Richelle + Matthew’s Modern Whimsical Balloon-Filled Wedding (11*18*12)

Yet another 2012 wedding I have yet to share…  But I can’t just skip over it.  It’s so delicious.  So much fun!

I met Richelle for the first time at her venue; she said she was pretty convinced she wanted to hire me, so if it was ok with me we should meet there so we could brainstorm.  I think we talked for three hours (my normal “first meetings” are usually about one)!  She had some big ideas –  I mean, BIG ideas…  Balloons cascading down the side of the wall ideas.  But in the end we created just the wedding to make both Richelle and her husband Matthew smile, while interpreting some of her big ideas in a way that wouldn’t put too big a dent in their new home fund!

Richelle is, probably above everything else, FUN!  She loved the idea of incorporating balloons into her day, in a way that wouldn’t look cheesy, but would make a big impact.  She also insisted on having a cake, a doughnut cake, a chocolate fountain, and a sweets table.  If you follow my Pinterest, you’ll see that she’s my kind of girl. 😉

So we played.  And we played and we played.  I designed a custom stationery suite for her based on a rabbit figurine she loved.  We created an I Spy game.  We made a cocktail area inside the venue with sweets galore, comfy couches, and a photo booth.  Outside in the courtyard we decorated with twinkling lights and hung an installation under the pergola.

I will admit it: balloons are not my favorite wedding accessory.  They can look amazing.  They can also look tacky and strange.  I am pleased to say that despite the wind wrecking our first plan, I felt like the balloons we used at Richelle and Matt’s wedding were elegant, fun pops – get it? – of whimsy, just as they were intended to be. 🙂

Richelle + Matthew’s Modern Whimsical Balloon-Filled Wedding (11*18*12):

• Wedding Design + Coordination: Events by Elisa
• Stationery Design:  Paper Doll Design | Studio
• Sunday Romance Photography (now Stacy Alberto Photography)
• Catering: Encore Catering and Events
• Florals: Flowers by Coley
• Balloons: Balloon It, 3-2-1 Smile
• Cake: Ranch Events
• DJ: Unique Technique

Stacy + Tyler’s Handcrafted Rustic Yellow Wedding

I feel a little silly writing this blog post.  You see, in the intervening year and a half since Stacy + Tyler’s wedding, SO MUCH has changed in their lives too (they welcomed a beautiful baby girl to their family!).  But still, I want to share the celebration, even though it’s taken me much too long to do it.  It was a truly beautiful one, and one I loved being a part of.  🙂  And I’m thrilled to say that one of their bridesmaids has just hired me for her wedding later this year!

Stacy + Tyler and I clicked right away.  Sometimes you meet a couple and think “Oh, they were nice, I wonder if they’ll hire me?”  And other times you walk away saying, “If they don’t hire me I’ll be soooo sad!”  Yup, it was the latter. 😉  Luckily they felt the same.  🙂  It helped that their AMAZING wedding photographer (Jenna, from FlutterGlass Photography) referred me to them, of course.  That’s why it’s so nice to have a great network – fantastic referrals! 🙂

I did their wedding Coordination and styling, and designed their program and a few hand-drawn signs.  But really, I just had a heck of a lot of fun with them.  🙂  And these photos?  Well, they really speak for themselves.  Just check them out and watch the story of their wedding day unfold!

Stacy + Tyler, I know this is a bit belated, but I loved being your wedding coordinator and I’m so thrilled you let me into your lives! 😉  Hoping we can get A and F together for a play date some time soon! 🙂

Stacy + Tyler’s Handcrafted Rustic Yellow Wedding Vendor Credits:

• Coordination and Hand-Drawn Signage: Events by Elisa
• Programs: Paper Doll Design | Studio
• Photography: flutter glass Photography
• Videography: Porcelain Rose Productions
• Floral Design: The Bee and the Bobbin Floral Artistry
• DJ/Musician: Invisible Touch DJs
• Catering/Rentals/Cake: Ranch Events

Modern Rustic Snow White Inspiration Shoot

This post is long overdue.  Like, more than a year.

Yeah, sorry…  That happened last year.

Anyway, I’m trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon.  Starting here.  With one of my favorite photo shoots I’ve done to date.  My Modern Rustic Snow White Inspiration Shoot from June 2012!

This shoot grew out of the Inspired Bridal Bowl table that Desiree of Penny Blooms Floral Design and I did together.  We played with moss and wood, added in some pops of white and red, and created a fun and whimsical look.  Of course, we had to step it up once we made it a “proper” photo shoot.  So we called on a little help from our friends. 🙂

We had no less than ten wedding vendors, a fantastic venue, and a couple of amazing boutiques involved in this shoot, plus a couple of seriously gorgeous models.  Throw in perfect San Diego weather, and  I guess it’s no wonder that this shoot has been featured on Lover.ly, Every Last Detail, and San Diego Style Weddings!

Melissa Biador snapped these exquisite photographs, and Porcelain Rose Productions filmed the day (linked at the end)…  And what a day it was…

Nic.Roc.Designs created some AMAZING stationery (including this fabulous wooden invitation!).

And of course we had a sweets buffet replete with goodies, from the INSANELY beautiful cake (OMG mini frames!) by Hey There, Cupcake!…

To the apple cake pops and cake ball gems by Calculated Whisk…

To the marbled macarons by La Reine des Macarons

To the delectable (and beautiful!) apple pie pops and mini mason jar pies from Wicked Spoon!

Of course, putting it all together was fun…

Then of course there were Desiree’s florals.  Seriously, Penny Blooms Floral Design is one of my favorite vendors for a variety of reasons…  But one of the biggest is because she isn’t afraid to play around with different ideas, try different things, go out on a limb, and be downright creative.  We always talk about creativity and innovation in our business, but Desiree consistently does it.  And pushes me to, as well. 🙂

Then we have the flawless makeup and hair by Blush Makeup Artistry and Beth Whitfield:

And the ombre dress – absolute perfection – from Bliss Bride:

And our handsome groom’s suit, from A Better Deal Designer Tuxedo and Suit Rentals:

Of course, our models – Taylor and Ben – aren’t too shabby either.

Scratch that.  They are gorgeous!!!!!!

We hung frames and mirrors from the trees…

And cut slits into apples to use as place card holders…

Didn’t skimp out on details…

And even had a little play acting at the end…

Ooh, you can see the edge of her phenomenal dress in this shot! 😉

At the end of the day, we were just seriously blessed by all the stunning pieces to this photo shoot.  This is still one of my very favorite projects I’ve gotten to work on.  Ever.

We’ve been trying to get the same team back together for another round…  But due to unfortunate timing it hasn’t worked out.  Cross your fingers for a second fairy tale fabulous photo shoot!

Oh yes…  And don’t forget to check out the film!!!!

Snow White: Rustic Styled Shoot from Porcelain Rose Productions on Vimeo.

Modern Rustic Snow White Inspiration Shoot Vendor Credits:

• Planning, Design & Styling: Events by Elisa
• Florals, Design & Styling: Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Photography: Melissa Biador Photography
• Videography: Porcelain Rose Productions
• Stationery: Nic.Roc. Designs
• Cake: Hey there, Cupcake!
• Sweets: Wicked Spoon Desserts, Calculated Whisk, La Reine des Macarons
• Makeup: Blush Makeup Artistry By Laura Crivello
• Hair: Beth Whitfield
• Dress: bliss bride
• Suit: A better Deal Tuxedos & Suit Rentals
  Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Hall Weddings + Events
• Details: Summer Wind Soy, Sparrow Bridal
• Venue: Villa De Flores

Where Have I Been and Other Catching Up…

Oof.  It’s been over six moths since my last post.  Yeah, that wasn’t intentional, I swear.

You may have been wondering where I’ve been (although if you follow me on Facebook – and if you don’t, you really should – you probably know).  The short answer is that I’ve been EVERYWHERE.  I’m pulled in about a zillion directions right now.  It’s fantastic, and I’ve never been happier, but it’s definitely left very little time for blogging!

The long answer, of course, is that I had a baby girl in early April.  She was an eagerly-anticipated member of our family, but any new parent will tell you that it’s a big adjustment!  Baby A has grown so much in the last several months; it’s almost impossible for me to imagine that she was ever just 7 lbs!   We used this fantastic photo from Chrystal Cienfuegos Photography for our Christmas photos last year:

Before she was born, I had some beautiful maternity pictures taken by Melissa McClure Photography, and did a Baby Wishes video with Murasaki Media.  If you or someone you know is expecting a baby, I highly recommend doing both photos and a video before the baby is born; I am so happy we did!

Once she arrived, we had more photos taken, this time by Gabrielle Fox Photography.  She’s so tiny here!!!

Most recently we had photos taken of Baby A by TWO fantastic photographers (it just sort of happened that way!), Sarah Layne Photography and flutter glass PHOTOGRAPHY:

Gah, I can hardly stand the cute!!

She sits up consistently now, is eating some solid foods, and is learning to crawl (exciting and scary at the same time) and teething (awful).  She also wants constant attention!  Baby A is quite the demanding boss, so Mommy hasn’t had much time for blogging.

In the mean time, of course, the first anniversaries came and went for Julianna + Kyle, Soila + Steven, Chris + Emma, Stacy + Tyler, Alexis + Chris, and Ana + Gina!  And next week will be the first anniversary for Cindy + Neal, followed by first anniversaries for Diana + Julian and Richelle + Matthew…  It’s hard to believe that a year has flown by!  Unfortunately I am still missing quite a few photos from the weddings above (something about last Spring, especially, and getting pictures from photographers), but here’s one of my favorites, by the lovely Stacy Alberto Photography (formerly Sunday Romance Photography):

Richelle, this is easily one of the best faces I’ve seen in a wedding photo! 😉

Fun fact; I actually had three weddings scheduled this past spring, two for fellow wedding pros.  I was thrilled to find out last summer that I was pregnant with Baby A, but sad to have to miss out on Alia, Jenna, and Liz’ weddings!

Then, of course, I’ve been working on this year’s weddings.

First, we had Megan + Mike at Condor’s Nest Ranch, with a photo by Faithfully Focused Photography:

I did all their decor/design, and boy was it gorgeous!  It was recently featured on Rustic Wedding Chic, and I love how the feature shows off all the lovely details we came up with!

Then was Damaris and Omar’s wedding at 94th Aero Squadron, with beautiful photography by Jessica Chavez.

You may recognize Damaris and Omar from their styled wedding shoot that I did back in March (yes, at 9 months pregnant) at Presidio Park with Erica of Les Amis Photography.  It was recently featured on Bisou Bride!

Unfortunately I haven’t gotten photos back from either September wedding I did, but speaking of features, the shoot I did i February with former clients Stacy + Tyler and the ladies at Chris Wojdak Photography, Penny Blooms Floral Design, Unbridled Beauty, and Mili’s Sweets at Condor’s Nest Ranch got a lot of press this summer!  It was featured on Sweet Violet Bride, Things Festive, Trendy Bride, and Storyboard Wedding!

Of course I have a busy few months ahead of me; I have two more weddings and a birthday party (or two) left this year.  And next year I’m already quite booked – I don’t have any availability until late April, and even then I’m pretty booked until the Fall!

Oh yes…  And I have not one but two big things in the works.  To be announced soon.  Stay tuned!!! 😉

My Enchanted Unicorn and Rainbow Birthday Party (Featured on Hostess With the Mostess!)

First of all, let me say how much of a thrill it is to be featured on Hostess With the Mostess…  And to see the great responses!  There are certain blogs I’ve been reading since I started my business…  Style Me Pretty, Every Last Detail, Hostess With the Mostess, Kara’s Party Ideas…  And I’ve been featured in them all over the last year.  Oh my, yes, do I feel blessed!  In this new year I look at what I accomplished over the last year and think, “I can hardly believe I did all that!”

This party is very near and dear to my heart.  It’s because it’s mine.  I decided last year that I hadn’t had a proper birthday party in a long time (although I had invited friends over when I first started my business to sort of play at setting up a party) and that it might be my last birthday before having a little one (and I found out a week later that I was, in fact, pregnant with the little one who has been repeatedly kicking my bladder this morning!).  So why not celebrate it with pretty things? 🙂

I also decided that I wanted to celebrate with rainbows and unicorns party because of this post.  An inspiration board I created way back when I officially started Events by Elisa (almost two years ago now!) that, for whatever reason, has been bringing people to my blog consistently every month.  It’s been one of my most popular posts and one of the most pinned photos from my blog on Pinterest (along with some pictures from Natalie’s Under the Sea Baby Shower…  By the way, Natalie is getting married today and I’m a bridesmaid!!!)!  I decided I had to do something with it.  My inner eight-year-old demanded it.

I gathered together a bunch of my favorite people and rolled up my sleeves and went to work.  Like anything else I do, I trusted my vendor friends to come up with the most amazing interpretations of what I wanted – and boy did they!!!  Desiree of Penny Blooms Floral Design went especially above and beyond, crafting the huge paper flowers, putting together those phenomenal rainbow arrangements, and painting the Pin the Horn on the Unicorn (by hand, in front of me!).  Mark of San Diego Desserts couldn’t possibly give me a plain white frosted cake (especially after I gave him such trouble to tint each layer separately!), so he airbrushed away…  Jenny of JennyWennyCakes did such a beautiful job of making the colors on those macarons pop (even though I know that they spread more than she wanted because of all the color!), and the cake pops by Nicole of Calculated Whisk were gorgeous!!!  Alyssa of Hybrid Photography captured all the elements beautifully!!!  But I think you really just need to see them to get the full effect! 🙂

A HUGE thank you to everyone who was involved with helping me to make this a fantastic birthday party!!!  I know this is going to be another extraordinary year!!! 🙂

My Enchanted Unicorn and Rainbow Birthday Party Vendor Credits:

• Planning, Stationery, Happy Canvas, Food, Design & Styling: Events by Elisa
• Florals, Paper Flowers, Pin the Horn on the Unicorn, Design & Styling: Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Photography: Hybrid Photography
• Custom Pinwheels: Pinwhirls
• Rentals: Classic Party Rentals San Diego
• Rainbow Cake: San Diego Desserts
• Cake Pops: Calculated Whisk
• Macarons & Sugar Cookies: JennyWenny Cakes
• Straws: The Baker’s Confections and SerendipityPartyShop
• Bamboo Dinnerware: Sucre Shop
• Twine: Sweet Estelle’s Baking Supply
• Cups: Smarty Had a Party
• Plates: Party City

Happy Anniversary Alex + Allen!

Oh my goodness, this is EXTREMELY belated!!!  I thought I’d hit “schedule” on my post (to post on November 19th) but apparently I didn’t…  So this is a month and a half belated!  Alex + Allen, I still wish you both a lifetime of happiness and love!

It’s yet another anniversary around here… Last fall I was SO BUSY…  The week before this gorgeous wedding I had a baby shower and a 1st birthday party; the day after, I participated in a bridal show! 🙂

I met Alex + Allen through a referral; a friend of mine worked with Alex across campus from my day job.  We joked it was the official University wedding, since both Alex + Allen work on campus, as does Jason Almazan, their photographer.  The music at the ceremony was provided by one of the campus’ a capella groups, and the sound equipment was provided by another one of the couple’s coworkers.

Alex + Allen are SUCH a joyful, loving couple.  They’re both very reserved and quiet, although I wouldn’t say “shy” is the right word to describe them.  Both were extremely open, warm, and caring.  I’d never done a wedding without dancing before, but none of their guests missed it – they were having too much fun in the photo booth area and giggling and telling stories!

You’ll definitely recognize some of their photos from my website too…  Love the energy these two had and this picture of them giggling at their ceremony is still one of my top photos I’ve ever seen of one of my couples.  SO much love!!!

Check out more photos from Alex + Allen’s wedding on my blog and website, and while you’re there, look at the amazing review Alex wrote!

Alex + Allen’s Modern Rustic Wedding at Olivenhain Meeting Hall, 11*19*2011 Vendor Details:

• Coordination: Events by Elisa
• Catering: Jaramillo Catering
• Bartending: Stacy’s Events Bartending
• Photography: Jason Almazan Photography
• Officiant: Ceremonies of the Heart
• Ceremony Music: UCSD Dots
• Rentals: Classy Party Rentals San Diego
• Cake: San Diego Desserts
• Florals: Organic Elements
• Venue: Olivenhain Meeting Hall

Emma + Chris’ House of Blues Wedding Featured on Style Me Pretty!

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… 😉

***

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:

• Venue: House of Blues (Ceremony at Naval Station San Diego)
• Planning, Design, Stationery, Reception Florals, Styling: Events by Elisa
• Bouquets: Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Boutonnieres: HBixbyArtworks
• Hair Flower: PetalBlushLove
• Cake: San Diego Desserts
• Catering: O’s American Kitchen
• Photography: We Heart Photography

Another Feature – Aidan’s Birthday Party on Baby Lifestyles!

Lauren, the editor of Baby Lifestyles, spotted Aidan’s First Birthday on my blog and fell in love with it.  “OMG so cute!” she said.  “Can we feature it?”

I said yes, of course! 😉

Check out our feature today on Baby Lifestyles!

Boho Glam Shoot Published on Pretty My Party!!!

I can hardly believe what landed in my inbox this morning!  Our Boho Glam Shoot was published again this morning!!!!!

Yes, it’s true.  🙂  This gorgeous shoot was featured again, this time on Pretty My Party.  I am so proud of it.  Seriously, when I think about how it came together, I am amazed.  I’ve been in love with it from the moment we set it up, but seeing how much the blog world loves it, I’m just blown away!

Check out our feature on Pretty My Party and leave us some love in the comments!!!

Emma + Chris’ Whimsical Music-Themed Wedding at House of Blues San Diego, 06*02*2012 (Part 4)

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:

• Venue: House of Blues (Ceremony at Naval Station San Diego)
• Planning, Design, Stationery, Reception Florals, Styling: Events by Elisa
• Bouquets: Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Boutonnieres: HBixbyArtworks
• Hair Flower: PetalBlushLove
• Cake: San Diego Desserts
• Catering: O’s American Kitchen
• Photography: We Heart Photography