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From the bride… Brian and I wanted to feel like us on our wedding day — carefree and laid back. Having our loved ones take part in our big day was a personal experience for us — our good family friend officiated the wedding, our best friends and family members made up our wedding party, Brian’s childhood friends played the ceremony music and shot the day on 8 mm film, and our readers are close friends as well. We wanted our day to be easy — no stress for our guests or us. This feeling was the same for our décor. We wanted to have an understated sophistication and elegance. Basically, we didn’t want to go over-the-top. We kept everything very simple — planning, décor, flowers, using in-house pastries versus purchasing an additional wedding cake, and we added fun touches that tied into our mod desert venue (palm fans for programs, printed canvas gift bags, vintage family photos and Jonathan Adler “Mr. & Mrs. Muse” cake toppers). Finding The Parker as a venue was perfect for us because the décor is similar to our style: a fusion of classic, rustic, artistic and eclectic. When planning our big day, we focused on the decor and natural beauty of the gardens at the resort. Using what we had available allowed us to stay within a budget, but also helped to keep things simple like we wanted. With 90% of our guests flying in for the wedding, we wanted everyone to be taken care of. We wanted our guests to have an experience staying at a relaxing and beautiful hotel where the wedding would be steps away.

For the indoor reception, we wanted the ambiance to feel dark and warm, like at some of our favorite restaurants. We had a long table going down the middle of the room with our family and friends surrounding us, which made it feel intimate. The focus was on the experience and making sure our guests enjoyed themselves. The food was phenomenal; the music got everyone onto the dance floor; and our photographer, Shannen, captured countless candid moments. Finding the perfect venue and vendors truly made our day stress free.  We knew everything was taken care of and that our big day would go off without a hitch. 

I spent the day getting ready with my mom, soon-to-be mother-in-law and best friends in the world.  Although I was so happy to be with them, I couldn’t wait to see Brian. Once I was ready, I remember walking with Shannen to our first look location, having no idea where she was taking me. She held my dress as I babbled on about who knows what. As soon as I saw Brian, he took my breath away. After our first look it was time for the ceremony.  I’ll never forget the feeling I had walking down the aisle towards my husband to be … I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.  The joy in his face is a moment I’ll remember for the rest of the life. We will always remember having everyone we love most in the world in the same place at the same time.   

Wedding Photography: Shannen Norman Photography / Wedding Venue, Catering + Cupcakes: The Parker Palm Springs in Palm Springs, California / Event Design: The Bride + Groom / Event Planning: Kathy Recchia of Save the Date Events / Floral Design: Kate Holt of Flowerwild / Wedding Dress: Somsi Couture / Hairpieces: Nancy Shefts / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale, J.Crew, Dessy + Nordstrom / Bridesmaids’ Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar / Hair + Makeup: Neeraja Lockart (Makeup), Michael Strause (Hair) + Jodi Sanger-Weaver (Hair + Makeup) / Groom Suit: Hugo Boss Red Label via Nordstrom / Groom Shoes: Cole Haan / Men’s Ties: Nordstrom / Wedding Cinematography: Jac Cheairs / Wedding Invitations: Brown Printing / Wedding Programs: Ink & Envelopes / Black & White Cookies: Izzy’s Deli / Ceremony Music: Steve Paikai / DJ: DJ Chris Paul / Cake Topper: Jonathan Adler

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Post tags: Amsale, Blush, Brown's Printing, California, Cole Haan, Dessy, DJ Chris Paul, Flowerwild, Hugo Boss Red Label, Ink & Envelopes, Izzy's Deli, J. Crew, Jac Cheairs, Jimmy Choo, Jodi Sanger-Weaver, Jonathan Adler, Kate Holt, Kathy Recchia, Lavender, Michael Strause, Nancy Shefts, Neeraja Lockart, Nordstrom, Palm Springs, Pink, Plum Pretty Sugar, Purple, Save the Date Events, Shannen Norman Photography, Somsi Couture, Steve Paikai, The Parker Palm Springs, White
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

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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

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From Jaime of JAC Photography… Cecile and James are from England and planned their destination Palm Springs wedding with inspiration from websites and magazines. She chose soft oranges with pinks and soft greens, all touching on the delicate palette of the desert. For the ceremony, they had soft coral and green paper umbrellas to shield their guests from the warm desert sun. Anna Bond from Rifle Paper Company did all of the paper details, so soft and pretty for the color palette Cecile chose! They had a very intimate wedding at the O’Donnell House, which overlooks the desert. As the night approached, there were small flickering lights that lit the dance floor.

From the bride… James and I married at a 1920s Spanish-style house, O’Donnell House, that has been lovingly restored and is located in the mountains overlooking Palm Springs.  The views are absolutely beautiful.  We brought in both Spanish and Filipino-influenced traditions, as well as vintage wood signs made by Camilla Svensson Burns and hand-cut paper papel picado, as well as whimsical type-faced calligraphy and custom invitations from Rifle Paper Company.  

We live in London, England and wanted to have an outdoor reception and ceremony (not a possibility here in England, as outdoor ceremonies are not permitted).  As I had lived in southern California for a long time, California was our natural first choice for a destination wedding.  We did all of our planning from overseas and were fortunate to find and work with fantastic vendors, including our photographers, Chris and Jamie at JAC Photography, our event coordinator Laurie Lund at the Events Department, and our wonderful makeup artist Renee Lee.

Photography: JAC Photography / Wedding Coordinator: The Events Department / Stationary: Rifle Paper Co. / Venue: The O’Donnell House / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Makeup: Renee Lee / Wooden Signs: Camilla Svensson Burns / Flowers: Jensen’s Florist / Cake: Exquisite Desserts

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Post tags: California, Camilla Svensson Burns, Exquisite Desserts, JAC Photography, Jensen's, Monique Lhuillier, Palm Springs, Renee Lee, Rifle Paper C., The Events Department, The O'Donnell House
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From Celebrations of Joy!…Margaret & Patrick are a sweet caring and creative couple from LA who are both stars at DreamWorks Animation. They brought their creative talents from the big screen to the physical world of their wedding.  As fellow designers, we were ecstatic when we first met them as the ideas kept flying! They were truly committed to creating a unique, fun and happy wedding with an organic and green focus.

Using the blank canvas of the Commune Event Space of the fabulous ACE Hotel & Swim Club the vision grew from a photo Margaret had from a design magazine of organic shaggy hanging lanterns.  Knowing these could be recreated (with the help of friends and family) they became the center point of the room.  The organic desert theme was enhanced by floating sand blasted manzanita branches wrapped in lighting dancing above the tables.  Additional branches and succulent arrangements completed the décor.

The wedding had a strong green component as all the centerpieces were given as gifts to take home, the bottles holding the table numbers we recycled water bottles from the ACE, and all of the manzanita branches were re-purposed.

The DJ was a friend from Nickelodeon who rocked the house, an artsy vintage film of their engagement shoot looped all night on the Commune wall, and swimming in the private pool was a great side attraction for the kids and a few adults at the end of the evening!  The bride’s sister and the groom’s brother created a beautiful ceremony which they co-celebrated at a beautiful private estate in Palm Springs rented by the brother just for the ceremony. They met for the first time the week of the wedding!

Wedding Photography: Mi Belle Wedding Photography / Floral Design: Arrangements Floral & Party Designs / Event Design + Planning: Celebrations of Joy! / Linens: T.E. Couture Linens & Tabletop / Ceremony Venue: Cielo Estate / Reception Venue: ACE Hotel & Swim Club / Bride’s Dress: Temperley London

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Post tags: ACE Hotel & Swim Club, Arrangements Floral Design, California Weddings, Celebrations of Joy, Cielo Estate, Desert Wedding, Mi Belle Wedding Photography, Palm Springs, Rustic Wedding
Post categories: The Blog

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From Details Details…The couple wanted a fun, youthful wedding with lots of color and personality. While The Parker Hotel has a Moroccan flair with a Jonathan Adler influence, Sunny from White Lilac was still able to achieve organic glamour.  She selected natural but sexy garden flowers in gradations of purples, the bride’s favorite color.  Floral consisted of purple lisianthus, purple lady slipper orchids, black callas, burgundy hydrangeas, enhanced with mustard billy balls.  Texture was created with scabies pods, grey succulents and dusty miller.  Flowers were carefully placed into eclectic white ceramic jars and trays while colored glass Moroccan lanterns and colored poofs filled the ceremonial tree.

Wedding Coordinator: Jeannie Savage of Details Details / Make-up: Lettie Mix / Hair Stylist: Michael of Jose Neira Salon / Officiant: Chris Sonksen / Ceremony Music: Friends of Bride and Groom / Entertainment: Tim Hampton, DJ Stylez / Floral Design, Rentals + Linens: Sunny Ravanbach of White Lilac Inc. & La Tavola Linen / Lighting: PSAV / Wedding Photography: Christine Bentley Photography / Wedding Videography: Rick of Illusionary Films / Venue: The Parker

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Post tags: California Weddings, Chirs Sonksen, Christine Bentley Photography, Details Details, DJ Stylez, Illusionary Films, Jose Neira Salon, Lettie Mix Make-up, Palm Springs, PSAV, White Lilac Inc.
Post categories: California Weddings, Palm Springs Weddings

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From ARTISAN, Event • Floral • Décor, LLC…..Stacie and Paul happened to be in town while touring The Viceroy Palm Springs and gave me a call knowing that it was last minute to stop by. I said you get me the way I am today, we had a big laugh on that!  They expressed their desire for style and creativity with colors of hot pink, black and white… and together we came up with a plan.

Scouring the fabric district of LA I came across a black and white leather fabric which was ultra-swank with super style.  I showed it to Stacie and Paul and they loved it. We used this to create the framework of what would hold the design of the wedding together.  I suggested they incorporate the pattern into elements of the wedding.  They could use it as a border on the invitation, the border on the place card, the place card box itself (which we created and completed with a pave of pink carnations with silver picks for the place cards), the design on the cake and the actual runners on the table… super cool!

Another design element was a chandelier, which was on the invitation.  We had a trio of ARTISAN white crystal chandeliers hanging over the long family tables that were covered in pink peonies, hot pink hydrangea, Esther roses and staggered candle stands with white floating candles. We used hot pink organza drapes to create a dramatic entrance to the courtyard.  The Viceroy Presidio, with its lush green grass was the perfect setting to dine under the stars.

Stacie and Paul listened when I told them the first dance was truly a special moment, they learned a spectacular dance and took it a step further and entered to “Dirty Bit” Black Eyed Peas, in sunglasses, family and friends were on their feet with excitement. The evening was stylized elegance with candlelight, romance and FLOWERS AS ART!

Floral Design, Inspiration + Coordination: ARTISAN, Event • Floral • Décor, LLC / Wedding Photography: Mi Belle Photography / DJ: Chris Paul / Catering + Location: The Viceroy Hotel / Wedding Cake: Pastry Swan

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Post tags: ARTISAN Event Floral Decor, California Weddings, Destination Weddings, Mi Belle Photography, Palm Springs, Pastry Swan, The Viceroy Hotel
Post categories: Contemporary, Destination Weddings

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From the Bride…After getting engaged in Palm Springs, Adam and I looked around, saw palm trees, blue skies, and gorgeous mountains, and decided that getting married there would be a fantastic idea.  The Parker quickly became the perfect place to do it. We wanted something that would showcase the beauty of Palm Springs and show our guests why it’s such a special place for us. We also wanted a venue interesting enough for our friends and elegant enough for our parents. For us, The Parker had it all.

We wanted our wedding to have a modern California feel. Our color palette was coral, whites/creams and green. My bridesmaids wore coral, (They all wore the exact same dress! Old fashioned, maybe. But I loved it.) which was the perfect compliment to the lush greens of The Parker. We made sure that the coral color ran through all elements of the wedding. From the letter-pressed invitations to the outstanding flowers (created by Kate from Flowerwild).  Amy and Stuart did such an amazing job with our photography. Some of our favorite photos were taken at the cocktail reception. We strung lanterns up through the trees and the sun was just beginning to set. Everyone looks so happy and relaxed in these photos and they just perfectly capture the joy and the vibe of the day.  It was our family and friends and family-friends who really made our wedding day what it was. So many people made the trip to Palm Springs to help us celebrate, and that was truly the best part of the weekend. And the band. The band was pretty kick-a too.  One year later, we still can’t stop talking about our big day. It really was, and remains, the very best day of our lives.

One of our favorite things was the wedding favor we gave our guests. The Parker was designed by Jonathan Adler and Adam found these great little vases he also designed, so we incorporated them into our place settings and asked each person to take one home. (I think we completely cleaned out their stock for months!) It’s so fun to see them on display in people’s houses and such a great reminder of our awesome day!

Ceremony + Reception Location: The Parker / Wedding Coordinator: Save The Date Events, Kathy Recchia / Wedding Photography: Amy and Stuart Photography / Officiant: Rabbi Marc Rubenstein / Florist: Flowerwild, Kate Holt / Ceremony + Cocktail Hour Music: West Coast Music / Band: West Coast Music – Cowling Band / Wedding Videography: Epoch Productions / Hair + Make-up: Hair: Psyc at The Parker (Jose Mirras + Neerja) / Lighting: Bella Vista Designs, Inc / Groom’s Attire: Ermenegildo Zegna / Tailor: Garrison Bespoke / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Invitations: Bella Figura / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy & Stuart Photography, Ballroom, Bella Figura, Bella Vista Design, California Weddings, Epoch Productions, Ermenegildo Zegna, Flowerwild, Garrison Bespoke, Jenny Yoo, Jimmy Choo, Palm Springs, Save the Date Events, The Parker, West Coast Music
Post categories: Contemporary, The Blog

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From Erin Hearts Court…For the wedding day, the two had decided to base their ceremony on the important aspects from both Ben’s and Tim’s favorite traditions, including a number of elements from Jewish weddings.  Tim had long chided Ben for his “signature color” orange sunglasses, watch, shoes, cookware, and keepsakes; so it was only a natural that orange feature prominently along with Tim’s purple into the tulips and hyacinths, lighted LED waterbead vases, water bottles, and even orange and purple yamikas.  They had water bottles with custom labels telling vignettes about how they met (collect all four!), and instead of place cards, made tins of custom printed M&M’s in orange and purple, each displaying a photo of this or that groom or the event date, and covered with a label indicating the guest’s name and table assignment.   As guests walked in, they were greeted with French 75’s – Tim’s signature cocktail – to get the festive mood started.  But when the ceremony began with the stiffly traditional Trumpet Voluntary, one close friend stood up and put a stop to the ceremony.  “What’s this music?  This is supposed to be a GAY wedding!” he shouted.  On cue, the DJ changed it up to the Glee Cast singing Marry Me, and the couple’s friends danced in, pair by pair, to everyone’s delight.

During their ceremony, the grooms stood under a chuppah made from Ben’s tallit as their longtime friend Larry officiated with notes on his iPad; and seven friends and family members each offered their own blessings to the couple.  They also continued a tradition from Tim’s family:  sealing in a box a special private letter from each to the other along with a bottle of wine, to be read only if the marriage should ever be on the brink (hopefully never); or else to celebrate at their 25th anniversary (and they’ve already booked the Colony Palms Hotel for everyone to come celebrate in 2036).  But the best part, according to all the guests, were the stories that Tim and Ben read aloud to one another under the chuppah:  while they hadn’t compared notes beforehand, the two echoed each other fatefully and deeply meaningfully, as they put into relief the surprise and gratitude each felt to be with the other.  Tim, a master of sentimentality, even commented that he had saved the cocktail napkin Ben wrote notes on the night they met in 2004… and then produced it from his pocket to wipe a tear from Ben’s eyes right there.  At the end of the ceremony, Tim fulfilled the tradition of breaking a glass with his foot – in this case an orange “signature colored” wine glass that Tim’s sister had given Ben –and the officiant ceremoniously announced that “You may now change your Facebook relationship status to married.”

Champagne was passed to guests as they migrated from the ceremony lawn to the poolside to start cocktails at dusk, before candlelight dinner was served at tables all around the pool.  The dancing started with a firework – literally, Katy Perry’s Firework – and included side trips to play costume dress up in the photo booth, to stand and enjoy the slide show of family and friends projected on the sidewall, and to rough and tumble in the grown-up bouncy house.  At midnight, some paused to grab a milkshake or to make their own burger from the midnight burger bar; and by 2am, as though it were inevitable, guests ended up in the pool – in a mix of dresses, suits, and skivvies.  And then, on Sunday, the two hosted all the guests at the luxe Palm D’Or residence on the property for an all-day open house, with a rotating menu of new meals and specialty cocktails every two hours. Friends came, ate, mingled, and meandered back to the pool and back to the house for more quality time.  For Tim and Ben, the most important part was getting to spend so much time with people who are so important in their lives.  But the ultimate compliment was the number of people who summed it up with this:  “I’m going to have to go to more gay Jewish weddings.”

Wedding Photography: Erin Hearts Court / Venue + Catering: Colony Palms Hotel / Florist + Chuppah: David Rohr Floral Studio / Lighting: Event Illuminations / Paper Goods: Minted / DJ: Rick Dominguez / Photo Booth: Action Photo Booth / Design (Programs, Event Brochures, Custom Etched Glass + Candles, Etc.): Kocher Design / Bounce House: Armando / Sitters: Celebrity Sitters / Tim’s Attire: Paul Smith, Stefano Ricci, Hugo Boss + Cole Haan / Ben’s Attire: Paul Smith, Kiton + Santoni

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Post tags: Action Photo Booth, Armando, California Weddings, Celebrity Sitters, Cole Haan, Colony Palms Hotel, David Rohr Floral Studio, Erin Heart's Court, Event Illuminations, Hugo Boss, Kiton, Kocher Design, Minted, Palm Springs, Paul Smith, Santoni, Stefano Ricci
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Palm Springs Weddings