I had the pleasure of putting together a wonderful team of vendors for a South Asian inspired wedding shoot at the Bel Air Bay Club. Every time I visit the Bel Air Bay Club I'm impressed by its simple sophistication and the gorgeous beautiful ocean views. It really is a beautiful venue and the fabulous ladies Carrie, Lisa, and Christine are so wonderful to work with. We went with two seperate looks so make sure you look our for part 2 and 3 of the photos. Here are a few photos from the very talented Jen O'Sullivan of the adorable engaged couple Itesh and Nav.
Did I mention that I almost died when I saw this beautiful bridal gown from Renee Strauss. Her collection and style is to die for. Tara from Makeup Therapy did her magic and transformed Nav into a princess. Tara's works is always flawless she makes every bride look glamorous by enhancing their natural beauty. The mouth drooling bridal jewelry is from Margaret Rowe's Jewelry collection.
Seher and Omar's Mehndi(henna ceremony) jump started their fabulous wedding weekend. For the mehndi we really wanted to showcase all the beautiful and bold colors you traditionally see in a South Asian Wedding. We custom made this canopy for the newlyweds and filled it with colorfulMoroccanfurniture.
My favorite part of the Mehndi is the grand entrance, the bride/groom is brought forward by their closest family members. It really represents the union and the merging of the two families to me. The groom enters first and waits for his bride anxiously.
and of course this post would not be complete without a few photos of the beautiful couple
This post is way overdue. Seher and Omar got married earlier this year at the beautiful Taglyan Cultural Center . I was so honored when Seher hired me to help her plan and design her wedding weekend. I was thriled and really wanted to bring Seher's vision for her wedding come to life. Seher is blessed with an amazing and sweet family and they were very involved and supportive of all the planning. I also got the pleasure of meeting Omar prior to the wedding day as he lived in Florida but he made sure to be in Los Angeles for the cake tasting. When I saw Seher and Omar together I knew that we had to make their wedding as grand and terrific as their love was for each other. Here are some beautiful pics of the wedding that the talented Jen O'Sullivan captured of Seher and Omar's wedding day. Oh and if you didn't notice Seher had a beautiful bridal glow, she really looked like a princess. Enjoy part one of their wedding day.
Seher was just into the small details as I was. We made a fabulous team together.
The delicous and beautiful cake from NancyKays
Oh and did I mention their guests knew how to party!!!
These awesome vendors helped make Seher and Omar's wedding as fabulous as it was.
Hello ladies, You should know by now that one of my favorite groom's gift is boudoir photos. You should also know that two of my favorite ladies will be putting on a special mini session event on April 3rd. That's right you get twice the talent plus professional hair and makeup. A thirty minute session is only $275. If you need more details or would like to book them please contact either Jen or Charise for more info. These ladies are wonderful at creating a classy yet absolutely jaw dropping photos. Booking one of these sessions will also give you the extra motivation to vamp up pre wedding workout routine.
So my wife asked me to be her first “guest blogger” of the month. I’m happy to oblige because I really believe in her and her work with A Regal Affair. I see how hard she works for her clients and I am really proud of her. This is the least I can do.
For my topic, I want to discuss the first dance. I am not exactly Fred Astaire so the thought of dancing in front of a couple hundred of our closest friends and family was a little bit nerve racking. My advise for grooms is to relax. First of all, most people are going to be looking at your beautiful bride and not the lucky guy trying to count the steps in his head that’s dancing with her. Second, it’s about the moment not the steps. The best first dances that I have seen are the ones that you can feel the love and connection between the couple.
Before the big day, go to dancing lessons together. Trust me on this one guys. Dancing lessons aren’t as important for getting the steps right, (as I’ve already established, it’s not about the steps, or even you for that matter), its about the closeness that comes with taking a night or two a week and doing something together. Leading up to the wedding can be stressful and tense at times. Dance lessons are a great way to reconnect during the hustle and bustle of the pre-wedding weeks. Plus, it can lead to some practicing for the part of the night you are most looking forward to, if you know what I mean.
Have fun with it. That’s the best advice I can give to any groom-to-be, or for both of you for that matter. Actually, come to think about, this advice is probably best for the blushing brides. Have fun. Relax and enjoy your wedding. That might sound silly, but I think that it is too often the case that people forget to enjoy themselves on their wedding day. After all the effort and planning that goes into the day, it could be easy to get upset if a minor detail isn’t perfect. Remember what’s really important, the love between you and your new spouse. Your wedding day is a celebration of the two of you, the love you share, and the well wishing for the life you intend to create together. Have fun and enjoy. Let your wedding planner deal with the details and the stresses!
One of my all time favorite wedding photographers and mentor Jen O'Sullivan is offering this workshop!
THE MARKETING INSOMNIAC: MARKETING FOR THE NEW ECONOMY
At this one day Boot Camp Workshop you will learn from Jen O'Sullivan everything you need to know about gaining a better understanding of the current economy and how to market your services in the best way. You will learn how to position yourself to make more money and how to make your brand stand out in a crowd of many. Gain more clients, more money, and a more rewarding life!
Sunday, March 13th • 8:00am - 6:00pm in Beverly Hills.
Only $199 for a full day 10 hour workshop.
The workshop is covering things such as Organic SEO, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing that Works, How to Position Yourself as the Go To Person, with tons more.
My personal wedding planning philosophy is that the more details and thought you put in to your wedding day, the more beautiful and personal it becomes. One tip that I ALWAYS share with my couples is to go all out on their sweetheart table and or bridal party table. Investing a little more in flowers and decorations for those speciality tables definitely pays off. Rent specialty China or buy a set for just the two of you. It can always be used again for special occasions like your anniversary's to come and valentine's day.
Since most brides and couples are involved in most aspects of wedding planning, here at A Regal Affair we offer surprise table escaping. What does that mean you ask? We will put together every single item to make a spectacular sweetheart table all within your budget and design in mind. The best part you won't stress or know about the details until your wedding day. Of course we can just act as your consultants and help you put it together too if the thought of surprises on your wedding day makes you nervous.
Check out this beautiful table we created for Seher & Omar's wedding. Seher loved sparkle, so I used two different Chargers to create the look below. I also chose a different speciality table linen, napkins, votive's and napkin rings. We then topped it off with Swarovski champagne flutes. It turned out spectacular!
A few years back I saw a picture of String Theory's Performance at an event and I knew I had to know more. String Theory is one of a kind and unique music experience. You have to just check them out for yourself.
You know you will be getting a unique sound from these instruments!
Here at A Regal Affair one of our new year's resolution was to update and add to our Preferred Vendor's List. Last year I met and worked with some wonderful new wedding professionals. I'm always researching and meeting new event professionals because every brides needs and vision is unique. One of our specialities is doing ethnic and multi-cultural weddings with a modern twist, so when one of my couple's were looking for a DJ that could play a little of everything I found Dj Arsen from DJ International.
I was very impressed with Arsen and so were my couple. His love and knowledge of music is profound. Above all Arsen is very likable person and easy to talk to. To say the least my couple decided to choose Arsen as their DJ for their wedding and I'm confident that they made the right choice! Oh and did I mention he also offer's lighting packages?
I've been meaning to blog and update you with all that this wedding season will be bringing but we've been extremely swamped with meetings and consultatons and have put the blogging on the back burner for a bit. During this time of the year I do tons of venue search and visits, and I wanted to share these two spaces with you. I have known of SmogShoppe and the Marvimon for some time now but I haven't met the right couple for the space until this year. Both of these stunning venues are unique, funky and fresh and I just adore it so I wanted to share it with you all. Here are just a few teasers of the event space. If you are looking for a unique space I would certainly check these two out.
I often get asked about where I find my inspiration. I find inspiration in everything, every time I'm at any store even the pet store. I'm constantly observing all the elements that surround me. I'm inspired by my friends and loved ones, and in everyday interactions with vendors and venues. I am most inspired by my brides and grooms and their perspective families, their individual style and their traditions. Every couple is unique to me and each family integrates traditions and religion in their own unique way. These are the elements I like to be exposed to and incorporate to their weddings, that is what makes a wedding truly personal and special.
A friend of mine pointed something out to me when I was showing her pics of a wedding that I had just done, she said don't you find it amazing that even though this type of wedding is not at all something you would do for yourself your able to design and plan it so beautifully. Yes its true, I can and I do it so lovingly. If it wasn't for that couple I would have never been inspired to design it. For me there is no type of wedding or style that I like better then warm and personal weddings that represent the couples and their families as one.
on a side note: I found some photos that I shared with one of my brides that's doing a vintage garden wedding. I don't believe in copying but finding images that inspire you and point you toward the right direction is always helpful and welcomed.
