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From the Bride…

Michael and I are East-Coast transplants, who met on the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus commuting to Los Angeles, a rarity in LA since everyone is truly obsessed with their cars.  We’d get on the same bus in the morning; I was on earlier stop than he, so there was always a free seat next to me.  Soon, we became friends, and then eventually, started dating.  The regular bus commuters and drivers were ecstatic when we announced our engagement. Deciding where to get married, in the Northeast where our families still live, or in California, was a hard one to make. Eventually, there were too many factors in favor of a wedding in California to ignore, including my wish to really be involved in the creative process, our church, and the fact that California was “our home” now.

Tom Colicchio’s Craft is a special place to us. Each time we go, we just have the best meal and a superb experience. We love Colicchio’s style of cooking. simple (but not simplistic), hearty, and with attention and love. The meals are served family-style so we loved the thought of our newly-joined families sharing the wedding experience over a fantastic meal. The service is incredible – Anna Morini, the private dining coordinator, and the whole staff truly know what you want/ need before you do. We were the first wedding celebrated at Craft and there was nothing that the Craft Family wouldn’t do to make our day perfect.

One lesson I learned throughout this process was to find vendors you trust and let them do their job. A bride can easily get caught up in trying to sweat the details and in that, you lose the creativity of the professional. For example, when it came time to decide flower arrangements, I met with Craft’s in-house floral designer, Matthew Sawicki. We discussed a color scheme and general ideas about what I’d like (truthfully, it was more what I wouldn’t like). However, I trusted him to use his creativity to design arrangements. I didn’t know even what flowers I would have in my bouquet. The result was centerpieces and arrangements that I could never have dreamed. The same held true for items such as our cake, the cake topper, the calligraphy, our wedding bands, my hair and makeup… state your preference (or what you wouldn’t prefer) and trust the professionals. You’ll have a better time planning your wedding. On the other hand, try to add a little bit of yourself into the wedding. Michael and I ordered personalized wooden cards from Paloma’s Nest and as part of our wedding favor, wrote a note from each of us to a guest. It was important to us that each guest know just how much we were honored that they were there to celebrate this big day with us. Their presence meant so much and we really wanted to communicate that to the guest.

Another lesson I’d like to pass on to future brides would be to trust your gut. This happened with our photographers, April and Lindsey, of Sweet Monday. They were the first photographers we went met with, and after having spent countless hours meeting with others (photos were extremely important to us), we kept comparing others to them and their exceptional work. It’s OK if you like someone on the first try—don’t think you have to turn over every stone and exhaust every possibility. You may have just lucked-out and found the right vendor on the first try. Trust yourself. Finally, last but not least by any stretch, I’d like to mention Sarah Drake and her team. As someone obsessed (seriously, it may be a condition) with all things paper, I was over the moon when I won the SMP contest. Sarah and her team worked with me to create our monogram, which was enlarged as a poster for our guests to sign at the reception, as well as the cover to our wedding programs. Sarah was creative, patient, prompt and responsive (which is huge), and just lovely to work with. She even made my thank-you cards. I’d recommend her unquestionably to anyone.

Photographers: Sweet Monday / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Headband and Veil: Justine M Couture / Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids Dresses: Aria / Hair and Makeup: Luxe Lab / Tuxedos: Men’s Warehouse / Invitations: Lilywillow Paper & Press / Rings: Bostonian Jewelers / Reception Location: Craft / Calligraphy: Kathryn Murray / Flowers: Matthew Sawicki of Datura Designs / Monogram and Ceremony Programs: Sarah Drake Design / Wooden Cards: Paloma’s Nest / Escort Card Holder: Treehouse Wood Designs / Cake Topper: Concarta

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aria, Bostonian Jewelers, California Weddings, Concarta, Craft, Datura Designs, Justine M Couture, Kate Spade, Kathryn Murray, Lillywillow Paper & Press, Luxe Lab, Men's Wharehouse, Paloma's Nest, Priscilla of Boston, Santa Monica, Sarah Drake, Sweet Monday, Treehouse Wood Designs
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Los Angeles Weddings, Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

From Anne and Bill Holland of Holland Photo Arts…

Marcie & Garrett, who enjoyed a gorgeous outdoor ceremony with close family and friends out at Tuckahoe Plantation, just west of Richmond. They had chosen this spot, in a rustic garden just east of the mansion and at the end of a long dirt road for its authenticity and beauty, and Mother Nature made sure they and their guests were able to take full advantage of it. After seeing each other privately for the first time that day in the grove adjacent to the garden, and after portraits with them and their families, everyone sat and relaxed for a short bit until the ceremony got started. Their guests were kept amused prior to the ceremony with programs describing how they knew members of the wedding party and various humorous characteristics of each, including a funny story of how they themselves met. They then said their vows under a massive old oak, the oldest tree in Virginia.

Garrett’s grandfather stood to recite a reading and by the end he and most of the guests were so emotional tears were coming down their faces. Moments like that are so meaningful to us because they illustrate the familial bonds our clients have and just how tightly knit their families are. It’s truly wonderful to witness. Marcie’s godfather, a pastor himself, also offered a final prayer for the couple just before their kiss and recessional back toward the mansion, followed very shortly thereafter by a group photo of the new husband and wife with all their guests.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Holland Photo Arts, Lillywillow Paper & Press, Richmond, Tuckahoe Plantation
Post categories: Real Weddings, Wedding Photography