[the.details]

hair + makeup
attire
venue
paper
decor
dj + song list
food
cake
favors

[the.events]

first look
pre-ceremony portraits
ceremony
reception
knottie love
the end of the beginning

[the.vendors]

reviews

[the.links]

resources
red+aqua brides

planning bio
planning blog
for sale
life post-wedding!

venue
highly recommended
the clarke estate [tamra wilbur]
10211 pioneer blvd
santa fe springs, ca 90670
562.868.3876
www.santafesprings.org/depts/history/Clark_estate.asp

as soon as i pulled up to this venue, i knew it was perfect for our wedding. The well-kept grounds, the charming courtyard, the splashes of red, all the bamboo, the Modern architecture, and the expansive outdoor areas met our aesthetic criteria. on the practical side we loved the relatively reasonable rental fee (it's more of a steal if you are a city resident) that includes use of chairs and tables for up to 300 guests, 10 hour use of the estate (7 hours of which guests can be on the grounds), city-required security, a site coordinator, and ceremony sound equipment. ample parking is provided a short walk from the main gate of the estate, only one event is held at a time, and the expansiveness and variety of the grounds allows you to hold both ceremony and reception at the same venue, a must on our list, while still varying the feel of each portion of the wedding. there are a few regulations that must be respected due to the historic designation of the estate and its residential neighborhood, but none of the stipulations were deal breakers for us. their BYO policy for food and alcohol allowed us to save quite a bit on catering costs as well. the estate's events coordinator, tamra wilbur, was professional, pleasant to work with, accommodating of any special requests, and wonderfully organized in her dealings with us, our wedding coordinator, and our caterer.

coordinator
highly recommended
events of love and splendor [angel swanson]
angel@loveandsplendor.com
www.loveandsplendor.com

we initially thought our budget did not have room for a coordinator. however, we wanted to insure that things would run smoothly, we did not want to impose too much on guests, and we wanted to be able to enjoy the day ourselves. while i was very happy with the top three coordinators i met with, angel stood above the rest. her poise, genuine enthusiasm for her clients and weddings, and amazing, current sense of style set her apart. no matter the look and feel you are going for in your wedding, she has an adaptable and keen eye for what will (and will not) contribute to the big picture. She is organized and professional but also has an ideal personality, in my opinion, for a coordinator - sincerely sweet and affectionate toward her clients, diplomatic, and nice but firm + assertive when required.

when my original alcohol vendor flaked out two weeks before the wedding, she went over and beyond her contractual obligations in helping me make sure our guests did not go thirsty. on the day of, she and her assistant, anna, made sure everything ran smoothly and on time while being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. she cued all of the vendors, the bridal party, our families, and us subtly and at appropriate times. our other vendors commented on what a pleasure she was to work with. many of our guests commented on what an organized yet fun and laid-back wedding ours was, and that is due in large part to angel's work.

photographer
highly recommneded
m. norwood photography [michael norwood]
michael@mnorwoodphotography.com
www.mnorwoodphotography.com
mnphotography.blogspot.com

i was fortunate to have found michael when he was just breaking into wedding photography, especially since we had a beer budget and have champagne tastes as far as photography is concerned. both my husband and i were instantly taken by his warm, laid-back personality. despite both being rather camera-shy, we knew that we would be comfortable in front of him on our wedding day. even with only a few weddings under his belt at the time, his portfolio showed obvious talent, understanding of the types of shots brides and grooms want, and an impressive range.

we loved his enthusiasm and creativity in trying a new venue for our engagement photos. he was present for every moment of our 15+ hour wedding day, and we love both the candid moments and casual portraits he caught of us, our guests, and the event. as evidenced throughout this bio and my planning bio, his work speaks for itself. he was also prompt to respond, had our online proofs up in record time, and was another vendor that our other vendors truly enjoyed working alongside.

videographer
hihgly recommended
hd invision [robert busch]
818.825.1054
info@hdinvision.com
www.hdinvision.com

robert was very responsive, professional, and on top of follow-up from our intial contact. he arrived on time, decided to throw in a second shooter for the ceremony close to our wedding date when i sent him our ceremony setup, in order to best capture everything, and was everywhere and very unobtrusive at the same time on our wedding day.

editing-wise, we like more of an edgy and contemporary style. however, we didn't want our video to get dated too quickly, either. robert's editing style is a good balance between classic and modern without any cheese. from his other samples, it seems he can adjust more toward one end of the spectrum or the other as well, depending on your taste. he does give you a very detailed questionnaire regarding your style preferences at the beginning, but he was able to extract that which fit us and our event best with very little direction from [lazy] me [who didn't fill it all out]. his turnaround time was very reasonable as videography goes, and he was such a pleasure to work with throughout the process.

florist
highly recommended
city of commerce flowers [eddie]
2340 s. atlantic blvd.
los angeles, ca 90040
323.265.4377
www.commerceflowers.com

i am very picky when it comes to flowers. however, i didn't want to spend a fortune on something that would not last nor would my budget allow for me to use my dream floral design studios. i had a very tight budget for the scale of our wedding and the amount of flowers i wanted. eddie was the only florist i found who could do everything i wanted, and then some, within my budget. while i had a very clear, specific direction prepared prior to meeting with any florists, i also wanted creative input and suggestions. eddie was able to fill in the gaps for me and round out my vision. he also duly noted and respected nitpicky details i wanted changed at our mockup meeting (which occurs before signing a contract or handing over a deposit at commerce flowers). despite being a rather large shop that does many weddings a weekend, they do take care of you through their personable and attentive customer service.

although i was a bit disappointed that the corsages and bouts were not what we had originally planned, eddie did warn me from our initial consultation that the exact flowers i wanted were difficult for him to source at that time of year. he called me as soon as he knew about the lack of availability and suggested what sounded like a great substitute at the time. when the personal flowers were delivered to my hotel room (ahead of schedule, i should note), i realized i had misunderstood the types of substitute flowers we had discussed on the phone. one quick phone call and barely over an hour later, we had new flowers in the correct color. he also let us keep the "wrong" colored flowers, so our extended family and musicians got flowers, too!

caterer
recommended
elegant affair catering [pete + julie ortega]
800 n. main st.
orange, ca 92868
714.532.0114
www.eacevents.com

i love delicious, beautifully presented food. however, with our modest budget and decent-sized guest count, i had to find a caterer who made solid (if not crazy excellent) food for a decent price. with the help of elegant affair, we did it! we got a three-course sit-down dinner, all china/drinkware/flatware/linens rentals, some disposable wares (please feel free to clutch your pearls now), a few miscellaneous rentals (bar height tables for cocktail hour, a bar, etc.), cake cutting, champagne toast service (which we didn't use), cold drink station pre-ceremony, coffee station, bar staff to serve our BYO alcohol, and waitstaff for less than $50 a head.

while their food is not the most gourmet, it is definitely tastier than most wedding banquet food i have had. the presentation was sufficient but didn't wow. however, the food was fresh and tasty, service was excellent, and everything was a really great value.

cake
highly recommended
for the love of sugar [sarah witt]
562.425.0616
sarah@fortheloveofsugar.com
www.fortheloveofsugar.com

her specialty is cupcakes, but she can do pie, cookie favors, and cake as well. cake decorating is definitely her forte, but the cakes, fillings, and frostings are all fresh and delicious as well. i gave her an inspiration image, and she took it from there, producing exactly what we wanted. i wanted cream cheese frosting for my outdoor, august wedding, and she agreed as we pushed the delivery back to early evening and promised a shady area for the cake table. while putting together the contract, she threw in fondant over the cream cheese frosting for free, as she wanted to make sure the cake stayed pretty and safe to eat. on top of it all, she is definitely one of the most affordable bakers in the area.

alcohol supplier
highly recommended
wally's wine [david othenin-girard + judi wallace]
2107 westwood blvd.
los angeles, ca 90025
310.475.0606

my original alcohol vendor flaked out a little less than a week before the wedding. we wanted someone who could help us calculate quantities of alcohol/mixers/garnishes/ice/etc. to provide a full bar, provide delivery and pickup services, and would also accept returns on unopened bottles. i had frequented wally's previously for special occassion bottles of wine, but i never knew they also frequently cater parties. they provided us with a quote very quickly and made placing the order very easy for us. their prices are comparable to other retailers, but they do offer volume discounts depending on what you need.

dj
highly recommended
mixterious force [joey inez]
714.899.8400

due to sound restrictions, we had to use a dj from the venue's pre-approved list. after talking to many cheesy dj's that were asking for quite a bit fee-wise, my husband finally found joey. he was everything we wanted in a dj/mc and more. he is laid back, organized, and completely respects your specific desires. he went over and beyond in setting up for our three different areas--ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. as an mc, he was not cheesy at all, only announced the things we asked him to, and made sure he was on the same page as the other vendors involved in each event he announced to insure smooth flow. as a dj, he stuck to our lists, edited our long lists down very nicely, did a great job mixing (no awkward transitions or silences between songs - a peeve of my husband's, who used to spin), and also did a good job of reading the crowd and adjusting as needed. an added bonus was that for some of our more obscure, older hip hop, he was even able to dig records out and actually use them as he has both cd and vinyl turntables. many guests complimented both his mc and dj skills, and a friend/fellow knottie in attendance even commented that she wished she had hired him instead.

stationery
recommended with reservations
d.i.y.

start as early as possible. while i am happy with how the invitations turned out, i wish i had been able to spend more time on the composition of all the text and graphic elements. i ran out of time and had to go with the best of my then current iterations without improving on it much. i am happy with the overall end product, gocco'ing them was fun and a great way to get light text on colored paper in a d.i.y medium, and we got many compliments from guests who said they looked handmade yet professional at the same time. one tip is to get help, but beware of bringing too many cooks into the kitchen, especially if you are as anal as i am. this was a great way to get a suite of totally unique stationery for very little cost. each invitation, including all materials, envelopes, and postage, came to just under $2.50 each. if you have the time, skills, and desire, this is definitely a worthwhile project.

for detailed photos, go here.

calligraphy
recommended
d.i.y.

all that tuition spent on learning how to hand draft and hand letter came in handy! if you have decent penmanship and a little extra time, i would recommend you go for it. materials are relatively inexpensive, and this d.i.y. project isn't that time intensive. i did about a hundred invitations in just a couple of t.v. watching sessions.

for more info on my own process, go here.

favors
highly recommended
diddy riese cookies
926 broxton ave.
los angeles, ca 90024
310.208.0448
m-f 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
s-s 12 p.m. - 1 a.m.

these cookies hold a dear place in our hearts [despite neither of us being bruins], as we would occasionally drive to westwood after dinner to indulge in the cheap and delicious ice cream sandwiches during a formative stage of our relationship. i am also of the "let-it-be-edible-or-forget-it" school of favor thought, so these seemed fitting as they are edible and related to our relationship.

i called in my rather large order a day ahead per their instructions. the next morning, the fresh cookies were boxed and ready for pickup upon my arrival. i ordered a wide variety of flavors in varying numbers, and they got the order exactly correct. the cookies were delicious as usual, and you really can't beat $3.75 per dozen.

after adding in all costs, including the cookie and three layers of packaging, the favors came out to less than 50 cents a pop + they were crowd pleasers. very few cookies were taken home as guests devoured them while still at the wedding. [special shoutout to lilcee, who gave me the idea and convinced me to do favors after all.]

favor packaging
recommended
d.i.y.

see how i did it here. it's very easy since most of the work can be done ahead of time. however, stuffing the cute suckers would be best done with the help of others or hired out if you know the day before your wedding will be hectic. all materials used are also noted in my blog entry, and i was very happy with staples, papermart, and the container store.

favor assembly
highly recommended
my candy paper [maria freedberg]
mycandypaper@gmail.com
mycandypaper.wordpress.com

my candy paper is owned by a friend of mine who generously offered to package up my cookies for me. she hand-delivered them to the venue on the day of and did a great job of insuring each cookie was wrapped with care and the sticker stuck on "just so." she designs all things paper for weddings as well, but my d.i.y. inclinations kept me from using her services for my other wedding paper needs. however, i anticipate using her again for future paper needs.

dress
highly recommended
ulla-maija 'danielle'
available at saks fifth avenue, beverly hills + costa mesa
www.ulla-maija.com

silk tissue taffeta felt a bit papery and not quite as luxe as the satins i had previously tried on, petted, and otherwise felt up. however, it turned out to be a smart choice for our outdoor summer wedding as it's breathable and lighter in weight. it also still shimmers beautifully. i loved how the dress was a little fuller than many a-line gowns [there are a couple of layers of tulle built into the skirt] but not as poofy as a ballgown. the combination of simplicity and attention to detail totally appealed to my minimalist sensibilities. the attention to draping, the pleats, the neckline, and back all made it look so beautiful when worn. the detachable train was fun as i got to do the cathedral-length thing for the ceremony [it totally makes you feel so bridal], but could take all that cumbersome fabric right off for the reception. lastly, i was so happy to find an a-line, strapless gown that actually looks great on petite frames.

dress "salon"
highly recommended
preownedweddingdresses.com
www.preownedweddingdresses.com

after quite some time of scouring the internet for a used or discounted version of my gown, i came across a listing on preownedweddingdresses.com. the bride's measurements were nearly identical to mine, except for the bust, which was slightly bigger. no biggie! a bust can easily be taken in. i contacted the bride with an offer. a few emails, one paypal transaction, and a cross-country journey [for the dress] later, the lovely gown was in my hands.

the recent bride i bought from was prompt to reply, easy to work with, and shipped my dress promptly. when the dress arrived, it was dry cleaned as promised and in pristine condition for having been previously worn all day at an outdoor wedding. she made some of her money back, and i got a couture gown in used but excellent condition for a fraction of the retail price. it was definitely a win-win situation.

bridal gown alterations
highly recommended
wedding alterations by mahtab
949.457.2270
mahtab10@yahoo.com
www.weddingalterations.com

mahtab comes highly recommended on the boards for good reason. she has been working with designer wedding gowns for years, and it shows in her workmanship and eye for detail + fit. she altered and repaired my dress so that it fit like a glove, had it ready to go for each fitting, was so warm and pleasant to work with throughout the process, and did it all for a fair price.

while traipsing about in some rough terrain to get a few pre-ceremony wedding party shots, my bridesmaids and i realized that one of my underlayers was snagging on the brush and dry leaves. it turns out the innermost layer in the back of the dress, which provided a shield from the itchy, built-in layers of tulle, had been cut to the correct length but the hem not finished. i had not noticed this upon inspection when picking up my dress. we made do by detangling the junk from the shredded bottom and trimming the threads so as to prevent further unraveling. it was fine for the rest of the night. i contacted mahtab about this one problem as soon as we returned from our honeymoon, and she agreed to repair it as soon as was convenient for me. i saw her a few days later, and she suggested fixing it while i waited. a few minutes later, it was as good as new, at no extra charge. she was as pleasant, prompt, and professional as she was when first quoting my gown throughout this repair process.

dress cleaning + preservation
highly recommended
affordable preservation co.
800.887.0135
www.affordablepreservation.com
they ship the gowns out to wedding gown preservation co.

overall, I had a good experience with shipping my gown off to be cleaned and preserved. i used affordable preservation's "celebrity" package. they seem to be a local distributor of wedding gown preservation co. they send you the box, you ship it to endicott, ny (i have a friend that lives there, coincidentally), they clean it, then ship it back to you. it was $34 cheaper than wedclean for comparable services. if i didn't have a detachable train and want extra insurance, wedclean would have been cheaper.

they were very responsive. emails and calls were returned within 24 hours. email confirmations were sent during each step of the process. overall, it took 8 weeks total from payment to getting the dress back. that included the 2 weeks or so i had the box but did not actually pack the dress up and drop it off at UPS, due to laziness. they say it can take up to 12-14 weeks during peak times. they noted on the return slip that they were unable to get all stains out, but the few remaining were on the underside of the hem which was by far the dirtiest part of the dress. most of the stains vanished, and the dress was very well packaged for storage.

shoes
recommended
bcbgirls 'librarian'
purchased from piperlime [see review below]

these were too cute to pass up. the color and circle cutouts went perfectly with the paper goods i designed. they are 3-1/2" stiletto pumps, though, so they weren't the most comfortable shoes. i somewhat remedied this by wearing the shoes around the house and by adding the next product.

shoe inserts
recommended
foot petals 'heavenly heelz' + 'tip toes'
purchased from nordstrom

my shoes made the balls of my feet hurt because of their height. they were also about half a size too big, and i could not find them anywhere in a half size down, so i kept them. after inserting both of these products, the shoes were a bit too tight. they also made my feet pretty sweaty. they did, however, up the comfort level of the shoes quite a bit, kept the backs of the shoes from slipping off my heels, and cushioned the balls of my feet.

shoe store
highly recommended
piperlime
www.piperlime.com

this online store run by gap, inc. has a great selection of the latest style shoes from a wide range of brands, free shipping both ways, and the cutest brown + lime green packaging. iinitially ordered three pairs of shoes and returned the two i didn't want using their enclosed return label and instructions. the return was smooth, hassle-free, and my refund was credited in a timely manner.

veil
highly recommended
crowning glory designs [candi merle]
candi@cgveils.com

she let me prance about in her home studio, in my dress, as i tried on her various sample veils. it was a very useful exercise in order to decide on the best combo of tulle color, cut, edging, and embellishments for a veil that would suit me, my dress, and our event. candi is fast, produces veils of great quality at a reasonable price, and is such a warm person to boot. while picking up my very basic drop veil, she showed me an in-progress, intricate veil with lace and beading to match a bride's gown. the contrast of the two next to each other spoke volumes about the range of what she can craft.

jeweler
highly recommended
world watch and jewelry center [michelle lee]
650 s. hill st. #E8 [inside the st. vincent jewelry center]
los angeles, ca 90014
213.627.0547

if you?re not quite sure where to start in the downtown jewelry district, try our jeweler. whe?s honest, knowledgable, sweet, sells GIA certified stones, helps you get the most out of your budget, helps you stick to your budget, and she never pressures you. there are a lot of great jewelers downtown, and she's definitely one of the more brilliant gems [har har]. we worked with her to custom design my engagement ring and selected our rather basic wedding bands from her extensive, stocked collection. turnaround time for custom pieces is very quick.

for more detailed photos of and commentary on our purchases, go here.

groom's + groomsmen's suits
recommended
j. valintin
723 s. los angeles st.
los angeles, ca 90014
213.624.7614
www.jvalintin.com

don't let the not-so-great images on their website scare you away. instead of having our groomsmen rent tuxes, we had them buy basic black suits that they could re-wear for less than the price of some tux rentals. none of our groomsmen wear suits too often, so they were fine with buying suits made of a man-made (but breathable) material. the fabric was good quality for a $100ish suit, and all of the guys were happy with the quality and fit. they had a great selection and range of suits in terms of color/pattern, price (starting around $100 for manmade fabrics and starting from around $150 for wool), and sizes. they also walked us next door to a tailor they work with, and two hours and shockingly very little cash later, we had all the guys' suits crisply altered and in hand.

i did not enjoy the haggling process (it is downtown in the fashion district, after all), but my husband did most of it. you do have a little room to negotiate if you are buying 3 or more suits. also beware the hard sell - they like to try to get you to buy extras as they have a good selection of shirts, shoes, ties, and other accessories.

bridesmaid dresses
recommended
custom [laura bravo]
email me at knotname at gmail for her contact information.

while hunting for a dress, my bridesmaids and i liked watters' style #7415. however, it did not come in the color i wanted. i also loved the idea of a double hem in a contrast color as well as the underside of the sash in that same contrast color, so the custom route seemed to be the only answer. luckily, fellow knottie veroni2413 found laura and recommended her to me.

laura can make pretty much any formal gown from a few good photographs. on my first visit, i was impressed with the quality of the dresses she had in progress and hanging in her workroom. she was also about 30% less than a couple other seamstresses i had met with, so it was a no-brainer to give her a try. the dresses came out beautifully, especially since they were custom fit to each of my bridesmaids (except the out-of-town one, who sent me her measurements). she can get very busy in the summer months, so i would advise seeing her for the first time at least 4-5 months before your wedding so that you have time to shop for fabric and get your girls in to be measured.

rehearsal lunch
recommended
the corner place (ghil mok), cerritos
19100 gridley rd.
cerritos, ca 90703
562.402.8578

we held our rehearsal on a saturday morning, so we wanted someplace casual and family-style for lunch afterward. i had quite a few relatives coming from korea, who i knew would appreciate korean food since we were serving a rather american menu at the wedding. the corner place totally fit the bill. less than 15 minutes away from our venue, they have a couple of private rooms that can accommodate up to 60ish (we only needed one for about 30), they have decent quality meat and delicious dongchimi gooksoo (house specialty cold noodle dish that is perfectly delicious for summer lunches), which lived up to even my relatives' standards, and it's well-ventilated and clean as korean bbq places go. the waitstaff was actually quite pleasant by korean restaurant standards, they happily obliged our majority non-korean-speaking guests' every request, and the manager even came in to wish us her best for our marriage.