Stephanie’s THREE wedding gowns!
I love this girl… is she not just the cutest?? And, she has exquisite taste.
For Stephanie & Curtis’ wine country Sonoma Valley wedding, Steph decided on completely different looking wedding gowns to wear in the three “segments” of her wedding day.
The first gown worn for the formal Catholic wedding ceremony was by designer La Sposa. Steph wore her hair up in a cute bun with a long flowing veil. Gorgeous!
The second wardrobe change was for the outdoor cocktail reception held on the patio of Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa. A custom made Vietnamese Ao Dai giving homage to Steph’s culture and heritage. Her hair came down from the bun – long and beautifully luxurious.
And finally, for the dinner and the party-dancing segment, Stephanie selected this fun and flirty Vera Wang design. And of course, she looked terrific in each outfit – I love each gown equally (and yes, Curtis, you were quite dashing in your black tux!)
Happy 1st Anniversary Katie & Nick
Big congrats to Katie & Nick Schroeder upon their First Year Anniversary. 11/12/11 was a fantastic day… and here are a few photos to bring back memories of their very lovely wedding and reception held at the Citizen Hotel, Sacramento .
I’ve know Katie since “before birth” and it was an extreme honor that she asked me to plan this beautiful wedding… now her mom and I will wait on the babies!! (just kidding <smile> )
Stephanie & Curtis ~ Married {Part 2}
My previous post was about Stephanie & Curtis’ beautiful Catholic wedding, and now I want to show off their fun-filled reception! Right after the ceremony they did a few photos around the grounds of Vintners Inn in lovely Sonoma County wine country, and then Steph changed into her third gown for the day – a fun and flirty Vera Wang design.
Stephanie and Curtis wanted a very fun, family oriented celebration after their ceremony… but also Steph was looking for an elegant “Going to the Oscars” black and white affair. Sarah of Cuttings Floral Design created all the flowers for this wedding… exactly the design concept Steph was looking for!
The fingerprint Wedding Tree will be a lovely keepsake… look closely at their initials on the tree trunk – ahhhh.
This very cool cake was as delicious on the inside as it looks… created by Patissiera Angelica of Sepastopol.
My gift to my couples… engraved vintage forks with date and “I Do, Me To.”
And after their first dance… the frivolity commenced. The photo booth antics were hysterical, and San Francisco DJ Scott Campbell (DJ Cams) had the dance floor packed for the remainder of the night!
The end of the evening… my very best wishes to Stephanie & Curtis on a long and happy marriage!
Thank you Thais of Love at First Click for being my weekend buddy and taking all these great photos!
Stephanie & Curtis ~ Married {Part 1}
There cannot possibly be two nicer people in the whole world then Stephanie & Curtis! I planned the wedding of Curtis’ sister a couple of years ago and when Steph called to ask if I would plan their wedding, I was honored. They selected Vintners Inn in Sonoma County for their wine country reception. It was the perfect setting for getting ready (the rooms were beautiful), for taking photos (the Tuscan style architecture and vineyard setting was ideal) , and nearby to St. Eugene’s Catholic Church , Santa Rosa, for the ceremony.
Steph had not one, not two, but THREE wedding gowns – how fun is that!!!? Future blog posts will show her in those other gowns, but this post will show off the first gown she wore for the church ceremony.
Cute bridesmaids in very colorful robes (gifts from the bride). And then on the otherhand ~ check out the groom and his buddies… boys, boys, boys! Tsk.
And here is lovely Stephanie in Gown #1. Gorgeous!!
The colors of classic black and white were worn by both the ladies and the gentlemen.
The photos in the church just makes me all mushy in side… isn’t it beautiful?
After the ceremony, we arranged for a limo coach to take them all to Vintners Inn for the reception. I think they were ready to let their hair down after the detailed Catholic ceremony – ya think?
We’re married - let’s make some noise!
Having the best-est photographer to travel to Sonoma County and take all these great shots is a dream. Thank you so much to Thais of Love at First Click Photography for capturing all the details. Just wait until {Part 2} which I’ll post in a few more days.
Today is Dia de los Muertos
Yesterday was Halloween, a pagan harvest festival… today is Day of the Dead (Spanish: Dia de los Muertos) – a national holiday in Mexico but also celebrated around the world in other cultures. This holiday focuses on gathering of family and friends to remember those who have died. The celebration is in connection with Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day.
Traditions connected with Dia de los Muertos would be honoring the deceased by displaying sugar skulls, enjoying favorite foods of the departed, placing flowers (particularly the marigold) on the graves of friends and family members, and parades occur where many dress in their “finest skeleton” costume.
Here in the United States (and perhaps other countries), we have become fascinated with holding Dia de los Muertos themed weddings. From elegant to colorful and quirky!
This is an excellent tradition – to give honor and thought to all those who have passed before us. Let’s celebrate their life!
Tomorrow is Liz & Dan’s big day!
Dan and Liz are just too stinkin’ cute. These two photos are fun, casual iPhone pix, but can you imagine how beautiful they’ll be all dressed up in their best wedding finery? They’ll be having a traditional wedding at The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento, followed by a fan-tab-ulous reception at the ultra-modern Crocker Art Museum. Wowza!
The next time you see these smiling faces will be professional shots by Mischa Photography. Bring it on!
Marjan & Ken’s Ice Cream Sundae Station {Part 3}
This wedding had so many beautiful and very fun elements… I just couldn’t settle with one blog post, so here is your third and final posting! And what better way to end but with DESSERT!
You’ll recall in Marjan & Ken’s previous blog {Part 1} that we set their wedding up to be “in the round” and they stood within this gorgeous birch/aspen frame. Once the ceremony was over, we moved it to a side area to use for the ice cream sundae station. I added fun signage and they found the large bowl for the personal sundae. My gift to them was the engraved spoons with wedding date and “I Scream, You Scream” - so cute.
And rather than that first bite of traditional wedding cake… you got it, a spoonful of wedding ice cream – what could be better?
A huge thanks to Carissa of Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts for setting up this fantastic dessert bar – complete with toppings, sauces, brownie bites, bananas and 3 flavors of ice cream. Yummmm-o. And again, much appreciation to Sarah Dawson of Sarah Dawson Photography for getting all the good shots!
Marjan & Ken ~ Persian Wedding Traditions {Part 2}
A nice, fun-loving Irish boy marries a beautiful, fun-loving Persian girl – check out {Part 1} to read all about their wonderful wedding. Marjan wished to honor her ancestry, but wanted to put a slight twist on the ceremonial traditions often included in a Persian wedding.
The Sofreh Aghd is the display of certain items with deep symbolic meanings. Often times the Sofreh (which means “spread”) is set up as a low table and can be very large and filled with ornate and varied items. The couple sit at a bench in front of the table. However, Marjan wanted to be minimal and simple and remain standing with their guests encircling them. We displayed the Sofreh items on four small tables positioned at the corner of each of the posts of the aspen frame.
The table above holds a cut open pomegranate to represent one of the fruits of the heaven. Also decorated eggs, one of the many symbols of fertility. The table below, displayed a mirror ~ to bring light and brightness into the future, a candelabra ~ to symbolize fire and energy, the Holy Scripture ~ to symbolize God’s blessing for the couple.
Items on this table are rice, herbs & spices, and salt which are to guard the couple against evil spirits. A tray of honeyed sweets is to ensure sweetness in life.
My favorite tradition was the act of showering the couple with sugar symbolizing sweetness and happiness. Marjan and Ken selected happily married couples to come forward to have the honor of rubbing together two sugar cones over the couple (which collected on a special silk fabric.)
Trays of Persian sweet treats were available for the guests to enjoy throughout the evening.
Marjan’s grandmother made the trip from Iran to see her granddaughter marry. Now that’s special!
Awesome traditions… I appreciate all the symbolism incorporated into this wedding. Very cool.
Thank you to Sarah Dawson Photography for capturing all the details.
Marjan & Ken ~ Married! {Part 1}
I absolutely LOVED Marjan and Ken and really, really LOVED the look, feel, vibe and content of their wedding day. Both E.R. doctors, Ken & Marjan met in Chicago and moved to Sacramento. While sightseeing they were drawn to the history of Sacramento and the architecture of the old buildings along the waterfront in Old Sacramento – they selected the lovely patio of Courtyard D’Oro on Front Street for their wedding. The out of state guests were thrilled.
Marjan & Ken were not traditionalists and we discussed holding the ceremony in the round, as I knew the space at Courtyard D’Oro would work well with this configuration. Nature lovers and outdoorsy people, enjoying hikes, bike rides and greenery, I just knew they needed to work with Philip Rice of East Sac Florist. He distilled all our concepts and vision and hit the mark on the head with the lovely aspen ceremonial framework.
Purple was the base color and the bridesmades wore different dress designs in two shades of purple. Ken found perfect ties for his groomsmen.
They enjoyed a First Look, some family photos and then “rock star” Sarah Dawson of Sarah Dawson Photography took them around various spots of Old Sac for some fun photos. I’m sure the tourists on the streets were applauding and cheering them on!
The tables inside the reception space were fabulous – Philip again outdid himself with the centeriece design – using natural elements of varying heights and unique glassware/vases. Incorporating wooden chargers on the deep purple linens made for an “earthy” feel (all from Classic Party Rentals). Marjan DIY-ed the menu cards so the printed fork would show in the napkin fold – very clever!
Steve Schon of Function 45 was our DJ/MC, and also set up the great accent theatrical lighting. Before he had the dancefloor packed, he played a lovely first dance for the newlyweds… ahhhh.
Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Kelley (or is it Dr. and Dr. Kelley??) You two are wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed working with you.
Because Marjan is of Persian ancestry, the next blog post will feature her unique way of showcasing Persian ceremonial traditions incorporated into the wedding. Come back in a few more days for Part 2.
Diana & Zac – E-session
This Saturday, Diana and Zac will be married at the historic Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, California. It’s going to be awesome… an intimate gathering of 60 dining al fresco under Italian market lights (a 3 course dinner by Elaine Bell Catering - whoot hoot!). Cake (by Fleur de Lisa) and dancing within the wonderful wine caves built into the hillside. Diana and Zac had their engagement photo session recently, and Sam with Sharpe Photographers just sent me these images… in the nick of time before their big day!
Wedding photos will be posted much later on, so you’ll just have to wait to see all the Sonoma County wedding beauty!