This delightful sweets table that I’m sure you remember has seemed to get my blog and twitter friends clamoring with excitement! And rightfully so! Thanks to Cyd at The Sweetest Occasion for the wonderful little write up and feature of our perfectly placed desserts!

It’s an honor to be featured anywhere, but when blogs come out of the woodworks to love on something you’ve had your hand it… it’s truly a new level of humbling! Thanks to all my readers, friends, family and fans from my deepest heart… in ways you’ll never know, you are the ones that have kept me in this industry, creative and brimming with excitement! Jump on over to The Sweetest Occasion to see more of us and so so SO much more weddings!

Happy sunny day, y’all!

xoxo,

A.

And the infamous TISSUE POM POMS that [if you follow me on twitter, you heard me moan about a couple of days last week] my team and I made in the wee hours of the morning!!

Visit Nicole’s post for more images and leave her pretty pretty comments about her pretty pretty pictures! I cannot wait for y’all to see the ridiculously perfect vintage furniture that Jeni from FOUND supplied. You will flip. Like for serious.

Until then, hang on and enjoy the ride!!

xoxo,

A.

With all the inspiration of rustic and western vibes, my mind went straight to wood backing. How more rustic could you get? With the perfect feminine color palate [all shades of purple, navy and mint green accented with cream and fruitwood tones], the wood backing ads just enough rustic to make it work! Believe it or not, the first one I whipped up is what we went with! We then used the same design ideas for the RSVP postcard and information card on a nice ivory base.

We used a heavy-weight, deliciously textured ivory stock for the paper goods and ivory vellum for the main invite. The shape was custom cut for us [a must with this design and really what sent us over the edge in love with it]. We then tied it all together with a lace ribbon inside of a precious box! The lace was the perfect pop against the wood and paper products- and we went with a modern, more “geometric” lace to compliment the feminine colors. I would LOVE to get one of these in the mail!

What I loved most about this project were the quirky colors paired with the rustic country chic look Lesa was looking for.  It just worked, and turned out so great, if I do say so myself!

Hope you all enjoyed hearing about it as much as I did making it! And just in case you weren’t excited enough after these for Lesa and Eric’s wedding photos… the super cute background fabric is actually what we’re custom making their napkins from for the event! Yippee!

love,

Shannon

It completely, 100% FIGURES that I’d plan yet another trip to my favorite area [the downtown LA garment and flower district] on a day when torrential downpour is very likely to ensue. Yet, my motivation is strong, and my excitement is rumbling inside my brain louder than the thunder could roll!! Here’s a little sneak of the colors I’m putting together for our lovely March tabletop. Of course it’s got an Irish feel to it- it’s March! I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s going to be outrageously, utterly, ridiculously fabulous. And that’s not just because it’s me putting it together. Okay maybe it is. Jury’s still out… I’ll let you all decide!

What do you think of when you see this? When you think of March?? When you dream of Ireland??? Curious to hear the answers that you come up with! It may or may not make it’s way onto the March table!

xoxo,

A.

Blush, ivory, a plum/eggplant, based with navy and accented with a dirty, murky gold! Lush and loving it!! Definitely one of many ways that I want to bring the modern element into the romantic setting and vibe that Romeo and Juliet bring to mind!

Since this is the time of year for styling and shoots and FUN for us designers, I’m soaking it in! Remember that if you want YOUR wedding professionally styled by us, don’t hesitate to visit the site, or just email me directly!

Make today a colorful one!

xoxo,

A.

Venue: Lake Oak Meadows

Photography: Teresa and Company @TeresaK Photography

Florist: Karen @ From The Garden

DJ: Aaron @ Authentic Sound

The thing I love about this venue: it’s just simply gorgeous. It doesn’t need much. With the rows of wine vines and the natural landscape… wow, it’s just perfect.

Some of Lacey’s fun details. These are over at the ceremony site!

The ceremony site is a peninsula area that backs [well, is surrounded by] the lake. It’s so serene and peaceful. As big as the property sounds, it’s actually the PERFECT size for an intimate wedding!

These fans worked PERFECTLY for the guests… though we had great weather. The day of the rehearsal there was actually a rain scare, but the cool breeze felt amazing with the 80-something-degree weather!

I died over this. Alicia, when we got there, walked up to snag a few shots of Lacey while she was getting portraits. This is Lacey’s little excited-that-we-were-there-half-wave. SO cute!

Oh P.S. forgot to mention she totally looks like Kelly Clarkson but cuter. Am I RIGHT?! Onto reception details!

Their courtyard/lawn area is just divine. Strung lights included over the area. A built in bar. Stones with the grass humbly growing between. SO charming.

THE CAKE. This cake is like none I’d ever seen. I remember Lacey was debating between two cakes. One was this one. We decided, if her baker could pull it off… go for it. And pull it off they did!!

Cute table details, and a HUGE toss bouquet, because that’s how Lacey rolls:

Candles as escort cards… yes please! And this picture below makes me giggle each time I see it! This is Lacey, being escorted via golf cart up to the top of the steps so that her walk will be an entrance to remember. I adore the “privacy parasols” to ensure her and Andrew don’t see one another!

A close up of it:

Onto the GOOD stuff:

I just feel like Lacey’s entire “look” wreaks of movie-star quality. Elegant hair. Elegant walk. The VEIL. Everything gorgeous!

Personal tidbits: Andrew DID get a bit excited half way through the ceremony [after his vows] and tried to lift Lacey’s veil and kiss her! She let out the cutest little “not yet!” and the whole crowd loved it. So perfect!

The theme for the day:

Good thing- it makes the cutest pictures!

Right after the ceremony they stopped to soak it all in… funny enough, RIGHT behind the chairs. It’s like they couldn’t wait just to be together and talk! I loved it. After a few seconds, we had to usher them around the corner so that the bridal party could join ‘em for pictures!

A shot that Teresa set up at the tail end of the cocktail hour, just before the Grand Entrance:

The new Mr. and Mrs!

I just love how happy they are. It warms my heart!

Straight into their loving first dance:

Cuteness overload.

Dancing with dad:

I LOVED these few pics of Lacey tossing her bouquet!

In mid-air, if you can spy it:

Finally cutting that delicious cake!

THIS is what I’m talking about- spontaneously in love. They are so perfect together. Even in the way they hold one another, it’s so obvious. Smitten!!

And of course, my personal fave:

WOW WOW WOW, Lacey. You are a married woman. I’ll bet it’s been the best thing ever. The past few weeks have flown by at jet speeds, but your love story has stayed with me. During the ceremony, I cried. During the speeches, I cried. Witnessing your love has been nothing short of an honor for me. Truly! I’m so thrilled that I got to be there with you. Knowing that you two are out there, representing marriage so well, makes me proud to be even the slightest bit a part of your story. I know there are so so so many more years and stories, tears and laughs and MEMORIES in your future! Hopefully as the pictures from your friends, family, and disposable cameras roll in, these are a little more love comin’ your way. It’s all about the moments we capture in life! Love you two like it’s going out of style!

xoxo,

A.

Ok, please don’t stone me…if any of you have been reading the blog long enough, you’ll remember Jamie & Jeff from wayyy back in September. Their wedding was at The Historic Cottage in San Clemente, and it was one of the first I had the pleasure of doing sans-Mandy Kins. But I swear I haven’t been holding these beauties hostage from you guys. We just got the disk of images from Tony Florez a few weeks ago, so I sorted through them the first chance I got. And boy were they worth the wait!

Here are just a few of the beautiful portraits Tony took of Jamie and Jeff before they walked down the aisle.

The ceremony was held at Calafia Park down the street. What an amazing view!

Isn’t Jamie unbelievably stunning?

The two of them make such a beautiful couple!

And beautiful couples make even MORE beautiful babies!!! Jeff and Jamie also incorporated a baptism for their son Riley into the ceremony. Such a touching idea.

They had a fabulous seaside, beachy theme that turned out so so cute.

Their first dance was amazing. It started out sweet and slow, and then turned into something straight out of Dance Dance Revolution! It had me rolling on the floor laughing!

And who doesn’t like to end the night with a good Thriller homage? Face masks and all…

~ Alicia

Venue: Oceanside Museum of Art
Photography: Amanda @ Hearts and Horseshoes, and Ryan Russell
Catering: Homespun Desserts
Band: Steal Dawn
Flowers, Cake and Decor: Family of the bride!

Moving on…. Mandy and Jordan are the BEST! I wish I got more images for you of them together, but those will be coming to the blog in the near future. So, until then, here are some details, portraits, actions shots… all mixed together for you.

Mandy’s sense of style is KILLER.

Her knee-high white boots were just the tip of the iceberg.

The ceremony took place outside of the museum, on the front patio, while the cocktail-style dessert reception was downstairs in the main foyer/lobby area. Upstairs we had a large open theater space that we packed with people, chairs, and a live band for dancing!

These tiny tea light holders from Target were used as floral accent pieces. Since ALL candles are prohibited in the museum, they got creative. SO cute!

They chose ONE exhibit to keep open during their “cocktail hour”, and it happened to be theeee coolest [and most fitting] exhibit in the place!

Alicia modeling one of the lovely bridesmaid bouquets. The little “cuffs” were hand-crocheted by one of the bridesmaids. Amazing!

THE CAKE!! My goodness. When Mandy told me her aunt was making the cake- I was worried. Really worried. Especially after she showed me the inspiration picture. But, hot dang, this is WAY better than I could have ever anticipated. From a real baker or an at-home baker!

These images were exposed terribly and I had to lighten them up a LOT- sorry!

Some of the mini desserts:

These carrot-cake cupcakes were her grandmother’s special recipe, and the same flavor as her mom and dad’s wedding cake!

Some reception photos:

Some pictures of the father/daughter and mother/son dance:

I love how happy Mandy and Jordan were the ENTIRE day! So filled with smiles and love!

The father/daughter and mother/son dance was actually played live by members of the bridal party and some of their best friends, Sean and Sara Watkins, along with Sara’s husband, Todd Cooper. A fun little bluegrass, down-home feel for the special dance!

A late-night shot of their wedding ceremony program:

And one last shot, at the end of the night, Mandy and Jordan actually just walked the two blocks home to their house from the museum. It was SO cute. I wish I got a better picture, but I’ll never forgot how cute they were, hand in hand, walking home full of love and life!

M&J: planning your wedding was the most fun EVER! I’m so glad I got the chance to spend time with you and know you more. Your kindness and fun, spunky personalities are so fun to hang out with. I can’t wait for the years of barbecues, holidays, and random get-togethers that we’ll all get to enjoy as our families grow and change. I truly love planning weddings of friends more than ever and now, you two are friends of ours for life! Hope that this little jaunt through Europe is enough of a vacation from the norm to act as a total life-refresher [even if it IS work for you, Jordan!!].

xoxo,

A.

The Pro Lineup:

Photographer: April Smith Photography
Venue: Sheraton Anaheim Hotel
Videographer: Mike Mills @ Videotape My Wedding
Stationary: Anne @ The Paper Stylist
Cake & Sweets: Tomgirl Baking Co.
All floral and decor: The [now] infamous Uncle Lou!

Their favors were mini windchimes and magnets straight from the Philippines. Ironically enough, Jereco and Ruby BOTH grew up on the same island in the Philippines but had to make it all the way to America to meet and marry. Did I mention that this year is their 10 year anniversary together?? When I say it’s ABOUT time, I mean it!

SO many fun details just in the centerpieces. lights, crystals, action!

A gorgeous photo-filled guest book!

These little guys were my LABOR of love:

The red up-lighting went on and BAM the cake turned a whole new shade of gorgeous!

And of course, Tomgirl provided even more delicious desserts [which lasted umm about 10 minutes!!] for the guests, in conjunction with some traditional candies:

Pastor and the GUYS at the Sheraton, they came up with this display. How much do you love that? I walked back into the room [left them alone for maybe 10 minutes!!] and 4 dudes were huddled around the table, placing stands, mirrors, and lining up pastries into perfect rows. WOW. That’s all I can say!

Ruby was such a happy bride. I snapped this just after portraits, before the ceremony:

Some ceremony site pictures:

Ruby was walked down the aisle by both parents.

As we wrapped up cocktail hour, I tried my best to wait patiently while April got some KILLER [I just know it] shots of Rubes and Jer in one of my favorite places at the Sheraton- their lobby [sooo modern and fun!]. But, I couldn’t resist! A few scrappy seconds:

SO. IN. LOVE.

A quick shot of her bouquet:

And now, onto the festivities! Their first dance:

As Ruby leaned into her husband and sang their song with tears in her eyes, I leaned on the wall of the room and cried alongside of her. There is something so honest- soo genuine- about their love. It’s why I’m in business.

A few words from our bride and groom:

The little girls [nieces of the bride] performed a special dane to a Hannah Montana song. One that Ruby knew ALL the words to. Watching her and Jereco clap along the whole time: priceless!!

And, the last 3 of the night, in sequence:

Such a good sport!! All in all, the night was nothing but perfection! We danced. We laughed. We cried. We shared memories to last a lifetime and fill a ballroom. And it all ended with a literal bang- fireworks!!!

Ruby- you and I always had so much fun together. I used to look forward to our phone calls, our late night meetings, our jokes, and our eager anticipation for your big day. Now… I just plain miss you! I KNOW that your wedding was everything you’d hoped for. I know it, cause I was there. And I saw you. And I saw the way that boy looked at you… right with his heart. I’m so glad I got to be a part of this crazy, chaotic, amazing time in your life! I’ll cherish it forever!

xoxo,

A.

The Lineup:

Photos: Max Ader
Reception Venue: Holiday Inn, Laguna Hills
DJ: Authentic Sound
Flowers: Petals By Marsha

Tamara knit all of these by herself. She is a crazy person. This is why we love Tamara.

The wine, the ketubah, the challa, the breaking glass…. pretty good lookin’ table!

I LOVE that their chuppa was draped with garments from Matt’s grandfathers. SO personal!

A good friend of mine wore a dress with many pickups in the skirt YEARS ago, and I called her a “whipped cream dream”- now every time I see one I want to say it! Tammykins, you were a WHIPPED CREAM DREAM on your big day!

During the ceremony, the bride circles the groom three times…

Then his turn, around her, thrice:

Then both circle together:

He lifts the veil “to ensure he’s got the right one” [alluding to the biblical story where the groom marries the sister of the one he loves instead of his actual love! Imagine!!]:

Breaking the glass, to remember that life is fragile and that this commitment is permanent [can't be put back together]:

FINALLY! Time to kiss!!

Over to the reception- T&M kept their daytime affair very simple and stylish. The hotel gave them SO much decor- upgraded linens, chargers, candles for their centerpieces…. it turned out simply amazing!

Their favors were little organza bags of dark chocolates that matched their colors [burgundy and gold] perfectly!

Their formal first dance!

I loved the movement in her skirt on this one:

LOVED these moments:

Tamara was deathly afraid of this part and hid it well… for a whole 30 seconds [can I blame her? I'd FREAK!]!! Matt, on the other hand…

Blessing and breaking of bread.

THIS is my job. Did you not know? Have you not heard?

Post-cut-cake-kiss

One quick shot of that snazz-tastic bouquet she had goin’ on:

And to wrap, a shot of me, with the challa [or what was left!]… which of course is pronounced “hall-uh”, not too far off from “HOLLA!!!”, and so…. me+challa=

HOLLA!

T&M: I’m so sorry I took FOR.EV.ER to blog your photos! I loved being a part of your day. Your ceremony was so emotional. So passionate. So personal. I loved the look into who you two are, as a couple, and learning more about your heritage and families. It was an honor to witness your love. It’s an honor to be a part of your lives. I know that your honeymoon was the much needed [and much deserved] vacation which came at the perfect time. Hopefully you’re holding your heads high with heavier ring fingers and that newly-wed glow!

xoxo,

A.

If you can’t tell, Jenny went total Martha Stewart and made all of her ceremony decor out of tissue poms. I LOVED it. So cute!

They married at Almansor Court in Alhambra on a sunny Sundy [see what I did there? I took out the "a" in Sunday, to make it rhyme-y] morning. The weather was perfection!

Eddie @ Commerce Flowers rocked their personal flowers so hard. She loved them!!

They opted to do potted plant centerpieces to act as a take-home for their near and dear. Some details of the event:

Their cake. THEIR CAKE! It was my favorite thing EVER. It’s kinda old school/tradition in that the tiers are separated with poles and it’s intricate… but that little tulle skirt it’s wearing and the TOPPER alone make it amazing to a whole new level!!

The 80’s are back with a vengeance in ALL the best of ways!

Their good friend Matt Gainer came out to shoot candid photos while one of my faves, Wayne Toshikazu caught the formals and detail shots. I love the abundance of photographers. It’s my favorite. What can I say? I like pictures. Don’t blame me. No, don’t be mad. It’s cool. Get over it. :)

All that to say, knowing that their pictures will be FAB makes my job that much more fun!

They are so incredibly and undeniably best friends, and so apparently in LOVE. Weddings like this are a pleasure to work!!

It was a great GREAT day! It’s funny, when you get used to working late nights [until Midnight or so] to be off by 3pm and have the rest of the day to lounge and hang… but you’re exhausted ’cause you’ve been up since 6:00am!! It was a very nice break in the schedule. And really, who better to do it with?? The meetings that Jenny and I shared together were always so relaxed and fun. She didn’t ever overly-concern herself with things going wrong or “what if”s. She really could make a gal pass two hours chatting with ease! And that is why we at ITN TOTALLY HEART her. So big time. I’m so glad that you two are one big happy family now. To many more fun family events, to more paper cranes, to more wheat grass… to more memories!

We wish you nothing but the best and tons of little red-headed, freckle faced babies!!!

xoxo,

A.

The Saturday of April 25th, Yvonne and Mike became one as they said their vows in the beautiful courtyard of Rancho Las Lomas.   The day could not have been more prefect for there was not one cloud in the sky. Yvonne herself could not have looked more gorgeous with her stunning white dress, black curly hair, and giddy smile. Unfortunately there were no shots of the ceremony taken, but don’t worry because her floral arrangements of peonies, orchid, and rose were so YUMMY!

Flower Allie provided Yve’s wonderful floral arrangements and let me just say… I couldn’t get enough of the “frowns” going around! She double-used 4 tall centerpieces at the ceremony site, placing them onto brown box columns at the top of the aisle and bottom of the aisle. Understated elegance that was to DIE for. Luckily we were joined by Sarah K. Chen and we cannot WAIT to see what delicious images she’ll be dishing out to us!

Did I mention how much we LOVE LOVE LOVE

We were honored to be fed from the owner himself of 24 Carrots, Norm.  [Funny enough, both US and Alicia worked with 24 Carrots on this night! Alicia was just down the street from RLL at the Private Estate wedding in honor of Shelley and Tony... well, Leashy, WE got the head-hauncho at our event!! Hardy Har!!] Their food was impeccable and de-lish.  I just adore their mini desserts that were all hand made, as well as the appetizers (hand-passed) that had so much thought and character put into them.  24 Carrots is also the preferred caterer on Saturdays at Rancho which is fantastic because….well….we heart them!!! Heather, the contact @ 24 for RLL brides is to DIE for… so full of spunk, fun and goodness. You will love her, just like we do!

If you thought mini decadent desserts were enough, think again. Yvonne’s cake looked like a soft white cloud of goodness with peonies and ranunculus sprinkled around.  French’s Pastry were the masterminds behind this piece of beauty.

In the moment of cutting that cake:

Yvonne later slipped into a sexy white cocktail dress and showed off her moves on the dance floor.  How she pulled off a mini (but very cute) cocktail dress in 45 degree weather I don’t know.  Amanda and I were numb by the time we got to our cars…..but it was all worth it!  Congrats to Yvonne and Mike on being newly-weds!!!

With love,

Bee

Another dream client- a dream wedding, and such a day full of JOY and laughter. Alicia [aka "The Leashy-keeners 4000"- not really, I just made that up right now] was with me all day yesterday and we actually talked- MORE than once- about how everyone at their wedding, all 230 guests, were so happy to be there. It seemed like a day, a union, that was so much anticipated and so longed for by the whole crowd. That is a wedding rarity. But it was in the air, filling the room with it’s joyous presence- and Leash and I were no exception! It was truly an honor to be a part of this wedding day with Erica, my happy bride and Aaron, my easy-going groom. They didn’t let anything get in the way of this day. And I’m SO proud of E for that- worth the effort to consciously “let it go”- right, Erica?? Yay! Onto my pictures that clearly do not do the event justice by any means…

St. Joseph’s set the background for our ceremony. We had minimal decor at the church, mainly because of lent, but the natural light flooding the sanctuary was stunning!

Happy brides are my BUSINESS!

Onto the Westin Long Beach. The ballroom was simple and gorgeous. The staff was incredible. The food was UNSPEAKABLE good. DANG. We lucked out! Erica’s been planning this event for a year and a half and the details were definitely in place!

Their fab photog, Renee Broughton used their engagement session to also snap their table number shots. This one was my FAVE:

I loved Erica’s 3-fold favors. Papa box, mama box, baby box! All held different sweets and treats and then were packaged together with a monogram and tulle. I can’t say this wasn’t a HUGE labor of love for Erica’s family! She had a vision for it and I think they turned out just darling!!

We, of course, tucked menus into each napkin. Did I mention about the food yet [I know I did]?? Us vendors ate the chicken and it was “bomb”. Wait, I don’t think people say that anymore… it was [insert some killer phrase from at least 2008]! For reals!

The easy head table decor. Those marbles in the vases were this amazing color of blue. I just wanted to keep hanging out with them [yes, the marbles] because I wanted to figure out their color and paint my life to match!!

A first for me: monogram IN the bouquet! Erica’s bouquet was extra special and personal and Jenny B did a great job making it what she wanted. Those deep red roses were so huge and lush, and her rhinestone initial was TOO cute. She also pinned the entire bouquet wrap with charm initials for the loved ones not able to be at the ceremony, those who had passed away. SUCH a neat touch!

Always a Bride…..’s best friend!! :)

Don’t hate on that pic. I’m trying to look crazy. Thank God I’m already married!!

The fabulous and fun and “Ohhh, I don’t TAKE pictures of me” Renee Broughton, y’all!!

Straight into the first dance. DANG Erica was emotional- appropriately, though. She was never a sobbing mess, but her voice quivered with the reality of it all sinking in. Because she “got it”, we sure “got it”, too. It was an enormous day for everyone in attendance!

And after some toasts, we had her father take her back for one last moment as his baby girl and nothing more…

Of course Aaron took his mom out for a twirl or two, too!

Sigh. I’m in love. I know E was excited to eat this cake that she hand-picked the flavor of. But I am 100% happy as a clam just looking at it. Forever.

I think you all know by now that I am a HUGE fan of Martha Stewart’s style, taste, vibe, etc. These thin ribbons on the cake are soooo Martha. I can’t imagine how hard they are to place, perfectly spaced and perfectly straight, but HOT DANG. This was perfection. A smoooth white buttercream cake with navy ribbon. UGH.

Thanks, Rossmoor!!!

I caught this quick shot of one of our amazing flower girls snapping a photo of the pair dancing. SO stinking cute!

The pic above is totally over-blown-out because another flash went off when I was capturing it. But there’s something so unique about it, I just had to post. By the way, Erica LOVED the amaretto cake she chose so greatly, she had Aaron feed her twice before taking the fork and offering him any! Haha!! LOVE that girl!

Calling people out, specifically, for her bouquet toss!

“The Prep”… and….

The result! Gotta love it that they were both dead set on getting married next!! As Ray at Fly By Night, our DJ said: it’s gonna be a LONG time before THAT wedding happens!

All in all- the evening was beyond fabulous. Nearly perfection, actually. I don’t have a complaint in my book. Great vendors. Great location. Fantastic couple. Amazing crowd. A room full of love… that meets every one of MY needs and MY desires- and this day wasn’t even [supposed to be] about me! For that, I’m thankful, grateful, and in awe! E&A: you two are full of it! LOVE that is. It’s oozing out of everything you do. Your kindness, genuity, candid nature, and loyalty [as your friends kept saying, over and over again]- it permeates the core of who you are. I knew it from the moment I met you. Insta-friends, Erica. I’m so thankful to have been a part of making this day everything you truly knew it could be. I hope it was more, in reality, than your dreams could have told you it’d be!!

xoxo,

A.

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.

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.

Basically, we knew a pocket fold was the direction we wanted to take since day one. Lisa [whose real full name is Elizabeth, yes, your eyes do NOT deceive] was sold on that. But coming up with the perfect color scheme took some time. Since we’re also trying to remain budget conscious and do this relatively cheap, we’re only printing in black ink! In fact, what you’re looking at is an ivory stock with a thick black [bleed-off-the-page] border to give it that extra POP. Lisa’s other request: postcard RSVPs. Not a problem for this gal! I do those all the time so plugging in that info to create a postcard was easy peasy!! I added in a handy directions card complete with a hand-Amanda-made map with directions from church to reception, and presto! We’re done-zo!

Another unique element… it’s all in Spanish!! Seeing as I seriously don’t speak a lick of Spanish, it’s been so fun to see the translation of what I know from the standard wedding invite! I had Lisa write up the text and send it over so that I could plug it in and style it to the best of my abilities. It truly came out great! I can’t wait for their big day next June. So far, it’s turning out smashingly!! Stay inspired, and happy Friday!! xoxo!

The Very-Pregnant-and-Talented Sarah K. Chen was with us
Always-a-Fave for attitude and images, Jonilyn Photography, accompanied by husband Alex!
Spontaneous-and-Spunky Jacob Atmodjojo was on board as well
And last but CERTAINLY not least in my eyes
I-Hope-We-Work-Together-Oodles-Next-Year and voted Best Newcomer just now from ME: Jordana Hazel!!

Phew, right?? Images for DAYS! WEEKS! YEARS! Needless to say, staying out of their way was challenging and more than that, I did a lot of “leaving it up to them”. So, hopefully these pictures are pleasing enough to give you a real feel for Chris and Rob’s day. It truly was a great thing to be a part of!!

The pictures start at the church, St. Vincent de Paul in Huntington Beach. Just before the ceremony!

There’s a push and pull, love/hate relationship with church ceremonies when you’re a coordinator. I LOVE them. The tradition of it, the gorgeous churches around here, the fact that I am freed up to take photos. But the hate of it… most of the time the church coordinator gives us “indie” coordinators very little jurisdiction at their site. I never have a problem with that- I don’t want to step on people’s toes or anything and as I said… I love the extra picture freedom. I just always want to be the one taking care of my clients! Fluffing the dress, straightening the veil, giving that last minute pep-talk… it’s my heart!!

That’s Christine, being gorgeous.

Just a few of the “entourage” doing their thing. :)

MARRIED!

I love the fake re-do of the candle lighting [for photo's sake]. More than that, I LOVE Robby’s face. What a character!!

Some post ceremony portraits…. boys+parasols=ridiculous!

And the girls, apparently they’re GREAT at the fake laugh!!

Until it turned into real laughs!

THIS is my favorite! When your colors are green and orange, and your wedding is ’round the corner from Halloween, the socks are just ONE of the perks!!

A few last quick snaps before heading off to the reception!

Off to the reception! The details were outrageous! I loved them!! Linens and rentals all provided by Baker Party Rentals!! Our venue was the clubhouse at Park Newport and was perfect for our intimate, laid-back party setting!! It also gave Chris’ family the access that they needed to create all of the floral details- YES, ALL OF THEM- themselves, the day prior!

These cute orange favor boxes held “a few of their favorite things”. Almond Roca, Reese’s, Candy Corn…

CUTE printed materials and signs!!

Their candy buffet was a hit, provided graciously by one of Christine’s aunts!!

A sweet memorial to Robby’s grandmother.

LOVED the bouts! The dahlias… or, zenias, or whatever they were…. LOVE them!

Straight from the Grand Entrance into their First Dance!!

Christine didn’t want a cake. Like, really, didn’t care for a cake. But, in the end, tradition reared it’s head and she compromised with a small cutting cake and some sheet cakes for the guests. These unique, funky cake topper froggies are really salt and pepper shakers!

I wish I’d gotten MORE pictures of the centerpieces. This is just one of the many arrangements! The clusters of vases on each of the tables were gorgeous!

One of the two frames showcasing their fab engagement pictures:

This drink is the green machine. Seriously!

These simple cocktail arrangements were perfect!

And we had 7 of these little cuties!

C&R love cocktail snacks! So, they provided dishes for the lounge area and cocktail hour! It was totally “them”!

Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances…

We had a Starbucks Coffee station set up for the guests!

And around that time, Jonilyn set up a killer photo
booth, too!!

More detail.

One of our cute hanging vases out on the patio, at sunset!

The “entourage” snuck the couple out during sunset for a prime photo op!

A cookie bar accompanied the cake cutting and the cookies were delicious! All 8 kinds, a mix of home-made and store-bought!

The uplights were amazing! Provided by Lifetime Weddings!

After the speeches, a few words from our groom:

And Christine had a little surprise planned of her own. All for the joke, Alicia [the 'sistant] and I brought out these HUGE champagne glasses for C&R!!

A few VERY blurry shots of bouquet and garter and things and things!

And I love this!

The photo booth was a huge hit!!!

You know, with the vendors, too! Jonilyn, you know I’m on my tippy tippy toes waiting to see your images!!!

And, to end off the blog, a few of my schmappy images, edited up all pretty like [as pretty as they'll get for me]:

And my fave, just after the cake cutting, cute little crinkle-nose faces!!

C&R: I loooove you two! Your friendship, love, and laughter is so apparent. At your wedding, it was obvious that you had already been a family for so long now. It wasn’t a beginning, it was a continuing, and a deepening of your love! To be a part of that day, was an honor for all of the In The Now family! Have SO much fun on your vacay. Come back rested, and ready to party some more! xoxo!!

This classic color scheme seemed to pop out in my mind as one that could be developed dynamically through textures and continue the richness throughout the table. I adore the way it turned out!

The idea with this tabletop was to be detail heavy but keep layering on pinks into the table and accenting with gold [like the funky vase, chairs, and smaller details]. I found vintage-inspired glasses in a blush color at Anthropologie and set them in place of the traditional water goblet, adding a special touch to each setting. A pink capiz shell frame held our vibrant table number. Favors were mini pink-on-pink tonal journals with a cute fuchsia pen attached and ribbon with a gold ribbon. For this setting, I actually mocked up some escort cards, which were simple assorted pink cards hung with ribbons and attached to a fabric/paper covered foam board [with pink headed pins of couse!]. Simple and gorgeous! The bottles of Francis Coppola’s Pinot Noir Sophia blush wine one either side of our centerpiece was a great way to tie in color and style! Additional chocolate truffle favors [white chocolate, brushed with raspberry to be exact, to bring in that rich warm pink tone again] were packaged two by two in gold truffle boxes wrapped with a velvet baby pink bow. These boxes were placed on top of our oh so cute salad plates from Z Gallerie, with a wide hot pink rim and gold trim! Kristin at The Treasured Petal [whose blog is equally if not MORE stalk-worthy than most] killed it with the florals- whispy and flowingly pink!! Time to indulge in some close ups…

As always, you can browse through the eye candy on my Tabletop Gallery on my site!! Plenty of detail pictures to quench that undying thirst! More to come once a month, every month!! xoxo!

Ann and Chris tied the knot at the beautiful Lakeside Chapel at Kindred Community Church in Anaheim Hills! The ladies there were awesomely efficient and the site was a gorgeously simple outdoor site. These parasols were complimentary for our guests:

And Ann provided water on a warm day:

The simple set up was truly beautiful:

Sooo artsy. :)

I loved the simple bouquets of roses with the cuff of lemon leaves that the girls carried, compliments of David Brian Designs!

Talk about curb-side service!!!

A quick snap of Ann’s gorgeous detailing:

The famed Kim Le and co. in action!!

Ann and Chris are soo full of love! At this point I had to jet off to their reception site, Ports O Call Restaurant in San Pedro! The view of the Port was gorgeous and we had one of the best ballrooms there!! Some details…

Ann’s candy buffets was one of my faves! Plus, I haven’t had one of these in a few months… they’re still SO fun!!

These “risers” that we put the jars on are ours! It truly adds a unique touch!

The whole shebang:

You know my thing for cakes? Well now it’s caught on to my assistant, Miriam. She’s obsessed too! Which is great… because that means even though I’m too busy to snap, she finds the time and snaps away for me!!!

Sigh… love this!

The coral color of those roses is drool-worthy!

I snapped a quick shot of Ann’s TOO CUTE to-go containers:

LOVE the sign-in picture that Kim Le brought with her. Their engagement pics are classically beautiful!

And now… for the evening’s events! Straight after their grand entrance, the romantic first dance!!

Ann was smiling and laughing in Chris’ arms the whole night!!

Loved this:

After dinner and a KILLER slideshow put together by the best man, we had our father/daughter and mother/son dances:

She was beaming the whole night, regardless of the little hiccups that seemed to keep me busy!!

Their daughter, Kiana, grabbed one of the other flower girls and joined in… melt!!!

Onto the cutting, which was a family affair!!

A dark one…

And into the toss. See that beautiful girl in the black dress?? Yep, that’s Amber of Amber and Trevor!! Thanks for the referral guys! I loved seeing you two again!!

I looove it when groom’s have a long dance/walk to their bride for the garter removal. Chris was no exception! He took a nose dive and slid on his belly to her!!! Exceptional!

And the last image of the night are a close-up of our extra ceremony fans, which we left out for the guests at the end of the evening to take home with them… they were a huge hit!!

All in all, the night was a busy one! I got to enjoy some great time with the other vendors [nothing like clicking as if you're part of a team]! I got to see team-work in action from the bridal party and the others, behind the scenes. I got to see love take shape and form! I am so blessed by it!

A&C: you know the best thing about you two? You’re in love! You two get one another. You’re comfortable. You can be half way across the room [and I'm sure, across the world] and with one glance someone can see that you two are connected by something so special. I loved witnessing that. I loved being the one who got to take care of you on your big day! Allow the memories that you made to soak in and anxiously await the pro pictures as I am!! Let them carry you back to this big moment in your life, all the enormity, joy, and simplicity that was a part of it!! xoxo!!

As sad as I was to not be there personally, I am so so SO proud of my assistants, and so proud to call them a team that backs me up! It’s overwhelmingly comforting, actually, to know that I can depend fully on my girls! That being said, I think you’ll be seeing and hearing a LOT more from them in the years to come!! Alicia and Miriam- you two are incredible! Now onto the fun stuff… pictures!!!

The ceremony at the park was simple and elegant! I absolutely adore their flower details! Beachy but not over the top. They are truly GORGEOUS [and the deep warm tones are killin' me!!!]:

LOVE that it looks so much like seaweed!!

We did have to shuttle our guests down, because the parking situation is impossible here, but the view cannot be beat! SO worth it!!

After they got down the aisle, it was OFF to The Cottage to finish the set up! Some details at The Cottage, in all it’s glory!

I loved their table numbers! Each one was different and beachy!

This set up flanked each side of the fireplace:

Their favors were custom shot glasses filled with m&ms. Nothing like knowing your crowd of friends!!

I LOVED their simple cocktail set up. Wine glasses, candles, and gorgeous!

I think one of the biggest selling points of The Cottage [at least to me, because I absolutely ADORE it!] is the banquette located in the corner! This built-in “lounge style” seating is great! Providing pillows makes it perfect. :)

The ocean view! I know, if you haven’t seen or been to The Cottage… GO!!!

Jamie and Jeff provided a little play area with activities for the kids just outside the courtyard, on the lawn. I heard this was the biggest hit of the night! Even the teenagers were out there at some point!!

And I loved the way these benches were set up!

I think by now, you know one of my favorite details of a wedding, right???? THE CAKE!

When I saw pictures of this cake, I was blown AWAY! It’s gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS. SO entirely beach-riffic and perfect. The detailing is awesome! And here’s proof:

A few snaps of Jamie’s toss:

Their place card trays, which were too cute, got snatched up prior to pictures!! But, you can still feel the cuteness oooozing, right??

Just before the Grand Entrance, the bridal party requested [required, wasn't it??] a round of shots! We happily provided them with it!

See how the favors are entirely appropriate??

These snaps were taken during the Grand Entrance. I LOVE how in love J&J are. Truly… they get it. You know what I mean?

Yes. She is utterly gorgeous. And he is dashingly handsome. You should see their son… not even 1 yet and a HEARTBREAKER for sure! And yes… THAT is the body of a mom!!

A tight squeeze of hands [gushing with love!!!] and they’re announced into their party!!

Straight into their first dance:

And everything looks good, until about…. HERE!

Yep, they pulled the old switch-er-oo!! They had a fabulously choreographed routine that kept the crowd in tears and stitches simeltaneously!! Just the pictures are to die for! I cannot WAIT to see what Tony Florez captured from this sequence!!

Look how high that girl is getting!! She reminds me of the princess on Mario brothers!

These pictures are so sassy, I just can’t get enough!

Killer!

I love how whispy and in love Jamie looks in this picture! Now, onto speeches!!

When Jamie’s dad spoke, he promised to keep it short [because, well, at her twin sister's wedding earlier in the summer, he spoke for quite a while, rumor has it!]!!

As dinner went on, darkness fell upon the cottage and the dependance on candles to light the night grew on! Great for ambiance! Terrible for pictures for us. :) But we did catch ONE picture of the bridesmaids calling up the bride to dance to “Thriller” together [umm, masks and all??]:

All in all, Jamie and Jeff were surrounded by love, beauty, and family! Even in pictures, they are so evidently in love. When you get to be a part of a night like this, it stands out. It makes it magical- even for the vendors. I’m so blessed to have met you guys! We couldn’t be more thrilled not only to be a part of your day, but to be in your lives! I, as always, am standing in awe of the fact that I’m allowed to do this for a living! And apparently, I’m turning into an OK teacher as well, because my little birdies are flying!!

J&J: you’re gorgeous! Riley is one lucky kid! I’m so glad you enjoyed your big day! I know we all did!! Can’t wait to see more pictures!! xoxo!