From Lavine Fox Events … Our couple – originally from Germany (Bride) and Beverly Hills (groom) currently live in Las Vegas and both hold quite prestigious jobs in the hotel industry.  Their event was a destination wedding.  With a bridesmaid’s spa & high tea get together at the home of the groom’s sister on Friday afternoon, to the rehearsal dinner at Il Cielo, and the brunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunday, it was a weekend of fun filled events, love and good friends and family.

The Wedding was a traditional Jewish ceremony performed by the Bride’s family Rabbi’s who were flown in from Las Vegas.
The ceremony took place in the lush garden of the Beverly Hills Hotel.  Nancy from Mark’s Garden as well as Alyson & Diane from Levine Fox Events, designed a traditional yet elegant setting for the ceremony to take place, using all ivory and white flowers.  The Chuppah also adorned a crystal chandelier which added a touch of glitz which the bride loved.  Classical music from the six piece string based group provided by West Coast Music filled the air as guests entered the garden. Ladies were handed pashminas in case they felt the chill of the February night air.  Guests were also asked to sign a special wine bottle with custom label for the bride and the groom (avid wine drinkers).

Once the ceremony was complete, guests were then escorted by hotel staff to the foyer of the Rodeo Ballroom.  There they were greeted by a color scheme of fuchsia floral and silver draped accents.  Upon entry to the foyer, guests collected their escort cards which laid upon three square tables at different heights with floral and glowing candle accents.  They then had a chance to view photos of the bride and grooms family, past and present from the display on the ancestor tables. Each family member was represented with their photo in an elegant jeweled frame with calligraphied card placed in front showing their relation to the bride and groom.  Guests dined on delicious passed hors d’oeurves, specialty passed drinks, and jazzy tunes from West Coast Music.

When the ballroom doors opened, everyone gasped.  Ooohs and Ahhhs were whispered to each other as everyone was escorted to their tables.  The colors or Red, Burgundy, Fuchsia & Black completely transformed this elegant yet simple room into a completely new environment.  The room was draped in red, with black tie backs on each side.  A proscenium and unique draping accents set the stage apart from the rest of the room.  A long oval head table made a grand statement with elegant chair covers donning over-sized roses, round booths around the perimeter of the room offered unique & comfortable seating and the rectangle tables throughout also gave a “hip” vibe to this unique layout.  A red applique of the bride & groom’s name and elegant lighting lit the beautiful glossy black dance floor.

Each centerpiece was a bit different, some high, some low all with use of “bling” accents.  Custom Personalized Menus were placed at each seat and each table number was embroidered onto dupioni silk fabric tent cards.  The wedding cake was complete with it’s own unique backdrop, specialty linens and floral cake stand.  Guests enjoyed a custom designed menu complete with amuse bouche, passed desserts, greasy,  late night snacks as well as a special birthday, champagne toast made from the groom to the bride at midnight.  The warm toasts, feelings of love, unique accents and incredible music filled this night and to this day our special couple and their parents still receive calls and notes about their night of magic.

Photography: John Solano Photography / Cinematography: BlueCat International / Flowers: Mark’s Garden / Event Design: Revelry Event Designers / Event Planning: Levine Fox Events / Ceremony Location: Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Garden / Reception Location: Beverly Hills Hotel Rodeo Room / Invitations: Lehr and Black / Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop / Lighting: Images by Lighting / Music: West Coast Music / Linens: Resource One

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Post tags: Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Garden, Beverly Hills Hotel Rodeo Room, BlueCat International, California, Candlelight Ceremony, Chandeliers, Chuppah, Color Palette Red Black Pink, Dogs, Images by Lighting, Jewish Wedding, John Solano Photography, Lehr and Black, Levine Fox Events, Mark's Garden, Nighttime Ceremony, Outdoor Ceremony, Resource One, Revelry Event Designers, Traditional Elegance, Vanilla Bake Shop, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Planners & Designers, West Coast Music
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… I am a true believer that timing is everything and that things happen the way they do for a reason. I met Michael several times before our relationship really took off. We first met in 2003 while vacationing in Cancun, Mexico. Both of our families were part of the same guided tour but we didn’t really talk much and really had no interest in each other. Then, in 2007, Kenny, Michael’s fraternity brother, introduced us at a club. He always mentioned that he had a great guy to introduce me to, but I never took it seriously. When we finally met at the club, we talked, but things just kind of fizzled. The following year, Kenny told me that Michael was asking for my email address and instant messenger name. He wanted to introduce me to his brother-in-law, who would also be heading to Cornell that year to get his M.B.A. He now admits that he used this opportunity for himself to get back in touch with me. Our relationship started with the constant text messaging and emailing. When we finally met face-to-face, we were inseparable. That’s when we realized that we had met in Cancun, five years prior and that our parents were even acquaintances! Unfortunately, I had to move to Ithaca, NY to start school so we took our relationship online with Skype and the bi-monthly visits by Michael. Although for the most part, our relationship was long distance, we couldn’t deny that fate really brought us together at a time when we were both ready to be committed to each other.

Michael and I both grew up in the Los Angeles area so we decided to pick a focal and reputable location where all of our family and friends could celebrate with us. We felt that Beverly Hills Hotel held those attributes. Beverly Hills Hotel is not only a historical landmark of Southern California but also a hotel with excellent service and quality food. I wanted to capture a sense of elegance and class and BHH’s Crystal Ballroom fit well with our traditional, romantic décor. I loved its Murano glass chandeliers and the foyer. The elegant moldings in the ceiling, the walls, and even the mirrors complimented this essence of luxury. I felt that I had to pick a timeless place close enough where Michael and I can return to celebrate our anniversaries and also be a reminder of our wedding day. We definitely plan to stay in BHH’s bungalows again as we did on our wedding night.

I wanted the wedding to be traditional, romantic, elegant, and feminine. What better color is there than pink?! I chose a softer dusty pink to give the décor an old traditional feel, as opposed to a more modern baby pink. We chose dusty pink linens, gold charivari chairs, and antique gold centerpiece bases with hanging crystals. The dance floor was a darker dusty pink with a large ivory decal of a design we incorporated from our wedding invitations. The focal point of the décor was flowers, especially roses. So we filled the tables with multiple high and low centerpieces and created a cake table linen made entirely of pink roses.

Wedding Photography: John & Joseph Photography / Wedding Ceremony Location: Good Shepherd Catholic Church / Wedding Reception Location: Beverly Hills Hotel / Wedding Planner: Jeannie Savage, Details Details / Hair + Make-up: Jessica Kim, Hair Day / Officiant: Father Welbers & Father Alex / Cocktail Music: West Coast Music, Jazz Trio / Wedding Reception Music: West Coast Music, James Gang Band / Surprise Performance: “The Baker’s Dozen” of Yale University / DJ: DJ Lucky Lou / Wedding Videography: Elysium Productions / Floral Design, Rentals, Dance Floor, Linens + Chairs: Nisie’s Enchanted Florist / Lighting: Shine Lighting / Individual Wedding Cakes + Cakes: Kayla’s Kakes / Photo Booth: Pacific Photo Booths

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Post tags: Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Hotel, California Weddings, Details Details, DJ Lucky Lou, Elysium Productions, Good Shepard Catholic Church, James Gang Band, Jazz Trio, Jessica Kim, John & Joseph Photography, Kaylas Kakes, Nisie's Enchanted Florist, Pacific Photo Booths, Shine Lighting, The Baker's Dozen, West Coast Music
Post categories: California Weddings, Los Angeles Weddings, Traditional Elegance

In case you’re jonesing for a little more magic, Vidicam Productions has got a fantastic account of the wedding through film, so click here!

From Bob Gail Special Events … Brandon and Leigh wanted a true garden-inspired wedding.  They chose the Beverly Hills Hotel for the event because it perfectly reflected the effortless elegance that they were trying to replicate in each aspect of their wedding day.  Once the venue had been selected, Leigh picked the most exquisite and delicate dress from Claire Pettibone, which ended up being the source for the entire design concept of the wedding. Leigh did the majority of the planning while studying abroad in London while in law school, so Brandon played a very large role in the process, and we even Skyped Leigh in for the table demo.

For the ceremony, we wanted to build off of the already beautiful garden in the center of the hotel, so we picked a color palate and flowers that made the ceremony structure look like a permanent fixture of the hotel.  As the guests arrived at the ceremony, they were greeted by a keyboardist, flautist and two violinists playing classical music, as well as Brandon’s niece, who took Polaroid photos of each person and had them affix their photo to a scrapbook and write a loving message to the couple.

During the cocktail hour, guests munched on delicious hors d’ouevres and sipped cocktails from the martini bar with Leigh and Brandon’s favorite libations while they listened to jazz background music played by a keyboardist and saxophonist.  The escort card table was made up of moss-covered Manzanita trees with custom printed escort cards hanging from each branch.

The reception was decorated with the casual ease of a garden with three different varieties of fresh garden flowers in each centerpiece.  The tablescape was complimented with custom table numbers to match the escort cards, and a single stem of spray roses was tucked into each napkin.

Brandon and Leigh chose a 10-piece ensemble from “Jumpstart,” one of Bob Gail’s premier bands, accompanied by one of Bob Gail’s exclusive DJs, and danced all night to music ranging from Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé to Stevie Wonder and the Black Eyed Peas.

Gina Triglia from the Beverly Hills Hotel executed every detail flawlessly and handled their food and beverage selection, as well as all of the venue-related details, with such ease and grace.

The bride’s cake was made by the talented team at Cake & Art—the very same bakery that has been making cakes for Brandon’s family’s special occasions for his entire life, while the groom’s golf-themed cake was baked as a gift by Brandon’s older sister.
Todd Johnson, who is one of the most talented, passionate, and skilled photographers in the business, artistically captured every single detail of the wedding.

Photography: Todd Johnson Photography / Additional Decor Photography: Watson Photography / Cinematography: Vidicam Productions / Flowers: Bob Gail Special Events / Event Design: Bob Gail Special Events / Event Planning: Bob Gail Special Events / Catering Manager: Gina Triglia at the Beverly Hills Hotel / Ceremony Location: Beverly Hills Hotel / Reception Location: Beverly Hills Hotel / Band/Music: “Jumpstart,” by Bob Gail Special Events / DJ: Brian Pincus at Bob Gail Special Events / Invitations: William Ernest Brown / Jewelry/Rings: XIV Karats, Ltd. / Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Dress: Claire Pettibone / Bridesmaids Dresses: Nicole Miller / Cake: Cake & Art / Groom’s Cake:  The Groom’s Sister, Cara Piazza / Hair:  Exiquio Guterrez from Jose Eber Atelier / Make-Up: Adrianna Guterrez from Jose Eber Atelier

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Post tags: Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Hotel, Bob Gail Special Events, Cake & Art, California, Claire Pettibone, Color Palette Pink Green, Flower girls, Garden Wedding, Jose Eber Atelier, Nicole Miller, Ring Bearers, Stuart Weitzman, Summer Wedding, Todd Johnson Photography, Vidicam Productions, Vintage Chic, Watson Photography, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers, William Ernest Brown, XIV Karats Ltd
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

After Darren proposed and we began the wedding planning process, the first decision that made was the venue. Darren’s grandparents had been married at the Beverly Hills Hotel sixty years earlier and we knew instantly that it was the perfect place for us to start our new life together.  We tried to incorporate our family traditions, my love of vintage Hollywood style, and Darren’s baseball obsession into a wedding that was chic as well as personal.

I am a letterpress designer, so all the printed pieces were very important to me.  My sister and I pressed every invitation, program, menu and place card on my vintage press and it was truly a labor of love. Our florist Eddie of Tic-Tock Couture Florals created our featherlicious chuppah and room décor, and John Solano so beautifully captured every detail and emotion.

The entire night was like a dream and what made our wedding even more magical was that is truly represented us as a couple. Every detail was a reflection of our personality and we felt so lucky to be able to share this with our family and friends.

Wedding Photographer: John Solano Photography / Venue: Beverly Hills Hotel / Flowers: Tic Tock Couture Florals / Invitations, menus, programs: Poppyflower Press / Videographer: Vidicam / Day of Coordinator: Just Chic Events / Dress: Monique Lhuillier

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Hotel, California Weddings, John Solano Photography, Poppy Flower Press
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Last week we featured Amy & Sean’s wedding  filmed by Curtis Heyne at Living Cinema in an absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous féte at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We got such a terrific response, we wanted to show you more of the specifics! Their wedding planners, Daughter of Design quickly offered us their services and sent us lots and lots of beautiful photos from this amazing event! Then, we heard from their fabulous stationery designers, Atelier Isabey, also Little Black Book members. We were so excited to see all of the various pieces of Amy & Sean’s wedding come together in such a grand style!

Originally, Amy and Sean wanted to have their wedding on August 8, 2008 … significant numbers in the Chinese Culture. However, this would have landed on a Friday and wasn’t going to work out for their guests. The next best thing was to go with August 9th … 8 (August) for fortune and 9 (9th day) meaning longevity. Still lucky by Chinese standards!

A little bit about their love story … Amy was born and raised in Los Angeles. Sean was born in Taipei, Taiwan but came to the US at the age of 3. The first time Amy and Sean met was at her next door neighbor’s house for bible study. It was 1994. She was 13 and he was 15. She would sometimes see him at Chinese School on Saturdays, with his big baggy pants. In October of 1994, Amy and her family went back to Taiwan for a family emergency. As the taxi was driving away from the Taipei Airport, she noticed a boy with a bright red Mickey Mouse hat sitting against the airport wall playing on his Game Boy. Immediately she told her parents that it was Sean! How ironic … in the middle of the year, across the ocean, they were in the same spot at the same time. Fourteen years later, they were married.

Amy spent a full year planning her wedding. One very important aspect was music. She is a firm believer that music sets the mood. She walked down the aisle to Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’.

All photography courtesy of Cherie Foto

Their simply stunning invitations were designed by Atelier Isabey, a custom invitation and design studio based in New York.

from Margot of Atelier Isabey … Amy and Sean’s invitations were a really lovely set with an East meets West theme. We used lanterns, crystals and Peonies to convey the theme in a romantic and sophisticated way.

We have many more beautiful photos from their wedding, so check back in a bit. If you missed the wedding highlight film from Living Cinema, you can see it here!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atelier Isabey, Beverly Hills Hotel, Daughter of Design, Living Cinema, Ring Dish
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Style

photography courtesy of Cherie Foto

Curtis Heyne, one of our very special Little Black Book Cinematographers, sent us this film from Sean & Amy’s wedding.  He said that Amy had “found” him on Style Me Pretty. Yes! That’s what we LOVE to hear!

One thing we want you to take special note of … this film was produced using a combination of Black and White 16mm film and High Definition digital cinematography. This style has become increasingly popular and we want you to be sure you’re aware of all the different styles of wedding cinematography before you finalize your wedding vendor decisions! We’re pretty sure you’ll love Curtis’ style!

Remember, too … for smoothest replay of all films (no matter where you are on the web), click play and then pause. Even while paused, the feature will continue to load in the background. Allow the feature to load for just a bit, and then come back and enjoy!

From Curtis and Living Cinema… Amy & Sean’s wedding day~

from today’s stunning bride, Amy …

“Yes … we have known each other since we were in junior high! We knew how difficult it would be to have so many friends and family come together, and we knew we had to make this special. There was so much heart and detail put into the wedding planning from the hand-applied Swarovski crystals on the escort cards, programs, menus, and table numbers that sat on antique-gold painted easels to the hand-stamped name cards tied on the packaged favors.

We tried to incorporate as much of our culture as possible. On a school trip to Shandong province in China a few months before the wedding, I bought and brought back 150 pashminas as favors to give to our female guests. This was sentimental in that Sean’s family is originally from that area. For the male guests, we had USB flash drives monogrammed with our Chinese characters as favors.

I changed twice into two different chi paos (Chinese traditional dress), had Chinese music throughout the reception, displayed table numbers with English and Chinese characters, and had a double happiness character made with fresh flowers showcased outside of the ballroom.

Many of our guests were USC alumni and thus were pleasantly surprised when the band followed us into the ballroom as they introduced us as husband and wife for the first time.

On the way out, guests picked up midnight snacks outside the ballroom that had personalized packaging of pretzels and water bottles with a special thank you note to our guests.

Congratulations Amy & Sean! SUCH a beautiful wedding and we’re so glad that SMP led you to Living Cinema!

About Living Cinema … Curtis and his team know that this one day of your life is one of the most important of all days. They will honor your love, respect your joy and share your most precious moments in a way that will touch your heart like no others.

If you’d like to see another of their tremendously popular weddings posted on Style Me Pretty … take a look at Day and Max’s clip that brought tears to Abby’s eyes!

Thanks, Curtis!  We love your devotion to your clients and your gratitude toward life as an artform in and of itself!

Update:  We just learned that two more of our celebrated Little Black Book members were intimately involved in Amy & Sean’s wedding … Daughter of Design (wedding planning) and Atelier Isabey (invitations). We’re hoping to do a follow-up feature with photos of their lovely wedding in the near future!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 39 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atelier Isabey, Beverly Hills Hotel, Cherie Foto, Chinese Tradition, Daughter of Design, Living Cinema
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Style