Negativity. It happens to the best of us – the most naturally sunny personalities sometimes get a dark cloud over our heads. When things go wrong, it’s easy to look at the worst in people, the worst in situations, the … Continue reading
“Where have you been?” you might ask… And with good reason. I haven’t written a blog post in over a year. To tell you the truth, there have been some personal things bringing me stress, and I can’t really talk much about them yet. But I have taken the last week to really reflect on what is important to me, and I am resolved to blog more often. At least a little more often. I have SO MUCH to share!
What ultimately spurred me into motion this morning, though, was the news today. I’m so thrilled to share in the celebration of marriage equality! I just can’t help but think how this was a long long long time coming. In twenty or thirty years, it will probably feel to our children like “interracial marriage” does to those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 80s. Or, as we say, “marriage.” If you look at my website and blog, it’s dotted with couples whose marriages would have been frowned upon or even illegal 50 or 60 years ago. Today they are simply couples in love. It’s my sincere hope that we will continue to make strides, as a nation, supporting love and partnership. In the mean time, I think it’s time for a party!
Photo from Ana + Gina’s Colorful Rustic Handcrafted Wedding, by Kaysha Weiner.
I have been SO busy lately, most notably dealing with an internet outage at home that really knocked me off my game (three weeks without internet = a VERY tough time getting anything done!). My mobile data is almost used up for the month (I’ve never done that!!) and I’m thisclose to my maternity leave… But I had to leave a little love note for Michelle + Dave, since it’s been a year since their wedding (their anniversary was Sunday)!
They found me on Yelp and hired me sight-unseen to plan their wedding for them, long distance, from Chicago. From the minute we had our first phone call, I knew they were going to be the kind of clients planners always wish for; the kind that have their own mind about things (you’d be surprised how difficult it is to plan for someone who has no opinion!) but have lots of trust in the people they hire to do the best job they can. We had so much fun planning and creating their wedding together, and assembled a dream team of vendors. And THIS happened.
Yup. Pure bliss. Nothing makes a planner happier than to see her couple so happy that they don’t care who else sees them nuzzling. 🙂
This is another one of my favorite photos from their wedding:
Seriously? When the groom tears up seeing his bride coming down the aisle? This planner melts. I was behind the bride, way in the background, and didn’t see this happening. When I saw the photos later on, it took my breath away. It’s also a great reminder that the First Look (which they had) does not spoil the Coming Down the Aisle.
You can see more photos and videos on my blog:
And on my website Gallery. You can also read what Michelle had to say about my services in my Happy Clients section!
I’m lucky enough to have been able to stay in their lives this year and I’m thrilled to say that things are going well for them – and I hope that next year we can celebrate their anniversary together, with our daughters! 😉
Michelle + Dave’s Classic Beach Wedding at La Jolla Shores Hotel Wedding Details:
It’s been quite the summer for Events by Elisa. I’ve had more amazing weddings, fabulous photo shoots, and incredible features in just a few months than I thought possible. Last weekend I designed a table at my local Classic Party Rentals showroom, to be featured for the next two months and seen whenever anyone goes to pick out their linens or tableware. I’m hard at work designing an invitation for my cousin’s wedding early next year, in which I’ll also be bridesmaid. And I’ve had a grand total of FOURTEEN features on all sorts of lovely sites since June. FOURTEEN!!!
Including today. Yup, it happened again. This time on Style Me Pretty California. Emma + Chris’ House of Blues Wedding is featured today!!!
If you’ve read my four blogs about this wedding, you’ll know how much I love these two. And how proud I was of all we accomplished on our extremely modest budget. And how much I adored the stationery that I designed! This wedding ended up being an extremely personal labor of love for me. And I was so, SO proud to work with some of my favorite San Diego wedding vendors to make this special couple’s wedding day unforgettable.
That’s why it was such an honor to have it featured on Style Me Pretty!!
See? Aren’t these two gorgeous??? Not to mention those drop-dead flowers from Penny Blooms Floral Design!
See the entire feature on Style Me Pretty California today, and while you’re there, check out the whole Gallery for even more fabulous photos!!!
Oh yes, and now I get one of these nifty things to put on my website… 😉
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And on a completely unrelated note… Four years ago was my wedding day. Celebrating my anniversary tonight with my sweetheart and looking forward to a fabulous fifth year!!!
(Photo by Beverley Woodward; I’d link to her site but she’s no longer in business!)
Emma + Chris’ Whimsical Music-Themed Wedding at House of Blues San Diego Wedding Details:
You’ve seen Emma + Chris’ details, ceremony, and portraits… So now it’s time for the reception photos!
But before I get too much into them, I have to relay a tiny story. You see, the bridal party was a bit late getting back for the reception, and we all wondered what was up. Once they arrived, I was clued in. They’d stepped in to stop a fight! In the middle of their portrait session, they noticed two homeless men starting to beat up on each other and the groom and groomsmen stepped in while the photographers called the police. So the delay? Totally understandable. 😉
Anyway, the reception itself was incredible fun, and captured so well by We Heart Photography! Again, I’m going to try to let the photos speak for themselves. 😉
Congratulations again, Chris and Emma!! I loved celebrating your wedding with you!!!! <3!!!!
Emma + Chris’ Whimsical Music-Themed Wedding at House of Blues San Diego Wedding Details:
You’ve already seen how ridiculously gorgeous Emma + Chris are… But wait until you see their bridal party! One of the handsomest I’ve ever seen. 😉 Okay, maybe I’m slightly biased, since I’ve known some of the bridal party for a long time. I will say this – they were one of the smiliest I’ve ever seen! Their joy was uncontainable. That goes for the couple too. These portraits speak for themselves. So.much.love.
Emma + Chris’ Whimsical Music-Themed Wedding at House of Blues San Diego Wedding Details:
I’m so excited to share today the next post about Emma + Chris’ super fun wedding at House of Blues San Diego!!! You’ve already seen their details… Today it’s time for their ceremony!
Emma + Chris’ wedding ceremony started a little late, as weddings often do. They were both actually ready, but traffic conspired against them, as one of their bridesmaids (who left almost two hours before the ceremony was scheduled to start, to make a drive that should have taken about 10 minutes each way!) got horribly stuck in an untimely snarl. While we were waiting, both bride and groom prayed with their bridal party members, and I remember Chris walking by the room where Emma was getting ready and yelling “I love you!!!” through the closed door. I was struck by how calm they both were, after such a delay. Don’t get me wrong – they were both full of energy. But it was mostly about getting this show on the road – not worry. They were ready!!!
Emma’s bridesmaid finally made it and we were ready to go. I started the bridal party up the aisle toward Chris, Lyndon, and our officiant Brendon. Bridesmaids and groomsmen, moms and grandmas. Until it was Emma’s turn. She’d told me the day before that she’d love to have the doors to the chapel close after the bridal party walked through, and then open for her. So I closed them after her Maid of Honor walked through.
Only apparently they’d been locked. I’m honestly not sure why I didn’t check; I am typically excellent about those things. But I’ll admit that it didn’t cross my mind until the usher (who was to help me open the doors) and I tried them. And they wouldn’t budge. After about 10 seconds that seemed like an eternity, a guest in the back row of the chapel came to our rescue (much to the other guests’ delight) and we were able to give Emma the grand reveal she wanted. But it’s a testament to how happy and sweet she actually is, because she kept smiling the whole time and only uttered, “Did that really just happen?” with a giggle before walking up the aisle with her father to meet her new husband.
Emma + Chris’ Whimsical Music-Themed Wedding at House of Blues San Diego Wedding Details:
I remember the way Chris’ face lit up when he said it. “I’m picking up her ring tomorrow!” We were at Denny’s, a group of probably eight of the two dozen members of a my friend Lyndon’s music group. He was so incredibly happy. So radiant. And also kind of nervous.
He was going to propose that weekend. He was going to Colorado to propose to his girlfriend at her family’s house.
“What if she says no?” he asked. We all assured him that she wouldn’t, of course, but I think we all were holding our breath all weekend. Until he posted on his Facebook wall: “SHE SAID YES!!!!”
Even though we all knew that it would happen, there was so much happiness in that simple statement. I know there was some squealing in my household. Chris came back from the trip and asked Lyndon to be his best man, and two other members of the group to be groomsmen. Shortly thereafter, Chris asked if I’d be interested in planning their wedding day. Of course I said yes too. 😉
What followed was one of the most challenging wedding planning experiences I’ve had to date (how do you create a beautiful wedding for 200 people, essentially at under $30 per person including food, cake, and florals?), and one of the most rewarding. And at the end of it all, I got to celebrate a fantastic love story between two genuinely beautiful people (inside and out, as you’ll soon see!).
I hadn’t actually met Emma yet when I took on planning for this wedding (a rarity), but when I did, I immediately loved her – she’s got such a genuinely sweet spirit and a gorgeous smile! I hope she had as much fun planning her wedding with me as I had with her! 🙂
We came up with a quirky, whimsical teal and lime color scheme full of fun touches and music details, since both Emma and Chris are musicians and since the wedding reception was at an amazing music venue. Blue and green tend to be the hardest two colors to use in wedding design, since very few flowers are found in either color, but Emma also loves colorful touches (we flirted with the idea of doing a rainbow cake – it was ultimately nixed by Chris!), so she asked for a super colorful bouquet, and she got one that delivered on both color and texture!
The dynamic duo behind We Heart Photography captured some gorgeous photos (and had a slideshow available that night at the wedding reception!), so I’m going to let them mostly speak for themselves. 😉
Starting with the gorgeous details!
Emma bought the fabulous boutonnieres (featuring sheet music roses and scripture leaves) from Etsy seller HBixbyArtworks, but the gorgeous bouquets were made by Desiree at Penny Blooms Floral Design! Love how they are full of different textures and colors – Emma told me that day that they were nothing like she’d ever dreamed; they were better!!! Love the little music note detail on each of them, too! 🙂
Emma also ordered the fabulous flower she wore in her hair from an Etsy seller, PetalBlushLove.
Gah… Just LOOK at those two!!!
Anyway, using Emma’s favorite Pinterest invitation as an inspiration, she and I created a fun, quirky, and Typography 101 rule-breaking invitation that has gotten more compliments from people who just know that it shouldn’t work… but does! I love it to bits. 🙂
Can you count how many different fonts were used? I’m seeing nine.
I made a coordinating program, too, and you’ll see other bits and pieces I designed (I did all the printed materials for the day, from the Save the Date on).
I created a small display in the entrance to the ceremony, using the programs and some fun items Emma had given me. It set the tone for the whole day!
The reception details were just as whimsical and modern (although they didn’t get as much photo love – I’ll explain why later, and I promise it’s a good reason!). Because we were on a strict budget, I had to get seriously creative when it came to centerpieces. They had to coordinate with our mix-and-match whimsical style and while not clashing terribly with the colorful, quirky decor at the House of Blues San Diego. In the end, I painted the inside of forty eight glass vases of various sizes collected from WalMart and Dollar Tree and my assistant Rachael and I carefully placed a mixture of different textures of white flowers and succulents (the latter came from Chris’ mom’s garden and my front yard!) into each vase. I loved that no two were the same – in my mind, it mirrored the stationery. I’m no florist, but I AM pretty happy with how these turned out. Especially with the addition of the fun sheet music- and kraft- paper mache shapes that I got from Michaels!
Emma hand crafted a special card box just for the occasion, featuring sheet music!
San Diego Desserts created a massive three-tiered chocolate cake frosted in white buttercream, which I decorated with a topper that Emma hand made for the occasion. It tasted just as good as it looked!
And while I was at the offsite ceremony, my amazing assistant Rachael styled their entire sweets buffet (featuring pastel candy purchased by Chris’ mom) herself! I am so proud of her for knocking this one out of the park:
Come back next week to see more from their ceremony, portraits, and fabulous party!!!!
Emma + Chris’ Whimsical Music-Themed Wedding at House of Blues San Diego Wedding Details:
I can’t even say how excited I am to share this video with you!
If you follow me on Facebook you might have seen it already; it was posted way back in April by Liz at Porcelain Rose Productions. But now that you’ve gotten the chance to see Michelle and Dave’s Ceremony, Details, Stationery, and Reception, it’s only fitting to see the hilight reel!
Liz from Porcelain Rose actually approached me for a one-on-one vendor meeting back in late February. She’s a friend of my sister-turned-model and saw the photos of our Boho Glam shoot. She previously worked for another videographer, and asked me if I had any clients who were in need of a killer deal on videography. Did I?
I’ve now worked with her four times, for weddings and shoots, and I can definitely attest to the fact that she’s not only incredibly talented, but also incredibly sweet. Seriously!
And just look at this hilight film! Anyone who is a fan of Bryan’s shots of the groom tearing up when he sees his bride will love this!
She did such a great job with Michelle + Dave’s hilight reel, and then surprised me with a special treat of my own; a video of my team and I (including former bride Marisa, who was my Wedding Day Setup Assistant!) setting up for and working at the wedding! Now, I’d imagine I’m not the only one who hates seeing the faces she makes while concentrating, or of the self-conscious cheesy smile I flashed Liz (and I swear I wasn’t telling off DJ Dave – I was checking in with him!!). And considering that this provides a rare look into the chaos that is backstage several hours before a wedding (the shot – you’ll know it when you see it – was taken not long after we all arrived), I’m a little nervous to show you. But I also think that it demonstrates a lot of what we do on a wedding day, taking chaos and making order and beauty. And it’s rare to get a chance to show that to anyone.
Michelle + Dave’s Classic Beach Wedding at La Jolla Shores Hotel Wedding Details:
I’ve already shared with you photos of Michelle and Dave’s Ceremony, Details, and Stationery. Now it’s time for the Reception!
After Michelle and Dave’s toes-in-the-sand beach ceremony, their guests were treated to a San Diego sunset on the patio of The Shores Hotel, under big Chinese lanterns!
It was windy during setup, so we used shells at each place setting to hold down the menus and napkins!
Once it got dark, the lanterns truly looked magical!
Michelle and Dave felt very strongly about wanting to dance. And dance!
And just before sunset, Bryan whisked them away for some truly gorgeous photographs. Seriously, they look so happy, so in love, and so beautiful in these!
Seriously.
Of course I asked Bryan to take a photo of myself and Rachael with the happy couple… And a few of their photo bombing friends!
Thank you, Michelle and Dave, for putting your faith in me to plan your big day! It was so much fun and so beautiful!!!
Michelle + Dave’s Classic Beach Wedding at La Jolla Shores Hotel Wedding Details:
Events by Elisa 