Unveiled: Delayed and Fabulous, Like This Post

After a rainy day cancellation, Unveiled made it happen on (and on a Monday no less!) We made lemonade from lemons on the rain day, stopping for brunch with our friends Christy from Junebug Weddings, Harmony from The Bridal Bar, the fabulous Fantasy Frostings and Shira Savada of Martha Stewart Weddings. When Monday rolled around we headed back out, this time to Beverly Canon Gardens and the Montage Hotel, Beverly Hills for an evening of food from Wolfgang Puck Catering, Bouchon Bistro, 24 carrots, champagne by Moet and Chandon and delicious desserts from some of our favorite purveyors of sweets. We had a great time creating pieces for The Bridal Bar and Classic Party Rentals and wanted to share the gorgeous photos by Beautiful Day Photography.  



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.

...and it was truly "An Engaging Evening"

Fabulous furniture in the courtyard garden of The Americana at BrandThis last Thursday evening, Jobyna’s Bridal at The Americana at Brand hosted what was to be “An Engaging Evening” unlike any we’ve seen in awhile. Seldom does one witness the faces of Ines de Santo of Jobyna’s Bridal, Wedding Style Editor-In-Chief Grace Ormonde, Nicole Hirsty of Cobalt Events, & of course tic-tock Couture Florals’ own Eddie Zaratsian sitting on a panel hosted by The Bridal Bar’s Harmony Walton; handing out tips and talking about what’s what in wedding trends. Eddie’s pro-tip? Your bouquet is an accessory to you and your dress. Let’s say that again. Your bouquet is an accessory to you and your dress. It is not the star of any show and should not be overpowering. Carefully consider size and style – not only in terms of what you like – but in terms of what you’re wearing and your own shape.

And in terms of our fabulous panel of friends? Grace Ormonde was on hand, signing copies of her new book Grace Ormonde and Nicole Hirsty“being in love never goes out of style.” and Nicole Hirsty was giving design tips while Ines Di Santo talked about the part that little girls (and grown up girls) dream about…the dress. Roberto of Roberto Photo also had a few tips, sharing tricks on how to stand to look your best in every shot.

And when the panel broke, the guests of this invite-only event stepped into the gorgeous lantern lit garden for a fashion show from Ines Di Santo’s collection while enjoying h’ors d’oeuvres courtesy of Tres LA.

Design magic was done by Cobalt Events’ Nicole Hirsty, who brought together an incredible group of vendors to create the perfect ambience. The design of this Engaging Evening comingled the modern flavor of tufted glass top bars in white leatherette with the super-romantic floral designs E created using antiqued silver containers with very natural, loose arrangements of white hydrangea, roses & greenery and settings of mercury glass votives set on mirrored trays with ornately carved silver sides.

It was such an amazing group of professionals to sit on a panel with and an equally incredible group of guests. We had the best time and definitely look forward to seeing everyone again soon. Oh, and an extra special thanks to the fabulous panelists and Nicole Hirsty of Cobalt Events for all of her hard work in putting such an incredible event together.

Photos Courtesy of Rhonda Couchigian and RayeC Marketing.



tic-tock Talks About: Harmony Walton & The Bridal Bar

If you’re reading this – most of what I am about to tell you is nothing new because, even if you don’t know Harmony Walton by name, you know her brand, The Bridal Bar.

Even before The Bridal Bar came to be, Harmony was a well-respected wedding industry professional. She was writing for Inside Weddings magazine when she decided to set about creating something incredible: a place where the betrothed (and whomever they choose) can view portfolios and products, see samples and essentially look, touch and listen to the things they envision as elements of their perfect day.  The value of what Harmony has created lies far deeper than boutique. Each Bridal Bar vendor is screened, then screened and theeen screened some more to make sure that Bridal Bar brides are working only with true professionals who are at the top of their game, provide the best products and styles, who are reliable and honest, who do business with integrity and believe in the importance of being such a close part of such an important day.  But really, the most magical part of what Harmony does is matchmaking. The gals at The Bridal Bar know their vendors and they learn about their brides. The tic-tock Couture Florals and The Bridal Bar at Unveiled LA. Photo Courtesy of Cakes and Kisses.true magic is in pairing the bride with her perfect vendors and vendors with their perfect brides and we’ve been a part of this magic for countless occasions.

It must have been close to the time Harmony opened the first Bridal Bar boutique that Eddie approached her about meeting. She was very, very clear about just how discerning she is on her clients’ behalf. “Meet me, then decide.” – they met and have spent the last several years working together to make weddings beyond unforgettable. Harmony is an expert at who’s who and what’s happening. She knows where the industry has been, where it is now and can doubtless tell you where it’s heading. She is a trusted professional and friend whose pride in and passion for her work is evident in everything she does.  She is a well-respected speaker in the industry, lending her talents and expertise to engage!10 and other industry events. She works tirelessly to help her brides and her vendors and nowadays, it’s honestly a little difficult to think of what exactly it was brides did before The Bridal Bar – and what we did before Harmony whose support is so important in all we do.



Thanks to Cakes and Kisses for the beautiful photos!