Friday, January 28, 2011

Celebrity Wedding: Nicole & Joel

Mindy Weiss outdid herself on this wedding. I love the glamorous old Hollywood feel of the reception with the modern and chic feel of the after party. 
And the Marchesa dress. So many brides are ditching the skinny silhouettes and going back to the big ballgowns, but in a modern and romantic way with all of the layers of tulle, ruffles, and it's like they're floating on a cloud. 




And the cake is so detailed and regal, by Cake Opera in Canada.
And how adorable are those two little kids of theirs. Too precious. 
One word for this tented reception: GORGEOUS!!!
Check out the ruby red glassware which you can rent yourself from Classic Party Rentals. The flatware (gold or silver) and mix-&-match Chargers (love this idea) can be found at Classic as well. 

A New Logo


Thanks to the fabulous Calligraphy Katrina, I now have a new logo. The last one I had was one I created on the computer, and while I can hold my own when it comes to graphic design, I'm not amazing at it. I am beyond happy with it and just love the new look. 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Real Wedding: Lisa & Quinn

 Lisa & Quinn live down in San Diego but wanted a destination wedding to have a whole weekend to celebrate. 
 They fell in love with the Los Olivos area and ultimately settled on having their wedding at Firestone Vineyards
  Quinn is in the coastguard and Lisa is a teacher. 
 Camilla Svensson Burns did all of the amazing florals for the day. 
 Photos were taken by the very kind Alex Morgan of BlueSilver Photography.
 The bridesmaids wore a fantastic shade of eggplant purple and the men were in traditional black tuxedos. 
Lisa saw the babysbreath idea on JL Designs blog and knew she definitely wanted to incorporate it somewhere. 
Babysbreath, like carnations, is not normally a first choice for weddings, but when they are all bunched together the look can be quite beautiful. 
And what better to use as a ceremony table at a winery than a wine barrel...
 The bride and her mother did these escort cards thanks to the Brides Collection of DIY stationary at Michaels. Camilla brought in the crates and coffee beans and rose blooms to finish it off. 
 To do things a little differently, we had the dance floor in the center surrounded by all of the family style feasting tables. The food was catered by New West Catering and rentals came from Party Pleasers.
  There were several different style centerpieces which helped create visual appeal and helped keep the budget in check. 
 As favors Lisa & Quinn gave each of their guests a homemade caramel apple. 
 Fruit is a unique and beautiful way to go with the florals and can be cost effective as well. 
 And peaches too. The leaves added that bit of autumn to finish off the piece. 
 After the formal photos and the first look, Quinn did away with the boutonnière in exchange for his medals that he's earned in the coastguard. 
 My boy Gavin, of Santa Barbara DJ's, rocked the night away and the guests just did not want to leave the dance floor. 
 Another DIY project from the bride and her mother, the other side reads "Thank" & "You". 
And oh the cake. This was a simple ivory fondant covered cake from the Solvang Bakery, but after Camilla got her hands on it, it became a work of art. 
 This is a more modern way of doing the traditional cascade down the cake, more asymmetrical. 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Real Event: Claire Pettibone Trunk Show

Check out this awesome event, hosted by The Bridal Bar, to get a killer deal on some phenomenal gowns and of course you'll see the fantabulous flowers from my girl Susan of Peony & Plum.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Fabulous Find: Phantom of the Opera Ring

I love this shot at the end of the movie, showing that the Phantom was still watching over Christine all these years, but kept his distance out of respect for Raul. 
I found out recently that the top googleable search was that linked to my site was "Phantom of the Opera Ring", so how could I not help you ladies out and show you some similar rings that you could buy or convince your boyfriend to buy for you and pop the question. Enjoy!! 


Available on Amazon
Tacori ring available at Jones & Son.
The center diamond is a cushion cut instead of a brilliant but with the halo around the center stone it's almost the exact same ring as the one in the movie. This one is from John Franklin Jewelers
And for those of you who just want a little extra bling for yourself without breaking the bank, this one is a cubic zirconia option from emitations.  

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Fabulous Find: Style Me Pretty

Mind you, this is not a new find, I follow their blog and check it sometimes multiple times in a day. Style Me Pretty has become the epitome of wedding blogs and every vendor wants to have their work featured on it. I've had a design tablescape featured from last year, and found out recently they're going to feature another design tablescape I worked on, which I am floored about. 
They have tons of real weddings with a list of all the vendors and details about how they pulled everything off including DIY tutorials and advice from the beautiful brides about what made their wedding day so unique and special. 
I can't recommend this blog enough. And, to one up themselves, they now have an e-glossy, like a magazine online with the best of the best weddings from last year.


Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Vendor Pick: Peony & Plum

My favorite florist in the entire world is Peony & Plum.
 Over the past year, Susan and I have become friends and I am thrilled that 3 of my brides for this year have booked with her. 
Her style is very romantic, whimsical, effortless...which I love. 
 Her bouquets are to die for and she takes into account every little detail of the wedding. 
 Susan is also up for working with any budget, whether it's $1,500 for a backyard wedding or $10,000 for a country club fete, she's fabulous at it all. 
 She comes up with very unique ideas and if you can't already tell, is a mastermind at creating texture in each floral piece. 
 No cookie cutter florals here. You'll find lots of wildflowers, garden roses, herbs, berries, even fruit, succulents, and wood of all kinds in her design. 
 
 She is brilliant with the color combinations and really helps bring the bride's vision to life and always exceeds expectation. 
 Susan is also one of the kindest and sweetest people I know and is a pleasure to work with. 
 If I did my wedding all over again, Susan would be the first one I'd call.  
 Words truly can't express how grateful I am that she is in my life and that she makes my clients so happy. Thank you Susan for being wonderful.