joanna and brian - marvimon, downtown LA

"great gatsby...white wedding...elegant and romantic...timeless"

these were all key words used when joanna and i met together for the first time...we came up with this idea of an upscale 1930's cocktail party held in someone's private home...we wanted to utilize the venue's existing wood furniture and tables but add in tons of crisp white linens, chairs, lace and florals...

i also wanted to incorporate some vintage elements without it looking too crafty or handmade...we wanted statement pieces that just had a lot of character on their own, because of their age, not necessarily because we made them that way...

for the bouquets and boutonnieres, we wanted to go with something soft but DRAMATIC! so i created the bouquets entirely out of cream toned balsa wood flowers, collared by ivory feathers for the bridesmaids and black feathers for the bride (a la "vera wang"). we wrapped them in gorgeous raw edged laces and the kicker is that they are entirely sustainable and will never die! so the bride was able to keep her bouquet forever :)

for the guys, we did balsa wood boutonnieres with accents of cream or black feathers...elegant, chic but sustainable too! best of both worlds...

the reception was held at marvimon, which of course has a ton of charm and funk, all on its own...

jesi really wanted to do something different for the aisle treatment so she and her husband designed this "runner" made entirely out of reclaimed wood! it was amazing!!!

for the ceremony, we nixed the idea of traditional "altar pieces" and instead i brought in these antique bedside tables which we jazzed up with florals and candles...they flanked the couple during their vows and added a little something while keeping it understated...

how stinking POSH is this bridal party!?!?!? nothing is classier than a black suit or LBD...

i spent months scouring thrift stores, good wills and flea markets and found tons of tarnished silver vessels and cut crystal drinking goblets, which we filled with tailored white florals and green passion vine for added texture...we added in mercury glass candlesticks plus antique filigree mirrors, gravy boats, luggage and serving trays to give it the overall feel that this was someone's home and we just pulled things off shelves to use as decor...

half of the tables were set with a vintage wood drawer that jesi found and we added the floral pieces and candles both inside and outside of the drawer...

OKAY...listen up here people...this was my FAVORITE CAKE DISPLAY EVER...the cake was designed by melody at sweet and saucy shop (duh, who else??!)...it was just so ruffly and feminine but architectural at the same time...and the stark white makes it so classic!

and with that backdrop of the lace and pearls, installed by the FAB jesi haack, it just did not get any prettier!

for the existing wood tables, i added a scallop edge lace runner to bring in some softness...

i LOVE this picture...just pure, unadulterated BLISS..

vendor love...

photography: annie mcelwain - who has quickly become one of my new faves :)

coordination and design: jesi haack weddings

cake: sweet and saucy shop

venue: marvimon

and THANK YOU to 100 layer cake for featuring this wedding on their blog! check out the feature here...

erin and brent - laguna beach engagement session

this post is very near and dear to my heart because the couple is actually my sister-in-law and her fiance!!! they came all the way out to california for their engagement session so of course i offered to style everything for them...erin was really inspired by jen's love shoot on green wedding shoes, so i told her i would take that vibe and run with it...

i brought in all of my own vintage furniture, crates and props to create a little "living room" vignette along the side of the road in the laguna canyon...erin wanted it quirky, playful and eclectic...so i used an amber glass lamp with no shade, a strange constellation globe that i found at a good will, an hourglass, old tea tins, brass pots, vintage green vases, and a tufted velvet wingback chair to name a few things...

it was raining all week and it sprinkled that day, so we crossed our fingers it would clear up for the shoot - and it did, just in time :)

erin wore her wellies and brought her own antique umbrella in case of more rain...i thought they ended up looking so cute!

the skies were dark and gloomy but the rain held off...

and then...the sun peaked out!!!!

this photo is SOOOO brent and erin - i love it...

i have been DYING to use a tumbleweed in one of my events or shoots for so long now...when i spied this big boy i just knew we HAD to use him :)

i hung a floral sheet in some low-lying trees to create a little "fort"...blankets on the ground, petite floral arrangements of yellow acacia, a hobnail milkglass lamp (again with no shade) and some turquoise and celadon green pillows completed the breezy but cozy feel...

hands down my FAVORITE photo of the day...

i think that gabriel and carlie, the husband and wife team who make up gabriel ryan photographers, did an amazing job on this shoot!! i can't wait to see how they capture the wedding in september :) hugs to you both!

also, a HUGE thank you to jen at green wedding shoes for posting this session today on her blog! you have inspired erin so much during her planning process - keep the fab posts coming!!

brent and erin, i am SO excited for your wedding and for your new life together as husband and wife! brian and i can't wait to be able to officially call brent a part of our family :) and it was so fun to have you back in cali - come visit again soon! love you....

oh and check out my sister-in-law's blog, erin pot pie! it's pretty darn funny...