I want to become a society lady Rockin' a new rock?!

Real Weddings:

Brittany and Jack’s San Francisco Wedding wedding

photography by Melanie Duerkopp

More than half of Brittany and Jack’s guest list were traveling from Texas– and the couple “wanted a wedding that was classic and sophisticated, but brought some San Francisco flare.” Old St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral and James Leary Flood Mansion gave them just that. Every Elegant Detail designed and planned the day that included classic details like the custom crest and stationery by Aerialist Press and towering white and green reception florals by Amy Burke Designs. Photographer Melanie Duerkopp was on hand to capture all the lovely details in these beautiful images.

Click to expand for more

How did you meet and get engaged?

Mutual friends introduced us/ “set us up”. The first time we ever met was going to a USC – Stanford game at Stanford with said friends. Brittany went to USC for undergrad and Jack went to Stanford for undergrad. Despite the college rivalry, and the fact that USC beat Stanford, they liked each other and the rest is history.

Jack had the ring for a few months. He was waiting for the right opportunity to propose. He decided he wanted to do it up in the Oakland Hills overlooking the San Francisco bay – the area where their relationship had strengthened. But, he wanted it to be a surprise and needed to find a way to keep it from Brittany. She is very plan oriented and hard to surprise! The day of, Jack told Brittany he needed to buy a new camera for work. Which made sense, because he had just started a new job as a Public Relations Manager, and he did need a camera to take good pictures for the company website. So they went to Target and bought Jack his new camera. Later that night, Jack had fully charged up the camera and suggested they go to the top of the Oakland Hills to see the skyline and take some pictures with the new camera. Brittany went along with no hesitation – it made sense to her that he would want to test out his new toy. At the top of the hill, they took some pictures of the beautiful skyline – it was a perfectly clear night in the bay – and then Jack popped the question! Brittany was completely surprised and caught off guard, but elated and obviously said yes!!

What did you like about your venue?

More than half the guest list was coming from out of town – mostly from Texas – and we wanted a wedding that was classic and sophisticated, but brought some San Francisco flare. When we first walked into Flood Mansion, the fact that our guest (and that WE!) could see such an amazing, sweeping view of the bay just took our breath away – who wouldn’t want to see such a picturesque view of the San Francisco bay on their wedding night, in the city that brought them together and nurtured their love for one another!? That was a huge selling point. The other was simply how gorgeous the venue was. The cocktail hour was stunning in the brick courtyard, the formal sit down dinner with long tables instead of round in the dining hall, and the set aside dance room where people could go crazy dancing! Flood Mansion is really just perfect, we were so excited it was available for us, and we are over the moon that we had such a fantastic wedding reception there!

What did you like about your wedding planner?

It wasn’t hard to find a wedding planner, since Brittany’s mom had been a wedding planner with Every Elegant Detail for 6 years by the time Brittany’s engagement came around. Even though it wasn’t really a choice, Every Elegant Detail was the perfect wedding planner to work with. Janece and Lori stay true to the name – they care about every detail and they will make your wedding the most elegant event you have ever attended! We were blown away by how organized and on top of things they were throughout the entire process. Additionally, when there were tough choices that had to be made, they were there to advise us and guide us through it all. Fast forward to the wedding night, we had a spare moment before we joined the party, we walked into our reception and Brittany just cried. They saw her vision, they added the Every Elegant Detail flare, and they made our reception venue the most perfect place in the world that night. We have never seen a room prettier than Flood Mansion on our wedding night, and we highly doubt we will ever see one better! Janece was cool, calm, and collected the entire day and got us all from point A and point B seamlessly – she even carried my phone and chapstick the whole night! I owe her and my mom nothing but gratitude for bringing to life the night of our dreams!

What was your favorite part of the day?

Jack – “ I actually can’t decide. Every moment of our wedding day was perfect! From seeing Brittany walk down the aisle for the first time, to cutting the cake with my new wife, to dancing the night away with my friends and my new family. It was all my favorite!”

Brittany – “My favorite party of the day was after the ceremony, we did some family pictures inside the church, and while we were doing that we asked everyone to stay on the front steps of the church to wait for us so we could take a group photo. When Jack and I walked out to the top of the steps and we saw all our friends and family that were there because they love us, that were so happy for us for just getting married, that were so excited to celebrate the rest of the night with us, and that were just outpouring love to us, it made me cry and it made me feel all the feels and it was my favorite part of the whole day. Feeling everyone support us and love us – I will never forget it, and I will keep that with me throughout our whole marriage – we have a team that is cheering for us and wants us to succeed.”

What was the most memorable moment of your reception?

Brittany and her Dad’s choreographed Father Daughter dance to Hot in Here and Bye Bye Bye was such a surprise to Jack he will never forget it, and so much fun to do that Brittany will never forget it.

What did you learn from it all?

Forget about all the planning, and just have the time of your life!! It is your day, your love, your friends and family. You are a little celebrity for one day. Embrace it and just enjoy it! It won’t happen again! Also, drink water – major dehydration can occur when you are trying not to pee in a huge wedding dress.

A wedding is a really momentous occasion – it literally moves mountains and changes lives, and it is a huge life decision. It brings two families together and makes them one, and with that brings a lot of emotions, both as a couple and with your respective families. But you know you are with the right person when throughout the whole process you have someone that supports you and just loves you. And you know your families are going to be okay when you see them having the best night ever on your wedding night. Engagement and the wedding was the best time of our lives and the most emotional time of our lives. People don’t talk about how emotional it all really is.

From Janece at Every Elegant Detail:

Brittany and Jack are one of those couples that exude elegance and fun all at the same time. These two wanted to have a chic, San Francisco wedding that also felt intimate for their closest family and friends. Jack grew up in the South and Brittany in California so having a wedding that brought all of their traditions together was a dream. The wedding party arrived at Old St. Mary’s Church in cable cars as friends and family arrived from across the country.  Brittany had chosen a timeless wedding gown from Anna Maier and Jack was equally well-dressed in a black tuxedo. The reception venue was an elegant mansion with stunning architecture that allowed guests to enjoy a cocktail hour with lounge furniture to encourage mingling with pops of French blue linens to accent the stone courtyard. Bringing together a color palette of neutrals, greens and blue worked well with the natural beauty of the Flood Mansion. Working with Amy Burke Designs to bring together the floral accents with tall arrangements filled with ample greenery and candles while guests dined at long tables. A sweet surprise was placed at each guest’s plate, a duo of French macarons from Pretty Please Bakeshop to end the meal. Brittany and Jack gave a heartfelt toast to guests prior to the cake cutting followed by some high energy dancing for the rest of the evening.

Wedding Planner: Every Elegant Detail // Photographer: Melanie Duerkopp // Florals: Amy Burke Designs // Invitations, Menu, Seating Chart And Personalized Crest: Aerialist Press // Wedding Venue: Old St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral // Reception Venue: James Leary Flood Mansion // Video: Andrew Hsu MSV Studios // Bride’s Gown: Anna Meier / Marina Morrison // Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Earrings: Designer Nadri // Necklace: Tiffany // Bride’s Hair and Makeup: Sarah Dean of Liner and Lace Beauty // Groom’s Tux: Hart Schaffner Marx // Grooms shoes: Florsheim // Grooms watch: Rolex // Rings: Padis Jewelry // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box // Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy / Bella Bridesmaids // Groomsmen attire: The Black Tux // Flower Girl Dress: Bella Bridesmaids // Catering: Melons // Bar: Smith’s Beverages // Cake & Favors: Pretty Please Bakery // Officiant: Fr. Tom Tavella // Rentals: Bright Party Rentals // Linens: La Tavola // Lighting: Got Light // DJ: Big Fun DJ // Wedding day tailor: The WeddingdeTailor // Honeymoon Planner: Katie Lee Travel Co.

 

We like
our sponsors

We think you will too.

Real Weddings:

Cara & Cameron Austin Wedding

featuring Allie Lindsey Photography

Cara and Cameron love traveling, music and trying new food and aptly sought inspiration for their destination wedding day from a William Shakespeare quote that reads “If music be the food of love, play on.” They planned an entire weekend of events in Austin, TX for their friends and family including a Bluegrass BBQ, a stunning ceremony at St. Mary’s Cathedral and a ballroom reception at Four Seasons Hotel Austin. Wedding coordination was by CAKE Event Company, romantic florals were by Color Theory Collective and calligraphy by Jen Krause Calligraphy. Allie Lindsey Photography was on hand to capture all the details in these inspiring film images.

Click to expand for more

What made the wedding special and unique? 

What really made our wedding special was that it wasn’t just the celebration on the wedding day, but an entire weekend of special events. We started off with group walk/run around Lady Bird Lake on Friday morning and in the evening, hosted a Bluegrass BBQ equipped with the best local BBQ from Leroy and Lewis and musical entertainment from a local Austin Bluegrass band, Steel Betty. The day after the wedding we hosted a Gospel Brunch at a cool office space where we enjoyed some Sunday gospel tunes and Austin’s famous Breakfast Tacos.

We currently live in Southern California and looked at many venues in our area, however nothing really felt like “us.” While visiting Austin, our home away from home, my brother suggested we visit St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Four Seasons on a whim. We had to laugh because as soon as we stepped foot into the church and the hotel, we knew that Austin was the place for us. Our friends and family are scattered throughout the United States, so it was also the perfect central meeting ground for all of our guests!

What I feel is most unique about our wedding weekend was that although there were over 180 guests, it still felt very intimate and personal. I loved being able to look around and see people who didn’t know each other one day earlier dancing together on the dance floor, laughing with each other and making those lasting memories that stick with you forever.

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

Growing up, I never had a true vision for my wedding dress. I teetered from lace to mermaid gowns to princess and A-line so when it came to actually try on dresses, I felt like I was all over the place! I scheduled appointments at a few different stores in Los Angeles, and when we got to Monique Lhullier, my mom, sister and I picked out a few dresses and headed into the fitting room. And then, there it was! It was like a match made in wedding Heaven…this beautiful dress hanging in the perfect lighting left behind by the previous soon-to-be bride trying on dresses. The instant I tried it on, I cried. I knew it was the dress for me. It was whimsical, romantic and elegant. The floral lace bodice that ran into a silk tulle skirt was stunning. It fit perfectly with my personality and romance of the day.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

We love traveling, music and trying new food, and sought inspiration from a William Shakespeare quote that read “If music be the food of love, play on.” Throughout the weekend, we made sure that music was very much the constant theme and focus of our wedding festivities, whether it was the Bluegrass band at our welcome party, Drywater Band at our wedding, the playlist at our rehearsal dinner or the Gospel band at our brunch. Some other personal touches we added were a traditional Irish bagpiper that guided us from cocktail hour into our reception, our invitation suite I designed with my mom and sister, our sweet niece and nephews walking down the aisle, the “First Look” I got to have with my dad before we headed to the church, His and Her’s cocktails, a handwritten seating chart, handwritten name tiles and romantic floral arrangements of different flower, shapes and sizes.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

The most memorable part of the day was walking down the aisle to my groom. I was so excited to see Cameron for the first time and he looked so handsome (and excited) on the altar and the second we locked eyes, we both started crying. In that moment, I knew we would be together forever and there was no better feeling in the world!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met through mutual friends and started dating shortly after. We would take weekly dates on the Santa Monica bluffs where we would pack a picnic and watch the sunset. Cameron and I have explored the world together and gone to many different countries to taste exotic foods. We love going to concerts and experiencing new things together.

During our Europe trip in 2016, our first stop was Paris, France. We started the day off with sightseeing and then had our first Afternoon Tea! After Tea, we walked over to the Pon de Bir-Hakeim, which has a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. As the sun was setting, Cameron got down on one knee and proposed. Little did I know, he also reached out to an American photographer living in Paris who captured everything on film! The next day, we flew to Barcelona to meet up with some of our friends from back home who had already known about the engagement! It was so special to be able to celebrate such an exciting time with both Cameron and some of our closest friends.

 

Photography: Allie Lindsey Photography // Coordinator: CAKE Event Company // Florist: Color Theory Collective // Calligraphy: Jen Krause Calligraphy // Venue: Four Seasons Hotel Austin // Videographer: Photohouse Films // Makeup: Makeup by Adrienn // Lighting: PSAV // Linens: La Tavola Linen // Welcome Party & Brunch Rentals: Premiere Event Rentals // Band: The Drywater Band // Welcome Party Band: Steel Betty Band // Photo Booth: Moviewhip // Church: St. Mary’s Cathedral

 

Real Weddings:

Meghan and Austin’s wedding at Bridgestreet Gallery and Lofts

photography by Mandy Busby

Meghan and Austin were set to be married on the bride’s parent’s property with a wildflower backdrop and a reception under the stars. But strong chances of thunderstorms pushed the couple in a different direction and just two days before the wedding, they moved the event to Bridgestreet Gallery and Lofts. The venue lent a clean backdrop to their style—”genuine, warm, laid back and a touch European.” A talented group of vendors lead by planners at Artistry created the simple and beautiful details including florals by Laura McCarty of Marked, invitation design by Kathleen Varner, and treats by Baking Bandits. See all the lovely details in these images captured by the incredibly talented Mandy Busby.

Click to expand for more

What made the wedding special and unique? 

We wanted our wedding day to feel genuine, warm, laid back and a touch European. Our ceremony and reception were originally planned to take place on my parents’ property. I wanted the setting to hold meaning. The backdrop was going to be a little hill of wildflowers and the reception to be under the stars (like the night Austin proposed to me), but two days before there was a switch over because of a huge chance of thunderstorms. We were able to move everything over to a venue in Birmingham that lent a clean backdrop. We still took all of our portraits on the property and I got dressed that morning in my bedroom at my parents’ house. I went barefoot and chose an anklet over a bouquet. I adore flowers but decided I’d rather not deal with having to carry flowers. So we made the altar florals the focal point. We chose not to have a bridal party. Just my sister and his brother stood beside us during our ceremony. We did both have a handful of our dear friends spend the day with us though.

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

My gown is an Amy Kuschel gown. I wanted my dress to be simple and comfortable with movement. I actually ended up buying the sample dress that was a size 8 and altering it to a 0. I saved so much doing it that way.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

As a wedding vendor myself it was so so special getting to hire the help of so many dear dear friends…two of my best friends sang at our ceremony, two friends did my hair and makeup, a friend styled the wedding, a friend made pastries, a friend did the florals, and on and on and on. Every detail felt personal and loved on because of it.

We did end up writing our own vows and we’re both so glad we took the time to do it. We now have them framed on our walls as sweet reminders to the weightiness and power of the promises we’ve made to one another.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Our ceremony was hands down our favorite part! We put a lot of thought into the music and layout. Our prayer was that the day would be focused on the Gospel and not on us, and that people would leave knowing how loved and appreciated they were.

I think that first hug we shared after our ceremony is really special to us as well and our photographer captured it so perfectly!!

Tell us how you met and became engaged!

Austin actually heard my voice before he met me. I sang the national anthem at my little brother’s high school football game. He had started working for my dad’s accounting firm a couple of months before and then got brought on to help my dad coach football in the evenings (since he had coached a little bit after playing in college). My brothers were such a fan of him and it kind of just developed from there. After dating for a year, Austin proposed on my parents’ pier under the stars.

Photographer: Mandy Busby // Design and Coordination: Augusta Cole and Keighlee Buchanan of Artistry // Floral Design: Laura McCarty of Marked // Invitation Design: Kathleen Varner // Invitation Handwriting (bride and groom’s names): Laura McCarty of Marked // Calligraphy (envelopes: Bride’s sister) // Ceremony/Reception Venue: Bridgestreet Gallery and Lofts // Pre-wedding Venue: The Bride’s home/family property // Bride’s Dress: Amy Kuschel // Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Hair and Make Up: Molly Stilley and Joanna Ballentine of Irrelephant // Catering: Slice Pizza // Treats:  Baking Bandits // Wedding Musicians: Act of Congress

 

Real Weddings:

Zanny and Noah’s wedding at Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman

photography by Benj Haisch

Zanny and Noah’s “Glampin” wedding is a vibrant, rainbow-hued celebration of love and life, nature and art. The Washington state celebration planned by Simply by Tamara Nicole took place at the breathtaking Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman. From the waterfront ceremony, to the “hike-to-reception” in the forest, no detail was left unimagined. The art-loving couple hand-made almost all of the decor with textured papers, screen printing and fabrics. Paisley Petals created the glorious cutting-garden summer floral arrangements, arbor, spectacular bridal bouquet and a delightful “DIY bouquet” table for the bridal party while they were getting ready. There’s just so much summer-goodness to love about Zanny and Noah’s big day and Benj Haisch was on hand to capture it all in these beautiful images.

Click to expand for more

from the planners: Noah and Zanny’s wedding was one full of love, and they had the most close knit tribe I have seen at a wedding. You can tell they are loved, and also love on their people hard! I don’t think you can find a more picturesque place to say I do than where they did, on the beach below the trees at Lake Cushman for their “Glampin” wedding.

They had SO many personal touches for their wedding, which doesn’t surprise me as they love art, and Noah is an artist in CA. They made almost all of the decor for their wedding. From all of the fun signs made with patterned paper and wood, to the table numbers, and pretty much everything. They were married by their close friend, and each had 11 bridespeople and groomspeople standing on each side (half of which were barefoot as well). Noah is known as “No Shoes Noah” so it only made sense that others joined in to the shoes optional wedding! As they were getting ready, Paisley Petals created a “DIY bouquet” station at the cabin where Zanny and her party were getting ready.

For the ceremony, we laid down some blue patterned fabric as the aisle runner, and flanking the aisle were wood benches from Seattle Farm Tables and bamboo chairs, and greenery placed by Paisley Petals. At the front of the aisle stood a birch arch adorned in colorful wild blooms, with the lake behind. They had their friends play a song with guitar and vocals, and of course had their pup there with them as well!

After the ceremony, the guests followed the party through the trails up the hill to an area surrounded in tall trees, with string lights strung above them, and craft cocktails made by Ravishing Radish for cocktail hour. They created their own escort cards and had them all strung like a clothesline from a ladder and it was so colorful!

In addition to their wedding cake by Corina Bakery, they had friends and family bake so many fun goodies to add to the dessert table (on a killer wagon from Vintage Ambiance!). They made the sign for this too, like all of the signs at the wedding. “Treat Yourself” in fun patterned colorful paper. They even made their own signs for the restrooms “Gender Neutral Restroom.” Also, as it was a wedding in the woods (bugs!) we created a cute little corner with bug spray and a fun sign they made “Be Smitten, Not Bitten!” For after the wedding, they had a campground after-party (because most people were camping at the site!) for which their sign read “Let the wild rumpus start! After Party”.

As guests entered the tent, they took their seats at the long farm tables and benches from Seattle Farm Tables, adorned with various bud vases and candles that Zanny and her family collected themselves. SO many candles and vases, and full of fun bright flowers from Paisley Petals :) Each guest had their name hand-stamped on fun patterned and colored paper by the couple themselves!

Instead of going right into dinner, they had a dance set first and EVERYONE was on the dance floor, it was packed! You could just feel the love and closeness as we had like 8 speeches scattered throughout the dinner (amazing food by Ravishing Radish!). Then they danced the night away under the stars, light and RAIN (outside the tent) to the rad music by Side One Band. They even had some friends that are musicians perform their music and it was SO GOOD. At the end of the night, guests stood in the rain with sparklers for the send off, and were sent with adorable smore’s kits made by the couple.

Photography: Benj Haisch // Planning: Simply by Tamara Nicole // Flowers: Paisley Petals // Venue: Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman // Cake: Corina Bakery // Hair and Makeup, Décor, Signs etc. Bride and Groom // Catering/Bar: Ravishing Radish // Rentals: Vintage Ambiance // Rentals: CORT Party Rental // Rentals: Seattle Farm Tables // Band: Side One Band

 

Real Weddings:

Kenica and Bryon’s wedding at Keswick Vineyards

featuring J&D Photo

Arizona transplants, Kenica and Bryon, recently moved to Virginia and wanted to plan an epic destination wedding for all their west coast friends and family. The couple decided on the gorgeous Keswick Vineyards with blue skies, a fabulous courtyard and vineyard views. The location was the perfect backdrop to the couples vibrant wedding style which included details in every shade of blue and raspberry pinks. Planning and coordination was by  Kate Phillips Events with florals by Tourterelle Floral Design and it’s all captured in these lovely images by J&D Photo.

Click to expand for more

 

Photography: J&D Photo // Planning + coordination: Kate Phillips Events // Florals: Tourterelle Floral Design // Venue: Keswick Vineyards // Wedding Dress Boutique: Urban Set Bride // Wedding Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero // Hair: Emerald DC // Makeup: Janasee Estep // Cake + Desserts: Kathy’s Favorite Cakes // Catering: Harvest Moon // Tent: Skyline Tent Company // Ceremony Musicians: Forest Hill Trio via East Coast Entertainment // Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka // DJ: TD Layman // Eclectic Rentals: Paisley & Jade // Additional Rentals: MS Events