Buffalo Brides

As nice as it would be to get married at the end of June, I would just then be finishing up my internship year, and at the time we were choosing a date I had no idea when I would be done. Hurricane Irene had already added days to the end of the year, and I couldn’t handle not knowing the date I’d get out. Not to mention the thought of rushing around planning a wedding when getting ready to finish up the internship was overwhelming.

So, we can’t honeymoon right away. We plan to go probably in the week between Christmas and New Year’s next year, when I can get vacation. We’re both excited but not bothered! We plan to stay at a nice hotel the night of our wedding to ensure it’s extra special. And then we’ll have a honeymoon to go on for Christmas!! I feel bad for Mr. Woodpecker—poor guy has to go through all of this wedding craziness and then doesn’t get to go on vacation because of me!

Anyone else have an alternate honeymoon plan? Anyone else accidentally plan their wedding in the middle of starting a new career?

By Miss Woodpecker
Yaab

Check out these great projects hive members have uploaded to Weddingbee’s DIY section! Click on the title of each project for tutorials.

If your project is featured in DIY Friday, you’re eligible for a special Weddingbee badge for your blog or website! See instructions on how to grab the badge here!

DIY Pink Cake Table by littleprettyliz

Strawberry Jam Favors and Place Cards by ms.coffeebean

Chalkboard Sticker Mason Jars by crystalirene

Printed Totes by Hurley_gurly9

Mason Jar Escort Cards by ijustrockout

~~~

For more great DIY projects, be sure to visit the Weddingbee DIY section, conveniently organized by type of project. Submit your own, complete with tutorial, and you may see it featured here on the blog! If you’ve seen any great DIY around the hive and think it should be featured, feel free to email us at cathy at weddingbee dot com!

By DIY
Yaab

Dear Breathtaking Temecula Wedding… you are hands down one of the prettiest little gems I’ve ever laid eyes on. All it took was one brief look, one itty bitty little glance at all that pastel-infused gorgeousness and I was a total goner. The only bad thing about this wedding is trying to decide what to pin first. On my “to pin” list: the wildly romantic Monique Lhuilier dress, the row of perfectly unmatched bridesmaids, the ribbon table runners…actually EVERYTHING. And we have Erin Hearts Court to thank for supplying us with all this Friday beauty. Get your pinning fingers ready and check out the FULL wedding in the gallery.

Gorgeous, right? And it gets even better after a viewing of this lovely film by Le Reve Productions…

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Will and I decided to have an intimate Catholic ceremony for immediate family two days before our outdoor ceremony and reception. At first, I was a little anxious and overwhelmed at the idea of two weddings, but in the end the first ceremony was truly beautiful and took a lot of pressure off the big wedding day that I put so much time and energy into planning. Even though most of our guests didn’t know it, Will and I were already legally married at our big wedding, which made me feel a lot more relaxed!

As far as the planning process went, I knew I wanted our wedding to be soft, whimsical, light, and airy from the very beginning.  I had the idea of a beautiful, fantastical tea party set in the middle of a forest and with the help of our amazing planner, Ryan, and our friends and family, the idea grew and changed into something more perfect than I could have ever imagined. Our ceremony location had this breathtaking view of vineyards and mountains, so we really let the backdrop do the talking and kept the space natural and fairly clean for the ceremony and vows. We were able to have a lot of fun with our reception area, however, using the bell tower for our grand entrance and creating an intimate space for dinner, cocktails, and dancing with a long grand table, vintage furniture, floating fabric lanterns, and twinkling lights.

I was really into the little touches that made our day different. My sister Gina created our beautiful ribbon table runner for our head table. We had the idea of making vintage dance cards for our escort cards and included rustic mini pencils so our guests could fill them out throughout the evening. Our amazing graphic designer worked with us to craft some fun vintage Valentine-themed cards that sat at each place setting that either had “five things his family should know about her” or vice-versa. I really enjoyed collecting the mismatched vases, teapots, cups, and containers that we used for our floral arrangements, and one of my favorite touches was the collection of vintage thimbles I acquired over the year that we let our guests take home as kisses for the day (inspired by my favorite Peter Pan quote). As we got closer and closer to the wedding, people kept reminding me that things would go wrong and I should be prepared. And I was completely prepared. But to be totally honest, I was just so thrilled the entire day and could not have been happier. I married my best friend and had the time of my life. The speeches, the dress, the weather, the man … to me, it was all perfect. Right out of a fairytale.  

Wedding Photography: Erin Hearts Court / Videography: Le Reve Productions / Wedding Venue: South Coast Winery in Temecula, California / Wedding Coordination + Design: Savoir Flair Weddings / Flowers: Fiore Design / Cake + Desserts: Cakes to Celebrate / Vintage Furniture: Archive Vintage Rentals / Classic Furniture + Linen Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Ceremony Music: Jory Schulman / DJ: Red Shoe LA / Wedding Dress + Reception Sash: Monique Lhuillier / Gold Shoes: Jean-Michel Cazabat / Hair + Makeup: The Studio Agency / Wedding Paper Products: Kristen Gara / Wedding Invitations: SmallPrinter / Cookies: Magnolia Bakery / Officiant: Rev. Bruce Greene

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Post tags: Archive Vintage Rentals, Cakes to Celebrate, California, Classic Party Rentals, Erin Heart’s Court, Fiore Design, Jean-Michel Cazabat, Jory Schulman, Kristen Gara, Lavender, Le Reve Productions, Magnolia Bakery, Monique Lhuillier, Pale Blue, Pink, Red Shoe LA, Rev. Bruce Greene, Savoir Flair Weddings, SmallPrinter, South Coast Winery, Temecula, The Studio Agency
Post categories: The Blog, Vintage Chic

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Yaab

Classic meets Anthropologie in this Charleston wedding and we’re dying over here. Katherine Miller events & this gorgeous couple achieved the perfect mix of chic and eclectic and the resulting day was perfect. Captured brilliantly by Charlotte Elizabeth Photography, the affair is filled with swoon worthy deets. Remember to pop over to the gallery to swoon over and over again!

I told Ken he would never be able to surprise me… with anything. I always figure things out! This declaration put his mind to work on a proposal that I will never forget.

As resident physicians at the Medical University of South Carolina, we do not get much time off. And on one average Friday afternoon, I was begrudgingly preparing OR 3 for an add-on emergency case – or so I thought. Ken popped into my room and I grumbled about the day. When I stopped to look at him, I noticed a worried but excited look on his face. His hands were shaking. Both are very unlike my usually calm and serious surgeon!

That’s when Ken grabbed my hands, said the sweetest words, and got down on one knee. As he pulled a blue velvet box from his scrub pocket, my eyes welled with tears. The next thing I knew, I had the most gorgeous ring on my finger. We exited the operating room to hear a hallway full of colleagues cheering and clapping for us. Surprise! There was no add-on case, and so we left the hospital to celebrate the beginning of our beautiful engagement.

Being originally from Alabama, I knew that I needed an expert to navigate the Charleston wedding scene. Katherine Miller Events was just that company. Immediately upon meeting with Katherine I knew that I had found someone super-reliable – with great taste – who I could completely count on to put together the romantic, stylish and Anthropologie-esque wedding celebration that I had in mind. Together, Katherine, Ken and I chose Bethel Methodist Church for the ceremony and the Historic Rice Mill building for our reception venue. Located waterfront on the Ashley River, we knew the spectacular sailboat and sunset views were the perfect backdrop for our Lowcountry wedding.

Having a fabulous photographer was high on my list of priorities, so Katherine introduced me to Charlotte Zacharkiw of Charlotte Elizabeth Photography almost immediately. Her personality jived with my own and her portfolio made me swoon. From our fun and intimate downtown Charleston engagement session to our colorful getaway photos in a classic Charleston Black Cab, Charlotte made every shot unique.

And while Ken and I wanted our unique personalities to show, I also wanted to incorporate one very important tradition: my grandmother’s wedding dress, worn again by my mother and aunt on their wedding days. The team at White on Daniel Island carefully applied the lace from this vintage dress onto my veil, sewing each stitch by hand. It complemented my all-lace gown perfectly! White was the first and only store that I visited as owner Jodi Moylan presented me with “the one” soon after I walked in. To complete my vintage ensemble, Ken purchased a gorgeous antique pearl and rhinestone bracelet from Out of Hand for my wedding gift.

We decided not to see each other before the ceremony, and I’m so glad we did. Instead, I had the pleasure of reading a hand-written note expressing his happiness for the day ahead. Then my bridesmaids surprised me! They coordinated a traditional horse-drawn carriage ride for our transportation to the church. It was such a great touch and special moment to ride through historic downtown Charleston with my favorite girls.

One of my favorite memories of our wedding was the moment I saw my bouquet. Whitney Randall of Branch Design Studio used soft pink and white ranunculus, dusty miller, copper beech leaves, café au lait dahlias, lisianthus, and scabiosa pods to create a masterpiece. Throughout the day, I was absolutely blown away by the beauty and complexity of the arrangements, bouquets, and especially the copper-charmed boutonnieres.

Our flowers were set on ivory, rose and gold colored linens at the Rice Mill. At my request, Katherine incorporated ivory lace in as many places as possible – including the cake table. Our red velvet and cream cheese wedding cake was designed and made by Ken’s close family friend, and needless to say it was devoured promptly after our champagne toast! Pastel-colored French macaroons were also a hit with our guests. I fell in love with The Macaroon Boutique during the engagement and couldn’t wait to set out a variety for my friends and family to try!

I must say that I was most excited to see the whimsical, hand-painted chandeliers Katherine and Whitney made and displayed on the tall oak trees outside the Rice Mill’s entrance. Our multicolored confetti send-off combined with the soft lighting of these chandeliers to create a beautiful final scene. Ken and I were in the clouds over our day, and we still can’t think of one single thing we would have changed! We wanted our guests to leave happy and full of great memories, and I think we achieved just that.

Event Design & Planning: Katherine Miller events / Photography: Charlotte Elizabeth Photographer / Flowers: Branch Design Studio / Boutonniere Tags: Etsy / Ceremony Location: Bethel Methodist Church / Reception Location: The Historic Rice Mill / Caterer: Good Food Catering / Dress: White / Veil: Family heirloom / Cake: Family friend / Macarons: Macaroon Boutique / Band: New South Players

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Post tags: Anthropologie, Bethel Methodist Church, Branch Design Studio, Charleston, Charlotte Elizabeth Photographer, Confetti, Copper, EastCoast Entertainment, Etsy, Flower Girs, Good Food Catering, Katherine Miller events, Lace Gown, Macaron Boutique, macarons, Neutral Color Palette, New South Players, Pastels, Roses, South Carolina, The Historic Rice Mill, Traditional Elegance, Vintage, Vintage Lace, Wedding Planners & Designers, White
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

By

Yaab

Vibrant doesn’t even begin to describe this cultural beauty crafted by Events of Love and Splendor and captured by The Image is Found! Oh no, this fête would need a completely new adjective for all of us to fully grasp the lovely that is this behind the take.your.breath.away details and florals whipped up by R. Jack Balthazar. And I haven’t even mentioned the masterpiece by the cake queens at the Sweet and Saucy Shop - it’s pin-worthy perfection. The entire affair is completely stop and gawk gorgeous. So stop and gawk I shall, maybe for an embarrassing amount of time, because a wedding this new adjective worthy doesn’t come around every day. See it all here!

And because I might just be the biggest fan of  Elysium Productions in the entire world (this is no exaggeration), I would be remiss to not share yet another one of their wedding cinematography masterpieces…hold onto your hats folks, this one is breathtaking…

Click here for the FULL Wedding!

From Angel of Events of Love and Splendor… Vipula and Dan envisioned a quintessential Indian wedding, embellished in vibrant hues and dripping with luxurious exotic details. With a large guest count and the blank slate of Saddlerock Ranch’s Oak Grove, we embarked on creating three unique settings for their day of celebration. Their wedding was held under a custom-created mandap by the floral and event designers of R. Jack Balthazar. The wooden structure was draped with floral garlands and hanging lanterns for a lavish look. Cocktail hour was held on a nearby lawn, featuring a bar staffed by professional mixologists offering signature cocktails with exotic ingredients such as earl grey-infused vodka, thyme, tamarind syrup and mango puree. Upholstered lounge furniture and embroidered pillows made for a luxe yet warm setting for imbibing. I especially enjoyed working on the escort card table design that played on Vipula’s love of elephants. Escort cards were cut using a custom-made elephant-shaped die, and then nestled in shallow bowls of fragrant and colorful spices. The entire table was covered with elephant figures and statues to further play on the theme.

Dinner and the reception were held in a grand “village” of tents. Instead of a single tent structure, we utilized “destination” tents for dining, a custom-built bar, and a dessert and chai lounge. Sumptuous fabrics, abundant florals and plush furniture made for a spectacular setting that was decidedly extravagant while also intimate and warm. Per usual, my dear friends at R. Jack Balthazar pulled out all the stops for this wedding and did not overlook a single detail in setting each opulent table. The overall setting was nothing short of spectacular. It was pure magic to watch Vipula and Dan’s guests, many adorned in splendid saris, mingling in the lavish scene. 

Wedding Photography: The Image is Found / Wedding Planning + Design: Events of Love and Splendor / Floral + Event Design: R. Jack Balthazar / Weddng Venue: Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California / Wedding Stationery + Printed Materials: Kristin of Events of Love and Splendor / Wedding Cinematography: Elysium Productions / Catering: Chakra Beverly Hills + Huntington Catering / Mixologists: The Cocktail Consultant / DJ: Anthony of Red Shoe LA / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Sweet and Saucy Shop / Photobooth: Smilebooth / Entertainment: Bollywood Step Dance / Security: Sandman Security / Valet Parking: Premiere Valet

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Post tags: Bollywood Step Dance, California, Chakra Beverly Hills, Classic Party Rentals, Colorful, Elysium Productions, Events of Love and Splendor, Huntington Catering, Indian Wedding, La Tavola, Malibu, Premiere Valet, R. Jack Balthazar, Red Shoe LA, Saddleback Ranch, Sandman Security, Smilebooth, Sweet and Saucy Shop, The Image is Found
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, The Blog

By

Yaab

It’s the first Friday of the month and that means that it is my favorite day here at SMP California.  That’s because today’s the day we let Valley & Co. take the reins and bring their never-ending knowledge of all things weddings to our pages.  Aleah and Nick can help you out whether you have just started planning or are in the thick of things so make sure you leave a comment below with your event planning questions!

Valley + Co. picked three of your questions from last month’s post and here are their wonderful words of wisdom! Don’t forget to leave your question in the comments below!

The question that keeps coming back for me and my fiancé is; what kind of theme or feeling do we really want on our wedding day? We are torn between formal and in a downtown hotel like the Fairmont or something that’s outdoors and open and more relaxed. How do you recommend deciding and even dressing up an outdoor wedding to make it more formalized without looking out of place?

Ah. Possibly the most popular question we get from our couples! The feeling, or experience, you want to emit on your wedding day is the key to how the guests will feel, the memories you’ll keep, and the photos you’ll look back on. Every detail will go into this beautifully painted picture: from the venue to your cocktail selection, your place setting adornments, to your color story and your attire. 

While a downtown hotel location can certainly set the tone for a more formal soiree, you could also dress it down a bit to combat any stuffiness. Think about bringing in upbeat, unexpected entertainment or breezier linens and casual place settings mixed with gorgeous beaded glassware and lush centerpieces. My mixing and matching you could certainly dress down a formal location to be comfortable and you. 

Now dressing up a more casual locale is one of our more favorite challenges. We’re so lucky to design in various Southern California desert and beach settings, Washington wineries and oceanfront beaches, as well as gorgeous tropical destination locales. Consider an outdoor location a blank canvas. There will be no walls to drape or light, no carpet to cover or work with, and only natural features that you can run with. 

When finding the perfect outdoor location be sure that the setting suits you. Do you both enjoy the mountains or the beach? Perhaps a lakeside wedding or an oceanfront bash tickles your wedding fancy. Once you’ve both gelled on that atmosphere designing elements that flow well and compliment the outdoors, while being more formal, will fall into place. {We should note: with any outdoor location please, please be sure that there is an indoor back-up plan should there be inclement weather}. 

Formalizing such a location can best be done with finishing touches. Anchor your tables with sweet and airy cotton or hemp linens and top with a deluxe aisle runner in lace or with beaded accents and crystal votive holders. 

Mark place settings with specialty chairs {gold chivaris, ghost chairs, or stark white architectural-inspired chairs will have the perfect touch} and deck out each setting with patterned napkins or napkin rings in metallic tones. Slip in sprigs of rosemary or an herb that compliments your menu and finish with a menu hand-calligraphed for each guest. Formalize the place settings by setting each one properly – with all of the accoutrements like water goblets, champagne flutes, and red and white wine glasses and cutlery. Mark with a decorative charger and you definitely set a formal tone. 

Think about literally jazzing things up with a jazz trio or a band to play for your guests during dinner. Bring in a checked black-and-white floor for a nod to a vintage era but also keep it light with an ice cream cart or gelato station. It’s all about complimenting formal accents with simpler, casual flourishes when using Mother Nature’s setting.

Our wedding is at a family friend’s private ranch. We plan on hiring shuttle buses to pick guests up at the hotels (2 to be exact) to bring them to the ranch. How do I begin scheduling the bus stops before the ceremony and during/at the end of the reception? Our ceremony will start at 530, cocktail hour 630-730, reception 730-1030/11. Help?!?

Plotting out transportation timelines for your wedding is almost like a science. You must consider that some guests will be late, making the shuttle wait, some guests will be early, and some guests will want to come and go post-reception at different times. Not to mention, you need to know about road closures and account for traffic and drive time. The key is to making sure that no guest is left behind and that the shuttles arrive at your ceremony well in advance.

Will both of the shuttles fit all of your guests in one trip?

If so, we’d recommend having the shuttles deliver your guests to your ceremony at 5:00 pm. This will give ample time for them to unload the shuttles, sign a guest book, mingle, and then find their seats before the processional begins. We would definitely recommend welcoming them with some sort of seasonal drink. Think: lemonade with a rosemary sprig, a flute of sparkling water with blueberries, or bottled water and fresh fruit to nibble on.

If both of the shuttles will not hold all of your guests, then you will need to stagger. Have one start pickup at one of the hotels at about 4:30 – and see if you can arrange for this shuttle to carry immediate family and maybe snap photos with them prior to the ceremony to both save time and to also ensure they’re not waiting around for too long. While that shuttle is out you can have the second pick up shortly thereafter. The point is you want to have two en route at the same time so there’s a nice flow.

You can likely get away with sending the shuttles off for a couple of hours during dinner {check with them: some will cut you a break if they’re not driving, but some companies might still charge you for this time if they have minimums}. As older guests might want to retire after dinner or your first dance, make sure that one is on site at all times when the other is in motion. 

Utilizing both of the shuttles throughout the evening will keep the flow of the wedding smooth, down to when the last guest is dropped off at their hotel for the night.

We found out we are pregnant, so we’re looking to speed up the process a bit faster than we had originally intended. As of now we have the idea of renting a villa in Sonoma County that family can also stay at, have a small family ceremony on Friday with either a catered dinner or dinner out. Our thought is to then have a Cocktail Reception for close our friends/family (84) on Saturday. We’re looking at May/June, would it be better to have an afternoon party? Would a photographer split time between Friday and Saturday?

Well, congratulations! What exciting news! Planning a more intimate ceremony and celebration can be a sweet nod to your families and the perfect way to really enjoy a very special time with your nearest and dearest, no matter what your pressing situation. But given that you want to speed up the process keeping things smaller sounds like the perfect fit. Try thinking of your wedding celebration as a weekend-long celebration and time it out accordingly so that you have ample time to celebrate with everyone you’re inviting, just in different settings. 

A Friday ceremony and intimate dinner either at your villa or at a Sonoma winery or local restaurant would be dreamy: think of it as a true family experience and plan out a lingering family-style menu so you and your guests that evening can really enjoy each other’s company in such an intimate setting. Treat your guests to a thoughtful menu with local seasonal fare and deliciously paired wines {sorry, we know you can’t enjoy!}. Make this night about love and family and celebration of you and your fiancé on this new adventure.

For Saturday’s fête begin a bit later if you’re envisioning a cocktail reception. Be sure that your guests are aware dinner is not to be expected. Treat them to an equally lovely celebration, but change things up with stations for food: California cuisine, fresh grilled veggie displays, a wine tasting, and sweets treats would be perfect to keep everyone satisfied. Beginning at 7:30 pm would allow for your guests to eat prior and come knowing they’ll be noshing on small bites through the evening. A live musician like a mandolin player or guitarist would be an elegant touch to the night. 

You could also schedule Saturday’s event to take place in the afternoon but we would recommend doing something a lighter and going easier on the cocktails. You could host a luncheon that’s relaxed and have a caterer serve up dressed up gourmet sandwiches {think a French bistro feeling} and fresh salads and carving stations. The key here will be to think about what you want to occur: do you envision dancing and celebrating into the evening? If so, we’d say set the tone by planning plan an evening cocktail celebration that will encourage guests to stay and enjoy.

In terms of a photographer, most will likely not split their time between two days as you’d technically be booking two separate days and events. However, many would be happy to come up with a wonderful package for the weekend to give you the most value. We see the photographers we work with do this all the time for our weekend-event clients – talk to them about covering the special moments both days and know that you’ll likely need to cover their lodging, transportation, and meals. 

Thank you Aleah + Nick for once again bringing your fresh perspective to SMP California!  Remember, if you want Aleah + Nick to help you with a pesky wedding planning problem please leave your question below!

Photography: Amore Studios for Valley & Co.

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