Just Chic Events Blog

Wonderful Graffiti Wedding has done it again with the addition of their new Chocolate Collection!!  For those of you who haven’t heard of this company, they take signage to a new level.   They laser cut matte vinyl into any monogram, phrase or picture that you can imagine, which you can then transfer to pretty much any surface.  Once you are done with your event, the vinyl peels right off !!  Below are some of my favorites:

The reason I first fell in love with this company, their getaway car graffiti, so much more gorgeous then the tin cans on ribbons!

For those of you with a mantel behind your sweetheart or cake table, how perfect is this piece?

Adding a monogram to your passed wine glasses at cocktail hour would definitely give them that WOW effect!

If a projected gobo isn’t an option, you can still personalize your dance floor with these!

A banner that gives your ceremony a focal point can be the perfect touch for the end of your aisle!

And lastly, what a cute way to give your guests a little direction!

Well it was actually yesterday, that I celebrated my first anniversary with the hubs….but since he whisked me away to the happiest place on earth, DISNEYLAND (I grew up in Orange County and we went every year, so I still hold a little place in my heart for it), I had no time to blog about it!  I really can’t believe it’s been a year, (caution: gushy mushy thoughts ahead) I feel like the luckiest girl on earth every day and feel so blessed to be married to my man.

Some of my favorite shots from that special day (all taken by the ridiculously talented Evoke Photography):

The necessary elated shots taken moments after our recessional:

Our hottie bridal party:

And the people we can’t live without….our families:

More fun bride/groom shots:

Our ceremony was held at the gorgeous Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels:

Followed by a the reception I had dreamed up in my head for 18 months at the Athenaeum in Pasadena:

Our grand entrance went straight into our first dance:

Some of my favorite details of the day (most of this was all DIY, it took alot of blood, sweat and tears and an amazing mom to help me with all of it):

Our programs:

Our placecard trees:

The rhinestone table numbers we painstakenly glued every single rhinestone onto:

The placesettings, complete with a coral napkin, DIY menu and the DIY soda favors (that the hubs worked so very hard on), and the DIY round bottle opener/placecards:

The cocktail napkins and the bar menus:

And the yummy 3-tiered cake, provided by DeCroupet Cake Sisters:

 And the reasons I adore Kate Baker, who rocked my florals, as usual:

And, can’t forget about all the signs!

I know that this shot didn’t come out totally clear, but it brings back one of my favorite memories of the day.  I convinced the hubs that I HAD to have “Time of My Life” from the Dirty Dancing movie as our last song, and not only did he give in…..but when we did dance that last song, I ran to him - a la Jennifer Grey - and he spun me around like we were in the movie.  One of the 10000000 reasons I love my hubby!!

After the last dance, we went through a sparkler grand exit and into our getaway car!  Aside from the snafus, I will always remember it as a perfect day!

Eric - I love you more than I could ever try to put into words, you are my heart, but just as importantly, you are my funny bone.  Thank you for this amazing year, and my only wish is for 100 more!!

Just when you think you have all of the hardest decisions of wedding planning behind you, you realize that you have yet to buy the bridal party gifts.  As if buying a gift for one man isn’t hard enough, now you have to find something for 3-10 guys…..something universally fabulous.  I decided to put together a few groomsmen gift ideas for those of you who are tired and stumped (this post is especially for you, K!!), and tried to keep them all under $50:

If your groomsmen are big boozers:

The Travel Bar from Flight 001 -  not only does it include the 2 flasks, but also a nifty stirrer and some collapsible cups. so they can create a complete cocktail in a flash:

Or for guy that prefers wine to a cocktail, the Wine Carrier Set at Red Envelope includes 2 wine glasses, a wine opener, and room for a bottle:

Or for the guys that prefer beer, what could be better than an Around The World Beer Bucket, found at Gourmet Gift Baskets?  This gift is priced a little higher than $50, but who says you can’t just swipe the idea for free and create your own, cheaper version with buckets and unique six-packs from Cost Plus World Market?

For the golf enthusiasts:

Personalized golf balls found at Red Envelope:

Or even combine a guy’s love for golf AND booze and give them the Designated Driver Kooler Klub found at After 5:

For the music enthusiast, a perfect summer gift is the cooler that incorporates an MP3 player and includes speakers.  The one found at MyBusinessGifts.com can even be personalized with someone’s name or initials:

For the sports lovers….a retro-style Tshirt of their favorite team is always a good idea.  My favorite ones are found at Retro Sports Apparel:

And the last gift is extremely universal….turning even the biggest metrosexual into a handyman, the ALWAYS useful Leatherman tool.  These tools, which can even be personalized to incorporate someone’s initials or last name, can be found at all different price points, starting as low as $25 for the keychain versions:

I am so excited to blog this wedding from this past weekend, held at the Luxe Hotel on Sunset…..a HUGE shout-out to JAC Photography for not only taking amazing shots, but also for getting these blog teasers out in record time!! 

I met Janice and Andrew back in December during the craziness of the holiday season…..and immediately loved Janice’s calm nature.  She already had a friend doing the coordination of the timeline, but had these wonderful design ideas running through her head for her eggplant & lime-green themed wedding, and wanted help executing them.  I was more than excited to sign on to this wedding because I knew that it would end up nothing short of stunning, and I was right!  So without rambling on any further, the gorgeous shots:

A great shot of Janice’s shoes, they were the perfect combo of style and class, and fit her personality to a T:

One of my favorite “bride” shots of all-time!!

A fun shot of the girls in their gorgeous eggplant gowns:

And the guys were not to be outdone!

JAC captured this ceremony moment just beautifully:

Janice and her stunning bouquet from Kate Baker Florals, a lovely combination of peonies, orchids and callas:

A fun collage shot of some of the details (first row, left to right: Centerpieces by Kate Baker, adorable placecards by Serendipity Design alongside the personalized teacup favors, bridesmaid’s bouquet by Kate Baker.  Second row, left to right: Janice’s DIY hanging escort cards, wish tree base with sign from Serendipity Design, flowergirl’s pomander by Tricia Tao.  Third row, left to right: Scrumptious cupcakes by A Sweet Design, “take a wish” bowl, and lollipop favors for the kids.

One of my favorite parts of the reception was the wish tree….a beautiful manzanita tree setup, with colorful squares of plexiglass that guests were able to add their “wishes” to, with metallic pens!  It turned into a beautiful piece of art in the room, and will be a wonderful keepsake for the couple to remember their special day!

Janice is a huge lover of everything “tea,” so it was a no-brainer that we included a tea bar setup for the wedding…..it was a HUGE hit with the guests!!

Janice and Andrew: Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your amazing day, I am so happy for you both!  Janice, your vision came together so beautifully, and I am so happy that you have these gorgeous memories for years to come.  Have a wonderful time on your honeymoon!!

Check out JAC Photography’s blog for more amazing shots of this unforgettable day!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe long holiday weekend!!  My big accomplishments this weekend were a beautiful wedding at the Luxe Hotel on Sunset (which I will hopefully be able to blog about soon!), and these scrumptious (not to toot my own horn, but they were!) red velvet cupcakes.  

I decided to use a recipe I found at The Repressed Pastry Chef, since she had come up with the “holy grail” recipe for cream cheese frosting that you could pipe through a pastry bag. 

I have to say, I was pretty proud of myself, but when all was said and done, after hours of baking and icing, and having my kitchen and my entire self covered in blue frosting…..next time, I’ll probably just order them from A Sweet Design!!   She created the cupcake tree for the wedding this past weekend and it was adorable AND delicious….my favorite combo!!

Brides sometimes spend upwards of 6 months searching for the perfect dress, but what about what to wear under it??

For a smooth look, I know many of us bow down to Spanx, said to be able to take inches off your waist and hips.  This strapless full slip may be the perfect undergarment for those wearing a body-hugging gown, made of unforgiving slinky material like silk charmeuse:

For the bride that needs a little more support, a classic bustier may be in order, although some say that this can sometimes add inches to the waist and bust, because of the heavy material.  Below is the underwire bridal bustier by Le Mystere (found at Nordstrom):

A less glamorous, but equally effective undergarment can be to have your seamstress add some good old-fashioned bra cups directly into your dress.  Most wedding gowns have so much boning and support, that the bra cups are all you need for a smooth line:

And then for the underwear….what is sweeter than ruffle butt panties??  These, made by Honeydew Intimates, are the perfect “something blue” for a bride:

And finally, the panties I myself chose for my own wedding, the uber-flattering boyshort personalized with your new married name and wedding date.  I fell in love with this idea so much, that not only did I buy them for myself, but I’ve also given it to every engaged friend as a gift at their bachelorette party.  It is the first day you’ll be able to wear “Mrs” apparel, so why not start with your underwear?!

Personalized hotshorts, found at CustomizedGirl.com for $15.97, a variety of colors and fonts to choose from (Please note, this is not my actual behind, God has not been that kind to me in that department):

I decided Ashley and Jeff’s wedding deserved a “Part Deux” blog entry because I was just sent a few more ever-incredible detail shots, taken by the super-talented AHS Photography, as well as a few extras from the duo that took the photobooth shots, Gabriel and Carli Ryan, another set of amazing photogs!!  I think these shots capture how much work Ashley put into the details of her own wedding, and rumor has it that, thankfully, she is going to start offering up her “wedding stationary” services to brides really soon!!

Ashley put alot of thought into her escort card setup…..she knew from the beginning that she wanted something ”outside the box,” that would somehow tie in with the rest of her wedding look.  I threw out an idea of the box filled with moss and scattered blooms, and Ashley came up with these precious escort cards to “plant” into the moss.  They consisted of strawberry and khaki colored cardstock, calligraphed in a whimsical font with the guests’ names, and the table number was added as a sweet button that also incorporated their lovebirds theme.  She painted and glittered the wood skewer, attached the finished cardstock, and ended up with these sweet creations:

                              Photo Credit: AHS Photography

Can you say refreshing?!  Ashley wanted to make sure that guests had access to some sweet beverages before they sat down for the ceremony.  Contemporary Catering provided the drinks, which included Cucumber Melon Water, Nectarine Passion Iced Tea, and everyone’s favorite (shown below), Strawberry Lemonade!!

                                        Photo Credit: AHS Photography

I can’t say enough about Kate Baker, who created Ashley’s GORGEOUS bouquet, a perfect combination of peonies and spray roses:

                       Photo Credit: AHS Photography

The ceremony setup was so beautiful, Kate painted a couple of urns the perfect charcoal color to go along with Ashley’s color theme and then filled them with these “blooming” manzanita trees.  It was the perfect backdrop to the space where Ashley and Jeff exchanged their vows!  If you notice closely, Ashley also handmade some reserved seating signs in the front rows for their VIPs!

                                       Photo Credit: AHS Photography

The bride and groom’s spot at the head table, marked by the ever-chic Vera Wang “Love Knots” toasting flutes.  Also, you can spot the bubble votives that Ashley found at Crate and Barrel….their unique look brought additional style to the table setups!

                                           Photo Credit: Gabriel Ryan Photography

A great shot of the full table setups!  Ashley chose to do long banquet style tables covered in simple charcoal table linens.  Instead of a more traditional centerpiece, Kate Baker set up a variety of Ashley’s own bud vases down the length of the table and filled them with sweet clusters of various white blooms with touches of greenery, to create a lighthearted feel that Ashley and Jeff were going for!

               Photo Credit: Gabriel Ryan Photography

The gocco’d and glittered menus that Ashley created to fit perfectly into the napkin pocketfolds.  Their food spread consisted of In-and-Out entrees, with accompaniments like a fry bar and salads provided by Contemporary Catering.  It was comfort food at it’s best!

                    Photo Credit: AHS Photography

The delectable dessert table that guests couldn’t stop talking about!  Vanilla Bake Shop created some out-of-this-world dessert shots, with flavors like Dirt Cake and Triple Berry Shortcake, as well as an assortment of precious mini-cupcakes!  Ashley DIY’d the colorful signs to go along with the sweet display:

                                   Photo Credit: AHS Photography

          Photo Credit: AHS Photography

The 6-inch cake that Vanilla Bake Shop created for Ashley and Jeff to cut into was beautifully finished off by a lovebirds cake topper created especially for the couple by Lauren Alane:

                                      Photo Credit : AHS Photography

And, to add to the sweet feel of the evening, Ashley provided us with enough candy to feed an army, in order to create her enticing candy bar, completed with her DIY tags for every candy jar!

               Photo Credit: Gabriel Ryan Photography

I just had to include this picture of Jeff and his groomsmen, it showed just how rad and cool (hint: check out Jeff’s Converse shoes) these guys were! 

                     Photo Credit: AHS Photography

And finally, one last shot of the gorgeous bride and adorable groom, you guys are TOO cute together!!

If you are one of my brides, you’ve probably already heard me say it countless times…..I truly believe that  linens are like your table’s “outfit,” and the florals are the accessories.  When getting yourself ready in the morning, you would spend just as much time thinking about one as you would the other, right? 

With so many AMAZING options for speciality linens these days, the options on how to dress up your tables are limitless.  Some newer options I’ve been drooling over include the following, although these pictures definitely don’t do justice to how these gorgeous linens look in person!!

Cabernet Floral Tinsel (Cloth Connection):

Apple Green Palettes (Cloth Connection):

Black and White Flock Damask (Cloth Connection):

Peacock Burnout (Cloth Connection):

Merlot Patchwork Silk (Cloth Connection):

Pintucks are still an ever-popular choice, especially with the addition of some new colors:

Fire Pintuck (Cloth Connection):

Magenta Pintuck (Cloth Connection):

And for the bride that prefers a more neutral look, your linens can still make a statement by bringing texture to the table!

Ecru Crinkle Taffeta (Cloth Connection):

My good friend (and client!) Lauren just got a few sneak peek pro pics from her fab D.C. photog, Michael Bennett Kress, and I just had to share! 

The adorable couple:

Her Ritz-Carlton reception setup, it was exquisite!!

The photobooth….which made for MANY funny moments!

The requisite cake shot, which was encased in the beautiful huppah they used during the ceremony:

One of my favorite moments of the night, they were SO happy, I got teary-eyed!

I am SO excited to blog one of my most anticipated weddings of the year, I can’t believe it’s over!!  Ashley is a bride after my own heart….a Martha Stewart-esque, stylish gal, who was crazy enough to attempt as many DIY projects as I did for my own wedding.  Her vision for her Los Angeles River Center wedding was a very desconstructed, casual, yet elegant feel with a color scheme of charcoal and khaki, with accents of peach, tangerine and strawberry.  She thought of every last detail and everything came together like a dream! 

Amy and Aaron at AHS photography rocked the pictures, as usual…..you should click on their site for the amazing slideshow, but here are a few of my favorites:

The happy couple in front of their double decker bus!  Ashley rented one to shuttle in the bridal party and lucky guests, as a touching tribute to her late British grandma!

The bride - an epitome of style and grace in her gorgeous Vera Wang gown:

I was obsessed with their shoes….the boys were all in Converse, and Ash was in her seersucker Christian Louboutin heels (that matched the adorable little ringbearer’s suit perfectly!):

The hottie BMs in their chic J.Crew charcoal dresses:

Just some of the amazing florals that Kate Baker created for the day.  Her flowers awe me, every single time she creates anything!!

And finally, a sweet collage of some of their MANY details!  (First row: Their adorable Lauren Alane cake topper, the yummiest dessert shots from Vanilla Bake Shop,  charity boxes for the charity favor tokens that Ashley created herself, her DIY escort cards that were glued to glittered skewers and then planted in a lovely bed of moss.  Second row: her DIY programs, the menus with the flatware envelopes that Ashley gocco’d herself, the sweet photobooth sign that directed guests to the ridiculously fun photobooth set up by Gabriel and Carlie Ryan.  Third row: the basket of flip-flops set out for the party animal guests, the gorgeous Manzanita tree arrangement that Kate Baker created for the ceremony, her DIY personalized straws, and part of the colorful refreshment table that Contemporary Catering set up for the ceremony.

Ashley and Jeff - Thank you SO much for allowing me to be a part of your incredible day.  You two are so unbelievably cute together, I am so happy that your wedding was such a perfect representation of who you are as a couple!!  You guys were SO much fun to work with and I will miss talking to you constantly!!