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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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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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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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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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.

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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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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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How often I have seen a little flower girl’s gaze of awe upon the bride moments before the ceremony as she is surrounded by her bridal attendants putting on the finishing touches…  This ‘awe’ has had many faces from curiousity to  admiration to a dreamer of when one day they will be a bride themselves.  Such is part of the circle of life, little flower girls who grow up to be beautiful brides.

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The unpredictability of little ones adds that spontaneity and character to your wedding ceremony that will always make it uniquely yours.  How we watch with holded breath, but simulatneously love, when the ring bearer decides to chuck the ring pillow or if the little ones impulsively decide to add their own dance rendition to their walk down the aisle or if they decide to stand, sit, squirm anywhere but where they rehearsed the day before…

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Head wreaths for little flower girls have always been a favorite and a great compliment to the floral basket.  Magical floral wands are super popular now too for them to wave their blessing of love down the aisle…  Little boys or little girls can ring a bell to capture your guests’ attention – like they haven’t already – announcing the bride cometh.

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Besides ringing a bell and verbally announcing “Here Comes the Bride” – have bell ringers put a new spin on this by carrying a sign instead along with the ringing bells or go it alone with just the sign.  Don’t forget the backside – room here for another message from Just Married and Thank You to be used later on in some well planned photo ops.  Clever Etsy artists have lots to choose from here. 

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Alternative new ideas for ring bearers include using ring pillows that are anything but soft and cushy… these can range from floral embellished to a wooden box, burlap or other organic elements or even something as personalized as a skateboard with the rings tied to it as one of our ring bearers did last summer.  If you have a musically-favored little guy or gal (and no stage fright), they could even play a little ditty on their instrument as they walk down the aisle creating a whole new role for this little one.

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Either way – Baby New Year or my new little baby – I am glad to relive and share these wedding moments with you starring the little ones that can not only steal hearts, but also make the forgettable unforgettable. 

Have an extra special and Happy New Year!

ew ideas for ring bearers include using ring pillows that are anything but soft and cushy… these can range from floral embellished to a wooden box, burlap or other organic elements or even something as personalized as a tied to it as one of our ring bearers did last summer…  If you have a musically favored little guy or gal ey xxx

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If you tend to favor the “uncolor” over splashes of vibrancy, how do you keep your wedding fresh, memorable and maybe with a little wow factor?  Let’s be honest, using all white can be slightly yawn-inspiring.  By adding a little (or a lot) of texture, you can make a visual impact and a lingering impression.  Lace and floral rosettes are a couple of options that are making a strong statement today in the world of white. 

Lace is delicate, imparting an unique elegancy since the softness of lace is always romantic.  From vintage lace to modern, think beyond the wedding dress to create a unique wedding style with this fabric from intricate and delicate to bold and solid.

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From invitation accents to hidden antique garters to wrapped votives and mason jars, lace can show up in unexpected places and add a little spice.

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Then there is The Cake!  Oh, how do we love lace touches on the wedding cake and especially when it emulates the wedding dress!

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Floral rosettes literally bring added layers of texture to a white wedding style.  Rosettes can be used everywhere from back-drops to the table decor to your hair.  Rosettes also can be made out of a multitude of materials (fabric, fondant, paper) which is great since they can be used in a range of budgets.

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And we can’t forget The Cake!

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These are just two ideas to provide a little White Inspiration for you!

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