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Texas’ Hill Country Weddings – Boot Ranch

So many of you have enjoyed the amazing weddings that Austin photographer Jennifer Lindberg has shared with StrictlyWeddings.com. This very intimate (family-only) wedding is as elegant and lovely as any of our more grand weddings and Jenn’s talents shine through in showcasing the love and joy of this new family.

The wedding theme and decor is the magnificent Texas Hill Country (why mess with Mother Nature?). The location is Boot Ranch, a development located near Fredericksburg, Texas (another one of our Texas treasures). Even though a private development, Boot Ranch appears to host events for those outside its private community and could be the perfect setting for your wedding.

Floral design by Maggie Gillespie Designs

New Featured Wedding – Wild Horses and Westies

Got your attention? Great! We wanted to because sometimes our featured weddings do not always get the attention they deserve. Truly, StrictlyWeddings.com showcases some of the most amazing weddings – better than many found in the multitude of bridal blogs today.

Photographer Jennifer Lindberg provided us with this gorgeous featured wedding. The bride’s wedding gown – to die for. What’s with the Wild Horses and Westies? Read on and find out for yourself.

Kindred Spirits – Kevin & Courtney

Photographer Andy Marcus, a StrictlyWeddings.com’s New York partner, shared one of his fabulous weddings with us and we’re thrilled to share Courtney and Kevin’s special day with you as well.

Kevin and Courtney met at Villanova University during their freshman year of college. They were in the same core humanities course and spent time together during a field trip and became fast friends. The summer following freshman year, they began dating, traveling across the country between Dallas and Connecticut to see each other and spent countless hours on the phone.

Her proposal arrived at sunset while the couple were walking on the beach in Bridgehampton. Both sets of parents were waiting at Courtney’s family’s beach house with champagne to celebrate when they returned. They were engaged in August 2009 and had a 22 month engagement (necessary as Courtney and her mom acted as the wedding planners).

The wedding ceremony was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which had always been a special place for Courtney’s family as it’s where they would attend midnight mass on Chrismas Eve. “It always seemed magical,” says Courtney. The President of Villanova, Reverend Father Peter, married the couple and did a very touching homily. At the end of the ceremony, he called the parents up to sing the song ‘May the Road Rise to Meet you.’ “Our parents placed their hands on our backs. This is a Villanova tradition,” explains Courtney.

Floral Designer Dejaun Stroud and Courtney chose bright vibrant centerpieces and bouquets to contrast the navy bridesmaids dresses by Amsale and navy tableclothes. They included opulent displays of lilies, roses, hydrangeas, peonies, and eremurus in varied shades of coral.

The reception was held at the Mandarin. They fell in love the first time they entered the ballroom and knew it was the perfect place for the reception. Courtney and Kevin had their guests tour the city in New York on double decker tour buses before the cocktail hour for a real “classic” feel.

The couple honeymooned at the One & Only Reethi Rah Resort in the Maldives and stopped off at Dubai on the way back to the U.S. Avid travelers, Kevin and Courtney felt the exotic destination was appropriate.

Capturing the Bride

Memorable shots of the bride can run from the more traditional photo of the bride looking directly into the camera, to one of her looking off in contemplation, to those expressing the emotions of joy, laughter, love. How the photographer creates that moment depends as much on the photographer’s style as that of their subject – the bride. Here are just a few of our fav StrictlyWeddings.com “just the bride” photos.

Carasco Photography – Chicago

Fred Marcus Photography – New York

Thisbe Grace Photography – Dallas

Fred Marcus Photography – New York

Gruber Photographers – New York

Jennifer Lindberg Weddings – Dallas and Austin

Courtesy of The Adolphus Hotel – Dallas

Jai Girard Photography – Chicago

Wedding Photographers | Jai Girard | Artistic Treasures

If you follow our blog, you know that Chicago’s Jai Girard is one of our favorite wedding photographers to showcase. Actually all the photographers at StrictlyWeddings.com have incredible talent and create amazing memories for their bride and groom.

Yet, today we celebrate the magic of Jai’s work, photographed at the enchanting  Chicago Botanic Garden. Every wedding she shares with our readers include hidden treasures. We’d really love to spend a little time in her brain as she looks through that lens – how does she see that particular moment or detail that 10, 20, 30 years from now, is a forgotten memory brought back to life to treasure?

New York Weddings – Lindsey & Tyler

Sometimes, the most important decisions are the easiest to make. “I realized very early on that this was the girl I was going to marry, probably a month or two after we started dating,” confides Tyler Rhoten of his bride, Lindsey Magness.

“We wanted to have an iconic New York wedding, which showed our out-of-town friends and family the best of the city we love and call home. Our locations were a big part of achieving that,” says the couple. StrictlyWeddings.com NYC partner, Gruber Photographers, shared this iconic wedding with us and it’s sure to become one of your favorites!

The sizeable bridal party – eight maids in all – wore floor-grazing charcoal gowns and held vibrant bouquets in brilliant hues of purple and blue. A vision in a tumble of ruffled fabric that fell in origami-like layers, Lindsey floated down the candle-lit aisle, her mother and stepfather by her side. One magical moment: Just as Tyler and Lindsey kissed after being pronounced man and wife, a gospel choir burst into song, setting the mood for the remainder of the night with their rendition of “Oh, Happy Day,” which set the mood for the remainder of the night.

For the reception, guests made their way to the New York Public Library for a night to remember. Tyler and Lindsey shared a ride in a classic car, which was fitting for their timeless, New York theme. “My advice to any bride and groom is to set aside some alone time, even just five minutes, between the ceremony and reception,” advises Lindsey. “It was so nice to take a moment to appreciate that we were officially married before starting the celebration.”

The bride’s favorite color palette of black and white, accented with shades of purple, set the backdrop for the elegant affair. Table cards cleverly fashioned to resemble catalog cards guided guests to their sage-toned seats. Long rectangular tables filled the immense room, each topped with gleaming silver candelabras and flowering branches of purple blossoms that reached toward the vaulted ceiling. Contrasting short, clean arrangements of white orchids, tea roses, lavender, purple iris, and calla lilies added texture. Candles of all shapes and sizes played up the romance, illuminating the hallowed halls. No two tables were identical, a visual feast for the eyes. Violet lighting cast a romantic glow during the dinner and dancing.

For guests that were less footloose and fancy-free, small lounge areas were provided to sit and enjoy so they wouldn’t feel left out of the action. Combining influences from the couple’s favorite Mexican and Italian cuisines, guests feasted on a first course of penne with tomato and hot peppers, lasagna Bolognese, and spinach tagliotini with ham and peas. A light salad followed. The main course included a choice of Dover sole or rolled chicken, both accompanied with sides of tomato and roasted-pepper flan, asparagus, and potato duchesses. A towering five-tiered buttercream cake was adorned with beautiful bouquets of sugar flowers, ranging from the palest lavender to the deepest plum. The ice cream-loving couple surprised their loved ones with a gelato cart serving hand-dipped cones. “It was definitely a hit with our guests!” says Lindsey. In lieu of traditional favors, a donation was made in honor of attendees to two local organizations. However, another tantalizing delicacy served as a sweet reminder of the night. Guests were encouraged to fill a to-go bag with fresh bomboloni (Italian filled donuts).

Bride & Groom: Lyndsey Magness & Tyler Rhoten
Photographers: Gruber Photographers
Bridal Gown: Monique Lhuillier
Veil: Mark Ingram Bridal
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Reception: New York Public Library
Ceremony: Saint Bartholomew’s Church
Cake: Sylvia Weinstock Cakes

Copy: Inside Weddings

Memorable Wedding Venues | Le Grand Salon de la Comtesse

Generations of fairytales have come true at La Colombe d’Or Hotel. Their “Le Grand Salon” is an unrivaled setting for unforgettable celebrations, as seen from Texas wedding photographer Nancy Aidee.

A premier example of authentic French Regence decor, Le Grand Salon at La Colombe d’Or Hotel is lined in 300-year-old oak panels, soaring 20 feet, from the country chateau of Comte Henry Greffulhe and Princess Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay (La Comtesse). The Grand Ballroom offers a beautiful presentation of the grandeur of a bygone era. Originally carved in 1715, the panels were installed at the estate near Foutenailles, just outside Paris, in 1891. The exquisite room was the scene of the last great ball of European royalty prior to World War I. Guests included Czar Nicholas of Russia, Caruso, Pasteur, Curie, Wagner, Marconi and Proust.

What a thrill to be the bride and groom and step onto the dance floor surrounded by such history and grandeur!

Event Coordinator: Alia Rdissi of Belle of the Ball
Wedding Photography: Nancy Aidee Photography
Wedding Dress: Stanley Korshak
Reception Location + Catering: La Colombe D’Or
Band: Password
Floral Design + Linens: Wedding Flowers by Lisa
Wedding Cakes: World Catering

Chicago’s Carasco Photography

We are so thrilled to welcome Carasco Photography to StrictlyWeddings.com. We’re loving what we’re seeing and can’t wait to publish a featured wedding.

Over the past seven years, Carasco Photography has become one of the most sought after wedding photography companies in Chicago.

As a husband and wife owned company, Cara and Scott Nava understand firsthand all of the elements that go into planning your wedding day and choosing a photographer to preserve those memories. Their ideology is simple. In life there is beauty and through creativity they are able to celebrate this beauty through the still image.

With a MFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago, Scott’s nationally recognized work has been in such magazines as Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Social Magazine, CS Brides and ChicagoStyle Weddings. Inspired by fashion editorial and every day experiences, this duo will convey a poetic and unscripted visual narrative of your wedding. Simply put, they love what they do.

Destination Weddings: The Snowy Surroundings of Vail

We showcase so many amazing weddings set outside with beaches, botanical gardens and the amazing bounty of Mother Nature. So, we find ourselves truly inspired by the quiet majesty of this snowy wedding backdrop. Love, love, love this destination wedding set in Vail, Colorado from photographer Aaron Delesie. Winter brides (and weddings) are unique and these photos will not disappoint in speaking to our romantic nature.

Don’t ignore the wonderful details that went in to all the wedding items – the use of white roses to play off the snow, the use of pine and wood, gifts of special hot cocoa and so many other details that tie in nature & winter.

The bride’s wedding shoes next to the boots she wore to get from the wedding to the reception!

Fabulous gifts for those sharing in the wedding festivities.

Pine cones, different types of pine from trees – nature’s bounty makes for lovely wedding details.

We bet there are boots hidden beneath her gown…such a gorgeous gown and the stole is such an elegant touch.

Nature’s simple beauty inspires the reception decor.

The cake is truly perfect for this wedding. Love the use of the wood as the cake stand. We’ve  never seen anything like this!

Fall in love at The Dallas Arboretum

Fall in love at The Arboretum, Chase & Rachel did and Thisbe Grace photographed every sweet moment. From cobble pathways to fountain courtyards full of fall foliage and flowers, The Dallas Arboretum never ceases to offer a setting worth capturing with love. Let the suns rays peer through the trees and warm you as you stroll hand in hand, kissing at every turn.