JL DESIGNS featured on snippet and ink

i feel so blessed to have a couple images from the photo shoot i did with stephanie williams featured in the "vintage orange grove" inspiration board put together by kathryn over at snippet and ink...her blog is absolutely a daily read...

she is SO AMAZING at creating these boards! it's not just about the flowers or the tablescape or the dress...it is about creating event character as a whole! true ambiance and a story to be told...she gets that...and i love her for it!

upper left hand photo and bottom row photo of couple standing in front of the orange tree...top photo the model holds a bouquet i created out of pale peach and coral ranunculas...

thanks for including us kathryn!!!

5 year anniversary shoot - orange county

to celebrate their 5 year anniversary, jesi haack and her husband documented the milestone with an organic, vintage photo shoot...her curly willow and balsa wood flower bouquet was actually leftover from the photo shoot we did together at the white dress...i told you it was sustainable! very eco-friendly :)

aaron from AHS photography shot them in a sun soaked field and the lighting turned out to be GORGEOUS!

congrats jesi and ryan on your 5 year mark! here's to many, many more celebrations and memories!

photo shoot with jesi haack - the white dress, corona del mar

last month i had the pleasure of taking part in a photo shoot for jesi haack weddings and events. she told me she was in the process of re-branding and that she would be taking new headshots at the white dress in corona del mar...there were gonna be girls modeling the dresses and playing the role of the "brides" and they wanted to create a funky, colorful, happy vibe...

so this first bouquet is a monochromatic mixture of fuschia ranunculas, roses and tulips, wrapped in a magenta ribbon with a cuff of sparkle and lace for a flirty effect.

this bouquet SCREAMS drama! all eggplant mini calas surrounded by black feathers and wrapped entirely in black ribbon and a dark lace overlay. this look is not for the shy! it's for someone who wants to make a statement - and a big one at that!

this next bouquet was just light, happy and easy on the eye...a simple monochromatic and monobotanical bouquet of all antique yellow roses was wrapped in cream colored satin and accented with pale gold trim and a vintage inspired cameo...

i pulled this bouquet together as a last minute whim and it turned out to be my favorite of the day! it was made up of curly willow branches and white balsa wood flowers...super sustainable since these flowers don't die and can be re-used!

the dresses at the salon are to-die-for! i am utterly obsessed with the tiered ruffle dress on the left...not sure who it's designed by but it's gorgeous!

a big thanks to the other girls who made this shoot a success!

ryel j for the killer photos

jessica menashe at the white dress bridal salon for the use of her store and stunning dresses

nicole deanne for the funky and fabulous hair and makeup

nicole deanne (pulling double duty) for the adorable hair pieces

jesi haack weddings and events for bringing it all together!

ceremony magazine 2009 photo shoot - balboa bay club

last june i designed 2 tablescapes for the 2009 orange county edition of ceremony magazine...the shoot took place at balboa bay club and i had some of my favorite vendors on hand to assist with my designs...this is the first of two posts i will be doing to showcase what we came up with!

this tablescape had a rustic, chic, organic vibe...but still with the clean, pulled together "JL DESIGNS" signature! we used white peonies, white hydrangea, green protea, "blushing bride", white reflexed roses, a variety of succulents and sand-colored dried fungi caps...

for the menus and placecards, margaret over at mimio paper and i chose this rustic material, layered with celery green paper and a crisp white cardstock...i hot-glued the succulents onto the menus onsite to give them a fresh, living quality so they would fit right into the tablescape as part of the design...
***note - when the table numbers stick out like a sore thumb and ruin all the lovely centepiece/tablescape photos it makes me sad...spending all that money on florals, linens, lighting, etc and then forgetting about the table number itself is a shame...try to create something cool that makes the table number look like it belongs!

i pretty much found everything for my tablescape at ikea...the natural cork vases, the tan pillar candles, the sand colored ceramic accent vases and the petite white textured vases...

thank you to the following vendors for being such rockstars!

photography: barnet photography, c/o ceremony magazine

chargers, glassware, flatware, plates: classic party rentals

those killer seagrass chairs: designer 8

linens and napkins: bbj linens

menus and placecards: mimio, the artistry of paper

and if you want to get your own copy of ceremony magazine with tons of great tablescapes by other fabulous designers, head to barnes and noble, borders, target or even your local grocery store...