Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Woody and I first met about 10 years ago. I had been visiting friends in Chicago and met Woody in person for the first time during that trip. (We had known each for few years beforehand through mutual friends.) While in college, I was heading to England for my study abroad year, and then 9/11 happened. Everything in the US (and in the world) came to a halt, including my trip to England. My flight was delayed for about a week. During that week, Woody asked me out, and what ensued was a 10-year long-distance relationship.

Woody flew up to San Francisco from Los Angeles on a rainy Friday December evening to surprise me with the help of my sister and good friend. I was running late for my sister’s birthday dinner (as usual), and Woody called a couple of times, insisting to remain on the line with me while I was getting ready. He asked me to go outside to the mail room to pick up a birthday package for my sister and on my way there, I saw someone standing outside in the rain with their back towards me. Confused as to why a person would be standing in this type of downpour, I walked over to them and to my surprise, it was Woody, soaking wet after standing in the rain for about 30 minutes. From there, he walked me up and then down the steps, both of us stumbling because of our nerves, and asked me to marry him.

During the few moments before our grand entrance, we had the chance to look down at the reception from above while the guests cheered on the wedding party’s entrance. We were on the opposite side and hidden from our guests’ view and stood on a balcony one floor up. This moment was the one time we had during the night to take everything in in a very touching and quiet setting. We will never forget the feeling it gave us.

Wedding Photography: Adrienne Gunde Photography / Wedding Venue: Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California / Event Planning: Fresh Events Company / Flowers: Ixora Floral Studio / Rentals: Luna Party Rentals / DJ: DJZ Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Matthew Christopher via Haute Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Jewelry: Borrowed from Her Mother / Groom’s Suit: Ermenegildo Zegna / Groom’s Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo

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Post tags: Adrienne Gunde Photography, Badgley Mischka, California, DJZ Entertainment, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fresh Events Company, Gray, Haute Bride, Ixora Floral Studio, Lavender, Los Angeles, Luna Party Rentals, Matthew Christopher, Pink, Salvatore Ferragamo, Skirball Cultural Center
Post categories: California Weddings, Los Angeles Weddings

Click here for the FULL wedding!

Emilie + Tyler Wedding Highlight Film from Jason Kim on Vimeo.

From Fresh Events Company… This wedding is filled with beautiful details, sweet and adorable ideas, and a unique and offbeat venue that will have you wanting to have your own cozy DIY wedding!  Emilie and Tyler are your modern, unique and awesome couple who are so stylish and just plain cool. The two met like many couples these days do: online. After a crowded and loud first date at Father’s Office, sharing a table with two businessmen out for drinks, sparks flew nonetheless, and two years later, Tyler popped the question. Tyler remembers his most memorable moment at the wedding to be his father’s toast while Emilie loved the recessional after being announced husband and wife for the first time and the grand entrance where the two emerged from the lofty second floor down to their friends and family.

Emilie was very involved in providing a lot of the vintage and adorable details that the wedding features. With help from her family, they custom made table runners, pillows, sofa covers, and pennant flags for their escort cards. She and Tyler also worked together to make ALL of the paper chains that you see hanging at their ceremony! 70 of their closest friends and family dined on comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese and steak filet, which were served up family style. An awesome dessert table kicked off dancing for the rest of the evening.

Wedding Planning: Fresh Events Company / Wedding Photography: Kari Kochar Photography / Second Photographer: Gloria Mesa for Kari Kochar Photography / Florist: Gilly Flowers / Wedding Venue: Huron Substation in Los Angeles, California / Rentals: Town & Country Event Rentals / DJ: Red Shoe LA / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Table Runners, Pillows, Sofa Covers, Pennant Flags + Paper Chains: DIY

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Post tags: California, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Fresh Events Company, Gilly Flowers, Gloria Mesa, Gray, Green, Huron Substation, J. Crew, Kari Kochar Photography, Los Angeles, Monique Lhuillier, Red, Red Shoe LA, Town & Country Event Rentals
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Los Angeles Weddings

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Andrew of Yoonwonx Photography… This rustic/vintage wedding took place at The Smog Shoppe in Culver City, Los Angeles. The ladies prepared themselves in their modern downtown loft before embarking via limo to the venue. The Smog Shoppe, despite the name, is 100% solar powered and was elegantly adorned that day with vintage furniture and beautiful flower arrangements, all tied together in a Pan Am-esque travel theme. The bride wore a custom dress (jacket was imported from Sweden), and the fellas sported clean lines with modern vintage textures. There was a bevy of curios and pleasant surprises all around in the decor, the delicious cupcakes, or in one of the many eclectic corners of The Smog Shoppe, such as the succulent wall or vintage, private bridal readying room. As always, we had a fun and energetic fashion shoot to cap off a beautiful wedding.

Photography: Yoonwonx Photography / Venue: The Smog Shoppe / Wedding Planning: Events of Love and Splendor / Floral Design: Soyoung (soyoung.czerwonka@gmail.com) / Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals / Cupcakes: Big Man Bakes, Sweet and Saucy + Susie Cakes / DJ: Ian of Red Shoe / Groom + Groomsmen’s Suits: Hugo Boss / Groom + Groomsmen’s Shoes: Ben Sherman / Bride’s Dress: Custom Made by A Co-worker / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bride + Bridesmaid Shoes: Kate Spade / Hair + Makeup: Rachael Drootin of Charmed Beauty / Catering: Huntington Catering Company / Travel-Themed Table Placards, Signs, Airport Name Cards + Invitations: DIY by Bride

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Post tags: Ben Sherman, Big Man Bakes, Charmed Beauty, Culver City, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Events of Love and Splendor, Found Vintage Rentals, Hugo Boss, Huntington Catering Company, J. Crew, Kate Spade, LA, Los Angeles, Navy Blue, Rachael Drootin, Red Shoe, Soyoung, Susie Cakes, Sweet and Saucy, The Smog Shoppe, Yoonwonx Photography
Post categories: The Blog, Vintage Chic

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Candice of Candice Benjamin Photography… Shruthi and Mike had the perfect wedding day planned. But after a freak hurricane-like storm in Southern California and no rain-plan … they thought that the photos they had in their minds would never come to be. So we set forth to re-create what their wedding day should have been. All of the vendors donated an afternoon a few weeks later and really wanted to give them something special: a wedding in the mountains free of any rain. We worked in their wedding colors and theme: a rustic, outdoor wedding with little bird touches. Shruthi and Mike spend their free time hiking, so shooting on a hiking path on a mountain trail made them feel at home. Mike is also a teacher, so combining books into the re-creation was a no-brainer.

Photography: Candice Benjamin Photography / Flowers: Wisteria Grove / Cake: Cucamonga Cakery / Location: Mt. Baldy near Los Angeles, California / Invitations: DIY / Shoes: Modai / Dress: Lovella Bridal

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Post tags: California, Candice Benjamin Photography, Cucamonga Cakery, Los Angeles, Lovella Bridal, Modatoi, Mt. Baldy, Wisteria Grove
Post categories: California Weddings, Los Angeles Weddings

Click here to see the FULL photo shoot!

From Amanda Auer of In The Now Weddings & Events…

Invitations: The invitation was one of my first inspirations to the design of this shoot. Ever since I saw the neon plexiglass in this cool blue hue I knew it was a MUST for something In The Now. Since it’s a subtle neon, it can be carried off as a very elegant piece of stationary — but the fun is brought in when you realize the edges of that plexi glow like wildfire! Receiving a tiny “package” in the mail is exciting for any guest, and wedding invitations are the gateway to the look and feel of your event! Inside the box was a handmade green washi [Japanese] paper to wrap the invitation along with a velvet blue ribbon tied into a bow. And, of course, we couldn’t resist throwing in some of that custom confetti either!

Custom Clear Confetti: Since nearly everything in the shoot was monogrammed, I knew that my little “aisle poppers” had to be no exception. I printed full sheet, full color transparencies at my local Staples. When I printed, I had already created a full sheet of just our little plus-sign monogram. From there, I used my 1″ round circle hole punch to create custom confetti that could easily be mixed in with our cardstock/solid color circles. I love the contrast, and this was such a FUN, EASY project with a lot of bang for the buck!! I mean — custom confetti?? Come on!!

Centerpiece: The centerpiece was going to be constructed of pegboard. I found a metal pegboard online and from there on, it was destiny. Since it all had to be done same-day, on-site, it was quite the time-consuming feat. But, really, the effect was so gorgeously modern, subtle, and classy — it was worth every second. The idea was these sunken flowers with their dangling stems, nearly floating above the table. The legs of the pegboard are made from metal brackets that we found and screwed in through the holes.

And a Utensil Dipping DIY: We started with purchasing a kit of Plasti-Dip, one that you could custom-tint to whatever color you chose. From there, I knew I wanted to achieve an ombre effect for each place setting, dipping each utensil with a shade just barely different from the last. I chose to use the lightest shade for the largest utensils, closest to the plate, and have them graduate darker accordingly. Plasti-Dip is EASY to use and fun to tint to whatever color you’d like to achieve. To make it easy on myself, I started with the darkest shade of green and worked my way lighter by adding a touch more white to each round of dipping. And the best part? It’s completely easy to remove if/as desired, and peeled off like a charm when I was done with it. Though, if I hadn’t peeled it off, who knows how long it could have lasted! It did not feel cheap or temporary at all!

Voila…gorgeous, dipped beauties for your eating pleasure

Photography: Jasmine Star / Event Planning + Design: In The Now Weddings & Events / Flowers + Invitations: In The Now Weddings & Events / Ceremony Location: Vibiana / Catering: Jay’s Catering / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Specialty Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals / Multimedia Projects: Creative Media Print / Linens: La Tavola / Hair + Makeup: 1011 Makeup / Dress: Jenny Yoo / Veil: The Dresser / Accessories: H&M + Nordstrom / Plasti-Dip: Plasti-Dip

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Post tags: 1011 Makeup, California, Classic Party Rentals, Creative Media Print, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Found Vintage Rentals, H&M, In the Now Weddings & Events, Jasmine Star, Jay's Catering, Jenny Yoo, Los Angeles, Modern, Nordstrom, Plasti-Dip, The Dresser, Vibiana
Post categories: DIY - Other, DIY Projects, Photo Shoot, The Blog, Wedding Style

Click here for the entire image gallery!

From Lace and Likes… Esther and Brendan’s engagement shoot was so much fun to style! We were inspired by the book Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl as well as their dog, Layla. They even got to take some photos with her on the day of the shoot!  E&B both love to read so we incorporated that in the shoot with the book and also focused on their wedding colors for the simple florals we did. Tree People Park was such a beautiful location and since E&B met and fell in love in LA, it was the perfect place to shoot.

We were able to use some lovely pieces from Found Vintage Rentals in the shoot and the incredible Max Wanger took all of the gorgeous photos.

Photography: Max Wanger Photography / Flowers: Lace and Likes / Photo Shoot Design: Lace and Likes / Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals / Photo Shoot Location: Tree People’s Coldwater Canyon Park

In case you missed any, here are all of the pretty posts from the week…

a sweeter than sweet Savannah soiree
a beyond gorgeous Napa Valley affair
a stunning Miami wedding
a fabulous Memphis soiree
a breathtaking San Juan Capistrano affair
a perfect Brooklyn affair
a day filled with eight gorgeous weddings
a stunning Bloomington soiree
a cute as can be Dallas wedding
gorgeous East Coast prep inspiration
a breathtaking Malibu soiree

Some fabulous links from around the web…

insanely awesome DIY glitter shoes via A Beautiful Mess
a beyond gorgeous watercolor wedding via Once Wed
yummy cheesecake to go via Camille Styles

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

L’Atelier Rouge
AmyPunky Photography
McBride Events
The Windmill Winery
Leo Patrone Photography
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
Sproullie Designs
MIMI & CO. COUTURE LINEN RENTALS
Desert Botanical Garden
Gourmet Goodies
Rock Paper Scissors Events
Annevents

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here. We’d love to hear from you!

Have a happy, happy weekend, lovelies!  See you back here Monday morning!  xoxo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California, Coldwater Canyon Park, Engagement Photo Shoot, engagement session, Found Vintage Rentals, lac and likes, Los Angeles, Max Wanger Photography, Tree People, Tree People Park
Post categories: The Blog

I knew that Ben was going to propose soon. It was no secret that we were perfect for each other and that we wanted to get married. I did not expect him to propose on the day he did, nor did I expect him to propose the way he did: at our home, one ordinary Friday night in December. But it was just our style. Just the two of us, nothing fancy, at the place where we love to spend most of our free time. It was perfect, and so was the ring – a beautiful vintage-style oval diamond ring. I immediately knew that the style of our wedding had to be vintage, with a modern twist.

At first we were thinking about getting married in the San Francisco area, because that’s where Ben grew up and where his parents still live, and there are a lot of really great venues that would go perfectly with our style. But we quickly realized that planning a wedding would be difficult enough in itself and decided to spare ourselves the headache of having a few hundred miles between us and the venue. So we set our sights on our hometown, Los Angeles. We wanted to get married close to the beach, and we didn’t want to get married in a sterile ballroom. When we walked into the Marina Vista room at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, we were blown away, and knew it had to be the place. It was right on the marina, with huge windows, vintage wallpaper, and the stunning chandeliers clinched it. It fit our theme perfectly.

After picking the venue, we set out looking for a wedding coordinator. That is not an easy task when you live in Los Angeles, because there are so many options! We didn’t know where to begin, or who to trust. Brooke, from Orange Blossom Special Events was recommended to us by Ben’s aunt who was a friend of Brooke’s family. So we met with her, and right away knew that she would be perfect for us. She was outgoing and friendly and it felt like we were chit-chatting with an old friend. Plus she was super organized, really on top of everything, and had tons of great ideas.

A photo of a bridal bouquet that my maid of honor sent me became my inspiration for the color scheme and the flowers. It was a mix of cream-colored dahlias, light pink and lavender garden roses, and other romantic pastel-colored flowers. I fell in love with it. I gave the photo to my florist, Megan from Honey and Poppies, and talked to her about my idea of a modern-vintage, romantic wedding, and told her how much I loved birds. She was carrying a handbag that day with an appliqué of a bird on it! So I knew we would see eye to eye on the floral design. The bouquets and centerpieces that she designed left me breathless. There wasn’t a single detail that she over-looked; from the little white milk vases to the lace around the candle votives, it all tied my theme together so wonderfully.

I am an actuary by trade (an actuary is basically another name for math nerd), which needless to say doesn’t allow me to be very creative. But I’ve always loved arts and crafts, so I used wedding planning as my creative outlet. I decided to design and make everything myself because I had such a clear vision that nothing I found online or in stores was perfect enough, and also because I finally had my chance to do meaningful arts and crafts projects. I don’t have a graphic design program on my computer, so rubber stamps became my best friend. I ordered a personalized one to stamp the tops of our favor jars and the return addresses on our invitation envelopes, I used alphabet stamps to stamp each guest’s name, letter by letter, onto their place cards, and I used other decorative stamps for the invitations! I knew Ben was perfect for me when he helped me stamp place cards instead of playing golf on Sunday! My absolute favorite home-made piece at our reception was the vintage cabinets that my dad built to hold the place cards. I was inspired by a vintage medicine cabinet on ebay, but it was too expensive. Luckily for me, my dad happens to be a cabinet maker, so I sent him the photo and he recreated two of them for us. They came out better than I could have imagined. I think I got more compliments on the cabinets than I did on my dress!

Since I’m not a big dessert person, I didn’t want a big, fancy cake. I did want a little one that we could cut, but I also wanted cupcakes and French macarons so that our guests could have different options. I really love vintage cake trays, so I rented trays in different colors, sizes, and designs from Bountiful Homes in Venice Beach. Amy, from Vanilla Bake Shop, created a gorgeous cake for us, complete with a lace-like border and two little birds staring lovingly at each other (my mother-in-law actually found the birds at a wild bird seed store for us). She also created an incredible display of cupcakes and macaroons in various pastel colors. It all came together so well, and ended up being one of my favorite things at the wedding.

Overall, our wedding day was surreal. I had a very vivid vision of what I wanted, and, everyone came together to help me create it, down to very last detail. I was extremely lucky that I had the most wonderful people helping me, and that I have such an understanding husband, family, and friends who went along with all of my ideas and helped create my vision of a vintage wedding. To my surprise, the most memorable moment of the day for me was one that was unplanned. When the night came to an end, most of our guests were still there on the dance floor with us. There was an overwhelming feeling of love in the air, and we all had one big group hug. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Photography: Greg Slick Photography / Flowers: Honey & Poppies / Event Planning: Orange Blossom Special Events / Ceremony Location: Ritz Carlton, Marina del Rey / Reception Location: Ritz Carlton, Marina del Rey / Hair & Make-Up: Veronica Lane / Entertainment: Woody Diaz / Cake & Dessert Bar: Vanilla Bake Shop

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Post tags: Birds, California, Color Palette Purple, Cupcakes, Dessert Bar, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Honey & Poppies, Los Angeles, macarons, Marina del Rey, Once Studio, Orange Blossom Special Events, Pastel Color Palette, Ritz Carlton, Vanilla Bake Shop, Veronica Lane, Vintage Chic, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers, Woody Diaz
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

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

And what better way to finish up this gorgeous Wedding Wednesday than with the incredible film by Skyline Videography…

Colleen & Roger @ Vibiana from Skyline Videography on Vimeo.

From the bride…Roger and I met through Match.com. Roger was a member of the site for only one day when I found him. Out of complete randomness, I searched for someone in a slightly far away town and he popped up. After spending several nights talking on the phone for hours, we met at the local batting cages for our first date. He arrived first and sent me a text message saying he was standing in front of a sign that read “60MPH!” which signified one of the fast lanes for batting practice. Not only was that the spot of our first official meeting place, but it was where we knew we had found something special in each other. We even have “60MPH!” engraved inside our wedding rings.

Roger and I knew early on that we would be married one day. So, as a natural planner, I began to research wedding venues. Although I was not raised in a particular religion, I had always dreamed of getting married in a church. When I found Vibiana, I immediately knew it was the perfect spot. It had the grandiose feeling of an old church, which we both admired, and it was the perfect solution to highlight our differing faiths. The marble alter was breathtaking and the adjacent courtyard was lush and green. The entire venue was somehow simple, but strikingly magnificent at the same time.

For my “something old” and “something borrowed,” I wore my great-grandmother’s ruby ring. I had it pinned to the inside of my dress using my sorority pin (an old tradition in my sorority). My mom wore this same ring as her “something old” for her wedding to my dad thirty years earlier. And, we actually share the same wedding weekend!  For my “something new” and “something blue,” I purchased a pendant with a pair of kissing blue lovebirds. I placed the pendant on my bouquet and plan to give it to my future daughters so they can use it as their “something old” and “something borrowed” when they get married.

Wedding Planning: Amber Events / Wedding Photography: Brian and Allison Callaway of Callaway Gable / Wedding Venue: Vibiana / Wedding Florals: Holly Flora / Videography: Skyline Videography  / Catering: The Food Matters  / Ceremony Music: Sparrow Lane Strings / Reception Music: Dash Entertainment  / Officiant – Father Rand Reasoner / Rentals: Town & Country Event Rentals / Custom linens: Designer Specialty Linens / Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop / Bridal Beauty: Fiore Beauty / Lighting: Aspect Lighting / Photobooth: LA Photo Party / Bar + Beverage Service:  Pacific Coast Bar and Beverage

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amber Events, Black, California, Callaway Gable, Holly Flora, Hot Pink, Los Angeles, Metallic, Peonies, White
Post categories: The Blog