Real Wedding: Allison and Mark, Part 1

This charming sunny yellow wedding was held at The Atwood Ranch in Glen Ellen, California. The couple and their guests had the gorgeous 170-acre private estate to themselves for the day. Vineyards, mountains, grassy fields, a pond and a barn made for a romantic off-the-beaten-path affair overlooking Sonoma Valley. The bride and groom are both graphic designers, and infused tons of homemade charm and details into the wedding to really make it feel personal and "like them". The fantastic details of the day were coordinated by Julie Atwood and captured by captured by Shelly Kroeger of Union Photography. Via Project Wedding.

The couple, both graphic designers, designed the paper elements themselves, using scans of fabric, their own handwriting, rubber stamps and illustrations.
Allison wore a couture bridal gown by Amsale with a sculpted lace bust and A-line silhouette.
The bride’s bow-adorned sling-backs.



I am in love with Allison’s lush bouquet. All of the floral arrangements were designed by Anne Appleman.


The bridesmaids chose their own knee-length yellow dresses. Good choices!
Sherbert colored parasols offered guests shade from the California sun.



Allison walked down the aisle to The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” played by guitarist David Blakey. Blakey played songs with the word “sun” in them throughout the ceremony.







The fun couple bike off to the cocktail-hour location.

All photos by Union Photography via Project Wedding.
Tomorrow I will be featuring tons of the handmade reception details from this sunny wedding...

Blog Love: Highlighted on Stylish Events

Yesterday Stylish Events blog featured Marry You Me as one of the wedding blog highlights she's been doing. Apparently I'm in good company: The other wedding blogs that have been highlighted include Brooklyn Bride, 100 Layer Cake, and Once Wed. I was so honored and flattered when I read and saw this:

From Stylish Events: "Coming across this wedding blog felt like finding a hidden treasure. I absolutely adore the name of the blog and how it came to be. You’ll have to stop by Marry You Me to read the story. The best part about this blog is the real weddings that are featured on a regular basis. They seriously rival the ones on Style Me Pretty {which is a very big deal if you didn’t know}."

I love the collage she made!

Then Stylish Events named their Top 5 Favorite Posts from Marry You Me:
1. Bride and Groom Session: Mallory and Josh
2. Real Wedding: Pam and Anthony
3. Real Wedding: Kelsey and Brandon
4. Real Wedding: Maria and Robbie
5. Engagement Pics: Liz and Andy’s soda shop love

WOW! Thank you so much Stylish Events!! : )

Real Wedding: Kim and Mel

Once I came across this wedding I knew I had to share it. Beautiful bride, amazing Monique Lhuillier gown, happy couple, and balloons! Kim and Mel were married in May at La Crescenta Presbyterian Chruch in Cresenta, California, with the reception at Calamigos Equestrian Center in Burbank. The incredible photos were taken by Chenin Boutwell of Boutwell Studio. From Chenin: "Back in May I shot what I've affectionately referred to as the "mystery wedding" of Kim and Mel. I called it this because, until the Big Day, I hadn't met or spoken with the bride and groom, nor had I even heard of their wedding location. Weddings like this always make me a little nervous but I knew everything would be splendid once I met the adorable Kim and her absolutely wonderful Monique Lhuillier gown!"




I love the fact that Kim wore a dress that you would see in a fashion spread in a wedding magazine! She looks amazing!!












All photos by Boutwell Studio.

DIY: Paper lace garland

This DIY is perfect for the bride who is going for a vintage, shabby chic, or DIY feel. A doilie garland - so simple and lovely! Via Project Wedding.


Supplies You'll Need:
1. Doilies, assorted sizes: Paper doilies come in a variety of diameters, the larger the diameter the easier it will be to align each doily half while sewing the garland. For added variation, try alternating between small and large sizes. Use the size of the doilies to estimate how many you'll need for the desired length of your garland. Since we'll be cutting them in half, one doily will create twice the diameter in garland length.
2. Double fold bias tape (fabric stores will have this tape)
3. Thread to match bias tape
4. Scissors or paper cutter
5. Sewing machine

Directions:
1. Cut doilies in half: You can fold one in half first to determine the center, and then use it as a guide for cutting the others.
2. Prepare to sew: If you've purchased bias tape, iron out any creases in the bias tape resulting from it's packaging. Pinning doilies in place prior to sewing is an option, however I found it easiest and most efficient to position each doily while sewing.
3. Sew the garland: Sandwich the doily halves between the fold of the bias tape, placing them end to end, and carefully sew along the edge of the bias tape.

Bride and Groom Session: Mallory and Josh

Know that you'll be crunched for time on your wedding day? With all the family photos and group shots and running around, there might not be time for enough pics of you and your man - I know there wasn't on our wedding day! Consider a "day-after"portrait session with just the two of you, or pre-wedding portrait sessions called "Bridals" when they just feature the bride, "Groomals" when they just feature the groom, or "Bride and Groomals" when feature both bride and groom. Once popular mainly in Utah, Bride and Groomal sessions are gaining popularity with brides and grooms who want a relaxed photo session in a different location. This stunning photo session of Mallory and Josh was done by Rebekah Rebekah Westover Photography. It was shot on a day with the "weirdest weather ever. There were no clouds, and it was sunny. But it was raining at the same time!! (That's what all the white specks are in the photos)." The result is pure loveliness.


















All photos by Rebekah Westover Photography.