In Honor of Kimberly White & George Edelman

Kim and George are the coolest most laid back people ever!  I was really excited and flattered that Danny from Epic Imagery referred them to me.  I knew Kim, George and I were going to be a perfect fit at our first meeting when I showed up and George had a Lakers hat on, and they had the cutest dog ever, Spock (yes, from Star Trek!) tied to the patio table outside of the cute little cafe in Santa Monica.

This wedding from this past April took place at the gorgeous La Quinta Resort and Spa...it's honestly like a vacation to work there!  The weather was absolutely amazing.  All of Kim's vintage glassware used to hold candles on the guest tables were awesome, and the mini cupcakes were some of the best I've ever had!!  Not to mention, every time I see Kim's old Hollywood glamour look, I can't help but fall in love with her more!

Check out some of my favorite pictures below....I promise it will either convince you to get married here, or plan a vacation very soon.  Perhaps you can use Coachella as an excuse to stay at the resort!

The Team: Location: {La Quinta Resort and Spa} - {Cupcakes: Over the Rainbow Cakes} - {Entertainment: David Burrows Entertainment} - {Photography: Epic Imagery} - {Florist: Arrangements Floral and Party Design}

Tips to Sweeten the Deal for your Wedding Cake

People are always looking for ways to save money without sacrificing style and quality when it comes to their wedding.  Let's be honest, weddings are expensive and budgets can easily get out of control.  I see it all the time.  This being said, I wanted to share some great tips on how to save money on your wedding cake that I found in Bridal Guide....

-One idea is to create a "faux" cake where only one small piece is actually real, the part you will cut and eat in front of your friends and family for pictures.  Your guests are then served sheet cake from the back which is far more inexpensive.

Photo Credit: Left Photos- TheKnot; Top Right Photo- Photos by Johanna; Bottom Right- Troy Grover Photography

-The simpler the decoration, the lower the price!  Things that are more labor-intensive like hand-crafted sugar flowers, fondant and detailed piping cost more.  Opt for a simple design and use fresh flowers to jazz things up.

-Square cakes yield more slices than round cakes!

Photo Credit: Top Right and Bottom Left- Focus Photography, Inc.; Top Left- Scott Nelson Photography; Bottom Right- MarthaStewartWeddings

-Not every single person will eat your cake...you can usually get away by ordering enough for 75% of your guests.

-Rich flavors like chocolate make people fuller faster!  This way you can cut thinner slices to satisfy their sweet tooths.  Also, things like pound cake and cheesecake also allow for cutting back since they are heavy.

Photo Credit: Top Left- Harvard Photography; Bottom Right- Huey Bui Photography; Top Right- TheKnot; Bottom Left- MarthaStewartWeddings

-Fresh fruit is more expensive than cream fillings, so serve sliced seasonal fruit on the plate beside the slice of cake.

-Perhaps you can have your cake cut into small pieces and tray passed around to guests during dancing.

Photo Credit: Top Left- Focus Photography; Top Right- MarthaStewarWeddings; Bottom Photos- Epic Imagery

-Lastly, avoid cake cutting fees by using the venue's in house pastry chef, the bakeries they include in the wedding package or a cupcake tower or a dessert display.

Be sure to share us your thoughts!

Villa Rockledge, Laguna Beach

Last week Maria and I had the pleasure of joining OC Wedding Pros in a breakfast and tour of Villa Rockledge, a venue relatively new to weddings and events.  This is a gorgeous home with a ton of history, not to mention a one of the best ocean views I have ever seen.  The pictures that Joe Broccardo took are awesome, but you really have to be there to absorb the whole atmosphere.  Even better, since they have a private beach you can get married on the sand without the hassle of the permit!  However, this beautiful estate will cost you a pretty penny...be willing to invest $8,500 for a site fee, but if you actually toured the house, you would understand why.

It is always fun to see other wedding professionals at a non-wedding setting so we can catch up!  Anders Catering was also wonderful enough to provide the delicious breakfast you see below.

In Honor of Kathryn Green and Tim Tawakol

I can't even begin to describe how much fun it was to be a part of Kathryn and Tim's wedding...for several reasons.  First, Kathryn, Tim and I all went to Loyola Marymount University together. Second, Kathryn and I were roommates sophomore year and Tim was our neighbor.  Third, it was the cliche sorority (Alpha Phi) and fraternity (Sigma Chi) love story.  And lastly, I love to selfishly take credit for bringing them together at a Sigma Chi date party.  So throw that all together with Kathryn's handmade decor (with the help of her sisters and mom) paired with a team of fabulous vendors, it was a recipe for an amazingly fun, flawless wedding!  Plus, I had a great time running into old friends from college and do a little bit of catching up.

The Team: {Location: The Hyatt Regency, Long Beach} - {Photography: Focus Photography, Inc.} - {Florist: Paradise Delight} - {Videography: Alumiq Productions} -  {Linens: BBJ Linens} - {Chiavari Chairs: Chiavari Chair Rentals} - {Ceremony Arch: Exquisite Event Resources}

In Honor of Jessica Lindsey & Logan Mulvey

Ok, where do I even begin?  Now that my blog is up, I have the opportunity to share our weddings with a personal insight to the big day, but I have to admit I have been dreading blogging the gorgeous nuptials of Jessica and Logan.  Dreading it because there is no way I will even come close to doing justice for how beautiful the ceremony was, how much fun the reception was, and how close Jessica and I became during the planning.  To the point, my good friend Courtnay (an LMU alum) referred Jessica (another LMU alum) when she got engaged to Logan (yes another LMU alum).  Jessica and I got along so well, she literally booked me over the phone and the rest is history.  I've never met such an amazing girl, equally gorgeous inside and out, smart, motivated...all the things parents want in a daughter, and all the things a guy wants in a wife...lucky Logan!

Anyways, another aspect of dreading this post is trying to narrow it down to the best images...they are ALL amazing...unedited...I hate them for that, but luckily Aimee (Troy Grover Photography) already blogged it so I just stole some of their ideas.  We had the dream team of vendors to work with, which really made our job so easy, and gave us plenty of time to eat mini donuts.  So please check out the pictures below and leave your comments.  You can also see Aimee and Troy's post here.

And the last reason I was dreading this post...is I don't want it to be over!  Now I don't have anymore excuses to obsess over how much I love them!!

The Team: {Location: The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe} - {Photography: Troy Grover} - {Videography: Isabel Gonzalez Videotique} - {Florist: Blush Botanicals} - {Church: St Therese of Carmel} - {Mini Donuts: The Fry Girl, Inc.} - {Rentals: Elegant Designs and Chiavari Chair Rentals} - {Entertainment: John Storie (Cocktail Musician) and David Heyerman (DJ)}