Boxwood floral arrangement by tic-tock Couture Florals (photo by Kris Kan), Dress by Louis Vuitton

Lusciously Red floral arrangement by tic-tock Couture Florals (photo by Kris Kan),
Dress by Marc Jacobs (photo by Marcio Madeira and firstVIEW)

Jewel Tones floral arrangement by tic-tock Couture Florals (photo by Kris Kan), 
Leather Pants and Top by Balmain

Geisha floral arrangement by tic-tock Couture Florals (photo by Kris Kan), 
Dress by No. 21

Sunburst floral arrangement by tic-tock Couture Florals (photo by Kris Kan), 
Dress by Prada (photo by Marcio Madeira and firstVIEW)

Sonnet floral arrangement by tic-tock Couture Florals (photo by Kris Kan), 
Skirt, top and jacket by Prada (photo by Marcio Madeira and firstVIEW)

The bride and groom were a perfect combination of Boho Chic and Old Hollywood Glamour. The London West Hollywood was the perfect backdrop for the marriage of this stylish bride and groom. The wedding was inspired partly from the London's gorgeous aesthetic and the bride's personal taste of neutral tones, lots of textures, gold and a bit of Marie Antoinette (See the amazing cake below!)

The couple live in the Hollywood Hills, so having that as a backdrop for the ceremony and cocktail hour was perfect.  The ceremony was located on the London rooftop, and all the guests were able to see the sunset over Beverly Hills and the Westside. Guests were greeted with calligraphed programs, sparkling lemonades and mineral water. They entered through thick green hedges and walked into a stunning all white ceremony with flowers in whites and nude colors, using Sahara roses, white ranunculus, white roses and white hydrangea.

Flanking the aisle were two floral treatments sitting on top of white pedestals topped with floating candles. The couple walked down the aisle to "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. The aisle consisted of a white runner lined with rose petals which led to a romantic and elegant chuppah made from soft silk chiffon in white.  As the sun set, the ceremony took place and the candles lining the runner and back of the chuppah began to twinkle as the bride and groom said "I do."  

After the couple officially became Mr. and Mrs., they went to the Hampton Courtyard on the third floor.  The Hampton Courtyard is a traditional English Garden with  green hedges and blossoming white rose bushes. Here a bit of a whimsical touch was used as we placed beautiful white and Sahara roses into Vintage perfume bottles. Guests drank champagne and cocktails under the stars while listening to music and seeing the light of the Hollywood Hills come alive.  Guests posed on the the London's oversized Chess Board and dined on Gordan Ramsay's perfectly prepared hors d'oeuvres.

After an hour outside in the courtyard, guests moved into the Ballroom's foyer where dramatically centered was a exquisite floral candelabra that towered over the escort cards. The cards were hand calligraphed to match the wedding invitation and program. Guests entered into the ballroom which was breathtaking and so perfectly designed by Boutique Events!  

The band's backdrop made from the same silk chiffon as the chuppa in an old Hollywood Glam feeling, to the stage covers of white molded wood with mirrored centers and the gray dance floor was the anchor in the room. The gorgeous cake with it's white backdrop and gold embellishments was positioned just to the right of the band so the guests could admire it all night long.  It looked like a cake Marie Antoinette would have served at one of her fetes!  

We had two different table scapes. All of the tables were topped in luxiourous silk dupioni linens in Ivory while all of the bars and stations were covered in a nude colored silk dupioni. Table Look One consisted of a large, but not too large, centerpiece made in a gold-fluted bowl filled with gorgeous flowers and votives and bud vases surrounding. The china used on this table featured a white backdrop and gold embellishments. Gold flatware was used and really elevated the dining experience. Each place setting was topped with a white hem-stich linen napkin and a HUGE white rose. The Table Look Two brought out the more bohemian spirit of the bride and consisted of differnt sized gold blocks topped with gold Morrocan vessels filled with a variety of flowers and votives. The china was a bit more clean, consisting of a single gold etching around the white china.  All guests had champagne and wine flutes trimmed in gold etching. 

Guests dined on fun stations in the foyer and enjoyed Risotto, Filet Mignon, Cedar-Planked Wild Salmon, Farmer's Market Salad and Vegetables.  After a night of dancing, toasting, laughing and joy, we cut the cake and re-opened the foyer to a marvelous display of fresh fruit, cookies, chocolates and sweets.

Event Planning: Kimberlee Bendeck and Dana Cohen of Boutique Events LA
Flowers: tic-tock Couture Florals
Venue: The London West Hollywood
Photography: Yvette Roman Photography
Videography: Manifest Videography
Cake: Cake and Art
Entertainment: Debois Entertainment
Rabbi: Rabbi Eli Herscher
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Lighting: Images by Lighting
Decor: Revelry Event Designers
Calligraphy and Invitations: Williams Ernest Brown
Linens: La Tavola Linens 

Los Angeles and New York City are home to some of the world’s most talented event designers and producers, and while some are happy to call one coast or the other home, Kimberlee Bendeck and Dana Cohen of Boutiquevents made the big decision to go bicoastal. When you talk with the two of them, it’s clear that this match is amazing. They finish each other’s sentences, laugh in unison and have wonderfully contrasting and complementary tastes and talents.

Creating the incredible since 2007 in NYC, it’s been a year since their LA launch. Owner, Kimberlee and LA-based partner Dana, are super busy with their blooming LA business.  Now that these New York City ladies have branched out to Los Angeles and are sharing their talents with the West Coast, we’ve really loved working with them and sat down to chat about where they came from, how they started, what they love and why. 

tt: How did you each get started?

Kimberlee: Right out of college. I knew I wanted to do events in New York City. I started working with a company that was heavily culinary based, doing mostly James Beard events, Bon Appetit events and the like. When I moved on from there, I went to work with Preston Bailey, which was just a great experience. I stayed with Preston for four years and decided it was time to step out on my own. I really wanted to do my own thing, get further into the details and the planning, and so I started Boutiquevents.

Dana: Well, I’m originally from New York and went to college at Tulane in New Orleans. When I graduated college, I worked with luxury hotels and fell in love. I spent eight years as a catering manager in various hotels, the W in New York, Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica and Casa del Mar – then, after opening the SLS with Starwood, I partnered with Kim. Working in luxury hotels allowed me to experience the very highest in standards and service and the opportunity to work with a vast range of clients; private events, corporate, non-profits, weddings – I’ve really been able to work with them all. Our different experience and background is part of what is great about what we are able to provide to our clients.

tt: We love working with you and you both so clearly love what you do. What is it about your clients and events that you love so much?

Kimberlee: There is nothing more fulfilling than watching our clients relax and enjoy an event. So much goes into making it happen and seeing that vision executed, seeing their faces when they walk in, watching them be with their friends and family…It really just gives us the energy to keep going.

tt: How do you keep things fresh with your clients?

Dana: I think it’s really important to expose yourself to various aspects of life, nature, fashion, art, culinary exploration, travel, and beauty. We make it a point to expose ourselves to all world has to offer. We are so busy in personal lives entertaining and experimenting with new ideas because we love it. That love for what you do is so important.

tt: So, does one of you focus on design and the other on logistics and coordination?

Kimberlee: We both have such strong production backgrounds. Dana was very production, almost entirely, before our partnership. With Preston Bailey, I was production oriented but it was all heavily design driven. When it comes to visuals, we are different. Dana is more formal and I’m more of the California vineyard look. Dana has this amazing eye for formality and beauty when clients come to us, they love that we each see things so differently and have such unique perspectives. We get to give our clients ideas on both sides. We get to bring out our aesthetic within our clients’ vision. The different views provide the perfect meeting ground. We are very involved from beginning to end.  That’s part of what makes this such a great partnership. We work hand in hand and the process moves forward organically because of this.

tt: What makes a great vendor for you and how do you find them?

Dana: Eddie is our favorite type of vendor and that’s the truth! He’s such a great example. I’m being very honest about this. For instance, we took one of our clients to four florists. Prior to the meeting, we sent each of them identical notes. When we arrived at most of the appointments, it was almost as though the florists were reading the notes for the first time as we sat down together and winging it. When we arrived at tic-tock for our meeting with Eddie, he had taken all of our notes and created something for the client. It was amazing! At the end of the day, if our clients are happy, we have a great beginning. It takes everyone being responsive, respectful and going the extra length to make the event a true success. We want vendors who are in the trenches with us, people who are willing to lend a helping hand not strictly focused on line items of their particular invoice, but who see the bigger picture. When it comes to finding new things, well, we do the Atlanta gift show every year and always find fabulous details there. With vendors, we spend a lot of time researching, meeting, getting to know them and really learning about everything out there. Personal relationships with our clients and our vendors are very important to us. Understanding their values and really getting to know them is just absolutely crucial.

tt: Can you elaborate for us on your design philosophy?

Dana: Well, one thing we believe in and essentially is our philosophy is to work closely with our clients to discover their aesthetic, then to bring it out. We work to make it alive in a smart, fun and elegant manner. It must reflect the client’s personality. We want the guests to enter and have an instant connection to the host, whether it is a corporate client, a philanthropic group, a bride or another social event. It’s important to enhance the guest’s connection to the client. We work together with our clients to explore their aesthetic, then Kim and I connect to create.

Kimberlee: Some planners have things they do very well and they do for each event. One of the things that I love about us is that, if you look at our gallery, they are all different. It is genuinely about the client and helping them to bring out their personality and vision. We draw them out, and work with them to create an inspiration board and color palate by pulling images from art, magazines, other events they love; we help and guide them through every element. It really helps us discover them and view what they are drawn to, determining whether they are more formal or edgy and modern or whether they are a bit of both to see how we can fuse the two where appropriate.

tt: What piece of advice would you offer to the newly engaged?

Kimberlee: Planning can be such an exciting time, but so stressful. Try to enjoy the process as much as possible. Hire a planner, even if only to consult, not to do the  hands on. The wedding is only one night, we believe in putting together the client’s dream team of vendors. When the vendors all work together well, everyone feels like a family and it just adds so much to the day!

tt:…and to aspiring planners?

Kimberlee: Work. Intern. We hire interns but before we bring someone on, we have to know absolutely that they reflect our philosophy. Be passionate about the business and the people you work with. Remember that no job is beneath you. If you want to do this you have to do everything from moving furniture, climbing up ladders and crawling around on your knees, cleaning, whatever it takes to get it done. You have to be able to go with the flow and roll up your sleeves!

What an amazing and inspiring interview! We recently collaborating with Kimberlee and Dana on a lovely wedding at The London West Hollywood. Here are a couple of sneak peek photos. Stay tuned to the tic-tock blog for the entire story and more gorgeous photos by Yvette Roman!

The event was planned by William Miller and the color scheme was taken from a photograph by Valerie Goodloe and the stationary consisted of chocolate and ivory metallic paper. We incorporated this chocolate color into our arrangements and the vases of peach, green and white flowers. Maysa Leaks (the former lead singer of Incognito) and Abraham McDonald entertained everyone at the Leadership Forum, which turned out to be a big success.  Thank you for these beautiful photos Robert Evans!

1. Baccarat Glamour Tourmaline Heart Pendant at Neiman Marcus
2. Fulton Pagoda Walker Umbrella at John Lewis
3. Soft and Sweet Floral Arrangement by tic-tock Couture Florals
4. Dress by Elie Saab
5. Dress by Elie Saab
6. Salvatore Ferragamo Woven Silk Tie at Nordstrom
7. Jenny Perl Heart Shaped Rose Quartz Diamond Earrings at Max and Chloe
8. Nancy Gonzalez Crocodile Envelope Clutch at Matches Fashion
9. Prada Antique Rose Patent Leather Platform Pumps at Bluefly
10. Burberry Check Enamel Cuff Links at Nordstrom
11. Chamart Heart Box with Ring Limoges at Gearys
12. Christofle Fleur Cerisier Bookmark at Gearys 
13. The Beverly Hills Hotel
14. Lanvin Silk Flower Necklace at Farfetch
15. Curly Willow Coral Pink Chivari Chair Cover by Wildflower Linen