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: 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.

"Dinner's On Us" Prize Drawing

We truly enjoyed meeting everyone who visited our booth at the recent Glendale Hilton Bridal Show, Sunday, February 17th. Thank you so much!

We are pleased to announce that the prize drawing for our "Dinner's On Us" raffle took place at our booth at the conclusion of the show. Six lucky winners (1st Prize -$100 Morton's gift card, 2nd Prize (2) - $50 Cheesecake Factory and $50 PF Chang's gift card, 3rd prize (3) - $25 California Pizza Kitchen gift cards) have been notified by email. Congratulations to all our winners!

Once again, thanks very much to those who stopped by and took the time to enter the drawing.

Maita & Cristina, Simply Marvelous Weddings and Events

Marlou Colina and team, Bridal Hair & Make-Up Artists

Our special "thanks" to Elaine of White Flower Events and Flowers for providing this arrangement for our booth.

This day in history - February 20th...

1872, the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City... 1924, American socialite and clothing designer, Gloria Vanderbilt, was born... 1931, California gets the go-ahead by the U.S. Congress to build the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge... 1962 - Mercury program: while aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn orbits the earth three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes, becoming the first American to orbit the earth... 1998, American figure skater Tara Lapinski, becomes the youngest gold-medalist at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan... 2005, which happens to be one of the rainiest days in L.A.'s history, I married the man of my dreams.

Photographed during our pre-ceremony shoot, by Blendi Reynolds of Sun-Dance Photography at Skirball Cultural Center & Museum, Los Angeles

FACCsfv Holiday Mixer

Photos courtesy of Richard Miyake

It was such an honor to co-host, with Elaine Quadra of White Flower Events and Flowers, FACCsfv's Holiday Mixer held last November 28 at White Flower's showroom in Van Nuys. It was a very successful event attended by about 40 FACCsfv members, officers and guests including members of the media. Everyone enjoyed delicious hors d'oeuvres and dessert, fine wine and prizes. The "Speed Mix" game (same concept as Speed Date) was introduced for the first time, where everyone had an opportunity to meet and exchange business cards with everyone in attendance. It was a blast.

Don Ho, Executive Chef of Le Fusion provided the catering and Marivic Ayunan, owner of Helena Wirth Decorated Cakes provided the "yummy" cakes. Travel Diva, Maridy Masicat, Owner of Travel Style and FaCCsfv officer, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Kudos to Matteo Fernandez, owner of Mabuhay Media and officer of FACCsfv, for helping us organize this fantastic event.

Looking forward to the next FACCsfv Mixer in January.

ACPWC Speakers and Showcasers Day

Photos by B&G Photography

ACPWC Southern California Chapter had its Speakers Day and Luncheon last October 26, 2007 held at Hilton Long Beach. It was a fantastic ending to a week long class. Congratulations to all the new graduates and to our fellow members who received their well deserved certifications.

Some of the most reputable wedding professionals were featured as speakers and showcasers. Among them were B&G Photography, David Robin Films, Peter Merry, Bob Gail Special Events, Emily Rose Papers, Reverend Clint Hufft and Caroline Hallak.

I had a great time. Kudos to Marcia Vidal of Crystal Clear Weddings for a great job putting this event together. Unfortunately, I had to leave early due to prior commitments so I wasn't able to join the group photo session :( .