sweet \’swet\  adj.  1) pleasing to the taste 2) ABBY & NIC’s Tahoe wedding 3) pleasing to the mind or feelings 4) much loved: dear 5) wholesome 6) fine, great – Source, Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary

This Lake Tahoe Wedding is definitely sweet in every aspect of the literal word.  From Catering Magazine to Style Me Pretty, everyone seems to be smitten by this wedding.  Like a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven, one just can’t get enough of it!  More of Abby and Nic’s lakefront wedding is on Style Me Pretty’s fine wedding blog today.

Some of the mouth-watering images from this colorful and lip smacking sweet soiree:

The personal details of the bride and groom run a plenty – their photo in their newspaper style program with crosswords and Tahoe Tessie trivia, multi-direction sign of personal places and namesake candy bar are just a few.  They coined their signature cocktail after Tahoe Tessie and this mythical creature starred in the book on the bar (just in case you wanted to do some light reading).  They love to ride beach cruisers and this cute bike stamp pops up in unexpected places.

Punches of orange through out the reception and ceremony kept a fresh, playful vibe.  Seersucker suits on the groomsmen and ring bearers were perfect for the mid-summer wedding.

Abby loves pennants and the organic nature of wine corks – these outlined table numbers, were the perfect backing for bar menus, filled decor jars.. The colorful flag pennants graced the bars – liquor and candy, mimicked on the cake topper (with correctly matching attire of the big bride and groom) and wrapped around surrounding tree trunks in which wooden hearts also dangled.

The Here Comes the Bride sign cleverly plays double duty with Just Married on the backside. The Lake, as always, was captivating and provided quite the show with giant waves.

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Thank you to Bellissima Floral for designing the ravishing flowers which were a showstopper everywhere!  And none of this would be crushed upon without the photographic talents of Jay Reilly and Courtney Aaron.

I can only think of one way to sum this up – “How sweet it is to be loved by you…” -  James Taylor.

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Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Michelle Van Otten

Meet Michelle Van Otten, a respected San Francisco Bay Area author, international public speaker and consultant with expertise in personal peak performance, business image, first impressions and body language.  This is the first of a series of guest posts in which she will give you valuable hints, tips and clues – helping you to become the most magnetic, radiant, confident version of you possible!

Beauty Is an Inside Job First

As you imagine your wedding day, one of the most unforgettable and memorable days of your life, how do you see yourself and your day unfold? Are you radiant and exuding authentic beauty that seems to come from within your soul? Are you beaming with confidence and feeling your best? Are you proud of your physical appearance and deriving such joy from how you look and feel? Are you calm and accepting of what is and embracing all the little flaws of life for what they are and laughing them off?

All of these are some of the most important questions to ask yourself so that you can truly set the intention to create yourself as the best you can be on that day (and every day) as well as the intention you want to create for your loved ones and your husband to be.

To help you shine and be seen for your brilliance, I thought I would offer you 8 stellar tips and simple suggestions for how to create magnetic confidence so you can really love living in your skin on your glorious day! You are truly amazing and I want you to be remembered for your vibrancy and seen through the lens of the intentions you set.

1. Set your vision and the ultimate intention for your special day starting NOW! Practice beginning every morning by imbedding that vision of exactly what you want your day to be like, how you see it unfolding, who you want to be. Build your vision with the greatest detail, taking yourself through all of your emotional responses to what you see, feel, hear, taste, smell. Build it so that you deeply imbed this in your mind and as such play this out as your destiny.
2. Your most optimal time of the day to capitalize on your fitness and nutrition efforts is first thing in the morning. Launch your day with a fabulous workout and cardio session that leaves you feeling energized and great about yourself and your body. Nourish yourself and your body first every day. When you master your physiology you master your energy and your level of self-confidence.
3. Manage your stress by creating your support system. Build your team that has your back and takes care of you! Make a list of all the things that suck your energy and time and assign someone to help you with that particular task or item. Remember that you CAN ask for help and by avoiding taking on the world you will shine even more radiantly and beautifully being stress free.
4. Acknowledge yourself for all that you accomplish in each day. Acknowledge your partner too for all that he does and is going through.
5. Develop your attitude of gratitude so you avoid the vortex trap of negativity. At times of stress with tight deadlines, we can get laser focused on all that isn’t going well. So practice noticing and shifting your thoughts to what is working and what is amazing in your life.
6. Give up the need or feeling of being perfect. Perfection leads us into so much internal pressure and suffering. Instead embrace the desire to be your best in every moment vs. aiming for perfection. Embrace all that is already whole and fabulous about you.
7. Create a morning power mantra! I love this exercise and it’s one of the strongest ways to build your daily confidence muscle. Start by making a list of all the things you love about yourself, values, strengths and gratitudes. Write it down. Recite this list to yourself every morning in the mirror as you get ready for your day. When you leave the house you will be feeling unstoppable.
8. Remember that connection matters more than anything else. Your ability to develop deeper connections comes from being truly you, authentic in every way. It’s all about the energy you give off from your thoughts and emotions that creates the most profound experience for others that they will always remember you for.

Follow these steps and Michelle Van Otten will help you become the most magnetic, radiant, confident version of you possible!  Success in any endeavor is always an inside job first and an outside job second.  You’ve got to have the inner game in order to reflect a stellar outer game.  She can show you how easy it is to achieve your ultimate self!

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Destination I Do Magazine features stunning real life destination weddings from around the world in their glossy, beautiful publication.  In their Spring 2012 issue, they couldn’t pass up the chic, yet classically tailored, Lake Tahoe wedding of Cameron & Matthew.  This wedding at a private Lake Tahoe lakefront wedding estate flirted with the preppy side, spell bounded the guests, rocked the night away and was unquestionably unforgettable to all.

Cameron & Matthew’s spring green, navy and white color palette complimented the Tahoe setting perfectly, but also kept a fresh feel to the tailored wedding style.  Not only did she wear her mother’s vintage wedding gown (32 years waiting) but Cameron also carried the family bible down the aisle adorned with flowers.

Cameron also loves monograms, so we echoed theirs from the napkins, to the menus, to the invitations to their wedding cake to even the dance floor.  Fun elements were not limited to decor and included their gyrating band, retro neon sunglasses, vintage coke bottles and blue cheese late night sliders.  As DIDO so eloquently put it, the devil is in the details…

Thanks to Zorn Photography for doing what they do so well!  If you were a wedding crasher at this wedding, here’s a glance of what you might have seen:

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Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Romance – it never goes out of style.  Jessica and Spencer proclaimed their adoration and love for each other last fall at their Lake Tahoe wedding site, Madden Creek Estate.  A gurgling creek right down the property, a wooden footbridge, tall pines – what more could a bride ask for??  If the usually trickling Madden Creek had any indication of the strength of their love, the rising creek only bid wonderful things to come.

Jessica was awestruck when she saw the venue for the first time.  Believe it or not, she had never seen the lakefront property until the day before her wedding.  Thank goodness her groom Spencer got this right!  Living on the East Coast but growing up coming to Lake Tahoe, Spencer had a feeling this was the place for them.

Talented photographer Allyson Wiley worked her magic capturing the charming ceremony and celebration to follow.  Rich, succulent fall colors played to the season and beauty of the property.  The singing and dancing into the night with their closest of close friends and family, was the beginning of their fairytale…

Tall pines loomed over their lakeside ceremony area with cheerfully colored blooms lining the aisle.  One of my favorite moments was when Jessica crossed the footbridge with her dad and Spencer saw her for the first time.  You could feel the energy between the two!  A large white classic tent with crystal chandeliers set the mood for the party to follow…   And as always, the silent guest known as Lake Tahoe spun its magic and did its part!

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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With so much wedding inspiration on the world wide web these days, it is very easy for a bride to become overwhelmed with all the design choices and styles.  And I am just talking about the dining tables!  Having a beautifully set table at your wedding can be something to look forward to or a daunting task.  The great joy of designing a stylish table-scape is to have fun with it.  Start small in your own home with your own dining table and engage in a little table-’E'scape.

A few simple tips can make your own cupboards a bin of inspiration.  An organized pantry will allow you to access items easily and you will be more likely to remember these settings and use them.  Stack collections of similar colors on open shelves.  Baskets can store table linens, napkins, napkin rings and candles.

First rule is there are no rules but just a few simple guidelines to observe…

1. Begin with stocking your pantry with basic white dishes.  More the better with oversize bowls and platters…  Food pops off white plates but don’t be afraid to accessorize with colorful accents.
2. Silverware can vary from your grandmother’s antiques to flea market finds.  Mix and match is a ‘do’ as well if you don’t have complete sets.
3. Collect place mats and napkins in different colors to compliment your china.  Napkins can match or contrast.  They can be folded a million ways, be placed on top, next to or under the plate.  Napkin rings are further embellishment and come in a variety of styles and materials.
4. Runners are great on a bare wooden table top or placed on a linen tablecloth.  A tablecloth creates a sense of formality and helps define the mood.
5. Candles.  Lots and lots of candles – votives and pillars – create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
6. Use color as your organizing principle.  A single color can have a terrific impact too.

Add your own personal style to your table by looking around your home for inspiration.  After a few nights of reenacting Top Chef with your favorite friends and breaking in different place settings, your own dining table will be a breeding ground of ideas.  Start to play with china shapes, complimentary color families, different textures – the sky is your limit!

Now it is time to tackle the table-scape for your wedding reception!

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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The Knot Northern California hand picked this Lake Tahoe lakeside wedding as one of the 11 perfect real weddings in their 2012 Spring/Summer issue.  The setting, one of Hollywood’s most famous lakefront locations, spoke for itself.  I remember during set-up one of the band members whispered to me, “This reminds me of the Godfather and sure looks like the place from it.”  I whispered back, “It is…”.  He pretty much ran out of the tent right then and there to start taking photos!

This wedding had it all – from the gorgeous woodie boat that delivered Andrew and his entourage to the ceremony to the infinite number of rustic, yet nautical, charming details to Courtney’s adorable kelly green cardigan she ‘donned’ as the fall air grew cool…  So many details, impressive on their own, were but the supporting cast to the main show itself:  the unforgettable wedding and following celebration for Courtney and Andrew.

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Looking for more?  Check out our earlier blog post – Classic Lake Tahoe Wedding - full of fabulous photo boards from Courtney & Andrew’s wedding day.

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Bridal showers go hand in hand with weddings so whether you are hosting one for your closest friend or you are the toast of the day, you want your bridal shower to be a fun, fresh and memorable time!  Yours Truly from Lake Tahoe gave Fabulous Living.com a couple ideas on how to breathe a little life into bridal showers.  For the full post, here it is – Bridal Showers: Games Are Out, Activities Are In! .  So out with the games and bring on the activities that will get guests talking and bonding!

Highlights:

1)  A Wine Tasting – have each guest bring a bottle (label covered) or supply a few as the hostess.  Have a blind ‘tasting’ and vote on the best one.  Even separate with a white wine and a red wine.  If you are true connoisseurs, you can get as detailed as voting on different varietals.  Great idea is to have the winning bottle or bottles make an encore appearance at the wedding reception!

2)  Glam Photo Shoot - bring in a professional photographer and capture the day with a photo session.  Theme or activity will add to the the fun.  Check out our blog post just on this topic alone – Your BFF’s Glam Photo Shoot.

3)  Floral Design - a brilliant idea from Kristi Pohly, owner of Fleur Decor in Denver, Colorado.  Treat your guests to a crash floral design course.  Hire a designer to supply the flowers and teach the how-to’s.  The vase is a great party favor, not to mention the arrangement you bring home (bonus is that you created it yourself!).

4)  Cupcake Decorating – from Claudia Copquin, founder/editor of Long Island’s bridal blog – GettingMarriedonLongIsland.com.   A fun (and yummy) way to spend an afternoon is decorating cupcakes.  Provide stations for the toppings – the more the better.  From custom aprons for the guests to awarding the prettiest, silliest or most original cupcake decor, this will be a great activity for a shower.

Happy Party Planning,

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If you are a self-proclaimed “foodie” or own a catering company, you have heard of Catering Magazine.  Their latest issue was dedicated to all delectable things – edible and not - in the wedding world.  They also chose to highlight four detail packed, color inspiring and just plain sensational weddings from coast to coast.  Abby and Nic’s lakefront Lake Tahoe wedding joins this select group and just pops out of their beautiful publication with glorious color.

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When the details of a wedding surpass expectations, leave guests smiling and don’t forget the food and drink, you will find it here.  Our vibrant and personality loaded wedding of Abby and Nic took center stage showing off their clever Tahoe Tessie orange signature drink all the way to their ORANGE velvet wedding cake.  The cake toppers were even exact replicas of hers and his wedding attire…

We could go on and on about the details but experience their day for yourself!

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This wedding definitely wowed, not only telling the story of their two lives but that day was also the beginning of Abby and Nic’s new story of their life as one!

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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