6 months have passed since this dream day, and I am just now getting to posting. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
An excerpt from our feature on Style Me Pretty blog.
From the Bride… Anyone that knows me, knows I am ALL girl. Josh and my story is proof that opposites do, in fact, attract. When we got engaged on the beaches of Malibu last July, my mind instantly shifted to “wedding” mode. I’ve dreamt of my “fairytale” wedding since I was a little girl. To me, that was going to be a traditional, romantic affair with touches of glam.
Right away we headed out to check out wedding venues. We quickly decided on Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, Ca. My wedding stylist, Laura Giuliani came with me and she immediately envisioned oversize fabric panels to make the alter site one to remember. The panels were monsters! They were 4′ wide by 8′ tall. Because Laura couldn’t find any fabric that really fit what she had in mind, she hand-dyed each piece of fabric that came together to form a hand-made floral reliefs. She also included linear portions of the fabric to compliment the layers of my dress. The panels were truly breathtaking. To further soften the spot, she dressed the existing grapevines around the alter with Queen Anne’s Lace and Baby’s Breath. And, to tie in the pink hued florals an oversize grapevine wreath was hung over us. It had eucalyptus and peonies, exactly what I wanted. To finish off the spot we placed amazing candle-lit geometric brass and glass lanterns from Anthropologie on the steps!
Because I really wanted my husband to feel like his personality and interests were being represented at our big day, Laura and I worked together to add an edge to our otherwise feminine and romantic event! Laura painted two oversize panels of chain link fence bright gold and added pieces of the hand-died fabric in a geometric pattern. One of the panels was placed next to the bar during the cocktail hour (with a ‘Cocktails’ marquee sign) and the other we used as a photo backdrop. They were so striking in person and definitely something that is doable for any DIY bride!
In keeping with the chain link theme, gold chains were added to the bridal party florals! Each boutonniere and bouquet was wrapped with the chain. As a finishing touch we also put the chain around the dinner napkins at each place setting! Simple and cost effective!
Walking into the reception site felt incredible. Laura built a wall upholstered with fabric to hang our seating chart. It sort of felt like a wall in our living room! The seating charts were affordably printed with gold foil by Olivia Grace Paperie framed and mixed in with other ‘art’ of inspirational sayings including: Dream Big, Smile Always, and Be Happy. That same fabric was used to make runners for the specialty tables including the cake table and tables with framed family photos.
Our dessert bar was a yummy one!! We decided to create a “Bar Bar” and we served up all types of bars including charmingly wrapped mini chocolate bars (with paper from Paper Source), Lara Bars (for a healthier option), and home-made lemon bars, 7-layer bars, and brownie bars. This area also had a hand-made wall upholstered with fabric and two bar signs that lit up!
Laura wanted to tie in my business, Paper Doll Clothing Company into our event, so she made “Paper Doll” place cards for our kiddie table. The table was draped with a gorgeous bright pink sequin runner, tassel balloons, ring pops, and kiddie crafts. The littles were more than entertained and my daughter (our flower girl) felt so special.
Our wedding turned out to be the perfect reflection of who Josh and I are. My favorite memory of the day was seeing Josh’s face light up as he turned around at our first look. It truly was “the best day ever”. I am forever grateful to all our vendors that helped bring my vision to light. Especially my stylist Laura, your talent takes my breath away.
And no bridal shower would be complete without the groom dropping in at the end. I love him.
