Coto Valley was featured in Style Unveiled

 I just love the way this Blush by Jim Hjelm gown photographed

Jay's Catering was the caterer for this beautiful shoot

 I just adore this burlap runner

 I wish everyone could have seen all the silly behavior to keep the horses attention

Hanssie Trainor Photography, French Buckets, Fusion Linens, Sugarbaker and Toad, Typologie and Co, Diego Ortega, Elements of Artistry, and Hope Stanley Bridal Stylist.

Bella!

This is still one of my favorite shoots.. I adore this Pronovias gown....I will post this shoot next week with all its information.... have a wonderful weekend!

great day off

~I had two wonderful days off with my girls~

~lunch~

~shopping~

shopping~lunch~shopping

French Buckets

    ~One of the sweetest, an artist and dear

person is, Sussanna.  I've been fortunate enough to have worked with Sussanna on several occasions. She owns the beautiful floral studio, French Buckets! Her work is amazing..   Sussanna, who is an artist by training, has a way of creating unforgettable floral arrangements and stunning bouquets.. Here is a sample of her creations from a recent article from Style Unveiled~









roses, lavender, hydrangea's

www.frenchbuckets.com

Wedding vendors involved include: Photography: Imagery Immaculate Event Design: Wedding Jeannie Flowers: French Buckets Florist Stationery: Petalos Di Pauli Cake: Erica O'Brien Cake Design Venue: Serra Plaza Events Catering: Jay's Catering Bridal Stylist: Hope Stanley Beauty: Design Visage Dresses: Mary Me Bridal Chair Rentals: Chameleon Chair Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Joshua Tree National Park Love Shoot | Jackie + Tony

Mr. + Mrs., PRESS, THE DAY AFTER, WEDDINGS

~I wanted to reshare this blog from Ashleigh Taylor on the beautiful photo shoot from last week that I was thrilled to be a part of~ xoxoxox

                                                  

I am so thrilled to finally be able to share this amazing desert and hippie inspired love shoot with you, which was featured on Style Me Pretty last week!

This whole thing came about when I met Jackie. I met her at a bridal show when she stopped at my booth and I instantly LOVED her. She had the cutest personality and sense of style. Apparently the feeling was mutual and soon we were meeting over coffee and talking weddings and photography. Jackie told me how she is getting married in her hometown of Chicago this fall and (bummer) had already hired a local photographer to shoot it. Though she is crazy excited for her Chicago wedding, she was an avid Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, and Once Wed reader and had just been dreaming and swooning over the idea of a California wedding. She even had some dream vendors lined up for it, like florals by Honey and Poppies. She knew two full blown weddings weren’t in the budget…but perhaps a styled Mr. & Mrs love shoot could work!

Jackie and her charming fiance Tony are uber hip and stylish. They look like modern hippies and ooze that relaxed cool vibe. I helped them translate that vibe into a lovely Hippie inspired shoot out in the desert…Joshua Tree to be exact! And since it was to be a mini, California dream wedding, we HAD to have Jackie’s dream florist make the arrangements. As usual, Megan of Honey and Poppies knocked it out of the park and created some swoon worth florals!

My love, Amber, of Pitbulls and Posies created some amazing stationery for the shoot! Hope Stanley chose the perfect look for Jackie to wear. And Jackie’s headband was made by the always breath-taking Lo Boheme!! The talented Susie Chhuor Studio completed Jackie’s look with amazing hair & make up (though the desert wind sure did seem determine to mess up Jackie’s hair all day!). Lastly, I asked my friend Candice to come along and help me style the shoot! All in all it was a dream team, and Jackie’s reaction to the final set up was one of pure joy! She told me it was all she wanted and more and that she was so happy to be getting her dream California wedding! Hooray!!!!

I’m so excited to share these photos with y’all! They are some of my faves to date! Hugeeee thank you to all the amazing vendors who worked on this shoot!

Floral Design: Honey and Poppies – http://honeyandpoppies.com/
Stationery: Pitbulls & Posies – http://pitbullsandposies.com/
Wardrobe Styling: Hope Stanley – http://hsbridalstylist.blogspot.com/
Dress: Mary Me Bridal – http://marymebridal.com/
Hair Adornments: Lo Boheme – www.loboheme.com
Hair + Make-up: Susie Chhuor Studio - http://www.susiechhuor.com/
Set Styling: Candice Benjamin – http://candicebenjamin.com/

The Rules of The Bridesmaids Dress Game

  I'm just going to tell you the cold hard facts about ordering

www.weddingchicks.com

• Gowns take up to four months to come in.  We are not lying to you in order to get a sale.  IT'S A FACT!
• you need to get all the dresses from the same location.  If gowns are purchased from multiple stores, you run the risk of different dye lots ( you want your dresses cut from the same bolt of fabric. The darker the color the higher your risk runs of colors not matching)
• we need your measurements and height  bust/waist/ hips ( your jeans size and your bra size is NOT a measurement)
• Dresses come a standard length and they are not made to measure.. (this is not COUTURE) for girls who are tall extra length can be ordered at an ADDITIONAL CHARGE!
• Beware of the Internet... if the Jim Hjelm gown is 150.00 dollars, on line, chances are you are purchasing a copy... (IF ITS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE , THEN IT ISN'T TRUE)
• GOWNS WILL BE DISCONTINUED! so if your looking way in advance, DO NOT be shocked if the gown is no longer available 10 months later.we order gowns as a group, NOT INDIVIDUALLY! this is to make sure the gowns are from the same die lot
• RUSH CUT: its an EXTRA COST charged by the manufacturer for a tight wedding date.. a rush cut insures you, you will have dresses before your wedding BUT YOU MAY STILL RUN THE RISK OF HAVING THE DRESSES EXTREMELY CLOSE TO YOU WEDDING DATE!
• lastly, gown orders come from all over the world to the manufacturers. Once an order is placed it is put into to a production line.  Certain dresses are cut on certain dates. YOU are not the only Bride, so you must understand that things can,t be changed 2 months later because a girl got pregnant or a girl was dropped from the wedding party! 

Crazy Brides Maid Week!

www.weddingchicks.com

brides maids gowns by watters

     This week has been so crazy... It's as if all my November brides were running a couple months behind on their schedule... 11-11-11 seems like that is the wedding date! For me all the days run together. 9,10,11 it all becomes a blur... I'll I know is that your running late and your order has to get in by Thursday or your pushing the cut of your dresses back.  Fortunately, my three brides rallied at the last minute and got all their maids in to order.  It was a tight call, but they pulled through. YEAH!

Always a Place in the Sun

 then

 now

 gown:   www.justinalexander.com

photographer:www.greentreephotography.com

     When I saw this beautiful Justin Alexander gown, the 1950's film classic  "A Place in the Sun" popped into my head.  I will never forget the gorgeous tulle gown Elizabeth Taylor wore while playing pool... A tulle gown is a timeless look that never goes out of style.. 

Brand New Week

     It's a new week and a fresh start on life... some weeks go by like a hurricane and other weeks are like a slow and steady rain....What will this week bring me? I know it will be filled with kids, lessons, friends and a dog.  But, what will the bridal world bring me? joy, fear or maybe blissful fun.... who knows!

~Happy Monday~

www.bhldn.com

Hakuna Matata~is that a tattoo?

     I would love to say that selling a wedding gown is like "Say Yes to the Dress" or "Amsale Girls", unfortunately it isn't..... Good TV wouldn't revolve around girls with 700.00 hundred dollar budgets and little girls screaming, not to mention the occasional mother/ daughter fight.  Case in Point, the dreaded TATTOO incident.  The mom and bride came in all happy and giddy.  We chit chatted picked out gowns and were having a wonderful time.  And then, it happened, the Tattoo was spotted by MOM. I knew what was going on, I could tell the bride was trying to hide her Hakuna matata tattoo from her mom.  It was to late! The brides mom, with her special mom eyes, discovered it under the thin layer of petticoat.  Smoke was starting to fill the room and I couldn't escape, WWIII had begun.  All I could remember the brides mom said "I'm going to kick you out of the house" and the bride said "so what I'm getting married, I'm leaving anyways".  As I tried to sneak out of the room, the mom grabbed me and said that's the gown she wants and her is my credit card I'm leaving......   there wasn't the "is this your dress?" moment.

style me pretty~Bohemian Bridal Shoot

~so proud to have been involved with this shoot.. turned out beautiful!~stylemepretty.com

just lovely

Glint Avalon shoe..... great buy at Nordstrom.com 49.00

Elements of Artistry-Makeup on Location by Lisa O'Connor

 model Devon is a natural beauty and Lisa just knows how to enhance that beauty

A great artist can enhance a girls beauty and not leave you with the question: who was that?  I cant begin to tell you how many pictures I get from brides and photographers that for the life of me, cant recognize the bride in the image... I solute my friend Lisa for her beautiful work.... not only can I recognize the girl, but she also looks beautiful!elementsofartistry.com

My idea of the Hampton's

This was such a fun little shoot... took place at the Dana Point Yacht Club.... I had this whole Ralph Lauren moment going on in my head after seeing him on Oprah! I will share more images as time goes on.. this was Hampton's Bride 



 photography marialonghiphotography
 bouquet:  Bound, a Floral and Event Studio

good morning~lets build a relationship

      I hope today finds everyone well and happy.... the weekend is upon us and that means Saturday is a work day for me.  The Bridal Industry has been so unpredictable, as of late.  Some days are swamped and other days you could hear a pin drop.  This is true for everyone.  Ive spoke with many of my friends in the industry who have experienced the unstable bridal economy.  One day your up and the next day your flat on the ground.  Is it due to a brides lack of commitment?  Id have to say yes... World wide communications, via the Internet and television has totally changed the way brides shop.  Its no longer about a relationship with client and vendor, its about what can you due for me.... But, I transgress.  Make this shopping weekend about building a relationship with your vendor.  Who knows what they will do for you in the end.      photo:www.ruemag.com

French Bathing Beauty

oooh! lala!

www.shopruche.com

I just adore this picture frame spottedleopardcreations.com. This moss covered frame would make a beautiful place card, menu display, and keep sake for your guest... its a great DIY for my artsy brides 

Cymbeline

cymbeline

Bonjour

I adore all things French... My children even have have French names..lets be inspired!

not everything is roses... with "friends"

     Ive always been one who doesn't like a lot of cooks in the kitchen, the same is said for friends at gown appointments.... Case in point! I had this lovely bride who came in, for the second time, for  Watters gown Torreon.  The "friend" told her that she hated the gown and it just wasn't right for her... The girl was crushed and left broken hearted.. two hours later the "friend" shows up with her mother and purchases the Torreon gown from another consultant!!!  Ironically my 14 yr old daughter was at work with me that day and was floored... I think a life lesson was learned that day...

watters.com Torreon gown