Jillian + John at Linden Place, Part 1 / Rhode Island Wedding Photographer

Posted by Trish: Photos by Trish and Melissa

Oh, Jillian and John are just lovely people, so sweet and nice. She had lots of great details too, things that I think I would have picked too. Let's start it off here with a slammin' bouquet of bright and fun colors made by Semia...

Amazing invitations and other printed gems, see the list below to find out where she got them.

I just love orange and blue together (even though those are Newton South's colors).

Really fun shoes from J Crew, I just wanted to keep touching the fringey part!

The best quote of the day cam from one of the ring bearers who watched Jillina put her bridal shoes on and then promptly said "you look silly". Nice. That's just what every bride want to hear. At least she didn't have her dress on yet!

very cool clutch bags for each of the bridesmaids found on Etsy, LOVE all things on Etsy.

She's about to dive into this big white bridal mass to complete the 'silly' look.

Not so silly now!

Ooooh, how amazing is this detail!?

I couldn't stop looking at this bag from J Crew, it's just delicious and elegant!

I thought that the flowers and flowers was fun...

While I was getting Jillian gettting ready, Melissa was downstairs wrangling the guys for a 'man photo'. Done and check.

Jillian looks so stunning, she was good at posing too.

A little twirling is always recommended, even encouraged on your wedding day, why not! Any other day you would just look silly.

Aw, beautiful! John is a lucky guy!

This photo is kind of a miracle. Have you ever met two 2 year old boys? Short attnetion spans! I love their little bow ties and sneaks.

So it turns out that Jillian is lovely because she has such lovely parents, Toni and Mike were beaming with happiness all day!

The rings awaiting their fingers...

All of the planning and running around all stops in this moment. Take a breath because you are now getting married, the moment is here! It's emotional.

Lighting the unity candle, a nice ritual after the vows are official. Sometimes I forget how important these kind of rituals are, each couple does them, it's very sweet.

OK, so come back tomorrow for part 2 with the formals and reception...

Those Who Made it Happen...
Gown and Veil: Priscilla of Boston
Shoes/Clutch and Bridesmaids: J Crew
Hair: Tara from Wish Salon
Make-Up: Alayne White Spa
Venue: Linden Place
Caterers: Blackstone Caterers
Cake: Sin Desserts
Flowers: Flowers by Semia
Invitations and Programs: Heather Jeany on Etsy
Bridesmaids Clutch: EA03 Designs on Etsy
Band: Nancy Paolino and The Black Tie band
Linens: Rentals Unlimited
Lodging: Bristol Harbor Inn
Transportation: Newport Trolley
Photography: Snap!

snap and chat with Semia

Although we've worked with Semia quite a few times a we've never actually met the lady behind the fantastic florals... she always seems to elude us. I got a brief glimpse of her in February at Karalyn and Erik's wedding... but not enough to satisfy my curiosity, so naturally a snap and chat was in order... Hey, wait a minute! Maybe she's trying to hide from us?!

How cute is this photo? Here's our first impression of Semia as she welcomes us into her store...

TA- DA! That's more like it!




Semia opened her shop in North Providence a few years ago... and they are constantly cooking up beautiful arrangements....



...and bouquets. Semia is REALLY busy, because she's a hard worker for one- and secondly the brides are insane for her because her work really stands out. It's young, and fresh, and sweet - just like Semia herself.


How would Semia define her style? "More is more! Abundant is my philosophy!"

I asked Semia if she felt brides were hesitant to try funkier designs... "It really depends on the bride, but I like to surprise people! For instance, when I did Karalyn's wedding I found something that I REALLY wanted to add to her table arrangements (the hanging crystals).

I called her and said, I've found this thing.. it's you, I know it's you... you have to have it! And, she trusted me.. and she LOVED it!"

It's that kind of inspiration, with a little bit of innovation and edge that sets Semia apart!

Semia adds..."I get two kinds of brides basically, the really edgy funky brides who aren't afraid and want things like black feathers in their bouquet- and then also the English garden traditional bride who wants her florals to look really rich. The best part is when someone really trusts you and doesn't need to know every color and shape, but they know what they generally want and want me to run with it! That's my favorite kind of bride."

Of course every bride wants to know that her florist is using the freshest flowers...

It doesn't get much fresher than growing them yourself does it? Semia's parents own a farm- and Semia has grown a cutting garden there since she was a teenager. Now, Semia's mom has taken over to help her- and in the summer they grow Dahlias, Sunlowers, and Peonies to name a few... as well as herbs which all make their way into Semia's creations.

Talk about a personal touch!

Semia's favorite season for flowers? Spring! "I love the flowering branches and lilac, peony and hydrangea!"

I think Trish had the best question of the chat... where does the name Semia (Se-mee-ah) come from?

"It's a family name actually. It's Lebanese, from my father's side. It's a tradition in my father's family that if your first child is a girl, you name her Semia. There are quite a few Semia's in my family!"

And what does the name mean?

"It means a jewel or a treasure."

AWH....

Semia was a bride herself last year. Everyone was wowed by the beautiful photos of all her amazing flowers which appeared in the latest issue of Southern New England Weddings (pick up a copy!) I was curious about her experiences being on both sides of the bouquet!

"It took a week of solid designing to to it all. It was a labor of love- I wanted to work here every day leading up to the wedding. My fiancee kept asking me to please go easy... but I just said, you are going to lose this one hon! "

"I got engaged in January- and we set our date for May- so my wedding was planned in 5 months! I wanted a spring wedding and it was really important to me to use key pieces from my mother's yard. I used a vase of dogwood branches and a vase of white lilac to bring in a touch of home. I was picking flowers in my mother's yard two days before the wedding."

"Every table at my reception was different, they didn't have to fit a formula. I told my staff- this is what I want... and they just ran with it... and I got to be surprised!"

"I actually got to set up for 2 or 3 hours and then went right from the Glen Manor to my rehearsal! It was everything that I wanted. We filled every square inch, but if I could have added more floral I would! It was a dream come true."

So what's in store for Semia this year? Just working hard... and making the world a more beautiful place it seems... Trish and I are just so glad we finally got to sit down with Semia and make a new friend. She's a lot like us... passionate about her craft and serious about being a good business woman out in the world. It's reassuring to chat with her and realize that even though our product may be different our principals and practices are really similar.

The last thing I asked Semia was, what is the latest trend for brides? What are we going to be seeing out there?"

"Diamonds are the new shells!" she says laughing. (Semia introduced those fun over sized fake diamonds sprinkled over tables at the reception-see photo above).

Spoken like a true jewel!

Karalyn and Erik at Belle Mer 2.21.09 Part 1 Photos by "The Whole Snap! Team"

The entire Snap! Team was "representin" for the great big sparkly wedding of Karalyn and Erik this past Saturday. It was so much fun to all go out together - snapping away! We don't usually get to do that- but get married in February and you might get lucky! I hadn't told Karalyn that she was getting the full snap-arazzi treatment, so when we got there she was pretty excited. Karalyn definitely had a vision for her day. I think Semia summed it up best when she described it as a "P Diddy" party in the Hamptons- needless to say there was a whole lot of bling up one side and down the other! The sparkliest thing about the wedding though was definitely Karalyn- she was shining and having the time of her life....

Here's the lovely Semia posing for a photo with Karalyn after she delivered the big bouquet!

I think Karalyn approves...

Bridesmaids bouquets... gorgeous!


Pamela from PDR Events was on hand to make sure everything was running smoothly- and it did!



Our friend Robin Mcaloon made sure everyone was looking their best.





While I was upstairs with the girls, Trish was snapping some photos of the boys. Karalyn and Erik were staying at the Hyatt- and I love this wall in the lobby.
Here's Erik striking some man poses.




Nice! How about those blue eyes? Wow!

Trish getting artsy with the ring shot- Love it!

How cute is this? Erik is the sweetest guy. I saw him hugging and kissing everyone all day- and telling everyone involved thank you. He is very thoughtful and considerate. I think Karalyn is a real lucky girl.

A little male bonding before going to the church.

Meanwhile.... here is our glamorous winter bride! Melissa snapped this one.

I love this photo of Karalyn, she looks so happy. How about that flawless makeup and dewy skin? Nice job Robin, of course it helps to have an adorable face to apply it to.

All the ladies... I like that you can't tell we are running a little late and we are about to dash out the door. Everyone is doing a good job of faking a relaxed mood!

Karalyn is all about the details. Everything was perfectly coordinated.

Karalyn and Erik with their families... the Manzelli's and the Mallozzi's. I get a kick out of all the M's, L's, and Z's! K and E really have the nicest parents. You can't tell from this photo but Karalyn's mom is one hot ticket! She had everyone cracking up all day.

That's Karalyn's sister and maid of honor Kim peeking out of the limo...

Karalyn arrives next... time to attach that 14 foot veil. Karalyn has a flair for the dramatic!

Another one of my favorite shots from the day (a Trish special). Mr. Mallozzi having a moment with his daughter before he walks her down the aisle.

St. Augustin's, Newport.

Love!

They did it!!!

So, stay tuned for Part 2 on Thursday... we brave the cold February wind at a couple of really fun spots in Newport. I was thinking I would blog the wedding in 2 parts, but now I realize there are just too many awesome photos, so it looks like Karalyn and Erik are going to need 3 posts. Karalyn, I know you are checking this in Hawaii- so it will just be that many more photos for you in between fruity drinks in coconut shells!