Alexandra and Brian actually live in Venice, California but decided to plan a destination wedding in Austin, Texas. The stunning couple also chose to have a French Provence Countryside feel to their wedding, which we’re completely lusting over.

Here’s what we’re loving about their French Provence Countryside theme – the wildflowers, the barrels, the burlap grain sacks, the wood lanterns, the fresh lavender shades, the tablescapes, the fruit centerpieces, and the paper cones filled with flower seeds.

We also can’t help but love the adorable honorary flower girl and the story behind her significance. The couple originally met at a party in California, where Alexandra learned that Brian had a dog-named ‘Shea’. Alexandra wanted an excuse to see Brian again, so she offered to babysit ‘Shea’ on his next business trip. Brian accepted and the rest was history. So ‘Shea’ came to hold a very special place in their hearts, so much so, that ‘Shea’ was made honorary flower girl.

Hyde Park Photo captured all the breathtaking wedding photos.

Congratulations Alexandra and Brian and thank you for sharing your vibrant wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Alexandra and Brian’s Style Guide

Photographer: Hyde Park Photo / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Thank you: Two Bright Lights

]]> http://www.onestylishbride.com/real-weddings/french-provence-countryside-wedding-alexandra-brian/feed/ 1 http://www.onestylishbride.com/real-weddings/the-grove-wedding-nicole-james/ http://www.onestylishbride.com/real-weddings/the-grove-wedding-nicole-james/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:00:24 +0000 Marcela http://www.onestylishbride.com/?p=24625 This California wedding will brighten up your day – it’s got sophisticated rustic styling and a striking warm colour palette of grey and yellow.

Nicole and James wed at The Grove in a wedding filled with rustic and modern touches, “Our venue, which we both fell in love with immediately, was outdoors and very rustic which fit our style. We branched out our theme from there. James is the more ‘modern’ design one and [I’m] more ‘rustic’ – so we created a modern rustic theme,” says Nicole.

The couple planned their wedding jointly. Nicole explains, “If I had my way I’d plan about 20 different weddings with different themes and colours! However, James has been a huge part of the process and is very helpful in narrowing down ideas. Our wedding style has just developed between the two of us as we began planning.”

The couple incorporated modern elements with “stripes in the bride’s dress, bridesmaid dresses, cake, escort cards, invitation font, chalkboard table numbers and signs.”

The couple also incorporated rustic elements with the “venue barns, broken down fences, long tables, mason jar floral arrangements, cotton striped dishtowels as napkins, and twine.”

Jennifer Eileen Photography captured all the lovely wedding pictures.

Congratulations to the gorgeous couple and thank you for sharing your wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Nicole + James Style Guide

Photographer: Jennifer Eileen Photography / Floral Designer: Fleurie / Reception Venue: The Grove / Dress Designer: Priscilla of Boston / DJ: Good Times Entertainment / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

Ashley and Quinn wed on the picturesque rolling hills of Front Porch Farms located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

Their exquisite wedding had a lovely southern vibe {with tasty home-cooked southern food} and was captured by Wedlock Images, who had this to say…

“Get inspired by Ashley’s ‘do-it-yourself’ attitude. From the centerpieces to the bouquet, this crafty bride is the perfect example of how to throw a fabulous themed and detailed wedding on a small budget. You’d be amazed at how much Ashley saved by not only making her centerpieces and bouquet, but also designing and making her bridesmaid’s dresses and having homemade cakes and sweet treats instead of the traditional wedding cake.”

We especially love that Ashley discovered her gem of a wedding dress at a charity trunk show with proceeds going towards breast cancer.

We also love that the charming wedding favors were jars of homemade jam especially made by Ashley’s sweet grandmother.

Congratulations to the adorable couple and thank you for sharing your wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Ashley + Quinn’s Style Guide

Photographer: Wedlock Images / Caterer: Mrs. J’s Baking and Catering / Reception Venue: Front Porch Farms / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

Gorgeous Hanna and Corrie wed in Stockholm, Sweden. Their venue of choice was M/S Borgila and their photographers of choice were Isabelle and Emmi-Sabina of 2 Brides Photography.

The couple also picked a chic colour combination of “black and white with splashes of bright purple, pink, orange and blue,” explains Hanna.

Here’s what else we love about this wedding – the brides La Sposa wedding dress, the grooms suit, the colourful bridesmaid dresses, the darling bouquet, the napkin tissue pom poms from Miss Prop Shop, and the fun wedding banners.

Hanna recalls, “The ceremony in general was so emotional. We felt like finally everything we had been fighting to make happen was official and that our love had been strong enough to conquer all obstacles we had previously faced to be at this point in our life. One moment that was very strong was when we saw each other in church. Corrie was crying and we grabbed each others hands to walk the last steps together. At that point we really felt how right this was and how it was truly worth all of our struggles to be here.”

“Corrie’s speech at the dinner was also truly something special. It was so genuine and grateful and full of love and did not leave a dry eye.”

From the Couple:

What made your wedding unique?

“Our wedding was unique due to what it symbolized. Corrie being American and Hanna being Swedish, it has been a struggle to make this relationship happen, since we spent a lot of time apart with great distances between us. This wedding truly was a manifestation of love, as all weddings are, but we think the love and happiness that surrounded our wedding was really something extraordinary. We had so many people coming from all parts of the world to share this day with us, which truly set the international and loving spirit of our wedding.”

Did you DIY any details?

“We made copies of Hanna’s parent’s placement cards that was used at their wedding 26 years ago {yes, they are still married} and used them again at our reception.

We also made a sign for the church entrance in black and white and colourful ribbons that stated ‘Once in your lifetime you meet someone who changes everything’, which exactly describes our story. Corrie left his life in sunny California to come and live with Hanna in Sweden with all the difficulties and joy that brought.”

What was your biggest challenge?

“The biggest challenge was planning it while being in different countries. Hanna was in London for much of the time before the wedding doing her masters while Corrie was in Sweden. Besides that the biggest challenge was making sure that everyone understood what was happening during the ceremony and reception since we were using both Swedish and English as well as Swedish and American traditions.”

What’s your advice?

“Enjoy the day, feel the love you share and the love from everyone who are there to share your day. Live every moment of it.”

Cheers to the happy couple and thank you for sharing your pretty wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Hanna and Corrie’s Style Guide

Photographer: 2 Brides Photography / Hair Stylist: Piz of Cake / Dress Store: Stockholm Brud och Fest / Dress Designer: La Sposa / Ceremony Location: Hogalidskyrkan / Makeup Artist: Gabriella Elio / Event Venue: M/S Borgila / Etsy Designers: Jewellery via Earrings Nation; Cufflinks via Photojule; Napkin tissue pom poms via Miss Prop Shop; Other via Floral World / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

Kellee and Ben moonlight as writers and love a good laugh, a good book, a good coffee and good people. They held their ceremony in Vancouver at Ron Basford Park. The ceremony mood was set by Kellee’s brother and the lovely bridal party – her brother played the ukalali and the bridal party sang as she walked down the aisle. The ceremony was followed by a reception at Performance Works, which is now a rehearsal and performance venue, but was originally a machine shop dating back to the 1920′s.

All the beautiful ceremony and reception decorations were handmade and packed with charming sentiment. The couples love of books was shown throughout the venue with pages from novels strung from the rafters and the couples favourite books used as centerpieces. An old vintage typewriter was also used in place of a guestbook and set out for guests to leave their well wishes and advice.

“The yummy fortune cookies were a cute way to bring in an element of Kellee’s heritage”, says Teryn Lee of Teryn Lee Photography.

Big fat congratulations Kellee and Ben!

Kellee and Ben’s Style Guide

Photographer: Teryn Lee Photography / Hair Stylist: Bangs Salon / Caterer: Savoury Chef / Floral Designer: Queensberry Flower Company / Invitation Designer: e.m.papers / Dress Store: Bisou Bridal / Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Indochino / Ceremony: Ron Basford Park / Venue: Performance Works / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

Amanda and Matthew live in Washington DC, but chose to wed on a boat in Newport Beach, California. Bride Amanda explained how the decision made for a unique wedding, “Our wedding was unique because we are not from Newport Beach, and nobody in our family lives there. Every one of our guests had to travel for the big day. But, since everybody made a vacation out of it, our families were spending great time together on the beach, days before the actual wedding. By the time the wedding day arrived, all of our guests were already acquainted with each other. It was also unique because we had the wedding on a boat, which meant nobody could leave the party until the boat re-docked.”

The colour combination was “pink and orange, and black.”

From the bride:

Did you DIY any details?

“Our programs were DIY. We designed them and then sent them to a local family printing shop in Arizona. We hole punched them, and tied pink and orange ribbons to them.

I made the lasso for the Latino tradition we incorporated into our ceremony.

Our table numbers were ceramic pieces from Hobby Lobby.”

What was your biggest challenge?

“We only got access to the boat two hours before guests were able to board it. Our biggest challenge was being able to add personal touches that could be set up in less than two hours. Luckily, we were able to get really organized and assign certain tasks to our wedding party. We divided and conquered.

It was also a challenge picking vendors who were based in CA when my family was in AZ, and my fiance (now husband) and I were living in D.C. But, we made it work.”

What was your favourite moment?

“Seeing my husbands eyes tear up when I walked down the aisle.”

What’s your advice?

“Don’t stress! And keep it simple! Enjoy every minute of your wedding, and the days leading up to it. It was the best day of our lives.”

Would you recommend a destination wedding?

“Destination weddings are so much fun! I highly recommend it. Takes the stress off of everybody, especially parents who would normally feel obligated to accommodate out of town guests. In our case, everybody was from out of town, including the parents.”

Congratulations to the gorgeous couple and thank you for sharing your lovely wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Amanda and Matthew Style Guide

Photographer: Session Nine Photographers / Floral Designer: Designs by Marina / Reception Venue: Electra Cruises / Dress Store: David’s Bridal / Dress Designer: Vera Wang / Shoes: Vivienne Westwood / Cake Designer: Cinderella Cakes / DJ: DVS Mobile DJ Service / Tuxedo and Men’s Attire: J.Crew / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

The beautiful backdrop for this wedding was Cabo San Lucas. Megan and Adam selected this location and Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Holistic Resort & Spa as the venue because of “the amazing clean architectural details of the resort and the beauty of the natural beach backdrop. We kept things clean with white colours with navy blue, teal, and light pink flowers and accents, to complement the beauty of the location” says Megan.

We love that this couple put an upscale modern twist on the standard Mexican destination wedding. Wickedly gorgeous, don’t you think?

The bride wore a “custom-made dress from Amy Kuschel, San Francisco, CA.”

“The ceremony took place around a circular copper and stone fire-pit with the Pacific Ocean as our backdrop.”

From the Bride:

What made your wedding unique?

“We wanted a small destination wedding and we were surrounded by 70 of our closest friends and family, who all spent the week leading up to the wedding all at the same resort. [Also] the amazing string quartet was playing a mixture of classical Mexican music with some of our favorites, including a couple of ‘The Beatles’ classics.”

Did you DIY any details?

“We had custom gift bags for all guests upon arrival with traditional Mexican oil cloth beach bags, custom stitched beach towels with logo and location, sandals, hair ties for the ladies, and local snacks. [Also] calligraphy table cards and table numbers. [Plus] custom, ceramic, Dia de los Muertos cake topper from an artist in Los Angeles (uncanny resemblance).”

What was your biggest challenge?

“The biggest challenge was definitely coordinating an international wedding from San Francisco. We really had to trust the coordinator to make sure that our views and desires were clearly expressed. We were thoroughly impressed with the turnout.”

What was your favorite moment?

“The ‘First Look’ – Our photographer Allyson orchestrated the ‘first look’, which allowed us to have a very special private moment with each other before the ceremony.  For a few minutes it was just us and Allyson beautifully captured that moment, which we will have forever. [Also] the processional with string quartet playing an instrumental cover of Damien Rice’s song ‘Cannonball’ – it was amazing! Per our request, the band agreed to learn the song for our ceremony and it added the perfect personal touch to the ceremony.”

What’s your advice?

“Start planning early and do not skimp on the important things: photography, food, drinks, and of course the music.”

Congratulations Megan and Adam and thank you for sharing your sensational wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Megan and Adam’s Style Guide

Photographer: Allyson Wiley Photography / Caterer: Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Holistic Resort & Spa / Venue: Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Holistic Resort & Spa and Siempre Restaurant / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

Gorgeous Alexandra and Simon wed at St Matthews Church Jamberoo, followed by their reception at Ravensthorpe, NSW.

The chic colour combinations were “French Blue, black and white with pops of country colours in pink, peach, green and lavender.”

Alexandra wore a custom made “Steven Khalil gown with silk organza overlay, over 100 buttons at the back, and a 3 tier ruffle mermaid.”

Alexandra recalls “Coming down the aisle after the ceremony to ‘thats amore’ by Dean Martin really set the tone for the celebrations and made the day feel joyous and romantic.”

“Having my 3 best friends and 2 sisters as my bridal party, each of them added such a sparkle, bringing to light their 5 very distinct personalities. I hardly have one photo in which the 5 of them are not close to me looking stunning in their blue shantung silk strapless dresses. They definitely poured their hearts and souls into celebrating our marriage and I love that they surrounded us with love the entire day.”

From the bride:

What made your wedding unique?

“Our wedding was a weekend away so we had a number of celebrations before and after so [we] got to spend lots of time with our guests and everyone was on holidays so [they] were extra relaxed.

We [also] had a desert buffet with an assortment of all our favourite desserts in mini sizes, that way our guests could dance and mingle and graze on these when they felt like a break. [We had] rosewater jelly, pannacotta with mixed berries, mini pavlova on spoons, espresso mouse, crème brulee.

[Also] we served a delicious daiquiri style champagne cocktail for the reception. It was the biggest hit of the wedding, surprisingly many of the men we had pinned as beer drinkers were nursing these most of the evening.”

Did you DIY any details:

“We ended up tying a lot of bows, we tied black and white ribbons around each menu and used blue ribbon on our church booklets, both jobs took a lot longer than expected, but it was a fun way to get the family together the day before our celebrations.

We had a printer create our invitations from a customized design featuring a French blue country style check, bold black lines, and a monogram featuring both our initials A&S. This design was carried through on the church booklets, menus, and place cards.

I had the pew ribbons made by a tailor from a gorgeous silk fabric I found in Hong Kong that matched the blue of the bridesmaids’ dresses.”

What was your biggest challenge?

“As the marketing manager of Swarovski the hardest decision of the day was jewellery and I couldn’t decide until the last minute. I ended up placing all my stunning crystal jewellery collected over the years onto a tray and my mother and bridesmaids selected what they liked. I also selected the Crystal evening bag to carry my lip-gloss and the crystal toasting flutes for our first toast after the cutting of the cake.”

What was your favourite moment?

“So many moments!

Everybody gave us the advice that you needed to allocate time to spend together and my husband thankfully remembered this on the night and he whisked me away after we were seated at the reception, we sat just the two of us and enjoyed a glass of champagne and a moment in peace together.

The wedding day just flys by so be sure to enjoy and celebrate the engagement and lead up to the wedding just as much. Our bridal party definitely earnt their titles and we had lots of lunches and dinners before hand we counted up 12 wedding functions in total across the 18 months ! I even had 3 hens celebrations: hawaii with my family, bangkok with my work colleagues and one in Sydney with my friends and family!”

What’s your advice?

“Choose colours, so many weddings are so traditional with only white flowers and neutral colours however use bright colours and flowers to add happiness and life to your day, choose colours you love and plan your details around these colours.

Have a hair trial – I ran out of time to do this and my hair was finished only at 2:30 the same time our ceremony started needless to say it was a mad dash to the church and I was a bit frantic. I chose to have my hair down for the ceremony and lifted it up after for the reception.

Save money on cars we used the cars of friends and family 3 x black mazda 7′s and a black range rover for the bridal car. It was so comfortable having our bridal party as drivers rather than strangers and cruising around with an esky in the back listening to our favourite tunes was so enjoyable!

Use husband and wife vendors I think this really added to our day as both our photographers and reception owners were married couples and seeing couples so in tune with each other and able to work together in sync under the most demanding and stressful of circumstances is amazing and beautiful and the reality of seeing that on our wedding day definitely holds a lesson for us and the way that we will operate and navigate our marriage.”

Congratulations Alexandra and Simon and thank you for sharing your wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Alexandra and Simon’s Style Guide

Photographer: atdusk photography / Wedding Dress: Steven Khalil / Accessories & Jewellery: Swarovski jewellery / Other: Casey Daniels

Melissa of Melissa McCrotty Photography captured these exotic wedding pictures and had this to say…

“Originally, Ryan and Johnna were going to be married in their hometown, Russellville, Arkansas. They chose a venue, and hired a photographer (me!) but about 4 months before the wedding, Johnna realized the wedding she was planning simply wasn’t the wedding of her dreams.

Ryan’s aunt owned property in Maui, and she knew the island and the possible venues well, so she helped Johnna make arrangements for a destination wedding. About 15 family members came along, as well as me. Originally, Johnna was simply going to do her portrait sessions with me, and then hire a local photographer, but because she was familiar with my work and trusted me, she decided to bring me along. In addition to the wedding, we also opted to shoot their engagement session in Hawaii, to take full advantage of the beautiful surroundings.”

The colour combination was “oranges, greens and some yellows,” says Johnna.

From the bride:

What was your biggest challenge?

“My biggest challenge was trying to make sure everything was going to go smoothly especially being somewhere I had never been before.”

What was your favourite moment?

“Getting married on the beach and having a wonderful photographer so that I can fully enjoy remembering my special day!”

What’s your advise?

“Weddings don’t have to be hard. Yes, you might want a million different things, but you don’t have to go overboard with it at all. It’s about you and your groom, not anyone else. Don’t always aim to please all of your guests or family, because no matter what you do, they are there for you. If not, then they shouldn’t be there! Don’t let the whole wedding thing stress you out. Just remember it will be OK and in the end, you will be married to the man of your dreams!”

Congratulations to the happy couple and thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Johnna and Ryan Style Guide

Photographer: Melissa McCrotty Photography / Venue: Mama’s Fish House / Wedding Co-ordinator: Venue Wedding Coordinator – Vicki Habib / Music: Tarvin Makia / Wedding Dress: Galina by David’s Bridal / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

This adorable Ohio couple wed on Zimmerman Island, a private residence in their hometown, where they brought all the aspects of their favourite place together for a charming Fiesta Wedding.

Mallory of Maui Creative Design and Photography captured their wedding pictures and had this to say about the couple and their favourite place…

“Meredith and Alex were meant for each other. They went on a vacation to Mexico together, years before they went on their first date, but didn’t know they were there together. They each went with different groups, to the same resort. Word spread through the resort that there were two groups from Canton, Ohio. Years later when they went on their first date, those puzzle pieces fell together to lay the foundation for a romantic and heartfelt story that is their life.”

Our favourite thing about this wedding – the way all the pretty colours scream “sunshine and happy days!”

Congratulations to the happy couple and thank you for sharing your joyful wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Meredith and Alex’s Style Guide

Photographer: Maui Creative Design and Photography / Invitation Designer: Paper Allure / Thanks: Two Bright Lights