And because I might just be the biggest fan of  Elysium Productions in the entire world (this is no exaggeration), I would be remiss to not share yet another one of their wedding cinematography masterpieces…hold onto your hats folks, this one is breathtaking…

Click here for the FULL Wedding!

From Angel of Events of Love and Splendor… Vipula and Dan envisioned a quintessential Indian wedding, embellished in vibrant hues and dripping with luxurious exotic details. With a large guest count and the blank slate of Saddlerock Ranch’s Oak Grove, we embarked on creating three unique settings for their day of celebration. Their wedding was held under a custom-created mandap by the floral and event designers of R. Jack Balthazar. The wooden structure was draped with floral garlands and hanging lanterns for a lavish look. Cocktail hour was held on a nearby lawn, featuring a bar staffed by professional mixologists offering signature cocktails with exotic ingredients such as earl grey-infused vodka, thyme, tamarind syrup and mango puree. Upholstered lounge furniture and embroidered pillows made for a luxe yet warm setting for imbibing. I especially enjoyed working on the escort card table design that played on Vipula’s love of elephants. Escort cards were cut using a custom-made elephant-shaped die, and then nestled in shallow bowls of fragrant and colorful spices. The entire table was covered with elephant figures and statues to further play on the theme.

Dinner and the reception were held in a grand “village” of tents. Instead of a single tent structure, we utilized “destination” tents for dining, a custom-built bar, and a dessert and chai lounge. Sumptuous fabrics, abundant florals and plush furniture made for a spectacular setting that was decidedly extravagant while also intimate and warm. Per usual, my dear friends at R. Jack Balthazar pulled out all the stops for this wedding and did not overlook a single detail in setting each opulent table. The overall setting was nothing short of spectacular. It was pure magic to watch Vipula and Dan’s guests, many adorned in splendid saris, mingling in the lavish scene. 

Wedding Photography: The Image is Found / Wedding Planning + Design: Events of Love and Splendor / Floral + Event Design: R. Jack Balthazar / Weddng Venue: Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California / Wedding Stationery + Printed Materials: Kristin of Events of Love and Splendor / Wedding Cinematography: Elysium Productions / Catering: Chakra Beverly Hills + Huntington Catering / Mixologists: The Cocktail Consultant / DJ: Anthony of Red Shoe LA / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Sweet and Saucy Shop / Photobooth: Smilebooth / Entertainment: Bollywood Step Dance / Security: Sandman Security / Valet Parking: Premiere Valet

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Post tags: Bollywood Step Dance, California, Chakra Beverly Hills, Classic Party Rentals, Colorful, Elysium Productions, Events of Love and Splendor, Huntington Catering, Indian Wedding, La Tavola, Malibu, Premiere Valet, R. Jack Balthazar, Red Shoe LA, Saddleback Ranch, Sandman Security, Smilebooth, Sweet and Saucy Shop, The Image is Found
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, The Blog

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Neil and I met in high school. We became friends first, but it was soon apparent to all of our friends that we should be dating. After working up the nerve, Neil finally asked me out and we’ve been together ever since. Not everyone thought that high school sweethearts would last, but nine years later we were getting married.

Being a wedding planner, I’ve planned countless weddings and events for my clients, so I felt fully prepared to put together my big day. I soon realized how different it can be when it’s your own wedding! Instead of having to reign in my client’s wishes and dreams, it was now my own! Luckily, I got to work with some amazing vendors who helped me bring my vision to life, so on the day I could just enjoy every moment. Neil’s family is Hindu, while my family has both Christian and Jewish sides to it. Trying to bring out all the sides of our cultural and religious backgrounds in a mixed wedding while still honouring their traditions, was one of the more fun challenges of putting together our big day. I think this was also probably one of our guest’s favourite aspects of the wedding. My guests were wowed by all the colour and extravagance of the Indian portions, while we also got to show off some fun Jewish traditions.

I was surprisingly calm the morning of the wedding while my bridesmaids and I got ready at my house. It wasn’t until very close to ceremony time, that I started to get nervous. Normally on wedding days I’m the one in charge to make sure things are running smoothly. Today it was out of my hands; and on the biggest day of my life nonetheless! We started off the day with our Canadian ceremony under the tent at the beautiful Angus Glen Golf Club (the site of all the day’s festivities). As I walked down the aisle on my father’s arm, in between glances at my groom, I tried my best to take in all of my guests. I felt so loved as I saw all the happy smiles and tears from my friends and family. We ended the ceremony in the traditional Jewish manner, with Neil stepping on the glass to a chorus of “Mazel Tov” from the guests.

After some very hot family and bridal party portraits (and I’m not just talking about the people – it was blazing hot outside!), it was on to Wedding Ceremony two! As a proper Hindu bride, I had to get ready and change into my gorgeous plum and pink coloured Indian wedding dress and wait for the ceremony while the fun started outside. Neil, surrounded by his friends and family, looked like an Indian prince while riding a magnificent white horse to greet my waiting family. Despite the heat, Neil’s entourage was dancing up a storm to the beat of the Dhol player. Soon they were ready for me, and I made my walk down the aisle on the terrace, surrounded by my bridesmaids. It meant a lot to have them by my side to share in the special moment. The Hindu ceremony under the colourful Mandap was quite a different experience from the first. There are many steps in the much longer ceremony, and the Hindu Priest made sure to involve the family members in many aspects of the interactive ritual.

After a cocktail hour featuring both Indian and Canadian hors d’oeuvres, we were ready to get the party started. Guests had a laugh at our UFC inspired wedding video for the bridal party entrances. As big Mixed Martial Arts fans, Neil and I then entered with Neil wearing an official UFC belt. I think he definitely felt like a champion as we both danced our way onto the dance floor. Instead of being seated, we then encouraged our guests to come join the party! We followed this with the traditional Jewish Hora, where Neil and I were lifted up in our chairs while our guests circled us.

After working up an appetite, it was time to enjoy our sit down four course meal. Guests were offered entree choices between Canadian dishes, and fusion-style plated Indian dishes, so everyone got to try something they desired! We wanted our guests to really feel special, so we had the menus personalized with each guest’s name at the top. In between courses, after all the heart warming speeches were done, we then had fun watching a Bollywood dance performance by The Wedding Choreographers.

My main inspiration for the theme of the day was colour. It was an elegant and stylish affair showcasing the colours purple, silver and white through most aspects of the wedding. My bridesmaids looked stunning in their individualized eggplant cocktail dresses, while the groomsmen were able to choose their own slim black suits to go with the silver skinny ties we gave them. I also had purple shoes underneath my wedding dress, but my favourite of my accessories was my custom made hair fascinator – a beautiful ivory flower! Most of the real flowers for the day were a creamy white, seen in the bouquets and the centrepieces, while our first ceremony’s carnation pomanders were a bright purple.

One of my favourite parts of the wedding was the candy table I designed featuring only purple, white and silver candies and chocolates. It was a huge hit amongst the guests who filled their goody bags with tons of treats!

Although I had many fantastic vendors to pull off my day, I also couldn’t have done it without the help of my friends and family. My DIY projects, like my homemade card box, popcorn bag favours, program fans and seating chart, would not have turned out the way they did without the help of some great friends. As a wedding planner, I definitely had my dream wedding, though as much as I loved all the details of the day, my favourite part overall was being surrounded by the love and support of all of our guests. I’ve never felt happier than when we were surrounded by all our loved ones, making this a day I will truly never forget.

Photography: Rowell Photography / Event Planning & Design: Silverberry Occasions Event Planning & Design Inc. / Ceremony & Reception Location: Angus Glen Golf Club / Catering: The Host & Angus Glen Golf Club / Videography: Bright Sky Wedding Designs / Decor: Designs by Dina / Floral: Final Touches / Stationery: Palettera Custom Correspondences / Cake: Pretty Sweet Cakes / DJ: Nspire Sound / Third Photographer: Sarah Guy for Rowell Photography / Horse: Dream Catcher Stables / Western Officiant: Enduring Promises / Hindu Officiant: Dr. Ravi Srivastava / Dancers: The Wedding Choreographers & Co. / Transportation: Markham First Choice Limousines / Makeup: SK Makeup Artistry / Bride’s Hair: The Sarum Room Salon & Spa / Groom’s Suit: Strellson from Tom’s Place / Wedding Dress: San Patrick from Mona Richie / Bridesmaids Dresses: Love by Enzoani from Bridal and Beyond / Bride & Groom’s Indian Outfits: CTC West / Groomsmen Ties: Ed’s Fine Imports / Bride’s Fascinator: Blair Nadeau Millinery / Seating Chart, Program Fans, & Candy Buffet: DIY

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Post tags: Angus Glen Golf Club, Blair Nadeau Millnery, Bollywood Dancers, Bridal and Beyond CTC West, Bright Sky Wedding Designs, Candy Buffet, Color Palette purple Silver, Cultural Beauty, Designs by Dina, Dream Catcher Stables, Ed's Fine Imports, Enduring Promises, Final Touches, Fusion Weddings, Glamourous, Henna, Hindu Weddings, horses, Jewish Weddings, Love by Enzoani, Markham First Choice Limousines, Mona Richie, Nspire Sound, Outdoor Weddings, PALETTERA Custom Correspondences, Pretty Sweet Cakes, Rowell Photography, San Patrick, Silverberry Occasions Event Planning & Design Inc, SK Makeup Artistry, Strellson, Tented Ceremony, The Host, The Sarum Room Salon & Spa, The Wedding Choreographers & Co, Tom's Place, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… When my husband and I were first engaged, we spent a lot of time thinking about what we wanted. We didn’t want to book anything that didn’t represent us. Despite feeling like we weren’t moving fast enough, we were happy we took our time because our choices represented us. In the end, we settled on a two day affair (to accommodate two ceremonies), and a restaurant reception that could offer great food. Both of us are from immigrant families (my parents are from India and Jon’s parents are from Portugal). We wanted to incorporate some of the traditional touches, but we also wanted the wedding to have a modern personality (which definitely represented us). So, the Sikh ceremony became the traditional aspect of our wedding (as well as our official wedding date). The following day, we held a non-denominational ceremony in which we wrote our own vows. We also had one of our closest friends “un-officially” officiate this ceremony. Having our friend Kevin officiate, made this moment really special.

As for the design of the wedding, the traditional/modern aspect really influenced us. Our clothing for the Sikh ceremony was very traditional, with heavy beading and design. We wanted that to contrast a more modern approach to the decor of our venue. So, we chose simple, clean lines for the backdrop and the mandap. For the lunch to follow, we kept round tables with a simple centerpiece of white and greens. On the second day, we went with a more modern styling. Our contemporary styling included long tables and a colorful flower palette. Some DIY projects included the seating chart. It was simple! We bought a piece of plywood from our local hardware store, spray painted it black and used chalk to write everyone’s names on it. My sister-in-law helped with the piggy bow-tie. We bought gingham material, cut out the size we wanted and stitched it all together. We didn’t follow a pattern- we just eyeballed it!

My husband loves wine so we wanted to find a way to incorporate wine into the wedding. We liked the idea of using wine boxes to display our “creative RSVP’s.”  Instead of guests responding with “Attending” or “Not Attending,” we had our guests find a creative way to tell us their answers. It was amazing how creative some guests were! Some sent images, others sent poems, our niece and nephew created a comic strip and we even received two video responses! We thought these would be a great to display during our cocktail reception. And so, those wine boxes (picked up at the local liquor store for a minimal donation) became very handy. Our florist was FANTASTIC and really made our vision a reality. He took care of implementing all our touches at both venues. He was a huge help!

Wedding Photography: Chris Bodnar Photography / Cinematography: Chris Wardle / Flowers: Fresh Florals / Wedding Venues: Intercontinental Toronto (Friday) + Mildred’s Temple Kitchen (Saturday) / Bride’s Sikh Ceremony Outfit: Delhi, India / White Wedding Dress: Jenny Yoo via White Toronto / Birdcage Veil: Hefter Collection via Hazelton Lanes / Groom’s Suit: Harry Rosen / Directional Signs: Our Hobby To Your Home / Straws: Hey Yo Yo / Mr + Mrs Signs: Pertyfultings / DJ: DJ Maestro of Mixt Relatations (905-601-0888) / Sikh Ceremony Earrings: Indiva / All Other Jewelry: Borrowed from Family / Wedding Invitations: DIY, Friend to the Bride & Groom

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Post tags: Canada, Chris Bodnar Photography, Chris Wardle, Fresh Florals, Harry Rosen, Hazelton Lanes, Hefter Collection, Hey Yo Yo, Indiva, Intercontinental Toronto, Jenny Yoo, Maestro, Mildred's Temple Kitchen, Ontario, Our Hobby to Your Home, Pertyfulthings, Toronto, White Toronto
Post categories: Canada Weddings, Contemporary, Cultural Beauty, Ontario Weddings

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From Rachel Di-Re of Fleur-Di-Re… When Sissi first contacted us for her Long Island country club wedding, she knew exactly the look she was going for… “cute, quirky and country vintage”.  Nothing luxurious or over the top, she wanted to bring a casual cottage feel to the country club setting.  The color palette of all shades of pink with accents of ivory and grey added a dreaminess to the concept.  

We chose florals like Hydrangea, Ranunculus, Stock, Queen Anne’s Lace and Bupluerum that would lend an organic, just-picked-from-the-garden feeling.  The pom pom shape was a recurring theme that played out in the form of layered tissue pom poms, Dahlias, craft pom poms and even a hot little tutu party dress (one of three ensembles Sissi wore for her special day). Sissi even made hundreds of handmade pom poms for her guests to throw during the recessional!

A master of DIY, Sissi proved you don’t need to be an expert at sewing to create Etsy-worthy details.  Scissors and glue were her secret weapon.  Look out for handmade details like the banner-style aisle block, custom table numbers with utilitarian metal house numbers and floral fabric backing, as well as mason jar votives wrapped in lace-like paper.

Photography: Wayne Yuan Photography / Cinematography: Moetic Films / Flowers: Fleur-Di-Re / Event Planning: My Bridal Budget / DJ: Pop Shop! DJs / Makeup + Hair: Sissi Chan Hair & Makeup / Photo Booth Rental: Classic Photo Booth  / Ceremony + Reception Venue: Woodbury Country Club / Invitations: Izzy and the Bean / Wedding Gown: San Patrick / Shoes: Badgley Mischka

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Post tags: Badgley Mischka, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Fleur Di-Re, Interactive Entertainment, Izzy and the Bean, Long Island, Moetic Films, My Bridal Budget, New York, Pop Shop! DJs, San Patrick, Wayne Yuan Photography, Woodbury Country Club
Post categories: Brooklyn Weddings, Cultural Beauty, New York Weddings

My husband, Nick, and I met while attending the University of Washington in Seattle. We formally met when Nick interviewed for a job with the student government. I was the student body president at the time and served on the hiring committee. He was such a professional during the interview – he took each question very seriously and I knew right away that he would be a fantastic student leader. I certainly did not look at him in any romantic capacity at that time! Nick ended up getting hired for the position and we became co-workers and great friends. We both still look back fondly at our time together in student government and treasure the moments we shared with other students, all passionate about doing good in the world.

Nick and I stayed good friends for the next few years, even after we moved to different cities. Nick eventually moved to Connecticut and I left Seattle to attend law school at Cornell. I’ll never forget arriving at the Syracuse airport, with only two suitcases (nothing short of a miracle for me, the consumate clotheshorse!), and with my only friend on the East Coast – Nick – waiting to pick me up and help me move to my new town. I was incredibly nervous, but the second I saw him I felt myself breathe a small sigh of relief, knowing that at the very least I had one friend nearby to rely on.

Over the next months, our friendship grew into much more and we eventually started dating. In fact, we dated for more than six years before deciding to get married. We went through so much change over those years but were lucky that the one thing that stayed consistent was that we grew with each other and developed an incredibly strong relationship throughout the various trials and tribulations. Let this story be a lesson to those out there looking for a life partner — a friendship can most certainly develop into the greatest love of your life! …

We loved this couple so much that when we heard that in addition to this gorgeous wedding and highlight film, courtesy of Stott Shots Photography and Videography, there was also a full Cambodian ceremony to celebrate this couples love, we just had to see it. And when we saw it, we just had to share it. So here you go!

I am Cambodian American and grew up in a very traditional Cambodian home. It was incredibly important to my family (and myself) to incorporate our culture in the wedding celebrations. Nick and I decided to have a traditional one and a half day long Cambodian wedding weekend in my hometown, Vancouver, WA, followed by a small civil ceremony in New York in support of marriage equality (we always knew we wanted to get married in a state where marriage is legal for all — we originally planned on Washington D.C. but were thrilled when our own state passed the new law) and, last but not least, a “Western” wedding in Portland, which incorporated my Cambodian heritage and Nick’s Scottish heritage, as well as other cultures, one month later. How lucky were we to have three weddings?!?

The Cambodian wedding weekend was a family and community effort. My parents, auntie, uncles, cousins, and countless friends and loved ones (including two from Cambodia) worked tirelessly to prepare the wedding festivities. They cooked amazing traditional food, pulled together the most beautiful wardrobe (I had seven costume changes!), decorated the venues, played the music at the reception — they really did it all! The Cambodian ceremonies at my parents’ home featured traditional wedding rituals, including blessings from monks, a procession of the groom, his family, and the guests through my childhood neighboorhood, a hair cutting ceremony (to signify the shedding of our old selves and the start of our new life together), string-tying ceremony (guests tied red strings around our wrists and provide a blessing; the strings tied by the parents and the elder running the ceremony remain on until they fall off), a circle of light ceremony (couples married 10+ years sat around us and passed a candle around while providing blessings). All of this was topped off by a dinner reception for 450 people, with live Cambodian classical and modern music, as well as a performance by children from the Cambodian classical dance troupe that I performed with when I was younger.

My favorite memory from the Cambodian festivities was seeing how seamlessly Nick’s non-Cambodian family blended with my very Cambodian friends and family, and feeling all of the love and energy from both sides of the family. Truly, all of our friends and family came together for a magical weekend — my uncle from Cambodia, who was separated from my dad over 30 years ago during the terrible war in Cambodia, came to the the US for the festivities (his first trip outside of Cambodia), and even Nick’s 93 year old grandfather pushed aside his wheelchair at the reception in order to dance!

As for our “Western” wedding, Nick and I spent a lot of time and effort coming up with every little detail and were blessed to find the perfect vendors, in addition to family and friends, who helped execute our vision. We actually secretly started wedding planning six months before we got engaged because we wanted the planning to be “our” thing, without input from anyone else. I highly recommend this for couples who are antsy about too much family involvement! The experience was a great way for us to bond in a new way.

We chose our ceremony venue because we wanted to get married in a church, but a church whose principles and religious views align with our own and explicitly seek to include of people from all walks of life. We found the perfect fit with the First Unitarian Church. We chose our reception venue because we immediately liked and trusted Via, our contact with the venue (super important since we live across the country from our reception venue), and also because the catering featured locally sourced products and is in my favorite Portland neighborhood, the Pearl District, which feels like a little slice of Brooklyn to us.

Our wedding ceremony was planned from start to finish by the two of us. We wanted the ceremony to feel very intimate, so each detail came from one of our heads and involved someone close to us. We opened the ceremony with a prayer by my best friend and matron of honor, in recognition of our Christian beliefs. The officiant was a dear friend and judge who I used to intern for in law school. We worked with her to develop the script for the ceremony, which included some reflections that she shared during our civil ceremony in New York. We wrote our vows together and also wrote personal sentiments to share with each other in front of our friends and family. I am a huge music afficianado, so the songs selected for the string quartet to play before, during and after the ceremony, as well as some of the DJ’s song selections at the reception, took a long time to choose. For example, I’ve wanted to walk down the aisle to a string version of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Hysteric” for years, and I spent a lot of time tracking down the sheet music online!

We also asked four of our friends to share their reflections on marriage and love. Each person brought a unique perspective: there was a modern version of the Seven Blessings (we have great affinity for the Jewish religion and culture since moving to NYC), a Navajo blessing, a reading of “Love” by Roy Croft, as well as one friend’s personal reflections. At the altar, we created a small display in recognition of our ancestors. Rather than lighting a unity candle, both sets of parents lit incense at the altar, a Cambodian Buddhist tradition. We incorporated the Cambodian string-tying ritual into our ceremony, and each set of parents tied a red string to our wrist as a blessing. We also incorporated the Scottish “pinning of the tartan” ceremony, where Nick’s mom, on behalf of his family, pinned their family tartan to me as a sign of their acceptance of my family and I into theirs. It was incredibly meaningful to have our ceremony feature each of our heritages, as well as other cultures that we respect and love. Hands down, my favorite moment of the ceremony was when Nick and I exchanged personal sentiments with each other, reflecting on why we love each other in front of our family and friends.

We wanted the cozy feeling to continue at the reception, so we worked with the venue to create four very long rows of tables to seat our 180 guests, which made the dinner feel more “family style.” We also wanted the reception to feature a mix of elements from the Pacific Northwest (where we grew up), parts of my Cambodian heritage, with touches of NYC (where we’ve lived for almost our entire relationship). To that end, the reception featured gorgeous, lush and woodsy floral installations, and locally sourced food, desserts, beer, wine and liquor to reflect the Pac NW; table runners made out of traditional Cambodian silk and homemade Cambodian desserts as a shout-out to my heritage; and miscellaneous “city” touches to reflect our current hometown — the open, gallery-like venue, naming each table after some of our favorite city locations, along with a description of why each location holds a special place in our hearts. Other favorite reception items were: the stunning floral wall, which stemmed from a picture I found during a late night on Pinterest, the collection of love related books, a wall and table of family wedding photos and photos of us (created by Nick’s mom), as well as a bevy of awesome Etsy finds, some stemming from my ideas, others purchased directly from buyers (“Keep Calm and Marry On” signage, personalized cake topper, “Mr.” and “Mrs.” chair signs, birdcage for cards, photobooth props, love and marriage themed books, etc.). Although it was a very small thing, our favorite touch at the reception was handwritten notes written to each guest, which we placed at each table, thanking them for coming and explaining why they are an important part of our lives.

As for wedding favors, we created CDs of our favorite love songs, each of which played at some point during the wedding festivities, found a design for the CD label and cover, and one of our wedding attendants went through the painstaking process of assembling almost 200 labels and covers. We also made out-of-town guest bags which were filled with local snacks and information on Portland, sourced from farmers markets, local stores, and the Chamber of Commerce by another amazing wedding attendant.

Photographer: Kacie, Kyle and Dylan of Stott Shots Photography and Videography / Videographer: Troy Costa, Stott Shots Photography and Videopgraphy / Floral Designer: Rosemary Stafford Floral Design / Day-of Coordinator: Ryan Mattson / Stationery: Jack & Jill Wedding / Dessert Table & Floral Wall: Amy Childs of One Divine Party / Wedding gown: Jenny Lee, from Divine Designs / Reception Dress: Leanne Marshall / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jenny Woo / Linen, Chair and Lighting Rentals: West Coast Productions / Hotel: The Nines / Out-of-Town Guest Bags: Wedding Chicks / Ceremony Music: Collage Music / DJ: Maushole / Ceremony Site: First Unitarian Church / Reception Site & Catering: Urban Studio, Pearl Catering / Hair: Salon 77 / Makeup: Event Cosmetics / Photobooth: The Original Photobooth

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Post tags: Cambodia, Cambodian, Cambodian Wedding, Collage Music, Color Palette Purple, Cultural Beauty, Devine Designs, Etsy, Event Cosmetics, First Unitarian Church, Fusion Wedding, Handkerchief, Highlight Films, Jack & Jill Wedding, Jenny Lee, Jenny Woo, Leanne Marshall, macarons, Maushole, One Divine Party, Oregon, Pearl Catering, Pinterest, Portland, Rosemary Stafford Floral Design, Ryan Mattson, Salon 77, Stott Shots Photography & Videography, The Nines, The Original Photogbooth, Urban Studio, vintage car, Wedding Chicks, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Photography, West Coast Productions
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see all the images in the full gallery!

Of course, we can’t send you away without first sharing the beautiful wedding film from Elysium Productions that captures the seriously stunning second day of events…

From Braedon Photography…This is actually 2 days and 2 completely separate ceremonies for the same couple. The groom is Indian and the bride is from Beverly Hills, so they had an Indian Ceremony to honor his family, and a ‘Christian’ ceremony to honor hers. The first day was beautiful. Rishi rode in on a horse with a full entourage singing and dancing their way up to the ceremony while Kristin and her girls all dressed in traditional Sari’s.

Their Christian ceremony was stunning. At the Montage, with a breathtaking ocean view, simple and modern aesthetic and fun wedding party!

Stunning couple, fun details from both weddings!

Wedding Photography: Braedon Flynn / Wedding Coordinator: Brooke Keegan Weddings and Events / Videography: Elysium Productions / Florals/Decor/Linens/Draping: Elegant by Design / Wedding Hair: Jenna Hines / Indian Ceremony Venue: Marbella Country Club / Horse: Enchanted Carriages / Indian Wedding Caterer: Delhi Palace / Indian Wedding Officiant: Dr. Shukavak Dasa / Indian Wedding Ceremony/Cocktail/Reception Music: Special Occasions DJ / Transportation: VIP Limo’s / Paper Goods: Paper Cut Industries / Christian Wedding Venue: The Montage, Monarch Beach / Christian Wedding Band: West Coast Music / Late-night Food: In-n-Out Truck / Christian Ceremony Officiant: J.P. Reynolds / Christian Wedding Ceremony/Cocktail/After Party Music: Unite Entertainment / Lighting: Lighten Up, Inc / Chairs/Dance Floor/Lounge Furniture: Chiavari Chair Rentals

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Post tags:
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride…Matthew and I both wanted to tie in our Irish heritage for our wedding. However, we were very careful to not cross the line into a theme. We gracefully added bits such as my kelly green birdcage veil, dressed the men and boys in kilts from Pipeline, spritzed the flower arrangements with Bells of Ireland, created a new Carney-Lynch family crest, clad the head table with tartan plaid, requested bagpipes during the ceremony and an Irish punk band, Red Rebel County, play the reception.

We both love to entertain and truly wanted this to be an event everyone would enjoy. The intimate church provided a close feeling between us and our guests. We made sure to provide travel arrangements for everyone as if they were all our children! We wanted to keep the crew together from beginning to end! Ridge View Winery provided a gorgeous backdrop and setting for our beautiful reception. It was truly one big party with specialty foods by Chef Dave Ritzo, obviously including fish and chips. The band played Irish cover songs such as Little Lion Man, Shipping Up to Boston, and Drunken Lullabies.

The smartest thing Matt and I could have planned for was to have Clary Pfieffer photograph our special day. She was able to capture not only the big moments but all of the little in betweens that a bride and groom look back fondly on and smile with tears.

Wedding Photography: Clary Photo / Ceremony Location: Sacred Heart / Reception Location: Ridge View Winery / Bird Cage Veil: The Ballroom Oxford in England / Flowers: The Bride / Lavender: L’Occitane / Wedding Cake: The Icing on the Cake

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Post tags: Celtic, Clary Photo, Illinois Weddings, L'Occitane, Ridge View Winery, Sacred Heart, The Ballroom Oxford in England, The Icing on the Cake
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Illinois Weddings

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From Rachel Olsen Photography…Shawn and I began planning our wedding with one word in mind. Destination.We dreamed of being married far from home, in a relaxed environment with inspiring views. We found all this and more at Newagen Seaside Inn in Southport, ME.

For our marriage ceremony, we wanted to highlight our passion for travel and adventure, our deep appreciation of Buddhist philosophy and traditions, and fueled by my own Indian heritage and our fascination with Indian weddings. In the end, I believe we created a unique, sensory rich, and multi-cultural wedding experience that everyone could enjoy and remember.  And many of our family and friends happily participated in dressing the part with us by wearing traditional Indian dresses (sari or lehenga) and suits (kurta or sherwani).  This of course only added to the vibrant color palette of the day.

As the amazing night wore on however, east did meet west and clothing changed to summer dresses and shirts and ties. For dessert we had a gelato bar (a huge hit!) as a nod to the Italian heritage of Shawn’s family. Bringing our guests all the way to India or even Italy was impossible, but I think we succeeded in bringing a small piece of it to them. We were able to create many memories filled with rich beautiful color, exotic and delicious cultural traditions, and dancing! Lots of dancing!

Wedding Photography: Rachel Olsen Photography / Flowers + Lighting: Kate Marin of Beautiful Days /
Henna: Remarkable Blackbird / Hair: Andrea Torre / Make-up: Linda Forgues of About Face / Band: Boss / Wedding Cake: European Bakery / Gelato: Gelato Fiasco / Indian Dress: Pashmina / White Dress: Nicole Miller via The Dressing Room / Jewelry: Two Tightly Wound / Wedding Coordinator + Event Planning: Jason Schlosser at Newagen Seaside Inn / Officiant: Lama Padma Karma

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Post tags: About Face, Andrea Torre, Beautiful Days, Boss Band, Destination Wedding, European Bakery, Gelato Fiasco, Lama Padma Karma, Maine Wedding, Newagen, Newagen Seaside Inn, Nicole Miller, Pashmina, Rachel Olsen Photography, Remarkable Blackbird, The Dressing Room, Two Tightly Wound
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Destination Weddings