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WEDDING BLOG

Pink and Yellow Wedding at Rittenhouse Hotel

April 17, 2015 | Junebug Weddings

Judith and Aarao met while studying abroad in Israel, and it was love at first sight. Though she was from Philadelphia and he was from Brazil, their love for each other eventually overcame the distance. Their wedding at Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia flourished with deep pink, yellow and orange colors. The bride wore a gorgeous, flowing wedding gown that resembled the effortless relationship between the sweet couple. Asya Photography expertly captured the incredible moments from this pink and yellow wedding.

The Couple:

Judith and Aarao

The Wedding:

Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Inspiration:

It was Moroccan themed (my dad is from Morocco; it’s an inspiring place for me), which meant lots of lanterns, and purple, pink, orange and gold colored cloths and flowers. Instead of place cards, we bought over 100 tea cups from Turkey (in different colors), filled them with Jordan almonds, and tied the place cards onto the sides of the cup. My mom’s idea. Worked out beautifully.

The Moments:

We hired an AMAZING Brazilian band called Philly Bloco; a 20 piece samba band with over 10 percussionists. They entered with giant samba drums strapped to their chests, banging out incredible beats, and then jumped on stage and gave the best samba performance you’ll find outside of Brazil. We danced all night. They totally knocked everyone’s socks off… into space. That’s how amazing they were. People’s socks flew into space.

The Couple Recommends:

Asya Photography. Asya and her team were nothing short of amazing. She was not only professional, but extremely accommodating. Anything we wanted she made happen. And if it couldn’t be done, she found a way to get it done somehow. I highly recommend her for any brides out there.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Asya Photography
Event Planning – Lori Masowski
Venue – Rittenhouse Hotel
Floral Design – Donna O’Brien
Live Music – Philly Bloco
Makeup Artist – Aleksandra Ambrozy
Wedding Dress – Sample Rack

Thanks to Asya Photography for sharing Judith and Aarao’s traditional ballroom wedding. Looking for more incredible ballroom wedding inspiration? Check out modern ballroom wedding and this laid back wedding at Georgetown Ballroom.

Ask the Expert – Wedding Reception Organization

January 8, 2015 | Junebug Weddings

image by Tim Williams

You’ve fallen in love with a venue and chosen the best photographer to capture your day, chosen a floral design style and even started writing your vows. The most daunting part of wedding planning for a lot of people is organizing the reception, which requires a good strategy and at least one spreadsheet. To help ease you into this process, we’ve asked brilliant Orange County wedding planner and designer Carmen Fuentes of Expressionary Events to share her expert advice on wedding reception organization. From seating charts to place cards to unexpected accidents, Carmen has an answer for everything. Take it away, Carmen!

image by Applehead Studio

Where to Start

Organizing a reception can be especially overwhelming, but there are a variety of online resources and of course, your wedding planner, that can help with this daunting process. You first want to organize your guest list in a spreadsheet and sort the list from immediate family and bridal party at the top and work your way down. Depending on the size and shape of your reception tables, most tables seat 8-12 guests. Typically the parents of the couple are seated at the tables closest to the couple and then other immediate family and bridal party thereafter. Of course, there are so many ways to arrange seating, but work with your fiancé and planner to organize the reception that makes the best sense for you.

image by Moat Hill Photography

Creating Your Seating Chart

Formal seating charts are traditionally arranged in alphabetical order on a large sign, mirror, or chalkboard. In the last year, we have seen many modern adaptations that combine seating cards and favors into one. From personalized wine bottle seating cards to chocolate truffle seating cards, couples are discovering new ways to express their personalities in every detail.

image by Sam Docker

Benefits of a Formal Seating Chart

Large wedding receptions typically benefit more from a formal seating chart. Logistically it will be more efficient and easier for your guests to find their table assignment. Especially when you need to move a lot of guests in a short amount of time. Be sure to have multiple charts to avoid all your guests crowding in one location to find their names.

image by Megan Saul

Large vs. Small Receptions

Unlike large wedding receptions, smaller receptions require much more consideration in arranging your seating arrangements. For receptions less than 50, having assigned seating with place cards is typically the way to go. This is much more of an intimate event and careful thought must be made to where you seat each guest.

image by Jonathan Connolly Photography

Creative Place Card Ideas

We have seen a lot of creative ideas in the past year with place cards and the creativity is continuing to trend in 2015. Creativity and functionality is quickly trending as couples are looking to incorporate their personality into every detail of the wedding. From custom ceramic or wooden place cards to personalized mini wine bottles, there’s no end on how creative you can be in using something that you both love and creating a place card and wedding favor in one! Two of our personal favorites are signature drinks with mini place card flags and personalized handkerchief and pocket square place cards.

image by Jennifer Armstrong

Food Serving Styles & Process

Typically in most plated receptions, every table is served at the same time. If you decide to host a buffet dinner, work with your catering staff and planner to decide on the order that each table is released to the buffet. The best way that has worked for us is prior to wedding we arrange the order of each table and our coordination staff goes to each table to release them to the buffet. This is so that your immediate family and bridal party will be released first and to avoid large lines at the buffet stations.

image by Kama Catch Me Photography

Accidents Happen!

Most wedding venues and catering staff are experts at handling drops and spills, and rarely will a couple ever know if these accidents happen. But if it does happen at a critical time, no need to worry, the event staff is ready to step in right away!

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling ready to dive into spreadsheet making. Thanks Expressionary Events for letting Junebug readers in on your reception planning wisdom!

Not sure where to start in planning your ceremony? Be sure to check out Seattle officiant Annemarie Juhlian’s expert advice!

Laid Back California Wedding at Sunset

November 16, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

coral orange yellow

The light was absolutely stunning throughout Julie and Tom’s laid back California wedding, and the exceptional photographers of Chaffin Cade Photography were there to capture every natural sun flare and tender moment. Bride Julie is a designer, so the aesthetics of the day were impeccable, from the sweet menus to the rustic chic place cards. The color palette for the celebration couldn’t have been better chosen, as the coral, orange, and yellow décor perfectly mimicked the sunset portraits.

The Couple: Julie and Tom

The Wedding: Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, West Hills, California

The Inspiration: “I would call the overall theme: California Vintage/Rustic Chic. I grew up in LA but Tom is a recent transplant from the East Coast. He is still blown away by the rugged beauty of California and has made me appreciate it on a whole new level. The outdoors, and California landscape in particular, is very important to us so we knew we wanted to have an outdoor wedding. We also had many guests from the east coast and across the country so we wanted the event to feel uniquely California – fun, laid back, colorful, yet still elegant. I am a designer so the aesthetics of the day were obviously very important to me (and I designed all of our printed materials – invites, name cards, table number, programs, etc.) but above all else we wanted everyone to have fun, dance, and party!”

The Moments: “My favorite moment was walking down the aisle and seeing Tom at the end, teary-eyed. Tom is a musician; he plays the guitar and writes songs. We had a jazz duo play at the ceremony and I secretly asked them to learn one of Tom‘s songs that he often plays for me, which he calls my song, to play as I walked down the aisle. I had never seen Tom cry before so I knew it was a good surprise! Almost no one else knew it was one of his songs so having that as something shared between just the two of us made it even more special.”

The Couple Recommends: “Our photographers were phenomenal. They not only produced amazing photographs of the day, but they were also extremely nice and put our entire wedding party at ease. Claudia, our coordinator, really made sure our day went off without a hitch and served as a great sounding board and friend throughout the entire planning process.”

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Chaffin Cade Photography
Event Coordination – One Darling Day
Venue – Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve
Floral Design – Phyllis Ames
Catering – Seasons Catering
Cake – ZPatisserie
DJ – Dave Whitcraft
Invitations – Julie Garnett Designs
Wedding Dress – Blush by Hayley Paige

Thank you to Chaffin Cade Photography for sharing these outstanding images, and to Julie and Tom for sharing your beautiful day with Junebug. For more laid back California wedding inspiration, check out Gina and Luke’s casual coastal wedding in Sea Ranch, California.

Earthy Chic Long Beach Wedding

October 8, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

kelly green lavender light blue orange sage green

Looking to plan a chic and fun wedding, while still rocking a budget friendly event, Brianna and Hans put together a sweet affair full of DIY elements at the dreamy Rancho los Cerritos in Long Beach. Their wedding came complete with orchids for their guests to wear, bocci ball, and an adorable stool to close the couple’s height difference during the ceremony. Photographed by Jessica Fey, Brianna and Hans’ nuptials could not have better captured the look and feel of an earthy chic affair.

The Couple: Brianna & Hans

The Wedding: Rancho Los Cerritos, Long Beach, California

The Inspiration: “‘Earthy chic!’ We put together our wedding on a little bit of a budget. We found ways to cut costs (drying our own flowers for table decorations and making our own place cards) in order to spend in other places (the venue and a photo booth). We were able to keep things simple knowing that the venue brought it’s own something special. We tailored the wedding to fit our personality as a couple (premixed music that we picked out with a DJ, bocci ball and croquet for the large number of children attending, a friend officiated the ceremony). We even had some surprises: I stood on a stool during our ceremony in order to be close to eye-level with Hans (he is 6’9″ and I am 5’7″).”

The Wedding Team:

Photographer – Jessica Fey Photography
Ceremony & Reception – Rancho Los Cerritos
Catering – Primal Alchemy
Cake – Emil’s Swiss Pastry
DJ – Samix
Wedding Dress – J. Crew
Makeup Artist & Hairstylist – Robin Zekaria at Bella Salon of Naples
Groom’s Apparel – Calvin Klein
Rings – Gaspar Jewelers, Inc.
Henna – Erynne
Flower Bouquet – Allen’s Flower Market
Photo Booth – All Smiles Photo Booth

The Couple Recommends: “Our photographer! Jessica was laid back and easy going. She was virtually hidden during the wedding and reception. I was very nervous about a photographer in my face but I barely noticed her and her work is absolutely beautiful! I didn’t want to take posed photos, but she talked me into it and she was right! Also the venue: Rancho Los Cerritos. They were very flexible and allowed us to very much make the wedding our own. Last: Erynne who did my henna. She worked with me for weeks to find the design that I had imagined in my head!”

Thank you so much, Brianna and Hans, for sharing your absolutely lovely day with us. We wish you the best!

For more earthy chic inspiration, head on over to Boho Chic Styled Shoot.

Ask the Expert – Wedding Expenses: Who Pays for What?

September 17, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

Marisa Manna Ferrel, So Eventful’s owner and lead planner, recently experienced planning her own wedding. As a wedding & event planner herself with more than 300 + weddings to her name, Marisa understands both traditional expenses, as well as what she has seen her own couples (including herself) do when it comes to splitting the wedding bill. She’s here today to give us some tips and advice on how to organize your wedding finances. However, we would like to mention that everyone divvy’s up wedding expenses differently. These are not “rules”, just an explanation of how wedding expenses are traditionally divided – not to say there’s anything wrong with deviating from tradition!

Photo by Nordica Photography

The largest expenses for a wedding are:

Catering (i.e. food and beverage)
Transportation
Florals/Decor Elements
Band

From Marisa – “All of the above are traditionally expenses for the bride. Transportation is only a large expense if you plan on using shuttles for ALL guest transportation. If a bride is paying for the entire wedding and the groom’s family wants to contribute, this is a good one to hand off.”

Traditional expenses for the groom are:

The bride’s engagement and wedding rings
Marriage license
Groomsmen gifts
Rehearsal dinner costs
Honeymoon costs
Most of the transportation for his own party and family
The officiant’s fee
Liquor at the reception

Traditional expenses for the bride are:

Groom’s wedding ring
Bridesmaid gifts
The wedding gown and accessories
Invitations, save the dates, place cards, etc. (all paper goods)
The bridal shower
Transportation for the bridal part and bride’s guests
Ceremony and reception costs (this includes photography, videography, rentals, etc.)
Wedding planner

So Eventful even has a handy dandy worksheet for couples planning their wedding. While this is just a guide, and you don’t have to follow it precisely, it does help to have a starting point for planning your wedding expenses.

Marisa also mentions that flowers are a tricky element of the wedding. Traditionally, the groom pays for the bride’s bouquet, corsages, and boutonnieres for the groom’s side of the bridal party (including his father). The bride pays for the groom’s boutonniere, bridesmaid’s bouquets, and floral design surrounding the ceremony and reception spaces.

Once again, this is just an outline. Marisa says that people will offer to pay for certain costs of the wedding, and everyone’s situation is vastly different. To find someone like Marisa, who knows what he/she is talking about when it comes to weddings, check out our 5 Reasons to Hire an Expert Wedding Planner.

Thanks so much to So Eventful for filling us in on some much needed advice!

Artsy Mountain Wedding in Redstone, Colorado

September 9, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

champagne ivory light pink sage green

With a gorgeous venue and neutral color scheme, Bethany and Michael’s artsy mountain wedding was a day filled with simplistic elegance. The couple’s outdoor ceremony space was breathtaking, and the wedding party’s unique fashion, from the bride’s BHLDN gown to the mismatched bridesmaids’ dresses, made a stylish statement. Alison Vagnini did a fabulous job of photographing everything from the beautiful venue to the fun-loving reception.

The Couple: Bethany and Michael

The Wedding: Redstone Inn, Redstone, CO

The Inspiration: Living in Colorado, we really wanted to do a mountain wedding because we thought that it’d make for the best time for all of our friends, family and especially for our out of town guests. Because the mountains were really the backdrop for the wedding, we wanted to keep things simple, elegant and natural to keep the focus on the scenery. We stuck with a neutral color palette and clean lines, which kept things feeling natural, and when it came to flowers and decorating the tent, I chose to keep most everything white because it’s classic and easy to match across differing pieces of decor.

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Alison Vagnini
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Redstone Inn
Florist: Lizz Arias of Soul Flower Floral Designs
Wedding Dress: BHLDN
Favors: Anthropologie

Thank you to Bethany and Michael for sharing your wonderful day with us!

Looking for more mountain wedding inspiration? You’ll love Brenna and Andew’s rustic mountain wedding!

Stylish Modern Wedding in Washington, D.C.

September 5, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

black bright red coral dark pink gold ivory light pink orange

Gold, glamour, and bright flowers all came together beautifully for Nicole and Fernando’s stylish modern wedding, captured by Sarah Culver Photography. The Mead Center for American Theater venue was amazing to begin with, but with the addition of their sparkling black and gold color scheme and gorgeous floral design, the couple’s special day took chic to whole new level.

The Couple: Nicole and Fernando

The Wedding: Mead Center for American Theater

The Inspiration: What we were really looking for was a contemporary venue and we were so happy when we discovered the Mead Center for American Theater. The gorgeous windows with natural wood beams and the Fichlander Stage as backdrop helped inspire our contemporary yet glam wedding. Our main colors were black and gold but we included pops of color with our vibrant flowers and some sparkles to brighten everything up.

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Sarah Culver Photography
Ceremony & Reception Venue: St. Dominic Catholic Church, Mead Center for American Theater
Videographer/Film Maker: RR Videography
Invitation Designer: FyD Creative
Catering: Design Cuisine
Florist: Loda Floral Design
Cake: Room 11
Wedding Dress:Rafael Cennamo via M Bride
Groom’s Apparel: Geoffrew Lewis Ltd.
Groomsmen’s Apparel:Geoffrew Lewis Ltd.
Hair Stylist:PR at Partners Shirlington

Thank you to Nicole and Fernando for sharing your wonderful wedding!

Looking for more glamorous inspiration? Check out Carrie and Jim’s sparkling country club wedding!

Timeless Rooftop Wedding in NYC

September 3, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

bright red coral dark pink light pink white yellow

Overlooking the iconic cityscape of New York, Jan and Nam’s timeless rooftop wedding was a stylish celebration that incorporated both modern and classic elements. Vibrant pops of yellow and pink alongside vintage-inspired furniture and unique bridal party fashion made for a chic and romantic day, all captured by Sean Flanigan.

The Couple: Jan and Nam

The Wedding: 620 Loft & Garden, New York, NY

The Inspiration: We wanted to create a more “casual” feel to the wedding because the venue itself is breathtaking and also formal. This meant adding in a more rustic feel with vintage furniture and some bright colours from the flowers. The majority of our guests including Nam and I are from Australia, so we tried to include elements of NYC into the wedding such as providing caricature drawers as gifts for our guests.

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Sean Flanigan
Event Planner: Ara Farnam
Ceremony & Reception Venue:620 Loft & Garden
Videographer/Film Maker:
Catering:Union Square Events
Florist: Ara Farnam
Cake:Momofuku Milk Bar
Wedding Dress:Paolo Sebastian
Bridesmaids’ Apparel & Accessories:Zimmermann
Groom’s Apparel:Yves Saint Laurent
Groomsmens’ Apparel:Ben Sherman
Hair Stylist:Ryan Mitchell
Makeup Artist:Georgi Sandev
Live Music:Najah Lewis
Caricature Favors:Aron Laikin
Rentals:Bits & Pieces Vintage Rentals

Thank you to Jan and Nam for sharing your gorgeous wedding with us!

Love this wedding in the city? You’ll also love Kasey and Jake’s elopement in the city!

Urban Boho Wedding Inspiration Photo Shoot with Photography by Joseph West

June 26, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

black dark pink gold tan

We’re in love with the industrial feel of this inspiration shoot. Something about the grit of old buildings just make brides look so much more beautiful and our model AshLee Frazier (known for her incredible style and her time on ABC’s The Bachelor ) is just drop dead gorgeous in these photos! On top of that, Joseph West Photography did an outstanding job capturing the hard and soft that make us love this urban boho wedding so much.

Here are a few words from this shoot’s planner, designer, and coordinate-extraordinaire Christina Landrum of Pomp & Circumstance:

Okay, so I didn’t watch the Bachelor last season. Don’t hate me. Although our model AshLee Frazier didn’t find her Prince Charming on The Bachelor, it’s rumored that she went back to film a spin off show for ABC, set to air in August. She was absolutely stunning in the Monique Lhuillier gowns we selected for our inspiration shoot, and the perfect bride-to-be! With the perfect model, a few newly discovered vendors, and the of course, our staple dream team, we took the gorgeous floral trends of 2014 and created soft, edgy, and just slightly unconventional wedding inspiration for any season. Amazingly talented vendors + a pinch of brilliance + stunning eye candy = AWESOME. Enjoy!

The Photo Shoot Team:

Photography: Joseph West Photography
Planning & Design: Pomp & Circumstance
Floral Design: Maxit Flower Design
Venue: The Houston Studio
Linen & Event Rentals: EB Inc
Vintage Rentals: The Borrowed Flea
Cake: Frosted Betty Bake Shop
Invitation Suite: TyingTheKnots
Bridal Gowns: Casa de Novia
Chair Cameos: Fox And The Gown
Hair & Makeup: Southern & Adorn
Model: AshLee Frazier
Place Cards and Hand Lettering: Lilly Letters

Want more bohemian wedding ideas? Check out this boho chic wedding inspiration photo shoot!

Colorful, Vintage Wedding at Terminal City Club in Vancouver, B.C. – Carly and Dan

December 6, 2013 | Junebug Weddings

aqua coral dark pink light pink sage green

Carly and Dan’s wedding at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver, B.C. was fresh and bright, and beautifully photographed by StonePhoto. I love the way the couple included fun pops of colors, like the fuschia and mint-green shoes for the bride and her bridesmaids; and personal touches, like the hand-painted poem used as a backdrop for the ceremony.

The Couple: Carly and Dan

The Wedding: 8.31.13, Terminal City Club, Vancouver, B.C.

The Goals: We both wanted to make sure that our wedding day captured the love that we have for each other. We hoped that it would be a day filled with fun, laughter and a few tears :) We also wanted to choose a venue that was in the heart of the city and was a space with an indoor and outdoor component.

The Design: We wanted to create a vintage romantic vibe in the middle of the city. We used vintage world globes and flowers in vintage blue ball jars with white and grey chevron runners on the reception tables, along with paper airplane place cards. We chose flowers that were romantic and soft in pinks, fuchsias, and mint. I painted a backdrop for the ceremony with one of my favorite poems and hand made tissue paper tassels to bring some colour to the space.

The Look: My goal was to feel polished and cute/sexy. I wanted a unique dress that was fitted at the top and had a detailed fun flirty bottom. After trying on many dresses I fell in love with a dress from the Lillen Collection (a local Vancouver based design team). I finished it off with a sparkly belt from Olivia Headpieces and fuschia shoes from Kate Spade. I loved the hit of bright pink under my dress. The groom wore a custom suit from Indochino with a vintage inspired polka dot tie. The Maid of Honour and bridesmaids wore flirty grey dresses and mint green shoes for colour.

The Moments: My favorite part of the day was getting to celebrate the love we have for each other with our family and friends. Our officiant (Karen Ell) was amazing and she led us through our personalized vows and made our ceremony so special. We also loved taking photos in Gastown with the very creative Dan and Kat Stone. We had a kissing game we played during the reception where our guest would stand across the dance floor and throw a paper airplane at the head table. If they made it to the table, Dan and I would kiss.

The Advice: Plan a day that represents and celebrates you as a couple. All of the people that attend are there to support and share in the love you have for one another. Make sure to be present and cherish the moments of the day because it goes by so quickly. Dan and I were successful in incorporating our personalities and passions from our vows to the decor and the music. Everyone that attended had a great time sharing in our special day.

Carly and Dan, your vintage wedding was a dream!

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: StonePhoto
Event Planner: Carly Toevs
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Terminal City Club
Officiant: Karen Ell
Invitation Designer: Carly Toevs
Catering: Terminal City Club
Florist: Flower Factory
Cake: Terminal City Club
Wedding Dress: Lillen Collection from Bisou Bridal
Bridal Accessories: Belt – Olivia Headpieces, Earrings – Elsa Corsi, Shoes – Kate Spade
Bridesmaids’ Apparel & Accessories: Dress – Frocks, Shoes – Nine West
Groom’s Apparel & Accessories: Suit – Indochino
Hair: Blo Blow Dry Bar
Makeup: Atefeh Make Up & Hair
DJ: Airwaves Music
Rentals: Spruce Collective Vintage Rentals
Rings: Minichiello Jewellers

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Searching for

WEDDING BLOG

Pink and Yellow Wedding at Rittenhouse Hotel

Ask the Expert – Wedding Reception Organization

Laid Back California Wedding at Sunset

Earthy Chic Long Beach Wedding

Ask the Expert – Wedding Expenses: Who Pays for What?

Artsy Mountain Wedding in Redstone, Colorado

Stylish Modern Wedding in Washington, D.C.

Timeless Rooftop Wedding in NYC

Urban Boho Wedding Inspiration Photo Shoot with Photography by Joseph West

Colorful, Vintage Wedding at Terminal City Club in Vancouver, B.C. – Carly and Dan

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