Monique Lhuillier Sample Sale!

HIYEE! So sorry for the long time no post…but I’ve just been extremely busy! Hopefully in a week or two things will die down and I can play catch up!

But for now…I want to make sure all my lovely brides are aware of the following:

Sample Sale!!

ONE DAY ONLY

Sunday, July 19th, 200910 am – 6 pm

Bridal & Ready to WearFrom 40% to 90% off
Merchandise is “as is” and all sales are final

No alterations provided. No appointments are taken

1201 S. Grand Avenue, 2nd FloorLos Angeles, CA 90015

In case you’re wondering…

The Knot Unveils 2008 Real Weddings Survey Results

2008 WEDDING BUDGET SURVEY RESULTS
How much do brides spend on their cake? Caterer? Venue? In 2008, $29,334 was the average wedding budget in the US (not including the honeymoon) reflecting a 5.2% increase year-over-year.

Category Average Spend 2008 vs. 2007
Wedding (Overall) $29,334 +5.2%
Reception Venue $13,667 +7.4%
Reception Band $3,633 -11.5%
Reception DJ $943 +0.3%
Photographer $2,655 +0.2%
Videographer $1,591 +1.2%
Wedding/Event Planner $1,907 +8.6%
Wedding Gown $1,032 -22%
Florist/Décor $1,924 -2.4%
Invitations $538 n/a
Wedding Cake $555 -19.7%
Ceremony Musicians $414 -12.0%
Catering (Cost per Head) $73 +6.9%
Wedding Day Transportation $725 +6.7%
Favors $352 n/a
Rehearsal Dinner $1,640 n/a

GENERAL WEDDING STATISTICS
Number of guests: 148 (nearly the same as 2007)
Number of bridesmaids: 5 (up over 2007, when average was 4)
Number of groomsmen: 5 (up over 2007, when average was 4)
Length of Engagement: 15.7 months (a 26.6% increase over 2007)
Most Popular Month to Get Engaged: December (17%)

NATIONAL 2008 WEDDING TRENDS

TOP PRIORITIES: Venue, Band, and Photography: The bulk of the average wedding budget is dedicated to the reception venue ($13,667, a 7% increase over 2007); followed by the reception band ($3,633 on average); and photography ($2,655 on average).

BUDGETS: Budgets Are Bigger and Everyone’s Contributing: The bride’s parents (44%) and the bride and groom (43%) are paying for the majority of weddings. Grooms’ parents also contributed (12%) in 2008.

ENGAGEMENTS: Couples Are Engaged Longer: Couples marrying in 2008 were engaged for an average of 15.7 months, more than 25% longer than those married in 2007. A majority of couples (71%) lived together prior to getting married.

VENUES: Brides are Looking for More Unique Locations: Traditional venues, like reception halls and restaurants, dropped off slightly (10% and 11% respectively) as couples chose inventive sites, such as historical buildings, vineyards, and beaches. In 2008, 35% of ceremonies took place outdoors.

FORMALITY: Weddings Are Casual: Only 20% of weddings in 2008 were characterized as “formal/black tie”.

PLANNERS: More Brides Hire Planners, Particularly Day-of Coordinators: Nearly half (41%) of couples employed full wedding-planning services in 2008, while “day-of” services jumped 14% in popularity.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Photography Is Editorial and Digital: Almost all (93%) brides chose “documentary” style photographers, and 90% of photographers shot in digital.

CAKES: Most Brides Choose Designer Cakes: Over 51% of couples chose an independent cake baker to design their wedding cake.

WAYS TO SAVE: Brides Are Hot on Do-It-Yourself: More than half (55%) of brides made their own favors and ceremony programs. Other top DIY categories were escort cards, save-the-dates, invitations, and decorations.

MUSIC: Four Times More Brides Choose a DJ over a Band: The most popular style of band was Rock-and-roll/Motown (40%) the second most popular was Jazz/Big Band (18%) in 2008.

FIRST DANCE SONGS: Brides Love Classics: The top three first dance songs were: “At Last,” by Etta James; “Bless the Broken Road,” by Rascal Flatts; and “Everything,” by Michael Buble.

LOCATION: Many Couples Are Marrying Far Away: In 2008, 1 in 5 couples planned an out of town wedding, with 1 in 10 couples hosting a full-fledged destination wedding, characterized as “200 or more miles away from where the bride and groom live (including non-US locations).”

GROOMS: Guys Are Involved Whether They Like It or Not: Many (36%) of grooms were “very involved” and 58% of grooms were “somewhat involved.”

REHEARSAL DINNERS: Side Parties Are Serious: The average rehearsal dinner spend in 2008 was $1,640, reflecting larger parties and pricier menus; the morning-after brunch cost, on average, $827.

INTERESTING REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
With the large sample size, results of the 2008 Real Weddings Survey can be broken down on a region-by-region basis. Some interesting regional differences are:

• New York City has the oldest brides and grooms, with average ages of 31 and 33. Respectively, Utah has the youngest, with average ages of 25 (bride) and 27 (groom).
• Iowa and Nebraska couples have the largest weddings, with more than 200 guests.
• Hawaii, Maine, and North Carolina have the most casual weddings. Connecticut, South Florida, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City (and surrounding areas) have the most formal (black tie).
• Central Pennsylvania has the lowest average wedding budget ($20,653), reflecting an 18% drop over 2007. Long Island, NY has the highest average wedding budget ($56,823), followed by New York City which rang in at $52,904 (an intriguing 5% drop-off compared to 2007). Las Vegas, Nevada, weddings experienced the highest jump in overall bridal spend at 19%.
• The top 10 “most expensive” places to get married are: Long Island, New York; New York City; Northern New Jersey; Hudson Valley, New York; Chicago; Connecticut; Los Angeles; South Florida; Rhode Island; and Orange County.

Article found on Business Wire 4/08/09.

Dave & Nancy’s Wedding!

A few weeks back we attended the wedding of our good friends Dave & Nancy. They’ve known each other since college and we always guessed they would end up together. Their beautiful wedding was held at the Four Season Beverly Hills and coordinated by the ever fabulous Angel from Events of Love and Splendor ~ I told them they would be in good hands!

Sneak peak courtesy of the second shooter Andrew Lin Photography.

I love the ruby red bouquets against the silvery BM dresses created by florist Kate Baker.

Love the shot of the ceremony with the palm trees in back

Here Dave looked so happy with his new bride!

The night was kept pumping by the amazing Brady from Props Productions!

A picture of the grand entrance on the left, and a game they played during the reception on the right. The guests all had a few laughs as secrets of the couples were revealed!

The couple’s main photographer was Josef Isayo who shot our wedding. Can’t wait to see some of his work! It was a wonderful wedding filled with friends and family. Dave and Nancy have a very bright future ahead of them! Congratulations again and FINALLY!

Angel & Jonathan’s Wedding

The first time I met Angel and Jon at the local Coffee Bean, and they began describing their wedding vision, I WAS EXCITED ~ the unique and mysterious venue (The Houdini Estate), ceremony by a enchanting well, follow by the reception in the gardens. Angel wanted all the luxury of a ballroom but in a garden setting. I was up for the challenge and I am so happy how everything turn out. Angel & Jon’s wedding was truly a memorable event! Thanks to Emi from Evoke Photography for all the beautiful images!

Angel’s custom made gown was gorgeous! Layers and layers of tulle ~ she looked like she was floating on a cloud.

Here are her fabulous bridesmaids in their cute PJs helping her dress.

I love the beautiful portrait of the lovely Angel

Christine Saunders from The Spiraled Stem was the genius behind all the beautiful floral. Even though the setting is garden-like, Angel wanted clean and modern lines throughout. Christine was able to stick to the blue and yellow pallet of Angel & Jon’s Alma mater, and added a little pink throughout. Christine used tulips and mini callas, for clean lines and added hydrangeas to the bridesmaids’ bouquet to soften the look.

To include their Chinese heritage, Angel and Jon had a friend designed a logo which was the combination of their Chinese last names. It was featured on their wedding website, invites, photobooth pictures, etc (not a good picture but their logo is on the stamp). Angel also attached a Chinese double happiness charm to their invites.

First look ~ so cute and sweet!

The estate was filled bridges, stone paths, waterfall…all perfect photo-opt locations!

Here’s a great view of the ceremony (and the enchanting well) from the steps leading up to the helipad on the estate.

The centerpieces were trio of graduated-height tall glass vases with alternating pink (cymbidium orchids) and yellow (mini callas) color schemes.

Another amazing detail was their cake from Susina Bakery. The pastry chef delivered the cake and literally built the cake as the guests were enjoying their meal. I love the plexiglas and the glowing votives beneath the cake. Adorning the cake was custom made cake topper of Angel and Jon’s Wii characters (the pastry chef had to build a stand within the cake to hold the 2lb weight!)

Here’s a view as the sun was setting ~ pin-spots, color washes against the trees, string lanterns, gold chiavari chairs, beautiful blue satin linen…I think Angel’s vision of elegance was perfectly executed.

Cute photobooth picture of the happy couple! You can see their unique logo a little better on the bottom.

Angel and Jon, I had a wonderful time working with you in planning your wedding. We had some challenges (the logistic of the venue was crazy! One way in, one way out ~ with the team of vendors we needed, it took a lot of coordinating!) but I think in the end, that’s what made your wedding spectacular!

Myra of Twigs & Honey

I’M BACK!!!! I had a wonderful relaxing vacation. Just finally caught up on all my mail and wanted to leave a quick note to let everyone know that I arrived back safely. I’ll be doing a trip review soon (PROMISE). I’ll break them down to more ‘manageable’ parts.

But first off, I just got these pictures of Wendy & Marshall’s wedding from Michael Norwood Photography and wanted to post a few pictures of the hair adornment made by the talented Myra from Twigs&Honey. 

Fabric from the bridesmaid dresses were sent to Myra and she created three distinctive pieces incorporating the material. 

Myra created elegant blush orchids for the bride’s hair

I LOVE Myra’s spotted feathers so I ask her to include some in my piece

Here’s another shot of the orchids as the Bride dances with her father

We received so many compliments on the flowers all night

Myra is pretty busy and isn’t currently taking custom orders at this time. But for brides with wedding dates a little later this year or next year should definitely contact her soon. As for the rest of us, we have to wait for the rare listing of items not reserve for brides.

My Nga & Andrew’s Wedding

My Nga and Andrew are the sweetest couple. They’re both teachers ~ which I’ve always admire…we need more people like them to teach so kids have a better chance for their future. The couple got married in July and just recently returned from their honeymoon in South America. My Nga and I grabbed lunch to catch up and I can’t believe it, she bought a gift for me from her honeymoon! For her to thought of me and might I say ‘wasted space in her suitcase’ to bring me something, I was completely touched! Here are some pictures from their photographers from Magic Eye Photography.

An engagement pic of the sweet couple…

Look at My Nga’s beautiful bouquet by her florist Dodie from Brassavolas. Dodie was a pleasure to work with and he has such great energy and creativity! I was amazed by the size of the peonies used throughout the wedding…each flower was the size of my hand!!!

My Nga with her sister and mother in the traditional Vietnamese gown. My Nga is so bless to have such an amazing family. Her sister was tremendous help with the guests since I didn’t speak Vietnamese.

Andrew giving Nga a kiss on her cheeks during the tea ceremony

My Nga in her beautiful custom wedding gown walking down the aisle with her father

Not only did they have a LARGE guest list (whopping 500 ppl!), they also had a pretty large wedding party

The whole room was draped in ivory satin with amber up lights lighting from behind, dark brown satin linens for table and chairs, ivory napkin with the menu in English and Vietnamese (Nga is so thoughtful!), traditional wooden dolls in clear box with ribbon as favors, and of course…the magnificent manzanita branch centerpiece. The whole effect was dramatic and elegant.

A closer look at the centerpiece with the ’staged’ sweetheart table in the background

And here’s their delicious cake from Cinderella Cakes

A happy ever after…

My Nga & Andrew, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. Your family and friends were so warm and welcoming and I was overwhelmed by their embrace. I know with the strength of your bond to each other and the support of your families, you two will have an amazing life together!

Christina & Rei’s wedding!!!

Last weekend, I had the honor of coordinating Christina & Rei’s wedding at The Athenaeum. The venue itself is a gorgeous testament to architecture. But fill it with love, laughter, friends, and family, the venue shined ever more brightly. Thank you Jay and Peggy from Jay Tsai Photography for capturing these shining moments. Christina and Rei are really a match made in heaven.

Beautiful shot of the rings in the folds of Christina’s gorgeous Paloma Blanca wedding dress

Family and friends looked on as Christina finished her makeup

This is why I love this girl! As Christina’s heading down the archway for their ‘first look,’ she throws out the ‘piece sign.’ I love how happy and excited she was!



One of my favorite shots from Christina’s portrait session. It looks like a framed picture ready to go on the wall.

Another amazing shot from the couple’s portrait session around the campus.

My FAVORITE picture of the day! This really captures the spunk and fun-loving nature of this wedding. Christina with her sister Amanda the MOH and Rei with his brother Joe who is the Best Man.

These beautiful manzanita trees were at the top of the steps creating a beautiful backdrop to the ceremony. Eddie really outdid himself this time!

The table were dressed in champagne linens and chocolate brown napkins. Each place setting adorn with menus made by the bride (on her Gocco no less!) and a cookie favor packaged in yellow with gold thread. The breathtaking centerpieces were the creation of Eddie from Commerce Flowers.

Christina and Rei practiced their first dance which was a fox trot to ‘The way you look tonight’ by Frank Sinatra.

The day was filled with touching moments. One that stood out especially in my mind was the BM and MOH toasts ~ funny but still brought tears to your eyes, the best kind!!

Jay captured this tender moment amiss the partying going around them.

I know Christina and Rei are going to have a wonderful life together. They just complement each other so well! They have the love and support of amazing family and friends and I feel so blessed to have been there to witness their love and happiness. They’re currently on their FIVE week honeymoon in Italy and Greece! I know! FIVE WEEKS! I already asked if they could pack me in their bags…sadly, it was a no. For more pictures and an amazing slideshow, visit Jay’s blog.

A beautiful day at the Villa…

This past Saturday…Briana & David got married at the beautiful Villa Del Sol D’Oro. It was a beautiful day full of love and laughter. The weather cooperated by staying sunny and breezy. We had an amazing team working along side us. Everything was perfection. Briana was GORGEOUS and David…not too shabby either. I ’stole’ the following images from their awesome photographer Marlin Munoz ~ go to his blog to view more!

Gorgeous shot of Briana’s shoe

The bird cage veil was for pre-ceremony pictures

The bridal suite had these vivid blue walls

Briana and her girls ~ I have to say, Briana’s MOH Rachel is the BEST!

The dashing groom and groomsmen

Briana is full of spunk and laughs

The bride’s bouquet was luscious ~ soft full peonies with orchids and green coffee berries

This looks like a magazine shot ~ one of my favorites of the day (who am I kidding, all the shots are amazing!)

Tender moment between father and daughter

The string of crystal and orchids swayed lightly in the wind – courtesy of great needle work by Michelle Brue

The mood in this picture can not be expressed ~ so soft, so romantic

After the sun set, the villa came alive with all the twinkling lights

It was a wedding filled with love, laughter, and happiness. I know Briana and David have a bright and beautiful future ahead of them.

Kim & Jerry’s Beach Ceremony

As promise, pictures dutifully downloaded from my iPhone. Here are the pictures of the beach ceremony of Kimberlee & Jerry.

Look at the little flower girls! They were so adorable!

Can you believe Kim’s father build the arbor? Amazing!

Kimberlee & Jerry’s Wedding

It was beautiful this past weekend. The weather was perfect for a Southern California beach wedding. I do have to apologize the only pictures I got of the wedding set up on the beach was on my iphone. After hiking up and down the sandy slopes carrying baskets filled with water bottles, white folding chairs, programs, etc…you too would be too lazy to go back and grab a camera from your car parked a million miles away ~ okay, not literally a million miles but that’s what it felt like. Anyways, that’s the excuse I’m sticking with. We’ll all just have to ‘wait patiently’ for the professional pics. =)

Here’s a few picture from the reception at The Belamar. Kimberlee and Jerry were such a crazy fun couple – it must be something with attending UC Santa Barbara. As soon as the music started after dinner, the dance floor was packed! I had so much fun planning their day with them.

Here’s the room setup

The simple modern certerpieces consist of candles, river rocks, wheat grass and the ranunculus added the burst of color. Note the table name made by the bride ~ song names on one side and song lyrics on the other ~ too cute!

I love their ‘place cards!’ The father of the bride has amazing skills working with wood ~ he made the white wood box for the place cards AND the arbor for their ceremony. I’ll have to find a picture so everyone can be throughly impress.

Kimberlee decorated the rock with the guests’ name on one side and their table ’song’ on the other. She also stamped each rock with fish, cow, or chicken to distinguish the meal choices. After the cocktail, the DJ asked guests to move into the ballroom with their ‘pet rock’ ~ the guests had a good laugh.

I’ll post more pictures once they are done. It was a fun loving wedding and I couldn’t have been more honored to have been a part of it. I know Kim & Jerry will PARTY ON!