Michelle Cangemi, WeddingWindow.com

Michele CangemiWebsite: WeddingWindow.com
Michelle joined Wedding Window in 2009. She learned to love all details that make weddings unique and personal to the Bride and Groom and their life together while recently helping with the planning of her sister’s and best friend’s weddings. She has a degree in Art and loves to be involved in the process of making ideas and inspirations become a reality. With a particular soft-spot for fabulous wedding photography, she looks forward to sharing her favorite finds with you in her Macro Mondays – A Close Up Look at our Favorite Wedding Photographers posts every other Monday.

Michelle is currently living in a small city on Cape Ann where she has happily been settled her whole life (apart from the short four months she spent living abroad). Aside from reading and crafting, she spends most of her time with family and close friends as well as her little dog.

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Happy Soles

Happy feet are a  must on your wedding day!  If you’re like me and absolutely cannot spend a day in heels, I hope this post will ease your pain … literally.

Photo Credit: DaveandCharlotte.com

Photo Credit: DaveandCharlotte.com

There are many gals out there who can easily walk in six inch heels … or at least make it look easy.  All I can say is ‘Rock on Ladies!’  I would LOVE to be able to strut my stuff in gorgeous heels!  Doing so, however, is more than a slight challenge for me.  There’s a good chance I will go down at some point and a very good chance that I will take others with me as I go … Embarrassing, I know!

If this sounds like you, fear not!  Many brides today are wearing wedding flats!  Flat wedding shoes are a cute and comfortable solution for those who are in pain even at the thought of spending their wedding day in heels.  Luckily, there are LOTS of choices for flat wedding shoes out there!

Photo Credit: SamanthaWarrenWeddings.net

Photo Credit: SamanthaWarrenWeddings.net

You can choose flats to match your wedding gown …

Photo Credit: PolkaDotBride.com

Photo Credit: PolkaDotBride.com

Photo Credit: StyleMePretty.com

Photo Credit: StyleMePretty.com

Or use your shoes as yet another way to incorporate your wedding colors!

Photo Credit: LusterStudios.com

Photo Credit: LusterStudios.com

Photo Credit: Photogen-Inc

Photo Credit: Photogen-Inc

Photo Credit: Studio Nouveau

Photo Credit: Studio Nouveau

Photo Credit: StyleMePretty.com

Photo Credit: Catana Photography

Photo Credit: Aerosoles

Photo Credit: Aerosoles

Having a Spring or Summer wedding?  Flat sandals are another comfortable option.

Photo Credit: BridalCheek.Wordpress.com

Photo Credit: BridalCheek.Wordpress.com

Whatever shoes you choose – flats or heels – make sure they fit your comfort level and you can easily walk in them.  As the bride, you will be on your feet for the majority of the day.  You want to be sure that your feet are as happy as you are on your wedding day!

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Filed under: Our Team, Wedding Fashion

Welcome Back Featured Photographer John LoConte

This week we have another beautiful wedding from our featured photographer John LoConte.  Erin and Luigi had a beautiful winter wedding in Salem, Ma.

Photo Credit: John Lo Photo

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Every part of this couple’s special day was planned to perfection – everything fit in with the classic vintage look and feel.  From the ceremony to the reception and every little detail in between, it was all carefully customized for the special occasion.

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

The kids in the wedding were pulled down the aisle in a wooden sleigh. How cute!

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

After the ceremony, the couple took a walk in the snow where John got some gorgeous shots!

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Erin was a total DIY bride and made sure that every detail was just right.  I love the vintage suitcases as card and gift holders.

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

The couple even hired a silhouette artist to be on site and create beautiful silhouettes of the guests as wedding favors.

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo  Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Congratulations to Erin and Luigi on your marriage!!  Thanks, again, to John LoConte for sharing more of his wonderful wedding photographs!

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

Photo Credit: John Lo Photography

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Filed under: Macro Mondays - A Close Up Look at Our Favorite Photographers, Our Team, Photography and Videography

Favors with Flavor!

Everyone enjoys a little homemade treat! If you love getting creative in the kitchen, why not make yummy favors to send home with your wedding guests? Below are some great ideas for homemade, edible wedding favors.

Click on the images to view ingredients and directions.

Bread with Jam

Photo Credit: ProjectWedding.com

Photo Credit: ProjectWedding.com

Potted Banana Bread

Photo Credit: TheCoterieBlog.com

Photo Credit: TheCoterieBlog.com

Homemade Jars of Jam

Photo Credit: IntimateWeddings.com

Photo Credit: IntimateWeddings.com

Mini Pie

Photo Credit: OurBestBites.com

Photo Credit: OurBestBites.com

Pie Pops

Photo Credit: Luxirare.com

Photo Credit: Luxirare.com

Roasted Nuts

Photo Credit: Oxmoor House

Photo Credit: Oxmoor House

Fortune Cookies

Photo Credit: Inchmark.SquareSpace.com

Photo Credit: Inchmark.SquareSpace.com

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Photo Credit: GiversLog.com

Photo Credit: GiversLog.com

Candy Apples

Photo Credit: mrk_photo on flickr.com

Photo Credit: mrk_photo on flickr.com

Vanilla Extract

Photo Credit: SimplyRecipes.com

Photo Credit: SimplyRecipes.com

Surprising your guests with delicious homemade favors is a great way to thank them for being a part of your special day.

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Filed under: Our Team, Wedding Favors and Gifts

Interview with Beth Helmstetter Events

Beth Helmstetter Events is an event planning company that is dedicated to giving brides and grooms a custom wedding experience that is not only focused on the couple but also an unforgettable experience for the guests.  The company has been involved with planning both intimate affairs and huge wedding bashes.  Whichever type of wedding is being planned, it is always a collaboration between the planners and engaged couple resulting in a completely unique and custom experience.

Image Credit: Beth Helmstetter Events

Image Credit: Beth Helmstetter Events

How long have you been in business?
Beth Helmstetter Events has been in business for 5 years.

What inspired you to start your business?
After working as a wedding planner for years in the hotel industry, I became frustrated at how limited I was in helping my couples. I worked closely with each couple but at the end of the day, I still represented the hotel. I wanted to work closer with my couples to help them really personalize the day and ultimately represent all of their wants and needs.

Tell us why you think your business is successful.
Our clients come to us for our aesthetic and overall event philosophy. We don’t think bigger or more expensive necessarily means better. Our clients love us because we encourage them to be themselves rather than encouraging them to follow arbitrary rules that may not be relevant to them as a couple.

What makes your business unique?
We specialize in intimate and approachable weddings. Often this means we are traveling around the world to help plan weddings of 30 people or less and sometimes it means we are planning huge bashes for 300 or more here in Los Angeles. But no matter what, we try to make every guest feel like they are part of something amazing!

Is there a particular niche you target?
We target couples who believe in the art of entertaining. Most of our couples are more concerned with hosting an unforgettable event and creating a new experience for their guests rather than planning an event that is 100% focused on the couple and ignores the comfort and needs of their guests.

How do you help couples customize their weddings?
After a collaborative meeting, listening, and reviewing the client’s vision for the day, we develop design boards for each part of the wedding day from the attire, ceremony setup, lighting, dinner, etc. Once we have a full understanding of the couple’s style, we help them develop the best team for the day to implement their style. From there we collaborate on all of the details to ensure the overall vision is cohesive.

At what point in the planning process do you typically work with couples?
We are a full planning firm and typically start working with couples at the beginning of the planning process. Many of our couples have a venue in mind, but that is usually as far as they have gotten in the process.

Take a look at some photos from weddings planned by Beth Helmstetter Events to see the wide variety of their planning endeavors …

Photo Credit: Jose Villa Photo

Photo Credit: Jose Villa Photo

Photo Credit: Manuele Photography

Photo Credit: Manuele Photography

Photo Credit: Meg Perotti

Photo Credit: Meg Perotti

Photo Credit: A&C Photography

Photo Credit: A&C Photography

Photo Credit: Jose Villa Photo

Photo Credit: Jose Villa Photo

Photo Credit: Jonathan Canlas

Photo Credit: Jonathan Canlas

Photo Credit: Steve Steinhardt

Photo Credit: Steve Steinhardt

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Filed under: Our Team, Vendor Interviews

Wonderful Wheat Weddings

Wheat is a wonderful resource to use as wedding decor. If you’re planning a rustic wedding, wheat is perfect for the occasion. It ties in beautifully with a neutral color palette and is very easy to work with. Seriously, all you need to do is bunch the desired amount of stalks and tie them together to create beautiful decor. Use ribbon, berries or flowers to add color to your creation. Wheat stalks can be found at your local farmer’s market or can be bought in bulk from online sellers.

Photo Credit: Khalil Group

Photo Credit: Khalil Group

Check out the images below for some lovely ideas for how to use wheat as wedding decor …

Photo Credit: MixMingleGlow.com

Photo Credit: MixMingleGlow.com

Small bunches of wheat can easily dress up the seats on the edges of your wedding aisle or seating at the reception.

Photo Credit: IntimateWeddings.com

Photo Credit: IntimateWeddings.com

Photo Credit: StlWed.com

Photo Credit: StlWed.com

Photo Credit: IntimateWeddings.com

Photo Credit: IntimateWeddings.com

You can create simple and distinctive centerpieces with wheat.

Photo Credit: Grise Photography

Photo Credit: Grise Photography

Photo Credit: Country Living

Photo Credit: Marcus Nilsson

It also makes very unique boutonnieres.

Photo Credit: Blog.Weddingish.com

Photo Credit: Blog.Weddingish.com

Photo Credit: WeddingBee.com

Photo Credit: WeddingBee.com

Wheat can be used to fashion all kinds of natural accents on your wedding day!

Photo Credit: Ritzybee.Typepad.com

Photo Credit: Ritzybee.Typepad.com

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Filed under: Our Team, Themes and Colors