Style Me Pretty

Wedding Photography by Elizabeth Messina

Okay, we're on to Paris for the rest of the day. And when I say that I love this wedding, I mean I LOVE this wedding. It's the perfect combination of rustic charm and unabashed elegance...

This wedding was all about beauty and simplicity. Letting the natural surroundings dictate the style of the day. When you approach a wedding this way, whether you are having it in your own backyard or in a city ballroom, your wedding style will seem seamless and completely approachable. And Elizabeth managed to capture that approachability to perfection...

Thank you so much to Elizabeth Messina for sending me these beautiful images. Elizabeth's weddings are always incredible...fairy tales, really. And no matter what your budget, it's easy to find inspiration through her photographs.

Wedding Photography by Elizabeth Messina

This weekend, a handful of my best girlfriends are heading to Anguilla to celebrate my dear friend, Lyndsay's wedding. I am so insanely jealous that I couldn't make this trip, you have no idea. From what I hear, her wedding is going to be one of those amazing beachside weddings where you get to dance to a calypso band while sipping fruity cocktails and chowing down on coconut shrimp. Again, I am so jealous.

So, I thought that the next best thing would be to write about a few paradise inspired weddings today, all shot by the incredible Elizabeth Messina. This first one was celebrated in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico...

Yep, I so wish I was there. Stay tuned though, I have another wedding coming from a different part of the world...a different part of paradise.

Wedding Dresses by Lela Rose

It's official. I love Lela Rose. She is easily my favorite new designer and her name seems to be popping up more and more these days. From Amy's amazing dress featured the other day, to Jenna Bush's bridesmaid dresses...Lela is all over the place. And, it's easy to see why!

all photos on Brides.com

Although the silhouettes are rather simple, the details are...um, amazing. Each gown seems to be the perfect combination of old world charm and modern femininity. The lace overlays, the tailored buttons, the girly lines. I love every bit of these gowns...

all photos on Lela Rose

To me, it's the combination of fabric and cut that makes these dresses so pretty...the fabrics are soft and romantic, the cuts are simple and elegant. Each dress is all girl. And I love that. What do you guys think?

Wedding Calligraphy by Laura Hooper, III

I know that our readers are working with a huge array of budgets, particularly when it comes to the "add-ons" like calligraphy. Lucky for us, Laura Hooper has been kind enough to offer some cost saving tips on working with a calligrapher...

More from Laura...

Allocating Your Budget: First and foremost I think it is really important to try to factor calligraphy into your invitation budget. Many girls forget to do this and that is where you encounter the budget problems. They spend $10-$15 dollars a set on invitations and don’t factor in $2-$3 for calligraphy (per invitation). Go in knowing that the rate for an envelope in pointed pen is going to cost around $3 per invitation. If you are doing inner envelopes, factor in another $1.50 per piece.

Quick Tip...When you are at your invitation session, perhaps choose a slightly less expensive set, so that you have room for calligraphy in your budget. Everyone says this, and that is because it is true: that the envelope is the first thing that your guests will see of your wedding, and they should always be hand lettered.

Working with New Talent: If you do not have room in your budget for an experienced calligrapher, you can likely find someone just starting out in the business. They typically will have lower prices, but just know that even if you request a sample, it does not mean that your order will consistently look as good as that sample throughout. The more experience a calligrapher has, the more consistent they will be. Brides should ask for references from calligraphers who offer budget calligraphy, so that they can confirm with previous clients the quality of the lettering throughout the order.

Quick Tip...Contact area art schools to find students who have experience in calligraphy. Typically, art students will charge you much less than someone who has been in business a long time.

Help from Friends & Family: If you have no room in the budget at all, enlist your mom, aunt, or a friend with nice hand writing to do the addressing for you. You can purchase an inexpensive light box at any Michael’s store, and use guidelines to be sure the lines are straight.   Practice makes perfect, so make sure they do a few practice runs on some spare paper…not your expensive invitation envelopes.

Overall it is really important to figure out what is most important to you when it comes to your invitations, and how much you are willing to spend on all the aspects of the invitations, including calligraphy, in advance. That way there are no surprises later!

Thank you so much to Laura for sharing these brilliant tips with us!

Wedding Calligraphy by Laura Hooper, II

I honestly believe that (if your budget allows) calligraphy can add so much to a wedding. From a beautifully designed envelope, to perfect place cards...calligraphy adds a touch of femininity and art to your look. Thus, I wanted to share a few more tips from Laura Hooper about incorporating calligraphy into your wedding style...

Think Creatively: I have done some pretty interesting pieces in calligraphy. Most recently, I did an order for a wedding in San Diego, CA for calligraphy on Lucite tiles. They were dark red, and the calligraphy was painted on in gold ink. They looked amazing. They were displayed on the wall with a light behind them so they lit up. The table numbers were matching, they were larger red panels with the names of golf courses as table names instead of numbers. I have also done sanddollars, compasses, and Spanish tiles as placecards as well. 

In addition to envelopes and placecards, you can do all your table signs, bar signs, and miscellaneous signs in calligraphy. Also, you can incorporate camera ready artwork into your invitations, menus and programs. I do a lot of work for menus and programs.  I also like to do personalized photo mattes, and I have a lot of requests to get wedding vows and poetry written in calligraphy as well.

We have a bit more to come...Calligraphy, The Look for Less!