2009: A look back

Thursday, December 31, 2009

I've been so lucky this year...My career has allowed me to travel to places like Costa Rica, Mexico and Hawaii. I spent many days planning away in my favorite city ever, Santa Barbara, and I've developed what I anticipate to be lifelong relationships with some amazing families! In honor of this wonderful year, here is a look back on some of my favorite moments of the year. Happy New Year to each of you and see you in 2010!

ANGIE + BRETT : SAN YSIDRO RANCH : MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY MEG PEROTTI



HELEN + MIKE : RITZ CARLTON LAGUNA NIGUEL : DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY MARY JANE PHOTOGRAPHY




KELLY + TONY : LE MERIDIAN : CANCUN, MEXICO

CLAIRE + DAVE : PRIVATE RESIDENCE : LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY JACOB GALLERIES



DAYNA + J.C. : CASA DEL MAR : SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY SAMUEL LIPPKE


SAMANTHA + KEVIN : STONE MANOR : MALIBU, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY KORTNEE KATE

ELAINE + JEFF : SMOG SHOPPE : LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY MAX WANGER


TIFFANIE + GREG : CASA DEL MAR : SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY GAVIN HOLT



SUSIE + CURTIS : DESCANSO GARDENS : LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY B&G PHOTOGRAPHY



CLAIRE + SEAN : CALA LUNA : TAMARINDO, COSTA RICA : IMAGES BY COMFORT STUDIOS

ZOE + GRIFF : PRIVATE RESIDENCE : BRENTWOOD, CALIFORNIA

NINA + RUSSELL : SMOG SHOPPE : LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY JONATHAN CANLAS



CODY + WILL : ADAMSON HOUSE : MALIBU, CALIFORNIA : IMAGES BY JOSE VILLA


100 Brides for $100K from Alisa Benay

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Listen up ladies: Alisa Benay, one of my all time fav wedding gown designers is heading up a charitable initiative supporting the fight against breast cancer.

The 100 Brides for 100K® program is designed to raise money which will be contributed to breast cancer research and breast cancer awareness. Each year, a special Limited Edition gown will be designed. One thousand dollars from the sale of each of these gowns will be donated by Alisa Benay Bridal Couture to various organizations that conduct research toward finding a cure for breast cancer and promote breast cancer awareness. It is their hope and challenge that the retailers who sell these Limited Edition gowns will also match the contribution made by Alisa Benay Bridal Couture. By joining together, their goal is to raise at least $100,000 dollars each year to help find a cure.

If you're still searching for the perfect gown for your day, check out Alisa's amazing designs and perhaps do a good thing while you're at it.

Top 10 Trends for 2010 at Beth Helmstetter Events

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Truth be told, I'm not much of a fan of the lists of "trends" or "must haves", etc. that are floating around the web this time of the year. Mainly, because I don't believe any couple should allow a trend as defined by some arbitrary source to dictate their wedding day style. However, I am super excited about next year and think all of my brides offer so much great inspiration that I do want to share some of the commonalities I'm seeing amongst my beautiful brides:

1. Long wooden tables are still huge among my lovely brides. Some of them are bringing rounds or square tables with linens into the mix, but overall, everyone I'm working with really like the feel of the old fashioned, rustic kitchen table for their guest's dining. 2.Comfort over flash. I know if you spoke to other planners they might completely disagree, but my clients in general prefer approachable design rather than over-the-top. They are focused on creating an environment where guests can relax and enjoy rather than one overly stuffy and formal. Which, to tell you the truth, is right up my alley...
3. Smaller but more involved weddings. My brides love, love, love the details. So much so that they would rather have fewer guests attend their wedding so they can truly spoil each and every one of them. This is completely my philosophy as well, so, needless to say, I love a bride who appreciates the art of wedding design over a low quality celebration filled with acquaintances and unfriendly coworkers. 4. Destination weddings are staying in the country. While, I will take a brief moment to brag that I have some amazing international destination weddings on my calendar for next year, a majority of my destination clients are using the beauty that is the United States as the backdrop for their wedding. 5. Loose color stories. My clients rarely have wedding "colors." Instead we work with entire palettes and textures to come up with the overall design of the day. While everyone has colors that inspire them, my brides are open to the idea of pulling in colors outside of the original palette for a more complete look. 6. The vintage and rustic vibe may be here to stay. My brides love the comfort of rustic touches. From wood vases to wrought iron chandeliers, there is something nostalgic and romantic about the rustic, down to earth vibe. 7. Bollywood, anyone? On the other end of the spectrum, I also am working with several couples that are inspired by the saturated color and whimsy of Bollywood and are using this to create their wedding design. 8. True hosts and hostesses. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I truly do get to work with some of the greatest people who as a whole appreciate the art of entertaining. Most are very into anticipating the needs of their guests and gladly add small touches throughout the day to keep their guests comfortable. Umbrellas for shade, welcome beverages, scarves in case of a late night chill, etc. are almost an expectation of the couples I'm working with.9. More events surrounding the wedding celebration. It used to be that just my destination clients would host huge rehearsal dinners, cocktail parties and morning after brunches. But, lately, more and more of my brides are seeing the beauty in keeping the party going just a little longer. 10. Earth love. Since I'm based in Los Angeles, you might have already guessed that my clients just love Mother Earth and I'm noticing this practice even more in 2010. From using sustainable plants over fresh cut flowers to serving only locally raised and grown foods, my sweet clients are making a difference, one marriage at a time.

Real Life Bride: Week 8

Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas came early this year with Ryan's return on December 22 ~ just in time for the holidays!! I cleaned the apartment and decorated so that it would be "homey" for his return (practicing my domesticity), and anxiously awaited his arrival. I was so thrilled when I found out that he got an earlier flight home (returning at 8pm instead of 11pm), and even more excited when my boss told me I could come to work late the next day! We had been discussing wedding plans the entire 5 weeks that he was gone, so when he finally got home, not one word of wedding talk came up. The next night we had a holiday date and went out to dinner and to the Del Mar Holiday of Lights show. It was so nice to just hang out together again. Absence definitely did make the heart grow fonder, and I couldn't be happier that he's home!
A few days later we traveled up to LA on Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with my family. We have a Christmas Eve gathering with the neighbors, followed by presents and breakfast Christmas morning at my parents', and finally Christmas dinner at my grandma's. My guess is it was a little overwhelming for Ryan (since he's usually working, he's only done Christmas Eve with us before), but he knows everyone in the family and how crazy we all are, so it was all fun. Perhaps next year we can both get time off and spend some of the holiday with Ryan's family in Texas!Before his return and the holiday family fun, though, I met with a possible ceremony/cocktail hour musician and also a DJ for the reception. I've always envisioned traditional, classical music for the ceremony, and I think it will be very romantic at our venue. But I don't really know what songs to use for what parts of the ceremony. We will basically only need a song for the seating of the family/bridesmaids and then another one for my walk down the aisle and then a final song for the recessional. Basic enough? Well I can't even select those three! I have long wanted to walk down the aisle to Pachebel's "Canon in D," but now that I have to actually choose, I just don't know! I also love the score from "The Notebook," so I might try to use "On the Lake" or "Main Title" from that (brides don't forget that then you have to figure in learning fees for the musicians). My sister sent me a link to a "Wedding Song Library" on Project Wedding, and I've parused these kinds of libraries many times, but it's not really helpful when they list practically every love song in every single category (processional, bridesmaids, bride's entrance, candle lighting, recessional, etc.) ~ looking at 100 songs doesn't make it any easier! Fortunately this is one of those things that can wait until much closer to the wedding...hopefully in 10 months time I can figure it out!

As far as the DJ is concerned, I know fairly little about music and what's "good" or "not good" ~ I just want a fun time for us and our guests. Luckily you only need to "suggest" about half the songs you would want during the reception (and I'm sure we could even give no songs and the DJ would do just fine), and I've already commissioned two of my good friends to create a killer playlist for the dancing portion of the night. Now we just have to figure out a first dance song...another tricky venture since neither of us like the spotlight OR dancing!

Planning summary:
Venue - booked
Photog - booked
Bride's stylist - booked
DJ - booked
Dress - purchased
Bridesmaid dresses/shoes - purchased
Caterer - on hold; tasting early 2010
Florist - 2nd meeting January 2010
Ceremony musician - deciding

Sunday, December 27, 2009

I don't care what religion you come from or where you grew up, there is something about the holidays that makes most people take inventory. Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or others, I think we all like to head into the new year with a fresh pair of eyes in an effort to make the most of it. Enter, Operation NICE, which is a blog about everyday niceties that most people take for granted. It's such a simple but lovely concept perfect for the last "simple Sunday" of the decade. And, while, I know I will have days where I forget the impact these simple acts can have on people, the writer's reminders are so relevant to me during this time of year when we are all trying our darndest to start fresh. I highly recommend getting your dose of warm and fuzzy from this blog when you have a moment. And, if you don't have the time to get over to her blog, some of her readers put together this list of very simple acts that you can do to make someone's day a little better and brighter:

# Give at least one sincere compliment a day and it doesn't have to be much. Tell someone they have a nice smile, or you like their shoes or you envy their patience. If you look for it, you can find something positive to say about anyone.

# If you buy something from a vending machine, leave the change in the change thingy for the next person. It's funny how someone finding an unexpected quarter makes their day.

# Make a bunch of small little notes that have positive messages like "Have a nice day!" or "Someone loves you" and hide them around a public area for random strangers to find. This is a good project for those who have kids.

# Overtip your waitress.

# Give an extra $5 when you pay for something (retail, fast food restaurant) and ask that they apply it to the next person in line.

# If you pack lunches for your loved one, stick a small note telling them to have a great day. Similarly, hide small love letters in your significant others pockets/bags/jackets.

# Clear the snow off a neighbor's car after a big snowfall.

# When you see a mom with a stroller going into a building - hold the door for her. She'll appreciate it more than you'll know!

# Send a random e-Card to someone you haven't talked to in a while for no special reason.

# Put an extra nickel, dime or quarter in a parking meter for someone.

# Leave flowers anonymously at a neighbors', May Day style.

# Make eye contact with people and smile.

# Wave when someone lets you merge on the road.

# Let someone who has five items at the grocery store go in front of you and your cart full of items.

# Pay the toll of the car driving behind you.

# Holiday season is a great time to recognize people who are underappreciated...leave some homemade goodies in your mailbox with a thank you note for your postal carrier.

# Buy a current bestseller and donate it to the local library.

# Give blood to the Red Cross.

# When a waitress or other service person has been exceptional, let their manager know.

# If you take walks around the neighborhood, bring along a bag and pick up trash as you go.

# During the holidays, bring some hot chocolate or coffee to the bell ringers who are standing outside in cold weather.

# Thank a co-worker or employee out of the blue for there hard work.

# Let someone turn left when the light turns green because there is a long line of traffic behind you.

# Give a child's old toys to a shelter every holiday season instead of trashing them.

# Buy a homeless person some water on a hot day.

# Let someone pregnant or older sit in your seat when none are available.

# Thank your spouse, significant other, roommate, mom, etc. whenever they prepare a meal for you. It shows great appreciation.

# When making dinner, double the recipe and deliver dinner to a neighbor.

# Offer your mail carrier, trash man or anyone else working out side on a hot day a bottle of water.

# When someone you come in contact with is doing a good job, tell them


Oh, and just in case some of you were looking forward to your Sunday snippet, here is my wish for all of you in the new year:

"Health, wealth & love. And, the time to enjoy them..."
~Anonymous

New Year's Eve Cocktails

Saturday, December 26, 2009


Remember how I said I don't really drink? Well, New Year's Eve is one of those exceptions I mentioned. If I were hosting a New Year's Eve bash this year, my bar would be full of nothing but the classics and champagne cocktails. Any of the following are definitely worthy options for ringing in 2010. Oh, and if you need a bit to eat, a great charcuterie board with honey still on the comb, crusty breads, fresh berries and dark chocolate truffles would all be must haves on the menu. Happy New Year!







From Top to Bottom: Gin Fizz, Kir Royale, Side Car, Vodka Gimlet, Manhattan, Lambrusco, Bellini, Elderflower Champagne Cocktail, Gibson Martini, Irish Creme on the Rocks