Post Wedding Survey: Jenny and Jake

Jenny was kind enough to take the time to fill out my post wedding survey and write for my blog readers. Enjoy!

 

What was the best part of your wedding day?

When Jake and I met under the Chuppah and we allowed the moment to set in

What do you feel was totally unnecessary?

Nothing!

What would you change, if anything?

Nothing!

What was unexpected that you loved?

The ceremony itself and my families’ reaction to the song Jake and I danced our first dance to.  Some of the best moments of our lives.  We’ll never forget it.

What are your fondest memories of your wedding day?

Waking up in the morning because I was too excited to sleep

Getting ready with the girls and our Moms

Putting on my wedding dress

Seeing Jake for the first look

Posing for photos with Jake

The Katubah signing

Meeting Jake’s eyes under the Chupah

Rabbi Wolpe and his incredible words

Jake and I kissing as Husband and Wife under the Chupah

Hiding out for cocktail hour and just being with my husband

Our first dance, our first dance, our first dance!

Seeing some of the most special people in our lives, some for the first time in a long time, and feeling the love in the room

Dancing with Jake, dancing with family and friends, the dancing was the best

Is there anything you wish you had spent more time or money on?

Nope!

Is there anything you wish you had spent less time or money on?

The Welcome bags

Were there any unexpected surprises or issues?

Everything was an unexpected surprise and it was so beautiful as a result.  There was elation around every corner and the anticipation for each new step allowed us to enjoy every single second of the day. 

What's your number #1 tip for future engaged couples?

Try not to have too many hard and fast expectations.  That way you can just experience the wedding instead of spending the evening marking off an internal checklist.

How did you feel after the wedding?

Walking on air mixed with total bliss. : )  It sounds ridiculous and I’m pretty embarrassed as I write it, but it’s so true.  Jake and I both just felt amazing after our wedding was over because we realized that there was no possible way it could have gone better.

Beverly Hills home wedding

Because they're private people, I've been asked not to share any photos of Jenny and Jake, their guests or their families, but I'm excited to share the details of this beautiful wedding set at a home in Beverly Hills this summer. This wedding was a first for me in that the bride Jenny left all planning up to the groom's mother and I! Talk about trust!

The wedding and reception were held in the backyard of the Spanish style home and we knew going into the planning that the swimming pool would have to be covered to be able to fit anything back there. When you cover a pool you pretty much have two choices: either you use Plexiglass or wood. If Plexiglass, you have a contemporary, modern feeling--exactly the opposite of what we wanted to convey. If you use wood, most people then cover it with AstroTurf or carpet then lay down a dance floor on top. Due to the design of the home and the direction we were going with decor, I didn't like either options, so I came up with the idea of painting a Mexican tile design on the pool covering to make it a bold focal point and a part of the beauty of the day. A muralist was hired to paint the floor a robin's egg blue then freehand the tile design on top. It was gorgeous!

Tables were staged and hidden behind hedging and the space was flipped as guests enjoyed cocktail hour inside to a live jazz trio playing music on the home's grand piano.

The buffet, by Auntie Em's Kitchen Catering, is in my opinion what buffets should look like. The food tasted as delicious as it looked!

Every detail of the wedding from the painted "tile" floor to the candle lit stars hung overhead invoked the feeling of a chic Californian fiesta. It was gorgeous! 

The team that made the magic: 

Planning & Design - Amber Events (special thanks to my team Nira, Kaylin, and Michelle!)

Venue - private residence in Beverly Hills

Photography - Justine Ungaro

Floral - Holly Flora

Catering - Auntie Em's Kitchen

Officiant - Rabbi Wolpe 

Ceremony Music - Strings by Reiko 

Cocktail hour music - DeBois Entertainment

Reception music  - Dash Entertainment 

Rentals - Town and Country Event Rentals

Cake - Rosebud Cakes

Chuppah - Happy Chuppah

Lighting - The Lighter Side

Sneak Peek: Roger and Colleen at Vibiana

Colleen and Roger got married in June and they are just the sweetest couple! Enjoy this short video montage made by Skyline Videography. Photos to come shortly!



Colleen & Roger @ Vibiana from Skyline Videography on Vimeo.

Pretty Pictures- Typewriter

I know Pearl Harbor wasn't the best of movies, but I am a sap for the aesthetics of that time period: the clothes, architecture, furniture, and classic look of their everyday items. This photo by Carmen Moreno captured the exact essence I'm talking about.

 Let's start with the shoes. Need I say more? The Mary Jane Oxford look is so timeless and classy. I need to find and add them to my own collection. The suit case on the floor, or perhaps the case for that typewriter is just as awesome. Actually pieces like this are great to add to a wedding. Guests can drop their cards in them!

  Oh and the typewriter! Well we used one even older than the one pictured for Summer and Julian's wedding (which, writer Julian used as a child). It was a great accent piece. I loved seeing guests typing messages out to the bride and groom. 

In the age of apple upgrades, seeing a vintage type writer actually type is a breath of fresh air. 

Witness Protection can't even pronounce our name correctly

Sorry, y'all, there IS an Eric Gustafson (say it with me now: "gus-taf-son") cause I'm married to him. Only he's a lot better looking than this fella:

Rancho del Cielo wedding: sneak peek (Michelle & Ben)

Something about Rancho del Cielo this year has brought the videographers with their A Game and I'm loving it! About a month I go I posted Chia-Ming and Patrick's video highlight that was also a same day edit, and today I'm excited to post Ben and Michelle's wedding sneak peek. I love this video. There is something about the combination of a wonderful couple madly in love, Florence and the Machine, and the stop motion that just kills me. Shot and produced by Alan Larsen Films! Enjoy! I can't wait to share the photos from this one!

Ben & Michelle // Highlights from Alan Larsen on Vimeo.

Pretty Pictures- Looking for Someone

This photo by Liz Ham reflects so many things I love: elegant clothes, a beautiful girl, a natural peaceful setting, and a sense of mystery.

 I love how her hair looks as if it were effortlessly put together. The braid with loose strands coming down is a subtle imperfection that looks so gorgeous! I love how the dress remains conservative, covering her in the right places yet still oozes a certain sex appeal. 

This photo's setting is ideal. It's as if this girl is away from it all. You know what I mean, right? The crazy work hours, the hustle and bustle of city life, the sleepless nights. It's as if her biggest concern is  looking for something?... or someone. 

Is it a special gentleman that will sweep her off her feet? Is is her child running around picking dandelions? 

That's why I love photographs! They tell a story and it's completely left to our imagination to say what that may be. For those with less vision, it can simply be an ad for Ralph Lauren in a magazine. To another:  a novel that never ends. 

That's the beauty of it all.

Miri & David's Wedding: Team Member POV

Q. How did you learn about Interning or Assisting for Amber Events?  

A. I am currently a student at Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, California and I am a undergraduate student studying Hospitality and Tourism Management at The Collins College of Hospitality Management. I learned about Amber Events through the club I am in and Amber had contacted our club to find a few interns to help out with some of the weddings she had coming up.

Q. Tell us about yourself and how it relates to the wedding industry. 

A. I am a very driven, organized, passionate, creative, fun-loving individual. I feel my best when everything is in the place it is suppose to be. Organization is very important to me and I think that if you are going to be in this industry that you should have a good understanding of how to be organized because there are so many elements that in order for you to keep some of your sanity in the process of planning a wedding you need to be organized. I believe that my passion and creativity give me a great upper hand in this industry because I feel I would do anything and everything I could to make an event special and that I could come up with some really great ideas.

Q. What tasks did you complete for this wedding? 

A. Some of the tasks that I completed for this wedding was helping the bride with her dress, setting up for the ceremony and then the reception while the guests enjoyed the cocktail hour outside in the courtyard, checking that the floor plan and tables were set correctly, as well as assisting the vendors.

Q. What surprised you? 

A. Getting to see and hear the reading of the Torah was a really cool surprise. It was a very traditional Jewish wedding which was interesting to see because it is a different religion than my own.

Q. What is your favorite part of this wedding? 

A. My favorite part of the wedding was seeing some of the traditions practiced at Jewish weddings, seeing everyone on the dance floor participating in the Hora was a really great.

Q. What shoes did you wear?  

A. Black flats

Q. The uniform for the Amber Events staff is a black button down shirt and slacks. What did you do to Jazz up your look? 

A. I always try to have my hair done a different way at every event and I like to put different hair clips and accessories in my hair. Next time I think I might switch up my jewelry.

Q. What is your favorite wedding scene from a movie?  

A. The Wedding Planner is my favorite wedding movie!

 

Q. Do you have any words for anyone wanting to join the wedding industry?  

A. The wedding industry is a great industry to get into because there is so much to do and so much room for creativity. I personally love design and being creative and I feel that this industry gives me everything I am looking for in a career and it will allow me to grow and learn so much!

Final Comments:  

I absolutely love working with Amber and her team, it has been a great experience for me and I believe we work very well together which is a great feeling.

Cicada Wedding sneak peek

I am so loving the video "trailers" that videographers are putting together these days! Below is a sneak peek of Summer & Julian's wedding that was put together by videographer Isabel Gonzalez. Just wait until you see the photos from this one!

summer + julian | trailer from Isabel Gonzalez on Vimeo.