Category: Inspiration

February 23, 2011

Hello everyone!!  I am sorry for the long silence here; you probably (correctly) assumed what I’ve been up to: working with incredible couples on fabulous weddings!  Lots of fun things up my (puffy) sleeves, but for now I thought I’d ease myself back into blogging by sharing this GORGEOUS engagement shoot with you.  Meet Borami and Anthony!  They live on the east coast and are planning a gorgeous Malibu wedding for this summer.  Borami happens to be the sister of one of my former clients, Naomi.  I LOVE that I get to work with their effervescent family again on this very special occasion.  What a blessing to do both of their weddings.  😉  Borami is half Korean (like me!), half Puerto Rican, 100% ridiculously stunning.

Enjoy these inspiring images courtesy of my beloved (and wildly talented!!) friend Amelia Lyon.  I could stare at these dreamy images all day.

that’s a good looking couple right there 😉


Hope you have a great rest of the week!  I promise to be back again soon.

xoxo, Angel

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December 31, 2010

Happy Friday, loves!  I’m so happy to *finally* share this post on how to plan a successful shower (baby, bridal or otherwise!).  You may remember that this post was inspired by the baby shower I threw for Kristin earlier this month.  It was a true joy to plan a special celebration honoring my best friend, and it reminded me that there are many peripheral events that come with planning a wedding.  Although that shower was for a mother-to-be (rather than a bride-to-be), the basic elements of shower planning are the same.  So, today I’ll be sharing a little insight into how I (along with Kristin’s sister, Jennylyn, and neighbor, Chie) put together a beautiful, well-organized bash.  I hope this is helpful for some of you out there, as I imagine most of my readers will eventually help plan or throw a shower at some point.

  1. Consult the guest of honor and set the date & time of the shower.  (For mommies-to-be, 1-2 months prior to the EDD is great.  For brides-to-be, I suggest 2+ months prior to the wedding day, as the final month before the wedding can be very hectic with seating charts, escort cards, etc.)
  2. Discuss any preferences for the celebration with the guest of honor.  Do they have an opinion on the scale, style, or size of the shower?
  3. Obtain a guest list from the guest of honor.
  4. Determine a budget for the party.  In this case, we had 3 contributors (me, Jennylyn, Chie).  We chatted about what each of us would be able to contribute and set a rough budget.
  5. Conceive a look/feel/style for the shower.  To start, you will need to select your location.  (In our case, we were throwing the shindig at Kristin’s home!)  After the setting is determined, you can flesh out the design from there.  For Krissy, I wanted to capture her personality in every aspect of the planning.  You can read this post for a rundown on my “earth mama” inspiration for the shower.  Although Kris is having a girl, she didn’t want to go over-the-top girly with designing her daughter’s nursery.  So I took the same approach with the shower, and went with a subtlely feminine twist on the mostly woodsy, natural & neutral décor.
  6. Book major vendors (or make arrangements for the following): catering, desserts + cake, rentals (tables and chairs at least).  Your needs in this area will also be dictated by the location you selected.  If you chose a tea house or restaurant, for example, your food + rentals might already be covered.
  7. Delegate responsibilities amongst hosts/hostesses.  Tasks may include: making or ordering invitations, stuffing + mailing out invitations, creating signage for the shower, organizing a guestbook of some sort, acting as point-person with the caterer and/or baker, ordering the rentals, tracking RSVPs, sourcing and preparing decorations, planning games or activities (in our case, a craft), etc.
  8. Send out invitations to guests, ideally 6+ weeks in advance (I like 8 as a general rule).  Make your RSVP date at least 2 weeks in advance.
  9. Make a loose schedule of what will happen at the shower.  It doesn’t need to be a minute-by-minute timeline, but it should list what needs to happen and in what order.  In our case: guest arrival, guestbook signing + noshing on appetizers, opening gifts, making crafts and indulging in dessert!
  10. Make or purchase decorations for the shower.  If budget allows, you may opt to hire someone to oversee this task (such as a florist).  For Krissy’s shower, I played florist and used various vessels I have in my personal collection, along with some tchotchkes I picked up at my favorite antique stores.  Some specific décor items you might consider: a welcome sign, a banner of some sort (i love “welcome baby _____” banners for a baby shower), small floral arrangements, candles, etc.
  11. Buy any “partyware” you need (if it is not being rented): cups, plates for food and dessert, cutlery, napkins, etc.  For Krissy’s shower, we used sustainable bamboo cutlery and recycled paper products.
  12. Plan out any shower activities and/or games.  We skipped the games for Krissy’s shower and instead planned a craft activity (a huge hit!).  Purchase any necessary supplies and print out simple instructions to display.  If you’re doing games, make sure you have plenty of pens and/or sharpened pencils to pass out with any handouts.
  13. Receive all of your RSVPs (at LEAST 2 weeks prior to the event date) and follow-up with any stragglers.
  14. Now that you have your final count, update your orders for food, dessert, and rentals with the pertinent vendors.
  15. Make a playlist for the event (some fun background music while guests are arriving and/or eating) and load it onto your iPod; figure out how you will play it at the event (whether plugged into a system at your venue, or simply from an iPod dock for a smaller at-home event).
  16. Make any signage for your food, beverages and desserts (people like to know what they’re about to enjoy!).
  17. Place an order for ice (if needed) or arrange for someone to purchase and deliver it on the day of the event.
  18. Get your gift for the guest of honor and wrap it up!  (I always leave this until the end because I’m so busy with party prep — try to get this done the week before the big day).
  19. Review your shower schedule (timeline) and ensure that you have all of the materials/supplies you need for each part of the celebration.  Pick up any final items and pack up your car. (I like to make a list of everything I am bringing in terms of décor; this way I remember how I’m using it and can keep track of it while packing up!)
  20. The shower is here!!  Set up with your fellow hostesses and aim to have everything set by 45 minutes before guest arrival.  At 15 minutes before invite time, set out your snacks for guests to nosh on as they arrive.  Once the party is underway, try to enjoy as much as possible.  🙂  I made sure to try to sit and be a guest as much as possible.  Plenty of pre-planning will allow you to really soak up the shower, instead of run around like a crazy person on the big day.  😉

I hope this little list was helpful to you!  It may not be exhaustive, but I think it covers the major bases.  Best of luck to all of you planning showers for your loved ones in coming months.  With “engagement season” in full swing, I’m sure there are many showers on the horizon!  At the end of the day, so long as your well-mapped plans are covered in love, everything will turn out beautifully.

xoxo, Angel

P.S. Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone!!  I will be back very soon with my 2010 wrap-up and some goals & decisions for 2011.  Reflecting on the last 12 months and looking ahead to the new year fills me with SO much joy.  Thank you so much for another amazing year and here’s to many more~  xoxo

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April 29, 2010

Happy Thursday!!  I hope you are all having a WONDERFUL week; it has truly been one of those charmed weeks for me.  🙂  I’m blogging twice in a week — that’s already a double bonus!  I am up early today prepping for a fabulous wedding that is taking place tomorrow.  I couldn’t help but stop by the blog, however, and drop a little bit of sunshine for you all!  Today’s inspiring engagement session is courtesy of two people I LOVE: Matt & Angie Sloan aka Sloan Photographers.  I’ve been a fan of their work for a while, but only met them in person last month.  We happen to run in the same (ridiculously awesome) crowd of friends, so of course we were instant BFFs.  I was thrilled to hear that darling Love and Splendor clients Angela & Jonard had hired the Sloans to shoot an engagement session for them!  Although the Sloans aren’t shooting their wedding, A and J knew they wanted a special shoot with the Sloans’ stylish look and feel.

Judging by how many images I posted below, you can tell I am obsessed with everything about this shoot.  The photos have a whimsical and romantic air to them — the feel of the setting is almost enchanted.  The couple is obviously gorgeous (and yes, they are that beautiful in person!!) and styled beautifully.  But most importantly, Angela and Jonard could not be more deeply in love with one another.  Witnessing them together melts my heart…  They are SO sweet to one another and have a gentle ease in their interactions that seems innate.  Their wedding (which is going to inspire you out of your mind — yep, I said it!) is this fall and Anna will once again be taking the reins!  I cannot wait for their big day to arrive!!

Enjoy these beautiful images and let me know if you, too, are inspired.  🙂

Can you say America’s Next Top Model?  Angela is KILLING me with her style and utter flawlessness!

A+J: You already know we love you two like crazy!  Thank you for reminding us how blessed we are to do what we do; you two are dream clients in every way!  Cannot wait to see you again soon!!  xoxo, A&A

Have a delightful weekend, everyone!!  See you again soon!

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April 5, 2010

Happy April, everyone!  The arrival of spring here in southern California has been marvelous.  Although most of you know I’m not the biggest fan of rain, I do love what rain does.  It gives way to brilliantly blue skies, sparkling sunshine and that refreshing, lingering smell of wet grass & pavement.  I’m crazy about it!  I have been ushering in the season in my own way, too… by way of the re-introduction of sandals and floral sundresses into my wardrobe.  I could not be more excited for my spring wedding schedule, either!

This recent engagement shoot, however, already has me wishing for summer.  🙂 Although in southern California we get pretty close to a year-round summer, I still particularly relish the mid-year months that promise sunshine, lazy beach days, barbecues and picnics, and the sparkle and bliss that only comes that time of year. My friend, the stylish photographer Braedon Flynn, has hit it out of the park once again with this set of images.  Brady captured Reed and Leslie in such a delightful and playful way; I love the fabulous styling, wardrobe choices and unique settings.  Each snap embodies the very essence of summer, and all its carefree felicity.  (And again… could my clients be any more GORGEOUS, fashionable and utterly fab?  I adore this pair, and every email from Leslie makes me more and more excited for her sure-to-be-stunning wedding this fall.)

Thank you to Braedon for sharing his phenomenal talent with us once again.  I hope these photos brighten your day the way they did for me.  🙂  **P.S. You can see these images in a glorious, larger size on Brady’s blog in this post.**

Have a wonderful week, loves!

xoxo, Angel

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March 1, 2010

Hello again, everyone!  I think these inspiring engagement sessions may become a semi-recurring feature here!  🙂  As I mentioned in the last engagement session I posted, I have never been one to consistently feature e-sessions on my blog, and I still do not have plans to showcase them in any systematic way. I do, however, love sharing inspiration with my readers.  Can I help it if my clients just happen to be refreshingly stylish, unique and altogether inspiring??  🙂  I am starting to see a trend here…

The following delightful images are courtesy of the ultra-talented Kelty of Steep Street.  The first time I visited her blog, I got lost for hours…  I could not stop poring through her incredible work.  Each photo below has an air of whimsy, a playfulness about it.  It helps that they feature Khali and Potsch, two of the most vibrant and wonderful people Anna & I have had the pleasure of meeting.  They are so soo SO much fun!!  Their vivacious personalities come through beautifully in every shot, and I think this set of images really gives you a sense of who they are. They are artists, actors, free-spirits.  They are silly, light-hearted, utterly hilarious.  They are sweet, kind, and gracious.  They have KILLER style and their wedding is going to knock your socks off this fall.  And they are love and splendor clients.  🙂  Aren’t we lucky??  Anna and I agree that their consultation holds the love and splendor record for most outbursts of laughter.  I was seriously in pain after all of the doubling-over I did.  🙂 K&P — we loooooove you two to the moon and cannot wait for your big day to come to life!  Kelty — thank you for sharing your talent and allowing us to spread the joy that is K&P with our readers!

I’m totally in love with the photo above…

One of the most awesome & epic engagement shots of all time.  I am obsessed!!!

Loving everything about this shot…

I bet you are finding yourself smiling, the way I do everytime I go through these images.  🙂  I hope your week is off to a brilliant start!  (It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year…)

xoxo, Angel

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February 15, 2010

hello everyone!  i hope you are having a marvelous monday.  🙂  there are some very exciting things going on here at love and splendor and i can’t wait to share them with you soon!!  in the meanwhile, i thought i’d do something today that i rarely do: post an engagement shoot of one of my couples!  i typically do not post engagement pictures on my blog (as gorgeous and fabulous as my clients are!) as i do not have anything to do with the styling, photography or production of those images.  in other words, i don’t have anything to do with the photos except a relationship with who is in them.  😉  that said, i wanted to feature this incredible engagement shoot here because it is so unique and inspiring.  and you may just see a few more similarly unique e-shoots here once in a while..

i’m delighted to introduce you to this very special couple, holly & ryan!  they are two of my dear clients and it was love at first meeting.  i have mentioned before that it is so important to me to sense an instant connection and rapport with a potential client. with holly and ryan, it was effortless.  their style, aesthetic, and personalities are perfectly in sync with my own.  and just a few glances at the photos below should tell you how amazing their wedding is going to be.  holly & ryan, being ultra fabulous and exceedingly creative, came up with the concept and styling for this shoot.  i have the best (i.e. most stylish, creative, inventive, whimsical, bold, sweet, thoughtful, etc. etc.) clients in the world and cannot wait to collaborate with them on their wedding! look forward to glimpses at their sure-to-be spectacular event this summer…

in the meanwhile, i have to thank their brilliant photographer, braedon, for these stunning, fashion-forward images.  they could easily find their way into an editorial spread in W magazine, don’t you think?  his work is so refreshing and i love that he was willing to do something totally original with holly & ryan.  an extra special thank you to braedon for also sending holly & ryan my way!  i was so touched when holly told me that braedon had said, “if i were to get married again, i would hire angel in a heartbeat.”  to have the support and confidence of my peers is priceless.  more than that, braedon was able to connect with me with holly & ryan — a couple that is PERFECTLY matched with love and splendor in every way.  it was a fantasy case of vendor referral <3.  love love love!!  just writing about this all is making me smile.  🙂

now onto the images!  🙂  i hope this inspiring set of photos makes you smile today! (and yes, i know it goes without saying… but are holly and ryan two of the most gorgeous people you’ve ever laid eyes on or what????)

holly & ryan — thank you for inspiring me with your creativity, passion, and love for one another.  working with people like you energizes me, motivates me, and delights me.  i can’t wait to see how your amazing wedding vision unfolds on the big day!!  see you two soon <3  xoxo

enjoy your day, everyone!

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February 4, 2010

happy february, dear readers!  by now you’ve seen the gorgeous photos of the styeLab i posted here, seen the Wedding Chicks post here, and read fab photographer Chenin‘s take here… right?  🙂  well now that you’re all caught up, i thought it was time to give you a closer look at all of the incredible artists, designers, suppliers and vendors who made the quirky, whimsical, altogether delightful set-up possible!  a million thanks to Chenin for giving me this opportunity to work on such a fun project, and for shooting these stunning images… against all odds!  love you chenin!  xo

kristin was my “lab partner” (yeah, i had to go there… haha) on this project and i was so blessed to have her as my creative counterpart.  we had an incredible time dreaming up the tablescape over Mexican food (yum yum!) and kristin’s resultant floral proposal blew my mind.  the main thing i told her was that i wanted every flower to be a unique, specimen-quality stem that had something interesting about it.  no boring, typical, easily-identifiable florals allowed.  😉  her shopping list ended up including things like craspedia, yellow gloriosa lilies, eremerus, oncidium orchids, scabiosia, ixia, and various succulents.  now be honest — how many of those did you have to google?  😉  the goal was to highlight the most beautiful and odd florals possible, to give the tablescape a lab-like feel.  what crazy plants and flowers would botanist liam elliot have in his cluttered office?  as you saw in the sneak peek photos, the florals were gathered in glass erlenmeyer flasks, graduated cylinders and beakers.  we also used specimen jars, test tubes and planted orchids under bell jars. just days before the styleLab, kris has the brilliant idea to use mini test tubes for the bouts.  she ran with the idea and the tiny tubes were one of my favorite details of the day.  xoxo to kris for never batting an eye at my (admittedly) crazy ideas and helping me embrace my inner nerd with this playful set-up!

i cannot thank cynthia et al at classic party rentals enough.  🙂  they came through for me 100% with the rough hewn wooden tables, perfectly woodsy-feeling flatware (‘sequoia’), beaker-esque glassware (‘calvin’) and the ideal colored napkins (‘citron’ dupioni).  classic is the tried & true source for rentals here in SoCal, and all across the country.  you just can’t beat their inventory, network of locations and service.  i love working with them and am grateful for their collaboration on this project!

baker came through for me after an original source decided to bow out the day before the styleLab (due to the inclement weather…).  although the chairs baker carries are not the genuine kartell ghost chairs, they are a pretty close knockoff and are very well-priced.  a thousand thanks to them for being such a pleasure to work with, especially on such short notice!

rachelle is a genius!!  i loved working with her on all of the printed pieces for our set-up.  i sent her my inspiration blurb and some keywords, and she put together the most incredible suite of options for me.  she just “got” my vision right away!  i loved that she was willing to go outside the box and create something truly unique for our look.  her interpretation was stylish, colorful, and quirky… exactly what we were looking for!  from font selection to artwork to layout and colors, she was spot on every.single.time.  she also didn’t balk at me when i sent her the exact text for the invitation, menu, and a list of 40 fictional “guests” for the escort cards.  in fact, she loved it.  her gorgeous work really brought our tablescape together and i thank her from the bottom of my heart for her stunning work.  i can’t wait to collaborate with her again soon!

amy of VBS is a dear friend and i never pass up the opportunity to work with her.  my clients looove her incredibly tasty cakes, cupcakes, and mini desserts for their weddings, too!  amy worked on the lovely butterfly-adorned cake for us and i thought it was perfect for our set-up.  the striped green & white ribbon was such a darling, slightly-preppy touch, too.  she also put together a few dozen cupcake babies (topped with the most delicate fondant butterflies!!), but they were ruined by sideways-pouring rain.  🙁  you’ll have to take my word for it when i tell you they were simply adorable!! i won’t lie… i also had a few of her meyer lemon raspberry cupcake babies on the way over that AM and they were as scrumptious as always.  amy is still my very favorite spot for desserts in soCal; they’re a must-try if you’re ever in santa monica!!

  • Dinner Plates: Butterfly Study Plates by Anthropologie
  • Cocktail Napkins (not pictured): Stag Beetle napkins by Flock Home
  • Vintage Botanical Book Plates: all over 114 years old, from Petit Poulailler

whew!!  I think that wraps up all the vendors that sourced items for our fabulous set-up.  just a reminder, the other vendors on board that day were…

–hair & makeup: vivian tran of all made up

–venue: arroyo trabuco golf club

–dress: joan shum

i hope these colorful images lend you some sunshine on this brisk february day!  many more delicious posts in store soon, including our first wedding of 2010 (which seriously set the tone for an INCREDIBLE year!).  xoxo, angel

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January 25, 2010

Many of you know that for the past month or two, I’ve been working on a fabulous project with my dear friends Chenin Boutwell (stylish photographer extraordinaire and all-around amazing woman!) and The Wedding Chicks (adoooore Amy & Jocey — gurus of all things wedding-fabulous).  When Chenin initially reached out to me about styling a “mock reception” for this photography workshop, I was simultaneously honored and giddy.  I had my design concept nailed down within minutes of saying “yes,” because for nearly a year I had been dreaming of a fantasy tablescape.  It’s funny, because my little dream tablescape was something I had discussed with my BFF Kristin (of The Treasured Petal) early in ’09 as something that would be incredible to put together, but also overwhelming in scope and time.  We decided to file away the wild ideas for another day, when the opportunity might arise for us to bring them to life! Chenin & the Wedding Chicks gave us that opportunity!  I was thrilled to breathe life into this quirky, one-of-a-kind, altogether whimsical vision for their workshop.

Here is a glimpse at the process & product, from inspiration to fruition.  I have to preface this and say I promise I’m not insane.  🙂  I often have some crazed, INTENSE ideas.   😉  What can I say?  When I go for it, I go for it.  To make the set-up as thoughtfully and purposefully styled as possible, I wanted to act as if I was working with a fictional couple.  I did this down to the very last detail, from helping Chenin pick out the wardrobe, to naming the bride, groom & all of their “guests,” to writing out these zany detailed plans for each of the creative (AMAZING) vendors on board:

{My vision} A quirky and highly stylish couple infuses their wedding with their shared love of science (specifically botany and entomology) and the outdoors.  They are both are scientists by day, who are fascinated and enthralled by the intricacy and eccentricities found in nature.  They have a clean, modern personal aesthetic and want the wedding design to look crisp and fresh, yet also very whimsical and playful, evoking the ‘wild’-ness of nature itself. They favor subtle nods to their favorite subjects by creating a wedding reception that feels a bit like a fancified version of their working laboratories.  Think modern scientist’s lab meets wild gardener’s greenhouse.  🙂

{Keywords – inspiration via stream of consciousness}  brushed steel, clear lab glass, succulents, exotic ‘specimen-type’ florals, terrariums, succulents, feathers, birds, insects, beakers and graduated cylinders, periodic table of elements, scientific names for plants and animals, butterflies, crisp, intentional/organized set-up yet playfully haphazard (if that makes sense…), framed vintage book plates, test tubes, glass orbs, edison lights (bare bulbs hung from the trees), plexi, craspedia, gloriosa lilies, cattleya orchids, potted venus fly traps — ‘little shop of horrors’ fantasies… lol, specimen-quality plants under cloches (bell jars), magnifying glasses, spectacles…

As you all know, last week (the week of the StyleLab) saw one of the craziest El Nino weather patterns SoCal had ever seen.  On the day of the workshop, we planned for rain and had a clear tent canopy put up.  In the end, however, gale force winds + sideways rain coming at us from all sides thwarted our hopes for an outdoor set-up.  Krissy & I hustled to reset the entire set-up indoors and thanks to the help of Chenin & Amy’s husbands (Doug and Lane — can’t thank you two enough!), we made it work. If anything, the wild rainy weather reminded me that with a great attitude and some hustling, we can overcome anything that happens on a wedding day.  Look forward to more thoughts on that subject in a forthcoming post.

Yep… we weren’t joking!  LOL  This was when we were still trying to make it work outside, standing in the freezing rain and insane winds.

And now, on to the eye candy courtesy of the wildly talented, super sweet and inspiring Chenin Boutwell.  I am blessed to call her a dear friend!

Stunning!  Amanda + and her sweet hubby made the perfect “Iris & Liam.”  😉  The necklace she’s wearing is actually mine — it’s a vintage piece with flowers and butterflies and dragonflies all over it in shades of green and blue.  I wore it that day as part of my shtick (I love dressing to match my weddings/events), but it ended up being the perfect final touch for “Iris.”  I am excited to see how beautifully it worked with her entire look!

This bouquet is all kinds of amazing.  In my opinion, the wilder, more colorful and exotic, the better…

The ghost chairs were a MUST for my vision.  I think they were the perfect complement to the natural wood table, and they added a bit of balance with all of our clear glass labware vessels.  Most of the vessels are my own (I have them all over my office), but others were purchased or borrowed from our favorite real scientist, Rachel @ Heart of Light.

Top: The favors at each setting were specimen orchids and florals submerged in test tubes.  Perfect!!  Bottom: This skirt is soooooo decadent.  Pleats, rhinestone trim AND voluminous ruffles?  I’m smitten!

See those little test tubes inside the shadow box?  They are the boutonnières!  Kristin is seriously a genius, and my creative soul’s twin.

{The Fabulous Vendors}

There is much, much more to come!  I will be writing all about the AHHHHH-MAZING vendors in detail in another post, so stay tuned.  I want to make sure I properly gush about all of them.  😉  In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed this bright & vibrant burst of inspiration today!  Happy Monday!

xoxo, Angel

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August 21, 2008

*i’m back from vacation! the lakes were gorgeous and i feel thoroughly refreshed & recharged. i hope to share some photos from our trip eventually, but i wanted to get another installment of my mom’s wedding series up first. hope you’re having a great week! xoxo, angel

planning my mother’s wedding is both thrilling and terrifying. on one hand, i am delighted to be able to craft such an important day in her life. her personal sense of style is very close to mine, and she and her fiancé have afforded me a great level of freedom in making design decisions. but… my mom is extreeeemely picky. of course i mean this in the best way! 🙂 she simply has very high standards for everything. the bar and the stakes have been raised. i mean…this is my mother’s wedding! i want to make sure that the day is so beautiful it captivates each of their guests and leaves them with fond, lingering memories for years to come. so, i took great care in conceptualizing the vision for her wedding day. i still spend a good amount of time each day trying to come up with more ways to set her event apart. here is what i’m dreaming up…

design keywords: art nouveau, bold, dramatic, elegant, opulent, luxurious, over-the-top, jewel tones, rich, romantic, moody, vintage inspired, unique.

ceremony colors: pure white, accented by chocolate brown/fruitwood.

reception colors: aubergine, eggplant purple + plum, gold, burgundy & deep reds, bold fuschia, chocolate brown.

mom & fiancé are huuuge art collectors. it is a passion. they have an insane private collection that includes many masterworks of the greatest artists of the 20th century. to enter their home is to enter a small museum. every wall, tabletop, corner and mantel is covered with artwork. it’s truly inspiring. by a mile, the most dominant artist represented in their collection is alphonse mucha. many of their mucha pieces were recently on display in a museum on the east coast. 😉 if you don’t know the name mucha, you may still recognize his art. his dreamy and romantic images encapsulate the spirit of the art nouveau movement. i knew immediately that mucha’s work would have to play a role in spirit and design of their wedding. so, we are directly integrating his designs into our stationery. i designed & printed the invitations using 3 mucha paintings, all of which mom & fiance own. i also used an art-nouveau-ish font for the text. menu design will also utilize a gorgeous mucha illustration.

zodiac.

this one is in their formal living room…

mucha did a number of illustrations for moet & chandon. i love the colors in this one.

the jewel-tone palette for the reception was driven by the location for the dinner: the dark, romantic, candlelit wine cellar at Miro. the exposed brick walls, cavernous barelled ceilings and heavy wood tables all led me to a richer, deeper color scheme. since we will dine adjacent to their famed 12,000 bottle wine cellar, i thought it would be playful and appropriate to model our colors after the tones found in wines. to keep things bold and vibrant, yet avoid any “autumnal” feel, we stayed away from orange and gravitated more toward dark purple as a dominant hue. burgundy and fuschia will add contrast and interest to our décor.

a bugundy-ish inspiration board courtesy of modern bride. it doesn’t fully express the look we are going for, so you’ll have to wait and see the final product. 😉

upon arrival at the ceremony, guests will be swept away by the breathtaking ocean view on the Miro Lawn. white chiavari chairs will be set in graceful arcs around a central altar area. individual name cards will label each seat — with only 22 guests, we want to hand pick placement even at the ceremony! the altar will be composed of a striking fruitwood-stained bamboo structure, draped with breezy white fabric puddling to the ground. a dozen strands of pure white dendrobium orchids will also adorn the bamboo structure, adding a touch of modern elegance. we wanted to keep the palette simple + clean for the ceremony, as mom loooves white and we thought it would stand out without detracting from the dramatic view. my sister and i will escort my mother up the aisle, but then take our seats. no bridal party. no special readings. a simple, intimate ceremony will ensue. (in a bit of self-indulgence, however, my sis & i will carry bouquets and wear custom-made dresses. more on that to come!)

cocktail hour will take place on the adjacent terrace, so guests can continue to drink in the santa barbara ocean breeze. servers will tray pass a divine assortment of hors d’oeuvres (don’t worry — i will do an intense menu post soon!), along with hand-picked wines and champagne. music will be provided by a local string quartet.

at sunset, guests will be escorted downstairs into the candlelit cellar. dozens and dozens of candles will provide mood and romance to the setting. guests will be seated at one long feasting table (approx 22′ long), made of heavy, dark wood. the chairs are bulkier, upholstered in a rich red fabric, lending a regal feel to the table.

we will keep the table uncovered.. sans linens. i looove the texture and color of the wood, and think it works perfectly with the scene we are trying to create. instead, i have purchased dark purple dupioni silk placemats (featuring a gold embroidered border) for each placesetting. atop each placemat we will place a gold-rimmed crystal charger. on top of that will be a hand-calligraphed menu (more on this later, too!) and a napkin — i’m still debating between eggplant, burgundy and antique gold for the napkin! let me know your thoughts. 😉

along the center of the feasting table we will have an awe-inspiring tablescape of 16-20 vases. the arrangements will come in 3 sizes and all be brimming with the most gorgeous assortment of luxe florals. i will definitely have a flower post to come, too! the glass vases will be swathed in purple silk dupioni, sashed with gold ribbon and an antique brooch. dozens of candles will be interpersed throughout to add more drama. can you imagine the scene with me?? that is almost one vase per person! haha mom wanted to make sure her wedding was show-stopping, despite the small guest list. it is turning out to be quite the affair. her budget is the highest per-capita budget i’ve ever worked with… yikes!!!

we are also currently considering the projection of a classic fred astaire movie during dinner (sans sound), a la one of my fave san francisco restaurants: foreign cinema. what do you think? delightful touch or distracting novelty?

writing this all out made me even more excited about how the big day will play out! i can’t wait to share more about mom’s plans in progress soon…

xoxo, angel

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June 20, 2008

saturday’s wedding is very special to me. the bride and i are old college pals, who lived together for one year in a beautiful victorian house. we shared so many fond memories together and i still crack up thinking of our hilarious outbursts, of which there were many!!

although i am usually wary of being “hired” by friends, V was insistent she wanted me as an official part of the day. so, for months we have worked together on crafting a truly personalized celebration. it has been nothing but a joy collaborating with her!! of course i brought on my favorite florist, kristin of the treasured petal. (we actually all knew each other in college and attended the same church in berkeley!) the three of us put our minds together to craft this very special event.

i can boldly say that saturday’s wedding will be fantastic… enchanting… just brimming with delightful and whimsical details, with loooooots of character. so, i thought it would be fun to tease you with some inspiration behind the event. i will definitely return next week with a sneak peek for you all!

the vision: v imagined an antique, vintage-feeling event overflowing with whimsy. the palette would integrate sherbet colors of blossom pinks and poppy orange, with accents of natural greens. florals would be lush, overgrown and loosely arranged in urns for an organic garden look. and the kicker: v looooves to read and has a special place in her heart for antique books. we decided to use gently-loved antique books as a recurring motif for the day, integrating them in centerpieces, the ceremony arrangements, and anywhere else we can stack them! 😉

this pic encapsulates our original vision. the lush, almost wild-looking centerpiece is romantic and perfectly complementary to the natural surroundings.

another gorgeous centerpiece for inspiration

behold a fabulous sketch by the one and only krissy! this weekend’s wedding will be dripping with PEONIES! yummm <3 we are perching the centerpieces atop stacked antique books that the bride collected over the months. i love this detail.

guests will whet their appetite reading the menu enscribed on a schoolhouse chalkboard

the groom has quite an affinity for adirondack chairs, so we’re setting up a vignette like this one at the site. it will be perfect for photos!

this is my slightly secretive way of alluding to the dozen vintage ball jars i bought yesterday. they are exxxtra special because they are the most brilliant, vibrant shade of turquoise (!!) glass. i immediately bought out the store. filled with pillar candles and scattered on the sign in table, they will be a rustic yet funky décor item.

another must-have from the groom were these frasier fir candles by thymes. their fresh scent will add ambiance to the cocktail hour. 😉 btw — i am HUGE fan of thymes products. in fact, kris introduced me to the line about a year ago. their kimono rose scent is intoxicating. check them out!

the rest of the details will be kept under wraps for now! i am giddy just thinking about them, though!!

i hope you all had a terrific week. happy first day of summer! enjoy the weekend~ xoxo, angel

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