The beautiful moment above was caught by Jose Villa from Louisa & John’s Malibu wedding.
THE DAY IT HAPPENED
May 12, 2013 By 3 Comments
THE WEDDING DAY NAPA STYLE
May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Here are just a few design tips if you’re Napa bound for your wedding & celebration:
THE DECOR
Go residential all the way with a touch of refined luxury. Think understated elegance with a wedding that feels more inspired by your favorite interior designer than any other wedding out there.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
A baby grand overlooking the vineyards is the perfect juxtaposition of sophistication and nature. Pure bliss!
THE MENU
Farm to table ingredients, seasonal fare and course after course of the purest foods you will ever have. No matter what the menu consists of, go fresh and seasonal above all else.
THE DRINKS
Wine, of course! But don’t just choose your wine willy nilly. Talk to your chef who will be sure to pair your wine perfectly for each course.
CHARMING TOUCH
Go effortless in your decor and to play on the natural environment, consider moments of rustic touches like favors packaged in natural kraft paper or escort cards from clothes pins.
SWEET TREATS
Napa is the birthplace of Bouchon, the country’s best macarons, so give your day a french influence, by spoiling your guests with these wonderful and sweet treats.
All images are courtesy of Jose Villa from Natalie & Pat’s Napa Wedding.
DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT : NAPA, CALIFORNIA
April 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Ahhh…Napa. There’s no place that makes you want to relax, eat and just be romantic more than this area. It’s seriously one of our favorite places on the planet and therefore one of the best spots to become newlyweds. Bring your family & friends here and you might have the best little destination wedding out there. Here are just a few of our favorite to dos when planning a weekend celebration in the wine country:
FOR THE LADIES
Take your best girls to Domaine Carneros to tour their facility including a French inspired Chateau followed by a tasting of some of the region’s best sparkling wine.
FOR THE GUYS
Send the guys off to Sonoma to visit John Ash & Co. for one of the area’s best culinary experiences and an atmosphere designed for the guy’s guy.
THE WELCOME PARTY
Set up a wine shuttle to give your guests both a tour of the area and as many tastings as they can handle. Explore both the history and the all around deliciousness that Napa is known for.
MORNING AFTER BRUNCH
Don’t let your guests leave the area without brunch at the famous Bouchon. The perfect way to thank them for spending the weekend with you.
JUST THE TWO OF YOU
After your guests leave, grab a simple picnic lunch and head over to V. Sattui for a peaceful tasting and lunch to reflect on the weekend.
The above image is from Natalie & Pat’s Napa Wedding courtesy of the talented, Jose Villa.
WEDDINGS THAT MAKE THE EARTH HAPPY
April 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Here are just a few of the lovely ways we recommend being earth friendly at your celebration…
Instead of printing individual menus, have one or two larger menus on mirrors, chalkboards or printed in a frame…For throw pillows and area decor, choose fabrics and details that you can then turn around and incorporate into your home decor.
Image by Jonathan Canlas from Nina & Russell’s Smog Shop Wedding
Succulents are the ultimate in being friendly to the world. After the wedding, you can literally throw them in your back yard where they will reroot and continue to thrive.
Image by Steve Steinhardt from Zoe & Griff’s Brentwood Wedding
Choose linens of natural fibers when possible like these Russian Linen drapes from La Tavola. Also, ask your linen supplier how they clean and process the linens to be sure they are doing their part to keep the earth happy.
Image by Corbin Gurkin from Michelle & Austin’s Clambake in East Hampton
Using found furniture and items is a great way to bring life back to older items. For this French wedding, we collected furniture throughout Paris to create both an eclectic and eco-friendly design.
Image by Steve Steinhardt from Jessica & Chetan’s Parisian Wedding
Use nature as your decor. Consider acorns, pine cones or other details to add charm and be kind to the earth. Potted plants and herbs that can be repurposed after the wedding can also be very chummy to the world.
Left Image by Jose Villa of Louisa & John’s Malibu Wedding
Right Image by Steve Steinhardt of Alyssa & Ryan’s Wedding at Saddlerock Ranch.
When possible feature local products and farms on the menu or in favors. Above, Angie & Brett, made homemade jam with Santa Barbara strawberries. So lovely!
Image by Meg Perotti of Angie & Brett’s Santa Barbara Wedding at San Ysidro Ranch
Centerpieces made of fresh fruit that can actually be consumed is always a hit and nothing is more earth-friendly than using heirlooms instead of buying new. For this Malibu wedding, we used a ring bearer pillow that had been through several family weddings.
Left Image by Steve Steinhardt of Jessica & Chetan’s Medieval welcome party at the Chateau d’ Esclimont in France.
Right Image by Steve Steinhardt of Bettina & Brian’s Gull’s Way Wedding
A PLACE YOU FEEL FREE
April 21, 2013 By 1 Comment
This one is my all time favorite because it’s so, so true…
The beautiful image is from Louisa & John’s Malibu Wedding by Jose Villa.
LIGHTING DETAILS WE LOVE
April 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Just a few of our favorite lighting moments…
TOP ROW: Whimsical Paper lanterns at Karen & Al’s Malibu Celebration/Butterfly Drum lamps from Natalie & Patrick’s Napa Wedding by Jose Villa
2ND ROW: Vintage chandeliers at Jessica & Chetan’s French Countryside Wedding by Steve Steinhardt at Chateau d’ Esclimont
BOTTOM ROW: Twinkly canopy at Tara & Kurt’s Big Island Wedding at Four Seasons Hualalai
TOP ROW: Sweet Candelabras at Stella & Peter’s Maui Wedding at Haiku Mill/Moroccan Lanterns at Zoe & Griff’s Brentwood Wedding
2ND ROW: Mason Jar Chandeliers at Surya & Nick’s Aspen Wedding by Jonas Peterson
BOTTOM ROW: Indian Lanterns from Nina & Russell’s Smog Shoppe Wedding by Jonathan Canlas/Tiki Torches from Tara & Kurt’s Big Island Welcome Party
YOU REALLY ARE
April 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment
GARDEN PARTY
April 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
We’re in the process of designing a garden party, any lady would love. Take a sneak peek at our inspiration…
Top Row: Life of the Garden Party Dress via Mod Cloth/ Siman Tu Flourite Cluster Necklace via Taigan/ Dior Waterlily Nail Polish via Refinery29/ Aerin Lipstick via Saks Fifth Avenue
Second Row: Garden Lanterns from Cody & Will’s Malibu Wedding/ Floral Fence from Jessica & Chetan’s French Wedding
Third Row: Decorated Eggs via LRF/ Seed Bomb via Anthropologie
Fourth Row: Mason Jar Lighting from Surya & Nick’s Colorado Wedding
Fifth Row: Magenta Cutlery via Core Bamboo/ Morning Glory Tole Tray via Polyvore
Sixth Row: Fresh Lemonade from Louisa & John’s Malibu Wedding/ Chalkboard Garden Maker via Anthropologie
Last Row: Fun Hors D’Oeuvres from Louisa & John’s Malibu Wedding/ Garden Party Greeting via Country Living
ORANGE YOU HAPPY
March 4, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Does any color make you happier than orange? Yeah, me neither…
TOP ROW: Loving these orange sailboats…making me dream of summer! / Grace : 30 Years of Fashion at Vogue, Yes, please.
2ND ROW: This orange Valentino dress is beyond / Orange, summery dahlias from C+W’s Malibu Wedding by Jose Villa
3RD ROW: I love Midcentury Modern and even more so when it involves tangerine by Marianne Cotterill
4TH ROW: Hermes playing cards? Could you be any more amazing! / Brighten up the office with these DIY file cabbies from Better Homes & Gardens
BOTTOM ROW: Cutie pie sig drinks from our Ojai photoshoot with Steve Steinhardt / Anything by Eduard Prussen makes me smile
SOUTHERN PHOTOSHOOT
January 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment
A few months ago, we worked with Jose Villa and Krista Jon on a super sweet Southern style shoot complete with fresh cotton, the crispest linen and David Austin roses everywhere. It took place at the beautiful Huntington Gardens. Here’s the result…
