Junebug's Wedding Blog - Celebrating the Best in Wedding Style, Fashion, Photography and Decor : real weddings

Sparkling Pink and Gold Nashville Real Wedding - Shruthi and Peter

admin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

From the sparkling gold and pink wedding color palette, to the bride's incredible sari-inspired wedding dress, to the ultra cool Nashville venue, OZ, Shruthi and Peter's wedding has got our hearts racing! Check out their story and unique approach to including all the things they love into their big day...

The Goals: My husband and I wanted our wedding day to be all about celebrating our new life together as husband and wife, with dear friends and family. As cliche as it may sound, we would definitely say our love was our inspiration. We really wanted our wedding to reflect both of us!

The Look: My wedding dress was custom made for me by Adela Saldana, a seamstress at VIP Occasions (a bridal boutique in Chicagoland). Before I even started trying on dresses, I was watching a Bhairava Jaikishan runway show and it happened…. I saw this sari, and that was that. I absolutely loved it and how elegant the draping over the shoulder was. I knew it was exactly what I wanted.

After trying on numerous dresses, I began to realize that I wasn’t finding anything similar to the Jaikishan sari. I didn't have “that moment” where you “just know” that it’s the dress for you. I decided to sit down and try to draw out exactly what my dream dress would be like. Incredibly, Adela was able to construct my wedding dress from my sketch. Since she was all the way in Chicago (and I was in Nashville), it was an extremely big risk but I decided to go through with it anyway. I had just one measurement session with her, gave her the sketch, and explained what I envisioned. Approximately two weeks before the wedding, I went to Adela’s home to see the dress and to do my one and only fitting. It was terrifying. My MOH brought the dress down with her the week of the wedding and that was the first time I saw the finished dress. I tried it on and didn’t want to take it off. It was absolutely perfect and I would not have done anything differently!

The Design: The various placement of maps (the sign on the welcome table, bridesmaids’ pinwheels, wrapping of the favors, cupcake toppers) was inspired by our love for travel. We both want to do lots and lots of traveling together! There was even a very small private airport across the way, which was fitting because my husband and I were dating long distance for a little more than 5 years so we took lots of trips to the airport. It was amazing to have an airport involved on a day that bonded us together forever!

We love music/clothing/films from the 1960s and all things vintage, which really influenced the music that was played, the bridesmaid dresses, my makeup, hair and shoes. The term “vintage modern” has often been used by friends and family to describe the look and feel of our wedding. Peter’s suit was certainly vintage inspired due to its fitted look and slim fit.

Lastly, I was born in south India (100% Indian, yeah!) so I definitely wanted to tie my heritage in. Gold is a very common color in Indian décor and Indian weddings which is why I incorporated so much gold and sparkle into the styling of our wedding. My dress was designed to be a fusion of a wedding gown and a sari. The jewelry in my hair and the bindi on my forehead that I wore for part of the wedding is also traditional for Indian brides to wear.

The Moments: Shruthi: My favorite memory of the day was being hidden away from everyone while drinking our absolutely delicious signature cocktail before we made our entrance as husband and wife (and danced the night away)!

Peter: My favorite memory was getting out on the dance floor with my new woman! It was all a favorite memory.

The Pros: To learn all about the many wedding professionals who contributed to Shruthi and Peter's wedding day, but sure to visit their page in our Real Weddings Library!

Thank you so much Shruthi and Peter!

Music Inspired Brooklyn Wedding - Melanie and Aaron

admin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Melanie and Aaron's music filled wedding in Brooklyn had a completely unique time-line and structure, but it fit them to a T! They celebrated their differences and honored their respective passions with an intimate and sacred wedding ceremony, followed by a family focused brunch, and later a full blown live-music concert reception, all within blocks of their beloved Brooklyn home. Brilliant!

The Goals: Aaron and I had been together for a little over 7 years when we decided it was finally time to make things official, and our wedding (like our lives) ended up an awesome clash of cultures! Although we had already built an incredible life together in Brooklyn and knew we wanted to get married in Brooklyn, from there, our expectations and desires could not have been more different. Aaron is a jazz pianist from suburban New York City and comes from a very traditional religious background, so he knew he wanted a traditional ceremony and couldn't really visualize anything beyond that. I'm an only child (now lawyer) with an incredibly supportive Midwest-based family who definitely all know how to have a good time. All I wanted was a BIG party where everyone would feel comfortable and included. Given that I have no musical ability whatsoever, I also wanted to show off all of our super, super-talented musician friends!

The Design: We started the day with a smaller intimate ceremony, accompanied by brunch, that was meant to be a tribute to tradition and family. We chose the Prospect Park Picnic House because we live two blocks from the park and it's been a really important part of our lives together (we went to a concert in the park the day we met in 2004!). I incorporated my family in the day by using family heirloom lace under all of our gorgeous centerpieces and framed photos from past family weddings, and both of our families mingled and danced to our friends playing traditional Jewish/klezmer music. That night we hosted a much larger party at the Bell House, a music venue we love and which also happens to be within walking distance from our apartment. The party had very few traditional wedding characteristics -- basically, delicious appetizers, small plates and desserts were passed continuously throughout the night to the backdrop of a showcase of our amazing friends' bands. For decorations, our floral designer reused the centerpieces from earlier in the day, embellishing them with candles to add to the mood, and we covered the bulletin boards at the Bell House with printed photos of our friends and family (which turned out to be amazing conversation pieces throughout the night!). I also incorporated our friends' talents in not just the day's music, but also in all of our paper design (escort cards, table numbers, programs and donation/favor cards) which was done by a sorority sister of mine, the fabulous "concert" posters which were designed by a good friend of both Aaron and myself and lighting consultation from my best friend from high school who happens to be an electrician on a touring Broadway show!

All in all, we're thrilled because everyone came away from that day understanding us, but also fully understanding our love and appreciation for one another, our friends and our families.

The Look: I stumbled upon BHLDN when it was still very new and just loved its style, so I ended up buying my shoes on the website on clearance during the spring before our wedding.They seemed perfect for a winter park wedding and they were. For my dress, after visiting a few standard dress stores, I went to BHLDN’s store in Houston (the only one open at that time) when I was visiting my dad and stepmom who happened to live there. My dress was maybe the third one I tried on there and I just loved the flow of it. As corny as it is, it just felt right, and everyone in the room said I looked different in it. I ended up altering the base of the dress to be more park-friendly, but otherwise, it was perfect. The other accessories (sweater, sash and hair piece) just sort of fell into place.

For Aaron, I actually did have a few ideas for his style, but he completely styled himself. He wanted a traditional black suit and the one he got worked beautifully.

The Moments: The double event day made us all nervous. It was unusual and seemed to be confusing for people - what would they do for 5 hours between brunch and the evening party? Whatever reservations people had, however, melted away that day! First of all, it gave Aaron and me the ability to show off our personalities in such a personal and special way through the two events, but it was particularly awesome what ended up happening in between. Our families completely bonded at the bar (a.k.a., my cousin’s hotel room!) while Aaron and I had plenty of time to take couple pictures, go home, put on jeans and order sushi!! We’re pretty sure we’re the only couple we know who enjoyed a full meal together on their wedding day. I wouldn’t recommend structuring your day like ours just so you can eat, but the lesson truly was: Do whatever you want to make the day yours - everything will work out and (as my father-in-law reminded us during the planning stages) in the end you’ll be married!

The Pros: To learn about all of the talented wedding professionals who were part of Melanie and Aaron's wedding day, be sure to check out their page in our Real Wedding Library!

Glamorous Old Hollywood Wedding at Hotel Bel-Air by Mindy Weiss - Julie and Shervin

admin — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Today's real wedding at the legendary Hotel Bel-Air is one you won't soon forget! The gorgeous couple, Julie and Shervin, have fantastic style, which is no surprise since the bride is none other than the niece of celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss. With Mindy and her talented team to collaborate with, Julie and Shervin hosted a simply spectacular Old Hollywood inspired celebration overflowing with emotion and lush fashion, floral and decor details. Plus these photos by Joy Marie Photography? We're swooning over here!

The Goals: We really wanted to bring our vision of Old Hollywood glamour with a modern twist to life. We wanted our decor, flowers and colors to create an incredible atmosphere and experience for our guests.

The Design: We really wanted the whole wedding to feel timeless and classic. I wanted it reference the glamour of Old Hollywood but not too overtly. With red and white roses, we created a dramatic look for the decor that was romantic but not over the top. It was important for everything to be clean and classic. We incorporated greys to keep things soft - the bridesmaids wore grey and we even had a grey and white checkered dance floor. For our outdoor areas we chose furniture that matched our style and vibe, including white chaise lounges and black velvet stools.

The Look: My wedding dress was by Vera Wang and I absolutely loved it! One of the best things about it was that I was able to wear it for the ceremony and the reception, with slight modifications that made it feel like two completely different dresses. For the ceremony, I wanted my look to stay romantic and classic, in a more traditional sense, so I kept my hair up, wore a sheer belt and built a lace cover for the top. Then for the reception, I took my hair down and removed the lace cover and wore a silver glittery sash to create a relaxed party feel. Shervin wore a modern Prada tuxedo, perfectly fitted.

The Moments: Our ceremony was very meaningful - Reverend Clint Hufft was our officiant and he did an incredible job. Our vows were amazing and saying them to each other was so memorable. We also had a candle-lighting ceremony and a rope ceremony where we made promises to each other as we wrapped our hands together with the cords.

Throughout the ceremony, we also incorporated music in a modern, yet classic way. We selected our favorite contemporary songs and included them as instrumental versions. I walked down the aisle with my dad to Guns N' Rose’s ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ and they played the Beatles and other bands too.

One of my favorite moments was walking into the reception as husband and wife and beginning our first dance together. It was so cool and exciting to be welcomed in as a couple by all our friends and family. Another great moment was seeing EVERYONE out onto the dance floor dancing to Nocy from West Coast Music. It was so wonderful to see both young and old, both sides of our family, of all cultures, loving him and the energy that he brought.

The Pros: To learn about all of the talented wedding professionals who contributed to Julie and Shervin's wedding day, don't miss their page in our Real Wedding Library!

Thank you Julie and Shervin! And Mindy and Joy-Marie! What a simply spectacular wedding!

Real Wedding at Seattle's Historic Arctic Club, from Aisle of View and Alante Photography - Monica and Bub

Junebug — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Monica and Bub worked with Junebug member Merry Beth Turpin, owner of Aisle of View, to create a romantic, stunning wedding day that would be an amazing experience for their guests. And what could be more romantic than an historic, fairy tale dome room; pink roses for miles; and gorgeous stationery designed by the bride herself? We're so excited to share Alante Photography's beautiful images of their day!

The Goals: The most important thing to us as a couple was to make our guests feel special by creating an intimate, warm setting. We wanted our wedding day to be welcoming and inclusive to our closest friends and family. It was important for us to focus on how our event would be viewed from the guest perspective, so we did our best to thoughtfully execute every detail. We hoped that from the invitations to the final send off, our guests enjoyed their experience and our wedding made a lasting impression.

The Vision: We wanted our wedding ceremony to feel like a fairy tale, and ooze with romance. From the second we walked into The Arctic Club we knew this is where we wanted to have our wedding. It was timeless and elegant with a very old world feel. We chose a palette of cream, blush, peach, pink, gold and gray to accent color tones in the beautiful dome ceiling. Our goal for the flowers, lighting and fabric was to create a warm, elegant look that didn’t overpowering the space.

As for the details, we wanted to bring in very personal touches. I custom designed our letterpress stationery, which was classic and timeless with a touch of glamour using silver foil. The process of designing and creating the printed materials for the wedding was very special for me because I was able to collaborate with my father-in-law. His company printed everything from the invitations to the stickers for the candy bags. As for the favors, we sent our guests home with fleur-de-lis stamped muslin bags filled with local coffee beans from Victrola Coffee. We wanted the favors to reflect my Louisiana roots and Bub’s beautiful hometown city of Seattle.

The Look: When I envisioned my wedding dress I wanted something timeless and elegant. After months of looking I fell in love with two Martina Liana gowns. Rather than deciding between the two, I went with a custom gown that combined the elements I loved from both dresses. The crystal encrusted bodice fit perfectly and the tulle skirt made me feel like I was floating on a cloud. I truly felt like a princess.

To keep my wedding dress a surprise for the ceremony, I wore a short cocktail dress while taking bridal party pictures earlier in the day. My Badgley Mischka heels added the perfect amount of sass to the cocktail dress, and I finished the look with jewelry by Haute Bride.

The Moments: There are so many moments from that day that I will never forget; from the quiet moments I spent with my dad right before walking down the aisle, to running through the tunnel of sparklers to our get-away car. But, exchanging vows will always be the first thing that comes to mind when I think of our wedding day. Bub and I decided to write our own vows, which made the entire ceremony very special for us. I will never forget the look on his face as he spoke his vows. It will always be one of the most sacred moments of my life.

We also loved the private time we had viewing the ceremony and reception space before the wedding. Seeing all of the details and our hard work finally come to life was a very fulfilling moment.

Our biggest wedding planning success outside of hiring our planner, Merry Beth Turpin, had to be the photo booth we custom built for the wedding. Our guests had a blast! We ended up with over 900 photos from our booth.

The Pros: For more details on Monica and Bub's wedding team, please visit their page in our Real Wedding Library!

Thank you for sharing your elegant, gorgeous wedding day with us Monica and Bub!

Elegant Louisiana Wedding from Courtney Dellafiora - Ashley and Graham

Junebug — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Ashley and Graham's Louisiana wedding day was full of sweet southern perfection, and we adore Courtney Dellafiora's stunning photos that captured it all...from the portraits of the couple on a wooden swing; to the bride's family plantation-style home; her lacey, elegant dress; pretty bridesmaids in rose-colored dresses, and the sweetest Father/Daughter dance we've heard of! There is just something so relaxed yet elegant about perfect southern style, and these two have it!

The Goals: Graham and I wanted the day to reflect us as a couple and the things that are most important in our lives…our Faith, Family, and Friends. It is very easy to get caught up in the details of wedding planning and all that comes with it, such as time, stress, and decisions. Therefore, it was important to us to keep the focus on what this day is all about - our union of becoming husband and wife!

The Vision: We wanted to plan a joyful and celebratory evening for our guests, while maintaining our style and personality. Both the ceremony and reception were held at my parents’ home, so from the beginning it was very personal. It also paired perfectly with the Southern Plantation style I envisioned. My parents built this home when I was 11 years old and, ever since the day we moved in, I pictured my wedding there. To sum up the “style” of my wedding day, I would say that it was Southern Elegance.

The Look: I was open-minded when trying on dresses but when I put on this Monique Lhuillier dress, I fell in love. I’ve always loved her designs; they are so classic and timeless! All the detailing of the dress is what really drew me to it. The French alencon and chantilly lace alone were to die for. The portrait neckline with the full corset fitted bodice was very flattering, not to mention the gorgeous key hole back. The split skirt made for a dramatic detail which I absolutely loved! Plus, it showed off my shoes!

The Moments: It is very hard to pick out a favorite moment from the day, so I’ll give you a few. The ceremony itself was extremely memorable for me. The music for the ceremony was very important to me, as I have played the violin for 23 years and knew I wanted numerous stringed instruments for my ceremony. We had a stringed quintet, accompanied by two trumpets, keyboard, vocalists, and harpist. It was heavenly! Graham and I decided to write our own vows to each other, which was very special to us. We have known each other since we were 6 years old so it was important to us that we write our vows to each other on our wedding day! After the vows, the two vocalists sang ‘The Prayer,’ which was idyllic and serene.

For the reception, Graham and I decided to take dancing lessons to be able to choreograph a romantic dance as our first dance together as husband and wife. It was wonderful and I believe the guests enjoyed it. One of my favorite aspects about the reception was our dance floor. My family’s backyard pool was covered with plexiglass which served as the dance floor. A dance floor like this was something that I have also pictured as a young girl when imagining my wedding day! It was magical being able to dance the night away on top of a glistening pool!
By far, the most memorable part of the evening was the Father/Daughter dance. Ever since I was a little girl, my dad and my song was ‘Butterfly Kisses’ by Bob Carlisle. Little did I know all those years ago, my dad made a promise to himself that, one day, he would have Bob Carlisle sing this song to me at my wedding. Fast forward twenty years. While on the dance floor getting ready to dance with my dad, a man I did not recognize approached the microphone and began reading a letter from my dad to me. The letter contained all the things that my dad wanted to say to me on my wedding day but knew he could never get through without crying. As this man on stage finished up reading the letter, he said: “Ashley, your dad flew me in from Las Vegas to personally sing to you ‘Butterfly Kisses.’ My name is Bob Carlisle and I wrote this song.” He began singing ‘Butterfly Kisses’ while my dad and I danced. This was a complete surprise to everyone in attendance…even my mom! My dad pulled this off by himself without anyone knowing. Of course, by then, there was not a dry eye at the reception. If that were not enough, guests were handed tiny boxes of monarch butterflies which they released into the air as we danced. It was the most magical, special, and unforgettable moment of my life!

The Pros: For more details on Ashley and Graham's talented wedding team, please visit their page in our Real Wedding Library!

Thank you so much, and congratulations Ashley and Graham!

Real Wedding in Seville, Spain from Reviva Weddings and Limelight Photography - Victoria and Charles

Junebug — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT

What do you get when you mix a very happy couple, a gorgeous Andalusian Hacienda in Seville, talented wedding planners, and fabulous flamenco details? Victoria and Charles´s magical wedding day! The newlyweds are from London, but planned a relaxed and intimate event with their nearest and dearest in one of their favorite cities in Spain, Seville. They treated their guests to a wonderful weekend of Spanish culture.

Victoria and Charles's wedding planner (and Junebug member!), Laura Charles of Reviva Weddings, was a blessing when the venue that the couple had originally booked backed out, just three months before their wedding date. Carla helped them find El Esparragal, and the wedding was saved! Beyond the usual wedding festivities, they also planned a beautiful dancing horse and flamenco show, and a pre-wedding cocktail party on a rooftop overlooking Seville. The gorgeous images from Limelight photography tell the whole story!

The Goals: Victoria and Charles shared a deep affection for Spain and imagined their wedding day as intimate, romantic, and magical whilst sharing their love of everything Spanish from the food to the culture; with their closest family and friends surrounding them. The beautiful Andalusian venue El Esparragal nestled in the countryside to the North of Seville, was full of romance and charm, and an elaborate wedding weekend for their 150 guests proved to be the perfect way for everyone to slow down and enjoy each other's company whilst enjoying the Mediterranean sunshine

The Design: For Laura and the talented design team from Reviva Weddings, Spanish culture was the name of the game! This meant passionate red florals, flamenco styling, fans, Spain´s famous sherries, and little black bulls! Reviva designed black bulls for the placecards, and each guest was treated to a mini bottle of Fino Quinto Spanish Sherry. The Order of Service was printed onto ivory lace-edged fans and red and black polka dot fans, which guests used to keep cool during the ceremony. The guest messages were written onto a poster in the style of a bull fighting feria poster, and the tables were decorated with a romantic mix of candles and red roses.

The Look: Victoria´s bridal look was all about classic elegance and more romance. She wore a beautiful lace Jenny Packham dress and her gorgeous long hair was swept up in an elegant style which complemented her look perfectly. The bridesmaids wore beautiful long red dresses, and all of the ladies carried oh-so-Spanish red roses.

The Moments: The day was filled with so many romantic moments and love! The couple shared a wonderful olive oil ceremony in the gardens of El Esparragal. The guests loved having cocktails and canapés while being entertained with a moving, romantic dancing Andalusian horse show. The wonderful Mediterranean evening also included a 4-course gourmet meal, photo booth by the pool, and a lounge area created from haystacks, ivory throws, Moroccan tables and cushions. It was a great place to relax during a break from some serious dancing!

The Pros: For more details on Victoria and Charles's wedding team, please visit their page in our Real Weddings Library!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us, and congratulations!