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Outdoor Wedding Chic

Marie Gabrielle in Downtown Dallas was the perfect wedding venue for this chic, outdoor celebration provided to us by Wedding Planner Jordan Payne. Susan and Soo were married at Marie Gabrielle in September. Susan wore a Vera Wang gown.

Jordan is all about the details when it comes to planning weddings. Sexy, chic tones of gold and purple with damask patterns made for a fabulous night. From the beautiful custom damask drapes and floral halo that adorned their ceremony to their swoon worthy rhinestone tent designed and created by the talented Nelson Robinson of Stageworks.

Outdoor Weddings – Charm, Beauty & Elegance

We fell in love with the charm and beauty of this wedding photographed by Nashville photographer Rachel Moore and Rachel was more than happy to share it with our StrictlyWeddings.com brides.

“I knew from Ryan and Cayla’s engagement session what a sweet couple they were going to be to work with. Cayla’s dress was one of my favorite wedding dresses I’ve ever seen! The lace looked so vintage and had a beautiful opening in the back. The fresh flowers and her bright lipstick added so much! Despite the heat, Ryan and Cayla were such good sports. Both Ryan and Cayla each have one brother and one sister. Their wedding party consisted of their four siblings. How perfect! I loved the china that Front Porch Farms used for their reception. Also loved the simplicity of the cakes. Later in the reception I snuck off with the bride and groom for a few quick shots right after sunset, so romantic! It was an honor to document this wedding!”

Invitations and Stationery: Our friend Heather Cairl designed the invitations and programs
Flowers: A Village of Flowers
Wedding & Reception Venue: Front Porch Farms in Charlotte, TN
Bridal Attire: Watters “Ravenna” in Ecru; shoes “Giana Blue” by Chocolat Blue.
Bridesmaid Attire: Anthropologie “Gull Wing” in Navy
Hair: Bride’s hair by Charity at Eye Candy in Nashville.
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Ludlow in Fine-Stripe Cotton by J. Crew. Groom, groomsmen, and ushers’ ties by J. Crew.
Ceremony Music: Mike Harris, Brett Moore, and Kellen Wenrich of Apache Relay, Adam Sheaffer, Jonathan Cullifer
Caterer: All Occasion Catering
Cake: Dulce Desserts
Reception Music: Randy McLellan Band
Photographer: Rachel Moore

Hawaiian Wedding Inspiration: Oahu South Shore

Many brides share a lifelong dream of getting married barefoot on the beach. This bride’s vision was realized in an intimate ceremony at Paiko Beach, a hidden strip of sand on Oahu’s south shore. The couple then switched gears (and clothes) with a traditional Catholic ceremony at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, which happens to be the oldest Catholic cathedral in the United States.

The bride did not hesitate in planning her wedding, as the Cathedral is where her mother was married.

The bride wore a dramatic mermaid gown that she found at a bridal shop in Chinatown…ironically, the same boutique where her mother found her own gown. The tulle skirt on the dress reminded her of a ballerina’s costume. An avid dancer, the bride paired the dress with her pointe shoes! She carried a bouquet of white roses, her favorite flower. The bridesmaids wore one-of-a-kind cocktail dresses in bright confetti colors by fashion designer Cindy King of the label Acid Dolls.

The groom opted for a stylish beige suit with a pale pink bowtie.

Photographer Ja Tecson captured the couple perfectly.

Source: PacificWeddings.com

Rustic Woodland Garden Party Decor

This garden party was a pre-party to the wedding celebration. The couple is very organic, outdoorsy, and environmentally friendly and they wanted the event to reflect that.

The groom’s parents have a huge rolling lawn that backs up onto a private lake, which was the perfect backdrop to this evening. The color palette was green, khaki and ivory which are very earthy tones, and they were used in the vignettes of coffee tables, sofas, and wooden elements. Amazing appetizers from Tres LA were passed around during the cocktail hour, and the groom is a big cigar fan so we created a separate cigar and cognac lounge that guests could hang out in towards the end of the night.

There were food stations in hand-made cabanas draped with moss and burlap and the lighting was perfect with big globes hanging from the trees. The flowers were mostly succulents placed in various pieces of drift wood and birch, and the gift giveaways were pine tree saplings wrapped in burlap that could be taken home and planted in each guest’s garden.

Source: Junebugweddings.com, Floral design and decor by Exquisite Events, Images by John Solano Photography

A Texas Wedding Tradition at Marfa

Dallas photographer Scott Hager shared this wonderful wedding held in Marfa, Texas with us that we couldn’t wait to show our brides. Here’s a bit of background from the bride…

“The ranch has been in our family since 1884 – is beautiful, and such a part of my heritage – I am fifth generation. My boots were made by my Uncle Trainor who owns Rios de Mercedes boots in South Texas (photo below).  It’s a tradition in our family that you get cowboy boots with your new initials on them when you get married – my sister and brother designed mine, and specifically chose the color so that they could be my “something blue” on my wedding day!”

The Thursday before my wedding, our close friends the Millers hosted a ranch party for us. The Millers own a ranch just outside of Marfa, and the men are fantastic cooks. They put together a Mexican dinner, and I wore a traditional Mexican dress. On Friday, Scott shot Seth and I around Marfa, and that night we had an intimate Rehearsal Dinner for close family and friends at Mayas in Marfa, and then Second Lined to the Paisano Hotel Courtyard, where we had Maricahis play, followed by a West Texas Country Band. We danced and drank, hosted a breakfast and skeet shoot the next morning, followed by the BBQ lunch and wedding ceremony then reception.

“Our Ceremony was held at the First Christian Church in Marfa. My sister was my Maid of Honor, and got to the alter without Seth’s ring!  A great ice breaker when you’re nervous and emotional!  My brother read a prayer that my grandfather wrote, and we walked out to “Joyful, Joyful” jumped in my Dad’s ranch truck (of course!) and headed to the reception.”

“It was a beautiful day, and we had a fantastic time. Best of all, I got a super cute husband out of the deal. My gown is by Melissa Sweet, name is Saffron. Seth and I knew each other in college, but it wasn’t until he moved to NYC for grad school that we started to date, and got engaged a little over a year later. West Texas is home to me, so we married in Marfa. The reception took place at the Capri, and we passed margaritas and dined on quail and tenderloin. We danced to the Reunion Band out of Austin, and Sarah White made our 6-tier wedding cake, which we placed in the center of a table displaying family wedding pictures, some dating back to the early 1900s. Late night we passed tequilla shots (a celebratory tradition in my family) and served picadillo burritos. Seth and I left to a second line of “When the Saints go Marching In” (he’s from NOLA), and we will honeymoon in Vietnam and Cambodia.”

Hermes-Inspired Wedding at Haiku Sugar Mill, Maui

We found this wonderful wedding idea on Pacific Wedding’s Blog (love notes blog – love that name!). The Hermes-Inspired Wedding is even more exquisite given its setting.

The ruins of the old Haiku Sugar Mill are a magical setting for a destination wedding in Maui. Once a thriving enterprise back in the 1850s, the mill has been lovingly restored over the last twenty years into a kind of secret garden by present owner, Sylvia Hamilton-Kerr. She and her beau adored traveling through the south of France to gather antiques and amazing statues from Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Photography by Visionari and floral design by Floral Inspirations.

It’s Wedding Season, Spring Is Finally Here!

As the weather begins to warm and gardens begin to bloom, many couples choose the outdoors for their special day. A gorgeous reception venue in Dallas is the Marie Gabrielle Restaurant and Gardens, which is known for their beautiful 1.5-acre European garden complete with breathtaking views of downtown, beautiful oak and river birch trees, and a spectacular reflecting pool.

The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows that ensure superb garden views and accommodates up to 400 guests. Floor plans custom designed to allow for formal meals, dancing, band or a disc jockey.

So romantic for your “I Do’s”! Click here for more information.