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Real Weddings:

Katherine and Howard’s Birmingham Wedding

featuring Davy Whitener Photography

Bride Katherine—who works in landscape architecture and formerly at flower magazine—knew florals would play a major role in her hometown Birmingham wedding to Howard. The couple enlisted Holly Carlisle of ROSEGOLDEN whose artistic work “glorifies the wild beauty and unpredictability of plants and never tries to fight it.” They also brought on Mariee Ami to help plan the rest of the cool-weather celebration in rich blues and greens, with golden accents and velvet ribbons setting that back drop for arching branches, shades of white blooms, lots of greenery, and pine cones from Katherine’s dad’s farm.  Davy Whitener Photography was on hand working his magic and capturing all the lovely details in his signature fine art style.

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From the bride: When Howard and I started planning our wedding, we really didn’t have a vision for what the day would look like. We just knew that we wanted to be surrounded by family and friends, and we wanted everyone to have a great time. We feel so lucky to have found each other and were excited to celebrate in a big way!

So with no real direction, the first thing we did was bring on Mariee Ami to plan the event – Neillie Butler, owner of Mariee Ami, is a longtime family friend and was actually my boss one summer in college. It was extra special to have Neillie and her team work their magic for us.

Our next move was to line up a florist. I work for a landscape architecture firm and formerly worked for flower magazine. The one thing I did know going into the planning process, is that I wanted the flowers to be special. I’ve been Instagram stalking Holly Carlisle of Rosegolden’s work for some time and was thrilled when we were able to bring her on board. Her work glorifies the wild beauty and unpredictability of plants and never tries to fight it—she’s an artist.

We decided to get married in my hometown, Birmingham, Alabama, and settled on a date in January. We both love being outdoors and would have enjoyed having at least part of the festivities outside—but we didn’t want to wait for spring, and January in Alabama can be balmy one day and frigid the next. We huddled with the team and ultimately decided to bring the outdoors in with a kind of enchanted forest aesthetic. Rich blues and greens, with golden accents and velvet ribbons set that back drop for arching branches, shades of white blooms, lots of greenery, and pine cones from my dad’s farm. It was magical.

Overall, the weekend was just perfect. We felt surrounded by love and we had so much fun. It is a testament to the team we worked with, that we truly got to enjoy each other and our friends and family, and didn’t have a care in the world on wedding day. So many thoughtful and special details were expertly woven into this event; it was more wonderful than we could have hoped for. And thank goodness for these gorgeous photos by Davy Whitener, lest we ever forget what a blessed day (and epic party) we had.

Photography: Davy Whitener Photography // Planner & Paper Goods: Mariee Ami // Floral Design: ROSEGOLDEN by Holly Carlisle // Ceremony: Canterbury United Methodist Church // Reception: Mountain Brook Club (Birmingham, AL) // Wedding Dress: Lian Carlo // Wedding Dress Shop: Carriage House Weddings // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Cake: Barb’s Cakes // Ribbon: Frou Frou Chic // Band: Atlanta Showstoppers // Linen: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental // Catering: Mountain Brook Club

 

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Real Weddings:

Maggie and Leo’s Pink Hawaiian wedding

featuring Stella Yang Photography

Baby pink meets paradise in Maggie and Leo’s Four Seasons Resort Oahu wedding. The couple, both from China, met while studying in the US and including both cultures in their celebration was important to the couple. Hawaii was a natural choice for the location as it was a beautiful middle ground for travel and hiring planner Manna Sun Events ensured the couple the beautiful wedding of their dreams. Passion Roots created the pink and white florals and modern-glam installations, Blush Type and Hawaii Calligraphy created invitations and day of paper and signage while Gathered Confections was responsible for the stunning tiered cake. Lucky for us, Stella Yang Photography was on hand to capture all the details in these dreamy images.

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Deatination wedding, Hawaii wedding, Four seasons hotel wedding, Island wedding, bride aznd groom, Film photography

Photographer: Stella Yang Photography // Wedding Planning: Manna Sun Events // Florist: Passion Roots // Invitation Suites: Blush Type // Venue: Four Seasons Resort Oahu // Calligraphy: Hawaii Calligraphy // Bakery: Gathered Confections // Makeup Artist: Glamour by Kary Li // Wedding Dress: Rossa Clara // Reception Dress: Marchesa Notte // Bride’s Shoes: Rene Caovilla / Christian Louboutin // Rings: Harry Winston // Groom’s Attire: Dolce & Gabbana, Dior Homme // Groom’s Shoes: Hugo Boss // Bridesmaid Dress: Jenny Yoo // DJ: Troy Michael Wedding DJ // Videographer: byDesign Film // Rentals: Event Accents // Decor Accents: Mood Events // Linens: The Wedding Linen Company // Film lab: The Find Lab // Ring Box: The Mrs Box

Real Weddings:

Carly and Dave’s wedding at La Quinta Country Club

featuring Michelle Kyle Photography

Carly and Dave’s first date was a bust—Dave got sick and his car was towed—but it was meant to be and, for better or worse, they’ve been together ever since! The couple tied the knot in a modern celebration at La Quinta Country Club in Palm Springs. HoneyFitz Events planned the day filled with tropical and luscious greens by Little Hill Floral Design that reminded the couple of their favorite vacation spots. An understated color palette highlights all the stand-out details like the graphic acrylic seating chart affixed to a topiary wall and white blooms dancing around the custom neon signage. We love the bold, happy vibes and lucky for us Michelle Kyle Photography  was on hand to capture it all!

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Having all of  their closest family and friends together to celebrate with them!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Carly’s Wedding Gown is Pronovias and was purchased at The White Dress in Newport Beach. She was immediately drawn to the unique lace and illusion panels on the side.

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What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Touches of tropical and luscious greens reminded them of their favorite vacation spots — including Palm Springs. The Chuppah Canopy was hand-sewn by the groom’s mom. Carly’s wedding gown had lace from her mom’s wedding gown sewn on the inside.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Stomping on the glass and making it official!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Carly and Dave met at a bar — Palihouse in West Hollywood, CA. After having one of the worst first dinner dates — Dave got sick and his car was towed — they have been together ever since!

Planner: HoneyFitz Events // Photographer: Michelle Kyle Photography // Florist: Little Hill Floral Design // Signage & Paper Goods: Simply Stated Stationery // Ceremony & Reception Venue:  La Quinta Country Club // Wedding Gown: Pronovias from The White Dress in Newport Beach // First Look/Hotel Block: La Quinta Resort and Spa // Entertainment: Dart Collective // Rentals: Signature Party Rentals // Makeup: Make-up by Hailey // Videography: Viken Photography

 

Planning Tools:

Entertainment planning tips!

How to plan for the best reception entertainment!

Planning an entertainment-filled wedding? Lucky you! Check out these insider hacks from our friends at Alive Network for getting the best on your big day: 

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Go with your heart

Your wedding entertainment should celebrate the things you both love in life, reflecting your style, personalities, tastes and experiences together, setting the tone for your day. You could choose a string quartet that perform a track from your favourite film, or a band that remind you of your first gig together.

Venue logistics

Once you’ve decided on your entertainment, check logistics with your venue. Consider the size, lineup, and volume of the band, for example. Some venues have curfews and sound restrictions, which they should make you aware of so you can plan your celebrations.

Early bird…

Book your artist early to avoid disappointment. Many live bands are booked 18-months to 2 years in advance, so get in quick to guarantee your dream day.

Added options

To get the most from your artist, check whether they offer additional extras, like daytime sets, free DJ sets between their evening party performances, or whether they’ll learn a new song specially for your spine-tingling first dance. 

Your wedding will be filled with moments you’ll cherish forever! What are some of your best tips and tricks? Let us know below!

Photography Credit // Andrew Billington

Trend Report:

How to Buy the Perfect Engagement Ring— Without Breaking the Bank

Engagement rings are a big ticket item. For most people, engagement rings are one of the biggest purchases they’ll ever make. And it’s easy to see why people are ready to drop a lot of cash on their ring— after all, engagement rings are meant to symbolize everlasting love and people want the quality of their ring to reflect that. Plus, diamonds appreciate over time, so engagement rings are also an investment purchase that people want to get right. 

So, what exactly are people spending on engagement rings? Across the US, the average amount spent on an engagement ring is $6,351. Though, the amount spent per state ranges from $3,518 to $10,241, with the lowest average coming from Utah and the priciest coming from California. 

While it’s good to consider how much people are spending on their engagement rings, it’s also important to remember that your budget doesn’t have to hit that average number. Every person’s unique situation is different— the most important thing about your engagement ring budget is that it’s comfortable for you. No one wants to start a marriage with strained finances or debt. 

So, how do you buy the perfect engagement ring when you’re working within a budget? We partnered with Fancy Lab to answer that question! The first thing you should do is make sure you know exactly what your budget is. Some people have a range they look within and some people just set a hard upper limit. To figure out your budget, just take an honest look at your finances and think about what you’d be completely comfortable spending.

Once you know your budget, it’s time to start shopping around. If you’ve never bought an engagement ring before, you might not know that engagement ring settings are usually sold separately from the engagement ring’s center stone (which is, traditionally, a diamond). So, keep that in mind while you’re shopping. 

If you’re shopping online, most retailers have handy filters that will allow you to only look at settings or diamonds within certain price ranges. But one online retailer, the luxury jeweler RockHer has taken diamond “filtering” up a notch with their online diamond concierge, ROSI. 

ROSI, a combination of algorithm and AI (powered by IBM’s Watson!), was designed by the team at RockHer to help make what used to be a very difficult shopping decision very simple. Essentially, ROSI works by getting a few pieces of information from whoever’s using her, then sorting through thousands of diamonds and showing the user only the very best ones within their criteria. So, in a nutshell, ROSI helps you find the best diamond within your budget, taking all the confusion and work out of the diamond shopping process. Plus, she does it faster than even an expert gemologist could.

And RockHer is a full stop shop— you can use ROSI to find your ideal diamond and then pair that diamond with your ideal setting right away (or vice versa). They have every imaginable setting style, from intricate vintage settings to sleek modern rings. 

So, the answer to the question of “how to buy the perfect engagement ring without breaking the bank?” Figure out your budget then use ROSI, an AI advanced digital diamond gemologist, to help you sort through the rubble and find your perfect ring.