Kate and Rob Tie the Knot

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

Welcome back for part two of our blog post dedicated to Kate and Rob tying the knot. If you missed our last post of their rehearsal dinner at The CIA at Greystone, check it out here.

For Kate and Rob, Beaulieu Garden served as the perfect setting for them to exchange vows, becoming man and wife amongst their loved ones. With the sun shining bright, their ceremony took place in the Sunken Garden. After sneaking away for a private moment in the surrounding vineyards, they celebrated with delicious food and wine below the terrace and then danced the night away under the stars.

The florals for this wedding were a perfect combination of modern and romantic. We were particularly fond of the bright color palette they chose for their bridesmaids’ bouquets and the long stem tulip bouquet Radeff Design Studios designed for the bride herself. Chandeliers combined with green and pastel colored floral arrangements created a picturesque setting for dinner and toasts. Additionally, freestanding ivy-adorned topiaries and orbs flanked pathways and aisles, luring guests towards the terrace and fireplace lounge. Kate and Rob most definitely tied the knot in style!

Photo by Michelle Pattee

Photography: Michelle Pattee / Planning & Coordination: Stacy McCain Event Planning / Venue: Beaulieu Garden / Caterer: Paula Le Duc Fine Catering / Flowers: Radeff Design Studios / Videographer: David Waldorf / Band: Blacklist Band / Cocktail Music: Eloquence String Quartet / Cake: Perfect Endings / Rentals: Wine Country Party Rentals / Lighting/Sound: Got Light. / Print Pieces: Ceci New York

Fabulous Leading Ladies {Bridesmaids- What to Wear?}

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

In the past few months, we’ve talked about your wedding gown, what your groom should wear, and some fun ideas for the guys, but now let’s talk about the ladies who will be standing next to you, your bridesmaids. With so many options, where does one start? We’ve got it all laid out for you, right here!

{The Problem}

Ever seen the movie “27 Dresses”? Classic case of a girl that has been a bridesmaid twenty-seven times and has a closet full of horrible gowns that will NEVER see the light of day again. Cute little movie, but we certainly don’t want your bridesmaids to have to endure such a thing. (We were actually going to add a picture of what we mean, but once we started looking at those awful bridesmaids dresses, we just couldn’t do that to you!)

Back in the day (we think sometime in those fashion-forward 80s…), the idea was that “the bridesmaids shouldn’t upstage the bride”, which left a whole lot of very unhappy bridesmaids in very ugly dresses that they would never ever wear again. This is ridiculous- there is no way that you, the gorgeous bride, can be upstaged by your closest friends. After all, they will be all over your wedding pictures, so your bridesmaids (and groomsmen) should reflect your wedding style, and why not make sure they’re comfortable while you’re at it? What voluptuous lady wants to be in a dress that is hugging all the wrong places? Or a petite girl that gets swallowed up by a thousand ruffles? Enough said, now let’s discuss some ideas.

{The Options}

Of course, you can always have your bridesmaids wear the same dress, if you know that they’ll all be comfortable in it. You may consider a long versus cocktail length dress based on how formal or non-formal the overall wedding will be.

You can also find similar dresses in the exact same fabric, but each is cut to suit the individual bridesmaid. This makes sure that each of your ladies is comfortable, and most importantly happy. There are several designers that got the hint and are making different style dresses out of the same fabric to make them look unique yet matching.

One good place to check out is JCrew.

Another similar option we love is this amazing “convertible” dress. Same dress just worn a bunch of different ways. With the versatility that your bridesmaids can get from this one dress, you KNOW that they’ll be excited to wear it again.

If you select the same dress, maybe think about personalizing the shoes, while keeping them in the same color scheme.

Or you can do the opposite: have your bridesmaids wear the same color dress (everyone’s got their favorite LBD!) and have them wear matching shoes (which could also be a great idea for your bridesmaids gifts).

As you can see, your bridesmaids don’t all have to wear the same dress. In fact, they can even be completely different dresses, as long as they fit in with the style of your wedding and color palette .

At her wedding, our friend, photographer Meg Perotti, had her bridesmaids select amazing vintage dresses in the same color scheme, but they fit each girl’s individual style. Check out her post to see how each of her bridesmaids were styled.

Meg’s not the only bride that had fun with mix-matched dresses. Molly Sims gotta love her, and her gorgeous maids, donned floor length dresses. Each dress within Sim’s color palette, yet personalized to fit each girl’s style and comfort. Having the bridesmaid’s bouquets the same also helped to pull this look together.

The three most important things to keep in mind when deciding what your bridesmaids should wear: your wedding style, comfort, style and body type of each of your bridesmaids. Have fun and see you next time!

{images via Pinterest, 1 BP, Pinterest, Wedding Bee, Bride Finds, Advantage Bridal,

Pinterest, Blushing Bride, Emmaline Bridal, Pinterest}

Brooke + Damon Tie The Knot at Beaulieu Garden

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes and last May was no exception! Katherine Oliver with Cherries Flowers delivered us a wedding full of peonies, garden roses, sweet peas and blooming clematis in beautiful color palette of white, cream, blush and accents of pale peach. We especially love the moss details on the chandeliers provided by Got Light hung over the dinner tables.

And how adorable is the library card catalog, where guests found his or her name on a library card directing them to their dinner table. Once guests arrived to their tables they found a french baguette with their name tied with bakers twine. We hope you enjoy the wedding of Brooke and Damon as much as we do.

Wedding Photography: Joe Mikos Photographers / Wedding Coordinator: Stacy McCain Event Planning / Venue & Caterer: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Flowers: Cherries Flowers / Cake: Perfect Endings / Music: Pop Rocks / Lighting: Got Light / Hair: Kerrie Urban / Make-up: Yvette Beebe Cosmetics / Linens & Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Classic Car: Classic Convertible Wine Tours / Lounge Furniture: Archive Vintage Rentals / Paper Pieces: Paisley Quill

Special Offer from Wedding Paper Divas!

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

We’re very excited to announce that we’re partnering with Wedding Paper Divas who have a very special treat exclusively for our readers. Today through June 1, enjoy a generous 25% discount at Wedding Paper Divas. (See bottom of post for fine print.) Who are Wedding Paper Divas? Read on to learn more and check out their beautiful work.

About Us:

Wedding Paper Divas is a stationery haven with an affinity for beautiful paper and fresh design. Today, Wedding Paper Divas is a member of the Shutterfly family of brands, which also includes Shutterfly, Tiny Prints and Treat.

We stand for high-quality stationery products and provide an abundance of exclusive beautiful designs that reflect a couple’s unique aesthetic. With a team of etiquette experts on-hand, Wedding Paper Divas offers advice and tips for all occasions, ensuring that the message is touching and tasteful every time.

What’s the concept behind Wedding Paper Divas?

Laura Ching co-founded Wedding Paper Divas in 2006. A more than frustrating experience trying to find her perfect wedding stationary in an antiquated stationery store in San Francisco inspired a marriage between her and two close friends in hopes of finding a more convenient, stylish and enjoyable way to shop for wedding stationery online. In her current role as VP of Merchandising and Chief Design Officer for Wedding Paper Divas, Laura’s mission is to bring fresh designs and style to customers through both the products and the overall look and feel of the website. She brings fresh designs, etiquette advice, and style to customers through both the products and the website whether you’re planning your wedding “today” or “someday.” She looks to fashion, fabrics, interior design, travel and international cultures for inspiration, every day.

What sets you apart from other companies?

Unlike many other stationery companies, which simply provide an extensive, something-for-anyone offering, Wedding Paper Divas works with talented artists all over the country to translate the hottest new trends into perfectly unique products. We are proud to offer products from both seasoned veterans in the industry, as well as younger, fabulously talented designers. We have 60 different designers we work with at Wedding Paper Divas. Many of these up-and-coming designers are even making their debuts into online boutiques with us! Our designers have created stationery for many celebrity customers. We currently offer over 750 wedding invites.

– Created by top designers, every design is exclusive and cannot be found elsewhere

– Each product allows for extensive personalization, including wording, layout, font, size and color

– Continually releases new designs and collections – sometimes as many as 100 each month

– Process orders in as little as 2-3 business days

– More than invitations – including save-the-dates, place cards, menus, thank you cards and more

– Every order is reviewed and proofread by a client specialist, created a retouched by an in-house designer, and reviewed by the quality assurance team, offering a true white-glove experience

How does the process work, start to finish?

We have a very easy personalization and preview process. It’s important to us that you get the chance to personalize and preview your invitations before ordering. You can let our suggested wording and layout guide you, or you can create a card entirely from scratch with the font types, sizes and colors of your choice. Either way, we’ll make sure your invitations are flawless, and you’ll be able to preview and approve the exact look prior to placing your order. With our powerful and easy-to-use tools, we’ve managed to make the personalization process just as carefree as it is convenient.

Social stationery can and should reflect your personal taste, so it may take a little time and effort for a discriminating customer to find the right design. We are committed to ensuring that you have all the information and support needed to help you pick the perfect design. That’s why so many of our products include professional photography, design descriptions and all of the intricate details you need to know about our luxurious, high quality paper.

{Image Details: Kraft Arrow/Marigold/Designed by Petite Alma; Signature White Textured Wedding Invitations/Floral Watercolor/Raspberry/Designed by Lady Jae; Signature Ecru Wedding Invitations/All the Roads/Black/Designed by Sycamore Street Press; Signature Ecru Wedding Invitations/Dappled Glade/Spring Green/Designed by: Lady Jae;
Signature White Textured Wedding Invitations/Indian Summer/Sunny Yellow/Designed by: Petite Alma}

Special Offer Details: To redeem the exclusive 25% discount, please email Stacy@stacymccain.com for the code. This offer excludes letterpress, thermography and 3^rd party products (i.e. custom stamps, embossers, photo books, gift certificates and calendars). There is no minimum purchase required. Cannot be combined with any other offers. One time use per customer. Offer expires June 1, 2012 at 11:59 PM.

natural and romantic: wedding trends of 2012

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

As wedding season quickly approaches, we thought we’d take advantage of this calm before the storm, and put together a little list of what we think will be the big trends of 2012.

Just because we simply cannot wait until the end, we must start with the gowns. Yes, they’re just that good.

{WEDDING GOWNS}

We’re eternally in love with super-romantic looks and are excited to see more of these light and airy gowns. While strapless will still be lovely as ever, we’ll be seeing lots of lace and sleeves. Soft, modern, and a bit more coverage, but definitely with a sexy twist. Whether you channel the classic Kate Middleton, or the bombshell Marilyn Monroe, or simply looking for your fairy-tale gown, 2012 is the year for all these. And don’t be surprised if you see something that’s not traditional white. We’re loving Elie Saab’s stunning lace and pastel dresses…

PS be sure to check back later this month for our guide to finding THE dress.

{COLORS}

While we adore a pop of bright color, we’re predicting seeing more watercolor designs and soft shades, so pastels won’t just be on dresses.

{FLOWERS}

Going with the glam and romantic vibe, decadent and ethereal are the way to go for flowers. Soft, lush, earthy bouquets filled with flowers like cabbage roses, peonies, and wild roses, Queen Anne’s lace, dahlias, and gardenias.

{PHOTOGRAPHY}

We’ve been seeing more and more “natural” and traditional photography. We agree: the panoramic wedding portrait of all your guests is a must!

{VENUES}

We are so incredibly lucky to live in an area with some of the most beautiful outdoor venues for the most perfect rustic-elegant weddings. Take some notes from the ritzy ranch wedding à la Lauren Bush and David Lauren’s recent nuptials on the famous Double RL Ranch. Check out some of their stunning details, here!

{FOOD}

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: we’re foodies. We’re so excited to see (and taste!) some beautiful, innovative meals this year. These farm-fresh, organic options are the way to go, while crafted into photo-album- worthy presentations. A feast for the eyes and palate, check out our post about what’s cooking at Cavallo Point.

Oh, this is going to be a great year!!