Real Wedding Saturday: Monica & Aaron

When a caterer at Paula LeDuc and a chef at Chez Panisse marry, the result is nothing less than a gorgeous October wedding full of incredible details and delicious food - and it was all captured on film by the talented Meg Smith.


Monica is a caterer with Paula LeDuc (and former event planner), and Aaron is a chef at Chez Panisse, and the two met while working in a restaurant, so it was important to them to have a wedding with delicious food and somewhere symbolic of their relationship. A farm in Northern California - County Line Harvest at the former Dolcini Ranch - was the perfect place.


Monica wore a dress by Dana Gail. The bridesmaids wore dresses from Bella Bridesmaid.


Monica made beaded necklaces (the flower could also be worn as a pin) and monogrammed handkerchiefs for her bridesmaids. She also made beaded flowers for her hair.








Kathleen Deery was responsible for the overall design of the wedding, including the flags and altar. For a fragrant touch, Kathleen adorned the inside of the chuppah with herbs.


One of the most magical moments of the day happened when a buck with a full rack of antlers came and stood behind the chuppah.




Monica's mother is a ceramic artist, so she made spoon rests imprinted with rosemary for escort cards. She also made the candlestick for the Havdalah candle for the ceremony.


Janel Claire designed the save-the-dates, invitations, menus, and other printed items. Save-the-dates included a limerick written by Monica's aunt, and a spatula with the wedding date burned into the wood handle.


Monica's mother and aunt made the copper mesh votive holders which matched the copper pots, tea kettles and colanders that were incorporated into the centerpieces.


Max Gill (510-459-5831), who also does the flowers for Chez Panisse, designed and arranged all of the personal and table flowers.


Catered by Paula LeDuc, the menu reflected the bride and groom's love of seasonal, local and delicious food. Aaron made all of the salumi (including the prosciutto) that was featured during the cocktail hour. All of the produce was grown on site by County Line Harvest. Dinner ended with a course of California cheeses and was followed by sweets and coffee.






Sailcloth tents rented from Zephyr Tents.

Congratulations Monica and Aaron! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful and inspiring wedding with us. And thank you to Meg Smith for sending over these gorgeous photos! You can see even more from this wedding on Meg's website, here.

Sneak Peek: Monica & Aaron

An incredible wedding full of gorgeous details - see the rest tomorrow!

Happy Weekend!

It's looking like a girls' weekend for me - face masques and nail polish and chocolate chip cookie dough. And now some of my favorite links from around the web this week...


{via We Heart It}

Rustic centerpieces you can make yourself, via A $10,000 Wedding.

A new kind of inspiration board (and thank you for the love!) on a fantastic new blog.

Brightening dreary February days.

Loving these rockstar wedding portraits.

A variety of tying-the-knots.

Etsy finds: rings via A Cup of Jo, cake stands via Green Wedding Shoes, bow ties via Casando Ideias.

Mustaches are still cute to me, especially in miniature.

Great idea for Moo cards.

Too many bridesmaids to count? How about a color team instead.

Discounts, Giveaways, Etc.

Discounts

Paperwink is offering Snippet & Ink readers 15% off invitation suites when you order 4 or more pieces by April 1. Just mention Snippet & Ink when you place your order.


From now until April 1, Rosenow Floral is giving Snippet & Ink readers 20% off bouquets and arrangements to brides in California or Boston. If you are somewhere else, you can get 20% off a custom, non-floral boutonnieres. Just mention that you saw this discount on Snippet & Ink.

321 Photobooth is offering Snippet & Ink readers 25% off any of their services until March 31. Coupon code: SAI25


Get 20% off wedding items at Felix Doolittle until February 28.

9tailors is offering 10% off on all custom dress shirts for wedding parties when you register your wedding here.

Burke Decor is offering Snippet & Ink readers 10% off your entire order. Coupon code: SNIPPET

Giveaways

In the search for the biggest Groomzilla, MyWedding.com is giving away a luxury honeymoon from Sandals Resorts. See the details here.

Natalie Williams is giving away wedding coverage and a portrait session. See all of the details on her blog.

Vintage Glam is hosting a DIY contest giving away a $200 gift certificate to Wedding Paper Divas. See details here.


Creative Montage is giving away one dozen monogrammed cookies. See the details here.

Rock 'n Roll bride is hosting a giveaway of free wedding photo coverage by David M McNeil. See the details here.

To celebrate the launch of their new Carnival Vintage studio option, Corbin Gurkin Photography is giving away complete wedding coverage to one lucky couple. To submit your wedding, email your name, contact details, wedding date, venue, a photo of the two of you, along with a detailed description of your "vintage" design ideas to photo@corbingurkin.com. The couple will provide the photographer with travel expenses, hotel for 2-3 nights (depending on location), rental car (if needed). If you have already booked a photographer, please do not submit your wedding for consideration.

Ashley Brooke Designs is giving away a set of 50 calling cards. Enter by 10:00PM tonight. See details here.

Etc.


The NOT Wedding is back! If you're in the Atlanta area April 5, be sure to take a look. All of the details on their website.

Fellow blogger, Peonies & Polaroids, has just launched an Etsy shop with some of her photographs for sale. Check it out here.

If you're looking for creative gift ideas for the youngest members of your wedding party, check out Nie the travel fairy. Named for the incredible and inspiring spirit of Stephanie Nielson, Nie will raise funds for Nie's creators to volunteer in medical clinics, schools and orphanages around the world. To find out more, check out the website here.

Brides.com has paired with Bloomingdales to launch an online registry tool called Set Your Table - play around by mixing and matching a variety of styles.

Click HERE to see all previous discounts and giveaways, including discounts that are still valid.

Board #354: White Picket Fence

If you're lucky enough to have a lovely home with a pretty backyard, it could be the perfect place for an intimate wedding. For this wedding board, I was inspired by the retro feel of this bride's dress and veil - maybe a little picket fence, glossy white mailbox, suburban nostalgia? For the ceremony, drape a basic patio umbrella with fabric and garlands. Afterward you've said your vows, invite guests to lounge on picnic blankets, eat watermelon and homemade cake, drink lemonade and play croquet. And have plenty of pink balloons for the kids!

Mood: home sweet home
Palette: picket fence white, lawn green, buttercream yellow, hints of pink

{click image to enlarge}

Top row from left: bride from Martha Stewart Weddings, lily of the valley photo styled by Heidi Johannsen, watermelon and croquet mallets from Well Wed, white mailbox
Row 2: pocket watch photo by Union Photo via Style Me Pretty, sink-side flower via This is Glamorous, umbrella ceremony canopy from Martha Stewart Weddings
Row 3: bouquet and vintage stamps both from Martha Stewart Weddings, peony bud photo by Ericka McConnell, girls with balloons via {frolic!}, cake photo by Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Board #353: Songbird Love

Today's wedding board is my way of willing away the snow and welcoming back the birds...

Mood: subtly ornate, garden elegance
Palette: pale powdery blue,

{click image to enlarge}

Top row from left: pussy willow nest from Martha Stewart, rice packets via Marry Me!, bird photo via Cherry Blossom Girl, garden bench from Coty Farquhar
Row 2: photo via {frolic!}, garden table photo by Brian Andriola, suit photo by Stephanie Williams, plate of chocolates photo by Elizabeth Messina
Row 3: ceremony venue from Martha Stewart Weddings, photo from Napa Valley Celebrations, bouquet by Modern Day Design, photo by Victoria Pearson

Board #351: Wizard of Oz

I've had this movie-inspired wedding board sitting around for awhile, and with the Oscars last night, I thought it would be fun to post it today. How about lollipops, hot air balloons, and a rainbow palette against the backdrop of a Kansas farm venue? Glittered, ruby red shoes are a must! What movies would you love to see translated into a wedding or party?

Mood: fantastic whimsy meets simple rustic
Palette: somewhere over the rainbow

{click image to enlarge}

Top row from left: hot air balloon poster via Oh Happy Day, apple trees from Jan_ice's flickr
Row 2: Laduree macarons via Housemartin, shoes from Krisatomic's flickr, dress photo by Aaron Delesie, lunch boxes from Martha Stewart Weddings
Row 3: red poppy bouquet via Project Wedding, paper lanterns from Lola Event Productions, cocktails from Soiree Charleston
Row 4: green bridesmaid dress, barn photo by One Thousand Words Photography via Junebug Weddings, flowers from Brides, lollipops from Rebecca Thuss

Sponsored Post: Pearl by Milkmaid Press

These days, everyone is watching their budgets more closely - but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style. One of my favorite stationers, Milkmaid Press, has just launched Pearl Press, a new line of wedding stationery that is not only luxurious, but an inexpensive alternative to engraving and letterpress.







These are some of my favorite designs from the signature collection, but custom designs are also available. And orders can be ready in as little as five days! Definitely check out the website, and keep an eye out for new designs soon!

Sunday Edition #23

by John Dolan

Real Wedding Saturday: Holly & Mario

Jonathan Canlas is one of my favorite photographers, and it's fun to finally have a chance to feature his work on Snippet & Ink. Holly and Mario's wedding is sweet and full of personal touches, and Jonathan captured it beautifully. In Holly's words: The number one thing I'm happiest about are the pictures! Jonathan is truly talented and we absolutely love his work. We've gotten compliments from complete strangers (friends of friends) who have seen the photos. He captured everything in a way that made it seem ten times more beautiful than it was and Mario and I will look back on those pictures for decades to come.


The September wedding took place in Orland, California at Mario's family's plum orchard.




From Holly: The driving force behind most of our decisions was that we really wanted to keep our wedding as personal, simple and eco-friendly as possible within our budget, which is no easy task! We also wanted to include as many of our friends and family in the process, drawing on their many talents and really making the day special to us and to them. We couldn't think of a better place to have it than the property where Mario grew up, with its beautiful orchards and interesting photo ops.


Holly wore a veil by Twigs & Honey (available on Etsy and at The English Department in Portland, Oregon). Mario's best friend's sister, a stylist in San Francisco, did all of the hair and makeup.


Mario and each of the groomsmen wore their own suits and shoes. The groomsmen wore ties from Brooks Brothers that were a gift from the couple.


A pre-wedding shot of tequila!


The bridesmaids purple dresses from Nordstrom echoed the plum motif.








Holly wore plum colored shoes by Chie Mihara and a custom made dress by Elizabeth Dye. As Holly says: It was important to me to support a local independent businesswoman. I highly, highly, highly recommend Elizabeth!








The wedding was catered by Bacio Catering, and their catering coordinator, Melissa Brown, also acted as event coordinator for the day. Holly's uncle arranged all of the flowers for the day.


The tent was rented from AA Tent Rental in Corning, California.


Holly and Mario chose to do a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. Holly says, We had the tea ceremony privately in the house as the reception went on. My Aunt Roberta loaned me the red mandarin collared dress that she wore for HER tea ceremony 22 years ago - it was gorgeous! Going through such a traditional ceremony with our family was more meaningful to me than the other ceremony and it meant a lot to my family.




Our mothers and grandmothers each baked a cake that we grew up eating to collectively make our "wedding cake" - we had my mom's pistachio cake, his mom's rum cake, my grandmother's lemon cake, and his Nani's german chocolate cake. We back-filled with sheet cake from Mim's Bakery in Chico. Each of the family cakes was on display using adorable America Retold cakestands.

My favorite moment, hands down, was the very last song of the night - I've Had the Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing, one of my favorite movies. My biggest advice to any other bride: eat your dinner and stay cognizant of what's going on around you, it's easy to get lost in the commotion and not have time to relax and enjoy the experience. My biggest regret is not getting the chance to talk to each and every guest personally.

Congratulations Holly and Mario - thank you so much for sharing your special day with us! And thank you to Jonathan Canlas for sharing these beautiful photos. You can see even more from Holly and Mario's wedding at Jonathan's blog (also, be sure to check out his black and white close-up portraits - they're fantastic!).

Sneak Peek: Holly & Mario

See more of this sweet orchard wedding tomorrow!