Christina + Rob

One of Christina + Rob's goals was to make their family and friends feel like they were joining an intimate dinner party under the stars as they joined their wedding celebration. Done and done. They also used adjectives like "elegant and romantic," to describe the inspiration for their wedding, but beyond that, Christina + Rob wanted their special day to evoke celebration. Mission accomplish! There to tie all the loose ends together were the gals from The Sentimentalist, who not only assisted with the wedding dress, but also were Christina + Rob's stylists and planners, a true treat for us! Then there's iWally Photography, who knocked it out. of. the. park. These images are exactly what the doctor ordered! What a show stopper! Inspired by 1920s and 1930s art deco, graphics for the wedding used bold typography, and the floral and event design incorporated metallics, deep jewel tones and some sparkle. Amy Osaba was, once again, at the helm of this wedding's brilliant bouquets and centerpieces. Christina + Rob, along with their guests were charmed by the beautiful backdrop of River Run, a working equestrian club that is refined and rustic all in the same breath. But the pretty background and decor didn't stop the guests from cutting loose on the dance floor when Zegi took over. Such a fun and lively crew! 
See what Christina had to say about SIMB:

"The culinary and events team at Sun in my Belly exceeded our expectations throughout every touch point they handled leading up to and during our wedding day. From the time of our initial tasting to our final vendor walkthrough, owner & executive director Max LeBlanc made us feel super comfortable and taken care of. Max was incredibly knowledgeable, professional, organized and attentive throughout our partnership. Because our wedding was taking place at a venue that had never hosted a wedding before, we faced some challenges throughout the planning process. Max offered up great ideas and solutions – we found workarounds that all of our partners were able to collaborate together on.
We initially engaged SIMB for our cocktail hour and seated dinner catering, but we ended up also using their resources for bar & beverage service and furniture / table  / linen rentals. Their offerings from a capabilities stand point is truly impressive - it made decision making towards the end of the process really convenient and simple. Max and his team worked closely with us to customize our guest experience. They helped create an evening that was so special, authentic and magical. Our friends and family still talk about how memorable the food and service was. We feel so fortunate to have been able to experience all the amazing things the SIMB culinary and events team has to offer. Thank you SIMB for making our day and night so delicious and perfect!"

We couldn't be more touched by those sweet sentiments and want to tell Christina + Rob thanks a thousand times over for letting us be part of their celebration.

Cheers,

SIMB

Frannie + Hesham

There are so many great wedding  facilities in Atlanta, you can pretty much throw a stone in any direction and hit a unique venue. But there is something special about the Old Courthouse on the Square that really stands out to us. Maybe it's the proximity to our Kirkwood cafe, being that the historic courthouse is just a hop, skip, and jump away from us in downtown Decatur. Or maybe it's the rich history that the once practicing courthouse holds. We can't put our finger on it exactly, but we do know that we are charmed by the place every time. See what kind of spell the Old Courthouse can cast on you as you check out Photosynthesis Studio's amazing images from Frannie + Hesham's ceremony and reception.

See what we mean? All that beautiful granite adorned with French Market Flowers' blooms and lots of candlelight, the Old Courthouse is, in a word... lovely. 

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed wild mushroom pastry purses with fontina béchamel, pistachio + coconut chicken satay with lime + cilantro coulis, and duck confit + dried bing cherry chutney on crostini. Frannie + Hesham's buffet dinner menu included a mixed green salad with local tomatoes + fried vidalia onions,  myer lemon roasted chicken breast, and miso glazed salmon topped with blueberry compote. Sides like mushroom ravioli tossed in a light tarragon cream sauce + asparagus spears, broccoli raab + lima bean saute with scallion creme fraiche + lemon zest, and roasted fingerling potatoes with truffled mushrooms were served up too. Dee-lish.

We can't wait until our next celebration at the Old Courthouse on the Square. Until next time!

Cheers,

SIMB

Melanie + Dan

We always love a wedding at Serenbe: It's the perfect scenery for romantic weddings, no matter what the size. So naturally when Melanie + Dan asked us to be a part of their small celebration at the fairy-tale-esc farm, we couldn't wait to see what was in store! With family in France, Melanie + Daniel were drawn to ideas of their heritage and the French countryside's culture, and wanted to make the Georgia farm feel like a little piece of Provence. Boy, did they hit the nail on the head! With the help of their expert coordinator, Jessica Sloane, Melanie + Dan isolated their top priorities when planning their wedding and kept them at the forefront, focusing on a romantic, intimate, and heartfelt celebration. As a photographer herself, Melanie knew better than to bargain shop when it came to her wedding photos, so she used Jessica Lorren to capture the brilliantly beautiful evening, and it certainly paid off.

Melanie + Dan's wedding was full of personal pieces, from writing their own vows to their actual wedding date (which was BOTH of their parent's anniversary--holy heart swell!), to Daniel singing his own song for Melanie during their reception.  Sweet sentimental sap was just oozing from those old Georgia pines at Serenbe! And everyone was loving it.

Not only was their taste spot of for their overall mood of their wedding, but Melanie + Dan also selected a cast of crazy creative vendors to complete their special day. Serenbe's fields were adorned with vintage farm tables, lounge furniture, and bistro lights from Goodwin Events, and the gorgeous garland gracing said tables were from Amy Osaba and her clever crew. Plus we L.O.V.E.d  the invitations and paper goods from Signora e Mare, which seemed to set the tone of the whole evening.

For refreshments, Melanie + Dan selected several signature drinks like the SIMB peach + basil cooler, lavender lemonade, blackberry + clove spritzer, and rosemary + cardamon sparkler, talk about some thirst quenchers! During cocktail hour, baked brie served atop brioche toast points with fig chutney, duck confit + dried bing cherry chutney on crostini, and medjol dates wrapped in proscuitto with soft goat's cheese were passed around for guests, but definitely not passed up. The French style themed was carried through the dinner menu, which featured braised veal with quince + fried sage, juniper + fig roasted pork tenderloin, and chicken roulade stuffed with speck ham + farro, served with Georgia fig preserves. For dessert, Melanie + Dan treated their guests to a buffet of French inspired desserts from Earth and Sugar, the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

If you're like us, and can't get enough of Melanie + Daniel's sentimental celebration, check out Snippet & Ink's feature , or jump over to Jessica Sloane's blog to see more!

Cheers,

SIMB

Amy Osaba Flower Workshop

We are always as pleased as punch when we get to do fun little events outside the real wedding world with some of our favorite folks from the Atlanta wedding scene. So when we were asked to participate in one of Amy Osaba's workshops, we were sort of thrilled!! It's no secret that we absolutely adore Ms. Osaba; her incredible floral designs and creative creations always leave us stunned, but beyond her talent, she's one of the best people we know! So AO hosted a two day flower workshop, and we played our part, providing dinner, drinks, and nourishments for her crafty crew. Oh, what fun!

Along with AO, we got to work beside some of the best in the biz for this workshop, for starters, the fantastic photographer behind these glorious pictures, Sawyer Baird. Thanks for making our food look so scrumptious! As always, Blue Eyed Yonder's rental items were the perfect addition, making Amy Osaba's studio look like a million bucks during our delightful dinner. 

Day two of Amy's workshop took place at Lullwater Acres, where our model looked jaw dropping, thanks to the hair + make up wonder, Claudia Mejerle Rogers, and draped in gorgeous gowns from The Sentimentalist.  

What a fun way to spend a few days!  If you are interested in attending one of AO's workshops, check back on her website in the near future, and if you want to see more images from this workshop, take a look at Sawyer Baird's blog. Until next time!

Cheers,

SIMB 

Juliana + Allen

Cookie cutter weddings have never been our thing. That's why when couples like Juliana + Allen come to us, we just know it's going to be a great fit! Juliana + Allen kept their wedding celebration super simple, but it completely encompassed their personalities and love, and was full of DIY details that were uhhhh-mazing. Their ceremony, set in the foyer of Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, was anchored on an arbor that Allen made himself, and that was filled with a homemade garland the happy couple created together, how sweet!?! Juliana designed the invitations and save the dates, created the table markers and seating board, and then to top it off, the bride and her family even created the centerpieces and bouquets. Talk about a crafty and creative couple! We're thankful that they came to use to help with the event planning catering, AND they chose our dear friend Amber at Our Labor of Love to document the day! 

Other things we loved about Juliana + Allen's delightful day? Juliana's laid-back look, completed with her great grandmother's handkerchief, a baby's breath halo, and a sentimental and sweet locket. Plus, the elegant garden party decor and feeling of the courtyard in Callanwolde's courtyard, with farm tables supplied by Blue Eyed Yonder, and tiny twinkling bistro lights strung above. Pretty picturesque, huh? Amber at Our Labor of Love's images bring it back to life, and have us yearning for spring weddings like Juliana + Allen's all over again! 

Speciality cocktails like gin + tonic with lavender sage honey syrup and whiskey punch were another unique way to represent the couple throughout the evening. Juliana + Allen selected shrimp ceviche with lime + cilantro + avocado + jicama, medjol dates wrapped in prosciutto wrapped with soft goat's cheese, and pepper crusted carpaccio crostini with arugula + cracked capers as their butler passed hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour. Their buffet menu was made up of two of our wonderful salads, wild mushroom ravioli + truffled mushrooms + brown butter sauce, barbecue atlantic salmon finished with a peach + nectarine chutney, garlic + shallot sautéed haricot vert with grape tomatoes + toasted pine nuts, braised fennel with parmesan + pecans and fresh artisan breads with rosemary scented butter. For dessert, their "naked" cake, from Sugar and Slate, served up different deliciousness on each layer, and as a nod to Juliana's Italian ancestry and late grandmother, a traditional cookie table was piled high with cookies we're still craving.

What a special and spectacular celebration! If you're like us and can't get enough of Juliana + Allen's wedding, check out Snippet & Ink's feature for more DIY delightfulness. 

Cheers,

SIMB

VaVa VUE!

Today, we get to do one of our favorite things in the world. Rave about one of our most beloved Studio1658 vendors around, VUE Photography's creator, Genya!

Where do we even start when it comes to Genya? Maybe in Highlands, NC, where we got our first taste working along side her during Kendall + Patrick's big ol', way perfect, wedding. She wowed us then and every wedding since! Genya's got an incredible eye for photography and the ambition to make any shot possible. And the proof is in the pudding... errrr pictures. Time and time again we have felt so lucky to have weddings where she is listed at the photographer, knowing it's going to be a slam dunk, without a doubt.  Just take a look for yourself.

HOLY CANOLI! Imagine having your wedding photos turn out like these. Wedding photography was never what Genya imagined she'd be doing. But after studying photography in college, and gearing up to go the commercial route, Genya took a job shooting a wedding while in England and fell in love!  One exhausting 8 hour day later, she was hooked, and realized how priceless the opportunity to create precious art for clients, that they would hold dear forever, really was! She moved back to the States, and VUE was born! Since then, she's been kicking butt and taking names, and it was an absolute treat to have her join us at Studio1658. She recently re-did our store front in Candler Park, proving she's got creativity flowing from her fingertips. 

Genya lives just down the street from the cafe and Studio1658, so as our neighbor, she, and her uber adorable family have been coming to eat with us for years. They are such big SIMB fans, when Genya + Pete got married a few years ago, it was a no brainer (we hope) who would feed their guests. It was so special getting to spend their special day with this wonderful crew, even if we did have to dodge some mid-summer thunderstorms. 

Genya was sweet enough to sit down and let us pick her brain too, so here's what phenom photog had to say.

From styled shoots to the real deal weddings, when VUE Photography's Genya is behind the lens, it's sure to be pure bliss! 

Cheers,

SIMB