weddings

It was a family affair!

All photos by Greycard Photography.

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This past October I again had the honor and privilege of being a part of someone’s very special day, and a family-friend none-the-less!  I’ve known Roxy, the bride, since we were born, really: she’s the daughter of my uncle-in-laws sister, and our families hung out together all the time when we were growing up.  Although our lives have taken different paths and we’ve settled in different cities, I still remember slumber parties at her house, playing in her parents driveway, and going for walks and bike rides around their neighborhood.

Roxy came over to my house one night just to get some pointers and advice for her wedding day, and I was truly honored when a few weeks later she asked if I could help with Day Of Coordination.  HECK YES!

This wedding was so special because I already knew so many of the guests, many of whom I hadn’t seen in years-so I was so excited to provide my expertise for someone I care a lot for, while also catching up with so many childhood friends.

The strong family ties and friendships on both sides was a constant theme throughout the day.  I loved seeing Roxy and Michael’s family and friends helping and coming together for both of them.  It was a true testament to how great they each are.

Roxy and Michael worked so hard to make this day beautiful-and their hard work truly paid off.  All the little details came together perfectly to create an elegant look.

Roxy and Michael also entrusted Nuestras Manos with a special project…

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We were so happy to be able to hand craft this special touch for their wedding, and their home!

As always, this day would not have been possible without a great vendor team:

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There’s always a first.

*All photos by Carsten Tice Photography

I’ve officiated lots of weddings since I officiated the wedding of a dear law school friend back  in 2010, and I’ve coordinated lots of weddings with Events by Katherine since I met her while officiating a wedding back in 2012.  But I’ve never done both, and on my own.

There’s always a first.

I’m happy to say it all went well, and I loved every minute.  It was, as most wedding days are, a long and tiring day.  But all day as I was running around constantly, all I could think was “I love this.”  At one point in the night, at the height of the madness, one of the chefs asked me how I was doing.  Out of who-knows-where, I answered “I’m great, I live for these moments!”  I realized as soon as I said it that it sounded super cheesy, , but it was a genuine statement, and I meant every word.  I was in my element, and I loved every moment of it.

But enough about me…

This wedding was so special in so many way.  Patricia and David reached out to me from New York, to officiate their wedding.  After our initial consultation they decided they also needed a day-of-coordinator, and they entrusted me to do both.  I can never thank them enough for taking that leap of faith.

The wedding took place in Patricia’s parents spacious backyard–Patricia’s grandmother is unable to travel, so they brought the wedding to her.  It was such a beautiful touch of the whole night: that this wedding was taking place here because of the love and importance of one human being.

I’ve learned that these table set ups are one of my favorite things to do on wedding day.

The whole wedding was a true group effort: the groomsmen were in charge of making the bouquets and decorating the ceremony arch (I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous about this one, but they did a fantastic job!  And much better than I would have been able to do–florals are my weakness!).  Patricia’s cousin, Tina, was a stellar, all-around helper on wedding day, and she potted each of the succulents that were given to guests as gifts.  Family on both sides were tremendous help in getting the house ready, or shipping leis from Hawaii for the bridal party and family members. And the bride and groom spent countless hours making and canning homemade chili as another gift for guests.

The most amazing dessert

There is no doubt that the main attraction for this wedding, aside from Patricia and David, obviously, was the food.  Justin and Dave are both chefs from New York City, and they flew in just to cook up a storm for Patrica and David’s wedding.  They had been prepping all week, scouring the markets of LA for ingredients, and even smoking the brisket in their hotel room!   They did not disappoint.  I did not hear a single guest complain about the 3-hour dinner.  Course after course was plated by the talented chefs, brought out by my wonderful helpers, and platter after platter was brought back to the kitchen completely empty.

I can’t thank all the vendors enough for a beautiful and seamless evening.

 

Reception: Bells & Whistles!

So most receptions have the standard “must-haves”: music, food, CAKE!  Lately I’v noticed that photo booths have moved into the “standard” category for most weddings.  Some wedding receptions like to add something extra special, and although it increases the budget a bit, they DO make the guests quite happy!  A couple “extras” that I have LOVED from weddings I coordinated last year:

Chunk n Chip: what’s better than cake?  Or ice cream?  Or cookies?  COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES.  They have your favorite fresh baked cookies, with unique and delicious ice cream flavors (horchata or french toast with candied spiced bacon anyone?), in any possible combination that you want.  They also have an adorable set up for private events and weddings.

chunk n chip cookies
chunk n chip sandwich

Churro Borough: same concept as Chunk n Chip, but with CHURROS.  I mean..C’MON!  Flavors like vanilla custard, horchata sherbet, and black forest cheesecake sherbet.  YUM.  They also offer paletas, churro fries, milkshakes, and pastries.

Dessert Lab OC : I think you can see a pattern on what my weaknesses are.  But seriously: 30 different flavors of cheesecake ( including french toast cheesecake with bacon!)?!  This was used for a dessert table rather than something in addition to it, but the desserts were so unique that I just loved the idea.  The couple ordered an assortment of cheesecakes and different desserts, and they went SO QUICK.

Do you have a favorite vendor that you used or will be using for your event that helped put your event over the top?  Share in the comments!

A little update here and there

So many ideas, so little time!  Jeff and I have been talking constantly about all the stuff we want to do with this humble little website, and all these random & combined talents we have, but between our regular 9-5s, and a toddler that’s on the verge of running, it’s hard to do anything after bath and bed time, haha.

But here’s a sneak peak of what we hope to achieve.  We’re still working hard on our photography and event planning: Jeff and I had a wedding photo shoot last month that we’ll be sharing on the blog soon, and I’ve been assisting with wedding coordination through Events by Katherine.  Working with Katherine I have been able to work weddings at El Adobe in San Juan Capistrano, Center Club in Costa Mesa (with a full Irish band!), the Fairmont in Newport Beach, and Casa Romantica in San Clemente.  Each of these venues had something special to offer!

Aside from these services, we want to offer event rental services for props and decor items (who wants to buy stuff they’re only going to use once?!).  We are currently working on adding to our inventory, and I hope to have some unique and desirable items up on our website for your use in the next couple of months.  Stay tuned!