Boy are you all in for a treat today! I have been DYING to share these images with you guys. They are drop dead, hold on to your nickers Ga-orgeous! I knew when I saw the work of Amy & Maurice, aka The Theorie, on their website that they did amazing work, but it’s still always a “hold your breath” kind of moment until you finally see the finished product of all the pictures that they shot on your day. And wow, were these so much better than I was ever expecting! Simply amazing! A perfect capture of Shelley & Tony and all of their special little details on their wedding day.

The wedding was held at a private estate in Trabuco Canyon, compliments of the bride’s Uncle.
He built this bridge just for them, since the prvious one had been washed away by a storm.

The flowers were all provided by the amazing Carissa of JL Designs.

I mean come on, anyone who can make a box of boutonnieres look THAT good, has got to be a great florist, right??

A few pics of the bride & groom, and their wedding party.

The ceremony featured hanging vases filled with pink roses & peonies, and pink petals covering the aisle floor.

We added yellow ties around each chair, for a nice big POP of color!

The grounds of this home had an endless supply of amazing photo opportunities. It was such a perfect setting.

Shelley’s Uncle has a collection of classic cars that he has donated to Auto Museums over the years. Lucky for us, they are all so grateful for the donations, that they let him take them out whenever he wants for his person use. Score for us!! These bad boys make for great pictures!

The cocktail hour featured small square vases wrapped in a funky mod fabric that we found in the L.A. Fabric District, and single pink peonies in each one.

We made use of the beautiful oak tree in the middle of our cocktail hour space, by hanging varying sizes of white paper lanterns throughout the entire tree.

A couple more shots of Carissa’s beautiful creations…

I absolutely adored these vases that Carissa provided for the place card table.

Big puffy peonies just make me swoon…

And on to the reception details!

I loved how Carissa made it seem like these tulips were growing out of the cake stand. So amazing.

The guest tables featured small groups of pink tulips, arranged in lot of different funky white vases provided by Carissa.

I couldn’t decide which ring shot I liked the most, so I just included them both. ;)

Shelley hand crafted these super cute cootie-catchers that served as their menus. They were absolutely adorable.

And last, but not least, the scrumptious cookie buffet that replaced the cake later that night.

Thank you once again to the fabulous vendor line-up that made this event such a success. I couldn’t have done it without you:

Photography: The Theorie
Videography: Studio West Video
Florist: JL Designs
DJ/Lighting: Brady of Props FX
Catering: 24 Carrots
Cake: Sweet Gems
Rentals: Signature Party Rentals
Linens & Chairs: Dress My Chair
Hair & Makeup: i-style Salon, Los Angeles
String Quartet: Andromeda String Quartet

~ Alicia

Oh, Ronthia, what will I do without you?? I already don’t know.

Okay so everyone… I have been anxiously, ANXIOUSLY awaiting to share these pictures with you guys. Not only because Cyn and Ron are totally beyond words fabulous to the tenth power [math style, y'all!], but because I had the honor and privilege of being not only their coordinator, but acting as their florist. Yep. You heard it. I did it. All 6 bouquets. All 10 boutonnieres. All 27 centerpieces. That just happened.

When Cynthia approached me about having problems finding a florist who got her “vision”, she literally included this picture on her email:

Yep. You guessed it. It was one of mine. Something I whipped up after having a hair-brained idea that it would be “oh-so-cute” to create a hedge from leaves, and have flowers poking out of it. Cynthia loved this simple idea and from there, it stemmed on to become a vision that complimented her long banquet tables in such a way that neither of us could turn back. How was it, doing flowers AND running the show, you ask? Terrifying. Stressful. Exhilarating. Confidence Boosting- no doubt. I think I’m more comfortable now than ever in my own skin- and I cannot thank the Ronthia enough for that! To trust me the way they did… Cynthia’s kind and loving emails to me never got old, and I hope they never will [as I KNOW we'll be pen pals for yearsandyearsandyearsandyears]. But back to their day. Their day was beyond words. And to say that I’m personally counting down the MINUTES until I see everything that Sarah K. Chen has to offer.. uggh, understatement! Okay, I’ll shut up now! PICTURES!

A snap of their centerpieces, and here’s the sweetheart arrangements, below:

Cyn’s color scheme was classic and simple: black, white, and an emerald green SO detailed and perfect that the bridesmaid dresses were hand made [and inspired by the exact color seen on Kiera Knightly in Atonement]! Because of that, we kept nearly all of the decor black and white, and let this deep, warm red in for just a few pops of color and spice!

Their event took place at the gorgeously historical Craven’s Estate in Pasadena. Could it get ANY better?? Seriously? The ceremony was out front, with the elegant, stately front door setting the backdrop, white the reception was hosted on the back patio and backyard area. With the lower level hosting our cocktail hour and dance floor… this event was dripping with history and originality!

Props to me. I’m a perfectionist and I took about 5 solid minutes tying that bow and cutting the tails at the top of the aisle. I’m intense. And it’ SO worth it. Also, here you can see that we re-used 10 of her centerpieces down the side of the aisle. It was SO perf. We trickled petals in between and voila! Amazingness squared [math joke AGAIN- were you not prepared this time either??]!!

A preface: I get really into bouquet wraps. This one was my favorite so far. Heart shaped buttons are no laughing matter!!

OH how I love bridal bouquets. I made little minis for the moms! Here are their nosegays:

I told C&R that they just HAD to jump into their photobooth PRE vows. Such cute pictures and even better memories!!

Thanks to Cheesy Photobooths for being consistently fun! Now, some post-vow photos:

My favorite moment of nearly every wedding is right after the ceremony. When the bride and groom are delirious and in disbelief and have that split second to themselves to share in the enormity of the entire occasion. That is where the love happens, people. That is this moment. And C&R shared it beautifully. Perfectly!

“Did we just….?” “Yep. We did!”

Some reception shots, before the chairs were moved back around:

And some details by nightfall:

[These are the lanterns that inspired it all!!]

So, C&R are not the traditionalists. There was no cake. There was no bouquet toss, no garter. And they tried- OH how they tried- to get out of their first dance. But the crowds would not have it, and revolted. So, for the few moments that Cynthia and Ron agreed to step out onto the dance floor and share their moments with the world… I had the honor of snapping as best I could.

And of course, my favorite pictures of the whole event. The post-party:

Me and my girl!!

We SO get each other. Meant to be. :)

Newlyweds!!! Cannot cannot CANNOT believe it! To be quite frank: I’m thrilled. Honored. Sad. Changed.

Guys- I am CHANGED by your love. Your kindness. Your genuity. Your patience and humbleness. Words can’t describe how it was for me to be able to be a part of your lives. You are so apparently in love. So apparently going to be able to ‘go the distance’. It’s with marriages like yours that, one by one, the world is changed. Thanks for being you- and SO SO SO much for letting me be me. I love the way you love one another in a way that allows me to love my babe more. I hope that through your video and pictures, you remember and cherish each and every moment of this day for the rest of your lives. I know, beyond a doubt, that I will.

xoxo,

A.

I feel like such a proud mama bird right now. And if birds could lay eggs that hatched into the most breath taking wedding you ever saw…that would be my egg. You should remember Shelley & Tony from the In The Mix posting I did a few weeks back Here. They are a couple from Chicago, who enlisted my help a few months back, to plan a wedding at Shelley’s Uncle’s private residence in Trabuco Canyon. You should also remember from the post that I told you there was still plenty more fabulouness to be revealed about their wedding.

So….let the fabulouness begin!!!

The ceremony featured Shepherd’s hooks with hanging bud vases filled with pink roses & peonies. And we hung one of these hand made, uber-cute programs from the back of every chair.

Speaking of florals…check out this bridesmaid’s bouquet, featuring peonies, garden roses, tulips, & ranunculas. All of the flowers were provided by my new favorite florist, Carissa, of JL Designs. She is BEYOND fabulous and had so many great ideas that contributed to this day. It wouldn’t have been the same without her.

The place card table was another one of my favorite areas. So simple, yet such an impact at the same time.

The ceremony was officiated by Tony’s Uncle, who flew in all the way from Korea.
It had a beautifully intimate feel to it, and had yours truly sniffling away in the background again.

You may now kiss the bride!!

The family dog decided to sneak out and make an appearance during Shelley and Tony’s walk back down the aisle. Which was totally predictable if you knew this dog at all. I swear he was an escape artist. While we were on the property the day before for the rehearsal, every time someone said he was put away in the back, he would somehow manage to magically reappear within the next 10 minutes or so. So it made me laugh out loud when he just happened to appeared again, right at the moment that they were pronounced husband and wife. I guess you can’t fault a dog for wanting to see them get married right?

Now this picture makes me laugh out loud, but for a totally different reason. It is SO Tony. He knows exactly when to ham it up. So this couldn’t be a more perfect picture of the two of them.

The cocktail tables featured simple, small vases, wrapped in our mod fabric, with a single pale pink peonie.

We held the cocktail hour under this beautiful oak tree, filled it with pretty white lanterns of varying sizes, and tied the swing with some pretty ribbon.

The reception was held on what normally serves as Shelley’s Uncle’s driveway, but we transformed the space into a beautiful oasis. I apologize in advance for how many table shots there are to come, but it was just so beautiful that I seriously couldn’t stop taking pictures of the space.

For table numbers, Shelley & Tony decided to do a photo shoot around the city of Chicago, taking pictures at some of their favorite places that featured numbers.

This one was my favorite. The caption underneath says “it cost us $2.25 each to take this picture. thanks, mayor daley.”

Shelley also made these adorable Cootie Catcher menus that we placed at each persons place setting.

The beautiful cake provided by Sweet Gems. Carissa did a FABULOUS job creating a garden of tulips that appeared to be “growing” out of the cake stand.

Grand entrance time!

Which went straight into the first dance.

A speech by Shelley’s Dad.

Who wants some cake?!?

A beautiful father daughter dance as the sun officially set.

Which quickly turned from the Beatles “Michelle, My Belle” to Rick James’ “Super Freak”. As you can tell from the picture, I was not expecting this. So as Shelley’s dad started bustin his moves, my lens could barely keep up!

Shelley is a BIG baker, and is known in her family and circle of friends for making the most amazing cookies. So it was a no-brainer that she wanted to do cookies for favors. As good as hers are, she certainly didn’t want to have to deal with the stress of making all these cookies in the last few days before the wedding, so they went with these delectable choices from Bristol Farms.

I wish I knew how to take better pictures in the dark….take a photography class (must add this to my list).

To Shelley & Tony, I wish you both so much love and joy in your future. I know you are both going to make the most wonderful parents someday (and by someday, I mean you better start makin babies asap!). ;)
Shelley, I am going to miss our daily emails. Which almost makes me sad that your wedding is over.
Tony, please continue to make Shelley smile from ear to ear, every day, as I know you can.
Take the time to love and appreciate each other every chance that you get, and you’ll lead a long and happy life together.

MUCH, MUCH LOVE!!!

~ Alicia

The Fabulous Vendor Lineup:
Photography: Theorie
Videography: Studio West Video
Florist: JL Designs
Catering: 24 Carrots
DJ: Brady of Props FX
Cake:Sweet Gems
String Quartet: Andromeda String Quartet
Hair & Makeup: i-style Salon, Los Angeles
Rentals: Signature Rentals
Linens & Chairs: Dress My Chair

Shelley & Tony came into my life just a little over a month ago. We got an inquiry from Shelley who said she was planning her wedding from all the way out in Chicago and she needed help. And what better place to turn to for a wedding planner extraordinaire then here right?!?

I have to be honest, when I first heard that the wedding was only two months away and Shelley and Tony had ZERO vendors booked, it made my heart race. The wedding was to be held at her Uncle’s private residence in Trabuco Canyon, but other than the venue and me, there was zero set in stone.

Happily though, I am amazed at all we have accomplished in just this short month. Every vendor is booked and so many decisions have been made, it makes me giddy with butterflies in my stomach to think of how amazing this wedding is going to be!

So let me share with you guys, just a few tid bits of what’s to come…

Their color scheme is a base of Black & White with accents of Pink, Yellow, & Orange. Shelley and Tony have such an awesome sense of style, so it was no surprise when they picked these adorably funky invites from the Etsy seller ellothere.

We also got to do one of my favorite things during the one weekend that Shelley and Tony came out to California. We took a trip down to the wonderful Dress My Chair showroom in Costa Mesa and tried out soooo many combinations of table setups. We literally pulled practically every linen from the hangers until we finally came up with something Shelley and Tony loved!

It was originally one of the color combinations that Shelley was opposed to when we started, but when she finally gave in and took a look at it on the table, it was perfection! Which is one of the reasons I love taking brides down there so much. Things can look so different in your head than when you actually see them in person, so Dress My Chair’s showroom allows you to find out just what that vision in your head really looks like. :)

And while Shelley and Tony loved this color combination, they definitely wanted to do something different than a damask for their base runner. Some of you might remember the trip to the L.A. Fabric district that Amanda posted about here earlier this month? Well that was for these two!

And after searching through hundreds of options, we had a winner!! This super funky, mod fabric, that incorporates the black, white, and yellow all in at once!

What do you guys think? So amazing right??

We also decided that we’ll use the fabric to wrap the vases of the cocktail table arrangements in, like this. [I make a killer stick figure cocktail table right?] ;)

And last, but not least….the caterers! Shelley & Tony tried a few different caterers while they were out here, but weren’t as impressed as they would have liked to be. So they put their trust into my hands and sent me and her parents (who live in California) off to 24 Carrots for a tasting.

Ahhh the sacrifices a wedding coordinator has to make! ;)

Needless to say, the food was all AMAZING! And the staff at 24 Carrots is JUST as AMAZING!

So stay tuned for more to come. Their wedding is just 3 and a half weeks away! And I promise that there is more fabulouness that has yet to be revealed!!!

~~ Alicia

Allow me to introduce the new Mr. & Mrs.!!! You may remember them from their gorgeous engagement session provided by the talented husband and wife team at Eight20 Photography that Amanda posted a few weeks ago Here. Nicky & Eric are so amazing, I can’t wait to see what they come up with for this wedding!

Erin and Adam have got to be one of the sweetest couples I’ve ever met, and their wedding was probably also one of the smoothest events I’ve ever worked! This may be due to the fact that Erin is probably THE most organized bride I’ve ever met. I arrived at the event to find that Erin had provided Miriam and I both with folders (in her wedding color of red of course) filled with contract copies, layout instructions, timelines, and a contact list you wouldn’t believe! Every item was tucked neatly into a large plastic storage container, and of course contained a list of every item in it, and where each item should go. Now that’s my kinda bride!!! Talk about making a coordinator’s job easy!

Unfortunately this was one of the days that our team had to be seperated, since Amanda was busy working a different wedding this day, but Miriam was there to head up this event, with me by her side. The ceremony was held at the United University Church on the USC campus. They had these gorgeous drapes going down both sides of the church, and were able to change them out to red to match Erin’s colors!

All of the amazing florals for this event were provided by the talented Shirvan Design. Check out those Manzanita trees!!

All of Erin’s paper products were so stinking cute! Here’s her programs for the ceremony.

The reception was held at the City Club on Bunker Hill in Los Angeles. The Club is on the top (54th) floor of the building, so the views were to die for! We’re talking so high, it literally made your ears pop taking the elevator ride up there! You can see the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, & even Dodger Stadium out it’s floor to ceiling windows!

Erin and Adam provided several photos for a heritage table that were all placed in stunningly vibrant red frames .

Their place card setup.

Erin had us hang the cutest little red mini lanterns from the Manzanita branches.

The couple’s initials and the cutest little suitcase (which served as their card holder), were setup on the gift table.

The cocktail hour was held inside the room, and featured these simple table arrangements that were so perfect.

Here’s more of Erin’s cute paper products, and stunning floral arrangements.

So cute!!

Those gu-gu-gourgeous Manzanita trees were re-used next to Erin & Adam’s sweetheart table at the reception. I couldn’t believe that Art from Shirvan Design was able to transport these Giant things in one piece, and all on his Own! He literally carried these things in on his back like he was He-Man! Art, I am in awe of you. Anyone in the market for a florist with super human strength?

I didn’t get the best picture of Erin’s bouquet, but if you can’t tell, it had these beautiful red crystals in the center of each red rose. It was beyond perfection!

Grand entrance Time!!

Adam was being a good new husband and helped his wife look her best.

What the guests didn’t know was that Adam & Erin had hired the USC marching band to spice up the night! Adam is a graduate of USC and many of his family and friends shared his love for the school.

It was such a great surprise! You could literally hear the guests gasp in excitement as the band made it’s way around the corner.

Look at how happy Adam is. I believe this is what they call “Pleased as punch!”.

Now Erin & Adam did their order of events a little differently. The cake cutting came directly after dinner.

Cake provided by Hansen’s Cakes, decorated by Shervan Design.

They played nice.

And Then they had their first dance. I know, I know, cake cutting before the first dance?? What were we thinking? But surprisingly, I enjoyed the cake cutting being done so early. Since most people use this as a signal to their guests that it’s ok to go home, doing it as early as we did, actually took the focus off of that, and allowed people to just relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Erin’s simple, but beautiful toss bouquet.

It’s that time ladies, are you ready?!?

And straight into the garter toss. I love her face here.

And last but not least,a picture of Miriam with Erin at the end of the night.

So to Erin and Adam, thank you, thank you, thank you for letting us be a part of your day. It was evident from the moment that I stepped through the doors at the City Club, that you two had managed to affect every single person that you met. Every person I talked to was so completely enamored with you two that they just gushed about how great you were. They all went above and beyond to do the best job that they could for you that day. It was an honor to be a part of your world if only for a moment. May your new life together be so full of love and happiness that you don’t know what to do with yourselves!

~~ Alicia

Alex and Brad are some of my favorite people. Throughout their entire engagement, they’ve been upbeat, fun, full of love, and so great at every meeting. We laugh, we cry, we’re attached. That’s why they were one of our first couples to feature on our “In The Mix” sessions- here, and here [for a peek at their florals], also here [with a sneek peek at their linens and decor]. Of course, who could forget their engagement session from just last week, here, taken by the amazingly fabulous Jan Garcia!

Their wedding yesterday was a dream. In the weeks prior to the wedding, life kind of exploded for Alex’s family and I was honored to be able to help them pull this wedding together at the last minute to truly make this day as joyful, beatiful, and amazing as possible. It went off without a hitch. And Jan’s “same day slideshow”, which is always an epic part of his services, was TO. DIE. FOR. Seriously! I can’t wait to see the rest!

Now, the ceremony was held at Lake Hills Wedding Chapel and was truly and simply gorgeous. I totally spaced and forgot to bring my camera along for the fun at the church, so I snapped this mid-ceremony with MiPhone:

A couple swags of white chiffon and we were done. This chapel is such an amazing sight in person- the natural stone, the wood, the modern, sleek design. It’s amazing! Since we knew that going in, we opted for a simple ceremony focusing on the couple, and dolled up the reception site to the nines!

The reception was held at the Art Gallery in Soka University. A two-story space of uniqueness that provided us with a blank slate to play in! The white walls and hardwood floors are perfection. To top it off, the gallery was displaying a black and white photography exhibit for Alex’s black, white and aqua wedding!! An amazing and thankful coincidence! Onto the pictures.

The cocktail hour took place upstairs [and the upstairs of the gallery actually has a large cutout area that looks right down to the lower story. We placed our dance floor right in the middle with their custom designed gobo on top!!]. Our sleek all-black dance floor was SUCH a hit. I seriously cannot wait to get pro pics back because mine just don’t do justice! Okay, I’ll stop… more pictures!!

Since the linens downstairs were black with aqua runners, we reversed them for the cocktail tables. Mini arrangements were the perfect accent.

These escort card boards were my labor of love! The family gave me this task a bit last minute [Thursday afternoon!!] and I knew I couldn’t just take the easy route. Alicia and I [love you Leashy] put our heart and souls into these little cards and boards! Since the black and white damask was a huge part of our theme, I carried it into their cards!

Alex and her mom, Debby, set up a beautiful “heritage table” for their loved ones.

They decided on a “signature drink” in honor of their honeymoon and it was a HIT! People had margarita glasses all over the place! It was too cute!

[Of course I made all of the custom and ever-so-darling signs!!]
Then we headed down for some downstairs details….

The gallery was LITERALLY the perfect setting for their event!

The lighting in the gallery played a perfect roll in our dramatic impact of the event, but the rest was taken care of by the FABULOUS team at Carcano DJ [Stefani is the best!!], who also provided our gorgeous brand spanking new white chiavaris through their sister company, Chiavari Chairs 4 Rent! Their team swept into our space and transformed it in a matter of hours!

The flowers were provided by a friend of the family and they combined the traditional with the modern by using warm flowers with funky blue painted manzanita branches dawning large crystals!

Black Forest Bakery made this lil’ beauty. I looooved their blingin’ cake topper with actually was the SAME font they used for their monogram [you guys know by now how deeply in love with a monogram I am!!].

A couple more detail shots for you:

Their favors were shot glasses filled with m&ms and tied with black tulle. Perfectly simple and matched our decor, to boot!

Check out those Waterford toasting flutes!!

During dinner, our sugary sweet sweetness of a groom played and sang a song he wrote for his bride. Before starting this he told the guests all about the night they got engaged how that prompted him to write the tune. This was all a surprise to Alex and she was waving tears away with her napkin before the song even started. SO cute!!!

Straight into their first dance [this was taken from the 2nd story, looking down, and I looooove that I could get this angle. Gives it such an intimate feel]:

Great shots of their gobo, too. And now, father/daughter [and let me just say that Alex is Daddy's girl! Her father had a hard time letting her go, and their dance was SUCH a unique expression of that relationship. It was fun, upbeat, and totally "connected". I love the heart that I saw out on that dance floor!]:

Time to cut the cake!!

And just in case you hadn’t noticed- Alex is a KNOCKOUT! Just wait til you see more pictures from Jan and Tey. I’m not kidding. You’ll cry!

Fave picture of the whole night:

[... and she MEANT it!]

Tossing, tossing, tossing….

Also a great shot of Alex’s dress, which fit her like a GLOVE [despite her stress level rising and her losing 2 INCHES two weeks before the wedding... thank goodness for last-minute alterations!]!!!

Alex basically threw it purposefully RIGHT at her best friend and Maid of Honor, Megan, who has been with her boyfriend for 9 years. This is her rejoicing at getting the correct angle, right to Megan:

And this is Alex being embarrassed by her husband [already and it'd only been a few hours!]:

Alex: there’s nothing wrong with modesty! :)

She was a great sport, though, and Brad definitely had fun with it! The last shot of the evening I snapped while walking around during open dancing. When the lights in the gallery were turned down, we relied on the candles and up-lighting to set the tone. The result was truly magical. It was such a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart. I totally loved it!!!

A&B: I miss you two already! I know I said this already but I’m truly happy/sad about all of this. So, so, SO happy that you two are married. So happy that it went perfectly, that the stress is over, and that this new chapter in your life is beginning. I remember how excited you two were when we first met and to see it all fallen into place and to have lived it with you two… wow- truly remarkable. I’ll have to learn how to live without our monthly laugh-fests [err, meetings] and without our daily emails! You two have a love that will last a lifetime, I just know it. I am so thankful that I got to be a part of your story. It’s something I treasure very much. I hope this week is full of so much love and happiness, and memories to last a lifetime [but hopefully none similar to your parents' honeymoon stories, A!!!]!

xoxo,

A.

Yippeee Yippeeee Yippeeeeee! I am SO in love with the photos that Yvette and Roman at Galvan Photography provided me from Brook’s wedding. DANG, this girl can work. I knew that she’d have killer photos!! But a picture is worth so so SO much more than 1,000 so here we go:

This picture of the dress, below, UGH, makes me get butterflies about weddings!!!

Since I forgot to mention before, Cindy Babuscio did all of the incredible arrangements for Brook’s big day. The vision was garden-y, romantic, rustic, organic… man, did it all come straight across!! And at 3 arrangements per table, this was no small task! I lalalalaLOVED them! She’s got a little blog in the works, too, so keep an eye on her!

Look at those lovey-dovey super googlie eyes! I adore those!

If you can’t tell, B&D opted for a “first look” and it totally provided that intimate moment and atmosphere for their pictures, it was the perfect choice for them!!

Oh Brook, you’re such a looker!!

This moment just as the doors opened, is magical. I love that it’s caught forever for their kids and their kids’ kids to see.

There is no- NO- substitution for professional pictures of your reception space prior to the guests arriving. I totally heart this picture!!

‘Member what I said about the florist, above?? Yeah, seriously!

And a couple of the reception:

SO sweet! I love. Do you?

Hope you’re having a fab week! I’m off to brainstorm some creative [on time constraints] DIY escort cards for this weekend!

xoxo,

A.

You’ll remember Brook and Dan from their engagement photos and the little blurb I wrote on their planning process.

We all have been looking forward to this wedding for a LONG TIME, but I have been looking forward to it for several reasons. Here’s a few, in an appropriate list form [as is my style]:

1. Brooklin is drop dead gorgeous. I cannot WAIT for the photos because they’re gonna be killer. And I knew she’d make a gorgeous bride.

2. Dan and Brook have such a special relationship- so real and beautiful to watch. The ceremony was so touching and personal- it radiated everything that they are, as I knew it would.

3. This was my FIRST wedding of 2009 and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day then with this fantastic couple!

That being said- the wedding was exactly what Brook and I had envisioned: organic, inviting, stylish, and an all-around great time! Here’s some pictures to prove it!

We’ll start at the church. Their custom monogrammed black aisle runner was oh-so-chic!

A close up [and a bit over-exposed picture] of the small floral splash for the guest book- really giving you a feel for the style of florals at the reception…

In the bathroom [Brook and Dan got married at the church on the site of where Brook went to high school! A bit of nostalgia on her big day!!] here’s B’s mom attaching her gorgeous veil!

I love this picture because it feels SO real.

The ceremony!! He cried. Then she cried. Then I cried. :)

Married!!!

Over to the reception, which was held at the OC Sailing and Events Center in Dana Point- about 5 minutes from the church. The room is known for being a blank site- white ceiling, grey carpet and with the right “vision”, it can turn magically delicious. That’s what me and my team did last night. Can you believe it… there were 6 of us working this wedding [Me, Josh, Alicia, Brittany, Miriam, and Rebekah]!!!

The cake is always my favorite part the wedding decor it seems. This cake, however… was beyond words it was so stunning.

We used these great ivory and black damask runners from Dress My Chair to set the vibe for the evening along with the color theme of the avocado bridesmaid dresses. The florals were whimsical and garden-inspired and were the perfect compliment!

Long banquet tables filled the room with that family-style vibe that Brook had been hoping for!

Since the space is SO blank and white, we used pipe and drape to create a background on the stage area, where the sweetheart table was placed. Adding their ceremony decor, a few up-lights, and a hanging monogram and voila! You’ve got magic!

This picture below actually isn’t the BEST picture of how the room looked, but I love the centerpieces and tables all in a line like this, so here it is:

The team, halfsies style:

Britt, what’s with the peace signs, huh?? I’m beginning to think this may need to be your pose for the new site!!

Back to the cake. L.O.V.E. The florist SO outdid herself with this. When the cake arrived it was a simple cake- just plain black ribbon wrapping the round tiers. They did a floral cascading swirl down both sides of the cake that trailed all the way down to the table. It was a shame we couldn’t cuddle it and keep it forever. And yes I said I want to cuddle a cake. Deal with it!

First dance. B’s dress is soooo flamenco flowy pretty delicious!

“Bustles that kill me for 100, Alex”

Father/Daughter:

A little backdrop close-up:

Bouquet toss!!

Her gorgeous bridal bouquet:

And a quick final snap of the cake cutting:

All in all- the day was perfection! We had ZERO snags. My staff was pumped to work and we works our little tails off! The weather was gorgeous [after a year and a half of anxiety about the possibility of rain and what we'd do with the outdoor cocktail hour!], the site was transformed, and the party was so fun!

B&D: you two have a love that is infectious. If I didn’t know it before your wedding day, I am so 100% sure of it now. It’s not about the words you say- it’s about HOW you say them. About your eyes behind them. About your hearts showing through. Love like yours moves me. It’s why I’m in business. It’s why I work to ensure that your vodka tonics and vodka-and-diet-cokes get to you in a timely fashion. It’s why, when I hug you goodbye at the end of “the perfect day”, I hug you with my whole heart, and release you knowing that you’re the ones who’ll make it work.

You are the ones who will give what I do a good name.

xoxo,

A.