1
09.16.14

Ann + Kevin’s Mint and Gold Seaside Wedding…

When I posted Ann + Kevin’s engagement session, and a couple months ago when I posted the bridal shower I threw for Ann along with her other bridesmaids, I promised I would share their wedding. Well, the day has arrived! It seems like only yesterday that Ann asked me to be her maid of honor and I helped her start planning this wedding! It was so fun sharing in the process with my best friend and seeing the beautiful outcome. Ann + Kevin did a lot of DIY projects, ranging from all the paper goods designed by Kevin, to the lovely succulent centerpieces they made (One of which I got to take home and enjoy. Lucky me!). It was an absolutely wonderful day filled with love and fun, and tons of great memories were made that will last a lifetime! The photos were captured by the same awesome duo that photographed their engagement session, Eli Murray Photography. Check it out…

 

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Vendors:

 

 

Photographer- Eli Murray Photography

Venue- Portofino Hotel + Yacht Club

Day of Coordinator- Beauty and the Ring

Flowers (Bouquets/Boutonnieres/Bride’s Hairpiece/Mom’s Corsages)- Magical Blooms

Cake- Torrance Bakery 

Cake Topper- Better Off Wed

Hair + Makeup- Absolutely Beautiful

Bride’s Dress- Nicole Miller “Taryn” Dress. Alterations by Grace Bridal Couture

Bride + Bridesmaid’s Robes- SilkandMore

Officiant: Jason Avalos

Photo Booth: Drunken Pixel

Signage + Paper Goods: The Groom, Kevin Rugnetta

 

6
06.30.14

Sal + Andrea’s Romantic Occidental College Wedding…

Sometimes a photographer’s images are so beautiful and evocative that they practically transport you right to the moment they were taken. That’s what the awesome Lydia Messenger’s photos of Sal + Andrea’s romantic Occidental College wedding do for me. Simple, sincere, and stunning are the words that come to mind when describing this wedding. There are details, but they are thoughtful and minimal. The true focus is the couple and the celebration of their love. Just how it should be!

 
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Vendors:

 

Venue: Occidental College

Photographer: Lydia Messenger Photography 

Flowers: Downtown LA Flower Market

Hair + Makeup: Pinup Girl Boutique

Cake: Portos Bakery

Bride’s Dress: Mori Lee

Groom’s Suit: Givenchy

 

4
06.16.14

Ann’s Mint, Pink + Gold Bridal Shower Brunch…

Remember last month when I posted about the incredibly awesome company Bloominous  and how I’d be using their new Party Pop collection for a bridal shower I was throwing soon? Well, today I am going to share that shower and those beautiful Bloominous blooms with you! As I’ve mentioned previously, one of my very best friends in the world, Ann, is getting married next month and I’m lucky enough to be her maid of honor. I was so, so, so excited to host Ann’s bridal shower at my house at the end of May along with her other lovely bridesmaids. I came up with a fun design based on her mint + gold wedding color scheme. I added in some pops of varying shades of pink, a little confetti, and voila!
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We had an “advice for the bride-to-be” station where the guests could leave their advice and wishes for Ann on cards that she could keep as mementos. For a fun activity that also served as guest favors, we had a custom DIY fragrance bar that was so much fun!

 

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We had a great brunch menu including a a bubbly bar with assorted juices and berries, a mini mason jar yogurt parfait station, salads, mini frittatas + more.  I also made some watermelon mint infused water that was seriously delicious and refreshing! It would be perfect for any upcoming party this summer.

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Ann loves tropical flavors and macarons, so I combined those loves when choosing the desserts from the ever wonderful Sweet and Saucy Shop. We had a coconut passionfruit cake that was seriously to die for, and a selection of strawberry and pistachio macarons.

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The beautiful bride-t0-be with her bridesmaids. We had such a good time showering and celebrating this babe!
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And lastly, one more big, huge thanks to Bloominous for the stunning flowers! They arrived quickly, packaged up with care, and included easy to follow directions. I put all the centerpieces together the day before the shower, which left me plenty of time to do the rest of the decorating, cooking and cleaning. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to DIY flowers for their wedding, a shower, or any other occasion! They have multiple collections to choose from, so there is something to fit every aesthetic.

 

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Now, the countdown to the wedding is on:)

 

1
05.12.14

Spotlight On: Bloominous…

Have you heard of Bloominous yet? If not, I know you’ll be seeing them popping up all over the place soon! Bloominous is an innovative new company that strives to finally make DIY flowers easy. They understand that DIY can be difficult, time-consuming, and risky.  If you’re a bride, those are probably the last three words you want to hear!  So they put a lot of thought into what it means to make DIY floral arrangements easy and affordable for you…the result is Bloominous.com, the one-stop shop solution to all your floral-woes! Bloominous packages together what you need- from florals to vases to instructions-  to create your own bouquets, centerpieces, and boutonnieres.

 

 

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Bloominous offers several collections to choose from: Vintage Cottage Collection, Bohemian Desert Collection, Country Charm Collection and the Eco Chic Collection. See that gorgeous photo above ? It, along with all the other photos in this post are from the brand new coral + gold collection that will be debuting soon. I’m incredibly excited because I’ll be using the new coral + gold collection in a couple weeks to decorate a bridal shower I am throwing for my best friend!

 

 

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Here are some more key points about Bloominous + what makes the service they offer so unique:

 

 

- With Bloominous, brides will be able to save anywhere from 30% to 50% off their original floral budget (based on the average U.S. wedding budget) without the typical 300% markup from wedding florists.

 

- Most DIY floral services do not send ‘prepped’ flowers, but their flowers come cut-to-order, dethorned, and trimmed, so you can save time AND money.

 

- Each kit comes with step-by-step photo instructions for easy assembling within 10 to 20 minutes per piece, as well as flower care products, accessories, and design tips.

 

 

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- Bloominous offers trial kits so you can test their product out before you take the big plunge. Right now their trial kits are 30% off with free shipping using the code: TRIAL30.

 

-All collections are designed by the Bloominous in-house florist with 10+ years of experience in event and floral design.

 

-They feature specialty flowers that are hard to find, especially if you’re located in a city without a local flower market.

 

 

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- Bloominous doesn’t just provide flowers. They bring floral and wedding expertise to all through their blog, which focuses on saving money, planning, DIY, and ease.

 

- In addition to the designed collections, Bloominous will be adding a “Flower Market” concept to their offerings so DIY-ers can take customization into their own hands! Flowers from all over the world shipped straight to your doorstep. Those who want to create their own collections can purchase un-prepped flowers through the Bloominous Flower Mart, and those who want to add their own touches to the Bloominous collections can also buy extra flowers through the Bloominous Flower Mart.

 

- In the near future, they plans to become a creative community for floral designers, professionals and amateur alike, to have a chance to showcase their designs and sell their collections on Bloominous.

 

 

 

 

So, now you officially know about Bloominous if you didn’t already! Make sure to head on over to their website + blog to learn even more. Plus, check back here in the coming months to see their stunning flowers decorating the shower I am throwing:)

 

 

3
04.10.14

Ann + Kevin’s Laguna Canyon Engagement Session…

Ann + Kevin’s beautiful engagement session in Laguna Canyon, captured by Eli Murray Weddings, is an extra special one for me to share. That’s because that babe in the blue dress is one of my very best friends in the whole wide world! Ann and I have been friends for over ten years and I have the honor of helping to design her July wedding AND be the maid of honor. Needless to say, I am beyond excited for her, so it’s pretty much the most fun thing ever for me to get a chance to post these gorgeous photos! In the next few months I will also be sharing photos from her upcoming bridal shower and then hopefully, her wedding! Stay tuned:)

 

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7
02.3.14

DIY: Petite Heart Garland…

Looking for a super easy Valentine’s Day decoration that you can whip up with things you probably already have around the house? If so, you are in luck because today we have a sweet + petite DIY heart garland for you from Smitten on Paper!

 

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Supplies:

 

Twine

Cardstock Paper

Heart Hole Puncher

Glue Gun

 

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Steps:

 

1. Using the heart hole puncher, hole punch your paper about 10-15 times.

2. After I’ve hold punched the red paper, I continue on hole punching the rest of my paper colors.

3. Taking the first hole punched heart, apply a dot of glue.

 

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4. Adhere the heart to your twine. My twine measure about 150 inches, I wanted a long garland, but it all depends on your desire length.

5. Start adhering the rest of your hearts, making sure that they are about 2 inches apart.

6. Tada! once you have applied all your hearts, your left with a romantic looking garland.

 

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Smitten on Paper is running a promotion right now for 10% off your wedding invitation suite using the code ‘HOORAY10′!

1
01.14.14

DIY: Glitter Edge Coasters…

It’s a new year and I have a fun + festive new DIY from Smitten on Paper for you! These glitter edge coasters are quick and easy to whip up, and would be perfect for entertaining, favors, hostess gifts, or just to add a little sparkle around your own home!

 

 

 

Supplies:

 

Chipboard

X-acto knife

Permanent Adhesive/glue

Glitter

 

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Instructions:

 

1. Neatly draw and cut a 3 inch circle from the chipboard.

2. Repeat step-1 three times, until you have 3 (3 in) circles.

3. To one side of one circle, apply adhesive.

4. Take another circle and stick the two circles together. Let dry.

 

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5. Repeat steps-3 through 4 until all three pieces of chipboard are stuck together, leaving you with a nice thick coaster!

6. Repeat steps 1-5 until you have 4 coasters or for as many coasters as you may like.

7. Once all your coasters are compact and dry, apply adhesive to the edge of all the coasters.

8. Now the glitter! Neatly roll the edge of your coaster into the glitter. Let dry overnight and you’re done. I decided to glitter my coaster edges, but if you wanted to fully cover your coaster, you most definitely can. Just apply adhesive to the whole top layer of your coaster and that’s it. Enjoy!

 

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Just a little heads up- Smitten on Paper is currently offering 10% off all their save the dates with the code ENGAGED10! Woo hoo!