THE BRIDE'S CAFE

Caroline & Andy: Part II

Welcome back to Part II of the beautiful wedding of Caroline & Andy....if you are just joining us, please check out Part I of their beautiful celebration.  Their beautiful wedding story was captured byDouglas Benedict Photography....Doug's work is so beautiful....make sure you check out his blog to see more beautiful "eye candy"!  I had the pleasure to work with Caroline & Andy and they were truly wonderful to work with and we had so much fun planning the florals for their big day.....Enjoy!

 

Our featured couple....Caroline & Andy....love the black and white image of them...so classic!

 

At the ceremony we lined the aisle with containers of Baby's Breath!

 

 

The "Get-Away-Car"...how cool is this...and I'm loving the "Argyle Design" on the sign!

 

 

 

 

 

How cute are these...Caroline had such great details throughout the wedding!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Doug for sharing all of the beautiful images with us today and thanks to Caroline & Andy...your wedding was simply beautiful and it was such a pleasure meeting you guys and working with you...we wish you a lifetime of happiness...stay in touch!

Real Wedding:Caroline & Andy

I am so excited about today's featured wedding...Caroline & Andy....they are such a beautiful and fun couple and two of the nicest people to work with...oh yeah...they were my clients...I had the pleasure of designing the florals for their special day....Caroline was such a joy to work with...I have to admit...I miss our talks and our weekly emails.  Their wedding took place in Williamsburg, VA at the gorgeous Kingsmill venue and their beautiful day was captured by the incredibly talented photography of Douglas Benedict.  Caroline & Andy's wedding is featured in 2 Parts...let's begin with Part 1...Enjoy!!

 

Meet Caroline & Andy...aren't they just the cutest couple!!.....Caroline shares their wedding story with us..."Andy and I are both avid golfers and wanted to have a weekend away at a golf resort with all of our guests.  We wanted it to be close enough to be easily accessible by most of our guests on the East Coast and Kingsmill was the perfect place. We planned a weekend full of events for all of our friends complete with a Welcome Happy Hour at the Par 3 Course.  Golf was the main theme that was weaved throughout the wedding.  Our stationery had an argyle design that was a nod to our favorite hobby and we even dressed our groomsmen in matching yellow argyle socks!  Our favors were personalized golf balls, tees and ball-markers.  Our Signature Cocktails were also appropriately themed. Our "Something Old" was an Arnold Palmer (vodka, iced tea and lemonade) and our "Something New" was a Tiger Woods (vodka, cranberry juice, and lemon juice).

Our welcome baskets were a DIY labor of love in every way.  Andy's aunts and grandmother home-made each and everyone of the sweet treats that were included in the box.  Andy and I, with the help of our families, packaged hundreds of cookies and treats along with a welcome newsletter and guide that I worked on.  We also hunted down cans of Arnold Palmer's (1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade) to include in our baskets since he is one of our heroes!  Each box was customized with the guests' name and their weekend activity schedules including tee times."

 

 

 

 

 

Caroline's bouquet was designed with beautiful Garden Roses...Sweet Peas and Star of Bethlehem!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

   

  

  

Style Team:

Wedding Gown:Angel Sanchez from Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier

Shoes:  Stuart Weitzman

Clutch:  J.Crew

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Simple Silhouettes

Wedding Day Stationery:  Sarah of Truly Smitten

Invitations:  Kseniya of Thomas Printers

Kingsmill Coordinator :  Katherine Swisher

Photographer:  Douglas Benedict

Florals:  Janie Medley Flora Design

Thanks SO much Doug for sharing the beautiful images with us today.....Check back in later guys for Part II!!

Zenadia Design Discount

Hi Guys...Starting October 15th, Zenadia Design will be running an end of the year special you don't want to miss! 

All couture letterpress invitations will be 25% off.  In addition to this, Zenadia Design is also offering 10% off couture invitations that are offset printed, thermography printed, engraved or foil stamped.  (Not to be combined with the letterpress special).  The special will run until December 31st and is not limited to invitations, but also includes programs, menus, escort cards, thank you notes, etc.  For more information, please visit Zenadia Design's blog!  Have fun shopping guys...Zenadia Design's Wedding papers are beautiful!

 

Elle F Designs

 

I received an email from Leslie of Elle F Designs last week and I'm so glad I did...I immediately added her to The "J" List....Leslie designs the most beautiful and unique wedding cake toppers and I couldn't wait to share them with you today. Leslie shared with me that her wedding cake toppers are an update to the traditional bride and groom toppers of the past...they are hand-crafted and customize to the bride and groom's needs.  Leslie uses antique and vintage trims to create a truly unique, whimsical and modern take on an old idea.  Let's check out Leslie's beautiful toppers....Enjoy!

 

How cute are these...and how fun to top off your wedding cake!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leslie...thank you SO much for stopping by the cafe today and sharing your beautiful designs with us...I love them and one lucky TBC reader will have the pleasure to have one of Leslie's unique designs to top off their wedding cake....all you have to do is visit Leslie's site and check out her designs and leave a comment at TBC and let me know which one is your favorite.  I will announce the winner on Friday morning...have fun guys!

Bridal Portrait Session with Joy Thigpen

I thought it would be fun to do a feature on "Bridal Portrait Sessions" and after checking out the gorgeous images of Joy Thigpen and bride Kathleen...well, I just had to share it with you...Kathleen is GORGEOUS  and you can tell that she had so much fun at the shoot....Joy told me that the photo shoot took place eight months after Kathleen & Stephen's wedding...and on the day of the shoot, Stephen came home from a job interview and since he was looking so handsome, they talked him into getting in a few shots....let's check it out....Enjoy!

Joy shares a few tips with us......"If you are lucky enough to get to do a bridal portrait session before or after the wedding day, it can be a lot of fun.  Without the pressure or time constraints of the wedding day, you can have a really nice, relaxed shoot.  My very best tip is to start with a  glass of wine if the bride is up for it.  Most people aren't used to having their picture taken and this can go along way to help a bride relax and be herself.  Although, you'll probably want to make it a white wine if she's wearing her dress! 

I tend to relate to most brides as a photographer, yes, but also as a good friend.  In this  case, Kathleen is a close friend already so it was easy, but usually, I find brides are happy and open to relating to me in this way.  It wasn't that long ago that I was in their shoes and I find it helpful to tap into how their feeling.  I am also sensitive to the bride's personality and how she seems to be presenting herself to the camera....I try to work with that and as a photographer capture that in the most attractive way I see.  For me it's all about seeing the beauty that is before me."

Isn't Kathleen GORGEOUS....such pretty eyes!

Our handsome groom....Stephen!

Joy, thanks SO much for stopping by the cafe today and sharing all of the beautiful images with us and your "tips".....as always, your work is "picture perfect".......and thanks to Kathleen & Stephen.....we wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Real Nantucket Wedding: Piper & Mark

I am so excited about today's featured wedding....Piper & Mark.  Their wedding is filled with beauty...style...and grace and it looks as though they all had so much fun.  The amazing photographer who captured their beautiful day is the beautiful Zofia of Zofia Photography.  I love Zofia's weddings...they are always so unique and fun and always so very beautiful...Zofia is no stranger to TBC and I'm excited to have her back....Enjoy!

Meet Piper & Mark.....such a handsome couple....and here's their story...they were married on Nantucket on July 4th...Piper is a photographer from North Carolina and Mark is a horror book writer.  Their wedding was intimate and colorful....with a retro vibe and super fun!...Their friends and family all helped to pull it off....the wedding party went down to the beach where they threw wishes for the bride and groom (stones) into the water!

How cute is this...what a great idea guys!

Simply beautiful dresses...love them all!

Love the brooch....so elegant!

Zofia...thanks SO much for stopping by today and sharing Piper & Mark's beautiful Nantucket wedding with us....Guys, make sure you check out Zofia's blog to see more of her beautiful work..... and thanks to Piper & Mark...TBC wishes you all the happiness and joy!

Red Carpet Bridal Sale!

Calling all Brides....If you are in the New York area on today...Saturday, October 11th, between the hours of 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m...check out the "Red Carpet Bridal Sale" at 125 West 21st Street between 6th & 7th Avenues....I hear there maybe a few celebrities showing up...read more about it here!

Real Wedding: Jennifer & Eric

Happy Friday Guys....I hope you all have a wonderful weekend planned...let's start it off with the chic and stylish wedding of Jennifer & Eric.  Their beautiful wedding was sent to me the incredibly talented and I have to share with you...incredibly nice....Jeff Tisman!  As a matter of fact, I am happy to say that Jeff sent me a selection of gorgeous and fun weddings to share with you so he will be back at the cafe soon...but for now....let's enjoy Jennifer & Eric's beautiful celebration!!

Meet Jennifer & Eric...our "style couple"!

Beautiful gown and loving the hot pink shoes!

Jen's a beautiful bride....I love this shot of her!

What a "fun" shot with Eric!

Loving the "hot pink"...nice socks Eric!

How cute is this!

Thanks Jeff for stopping by the cafe today and sharing Jennifer & Eric's wedding with us...your work is beautiful and I love all the "fun shots".....guys make sure you check out Jeff's blog to see more of his gorgeous weddings and thanks to Jennifer & Eric...TBC wishes you a lifetime of happiness!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Real Wedding: Stephanie & Steve

I'm so excited to share Stephanie & Steve's wedding with you today and I'm also excited to welcome the beautiful and oh-so-sweet Michelle Kilgore of Weddings By Michelle, the amazing planner for their wedding....I love Michelle...she is a joy to work with it and her weddings are always so beautiful!

I'm also excited to introduce you to the beautiful work of Sam Hughes, the incredibly talented photographer who captured Stephanie & Steve's wedding story.  Sam's work is always "picture perfect" and he's a super nice guy to work with it....so make sure you check out his site...lots of gorgeous "eye candy" for you to see.  This is Sam and Michelle's first visit at TBC...so let's give them a huge TBC Welcome.....Enjoy!

Our feature couple....Stephanie & Steve!

What a gorgeous gown......

and I'm loving the beautiful sash and pin...so elegant!

 

All of the beautiful florals designed by Bloom!

Great shot Sam...Stephanie is a beautiful bride!

Cake designed by Gourmet Bake Shoppe...so very pretty!

Thanks Michelle and Sam for stopping by the cafe today and sharing Stephanie & Steve's beautiful wedding with us....we look forward to your next visit at the cafe...and thanks to Stephanie & Steve...we wish all the joy and happiness to you!

BeeGee Bags Winner!

And the winner is.........Kirstie Tweed...Congrats Kirstie!!....Kirstie said..."OH MY these are gorgeous. Thank you for telling us about them. I've been married for 7 years so I don't need one for my wedding but they are perfect for everyday use. I love how elegant and graphic they are. So very stylish. Thanks again for sharing these."

Kirstie...please email me at janie @ jmflora dot com and leave your mailing information.....and thanks to all the wonderful TBC readers for leaving such wonderful comments...we will have another fun giveaway soon!!