Category: Announcements

Hello dear readers!  I’m excited to announce the inauguration of a new blog feature here!  I’m calling it {the nuptial primer}, and it will be a category of posts dedicated to practical wedding planning information, insights and tips.  The goal is to address various FAQs and major planning topics encountered by brides, as well as feature the expertise and pertinent input of some of my favorite wedding vendors along the way!

My first entry in the nuptial primer will debut soon, so keep your eyes peeled for it!  In the meanwhile, I’d love to solicit your initial thoughts and questions for future posts in the primer! Let me know if you have a topic or inquiry I can address down the line.  What do YOU want to know about wedding planning?   Or, as a former bride (or even a wedding vendor), what do you think needs to be addressed?  I am hoping to make this feature as educational and profitable as possible, so I look forward to your suggestions.

I hope you’re all having a fabulous week!

P.S. Today I am 35 weeks pregnant, 36 days away from my estimated due date.  🙂

xoxo, Angel

Happy Monday!!  I am sorry I wasn’t able to check in on Friday to announce the giveaway winners, but I was out for over 14 hours on Friday… and I didn’t even have a wedding.  😉  That’s the busy life of a wedding planner sometimes!

Anyway, I did already contact the two lucky winners who were randomly selected using random.org: CONGRATS again to Jen and Maya!!  Thank you to everyone who entered.  I especially loved learning about some of your favorite eateries in soCal.

For any of you who may still be interested in checking out The TASTE, I am excited to offer you a special discount code!  You can get 40% off of your tickets by entering the word “family” at checkout.  Woohoo!  (Unfortunately, this discount does not apply to Monday’s event: Picnic in the Hills.)  I hope some of you take advantage of this excellent deal and experience this great event.  I will share my TASTE experience sometime next week…

Enjoy the rest of your day!  I’m diving into lots of final tasks for this weekend’s wedding + a small mountain of emails.  Ready, set, go!

xoxo, Angel

Happy Friday, everyone!!  I hope your week was fantastic in every way.  😉  I’ve just come out of a terrible sinus infection (my first one — bleh!) and am almost 100% again.  I think the worst part of being sick was watching Erik (who was also sick… who happened to *give* me said sinus infection) take lots of medicine that I couldn’t take, and therefore get a lot of relief I couldn’t get. LOL  Grateful that I never ran a fever and no harm was done to the gummy bear.  I’m also grateful that the sinus infection ran its course now… and not a week from now when I’m in the throes of one of my largest-scale weddings of the year!!

Thank you to everyone who entered our latest giveaway — I will post the winner’s name at the bottom of this post.  If you didn’t win this time around, don’t fret — Anna’s summer essentials will be posted soon, along with another chance to win.  🙂

Today I wanted to send you off on the weekend with some gorgeous engagement photos of another one of our beloved couples: Sara and Bryon.  (Sara rhymes with Zara, btw~)  Are they too cute or what??  The photos were shot at our favorite Saddlerock Ranch, so I thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse of what the venue is like simply as a background for beautiful pictures.  (FYI — S&B aren’t getting married at Saddlerock!  You can pay a special “photoshoot” rate to have photos taken on-site.)  Many thanks to the lovely Suthi Picotte of Picotte Photography who shot and shared these photos with me.  Many of you may know that I was also Suthi’s wedding planner a few years ago.  Feel free to peruse the eye candy of her oft-imitated wedding… Her event was a trendsetter for sure.  xo

sara’s shoes!!!!

And now without further ado… Congratulations to Elisabeth, who won Michelle’s summer essentials giveaway!!  Check your email and we will get your goodies to you ASAP.  😉

Everyone else: enjoy a beautiful weekend.  My plans include lots of family time, lunch with a dear friend and catching up on some scrapbooking.

xoxo, Angel

Hello and Happy Sunday, dear readers!!  I hope you’ll forgive me for the blog silence as of late — I have certainly had my hands full with weddings galore (today we complete our 4th wedding in four weeks — woohoo!) and fabulous client meetings.  I have also had other exciting things to do lately…

I’m going to be a mommy!!!!!

And it is no small miracle.  Of course, every life that comes into this world is a miracle, worthy of wonder and awe.  But for us, this is such an immense and overwhelming blessing because we have waited so long for this baby.  It has been a difficult and trying road.  Over the course of the past few years, as I would smile as well-intentioned friends and acquaintances asked when we would “finally” have some kids, I did wonder.  I wondered if I would ever become a biological mother.  I wondered if perhaps what I had so quickly assumed was naturally going to be a part of my life, was just a naive hope. So we prayed and trusted and hoped and waited… and the Lord heard our prayers and in His abundant grace, has given us this sweet little “gummy bear.”  🙂

me (at 3 months) and my mom — i hope my baby still has a Korean streak!

I am currently in between 7-8 weeks, and although I know many prefer to wait until they clear 12 weeks before sharing the good news, I am not the type to conceal a happy secret (well, if it’s mine to spill!).  I know that the very fact that I am pregnant is God’s doing, and I know that He alone gives and takes away.  I am going to trust in Him as we enjoy this wonderful blessing, and push away the fear that may accompany such a joyful time.  (P.S. We have already had an ultrasound and have already seen/heard the baby’s strong heartbeat!!  What a GIFT!!!)

Sweet baby — know that you are SO loved already.  You are SO wanted and anticipated.  I cannot wait to hold you in my arms next spring.  Until then, we are praying for you daily and eagerly awaiting the day you will join us.

Thank you to everyone for your love & excitement for us.  I can honestly say I can’t WAIT to grow a big ol’ baby belly.  😉

**Back to regularly scheduled wedding posts this week — thanks for indulging this personal post!**

xoxo, The Swansons

Hello everyone!  I hope you’re having a marvelous week so far.  🙂  I am stopping by with a quick announcement of the winner of last week’s Stella & Dot giveaway.

I am thrilled to share that the winner of a fabulous Renegade Cluster necklace is Marie — a former L&S client!  Erik thought it was funny that one of my former clients ended up winning, but many of the entries were from current and former clients.  As always, winners were selected using random.org. Hooray!!  Thank you to everyone who entered; I loved checking out your fave picks on the Stella & Dot site.

I will be back soon with a fun peek at some photos the fabulous Amelia Lyon shot of me, Anna and Michelle last month.  Enjoy your day!

xoxo, Angel

WOW!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you for the overwhelming response to the new blog!  I cannot tell you how delighted I was to get so much positive feedback.  The ultimate compliment is that the blog is “so me.”  I really appreciate each one of you taking the time to write me a little comment — I look forward to sharing more of my heart (work, life, and otherwise) here!

I will announce the winner of the giveaway at the end of this post.  🙂  Before I do that, however, I want to tell you about this AMAZING couple that is getting married this weekend.

photo by the lovely Nina Brav

How adorable are they, right?  I have enjoyed every moment working with these two creative, passionate, all-around-wonderful individuals.  We have a gorgeous celebration in store, and one aspect of the day that I’m really excited about is their music.  The have selected some beautiful and personal picks for their ceremony and reception.  I’ve written about this topic before (see here), but I never tire of seeing how couples infuse their tastes into the music used for their big day.  This weekend’s clients have exceptional taste because, well, I love every.single.song they picked out (and many are by my favorite bands/artists).  Here is a peek at the music behind the day…

{Ceremony}

{Reception}

  • Grand Entrance – “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates
  • First Dance – “That’s Where It’s At” by Sam Cooke
  • Father/Daughter Dance – “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young

What are YOUR favorite music picks for a wedding?  I’d love to hear what you used or plan on using.  🙂

What else is in store for this wedding?  Oh you know… ruffled crepe, a citrus-inspired colorway, modern glass… and a dream team of vendors including The Food Matters, The Flashdance spinning records, Hollyflora making things beautiful, and the talented Nina Brav behind the lens.

I’ll be back with more loveliness next week, including my engage!11 recap.  Enjoy your weekend!!  xoxo, Angel

P.S. CONGRATULATIONS to the blog launch giveaway winner: Kim!  (Winner was selected using random.org)  Check your email so I can get your box of goodies to you right away!  😉 For everyone else, I will have some other fun giveaways coming very soon, so be on the lookout for those!  xo

Hello everyone!  I am absolutely THRILLED to be writing my first official post here on the new blog.  😉  I am smitten with everything about it and it perfectly reflects the new branding I am currently rolling out!  You’ll see that I wrote a little post below last week, but I knew it would not be seen until my launch.  If you are reading this post in Google Reader, make sure you click over so you can see the layout in all of its loveliness.  Also, you WILL need to update your feeds (loveandsplendor.com/blog).

After 5.5+ years in biz, I knew it was time for a “brand makeover.”  I was ready for something fresh and unique, and more aligned with my personality and style.  I decided to start with my blog, since it is the place where I share my most current work.  A website makeover is underway, too!  My inspiration for the new branding (and of course, this blog):

Colors: watermelon-tinted coral, muddled turquoise, pure white, cool gray

{from design editor}

{from creature comforts}

Patterns & motifs: ikat, chevron stripes, ribbons, bold typography, calligraphy

Overall feel & layout: modern, whimsical, playful, feminine

I had some incredible friends helping me with the design + transition, so I want to send my deepest thanks to…

  • Xandra Zamora, of XYZ Ink, who painstakingly worked with me to create the perfect hand-lettering for the word “splendor” in my logo.  Here is a look at the “two-line” version that appears on my vertical biz cards:
  • My in-house graphic designer (and former client!), Kristin, who designed my brand new biz cards (which I L-O-V-E) and provided thoughtful feedback as I tweaked the blog design.  More on her to come!
  • And last but not least, Steph Anne from Yellow & Savvy, who helped me with numerous revisions with the layout and design, and brought my vision to life!  She is exceedingly patient and creative and working with her was a complete joy.

With the new blog comes some new blogging habits.  😉  Now that I have such a gorgeous place to share with you all, I want to do it more often!  I look forward to sharing more content in the weeks ahead.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the new layout and “look” for Love & Splendor!  In fact, I’m so eager to hear your thoughts that I will randomly select a commenter on FRIDAY, June 10th, at 10 a.m. PST, and give away a little package of my current fab finds.  Make sure to get your comment in by 10a PST on 6/10, and I will announce the winner later that day!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the new blog!  We couldn’t be more excited to finally share this with you.

P.S. Don’t forget to click the Facebook link on the right and “like” us there!  You can also follow my mind’s eye at Pinterest, where I curate things that move me in one way or another.

xoxo, Angel

Hello lovelies!! I hope you are having the most wonderful start to your week. I know I am beyond overdue for a posting, but I promise my absence has been for good reason — lots of lovely things are cooking in the Love & Splendor kitchen! One of the major things has been this BRAND NEW gorgeous blog! I will have a nice long post about it (and all the amazing people who were a part of bringing it to life) very soon…

In the meanwhile, I’m just stopping by to let you know that I will be out of town through Thursday, June 2nd, attending the Engage!11 conference! I am beyond excited… I have been enamored with the entire conference for years, only experiencing it vicariously through friends and recap posts online. 😉 This year, I am the humbled scholarship recipient and will finally get to soak up all the fabulousness myself!  I look forward to sharing a detailed, photo-laden recap of my trip when I return.

the grand del mar – host to engage!11

Although I will have my iPad with me during my trip, I am going to try to spend as much time away from it as possible.  Please expect a delay hearing from me if you email me this week. Current clients can call me with any urgent needs.  🙂

Now back to packing for me!  Bursting at the seams with anticipation!!!

xoxo, Angel

Hello everyone!  I am so excited that this weekend will officially kick off the 2011 Love and Splendor wedding season! 🙂  It is my 6th (!) full year of planning + designing weddings for the loveliest couples on earth, and I am eagerly anticipating all the fabulous events on our roster this year.  Our 1st wedding of the year is at a favorite seaside resort of mine and we have many of my favorite vendors on board, including DJ Ian of Red Shoe LA and Melody of Sweet and Saucy Shop.

This week has been an eventful one, and I can’t believe tomorrow will be Friday!  Here are some glimpses at what we’ve been up to for the past 7 days…

  • Inspiring site visit at Saddlerock Ranch!  It was a glorious day and as you can see, I made a few new friends.  🙂

  • Froyo run with Michie after a Love and Splendor work session on Sunday afternoon!  We went to Menchie’s instead of our beloved Pinkberry but no worries — we know where our loyalties lie.

  • Me, Michie and Anna assembled 200 (!!!) of the most intricate, over-the-top save-the-dates EVER.  Seriously, I cannot wait to share these with you!  They all went in the mail today so once guests receive them, I will be giving you a glimpse.  They are for my New Mexico wedding this fall.

sneak peek of the artwork done by my in-house graphic designer, kristin.  more on her soon!!  😉

  • I was called to jury duty, and subsequently selected for a trial!  I am still serving so I can’t share any details other than that, but I will say I don’t really mind it.  😉  It isn’t my first trial and I actually enjoy being a part of the process.  I just wish the courtrooms weren’t so dank and depressing!
  • Tonight I passed on the corned beef and cabbage, but still kept dinner green with a spinach pesto + shrimp spaghetti.  Yum yum!

I want to leave you all with a little encouragement to check out the wonderful work the ladies at Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours are doing to collect money for disaster relief in Japan.  In partnership with Shelterbox, they have raised over $23,000 (so far!) to provide survivors of the earthquake + tsunami with lifesaving supplies.  Please check out FOR JAPAN WITH LOVE for more information on how to donate, and join me and many others in an online “day of silence” tomorrow (no blogging or other forms of social media).  xo

Enjoy your weekend and don’t take for granted all the blessings in your life today <3.  See you all next week!

xoxo, Angel

Hello, dearest readers!!  I’m sooooo excited to say that this time tomorrow, I’ll be a few hours into a flight to Tokyo.  <3  After months of planning, preparation, and eager anticipation, Erik and I are finally ready to head out for our Asian adventure!!!

Shibuya Crossing @ night

We will first spend 12 days in Tokyo on vacation… meeting up with friends who live in Tokyo, sharing bento boxes on picnics in Shinjuku Gyoen, waking up early to watch the auctions at the Tsukiji fish market and eating the freshest sushi on the planet, admiring the autumn leaves in Yoyogi Koen, riding bikes on a cycling route around the Imperial Palace, having a “Lost in Translation” moment standing in Shibuya crossing (very close to where we will be staying!), slurping up copious amounts of ramen and of course… fawning over all the kawaii Hello Kitty paraphernalia in sight.  😉  I am also excited to visit Tokyo Disney (+ Disney Sea) and humbly attempt to use my childish Japanese with someone!

Taipei!!

After Tokyo, we head to Taipei, Taiwan… the site of my first international wedding!!  I am BEYOND excited to be greeted at the airport by my beautiful client and follow her around town as she leads me to all the yummiest restaurants and most interesting sites in Taipei.  <3  I am even more thrilled to see her gorgeous wedding come together!!  I also get the extra delight of meeting up with some vendor friends in Taipei, including Elysium Productions and Stephanie Williams. 🙂  Very blessed to have them with me there!

All this to say, I will be gone for quite a while!  I will have email access in Asia but am going to try to be as temperate as possible when it comes to mixing business + vacation.  🙂  I will do the best I can to keep up with my inbox, but in general, expect a delay in response while I’m away.  I will make sure I get 100% caught up the week I return… the first week of December!! (WHOA!)

I’m sooo grateful for this unique opportunity (both personally + professionally) and cannot wait to share my trip with all of you!  I will see what I can do in terms of posting updates here.  For now, I thought I’d end the post with a fun little questionnaire for my readers!  Please help me with my final travel preparations by answering any or all of the questions below!  🙂  See you again soon!!  xoxo

  1. What album do I NEED to download to take along with me?  I looove having new music for the flight + journey, so please share your latest faves with me!
  2. If you’ve been to Tokyo and/or Taipei, what are your favorite restaurants/sights/attractions?
  3. What is one thing you always forget to pack for a trip?  🙂
  4. If you had to eat sushi or ramen for the rest of your life, which one would you choose??

Just FYI, my travel essentials this go ’round: my new Instax mini, the Moleskine Tokyo City Notebook and a train case full of just headbands and hair accessories.  🙂

Bon Voyage!!  xoxo, Angel