jennifer + kevin

It's the little things that count.

And it was the small touches that made this Riverside wedding truly unique. Gauging by the number of pictures I took, it's clear that this wedding was nothing short from special. The only setback was the huge gusts of wind that prevented us from setting up the centerpieces right away, but that was overshadowed by the beautiful view from the private estate overlooking Riverside county.


The bride and groom ditched the traditional ceremony music, opting for some Tyrone Wells for their entrances. They wrote their own wedding vows. They didn't have a cake -- but an assortment of desserts from mini cupcakes to baklava.



The garage was transformed into a serving area for the food by putting up rented curtains around the walls, and hanging handmade decor from the ceiling to beautify the space. So creative!


The bride handmade all the signage, and made fabric flowers to accentuate the aisles, buffet line, and dessert table.


Homemade jam served as seating cards for the guests. Floating candles in the pool were an elegant touch as the sun went down.





I'm so glad I got to be a part of this special wedding! To say the least, I was inspired by this couple's creativity! There are no limits to what you can do on your wedding day. So go crazy -- try new things, be inventive and you're sure to have a day you'll remember and cherish forever.

brenda + omar

It had been awhile since I'd helped with a wedding. But I was instantly reminded of how much I love them on Saturday, when I had the privilege of working with Ashley of Agape Planning, LLC.

It was a familiar venue. I had worked at least three weddings at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda -- making the set-up of the East Room a smooth process. The bride had excellent taste, complimenting her pink centerpieces with champagne linens and golden candelabras. One of her unique touches was the Mexican candy bar. It was a HUGE hit. When the East Room opened at 7pm, more than half the candy was gone before the salads were even served! A delicious tri-tip and chicken dinner was served by White House Catering.

Before dancing the night away, the couple gave a heartfelt thank you to all their guests for all their love and support. You could tell how grateful Brenda and Omar were for all their friends and family that came to celebrate their special day.

The entire day ran smoothly. No one seemed stressed out -- not even the bride and the groom. And it was a reminder of the atmosphere I want to help create for weddings or any event I plan -- calm, peaceful, stress-free, worry-free. So at the end of the day, all my client needs to think about is having fun, and enjoying themselves completely. And for me, that is one of the best gifts I could give someone.

Here are some pictures from the beautiful wedding!

nathalie + paul mills

Sunny clear blue skies. A slight breeze. Nathalie and Paul couldn’t have chosen a better day for their ocean view wedding at the Hyatt in Huntington Beach. It was definitely the cherry on top to a beautiful wedding.Every detail contributed to the overall elegance of the day, from the concha shells on the ceremony table to the cones filled with rose petals for the guests to toss.

I had that privilege of helping out at their wedding with Ashley Powell of Agape Planning, LLC. I began interning with Ashley in April. As an intern, I help her out with the day-of coordination, doing everything from setting up the reception to cleaning up. Every wedding is a learning experience, so here’s a few gems I’ve taken away:

lesson #1: You can never have too many rose petals.
Put them everywhere. And even when it seems there’s no place for them, you see another table that could benefit from just few more rose petals.lesson #2: Mini LED lights are awesome!
Who knew something so small could make such a big difference? These things added a nice touch to the beautiful centerpieces.
lesson #3: ORCHIDS. YES.
They’re beautiful. Enough said.lesson #4: Everyone loves a good surprise.
Ashley and I decorated Nathalie and Paul’s suite with leftover rose petals and candles unbeknownst to them. Hopefully they enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed decorating it. Here are a few photos: With a Tiffany blue (who knew there was a color associated with my name!) and brown color scheme, the Vista Ballroom was transformed into a beautiful beach themed reception. Here are some detail photos:
At the end of the day I was exhausted. I had been on my feet since 1:30 p.m. and it was now 1:00 a.m. I’ll be honest, not everything about wedding planning is glamorous. Not many list raking up rose petals or lighting candles in the job description. But the more I learn about the hospitality industry, the more I realize, it’s not about me. I want to do this so that other people like Nathalie and Paul can enjoy one of the best days of their life without having to worry about who’s picking up the linens or if the cake is going to arrive on time.

And the joy of making their day special makes it all worth it.…not to mention the free filet mignon, red velvet cake, and flowers were a nice bonus.