Green Wedding Shoes Wedding Blog | Wedding Trends for Stylish + Creative Brides

I’m sure it’s not hard to tell that I just love smaller + more intimate weddings – there is just something so special and unique about them. It also allows a smaller budget to really create a beautiful day. Jessica + Ben also wanted a smaller wedding (they had 14 guests!). They had always wanted to visit California so having their wedding there seemed like a perfect idea. Once they saw the beautiful Hammersky Vineyards, they were sold. It reminded Ben of his home in Chile and for Jessica, it was just the most breathtaking scenery – a win-win! They also both have a love for the outdoors and when they saw the big Oak tree from the Hammersky website, it reminded Jessica of the tree that Ben had proposed to her under. Such a perfect location for their ceremony. :) Thanks so much to Lelia Brewster for the gorgeous photos and to Erin of Dandelion & Grey for the perfect event + floral design.

What song did you walk down the aisle to? Adele My One and Only Your exit song? Eye of the Tiger

Jessica is wearing one of my most favorite gowns from BHLDN – just stunning!! And Ben doesn’t look to bad either! ;)

Most memorable moment of your wedding day?

All of it! I enjoyed of course the ceremony where Ben and I poured our hearts out in front of the closest people to us…. and the small family dinner on the lawn was just amazing… As an artist I love small details I cant go without saying how beautiful the flowers, music, food, setting…. I couldnt have imagined it any other way.

Any advice for those planning now?
Dont over think it…or stress or it might take the fun out of planning. I planned this wedding in only 3-4 months. I just thought of the things Ben and I like and went with my first instinct. I did not over work it.

Congrats to Jessica + Ben and thanks so much for sharing your wedding with us today!

vendors:
photography: Lelia Brewster (check out more photos from their wedding here) // event design: Erin Mcdonald of Dandelion & Grey // venue: Hammersky Vineyards // floral design: Erin Mcdonald of Dandelion & Grey  // shoes: Aldo // wedding dress: BHLDN // bridesmaid dresses: BHLDN // hair + makeup: Karie Osceola (cosmetologist and esthetician) // groom suit: Calvin Klein // catering: Trumpet Vine Catering  // invitations+ paper goods: Alee & Press // cake: none deserts by Trumpet Vine Catering  // music: Christopher Wooley // Rentals: Archive Vintage Rentals

When Suzy + John first got engaged and started talking about their wedding, they quickly decided they really wanted to have a smaller wedding with the people they are closest to. They slowly formed this idea of a relaxing getaway for their closest friends and family. After a road trip through northern Michigan, their first stop was at the beautiful Chateau Chantal in Traverse City. After wine tasting and touring around they thought, “Wow, it must just get better from here!” Low and behold, after seeing at least 15 wineries, B&Bs and club houses they realized they had already seen their perfect fit and booked their location. And their gorgeous location really set the tone for their relaxing wedding weekend. :) Thanks so much to Katie Day Photography for the gorgeous photos!

Suzy wore her mother’s wedding dress! Isn’t it just gorgeous?!!

Most memorable moment of your wedding day?
Suzy: I didn’t know this would have the impact it did, but the most memorable moment was when I saw John for the first time after being all dolled up. It really is surprising it had such an effect on me, because I had even seen him that morning. I guess the impact of what we were about to do didn’t hit me until we were standing there together dressed up like a bride and groom.
John: The most memorable moment for me was our first dance. All the stress and worry of planning was washed away when the band played “Picture in a Frame” by Tom Waits and we danced.

Isn’t her hairpiece stunning??!! It’s from our lovely sponsor Twigs & Honey.

What was most important to us was that once we all got to the Chateau, there be as little stress as possible. On Friday night we uncorked some wine, rounded up the troops and set up all the inside decorations. It only took a couple hours, and was actually a lot of fun. So Friday afternoon and Saturday, all the way up until the actual 7:00 pm ceremony we were relaxing, wine tasting, hanging out at the beach, touring the town and just spending wonderful quality time with each other. When 7:00 rolled around, the guests just strolled outside, with their sun-kissed cheeks and half-empty glasses of wine and John and I got hitched! It was pretty amazing how perfectly everything just fell into place.

Any advice for those planning now?
Suzy: My advice would be to start planning and making whatever DIY decorations you want early enough that you don’t feel the stress of crunch time. For me, the hardest thing was picking a theme. However, if you can do that early (and stick to it) you will be happier. Because I had an eight month engagement, I had time to make a lot of decorations myself. I made every single one of those hanging puff balls by hand (crazy!). Most people would think that’s nuts (probably because it is), but I’m so glad I did it because I was happy with the end result and the process was relaxing and enjoyable. After a long day at work I could just zone out with a movie and a hot glue gun.
John: Remember it is supposed to be a party and not a point of contention or stress.

Also, you should hire Katie Day to take your photos. We could have gone with a local photographer, but instead we flew Katie from Springfield, MO to Traverse City, MI and I am SO GLAD we did. I won’t gush, and embarrass her, but I must say she not only takes rockstar photos, she also is wonderfully encouraging and makes you feel so relaxed behind a camera.

vendors:
photography: Katie Day Photography // venue: Chateau Chantal, Traverse City, MI // event planner: Ann Pettyjohn // floral design: Premier Floral Design // wedding dress: my mom’s // hairpieces: Twigs & Honey // shoes: Steve Madden // bridesmaid dresses: An assortment – Ann Taylor, Nordstom Rack, Anthropologie, Macy’s and one friend made her dress // hair + makeup: Salon 804 // groom suit: Hugo Boss // invitations+ paper goods: me! Suzanne Williams Design // catering: Catering By Kelly’s // cake: Cake Connection TC // music: Chicago Deep Rhythm Owls – John wants to add that they play at the California Clipper in Chicago every month….and you should go see them :)

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. We have some fun things planned for Oscar week, but first let’s start the week off with this fun Georgia wedding sent over to me from one of our favorites, photographer Jill Thomas. Ali is a creative director and photographer, so she was really involved in all the sweet details for the day. Thanks to Ali + Matt for sharing your day with us and congrats to you both!

We used the loose theme of “house and home” to inspire us… mainly because Matt travels during the week for work and we simply are excited to finally get to be together and create a home. We incorporated skeleton keys on our invitations to symbolize home and family.  One of my favorite aspects was the napkins that my Mom made — each embroidered with a bouquet of flowers, sweetly incorporating all the colors from the wedding. It visually tied the design details together, and brought a bit of whimsy to the tables. We will be laundering and ironing them to then give as “thank you’s” to the family and friends who helped out on our Big Day.

For our reception we used the loose theme of “house and home” for our inspiration – so all of our items we incorporated were something that felt like home. Skeleton keys led people to “find their table”, fabric wreaths hung at doors, family photos were placed at the mantle.  Some of the details were the vintage blue bike, blue Ball Jars, found aluminum items (colanders, tea pots, coffee pots), vintage tablecloths and quilts, chalkboards, skeleton keys, embroidered napkins, white shutters, vintage postcards and mailbox, found atlas, sewing basket holding “Happy Tear Hankies”, fabric-covered hand-made flowers down the aisle (over 200!), hand-sewn ceremony programs, jams made from a variety of wines (favors).

The one thing Matt really cared about was that we didn’t have a giant wedding cake! He really loves pie, so we ended up getting 10 different kinds from a local bakery and we attached ivory show ribbons with custom centers that indicated the type of pie. I really wanted the tradition of cutting a cake, so my dear friend offered to make a small one for us! She even did a bunch of different kinds of cupcakes for us months before so we could enjoy a traditional “tasting” and she made one layer gluten free just for me so that I was safe to eat it!

Lastly, for our grand exit I made flags from the material used to make the napkins – each imprinted with the word “Yay”. Everyone waved them at us when we left! (I’ve never heard a louder “YAY!”)

Photographer: Jill Thomas
Wedding Design & Coordination: (dear friend) Dawn Gahan
Venues: Frogtown Winery, Dahlonega, Georgia
Florist: (dear friend) Courtney Garvin
Wedding Cake Baker: (dear friend) Andrea Lucas, Pies by Razzle Dazzle Bakery
Caterer: Frogtown Winery
Brides Dress: Jasmine Couture
Accessories (veils, shoes, jewelry, etc.): Birdcage Veil by Fascinating Creations; Shoes by Nina; Flower Belt by JCrew
Paper Goods: (me!) Ali Harper; Letterpress by Mirabel Press
Groom’s Fashion: Suit by Brooks Brothers; Tie and Shirt by Thomas Pink, Shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo
Wedding Favors: Emily G’s Jams of Love
Makeup & Hair: (dear friend) Laura Sian of Laura Goddard Style