LBWE - San Diego Wedding and Event Coordinator

A not so traditional guestbook

2009-07-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

I was doing my daily browing on Etsy and came across this cool Wedding Wish Box. Exactly what is it?? Well, guests can write well wishes and words of advice to the bride and groom and then file them alphabetically in this handy dandy little box.

Guestbooks have come a long way eh???

Holly & Jamil's Wedding

2009-07-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!! I'm so excited! I just received the photos from an absolutely BEAUTIFUL wedding that I did "Day-Of" coordinating for (Many thanks to Nick Abadilla! for the photos!) Holly and Jamil were married at one of my very favorite venues - Estancia La Jolla. The colors of the day were chocolate brown, periwinkle and burnt orange....and what a stunning color combination it turned out to be!

I have to say: this is of the most down-to-earth and personable couples I have ever worked with. And I love, love how involved Jamil was in the planning!

Here are a few pictures from the day:

The intimate ceremony site in the Garden Courtyard w/florals by the talented Adrianne Smith

We tied little brown bows to indicate "reserved" seating. I'm not sure why but I had lots of fun with this dainty little detail.

The burnt orange linens gave the ballroom a rustic yet warm feel...especially when paired with these centerpieces (also by Adrianne Smith).

I had the opportunity to get into my craft closet and make these table numbers. Each table was named after a place that was important to the couple. This particular table was named "Cuci Cuci".....the restaurant where they went on their first date.

Holly was also pretty crafty. Her ceremony programs were a DIY project and turned out awesome!

Congratulations you two! I'm so happy to have met you and I wish you all the best!

Another family wedding!!!!!!

2009-06-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick congratulations to Armando and Grace who are getting married tomorrow in San Gabriel! Armando is my husbands big brother and best friend! We're so happy to share in this special day with them. I'll post pictures soon :)

Kim & David's Wedding

2009-06-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post on of of my favorite DIY projects in a while. As most of you know i'm a HUGE fan of DIY projects. I think they can add personal flair to any event and can help you save a few extra bucks in the meantime (and which one of us can't use that these days!)

Kim and David were married on May 16th at the Ocean View Villas located right on Sunset Cliffs. Their wedding was a beautiful seaside affair.

Check out the awesome box Kim's dad made for their escort cards. Super creative right???

Here are a few more pictures from that day.

Cake by Sumi's Oven

Marissa and I enjoying the beautiful view of the Pacific...

We wish you the very best Kim and David!!!

Happy wedding week Alonzo & Crystal

2009-04-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

I want to wish my brother in-law and new sister in-law a happy wedding week! They will be married this Saturday at the Four Points Sheraton in Ventura.

I'm so happy to finally have a sister!!!!!!!

Family Weddings Part I

2009-03-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

The hubby and I have a whoooole bunch of family weddings this year. It's such a fun and exciting time for us!

Last week we went to the first one of the year. Sergio's beautiful cousin Cristina and her new husband Chris were married at the Mission Inn in Riverside. What an absolutely beautiful venue! The inn is located in the heart of downtown and boasts of beautiful Spanish-colonial architecture. It was actually my very first time at Mission Inn so you can bet I was snapping pictures like crazy! It's definitely one of those venues that needs very little flowers or decorations to spice it up.

Turns our Cristina is quite the artist! She painted this picture of herself, Chris and their adorable little pug Zelda. This was displayed outside of the ballroom.

Congratulations Cristina and Chris!!!

La Bella Weddings...and Baby Showers??

2009-01-26T23:32:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I helped coordinate my friend Adrianne's baby shower. The theme of her nursery is "Under the Sea"...so clearly her shower was chock full of Under the Sea deco....octopus, crabs, seashells...

These are the buckets I made and used for centerpieces and gift table etc...

Pretty darn cute eh?? They didn't start off that way. I knew I want to find some sort of beach bucket or pail and use sand and seashells for the centerpieces. I had already decided to rent baby blue linens so trying to find a beach pail in a pastel color in the dead of winter (yes, even in sunny San Diego) was pretty much IMPOSSIBLE. So....I put my thinking cap on and visited pretty much every discount and craft store in San Diego county. And this is what I found:
Red and Green "Merry Christmas" buckets at Big Lots, discounted to $1.25.

Being that I love spray paint...I figured I could turn this into a pretty fun project. I loaded up on pastel blue and yellow paint, ribbon and few wood/felt cut outs from Michaels and walaa!

I am now also obsessed with making diaper cakes. Here is the cake I made for the shower. I've seen them online with a bunch stuff placed all around the cake like pacifiers and other baby paraphernalia...but I personally like it more on the simple side - diapers and a few decorative items. What do you think?? They are surprisingly easy to make.

An finally a few pics of the yummy treats. Chocolate cupcakes with Adrianne's favorite - Buttercream Frosting.

The recipe was very easy to follow and using food coloring to make the perfect shade of blue was actually a lot of fun. I found the little candy sea creatures on the Bakers Nook website.

Here are some Chocolate covered pretzels I made. These were another first for me. I tied them with blue,yellow and green ribbon and guests took them home as favors.

I hope Adrianne had a great time at her shower. We can't wait for little Elijah's arrival!!!!

2009 Brides and Grooms

2009-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe 2009 is here. I Just wanted to extend a "Thank You" to those of you who have contracted with LBWE for your 2009 wedding. I've had the opportunity to meet with some awesome bride's and grooms and I can say with all sincerity that I look forward to working with each and every one of you.

We'll be working at some of the most beautiful venues San Diego has to offer...some old and some new. I can't wait!!

Always Prepared!

2008-12-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

So I was talking with a new client a few nights ago and she asked me whether I had a Bridal Emergency kit. I can't believe I had neglected to include that in all my package information!!! Those of you that have driven with me in my car lately have seen the kit (yes -- I travel with it all the time). I'm adding new things to that baby every week.

So what is a Bridal Emergency Kit?? It's chock full of everything you could possibly need on wedding day. So far I've used it at every wedding I've coordinated. Let's face it -- life happens and unexpected things happen all the time. Wedding's are no exception. Buttons pop off and hair styles fall down.

So what's in my Bridal Emergency Kit in case any of these unforeseen events happen on my watch?

*Bobby pins/Hair ties
*Hair spray
*Chapstick
*Breath mints/Gum
*Scissors
*Tissue
*Mini sewing kit
*Tide Pens
*Super glue
*Extra stockings
*Disposable camera
*Earring backs
*Lint Brush
*Feminine hygiene products
*Hand sanitizer
*Emory board
*Dental floss
*Clear nail polish
*Baby Powder
*Lighter and matches
*Extra garter
*Boutonniere pins
*Floral tape (brown and green)
*Lotion
*Static cling spray
*Brush/Comb
*Deodorant
*Tweezers
*Contact Solution/Eye drops
*Granola Bars and like snacks
*Bottled water
*Ibuprofen/Tylenol/Advil
*Pepto
*Sunscreen
*Pens/Paper
*Straws
*Handkerchiefs
*Extra place cards
*Band-Aids
*Extra tea light/votive candles and holders
*Batteries
......

*The kitchen sink :)

If there is anything else you can think of or you have any special requests...don't hesitate to let me know!!

Angela & David's Wedding

2008-12-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

So Sergio and I just returned home from the East coast...and boy, was it cold! We were there for the first snow, which was pretty exciting.

While we were there we attended my cousin Angela's wedding. Everything turned out beautiful! She and David were married on 11/29/08 at the Marriott in Farmington,CT.
Here are a few pictures of their big day...

This is Angela being escorted down the aisle by her eldest son. Ang has 3 sons and I thought the way she had them escort her down the aisle was great. The youngest started off and he escorted her to the middle son, he in turn escorted her to the eldest who took her directly to David. This is a great way to involve all the children.

This is the candy buffet Aimee and I surprised Ang with. The Cookies & Cream/Dark Chocolate malt balls seemed to be the group favorite. And yes, my "Love Is Sweet" letters traveled 3,000 miles with me...although I think I may have left them there by accident.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Grant!!!!

VACATION!!!

2008-11-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

Sergio and I will be on the East Coast until the 10th of December. We'll be attending my cousin Angela's wedding in CT. We'll also be visiting NYC and Boston.

We'll see you all when we get back!

Ciao!

Mmmm....

2008-11-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post some pics of my favorite little treat to make, and share {they're best when they are freshly dipped). I made them last night for a little shin dig I attended.

Seriously, they are so easy to make and always a hit. Whenever I am asked to bring a dessert to a gathering or party I will almost always bring chocolate covered strawberries...they're easy,delightful and semi-healthy (at least as far as desserts are concerned). Anyways, if you'd like to give your guests an edible treat as a favor and have a couple extra hours the night before the wedding (yeah right) consider these....

ENJOY!

Courtney & Chris

2008-10-28T22:54:00.001-07:00

Just wanted a share a sneak peak from Courtney and Chris' wedding at Estancia on 10/11/08.

***Thanks to a pretty talented wedding guest for this picture***

Here are a few my assistant Marissa and I took.

I was really happy with how the candy bar turned out...and the guests seemed to like it too!

Is it just me??

2008-10-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

...or are the models for the Monique Lhuillier collection a little bit scary looking? I was browsing the net tonight looking for bridal gown inspiration for a client. She wants fun and flowy. Check. These dresses definitely fit in that description.

The models on the other hand are downright sickly looking...and someone please - feed them!

Anne Taintor has got tude...and I love it!

2008-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

The days of plain, monogrammed flasks are OVER! Check out these ones from Anne Taintor. She's taken vintage advertisements from the 30's, 40's and 50's and added some pretty witty commentary to them.

Bride's - these would be an excellent addition to your Bridesmaid's goodie bags, and what's great is that you can pick a different one for each BM. Any girl would love to tote one of these around!

My personal favorite is the: "I love not camping" flask. That just about sums up my life :)

I heart spray paint

2008-10-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so things like this are exactly why I adore the highly pressurized paint in a can better known as spray paint. There are SO MANY fun things you can use it for. I know I may get some slack for promoting spray paint (especially after my Go Green post)...so if you're offended I apologize in advance.

Anywho -- this is the "Love Is Sweet" sign I'll be using on the Candy Buffet at Courtney and Chris' wedding at Estancia this Saturday (which I am SO excited for by the way) . Their colors are Mustard and Plum with gold and bronze accents. I thought the sign would look good coupled with all the candy we found in their wedding colors.

Let me tell you it's been kinda hard having pounds of some of my favorite candies stored at mi casa: M&M's, Jelly Beans, Licorice -- OH MY!!

Some of the letter's need to be touched up, but I think the sign came out pretty SWEET (pun totally intended).

Real Wedding...Allison & Shawn

2008-10-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

So Allison and Shawn had their wedding at the La Jolla Womans Club on 9.6.08 ...and what a blast!
To anyone that's not familiar with this venue, it's considered La Jolla's oldest historical site. The architecture, landscaping, everything is just beautiful.

Anyways, back to Allison and Shawn - their wedding day was perfect. The colors for the day were sage and brown. Allison was such a beautiful bride. Her and Shawn were an easygoing, fun-loving couple and I wish them the very best on their new adventure.

My favorite aspects of this wedding:

*The bridesmaids dresses! They were so beautiful. Maybe I'm biased because they are the same color as my BM dresses....nah, these dresses truly rocked.

*Mr.Sewell's speech. Almost everyone in that room was brought to tears! It's evident that Allison and her father are very close...it was such a beautiful moment when he was expressing to her how proud he was of the woman she has become. As a gift to her father Allison had these cuff links made out of an old picture of the two of them. The were so precious. Daddy was showing them off all day, he said it's one of his favorite pictures.

Thank you to Chris and Anna of Huntington Images for the wonderful pictures.

Go Green

2008-09-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

In our day and time, hardly a day goes by that we don't hear the phrase above - and for good reason.

Smart and stylish eco-friendly weddings seem to have entered the mainstream. So what are some ways that you can be eco-friendly when it comes to your big day?

How about: Food and drinks made from organic or all-natural ingredients? Invites made from recycled paper?? A bouquet made of organic flowers?

Click HERE to view an interesting video about green weddings.

Here are some links to websites that will help you with your next "green" wedding or soiree.

www.ecoparti.com
www.ecochicweddings.com
www.greeneleganceweddings.com

IT'S OUR ANNIVERSARY!!!!

2008-08-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!!

Today, my wonderful husband and I have been married for 4 years :) I can't believe how fast time flies...guess that's a good thing, huh? To all those who have been asking (MOM) no...we're not planning on kids anytime soon. Someday, just not now. We're pretty happy with it just being us and our 4-legged son Cubby.

Anyways, love you my husband! I can't wait for the years to come!

xoxo,

CJ

Real Wedding...Kirsten & Jonathan

2008-08-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Updated with pics by Kim Irons)

Wow!!! What a day yesterday was! We were working non stop but it was SO much fun!!

Kirsten and Jonathan were married yesterday at the Mission Bay Hilton and everything was just beautiful. The weather was pleasant and vibrant colors were all around. Kirsten was definitely one of the most organized bride's I've worked with...and full of so much spunk!

These USC grads know how to party! Along with their guests, they partied the night away (literally) - it was well after 12:30 once everyone cleared the ballroom.....

Thanks to my assistant for the day - Heidi for her help with set-up and any "would be" glitches.

My favorite aspects of this wedding:
*In place of traditional favors, donations were made to Alzheimer's Association. Each guest received a Sand dollar to signify that donation at their place setting.

*The beautiful color pallet. Kirsten and Jonathan opted for a Aqua-Blue/Tangerine themed wedding. The tangerine colored flowers against the bridesmaid's aqua colored dresses were stunning.

*Anyone that knows me, knows I LOVE potatoes - mashed, fried, baked....it doesn't matter. Well, at midnight catering unveiled the Mashed Potato Bar!!! Although I didn't partake the guests definitely enjoyed it.

Delicioso!!!

2008-08-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

How adorable are these beauts??? They are cookie sandwiches from The Cookie Sandwich Co. here in San Diego. These bite sized treats would make AWESOME favors. Let's face it --- guests LOVE edible favors. The days of wedding bubbles and framed pictures of the bride and groom as favors are over. Try something your guests can take home and enjoy. Although I'm sure these wouldn't even make it home. They come in a bunch of flavors including Carrot Cake, Mint Brownie, Red Velvet, Chocolate Truffle and Macadamia Nut Lemon. If you would still like to give edible favors a personal touch, try putting them in a little box and placing a monogrammed label on it...best of both worlds!

Enjoy!!!

50 years - what has changed?

2008-08-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of "Dialogue" (which is the Association of Bridal Consultants bi-monthly newsletter) featured an article with the above title. I thought it was pretty interesting. It compared weddings in 1958 to the weddings of today, 2008. Check out the chart below.....A LOT has changed.

1958 VS 2008

Number of weddings: 1.5 mil vs. 2.4 mil
Annual bride's income: $1,572 vs. $30,719
Gown cost: $135 vs. $1,317
Bride's life expectancy: 65 vs. 78
Bride's age: 20 vs. 26
Annual groom's income: $2,396 vs. $34,167
Tuxedo rental: $5.50 vs. $69.95
Groom's life expectancy: 57 vs. 70
Groom's age: 22 vs. 28
Postage: 4 cents vs. 42 cents
Slice of cake: 35 cents vs. $4.52
Gallon of gas: 30 cents vs. $3.80
Honeymoon cost: $237 vs. $3,680
Projected divorce rate: 33% vs. 50%
Projected number of chidren: 3.6 vs. 2.1

* The most popular 1958 honeymoon destination was Niagara Falls; 50 years later it is Hawaii.

* The most trendy gift in 1958 was a $12.95 CorningWare casserole dish; the 2008 gift of choice
is a Nintendo Wii game.

* Fifty years ago, the hottest music was the Everly Brothers "All I have to Do is Dream" and Danny and the
Juniors' "At the Hop". This year, it's Alicia Keys' "No One" and Madonna/Justin Timberlake's "4 Minutes"

Finally!!!!

2008-08-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

Finally -- my new website and blog!

WOW....it seems like I've been waiting forever to get my website up - and it's finally here. I'm so excited. Thanks to my wonderful hubby for all his help. To my friends and familia - thank you for all your support and encouragement as I was getting LB Weddings & Events underway...as most of you know it's been an adventure. I can't wait to see where this journey takes me.

Ok, I just read that back and it sounds like an Oscar acceptance speech...SORRY!

So you've made it to my blog. This is where I'll be showcasing recent weddings and couples as well as sharing ideas, tips and what's new in the wedding world. Have fun reading it and leave comments if you so desire.

I'll be chatting with you all soon!

xoxo,
Carlee J.