Venue - What Style is Right For You?

You're Engaged! You're planning a wedding! What a wonderful time for you. I'm excited and I know you are. In planning your perfect wedding, there are many things you must consider. Your dress, your flowers, your menu. Before you go there, you have to define two very important things. 1) Your Style 2) Your venue.

Your style and your venue will dictate EVERYTHING. It will define if you purchase a ball gown or a simple A-Line gown. Your venue's surroundings will influence your florals and all the fine details. To help you determine what style of venue is right for you, I'm going to break it down for you. Sit back, grab a glass of wine, coffee or tea, and enjoy the process:

HOUSE OF WORSHIP: Let's start here....your ceremony can take place at many places. If you decide to honor your faith, your choice will probably be at the house of worship you attend. Many have very specific rules, so be sure that you follow them.

Bridget & Alex and the world renowned Wayfarer's Chapel in Palos Verdes

COUNTRY CLUB: Southern California is blessed with hundreds of beautiful Country Clubs. They are an excellent choice for you, as most are facilities that can accommodate your ceremony, reception and catering. Pricing often includes all of your rentals, including tables, chairs and linens. A note about linens..ask if they are full length. Many charge a fee for full length. You can expect the chairs to be a banquet style chair, and your reception to take place in a ballroom. Your menu will usually be pre-packaged and you will be provided a tasting. The views are typically of a golf course.

Cindy & Josh's wedding at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks

HOTEL RESORT: The most stunning resorts can be found all around you. From Los Angeles to Orange County, all inclusive resorts are ready and waiting for you. You can expect full service catering from highly regarded executive chefs. Pre Determined menus are typical, but resorts are open to special requests. If you are having a cultural wedding, and require specialty food such as Indian or Kosher Caterings, they work with restaurants and caterers, in partnership to give you what you desire. They offer beautiful gardens for your ceremony, and often ballrooms that accommodate many guest lists. Resorts can offer your guests a get away. Room blocks can be negotiated for your friends and family. Most even have an on-site spa for you and your girls to have a little pre-wedding pampering. Views can be ocean, mountain, city...anything you can imagine.

Sonia & Danny's ceremony at St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point

Sonia & Danny's reception at St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point

RESTAURANTS: Many restaurants offer reception services. Most are appropriate for a smaller guest count, but there are a select few that can accommodate up to 200 guests. If you and your fiance are foodies,and cuisine is a focus of your day, a restaurant is perfect for you. Chef's are traditionally classically trained and their menus are inventive. Special menu requests are welcomed. Chairs and tables are part of your package, but you can dress up the space with specialty linens and beautiful floral designs.


Monique & Adam's reception at The Penthouse Restaurant in The Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica

MUSEUM OR GALLERY: Art lovers have the advantage of being married at visually stunning galleries. Imagine taking your photos among artwork that speaks to you. Many galleries offer contemporary ballrooms. One of my favorites hold ceremonies in their sculpture garden. Some offer rentals such as tables and chairs, but others require you to rent these items. Catering is often offered by private caterers. A list of three to five is provided, and you can work directly with the caterer to create your perfect menu.





Mayra & Tramon's ceremony in The Museum of Latin American Art, Sculpture Garden

PRIVATE VENUE: Get ready to open your mind. Anything you can possibly imagine is available in a private venue. There are hidden gems all around. Gardens, wineries, courtyards, historic buildings, offer ceremony and reception sites. My favorite part of a private venue is the option to have a private caterer create your menu. Pricing for a private caterer is traditionally more affordable, as well as more creative. The world is your oyster...literally. You can have an oyster bar! (ok, i love oysters and I got off topic...lol) Some offer limited rentals, and others require you to bring in your own. Working with a planner who has the right connections can make this monumental task, manageable.

The Historic Ebell Club of Los Angeles was the site for Gwen & Mark's Vintage Style Wedding

Alexis & David's Lush Garden Celebration at Arbor Terrace

Dawn & Adam's Rooftop Reception at The Oviatt Penthouse in Downtown LA.

So we've talked a little bit about venues. I hope you are able to define your style with this information. I would love to show you the perfect venue for you. My relationships with venues and caterers have given me access to the best Southern California has to offer. Sharing them with you would be a wish come true.

Stay tuned for the next blog post if you're considering getting married at HOME. Home weddings are my favorite, as well as my specialty. See you soon.

Hey Grooms - Free Tux

We have a special relationship with Friar Tux. I refer all of my customers to them. Why? Because they always GET IT RIGHT. And...they have the most modern tuxedos and suits. Love the new slim fit suit? They have it. Have groomsmen in other states? No problem. Your guys can submit their measurements online, and pick them up here in California.

Friar Tux is giving our grooms a FREE TUX. You read it right. How do you get yours? Simply print the coupon above and take it to your local Friar Tux store.

Do you have to be my client to receive the discount? No, you don't. If you're reading this blog post, it's yours to enjoy. It's our way of saying thanks for stopping by.

Destination Mexico - Sneek Peek

Decor: Cigar Box & Paper Flowers Photo Courtesy of Duke Photography

I'm jumping out of my chair and saying WoooHooo. My dogs are looking at me like I'm crazy. The new issue of YOUR WEDDING DAY MAGAZINE is ready to hit the new stands tomorrow. Fed Ex just brought me a whole box. I almost kissed the poor delivery guy. I'm so happy because we were honored with creating an inspirational design feature. We created a DESTINATION MEXICO set, with the amazing talent of French Buckets Floral Design, linens from Glow Concepts, paper products by Tange Design, cuisine by 24 Carrots Catering, and so many more. Our set is LUSH, COLORFUL, and JOYFUL. You have got to see it. The icing on the cake is that the our work was photographed by Duke Photography. How lucky is that? There is a reason Duke is one the most sought after photographers in Southern California. He's humble and passionate about what he does.

Get to your closest bookstore tomorrow and get one! The other DESTINATIONS are San Francisco, Las Vegas and Hawaii. I'm bursting with pride to be featured alongside such amazing designers. You are going to blown away by the talent in this issue. It's filled with gowns, flowers, expert advice, and tons of INSPIRATION.

Check back soon for the a blog post with all the images. We can't wait to share. I'm skipping, skipping, skipping.

Malibu Wedding - Halisi & Dan

Halisi & Dan enjoying the Malibu Sunset

I have a dream job. Planning weddings in Southern California allows me the opportunity to work in a multitude of interesting venues. Halisi and Dan love Malibu and the ocean. It was the first time I've ever worked barefoot, with my toes in the sand. It was liberating!

This photo just makes me smile. As summer is coming to an end, I wanted to share this beautiful sunset with you. Many thanks to Carissa Woo Photography for capturing the joy of this couple as the sun sank into the ocean. It's truly been a magical summer, and I'm thankful for every moment.

Tuscany Inspired Wedding Flowers

Wedding Jeannie does more than plan wedding for discerning couples. If you're a loyal fan of my blog, you've seen the teaser shots my Tuscany Inspired Wedding Photo Shoot. You're in for a yummy treat if this is your first time here.

Because of the dream team on this project, an idea transformed into a stunning shoot that was published by the Style Unveiled Blog. The shoot showcased a new venue in San Juan Capistrano, called Serra Plaza. The floral designer was the WICKED TALENT Sussanna Lynn Davidson, owner of French Buckets in Orange County. In these photos captured by the amazing Chris Griffiths of Imagery Immaculate, witness Sussanna's creativity, and try not to drool.


The bride's bouquet was delicate and organic with garden roses, herbs and feathers.





I loved how Sussanna affixed a vintage rosary to the bouquet handle.You can imagine that this was a family heirloom the bride carried close to her heart. You can do the same with a broach, a locket, a photo.....let your imagination run wild, and make your bouquet personal.


A lush Italian table. Roses, wildflowers and herbs tumbling out of a footed urn, say ABUNDANCE.
Sussanna never fails to disappoint when it comes to fine DETAILS. She filled vintage perfume bottles, coffee urns and bud vases with various flowers to fill every available spot. The result is a POLISHED look.


Not all ceremony decor needs to be decorated with flowers. Since we had a rustic Italian theme, Sussanna filled the altar with rosemary plants wrapped in burlap. She adorned the church pews with rosemary, lavender, sage and wheat. All were wrapped in vibrant ribbon. CAN YOU SMELL IT? Almost right? Make sure to subscribe to our blog if you like this post. Next week, we'll feature the ITALIAN CUISINE, by Jay's Catering.

Home Wedding Inspired by Books

In July I was honored to design and plan the wedding of Molly & Travis. The lovely Yorba Linda home of Molly's parents was the setting for this "book inspired wedding". The couple shared a love of literature. They knew they wanted their wedding to reflect a garden feel, and chose a color palette of lavender, purple and blue. Their love of books created a road block for them. Lightbulbs went off for me, and I came up with some fun ideas. With their blessing....the rest is history. Enjoy the images from CherieFoto. Many thanks to Jaclyn Breault the talented owner and designer of Heavenly Blooms. Her luscious floral designs, took this wedding over the top.

Wedding bouquets in blue, purple and lavendar.

Bamboo chairs add rustic charm to a garden wedding.

Vintage Bookshelf from Found Vintage Rentals filled with books. Bookmarks served as Escort Cards.

Flower girl carries the couple's favorite book, Moby Dick

Favors were small books with personally chosen verses from Molly & Travis' favorite books.

What a fun day. I loved how their garden wedding, with a touch of elegance finally came together. The best part...books were everywhere. When designing you own wedding, don't be afraid to take a risk and share your own personal interests with your guests. After all your wedding should reflect you and your style.

Vendor Love:

Photography: CherieFoto
Floral Designer: Jaclyn Breault of Heavenly Blooms
Catering: Colette's Catering
Rentals: Signature Party Rentals
Entertainment/Band: Essence Entertainment
Photo Booth: PhotoWorks Interactive
Custom Booklet Favors: Petalos Di Pauli
Bridal Gown: Mon Amie Bridal

Gowns For Good at White Magnolia

Dresses, Drinks & Desserts

A little gem of a bridal salon sits in West Los Angeles. It's called White Magnolia. It's an up-scale consignment boutique. Before you say eeew yuck...used bridal gowns, consider the following. Bridal Gowns are worn once. After wedding day, they are dry cleaned and sit in your closet, rarely to be thought of again for years. If you've recently been a blushing bride, consider consignment. If you're in the market for a gown, but want to be savvy with your budget, and do your part for the environment (that's another whole blog post), consider consignment.

Gowns that are consigned to White Magnolia take on a new life. It gave joy and pride to it's first owner, and deserves to bring that same happiness to new brides. How does it work? When you consign, you have two choices, if your gown sells, you receive a check. If you donate, the proceeds of your gown go to a worthy cause, and you get a tax write off. Are you a new bride? Simply come in to the salon, browse through the designer gowns, get personal service and leave with your dream gown. It's a win-win-win-win-win for everyone!

The salon is hosting a Grand Opening event called DRESSES, DRINKS AND DESSERTS, in partnership with Gowns For Good. Gowns for Good resells gently used gowns, and donates them to women's causes. Join me in discovering this salon, drink inventive cocktails and savor scrumptious desserts. You'll also meet some fabulous sponsors, and me! Can't wait to see you.

Sneak Peek - Rita & Charles

Happy and Relaxed are the words that describe Rita and Charles on their wedding day. My heart just bursts with joy when I see them enjoying a happy moment. Rita and Charles were married in November, in Santa Monica. The ceremony was held at St. Monica's with their reception to follow at The Fairmont Miramar.

I'm dying to share more photos of their wedding with you. It was a GREEN wedding. From the paper products to the flowers Rita wanted to ensure that she didn't leave a large carbon footprint behind her. Photography was provided by Suthi Picotte Photography. She is a talented and fun fun fun photographer. I'm bursting at the seams to show you the rest of her work. The talented Suthi submitted the photos to an amazing publication that features Cultural Weddings (my favorite). So, until they are published, this is all you get. Check back soon to see them all.