This wedding has so many well thought out and adorable details that I could not resist posting this Style Me Pretty wedding this week. And as I said, I’m in a particularly girly mood this week and this wedding includes so many amazing feminine details. Amazing.

I love wedding photo shoots in everyday locations. Something about the fabulously decked out bridal party in a café or subway station seems so out of place, but the juxtaposition of the two contradictory elements makes the picture more interesting. Check number one for this wedding’s amazing details.

soft wedding details in the city

Also, the bride is wearing bright pink ballet flats. You know I have a thing against white wedding shoes and I also love that she resisted the traditional high heel for something a bit more comfortable. Those navy blue bridesmaids’ dresses are also cut so perfectly, they’re flattering on each of her ladies. So glad to see this bride is confident enough to allow her bridesmaids to show off their good looks too.

And the chandelier studded reception? Absolutely my favorite detail.

love her boots

The Bride-to-Be: Jen

The Groom-to-Be: Brett

The Photo Shoot Location: Denver, CO

The Wedding Location: Mill City Museum, Minnesota

How They Met: Brett and I met through work — I worked an agency that ran a press conference for his company.  It was illuminating for us both to see each other in a professional capacity.  He’s so smart!  After the work was done, Brett and I kept in touch and he flew me to Denver — I lived in Chicago at the time — so I could see his life and meet his world.  I met his friends, family, and pretty much the entire city of Denver that weekend and we decided someone had to move.  Brett decided to move to Chicago a few months later.

changing outfits made for a fun shoot

Inspiration for the Engagement Photo Shoot: Though we love to travel and considered a destination wedding, there’s something about a hometown wedding.  Because we were getting married in Minnesota but our life is in Denver (my job is promoting the city), we wanted to show our favorite places and our new life here in the Mile High.

mismatching plaids are so cute

Perks of Your Engagement Shoot: Troy, our photographer, just had a natural ease behind the camera.  He went above and beyond to accommodate the many locations we wanted to capture, and found ways to tell a different story at each venue.  He helped Brett and I feel comfortable in our own shoes while on camera, something we definitely wanted to make sure of before the big day.  And it was easy to tell he’s great with every audience — from cute, curious little kids to passersby that miiiight just stick around a little long.  He handled every situation well and delivered fabulous photos.

For more details about Jen & Brett’s engagement photos, check out their feature on Bellagala’s blog.

The Bride: Christie, 26, Physician

The Groom: Kevin, 28, Owner and Operator of Rooker Angus Beef Cattle

The Location:

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church  in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, with a Tent Reception at the Groom’s parents’ home

Wedding Colors:

Casual rustic elegance - Shades of green, gold, and bronze

What made this wedding modern:

Christie and Kevin wanted their wedding to have a casual feel that represented their personalities.  To accomplish this, they chose Kevin’s home for their tent reception and complemented the site with tan tuxes for the groomsmen and short, vibrant green bridesmaid dresses.  Guests played cornhole (a bean bag toss game) and mingled outside in a lounge-type area during cocktail hour (so fun!).

“We like to think that we put our own personal touch on the day by paying attention to little details to really take care of our guests,” says Christie.

The groom's parents' farmhouse. Gorgeous!

The short green bridemaids dresses really made a statement towards the day's casual yet elegant tone.

Where they splurged:

“Definitely on the restroom trailor we rented,” says Christie.  The trailor had to be big enough for our 400 guests and make it through hours of celebrating.  Christie and Kevin took the time to spruce it up with toiletry baskets, rugs, and ferns.  They also went all out on the food by grilling beef tenderloin from Kevin’s family’s wholesale meat store on site (Yum!!!).

Where they saved:

Christie and Kevin saved a ton of money by doing a lot of things themselves.  Their handiwork was amazing and you’ll be blown away by what they accomplished.  They started with making their own fabric invitations, chair decorations, ceremony programs, stamped hankerchiefs for the bridal dance, and centerpieces.  Christie and her mom also made over 30 cheesecakes to serve for dessert as well as the appetizers that were served during cocktail hour!!!  The coolest part - Christie and her sister made 20+ gallons of white peach sangria for the bar!

Left-side: A basket with fabric pieces was presented to guests so that they could leave a special message for the bride and groom. Right-side: A circular motif was used for the seating chart and matching seating cards were hung on a clotheline for aesthetic appeal. Adorable!

Favorite Part of the Wedding:

“Our family and friends played such a big role in planning and preparation months before and on our big day - our favorite part was seeing how proud they were of what we had all done together.  Looking around on that day and seeing how lucky we were to have loved ones give so much to us really meant the world to us.”

A few slices of the 30+ cheesecakes that Christie and her mother prepared from scratch.

Looking back, what you would change:

“I think you always wish you could spend more time with your guests.  Other than that, we woudn’t change a thing - we enjoyed and savored every moment!  Our guests had an amazing time and so did we!”

Her Advice:

“Spend some time really thinking about what you want your day to be like - it will make the planning go much smoother.  If possible, spend some alone time with each other on the big day.  We were able to sit in Kevin’s house and watch all of our guests during cocktail hour - it really gave us time to take it all in!”

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The Bride: Kim, 29, Online Advertising

The Groom: JD, 32, Marketing

The Location: Lowndes Grove Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina

Wedding Colors: Summer Pastels - pale blue, muted pink, white and gray

Budget: $30k

What made this wedding modern: JD and Lisa come from two very different backgrounds, so they created their own modern style by “marrying” their two cultures - Korean & southern.  Lisa and JD  incorporated traditional hand-made fans from South Korea as favors, which were perfect for the southern heat; served southern style and Korean style barbecue during the reception; and had a traditional Korean bowing ceremony during their welcome/rehearsal dinner.

Kim and JD during the Korean bowing ceremony

As Lisa puts it, “JD is a southern boy from Charlotte, NC who grew up with an American childhood and I am a Korean-American gal who was born and raised in NY, but with a traditional Korean upbringing raised by parents who came to the states in search of the American dream! So we were glad to share elements of our roots with our guests on our day.”

Where they splurged: Lisa and JD’s big splurge was the venue. “It was beyond our budget even with the reduced costs that came with our off-season wedding date and smaller guest count, but I loved how the plantation evoked that old-school charm and grandeur of what the south had been. It was very “Gone With the Wind,” and every time we saw it I had the movie’s song singing in my head!”

The Lowndes Plantation.. I'm with Lisa, I can hear the Gone With the Wind theme song loud and clear!

Where they saved: The photography (believe it or not)! “I searched Craigslist.com to find photographers - and found an amazing one in Joelle Maki, who offered a very low-cost “a la carte” option where we were able to select certain items versus a bigger package that included things I didn’t find necessary. Our videography was done by a friend, who is a documentary film maker, and he captured our day in that very cool cinematic fashion! “

Favorite Part of the Wedding: “My favorite part was the venue! I really, really, really loved being inside the plantation - a house, really - there were so many beautiful rooms and each had a different theme and color palette, with very traditional details from the crown moldings to the regal, sweeping drapes that you don’t really see in homes today. I couldn’t get enough of it! We spent our wedding night inside the plantation, too - which functions as an inn, as well.”

Looking back, what you would change:

“I tried saving on everything - including very very small things such as sparklers for our getaway. Well, I didn’t know how much of a difference the size of the sparklers would
make so I ended up buying 100 of the small, 7″ kind (thinking I was scoring a deal) - which burned out in 10 seconds! So I would probably spring for the longer ones “

Despite any regret on the sparklers, this bride and groom getaway still sparkled! I also *love* the dress change!

Her Advice:

“Everyone will have an opinion, go with your gut and at the end of the day remember that no matter what happens, no matter what does or doesn’t happen right, nothing will ever replace the feeling you will have on that day and you will never forget it!”

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