WEDDING BLOG

Historic Notre Dame Cathedral Wedding – Sara and Daniel

September 20, 2012 | editorial team

Sara and Daniel had quite the story leading up to their Notre Dame wedding (a courtship while students, a cross-country move, and a tree-falling-through-the-roof adventure on the night before Daniel’s proposal), but their wedding day was sunny, sweet, and full of love for each other and their alma mater! Debbie Sprague, of Browne Photography, beautifully captured all the special moments and the gorgeous setting. Enjoy!

The Couple: Sara and Daniel

The Wedding: 6.09.12 – Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame – Notre Dame, Indiana

What three adjectives best describe your wedding day? Sacred, elegant, and timeless

Was there a decor theme that ran through your wedding? What was the inspiration for that particular idea and how did it reflect you as a couple? My husband and I have always loved Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and thus, a vintage garden party served as the primary inspiration for our reception.

What were some of the different ways you used decor elements (fashion, flowers, linens, lighting, paper products, food, etc.) to create the beautiful, cohesive event you were envisioning? I have to give the credit here to our amazing wedding planner, Cyndi Basker. She played an integral role in taking our vision and making it a reality through all of the beautiful details she came up with.

Where did you choose to hold your wedding, and how did the location influence your decor decisions? As alumni of the University of Notre Dame, campus seemed like the natural venue for our wedding. Notre Dame holds a special place in our hearts, and we feel very blessed to have been married in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Looking back, do you have a favorite project or successful decor idea from your wedding? I loved utilizing lanterns as a second center piece idea. It was elegant and cost-effective!

The Wedding Team:
Photographer: Browne Photography
Event Planner: Cynthia Basker, Celebrated Events
Ceremony Venue: Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame
Reception Venue: Tippecanoe
Videographer/Film Maker: Keith Anderson
Officiant: Monsignor Antonio Cacciapuoti
Catering: Tippecanoe
Florist: Michaelangelos
Cake: SugaRush Desserts
Wedding Dress: Jenny Lee
Bridal Accessories: Alla Berkovich
Bridesmaids Apparel and Accessories: Marta Avila
Hair and Make-up: Emerald Cut Salon & Day Spa
DJ: Paul Chamberlin
Rings: J.C. Grant Company

Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us, Sara and Daniel!

Readers, for more weddings in beautiful historic buildings, be sure to visit our Inspiration Gallery!

Sonoma, CA Vineyard Wedding at Jacuzzi Family Vineyard – A Savvy Event – Michelle and Christopher

September 19, 2012 | editorial team

black gold white

Don’t you just love a vineyard wedding? With the help of the planners at A Savvy Event, couple Michelle and Christopher hosted a quintessential fairytale wedding at the Jacuzzi Family Vineyard in Sonoma, California, and every moment looked picture perfect!

The Couple: Michelle and Christopher

The Wedding: 9.24.11 – St. Vincent School for Boys and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard, Sonoma, CA

What were the top three priorities for you in planning your wedding? Venue, Entertainment and Food

What wedding traditions or cultural traditions did you incorporated into your wedding and what did they mean to you? We got married in the catholic church and while the full mass was much longer than a simple ceremony, it was so worth it – no need to rush this part of your special day!

Family involvement was very important to us. We included them in any way possible. We did the traditional first dance, father-daughter dance and mother-son dance. A lot of weddings we have attended have mixed the father-daughter and mother-son dance together as one. I am so happy we each got our own moment to dance with our parents – I actually wish we had bride/father-in-law and groom/mother-in-law dances too! This day only comes along once and I wanted our parents to be involved as much as possible. Another family touch we included was hanging photos of all of our married family members at the reception. We had about 25 photos between both of our families. EVERYONE loved it! I think it also made people feel more involved in the wedding and excited to share our special day with us.

Were there any places where you broke the rules in your wedding planning? We broke quite a few rules, but it was all worth it for the big day!

What was your biggest wedding planning success? Having it all come together for an AMAZING day! I am so happy we hired Kelly from A Savvy Event! She was AWESOME. She really allowed us to give our input and ideas, and then she took them to the next level. She captured everything we hoped our wedding day would be and gave us the fairytale wedding day we had dreamed of. The wedding went off without any errors and it was just a perfect day with family and friends!

What was the most important thing that you learned through the wedding planning process and what would you tell other brides-to-be? Have fun!!!! Don’t stress about all of the little stuff, it will all come together to make an unforgettable day. Just enjoy it all!

The Wedding Team:

Photographer & Videographer: BLR Life Photography and Cinema
Event Planner: A Savvy Event
Ceremony Venue: St. Vincent School for Boys
Reception Venue: Jacuzzi Family Vineyard
Officiant: Father Michael of St. James, Petaluma
Catering: Park Avenue Catering Co.
Florist: Wine Country Flowers
Cake: Patisserie Angelica
Wedding Dress: Kenneth Pool
Bridal Accessories: Saks 5th Avenue
Bridesmaids’ Apparel & Accessories: Wtoo Dresses
Groom and groomsmen apparel and accessories: Mens Warehouse
Hair & Make-up: The Powder Room
Live Music: Angela Takeishi
Transportation: Pure Luxury
Favors: Godiva Chocolate
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Lighting: Twilight Design
Linens and Chair Covers: La Tavola Fine Linen
Rings: Smith Jeweler in Danville

Thank you Michelle and Christopher!

Alina Pizzano Fall 2012 Wedding Dress Collection

September 18, 2012 | editorial team

I’m always a fan of the creativity that Los Angeles wedding dress designer and Junebug member Alina Pizzano brings to her creations. She just released her new fall 2012 wedding dress collection, inspired by Morocco, and once again I’m won over. That lace! Here are just few of the dresses from her new collection, and and lucky for any of you in the market for a wedding dress… Alina is having a fall sale! Receive 25% off any gown, purchased from the salon or online from September 17 – 24.

From Alina: This Collection was inspired by Morocco…by the warm colors, the design, the flow of the fabrics. This inspiration all started with a lace swatch that I designed the “Nasira” gown around that really brought me to the world of beautiful Moroccan geometry, that I wanted to update and bring to bridal.