I Do! An Event for the Stylish Bride

We can't wait to go to the most exciting new bridal event! I Do! An Event for the Stylish Bride is the new luxury bridal event the connects newly engaged couples and their families with the best of the best in wedding industry professionals.

Every vendor is hand-picked by the show's producers to ensure brides have access to only the most talented and respected industry professionals.

This luxury event will take place in the historical Huntington Ballroom at the Langham, a premier Southern California hotel in beautiful Pasadena.

Christine Zohrabians of Fancy That! Events, who has successfully planned several successful bridal shows, has carefully planned this event to connect brides with the perfect vendors to help make their dream day they've always imagined come true!

Stylish brides-to-be will have the opportunity to preview the latest couture fashions, mingle with a select group of top bridal experts and even enjoy a refreshing cocktail as you peruse the innovative showcases for design inspiration. Remember to bring your fiancé who will be able to enjoy the groom’s lounge.

Click here to get your tickets now!

tic-tock is Loving the Langham!

Built in 1906 and originally called the Hotel Wentworth, The Langham Huntington, Pasadena is one of the most luxurious hotels in Southern California. While many of Southern California’s fine hotels provide spectacular ocean views, the Langham boasts of the most picturesque view of the gorgeous San Gabriel Mountains you’ll find in any suite. Over the years, we’ve had the great pleasure of creating floral designs for events at the Langham that are as beautiful as the hotel itself and very soon, tic-tock will be hosting an event of its own on the Langham’s exquisite property. 

We did Bahareh & Shar's Langham wedding with Christine Zohrabians of Fancy That! Events. Photo Courtesy of Duke Photography

tic-tock Twice in Ceremony Magazine, Spring

Spring is here and so is the new issue of Ceremony Magazine and tic-tock is honored be featured twice within its pages. Ceremony featured Wish Upon A Wedding’s gala, held at the Ebell, which we were honored to donate centerpieces for and one of our favorite weddings of 2010, Helen and Mike.

When we first met the glowing couple with their planner Christine Zohrabians of Fancy That! Events, their vision was clear: Vintage Inspired Opulence. Tall, ornately carved ceramic pedestals crowned by beautiful garden roses in pale shades of cream, pink and peach, hydrangea and lisianthus buds fit perfectly with the elegance of Vibiana – the perfect venue for the day of their dreams.

This truly opulent wedding was shot by Duke Photography. You can find mages from this and many more featured weddings in the pages of spring's Ceremony Magazine, available now in print and online. Come May, check out California Wedding Wave for more of Duke's photos from Helen and Mike's gorgeous wedding!

tic-tock With Fancy That! in Bride & Bloom

We are so excited to be in the current issue of Bride & Bloom for Bahareh and Shahriar’s wedding with Fancy That! Events. We always love working with Christine and had an especially wonderful time with this couple. Everything about them was so sweet and charming, their joy was infectious and – if you haven’t been to the Langham, Pasadena – you should make sure to check it out. You can peruse some of the images by Duke Photography here, but pick up the latest issue of Bride & Bloom to see them all and read about the details that went into this gorgeous affaire.

Vibiana: A Breathtaking Venue in a Beautiful City

Image by Callaway GableIn 1876, the City of Los Angeles welcomed its first cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Vibiana. Designed in the Italian Baroque style and named a Los Angeles Cultural Monument in 1963, St. Vibiana was a vision of beauty in downtown LA until the Northridge earthquake in 1994. Deemed by the diocese to be irreparably damaged, St. Vibiana was acquired in 1999 for reuse development and the restoration process began.

When it reopened as an event space known only as Vibiana, it quickly became one of our favorite venues in Los Angeles. The architecture and details are so exquisite, one wonders – at times – how such a beautiful space could possibly be made more beautiful. And yet, we see it happen. Time and again we work with fabulous ladies like Christine Zohrabians of Fancy That! Events and Nikki Khan of Exquisite Events who make each occasion in this space a masterpiece.  Last week, WIPA held a luncheon at Vibiana, bringing some of our favorite people to one of our favorite places and inspiring us to share a bit more about this amazing, historic venue!

BizBash President Richard Aaron shares his insights with attendees.One could easily spend hours marveling over the architecture.Each detail, from the columns and door frame to the ceiling provide a designer with something to play toWIPA President Pauline Parry of Good Gracious! Events welcomes guests to WIPA at Vibiana

Thank you a thousand times to Duke Photography and Callway Gable for these beautiful photos! 

New Brides: To You, From Us. With Love (and a lotta help from our friends) - pt.2

Invitation by Amber Moon of PItbulls & PosiesWith all of the excitement surrounding a new engagement, we didn’t want to let much time pass between part one and this, part two of our two part series of tips for the newly engaged from some of the amazing professionals we worked with in 2010. In our last post, we offered tips from Pauline Parry of Good Gracious! Events, Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar, photographer Marianne Lozano, Beautiful Day’s Cassandra Santor, Nikki and Madiha Khan of Exquisite Events and Christine Zohrabians of Fancy That! Events.

Today, we bring you another wonderful lineup of experts offering tips for the newly engaged: Cobalt Events’ Nicole Hirsty, Kris Kan of Kris Kan Photography, A Divine Occasion’s Kathy Nosek (who also wanted to share a fun new thing some of her brides are doing!) and, a woman who really needs no introduction, Marcy Blum.

Nicole Hirsty, Cobalt Events

1. Congratulations on your engagement! Take a minute to enjoy and celebrate that you are engaged before you dive into all the planning!

2. Sit down with your fiance a make a list of what's important to the two of you before everyone gives you their opinions, ideas and advice.

3. Give yourself a realistic timeline to plan your wedding. Wedding planning can feel like a full time job for a bride while trying to juggle work, school and everything else. By giving yourself enough time and managing it well you can avoid unneeded stress.

Kris Kan, Founder, Kris Kan Photography

1.Set your budget to your preference. After all, this is a once in a lifetime!

2. Be original, get inspired from the simplest possibilities.

3. Dare yourself to step out of your own box and do something a little risky.

4. Work with vendors that you feel most comfortable with. It’s about the connection, not just the product.

5. Don’t forget to enjoy, and dance the night away. After all, your wedding day is all about you!

Kathy Nosek, A Divine Occasion

1. Don’t skimp on invitations – you set the tone for the style of your wedding with invitations.  Cheap invites = Cheap gifts…might need to “word-Smith” this a little bit but general idea is if something beautiful comes in the mail it leaves and impression of what is to come with décor on that day.  Don’t waste time with fancy boxes but invest a little on Letterpress to show class in your selection that can sometimes be just enough…no glue on beads etc…they just bust through the mail machines and destroy the whole look upon arrival.

2. Use real flowers….duh!!  Allow your designer to be the expert and give you ideas rather than follow what everyone else is doing…ex: Mirror top tables to enhance the table top and make it pop.

3.  Spend on photography because this is the only way you will remember and visualize how beautiful everything was.

4. On photography – Photo booth or Photo Green Screen backdrop with tons of fun props.  It allows people to just go crazy and have fun.  Green screen any image can be put in the background.  You could have the “Bulls in Spain” running behind them while they have funny props or something a little more serious totally up to the client. 

5. Same Day Edit video.  This is new and very hot.  Take a look at this clip.  It was taped leading up and on event day to feature an amazing destination 4 day event.  It was shown that night at the reception…Amazing.  Not cheap but totally cool and worth it.  No one wants to see photos of you growing up before you met for the most part wedding videos are cheesy but this is cutting edge and unbelievable!  This is a very short 3-5 minute version and then ultimately the full video would come following the wedding once they add all details in.  http://weddingsbysml.blogspot.com/2010/11/jamie-michael-ceremony-within-ceremony.html Go to ceremony within the ceremony to watch video…amazing.

Marcy Blum

1. Before committing to any venue for your ceremony. Go there at the time of day you are planning to get married to judge light etc

2. If you are not working with a planner, you are responsible for making sure your team is all in sync, distribute phone numbers and contact info to and for each vendor from caterer to florist.

We’d like to say a very sincere thank you to all of the incredible people in these posts who shared 2010 with tic-tock and took time out of their busy schedules to begin 2011 with us by sharing some of their expertise with you and to Amber Moon of Pitbulls & Posies for creating our invitation. We love you love you love you all!! Brides? We’ll talk to you soon!



Tips For The Newly Engaged Bride, With Love (& a lotta help from our friends - part 1)

Invitation by Amber Moon of Pitbulls & PosiesHappy (belated) New Year! We had an amazing holiday season and hope you did, too. Each year, the holiday season brings a flurry of new engagements. Are you among the newly engaged? Or thinking that 2011 will be the year you decide to say “I do”?   Planning your wedding can be a wonderful time in your life and your relationship. You probably have a slew of questions and we’ve asked some of our very favorite people we worked with in 2010 to help us start 2011 with a burst of advice for new brides from planners, caterers, photographers and all around experts!

Who did we ask? Harmony Walton, of course – the woman behind The Bridal Bar and one of our longstanding partners, Pauline Parry, founder of Good Gracious! Events and one of our favorite foodies, photographers Marianne Lozano (whose work you see here all the time) and Kris Kan (who’s work you’ve seen here recently), planners Cassandra Santor, the class act at the helm of Beautiful Day, Cobalt Events’ sensational Nicole Hirsty, the wonderful and charming Nikki and Madiha Khan of Exquisite Events, Kathy Nosek of Divine Occasion (she really is divine!), Fancy That!’s super fabulous Christine Zohrabians and the incredible, indefatigable Marcy Blum.

What did we ask? Simple. What tips would they offer to the newly engaged bride?

We received such wonderful responses that we’re going to break this into two posts and let Pauline Parry, who so eloquently stated points that you’ll see reiterated by others, take the intro. Also, you’ll see the same tips come from a few of the experts. Rather than edit them so you only see a tip once, we left them in to demonstrate just how broadly that idea stretches. On that note, Pauline…take it away:

After the joy of the first blush of being engaged and the ring has sparkled around all the family and friends the couple usually then go into panic mode and reality sets in and “oh where do I begin planning our wedding”!!!!  It is then I say…Breathe! You have a professional planner by your side that is here to take care of all hiccups that might happen along the way and resource the right creative partners that will bring your vision alive.

In other words to hire a professional is key to the success of the celebration even if it is only for Wedding Week Management. Align yourself with a planner that has similar sensibilities to yourself and that you like (you don’t have to like anyone else really on the team as long as they do as they say they will do…the only exception to that comment is probably the photographer, you have to feel comfortable with them so they can bring the best from you without you knowing it.

It is one day in a life time that you will experience this day and it is important that you translate this wedding as to who you both are as it really is the first time as a couple you will be the host of your own wedding. Determine the items that are really important and those that are not and plan the budget accordingly.  It is important the week of the wedding you truly find the time to enjoy the whirl of happiness you are feeling and take time for yourself, friends and family and trust all the professionals you have hired!!!!! (Pauline Parry, Good Gracious! Events)

Harmony Walton, The Bridal Bar

1.Don’t jump on the trend bandwagons.  Find quality and seasoned professionals that can create a look that is authentic to you and timeless so you still love your photos for years to come.

2. Do your homework before you hire.  Does the pro you’re considering have the proper insurance and licenses?  Do they have an excellent service record?  Go into your big day with confidence in your team and that doesn’t come from social media chatter, but hard work, the proper structure and a proven track record.

      Marianne Lozano, Studio Lozano Photography

1. Find a photographer whose style & personality represent what you're looking for.

2. Invest in photography.  At the end of it all, it's what you'll have, photos to remember the special day by. Make sure to hire an experienced, full-time professional. There are no do-overs.

     Cassandra Santor, Your Beautiful Day

1. Take your time! Couples tend to get excited about their engagement (and well, of course, they should be) and begin to rush. Questions begin to swarm about the when, what, where and the enivetible how (who's paying for this wedding anyway). My first piece of advice is all about peace. You can say you are excited and that the details are "in-the-works". No need to jump online and spend 20+ hours researching every detail the first week of your engagement (btw 20 hours is well below the national average). Take a breath and enjoy being engaged!

2. Make your guest list a top priority. Before you make major decisions make a list of who you would like to have join you. Ask your family (if they are involved) to do the same. This will automatically put a little pause in the planning. The goal is to be clear on the guest list so you can make a reasonable decision on how your budget will shape up and what makes the most sense. 

Nikki & Madiha Khan, Exquisite Events

1. Make the announcement to family and friends and figure out a date that can accommodate those who would be traveling from out of town. A lot of our couples have extended family out of country.

2. Discuss budget and where you would like the wedding to take place and also what theme you would like because that dictates the budget.

3. Select a venue. A lot of times, venues can be booked a year in advance so to ensure you get the date that you want, book that first.

4. Another nice thing to do is pick your photographer and set up an engagement shoot with him/her which is a good way to see their style first hand.

5. Specific to Indian brides would be if you are getting your outfit custom made in India, put the order is asap. The top designers get booked well in advance and you want to make sure that you get your outfit in time to try it on and make any adjustments if need be.

      Christine Zohrabians, Fancy That! Events

1.  Hire a Wedding Planner BEFORE you start any of your planning! Their knowledge and experience will help turn your dreams into a reality while staying within your budget and taking into account all of the things that are truly important to you and your family! 

2. Visit tons of Bridal Salons!  You will only have ONE opportunity to try on wedding dresses so why not try on dozens? Appointments at bridal salons are tons of fun, quality time with your closest girls, sipping champagne and wearing couture gowns that make you feel like a princess! I recommend that even if you think you found the perfect dress at the first store you visit, visit a few more and try on tons more, enjoy the experience! 

Look for more tips tomorrow from Nicole Hirsty, Kris Kan, Kathy Nosek and Marcy Blum! Big thank you Amber Moon of Pitbulls & Posies for creating our invitation.

Playing Favorites with Fancy That!

With every season come new trends and new faces in the wedding industry. Every so often you see a trend that you know is going to become timeless and a face you know belongs to a woman who is going to be guiding brides and designing dreams for years to come. Christine Zohrabians of Fancy That! Event Design and Coordination had no wedding planner aspirations but when planning her own, recognized the importance of having the right person to guide you through the process, the necessity of working with someone informed who has the couple’s best interest at heart.  In so many ways, this job is akin to that of a matchmaker, only the love match has been made and now, you know your bride and groom and the next challenge is to match them with the perfect vendors for their day. We’ve had the great honor of working with Christine extensively and are always impressed by the care with which she treats her brides so it’s really no surprise that the couple/vendor match is one of her favorite parts of the process. One of our favorite questions to ask when talking with a planner – whether it’s someone we work with all the time or someone new – is how they keep things fresh. For Christine, it’s easy! She  - and we can personally attest to this – doesn’t allow her bride to take the easy way out. There is no cookie cutter, clipped it from a magazine anything happening here. Sure, inspiration photos are great but Christine enjoys challenging her couples to make it their own by looking beyond what’s now and into what’s them. It is that personal essence that Christine encourages all of her couples to integrate into their day. We each come from such different backgrounds, cultures and families and the wedding day is really a day to celebrate that as well. Whether it’s having traditional entertainment or something as simple as a special toast, she imparts the importance of this element to each of her brides. What if you aren’t her bride? What would she tell you then? Trust your vendors. Think Timeless, Think Classy, Think Chic - so when you look back together 40 years from now – not only would you not change a thing about your love, but you wouldn’t change a thing about the wedding either.