Rhia & Joe ~ 8.8. 08 Wedding

Photos taken by Forever True Photography

Along with good luck, 8/8/08 has a few other factors that make it a desirable day to get married. August is a good month for a wedding, since out-of-towners are more open to travel in the summer and there’s a better opportunity to wed outdoors. Also, when the numeral "8" is turned on its side, it becomes the symbol for infinity -- a fitting motif to represent the beginning of a marriage.

I am so pleased to be able to share these images with you before they go up on my website. They were shot by Forever True Photography at the lovely Castle Green. A big thanks to all the fabulous vendors, Nesly's Floral Design & Events, Matt Graumann Entertainment, Event Professionals, Lightbox Digital, Monet Salon, Porto's Bakery, my lovely assistants Cristina and Joanna, without whom... and I would like to wish Rhia, Joe and their families all the best....

Please enjoy!



Source: Chinese Weddings by The Knot

Venue Spotlight: St. Charles Borromeo Church and Calamigos Equestrian

Photos courtesy of Louis Felix Photography

St. Charles Borromeo Church is a Catholic church and elementary school located at Moorpark and Lankershim in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest parishes in the San Fernando Valley dating back to 1921. It has long been a parish with celebrity members and was the site of funerals for Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, and Robert Urich.


With over 53 years of experience in special event planning and catering, the Calamigos Staff will help in making your event not only successful, but unforgettable. Calamigos at the Los Angeles Equestrian Centers offers a secluded and beautiful venue centrally located on the north face of historic Griffith Park. The scenic Santa Monica Mountains provide a pastoral backdrop to this unique location. With its impressive ballrooms and garden ceremony sites, Calamigos at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center offers accommodations from 75 to 500 guests for weddings and receptions.




I was very fortunate to have been a part of Nini and Luis' wedding. It was a perfect day in June, the wedding of a wonderful couple. The ceremony was held at a magnificent church and the reception at a charming and elegant location. It was such an honor to have worked at this wedding. "Thank you, Nini & Luis, and Congratulations! And special thanks to Louis Felix Photography for the fabulous photos."

Sources: MyWedding.com, Wikepedia

Same Sex Marriage Legal in California!

Photo borrowed from GayWeddingLA.com

Gay Marriage Legal in California! Gay Premarital Counseling
By Rik Isensee

What an exciting development!

Shadowed, as expected, by a vote on the amendment to bar same-sex marriage in November. Starting with the first same-sex marriages on June 16th, there will be an amazing opening for as many couples as possible to create"facts on the ground" that will be very difficult to ignore. Even if the amendment passes, what will be the status of marriages that have already taken place?

And if we have thousands of marriages in the meantime, voters will discover that the sky doesn't fall, thus creating the same kind of momentum that Massachusetts experienced, where the legislature finally gave up on trying to amend the constitution to prohibit gay marriage.

Bringing this closer to home, some of the couples in my own life (in addition to those I've been working with) are very excited! Some are making plans to get married this summer.

Yet at the same time, the very possibility that we can actually get married brings up the question: Is that what we're ready for?

One partner might be chomping at the bit, raring to go--while the other still needs to think it through. Even though a fairly comprehensive domestic partners law has been in force here in California for some time, the idea of marriage nonetheless evokes a whole other level of commitment.

One guy's hesitation can be very unsettling to the partner who's ready to get married, who then questions what that hesitation means. I saw a similar phenomenon during the brief window of gay marriage here in San Francisco, when Mayor Gavin Newsom opened the floodgates four years ago. There was a heady excitement, mixed with not knowing how long it would last--and a keen desire to strike while the iron's hot!

So despite the excitement of the current moment, I like to encourage couples to take a deep breath and really take some time to listen to each other's concerns. It's far too easy to construe any hesitation as an indication that our boyfriend's not really committed, when it may simply mean that there are some underlying concerns that still need to be addressed. Despite our enthusiasm, it's probably not the time to make all-or-nothing demands.

The prospect of gay marriage is a very exciting stimulus for getting in touch with our hopes, dreams, and desires. By listening and empathizing with each other's point of view, we can then determine how getting married at this particular time in our lives may (or may not) facilitate our goals for our own relationships!

Rik Isensee is the author of Love Between Men, and practices gay couples therapy in San Francisco. If you're in the process of sorting through your own readiness for marriage, click on Gay Premarital Counseling!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rik_Isensee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Gay-Marriage-Legal-in-California!-Gay-Premarital-Counseling&id=1264409

Check out this article on FAQ's in Getting Married in Los Angeles including obtaining licenses for same-sex couples and same-sex wedding friendly venues: DiscoverLosAngeles.com

Venue Spotlight: Riviera Country Club

All photos grabbed from Andrea's blog

The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades is internationally renowned for it's private golf course where PGA plays with all the "big boys" every year. It's also an amazing venue for weddings and social events with a beautiful view, elegant rooms, fantastic food and outstanding service.


ABCGLA did it again - another fabulous networking event. Kudos to Beth of Beth Helmstetter Events and the rest of ABCGLA's Steering Committee, including "yours truly", for organizing this event. It was held last month at The Riviera Country Club.

Special thanks to all the vendors who showcased and contributed to the success of this event...

DJ for the night - Scott Topper

Delicious cakes by Nancy Kay and gorgeous floral arrangements by Flower Wild

Lounge furniture by AB Elements

Linens and chargers by Elegant Designs

Gowns by Amal of Beverly Hills

Flamenco Quartet by Leonard Neil Productions

Chairs by Chameleon Chair Collection

Brides.com donated a 6 month online advertising Raffle Prize

Official Photographers - Andrea and Tammy of Red Loft Studios

My Own "DIY" Floral Centerpiece

I know it's nothing to brag about - it's nowhere near the caliber of a centerpiece by any of the most talented Floral Designers out there but here it is... better late than never... my own creation.

Back in March, I attended ABCGLA's Floral Workshop held at Jackie Combs Floral Design studio in Burbank, conducted by, no other than, the talented, Jackie Combs herself. The workshop was filled with hands-on fun to create our own floral centerpiece. Various tips and techniques, as well as the new trends in wedding floral design were also discussed. We even got to take our centerpiece home, as well as a little kit to help us with our own creations.

"Thanks, Jackie, for a fun workshop and for helping us create something so nice to share with others."

Grand Opening Celebration of the newest Alfred Angelo Bridal Store

Grand Opening Celebration of the newest Alfred Angelo store in Rancho Cucamonga, CA on Saturday, April 5th, 2008 at:

11540 4th Street
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

Meet their Designer Michael Shettel, let him help you choose the perfect look for special day and receive a signed sketch of your gown.

PLUS>>

-Meet BRIDES magazine Bridal Sylist, Lisa Jackson
-Wedding Cake Tasting with BRIDES featured Cake Artist, Reva Alexander
-Up-do's and Makeup Trials with Bella Creations
-Florals and Bouquet Trends with Pretty Little Florals
-Gift bags for the first 100 brides

Please call Tram, Bridal Specialist, at 909-247-9677 for an appointment to receive $100 your bridal gown. Make sure to ask for Tram in order to receive this special discount.

Santa Ynez - a Southern California Wedding Destination

Santa Ynez is nestled in the heart of Santa Barbara County's legendary vineyards -- the perfect destination for a weekend getaway, relaxing day trip or a romantic wedding. Located just a couple of hours from Los Angeles, you can drive into the breathtaking beauty of Santa Ynez for your romantic destination wedding via a scenic mountainous route. Beautiful weather throughout the year grace Santa Ynez; the mild climate and award-winning wineries that make some of the best California wines just add to the charm of having a wedding here.

My husband ,Richard, and I spent our wedding anniversary weekend in Santa Ynez last month. We had such a wonderful, relaxing, unforgettable experience.

We stayed at Santa Ynez Inn, a charming boutique hotel/inn. Richard and I are usually not "Inn" people. We prefer staying at "swanky" hotels but at the end of our stay, we were converted... Concierge assistance is offered for scheduling dining, wine tasting tours, shopping etc.; daily laundry/dry cleaning valet service is available; and nightly turndown is provided. A fitness suite includes a sauna and private massage room in addition to exercise equipment, but we opted for an in-room couple's massage (I could not even begin to describe how good it was).

We were served full breakfasts at the elegant parlor, afternoon tea and coffee, evening wine and hors d'oeuvres, and nightly desserts. The food was absolutely superb! Breakfast was a perfect day-starter, featuring a buffet of fruits, cereals, breads, juices, coffee and tea...followed by gourmet hot entrees served at our table. The evening hors d'oeuvres were more than the usual cheese and crackers, accompanied by excellent Santa Ynez Valley wines. And the evening dessert - tempting treats like those we've had in fine restaurants.

We snuggled into a 2nd floor room with balcony and king-sized bed, and it was elegant and cozy at the same time. It's a blend of Victorian and contemporary that includes some luxurious touches and state-of-the-art conveniences -- deluxe linens, comfy robes & slippers, gas fireplace, whirlpool tub, private balcony, TV with DVD player (needs updating), DVD's available for sign-out at the front desk, telephones with voicemail and dataport, individually-controlled thermostat, mini refrigerator with complimentary mineral water, coffee maker, iron and board, hair dryer, and piped-in music system. There's even a clock radio/ipod docking station so we were able to listen to our own music when we got tired listening to the classical music piped-in.

We loved, loved our stay. We're definitely coming back. And no, we didn't stay at the Inn the entire time.

Day 1 - had a delicious lunch at The Vineyard House Restaurant, situated in a historic Victorian house adjacent to the Inn. Walked around the quaint town of Santa Ynez, visited a few shops. Of course, we had to check out the Chumash Casino for a little gambling fun. Then dinner at Trattoria Grappolo. I had "Pizza Funghi" (Tomatoes, mozzarella, and champignone mushrooms), truly the best pizza I've ever had.

Day 2 - went to the quaint town of Solvang (about 3 miles from the Inn) and discovered , Vinhus, where we sampled some terrific wine and cheese and thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Brad, The Wine Guy. Visited a couple of wineries in the area, recommended by Brad -- Foley and Melville, tasted their featured wines and picked-up a case and a half (to add to Richard's already full cellar)... We had the most amazing dinner at the Ballard Inn Restaurant. Each meal was finely crafted and presented, and everything I tasted (my selections and the stolen bites off of Richard's plate) was great. Excellent wine list, and the staff was well informed, especially as to the wine list. The atmosphere is nice without being stuffy or too formal.

Day 3 - On our way back home, stopped at Mission Santa Ines to hear Sunday Mass and for a taste of California history. And last but not least, we picked-up a dozen delicious Danish pastries from Mortensen's Danish Bakery. Can't leave Solvang without 'em.

Click on these links for more information about weddings in Santa Ynez and vicinity: Santa Ynez Inn, Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country, Santa Ynez Valley Weddings, Santa Barbara Wedding Guide