Not every girl dreams of being down up to a T on her wedding day.  The idea of a big bulky dress, tightly pinned hair, heels as tall as sky scrapers, is enough to send many sweet ladies running in fear!  Some gals prefer the KISS method, Keep It Simple Stupid!  Our wonderfully ethereal styled bridal session  today has two lovely looks which will truly inspire ladies looking to keep things more simple on their big day, shoes optional even!  Softly tumbling barrel curl locks, a delicate strapless blush 50′s dress, or a lace vintage dress with pinched 3/4 sleeves, elements that are equally relaxed and laid back as they are elegant & beautiful.  Being ones true lovely self comes in many many forms, and for some, feeling the grass between her toes, while her sways in the wind, dressed in a simple yet beautiful dress, is all  she needs!

Vendor Love

Florist: Valle Wholesale Flowers | Makeup Artist: Flawless Team | Photographer: Lucy Munoz Photography

New England weddings are the stuff dreams are made of.  Gorgeous lush green ranges, soft babbling brooks, blue skies as far as the eye can see.  Vermont plays host to some of the more elegant in New England weddings, with the Trapp Family Lodge handily playing host on their breathtaking grounds.  Sarah Logan & Chris Yen celebrated their big day among the Worcester Mountain range, on a spot overlooking some of the more awe inspiring views.  After the ceremony, guests were directed to a magical birch forest for cocktails which was then followed up by a softly light tented reception.  Sarah & Chris’s wedding day seems almost effortless, filled with full smiles & love.

What Storyboard Likes…

The Ease Of It All- There are times when viewing a wedding that you can immediately get the feel & vibe for the day.  Whether it is in a simple look, a small gesture, etc, its very clear that the ‘theme’ above all themes, is simply allowing your day to gently roll you down the stream.  For me, Sarah embodies the ease of it all.  Whether something went wrong that day, I certainly could not tell you, as her smile is above all radiant & her desire to stroll throw the soft sweet grass barefoot shows how ease breezy Sarah felt on her wedding day.  I love how giddy she appears each time she locks eyes with Christopher & I love how carefree everyone seems to feel.

The Perfect Location- Its no secret as you have come to know me, that the hubs & I also got married in Vermont, actually having a family house in Stowe.  I have personally been more then a few times to the gorgeous Trapp Lodge property {we actually took some photos here on our wedding day} and let me just tell you, it is one of THE most heavenly locations around.  The wedding meadow {where Sarah & Christopher were married} is one of these most breath taking spaces, lush with green, deep with blue & bright with so many vibrant colors from all the flora, that its easy to understand why Sarah & Christopher feel in love with it.  I think the thing I appreciate most about this particular spot is the fact that even though it is so very grand, it somehow does not take away from the couple in the least.  There is a magical balance that exists there and I highly encourage any bride looking for a mountain or New England wedding, to check out this location.

Pretty As A Posie- I am all kind of loving the gorgeous florals done by Trapp Lodge.  From the bouquet to the ceremony, these are some seriously crush worthy arrangements.  The color choices are superb & I am utterly dying over the simple table arrangement of cream snapdragons, pale pink roses &  soft pink goose neck, this grouping can show up to my door anytime!  While the reception flowers were more reserved, it was the ceremony florals that spoke in volume!  I love the oversized galvanized buckets of flowers at the base of the arbor while the abundant arrangements dressed the top.  If you are a flower lover, you are sure to be as in heaven as I am!

Suits & Dresses- Honestly, the boys never get enough love when to comes to weddings.  We talk about the bride & her maids, the flowers, the sweet decor touches, but the men deserve some love too!  I am completely on board with the super smart look of Christopher & his men, dressed in sharp light beige suits, fitted with vests and what I lovingly call, “Pappy Caps’.  I find the overall look to be extremely dapper & so very well put together!  Kudos boys!  Ok naturally I have to talk about this lovely Anna Campbell gown though!!!  This fitted lace dream is  a sweet departure from the sea of strapless gowns.  Artfully sculpted lace innocently covers  part of Sarah’s chest while a gorgeous T shape in lace takes form in the back, making it as a alluring as the front.  There is an air to the gown of old aristocrat feel and the gorgeous short train only serves as an exclamation point to the perfect sentence.

Novella of the Bride…

Chris and I are both physicians and we live in Montana. We love being outdoors, running, skiing, climbing, and playing with our dogs Sophie and Lucy.  We met in the Operating room. I was in my 4th year of medical school and he was finishing his anesthesia residency. He was my resident teacher for the day. I could tell I liked him right away even in our scrub caps and masks. We started dating shortly after, and then spent a year dating across country while I was doing my intern year on the West coast and he was on the East coast. We made many trips to visit for less then 24 hrs, and then decided we had to be in the same place. So we moved to Montana. When we first met, I knew he was different. All the rules changed. I just wanted to be near him all the time. We made up  games and laughed nonstop. I never slept because I just wanted to enjoy every moment. He became my best friend, and then I realized shortly after he was the love of my life. Nothing every has been more clear to me.

We did not have one theme to our wedding. The best way I can describe it would be like a fairy tail. There was a very natural feel to our wedding.  We were married outside in a field overlooking the Green Mountains. We had a Hawaiian musician who played the ukulele during the ceremony. He sang and played “Somewhere over the rainbow” as I walked down the isle. All the bridesmaids and I were barefoot. We wanted soft colors with pinks and blues.  We had a birch alter decorated with big open flowers in pinks, peach, and blue. There were a lot of big open roses, mixed with wild flowers.  We picked Trapp Family lodge in Stowe Vermont, because my family still lives in Vermont, I grew up there, and I think its one of the most gorgeous places in VT. There are trails to run and bike on. There are gorgeous pastures, and gardens. The staff and facility is amazing. And we wanted everyone to be able to stay there for the whole weekend.  The bridesmaids dresses were flowy and soft. The groomsmen wore tan vests and white shirts.  I think one special touch was that my uncle Doug married us. We had all of our grandparents walk down the isle,  as well as readings from our best friends. It was perfect.

My favorite moment of the wedding, was walking down the isle looking out at my family and best friends, and then seeing Chris at the alter. The musician was playing “Somewhere over the rainbow” on the ukulele, and the sun warm on my face. It was just the most perfect moment. I was overwhelmed with the natural beauty of the scenery  the sense of pure happiness that I was going to get to actually marry Chris, the love of my life. It was like a  dream that came true.

Vendor Love

Venue, Florist, Caterer, Baker, Lighting & Planning: Trapp Family Lodge
Wedding Dress: Anna Campbell
Bridesmaid Dresses: Saja NYC
Hair & Makeup Stylist: Salon Salon
Groom’s Suit: Astor and Black
Invitations: Carey Bunker
Music: Josh Cho
Photographer: Kathleen Landwehrle

You know the kind of couple that you never even have to met in person, and all you need to see is one photograph, & you completely understand the how truly deep their love runs?  This feature embodies ‘that’ couple & I simply can not get enough of them!  Sarah & Isaiah are beyond smitten kitten for one another & their wedding is simply gorgeous.  From the stain glass filled & immensely high vaulted ceilings of the church to the glamour star of a reception space with one terrific looking dessert bar, this wedding is total aces!  While the wedding is indeed lovely, it is the photos of Sarah & Isaiah that completely steal the show.  As it turns out, I have an extra special gem to share, this sweet couple also did a ‘Trash The Dress’ session, which will be up at 1:30pm so be sure to check back as its AH-dorable…We’ll just call it: Sarah & Isaiah go to the Carnival!

What Storyboard Likes…

Bridal Style {This means you too Isaiah!}- When a couple ‘gets it’ in the attire department, it makes all the difference!  I absolutely love Sarah’s choice of the Angel Sanchez gown, pairing it with an elegantly high bun do, all the while surrounded by birdcage veil, worn in a couture fashion. {Ps- I do not throw the term couture around lightly!}  Meanwhile, Isaiah looks beyond dapper in a gorgeous custom suit perfectly paired with plaid bow tie, adorable argyle socks & honestly, some of the better men’s wedding shoes I have ever seen!  Lastly, how freakin cute are two tulle filled flower girls?!  I die over the overhead shot of those 2 beauties as their skirts take up the balk of the aisle!  Love everything about the wedding fashion!

Dessert Bar Spéciale- I am completely crushing on Sarah & Isaiah’s dessert bar!!  Starting with the centerpiece cake, the soft pinks ruffles are done to perfection while the pom cake topper is out of this world.  I want this cake for my birthday!  The styling of the bar on a whole is completely tops, varying  heights, the mixed cake stands filled with everything from cookies to shooters, give the table the needed dimension to really make it a show piece on its own.  Petite signage greets guests at various places, offering simple messages of wedding love.  Believe it or not, I think my favorite detail over all is the simple act of tying some of the cookies together with bakers twine.  I. Love. This.

Little Touches- No small touch was left undone in the hands of Sarah & Isaiah.  From the dessert bar bunting to the tassle garland, there certainly was flair in all the right places.  In the beginning of the day, little touches & love messages were left for each, from the love note collar stays to the cold feet socks!  Even messages boards were given the amore treatment!  Attention to detail will get you everywhere my sweet couples to be!!

Novella of the Bride…

Engaged at 24 and married at 25. Isaiah created the perfect proposal, that we knew our wedding would have to follow in being a day we would never forget. We are both huge green bay packer fans, we have 2 shiba inu’s and are truly the perfect pair.

Originally, we wanted a soft vintage shabby chic romance theme. We wanted it to be comfortable for everyone, relaxed. We wanted everyone to feel that they fit in and were able to have a good time. I really didnt care about much, except that I knew I wanted navy, blush pinks and gold – & that our guests were our main priority. I (surprisingly) was a very laid back bride. Isaiah’s dad died two days before our wedding, and I made a few last minute changes in hopes to add pops of color that would reflect personalities and make people smile. I chose yellow, put it in our centerpieces, flowers and table numbers. We had a photo booth, and a dessert buffet. From the moment we started planning, we knew we wanted a dessert buffet – and that became more clear to us as we were cake tasting different venues. Nothing “WOW’d” us until we came across Cocoa&Fig. Though we had pinterest inspiration, our wedding was truly a reflection of us and our personalities. 3 months later, we still get compliments on how people knew it was a wedding for us, or how they felt our personalities were shining through and had little touches everywhere they went. We didn’t leave anything out.

Isaiah and I were on a date in downtown Saint Paul, some random afternoon before I was about to switch a new job. This was in.. April? We weren’t even engaged (that happened in September). We were walking around venues and I don’t even know why. Were we already thinking of where we wanted to have a wedding reception? Maybe, but I honestly couldn’t tell you. We walked into the landmark center and the James J Hill Library, both places I had been in before. We also walked in to the St.Paul Hotel – a place new to both of us. They are all beautiful venues, elegant and spacious. Down the street we walked in to The Great Hall. IMMEDIATELY stopped at the edge of the open space, looked at each other and said “This is where we are going to have our first dance, wedding reception? YES!”  And that was it! Looking back, I knew we loved that it was open, that it was bright, and that cocktail hour could be separate. I also hate venues with ugly carpet.

For our ceremony, it was a hard long process. I am picture obsessed, and I knew I wanted something with a lovely backdrop. We hunted and hunted for a church, but so many had SO many requirements. We were driving by HAUMC one night and decided to stop. It was 9pm and the doors were locked. We pushed a button we saw outside the door (how rude, 9pm? what were we thinking!) and a sweet janitorial man named John came to open the door. He took us in to show us the ceremony and the entire church. It. was. STUNNING. He was sweet, and so kind. Not to mention, when Isaiah asked “John, what do you do if its a 90 degree day?”,  John replied with “TURN ON THE AC OF COURSE!” we were sold. Having AC, was literally the most important thing for me. I hate being hot, and if I am hot – I turn into one cranky lady. No one wants a cranky bride. Isaiah preferred it that I actually walked down the aisle that day win – win!

From start to finish, beginning to end, every detail and aspect was planned by Isaiah and I. But its okay! It was a wonderful feeling to see it all come together. Proud moment. And now i want to be a wedding planner.

Bride’s Favorite Moment: “This is a tough one. I want to say our first look, but I remember feeling so awkward because a million people were watching us even though I said please don’t  And then you want to say walking down the aisle since that moment is so surreal, but Isaiah’s uncle stepped out into the aisle to take pictures. AKA – I couldn’t even see my husband to be, just this new guy I never met before. Even the ceremony turned weird, our pastor had heard that we lost our dad just two days prior and semi turned it into a funeral service? Our day wasn’t perfect, it had hiccups – but that’s perfect for us, that explains us. That’s how our every day life goes too. We roll with it! I’m not answering the question am I?? Ok.. I think my favorite moment was our bridal party dance. We danced to “Wobble” by VIC and it was truly a carefree moment of celebration. Also, my husband and I went up on this large catwalk overlooking our entire venue at 8:11pm (because our wedding date was 8/11) and gave a toast to thank all of our guests. Everyone was hootin and hollerin, we felt loved. Total blessing.” {SBW Note- I included the portion of Sarah’s response that could be interpreted as dialogue to me, for a reason.  Firstly Sarah is adorable as all get out & secondly, its important to realize that this is a very true reflection of how things typically go on a wedding day.  Perfection is in the little things that we call bumps in the road.  They are what shape & guide our day.  In all likelihood, there will be things that come up.  Rather then work oneself into a tizzy, it is important to realize this is real life, it is how things go.  Just Enjoy Yourself!}

Vendor Love

Ceremony Venue: Hennepin Ave United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: The Great Hall
Wedding Dress: Angel Sanchez
Bridesmaid Dresses: Lela Rose
Shoe Designer: Caparros
Hair Stylist: Mollie Kae
Makeup Artist: Tina Beaupre
Groom’s Suit: Custom-Heimies Habadashery
Florist: Christina Marie Floral & Events
Caterer: Lettuce Cater
Baker: Cocoa & Fig
Music: Events by MV
Day of Coordination: Christina Marie Floral & Events
Photographer: Snap.Grin Photography

Love knows no bounds and it certainly doesn’t pay attention to where you live!  Ariana Moir & Stephan Oehler travel infused wedding comes with great reason!  Not only have they traveled the world together but they booth have international roots.  Stephan is from Switzerland while Ariana’s grandfather’s heritage is Japanese!  Table names & escort cards gave a heavy nod to travel while it was the guest gift that really brought the Swiss & Japanese world’s together!  Each guest was gifted with a Victorinox Tomo knives. Victorinox – the makers of the original Swiss Army Knife – started making the Tomo in 2011 – Tomo, which means ‘friend’ and ‘companion’ in Japanese, combines contemporary design from Japan with the ingenuity of the Original Swiss Army Knife!

What Storyboard Likes…

Fit To Print- Simple, clean, & vintage inspired, the printed material for Ariana & Stephan’s wedding is superb.  I am loving the use of the pencil drawing medicine bottles with floral adornments on the invites.  Its a simple but powerful touch!  The menu has a farm to table feel & the use of the kraft paper really brings home that homey vibe, not to mention the cute fork & spoon at the bottom!  Loving the wedding papers!

1,000 Cranes- If you dont really know of this wedding tradition, allow me to explain.  Folded origami paper cranes is a Japanese tradition {legend} which promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane.  Traditionally at weddings, they are given by the father who is essentially wishing a thousand years of happiness and prosperity upon the couple.  While I love the deep rooted meaning, I really appreciate them visually.  Typically they are used in the ceremony as a backdrop {though not as a rule} and I just love the overall effect they have on things!

Photo Op- I am a firm believer that any time you can surprise & delight your guests, your wedding will automatically become tops.  Setting up photos guests & family, even utilizing old childhood photos of your own, is a great opportunity to really bring the guests into your world.  These small things make your guest feel special & appreciate the fact that they know something extra special about you!

A Word from the Bride…

“My husband is Swiss and many of our guests came from overseas and across the US, so we hoped to create a warm, welcoming and joyful atmosphere.  We went with a rustic but elegant New England theme with touches of Switzerland, a nod to our backgrounds.”

“We used a painting by my grandmother, Alice Moir, to illustrate our inviations, which we designed and made ourselves.  My friend Calvin folded many of the paper cranes which are hanging behind us during the ceremony and on the tables.  Rather than have traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen, we had a “circle of friends and family” stand up front with us and our officiant, Jeff Rabinowitz, during the ceremony.  They each contributed a reading or thoughts during the ceremony.  My friend Meaghan did my makeup.  My mom’s close friend Susanne did the calligraphy on our invitations and the lettering on many of the signs.  Many other friends and family contributed as well.”

Vendor Love

Venue: The Inn at Pleasant Lake
Wedding Dress: Brinbaum & Bullock
Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss
Music: Jordan Tirrel-Wysocki, Upper Valley DJ
Rentals: Special Events of New England
Florist: Cobblestone Design Company
Caterer: The Inn at Pleasant Lake
Photographer: Brett Alison Photography