Vanessa + Mark, to-be-wed

A few months back, Jonilyn headed out with Vanessa and Mark for their engagement shoot. I love how their pictures turned out, not only because they are an absolutely adorable couple and their locations were outside of the ordinary, but because Vanessa has amazing taste in shoes as well (and you know I am a sucker for cute shoes!). You'll see more of these two after their May wedding at the Madison that I am thrilled to be a part of.

See what I mean- aren't these shoes adorable?!?

Jean + Chris, Revisited

Sarah K. Chen was gracious enough to pass along a disc of Jean and Chris' wedding pictures for me to hang onto. Of course I had to feature them on my site; check 'em out- they are in the "Winter Wonderland" gallery. Sarah's blog teasers were just the tip of the ice berg! Here are some of my never seen before favorites:

With the rain coming and going, I knew we just had to get an umbrella shot. How cute is the polka dot umbrella I got at Target? I loved it so much, I bought the white and black versions!

If the shoe fits, part two

How I never knew about Betsey Johnson's amazing shoe line is beyond me. Of course I was well aware of her funky and fresh clothing line; she is always pushing the envelope, daring women to be just a little sexier and just a little more outrageous. It appears as if her shoes do the exact same thing; tell me you wouldn't feel so fierce with these hiding under your classic white wedding gown:

And the best part; here is what all the shoes look like on the bottom- adorable!

Fun with palettes

Lately I have been in awe of all the unique color palettes that Brides and other event creators are coming up with; really, anything goes these days. Your favorite colors are bright pink and bright yellow, you say? Chances are, you can absolutely find a way to 'make it work' (I just love Tim Gunn!). It's all about balancing the tones and including the colors in your details wisely. Here are some palettes that would look great at a spring or summer wedding (or any wedding, for that matter!):

Cornflower Blue, Light Coral, and Pure White

Pale Violet Red, Thistle, and Sea Green

Midnight Blue, Hot Pink, and Antique White

Not your average banquet chair

Newer to the wedding and special event scene is the Los Angeles based Chameleon Chair Collection, provider of extraordinary and exquisite seating options to make your wedding all the more fabulous! The options truly are endless- with seat cushions and chairs in almost every color (and many prints!) imaginable. The collection also boasts a variety of designs, both metal and fabric, with something sure to please every Bride. Here are a few event photos from the company's website, but be sure to check it out yourself to view their full catalog.

Bridal magazines: So many to read, so little time

I often get asked which bridal magazines are worth buying and reading; there are tons and tons out there, and sometimes it seems like it would be a waste of money spending $10 on a stack of paper. I definitely agree to that point on some of the magazines, all of which claim to be the 'ultimate wedding resource'. But there are a few publications that pass along wonderfully inspirational photos and ideas, and feature the work of reputable and unique vendors.

Ceremony Magazine has, in my opinion, some of the best featured weddings for finding ideas that don't necessarily have to break the bank. Each annual issue features upwards of 20 real weddings, and there are three editions (LA, OC, or SD) to choose from so your area is sure to be covered. Note that it is an annual magazine; the cover changes, but the content stays the same so you only need to buy it once (unless you are into collecting covers).

The Bride & Bloom Magazine never fails to impress me with their trendsetting decor and floral content. The focus of the publication is on the decor and design aspect of weddings, so you will be sure to see lots of unique color combinations and ways to make your Big Day truly you. One of my favorite elements in each edition is the 'Featured Floral Designer' section, where three different designers take on one couple's wedding vision and color palette. It is great to see how different the same elements can look when put together by various designers.

Lastly, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style is total wedding eye candy. The magazine features decor inspiration for extravagant and elegant weddings, all of which is fun to look at.

Happy reading!

The Wedding Chicks

I am so excited to finally be able to share the news on the 'secret project' Amy Squires and Joceybella have been hard at work putting together. This new blog will feature 'wedding info for cool chicks...all sorts of great tips from engagement to honeymoon and everything in between!'. Even more fantastic is that I have been featured as a guest blogger, sharing some helpful advice to make wedding planning easier for you. Be one of the first to check it out by clicking here.

Crystal + Chris, to-be-wed; part deux!

You probably remember this couple from their stunning first engagement shoot with Sarah K. Chen not too long ago. Well they went for a round two engagement session for fun, and tried a whole new feel for the shoot. By the time their wedding rolls around in just a few months, Crystal and Chris are going to be modeling pros- I can't wait! Here are my favorites:

You can see more over on Sarah's blog.

Jenner + Kyle, to-be-wed

Another fabulous couple shot by none other than Sarah K. Chen!

Jenner and Kyle have a really unique wedding planned for the fall (and you know I LOVE unique weddings!), and I am so lucky to be on-board as their Week-of Coordinator. Here are some of their engagement pictures from their session with Sarah back at the end of January. I couldn't resist sharing them again:

Gotta love those ABC-OC meetings!

Last night I attended the monthly ABC-OC mixer over at the Westin South Coast Plaza. The events are always such a good time to catch up with friends in the industry, as well as make new acquaintances. It's also great to take in the decor as the ABC always does a good job of showcasing fun new trends and ideas in flowers and color schemes. Here are a few pictures I snapped last night, taken on my spankin' new IPhone (definitely developing a love/hate relationship with it; I now have constant access to e-mail. See my earlier post for why that is not necessarily a thing for me):

Lighting by Atmosphere Entertainment

Linens by Fusion Linens

Unfortunately, I didn't catch who the gorgeous flowers were by (if anyone knows, feel free to pass their name along)

More blogs to add to your list

It seems like my list of 'blogs to stalk' just keeps getting longer and longer. It's fantastic how much inspiration is out there and available for anyone to draw from. Some of these, you may already be following yourself; but just in case, I offer a few more blogs for you to keep on your radar:

Snippet & Ink

Daily wedding inspiration boards in new and exciting themes and palettes. Did you catch the daily; need I say more?

Glamour This

From the writer, Kelly De Luca: "wedding. inspiration. ideas; unique ideas, visual candy and all of that". Kelly truly has a great eye for all things wedding glamorous.

The Bride's Cafe

I am a big fan of the Real Weddings feature; wedding photographers and other wedding professionals from around the country have pictures from their clients' past weddings highlighted. Since I can't stalk every blog out there, this points me in the direction of unique ideas and themes, all posted in one spot.

Just in case you didn't notice...

I have a new logo!! Jocey of Joceybella Invites helped my 'vision' become a reality, and it turned out even better then I ever could have imagined. I have to rave about Jocey because she is so easy to work with, and really got what I wanted from the get go. Thank you a million times over, Jocey!!

I definitely would recommend visiting her website if you are on the market for wedding invitations or graphic design assistance. Stay tuned because you will be seeing more of Jocey in the future, as she let me in on a 'secret project' her and the fantabulous Amy Squires are putting together. Very exciting stuff!!

More great pictures from The Green Event Studio

Jonilyn sent me a disc of the images she captured at January's Green Event Studio launch party; I had a great time revisiting what was such an awesome party. I figured you all might like a blast from the past as well; enjoy!

The entrance of the studio was enhanced with lighting, including this rose gobo; we wanted to be sure guests wouldn't drive past the location. It sure did the trick!

I just love their new logo, courtesy of the girls at D*LSH Design

Guests were asked to leave their fingerprint and signature, almost as a guest book of sorts. The 'art' will remain on the wall at the studio, a reminder of their fantastic beginning.

Christine (of the Spiraled Stem) frequently uses blumeboxes for decor; they are great way to incorporate color into the floral design, and are 100% recyclable!

The ice luge really turned out stunning, don't you agree?

Each of the main event sponsors was, to my surprise, called on stage to say a few words; I definitely didn't expect it, but was very excited nonetheless.

Christine and me, happy that the event went flawlessly