Bio

Allyson & Steve
05.12.07

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination." - Goodman

Our vision for the wedding was not to be limited by convention. We wanted to aim for simplicity and elegance, but bring in the trend of all that is zen|eclectic|lounge.

We wanted the room where guests entered to be set up like an art gallery with prints of pictures from our childhood and beyond mounted on easels, cocktails tables, and lounge sofas where guests could watch our continuously looping slideshow. This room also hosted the coffee and candy bars, which guests could visit at their leisure. Our private open bar was not far away.

We decided to have a mixed bridal party, to accurately reflect our friendships. The groom's sister stood on his side, and the bride's good guy friend stood on hers. We decided to skip the traditional guestbook, favors, first dance, games, bouquet/garter tosses, cake, etc. For the record, our colors were aqua, espresso, and bordeaux, and all lovely variations of.

Our wedding was unique, we were fortunate to have great vendors, and we had an absolutely amazing time with our various sources of inspiration... aka. our family and friends. We wouldn't be who we are today without them.

[ all photos by Yours By John unless otherwise noted, do not use without permission ]

Imagination
Celebration
Relaxation
Vendor Info

Imagination
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bridal party pictures at Sofitel LA

something old - worn as a bridesmaid at one of my bridesmaid's weddings

something new

calla lilies & orchids and then some, red to tie in the color scheme

we asked for artistic... he did great work :)

kiss from big sis ... reflections

vintage look

dress top designs tailored specifically for each brides/groomsmaid

another shot in front of Stone Rose Lounge (see main picture)

Celebration
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table decor

entering the gallery (photo by gw)

harp & cello

the ceremony

unity sand

blessing

cocktail hour (photo by gw)

the reception

koi pond (photo by ic)

tables were personalized with guests' pictures... these would later be signed by guests and assembled into a "guestbook" (photo by ic)

no glass clinking - guests audition by song (this is Hollywood after all) to get the couple to kiss

toast

the end... and the beginning

Relaxation
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Honeymoon Part I - Bahamas
Honeymoon Part 2 - Europe
Part 3, 4, 5, etc. - [TBD, insert travel list here]

[ all photos by allyson & steve - do not use without permission ]

Four Seasons, Emerald Bay - a wedding was being set up the day we arrived

scattered showers

evening by the pool

snorkeling - reef life

practice range

kayaking to the absolutely breathtaking Moriah Bay

annual Long Island regatta

love the beach

Vendor Information
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Reception Location - Yamashiro Restaurant

Sitting at the top of the Hollywood Hills, Yamashiro embodies historic old Hollywood and remains a trendy restaurant & lounge with a great view of the city. It's great for a small to medium-sized event (under 150 ppl). The event staff is supportive, organized, and responsive. Our wedding ran smoothly thanks to them.
(Rating - 5 out of 5)

Caterers - Crissy's Coffee Service

Our luckiest and best find. We found them through a random internet search, and saw that they had great testimonials and significant event experience. We highly recommend them to anyone who wants a coffee bar at their event. They bring their own equipment and serve unlimited coffee, tea, with any flavors and extras that you might want. The baristas were sweet, courteous, and considerate to our guests, and they stayed much longer than they had to for us.
(Rating - 5+ out of 5)

Florist - Fleuretica

Our florist was referred to us, and has done a number of our friend's weddings. They focus on special events, concentrate on only one wedding per week, and work with you on your creative vision and budget. They put together our bridal bouquets, groomsmen boutonnières, table centerpieces, and altar flowers. The results were beautiful, detailed creations.
(Rating - 5 out of 5)

Photographer - Yours By John

Our photographers (from Seattle) shot our friends' wedding a few years back and we'd loved the results. They did well during our time constraints, and we were comfortable with them. They did tend to snap a lot of closeups vs. capturing the overall scene. We sent the slideshow our photographers made to friends, and many guests who couldn't attend the wedding said they felt like they had been there and experienced it.
(Rating - 4 out of 5)

Musicians - Carol Tatum, Harpist

Another lucky find from an internet search. Carol is very sweet and supportive and will work with you on your vision for your wedding. She is a recording artist and has played at a wide variety of venues. Her rates are very reasonable and her harp is custom-made, so it has a beautiful sound. She was accompanied by Cathy Biagini, cellist, who is also a professional musician and recording artist.
(Rating - 5 out of 5)

Tuxedos - Friar Tux

We wanted to go with a bigger chain since most of groomsmen were out of town, but we came here after interacting with the unattentive, obnoxious staff at Men's Wearhouse. Friar Tux is a Southern California chain, but our out-of-towners were able to get fitted elsewhere and enter their measurements online. Our only complaint is that we specifically had two jackets shipped to the store so that the groom could try them on (this is a free service) and decide which fit better. We changed the selection for him and the entire party and also changed the color of the groom's vest & tie. While this try-it-out process was smooth and the staff helpful and accommodating, they didn't record our selections. Before the wedding, we found the colors and coat styles were unchanged and had to be out-sourced to another vendor at the last minute (since it was also prom season). But, they did get us what we needed in time. Since their warehouse is within driving distance, their advantage is being able to make last minute swaps.
(Rating - 4 out of 5)

My Dress - 2000 Dreams

I had a very short amount of time to shop for my dress, so I started at David's Bridal (see below), and ended up at Marylinn's, where the lady got a feel for my personality after seeing my initial selections, and then picked a dress that she thought I would like. This is the dress I eventually bought. I wrote the style number down and went to 2000 Dreams (friend's referral) where they ordered it for me for almost half the price that bridal stores sell it for. They also provide you with a veil and tiara for free.

Nancy at 2000 Dreams was very nice. She kept me updated by phone. She is a businesswoman though, and suggested ordering or buying bridesmaid dresses, qipaos, shoes, mom's dress there also, which I didn't do. They do a great job with alterations, and created a bustle for my dress. They also work with your timeframe - I had to do a rush order, and they finished my alterations quickly.

David's Bridal - I personally dislike them. A lot. Their dresses didn't suit my body type and did not fit well. Their consultants aren't that experienced and are pushy about you making a selection, registering at their store, taking your personal information, etc. which they put on their marketing list. In my missed calls list, I saw that I got 2-3x daily calls from their counterpart AfterHours formalwear. I did not get removed from the call list until I called them back twice. If you start at David's Bridal - give them fake info. I didn't know better.

(2000 Dreams Rating - 4 out of 5)
(Marylinn's Rating - 4 out of 5)
(David's Bridal Rating - 0.5 out of 5)

Bridesmaid Dresses - Theresa Zepeda

I found this seamstress by referral of several friends. She works out of her garage. You bring her your designs, she tells you how much material to buy from the garment district. It saves a lot of money. She measures your bridesmaids (and you too if you you're getting your dress made) or gives you directions to send to your out-of-towners to measure themselves and mail back or call her.

While she did an excellent job, I found communication a little bit frustrating. The out-of-town measurements don't work that well, in person fitting really is necessary. One of my girls flew in Friday expecting a finished product needing only minor adjustments to be determined with the final fitting, and we found the dress in the state that the in-town girls found it in 1-month prior during their 2nd fittings. Needless to say, we had to pick it up the morning of the wedding... a little stressful, but excellent workmanship. She is retiring at the end of this year.
(Rating - 4 out of 5)

Makeup Artist - Elaine Chou

Elaine does professional level makeup and hair and has impressive training and experience. She did a number of friends' and acquaintances' hair and makeup for their weddings. The trial is very helpful and the resulting look she gives you is very natural and elegant - the eyebrows are amazing. Unfortunately, she only had time to do my hair and makeup, but I would have liked her to work on my bridesmaids as well - her friends aren't as good as she is. She also holds makeup classes at her home.
(Rating - 4 out of 5)

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