100 Layer Cake

It’s easy to get caught up in tearing out all the lovely details you see in wedding magazines, but sometimes the best inspiration can come from your favorite artists, designers, and photographers. This is how today’s couple approached styling wizard, Sweet Emilia Jane. With images from Thomas Struth and turn of the century portraiture in hand, they hoped to create a look that married both the art they love with a bohemian, desert feel (insert sunset coral and ocean blue tones + adorable succulent terrariums). Intriguing, right? That’s why we can’t get enough of Miki + Russell’s wedding, brilliantly shot by Katie Neal Photo!

We love seeing variations of the place card table. And this one, designed by Sweet Emilia Jane is truly awesome. The image of guests walking up to the table and looking for the stone with their name on it? How fun!

We want these centerpieces! The Floral Lab nailed it when it came to these beauties. Every table had terrarium orbs with pinto beans and succulents sitting next to cholla branches, rocks and feathers. As for that colorful little bit attached to the stand? Those were 90′s cassette tape covers used as table numbers. And get this – every time a song by the artist played, that associated table had to get up and dance!

The rope installation (which looks amazing!) was designed and built by Sweet Emilia Jane. It was a big part of the design and was used to cover up those large bare walls. Pulling it all together were a thousand bright paper cranes made by Miki and her family that Emilia then strung along the walls with the rope and tissue paper garland.

The image of the two playing the piano is priceless. Since music is such a huge part in Miki + Russell’s lives (she’s a graduate student in music, he’s a percussionist + music teacher), they had a first performance in lieu of a first dance and played “Promenade, from Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky on the piano.

Congrats Miki + Russell!

Photographer: Katie Neal Photo / Venue: Point Vicente Interpretive Center / Planning and Design: Sweet Emilia Jane / Florals: The Floral Lab / Catering: Auntie Em’s / Rentals and Lighting: Town and Country / Hair and Make up: Stella Kae / Rope Installation: Sweet Emilia Jane + Jessica Pezalla / Bride’s dress + bolero: Lovely Bridal Shop (NYC)

We’ve got a real stunner today! If ever there was a wedding that looked like it could have come straight from a film (we’re thinking something by Wong Kar-wai), it’s this one. The setting: Gramercy Park Hotel, a structure embodying all things New York (and what K+T love) – gardens, contemporary art, and an edgy look with hints of elegance sprinkled in every corner. The stars: Kim + Titus, a jewelry designer and investment banker who were brought together over their love of modern furniture. The director: Heather Waraksa, whose photographs are what cinematic dreams are made of.

With a venue like Gramercy Park Hotel, there really isn’t any need to decorate. With all its eclectic furnishings, the hotel is decor enough, and we love that Kim embraced that. A little help from Naomi deManana, florist and now Style Editor at Martha Stewart, tied it all together with the addition of the candle lit chandelier you see above, where the couple said ‘I Do’. It was adorned with dark tones and highlights of oranges to bring luck and happiness, plus it was a nice little nod to Titus’s Chinese heritage.

The deets on her beautiful threads:

I knew I wanted a silk tulle gown so I enlisted the incredibly talented Lars Nord to create it. It was one of the best experiences of planning my wedding. Lars and his staff were fun to be around which made it was such an enjoyable, non stressful process.  My last fitting was the day before our wedding and Lars hand delivered my gown with a really sweet and touching note attached. My jewelry I borrowed from a friend’s mother who deals in estate jewelry. My shoes were Christian Louboutin and were so painful to wear that my friend, Loren ran back to her hotel to grab me a different pair! My handbag was a gold clutch box from a HALSTON sample sale which had already been a staple in my wardrobe.

Gorgeous and silly? Now that’s a killer combo. We just love these two!

So, you know how some brides like to give their hubby’s a little gift on the day of their wedding? Kim’s surprise gift to Titus was having a group of Authentic Chinese Lion Dancers come out during the reception!

Thank you so much for sharing your amazing talent with us, Heather! We’re just going to continue to swoon over these photos, especially this last one. And, to Kim + Titus: congratulations you two – absolutely stunning!

Photography: Heather Waraksa / Venue: Gramercy Park Hotel / Florist: Naomi deManana / Day of Coordinator: Shira Savada of Shiramisu / Ceremony Program: Peter Kruty / Photo booth: Photo Booth Scrap Books / Chinese Lion Dancers: Lion Dance NY / Cake : Ruth Drennan / Bride’s dress: Lars Nord (custom) / Bride’s shoes:  Christian Louboutin / Bride’s jewelry: borrowed / Bride’s reception dress: Temperley of London / Groom’s suit: custom made in Hong Kong

Adorable couple alert! Puppies, The Seattle Mariners, reading in the sunshine and baking tasty treats makes Mindy one happy lady. Quantum physics, America’s Funniest Home Videos, lacrosse, and making fresh pasta tickle Mark’s fancy. Together, they’re known for throwing great dinner parties, so for them, this wedding was going to be the biggest, best dinner party they had ever thrown, with a homespun but classy flavor to it. There are so many details, colors, and textures to love about this wedding that made us feel like we were flipping the pages of an Anthropologie catalog – swoontastic!

We love this idea: Prior to the wedding, both Mindy and her mother-in-law took a bouquet-making workshop to teach them to make the pretty bouquets and floral arrangements you see in these photos. Talk about a fun bonding activity (with a pretty pay off)!

How awesome is it that Mark wanted to share his favorite part of their day?

Prior to the wedding we decided to write each other letters before heading to the ceremony. The moment of sitting there reading her letter and becoming emotional, even though I’m not one to show my emotions usually, was special. I was sitting with my groomsmen and yet remember feeling entirely engrossed by her perfect words, not aware of anything around me. I then went to the ceremony to wait for her so we could do a “first look.” Mindy was late, because she read my letter and also become emotional enough to cry off her makeup. Her tardiness I think just made it even more dramatic as I waited as patiently as possible. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning forced to sleep past 6am, when the photographer kept saying “don’t turn around yet.” Finally I did and was blown away. The letter before overwhelmed me, but this moment was beyond words. Truly perfect and will always be cherished.”

Turns out one of their favorite DIY projects (and one of ours too!) was quite the headache. Doesn’t it always come out that way?

We wanted to print our programs on paper bags to be filled with special BBQ popcorn that Chef Rudolf would put in for our guests. However, little did we know that printing on paper bags would be more difficult than printing on cloth! We had to try several printers and ended up feeding them through one-by-one on one of the oldest ink jet printers we tried, but we finally did it—after hours of attempts…

How about a little toast in the middle of your ceremony?

Our lovely officiant, David, asked if our friends and family would support us through this next journey. This was a time at which he had instructed them all to holler loudly and hoot “We do!” so they gladly followed suit, toasting with raspberry champagne as they did.

Our favors: Since we love cooking and food so much, we decided to make a rosemary salt and an orange sugar—we thought it would be cute to have a sweet and salty pair. We blended fresh rosemary with sea salt and then clementine peel with sugar, leaving more peel in with sugar to infuse it for weeks. We packaged it with a small, twine-wrapped card stock tag with our logo, handmade plaid pattern, and a short thank-you message.

As for the table numbers, my father-in-law, Bill, an amazing woodworker cut, shaved down and shined the wood we used for holding the numbers. I used a Cricut machine to cut out numbers in card stock and placed them inside the wood.

And, because there’s more pretty to go around, we must share their wedding video! Catch a glimpse of Mindy in her traditional red Chinese qipao during their tea ceremony + cocktail hour.

Congrats Mindy + Mark!

Photography: SWOONOVERIT Photography / Videographer: Monachetti /Venue: Terrain at Styer’s / Catering: Chef Keith Rudolph, Café at Terrain at Styer’s / Day of Coordinator: Danielle Pasternak / Event Coordinator at Terrain at Styer’s: Elizabeth Clark / Officiant: Dr. David Long (close friend) / DJ: Darrel Asbury, No Macarena / Florals: Shelley, mother of groom, with flowers purchased from both wholesale and a local flower farm Lilies and Lavender / Hair and Makeup: Studio Teknik / Cake: Jordan, Velvet Sky Bakery / Bride’s dress: Lea Ann Belter / Shoes: Caparros from DSW / Jewelry: Earrings from Macy’s / Veil: Etsy – Simplebeautyveils / Groom’s suit: Jos. A Banks / Ties for groom and groomsmens: Etsy – Toybreaker / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Individually purchased