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Newlies: Elena + Nathan

POSTED BY Amanda

This was my first time working with Dave Richards and his cute-as-a-button wife Sandy, but I’m really hoping it won’t be my last. Just looking through the images he recently blogged of Elena and Nathan have brought back a flood of memories from their seamlessly stress-free, gorgeous day. I’m thrilled to gush to you some of their perfect images!!

Radiant bride…. check!

Handsome groom…. check!

Killer cohesive bridal party…. check!

Ridiculously pretty church… check! And then, there’s love.

Lots and lots of love.

And a great reception locale like The Ebell Club, Long Beach doesn’t hurt either!

The decadent arrangements from Flower Allie add the perfect POP to this fun color scheme of navy and orange. And here’s a designer’s inside tip: when working in a candle-lit, romantic environment, go a shade lighter with your linen. In the light of day, you may not understand- but in the deep, dark colors of your reception, that extra “lift” of color will make all the difference. Keeping with Spanish feel, we used La Tavola’s dupionique in royal [a cobalt blue tone, much like the Spanish tiles we used as escort cards] to ensure the colors didn’t get lost in the evening light. It was the perfect impact!

Isn’t it always the “little” things that get you?? Elena chose for us to do a “detail wrap up and decor budget” for her. It’s one of our most popular additions these days and can be added to any of our services. For Elena and Nathan, we took the liberty of implementing several tiny decor elements to really impact her day. We upgraded linens and napkins, added a lace knot napkin wrap, detailed the bride and groom chairs [with lace tails and signage], created menu cards for their buffet, concepted and created their escort card tiles with alternating blue/orange colors, wrapped candles in custom lace, created wedding programs, and designed/assembled 20 welcome baskets [complete with custom timeline, logo/artwork, and packaging for her guests]. WHEW. All in 2 weeks time. If THAT’s not bang-for-your-buck, I don’t know what is!

Just a suggestion, but if you skip on over to Dave’s site, there’s more where this came from. He’s a great blogger [in example: timely, generous with images that are generously sized, and credits all of his vendors]. I love this in a photographer. I love this in ANY vendor. I’m on his side.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this wedding come together! I got to work with Elena and Nathan from the get-go, so here’s a shout out to our all-star cast of characters:

Ceremony: Wayfarer’s Chapel
Reception: Ebell Club Long Beach
Photographer: Dave Richards
Event Design and Planning: In The Now
Florist: Flower Allie
DJ: John Suarez, After Dark Entertainment
Napkin Rentals: Signature Party
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen
Catering: Jay’s Catering
Custom Graphics: Kristen [Graphical Intern], In The Now
Vinyl Escort Card Logos: Creative Media Print
Hair/Makeup: Artistry By Briana

Holla! Look at that list. It’s what I love to see. :) So sad it’s over… so happy they’re married. It’s the bittersweet small moments in life that keep me pushing forward. Hoping you find some JOY in today, tomorrow, and your ‘forever’.

xoxo,

I styled a cute, 1940’s style “Sleeping Beauty” engagement session a few weeks back and here’s a preview.

Yes, I know. It doesn’t look so vintage here. It also doesn’t look so Sleeping Beauty. But it’s not like me to be all theme and no quirk. And thus, the quirk attack. LOVE these cute little signs I whipped up the morning-of. Shouldn’t everyone be holding these, ALL THE TIME??
More [vintage-y, sleep-y] to come on this one from Bethany Belle Photography!

xoxo,

A.

Thanks to Dave Richards, there are many more of these headed our way in the near future.

I know, you can’t even wait. And neither can I. Yay for love!

xoxo,

A.

How cute are my clients you guys? Seriously though…. how cute are they?? It makes me love my job even more ferociously when I meet and book clients like Emily and Richard. They’re just some of the coolest, most down-to-earth, creative, fun-loving people that everyone wants to be. And they show it. Like when Max Wanger took their engagement photos. Like this:

And just to tip the cute scale even more onto the sickening side…

Oh Em and Rich! I love your love. You two are gonna have the raddest wedding this side of 2011! I can’t wait to share it with you.

xoxo,

A.

So I know that I continually state how much of an event design firm In The Now is- and we truly love what we do whole-heartedly, but I figure the easiest way to prove it is to really SHOW you! We’re best when allowed to collaborate, create, dream, get outside the box, and tie up loose ends. And that’s exactly what this wedding season’s focus is for us! For Melissa and Fonz, we wanted to create delicate, personal details that would combine for these “love birds” their passion for music, their vintage/historic site [Union Station's Fred Harvey Room], the style of their invitation suite combined with their playful save-the-dates, and of course… pop in some modern for love of all things In The Now! We truly adore the details we got to put together for this weekend, and seeing them come to life has been better than we had imagined!

Their colors? Classic gold and ivory, paired with the richest shade of fuchsia-based purple!

The lovely Kristen, intern extraordinaire [and total graphical diva], was on-hand to create whimsy and personality combining the look of their invites, from Foglio Press on Etsy [in a purple and grey scheme]:

And their Save-The-Date cards:

And here is a couple items from their graphic suite that Kristen created – the graphic element is JUST the beginning. I cannot wait to reveal details from their actual wedding, but alas, pro pics are always worth the wait!!

A perfect combination for the love birds! Fun and fantastic all rolled into one!

What details, you might ask, are we creating? Everything from welcome baskets for their out of town guests [complete with custom monogrammed munchies], wedding programs, table numbers, signature drink accessories [flags and signs], menu cards, escort cards [the cutest you've ever seen- I'll betcha!], and more, more MORE! We are totally thrilled with the deets for their day!

Until next time my dears!

xoxo,

A.

THIS is why I love my clients. Magnetic chemistry combined with soft hearts and commitment to one another. So excited to see the rest of the pictures from Robert Mullins [mainly the detail shots because there are bound to be SO. FREAKING. MANY. And they're perfection]! For now, just a few of the beautiful couples that waltz into my Starbuckses…

Stacey and John were married at an In The Now FAVE venue- Rancho Las Lomas!

The gorgeous bride…

[I mean how is that NOT the money shot for every photographer??] But I must admit- something about this picture is so enchanting and shows exactly how Stacey felt, acted and appeared on her wedding day… calm, collected, so full of true joy!

My FAVE, below, and a shot at Rancho I’ve actually never seen before!

More to come from this wedding in the future- I promise! Hope you’re all soaking in the beauty of the spring air. Wedding season is in FULL swing, lovelies, and I’m adoring every busy minute of it!

xoxo,

A.

In the past few months, we’d had a facelift. It’s been plain to see- and it’s also been a slow, thought-through, calculated process. I’ve gone through a refined our logo, scaled back on our weddings gallery, gave a real focus to our table designs, and put our personality out there through our new bios, pictures, blog style, and more. We’ve made a lot of changes that can only mean good things for both the team at In The Now as well as each client we take on- each calculated, perfect-fit of a client.

So, with our new website and new vision for the future of In The Now, also came a new set of responsibilities as well as new ways to present our services and packages.

Currently, I’ve committed to taking no more than 2 weddings a month, personally. I feel that my time is best spent in undivided attention to the clients who have booked and claimed that time appropriately. Also, my non-wedding time is much deserved by my adoring husband, as we look for balance and sanity in the years to come. Having spent so much time pouring into my company with blood, sweat and tears over the past years has truly had it’s advantages- I’ve gained tons of experience, trained up a stellar team of people who work along side of me and who I can confidently send out to weddings representing the brand we’ve established and the name we have, and it’s also given me the luxury to choose my weddings wisely. Meaning- at this point in time- every single wedding that I take personally has design services attached to the package. My minimum service level is a package that I’ve coined the “essentials” package. It’s basically an all-encompassing package to ensure the needs are fully met on the day of the wedding, plus design services and a bit of pre-planning. It’s perfect for someone looking for a partner in crime to help them plan their day.

That being said, I realize that there are people who are still in a greater, urgent need of just the basics. Although I don’t personally honor this package myself, I thought I’d fill you in on what I like to consider the “emergency” package. It came out of the need for someone to have a “day of” coordinator, and the passion that we have for the industry. Here’s what’s included:

Organizational Services Provided:

• Available via phone and e-mail at any time, to answer any questions or meet any requests you might have from 3 months prior to your wedding date up until the day of the event.

• Two face-to-face meetings with your coordinator geared towards planning/efficiency of wedding execution [typically used for a site walk thru and a timeline meeting].

• Storage of wedding-related items prior to wedding day including but not limited to candles, custom pieces, vases or other floral container, programs or other paper items for up to ONE WEEK [seven days] prior to wedding day. This may also include storage of items after the wedding, which are expected to be picked up within ONE WEEK post-event.

• Customized professional itinerary made for set-up [at site] and distributed to each vendor either at final consultation meeting or via email the week prior to event.

• Customized checklist [for In The Now use] detailing out items to be set up or supervised on the day of the event. This checklist will be created by ITN and approved by client for accuracy in the final weeks prior to event.

• Referral of any last-minute vendor needs via email/phone.

Basic Services Provided:

• Provide an adequate number of assistants [whom client shall meet in advance] for the execution and set-up of the wedding and reception to ensure that In The Now is equipped to meet the needs of the client in every way. No less than two coordinators are assigned to each event [one lead, one assistant] and up to four coordinators may be provided for crowds of 250+ wedding guests. Assistants are assigned to events uniquely based on event circumstances [not only number of guests, but distance between ceremony/reception venues as well as venue restrictions or circumstances themselves].

• Greet vendors and oversee the proper set-up of ceremony and reception, ensuring that your requests have been fulfilled to the fullest extent.

• Coordinate and run the wedding rehearsal including direction of friends, family and wedding party to ensure all people involved understand their roles [as prior arranged with the clients and officiant].

• Full-service coordination of your wedding day or event and reception with no hour limit on In The Now services.

• Wedding day director for all family, vendors, and wedding party to look to for direction.

• Accurately ensure all seating plans and arrangements are executed properly [favors, place cards, table numbers, etc].

• Cue ceremony [including lining up and coordinating the wedding party, seating of parents, ushering, etc], cocktail hour, reception and all other large events, coordinating with church, DJ or live music hired for the events.

• Distribute final payments and gratuities as needed to vendors and other service providers on the event date.

• Keep all activities scheduled per time line [including set-up, ceremony, and reception as best as possible].

• Box-up and deliver all personal items [toasting glasses, gifts, extra cake, serving set, veil, makeup, etc] to their respected places [i.e. hotel room, car, mother's car, etc].

• All services include the quality and integrity that In The Now is known for. All of your needs will be met on the Day-Of your wedding. No request is too minimal to address and the ITN team is committed to the stress-free success of each event we are a part of.

Click here to print Emergency Package Details

A few things that I’m committed to providing for any In The Now client are to ensure that each event is fully staffed [meaning we provide as many team members as we think are required to properly get the job done], and that no client feel “nickel and dimed” by hours on the job. One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that you can never have too many helping hands [and it's why my team is so big and why we're continually working with interns], and that some weddings are just longer than others. Some of our days are 14 hours, some are 8 hours. The situations vary and I feel strongly that each event deserves to be executed to the fullest extent. So does my team. That’s why they’re a part of In The Now. This package is meant to truly be that huge sigh of relief at the end of one’s engagement- that’s why it’s only booked last minute [up to 3 months prior to the wedding date]. But, the cruciality of the package remains. That’s why this is the same level of service that each In The Now client receives on the day of their wedding- no changes. It’s because we always want In The Now to reflect integrity, quality, and love of the event above all else. We can’t cut back from something that we already know is going to be a very important part of our clients stress-free, love-filled, gorgeously perfect wedding experience.

It’s what makes me tick.

If you’re on the fence about finding someone to work solely on your behalf on the wedding day- do it! It’s one thing that I’ve yet to hear someone regret. The emergency package sits at $1150 and just may be the right fit for your pending spring/summer wedding!

Plan well, my dear readers… but more than that, plan smart!

xoxo,

A.

Steph and Tom are my friends. They are lovely. They are wonderful. You may remember them from the surprise engagement session that I posted a while ago. You’d remember them because their cute.

And now that their wedding planning is well on it’s way, I’m thrilled to say that this is going to be one of the most special events of the season for me! Not only because Tom and Steph are my friends, but because they’re actually tying the knot at the same place my husband and I did nearly SEVEN years ago [crazy, how time flies]!! Working a wedding at The Oak Knoll Club in Ladera Ranch will be so fun- but Steph’s vision for the big day [think Paris shrouded in black, cream and chocolate tones with a cocktail-style dessert affair] is even more highly anticipated!

Their engagement pictures are courtesy of Trever Hoehne, an ever-fave of anyone with an eye for artistic ability and heart! I’m pumped, y’all! Totally 100% AMPED on this event! So, to get you into the spirit of it all… here’s some of their actual engagement session by Trever:

This image was shot in one of my favorite locations of all time- Santiago/Trabuco Canyon. It’s where I grew up and went to Elementary School. The area, the lush surroundings, and the vibe of the canyon hold such a special place in my heart. This picture represents it so accurately!

Is Steph not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?? ADORE the dress. Adore the style. Adore the “darkness” of the shot!

Counting down the minutes until their July wedding!!

xoxo,

A.

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