Don’t be too upset about the impending rain this weekend Lovelies. Just remember, a rainy wedding day means good luck in the future. And a potential hurricane? Well, just take that as extra good karma points. Stay safe this weekend to our East Coast readers!

This Fall Botanical Inspiration shoot really tickles our fancy.

This bride and groom really pop!

This Bow Tie ‘How To’ video has us in fits of giggles.

We tip our hats to this eco-friendly couple, who planned their wedding in six weeks!

A little bird told us that these are the cutest new trend.

This Lovely Bride nailed it in the Kiki!

With an event planner bride and a fashion photographer groom, we knew Kristin and Drew’s wedding would be flawless, and perfectly styled in every way. Their beach chic wedding combined the elements of ease and natural beauty inspired by the ocean, with the grand and elegant architecture of the Windsor Club. Between the Sarah Seven dress and swoon worthy photos by Leigh Miller, Kristin’s wedding day look is what we are proud to call “Lovely”.

Lovely: Tell us about THE dress and what inspired your look.

Kristin: I always knew I wanted a romantic, flowy, almost Grecian wedding dress, as I am drawn to anything of that style. However, I could not find it off the rack and didn’t want to create something from scratch. Sarah Seven’s dress gave me the perfect base to be able to tweak as necessary with the help of The Cotton Bride to create something that I had always envisioned. Together with The Cotton Bride, by adding straps, we were able to lower the back of the dress for a more dramatic look. We even added a bit of glam to the otherwise simple dress with a retro beaded belt. I had so much fun bringing my vision to life and making the dress my own. Another plus, the dress caught the sea breeze perfectly, evoking a romantic and ethereal feel throughout all of our photos.

Lovely: What were the most important details to pulling off your dream wedding?

Kristin: The décor and personalized touches were most important to us, as we wanted to reflect our personalities and personal style. We love white coral and wanted to incorporate it into our centerpieces along with other natural sea elements such as sea anemones and sea glass. We both like micro brewed beers and served several specialty selections such as Brooklyn Lager and Smuttynose IPA. We wanted every detail to be creative and different from what most wedding guests usually see.

Lovely: What was the most memorable moment?

Kristin: The most memorable moment was exiting the church with my new husband and having a few minutes to ourselves to take in what had just happened. It was a very emotional and surreal experience and we were both overwhelmed with happiness and excitement.

Lovely: If you could give future brides any advice, what would it be?

Kristin: My advice to other brides would be to make sure to take every moment in during the wedding day. Drew and I went up to the balcony of the beach club so we could look down at our guests and take a mental snapshot of the special night. Make sure to sit down and enjoy your food during dinner while catching up with your guests. Don’t get bogged down with how many people you have to talk to or how your first dance will go.

DRESS DESIGNER: Sarah Seven (Purchased at Lovely!). Along with The Cotton Bride who made a few tweaks.

ACCESSORY DESIGNERS: Hair Accessory by Tallulah Opal

PHOTOGRAPHER: Leigh Miller Photography

FLORIST: Hutchinsons Florist

WEDDING PLANNER: Bellafare (Kristin is a partner!)

ANYONE ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO CREDIT: The Windsor in Vero Beach, FL.

There is nothing sweeter than the feeling of nostalgia when returning to a familiar place. For Ana and Doug, their romantically effortless nuptials would create yet another sense of home to the mountains of New Hampshire. This couple oozes style, and Ana could not have been more perfect in her Alix and Kelly gown that she found at Lovely. Brilliantly captured by Meg Hamilton of Rodeo and Co Photography, this wedding proves that the au natural scenery is oh-so charming.

Lovely: Tell us about THE dress and what inspired your look.

Ana: I came into Lovely with not much of an idea about what I wanted except that I knew I didn’t want anything too “big” or too “poufy”. I do always tend to like a little bit of a Bohemian/Vintage style. I brought my two good friends, tried on a bunch of dresses, and the Alix & Kelly dress was the last dress I tried on. The second I put it on, my two friends instantly said “Yes, that’s it!”. It’s funny because they felt it before I did, but it did feel right. It fit the bill, and I felt so amazing in it. Especially when I got it fitted and put it on the day of my wedding. I knew I had picked the right dress.

Lovely: What were the most important details to pulling off your dream wedding?

Ana: It was amazing how much help we got from our friends and family. We couldn’t have done it without them. The most important detail to me was the place we got married, which is the Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, NH. I had gone there as a little girl, and always felt that I wanted to get married there one day.

Lovely: What was the most memorable moment?

Ana: The speeches. We didn’t plan on anyone giving a speech. We weren’t too organized with that part, so we just decided we would wing it. My mom spoke first, then my best friend since the time we were two (which was such a surprise), then my Dad, and then they just kept coming…It was such an incredible moment for us, so many surprise speeches, all so amazing and special in their own way.

Lovely: If you could give future brides any advice, what would it be?

Ana: Let everything just flow the way it’s going to flow. There is really no control over the day, and it’s better just to relax and enjoy and let it come to you the way it’s going to come. What will be will be.

DRESS DESIGNER: Alix and Kelly “Penelope” (Purchased at Lovely!)

ACCESSORY DESIGNERS: Hair flower: Nordstrom, Veil: Etsy designer Veiled Beauty.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Meg Hamilton of Rodeo & Co Photography

FLORIST: Emily Herzig Alberini of EH Floral

WEDDING PLANNER: Myself! (Go Ana!)

ANYONE ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO CREDIT: Mom & Dad (Beth Simon & Bruce Koehler) for making the amazing beeswax guest gifts, Huppah and all the birch table decorations. Cathy Burke & Maria Emmighausen (family friends) for doing the homemade floral arrangements, and the lovely and talented Rebecca Pronsky and Rich Bennett for making sweet, sweet music for us!

There’s nothing  quite like a bride in ski boots to beat the heat wave!  Sally and Chad wed on the top of Aspen Mountain on a beautiful June day surrounded by their closest friends and family.  Sally wore a stunning Anne Barge gown tied with an Ivy and Aster sash that she found at Lovely, and though we never thought we’d say this, we think they both look stunning with ski goggles.  L.A. Photography was on site to capture all of the magic and their beautiful love!

Lovely: Tell us about THE dress and what inspired your look.

My sister and I live in Aspen, Colorado and we both got engaged within a few months of each other. We had already scheduled a trip to New York to meet our mother from Alabama for a girl’s weekend. Once we were both engaged, that trip turned into a wedding dress search.  When we arrived at Lovely, I had a hunch I was going to find my dress there. It was so beautiful and laid back – so different from the other pushy bridal salons we had visited. I felt instantly at ease.  When I tried on the Anne Barge gown, I felt glamorous and pretty and comfortable, all at the same time. Cassandra, my Lovely consultant, helped pull the look together with an Ivy and Aster sash to give the dress a bit of sparkle.  I was never the girl who dreamed of her wedding dress or her wedding, so I went solely based on how I felt rather than any mental image of what I thought I wanted to look like as a bride. I knew it was the right dress for me because I didn’t want to take it off.

Lovely: What were the most important details to pulling off your dream wedding?

Chad and I wanted a wedding where guests felt our love for each other and our love for them. We wanted to maximize our time with our guests who had traveled all the way to Aspen to celebrate with us. In order to do that, we knew we would need to organize time (other than the ceremony/reception) to visit.  Planning a whole wedding weekend on a small budget seemed daunting, but we did it by hosting our own welcome party in a city park; organizing an after-wedding dance party with pizza and beer; and doing a day-after brunch at our house with waffles served up by my dad.  We also opted to hold a pre-ceremony cocktail hour with mimosas so we could visit with any family or friends either of us hadn’t met yet. We didn’t want anyone watching us make this huge commitment to each other without them having met one of us.

Lovely: What was the most memorable moment?

We were married at the top of Aspen Mountain on The Little Nell Wedding Deck. Fortunately, the weather cooperated with sunshine and warmth, but because we had such a snowy spring in Colorado, the top of the mountain was surprisingly still open for skiing in June.  The Aspen Skiing Company was kind enough to keep the lifts running for us after our lunch reception, so we were able to ski a lap (me in my wedding dress) before taking the gondola back to town. About 20 of our friends and family joined in on skis and snowboards to take a huge group run down the mountain. There were lots of high fives and big smiles. It was the perfect, unexpected part of our dream wedding and one of the most memorable moments of my life. The dress was easier to ski in than walk… no heels required on skis!

Lovely: If you could give future brides any advice, what would it be?

• Work with your budget and the opportunities you have, and never do something because you think you have to or as a slave to tradition.
• Take advantage of the beauty in nature… it will save you money on flowers.
• Be happy to have found your mate, and delight in the love and joy around you.

DRESS:  Anne Barge

SASH: Ivy and Aster

VINTAGE NECKLACE: Bride’s grandmother

HAIR & MAKEUP: Haley Spaulding, Bride’s cousin

PHOTOGRAPHER: L.A. Photography

FLORIST: A Funky Mountain Flower

DAY OF COORDINATOR: Ashley Cantrell, Events Elevated

VENUE & CATERING: The Little Nell

SKI RESORT: Aspen Skiing Company

How about a dreamy beach affair for your Fourth of July weekend?  Tami and Dan wed in a beautiful, intimate destination wedding at the picture-perfect La Amada hotel in Playa Mujeres, Mexico.  The bride looked boho-chic in her gorgeous Alix & Kelly gown and we love that the couple chose to do a trash the dress session together the day after they said their “I do’s.”  Elizabeth Lloyd was on-site to watch all of the beautiful memories unfold and since we’ve never seen such a smiley bride and groom, we think she captured them just perfectly.

Lovely: Tell us about THE dress and what inspired your look.

Tami: Since I was getting married on the beach in Mexico, I wanted something light and flowy. Many of the flowier dresses I had seen had empire waists, which are not very flattering on. My style tends to be slightly boho-chic but I wanted to stay away from anything that looked hippie-ish. I knew I needed something more fitted. The selection at Lovely was amazing. I could have bought any one of about seven dresses there and been happy. When I tried the Penelope on though, I knew that was it. I fell in love with the details of the braided straps and the pleating on the skirt. The flowers gave it a bohemian look, but like the rest of the details, they were very subtle and delicate. I knew I didn’t want a veil in case it was windy on the beach (which it was) and the flower hairpiece matched perfectly. I added some personal style with a chunky turquoise bracelet from Anthropologie, which also provided my something blue. I loved the way it all came together and was so incredibly comfortable all day and night.

Lovely: What were the most important details to pulling off your dream wedding?

Tami: The location was definitely key! Dan and I both knew we wanted a destination wedding but finding the perfect location was a challenge. We wanted a boutique hotel but with over 80 guests, most of the ones we found were too small. Most importantly, it had to be an easy flight for our guests coming from the east coast, and the room rates had to be reasonable. I’m sure everyone thought I was being way too picky but we wound up finding the perfect location. (Thanks Google!) La Amada in Playa Mujeres, Mexico fit the bill on all counts. 25 minutes north of Cancun in what used to be a small fishing village, the hotel was only a year old and both the rooms and grounds are beautiful. We were able to get amazing room rates since it was off-season. Our guests made a vacation out of it and everyone raved about how perfect it was. Aside from location, photos and music were most important to us. Elizabeth Lloyd, our photographer, and I have a mutual friend and from the first time I saw her photos, I knew I wanted her to photograph my wedding. We were thrilled when we found out she was available that weekend, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We did a day after “Trash the Dress” session with her, which we were hesitant about but we’re so glad she convinced us. Some of our favorite pictures are from that day and we were so much more relaxed because we didn’t care if we got dirty or wet! Finally, the music…Dan and I are both huge music lovers and music was an important part of our wedding. As part of our vows, we read lyrics from Bob Dylan’s “Wedding Song” to one another. We included song requests on our wedding invitations for our guests, which made receiving the RSVPs that much more fun. We made playlists for our welcome dinner and while the guests were arriving at the ceremony, and had a mariachi band for the cocktail hour. We hired a DJ that the hotel recommended for the reception but downloaded the music we wanted on a hard drive to ensure he’d play the mix of indie rock, hip hop and classic rock we wanted. It was perfect and we danced the entire night!

Lovely: What was the most memorable moment?

Tami: One of our favorite moments was seeing each other for the first time before the ceremony. It was just the two of us at a gazebo on the beach right next to the spot we would be getting married…with our photographer there to capture it all, of course. We had already had five amazing days in Mexico with our families and friends leading up to the wedding, and we couldn’t imagine it getting any better. To see each other all dressed up for the first time and knowing we were going to be married in less than an hour, was such a special moment.

Lovely: If you could give future brides any advice, what would it be?

Tami: One thing Dan and I did which I am so happy about is that before the wedding we had agreed to stay together as much as possible throughout the cocktail hour and reception. Even though we celebrated with our families and friends, it was always the two of us!

Most importantly, have fun! Our whole wedding weekend was one big party just the way we hoped it would be. Your wedding really should be the best day of your life so enjoy every second.

DRESS:  “Penelope” from Alix & Kelly (purchased at Lovely!)

HAIR ACCESSORY: Lo Boheme (purchased at Lovely!)

SHOES: Kate Spade

BRACELET & EARRINGS: Anthropologie

PURSE: My great-grandmother’s vintage

PHOTOGRAPHER: Elizabeth Lloyd

WEDDING COORDINATOR: Ileana Romero at La Amada

MAKEUP: Beth Roberts