Your Wedding Advice - StrictlyWeddings.com Blog

GLAM! Kate Spade Shoes Sparkle

These Kate Spade Wedding Shoes, photographed by LA Photographer Ryan Phillips, just screamed GLAM when we saw them. We just couldn’t resist. Of course, if we had shoes like these we’d create places to go to wear them again and again. The bride’s wedding gown by Monique Lhuillier is equally stunning.

Equestrian Wedding Inspiration

Lauren Grove, a friend of ours at StrictlyWeddings.com, has a wonderful way of creating amazing inspiration bridal shoots. Of course the main objective of her inspiration shoot is to inspire brides with all of the elements- centerpieces, style/theme, colors, etc! We found this rustic, elegant inspiration shoot with its equestrian theme, gorgeous, and full of inspiration! Deep reds, beautiful florals, excellent design and most importantly… awesome inspiration! Our thanks to Lauren for sharing some of her inspiration with our followers.

These are just a few of the wonderful inspirational ideas. Visit Lauren’s EveryLastDetailBlog.com for more.
Vendors who made it all happen…

Photography: Rowell Photography | Concept Design & Styling: Silverberry Occasions Event Planning & Design Inc. | Venue: Clingen Farms, Caledon, Ontario Canada | Floral Design, Draping & Linen: Rachel A. Clingen Wedding, Event & Seasonal Design | Cakes: Pretty Sweet Cakes | Pie Pops: Lottie & Lil | Stationary, Menus & Favors: Palettera| Rentals: Chairman Mills | Hair & Make up – John Linkert Salon | Bridal gown: Paloma Blanca | Fascinator: Blair Nadeau Millinery

New York Bridal Trunk Shows – Mark Ingram Atelier

October Trunk Shows scheduled for Mark Ingram’s Atelier. Call for appointment.

October 6-8 Monique Lhuillier Trunk Show

October 20-22 Oscar de la Renta Trunk Show

October 25-26 Special Occasion / Evening Wear Sample Sale

October 27-29 Junko Yoshioka Trunk Show

WeddingPhotography411 – Advice for the Bride & Groom

WeddingPhotography411.com is a new website co-created by LA Photographer Robert Evans, who is one of the talents we’ll have with us when we expand to Los Angeles, and friend and photographer Ryan Phillips.

Robert and Ryan created this site to educate future brides and grooms about the most important part of any wedding day, their wedding photographs. The website helps the couple understand everything there is to know about getting great wedding photography. As they explain,”if they can keep a bad or disappointing wedding photography experience from happening then the site will be a success.”

We really like the overall site design. So much to learn. But defnitely, take a look at the “Must Read” posts. It’s not just about the photography, but what not to eat the week of your wedding, engagement photos, reviewing the photographer’s portfolio. This is amazing information! As it states, these are must reads.

This images below are just a sample of the wedding photography you can enjoy on Robert’s website. Always a plus for new ideas and inspiration.

A special moment between father and daughter – so precious!

Robert’s eye has been noticed by some of the world’s biggest celebrities. Robert has been sought after to photograph some of the most widely publicized weddings of the last century, including the weddings of Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes, Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston, pop singer Anastacia, and Ioan Gruffudd & Alice Evans. Some of Robert’s other clients include Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy and Christina Aguilera.

Celebration – live, love and happiness.

A stolen moment. Love the black Calla Lily bouquet.

Destination Weddings are showcased on Robert’s website as well as advice for destination photography on WeddingPhotography411.com

What an elegant shot of the bride descending to meet her father.

Photographers love the photos that turn our unexpected surprises, such as the spray from the perfume.

Napa Valley – Destination Wedding – an intimate affair with special friends

Napa Valley – Destination Wedding – Enjoying the night celebrating

Engagement Photos at the State Fair

It’s the beginning of fall in many areas of the country. For those of us from Texas, fall means the Fair, and that means The State Fair of Texas! With visions of cotton candy, corn-on-the-cob, tasty treats, and this year “fried bubblegum,” we came across these engagement photos at a fair by Meg Perotti.

They’re a complement to our recent engagement photos at a miniature golf place.

We even have a featured wedding that includes a stop at an amusement park.

We’ve said it many times before. We love that couples are encouraged and supported in their desire to create a wedding experience that truly speaks to their passion and personalities.

Don’t Miss Out on The Adolphus’ Haute Weddings September 25

The Adolphus will be hosting their annual Haute Weddings, an exquisite and informational Bridal Affaire with the finest in design, food and entertaining trends.  

Whether you’re a carefree gal looking for wedding day inspiration or an overwhelmed and frantic bride-to-be hoping for the same, join us September 25.

12:30pm – Fashion Show by Stardust Celebrations
1pm – 4pm – Show
Complimentary Nibbles, Beer, Wine and Valet Parking
Grand prizes:
3D Video Montage by Hakim Sons Films
2 American Airline Tickets by Regent Travel
$1,000 Gift Card from Bachendorf’s
Photo Booth by Randal Stout Entertainment
Contact weddings@adolphus.com
214-651-3505

This Princess Married her Prince

Not long ago, StrictlyWeddings.com had the opportunity to work with Kelly Crowder, when she produced several of our video features. We loved her talents then and this summer she applied those talents to her wedding. This princess met her groom while working at Medieval Times. (Literally, he was the knight on the white horse and Kelly was the princess). Five years later, on the anniversary of their meeting, she married her knight in shining armor.

The talents of Dallas photographer Paul Ernest is apparent in each of these photographs; they not only capture the joy of the young couple, but also both the playfulness and romance that is part of their relationship.

Kelly’s dress required a bit of tenaciousness on her part. She wanted a big ball gown, but none were found in Dallas to her liking. She took her search online (thank goodness for the Internet) and found a Maggie Sottero gown in Waco, Texas. Road trip! Her shoes were dyed to match the bridesmaid’s dresses. We love the crystals on the bottom! Kelly wanted a very bright and happy color theme. The bridesmaids’ dresses were a mermaid color and the flowers were orange and purple to contrast and stand out. We love her fresh approach.

The location of the reception was in Fort Worth, Texas at the T&P Station, an old train station used for the Texas and Pacific Railroad. The main ticket lobby is now the main ballroom and as soon as Kelly walked in to the ballroom, the “Princess in her took over and visions of a big ballroom reception” took flight.

Cake Designer – Delicious Cakes

Bridal Inspiration for Fall

Many of our partners are busy and hope to get us more examples of their stellar work soon. In the meantime, we found these inspiration boards from Dessy.com which offers ideas for brides as well as bridesmaids.

With October right around the corner, who can resist the color Orange? We love that we’ve seen it incorporated into more weddings over the last few years. There’s such warmth in the color.

Cupcakes are finding their way onto the wedding dessert table, and in some cases, replacing the wedding cake!

We found the peach, cream and white soothing. So the flowers in the bride’s hair is a bit much, the gown is a classic and the bouquets remind us of an English garden.

Chicago Featured Wedding: Sweethearts Forever

Many thanks to Chicago photographer Jai Girard for sharing these beautiful photos. They are so Jai … we just love her style.

Chris and I are high school sweethearts who dated for ten years before getting married. On a romantic trip to Las Vegas, Chris popped the question at the Venetian hotel. He took me by surprise when he brought a huge assortment of pastries up to our room, with one special box put aside. Inside? A chocolate torte (my favorite!) with a diamond ring.

As Ohio natives who have lived in Chicago for some time, we wanted our guests to enjoy the glamour and excitement of a Chicago wedding. We began planning an intimate wedding, selecting the Ritz Carlton hotel as an elegant backdrop for the reception. I did not use a wedding planner – who needs one when they’ve been dreaming of their wedding and all the details for this many years?

The ceremony was held at Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue. Afterwards, guests gathered in the Terrace of the Ritz Carlton for cocktails and the Dining Room for dinner. I wanted the wedding to embody modern elegance and romance, with a touch of sparkle. Jessica Griffin from Botanicals was able to meld my ideas into beautiful floral creations, which accented the rooms’ natural sophistication. Her selections far exceeded my expectations. One of the most unique elements of our wedding was the all-vegetarian fare. As a vegetarian couple, it meant a great deal to us to serve vegetarian food. Ours was the first such wedding hosted at the Ritz and they did a fabulous job! The festivities began with house-made deep-dish pizzas to keep with the Chicago theme. Chef created unique and delicious entrees and an ice cream sundae station (along with wedding cake) were served as sweet treats later in the night.

We will be forever indebted to our wonderful photographer, Jai Girard, who not only captured precious moments, but did so with exquisite elegance and beauty. We will treasure the images for years to come. A thank you to our family and friends is also in order – it would not have been the same without them!

Bridal Gown: Kenneth Pool with Swarovski crystal buttons added down the back. I tried on over 100 gowns before I found this one!
Headpiece & Shoes:  the Left Bank
Photographer: Jai Girard
Wedding Ceremony: Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago
Wedding Reception: The Ritz Carlton, Chicago
Florist:  Botanicals
Bridal Party Hair: Ginger Damato
Bridal Party Makeup: Wendy Woodside, Wendy City Faces
Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bella Bridesmaid
Music: Cagen Music, Incognito
Cake: Sarah’s Pastries & Candies

San Juan, Puerto Rico makes for a beautiful wedding

Untamed, restrained, cosmopolitan and country, Puerto Rico has it all. El Yunque – America’s largest rain forest – and 19 other forest reserves are home to 20 orchid varieties and countless other flora and fauna. Water babies will love its 270 miles of coastline littered with innumerable snorkeling, sunning and world-class surfing beaches. The island’s massive central mountain range tops 4,000 feet and demands hikers take note. There’s even a phosphorescent bay that glows at night.

After dark, visit New San Juan for its flamenco dancers, piano bars, open-air concerts, clubs, casinos, folkloric shows and Latin revues. Casinos can be found in almost every major hotel, clubs for all shapes and tastes go in and out of trendy favor, and there are always new restaurants to sample.

These fabulous photographs are from a destination wedding in San Juan, Puerto Rico from Andy Marcus of Fred Marcus Photography at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton resort. One hundred friends partied the weekend away and had such a great time. The weather was amazing and only made the ceremony held on the beach even more special.