Wedding Wednesday~ Matt and Shandi

On a beautiful day in September, fireman Matt and his gorgeous bride Shandi said their I-Do’s in front of all of their family and friends.  Cute story on how they met.  Shandi’s mom made her go meet Matt since he was a new neighbor to them.  Shandi, being the good daughter that she was (ok, she secretly knew if she didn’t listen and go over there and meet her new neighbors her mom would embarrass her, so she listened–GO MOM) she went over and met Matt.  As she said, “I went from living with my parents to living across the street from my parents. Glad dating the neighbor worked out in my favor because if it didn’t, someone was going to have to move.”  I love stories like this!

The wedding theme was Old Hollywood Vintage and held at the legendary Sportsmen’s Lodge. It was full of personal touches from decor to the wedding cake/cupcakes being made by the bride and her mother! Each guest got a cupcake and the bride MADE her own cake (talented? yes!)!  What a talent and how memorable for her special day!

As taken from the Sportmen’s Lodge & Events Website: “First impressions will tell you that you have arrived at a memorable location designed for extraordinary occasions.

The exemplifies the beauty of the great outdoors – with its towering redwoods, ponds, waterfalls, scenic gardens, spacious decks and gazebos – to the architectural details of our ten event rooms, most of which feature built-in stages, dance floors and bars. (see Types of Venues for descriptions, photos and floor plans)

The has long been a tradition in the San Fernando Valley, and is known all over the world. Recently renovated to its former splendor, the is a vision of sleek modern while still retaining its historic charm.

Whether you are planning an intimate rehearsal dinner or an extravagant wedding ceremony and reception, a birthday party or an anniversary celebration, a cultural or religious gathering, a corporate event or a class reunion — we welcome you to experience the perfect location.”

These goregous images were taken by Brian Baker Photography.

Again, CONGRATULATIONS to our gorgeous couple Mat and Shandi and thanks for sharing your story with us!!  Shandi said it best when she commented on her flowers, “My lowers were the perfect touch and everything I had envisioned for our special day!”

Photogrpahy: Brian Baker Photography

Florals: Petals by Xavi

Location: Sportsmen Lodge and Event Center

Pimp Your Florist…

So we got the word that one of our brides “Pimped” us on Project Wedding’s site!  We were happy to read this and see what she posted!  We got the amazing images and tomorrow we are going to feature this couple in our Wedding Wednesday post.  Check out her “Pimp Your Florist” post on the Project Wedding Site:

Who did you hire to do your flowers? Petals by Xavi

Why did you hire them? My consultant Judith was amazing. We clicked right away. And the package was an amazing offer.

What is/was your floral budget? We didn’t have a budget, but we spent $3400.

My bouquet:

BM Bouquets:

 

Thanks so much Shandi for “Pimping” us!  We loved it!

DIY Monday–Flower Wall

DIY: Wedding Day Flower Wall

Prepare to swoon. We are so in love with this wedding day décor! Thank to A Beautiful Mess Blog for this amazing idea. Bride and Groom Elsie & Jeremy made the wall together for their ceremony. Presh!

Being a florist we usually design a couple of beautiful altar or arch pieces to enhance your ceremony, however, for those of you who aren’t as in to florals or are feeling extra crafty (with a little bit of time on your hands) give this a whirl:

Not only is it 3-dimensional, it also brings out the richness of the jewel tones of the bridesmaids (check out their sweet tights):

There are a lot of different types of tissue used  in the mix. First there are paper fans or accordion flowers the bride purchased from Bake It Pretty. They are inexpensive and usually around 12 inches wide, so they cover space well. The biggest bulk of the back drop is made with tissue paper pom poms. Here’s how to make them:

1.  Gather five or seven or nine (must be an odd number to get this look) pieces of tissue paper in two monochromatic shades (pinks & yellows, greens & blues) that compliment each other and cut them three times as long as they are wide. You’ll also need some twine or embroidery thread. 2. With your papers stacked, fold them into a fan like so. 3. Trim off the ends at an angle for a petal effect. 4. Tie it together in the middle with your knot and extra string on the edge of the color you want at the top. I wanted yellow at the top of mine. 5. Fan out and pinch around the knotted area in between the folds to help it stay fanned. 6. Very gently, start peeling your layers down. Do them one side at a time so it all looks even when you’re done. Your middle layer should stick out in the center but you can peel it to the top or bottom a little here and there to make it look a little more like a flower. (http://smileandwave.typepad.com/)

 So easy! And inexpensive!

Elsie says: The pom poms Elsie made for their backdrop are just a slight variation of this method. Because one side will lay flat against the wall, you don’t have to fluff out both sides, You can experiment with slightly different techniques when cutting the petals to create different looks  (ie- some of the flowers on their backdrop have a more rounded (scalloped) petal or a deeper fringe.)

The tricky part is hanging this masterpiece up. Elsie and Jeremy nailed and adhered them directly to the wall. Since this isn’t possible on most walls, Elsie recommends cutting a huge cardboard backing (as wide and tall as you want your entire piece) and the using hot glue to adhere all your flowers. Then just use a few nails to secure it to the wall, causing minimal damage. Other elements that they included in their backdrop were fringe flowers cut from plastic bags, feathers and fabric squares. We recommend sticking with a general color scheme that has some room for variety.

Elsie says: “I hope this tutorial has been helpful! Remember, a smaller scale version would be super cute for a photo booth or party table. xo. Elsie”

Love that this couple not only did it themselves but did it together! We know that a lot of venues may not allow something like this but we had to share-good luck and happy crafting!

Feature Friday- Rachelle & Randall-Hotel Maya July Wedding

Feature Friday- Rachelle & Randall-Hotel Maya July Wedding

This week’s feature is Rachelle & Randall, one of my upcoming couples for a July 27th wedding at Hotel Maya. This San Diego based couple drove up to meet with me in Orange County and we instantly hit it off. The groom grew up and went to the same high school in WA that I taught and coached volleyball at-small world! And the bride came with her binder and computer files ready to go, making the vision easy to comprehend and implement. I have the privilege of being their florist AND their coordinator!

Hotel Maya is one of my favorite locations in Long Beach! It is right on the water, with views of a gorgeous Long Beach skyline, the Queen Mary and the Pacific Ocean! It’s modern Latin-inspired décor and bold colors create a romantic and elegant setting for any wedding or event.

“The hotel’s outdoor wedding pavilion creates the perfect backdrop for any wedding ceremony with ocean & city views, lush palm trees, cozy fire pits, a tropical waterfall, and romantic views all on 11 acres of waterfront property.” (The Wedding Bee)

To go along with the Maya’s décor, Rachelle is using deep blues and oranges for her florals. We are incorporating palm leaves, curly willow branches, blue hydrangea, orange orchids and orange calla lilies into her bouquets and centerpieces. She’s also tying in a beach theme-so fun!

We’ll also be hanging kissing balls down the aisle and reusing them inside her reception.

Rachelle & Randall recently took their engagement pictures with the talented Kelly from True Bliss Photography. I am so fortunate to have multiple weddings booked with Kelly and am so in love with her work. The session began at the quaint Orfila Winery in San Diego and finished at the beautiful Solano Beach near San Diego.

Great job Kelly! Congrats Rachelle & Randall! I can’t wait for your wedding in July!

♥Angie

Wedding of the Week~ Ceremony Magazine Feature

Congratulations to one of our couples Sheli and Colin NcNeil!  They were featured in Ceremony Magazine, the LA Edition.  We are honored and excited for them!  This wedding was a breath-taking and a very memorable day! Here are the featured pages from Ceremony Magazine:

The happy couple got married at the Pantheon Mansion in Corona, CA.  The Pantheon Mansion is a 15,000 square foot private mansion.  Beautiful does not do this venue justice. More like exquisite! Breath-taking! One of a kind! Approximately 15,000 square feet, this luxury estate holds an air of opulence and grace like no other. Arched hallways, marble floors, intricate crown molding and baseboards, pool and party pavilion and seventy two olives trees throughout the property further the ambiance of this Tuscan estate. Not to mention breath taking aerial views of the Santa Ana mountains. This venue is perfect for any bride and groom wanting a private party in a gorgeous setting.

Here are some more pictures from their stunning affair:

Isn’t the color combination to die for?  Sooo pretty and so elegant!

We just love the sweet moment the photographer caught of Sheli and her dad…so special!

Vendor Credits:

Flowers & Coordination: Petals by Xavi

Photography: Hoffmann Photographer

Location: Pantheon Mansion

DIY Monday–Save the Dates

DIY-Save the Dates

Congratulations! You’re engaged! Now what? Time to spread the news! After you’ve called and texted your family and friends, and offically changed your FB status to ‘engaged’, it’s time to give your guests a heads up and give them a few details. You don’t have to know the exact location of where you’ll be getting hitched but you’ll definitely need to have the date nailed down and the general area and include both on the save the date.

We understand you’re excited and want to get the word out! Anything up to one year before the wedding is acceptable. Anything longer and guest tend to forget because it’s so far out. Be sure that you have time to gather addresses prior to ordering your save-the-dates; this will help big time when you’re ready to send out the invitations.  Most people will order their invitations, save-the-dates, thank yous cards, and all their stationary items (placecards, menus,etc) from the same company.

However, we think that Save the Dates is one corner you can cut and DIY for super cheap. Here are some ideas…

Cost: $0.52 each + printing + mailing

Target has some great stationary that you can use with your printer at home and create cards with their pre-made templates. The majority of the templates come with envelopes that match the size and color of the stationary. Or you can just pop in the printer and type out the simple info you want to share. This is the quickest way to create Save-The-Dates for your wedding, so if you are planning your wedding in a tight window of time, this may be the best way to go for you.

Printable Magnets

Cost: $0.82 each + mailing

Save the Date Magnet.com have great templates for you to choose and personalize with or without pictures.  The variety of templates can match your personalities and likings with different fonts, colors, and pictures.  Magnets are great because sticking a reminder on the fridge will ensure that your guests cannot book a vacation or anything over your wedding date.  This is an ultra cost-saving way to have nice save-the-dates exactly how you want them! (note: adding a picture is more costly and again ordering more in quantity is cheaper-we say save the pics for the invitation or website).

Kodak Cards

Cost: $1.49 each + shipping & handling + mailing ($.99/each for orders 100+)

You can go to the online Kodak Gallery and customize your save-the-date with their pre-designed templates.  They have a few templates and colors that you can choose from, then you upload a few pictures of you and your beau to create a personalized save-the-date card.  The cards have cute designs and are printed on great quality paper.  This is the most costly but the most presentational-like sending a greeting card to announce the wedding.

Shutterfly Photo Cards

Cost: $.50 +shipping & handling (again, ordering more = cheaper!)

Shutterfly is my personal favorite-easy to create and super cheap. Plus, Shutterfly is notorious for running all kinds of discounts all the time. You can choose from a variety of templates and photo options. You even have the option to directly mail to guests and will keep all the address saved (this will be handy for later use of sending thank you cards, or bridal shower invites). The only thing to keep in mind is if youdo a photo card and you want to use professional engagement shots, you need to take those with your photographer ahead of time. If not, the photos you include can be everyday photos you’ve taken. (another great thing about shutterfly is you can keep the same pics/templates handy to create your guestbook, placecards, menus, etc-can you tell I use this website a lot J)

Good luck on your DIY Save-The-Dates!  Just remember, don’t wait too long to send these out or it won’t really give too big of a heads up before the actual formal invitation and be another stressful thing on your to-do list.

Happy crafting!

Wedding Wednesday- The Turnip Rose

This week’s wedding Wednesday features Mr & Mrs. Carlos Contreras.  This is easily one of my favorite color schemes to work with!  So many combinations and flowers to make this a stunning affair!  Cynthia and Carlos are a stunning couple and they had exquisite taste!  This beautiful wedding was at The Turnip Rose, which was gorgeous!

As stated from their website, The Turnip Rose, “

For five years in a row, the Orange County Register has selected TURNIP ROSE CATERING as the number one caterer in Orange County, California. And in 2001, Orange Coast Magazine picked TURNIP ROSE as “Best Caterer of the Year.” With their legendary service and consistently superb cuisine, TURNIP ROSE has earned every one of these commendations. Once you’ve experienced this company for yourself, you’ll conclude that they deserved them all.

Congratulations to the beautiful Contreras’.  It was an honor to be a part of your memorable day!  These stunning images were taken by Lucero Photography.