Inspiration : Desiree + Jarrod

Desiree and Jarrod are planning an amazing "old Hollywood" inspired wedding this September at The Parker Palm Springs. Touches of chrome and mirror will be used to accent a pallet of lilac, black, and ivory. Desiree has a great sense of style and an eye for detail. Having just finished their engagement photos with Natalie Moser, they are in the final countdown! I can't wait for the wedding, it will be here before we know it!

Rivini

Beautiful. So feminine, so unique. I love this dress.

rivini.com

Fall for yellow

It seems goldenrod is the new Tiffany blue. It's everywhere! As much as I have always adored yellow, I also thought it was a bit too "cutesy" for anything but a backyard garden wedding. Paired with grey, pewter, or charcoal, it becomes much more sophisticated and can even work well into the Fall. How sunny. Limoncello, anyone?

images clockwise, L-R: elum, martha stewart, martha stewart,elum, vera wang, simrin

Wrap it up

I had to wrap a gift yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to come across some paper in my bin that I had all but forgotten about. I had bought it quite a while back and had been waiting for just the right package on which to use it. The paper is from a company called Heidi and they have some really great prints available at paper stores across the country. I love the brown honeycomb pattern! The website also has a lot of great ideas and advice for wrapping, writing, and gift giving. There is nothing better than arriving at a wedding or birthday with a gift wrapped in a special way. Sometimes the wrapping can be almost as fun as choosing the gift itself!

I wrapped this gift for my "Favorite Things Swap" partner, Jihan from Around the World on my Vespa. I loaded it with lots of my favorite things and I hope she enjoys them as much as I do.

Just some of the wrapping papers from Heidi. The blue and the red on the left would look great together.

Vintage is always in style

There is just something about the idea of wearing a vintage dress for your wedding that is so inspiring. It definitely is not for everyone, but I truly admire the bride who can pull this look off. Vintageous is a great site with tons of party dresses to choose from, the only problem is they seem to sell rather quickly so you have to act fast. The great news is they are so affordable, you won't have to think too hard about your decision!

Always a bridesmaid?

I have to admit that I am in love with bridesmaids dresses- weird, I know. I never thought much about them until my own wedding when I became completely obsessed with finding the perfect bridesmaid dress. It was the first thing I accomplished after finding the location and it was the last decision I made before walking down the aisle. (Read: I changed my mind a ridiculous amount of times, causing my bridesmaids to curse my name on numerous occasions. Oh, and I tend to exaggerate a bit to make a point.)

My obsession has yet to wain and I am always on the lookout for what I believe to be beautiful, modern, and unpretentious bridesmaids' dresses. Here are some recent finds:

dresses from simple silhouettes and jcrew

Location, Location

Although I am still totally in love with and would not have changed the location of my Parker wedding for anything, I am always on the lookout for unique and inspiring locations that fit the personality of my clients. While on a road trip along the central coast of California with my husband last week, we came across countless amazing views that would make for an unforgettable wedding locale. One of our favorites was here, at the Ragged Point Inn in Big Sur. Can't you just envision a small, intimate, organic wedding in this stunning natural setting?

Pathway to the altar

View away from the ocean

View from just beyond the ceremony site

Welcome to The Parker

So I knew when I booked The Parker for my wedding that it was not just your average Palm Springs hotel, but a reality TV show about the place?! I can't get enough!

Since my first stay at the hotel in the Summer of 2005 to my wedding in June 2006 to my most recent stay last month, this hotel has never let me down when it comes to drama and intrigue. Just being on the property makes you feel a bit hipper, a bit more glamorous. Celebrities abound and pretty people are everywhere. I quickly find myself asking my husband, "What's that guy in? Isn't that so and so? Oh my God, is that blank?"

My last stay proved to be my closest brush with stardom yet as "the guy from 30 Rock" hocked a beach ball at my head and "the woman from ER" asked me for the time. I think this means I am well on my way to being "somebody"!

Pretentious? Yes. Outrageously expensive? You bet. As dramatic as the show implies? Absolutely. But forever this hotel will hold a special place in my heart. Since my own wedding I have been fortunate enough to work with two more brides getting married at The Parker. Lucky for me, I get to relive the excitement and the drama time and time again every Thursday at 10 on Bravo. I'm hooked!

images from Bravotv.com

Let's get this thing started already!

OK, OK, so I seem to have already procrastinated and its only been about 4 days! Such is life, ambitions are great, but the weight of everyday life is greater! I have made the promise to myself to get pictures posted this week, before vacation. We'll see how well the self-imposed deadline strategy works for me.

At last...

...I started a blog. Now, if only I can keep it going! I'll be posting photos of weddings and parties I have recently planned, ideas and inspirations, and anything else I come across and want to share. Be kind- I am new to the blogging world!