Real Wedding: Lilly & John

It's always so fun to learn about a wedding venue that I didn't know about before, like the Penthouse at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel. Lilly and John were joined by 90 guests for their wedding at the historic venue. The couple wanted their wedding to feel like a chic cocktail party in a fabulous apartment, with amazing food, an amazing location and amazing views. The ceremony took place on the balcony overlooking San Francisco, after which guests were able to explore the penthouse, playing pool in the billiards room, nibbling on hors d'oeuvres in the living room, and dancing in the dining room.

Says Lilly, "We pretended that we were throwing a party at our apartment which was super helpful with focusing our attention on what we really wanted, instead of the many wedding things that everyone says you must have. We decided there would be no walking down the aisle, no first dance and no sit-down dinner. And that we definitely wanted black tie, amazing food and definitely Russian vodka!"










How amazing is this Persian-inspired billiards room?










Framed photos of Lilly, John and their families were placed around the penthouse to give it a lived-in feel. Pink peonies were arranged in vases throughout.






To honor her Russian heritage, Lilly and her family made flavored vodka which was served from an ice bar, which featured iced shot glasses and a selection of caviar. Pink cocktail napkins which were personalized with celebratory Russian sayings.









Photography: Kate Harrison

Planning: Lauren Geissler at Downey Street Events

Venue: Penthouse at The Fairmont San Francisco

Bride's dress / shoes: La Sposa / Valentino

Bridesmaid dress / clutch: J.Crew / Eclu

Hair / makeup: Julie Morgan

Flowers: Not Just Flowers

Officiant: Rabbi Gershon from A Sacred Event

Catering: Adriana McKee-Abbe for Barbara Llewellyn

Congratulations Lilly and John! And thanks so much to Lauren Geissler and Kate Harrison who shared details and photos from this gorgeous wedding.

(Photos submitted via Two Bright Lights.)

Eclu is a sponsor of Snippet & Ink.

Board #481: Nude & Gray

I love neutrals. Just about everything in my home, or that I wear, is either white or beige or gray. Not particularly bold or exciting, but I think done well, neutrals can be anything you want them to be, whether it's cozy, stark, romantic or modern. All of that is just an extended way of introducing today's inspiration board, with its palette of modern neutrals. Shades of peachy nude and cement gray are at once modern and romantic, and I think it's an utterly sophisticated look. If you wanted to introduce a pop of color, I could see bringing in shots of bright orange or hot pink, or perhaps a deep plum purple.

Mood: softly modern
Palette: nude in shades of peach and cream, warm gray

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Top row from left: photo with gray peep toe heels by Alison Conklin via The Bride's Cafe, bird watercolor by DIMDi via I Suwannee, cake with satin ribbon and sugar roses by Maples Wedding Cakes
Row 2: French net veil with crystals by Jennifer Behr, stationery by Martha Stewart for Crane & Co.
Row 3: Brooklyn Bridge via Always a Bridesmaid, pearls with Lizzie Stewart illustration styled by Alice Gabb, pink tulle favors from Martha Stewart Weddings

Real Wedding: Valery & Chauncey

Valery and Chauncey's uber-stylish Jamaican wedding makes me wish I had been there! Either that or hop on the next plane to the Caribbean. I saw a few pics from their wedding in New York Weddings awhile back, and wanted to know more. Cappy Hotchkiss was kind enough to indulge me with a ton of beautiful photos, and Valery shared some fun details about the swanky destination wedding:

Our wedding was a celebration of everything we love: family and friends, music, and pampering our guests! Jamaica is a place that Chauncey and I have visited countless times over the course of our relationship and we have truly grown to love it's unique spirit. When it came time to plan our wedding we knew we wanted to share the island's magic with our guests. For the amount of money we would have spent for one night in Manhattan, we did four days of festivities in Jamaica over Memorial Day weekend - a Thursday-night cocktail party, a Friday beach barbecue, the wedding, an after-party that went until sunrise, and a Sunday lunch.

We were weren't afraid to mix up the expected flow of the day. Our wedding started with the cocktail hour! This allowed us to mingle with our guests and relax before our ceremony. We took all of our formals prior to the cocktail hour, so we could relax and focus on enjoying the rest of the day. After the cocktail hour, our guests were all seated at their respective dinner tables and we had a "dinner theater" style ceremony where we stood in the center, surrounded by our guests. It was intimate and offbeat, and was perfect for us as we didn't want the usual processional down the aisle.




Welcome bags were woven by a local Jamaican artisan.








For portraits and the cocktail hour, Valery wore a short dress by Alice by Temperley, shoes by Pierre Hardy, and a fabulous bridal hat by Gina Foster Milliner. Chauncey looked dapper in an island-appropriate seersucker suit by Etro and wingtip shoes by Tom Ford.



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Round Hill Hotel was originally a private refuge for style icons like Cole Porter, Grace Kelly, and Jackie Kennedy. "It has very old-school glamour," says Valery.






Rum punch was our unofficial signature cocktail; we like the numb, happy Carib buzz it gives you. When planning food and beverage, it’s key to know your crowd: Do they drink a lot? Ours drank us out of house and home!


These shell chandeliers cast a sexy glow over the festivities, and the best part? They were dirt cheap!


Valery's little brother was the ring bearer.



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As Chauncey and I are both jazz musicians (he plays the sax and flute; I sing), we opted to provide the cocktail hour entertainment ourselves. With the help of some of our talented musician friends (who also happened to be guests) we put together a six-piece jazz combo and dedicated meaningful songs to each other: Chauncey performed Art Blakey’s 'When Love Is New' and I did Cole Porter’s 'You’re the Top' and the Etta James version of 'Nature Boy.' It was a great way to include our passion for music in the wedding and share it with our guests.


For the ceremony, Valery changed into a dress by Catherine Walker and Co. and green sandal flats by Christian Louboutin.


I wanted native ginger flowers. They have a thick stem so I thought I’d just hold one, but the florist surprised me with a bouquet.


We opted not to have a wedding party; rather, the morning of the wedding, we each hosted the meaningful men and women in our lives for separate thank you brunches. I treated my friends to pedicures and Chauncey treated his to massages. It was a great way to show our appreciation for them.






Since Round Hill has a clubby old school atmosphere, we opted for a retro supper club menu: iceberg wedge salad, Oysters Rockefeller, lobster tails, filet mignon, and Baked Alaska.






Music was especially important to us, so we placed most of our budget in securing our phenomenal band, the incredible Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, as well as our two amazing DJ's. If I had to choose a favorite moment, aside from the ceremony, it would have to be our after party. We rented a gorgeous mountainside villa not far from the resort and hosted an all night throw down. Our DJ, Quantic, kept our friends on the dance floor until 6am - it was completely wild, and ended with a sunrise swim in the pool. I will never, ever forget it.

Venue: Round Hill Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica

Save-the-date: Ceci New York

Wood veneer invitation: Oslo Press

Paper invitation inserts / menus: Albertine Press

Bride's cocktail dress / shoes / hat: Alice by Temperley / Pierre Hardy / Gina Foster Milliner

Bride's wedding dress / shoes: Catherine Walker & Co. / Christian Louboutin

Groom's suit / shoes: Etro / Tom Ford

Band: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

DJ's: Quantic / Queen Majesty

Planning: JoAnn Gregoli, Elegant Occasions

Valery's advice to brides is exactly what I needed to hear this week:

Also, be true to who you are and don't get sucked in by pressure from others. It is so easy to go into "please everyone" mode, but you'll learn quickly that this is an impossible feat. It is entirely possible to be both a gracious host and also remain on track to creating a day that truly reflects who you are as a couple. Also - enjoy yourself! It really is a remarkable occasion. Rarely will you get to see all your loved ones gathered in one place. I tried to look around and soak in that moment as much as possible.

Happy Anniversary this month, Valery and Chauncey! Thank you so much for sharing all of these incredible details with us - it sounds like an absolutely amazing time! And thank you again to the talented Cappy Hotchkiss for sharing all of these fabulous photos with us - it was impossible to choose just a few!

Modern Red and Orange

Long before I ever started Snippet & Ink, I was drooling over the floral designs of Ariella Chezar, and the photography of Meg Smith, two of the most talented women out there. I can probably list about five people whose work inspired me to start this blog, and Ariella and Meg are two of them. So I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when they sent me several gorgeous and inspiring wedding shoots, and how honored I am to share them with you here on Snippet & Ink.

I'll post a new one each week for the next several weeks, starting today with this fabulously modern tablescape. The contrast of hot red and orange against the stark white studio is such a sophisticated look - I can just imagine wedding guests coming in from the cold to find this burst of flame red and orange. I also love a bride in a chic white pantsuit.




Ariella used parrot tulips, ranuculus, nerines, clivia and Icelandic poppies in the bouquet and centerpieces.








Orange Chiavari chairs and other rentals from Classic Party Rentals.

If you are looking for an amazing floral and event designer, or an incredible photographer, you have to head over to Ariella Chezar's and Meg Smith's websites to see more of their work - but make sure you have some time, because it's easy to spend hours browsing both of their portfolios...

Board #440: Kumquats & Orchids

I know it's still the middle of autumn, but I was so inspired by this orchid and kumquat and couldn't wait to create a chic winter wedding board with it in mind. Crisp white is the perfect backdrop for this unique winter palette of evergreen and orange. Though it's not a minimalist look, the details are simple and not over done. It balances classic and modern, for a timeless yet updated look. If you wanted to add a holiday touch to this winter wedding, without being too obvious, unembellished white crackers would be a good choice.

Mood: modern elegance, winter chic
Palette: dark evergreen, white orchid, kumquat orange

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Top row from left: centerpiece with orchids and kumquats and green wedding invitations both from Martha Stewart, modern orchid centerpieces from Wedding Style Guide, kumquat boutonniere photo by Blonde Tulip
Row 2: white bridal headband from Brides, cascading orchid and vine bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings, floral gown by Reem Acra, escort cards with jasmine display from Michelle Rago
Row 3: green and white ring pillow by Maihar Design, calligraphy favor box from Martha Stewart Weddings, kumquat arrangement and citrus desserts photo by Aya Brackett, Location 05 modern loft studios