Sometimes restraint is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal.  Wanting nothing more then to keep things as natural as possible, today’s phenomenal Montreal team crafted a wonderfully fresh yet rustic world at the newly opened Les Chalets du Grand Duc.  Every chalet should have its princess, our chalet has a princess made of stylish beauty where sweet tattoos are embraced.  Not one for the classic definition of a princess, our gal has wonderfully tousled hair in a modern fishtail braid, perfectly kept in a crown of pearls.  Layers playfully float around in the form of tulle, fondant & china, while thick rough cut wood chargers take center stage.  With a few choice decor elements as well as bright colorful blooms, this chalet becomes a sophisticated style land for the rustic gal who craves more from fashion & design in her life!

What Storyboard Likes…

Total Fresh Bride Package- Fresh, Bright, Youthful, Princess With A Side of Style.  These are all words that run through my mind as I take in the gorgeous bridal beauty & styling.  The team did a tremendous job staying true with their goal on inception, keeping our sweet bride, fresh & natural.  They didn’t want to cover her up with heavy makeup, rather simply work to enhance her natural beauty, including her artful tattoos as well.  Her tattoos become as much a part of her stylish princess look as does the wonderfully done tousled textured fishtail braid.  Her hair is modern and wonderfully bridal with a slight bohemian edge to it, again, fresh.  What makes our princess however are her lovely headpieces in ribbon, pearl, buttons & more.  Finding the right headpiece for the right bridal style can change an entire look, creating ethereal bridal beauty!  Every little element to our bride reflects a natural yet sweetly enhanced look, from gorgeously tousled locks to delicately done makeup, even the sweet little bow ring in place of a wedding ring, each element crafts this stylish princess!

Layer It On- When layers are done right, they can be simply divine and this session has layers in spades!  Starting with the most obvious and certainly most amazing, the fondant ruffle layer cake is as heavenly as you can get!  Perfect ivory waving layers, each unique with its own attitude.  The overall effect of such amazing layers is almost ethereal and wonderfully complimented by the full bloomed sugar peonies!  Following in suit with the layer technique are the plate settings which mimic that of our cake, layering a thick rough cut wood charger, 3 pieces of china, all finished off with an elegant tea cup.  Excellent china layering if I have ever seen it, and look at that color harmony to boot!  Lastly our gal’s gown, gorgeously layered in rows of tulle and lace.  Softly tiered, this wedding dress plays on the frilly side yet walks the line of sophistication all the same.  Layering is always in trend and one that you can never go wrong with, esp when its done with a delicate hand!

Sweet Little Details-There truly are some lovely little details when it comes to the styling of this session.  The clock is almost majestic with the perfect touch of old, the use of a utterly lovely thick hardback novel with eloquently torn pages, & the choice of the petite floral china  is superb.  I adore the vintage reclaimed wood flower box that serves as our tables centerpiece and whats more, the raised aspect to it.  Kick things up a notch by elevating them!  My favorite of all the little details however, is a simple yet magical one for me, the old iron stags head, I could not love this thing more!!!  The stags head is AH-mazing and would love to have one for myself!! What a wonderful collection of decor elements, all tied together with a unifying touch, echoing their rustic surroundings!

Vendor Love

Venue: Les Chalets du Grand Duc | Dress Boutique: Boutique Natalia Exclusif | Veils & Headpieces: Letters to Jane | Jewelry: Bijoux Mohawki | Makeup Artist: Susan Morales | Cake Designer: Gât-o | Floral Designer: Les Petites Excuses | Event Designer: La Mariée Bohème | Photographer: Sonia Bourdon photography

First order of business, Happy Memorial Day!!  Hopefully your stopping in on your way to an amazing BBQ or perhaps you’ve munched just a tad too much for the day & need some down time, either way, you’re going to be super pleased that you did because baby’O'baby do we have a treat for you!!  My favorite Philadelphia crew {Remember the gorgeous softer side of steampunk shoot? Click Here for a refresher} dropped a gem into my inbox just recently & I have been quietly coveting it in the corner in the meantime!  Their inspiration this time…. Disney’s #1 villaness, Maleficent, specifically Angelina Jolie’s upcoming reprisal of her!  I adore this shoot for a billion of reasons most of which is the simple fact that they pulled inspiration from such an unlikely source.  You know how I love my creativity with an extra side of special!  The team provided me with quite a lengthy run down of all the magic that happened, so do be sure to read through how they crafted this phenomenal shoot.  Before I send you packing, I’ll laundry list my favorite bits! {You know… in the interest of getting you back out to that BBQ!}  Gorgeous model {honestly, she could not be MORE perfect for this shoot, oh and PS-SHE did the makeup!!}, love love love the silver to purple ombre dress…. I think I need it in my life, I cant get enough of the Petits Gâteaux {I wish it made better sense for small cakes at weddings, as I do love them so!}, wonderfully earthy dark yet bold styling in the floral & design department and I am dyyyyyyying over those completely trippy & incredibly cool tulips!!  Honestly I could seriously go on about the session as  whole, but I’ll let your eyes do the walking!  Much  love on this holiday day~ Xo! Jess

A note from the incredibly talented team:

Ever wonder what Maleficent would be as a bride? Well, wonder no more! In anticipation of Angelina Jolie’s “Maleficent“, BG Productions and Papertini teamed up with amazing group of creative and talented vendors and friends to bring Maleficent into her wedding fantasy!

The colors scheme we chose for our Maleficent are Green, Gold with a touch of Dark Purple and Red. Golden Silhouette did a great job interpreting the colors scheme and theme into the stationery suite. Gorgeous shimmery emerald pocket envelope for the invitation and vintage gold spinning wheel pattern hand-stamped on each paper product. The invitation, program book, and menu cards are accented with gold threads to complete their interpretation of the spinning wheel. Now that the invitations are out, we’re ready for the big day!

Our Maleficent represents a fearless and confident bride. She is elegant, sexy, bold and gorgeous with a touch of edge. Tiffany from Dina Alon Hair and Make Up Studio styled her hair by combining Victorian rolls and gorgeous curls (what a great interpretation of Maleficent’s horns!). Alexis, our model, not only she is drop dead gorgeous, but she is also an amazing make up artist and fashionista! Alexis chose to do a dramatic, intense deep purple eye make up and paired it with a sexy hot red lipstick. To complete the look, her nails were done in a two-toned, dark purple/black and dark red with glitter and she put on her sexy black shoes. Voila! We have a perfect, glamorous, and gorgeous Maleficent!

We chose three different black dresses for her because, why just stick with one if you can have three? Her ceremony dress was an elegant ball gown layered with lace and tulle that was beautifully hand-tailored by Jennifer Kohler Designs. Papertini complimented the look with a modern textural cascading bouquet consisting of mini callas, scabiosa pods, galax rosettes and tulip anthuriums.

For reception, she switched to this fun and sexy sparkly long dress from Page Six…it’s haute. She sure knows how to command the room with this dress! We made sure no details were overlooked for her reception at the amazing Woodlands Historic Mansion! Papertini styled the wall with gold paper doilies and textured round mats. They accented the fire mantle with antique lanterns and dark purple candles and filled the fireplace with a wild, textural floral arrangement with black pussy willows (these are natural!) as the center of the attention. For Maleficent’s sweetheart table, we used gold chargers with matching gold wares (how cool are those!) and goblets accented with dark purple dinner plates. We topped off the plate with emerald green napkins and Golden Silhouette’s elegant menu and place cards to complete the look.

For her cake display, Papertini created a dramatic set by enhancing a potted branch with agonis leaves and decorated the antique trunk with matching antique stands for the cake and candles. The gold cake, made by the one and only Ciao Bella Cakes, was subtly decorated and accented with a black feather as an homage to Maleficent’ crow. The cake was accompanied by two matching mini cakes (which, by the way, is a great idea for couple’s cakes or as alternative to cupcakes).

The hanging place cards were displayed on a gold spinning wheel (spray painted bicycle rim!). To add more pizzaz to the table, Papertini created interest points on the table using various vintage green vessels and an all green floral arrangement. As the guests walked in, they were treated with a glass of Kir Royale, our Maleficent’s signature drink. The drinks were displayed in a beautiful and ornate set of champagne glasses courtesy of Cathie and Al. After dinner, our Maleficent was ready to have some fun and switched to her dancing dress! We chose this fun and flirty short dress from Page Six…it’s haute and she rocked it! Thanks to Create the Moment for all the coordination so our Maleficent could truly enjoy her soiree!

A HUGE thanks goes to the one and only Cathie from BG Productions was there for our Maleficent capturing all her moments and preserving this glorious day forever. A special thanks goes to Al, from BG Productions, for filming our behind-the-scene, Rachel Odle for all her help and Primitive Dwellings for the amazing upholstery work done for the bench prop (with uber cute pillows to boot!)

Vendor Love

Venue: The Woodlands Historic Mansion, Cemetery, and Landscape | Dress Store: Bebe, Page Six..its’ haute | Dress Designer: Jennifer Kohler Designs | Hair Stylist: Dina Alon Salon | Cake Designer: Ciao Bella Cakes | Paper Props: Golden Silhouette | Event Planner: Create The Moment | Event Designer: Papertini, LLC | Furniture: Primitive Dwellings | Cinema and Video: BG Prodcutions | Photographer: BG Productions

I am feeling a bit Marie Antoinette this morning, so cake we shall have!  I am not even going to be bashful about it, I have a ridiculous sweet tooth so when it comes time for cake tastings, desserts, or the not so occasional cupcake craving…..well… just steer clear of me, that’s all I am going to say!  But in all seriousness, sweets are such a wonderful part of the wedding process and a truly epic place for design!

For today’s WIWW feature, I have chosen a Great Gatsby {might as well embrace the current trend!} inspired cake that comes to us from SBW friend, Style Unveiled.  Now if you don’t already know of her {I find this pretty much impossible!} most certainly carve out some time in the very near future to get to know her and her delicious site which is filled with tremendous amounts of pretty, inspiration, and everything in between.  Everything she selects to feature is beautifully styled & perfectly on trend.  You’re welcome ahead of time!

Ok so back to our Gatsby cake.  To view Styled Unveiled’s sneak peek post on the cake,  Click Here and for the full write up on the Gatsby inspired wedding, Click Here.  What makes this gorgeous cake work so well, isn’t as much about texture {though always a key player!}, color & a beautiful mix of media, but design itself.  Specifically how Paola Cake Atelier was able to whip literal art deco design elements into cake form.  The overall effect is a stunning art deco cake that is perfectly on trend with the roaring 20′s!

 *Photograph by Jamilah Photography

There are two major attention grabbing elements at play here, both of which echo that of art deco design.  Working from the bottom up, our base layer is given the rhinestone chevron treatment in impressive symmetry relaying a very classic art deco design from back in the day.  The sharp lines & crisp angles are very much inline with the elements used in the 1920′s,  often immortalized in the florish of buildings created around that time.  It is a hallmark of the art deco era and an unmistakable fingerprint.  Whether these sparkling gems are edible or not, I can not say, but if I know my bakers, these crafty wizards can make just about anything edible, so my money is on yes!

The show piece layer of the cake is indeed a stunner, playing handily into a look often seen in the brooch headpiece many flappers would wear in the roaring 20′s.  Perfectly designed & expertly made, this band layer utilizes not only fondant carving to mimic fabric but hand crafted detailing that, piece by piece, assembles into that of an art deco brooch.  Ovals, tear drops, even more rhinestones come together to create a show piece element that is a gorgeous piece of jewelry all its own.

When viewed together, these two layers resemble that of an outfit a flapper may wear, a sequined chevron dress with jeweled headpiece, dont you think!?  The overall design is terribly clever and I would be remiss if I did not point out that the finishing elements of the softly beaded pearl dots & simple 2 row rhinestone base layer are the the perfect accoutrements to such terrific design work.  Poignant and beautifully understated exactly as they ought to be.  Likewise the choice of cake stand is incredibly brilliant, here again, echoing the art deco style.

I really encourage you to head over to check out Style Unveiled’s Full Post on their Gatsby Inspired Wedding.  There are so many terrific elements that your  little fingers are going to get tired from all the pinning!  So do tell me, which are your favorite elements of this beautiful cake?  Are you a chevron fan or do you fancy more complex patterns?  Gatsby certainly has a strong hold on design at the moment, are you a fan of all things Great and Gatsby like?!

Vendor Love

Wedding Cake: Paola Cake Atelier | Venue: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens | Photographer: Jamilah Photography

In honor of my birthday {yup you read that right!} I am doing what any respectable girl would do, I am throwing myself a sweets party naturally!  Those of you that know me, know how insane of a sweets tooth I have & when they come in the form of phenomenal cupcakes… well its on like Donkey Kong!  I actually have a dream of one day opening a bakery {with 0 pastry experience mind you!} and calling it “This Is Why I Run” Hehe!  Dont steal my awesome name in the mean time though!  Last year I celebrated my birthday with the Sprinkle Cake heard ’round the world wide web {click here to sprinkle} so why not keep to tradition and feature some more amazing treats!  A sweet team {pun intended!} in Minnesota got together and put on a dessert bar clinic!  Be it carnival infused, classics inspired, or vintage noshes, the team touched on all kinds of yummy goodness.  From cakes to macaroons to cupcakes, there are so many scrumptious delights to play with.  The food decor styling is clever & bright, certainly crafting the desserts bar as a focal point all its own!  Each setup has a unique finger print, but what I truly love is how any bridey can easily apply this to their day & make the most picture worthy sweets spot!  Be warned….reading this post might induce severe sugar cravings & possibly lead to a bakery run

Vendor Love

Bakery: Sweets Bakeshop | Venue: Spill the Wine
Florist: Sadie’s Couture Floral and Event Styling | Styling & Vintage Rentals: On Solid Ground Vintage Rentals | Photographer: Erin Johnson Photography

I have such a big crush on this insanely lovely styled Indian shoot!  From the bright elegant colors to the phenomenal clothing all beautifully captured by Brian MacStay Photography!  When the team got together to craft this styled shoot, they took cues from the colors and flavors of India, saffron, curry, cardamom and indigo as well as the location for the shoot, one of San Francisco’s most iconic locations, the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom.  The Julia Morgan Ballroom is rich in texture and history with its deep Mahogany paneled wood walls, glamorous marble foyer, coffered ceilings and beveled mirrors.  Their goal was to highlight the deep, beautiful colors that are so entrenched in Indian culture. Taking the opportunity to play with everything from the jewelry by Reveti Jewelry Inc, to the bright florals.  The beautiful beaded dress, which was designed by Swati Couture was custom designed and intricately beaded.  Every piece to this well styled shoot is an explosion of color, texture and brilliance!

What Storyboard Likes…

Bright Colors & Beautiful Clothes-  No matter who you are, its hard to deny how incredibly captivating the use of bold vibrant colors are within the Indian culture.  Like a proud peacock, striking hues are used in an unapologetic way, injected into every place possible.  In this technicolor vision, its hard to deny the gorgeous deep purples & popping turquoise nor do I think I have ever been as big of a fan of bright shining gold as I am right now.  The gorgeous clothing provided by Swati Couture is beautifully crafted and to be flatly honest, I want to wear this dress!  The beautiful models, Sonia Kakkar and Houman Abouei, do a brilliant job of selling me on the entire shoot, and damned if they along with the entire setup, dont make me want to be there too!

Cakes As Art- I have a board on Pinterest solely dedicated to collecting the most gorgeous cakes around called Cakes As Art.  Let’s be honest here, to be able to do the things that these brilliant bakers are doing, a certainly level of artistry must be put forth by these amazing bakers.  Sure they aren’t using oil pants, watercolors & metal working, but they are making art all same, simply with sugar & flour as their medium.  The absolutely gorgeous cake made by Patisserie Angelica is perfection on so many levels.  From a design standpoint, whether you realize it or not, the overall design aesthetic hauntingly mirrors that of the beautiful Indian attire with its beaded work that at times resembles quilting.  The intricate fondant cut outs mimic that of the gorgeous pattern work often found in traditional Indian linens while florishes to the cutouts that were finished off by hand. What one might take for granted is the precision & carefulness to which this work was done.  The overall effect is a gorgeously precise & flawless cake, which might sound like boring words used to describe, but in truth, it couldn’t be a bigger compliment to the hand that created it.

Beautiful Spaces- Ok, you got me.  I am totally on board with Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange being one stunning venue.  If you’re on board with a darker feel to your fete {I mean this as a good thing} then allow yourself to be swallowed up in the dark Mahogany wood walls, embraced by an air of old school.  The venue describes it’s space so beautifully: The 15th Floor, which houses the grand Ballroom, Lounge, Bar, and anterooms, was recently refurbished. A stunning Deco foyer greets you, before a 27-foot curved mahogany bar in the Lounge sweeps you towards the majestic Ballroom, which is 4,300 square feet of pure elegance. Light flows in through a wall of floor-to-ceiling arched windows, overhead is a honeycombed ceiling of mahogany octagonals, and a 20-foot palatial fireplace commands the southern wall.  Between the giant windows that allow daylight to pour in, to the complimenting symmetry of the wall to wall geometric carpeting against the honey combed ceiling, its easy to see how enchanting this space can be and did I mention, Fireplace!?

Vendor Love

Venue: Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange | Dress Designer: Swati Couture | Jewelry: Reveti Jewelry Inc | Hair & Makeup Artist: A Beautiful One Hair and Make Up | Floral: Greenworks Floral Design | Baker: Patisserie Angelica | Rentals: Wine Country Party Rentals | Chairs: Blueprint Studios | Event Design: Tamara J Events | Cinema & Video: Epic Studios | Second Shooters: Jennifer Bagwell Photography, John H Wright Photography |Photographer: Brian MacStay Photography