What a delight! What a surprise! Daily Candy, one of my favorite blogs, has launched a whole new blog devoted to weddings: Daily Candy Weddings. In addition to offering a lot of great ideas to inspire you, they have a nice feature called Hitched which gives a few sentences about a real couple. At the end of each couple's story, they mention one piece of advice they learned while planning their wedding. Here are two examples:
"No matter how big or how small the event is, take the time to step outside of it and look in. One of our favorite wedding memories was going up to the balcony overlooking dinner and watching all of our friends and family having a great time together."
"Befriend your vendors. Set the tone of our wedding by being gracious and generous with those who are helping to make your day perfect."
We're so happy to be featured today in Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book blog! You may recall seeing our post about Emily and Danny's amazing wedding at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay entitled Let's Make a Movie. They are so personable and we loved all the details they so carefully planned, so we sent Style Me Pretty the 3-minute movie trailer and an inspiration board of still images.
We could not create beautiful movies without the participation and cooperation of our esteemed colleagues. Jubilee Lau did an outstanding job of designing and coordinating the wedding. The weather threatened rain until 12 noon. She was thoroughly prepared for an outdoor or an indoor wedding. That's the mark of a true professional - going beyond what is expected to what is required.
Tony White at the Ritz Carlton and his superb staff pulled out all the stops to give top notch service and create a smooth day despite the international women's golf tournament that was held that day on the golf links. Peculiar Pair's graphics were so luscious that we animated their logo to start the movie. Nancy Liu Chin did a great job with the flowers. John and Megan Woods at Enhanced Lighting are lighting geniuses, Classic Party Rentals' linens and tableware were unique and festive and Susan Morgan's Elegant Cheesecakes were beautifully styled and tasty. And so it went for every professional.
Chuck and Jewel Savadelis sent us such a FUN film clip from Emily and Danny’s October wedding. It’s just fascinating to see how they totally captured the essence of the day with their unique style of filming and production!
Here are a few quick screen shots from the film…
First, a little bit from Jewel Savadelis …
Emily and Danny, a well traveled couple that share a passion for great food and company, held their nuptuals at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay on October 7, 2008. Emily celebrated her independence by choosing to walk down the aisle by herself, before exchanging personalized vows with Danny on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Emily’s favorite uncle sketched the ceremony as it was happening and presented the newlyweds the finished drawing during the reception. Their wedding featured a modern Asian Zen garden theme with details such as Taiwanese mung beans creatively incorporated into the floral arrangements that represented their culture and heritage. The ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton was transformed into a warm and inviting setting, with champagne colored drapery, Asian lanterns hung above the dance floor, and a mixture of kings, queens, and round tables topped by orchids, hydrangeas, roses, and river rocks. The 260 guests were treated to an elaborate 4-course dinner consisting of unique choices like Lobster Salad, Crispy Suckling Pig with Cassoulet, Baby Lamb Chops and Seared Sea Bass. After dinner, the guests took to the dance floor, piled into the photo booth, and enjoyed the elaborate dessert buffet which featured 17 specialty items such as green tea panna cotta, coconut tapioca, and passion mango gel.
So now … be prepared to grin for three straight minutes as you watch their movie! {make sure the sound is on}
If you go over to Savadelis Films’ website, you’ll see that one primary concern of Chuck and Jewel’s is that they want to get to know you before your wedding day. They’re not just there to take a video of the events … they’re there to capture the emotions, the expressions, the feelings … of the entire celebration! But that is a mere fraction of the art of their movie-making … after all is recorded on film, the real artistry begins. Putting it all together in a fashion that is unique and suited to each couple’s personalities is when the real skill comes in. And that is where the Savadelis’ shine. A huge thanks to Chuck and Jewel for sharing Emily & Danny’s movie with us!
Woohoo! We have been the recipient of the Blog Luv Award from friend Evonne Wong of Events by Evonne in Hawaii who writes the enchanting blog Away Soiree. We are deeply honored to be mentioned with these 9 great blogs, 5 of which have featured Savadelis Films (noted with an asterisk).
Chewing the Cud- incredibly talented graphic designer and stationer
Critsey Rowe - an awesome photographer who travels everywhere for her sweet brides
*DK Design - have you seen her flowers? Even when you are inches away, you won't believe they are made of clay. And they are light as a feather. I jumped up and down when I won a small arrangement by Diane in a raffle!
*The Flirty Guide - hands down one of the best wedding resource guides anywhere. Sharp, sassy, loaded with integrity.
*One Lovely Day - lots of great inspirations for all aspects of your wedding
*Style Me Pretty - another lovely invitation lady who expanded to offer brides great ideas, real weddings, and a resource guide of the best of the best wedding professionals
Southern Weddings Magazine - new, but just look at their smashing inspiration boards! no wonder they've taken the blogging world by storm
We are now obligated to "pass it on" and award the Blog Luv Award to 10 other great blogs which have great attitude and/or gratitude. Here's how it works:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which should great attitude and/or gratitude
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5. Share the love and link of this post to the person from whom you received the award
There are so many great blogs so the choice was hard. But, here, in alphabetical order, are our choices:
ALLTOP - not a blog but a collection of over 100 wedding blogs; try them on and see which fits
BESPOKE - lots and lots of practical wedding advice; never a list of just 5 ideas, but 30 ideas (!) in one post of how to entertain guests at a reception
CAT SETO - need inspiration from the retail world? This is the place to get it.
DIY BRIDE - from the lady who literally wrote the book on DIY wedding projects and is working on another
Blog. Blog. Blog. There are so many blogs in the blogosphere, but not many devices to organize and sort them out. And who better to do it than you? Now Guy Kawasaki's Alltop offers just that. You can create your own page, selecting just those blogs you enjoy. Then sort them to your heart's delight.
Here's one of my new My.Alltop pages. I'd like to add more blogs, but am not sure I can if they are not "Alltop approved". So, if you have a great wedding-related blog, apply to Alltop to be added to their list so I can add you to mine.
I have a new plaything- Alltop! I go to the weddings page and randomly scroll over blog post titles. If the first paragraph is interesting, I'll read a little more. That is the way I found this incredibly brave and inspiring post from a woman in NYC who had love and a loving relationship, but not heat and passion. Just like Meg Ryan's character in Sleepless in Seattle. Is love enough? Click HERE to find out. Beautifully written and heart-wrenching.
Remember in the movie "The Graduate" when Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) graduated from college and was uncertain of his future. At a backyard barbeque the neighborhood know-it-all friend of the family came over, put an arm around Ben's shoulder and said "I have just one word for you. Plastics."
Well, in the same vein, Pssst. Come over here. I have just one word for you. Alltop. If you haven't heard of it before now, let me tell you about it. Alltop is an outstanding website that stands for All The Top Stories = Alltop. The best blogs are neatly sorted by topic - any topic you can name. And that's what's so amazing and helpful! In a world glutted with data but no analysis, with information but no way to find or organize it, Alltop is your blog valet, butler and maid. As a professional researcher in a past life, I only wish Guy Kawasaki's amazing website had been born a long time ago. A little background info - Guy has the Midas Touch as a former Apple Fellow at Apple Computer, and now Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, a seed stage venture capital firm.
Think of Alltop like an e-magazine rack. But bigger than any Barnes & Noble or Borders you've ever been in. Take our category WEDDINGS, for example. At most, there are 25 wedding magazines at the local Borders. But Alltop sports 168 hand-selected wedding blogs for your reading pleasure, and more than 10,000 blogs on all topics combined. The titles of the latest 5 posts for each blog are listed on Alltop so you can go for what interests you. [Note to self: dream up better titles for blog posts.]
So these days, I've given up reading the morning newspaper and instead get my news from Alltop as I sip my first cup of coffee. Thank you Guy Kawasaki!
Do these pictures tempt you to run away to paradise? Well if you can't, the next best thing is to become a fan of our good friend Evonne Wong's new blog Away Soiree.
Evonne is an incredible wedding and event planner, based in Hawaii and San Francisco. She is the real deal. She is so energetic, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, fun, sassy, organized, dedicated, creative, generous, gracious...oh, I could go on.
She has had an interesting blog for quite awhile but just launched a new and improved (if that's possible) blog about destination weddings. Check it out!
If you asked a friend you REALLY liked to be your bridesmaid, where would you go to find her a beautiful dress? Bella Bridesmaid, of course! And what dress might you choose? One from Hannah Williams who just happens to have a trunk show of her Queue dress collection on February 14. Great fabrics. Great colors. And I love the little flower appliques the designer carefully places on the bodice, around the hem or even on the whole skirt, like the full length gown in the picture to the left.
Another adorable little detail you just have to see are the cocktail length dresses with a tiny bit of tulle peeking out. The designer created her collection so each dress worked well for weddings as well as for other events. Finally. It's no longer a lie - you CAN wear that beautiful dress again.
As I was looking at all the gorgeous bridesmaid's dresses at Bella Bridesmaid, it occurred to me that some of these bridesmaids dresses could be worn by a bride. Some of the designers such as Alix & Kelly and Jenny Yoo offer just that - simple silhouettes, in white or off-white, in sensational fabrics such as silk, chiffon or taffeta for as little as $650. For a non-traditional bride, imagine accessorizing with a metallic shoe or just a touch of feathers in the hair. For the groom? Maybe a '40's or '50's retro tuxedo or dark suit with tie to complement the bridal party.
The ladies at Bella Bridesmaid are just so nice and the store is airy and inviting. So before the big Valentine's Night celebration, take your bridesmaids to 2250 Union Street and have a bella, bella beautiful day.
We've long been a fan of Elizabeth Anne Designs, one of the best wedding blogs we follow. Loved all the great ideas, the great list of talented wedding professionals, and the personal insights they share. Now...even better! A bright and fresh look for their blog and now - vendor reviews, message board and a bulletin board of all kinds of new products and good buys. Really, you must see for yourself. No wonder their readership has doubled in the last month!
Smitten. That's how we feel about Smitten Invitations and Melissa's Smitten Blog. We've been fans for a long time of this very talented invitation designer who has a very stylish line of custom 'couture' letterpress invitations, STD cards, note cards, and all things to do with stationery and pretty paper.
She also has a big heart. She understands brides who crave style, but are on a budget. So, she has came up with an incredible idea. She created artwork which you can purchase to design your own invitation. You personalize the design (STD, note card, or program), send it in and it will be reviewed by a typographer. The final art will be mailed to you on a CD. Then you print the invitations. Mission accomplished! Style on a budget. What a thoughtful lady!
We were thrilled to be mentioned in Melissa's Smitten blog this morning and we thank Evonne of Events by Evonne in Hawaii for mentioning us to Melissa. Evonne's blog is also full of wonderful ideas that any bride could adapt to her own wedding. We are so lucky to know so many wonderful people in the wedding industry who understand brides and grooms and genuinely care about them.
There are two ladies, Ami Elizabeth and Rebekah Anne who have been friends from childhood. They see the beauty in life all around them. They share their observations, insights and the submissions of many like-minded ladies in their two wonderful blogs about design in weddings and design in everyday living. We are not alone in admiring their sense of style because they are, without doubt, one of the Top 50 Wedding Blogs in the country.
They have also compiled a Library of the Best of the Best professionals in the wedding industry and surprise! We woke up on New Year's Day to find we were added to Elizabeth Anne Designs' illustrious Library! We are honored to be in the company of people we admire in our own field and in other fields.
Winter has arrived in San Francisco! It was raining yesterday so I decided to make the most of such a dreary day. I gathered up the lists of blogs I had been wanting to peek at. So I looked at over 300 wedding- and design-related blogs! At the end of the day I found many which I enjoyed and which have a well-deserved reputation for their fresh content, pleasant voice, and good ideas. I've listed my so-far favorites in the side bar and will keep adding to it. Have fun!
What a delight! What a surprise! Daily Candy, one of my favorite blogs, has launched a whole new blog devoted to weddings: Daily Candy Weddings. In addition to offering a lot of great ideas to inspire you, they have a nice feature called Hitched which gives a few sentences about a real couple. At the end of each couple's story, they mention one piece of advice they learned while planning their wedding. Here are two examples:
She has had an interesting blog for quite awhile but just launched a new and improved (if that's possible) blog about destination weddings. Check it out!
