Gorgeous, right? And it gets even better after a viewing of this lovely film by Le Reve Productions…

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From the bride… Will and I decided to have an intimate Catholic ceremony for immediate family two days before our outdoor ceremony and reception. At first, I was a little anxious and overwhelmed at the idea of two weddings, but in the end the first ceremony was truly beautiful and took a lot of pressure off the big wedding day that I put so much time and energy into planning. Even though most of our guests didn’t know it, Will and I were already legally married at our big wedding, which made me feel a lot more relaxed!

As far as the planning process went, I knew I wanted our wedding to be soft, whimsical, light, and airy from the very beginning.  I had the idea of a beautiful, fantastical tea party set in the middle of a forest and with the help of our amazing planner, Ryan, and our friends and family, the idea grew and changed into something more perfect than I could have ever imagined. Our ceremony location had this breathtaking view of vineyards and mountains, so we really let the backdrop do the talking and kept the space natural and fairly clean for the ceremony and vows. We were able to have a lot of fun with our reception area, however, using the bell tower for our grand entrance and creating an intimate space for dinner, cocktails, and dancing with a long grand table, vintage furniture, floating fabric lanterns, and twinkling lights.

I was really into the little touches that made our day different. My sister Gina created our beautiful ribbon table runner for our head table. We had the idea of making vintage dance cards for our escort cards and included rustic mini pencils so our guests could fill them out throughout the evening. Our amazing graphic designer worked with us to craft some fun vintage Valentine-themed cards that sat at each place setting that either had “five things his family should know about her” or vice-versa. I really enjoyed collecting the mismatched vases, teapots, cups, and containers that we used for our floral arrangements, and one of my favorite touches was the collection of vintage thimbles I acquired over the year that we let our guests take home as kisses for the day (inspired by my favorite Peter Pan quote). As we got closer and closer to the wedding, people kept reminding me that things would go wrong and I should be prepared. And I was completely prepared. But to be totally honest, I was just so thrilled the entire day and could not have been happier. I married my best friend and had the time of my life. The speeches, the dress, the weather, the man … to me, it was all perfect. Right out of a fairytale.  

Wedding Photography: Erin Hearts Court / Videography: Le Reve Productions / Wedding Venue: South Coast Winery in Temecula, California / Wedding Coordination + Design: Savoir Flair Weddings / Flowers: Fiore Design / Cake + Desserts: Cakes to Celebrate / Vintage Furniture: Archive Vintage Rentals / Classic Furniture + Linen Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Ceremony Music: Jory Schulman / DJ: Red Shoe LA / Wedding Dress + Reception Sash: Monique Lhuillier / Gold Shoes: Jean-Michel Cazabat / Hair + Makeup: The Studio Agency / Wedding Paper Products: Kristen Gara / Wedding Invitations: SmallPrinter / Cookies: Magnolia Bakery / Officiant: Rev. Bruce Greene

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Post tags: Archive Vintage Rentals, Cakes to Celebrate, California, Classic Party Rentals, Erin Heart's Court, Fiore Design, Jean-Michel Cazabat, Jory Schulman, Kristen Gara, Lavender, Le Reve Productions, Magnolia Bakery, Monique Lhuillier, Pale Blue, Pink, Red Shoe LA, Rev. Bruce Greene, Savoir Flair Weddings, SmallPrinter, South Coast Winery, Temecula, The Studio Agency
Post categories: The Blog, Vintage Chic

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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From Amy of Amy & Stuart Photography… On arrival, guests were greeted with lavender champagne cocktails and an old school blue grass band before being guided down a cobblestone path to the English garden at the back of this divine private Ojai residence. The ceremony was set with a backdrop of the mountains, and eclectic market chairs, ottomans and blankets were set on either side of a rustic aisle built from reclaimed barn wood. The simple birch chuppa held up an heirloom tablecloth embroidered with the couple’s names and their wedding date.

Cocktails and tray passed treats were served in a poolside lounge set with clusters of vintage furniture draped in a slate dupioni silk. Home-style accents decorated coffee tables and lamps, and assorted scented candles were scattered about the room to create an intimate glow. Dinner was served in an adjoining private dining tent filled with mismatched vintage chandeliers. Long wooden tables were lined with silver candelabras, and hand-picked garden flowers and succulents were overflowing from assorted silver vases collected from flea markets. A cheese course commenced the lavish, family-style Italian feast. Wedding cake and assorted homemade pies and tarts were served with cappuccino and espresso back in the cocktail lounge, where guests danced into the wee hours in celebration of the happy couple…

Wedding Photography: Amy & Stuart Photography / Wedding Design + Planning: Jo Gartin of Love Luck and Angels / Cinematography: Paper Tape Films / Flowers: Holly Flora/ Wedding Venue: Private Residence in Ojai, California / Wedding Gown: Carolina Herrera / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Cake: Jamaica’s Cakes / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Vintage Furniture: Found Vintage Rentals / Ceremony Music: West Coast Music / Cocktail Hour Music: The Get Down Boys / DJ: Jon Brown of Unite Entertainment / Catering: Heirloom LA / Tenting Decor: Jo Gartin and Eden Rodriguez of Love Luck and Angels

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Post tags: Amy & Stuart Photography, Backyard Wedding, Blue, California, Carolina Herrera, Classic Party Rentals, Eden Rodriguez, End Design, Found Vintage Rentals, Heirloom LA, Holly Flora, Jamaica's Cakes, Jimmy Choo, Jo Gartin, Jon Brown, Love Luck and Angels, Ojai, Paper Tape Films, Slate Gray, The Get Down Boys, Unite Entertainment, West Coast Music
Post categories: The Blog

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From Marta of Marta Locklear… Megan and Brandon’s wedding was absolutely stunning and a perfect infusion of both of them. Pure style with the graphite gray and soft peach tones throughout, and perfect hints of Brandon’s “Rocker” personality with surprise checkered Vans and steel gray glittered shoes for Megan. We started the day with a first look session to make the most of the gorgeous Historic Mankin Mansion grounds and daylight, and then wandered into a perfect sunset ceremony. The ceremony was lined with flower-filled mason jar vases on shepherds hooks in a sea of white chairs. Megan practically floated down the aisle with her dad while the sunlight lit her face under her blusher veil. During the ceremony, Megan and Brandon each wrote a letter to each other explaining why they loved each other and sealed and locked them into a vintage wine box to be read on their five-year anniversary. During cocktail hour, while the couple enjoyed a few moments together in the Carriage House the guests mingled under peach and gray paper lanterns and string lights while sipping their drinks from striped straws. The grounds had large chess boards for entertainment. For the reception, an infusion of graphite gray table cloths, peach cloth napkins, gold rimmed chargers and white and peach florals definitely set the tone for this wedding day. The cake was absolutely amazing and even studded with jewels! The guests enjoyed a full dessert table with take-away boxes, a personal slideshow from the best man, a fully-catered dinner and lots of dancing! The details were amazing!

Wedding Photography: Marta Locklear / Flowers + Vases: Flowers by Mona Ray / Wedding Venue + Candles: Historic Mankin Mansion / Wedding Cake: Cakes by Graham / Catering: Champagne Taste / Wedding Dress: Hannalores / Bride’s Shoes: Moda Spana via DSW / Bride’s Jewelry: Judith Ripka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jim Hjelm + Lazaro / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / Makeup + Hair: Tracy Gilland + Lara Bridger of Richmond Hair and Makeup

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Post tags: Cakes by Graham, Champagne Taste, Classic Party Rentals, DSW, Flowers by Mona Ray, Gray, Hannalores, Historic Mankin Mansion, Jim Hjelm, Judith Ripka, Lara Bridger, Lazar, Marta Locklear, Moda Spana, Peach, Richmond, Tracy Gilland, Virginia
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

 Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Our inspiration for the wedding of our dreams was a Mad Men theme with a twist of Old Hollywood. This is exactly what we ended up getting from our amazing wedding team. Firestone Vineyard was the ideal place for our special day. The breathtaking scenery of the vineyards and the stone courtyard were perfect. To everyone’s surprise, the morning started off with rain clouds in the sky.  All day we were concerned about a downpour because the wedding and reception were outside. The ceremony went smoothly with no rain, but umbrellas were handed out to guests just in case it started to sprinkle. By the time the reception started, lighting and rain hit. The wedding guests didn’t let that stop them from dancing the night away to the tunes of the LA ALL Stars. The night was magical, with rain and lighting, music, laughter, and dancing.

Wedding Photography: Michael + Anna Costa Photographers / Wedding Planning: Tonya Szele of Soigne Productions / Florist: NLC Productions / Wedding Venue: Firestone Vineyard / Catering: Duo Catering & Events / Hair + Makeup: Fairytale Hair & Makeup / Linens: La Tavola / Ceremony Music: Ybarra Music / Reception Music: LA Allstars / Officiant: Rabbi Laura (rabbilaura@gmail.com) / Rehearsal Dinner: Matteis Tavern / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Transportation: Santa Barbara Airbus / Wedding Gown: La Sposa / Bride’s Shoes: Nina / Bridesmaid Dresses: twobirds

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Post tags: California, Classic Party Rentals, Fairytale Hair & Makeup, Firestone Vineyard, LA Allstars, La Sposa, La Tavola, Los Olivos, Matteis Tavern, Michael + Anna Costa Photographers, Navy Blue, Nina, NLC Productions, Rabbi Laura, Rachel Korrey, Santa Barbara Airbus, Soigne Productions, Tonya Szele, twobirds, Ybarra Music
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Santa Barbara Weddings

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From Heather of Events by Heather Ham… It was a beautiful day in Pasadena, and the love in the air was infectious. Stephanie and Oji are such a fun and classic couple and some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. They chose the picturesque Boddy House at Descanso Gardens to have their Great Gatsby-inspired wedding. They chose a classic color scheme of white and silver. Picotte Weddings took breathtaking photos. I especially love the romantics. She truly captured the essence and atmosphere of a classic and elegant affair.

The ceremony took place on the lawn with the bride and groom exchanging vows beneath an architectural arbor in front of their closest friends and family. Cocktail hour was in the front of the house around the outdoor fountain. Then the guests moved through the main foyer of the home to the backyard of the house where they were met by the soulful sounds of Barbara Morrison and her accompanying jazz band. BBJ provided fantastic linens in a slate grey with a little bit of shimmer for a sophisticated touch. And each table had silver vessels filled with soft white garden roses, lisianthus, spray roses and hydrangea to the mercury glass votives and tables named for the couple’s favorite wines. The Great Gatsby vision truly came to life with the floral decor by Peony & Plum. I love the touches of dusty miller to add a little gray to the cream-colored florals. One of the favorite elements of all the guests was the mixology bar set up in the formal living room, along with the extensive dessert buffet from Patina & Frosted Cupcakery. Every sense was satisfied. Patina served a scrumptious dinner with the choice of rib-eye or halibut. After the band left, guests danced the rest of the night away to the musical stylings of VOX DJs, who always do a fantastic job. As guests left the property to head home, they were each given individual boxes of See’s candies.

From the bride… When we described our ideal wedding to Heather, our terrific wedding planner, we said we wanted it to be fun, elegant and unique. Our wedding turned out even better than we could have imagined. We could not have been happier with all of the great vendors we were fortunate enough to work with. They went above and beyond what they had promised to make sure our wedding was perfect for us. When we look back at our beautiful wedding, we know that we could not have asked for anything more. It truly represented us and, more importantly, it was the perfect beginning to the next chapter of our life together.

Wedding Photography: Picotte Weddings / Wedding Planning: Events by Heather Ham / Floral Design: Peony & Plum / Wedding Venue: The Boddy House at Descanso Gardens / Catering: Patina Group / Lighting + Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Charger Rentals: Premiere Party Rents / Linens: BBJ Linens / Officiant: Rabbi Arthur Rosenburg / Cake: Frosted Cupcakery / Hair & Makeup: Lips & Locks / Ceremony Musician: Sergey Teranov (staranov4@yahoo.com) / Jazz Band: Barbara Morrison & Band (bmorrblues@aol.com) / DJ: VOX DJs/ Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Wedding Calligraphy: Calligraphy Katrina

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Barbara Morrison & Band, BBJ Linens, California, Calligraphy Katrina, Classic Party Rentals, Descanso Gardens, Events by Heather Ham, Frosted Cupcakery, La Cañada Flintridge, Lips & Locks, Pasadena, Patina Group, Peony & Plum, Picotte Weddings, Premiere Party Rents, Rabbi Arthur Rosenburg, Sergey Teranov, silver, The Boddy House, The Great Gatsby, Vera Wang, Vox DJs, White
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From Robin and Sarah of GATHER Events and Occasions… The super fun and ultra-carefree personalities of Heather and Lewie came through beautifully in their recent wedding at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu. The setting was open, breezy and rustic with beautiful rolling hills in the distance and horses meandering along the property. The atmosphere was light-hearted, casual and focused on catching up with family and friends, most of whom traveled from the Midwest to be there. Rather than a structured, formal evening, Heather and Lewie opted for a cocktail reception-style reception designed to allow guests the freedom to choose their own adventure. While the games area stayed lively with horseshoes, hula-hoops and a bean bag toss, guests casually grazed at gourmet food and dessert stations, snapped spirited photos at the group photo booth and wished the couple well at the Quilting Bee guest book area.

From the bride… Having been to over 40 weddings in my life, I had a lot of time to store away ideas of what I thought I’d want on my special day. When we sat down to ultimately plan our wedding, there were a few must-haves, such as great food and a fully-stocked open bar. A laid-back feel with all of our friends and family mingling together was the premise for our entire day. I also knew I wanted fabric flowers but felt the need to carry real sunflowers down the aisle (a nod to my love of them for so many years and the small tattoo on the top of my foot). I wanted the natural elements of trees and mountains to shine through, yet craved to include a vineyard theme as grapes were growing on the hillside of our venue, a sprawling and gorgeous ranch in Malibu. How could we not include rustic elements?! Oh, and then there’s the inspiration of the airplane since we met on one and Lewie proposed to me just before we jumped out of one.

We are so thankful to be loved and supported by our friends and family that we just wanted a way to include them in our special day. Having recipes from both of our grandparents and aunts as the inspiration for our desserts, we were able to specially recognize them (and treat our guests to some of the best sweets around!) Family and friends united and took pride in constructing our fabric flowers, save-the-date cards and signage, folding paper airplane programs, and collecting vintage china pieces. We also created a very special donation table that detailed our very dear family and friends’ organizations. We had a plethora of eclectic ideas for our special day but there was no way we thought we would be able to successfully incorporate each. A colossal thank you to Robin and Sarah of GATHER Events for interpreting our countless (often tangential) ideas into one beautiful vision. We had what I would like to call a “nat-fam-vin-rus-tage” and perfect wedding. We had so much fun, and the whole day was truly “us.”

Wedding Photography: Heather Kincaid / Event Design + Planning: GATHER Events and Occasions / Wedding Venue: The Oak Grove at Saddlerock Ranch / Catering: Cat Castenada (modestcatty@hotmail.com) / Desserts: Family Recipes Re-Interpretted by Breanne Varela of Bites of Sugar / DJ: James Dunn (james@theunfamiliar.com) / Wedding Invitations, Paper Airplane Programs + Paper Goods: Maria Bella Boutique (Owned by the Bride’s Cousin) with GATHER Events and Occasions / Hair: Addie Markowitz (sweetadelae@gmail.com) / Makeup: Phoebe Ogan / Officiant: Rev. Clint Hufft / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals and Archive Vintage Rentals / Fabric Flowers, Mason Jar Chandelier + Guest Book Quilt: DIY / Dress: Melissa Sweet / Ties: Tux and Tulle

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Post tags: Addie Markowitz, Bites of Sugar, Breanne Varela, Cat Castenada, Classic Party Rentals, Cream, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, GATHER Events and Occasions, Gray, Green, Heather Kincaid, James Dunn, Maria Bella Boutique, Phoebe Ogan, Rev. Clift Hufft, Saddlerock Ranch, Yellow
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Los Angeles Weddings

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From the bride… From the moment Seth and I got engaged, we knew we didn’t want a stuffy, over the top wedding. We’ve never taken ourselves too seriously, so my main goal became to choose a venue and a wedding style that matched our personalities and showcased who we are as a couple. My ideas and inspirations came from constantly researching wedding blogs, surfing the net and flea markets to find vintage pieces, and scouring local flower marts to put together fun floral designs. In addition to the awesome coordination and florals by Artisan Events, a bunch of the wedding elements were DIY projects that I tackled at home in my studio. I purchased 80 yards of burlap at a local fabric store and hand-cut all the runners that we used for the dinner tables and sewed together the ring bearer pillow. I made a faux photo booth by placing a loaded Fuji Instax camera on top of a few vintage books and a milk crate, offered fun props found on Etsy, and left our guests to take wacky shots, which we now cherish! My favorite DIY project was our guest book, which we called a “tip jar.” I sourced some old mason jars and used shipping tags, which I letter-pressed with my own design, for the guests to fill out their “tips for a happy marriage.” We received some tips stating, “Don’t let the dogs slip between you in bed,” and “Tell each other you love one another every day.” We keep our full tip jar on our mantle and go through it from time to time for a laugh. It’s turned out to be the greatest conversation piece.

I work at Jenny Yoo Collection in Los Angeles, but when it came time to choose bridesmaids dresses, I was stuck. I wanted all the design elements to look consistent, but not too tailored, so I couldn’t imagine putting my three bridesmaids in the same dress, or even the same color. With some help from our production offices, I got to choose three custom colors in different shades of pale pink. Each little flower girl had a coordinating sash to one of the bridesmaids. I was thrilled! Lastly, my dress might have been one of the elements that made our wedding so memorable. Made by Claire Pettibone, I purchased it at a trunk show, and Claire herself was there to fit the dress on me. It was so special to have the designer present, who customized the neckline for me and truly made her “Orange Blossom” wedding gown, into “Jamie’s Orange Blossom” wedding gown.

Most importantly, the event was unbelievably fun, our guests had a blast, and the entire weekend truly reflected who we are as a couple. It was absolutely perfect!

Wedding Photography: Mi Belle Photography / Venue: Colony Palms Hotel / Florals, Lighting + Coordination: Artisan Events / Wedding Invitation Design: Julia Kostreva / Wedding Gown + Veil: Claire Pettibone “Orange Blossom” / Shoes: Milk and Honey / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo Collection / Dessert Bar: Sweet and Saucy Shop / Cake Topper: urastarhouse / Calligraphy: Paper Pastries / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

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Post tags: Artisan Events, Blush, California, Claire Pettibone, Classic Party Rentals, Colony Palms Hotel, Jenny Yoo Collection, Julia Kostreva, Mi Belle Photography, Milk and Honey, Palm Springs, Paper Pastries, Peach, Pink, Sweet and Saucy Shop, Turquoise, urastarhouse
Post categories: The Blog