I Heart Laura & Craig

Today I'm coming down off of the high that was Laura & Craig's wedding weekend. Craig and Laura are this super amazing East Coast couple who have been in West Hollywood for years now. She's a writer for a Family Guy spinoff and they are friends with the guys from Coldplay so needless to say the whole thing was fun, hip and all around, just very LA. Of course, I don't have pictures yet, but below are some shots from the venue and since I just can't wait, I want to share my top 10 favorite details of the weekend:

10. ROAST & TOAST: Friday night was a rehearsal dinner slash welcome party for their guests who literally traveled from all over the world including Africa, Dubai, Europe and of course the East Coast. They had been planning a roast from the very beginning which sounded like fun, but when I got the list of speakers (over 30), I became a bit nervous. I mean, who really wants to listen to 30 people speak in one evening? But, my oh my, was I wrong. The night went past midnight with friends telling stories, seranading and showing the couple some all around love. It was truly amazing!

9. FIGUEROA HOTEL: Oh, the venue...I can't say enough. It's like stepping into Morroco. In fact many Hollywood movies which were supposed to be set in Morocco have been filmed in the halls of this hotel. All, I can say is wow! And since, I know I can't do it justice, I have inserted pictures below. AMAZING!!!

8. DOUGHBOYS RED VELVET CAKE: Yum! Definitely not known for his design skills but this red velvet cake was scrumptious with the thickest, richest cream cheese icing in Los Angeles. Oprah even raved about it a couple of years ago.

7. MOROCCAN LANTERNS IN LIEU OF FLOWERS: In effort to keep Laura and Craig's budget under wraps, I cannot tell you exactly how much they saved on flowers, but by choosing one of LA's best kept secrets which included lavish silk and beaded table runners, rustic wood furniture and candles and Moroccan lanterns EVERYWHERE, we were able to create an entirely different world for the guests and very, very few flowers were hurt in the making.

6. CHUPPAH QUILT: The chuppah was also amazing. Several months ago, the couple sent out quilting squares to select members of the family and each designed a square which then was sewn into the chuppah for the ceremony. It was so much fun for each of the guests to find their square and it is a meaningul token that Laura and Craig will keep forever.


5. THE BASTIA: And the cous cous, soup harira and filet of sole...and all of the items that made up the traditional moroccan feast. With servers dressed in Moroccan costumes and dinner served on flamboyant china in rich jewel tones, it was truly an experience.

4. SUPERNOVA QUARTET: Speaking of being in love, I couldn't love this group anymore. With the sounds of GNR, Coldplay and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" coming out of the classic string quartet, is just something you can't miss out on. I personally just like sitting in the background watching the guests as they realize that what they thought was just the typical stuffy quartet is actually playing Beyonce's "Crazy in Love", which incidentally was the song the couple exited the ceremony to. The group also has rewritten some funky versions of old classics like Canon in D, Winter and Air on G String that will make your heart stop. Check them out immediately!

3. HEIFER INTERNATIONAL: For those of you who know me you know that I don't really love wedding favors. They are typically impersonal and something that guests are going to throw away as soon as they are out of your sight. This being said, I really try to steer my clients into one of two things...1. something that helps carry out the feel or 2. something very personal or meaningful. Laura and Craig certainly went with the meaningful approach. They purchased livestock and donated it to communities to help establish a sustainable food supply by providing milk, eggs and meat. They did all of this though a program called Heifer International and I know every guest there was so much happier to know the money went to something other than a refrigerator magnet with the couple's picture on the front. At a time when our society says everything should be all about you, this couple made sure to think of what they could do for others as they celebrated all of their blessings in life.

2. PERCUSSIONISTS: So after a candlelit Moroccan feast, percussionists lead a very sexy, very chic congo line down to the Room Tangier which was a Moroccan lounge with floor pillows, sexy sheer draping everywhere and the sounds of percussionists accompanying DJ Shark as he kept the dance floor moving until 2am. Can I just say sexy one more time please? It was hot!

1. THE KIPPOTS FROM UGANDA: Going back to the caring nature of this couple just once more, the Kippots or Yalmukas were handmade in Uganda by a woman known in her town as Mama Rebecca. The Kippots are the best quality I have seen yet and the price is very comparable to what you would find a low quality kippot for here in LA. I'll have much more to come on her services, but if you are in need, shoot Mama Rebecca and email at reukal36@yahoo.com or srianprincess@gmail.com. She needs about a three month lead time.

There it is! My top 10 list from this weekend's amazing, amazing, amazing affair. I cannot wait to share the pictures. They are from the talented Jennifer Roper and I know they will be unbelievable.

Congratulations Laura & Craig! It was such an honor to be part of your day.



Here's the site where ceremony and dinner went down:

Cocktail hour on an outdoor veranda surrounded by bouganvilla and LA skyscrapers. What more could you want?!

The amazing Room Tangier...

Asia & Eddie : Kahala Resort & Spa : Oahu

I wanted to share a few images from Asia & Eddie's destination wedding in Honolulu. These two were so much fun and the day was just beautiful!! It was held at the Kahala Resort & Spa, one of my favorite places to work in the islands. The service, the atmosphere, the food...pure glamour!

The bride's top priority were the florals and she wanted a feel that reflected the islands with a more subtle approach, so we enlisted Fong of Floral Inspirations and she did just that. With the juicy citrus tones and the touches of coral and beachwood, Fong definitely didn't disappoint. If you ever find yourself planning a wedding on Oahu, Fong is a MUST! For anyone who follows my work, she is also the florist of Judy & Albert's featured wedding from my website and Style Me Pretty. Her work is lavish without being overdone, and is ALWAYS interesting. I just love her!

The ceremony took place on the oceanfront lawn near the resort's wedding gazebo. Afterwards the guests were lead by ukulele to the resort's ballroom which overlooks tropical gardens, a waterfall and dolphin pools. It was a hit! The group had an extravagant dinner following by dancing the night away to Oahu's best DJ, Teley Brandon of ShowTime DJs.

Images are by the amazing Rachel Robertson, who shoots about 90% of my destination weddings. She's wonderful!

Oh, and I have to mention the calligraphy. It was done by Laura Hooper, who I will be doing a full blog on any day now. I love Laura's work so much, I have her design everything for me, from my logo down to my business cards and press kits. She is AMAZING and can literally do anything!

The Special E

I am admittedly a bit of a conspiracy theorist. No, I don't think the government is tapping our phones and I don't have a bomb shelter tucked away "just in case", but every now and then when a new initiative comes along like the "green" movement in the events industry (and every other industry for that matter), I am a little skeptical of all of the new for-profit businesses that pop up trying to make a few dollars on something that is clearly everyone's responsibility to partake in anyways. Call me crazy, but it's an embarrassing flaw. With this being said, however, even I eventually come around and can admit that there are many good businesses out there helping the events industry be more environmentally aware and essentially "go green." The company that is currently topping my list is The Special E.

The Special E is a rescue organization that comes in at the end of your event and cleans house. They donate any unserved, leftover food to food banks, deliver all of your gorgeous flowers to hospitals and nursing homes and even go so far as to connect your trash to people who can make use of it. My favorite example is they will literally take your bottle caps to a company that will make earrings, purses, etc. out of them or your wine corks and make those great little place card holders that are so hot right now. Anyone who knows me, knows that I can be pretty resourceful and this is a effort after my own heart.

Anyway, I had the privelege of working with The Special E last month at an industry event I planned for The Knot. The event hosted LA's top event planners and professionals and while I know The Special E made a huge impact with the attendees, everyone needs to be aware of this company and their efforts. They currently offer services in over 30 markets throughout the United States and Europe and I hope they are here to stay. Their rates vary based on the scope and location of the event and of course, if you are using them for a personal event such as a wedding, shower, birthday party, etc. you can claim a charitable tax deduction for some of the items rescued. So even if you aren't planning a completely green event, do keep this company in mind not only because it's the right thing to do, but maybe you can even save a few dollars on that oh, so expensive wedding day at the same time. After all, you'll be on your honeymoon while the flowers are dying and the food is going bad. Why not give these things to someone who can really use them.

Ashley & Nick : Hotel Bel Air

The day after Nick & Ashley's wedding, I was actually very sad...No more phone calls or emails discussing the fabulousness that became Ashley & Nick's wedding day and like, all couples, all that's left are wonderful memories and the pictures.

Ashley is from Texas and Nick from LA. Together, their event was a mix of Southern California glamour, Texan tradition and Southern charm. One of the reasons I loved this event so much is because it is very rare that couples want to go with tradition and formality anymore. As many couples work so hard to ensure their wedding day reflects who they are most events I plan are so far from the textbook of what a traditional wedding used to look like, that I welcomed and loved every minute of planning Ashley & Nick's very formal affair. But, that's the beauty of weddings and my job...Every event is so very different and I get to go along for the ride.

Ashley chose pink as the main shade, but added touches of whites, taupes and browns throughout the day to ensure it didn't look too much like a bridal shower. Flowers were arranged in vintage containers and silver stands draped with crystals with vintage pressed glass candle holders everywhere. Chandeliers donned everything from the stationery to the gazebo at the ceremony and luxurious linens from Wildflower were the perfect palette for the day's design. Her cake table looked like a ball gown and the sweetheart table was accented with beads and crystals to capture the amazing lighting and candlelight. Oh, how I loved this day.

And, the venue was none other than the Hotel Bel Air. You cannot get any more charming or glamorous than this Los Angeles hideaway where they treat every couple as if they are the only ones that have ever married on their grounds. Just amazing!

Anyway, onto the lovely images by Kerry Corcoran over at David Michael Photography. Good stuff as always!




Hand lettered placecards were set a top of silver vintage trays filled with baby pink rose buds.



I just love appetizers served on rosemary skewers. Charming and approachable...





I loved the floral gobo projection on the dance floor designed by Brandon Peterson at Peterson Lighting. So romantic!


These brooches were a hit. Not only did they look amazing on the napkins, but by the end of the night every woman in the place were wearing at least one.

I just loved these chair covers from Wildflower Linens. I'm not sure you can get the full effect from the picture but they literally look like the back of a very luxurious ballgown and the rhinestone tie back was just the right touch.



The pressed glassed votive holders were the perfect accent to the day.

Love for Manuele Photography

I just love Jennifer & Brandon over at Manuele Photography. I had the pleasure of working with them on Jackie and Fred's Maui wedding a few weeks ago and they were just a dream. Great energy, no over the top egos and amazing talent! Everything you should look for in a wedding photographer. I must admit though, ever since Jackie and Fred's wedding, I have been stalking their blog waiting for just a glimpse of their chic, vintage, Hawaiian wedding. Nothing from the wedding is up yet, but I did stumble across Jackie and Fred's amazing engagement shoot that took place in Santa Barbara. Of course, the couple is so gorgeous, I will say that they had it easy with them, but these pictures capture so much...Fun, romance, silliness and more all caught forever by this lovely duo. Check out their blog when you get the chance.

Gülden and Craig : Ranch Sol Del Pacifico

Since June, I've had the pleasure of working with Gülden and Craig, a truly romantic and passionate pair of professors at rivaling universities. Being spontaneous in nature, this couple wasted no time planning their big day after their engagement in May. Nor, did they allow a short planning process stop them from making every detail their own. In the end, they went with a ceremony that was Jewish in faith to reflect the groom while also acknowledging the bride's Turkish origin in everything from the food to even the smallest of details. From the lovely cumin chickpea sauce on the salmon provided by the amazing Food Art, to the exquisite handmade Turkish fabric that served as the tallit for the ceremony and the evil eye beads that each guest took home at the end of the night, the night was unmistakenably Gülden and Craig. In the end, the event was a perfect blend of formality while still remaining approachable. And even with close to 200 guests, the event felt very intimate with guests coming from all over the world to be part of the day. It is truly a testament to what type of couple you are when your guests are willing to travel thousands of miles to celebrate your union!!

Now, onto the pictures. Check out the eye candy that is the work of Chenin Boutwell and I beg you not to stop here. You have to visit her website www.boutwellstudios.com or www.cheninboutwell.com immediately to see one of the most creative wedding photographers out there today.

I don't have all of the detail shots just yet, but I just couldn't wait to give you a teaser of this event. I'll be sure to share more very soon. Enjoy!!

















I can't go without recognizing the amazing team that pulled this day together:

Venue: Rancho Sol Del Pacifico
Catering: The one and only Food Art. My new favorite caterer in Southern California
Florals: The very talented Kate Sapienza of FlowerWild.
Linens: Creative Coverings
Rentals: A Rental Connection
Photography: Chenin Boutwell
Videography: Lansing Switch Productions

Lazy Planner's Blog

I have been so overwhelmed that I have had no time to blog. I have five amazing weddings and one great industry party I cannot wait to share with all of you, but alas the real work awaits and instead, today I will just brag about my mention on Style Me Pretty. There is not one, but two of my tablesettings up and of course about 10 other tablesettings from planners across the nation. There is so much inspiration on today's posts I couldn't help but share. Here is the link to my mentions, but don't forget to scroll down and check out the other amazing decor. Enjoy!!

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2008/10/01/wedding-table-settings-vi/
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2008/10/01/wedding-table-settings-v/