Monday, March 29, 2010

Tunga & Nick's Valentine's Day Wedding


So the sweetest, cutest couple just got married on Valentine's Day and I got to plan it for them. Tunga and Nick are utterly adorable and two of the nicest people you could meet. They wanted a Valentine's Day wedding that would bring their very large family together from across the U.S. to spend their most special day with them.

We chose a color palate which included traditional Valentine's colors, of course, but pushed them to be much more sophisticated and elegant. Deep Red, Salmon Pink, Burgundy, and Chocolate Brown.

Nick & Tunga also wanted to incorporate their respective Italian and Vietnamese heritages as well, so there were paper lanterns and parasols, beautiful orchid blossoms to resemble cherry tree blossoms, home-made fortune cookies as favors, and an incredible Italian wedding cookie tower with almost 20 pounds of cookies.

The beautiful outdoor ceremony was held at the Japanese Friendship Gardens in the heart of downtown, and the reception was down the street at the incredible Phoenix Art Museum. Special thanks to Rachel Priddy of Priddy Photo for shooting such fun, amazing images!

Enjoy!





























Oh well, my photographer happened to take one last photo... my favorite I think... My hot boots - ha ha - the wedding planner can look good too, right? Thanks Rachel ;)

Vendor Credits:
Photography: Priddy Photo Hair & Makeup: Deanna Rene Music/Entertainment: Music Doctors/String Serenade
Baker: Let Them Eat Cake Flowers: Events By Andrea

Monday, March 8, 2010

Spring Wedding on a Ranch

Here's a new inspiration board for an outdoor spring wedding at a ranch in Sedona, AZ. It's going to be just beautiful with the black, white and olive color palate creating a striking contrast to the rest of the environmental greenery. I'm thinking that we need just a hint of the softest pale yellow to warm it up ever so slightly.

I'm envisioning outdoor couches and chaise lounges, lots of chandeliers hung from the trees, candles, all white flowers and a touch of black & white damask to provide points of interest. Plus, this is an Italian family, so there will be lots of fantastic food and even homemade limoncello that I can't WAIT to try!


Lafferty

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Anatomy of A Perfect Wedding - Finale: The Finer Details


To wrap up this post series, I'm going to cover why I think the perfect wedding is all in the details. People will remember them... it's what sets every wedding apart from another. And if you make the details helpful or memorable to the guest, that's what will stick in their minds and they'll be all too happy to recount how wonderfully they were treated and how special your wedding was.

For example, here are a few details I loved about Ben & Brooke's wedding...

The bride wore a sixpence in her shoe for good luck. Her groom surprised her with it at the rehearsal dinner.


We added something special to the bouquets with vintage jeweled brooches the bride gave her maids, vintage hankies embroidered with the bride's monogram, and fresh berries to give them texture...


Beautiful chapel doors adorned with floral, berries and twigs.


I love to recommend my brides wear gorgeous flowers in their hair on the right side of their head so they can be seen in the ceremony photos. It adds such a romantic look.

The same for the bridesmaids... stunning!


Vintage hankies were handed out to women before the ceremony for dabbing away tears of joy.

One white rose was featured for each of the families' deceased loved ones.

Instead of guests just departing from the church, we made a grand exit line and the ladies waved goodbye to the couple with their new hankies.


Signage that makes guests feel communicated with and welcomed.

Instead of a traditional guest book, we had guests write notes on vintage postcards and then they hung them on ribbon that was wrapped around a tree.

Pommegranate martinis to match the bridesmaid dresses and wedding color palate.

Dressing up the dog, of course...

Escort cards hung with ribbon from beautiful shell garland on the vines growing along the patio


Seating vignettes with vintage patchwork blankets for guests to cuddle up in while enjoying the crisp Arizona fall night later in the reception.

Cigar and Cognac station for the gentlemen's pleasure.


To explain the Farmers' Market Favors set up, we had a chalkboard featuring all the goodies guests were welcome to take from the array of homemade items harvested from both families' gardens and orchards.


The farmers market favors were housed in the bride's father's antique Model A Ford outside the tent for guests to help themselves.

Apples picked from the groom's family orchard and many other farmers market favors.

Narcissus bulbs (bride Christmastime family tradition) with planting instructions...

Fresh radishes from the garden...


Dried herbs from the bride's mom's garden were featured in jars with homemade tags.

Hand-canned apricot preserves made from family trees were in small jars covered in burlap and linen and tied with string.

The bags to hold the guests' farmers market favors were stamped with the bride & grooms' beautiful wedding monogram.


Beautifully-draped entrance to the tent, with flowers to greet guests...

This hand-made wooden arbor was built over the family-style head table. Green vines were draped over it and votives were hung from ribbon to add to the garden ambiance.

Handmade table signs made by the groom from an old tree that needed to be cut down, and hand written on by a calligrapher to match the rest of the calligraphy pieces. Names of the tables were all significant places in Brooke & Ben's love story, and were explained on the backs of the Escort cards.

The centerpieces were housed in the bride's family's own sterling silver coffee pots, urns, etc.

Gorgeous place cards with calligraphy...

Pretty place settings with chargers, vintage embroidered napkins, antique lace linen overlays, and a rosemary sprig, traditionally used in weddings to symbolize remembrance and fidelity.


Notice Brooke's Bolero jacket - she wore it for the reception to cover herself for her husband since she was now a married woman. Awesome!

And finally... a beautiful antique cake topper on a fantastic cake...