Real Wedding { Teaser } : Cassie + Morgan

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

Last October, on a crisp yet sunny Fall day, Cassie and Morgan tied the knot at Beaulieu Garden in front of their nearest and dearest. We loved working with them and their families because they were so excited and enthusiastic about their big day and all the little details. In addition, the vendors that we had the pleasure of working with on this wedding made it one of our most memorable weddings of 2013. The printed pieces c/o Chewing The Cud, the decor c/o Atelier Joya, the food c/o Paula LeDuc Fine Catering – we could go on and on! Without a doubt, the biggest show stopper was Cassie’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous Vera Wang dress; the kind of dress every girl dreams about wearing as she walks down the aisle.

Here are a few of our favorite photos from the day, but you can find the entire album on our recent Style Me Pretty feature by following this link.

Photo by Elle Jae Photography

Photo by Elle Jae Photography

Wishing Cassie and Morgan a lifetime of good food, delicious wine, and lots of love!

Real Wedding: Olivia and Dan on Style Me Pretty Today!

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

We’re beyond excited to share photos from Olivia and Dan’s wedding at Beaulieu Garden on Style Me Pretty today! We worked with an all star group of vendors to produce this gorgeous wedding, including Yvonne Wong Photography, Paula Le Duc Fine Catering, Sharla Flock Designs, Got Light., Sweet On Cake, and many others. Here’s a little sneak peak of some of our favorite photos, but please be sure to visit the entire gallery on Style Me Pretty by following this link.

Photo by Yvonne Wong Photography

Wedding Traditions and History: The White Wedding Dress

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

Queen Victoria, circa 1840

The very first white wedding dress was worn in 1499 by Anne of Brittany, as she married Louis XII of France. Prior to this date, the bride would traditionally wear her best dress to her wedding, and in fact, the color did not matter. This was of course a more practical option because the bride could wear the dress again. The truth was that only the wealthy could afford an extravagant gown that would be worn just once. The trend of wearing a white dress never really took off until the 1840’s when Queen Victoria wore a white dress as she married Prince Albert.

Queen Elizabeth, circa 1947

Every culture is different. Here’s an interesting fact: in Japan, a bride wears white to symbolize that she is in mourning for having to leave her family. Later in the ceremony, the bride will change her costume several times to reflect her changing identity.

Photo courtesy e wedding inspiration

In Western culture, it’s a common misconception that wearing white is a symbol of the bride’s purity; it is in fact meant to be a symbol of joy. The act of wearing a white wedding dress is still very much the traditional choice today, however, symbolically, they are less about the bride’s purity and more about her debut as a first time bride.

Photo by Gertrude & Mabel

In case you missed it, be sure to read our last entry featuring Wedding Traditions and History: The Wedding Cake!

Wedding Traditions and History: The Wedding Cake

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

Who doesn’t love a little history, especially when it involves something sweet?!

Photo by Jose Villa

In Ancient Rome, before the invention of icing, a loaf of bread was broken over the bride’s head by the groom to seal the marriage and encourage fertility. The guests would gather around the couple and eat the crumbs from the bread for good luck. The unmarried guests would often take a piece of bread home and place it under their pillow in hopes of dreaming of their future spouse.

Photo by Yvonne Wong Photography

In England, guests would bring small cakes or buns to weddings and pile them up for the bride and groom to stand over and kiss. This scene was thought to represent a future full of prosperity.

Photo by Gertrude & Mabel

Later still, in 16^th century England, sugar was growing in abundance. It was during this time that wedding cakes officially came about. The white color of wedding cakes not only symbolized the bride’s purity or virginity, it also became a “status symbol” for the family. The more refined the sugar, the whiter it was in appearance. Therefore, the whiter the cake, the more affluent the family was perceived.

Photo by Elle Jae Photography

From these traditions evolved the wedding cake we know today: multi-tiered layers of cake with frosting holding them together. The modern wedding cake comes in all shapes, sizes and colors and often costs as much as the bride’s dress!

Photo by Nirav Patel

Real Wedding: Megan & Ben on Style Me Pretty

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Stacy McCain Event Planning

Today we are so excited to have Megan and Ben’s wedding featured on Style Me Pretty! Megan and Ben were one of the sweetest couples we have ever had the pleasure of working with. Here are a few sneak peek photos, and you can find the entire gallery by following this link.