valentine's tea party

You know you're an event planner when...you incessantly comment on every tiny detail in someone's house because it's a real life display of a style you've seen on wedding and event blogs.  Yeah, that was me the other day.  It was like an inspiration board come to life.   And a style that in my current position, will never get the opportunity to implement.

It's almost embarrassing to recount the sheer amazement and excitement I had over the details of the tea party I went to hosted by one of the members of my community group.  As a result of perusing so many wedding and event blogs over the past year, I have developed a small (okay, maybe more like huge) obsession and love for the rustic/vintage/romantic style of event.  I think it's the way that so many random pieces can come together to create something beautiful, so eclectic.  I can't help but swoon over the mismatched serving ware, the wood slice boards, the lace, the succulents, the hanging terrariums.  And swoon I did over every little detail of my friend's quaint house, exclaiming "oh my gosh" at, well, let's be honest, everything. It was a perfect setting for an afternoon tea party complete with scones, cucumber sandwiches, biscotti, and of course, quality girl bonding time.

lovebirds

The term "lovebirds" has often been used to reference a couple in love, but I realized I never took the time to find out why.  Genetically from the parrot family, lovebirds today are depicted as tiny parrots.  They got their name because they sit closely to each and are known to keep in pairs, and keep in pairs privately (similar to behavior of a couple in love).  The symbol is used on Valentine's day because apparently in the olden times there was a belief that birds found their mate on February 14.  I don't know if it's just me, but I tend to see more hearts and explosions of red and pink overtaking the candy aisle more than anything else. 




Needless to say, birds can be creatively incorporated into a rustic and garden wedding theme.  Below are a few things I've found that I love!

For a personalized touch on a guest book, you can order beautiful hand drawn manzanita trees (below by Bleu de toi) and have your guests thumbprint "leaves" onto the tree and sign their name.  The ink color can reflect your wedding's color scheme and by the end of the night you'll have a memorable keepsake to take home and frame.  I also love the bride and groom birds at the bottom!

For an alternative card box, find a cute birdcage for guests to drop their cards in.





Source: Green Wedding Shoes.  Photo Credit: Taryn Kent Photography

Your centerpieces can resemble a nest (or be an actual nest!) with more earth tones like brown, green, and tan, with a neutral colored table cloth.  The cake toppers to the left are some of my favorites!  Of course there are tons more -- Etsy is an excellent resource for handmade cake toppers.  The black and white ones also double as salt and pepper shakers, another nice keepsake for your new home. 

 

Centerpiece: The Knot. 
Bird Cake Toppers: 1. Red Light Studio 2. Lauren Alane 3. buttoneyedteddybear - Etsy 4. Madame Pomme

Photo Credit: Once Wed

Moving right along to wedding favors and invitations! My friend Anna is in the process of planning her bird-themed wedding and shared these creative pieces with me, both from vendors on Etsy.



Source: Etsy.com

Hope you were inspired today!

nicole + seth

I met Nicole and Seth through my community group with Reality LA.  As with every wedding I've coordinated so far, it always starts with an offer to help.  Little did I know how much of a blessing I could be to the both of them and it was such a privilege to serve both of them on their wedding day!

It's always so special for me to get to work with couples whose relationship is centered in Christ, and it is so apparent how much God is present in Nicole and Seth's relationship and I'm excited to see the ways He is going to work through the two of them together.

Of all the weddings I've attended so far, theirs was by far the most unique.  Set in a random warehouse in downtown (Seth found it while scouting locations for his job), it was awesome to see the place transformed into an elegant rustic environment with mason jar centerpieces, handmade boutonnieres and headbands made by the bride, and lots of other details that made their day true to the couple.

The cupcakes and appetizers were graciously provided by Sanaz of Fixa Catering.  She did an amazing job, and I loved the use of bricks and empty pictures frames for the display.  Food was provided by Crepes Bonaparte, a fun and cost-effective alternative to the typical banquet menu!

Of course, no words can ever describe the beauty of each wedding, so thank goodness for excellent photographers like Jenny and Joseph Llanes of Llanes Weddings who captured their wedding day amazingly.  Check out these photos belows -- be sure to check out their blog for more pictures!

On top of everything, they had the sweetest getaway car EVER!

Thanks Seth and Ziza for letting me be a part of your special day!