"A Toast to Southern California" Co-Hosted by Get Married Magazine and Wish Wonder Dream

It's hard to put into words what an amazing night we had last Thursday when we teamed up with Get Married magazine and co-hosted "A Toast To Southern California" at The Page Museum. Jessica Williams at Get Married came to us in March and talked to us about how the magazine was hosting upscale cocktail hours/networking socials in all their major markets. She asked me how I felt about co-hosting the Southern California event with them and I said "yes!" without reservation. It was such a wonderful opportunity to showcase our coordination as well as an opportunity to get some of our favorite wedding vendors involved to be featured as sponsors. We contacted Melissa Savage at The Page Museum first because we did a wedding there last October and it quickly rose to the top as one of our favorite venues. So it was the first place that came to mind as a setting for our event. Plus, this is LA so we knew we had to do something different and special. We then contacted the other vendors who came onboard and we were thrilled when they got just as excited as we were to be a part of the event.

Videography provided by Jeff Roy of Visioneer Media

We used Get Married's colors as decor so everything was fucshia and orange. To start, guests entered the museum on a 100 ft. pink carpet. They then checked-in and came upon a spectacular tree on the sign in table which was created specially by The French Florist. Guests then made their way through the museum and outdoor atrium, where they experienced beautiful floral arrangements from La Belles Floral Couture & Curios and The French Florist as well as a photo booth, dance room, and custom uplighting from DJFX Photobooths and DJFX Entertainment. Then guests enjoyed the fabulous catering provided by Truly Yours where they had the pleasure of enjoying lobster tamales, sushi, baked mac and cheese, ahi tuna, and much more. Hors d' oeuvres were paired with specialty pink and orange cocktails created and served at 3 bars by flare bartenders and servers from Night and Day Productions. Up on the terrace, Classic Party Rentals converted the picturesque space into an classy ultra lounge. Classic Party Rentals launched several new pieces from their Designer 8 Rentals line and really made the space breathtaking and full of life. Beautiful floral arrangements by Honeydew Favors and Floral Design completed the look. Guests put their dancing shoes on and hit the dance floor to the exciting sounds of The Swing Kings and their 10 piece band.  Dance floor entertainment was provided by Todd Elliot Entertainment and included fabulous swing dancing. We loved that Todd and his partner even pulled guests on to the dance floor and taught them a few new moves. Korbel Champagne was the beverage sponsor up on the ultra lounge and we circulated pink rose' and brut champagne. Mouths were watering with the two beautiful dessert presentations provided by Baked It Myself and Gotta Have S'more. Guests ranted and raved about their desserts ALL NIGHT LONG.

We are honored to have been asked to coordinate this distinguished and exciting event and we'd like to extend a special thank you to all the guests who came out and joined us and especially to all the sponsors who brought the evening to life with us. It was a memory that won't soon be forgotten!

Photography above provided by Kiss the Bride Weddings.

The two photos below were submitted by our resident photographer Caitlin Wing Photography.

 Thank you to our sponsors (click links below):

The Page Museum

Classic Party Rentals Culver City / Designer 8

La Belles Floral Couture and Curios

The French Florist

Honedew Flavors and Floral Designs

The Swing Kings

Todd Elliot Entertainment

Night and Day Productions

DJFX Entertainment/DJFX Photobooths

Truly Yours Catering

Baked It Myself

Gotta Have S'More

Korbel Champagne

KTB Weddings

Visioneer Media

Congratulations Ashley and Cameron!

Congratulation to my beautiful cousin and her fabulous new husband Cameron, who were married at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club. I am so incredibly happy for them and had to post some of their amazing photos captured by my sister, the incredibly talented Caitlin Wing of Caitlin Wing Photography and a preview video and the photos that follow from the fantastic Cana Video, based in San Luis Obispo.

Wedding Preview: Ashley and Cameron 4.30.11 from Ben Potter & Drew Barefoot on Vimeo.

Congratulations to Jennifer and Joe!

It was such a pleasure coordinating Jennifer and Joe's beautiful wedding at Maravilla Gardens. First of all, what a spectacular couple! I truly enjoyed every moment I spent with the lovely Jennifer and Joe. They were so kind, fun, silly, and thoroughly involved. This day meant a great deal to them and it showed down to the smallest detail. I loved Jennifer's weekly "check in" meetings and as a fellow type A personality I understood perfectly and we really got along well. All you have to do is spend two minutes with Jennifer and Joe and you'll know why they decided to become husband and wife and a train ride to work brought them together. And I am still touched by the adorable outfit Jennifer and Joe sent when Avery was born. How incredibly thoughtful! Second of all, what a spectacular venue. Maravilla Gardens in Camarillo is such a pleasant place to work (if you can call it work). There is such an abundance of flowers you really don't need to bring much at all. There are charming little signs and decor around every corner and when you're there you feel as if you're a million miles away. I especially love the putting green set up on the way to the ceremony. Their coordinator Erin helped immensely on the wedding day and we really appreciated her genuine concern for making sure Jennifer and Joe's day was perfect. And it goes without saying (once you see the pictures below) that you'd be hard-pressed to find a more perfect venue for photos. The day began at The Four Seasons Westlake Village, which holds particular sentimental value for me, as it's where I got ready on my wedding day almost 4 years ago. The day ended with a beautiful sparkler send-off, which made for some beautiful memories and gorgeous pictures. Jennifer and Joe, I hope this day was everything you dreamed it would be and then some. You were SO MUCH FUN to work with and I know we'll stay in touch. Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!

Here are a few favorite photos from the always fantastic Heidi Ryder. See more at her blog.

Congratulations to Scott and Elisa!

We had a wonderful time this past Saturday coordinating a home wedding for Scott and Elisa. We've been working together since last September and from the moment I walked into their fantastic home I could see why they chose to use it as the venue for their special day. In fact, when the home was on sale earlier that year the previous owner had several interested buyers. So Scott and Elisa wrote a personal note, explaining that they planned to be married there. Well, who could say no to that? Scott and Elisa got the house and less than a year later, they were married there. Elisa had always dreamed of being married on the anniversary of her grandparents' wedding and - as if it had been written in the stars - that date happened to fall on a Saturday this year. Elisa and Scott invited 50 fun and lively friends and family and they (literally) partied the night away. Chef Greg and Adeline from Maison Catering provided the AMAZING Tuscan-inspired meals, followed by the most amazing Italian cookies anyone has ever tasted. The meals and desserts were all prepared onsite in Scott and Elisa's kitchen, so guests could watch and enjoy the fun as each course was prepared beautifully. Music was provided by Todd Buteaux of Feet First Entertainment and he did a fabulous job of keeping everyone on the dance floor, with the help of two very talented servers/dancers from Maison Catering who couldn't resist joining in the fun. Photography was provided by Jihan Photography and we are bursting to see the photos she took. Videography was provided by Jeff Roy and Sherry from Visioneer Media and we are so excited to see how some of the very creative setups came out on video. We're confident from past experience it will be amazing. Mocha Kiss arrived later in the evening with a full-service coffee cart and we're certain the large amounts of espresso consumed kept the party going into the wee hours of the morning. All in all it was a beautiful wedding for a fabulous couple and we couldn't be happier for them. And I have to thank them once again for the adorable Easter Bunny they gave me to bring home to Avery since their wedding was the night before Easter. It says a lot about a couple when they remember and have time to go out and buy a gift for their coordinator's daughter during such an incredibly busy time. Thank you so much!

Here are a few preview snapshots. The first three are from Jeff Roy, their videographer from Visioneer Media. The others are snapshots we took. We'll post the photos from their photographer, Jihan Photography as soon as they're ready so please stay tuned.

Our Inspiration Board:                                                                                                  

OH MY GOWN! The Most Gorgeous Gowns We've Seen

Oh my goodness these Michael Cinco gowns are absolutely gorgeous. Price information is not available on his website but I can imagine that these don't fit nicely into the typical budget. Yet for anyone lucky enough to wear one of these exquisite pieces there is no doubt she'll have jaws dropping as she walks down the aisle.

Can you handle more or have you already passed out :) If so, check out the rest of the collection here