No 381: Real Wedding: Emily and Andrew

How fantastic is this wedding?! Emily and Andrew got hitched at a friend's palatial home in Woodbine, MD, and decorated the magnificent columns with a beautiful installation by the artist (and their close friend) Casey Johnson, the display coordinator at Anthropologie in Annapolis, MD. The gown was designed by Sarah Seven, whose Red Dress had me drooling just the other day. The groom, one of the talented videographers of Monachetti, actually filmed Justine Ungaro's wedding, and she in turn photographed his! Synergy can be fun! While the glorious altar decorations are pretty scene-stealing, I loved all the details of this singular wedding. The mason jars, the baby's breath wreath and the lush bouquets were small parts of a stunning whole.

No 380: the Tear Jerker

Need a little cathartic Sunday weep? Just check out Utterly Engaged's new Tear Jerker issue.

Image by Chennergy Weddings.

No 379: the Brown Bag Brownie

With Valentine's Day on the brain, I wanted to share this charming DIY project from Twig and Thistle, perfect for wrapping up a gooey brownie for your sweetheart. And those fabulous striped straws? Find them on Garnish in a myriad of colors!

No 378: the Dilemma

In every wedding-themed movie or reality TV show, there is a tormented scene in which a daft groom heads to a strip club, only to be admonished by his bride-to-be. While strip clubs have long been a dangerous minefield in relationships, I wanted to share my own view on this particular wedding etiquette dilemma.

Mr. Wonderful’s first foray into a strip club followed a long evening of drinking; after he poured me into bed, he and his best friend collected a small pile of singles and disappointed themselves at the locked doors of the Hustler Club. But never fear, he eventually made it into one.
And how glad I am.

There is no better way to send your sweetheart back into your loving arms than letting him run wild in a nudie bar. The women smell like sparkles, Britney Spear’s perfume and liquor, the abundance of breast jobs and lip fillers is frightening and Mr. Wonderful recalled his horror when the first “exotic dancer” removed her G-string.

We don’t look like porn stars, and believe me, the appeal of that cannot be overestimated. If your beloved and his buddies are set on a strip club to celebrate his final days of singledom, there’s no reason to object (although I suggest a couple of strong cocktails to steel yourself). A strip club will not change the way he feels about you; if anything, it will make him more worshipful of the gorgeous, loving woman at home. Your groom will spend the evening in the company of his buds, even if Destiny and Bambi are the entertainment.

Photo from weheartit.

No 377: the Stylish Bride, Part II

I love this fashion-forward reinterpretation of bridal white for Vogue Nippon's March issue, particularly the juxtaposition of eyelet lace lingerie and the innocent, fleecy lamb. Featuring the gorgeous Anja Rubik, these stunning photographs were captured by Camille Akrans and styled by Sissy Vian.

Images from Fashion Gone Rogue.

No 376: the Stylish Bride

This couple took their wedding bi-coastal, with one celebration in Los Angeles and the other in Manhattan. Each half was recently featured on Once Wed and Style Me Pretty, respectively, but the Big Apple fete caught my eye. I adore the black gown the unbearably chic bride wore, and the black and gold cake is divine!

Photo by Charlotte Jenks Lewis.

No 375: the Unbearable Sweetness of Letterpress

L.A.'s Sugar Paper was created by self-proclaimed traditionalists who loved letters, and as a girl who has always thrilled at creamy envelopes in the mail and Emily Post's Etiquette, I would have to confess to the same. Letterpressed and dreamy, their stationery is just so perfect. It's rare that I say "yes" to every single item, and Sugar Paper's online shop has received that distinction.

No 374: the Goody Bag

I thought I'd kick off this week with an image from the dreamy Winter Wonderland dessert buffet by The Inspired Bride and Bake it Pretty. These little favor bags are such a sweet way to say, "Thank you."

Photo by Michael Haug, prop styling by Kirki Schultz, food styling by Maddy Hague.

No 373: Real Wedding: Elizabeth and Stephane

When a food editor and wine connoisseur tie the knot in Napa, a delicious affair is sure to be the result, and Martha Stewart Weddings couldn't miss the opportunity to feature it. Kathy Hoffman Flowers designed the bouquet of peonies and garden roses and the centerpieces followed suit, emphasizing natural loveliness. The incredible meal, executed by Elizabeth Eckholt of VedaGreen, featured fingerling potato crisps topped with caviar, pumpkin squash soup with fried sage and brown butter, regional sable with heirloom-tomato butter and caper gremolata and for the main course, grass fed filet mignon with organic baby carrots. The cheese plate, starring regional favorites, included a Humboldt Fog goat with rose-petal jelly and Point Reyes blue with spiced pecans.

The bride's Oscar de la Renta gown served as inspiration for the cake, made by I Dream of Cake, and featured a tier of vanilla with raspberries and two of coconut. Nora's Patisserie created the rest of the amazing dessert spread, tempting guests with orange-blossom panna cotta, molten chocolate cakes, canneles, caramels with fleur de sel, honey madeleines, pumpkin and cardamom creme brulee, rosewater meringues with golden raspberries, meringues with red raspberries, hot chocolate and a do-it-yourself s'mores station. Favor boxes dressed up in white grosgrain ribbon and black glassine were printed with "Thank you for coming" in French and held pastel-hued macaroons by Mad Mac. The stunning evening was planned by Rebecca Feeney of Custom Event Group and beautifully photographed by Meg Smith.