Hey ya’ll! It’s been quite the while. Don’t fret, I’m back with some amazing invitations to share with you.

I love how these invitations turned out. They got a bit of everything I think invitations should have – personalization, signature colors, a monogram of sorts, and awesome packaging.

Christie + Seth [you may remember them from here or here] wanted to have invitations that spoke to what they’re guests would experience at their wedding. Fun, rustic, eclectic, and full of loving details. What better way to say that than screen printed wood invitations?

The color palate for the wedding was a burnt orange, olive, and yellow. The wood seemed like a perfect backdrop to put the main invite on and use the other paper pieces pop with the rest of their bright colors printed on stark white.

The thing I love most about creating wedding invitations is when the design just “clicks.” A piece of information about the bride or groom, a special thing that’s going to be incorporated at the wedding, something about the venue, or just a simple color palate can all trigger these “clicks.” After that… things just WORK. Ideas come so rapidly and before you know it… we have something that is IT. For this invite, that moment came when I was told from Rachel that the ceremony was taking place under a huge oak tree. I loved it so much, it went on the invite, the direction card, and the RSVP card.

Doesn’t this look like the perfect sneak peak to what Christie & Seth’s wedding would be like? Lucky for you, The Wedding Chicks featured some incredible photos of the big day from Mathieu Photography. They are just incredible.

One tip for all of you who are thinking about invitations – whether it be for a wedding, a birthday party, or a fun get together – make it yours. Find a special “thing” to set your event apart from the others. Something that is special and will tie everything together. Something that speaks to who you are. Something that is … you.

Congratulations to you, Seth + Christie. May your life together be blessed with love forever!

With Love,

Shannon

I’ll be honest- although the industry right now seems to be flooded with designers who are inspired with the recent remake of Alice and Wonderland [this re-creating their versions of Alice's Tea Party], the table that Grey Likes Weddings featured last week stopped my heart. In fact, ONE in particular detail left me swooning, big time…

The cake!! The mini three-tiered hedge of a cake with half painted red roses. You guys… I love it. I love the fondant work. I love the creativity. I love the attention to detail. I cannot get enough. The cake was crafted by the genius behind I Believe It’s Cake and for the past week [since I saw it] I’ve been trying desperately to find an excuse just to hang out in Laurie’s presence so I can hug her in person. You can visit the photoshoot feature and see many more pictures of the inspired design… but really, here’s what you’ll be looking for [and at!!]:

And yes- that little crown is the topper. But really, it’s the roses that send me over. And the fondant leaves. I’m not sure how aware you are but I’m obsessed with ANYthing shaped like a hedge!

I’m off to work a fabulous wedding with a wonderful couple at a top notch venue. What a way to start my weekend! Hoping this Friday finds you well, lovelies!

xoxo,

A.

I’ve kinda gotten into the bad habit of forgetting to blog things that have been published online elsewhere. I will stop this- I promise. It’s important to me that you guys can come HERE to see my work and not have to track us down all over the old dubbeya dubbeya dubbeya for fantastic images of wedding inspiration.

Since my commitment to designing a new fresh tabletop each month is in total full effect, you’ll be bombarded almost constantly with images and features and inspiration boards and the like here on the blog. Which, I kinda have a crush on the thought of. Love it. The tabletop sessions for this year will actually focus more on party-style get togethers than actual weddings, but I like to think of my wedding style as more of an elegant, laid back design aesthetic whether or not it’s a party, wedding, or family get-together. So, it works. Here’s where the “+ Events” comes into play from the In The Now Weddings + Events. Ya see??

That being said, if you didn’t click over to the feature on Style Me Pretty, and if you didn’t see the ridiculously delicious teaser image that I posted last week, here are some of my faves! These images are all compliments of Two Auer Photo:

You had me at “cat-shaped-wine-bottle”!

My favorite, of course!

Love. Is. Forever.

Lace table cuff?? SO easy to do and such a big impact!

Ariel shots are totally my fave…

Texture of bengaline linens make me smile! Above, that’s my favorite detail shot. SO fun!

To see more description, pictures, goodness… click here and revel in the glory of Valentine’s Day all over again!!

xoxo,

A.

I’m indebted to Abby for posting our images on her blog! I adore this Valentine’s table 100% and cannot think of a better place than Style Me Pretty to have it posted! There are tons more photos coming from this shoot but honestly- Abby posted them all over there!

So head on over to check it out and be SURE to leave a comment telling the world how much you love me! :D

Happy hearts and stuff!

xoxo,

A.

I am totally and completely in love with it, y’all. I think it’s sheer perfection. Hope you feel the same [and by that, I mean I hope you tell me you feel the same by pouring out your love for it- in comment form- below]!

As I work away like a busy little worker bee for my exceptionally large photo shoot this coming Thursday [you remember Romeo and Juliet, don't you?], I’ve found myself out of time to connect with you my dear readers. But I promise, in the coming days, I will continue to give you little snippety sneaky peeks of what we’re up to. The designs, the decadence, the details. We are have soo much fun these days!

For now, I just have a quick brain teaser picture to help set that romantic mood. If you’re unsure of what to do on this weekend filled with cheap romance… my suggestion is to take that cheesy and make it REAL! Not cliche. Not overwrought. Not anything but true, heart-felt, and pure. I know you can do it. You’re in love, after all- whoever it’s with and where ever you find it, cling to it! I know I am!

xoxo,

A.

A little preview to whet your appetites [of course, I just kinda sorta gave you that yesterday, right below, with the description of Shannon's flowers!!]:

The farm-inspired portraits, the historic site location [which was in her family!!], the large bridal party, the funky, fun, unique wedding was full of vintage glamour and homespun wedding details. Really, it’s worth the moment it’ll take to soak it in!!

Visit the Green Wedding Shoes post directly and brag about how you “knew us when”, ’cause these So Cal Event Gals are going places!!

Hoping you’re making your Friday full of lovely “features” in life of your own! Enjoy the rain- we hardly get it here and I find no reason to complain when it IS here! I’m one of those stand-outside-without-an-umbrella-and-just-enjoy-it types of gals. And I love it!

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.

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

The ceremony:

And only the ceremony [notice Cynthia's father gave his nod to their home state of Montana by dawning his cowboy hat!]

I love that she was walked in by both of her parents!

For their sand ceremony, they had a unique twist! As the guests came in, they scooped sand from a bowl into a vase and then the vase was brought up for the ceremony. The sand of their friends and family represented the foundation of their love and lives!

Altadena Town & Country Club provided the GORGEOUS backdrop for our day! Too bad they don’t have cell service there!! :)

C & D’s guest book was epic!! Since Cynthia’s maid of honor was none other than the fantabulous Susan Yee [En Pointe Photography], and her photographer was the lovely and super talented Stephanie Williams, she had a plethora of photos to choose from for her photo guest book! The images were stunning… I cannot WAIT to see the moments Stephanie and her husband Isaac captured from the wedding!

Onto the reception details! Holy cow, all of these escort cards were hand-crafted by Cynth and I love her for it!!

Cynthia had a bit of a stressful morning that ALMOST turned into a stressful afternoon- but we stopped that. Here we are, laughing at cheese. Isn’t cheese SO funny?

My beautiful bride!!!

I’m so blessed by my business!

I wish I could have gotten more shots of the assorted fans that Cynth bought, like above. We placed one on each chair for every guest and they were SNAPPED up after the ceremony! Apparently they were a hit- and all unique. I loved the eclectic feel, but still keeping it cultural!

Another snap of the fab guest book:

My super simple programs:

[Thanks to husband Josh for the pictures- lately I'd be lost without him at my events!!]

Looooved the cake!

This draping comes with the room:

Swoooon! Onto the nightly activities!

I know that some of my pictures are blurry, but I cannot HELP but love them. They express raw emotion that is captured at the click of a button. Sometimes I WISH I had the initiative to really learn photography… but it’s not for me. I’m doing just what I’m supposed to be- being touched by the moments!

Loved the way she was holding his arm, holding her…

And a few words from our wedding party:

Note Cynthia is dawning dress #2!!

Pre-cutting of the gorgeous cake:

And a quick shot of their favors, which were mini candles with “double happiness” on them:

Cake time!

Yes, it was hard for them to get a piece of cake out. The slice they DID manage to haul out was MONDO!!!

[And so this face was appropriate!]

A few words from the couple:

Father Daughter and Mother Son:

Cynthia got emotional during this dance, which was so sweet!

I LOVED this moment, below. During the money dance, all of table 16 circled Derek, pining money to him everywhere and dancing:

Missed the bouquet. :( Garter time!

And of course my FAVORITE shot of the night:

xoxo! I’m so biased. All in all, the day was truly surrounded with love and support from friends and family. I felt such a connection with this couple and this wedding, it was an honor to be there on this important day!

C & D: you know you rule. You know I know you rule. You know I know you know…. you get it. I told you both on the day of but I’ll state it here again: you are the perfect example of savoring the meaning and the moment. When things were beyond stressful and personal, you took deep breaths and remembered why you were there to begin with! I loved that about you, Cyn! I’ll never forget the smile that came on your face when you rounded that corner to head down the aisle to your husband. It was the stuff of movies!! Thanks for inspiring me to love recklessly and with intent!

Wrapped with a thick, satin sash to match, and we’re good to go! I love the way the deep cranberry flowers stand out in all of our pictures! The napkins and table runner were made by me. I fell in LOVE with the runner material and immediately knew what my vision was for this puppy! I actually used serving platters as plates, which gave this unique oblong shape and fit perfectly to showcase the popping blue napkin and the mini-bouquet for each guest. The plates had a gorgeous beaded border [not sure if the pictures show this] as well as the cake stand. Subtle-y gorgeous, as I tend to love! All of our rentals were provided by Signature, and our base linens were provided by EDSL. A big shout out to my girl Jonilyn for the “fab phots” as always. [Hmm... I like that term. Maybe it'll be a new one for me... fab phots!!]. Here’s some up close and personal detail shots to get you in the VIBE of this luscious table setting:  

YAY! I love it. And remember, you can always go and see ALL of the table sets on my website under the Tabletop Gallery! Here at ITN, we have a BUSY week ahead, so stay tuned!!

Meeting with Shawn and Janet for the first time, we all instantly connected. It’s one of those feelings you get from people you just know that you should know in life I was SO sad to not be at their reception and I’m completely living vicariously through the pictures that Alicia [my assistant who ran the event] provided me with. SO, to you two- YAY. Your wedding in Mexico was FAB. Your American-style reception was GORGE. Just what can your actual marriage do to top all of this?? I’m confident yours will be the gift that keeps on giving!! Now, onto the pics!

Since J & S got married in June, they had the opportunity to display and use so many of their drool-worthy wedding photos at their party. Here’s one, in a frame and matte to sign on!

Oh did I mention that Janet is detail-oriented. All of her printed materials have me swooning! I loove them! Signature drink: Sangria. Love it!!

A few more pics around The Rococo Room, which provided a great warm, relaxed atmosphere for this intimate party of friends!

Alicia captioned this picture so perfectly, noting that these little branches with the mirrors on them only kept looking better the later it got, as the mirrors reflected the candle light below!

Kim Chi provided these darling little arrangements for all of our cocktail tables, as well as the two larger arrangements and a few for the bar as well! They kept with the aqua and red theme alright!!

I LOVE Janet and all of her quirky-ness! She provided us with these great random and funky pillows to put all over the lounge furniture [as we kept the event primarily lounge-y and thus set the tone for the evening with such...] You’ll continue to see pops of her personality throughout the blog!

A first time vendor for us, Modern Chair Rental hooked us up BIG time in providing two extra funky and fun chairs for us in the downstairs area. We were more than pleased with their products and service!!

Of course, the ever-popular Red Cheese gave the guests a TON of fun!

In the corner, you can see the craft station that Janet put together for us to set up. She used this interactive guest book for her guests to leave their comments! I love that she tied in the pictures, and the detailing on this “station” was perfect!!

I love that she gave this warning in advance:

[Talk about knowing your friends and family!!] Their cake, from pictures, was TO. DIE. FOR.

Complete with fondant bows, seriously… in aqua and red, what more could a girl ask for!!

This was a 2-story event! The Rococo has an amazing mezzanine room that overlooks the downstairs main event area. We used this as a sort of “quiet lounge” and kept a slideshow of pics [wedding pics and personal pics] from this gorgeous couple running all night long!

More funky pillows!

Full view of downstairs:

LOVED this shot of this amazing red wall- way to fit the theme!!

A view back upstairs:

Their signature “white sangria”

And of course, what we’ve all been waiting for…the stars of our event!!!

I’ll be honest… when I initially saw these pics, I felt a bit defeated. Mainly because at the meeting, Janet, Shawn, Alicia and myself had a friendly discussion about Janet’s right to wear her wedding dress again [a la Gwen Stefani and her American/London receptions!!]. The issue was still up in the air when we left, but her dress fit her like a GLOVE and I was dying to see her in it. But the more I saw these pics, the more I fell in love with the dress she DID wear! The dress, the hair piece, the shoes… ugh! She pops right off the page in these pics!!

Just before their big Grand Re-Entrance [well, remember, they did this once before in Mexico!!]

They got introduced to the Rocky theme… can you tell??

And some words from Shawn, our dashing HUSBAND:

By the time they made their perfectly late arrival, this thing was full up!

Since heavy appetizers and dancing was the plan for the evening, we didn’t waste too much time before cutting the cake and getting our dessert-fest on!

[See these pictures? This proves that Alicia is MUCH more polite than I and will allow your guests to walk in front of her. Whereas I will throw elbows. Don't test me- I'll get my good angle for pictures!!]

Hey, these pictures are TOTALLY good enough for me! Especially to tide me over until the REAL thing, courtesy of Thao Vu pops up online!!

This picture above gives a good sum of Janet, Shawn, and their marriage!

…and, not to toot my own horn or anything but I must train ‘em well because having Alicia talk them through that cake cutting led to this BEAUTIFULLY perfect slice of cake! Man alive, that was one good cut!!

Shawn’s mom, upstairs watching the slideshow:

I LOVE that this crowd didn’t hesitate to participate in the guest book and photo booth!

Seriously, could a person rock those red shoes more than she did??

After the cake was being sliced for guests, Alicia and Maria [the assistant to the assistant... sounding a bit like The Office, aren't I??] put together this amazing candy buffet for the guests to grab at! It was hardly up for five minutes before the guests caught on and devoured it! EVERYONE loves a good candy buffet!!

Side note: I think Shawn was most excited about the skittles more than anything else. Maybe even more than the 2nd reception itself! In our meeting, I think we ended up talking about skittles at least 3 times!! A man knows his favorite candy, right??

The girls, having fun:

And lastly, the cute little graphic that made it’s way into the hearts of ALL of their guests- the to go containers for the candy buffet:

SO great! Seriously.. this event had a little bit of everything rolled into one! From formal to laid back, innovative to traditional, beautiful and silly… it was great! I know I speak for Alicia as well when I say we were SO honored to work with you two and be a part of this amazing celebration! It’s a great time in your lives, and we’re lucky to spend it with you!

That being said, a few of my favorites that I edited up real quick to make even pretty-er-er:

J & S: hearts and hugs from me and ALL the In The Now team!!!

I swung by the salon where Lea was prepping before we headed to the house. Who knew picking eye makeup could be so difficult?

This gazebo in her parent’s yard worked perfectly for us!

[These program fans were whipped up by yours truly. wink!] Speaking of…

These simple submerged silk orchid vases lined the entire patio handrail. They were the perfect decor!

The toss bouquet was the same as her bridesmaids.

Ryan walking his mom and step-mom down…

Ryan’s daughter, Ashlyn, acted as a jr. bridesmaid and walked the flower girls down the aisle.

The officiant actually went into the crowd and asked people to say a few words.

Which got emotional…

Ryan’s mom sang a special song to the couple during the ceremony:

YAY!

Josh Cohen at work, in the zone, using the light to the very last moment!

Some decor shots:

The kid’s favors:

More decor:

I looooved the lanterns which were strung like an “x” over the dance floor!

If you can’t tell, the later it got, the more gorgeous…

The grand entrance led to the entire bridal party shakin’ it on the dance floor…

The cake!

Toasts!

Loooove it!

Father Daughter and Mother Son:

Ryan took his daughter Ashlyn for a spin on the floor, too!

Lea and Ryan got custom Jones Soda bottles as favors. We set up a table of them [Root Beer, Cream Soda, and Strawberry Lime to stick with the color scheme] and they were a HUGE hit! And delicious!!

***NOTE about the below picture: Josh took this. The bottles are ALL facing the same way, as is my anal personality. This picture actually bugs me because it appears they are not, but this is taken from the side of the table so he turned ONE only towards him. There. I feel better.

There’s me, blowing out the tealight that was like kinda thrown into that vase by somebody. I just move some candles over to light up the bottles instead!

Hey look, FAVORS!

The big cut:

NOT super happy about the frosting on the face…

Ryan doesn’t mind at all [of course!!]

LOVED this one:

I know, I know, I know. MISSED the bouquet, MISSED the garter [it was really dark out, alright!!], but I did get one semi-sweet shot of Lea and Ryan leaving by sparkler-light:

Special thanks to Jered Scott for coming out to second shoot and staying the whole night! And to Cat in the Kitchen [their catering company] and Sweet Peas Floral Design- neither of which I can find websites for!!! Regardless- we had a GREAT night that was full of fun, family and love. Lea- it was a true delight to be a part of this important time in you and Ryan’s lives! I can’t wait to see pictures of the house, the honeymoon, and of course the WEDDING!!!

Over the past several months, Susan passed several ideas through me, and in doing so, I felt like I really became a PART of her wedding! That being said, I wish I had more pictures to show for it!!! But, I don’t. Sad face! Not even a single ceremony shot!!!

But, I did get to see her “work it”:

And, she knew it…

Susan supplied her guest’s with my FAVORITE beverages, and enjoyed one herself between the ceremony and photos…

Some belated ceremony decor pictures. They tied the knot at the Pine Wind Garden in Torrance.

Love it! Their engagement session was compliments of their photographer, Youkeun, ofYo Photography. I cannot WAIT until their wedding teasers are up! I’m depending on you, Yo!!

Onto The Villa!

Susan had a labor of love in these unique place cards!!!

I LOVED this idea, with their hand-written, personalized vows:

Gorgeous, right??

Impeccable, as always…

As you can see, the sweetheart table was delicious!

Her bouquet from the Tea Ceremony, which was earlier in the morning, doubled as her Toss bouquet!

This. Cake.

LOVED the unique “stand” they used. So cute!!

The grand entrance!!!

Straight into an amazingly choreographed first dance!

Onto speeches!

The lovely Villa staff, presenting the food… [they used "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and The Beast]:

Another shot of the guest book:

And, lastly [sadly], one of Susan’s amazing all-orchid bouquet:

I know, I know. No ceremony pics, no cake cutting pics… what a slacker I am! BUT- that does mean that when we FINALLY get to see Yo’s pictures, it will be that much more exciting and amazing!

Susan and Eddie- you two are so fun, so full of life and joy! I’m glad that on your day, you were determined to enjoy it! It really made the difference! I loved every moment that I got to spend with you, and can’t wait to relive each of them through photos!!!

I had the pleasure of working with two AMAZING photogs on this day. Zenia and Jonilyn- what a force to be reckoned with! I cannot WAIT for the pro pics!!

Oh Laura- even her vendor payment envelopes matched the event!

Those photog ladies snagging their signature pics:

Ceremony!

A quick jaunt to check on the reception and some more detail shots:

Hi Jen!

Florals were provided by Yamaguchi Flowers [which I'm not sure of the website for]. They were incredible!

Their home-made margaritas were a HUGE hit!

Laura and Ryan set up their bars ideally for bringing in their own alcohol. As you can see by their bar menus, they set up one bar with mexican drinks, and one with what they affectionately coined “gringo drinks”!

A few shots of the whole shebang!

Back to the important stuff…

Yay!

Candles lined the path from the wedding to the reception. At night, their glow was magical!

Some bridal party close ups:

Cake by the delightful Bread Basket! Holy delicious!

The rope that you see in front of the cake is a VERY important symbol to Laura and Ryan. It’s actually Laura’s grandparent’s lazo, which is a catholic/mexican ceremony tradition. Since Laura’s grandfather passed away last month, the sentiment was very important to the couple!

Some photos of my fab photog buds getting the goods!

Grand Entrance and onto the party!

Speeches!

Cut that cake!

Thanks Jen for the photo of me at work!

LOVE that shot!

The reception just kept getting more beautiful and ambient as the night went on! It was amazing and I loved it!! Laura and Ryan had a grand farwell complete with sparklers all the way to Ryan’s classic Chevy Malibu [that's right, right Ryan? Don't kill me if it's wrong!]. It was seriously beautiful! L & R- you two are the most fun loving, easy going couple to be around! I wish the day could have lasted forever- but Laura I’m sure by the end you were ready to get out of that va-va-va-voooom dress of yours!! Thanks for letting me be a part of it!

But, let’s let the photos do the talking…

When I arrived at the hotel, the girls were just getting ready to leave for the ceremony [and I was, too!]

Their lovely programs:

Church decor:

The floral details were unique and gorgeous! Elaine really let Devynn’s Garden, her florist, have reign in their designs. She wanted something with a tropical flare, and something a bit more outside of the box. Devynn’s Garden took it from there and just WAIT until you see her centerpices!!! I always tell my clients to trust the professionals with what they do best- Elaine’s wedding is a perfect example!

Stained glass windows in the church were amazing!

Elaine arrived and left in this gorgeous Rolls Royce [though, when she left, she took a husband with her!!]:

Elaine, always a courteous one, greeting her guests BEFORE the ceremony!

Their wonderful harpist, Elizabeth Styffe:

You may not be able to tell, but Brian is doing a pre-ceremony dance right here. It consisted of at least a solid 30 seconds of “air boxing”, Rocky style:

Ceremony!

Sign of Peace:

Bouquet for Mary:

Close up of the program:

Me, in action, and back at the Hilton Waterfront:

Some details:

Could NOT get enough pictures of these amazingly different centerpieces!

The room:

Cake table, pre-cake:

Toss:

Cocktail hour:

Here comes the cake!

CAKE!

One of the family members made these GREAT stickers for the guests to wear during the reception! I loved the playful nature of this wedding, and this was such a beautiful touch:

Working…

The grand entrance was FULL of fun. Here’s just a few examples:

Straight into the first dance:

Speeches [I should note that these speeches took about 30 minutes and were TOTALLY worth it!!!]

The AMAZING Jan Garcia set up a slideshow during the reception of the ceremony and portraits. I love same-day slideshows!

Father/Daughter:

A close up of their picture matte:

The Mother/Son dance was to “Sweet Caroline” and it was energetic- to say the least!

And now, the dancefloor is OPEN!

Onto the cake:

The toss!

The garter!

All in all, it was a flawless evening and the guests had SO much fun! I could see it in the faces of family and friends, this was such a joyous, long-awaited celebration for Elaine and Brian! I feel honored that I got to be a part of it!!

Krystin was such a lovely, loving, and radiant bride. Her ceremony took place at the Queen Mary. So, when I arrived today, she had just started her portraits with the amazing Thao Vu and Duey. I LOVED working with these two, and am holding my breath until their blog is up!! A few images that I snuck in during the set up:

The darling flower girl [actually, just before this, Chad and Krystin had their "special moment"- too cute, Chad got teary! Krystin loved it!!]

A few portraits sneaked in:

They opted to use a layering picture frame for their sand ceremony. Too cute! They taped off the layer with their photo in it in order to pour the sand behind!

Ceremony details:

These are hand made tissue paper pomanders. Krystin, you are a GEM for all of your Do-It-Yourself projects!!!!

It was a chilly day and the upper deck had a brisk wind. So, here’s our cute little one wrapped in her mom’s pashmina!

Ceremony!

Me in action:

I loved this:

The rest of the ceremony was MAGICAL but I accidentally packed my camera down in my car. Whoops! They walked back down the aisle to bubbles, and were SO joyful when they reached the end. They hugged and danced to “Friday, I’m in Love” and everyone gathered around blowing bubbles around them. Seriously, amazing!

Now, onto the reception, which took place at the stunningly beautiful Villa. Some details:

Flash on:

Flash off:

My lovely assistants for the evening passed out activity books and crayons to our young guests:

My girls:

And now, what we’ve all been waiting for!

I loved that, after their first dance, Chad was there to pull out his wife’s chair and tuck her into their table for dinner. It was this tender, formal moment for the newly-weds!

Moments captured…

Dress #2, for table visits and to bring some tradition to the evening:

They were being SUCH good sports, singing on stage and going with the flow, all impromptu!

Dress #3, she coined this her “cake cutting dress”. But really, it was her gown for the rest of the evening!

Krystin and I came up with the idea for her to sign her own picture’s signature matte. We had a great laugh over it!

So of course, we roped Chad into it:

Chad’s fortune:

A quick snap:

Their candy buffet table, before the candy came out:

K’s lovely red shoes! Va-va-vooom!

The VIP bridesmaid duties:

Toasts and cake cutting:

The way these two made eyes at each other all night was incredible! They are soo in love!!

Candy Buffet!!!

Krystin’s ABSOLUTE fave thing is Hello Kitty! The only way she slipped it into her day is through these to die for suckers:

Sooooo cute!

The toss:

Chad, on his way to that garter…

Just a few more candy pics:

And some to-go baggies for the bride and groom that we packed up:

These next few pictures, the bride and groom are playing a game that traditionally is said to have something to do with uhhh… fertility??

All in all, the evening turned out soo amazing! Krys and Chad were so full of joy, it was radiating from them with every smile and touch! Towards the end of the evening, Krystin and I talked about our separation anxiety that we’re already experiencing! But, we know that in the end this flawless event was one that came together perfectly and let their love shine through! I loved every moment of my day with them!!!

When I arrived at Tina’s house, she gave me a smile:

And then it was off to Arroyo Trabuco for the rest of the evening! But on my way out, I snapped a shot of the boys [who were on their way to the venue as well- and Nick and Tina were definitely avoiding seeing one another!!]

I had the honor of working with the fabulous [b]ecker and I loved every moment of it! Some snaps of Tina’s portrait session:

[The girls]

I was blown away by the florals. Huge compliments to The Flower Girl!!!

Nick and Tina are huge comic fans. So, for their table names, they choose to honor those classic comic couples!

Back to portraits, details and pre-ceremony fun!

The groom and his family:

A snap of their guestbook. Of course, Becker is responsible for that amazing engagement photo!

Ready for “The Walk”:

The maid of honor, Ashley, and I trying to coach our flower girl down the aisle!

Christina opted to have her whole family walk her down the aisle. Then, when the pastor asked who was giving her away, her father said “her family and I”. It was a really personal, sweet touch!

Programs, made by yours truly!!

Now, heading inside for some more details…

This special, special touch you see here [suspended balloons above the dance floor], was Tina’s idea. She came to me about 3 weeks ago with the AMAZING idea to drop balloons during one of the last dances, 99 Red Balloons [in German, in honor of their honeymoon to Germany]. The DJ called everyone onto the dance floor for the drop and it was truly magical! Unfortunately, no pictures. So, you’ll just have to use your imagination!!

Back to ceremony…

And JUST in time!

Giving the ring bearer a high-five after a job well done!

More details:

And now, some bride and groom shots!

A small break for these two images. My FAVORITE part of the day: after the ceremony, before the photographers stole Nick and Tina away, another couple came to view the site. Tina, being who she is, went over, struck up a conversation, had a laugh, and gave a hug to the pair!!

The memorial table for those who couldn’t be with us:

Grand Entrance [pardon the blurry]…

Into the first dance…

Cake. Delicious. Yummy. Gorgeous. Cake.

A few of the speeches…

Their candy buffet, of all colors and STUFFED with their favorite candies, was a hit and ended up so pretty!!!

Nick, giving a hug and making the rounds with the guests:

Father/Daughter:

Mother/Son:

What’s my favorite part about the above picture? Nick and his mom, or my husband, peeking out over Nick’s shoulder at my camera??

Yummmmmmm!

A quick word from the couple before the cake cutting:

I love the grip of Nick’s hand on Tina’s. It just feels so intimate!

The first “trust test”:

The Toss!!

The Catch!!

My FAVE shot of the night. For their grand exit, we handed out party poppers to the guests. They were showered with sparkly confetti! I only caught one image, but I love the way Nick’s holding his wife, and that dazzling sparkle going on all above them!

Tina and Nick were truly such a joy to work with! Not only did I get to know them so much better on a personal level, but the way they treat one another and the love that surrounded them and their families today was so amazing! I was privileged to be a part of it!! I love you two!!!