Category: Weddings

January 20, 2011

I hope you’re all having a fabulous week!!  I’m excited to share that one of my favorite weddings from 2010, the sweet  + charming nuptials of Amanda and David, was published in an Australian wedding magazine!  Wedding Style Guide did a gorgeous 6-page (!!!) spread of the wedding, which took place at Chateau le Dome at Saddlerock Ranch.  I absolutely adored being a part of this gorgeous day and am excited to pick up a copy of the magazine at my local Borders!

Many, many thanks to the fabulous Cat & Adi of Next Exit Photography for the beautiful images (I never get tired of looking at them!) and the opportunity to share this beautiful wedding with our friends down under.  😉

Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!  See you again soon~  xoxo, Angel

CATEGORIES: 5 comments

December 29, 2010

Hello everyone!!  I am back today with a lovely treat: a look at another 2010 Love and Splendor Wedding!  This one comes from my dear friend, the talented Leigh Miller, and is for one of my favorite couples ever.  When I met Angela and Jonard for the first time, I fell in love with them, their love, and their vision for their wedding. (I also fell in love with Angela’s cream-colored peacoat from Hong Kong, but that is semi-unrelated.  :))  They are two of the sweetest & kindest people you will ever meet, and Angela never fails to crack.me.up.  We decided early on that Anna would be the main coordinator for the wedding day (along with another L&S assistant, Jen), since I’d be coordinating another wedding that day.  But, I had the delight of working with Angela throughout her planning process and felt very much a part of the day. Anna and I called Angela our adopted sister… that’s how much we loved spending time with her. And now that the wedding is over, we still want to hang out with Angela and Jonard! Dinner coming soon!!  🙂

For now, enjoy this whimsical and altogether beautiful wedding in shades of aubergine and eggplant.  Vendor details follow at the end of the post~

i just looooove this one.  doesn’t angela radiate joy??

I love the range of emotion that Leigh captured during the ceremony.

favorite.

the flawless bride

and dapper groom

sweet treats + a stunning cake, by my amazing friend melody from sweet and saucy shop.  a purple-hued candy display rounded out this sweet-tooth’s paradise.

good times!!

{ vendor round-up }

Hope you’re all enjoying your week so far!  I am in denial that 2010 is coming to a close!  Before we ring in 2011, expect to FINALLY see that shower-planning post, as well as my favorite things from 2010.

Finally-enjoying-the-rain-thanks-to-my-new-Hunter-Original-Gloss-Wellies,

Angel xoxo

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December 20, 2010

Hello everyone!!  I’m sorry for not returning on Friday (as I had promised) with that shower-planning post.  Unfortunately a family emergency prevented me from doing much of anything on Friday but I am glad to report that things are normalizing now and I will still make good on that promise!  But before I do, I have something even better: EYE CANDY from the actual shower!  All of the stunning images below are from Trista Lerit, the third member of our “hapa trio.”  I know Krissy is so grateful for such gorgeous photos from the baby shower ~ thank you soooo much, Trista!!

In my planning post, I plan to spend a bit more time outlining the process + inspiration behind the shower.  Today I’ll just give you my design summary and the best part: a look at the product itself.  🙂  Enjoy!

Who & What: A shower in honor of Kristin and her baby girl on the way, Siena Marie! Guests included friends from all parts of her life — childhood, family, high school, college, church, and the wedding industry!

When: December 11 ~ a perfect Saturday afternoon in soCal

Where: Kristin’s home in south Orange County, California

How: Since Krissy is sort of a new-school hippie (LOL) and would even call herself a bit “granola,” I wanted to run with a sort of “earth mama” theme.  For those of you who don’t know Kris, she is known to love raw (unpasteruized) milk (she sort of turned me on to it, too…DELICIOUS), go organic & green whenever possible, and is planning to give birth to Siena right in her living room… with the help of hynobirthing. 🙂  My design summary: woodsy, organic, natural, kraft paper brown, mossy green, pops of fuschia (her favorite color) as an accent.

clockwise from top right: glass domes encased my personal collection of ann wood birds + old glass bottles (i collect) held vibrant peonies, tulips and craspedia; i displayed vintage children’s books that i picked up from an antique store for $1 each!!; krissy’s living room was transformed by the gorgeous furniture {found} brought in; i made a simple “siena” banner to hang over the mantle.

the guest sign-in had guests take an Instax Mini photo with the mommy-to-be, and then pen a note to sweet Siena!  i hope she will read them one day and know how loved she was before she even made her earthly debut.  <3

me in the foreground, snapping a pic of kris + her HS friend rachel of heart of light.  if you don’t read rachel’s blog already, you need to.  i have been obsessed for a looong time.  🙂

more ann wood birds, the handmade invitation, some gorgeous flowers + forelle pears.  i used crabapples and forelle pears on tabletops for a little homey accent.

gifts were placed in this chippy bassinet, also from {found}.  i made the simple sign using a white pen and some blank biz card paper.

a closer look at some of the florals.  i’m no florist, but i really enjoy putting small (simple!!) arrangements together for personal events.  the entire process, from the early a.m. at the flower mart to the dirtying of hands while processing the flowers, is really relaxing for me.

kristin’s sister, jennylyn, put together the most incredible spread of mostly organic, completely healthy foods.  the menu was definitely mediterranean leaning, which was especially perfect for showering siena, who will be part Italian.  🙂  i made the little signs and the tulip + peony arrangement on the top left.  the rose + baby’s breath bouquet was on kristin’s counter in the kitchen so we just moved it over!

because the weather was dreamy (and completely unlike the torrential rain-of-the-decade we are currently experiencing), we did gift-opening outside.  i love these chairs from {found}, and the ridiculously beautiful fallen leaves littered on the lawn.  kris said she had *almost* made joe rake up the yard before the shower, but he’d run out of time.  serendipity??

melody from sweet and saucy created this perfect cake!  it was covered in chocolate brown fondant pressed with a faux bois pattern to look like wood.  she added a subtle shimmer to the fondant to really bring out the texture.  the crowning glory was the fuschia sugar (!!) gloriosa lily they crafted.  kris LOVES gloriosa lillies and carried them on her wedding day.

the wooden ironing boards were suggested to me by allison @ {found}.  the second she pointed them out to me, i knew they’d be perfect for displaying dessert.  it was a bit of a precarious task (the ironing boards were a little rickety) but i loved how it turned out.  i ordered mostly rich, chocolatey desserts in honor of kristin’s sweet tooth.  she loves a decadent dessert, while i always prefer something tart/fruity.  the display included mini pumpkin cheesecakes, nutella cupcakes, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes topped with a caramelized banana slice (yum!!) and sugar cookies made to look like sliced tree stumps with an “S” carved in them.  as my own indulgence for the type of dessert i prefer, i had melody make the cake her vanilla cake with lemon cream and fresh raspberries.  delicious!  the mason jars filled with the same layered cake served as favors; melody did the jars and we added little squares of mismatched fabric.

one of kristin’s HS friends (and one of my former clients!!), mercy faith, brought her beautiful daughter to the shower.  isn’t she darling??

time to open presents!

being the dutiful gift secretary 🙂  dvf blouse, anthropologie shorts, f21 leggings, jeffrey campbell boots (my current favorites).

this utterly adorable dress was from trista — impeccable taste, as always.  every guest let out a collective squeal + “awwww” when kris brought this out!

my gifts for siena included this fuschia cropped sweater top that bears a striking resemblance to the mustard-colored one krissy wore in her maternity photos.  🙂  i also got a sparkly black tulle skirt and tee (with a cartoon angel on it, of course) to get her funky from a young age.  LOL

in lieu of any shower games (which kris isn’t particularly fond of — who is?), chie created a craft station where guests could create a onesie or bib for little siena.  it was a HUGE hit and i was wowed by all the creativity.  chie made sure to get onesies in a variety of sizes so siena would be able to wear them throughout her first year.

the hapa trio!

wedding industry ladies!  left to right: christina from simply modern weddings, trista lerit photography, kristin from petal and thorn, courtney from joyful weddings and events (also expecting!!), me + anna from events of love and splendor.

I hope you all enjoyed a little look at this very special shower.  🙂  Many thanks to the following incredible people who were a part of putting the day together:

planning: angel swanson with jennylyn + chie

styling, florals, stationery + signage: angel swanson

photography: trista lerit

tables, chairs and various décor rentals: {found} vintage rentals

cake, desserts & favors: sweet and saucy

food: homemade by kristin’s sister, jennylyn!

Enjoy your Monday, loves!  Will be back again soon~  Today I have a relaxed afternoon of cleaning + Christmas shopping.  My last wedding of the year was on Saturday (and it was INCREDIBLE), so I’m excited for a little “time off” before Christmas celebrations.

xoxo, Angel

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December 6, 2010

Hey everyone!!  Happy Monday!  The jet lag party continues here, but I woke up before 1 p.m. so I’m making progress…  🙂  I still have two more Tokyo posts in the queue, a huge pile of Instax mini pics to scan, and a wrap up about our time in Taiwan!  But, I thought I’d break things up a bit and share this INCREDIBLE video with you to kick off your week.

Tina and Brian clearly have impeccable taste in vendors (clearly!), so they brought three lovely ladies from Elysium to Taipei for their big event.  I LOVE working with Elysium Productions and many of you know they shot my own wedding back in ’05, before I had even an inkling of thought about entering the industry.  Their work is absolutely gorgeous, and this vid is no exception.  Enjoy this beautiful Same-Day Edit (that’s right… they edit it during the reception and play it after dinner!) of the festivities.  Much, much, MUCH more to come about this stunning wedding and special couple.

And some of the vendors that day:

Wedding Design & Styling: Events of Love and Splendor

Photography: Stephanie Williams Photography

Videography: Elysium Productions

Taiwan Planning Team: The Precious Moment

Tina’s gown: Vera Wang

Stunning hair pieces + bouts: Twigs and Honey (Myra — you outdid yourself with these!!!!)

Lovely song in the video: Someone Else’s Life by Joshua Radin

More soon~  Hope your Monday is marvelous!

xoxo, Angel

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November 10, 2010

Hello everyone!!  I have another beautiful wedding to share with you today — the chic, beachside nuptials of Leslie & Reed!  I was introduced to this darling couple by their photographer and our mutual friend, the talented Braedon Flynn.  (We worked together earlier this year on Holly & Ryan’s exceedingly awesome wedding at Smog Shoppe — see it HERE.)  Brady always creates stunning images and he is fabulous to have around on the big day.  Love working with him!  And I loooved working with Leslie & Reed; Braedon was spot on with this referral.  🙂  Leslie and I were instant friends — she has an infectious smile and ebullient personality.  Every meeting we shared was filled with joy + laughter.  She is the embodiment of warm fuzzies!!  <3

From the start, Leslie envisioned a clean, crisp, modern yet romantic look for her beachside wedding.  Although her wedding was taking place on the beach (literally), she did not want a “beachy” wedding.  Instead, she chose to evoke the breezy and classic feeling of the seaside by embracing a mostly monochromatic look for her wedding: pure whites with touches of the fairest shade of blush pink.  I was thrilled to finally do a “white wedding,” especially at the Jonathan Beach Club.  There is something so effortlessly chic about white on white.  Anna cracked me up when she said the scene looked like a party P.Diddy would throw (and if you know Anna, that is a huge compliment coming from her).  The vibe of the evening was ultra-luxe yet relaxed at the same time. Watching Leslie and Reed swoon over each other against this backdrop?  The ultimate reward.  Enjoy these lovely images, courtesy of Braedon Photography…

i looooved her “something blue” earrings.  <3


hello, beautiful bride!


the men, looking quite dapper.

As a surprise to his bride, Reed sang an awesome rendition of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”

{ Vendor Round-Up }

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week!!  🙂  Counting down the days until Asia…  xoxo, Angel

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November 4, 2010

Happy Thursday!!  🙂  I’m back with more pure + emotive photography from Richard and Shue-Ping’s seaside wedding last month!  (I’m sorry for not getting this up yesterday!  Ever have one of those days where you fall asleep at 10 p.m. on the couch and wake up at 1 a.m. and wonder what happened (??) and then fall asleep for another 7 hours??  Neither have I.  :))

In the week leading up to this beautiful wedding, the warm soCal temps started to fall and whispers of rain crept into the forecast.  At rehearsal, some family members mentioned that they were nervous about what might happen if rain decided to show up over the planned-outdoor ceremony.  We did have a backup plan in place, but I was fairly confident that we were going to be able to have the ceremony outside. While we did see some sprinkles on the big day, not a drop fell from the sky for the hour before + hour after the ceremony, allowing Richard and Shue-Ping to be wed on the gorgeous oceanview lawn at the Bel Air Bay Club, as planned.  🙂  My girls and I were ready with 60+ red umbrellas (red represents good luck in the Chinese culture) just in case there was a surprise shower!  I’m sort of bummed we didn’t get to bust them out.. LOL.  Preparation is the key to success on a wedding day, and I can honestly say I wasn’t worried or stressed *once* that day because we were ready for anything.  That’s the way it should be!!

Yesterday I left off right after the ceremony~  Here is how the rest of the evening unfolded…

this one just stirs my heart…

love.

R-Sizzle + Shue-diddly-Pingtastic: Words can’t express how much I adore the two of you.  Working with you this year has been a complete JOY.  Every single interaction with you has been so fun and natural — we were definitely the perfect fit.  Being an eyewitness to your adoration of one another was a true gift; thank you for inspiring me!  Thank you for cracking me up with the personal way you’d address and sign every email to me.  (I stole the ones for this little note straight from emails you sent me… LOL)  🙂  Thank you for inviting me into your lives and treating me like family. Lots and lots and lots of love for you both — cannot wait to get together when you return from your AMAZING honeymoon!!  xoxo love, angelcakes

And now, for another gratitude to the brilliant vendors who made the day possible… I’m going to add a bit about each vendor mentioned below!  🙂

  • Ceremony & Reception Venue: Bel Air Bay Club – Pacific Palisades, CA // We worked with Lisa and could not have had a better experience.  So thankful for her attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond to make the day amazing.  Big high fives to my buddy Joey (our captain that day) who was incredible in every way.
  • Wedding Planning & Coordination: Events of Love and Splendor // I had both Anna + Michelle with me that day and as always, they were amazing.  Love you girls!!  <3
  • Videography: Cana Video Productions // Ben and Drew are new favorites.  I LOVE them, their work, their vibe.  Love it all.  I know I’m a broken record about THIS VIDEO but seriously, it still gives me goosebumps when I watch it.
  • Floral & Lighting Design: R. Jack Balthazar // Rene & Niki are beyond wonderful to work with.  I loooove just being in their atmosphere, soaking up the creative brilliance!  We just work well together ~ I love our synergy.  They actually gave my name to Richard & Shue-Ping, which is a huge compliment and it turned out to be an amazing fit.  Their commitment to perfection and stringent attention to detail is apparent in everything they touch.
  • Linens: La Tavola // They had the perfect linens for this wedding!  We did half of the room in bronzey raw silk and half in crinkled antique gold.  Beautiful.
  • DJ: Ian of Red Shoe LA // Ian is my pocket DJ.  I can’t even tell you how many times we’ve worked together, but I can tell you that I’ve never had a client not L-O-V-E love him.  He is fabulous at what he does, and also just a cool cat to have around.  Per usual, he had the dancefloor packkkked.
  • Cake: Nancy Kay Confections // Yummy, delicious, beautiful cakes!
  • Favors: Paulette Macarons // My readers know I’m Paulette-obsessed.  I still think their delicate macarons are second to none.  I sourced the perfect hand-dyed silk ribbon for the favor boxes, and Paulette took care of the rest.  🙂

That’s all for now, everyone!!  I hope you all have a lovely day ~ See you again soon!  xoxo, Angel

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November 2, 2010

Happy November, everyone!!  I am counting down the days to Asia (only TEN, yes 10! days away!) and am so looking forward to rounding out my season with T&B.  After their amazing wedding in Taipei, we will be having their at-home reception here in LA in mid-December.  I finish my year right before Christmas.  🙂  I know the rest of the year is going to be a blur but I am looking forward to sharing all these backlogged weddings with you!

You will recognize this beautiful pair from the stunning, heart-stirring video made by my friends Ben & Drew of Cana Video Productions.  (If you haven’t yet seen it, click HERE and make sure you do!)  Their wedding last month was pure joy, bliss, beauty and perfection.  I had the most incredible vendor team that day and best of all, a couple so genuinely in love with one another that you couldn’t help but BEAM along with them the entire day.  I have so much to say about this pair but will save it for a forthcoming part 2 post, chock full of details about the inspiration behind the day. For now, enjoy a gorgeous glimpse of the day…


quick caption: shue-ping tried to kiss richard right after she read her vows!  you can see the officiant putting his hand in between them and SP and the bridesmaids cracking up.  such a sweet moment!!

i looooooove that shue-ping’s dad is giving her a thumbs up.  awesome.  🙂

I have lots more eye candy to share with you from this wedding tomorrow, so come back then for another dose of beauty!  I will write more about each vendor in forthcoming posts, but here is the run down on our all-star team that day:

See you all again soon!!  xoxo

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October 20, 2010

hello again, everyone! i hope you’re having a splendid week. 🙂 first things first: if you haven’t seen richard & shue-ping’s amazing wedding video, scroll down and watch it. then wipe away the tears of joy and come back to this post. it’s a perfect lead in to another beautiful wedding!!

i am so excited to share photos from a recent wedding with you today, courtesy of the lovely & talented jennifer rau.  andrew & leslie were one of my east coast couples and we spent more time together via Skype than in person.  but, we formed a wonderful bond from the very start because they were so willing to entrust me with their wedding vision.  the venue (as you well know, one of my “sweet spots” here in southern California), saddlerock ranch, set the tone for a rustic yet elegant wedding. they imagined a warm and inviting event evoking the colors of autumn: rich aubergine, persimmon, burnt orange and warm chocolate brown.  natural flax linens and chocolate hemstitch napkins gave the tabletops a homespun feel, but when juxtaposed with fine glassware and dramatic gold scroll china, they created a classic and refined look.  florals were abundant and absolutely luscious, thanks to the artistry and creativity of kristin from the treasured petal.  i could not get over the vibrant colors and textures she brought together that day!!  throw in a PHENOMENAL band, impeccable catering, carefully-selected rentals and a fabulous cake from Sweet and Saucy and you have the recipe for wedding perfection.

thank you again to jennifer for sharing this preview of loveliness with us!  look forward to more detail shots down the road.  🙂

the darling bride!  her eyes are gorgeous…


this bouquet is what my dreams are made of this time of year…  those purple anenomes leave me breathless!!

loooved this escort card display!  i got the perfect persimmon-colored leather chair, farm table, scrabble tiles + boxes/trays from {found} vintage rentals.  i brought in the pomegranates, split peas and escort card “leaves” (handwritten by me).  kristin’s accent florals were the perfect final touch.

love the light in this one


the scrumptious dessert display by the kitchen + another gorgeous cake by Melody & Co. at Sweet and Saucy.  Loooved the sugar threads on the bottom tier and the delicate clover-like trim on the tops of each tier.  on the left is another one of my chalkboard menus!  🙂

 

andrew & leslie: thank you for inviting me into your lives and allowing me to help you bring your wedding dreams to life!  you two are such gentle, down-to-earth, kind people and it was a blessing getting to know you both.  looking forward to continuing to keep in touch~  now how are we going to plan a cross-country german board game night??  xoxo, angel

{vendor round-up}

CATEGORIES: 11 comments

October 19, 2010

the beautiful pair

dearest readers,

you are in for a treat today.  you are about to watch something moving.  powerful. stunning.  you are about to witness the love of two of my dear clients friends, richard & shue-ping on their wedding day this past weekend.  i have SO much to say about this couple but i will save most of it for the full blog post (coming down the road) once i have photos.  🙂  today, let it suffice to say that these two share a connection that is so electric that anyone in their presence can sense it.  they love passionately and unabashedly, almost with a sense of innocence.  to know these two is to ADORE them.  i was so immensely blessed working with them because they just radiate joy!! we’re like peas in a pod — i’m so glad they chose to share their pod with me!!  LOL  their wedding was jaw-droppingly gorgeous and i couldn’t have been more pleased with how it all came together.  i can’t wait to share it with all of you.

in the meanwhile ~ i know watching this movie will inspire and touch your heart today!!  enjoy the absolutely beautiful video (that made me cry in the corner on the night of the wedding!) shot by the incredible ben + drew of cana video productions. (if you couldn’t tell already, our vendor team was out-of-this-world amazing.  there is something to be said about working with people you adore, whose vision + artistry you share and admire!)

ben & drew: thank you for being altogether awesome and sharing your work with me! you two blew me away!!

richard & shue-ping: love you two to the moon… but you already knew that.  😉 thank you for making my job the best in the world!  your love is infectious and i can’t wait to get together when you return from your honeymoon!!

psst… let the whole video load before you start it — you want an uninterrupted viewing experience.  😉

much more to come soon!!

xoxo, angel

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October 2, 2010

Happy Saturday, friends!  I hope you’re all having a fabulous day.  It is a rare Saturday off for me, and the calm before a “storm” of a three-wedding weekend. Yep… next weekend I have two weddings on Saturday (one for me and Michelle, one for Anna and Jen) and another on Sunday (technically Anna’s, although I love this couple so much I am going to have to be there for part of the celebration!).  All three events are SO unique and I am looking forward to the fruition of each couple’s special vision.  Elegant autumnal // Aubergine vintage // Whimsical woodland…

I am so excited that October has arrived because 1) I love the fall season, 2) I looove the weddings I have this month, 3) I’m one month away from ASIA!!!! (ask to hear my Japanese next time you see me — I am really pleased with my progress!), and 4) We are closer and closer to Christmas!

I thought I’d give you all another mish mash look at my life lately + glimpses at posts coming down the pike.  Enjoy! 🙂

Shoe shopping in Solvang…  These were a little too big for me, though.

Over-the-top beautiful flower mockup at White Lilac (loooove Sunny + Katie and their fabulous team).  I’ve done two weddings with them this summer and can’t wait to share both with you!

This couple (whom I love so much my heart bursts when I see them!!!) is getting married very, very soon.  Here’s a pic of us after some linen shopping at La Tavola in Beverly Hills.

A rare “before” shot of a wedding venue we transformed last weekend.  Wait until you see the “after” through the lens of Braedon Photography… you won’t believe your eyes!!

A stunning mockup by the brilliant Kate of Flowerwild from earlier this year (early summer) for a wedding that took place in July.  I’m dying to share this wedding with you — promise it is coming soon, via the one and only Jose Villa.

A tiny peek at another Saddlerock Ranch wedding I did in August, featuring pops of vibrant color, wrought iron and hundreds of cobalt blue bottles.  Florals created by my BFF and mama-to-be (eeeeeeek!) Kristin of The Treasured Petal.

And finally… a trio of sumptuous arrangements that will grace one of my weddings next weekend, created by Kristin of The Treasured Petal once again!

Today I’m spending most of the day shopping for one of my clients.  Give me a budget and a mission, and I’m off!!  I love, love, love shopping for my clients and their weddings.  Add personal shopper to the list of jobs I could probably do and love (along with Food Network star, interior decorator, history professor, fashion stylist and manicurist.  LOL!).  See you all again very soon — I hope your day is delightful whatever you do!

xoxo, Angel

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