Archive for the ‘Real EB Brides’ Category

Trevor Brown Photography - Rich-Madrigal Wedding

Colorado Woods Wedding – Sarah and Alexis

By: Rachel | Posted on: March 12th, 2013

All photos courtesy of Trevor Brown. Real EB bride Sarah and her husband Alexis were married in June 2012 and we are happy to share their beautiful wedding details with you. Sarah purchased her Lela Rose wedding gown at Encore Bridal and we think it was a perfect choice for this picturesque wedding in the woods of Colorado.

Trevor Brown Photography - Rich-Madrigal WeddingThe Dress:

This dress couldn’t have been more perfect for me. I had actually tried the same gown on during my very first outing to try dresses with my mom, about eight months before the wedding. I loved it, but didn’t feel ready to commit to a dress yet, and was nervous about the cost. After spending the next six months looking high and low for something I loved, I ended up on Encore Bridal’s website late one night and saw that they were carrying the same Lela Rose in my size. The next morning I raced over to the shop, put it on, and knew it was supposed to be my wedding dress. Every time I look at the photos from the wedding I’m glad I chose it. It suited me, the location, and the atmosphere of the wedding.

Sarah Rich Wedding- Trevor Brown Photography Location: Ouray Ranch in Granby, CO

Alexis and I got married in Colorado on land that was once a boys’ summer camp, where my parents now have a house. There’s an outdoor chapel in the woods that was built in the early 20th century and had become quite overgrown. We spent weeks before the wedding clearing out debris and even planting a few aspen trees to surround the back of the site.

Trevor Brown Photography- Rich-Madrigal Wedding Rehearsal Dinner & Reception:

We had our rehearsal dinner and post-ceremony reception in the old camp lodge and on the lawn outside it, which has sweeping views out over the valley across pastures and meadows and the Colorado River below. The two of us decided we wanted to cook our own rehearsal dinner meal, so we spent several days preparing traditional Mexican molé (for 100!), a long-time favorite for Alexis’s side of the family. The wedding meal was catered by a wonderful local company and served at sunset after the ceremony.

Congratulation Sarah and Alexis!  Thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding moments with us.

Trevor Brown Photography - Rich-Madrigal Wedding


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Santa Barbara Wedding

Santa Barbara Estate Wedding – Regan and Chadd

By: julie | Posted on: November 15th, 2011

All photographs courtesy of Cameron Ingalls.   This is what Regan had to say about working with Cameron - ” He is an outstanding photographer based out of the Santa Barbara area who focuses on ‘Falling in love with a moment’. This is  evident in the images he creates. We would have never blown up a formal wedding portrait of the two of us to almost a 3’ size, but did frame a very large reprint of the picture of us on a bench outside of the Old Mission. The lighting and colors are amazing and he truly makes magic out of what seems like an otherwise ordinary place.”

santa barbara weddings

used modern trousseau wedding dresses

The Dress:
I was the kind of girl who got my wedding dress only a few months before my wedding. I didn’t feel that I needed to spend a lot of money to find something amazing. . I had heard of Encore Bridal from a friend who had looked for dresses the year before and recommended to my newly engaged friend that we go there. While we pulled tons of gowns for her to try on I remember idly looking through the dresses. There was one I kept going back to and said, “If I was going to try on one dress here, this would be it.” I did not want to impose on HER dress trying on experience, because we were there for her… but she said nonsense, and there I was with the dress on. It was perfect for me. I loved the dress and I loved even more that I could buy it “second hand.” I have always grown up in a treasure-finding family – we love flea markets, antique stores, Loehmanns, and the like… I am not afraid to work hard for what I want, and this was no exception. Because of how close I was to my date, I wouldn’t have been able to order a new gown anyway - it was perfect! The dress barely needed alterations, but I paid a visit to Coco, an amazing dress maker in Redondo Beach. I was lucky enough to get an amazing grey Vera Wang sash from Encore a month or two later.

Ceremony:
We did our own take on the Quaker Wedding Ceremony .   I was a little worried that when people were encouraged to say something, we would hear crickets… but in the end about 11 people stood up to voice their support of us.  Some read excerpts about love and partnership; some told a story about our friendship; and some gave a heartfelt toast.  It created a very personal ceremony.

Did I mention the girls stood on the right and boys on the left? I am pretty sure that is backwards, but like Pink says “raise your glass if you are wrong, In all the right ways” something I love to live by!

wedding reception food

Food & Drinks:
Because this was a private residence and  the home of very close friends, we opted for two locally brewed beers, wine, and 2 custom cocktails for the night. Our theory on food was to bring it. It needed to taste great and there needed to be a lot of it. We did a long cocktail hour with a bunch of amazing choices. We love the meat/cheese/yummy spread set up for apps at home. In kind, Chef Keven created a large Medi – Mirror that had gourmet salads such as Edamamme and Sesame, Roasted Golden Beet and Goats Cheese with Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette, and others Served with Gourmet Cheeses and Artesian Breads and Biscuits. Highlights of the tray passed apps were the Vietnamese summer spring rolls, mini pulled pork sliders, and cured salmon and fennel roti pizza. We did not want the formality of a seated dinner so we did a personalized twist on otherwise boring food stations. Chef Keven created live action stations, a whipped potato bar where each guest had the option of three types of whipped potatoes served with over a dozen garnishes. Each guest created their own custom experience with a spud mixologist. Who cares about the prime iron steak this was pared with?! Chadd and I also love Mexican food, so a personal taco bar was another easy choice. Each guest walked up to find organic mini taco shells, house fried served to vessel, chicken larb, halibut ceviche, cilantro spiced ground shrimp, and traditional ground beef coupled with assorted cheeses, vegetables and lettuce. Maybe the best part was the Salsa Bar with ten signature salsas . Yum!

 To top the night off, we had Strawberry Pipette Shooters- delicious and nutritious!

Location Set-Up:
Casual seating around tables, cocktail tables, and standing room – intentionally there were not enough seats for everyone, forcing people to mix and mingle. Guests were invited to “wet their whistles” with a cocktail when they came through the beautiful front entrance of the house. .

Décor:
We wanted everything in the yard to look natural. We did a light linen table covering, and succulent centerpieces – handmade by me, my mom, mother in law and a few besties in my yard. We got all these amazing small succulents and potting mix from Home Depot then some pretty green mosses from the local nursery and got to work. Ambient Event Design put string lights up the bases of the trees and strung them high across the entire yard. They were a great company to work with

Party:
We had Santa Barbara DJs as our party starters, owned by Gavin Roy. They do weddings and do them well, but they are club DJs by “training.” This was huge for me because I did not want the typical wedding Dj with the voice and the outfit… just the whole thing. DJ AKorn (Andrew Korn) was our DJ of choice given our music style – loving the classic rock and fun party songs. He is awesome and we also had him bring Video DJ equipment so that he would project old school music videos on the wall of the house during the dance party. So fun to see the old videos and also gave some of the older people some dance move suggestions.

bridal party transportation

discount bridal gowns

Location:  Villa De la Guerra – private residence of family friends.  Wedding Dress and Belt:  Modern Trousseau dress and Vera Wang belt both from Encore Bridal . Bridesmaid’s Dresses:  J. Crew – on sale for $50! Catering:  Chef Kevan Lee from My World on a Plate.  Disc Jockey:  Santa Barbara DJs


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The Perfectly Planned Proposal

By: julie | Posted on: May 4th, 2011

One of my favorite things is a good proposal story.  Gotta love, love.  I recently found out about The Yes Girls – they actually help men (and women too!) plan unique and well orchestrated marriage proposals.  We all know men need a little help sometimes.  Kendall (one of The Yes Girls) recently shared her proposal story which was documented and planned by some of the The Yes Girls.  Don’t miss the video at the end.

Simply You Proposals

The Yes Girls

Toward the end of July Heather sent all The Yes Girls a questionnaire for a couple from Arizona named Allie MaCintyre and Brad Shannon. As I read through the questionnaire I found out that they would be traveling to Dana Point. Brad wanted to propose somewhere that would incorporate Allie’s love for art and Mexican food (where they went on their first date) and wanted The Yes Girls to help. I had a very busy two weeks and gave Heather my ideas, but then didn’t think more about it..

We had planned the proposal to take place at a park which overlooks Dana Point Harbor. When we arrived on the day of the proposal, a concert had just ended and there were people scattered around. Melissa, the photographer we hired, told me to stand by the entrance and hold up the “She Said Yes” sign I had made so she could fix her lighting. I’m not going to lie, I felt pretty silly holding that sign, especially because secretly I wanted to be holding that sign for real. Plus, we were at the same place Tommy and I had come after we had gone on a dinner date at a Mexican Restaurant in Laguna (oh how creative on his end for filling out the questionnaire!) Little did I know…

I turned around and saw Becca standing by stairs that led up to a concrete patio. As soon as I saw Becca, my eyes went directly to everything already set up. I saw candles and roses and my stomach dropped. I walked up the steps and turned to Melissa and Becca and muttered the words, “You guys are sneaky”. They told me to sit at the table and read the book.

Proposal The yes girls

As I sat down I began to read a scrapbook that Tommy had made by himself (yes he scrap booked in a store with women for many hours). It was called, “Tommy and Kendall: The Journal of Love” It had all of our moments together for the past four years: Christmases, college, first date, vacations, friends and family. The joke with people is how many weddings we go to. Well, the last two pages were pictures of all the weddings we have been in and attended. The last page said, “Now it’s our turn!” When I finished the last page Tommy, who had been standing at a distance behind me watching me read the book, walked around the corner. The cloud above my head kept getting bigger. He immediately went to a knee, and the rest…well you can hear what he said on the video.

engagement engagement story

Of course I said “Yes”! After crying and shaking, we sat down at the table for two he had created. He explained that there were two bottles of wine at the table – one for us to enjoy tonight, and then the other for our 25th wedding anniversary. There was a box with the letter R, my new last name, with a hand-written letter in it. Tommy told me that the box will go on our nightstand, so that he can write me notes for the rest of our lives. There were chocolate covered strawberries, and my roommate had painted a portrait of him proposing to me (which was my idea for Allie and Brad).

To top it all off, he had planned a surprise engagement party with all our family and friends later that night….sighhhh I couldn’t have planned it better myself!”

Kendall and Tommy Proposal Video from Heather Vaughn on Vimeo.

Kendall and Tommy Proposal Video from Heather Vaughn on Vimeo.

More about Kendall and Tommy’s wedding and The Dress to come!


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Message from a Fan

By: julie | Posted on: October 20th, 2010

We receive a lot of wonderful emails and messages from our brides.  I am truly grateful for these notes of thanks often accompanied by a picture of the writer looking gorgeous on her wedding day.  Many years ago when I worked as a speech pathologist,  the ability to make a difference in someone’s life was tangible on a daily basis.  My day to day world is vastly different now  (in a good good way) but, when I see a bride glowing in a gown that makes her look and feel great, I get that same warm and fuzzy feeling.   I’m happy that I have been of some help, if even only for a day. Recently that warm fuzzy came from one of the sweetest emails we’ve ever received.  I just had to share…

“I purchased the Jenny Lee dress last week. We spoke briefly on the phone and I expressed how much I adore the dress; I wanted to emphasize again how incredibly grateful I am to have found your e-boutique! I love the dress; it is so me!! Thank you for making my designer dress dreams come true in a way that is truly better than I ever could have imagined: almost 70% off, gorgeous, better for the environment, and a portion of the proceeds going to a vital cause! Thank you for what you’ve created! In addition, your staff was so thorough, professional, and WARM throughout the entire process.

I am also enclosing a picture from my first fitting (which was today).

Thank you for EXISTING! It is a huge step in helping me create a wonderful day. :) ” – Leah G.

Used wedding dresses

NO, THANK YOU!


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Ryan & Joy Wed in Hawaii

By: julie | Posted on: September 30th, 2010

Joy purchased her dress from us at one of our large sample sale events at the Omni Hotel in San Diego.  I love this Anne Barge gown on her because it shows of her great shape.  These photos capture the beauty of this couple and their Hawaiian wedding.  Ceremony and “trash the dress” photos by Greg Bumatay unless otherwise noted. 

trash the dress photo shoot

In Joy’s words:

“Ryan and I got engaged in Kauai on the 4th of July at the Kauai Beach Resort.  We love Kauai so much that we decided to have our wedding in Kauai the following summer.  Since we would be having it on the island, I knew I wanted a dress that was simple and classic.  With great luck I found an Anne Barge dress for more then 1/2 off the original price at a sample sale through Encore Bridal.  I was so happy to have found my dress but how was I going to get it from California to Kauai?  After talking to a few friends I decided to get the dress pressed here in LA and then carry it on the plane along with my carry on, they had a closet to hang it in for the flight.  If needed, I was going to get the dress touched up in Kauai but it survived the plane ride and the humidity made my beautiful long veil relaxed and ready for the day.

 used wedding dresses and discount veils

We had our ceremony just a few steps away from where he popped the question.  It was a beach front wedding on a perfect day in Kauai.  We had a vision of how we wanted our wedding ceremony to be and Haunani from Kauai Aloha Weddings INC helped  make that vision a reality.  Ryan and I both really love music so having certain songs play during the ceremony was important to us.  We had a few of our closest family and friends there to witness our vows.  We wanted it to be intimate and romantic.  Love was definitely in the air the whole day.

 hawaiian wedding

With all the planning and preparations and my fear of public speaking, I was a bit nervous before the ceremony.  Somehow I was able to remain calm.  My photographer, videographers, and make up artist were so laid back and calm it was such a help to me.  I would definitely recommend brides to be to meet with their vendors and not only pick people who have talent, but also who you feel comfortable around and give you a good initial feeling.  My favorite part of the day was the same moment all my nervousness went away.  When I peeked at my husband, behind  tree, waiting for me to walk down the aisle is when I knew the day was going to be perfect.

 hawaiian wedding

The dinner reception was held at The Beach House Restaurant on the south side of Kauai, it has the best sunset  view on the entire island and a killer mahi dinner.  My guests were greeted with cocktails and hor de vors and then watched the sunset as they ate their dinners.  Not only did our guests enjoy the romantic wedding in paradise, but they enjoyed a trip that will last them a life time. ”

 

 VENDORS:

 Photographer:  Greg Bumatay, Bumatay Studio ;  Jason Stone

Videographer: Image Creations LLC — Watch the highlights of this Joy and Ryan’s wedding here,  http://vimeo.com/15349330

 Wedding Coordinator:  Kauai Aloha Weddings INC

 Hair and make up: Mia Moriguchi


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Bridal Accessory Trends – How To w/ Jennifer Margolin (Video)

By: julie | Posted on: June 16th, 2010

To Create A Similar Look….

bridal jewelry, pearl necklaces

36" Majorca pearl necklace - 10mm

bridal jewelry, pearl necklaces,

32" White Majorca Pearl Necklace - 6mm

bridal jewelry, encore bridal

36" Silver Cubic Zirconia Chain

pearl bridal jewelry

16" CZ pendant w/ Pearls

bridal jewelry

MMM "Tabitha" Broach

Diamond white bridal veils

Justine M Couture Fingertip Length Veil w/silver edge


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Wedding Planning: The Art of Negotiation

By: julie | Posted on: April 11th, 2010

Welcome guest blogger and the soon-to-be-married – Sarah Skinner. Sarah was kind enough to share with us how she is saving thousands on her dream wedding…

We’ve all heard it before…. “Try to negotiate with your vendors,” but how many of us actually do it? I’m getting married on October 2nd, in a small town in Central Wisconsin, and am planning an “Old Hollywood” themed wedding that includes a red carpet, search lights (the kind that shoot half a mile in the air and rotate), a paparazzi backdrop with our wedding monogram, and framed replicas of our favorite romantic movies (with my fiancé and I replacing the actors) from each decade beginning in the 1930’s, when my father was born. Since I’m getting married in such a remote area in Wisconsin, the planning process has been a logistical nightmare. Did I mention that I also live in Michigan? …. It just adds even more of a challenge. About 90% of our vendors are traveling 3-5 hours from Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis to help make our wedding as perfect as it can be. The reason I’m telling you all of this is to give you an idea of what my vendors must be going through. Not only do I want a Hollywood themed wedding (which is a little out of the box), I also want them to drive 3 to 5 hours to provide their services. Let’s just say, I’m probably not their ideal bride, but yet I was able to negotiate with each of them.

You may be thinking that my vendors are young, inexperienced, and desperate for business. This is far from the truth. They are some of the most sought after vendors that the Midwest has to offer, yet they are also willing to negotiate and I will tell you how I did it. I asked. I let them know how much I love their work and asked if they could do it for X amount of money. For example, my photographer wanted $4500 plus $1,000 for travel. I definitely don’t have that kind of money in my budget but I loved his work. I told him the truth, “I love your work and your photography speaks to me but I simply can’t afford $5,500, can you HELP (HELP–keyword) me for any less? Everyone loves to help people… especially in the wedding business (or they wouldn’t be doing it). My photographer responded with “I don’t know how much lower I can go…. what about $4,000 plus travel”? I said, “I think $4,000 is great but I still can’t afford $1,000 for travel.” He let me know that he would have to think about what he could do and would get back to me. He was the only photographer that truly spoke to me and his photography was exactly what I was looking for – he just HAD to be my photographer, and I let him know that. I emailed him and told him how much I appreciated him even considering helping my fiancé and me. I knew he was a very busy and highly sought after photographer but I thought, what’s the worst he can say – no? Often times, being honest and letting your vendor know what you really can and cannot afford will pay off for you…literally. He called me the next day and left a message on my voicemail saying, “let’s do this, just pay for my gas!” So far he has provided me with amazing service and we’ve already had our e-session… I love love love the pics! I have no doubt that he will be just as amazing on our wedding day! Just by reaching out and being honest I was able to save almost $1,500 with my photographer, alone. Honesty and flattery really will get you everywhere!

Not only was I able to negotiate with my photographer, I was also able to get better rates for my videographer, florist, baker, limo, band, invitations, linens, lighting, bridal party gifts, reception location and wedding planner…. all for my wedding in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. Without having the courage just to ask, it would be impossible for me to be having my dream wedding. Now get out there and start negotiating!

- Sarah Skinner currently resides in Kalamazoo, MI and is planning an October 2nd wedding in her hometown, which is located in central Wisconsin


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Real Wedding: Amber & Will – Los Angeles, California

By: julie | Posted on: April 6th, 2010

I first met Amber at one of our larger multi-vendor events at the Belamar hotel in June of 2008.  She fell in love with a Reem Acra dress there and later purchased it.  Not only does Amber have a flair for fashion (she is the  lead designer for her own clothing line, LANYA), but she is one of the sweetest people I’ve met.  A healthy congratulations to Amber and Will — may wedded bliss last a lifetime.

Here’s Amber’s recap of her Los Angeles based wedding — ENJOY!

**All photographs by Issa Sharp, www.issasharp.com

“When Will popped the question, we had no idea what we would do for the wedding.   We knew it would be big, and we new most guests would be traveling from the East Coast and Europe, so it had be worth their trip.  We had to figure grandeur on our small budget.

Like most brides, one of my first dress try-ons was The Dress, and of course, it was from Encore Bridal!  My dress was an incredible Reem Acra design, covered with Swarovski pronged crystals and all over embroidered tulle.  She was perfect from first sight!  Being a fashion designer, I was so worried about needing to settle that I had even planned on making my own dress.  Thank god I found Encore Bridal, because I could have never made anything so stunning, with all the gorgeous embroidery and applique details.  Incredibly, my dress was originally over $6,000 and of course, I had it at a fraction’s fraction of that price!  My dress, being of the old world Hollywood style, set the perfect atmosphere for our wedding – Old Hollywood Glamour.

Reem Acra Wedding Dress from Encore Bridal

Since we had such a great response from the 150+ family and friends, who would be mostly traveling great distances, we wanted the focus to be on our guests.  We wanted everyone to know that our wedding was special because our friends and family were sharing this most important day with us.  My husband had recently discovered this incredible old Super-8 footage from his grandfather, dating back to 1920′s with Princeton football games and flapper parties, and I had just discovered my mother’s 1970′s Super 8 family films with 1st birthdays and Grand Canyon trips, so we knew these had to be incorporated.  We love the Silent Movie theater on Fairfax, and while we were once attending a film party there, we thought, maybe we could get married here??!  When we researched the venue on a whim, we learned that it was not only very affordable, but also accustomed to holding special events.  The setting was perfect!!!!!!!!!  While guests arrived, we had the Super 8 films playing on the theater screen with great reminiscent jazz as the soundtrack.  This space also allowed for a lovely pre-wedding reception in the back bougainvillea patio.  Guests could enjoy the films or meet each other on the patio with Champagne, Cheese and Crackers (all fancily decorated items from Trader Joes and Costco).   Everything looked incredible with champagne glasses, white linens and a small bouquet at every cocktail table top.

My sister always has the best ideas and suggested that she rent an antique car for us for the drive from The Silent Movie Theater ceremony to our Griffith Park reception.  Through the Automobile Driving Museum’s website, we were able to pick a stunning silver 1936 Packard with driver, again at an incredibly reasonable rental price for the 3 hours.  We had the most memorable drive through Los Angeles and Hollywood as a newly married couple and all the horn-honking well wishers along the way!!!!!

To follow, we found this incredible spot for the reception at The Griffith Park Golf Course Club house with Monterrey Concessions.  As my sister said, this was the best kept secret of LA, being unknown, affordable, high quality catering and beautiful Old Spanish atmosphere.  We got a few strings of antique style lantern lights, hung big white paper Chinese Lanterns, added a few floral bouquet and the patio was absolutely gorgeous!

We were most concerned with our cake being super yummy, so we went to our favorite bakery, Susie Cakes, and let them have (almost) free rein in decorating.  Susie Cakes is the most incredible tasting cake in LA and we got their traditional White Cake.  I gave the designer my wedding inspiration page of color, trims and overall mood pictures, and let her design it with her own impressionist vision.  Again, our cake was so gorgeous, and such a lovely treat to discover at the reception.  As much as a bride wants to know every detail of her wedding, I loved leaving some items to the specialists and seeing what they created.  I can’t wait to have it again at our 1 year anniversary!  I wanted a cute wedding topper and was lucky to find a 1930′s vintage porcelain figurine on ebay, with its Venice Beach gold sticker still attached to the bottom.

My brother and wife were very generous and donated the flowers.  This was not an easy feat with the several bridal party bouquets and groomsmen boutonnieres.  Again, as with the cake, I let the designer work her artistry and did not micro manage this aspect of the wedding.  She sent a few images of the line that she was thinking.  Gorgeous spring bouquet inspired by my mood page and colors with simple single flower arrangements on the tables.  We didn’t have the huge table center pieces, but I don’t think they were missed.

With so many out of town guests, my mother-in-law decided that transportation buses for these guests were essential.  With the downtown hotel, the Fairfax ceremony, the Griffith Park reception and with all the champagne in between, buses were necessary, and I appreciate her foresight and offering to cover this expense.  We went with US Bus Charters, which more expensive than a private owned school bus company, but they were insured and it seemed worth the security.  This company was also less than most other quotes I received and the buses were, as my ring bearer said, “swanky”!

Fortunately, we have a great DJ in the family (DJ Neville Chamberlain if you are in the DC area and he does weddings! :) and he suggested his friend,  DJ Marco in LA.  We met Marco a couple times to enjoy meeting him during dinners at our home, and it was nice for us to get to know one another and for us to share our music interests.  We let him know our music priorities, which he appreciated.  A few times, he said that he wanted to bring the “must play” wedding dance songs, and we frankly – didn’t let him.  We thought again, if we are hiring an artist who is respectful of our requests and will prioritize those, we didn’t want him limited to an idea of what “should” be played.  I’m from a family of dancers, and we made a great list of our favorite hits, including Elvis, Devo, the Go Gos and even T Rex and the Stooges.  No one made a special request, and Marco felt the freedom to play what he wanted.  He felt the mood of the dance floor and adjusted the music artists to reflect what would be best.  The dance floor was always full and everyone said we had the most incredible DJ.  Marco is expected to play at many friends’ weddings to come!

Our photographer was amazing.  Since my husband is a part-time photographer, picking someone to capture our day was not easy.  Because we wanted the best quality, my husband searched and searched, and we found Issa Sharp.  We loved her approach in non-traditional posing and over-all atmospheric and artistic pictures.  I think our wedding pictures are stunning and love the old world wedding style which fits us perfectly.

With all our out of town guests, we had The Hotel Figueroa in Downtown as our hotel headquarters.  Will and I stayed there for the pre and post wedding nights as well, which made it great to be part of the party with our wedding guests.  The Hotel Figueroa has incredible group, wedding rates and is an exceptional, glamorous atmosphere.  Uno is the manager and head concierge, and Uno made sure everything went smoothly.  He was very patient with my bride jitters.  Uno also provided a great “breakfast by the pool” so we could still share our last moments with our guests, and again, at an affordable price.

After all the festivities, our family and close friends were on the greatest love high, so my father hosted an impromptu post wedding dinner at Roy’s downtown for our family, which was a perfect end to a perfect weekend.  Of course, Will and I were exhausted and delirious after the preparation, decorating, wedding, brunch and then post wedding dinner, but it was the most amazing finale to a once in a life time day and weekend. ”

Amber’s Vendor’s:

Flowers:  Centia Batz

1808 Gillette Crescent
South Pasadena, Ca. 91030
323.574.9928

Ceremony:  The Silent Movie Theater

611 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-1714
(323) 655-2510

Car Rental:  Automobile Driving Museum

610 Lairport Street

El Segundo, CA 90245

310-909-0950

Reception and Catering:  Grifith Park

Wilson Harding “The Clubhouse”
4730 Crystal Springs Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

P. 323.661.7212

Cake:  Susie Cakes Bekery

11708 San Vicente Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 442-2253

DJ: djmarco@solidsoundsystem.com

Hotel: Figueroa Hotel  (ask for Uno)

939 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015-1302

Photographer: Issa Sharp, www.issasharp.com

Bus: http://www.usabuscharter.com/


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Real Wedding – Georgina and Chris 11.10.09

By: julie | Posted on: February 18th, 2010

First of all, you have to know that if you purchase a dress from Encore Bridal, it literally makes my day when I get to see pictures of you in your dress on your wedding day. I love to see how your look came together and to see the smile on your face as you marry the love of your life. Many times my smile is as large as yours or you might even catch me wiping away tears as I look at your emotion-filled wedding photos. You should have seen my smile when I first saw these photos of Georgina and Chris. Georgina is one of our e-Boutique brides, so I’ve never met her in person, but through our phone calls and emails I feel like I have. She was nice enough to share snapshots of her wedding day as well as the vendors she loved. Isn’t she gorgeous!! Wishing Georgina and Chris a lifetime of happiness!


A Note from the Bride:

My wedding was held at the Royal Crest Room located in Saint Cloud, Florida. It was set on a golf course, which was the perfect fit for us since Chris loves Golf as much as I’ve always envisioned having my wedding in an outdoor garden setting. The location made for great photos with the help of my talented photographers, by ‘Simply Different Photography”. The centerpieces and floral bouquets for both the bridesmaids and myself were all done DIY style and I’m very thankful for the help of close friends and family to help organize many of them within minutes of the wedding! Sometimes, not even the most organized bride can do without her family and friends. The Votive candle holders were used as escort cards for Guest which doubled as favors! I’m all about practicality, down to my shoes, which might I add were by Jessica Simpson bought at my ever favorite style for less store, ‘Marshalls’ and boy were they comfortable!

**All photos by Simply Different Photography, Orlando, Florida

Vendors:
Banquet Room: Royal St. Cloud Golf links – Royal Crest Room in St.Cloud Florida
Photography by Simply Different Photography, Orlando Florida
Bridal Dress: by Watter’s & Watters found in the fabulous – Encore Bridal.com
Seamstress: by Judi at the ‘Seamstress Inc” – Winter Park, Florida
Veil: by birdcageveils.com – 16″ Russian net
Bridal Shoes: By Jessica Simpson – found in Marshalls – Altamonte, Florida
Bridal Bouquet: Individually bought from – Wishing Well Florist, Kissimmee Florida
Bridal Accessories/Sash/bridal comb/with matching brooch by Icing101 at Etsy.com
Votive Candle labels: www.Etsy.com
Hair/Make-up: Mariana Dalmasi, Orlando Florida
Music: Academy DJ’s – Richard Barker
Video: Cinematique Films – Winter Park, Florida
Cake: Publix, Saint Cloud Florida

Want Georgina’s chic look?

Monique Lhuillier Geisha

Monique Lhuillier Jacqueline Jacket


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Posted in Budget-Friendly Wedding, Real EB Brides :: No Comments »

Real Weddings Post – Chanel and K.C. 05.09.09

By: julie | Posted on: January 28th, 2010

I first met Chanel at one of our large sale events at the Belamar Hotel in 2008.  She purchased a gorgeous lace Sophia Tolli gown and was such a delight to meet.  This was then…

Chanel and me Belamar Hotel Event 2008

Today, she is happily married to K.C. and was willing to share some of her favorite photos and vendors from their wedding day — as well as some post wedding planning insight.

The Details: Chanel and K.C. used their wedding date, 05.09.09, as the theme of their wedding, engraving this on their DIY invitations, menus,  and even on their cake.  After the ceremony at Palisades Park at the  Santa Monica Bluffs the couple and guests celebrated at the  Santa Monica Woman’s Club.   The wedding cake topper was used by both the brides parents and grandparents — proof of which is in the picture on the cake table (brides grandparents cutting their wedding cake with the same cake topper).  Chanel wore her recently deceased grandfather’s ring as a bracelet — a way to keep him close throughout the day (lower left corner).  She also pinned his already purchased boutonniere on her dress petticoat.  Chanel designed and made her floral hair pin as well as the headband and hair pins for her bridal party (bottom row).

Wedding Day Re-cap:  “Everything went great!  We did A LOT of things ourselves and learned the lesson that sometimes it isn’t always worth the money you save.  However, we loved how everything turned out.  The only scare was that our wedding planner called us an hour before our ceremony on the bluffs in Santa Monica and said the police were trying to shut us down.  ”Oh well” I told her.  If they do, we’ll move inside, or take the fine.  They went away, threats denied, and our day went forward uninhibited.

Two weeks before our wedding  I lost my dear, dear grandpa that I was super close to all growing up.  The  memorial service was on Wednesday and our wedding was that Saturday.  It was a hard go for my family but made all the small unimportant things quickly go away and all of the important things come to the surface.

Finally standing at the alter with my man, all my girls behind me, looking over at my parents and my surviving grandmother all the struggles of planning flew away and I was filled with pure joy and not a care in the world.  (Adorned in a gorgeous dress and enveloped by my perfect veil, all thanks to you. )”

Vendors and Accolades from the bride:

Dress, Veil, Petticoat:  Encore Bridal “stress free and easy”

Hair Piece:  DIY by Bride

Catering:  Wood Ranch – “very inexpensive, very tasty, and overwhelmingly helpful”

Alterations:  Joseph Mattucci, Redondo Beach, CA – “put my heart to rest”

DJ:  Jason Jones, Elegant Event Entertainment – “Was like a friend. We gave him full reign and it was GREAT!”

Hair:  Lauren Wilcox

Makeup:  bride

Earrings:  ICE, Fred Segal

Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands: Daniel Mitchel LLC, Private Jeweler handcrafted in America

Cake:  Vanilla Bakeshop

Rentals:  Classic Party Rentals and Plush Lounge

Photo Booth:  Classic Photo Booth Rental – “my favorite thing!”

Photographer:  Michael Gardner

Centerpiece Florals:  Orchid arrangements DIY by bride  (they’re even for sale — comment if you’re interested!)

Bouquets/Corsages/Boutonnieres:  Boulevard Florist Wholesale – “AMAZING help.  Exactly what I wanted and SO affordable”

Invitations:  DIY by couple

Flower Girl Shoes (see picture):  DIY by bride

Transportation from Ceremony to Reception:  Father’s antique Dodge Dart

Love Chanel’s Lacy Look?  May we suggest…

discounted and used

Christos 4015

Save over $2000!  This gorgeous organza wedding gown with Alencon lace appliques is now available at Encore Bridal.



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