Chelsea Nicole – Alternative Style Wedding Photography » The latest work from Chelsea Nicole!

As you probably already know, I have a very big crush on a certain ultra stylish wedding website (Style Me Pretty). Abby, Elaine and all the girls at SMP are my kind of people – also obsessed with details and pretty things. So I was absolutely delighted to be a part of their new feature called the “Inspiration to Reality Challenge.” I love the whole concept and how it works! Each region puts together a team of fantastic wedding vendors, then they choose an inspiration board designed by one of SMP’s readers and put their creative juices together to bring it all to life.

I’m beyond excited to share some photos from the Inspiration to Reality shoot that our Las Vegas team put together – and that it’s a 4-part feature on the front page of Style Me Pretty this weekend!

Our shoot took place at one of my FAVORITE ceremony and reception locations here Vegas, the gorgeous Springs Preserve! I loved how the blues popped against the warm desert backdrop. And our model bride, Gabi looked stunning with hair & makeup all done up by Allyson, Lauren & Monet at Las Vegas Style Sirens.

The Vera Wang gown provided by Dawn at Couture Bride Salon was THE perfect fit. And the whole look and style was a great match for the vintage aviation theme Tracey (of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge) came up with based off the movie The Aviator.

I first saw this dress on Gabi a couple weeks before the shoot. A bunch of us girls were hanging out in the bridal salon while Dawn was trying different dresses on Gabi. It was too funny because it was almost as if we were her bridesmaids. When she came out with this gown on there was one big synchronized “Oohh!” It was definitely THE ONE.

The ensemble was topped off by Stella & Dot Jewelry from stylist Carrie Hogan and a fantastic blue veil from MUMO hair accessories.

Jesus (our groom – who also happens to be the Catering Manager at Springs Preserve) was looking pretty darn sharp as well.

Details, details, details – I was definitely lovin’ all the eye candy! From the amazing feather bouquet by Emplume, the totally unique cakelets by Kristen at Gimme Some Sugar (SO love this idea to have multiple smaller cakes rather than one main one, or in addition to the main one), signature drink by Dress the Drink, peacock chair decor by Wildflower Linens, beautiful centerpiece by Randi at Naakiti Floral, the invitations that arrive in a vintage steamer trunk by Tifany at Gourmet Invitations, and so much more!

Be sure to hit up Style Me Pretty to see a ton more images in the 4-part feature! Here’s the links:

• Inspiration to Reality: The Board
• Inspiration to Reality: The Design
• Inspiration to Reality: The Design II
• Inspiration to Reality: The Design III

And I saved the best for last….

Here’s the behind the scenes video created by my incredibly talented other-half, Jayse!

BIG shout out and thanks to everyone that helped make this shoot a reality!! It was a blast working with such an awesome team people.

It’s officially been ONE YEAR since I launched this little blog – a little piece of the internet to call my very own. 76 posts later, I think it’s safe to say my little blog has been fully broken in. So I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all those who have stopped by for a peek and left a bit of comment love, and to all the beautiful faces who have graced my postings. Seriously, thanks SO much!

And just for fun, here’s a sneak peak at a project I’ve been working on for Style Me Pretty called Inspiration to Reality. Our Vegas team of fab wedding professionals had our shoot last week, and I’m so excited to share the images from it – there’s lots of eye candy!  But in the meantime, here’s the style board – “Feathers and Fur” by Chiara – that we got our inspiration from…

Happy one year birthday bloggity-blog!

Mattie and Bart came out from Philadelphia to celebrate their wedding Vegas-style! I’m very excited to share a few photos from their day.

Mattie looked stunning! I loved her dress which had beautiful black lacing around the center. And hair and makeup was done up by Lori White.

After an intimate celebration with family and close friends, everyone hit the strip! Mattie and Bart were ready for a good time and totally down for whatever – even trekking out into the middle of Las Vegas Blvd for a quick shot.

While sitting at the slots we were all joking around and faked winning just for fun. Well, one of the things I love about Mattie is she doesn’t hold back. It was a pretty convincing scream of joy. So convincing that a man rushed over asking “How much did you win?!” Mattie and Bart were quick on their toes to name a ridiculously large number to which he replied, “Ohhhh…”. lol Good times for sure!

Mattie + Bart: You guys rock! I’m so happy that I was able to be a part of your wedding. Major congrats to you both!

I received a nice little surprise in my inbox a couple days ago:

“Congratulations! We are excited to announce that Chelsea Nicole Photography has been chosen to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards^™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism. The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means your past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected you to receive this honor.”

wo0ho0! Thanks to all my couples for the amazing reviews and support! I love ya guys!

P.S. If you’re local or happen to be in Vegas this weekend, come visit me at the Las Vegas Bridal Expo at Mandalay Bay this Sunday Jan 24th from 11-5pm! Click here for free tickets. I’ll be booth#217 and have a fun surprise in store at the show!

Amber and Bill’s vintage Vegas wedding was featured on the front page of The Wedding Chicks! Click below to check it out:

Major props to all those that made this wedding so wonderful: Juliet of Green Orchid events for making sure the day went seamless, Teresa at Enchanted Florist for lovely floral, the team over at Red Rock Casino for the excellent location (along with the cake and super cute mini root beer floats), and last but not least Amber+Bill for their mad good taste! Luv ya’s!

First: Apologies to some of my waiting couples! I’ve been quite the busy-busy-bee. Though this time is usually referred to as the “off” season for weddings, I’ve somehow managed to book shoots every weekend until Christmas. After that I’ve blocked out a couple weeks of real off time to spend time with family and enjoy hot cocoa in front of the fireplace with my love. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

So, please forgive me if between shoots and travel I’ve neglected my little blog and with keeping it up to speed on all the latest! I actually have been working non-stop on edits and all that fun stuff! I pinky-promise that there’s lots of photo-filled posts coming your way shortly.

But first, I’m excited to share a recent feature! A few weeks back Eva and Lukas’s wedding made an appearance on Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book Blog. Click below to go take a peak:

I’m so excited to share Amber and Bill’s vintage inspired wedding, full of the romance and elegance of the 50’s. Their wedding took place at the gorgeous Red Rock Casino and was coordinated by the fabulous Juliet of Green Orchid Events.

Here’s a bit more behind their special day in Amber’s words:

Our wedding day is inspired by the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time when Mr. and Mrs. America came to Hollywood’s playground and rubbed elbows at the roulette table next to Marilyn Monroe, Ann Margret, and a young Senator named Kennedy. Showrooms up and down the strip booked headliners like Frank and the boys, Liberace, Don Rickles, and Wayne Newton. It was a time when a man could get a shrimp cocktail or a juicy prime rib for a buck or two.

We love this special and more innocent era when space age optimists looked towards the sky to see the future, Lincoln Continentals cruised the Strip at 7 MPG, men were men, and it was ok for a fella to go crazy in the head over some broad. Bill would never dare call Amber a “broad,” but he loves her with the same spirit.

For a bit of extra special Vegas-style entertainment, Amber and Bill had showgirls greet their guests as they entered into the reception as well as a fantastic surprise Frank Sinatra impersonator! These gorgeous centerpieces were done by the very talented Teresa at Enchanted Florist. In addition to the beautiful floral, each table had a different framed image that paid tribute to the casinos of Vegas past.

Also, how adorable are these little root beer float shooters that were served with the cake?!

If you haven’t already seen it, click HERE to check out Amber and Bill’s Mad Men inspired engagement session in a vintage car. Amber and Bill – you definitely know how to put together a beautiful wedding! Thanks for letting me capture it!

I met with Eva and Lukas this past May for a fun engagement session at Lake Las Vegas (check out some images from their engagement here). And I’m excited to announce that they were back in Vegas from Switzerland a couple weeks ago for their wedding held at one of my favorite on-the-strip locations: The Venus Gardens at Caesar’s Palace. And thanks to Colleen at Posh Productions the day flowed seamlessly.

It was a beautiful day and Eva looked completely radiant…

Eva and Lukas met before the ceremony for a first sight. In addition to being great for photos, having a first sight adds a very special romantic touch to the wedding day…

The happy newlyweds:

After the ceremony, we snuck away for some couple’s photos and a great time about the city!

Meet Marjolein and Wim: a super cool, down-to-earth couple who came out from Belgium for a intimate wedding with just the two of them. When Marjolein first wrote, I could automatically tell we were going to be the perfect match. Not only are they a great couple, they are also artists who run their own tattoo shop in Willebroek called Duck Art Tattoo. I love working with other creative types. We just ‘click’ and it’s always sure to be a blast!

We started our day at The Palazzo for getting ready images and photos around the casino. Marjolein and Wim had bought their wedding shoes at Barney’s New York (his, hers) scoring us a quick photo op in their super-exclusive VIP room:

Then we were off to the world famous Little White Wedding Chapel! Marjolein mentioned they wanted an old-school style wedding, so this cute little chapel ended up being the perfect choice.

12 years leading up to this one moment…

And after the ceremony, we went out for a night on the town!

I photographed JoAnna and JR’s engagement session back in June (click here to check it out if you haven’t already), and I’m excited to announce that they’re now happily married! Here’s a few images from their amazing wedding day.

I loved JoAnna’s beautiful Maggie Sottero wedding dress…

After a beautiful ceremony at St. Thomas More, we were off to Revere Country Club for the reception! But before the party started we strolled the golf course for some romantics and time alone.

JoAnna had a big wedding party and fun, hot pink and black color palette! Here’s the girls rockin’ out their parasols:

The girls hair and makeup was all done up by the talented Lori White!

I also loved the extra long sparklers for the grand exit! It was a great way to end a fantastic night…

JoAnna + JR: CONGRATS guys!!