The best is yet to come, come the day that you're mine
Come the day that you're mine
I'm gonna teach you to fly
We've only tasted the wine
We're gonna drain that cup dry
Wait till your charms are right, for the arms to surround
You think you've flown before, but you ain't left the ground
Wait till you're locked in my embrace
Wait till I hold you near
Wait till you see that sunshine place
There ain't nothin' like it here
The best is yet to come, and won't that be fine
- Frank Sinatra

Dreaming of Summertime!

As spoiled as I may sound to some of you across the country, I'm just going to say it...I'm over winter! I know in Southern California I don't deal with the true reality of the season, BUT, it is chilly here. I've been spending my days dreaming of sundresses, flip flops and super fresh from the garden dinner parties. So today is my tribute to the backyard dinner party held only in the sultry summers of Southern California.

 grape salsa on goat cheese crostini market green salad butternut squash galette lemon fish and grilled corn polenta peach creme with gingersnap crust hibiscus tea punch

We are planning a destination wedding and want to bring in our own photographer, but the venue charges us a fee if we don't use one of their photographers. Why is this?This answer is likely to get me shunned by hotels that specialize in destination weddings, however, the reason for the fee is because the photographers they refer pay a commission to the venue for each booking. If you bring in your own photographer, they lose out on this commission and pass this loss on as an expense to the couple. This being said, there are always pros and cons of hiring a photographer who has shot at the venue, so do keep that in mind, but essentially it is to make up for lost revenue.

Something New

Well, if you are like most lucky brides out there you probably already have lots and lots of "something new", but just in case, here are a few of my favorite items out there right now. Next week, you guessed, "something borrowed"...

Oh, Elizabeth Dye, how do I love thee...so much so that if I were to say my vows again, you would be a major contender.
A shoulder wrap from Modern Romance PDX would be all mine.
I dream of this Rosette Clutch from Anthropolgie
A spin on the classic pearl earring would be on the must have list...
I don't know how one can even marry these days without a little trinket from Twigs and Honey...
What's a bride without her shoes and these lil' beauties make me melt...
Lingerie from Claire Pettibone is definitely on my "something new" wish list and I'm not even getting married!
I'm not so much a garter girl, but if I were, a custom made garter of the sweetest lace would be my choice from The Garter Lady.

Wish Upon A Wedding

I am delighted to announce that I have just joined the board of the LA Chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding. Wish Upon a Wedding is America's only wedding wish granting organization which will be granting weddings and civil union ceremonies at locations throughout the United States to couples facing life-threatening medical conditions. The founding chapter began in Northern California and they have JUST expanded to Southern California. I'll be on the board with some major talent in the industry including Dana LaRue from Broke Ass Bride, Kevin Covey of "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway" fame and Leila Khalil of Be Inspired PR. Like or not, I'll be keeping everyone up to date on our do gooding and progress of the new chapter and maybe even a few of our events throughout the year. In the meantime, to find out more about the organization, click here...

I'm Engaged! Now What?: Part Four

You have your budget, you've hired your team and you now know to some extent what your day is going to look like. Now comes the logistics. You will definitely touch on the subject of ceremony start time, when dinner will be served and so on throughout the planning, but during the final weeks of the planning you will polish and refine the specifics. Here are some of the things to think about during the final stages of planning:

~Spend some time with your planner, caterer and photographer discussing the timeline.
~Work with your venue coordinator, planner and florist to finalize the floor plan for the day.
~Discuss the overall logistics of the wedding weekend with your family and wedding party, making sure to include things like start times for the rehearsal, hair & makeup and photography on your wedding party and family timeline.
~And, lastly, enjoy your wedding day. Do not plan to do anything on your day except look beautiful, relax, oh, and, of course, get married!

Now, that I have completely simplified the process and overwhelmed you all at once, I wish each of you happy planning! I promise that the process really will be a lot of fun if you can stay organized, take one thing at a time and maintain perspective. Congratulations again and I hope you make many amazing memories in 2010!

Real Life Bride: Week 12

"Mother of the Bride" is such a special and important role, I thought I'd take some time to talk about my mom. I would imagine as the mother of two daughters she has been waiting for this for 28 years (since Laura was born, not me!). It did take a couple weeks for her to really get into the wedding planning, but now that it's all sunk in, the holidays are over, and her extensive kitchen remodel is complete, she is ready to plan and shop! My mom and I have a very similar taste and she isn't overbearing on any aspects of the wedding (EVEN the guest list), so I consider myself very lucky! It's great to have her to talk things over with and help with any decisions, particularly when it comes to registering; I have minimal domesticity skills and definitely minimal cooking skills!

The most entertaining "mom" thing so far, though, is the fact that she already purchased shoes for the wedding...and she doesn't even have a dress yet! Since we already got my dress, she has happily moved on to the search for her dress to match her perfect shoes. She has probably emailed me at least 10 outfit possibilities, but I think ultimately we'll take some time and visit a store to see what these all look like in person. Luckily we have plenty of time - let the search begin!

This week in planning, other than finalizing the details for the engagement party, we purchased wedding insurance. In addition to the liability insurance that the venue requires, my mom thought it was really important to get event insurance as well in case of any unforseen acts of nature that cause the wedding to be postponed. With our venue being outdoors and in the hills of Malibu (which have been known to be prone to fires), we thought we'd be better off purchasing the insurance and not having to worry - because I just know that if we said, "oh it'll be fine" it would for sure be a fire year! Better safe than sorry...


I don't think I've said it yet, but we are getting married at the gorgeous Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu. We will be exchanging vows at the lovely and intimate (100 guests maximum) Vineyard Setting.

Other than that we booked and sent deposits for the DJ and Valet. It is no joke that you can spend up to 50% of the wedding budget during the initial months of planning!

"But I love your feet
only because they walked
upon the earth and upon
the wind and upon the waters,
until they found me."

— Pablo Neruda

We All Scream for Ice Cream

My birthday is this weekend, which means, as much as I love to entertain, I will be taking a day off to let my family spoil me. I didn't want to leave you without, so today I am posting all about my personal favorite food, ice cream! Now, I know a lot of you can relate, because many of my current clients are looking for creative ways to incorporate this treat into their own big day. Here are a few thoughts that would work at an event as simple as a birthday party or even at an event as significant as someone's once in a lifetime celebration...









From top to bottom: good old fashioned bowl of chocolate ice cream with fresh berries, Banana Split from Hostess with the Mostess, Pie Ala Mode via Canelle Vanille , any ole' ice cream cocktail would work like this minty Grasshopper courtesy of the Food Network, , the cutest ice cream cones ever from Amour Amour, Canelle Vanille's Rasperry & vanilla ice cream sandwiches, Mini Berry Milkshakes from 101 Cookbooks, Eat Drink Chic's super sweet "Make Your Own Sundae Bar", Classic Root Beer Floats, What my ice cream dish typically looks like...

Do we HAVE to assign seats for dinner at the reception?I HIGHLY recommend assigning tables for your reception. There is nothing that says you must assign actual seats once they get to the table, but help your guests out by telling them which table to go to. If you don't assign seats, you will run the risk of having those few guests who waited too long to sit down and now are either sitting at a table all by themselves or amongst complete strangers. And, there is nothing more frustrating than coming to a wedding with your family and realizing at dinner time that there is no room for you to sit together.

Something Old

For the next few weeks, I thought I'd share a few tips on how to gracefully incorporate the age old tradition of "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue". First up are a few ideas for how to fit "something old" into the wedding day...

Vintage and Heirloom jewelry is always a way to add charm to your attire. Antique shops, flea markets and even your grandma's jewelry box are great places to find pieces that fit your style. The ones below were found on Etsy from The Intrinsic Garden.


Tying old pictures of your grandparents on their wedding day or ornate lockets around your bouquet can not only be lovely but definitely meets the requirement.

Image from Love Luck and Angels.

Or a brooch accenting the bouquet can be just as sweet...

Or, if you are a little riskier, a bouquet like this one from Fantasy Florals, made entirely of vintage brooches is to die for...

Vintage hankies are a no brainer! Etsy has many on their sites like these I found on Mutant Angel's shop, but it is also so easy to find beautiful handkerchiefs at flea markets and consignment shops.
An old fashioned compact mirror from Step Toes Dog will make sure you look your loveliestSweet vintage wraps or pashminas can not only be beautiful but functional if you are planning an outdoor wedding or even just a few pictures in the elements.

Image by James Christianson

Vintage bobby pins or hair pins are too sweet to wear only on your wedding day. La Belle Savage has several to choose from!

Who doesn't love a bird cage veil?! They're obviously lots of brand spankin' new options out there for these little cuties, but it is also an area where you could go vintage and get a veil straight out the 1960's.