How fun is it to be girl?  We get to twirl, toss, and curl our hair in a variety of styles that represent our personalities best.  Then for the best part – we get to top all of it off with fun hair accessories and ornaments.  Feathers, diamonds, flowers, tulle, birdcage veils…it’s all fun, flirty, and feminine.  Some of the most popular hair styles are to adorn a soft swept up do, chignon, or low pulled back style of hair with a favorite accessory.  We think all of these hair ornaments and pins are simply stunning and beautiful and represent every bride in her very own light. 

I got married at The Mountain Terrace in Woodside, California just on top of the summit off of Highway 84.  I wanted a small, rustic, and intimate wedding and since I was married in the winter this felt like a perfect venue to have a crackling fire roaring.  We were married on one of the wettest days of the season and had to move our ceremony last minute to inside the venue to escape the thundering rainfall out on the lawn area where we had originally planned to be.  After our ceremony in front of a very small fireplace area inside, where my guests cheerfully crammed around us with not enough seating, we began the celebration.  Kelvin and Lara did grab us for a second and noted that there was just enough daylight left, and the rain had ceased for a moment, to go outside and take a few pictures on the lawn in the area we were suppose to be married at.  I was so happy when I saw this photo because I got not just a moment on the lawn with my husband but I also loved how the foggy background added a mood to the picture.

I am a DIY bride, creative by nature, and spent a year creating some of my own designs to the day.  I made pins for each of my guests to select and wear when they arrived at the venue.  I designed some for specific people and others just for fun but it was exciting to see who picked which ones in the end.  I also wanted a green wedding design and potted kale plants in planters for the kings tables we designed.  I accented the earth tone design with milk glass bud vases, in random shapes and sizes, that I purchased in lots from antique stores with single stem flowers.  At the end of the evening, I let my guests take home vases and the planters, to reuse all of the items I had purchased.  They were a hit and I’ve loved visiting guests houses and seeing their potted plants in various spaces.   We also made miniature white pumpkin place card holders that a few people snagged and used at their Thanksgiving table the next weekend.  And, of course, we had to play up the initial “E” wherever we could since my husband and I have the same first name, down to the spelling. What are the odds of that?!

We also had a chance to utilize the venue’s outdoor oak tree grotto area and take some fun pictures on the tree swing.  It was very wet but we made it work…proof that any environment or weather can work with the right photographers and a positive attitude!

Venue:  The Mountain Terrace

Catering: The Mountain Terrace

Flowers:  Tanjeeryn Designs

Bridal Gown: Martina Liana

Hair & Makeup:  Mimi & Taylor Salon

We have so many wonderful couples and weddings that it is always a challenge to pick which photos to share.   Verike and Ryan had an amazing wedding with personalized details at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay that we thought we’d share a few more pictures from their special day.    Verike is a natural in front of the camera and, as we like to suggest to all clients, was great at forgetting we were there to capture candid moments between her and Ryan.  This couple shared some of their most personal moments of their wedding out on the beach and we were left breathless when we saw the images.

Some clients prefer to have minimal or maximum getting ready photos, pre-ceremony, and we recommend that you time photography coverage to your personality and if it is important or not for you to have extensive getting ready pictures.  For some brides, they want ample coverage of all the details with hair, makeup, wardrobe and getting ready pictures but it is all personal preference and choice.  It does tell a story and builds up to the anticipation of the ceremony itself.  Verike and Ryan were very busy the morning of their wedding getting ready and we captured a time leading up to those last few moments that are so special before they walked down the aisle towards each other.

We love when a couple is creative and personalizes their event or photo session to match their personality, taste, or style.  Verike told me that their cake was designed with the idea that it would represent various parts of their love story and life together.  They are planning a fantastic honeymoon to Italy and love to play scrabble so they built this into the cake design as well as many other details.  We were in awe at the talents of Susan, from Elegant Cheesecakes, who replicated Verike’s wedding shoes to a tee on the cake. Can you believe that is sugar, flower, and butter?  So amazing you want to wear them!  We also love the classic and elegant floral centerpiece design by Nancy Liu Chin Designs who captured the essence of Verike and Ryan in this design.  We are so happy for Ryan and Verike and say Ciao to them on their Italian honeymoon!

Venue | The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Coordinator | Ambrini Events

Dress | Rivini Bridal Gowns

Make Up | Taylor Pham of Mimi & Taylor

Flowers | Nancy Liu Chin Designs

Cake | Elegant Cheesecakes

Lighting | Classic Party Rentals

DJ/Band | Elite Entertainment

Videographer | BASICO By Weddings on Film

Invitations | Minted

Alisha and Arnold’s gorgeous Ralston Hall wedding was truly a fairytale come to life!  They chose to have beautiful crystal beading hanging from their centerpieces adorned with orchids and a mix of stunning flowers.  The chandeliers in the Hall offered even more of that fairytale element and we loved watching this couple dance underneath the shimmery light.    Adorable favors were available for each guest with their wedding colors and a personalized label on the jar.  Creative, personalized touches add so much to your wedding and we love when our clients come up with such clever ideas.

Alisha and Arnold’s wedding cake was truly a masterpiece.  It is so unique and beautiful you almost don’t want to see it get cut or eaten.  This couple designed a lavish and romantic wedding that incorporated so many details we loved.  Congratulations Alisha & Arnold!

Ceremony & Reception| Ralston Hall

Dress | Private Label By G.

Make Up | Miley Mercardo

Florist | Soul Flower

Caterer | Le Papillon

Cake | Buttercream Bakery

DJ/Band | Spintronics

Invitations | Sweet Penelope

Ayub and Fazila’s wedding had so many beautiful details and trends we wanted to share with you an additional post featuring some of the highlights from their receptions.  They had gorgeous details – crystal beaded curtains, mesmerizing shades of fuchsias, deep shades of reds, and all accented with a romantic shade of gold.  The flower design was put together by the very talented, Floramor, who brought this delightful,colorful, and stunning vision to life!

We want to congratulate Ayub and Fazila on their marriage and enjoyed working with this couple on their truly beautiful wedding celebration!

Mehndi Party | Mehran Restaurant

Nikah (Ceremony)| Hotel Sofitel

Valimma (Reception) | The San Jose Fairmont

Dress | Sari Palace

Coordinator | Amy Patel of Planning Elegance

Make Up | Allure Studio

Flowers | Floramor

Cake | Flower Flour

Lighting | Riamu Entertainment

DJ/Band | Riamu Entertainment

As they say, an image is worth a thousand words.  We lost all of our words when we saw Verike’s bridal portrait inside the Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton.   Her soft, lush, ruffled dress carried the design of the small vintage settee fabric and wallpaper throughout the composition of the photograph blending it all to perfection.  Verike used elements of interior design in her wedding photography which is a very chic trend for the 2011 wedding season and we can’t wait to see more.  We like to tell our clients, our ultimate goal is not to change our subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer.   Verike moved us to almost lose our balance when this image came through the lens.  We hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.   Verike is truly a timeless, elegant, and classically chic bride.

Happy New Year!

Dress | Rivini Bridal Gowns

Make Up | Taylor Pham of Mimi & Taylor

Venue | The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Monica and Franck celebrated their union in their parent’s back yard in Woodside, California.  This couple had some really interesting, personal details built into their wedding design that we just loved!  The bride is a veterinarian and had her beloved dog walk with her down the aisle.

Franck and Monica wanted a close family and personalized feeling to their wedding.  Franck is from France and all of his relatives joined in the backyard for their ceremony which was officiated by her uncle.  After the ceremony, they held a tree planting ceremony to symbolize their growth together as a married couple.   Monica wore blue earrings and a Carolina Herrera gown that were gorgeous!

The groom is a huge fan of The Muppets and Kermit the Frog so he sported some ultra-snazzy Kermit socks!   The groomsmen also wore Muppet themed socks to carry this theme on throughout the affair.  We loved the originality and uniqueness of their personal touches to the wedding.   We also thoroughly enjoyed the couple’s entrance to the reception when the DJ played the Muppet theme song for them to greet their guests as a married couple for the first time!  Now, that is an entrance!  They even had Kermit himself as part of a flower arrangement!

Monica and Franck continue the themed reception at Sharon Heights Country Club with touches of Kermit inspired green throughout the venue, even into their culinary design, which tied everything all together.   To offset the green, they chose a deep plum red, which was the perfect complimentary color for a gorgeous palette to their reception area.

Franck is French and so they had a French styled wedding cake, a Croquembouche (pronounced as ‘crow-come-bush’).  The Croquembouche is a cone of cream puffs filled with French pastry cream and then coated with caramelized sugar and decorated with elegant marzipan roses made petal by petal.  This is such a gorgeous French wedding cake and everyone enjoyed seeing Franck’s heritage tied into the cuisine.

Congratulations Monica & Franck!

Vnues  | Private home & Sharon Heights Country Club

Coordinator | Florabella

Floral |Florabella

DJ | Denon & Doyle

MAKEUP ARTIST | Lisa Grotte

Congratulations to EJ & Linh, their wedding was featured by Style Unveiled, and you are read the feature and see all the great images here:

EJ & Linh’s wedding feature on Style Unveiled

Congratulations to the fabulous vndor team that made this possible, and of course, thanks to Kelvin & Alex for their stunning images which captured this wedding so perfectly!

Mike and Melissa walked down the aisle on a beautiful sunny day at the Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton.  The couple chose a deep navy and striking red for their colors and ran this rich color hue throughout their wedding design.  Melissa wore a stunning strapless textured dress and paired it with sparkling encrusted blue Christian Louboutin shoes.  On the bottom of the shoes she used sparkly details to write “I Do” as a personalized touch. They are a fun, energetic and perfectly paired couple who knew exactly what they wanted when it came to their wedding.  They created an over the top dessert bar full of all kinds of sweet delights and beta fish swimming around as part of the design!   One of the most personalized, and a clever detail to the buffet, was the use of Melissa’s line of work.  Melissa comes from a family of dentists, and is one herself, so she incorporated her profession into the candy bar with complimentary toothbrushes for guests!  So cute!

Their wedding planner, Elisheva Basseri, brought to life a sensational wedding that was truly personalized and featured signature cocktails including chocolate martinis.  They offered guests the option to cozy up on the outdoor patio scene which was lite with white lanterns against the backdrop of a crackling fire.  They also weaved the color scheme out onto the patio with decorative throw pillows accenting the striking red, giving the patio even more warmth than it already had.  The Ritz Carlton is truly a leader in luxury,  and Sunni & Lesli worked with Melissa and Mike to make their dream day come to life as well.  They prepared the outdoor gazebo for the ceremony site with lush linens hanging from above and set the scene for a gorgeous sand ceremony between the couple.   The guests were given small bottles of bubbles for after the new couple was announced as husband and wife, and blew bubbles on them as they departed into cocktail hour.

The ballroom was lushly decorated and carried the theme of deep navy and reds throughout. Tall red centerpieces looked gorgeous set against the dark navy linens. Each place setting featured a red napkin and a white rose, which gave a nice pop of color and a welcome surprise for each guest.

Mike and Melissa also offered smores on the patio outdoors after hours with the crashing sounds of the ocean waves in the background, candles lit, and a roaring fire.  We loved working with this couple and their wedding team – it was truly a gorgeous affair and one we’ll cherish forever.

Venue | Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay

Planner| A Bride’s Best Friend

Floral Designer| Amy Burke Designs

Hair & Makeup | Blush Brides

Cake | Just Cake

Lighting | Enhanced Lighting & Sound

Video | Justin Fone Productions

DJ | Ron Grandia, A Different Kind of DJ

Rentals | Classic Party Rentals

Kaycee and Matt’s wedding was one of the weddings we were waiting for all year. Kaycee & Matt are such an amazing, fun loving, couple with a tremendous sense of humor and perfect chemistry. Just all around great people. And their wedding was an amazing, gorgeous day filled with love, laughter and fun. Lots of fun.

The couple chose fun, bright colors to compliment the nature beauty of Nestldown. Lots of greens, with a pop or orange and purple-a very fresh look, very summery. The tall vases filled with limes give a quirky-not-too serious look to the elegant combination of roses and purple cala lillies. The table signs look great with the white wood chairs, creates a great contrast to the bright colors. These fun props added to the fun atmosphere and guests had a blast in the photo booth. Another great job by Kelvin & Sarah!

Venue | Nestldown

Caterer | PSRT

Lighting & DJ | Sound in Motion

Cake | Jen’s Cakes

Flowers | Tiffany’s Flowers

Photobooth | Photoworks Interactive

Dress | Maggie Sottero