If you’re at all interested in wedding invitation design, no doubt you’ve heard of the super-talented artist Laura Hooper of Laura Hooper Calligraphy! Laura’s whimsical calligraphy, illustrations and invitation designs are one-of-a-kind and the personalized maps, wedding favors, tote bags and other creaitve items she creates for her clients have set trends for years now in the wedding world.
We’re proud to work with Laura as a member of our Southern California Plan Your Wedding Hotlist, and we couldn’t be more happy for her as our friend as she approaches her very own wedding day! Laura and her fiance Jeremy recently had these engagement photos taken near Griffith Park in the Hollywood Hills by photographer Steve Steinhardt, and we LOVE seeing Laura’s own (absolutely fabulous) personal style shine through!
We asked Laura about planning a wedding as a wedding professional herself, and here’s her unique take on the experience…
“Were getting married in Kona, Hawaii and Beth Helmstetter is my event designer. We just had my engagement party over the weekend and she totally rocked it! For the wedding planning Beth gave me a little checklist and Ive basically been marking everything off as I go. Ive been slowly working on my invitations over the past several months and they should be done this week. Since Im pretty busy with my clients, I am relying heavily on my maid of honor, my sister Alyssa, to help me scope out ideas for accessories, groomsmens suits, and other planning details and Im trying not to sweat the small stuff. To make things easier, Im going with a palette or colors, rather than only 2, so that if anything (such as flowers, linens, etc.) is off by a shade or two it will not make a difference. My general preference with regard to my wedding, as well as my work, is that I prefer for things to go but not to match exactly. Its more interesting that way, in my opinion!
I dont feel stressed about the wedding day at all I guess thats a perk of being in the industry. I know all my vendors intimately since I work with them all the time, and I trust them 100%.”
Thank you Laura and Jeremy! We can’t wait to hear all about your big day!
Amber and Aaron are lovers of fashion and design so it’s no surprise to see that their Scottsdale, Arizona wedding at the ultra-cool Hotel Valley Ho had the perfect combination of modern style and a classic, timeless feel. It was crisp, clean, romantic and intimate – absolutely lovely!
The Goals: Working with a dream team of wedding professionals to bring this day to life, Amber and Aaron created a wedding that was all about their guests’ enjoyment and making the most of their unique location. The wedding planners at Outstanding Occasions saw to every detail, Idieh Design created wedding invitations that would inspire the colors and look for the rest of the day, Camelback Flowershop designed floral arrangements with lush and edgy pops of fuchsia and black, Chuck Wiley, head chef at the hotel’s Cafe ZuZu created a menu to-die-for, and photographer Kimberly Jarman captured the whole event in these absolutely gorgeous images. As a backdrop to all of that, the most important piece was the location. Amber’s family owns the Hotel Valley Ho, so having the wedding there was extremely meaningful for everyone. Amber and Aaron also love the fact that whenever they return to the hotel they can walk through the grounds and revisit their exact wedding location.
The Design: A color palette of black and white kept the wedding classic and timeless, while additions of fuchsia in the flowers and decor added a little “rock and roll” to the event’s atmosphere. The wedding ceremony was on the lawn in the main courtyard, and had a distinctive circular set-up. So modern and chic! For the wedding reception they moved inside to the ballroom which was decorated brilliantly in black, white and pink. A red velvet wedding cake with butter cream frosting from Julia Baker Confections was a delectable highlight of the evening, along with the custom made chocolate confections that Julia made as wedding favors. When we asked Amber what their wedding cake was like she simply replied, “Like HEAVEN!!!”
The Look: Amber wanted a clean and elegant bridal look with a little big of vintage charm and excitement thrown in, so she chose a stunning ballgown with a deconstructed skirt by Rosa Clara and accessorized it with a black sash, vintage jewelry and a dramatic full length veil. Amazing! Her bridesmaids wore fitted back cocktail dresses and the groom and groomsmen wore sleek black suits.
The Moments: Just before Amber and her father were about to walk down the aisle, they heard a commotion and realized that their flower girl, Amber’s little niece Lucy, couldn’t quite handle the pressure. She was sobbing her way to the altar where she proceeded to “chuck the ring pillow” – an unavoidable event that sometimes happens with little ones in weddings! But everyone took the moment in stride and Amber’s father looked at her and said “We can do anything together,” and off they went.
The reception was filled with moving speeches by Aaron’s two brothers and Amber’s older sister, and a romantic first dance to Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy. At the end of the night Amber and Aaron said goodbye to all their loved ones and had a sentimental ending to their celebration. “Driving away in our vintage car through those sparklers at my family’s hotel, off to my wedding night and then honeymoon in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was a lot to handle. I cried a good cry.”
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