My Wedding, From a Fashion & Beauty Perspective

[Our lovely logo and invites were created by Inviteddesign.]

[Rehearsal jewels! I wore these pieces by Sorrelli for the day before the big day!]

[We created a signature cocktail, called the “Joelia,” which came complete with basil, mint, and an organic, edible flower!]

[I received three of these crystallized “Bride” tank tops, and wore them to my bachelorette party and salon to have my hair done on the big day.]

[The day after our wedding, I had to capture our gorgeous flowers one last time.]

[I really loved my bouquet; the colors and texture were so complimentary to my style.]

[One last pic of the two together, to see how they complimented each other.]

[My beauty and skincare routine up to the wedding was all about hydration and protection — SPF for my face, body, and hair was a must, and I used only products that I had tested in the past and found to be safe for my skin, in order to avoid reactions.]

[Wedding day beauty: these reliable items were found in my day-of bag! Products by NARS and Maybelline heavily rounded out the selections, with the most important being my go-to red lipstick, Maybelline’s ColorSensational Red Revolution! A red lip and perfectly matching red nails were super important to me for my look, which meant keeping the rest of my makeup pretty and natural.]

[I had to take care of all my girls, making sure they sparkled wonderfully! My sister-in-law and bridesmaid Molly wore these stunners from Sorrelli, which were great softened jewel tones to go with her orangey-red silk chiffon dress.]

[My maid of honor, Jamie, went colorful with her bracelets and earrings, which looked great against her J.Crew mint-hued strapless dress.]

[Since it was outdoors and July, my friend Robert Verdi hooked the bridal party up with these oversized shades]

[I couldn’t forget the flower girls! All four of them wore these darling Sorrelli studs, which matched their blush pink dresses.]

[Two of my three bracelets; since I kept it simple elsewhere, with the jewels for my wedding day I decided that more is more.]

[My Mom gave me this beautiful Frank Gehry for Tiffany & Co bracelet as my wedding gift; it’s ultra-sleek and modern, and looks great worn casually or dressed up.]

[My rehearsal dinner shoes were the perfect fit for a summer wedding; the cut and design balanced between vintage and decidedly modern.]

[ALL PHOTOS GOING FORWARD ARE BY HOT METAL STUDIO. I love this pic of myself getting ready; each piece is imbued with so much meaning — the pink ring was my grandmother’s, the signet ring given to me by my dad on m 18th birthday, my engagement ring, and the bracelets and earrings by my friends at Sorrelli.]

[Some of my beautiful jewels — curved wedding bands made from antique molds by Marlene Harris Collection, my Nana (grandmother)’s ring, bracelets and custom made hair piece by Sorrelli.]

[Our ring bearer brought in the bands on a simple yet elegant wood disk.]

[My birdcage literally fit my head perfectly — custom made by Clarissa Boutique in Pittsburgh. Since I chose this style of veil and a hair piece to put in later, I wore my hair in an upswept, tucked style, which made it easy to anchor in the bobby pins for the various hair adornments.]

[I said once that I may actually like my shoes more than my dress! These beautiful bridal wedges are by Aruna Seth]

[Although this is largely about fashion beauty, I just HAD to share the cake! Everything about it is a work of art — it’s a burnt almond torte by Prantl’s Bakery, accompanied by our “his” and “hers” Kate Spade knife set]

[We decided to do a floral arrangment instead of a cake topper; by the looks of this shot – we made the right choice! Floral decoration by Joan Jenson at Springwood]

[The flower girl baskets were rimmed with moss, made by my Mom-in-law, and created a beautifully ethereal effect.]

[I’m so lucky to be surrounded by so many cool, artistic friends and family members! In lieu of a traditional guest book, we had guests write well-wishes on vintage Hawaiian postcards in a vintage suitcase, decorated/created by my sister and brother -in-law. The birdcage was made for me by my best friend/maid of honor’s mom, and the lovely flower arrangement was by David at Hepatica.]

[One of my best friends, Bryann, painstakingly made all of our seating cards and some of the other stationary — she’s a gem!]

[We kept the bar offerings to a few options, created a menu of items, including our signature drink, and had our own napkins made; I have a few left, and am reluctant to use them!]

[A big Italian, and overall Pittsburgh wedding tradition is to have friends and family bake and bring homemade cookies to the wedding. I’m so lucky to have so many talented and generous bakers in the family!]

[This is another favorite shot of us from the day, sitting in old rocking chairs on the porch of our venue, Springwood, you can see some of our dress details; Joe’s J.Crew spunky red-dotted socks which match his tie, and my Aruna Seth wedges coupled with the custom scalloped lace that was added to my J.Crew wedding gown.]

[As my maid of honor serenaded us with a beautiful speech, the photographers got a shot of her footwear! Aerosoles was kind enough to give sandals to myself and my two bridesmaids for the wedding, so we could stay stylish and comfy into the wee hours of the morning. Plus, Jamie was pregnant, so she EXTRA appreciated it!]

[After our photos I switched into my Aerosoles for dinner and dancing, and bought the Rebecca Minkoff white perforated leather bag just for the occasion. The milk glass vases on all of the tables are all vintage; over several months I aquired each piece one by one, meeting specific height requirements for the flower needs for 20 tables and common spaces; all -in-all about 100 were bought/used!]

[I liked keeping the table arrangements straight forward, simple, and elegant. Each table featured three vases with a single flower in each (green hydrangea, peony, and snap dragon] in vibrant colors, adorned with a bit of moss, a wood disc, and a candle. Additional large vases were added when those at the table had bouquets.]

[As you can see, comfy shoes and a dress I could dance in were essential, so that we could do moves like this during our first dance! Rest assured, we took dance lessons for months in order to be able to have all of the right moves when our moment came!]

[Our wedding venue had a bamboo forest, where we took the bulk of our photos; it truly lent to the magic of the day!]