jesi haack weddings

New Blog!

2010-03-11T17:43:00.001-08:00

Yes! We have a new blog and a new website (launching any moment)! For all future blog entries please go to

www.jesihaackweddingsblog.com

Fiesta Style Tablescape

2010-03-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

I know. This might be weird. But I had this *brilliant* (in my eyes, at least) idea of how to do something different for one of my client's Salsa Dance themed wedding this summer. I put together a bright, floral print linen, white china, bright napkins, chile can vase, and spray painted a tumbleweed (which are quite hard to find here, BTW) and used parsley to fill in the gaps of the vase. I welcome your feedback *swallow nervously*!

Of course the photos are by the handsome, Mr. Haack.

Carlisle linen by BBJ Linens.

Amazing Accessories

2010-02-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

Accessories. Amazing Accessories. Everything from hair pieces, belts, earrings to veils and necklaces. These things truly are unique and COUTURE! Justine M. Couture is an unbelievable designer of all things to accessorize the most perfect bride. I have actually had a couple of my "most perfect brides" adorned with the creations of Justine M. Couture. Well, GOOD NEWS! She is having a trunk show this weekend! Go and check out all of her wonderful pieces! Here are the deets:

February 27, 2010

Chez Bride Moderne

La Jolla, CA
T: 858 551 1295

photos by Sarah K Chen & Perfectly Pictured (respectively)

Style Me Pretty

2010-02-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

Our Winter Wedding Shoot was featured on one of my all time FAVORITE blogs EVER, Style Me Pretty! I can barely contain my excitement! Go check it out:

post 1

post 2

I will be posting a full post of this beauty soon, so keep your eyes open!

Pink Princess Party

2010-02-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

You are about to see the most adorable little princess ever. Proceed with caution, you will fall in love. Princess castle bounce house. Yes. Pink cupcakes. Yes. Pink marshmallows to use for snowball fight. Yes. Endless buffet of home made food. Yes. All guests wearing pink, even the guys. Yes. Fun fabrics. Yes. Adorable, scrumptious, chunky love little princess in a tutu. Yes.

Check it out. Yes.

DIY Billy Ball Flowers

2010-02-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

Craft time. Flower alternative time. Who did I call for help? Domestic Day! In my book, she is the Queen of Crafters. We decided to make a billy ball look-a-like out of crafting supplies. I'm going to show you how we did it. Here you go:

Supplies:

1 bowl of hot water

1 bowl of cool water

Dish Soap (I of course recommend something environmentally friendly)

Package of Natural Wool Roving.

Pipe cleaners or wood skewers for stem of flower

Step 1:

Cut out a piece of roving. The length determines how large of a ball you get. Just experiment at first, until you figure out how large you need them to be for your specific project. In this picture I cut out about 6 inches.

Step 2:

Tie the roving in a knot right in the middle.

Step 3: Spread out the roving evenly on each side of the knot.

Step 4: Bunch both frayed ends around the knot.

Step 5. Once you have bunched the roving together, put a small dot of dish soap in the palm of your hand about the size of a lima bean. MMMM, when is the last time you had lima beans? So good.

Step 6:

Start rolling the roving around in your hand to saturate the wool with soap.

Step 7:

Once you feel like you have spread the soap out a bit, dip the roving ball in the hot water.

Step 8:

Continue to roll around in your hands to create a ball. As the ball gets soapy, continue to dip in the hot water. I rolled each ball around for about 1 minute, and dipped into the hot water 3-4 times.

Step 9:

Once you feel as though you have rolled out a majority of the soap, dip the entire thing in the cold water.

Step 10:

Continue to roll around in your hands to dry it out a bit.

Step 11:

Stick a wooden skewer, floral wire, or pipe cleaner into the ball to create a stem.

Step 12:

Place in your arrangement of choice. YES.

Big thanks to Mr Haack Photo and Melody Brandon for the photos! ENJOY!

Antique Unique Wedding

2010-02-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

Obsessed. That is all I have to say. Josh and Jordan: the most perfectly sweet and amazing couple. They gave me full reign in design with a few ideas of what they like. Their families were glorious. Their friends were spectacular. It was truly a perfect experience. I felt so blessed, lucky, and was just beaming to be a part of it. Ok, enough. Let me tell you about the design.

Lanterns. Amy Butler fabrics. Vintage frames. WHITE CHIAVARI CHAIRS! Kale blooms in the bouquets. Sweet and Saucy inspired cake. Stephanie Williams behind the lens. LOVE IT ALL. What do you think?

Thank you to the amazing vendors:

Venue: The Ocean Institute

Photography: Stephanie Williams Photography

DJ: Epic Entertainment

Cake: Heidelberg Bakery

Chiavari Chairs: Classic Party Rentals

How to deal with a Trouble Guest

2010-01-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

This is something you ALL need to know. Your wedding will probably NOT be perfect. Chances are something is going to go a bit differently than you expected. You have a choice. You can either be a perfection Nazi, keeping your eye on every little detail, waiting to find something that isn't exact OR you can kick back, relax and just know that whatever happens, perfection or not, that it will be another unique page to your never-ending story. Read my latest article published by the sweethearts from Style Unveiled to hear a true story of one bride's GRACE. Here is a preview:

Me: “Are there any sensitive situations you want me to be aware of?”

Sweet Bride: “Yes, my dad’s girlfriend is crazy. Everyone hates her and she isn’t invited, but she might come anyway.”

Me: “Wow, that sounds exciting.” (what else can you say? Come on!)

Sweet Bride: “We’ll see HOW exciting!”

Two weeks before the wedding, I receive this phone call:

Sweet Bride: “Hi Jesi, she’s coming. And my sister might not come now because she will be there.”

Now, fast forward to the wedding day. The bridal party is gathered in the ceremony ballroom getting ready for family pictures. My bride’s eyes widen, her jaw drops, she looks at me with panic in her eyes.

Sweet Bride: “She is wearing a white dress. She. Is. Wearing. A. White. Dress. SHE IS WEARING A WHITE DRESS!”

The crazy girlfriend walks in wearing a floor length, white gown with a plunging (understatement) neckline, covered in one million sequins. The final touch is the over-the-top white fur stole she has wrapped around her extremely orange body.

Me: “Don’t worry. She looks like a Be-dazzler on crack. You look elegant, beautiful, magical and stunning. Don’t think twice about it.”

How did Sweet Bride handle it? Go here to read the end!

Bouquet Alternative

2009-12-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, you already know I am a big fan of Trader Joe's. You already know I am a big fan of recycling. Why not combine the two? You might remember my Owl Stir Sticks post from a while back. I found yet another use for those Trader Joe's bags that are stacking up in your pantry from buying too many Joe Joe's this holiday season (best things ever)! I have a beautiful client, Ali, who wants her wedding to be 100% eco friendly and I CANNOT wait to show you guys. Meanwhile, I am trying to dream up ways of using minimal cut flowers for the bouquets. Here is what I came up with. A few tissue paper flowers (check out my complete tissue flower wedding here), and a few Trader Joe's flowers, and if my bride likes it, a minimal amount of freshly cut flowers completes my vision. What are your thoughts? Do you guys have any brilliant ideas of what to add in a bouquet to make it beautiful yet sustainable?

1. Start off with a grocery bag. (love TJ's, but Whole Foods or Henry's will suffice)

2. Draw a circle (the larger the circle, the leafier the flower) and slowly taper it in to the center like a spiral keeping the lines about 1/2 inch away from each other.

3. Take your scissors and begin cutting along the line you just drew, furthest away from the center.

4. Continue cutting, following on the drawn line until you reach the center of your spiral.

5. Snip off the end of your spiral at the point that it begins to turn back into the bag (does that make sense?)

6. Beginning at the end of the spiral, start to roll up the paper until you reach the center of your spiral.

7. When you are finished rolling it, it should look like a tightly rolled up piece of paper. I know, I'm brilliant with words.

8. Place the rolled up paper in the palm of your hand and let it fall loosely apart. You may have to gently "help" it by turning the center of the flower to open it up a bit more.

9. For the stem, I chose a green pipe cleaner, but you could use your imagination and come up with something different or funky depending on your project. Flip the flower upside down, and tape the pipe cleaner to the base of the flower.

10. And here is the finished product :)

11. Add a few paper flowers and it becomes a unique bouquet!

12. And to step it up a notch, we added a few tulips and a hydrangea.

DONE :)

Funky Holiday Photo Backdrop

2009-12-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone~

Here is a lil' holiday treat for ya. This is a totally easy, eco-friendly way to spruce up a wall in your home for fun, or in this case, for a photo backdrop for a friend's party. I used leftover paper plates from a party (FYI, I normally do not use paper plates for parties, but it was a HUGE pary, I promise!), red party cups (same story as the plates!), and festive cupcake holders and yarn. I poked holes in everything, strung the items through, then hung in front of some lime green fabric. I literally took me one hour! DO IT!!!

Thanks to Mr. Haack for the insanely talented photos!

Rainy Day Wedding!

2009-12-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

NEVER AGAIN should you live in fear of rain on your wedding day!! If you can't beat em, join em!

Aaron Shintaku and I have been designing this shoot for a while. So when we got word that it was supposed to rain last week, we got our stuff in gear! We, of course, brought in JL Designs to create our bouquets and she totally delivered! I told her we wanted something unique, and non-flowery. She is amazing, right? I had a blast designing and styling this shoot, and of course Aaron Shintaku is the MASTER. Watching him run around holding his camera in one hand and his favorite BRIGHT PINK umbrella in the other was too much for words. I am so so pumped on how it all turned out. What do you think? Could you see yourself having groomsmen wearing ponchos and bridesmaids in coats and golashes? I love it!!!

Southern Weddings Feature!

2009-12-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

So my wonderful clients, Jessica & Curt, twittered/tweeted, me the other day with the news that their wedding received a HUGE 3 part feature on Southern Weddings! What a sweet sweet piece of news. Lara Casey, of Southern Weddings, is truly an inspiration and a leader in our industry and I cannot express how much of a blessing and honor it is to be featured on the Southern Weddings Blog! And to add to the good news? I won a scholarship to attend her new, Making Things Happen 2010 Workshop that is geared toward firing us up for 2010! Can't wait! Thanks Southern Weddings!

DIY Christmas Garland

2009-12-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, so you wanna know the truth? I had this design idea for a tablescape. It involved these amazing craft puff balls. I had this vision. I spent time working and creating. I put it all together, and guess what? It didn't look like it did in my head. So now what? Well, plan B! I took my creation and put it, duh, on our Christmas tree! I wanted to share in the love so you can have a fantastic tree with some "at home" flavor!

1. Go to a craft store and buy your favorite color of craft balls.

2. Grab some thread and a needle.

3. Put in your favorite girly movie (I would recommend "Save the Last Dance")

4. Thread your needle and tie off an anchor at the bottom by making a thick knot in your thread for the first craft ball to rest on.

5. Randomly thread all different sizes and colors of craft balls onto the thread.

6. Keep threading until you have an enormously long garland for your tree!

7. Have a fabulous Christmas!

8. Praise Him!

Bouquet Toss Alternative

2009-12-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Remember Chris & Bridget? Yes, you do.

She decided to fake out her entire family and friends and instead of tossing her bouquet, she busted out the entire choreographed dance of Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies". The crowd went WILD. So did I. Ladies, this is an amazing alternative to the traditional bouquet toss if you have a lack of single friends, or if you just want to stray away from traditional....you all know how I feel about straying away from traditional :) Thanks again to the amazing Ashley Rose for the photography genius, and Chris and Bridget: do you know how much I love you????

Mod Holiday Tablescape

2009-12-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

I had the EXTREME pleasure of creating and designing a tablescape with two amazing companies. Sarah Frenzel from Frenzel Photographers and Allison from T he Innovation Companies are such creative, talented and edgy professionals! We wanted to create. We wanted to do something different. We wanted a mod, funky spin on the typical holiday decor. We went with sparkly, flashy, dark, and powerful. What do you think? Thank you so much to Elaine from Signature Party Rentals for the chairs, linen and china!

7th Annual Turkey Potluck

2009-11-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy some pictures of our 7th Annual Thanksgiving on the Roof (Alley). It started 7 years ago with eight of us friends, a turkey fryer, and a roof. Now it is 60+ people, their families, everyone's favorite homemade recipes, and an alley! The more the merrier! Just put it on your calendar for the Sunday before thanksgiving! See you next year! :)

Hollywood Inspired Wedding

2009-11-24T09:01:00.000-08:00

Remember my article for Style Unveiled that discussed CONCEPT vs. THEME? Well, this is the wedding that was my inspiration. I cannot even tell you how much fun this couple, their bridal party, family, and wedding was. It held EVERYTHING Hollywood! The venue was smack dab in the middle of all of the LA movie studios. There were crazy people in Hollywood to dance and take photos with. The guests and bridal party were rockstars at karaoke during the reception. The bride and groom's favorite movie posters displayed the table names. A vintage ticket booth served up the seating assignments. Some sweet dance moves from the former ballet dancer turned groom. A FULL CHOREOGRAPHED Beyonce dance to "All The Single Ladies" instead of bouquet toss! HIGLIGHT Of my career!!!! I will post the video as soon as possible!

Vendor LOVE:

Venue: Ramsey's at the Club

Photography: Ashley Rose Photography

Event Design & Florals: Jesi Haack Weddings

Ice Cream Sundae Buffett: Ramsey's at the Club

Wonderful Assistant: Mary Lallande with Jay's Catering :)

Linens: Fusion Linens

This last picture WAS NOT posed. This really happened. Chris, the groom, answered his phone during the portrait session and Bridget was like, "WHA???" love them. Chris and Bridget, thank you so much for being the most amazing clients I could ask for. Your love is truly inspiring and I am blessed to know you!

Grumpy Old Men Day

2009-11-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so apparently party planning runs in my family. This party was just WAY too much fun not to share with you guys. So, my hubby's friend turned 30 years old a couple of weeks ago. We were hanging out in the garage and started brainstorming ways to celebrate Isaac's birthday. Ryan came up with an amazing idea. Grumpy Old Men Day. Oh man, did it go crazy! I was so proud of how my hubby put it all together! He even had an excel spreadsheet :) All of the guys never broke character ALL day! From waking the birthday boy up at 5am, to coughing and hacking during every conversations, to throwing a shoulder out of socket during a swim sesh (seriously happened, maybe they are older than they thought)...

My wonderfully talented husband documented the entire celebration through his lens.

Here is a look at their itinerary:

5am: guys meet and put on their wardrobes (thrift store old men outfits)

515am: surprise Isaac by waking him up with major coughing and hacking and making him dress in the old man outfit they chose for him

530am: went to the donut shop at Blackie's and read newspapers in the dark

6am: Longboarding at Blackie's

9am: worked on their car since the battery died from leaving the lights on (another true old man thing that happened)

10am: Breakfast at Omelette Parlor

11am: Golf 18 holes

2pm: lunch at clubhouse, whiskey, scotch and pipe smoking

3pm: shananigans in the parking lot

330pm: jacuzzi time (they used the railing to get in, i'm sure)

4pm: newport beach PD helicopter flew overhead because of their rowdiness

430pm: one old man's shoulder was dislocated during a swim race

5pm: BBQ for "supper"

9pm: retired their canes and went for beers at Goat Hill

Yellow Page Flowers HOW-TO!

2009-11-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

OK OK!!! I finally did it. I finally put together a HOW TO for my yellow page flowers. I hope you have fun making these eco-friendly gems! Leave me a comment and let me know how you would use these yellow pages flowers! Check here for my original post.

Business Card Organization

2009-11-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Every time I walk in the door after a fun night at an industry event, I drop a stack of business cards on my desk. As an event designer, you KNOW I had to think of a cute, organized way to store these nuggets. So I had a cute, red dish that I threw them all in. But when I needed to find someone's number, or email address, sifting through the endless pile of cards was actually really annoying. So, I decided I was going to take control of the clutter madness on my desk. I went down to my garage, found an old flower box that was leftover from an event. I pulled a cardboard box out of the dumpster (yes, it's true) and I found some old school price tags in a drawer. Then I got to work.

Here is what I started with: cardboard, price tags, scotch tape, scissors, small box

I cut the cardboard to the size of the vessel I was using for my file. Keep the height of the cardboard dividers taller than the vessel you are using, so that you can read your tabs.

Next, tape your little tag on the top of the cardboard piece. As you add dividers to your file, slightly move each tab over a smidge, so that they can all be seen once inserted into the file.

Alphabetize all of your dividers for easy access

And, the final product! Super cute, cheap and organized!

Marvimon Succulent Wedding

2009-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

You guys. I am DY.ING. This bride is gem. A prize in my cracker jacks. A dollar bill in my dirty jeans pocket. A WHOLE cookie in my cookies and cream. Yes, she was amazing. And her groomwasn't too shabby either :) Jessica has so much style that she has her very own, successful wedding blog, Mason Jar Bride. She also is a regular blogger for one of my faves, Wedding Chicks.

Ok, so let's break it down. It was an amazing dream team of vendors. Sarah K Chen was the GENIUS behind the lens. I couldn't decide between all of the RIDICULOUSLY UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING images that she sent me! She also set up a super awesome photo booth with fun props. This is definitely my longest post yet because she is such a brilliant artist.

Melody, from Sweet and Saucy Shop completely blew me away this time. Ok, she does EVERY time. You guys all know how obsessed I am with her. But seriously, I was BLOWN AWAY.

Jessica and Curt are super creative, and both are amazing artists and Curt designed his wedding cake to look like a block of wood. I was IN LOVE> Mel nailed it.

Katie, from Bad to the Bone BBQ brought the goodness. Her and her team of beauties were a complete BLAST to work with. And their sliders were gone in a millisecond. I had guests literally following me around asking for more of them.

And really? I could not handle how amazing Michael Antonia from The Human Jukebox was. I think I became a stalking fan. I did not stop dancing (while working) the entire night. Seriously, ask anyone. He was so smooth and cool. I haven't seen anything like it!

And the key to all of our success was . The Marvimon Hous e What an impeccably eclectic venue. I couldn't have dreamed up something cooler. Jeff was a jewel to work with!

And of course, my team at Jesi Haack Weddings. We designed this event and also created the floral design. We did Kale (lettuce) bouquets for the bridesmaids with touches of plum eucalyptus leaves surrounded by baby's breath. A complete succulent bouquet for the bride wrapped in her grandmother's pearls. And succulent bouts for the guys with a touch of a peacock feather.

This was a wedding that made me laugh, smile, spread my creative wings, and completely fall in LOVE with my job.

Here is the vendor breakdown. Follow them on twitter!

Event Design + Floral Design: Jesi Haack Weddings. Follow!

Photography Brilliance: Sarah K Chen. Follow!

Wood Box Wedding Cake: Sweet and Saucy Shop. Follow!

Amazing Tunes: The Human Jukebox. Follow!

Sweet Venue: The Marvimon House

BBQ Goodness: Bad To The Bone BBQ. Follow!

Owl Stir Sticks How-To Video

2009-11-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

Have you been over to WhoWhatWeddings yet? Go now! An amazing, informative, stylish, and super inspiring website for all things wedding! Remember my owl stir sticks from Carlie's awesome baby shower? Well, they created such a buzz that I was asked to do a video How To segment for WhoWhatWeddings and Hostess with the Mostess. So honored! Don't make fun of my dirty window or my cheesy acting skills. Ok, go ahead and make fun. I would.

Theme Vs Concept

2009-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Go to Style Unveiled for my latest article, Theme Vs Concept. Designing your wedding should be about YOU. Style Unveiled rocks my world! Thanks Kim & Heather!

Hostess with the Mostess

2009-10-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

What an amazing feature I have been blessed with! I was lucky enough to be a part of an amazing team of designers to create this baby shower. Jenn from Hostess with the Mostess, an incredibly stylish and insanely popular party blog, recently posted TWO posts on this Anthropolgie style event! Make sure you head over to HWTM's blog to read our posts! Thank you so much Jenn for the post! And a special thanks to Leila at Be Inspired PR for helping us get the feature!

Free Online Swag Bag!

2009-10-20T14:19:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! You all know that I am in LOVE with Style Unveiled and that I write little diddies for them now and again. Well, get this: they are giving away a FREE swag bag with lots of discounts for wonderful LA vendors! Go here to download the PDF, and make sure to stay a while and check out Style Unveiled's killer site!

Feature on Wedding Chicks

2009-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

The girls at Wedding Chicks blew my mind this week by choosing to feature one of my favorite weddings! You may remember seeing my post on Danielle and Ryan. I am so humbled and ridiculously giddy to have been featured on one of my favorite favorite favorite websites ever! You MUST go check it out. They are so hip, so cool, so awesome that you will NOT be sorry. Thank you so much, girls, you "chicks" are RAD :) Thank you so much to Matthew Morgan for the killer photos - so so talented, and Sweet and Saucy Shop for the cake buffet! Also, Megan atClassic Party Rentals for the ever so chic black chiavari chairs and apple green linens. Go check out the full article!

Your Wedding Day Magazine

2009-10-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

So, basically ALL of my favorite blogs are summed up in the current issue of Your Wedding Day or YWD. Green Wedding Shoes, I Love Lolliblog, Style Unveiled, 100 Layer Cake, Junebug Weddings, The Bride's Cafe, Snippet and Ink, Style Me Pretty, Kiss The Groom, Wedding Bee, Swanky Tables, and 1000 Markets were all included in YWD's Favorite Blogs. We TOTALLY have the same taste, I love all of these blogs too!

The exciting news?

Jen, of Green Wedding Shoes chose one of our events to portray the style of her blog! I am SO blessed and unbelievably FLATTERED! GWS is one of my ALL TIME favorite blogs, so to have my style of event design define the style of GWS's blog, blows my mind. Thank you so much Jen! Not to mention the amazing work of Aaron Shintaku behind the lens. You are amazing, Aaron!!!!

Utterly Engaged E-Zine

2009-10-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am IN LOVE with this online magazine. When Lucia, Bonnie Tsang and I were lunching at Tranquil Tea Lounge, inspiration was whirling! I mentioned how I would love to take today's AMAZING wedding ideas and trends that are super popular and figure out a way to create the same statement and vibe but make it a unique and different trend. Lucia immediately smiled and asked if I would want to write the article for UE. WHAT??? OF COURSE I WOULD!!!!

So with the help of my amazing husband/in-house photographer, we put together some photo shoots, did the research and came up with 5 trends and turned them into something fun, funky and different. Go here to read the entire issue of Utterly Engaged. Thank you so much to the fabulous girls at UE for publishing my article. Much Love to you!

The Knot Live TV

2009-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I received this email:

Hello Jesi!
The Knot is very excited to launch a new weekly live broadcast program all about the latest wedding trends, hottest vendors, and recent newlyweds. This will air Wednesdays at noon EST on theknot.com (and additional broadcasts of the program will re-run on the website). The attached images have been selected to be featured as one of the hottest new wedding trends on this weeks episode!

AAAHHHHH! I cannot express my gratitude to The Knot for including my work in this episode. I am humbled and so thankful for the opportunities to do what I love. Thank you to Ashley Rose for your wonderfully talented, amazingly unique and fantabulous photos! Please tune in tomorrow morning at 9am Cali time!

Baby Shower with STYLE

2009-10-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I am DYING. Seriously. When Carlie of Gabriel Ryan invited me to play a role in planning and designing her baby shower, I couldn't hold still. I was dancing around my living room like a kid needing to go pee. Once we started brainstorming, it completely TOOK OFF. I mean, literally spun out of control. Carlie is so unbelievably creative and when you got the two of us together, we couldn't stop. There were late night phone calls, tweets, facebooks, texts. We spent endless hours thrifting. We made lists. Changed our lists. Laughed, cried, and laughed some more. I'm not kidding, we were so out of control that we seriously needed someone to bring us down a notch.

Just when I thought life couldn't possibly get any better, Carissa of JL Designs stepped up and joined our team for floral & event design. Most of you know that JL Designs is THE BEST of the BEST. AHHHHH! With Carissa in the mix, it was about to be kicked up a notch. Oh wait. It gets better. Not only was this party going to LOOK amazing. It was going to TASTE amazing.

Melody, of Sweet and Saucy Shop was recruited next. WHAT??? Yes, I can't even describe to you the quality of desserts this girl dreams up. With Sweet and Saucy Shop on our team the heat only intensified.

Ok, so mix all of this craziness with the lens of Gabriel Ryan and what do you get? PERFECTION!!!!!! I just knew that all of our designs would be captured with absolute style and flawlessness. I could barely sleep the night after the party. I was so excited to get my sneak peek of the images!

So. Here is the deal. Guests received a hand delivered, cardboard invitation covered in custom fabric and newspaper wrapped in twine. Guests arrived to a table of frozen lemonade. A handcrafted desk awaited the signing of the customized photo-guest book. Hand made Owl fans were conveniently placed to relieve guests from the heat. Burlap and fabric were hung above the picnic area to offer comfortable yet casual seating for the guests. Hand made headpiece & white tissue paper flowers from Lady Vintique. Phone book flowers made by jesi haack weddings. Handmade jewelry was given to each guest as a 'thank you'. Old photos of the proud mommy and daddy were hung for all to see.

Take a peek at our favorite images and let me know what you think!

Venue Coordinator vs. Wedding Planner/Coordinator

2009-09-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have had the honor and extreme pleasure of contributing articles to Style Unveiled, one of the most impeccably perfect wedding websites out there! Check out my first article here illustrating the importance of a Master Timeline. The debut of my second article, "Venue Coordinator Vs. Wedding Coordinator" was just posted. Go here to check out Style Unveiled's beautiful layout. Stay tuned for more informative and hopefully entertaining articles as Style Unveiled has asked me to be a PERMANENT "Wedding Advice" blogger! Can you say, "WHAT???" I am beyond excited.

{SCENERIO 1}

The blushing bride swells with excitement as her newly adorned groom dips her ever so gently, just at the precise moment their song chimes the last tune. They take a humble bow to their guests. The father of the bride grabs the mic. Everyone is smiling, anxiously awaiting what kind and funny words the proud father will share. Everyone, that is, except for the bride. She knows her father too well and knows that he has enjoyed one too many Marry Mojitos (her talented wedding planner came up with that one). The bride stands frozen in place, a solid yet uneasy smile on her face, completely unsure of how to put out this impending fire. Luckily, her trusty wedding planner is standing by with a fire extinguisher. Because of the intense planning sessions spent together in the 12 months preceding this moment, her planner has learned priceless pieces of information. At this moment in time, she holds this valuable golden nugget: the father of the bride has a tendency to over-indulge in the special sauce. She swoops in and gracefully sneaks the mic away from the FOB and transitions the toasts over to the Best Man. Fire extinguished.

{SCENARIO 2}

The party is in full swing. The cake has been cut. The lovebirds are slow-dancing seventh grade style in the center of the dance floor…to a fast song. The guests’ attention is ushered toward the screen. The slide show, cleverly staged by the brother of the groom, is cued. As the opening photos flash across the screen, the music begins to garble. It sounds as though the speakers are playing a mean game of “Chubby Bunny." The guests glance around uncomfortably. The bride and groom look up at the screen with a frozen smile. The feedback in the speakers growls louder and more intrusive. The wedding planner is frantically flipping switches and jiggling wires. The sound check went flawlessly! Why is this happening? As organized, trustworthy, and together the wedding planner has proven to be, this unforeseen complication could happen at any time. Just when the crowd’s attention span was about to run out, the venue coordinator rushes into the audio room and flips a switch. All of her years of experience in one venue taught her that there is a specific electrical complication that acts up unpredictably. The music smoothes out, and the slide show plays on. The guests laugh in all of the right moments, the bride and groom kiss each other sweetly as they remember their childhoods.

{THE MORAL}

Of course being a wedding planner myself, I want to persuade you of the extreme importance of hiring someone to walk with you through the planning process from day 1. Someone who will get to know you on a personal level and use your personality in the planning and design of your day. But let’s be honest. I am a bit biased. The truth is, the partnership between your Wedding Planner and the Venue Coordinator is the ultimate unbreakable defense system. Armed with personal knowledge, your planneracts as the advocate of your personal preferences and needs. Armed with knowledge of the facility details, the venue coordinator covers the gaps the planner cannot fill. You see, your planner spends the time with you the venue coordinator can't. And the venue coordinator spends the time with the venue that your planner can't. It’s a brilliant collaboration!

~jesi haack

and just because I want you to see my artistry abilities, I have added a pic for your viewing pleasure:

Fresh Color Combo: Green and Black details.

2009-09-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Apple Green Linens. Black Chiavari Chairs. Black and White paper fans. Apples. Flashcards. Yo Yo's. Engagement pictures turned into coloring pages. White Feather Boas. Display of rustic cakes. More to come.

Event Design: jesi haack weddings

Venue: Red Horse Barn

Dessert Display: Sweet and Saucy Shop

Florals: Kris Delau

Linens & Chairs: Megan at Classic Party Rentals

Photography: Matthew Morgan (showcasing my in house photographer, but cannot WAIT to get Matt's photos!)

Eco Friendly Tips

2009-09-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

So, how annoying is it when you get home from work and you see a stack of phone books sitting on your doorstep? I DO NOT understand why they still print them? How many trees are we gonna kill? Haven't we heard of Google? Ok, so maybe some people don't have computers, or try not to have internet at home (which is a cool vibe, btw) but here is a tip for those phone books anyway. Turn them into art! I tweeted, twittered, twighted, whatever....the other day about these flowers and got an overwhelming response to my Yellow Page Flowers. I will post a step by step tutorial soon, so stay tuned! Here is the final table set up with the informative flowers! (get it?)

Wedding Industry "Professionals"

2009-09-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes being professional is overrated:

my friends that make this industry the amazing place that it is:

Amanda: In the Now

Allison: The Innovation Company

Angel: Love and Splendor

Melody: Sweet and Saucy Shop

Ryel: Ryel J

Paper Flower Madness!

2009-09-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

When Jessica, manager of The White Dress in CDM, hired me to design and plan her wedding, I squealed at the opportunity! Besides the fact that Jess & Eric are BEAUTIFUL people, they have such a clean, classy, modern style. My favorite part was that Jess gave me FULL reign so my crazy mind was whirling! The only thing they insisted on was having a cocktail party style of event with lots of EATING, DRINKING, and DANCING! We were working with a tight budget, so it was so fun pushing through the challenge and thinking outside the box...and outside the box is my favorite place to be! My AMAZING team created 500+ paper flowers to flood this event with style and sass. Here is a huge shout out to all of the wonderful vendors:

Venue: The Ocean Institute

Caterer: Dad's Tacos

Bar Service: Sunseri's

DJ: Epic Entertainment

Photography: Josh Menashe + Ashley Rose

Dessert Buffet: Sweet and Saucy Shop

Design + Decor: jesi haack weddings

Photobooth: Foto Cabina

Video: Manifest Videography

Linens: Fusion Linens

WHITE dance floor! Classic Party Rentals

Style Unveiled Article Debut :)

2009-08-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

"Ok, picture this: You are in a Vera Wang, feather covered, diamond white gown. Your hair is cascading down your back in beachy waves. You just lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks. Your engagement ring is sparkling clean. Your dad is in a suit. Your brother actually trimmed his beard. And ALL of the people you care about are sitting in white chivari chairs awaiting your arrival down the aisle. But, wait. You are still standing there. The DJ doesn't seem to know what to do. The wrong song is playing. No one knows what is supposed to happen next. If ONLY there was a Master Timeline in play!!!"

For the entire article, go to the Style Lounge!

Project Wedding Perfect Rating

2009-08-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

We are beyond excited to have received the news of our 5 star rating on the AMAZING wedding website, Project Wedding! I just want to say a heart-felt, THANK YOU, to our amazing clients/friends who have taken an extra moment to share their experiences of our service to all in the internet world. The goal of Jesi Haack Weddings is to ultimately knock the socks off of our clients and to give them the ULTIMATE wedding day. This honor speaks straight to my heart as I believe that God uses us to serve others. We are so blessed to be used in such a romantic, creative, and joyful way. Thank you!

Modern Paper Wedding: Sneak Peek

2009-08-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

Modern. Crafty. Unique. Hot. Sassy. Fresh. I am in LOVE with this wedding! When Jessica, from The White Dress contacted me to design and plan her wedding, I was beyond honored! She was such a wonderful bride and gave me the green light to go crazy with my ideas. We were working on a budget so it encouraged me to be ultra creative and was a exciting design challenge. Eric & Jess really just wanted people to Eat, Drink, & Dance so we rolled with that! We decided a "paper" themed wedding would be different and affordable, and would be a great way to get creative. 500 paper flowers later, this is a taste of what we came up with! Stay tuned for the full post!

And, of course, HUGE thanks to my amazing vendors:

Venue: The Ocean Institute

Photography (these pics are from my personal photographer, the hubs, but can't wait to see the images from Josh & Ashley): Josh Menashe & Ashley Rose

Dessert Display: Sweet and Saucy Shop

Entertainment: Epic Entertainment

Photo Booth: Foto Cabina

Catering: Dad's Tacos and Burritos

Bar Service: Sunseri's

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Linens: Fusion Linens

GRAND OPENING

2009-08-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Go to Sweet and Saucy today for their official Grand Opening and grab a free mini dessert with your purchase! You will NOT regret it, I promise! Congratulations to my good friend, Melody, for such a successful two weeks!!!!

"RSVP" means....

2009-08-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

"Répondez s'il vous plaît", a French phrase that translates to "please respond" and word for word means "respond if you please". Straight from Wikipedia. There you go.

Sweet and Saucy Shop's OPEN!!!

2009-07-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of my most favorite, delectable, mind-blowing dessert studio, Sweet and Saucy Shop , and the time has arrived! Go take a look at all of Melody Brandon's artistic creations and grab a cupcake. I promise, your mind will be blown. Congratulations Mel, I am so excited for you!

Here is the address: 6400 Stearns St. Long Beach CA, 90805

Project Wedding Feature :)

2009-07-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

The lovely ladies over at Project Wedding loved our modern-design inspired wedding and featured it on their site! Jeannie, thank you so much for all of the love you send our way. We are BLESSED. Make sure you all go check out Project Wedding for all of your wedding needs; style, inspiration, vendors, vendor reviews, real weddings and much more!

Perfect 10 Wedding Blogs

2009-07-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh! I am so giddy I can barely contain my excitement! Today, I was completely blown away to find out that Style Unveiled named me as one of their Perfect Ten SoCal Wedding Blogs! I am in such OUTRAGEOUS company, I am beyond humbled. I feel overwhelmed and am bursting with gratitude to be able to be a part of this incredible industry, be creative, and be IN LOVE with what I do.

Blog Features = major giddiness

2009-07-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

This week we were so honored to be featured on one of the great wedding websites, Lolliblog and the ever-so-amazing AND helpful Project Wedding! All of these posts are due to the INCREDIBLE work of my dear friend, Melody, from Sweet and Saucy Shop. She creates the most stylishly delicious desserts that are impossible NOT to post all over. She is AMAZING. Thank you both so much for the Blog Love!

Another post on Lolliblog

Garden View

2009-07-20T13:01:00.001-07:00

I love gardens. I want a garden. Instead, I have an alley. That is almost just as good :) especially since it is down the street from the beach. The sacrifice we make to not have a garden. So, this tablescape comes from a place deep in my heart. It helps bridge the gap between sweet contentment and beyond my wildest dreams. Here is a taste, I will post more details later, when I receive my BRAND NEW macbook pro!

So Much Blog LOVE :)

2009-07-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

I feel so honored and blessed by all of the FABULOUS blogs that featured my work last week. Seriously, I have to pinch myself. I am grateful and in awe of the blessings in my life! All of these people are extremely talented and I am touched that they wanted to showcase my work!

Thank you all so much!

Happy Birthday America! God Bless Us!

2009-07-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been a long time since I have blogged! Forgive me, I didn't die on the American River...I know you were worried...

Happy Birthday America! This post is dedicated to my wonderful clients, Shelley & Kevin, who are so in love with America that they are going to fly 14 American flags at their wedding reception next summer! I love them.

Here is some sweet eye candy found in awesome places. Happy 4th! Be safe, friends!

Tastefully Entertaining

Raging down the River!!!

2009-06-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

So, I'm off for a weekend of danger and peril. I will be raging down the American River this time tomorrow! Then off to San Francisco for a few days for some work and some fun! And some delicious, organic, vegan food! Have a great weekend!

Fun Baby Shower!

2009-06-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

I had the ultimate pleasure of creating the design for a very special baby shower at Strawberry Farms. We decided to go with a bubble gum pink table linen with a lime green overlay adorned with adorable pink buttons. The floral centerpieces were large china mums, viburnum, ranunculus, pink roses, green roses and hydrangea. Half of the vases were covered with different styles of fabric to match the green and pink motif, while others were wrapped with earthy seagrass. The butterfly cake was designed and created by jesi haack weddings as well, with the little baby girl in mind. She is going to love butterflies and polka dots!
Thank you to the WONDERFUL Ashley Rose for the beautiful pictures! You are the bomb!

Green Wedding Shoes!

2009-06-22T16:48:00.001-07:00

I am so excited! Today one of my favorite wedding blogs, Green Wedding Shoes, featured Darren + Kayli's wedding! Thank you so much to my amazing vendors Aaron Shintaku, Amy Hinden, Sweet and Saucy Shop for all of your unbelievable talent!

You MUST check out this blog (like you all haven't already, pffffsshhhh) you will find a plethora of beautiful, unique and inspiring wedding goodness! Thanks again Jen, for honoring me with your post!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-22T16:43:00.001-07:00

Here is a peek at what my hubby got for his special day: (yes, it is a mustache key holder)

Kayli + Darren

2009-06-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

I cannot say enough about this wedding. Darren and Kayli trusted me with the complete design of their event as well as the floral design. I had the time of my life! We decided to go with the vintage, rustic vibe. We started with a killer venue, Red Horse Barn. Then went with amazingly classic gray suits for the guys, you may remember my thoughts on gray suits from this post. Darren bought sweet gray vans, colored socks and matching undies for his guys. Kayli went with a handmade string of pearls made with love by her mom, and a vintage fabric flower for her hair, the patent leather yellow heels completed her look. I added some of her grandmother's vintage buttons from her collection to the corsages and boutonnieres to bring in the vintage, personal touch. The intricate dessert bar showcased homemade cookies by the mother of the bride and unbelievable fudge by the grandmother of the groom. So many personal treasures were woven throughout the design of this event! One of my favorite details to put together was the shredded vintage sheet backdrop with scrapbook page flags that we hung behind the dessert display. Kayli and Darren had such style that made my job not only easy (ok, maybe not EASY) but I was flying on cloud nine while putting it all together! To make the day as perfect as can be, I was blessed by working with my DREAM TEAM of vendors! Here are the people with all of the amazing talent:

Photography: Aaron Shintaku and Amy Hinden, formerly AHS Photography

2nd shooter (so Aaron could be a legit groomsman :): Gabriel Ryan

Hair & Makeup: Carlie Renee

Dessert Display: Sweet and Saucy Shop

DJ: Johnny E

Officiant: Isaac Marcs

Floral Design: jesi haack weddings

Photobooth: Foto Cabina

Event Design + Coordination: jesi haack weddings

Beautiful Hair Piece: Oh My Deer

Aaron Shintaku

2009-06-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Most of you probably are already familiar with his work from this post, but I wanted to give up some serious LOVE for my friend and photographer EXTRAORDINAIRE Aaron Shintaku. His style is so clean, and creative, and just straight up LEGIT. I have always been his biggest fan and I am beyond tickled to be working with him and Amy this weekend and to see what pieces of gold they capture. Aaron recently launched his new website after deciding with his partner and sister to split AHS Photography into two separate companies. The other half of AHS, Amy Hinden, is doing exciting things with the portrait side of photography. Stay tuned for a post on her to come! I am so excited for the new things that are happening for them and their businesses!

Our clients are the BEST.

2009-06-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? My sweet clients, Sarah and Cezanne brought me a gift to their rehearsal. Their incredible wedding was inspired by their love for design. So.....they got me a Jonathan Adler book and a coffee mug from his design store! I am in love with both of them! The book is full of hilarious conversations and I drink my tea out of my mug each morning! It helps Ryan get a feel of the mood for the day....thank you to my very talented hubby, Ryan, for taking these pics.

Sarah + Cezanne

2009-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

This clean, modern, design inspired wedding showcased Sarah and Cezanne's love for ultra-hip designer, Jonathan Adler and The Parker, a chic resort in Palm Springs. From the custom designed monogram, courtesy of the groom, to the fruity, Creamsicle signature cocktails, it was impossible for their guests not to feel drenched in chic exuberance. Each reception table claimed the name of one of the couples' favorite mid century designers and the fortune cookie favors illustrated the story of their engagement. Everywhere they looked the guests were refreshed with an eyeful of buttercream yellow, tangerine orange and lime green detail. The tantalizingly tempting dessert display had every taste bud in the room screaming for a mini-cake lollipop, or a mouthful of cotton candy. Paired with the newly renovated, modern decor of The Belamar Hotel in Manhattan Beach, it was a dynamic display that could not be matched. Maybe not even by The Parker itself :)

Amazing dessert display by Sweet and Saucy Shop

Wedding photos by Posada Photo

Additional detail shots by Adrianne Bonafede

Killer tunes by Epic Entertainment

Videography by Manifest Videography

Florals by jesi haack weddings

Venue The Belamar Hotel

Letterpress Invites by Two Piglets

Graphic Design by Cezanne Ferris-Gilbert "Groom"

Wedding design concepts by Sarah Locke Ferris-Gilbert "Bride" in conjunction with jesi haack weddings

Planning + Coordination by jesi haack weddings

Max Wanger

2009-06-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

I can barely contain my excitement to share this incredible James Bond status photo-genius with you. The unique style that his lens captures is seriously unmatched. His personalized signature is apparent in each image he snatches. When I first checked out his blog, tearing my eyes away from my computer was like pulling my tongue off of an icy pole. It just wasn't working. He is also part of a KILLER collaboration called The Flashdance with photogs Our Labor of Love and a DJ called The Human Jukebox. They are inspired by clients with a unique take on their wedding day. The best news of all? He and his incredibly adorable and ultra-chic bride to be are MY CLIENTS! How did I get so lucky? I am truly blessed to be working with this AMAZING couple and their wedding is going to be so cool, so hip, so unique that you are going to FLIP. Here he is, the incredible Max Wanger:

"Max constructed his first Polaroid camera

out of paper and scotch tape when he was

seven years old. To this day, he is fond

of scrap and simplicity, as well as vinyl

figures and the entire city of Tokyo.

Like you, Max has an incurably romantic

spirit that is warmly reflected in

his wedding photos, as well as those that

focus on food, fashion, foreign capitals,

friends, and loved ones. That's a lot of

"f" words"

Blue Poppy Jewelry

2009-06-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

You must check out this jewelry. The girls at Blue Poppy Jewelry are girls after my own heart. Not only because of the style and simplicity of the bling, but because of the commitment the company has made to using organic and raw materials. My heart is overflowing with excitement to see a beautiful adornment of jewels that carry a deeper meaning and purpose behind the product. Here is a little something from their website:

"Blue Poppy Jewelry is created by pairing the beauty of fine metals with raw, organic elements from the earth. Each piece is created with a heartfelt compassion for life, love and nature. All elements of our jewelry are made within the United States with environmentally friendly choices made wherever possible."

Sarah + Cezanne = sneak peek

2009-06-02T12:48:00.001-07:00

LOVED this wedding and this couple! Here is a sneak peek of what went down at The Belamar with Sweet and Saucy and Posada Photo

Purple Suede

2009-05-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

I am O BSESSED with these booties. I would love to see them as bridesmaid shoes or even for the funkiest of brides. Love them.

Easter Egg Cake = hilarious

2009-05-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I started out in the wedding biz trying my hand out at cakes. I quickly realized that my gifts existed in the design and planning side of the industry, but I still enjoy whipping up a fun cake once in a while....nothing like my girl Melody at Sweet and Saucy Shop, but fun nonetheless! If you only knew the story behind trying to get this thing to even remotely look like the shape of an egg, you would die laughing....

Bolero Boleros!

2009-05-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

I have this new obsession with Boleros over wedding dresses. One of my ever so fabulous brides from the weekend wore a beautiful silk bolero over her dress as she entered her reception. It screamed, "I'm so cooool!" I love how different it made her look. Stay tuned for more pictures of her wedding, but until then, here are some beautiful boleros I found:

This lacey gem can be found on etsy

And the feathery goodness here on etsy

How about this victorian beauty also found on etsy

And I'm in love with this taffeta vintage piece found here

And this silk piece with a flower is by Modern Romance

Sarah Seven

2009-05-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

I cannot get enough of this incredible designer! Her creations are dripping with personality and vintage sass. Every picture I click on just makes my jaw drop in excitement!
Check out this INCREDIBLE designer on Etsy. View her store here. Sarah is a designer out of Portland, OR who screams STYLE. You can devour more of her fashion goodness at her website. She has a bridal line that will blow your mind and any of her party dresses will make unforgettable attire for your best gals. Enjoy!

Bridesmaid's Event

2009-04-30T14:01:00.001-07:00

photo by ryel j
Hey all! The White Dress is having a Bridesmaid's Lounge event this weekend and jesi haack weddings will be there to share wisdom and insight into the latest wedding trends and non-trends :) Melody from Sweet and Saucy will be there as well, sharing her decadent sweets with all of the brides and their bridesmaids. Stop by The White Dress, have a glass of champagne, pop a cake ball, and try on some of the most amazing bridal dresses available!

Fun Shoot

2009-04-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have to share the amazing work of my friends. We put together a super fun photo shoot a while back with The White Dress. The amazing Ryelj was the mastermind behind the lens. The ever so fashionably edgy Nicole Deanne was the artist behind the hair and makeup. And we must not forget the breathtaking bouquets from JL Designs. Everything looked amazing and the models were expensive, but totally worth it!

Our day after (or 5 years after) shoot with AHS!

2009-04-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a MAD shout out to our friends AHS Photography for doing such a RIDICULOUS job on this super fun shoot! They are doing some really exciting things in their business that they will be sharing soon, so stay tuned! AND, the super FLY bouquet I was holding is from the ever so sought after Carissa, from JL Designs. I love all of my talent filled vendors that I have the privilege to work with!

China

2009-04-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with Megan from Classic Party Rentals and Courtney from Joyful Weddings and Events today and we were discussing all things China. The dishes, not the country....I am in LOVE with the idea of mismatched china. How fun would it be to cruise around to all kinds of thrift stores and pick out every style of china, place them ever so gently on your table, and not worry about matching? And it will look AMAZING! Bloomingdale's offers a Set Your Table tool to help you registry for mismatched china, how easy is that? Here are a few pieces that I am obsessed with right now. Enjoy!

Casa Sugar

Daily Mail
Country Living
Tree Hugger

cute jewelry for a good cause!

2009-04-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

You must check out these cute little treasures! Venessa creates the most beautiful jewelry for a more beautiful cause. She is raising money to fund her trip to India this summer to work in an orphanage and to serve at a "Home for the Dying", a leper home in India. Also, check out her blog to see her most recent creations and inspirations. I seriously LOVE this blog, it is the sweetest thing! HopeVenessa also creates the most adorable shirts! Check them out!

Congratulations to The White Dress!

2009-04-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Our favorite bridal boutique, The White Dress, won Best Wedding Dresses in Orange County by Fox LA News! Check out this article in Fox LA's Hotlist! When our gorgeous friends at The White Dress heard that Fox News was sending a team out to their store to get some footage they asked us to whip up a little piece of decor to brighten up the shop. One of my favorite florists, Carissa with JL Designs gave me some inspiration for this baby, even though she didn't know it!

Fun Favors

2009-04-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Let's think about this. Do you really need to spend extra money on that personalized shot glass that will go in your strange uncle's liquor cabinet? There ARE ways to personalize your wedding favor without being wasteful or tacky. So many party favors are discarded, not taken, or shoved in the back of a cabinet to never be looked at again. At one time I was completely jaded by wedding favors and even went so far as to guide my brides away from using them at all. Now I realize how creative and clever one can get with their wedding favor ideas. It can be a great way to incorporate personality and charming detail into your overall experience and at the same time ensure that your guests will remember your day (with out having to look at a champagne glass with someone else's name and wedding date on it). I was inspired to today to share some ideas that I have seen that epitomize the "Fun Favor" concept:

Anything edible always goes over well, and is a fun treat to eat now or later!
photo by Ryel J

Incorporating a family tradition with a homemade jam is a heartwarming treat for any guest.
Photo by AHS Photography

An oil lamp candle is a unique expression of the bride and groom's style.
photo by SilverBox Photographers

These precious little herb plants will keep the memory of your wedding alive long after your big day!
photo by Jamee Photography

My favorite, an eco-friendly favor: a reusable shopping bag. Love it!
photo by Leo Patrone Photography

Owl Obsessed

2009-03-30T14:58:00.001-07:00

So look at these cute things. Found them at a girlfriends house who is totally into owls but in denial, and fell in love. You can find them at Anthropologie. I am obsessed with them. Their eyes are tugging on my little heart strings. I am working on trying to figure out a way to incorporate them into a wedding. Any ideas?

Paper Flowers

2009-03-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

Something different. Something distinctive. Something fun. Something EASY....paper flowers! You can jazz up your ceremony venue, your reception tables, your bouquets, your headpiece, your cake or anything else you can think of! These beauties can be created months before your big day. I am envisioning a beautiful waterfall full of colored paper flowers stuck in chicken wire flowing on either side of the bride and groom during their ceremony. Or delicately placed on the cake. Or surprisingly popping out of vintage vases on the dinner tables....really anywhere your imagination will take you. The combination of fresh flowers and paper flowers will create such a magical, yet classy vibe at any party. check out some ideas, and go to dozi design for a sweet tutorial on how to DIY!

Martha Stewart

Kate's Paperie makingpaperflowers.blogspot.com

Percy Sales Events
Ten Thousand Only
Marie Belle SoHo
Dozi Design
Velvet Strawberries
Apartment Therapy

Color Inspirations

2009-03-24T12:22:00.001-07:00

I feel like I just won the lottery. I was shopping around Anthropologie and was digging through the treasures in the sale room. I stumbled across a duvet set that I have had my heart set on for the last two years.

As I hold the set (that is the exact size of my bed, amazing right?) there is some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket (or my really cute fuschia purse). Soooooo, i go for it. The reason for the story is this: it has inspired a color scheme. With its delicate chirping (i can tell they are chirping) birds perched on their antiquey branches, they inspire a sort of serenity and spring vibe. I am in love with the idea of olive green accented with a blue-ish purple vibe. So I pulled a few pictures of some inspiration for the palatte:

From left to right:
blue cakes: Cheryl Kleinman Cakes, Mary Ellen Bartley Photography
peacock invites: Designs by Cindy, Morris Malakoff Photography
blue bootie: Jimmy Choo
green cake: Take the Cake, Riverbend Studio
green apples: David Medina
bride and bridesmaids: Bruce Forrester Photography
bridal bouquet: Rose Tree Floral Sesign Studio, Amelia Tarbet Photography
table setting: Azul Photography

Sweet and Saucy

2009-03-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and peanut butter bars. Mini cake lollipops. Mini key lime pie bites. The most amazing sugar cookies you have ever tasted. I am talking about Sweet and Saucy. My favorite pastry vendor that I have had the pleasure to work with at several different occasions. Melody Brandon, the Executive Pastry Chef, is cutting edge, knock your flippin socks off, awesome. Her cake designs are so amazingly imaginative that they belong on the cover of every magazine in Barnes and Noble. Martha Stewart should be feeling a little bit of pressure right about now. Sweet and Saucy will bake up ANY dessert in mini form that you can come up with. They will design and create the most beautiful of dessert bars (which is the latest wedding craze, BTW)...They can take any picture or logo and print it on a cookie. And here is the kicker: they all taste divine. I know, right? You can get the most beautiful of cake or dessert and it actually will make you want to cry it tastes so good. Can you tell I am obsessed? Ok, I'm done with my ranting. Now check out some pictures:

Ask the right questions

2009-03-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

photo by ryel j

One of the many perks of hiring a wedding planner or coordinator is that you are hiring someone who is a Professional. Someone who has planned weddings and events over and over, has seen some pretty complicated problems, who has fixed those problems and now knows how to avoid such complicated matters! With that being said, there a some very important and complex questions that need to be asked when searching for a reception site. Here are a few that I have in a spreadsheet that I share with all of my brides and now I am sharing with you!

Do I have to go with your caterer or can I bring in my own?
How many people are you able to accomodate?
What is the price for renting the venue?
What is the price for food & beverage?
Do you have a food & beverage minimum?
What is your service charge?
Do you apply tax?
Are there any other fees?
How long do I have the venue?
What is the charge for extra hours?
Will there be other weddings on the same day as mine?
How early can my vendors arrive to setup?
Does this venue come with a bridal room to get ready?
Does this venue come with a grooms room to get ready?
Does this venue come with a room for the bride and groom the night of the wedding?
What is the parking situation?
Do you offer valet parking?
Where are the bathrooms located?
Are there enough bathrooms for my guest count or do I need to rent more?
What are the restrictions for decor (can i stick things in the ground, hang things from trees, light candles...)?
Do you have security at the event?
Does this venue come with a facility coordinator?
What are the sound restrictions?
Are there adequate electrical outlets?
Are we able to have live music?
Does this venue come with tables and chairs?
What kind of tables and chairs?
Are there any discounts for specific days or months?
Is there adequate lighting for night events?
Is the venue handicapped accessible?
Am I able to bring in my own vendors or must I use your approved listings?
What is the deposit required and is it refundable?
If anything is broken or visibly unappealing, will it be fixed before the event?
If the venue does come with a coordinator, what does this person offer?
Are there extra charges for coordinator upgrades?
How long do we have to cleanup after the event?
Are you willing to hold rental items for pickup on Monday?
If the venue is an outdoor venue, what is your policy for rainy events?
Is there an indoor option?
Where will the cocktail hour take place?
Are there additional rental charges for a dance floor or altar?
What are the smoking rules?
Does the site hold a liquour license or must I bring in my own?
Is there a kitchen area for the caterer?
Is a fire permit required? If so, who do I contact to acquire it?
Does the site require me to purchase liability insurance? Do my vendors need to carry insurance? If so, which ones and for what amount?
Does the site require my vendors to sign any sort of waiver or list of restrictions?
Does the trash get hauled off at the end of the event or am I responsible for that?