Real Weddings: Millie + David

The pastoral beauty of the Clifton Inn in Charlottesville acted as the backdrop for Jen and Joseph’s outdoor ceremony, and they couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous Virginia day! We adore the soft green, gold, and blue color palette inspired by the seaside, and the beautiful floral table runner. All of the simple but elegant details, from lush hydrangea bouquets by Southern Blooms to Jen’s lovely strapless scalloped gown, were captured by the impeccable Katie Stoops and we are utterly in love.

It’s pretty much impossible to look through the photos of Lynn and Stefan’s wedding by Kellie Kano and not immediately feel happier. Lynn knew she had to have yellow flowers because every since she was a little girl the color has always put a smile on her face. Thanks to Hedge Fine Blooms and all the other details in this sweet wedding, we’re now smiling too! Their big day was effortlessly elegant and set to the beautiful backdrop of Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia. Every detail of Lynn and Stefan’s wedding is all about happiness and love so sit back and enjoy!

Laura and Andrew’s beautiful, classic wedding was held among the grapevines of Veritas Vineyards & Winery in Virginia. The green and white color palette of flowers was fresh and clean and included hydrangea, roses, bells of Ireland, and hypericum berries. I love all the guys’ Vineyard Vines bow ties. A classic wedding with preppy touches and beautiful photos by Jen Fariello Photography!

I’m a southern girl through and through, and I am a sucker for a beautiful wedding at a historic Southern estate!  Carla and Seth’s Alabama garden wedding at Madelyn’s in the Grove is so fresh and bright, I love the minty green bridesmaids dresses, the cheerful pink and yellow bouquets, and all of the handmade details!  Carla and her mother designed the wedding themselves, and much of the decor was either made by or belonged to their family, the linens, the signs, the lanterns – even the Spanish moss was brought from Louisiana by Carla’s family.  The Greshams of Simple Color captured gorgeous images that truly bring the wedding to life.

It is impossible for a wedding at Charleston, South Carolina’s Lowndes Grove Plantation to not be gorgeous Lowcountry perfection. Laura and Thomas chose the gorgeous setting for their entire affair, starting with a ceremony beneath moss-draped trees and ending with an outdoor reception that highlighted the jaw-dropping sunset. We are stunned by these images from Richard Ellis Photographer! Laura’s amazing Jordan gown is a fitted silhouette that gives way to a full ruffled skirt, and we adore the look! One-shoulder silvery blue Siri bridesmaids dresses are shimmery like the sea and paired with simple baby’s breath bouquets by Branch Design Studio. Laura’s bouquet of white orchids is spiked with bright yellow blooms that also grace the elegant reception tables, details that Southern Protocol helped her plan. We also love the textured icing detail on the couple’s cake from renowned Charleston restaurant and catering company Fish. There’s not a single detail Laura and Thomas overlooked—visit the gallery to see them all!

Old South charm and elegance abound at Historic Mankin Mansion in Richmond, Virginia, where Carly and Paul chose to host their wedding festivities. The bride stunned in a strapless Blue by Enzoani gown, and her elegant maids shined in short black bridesmaids dresses from Forever Yours International. Flower Girls crafted classic bouquets that included white and green hydrangeas—a Southern staple—and they carried the color palette over to the reception tent with white flowers set amid gold details and green linens. The three-tier confection from Cakes by Graham featured white flowers and green icing details to match the decor. Katie Stoops Photography masterfully captured both the emotions and details of the day, including the custom candy bars from For the Love of Chocolate, wrapped in gorgeous personalized labels by Jacqueline Weppner of Merci New York—the perfect sweet ending to an even sweeter day!

There is something so effortlessly elegant about Laurie and Michael’s sun-washed wedding on the grounds of the gorgeous The Villa of San Juan Capistrano. Could that be because the bride is a Newport Beach, California interior designer?! Laurie put her skills to work for her wedding, envisioning a vibrant, French-inspired affair complete with the happiest floral arrangements by Floral Occasions. From casually color-coordinated bridesmaids dresses to burlap-wrapped water bottles, we’re in love with every single detail that Troy Grover Photographers captured!

California bride Jamie says her wedding was the happiest day of her life—and it was a pretty happy day when we opened these striking images of her gorgeous event from Beaux Arts Photographie too! The Fullerton Arboretum played host to Jamie and Daniel’s outdoor ceremony, peppered with classic details like strapless blue bridesmaids’ dresses from Bella Wedding Bridal and soft white bouquets from Flower Allie that popped against the lush landscape. Guests crossed the lawn for a tented reception filled with dancing to music by the Harrison Jazz Ensemble, laughter, and plenty of baby’s breath arrangements standing guard at tables—the inspiration for the couple’s all-white decor.

Chelsea and Evan’s rustic Charlottesville Virginia wedding, photographed by Eric Kelley, is divine. The couple gave Pat’s Floral Design complete creative freedom when it came to crafting casual centerpieces for the wooden farmhouse tables. “Our main words of guidance were that we wanted a laid-back look of seasonal wildflowers in no particular color palette,” said the bride. “What they came up with was incredible.” From an elegant ceremony arch made of two antique doors to herb table decor in natural clay pots, we couldn’t agree more! Cheslea looked simply stunning in her lace Monique Lhuillier gown. But our favorite detail? Perhaps the chalkboard seating chart, which a friend of the couple wrote out “in her beautiful handwriting,” the bride said.

Lesley and Perry were inspired by their gorgeous wedding location on the coast of North Carolina, so Jennifer of Salt Harbor Designs sprinkled beautiful nautical details throughout their wedding at Brooklyn Arts Center at St. Andrews. The preppy yellow and blue theme starts with the bridesmaids’ cheery yellow Lula Kate dresses and Perry’s seersucker suit and is really brought to life with sweet Southern details like a “Coke vs Pepsi” boat of soda, pretty flag escort cards, and an adorable guest book map!  The gorgeous centerpieces included yellow tulips (Lesley’s favorite!) as well as viburnum, sweet pea, hydrangea, and garden roses. So fresh and happy! These fantastic photos by Millie Holloman Photography are sure to brighten up your day!

Jessica and Todd did not leave out a single detail for their Florida wedding. Simple yet truly elegant (hello Mr. Louboutin and Ms. Vera!), both their ceremony and reception were at The Field Club in Sarasota. Bridesmaids wore long navy chiffon gowns and carried pretty white bouquets while the guys dressed in grey suits with hints of navy. The reception was clean and classy with navy linens and pretty white florals by Perfect Settings. The weather was a bit threatening, but luckily, the only two downpours occurred just before and after the ceremony, sparing everyone from getting drenched and allowing Liga Photography to get some fantastic photos in the rich post-rain sunset. We hope you love this beautiful and classic wedding as much as we do!

Christina and Brent’s wedding is the perfect example of how a little rain could never truly spoil the beauty and love of a wedding. They started their celebration outside at Rust Manor in Leesburg, Virginia, and just as their officiant said “you may kiss the bride” tiny sprinkles started falling from the sky! Luckily, their reception was held inside and guests celebrated as the rain poured down outside. There was no shortage of sunshine inside though thanks to the gorgeous, sunny florals by Holly Chapple Flowers! Smiles and spirits were certainly not dampened at this beautiful wedding as shown by these cheery photos by Genevieve Leiper Photography!

Anna and Eric met while working on the musical RENT, so along with all the personal touches they included in their dreamy Charleston wedding, they were also sure to include a nod to their love of Broadway. Flower girls tossed small hearts punched from sheet music, and guests were given CDs covered with the sheet music of “Seasons of Love” from RENT. Their whole color palette was inspired by a sapphire and diamond pendant Eric gave Anna their first Christmas together and the vibrant blue of the bridesmaids dresses worked beautifully with the pops of color in their beautiful bouquets by Stems. Oh, and I could go on for days talking about the beauty of Charleston and the Legare Waring House, but I’ll let these wonderful photos by Paige Winn Photography do it for me!

Even before I read anything this adorable couple had to say about their wedding, I could tell it was a celebration created with a ton of love and care! Indeed, Amelia and Josh’s wedding took lots of teamwork to put together. The flowers, dishes, decor – almost every tiny detail can be attributed to the bride or one of her talented friends. I absolutely love all the different colorful bridesmaids dresses – so cute and fun! It’s a handmade and homemade Southern celebration (that also looks like it was an incredible party!) with photos that are just too cute for words by Dixie Pixel – the perfect way to end a spectacular 2011!

Remember when we wrote that we were gaga for chevron?   Well if that didn’t convince you that chevron is the hottest pattern going, this lovely inspiration shoot from Jamie Sears of Simply Chic Events will!  Jamie set out to create a beautiful styled shoot that featured both an engagement picnic and a tabletop, showing how you can take a simple motif and tie together your entire series of wedding events.  Blue chevron makes a repeat appearance here, from the napkins, to the stationery and signage, to the gorgeous table’s runner.  Sit back and enjoy the beautiful images from Holland Photo Arts and the sweet southern setting of Charlottesville’s Clifton Inn!

Emily and Trey were married in Austin, Texas under the trees of the Four Seasons Hotel. They chose a clean and fresh spring palette of yellow and blues with peonies, ranunculus, and even some yellow tulips here and there. The show-stopping orchid centerpieces at the reception are fabulous, and my favorite florals are the hanging arrangements by Petal Pushers that hung at their ceremony. A big thank you to Shannon Cunningham for sharing these beautiful images!

Melissa and Ryan’s North Carolina wedding was a sunny southern affair. Held at The Sutherland in Wake Forest, this evening soiree had a palette of bright buttercup with touches of turquoise. Even the favors worked into their color palette! The couple placed small jars of jellybean “recipes” at each guest’s place setting. Want some lemon merengue pie? Mix 2 lemon and 2 coconut jellybeans. Yum, tasty and color coded too! Pretty and clean, the photos by Hilton Pittman Photography capture a timeless event!

For their Massachusetts wedding day, Alex and Chris wanted nothing but everyone to have a splendid time, good food, good drinks, and good memories being passed around. All captured through the lens of The Light and Color Wedding Photography, the Ipswich couple chose to have a traditional wedding day. Alex chose a classic A-line Hayley Paige beauty and the cherry on top of her trousseau was her mom’s veil that she donned for her day. Their ceremony was held at St. John’s Prep (fun fact: Alex is a dentist and St. John’s Prep was the same school where Alex’s boss and Chris’s dad went. The guys are still good friends!), Chris’s high school alma mater. For their wedding reception, they dressed up The Hellenic Center in shades of soft blues and pinks, and organic-style blooms designed by Chris’s sister-in-law, Teresa. Weddings like these that are centered around family and steeped in tradition always leave such a feel-good warmth to our day.

Jared and Lauren’s wedding was a self-described “giant garden party” at the stunning Miami Beach Botanical Garden. Though the Florida weather can be temperamental, the couple was greeted with gorgeous, sunny skies for their outdoor soiree. Jared is Jewish and Lauren Latin Catholic, so their ceremony—officiated by Lauren’s Godparents—was entirely customized to include traditions from both. The couple said their vows beneath a beautiful chuppah from Ever After Floral Design, played Ave Maria during the mantilla ritual, and broke the glass before their first kiss. The whimsical reception featured an eclectic seating area with settees and chairs from The Salvage Snob, a honey cake with rosewater buttercream frosting from Bake Bar, and a bourbon bar and cigar roller, a must-have in Cuban culture. Every moment is magical in the images from Merari Photography!

Emily and Jason’s classic wedding was held on the campus of their alma mater, the College of William & Mary—we love the air of Americana the Virginia setting and abundance of blue hydrangea blooms from Events in Bloom give! The intimate ceremony was held at the campus’s The Wren Chapel. Continuing the historical theme, Emily wore the same penny in her Nine West wedges as her mother did on her wedding day in 1973. Emily’s timeless off-shoulder lace embroidered gown from Bobbie’s Bridal Boutique is stunning, especially when accented with the pearl earrings she borrowed from Jason’s mother. Bright pool blue Bill Levkoff bridesmaids dresses continued the single-color scheme, paired with hydrangea bouquets nearly identical to Emily’s. We love the bold pops of blue at the reception, held at The William & Mary Alumni House, where the flower of the day also adorned the couple’s cake from Wedding Cakes by Charlie. One of our favorite details? The college’s pep band performing outside the alumni house to kick off the post-ceremony party. How fun! We hope you enjoy these lovely images from Michael & Carina Photography!