Leslie & Wesley Tie The Knot!

Oh hello readers.. I know it's been so long since my last update and it's about time I reveal some of the summer weddings we've designed & coordinated.  Be sure to check back in a few days why I was MIA for a while! ;)
Leslie & Wesley are perfect for one another and so honored to be a part of their memorable day. I know I need to stop raving about our clients but we seriously attract the most sweetest, generous, loving brides and Leslie is just a perfect example of why we love our job! She was actually a referral from another planner (Thanks Annaha!) and we instantly hit it off from the very first consultation.

Leslie wanted a clean, modern yet traditional decor elements at the Jonathan Club where Wesley grew up spending his summer vacations hanging out at the club with his parents. We had Fleuretica design all the florals (LOVE working with these girls) and Level 4 International provided all the rentals including lighting & lounge furniture. Even my MIL helped us make custom runners for the long tables while Leslie put together all the stationery herself, bought 300 pairs of flip flops for the guests (crazy!) and still managed to look this HOT while finishing up her residency as an OBGYN!
Without further ado, enjoy these lovely pictures from Taek Photography.

how cute is this small wagon for the ring bearer? I attached the pillow at the last minute and I thought it was such a perfect idea, no? :)

I absolutely adore this picture and these little guys did a fantastic job walking down the aisle!!

Wesley serenading Steven Curtis Chapman's song, 'I will be there' to Leslie during the ceremony.. OK. maybe I just love saying their names..     Leslie & Wesley. ;)

Now onto some of the reception details... These images don't do any justice how beautiful everything looked that night! Really wished we had some good overall & detail shots but by the time the 2nd shooter arrived, the guests already took their seats... 

How chic are these white lounge furniture with accent pillows on sand?

Yes... 300 pairs of Old Navy flips we displayed as favors and we only had 10-15 pairs left at the end of the night!!

LOVED our seafoam blue & peach color combination and Flueretica did an awesome job creating all the lush florals!

Probably my favorite sweet heart table set up, it was just SO pretty on Jonathan Club property!

some more B & G shots at the beach... LOVE! :)

We had s'mores station, photobooth, mid night snack & a 9 piece live band from BuzzCats to keep the guests entertained and it sure kept everyone happy!

Hope you got to enjoy this wedding as much as we did! Here's their cute wedding highlight Anything & Everything Productions captured!

Leslie + Wesley 07.23.11 from Anything&Everything Productions on Vimeo.
Stay tuned for more updates!

Emdee & Steven Tie The Knot! Featured on 100 Layer Cake

Here's to one of my favorite weddings this year at Temecula Creek Inn, Stone House.  Emdee and Steven came to me as soon as they booked the venue and they were such a delightful to work. I'm not sure what it is but we seriously attract the most thoughtful, sincere, detail -loving brides and it's such an honor to maintain the relationship even after their weddings!

Temecula Stone House was the perfect backdrop for their intimate and romantic outdoor wedding. The setting was reminiscent of Emdee's home in Thailand and to set the overall dreamy, romantic ambience, we flew Jen Huang as the photographer from NY to capture their day. So glad we did since the photographs are beyond dreamy, airy & romantic! Please please head over to 100 Layer Cake to read all the juicy details & some of  Emdee's DIY projects.

Instead of having a candle or sand ceremony, we displayed a wooden treasure box on the wine barrel where they tucked in their personal vows after the ceremony.

 

We carefully tucked in wooden escort cards with coffee beans and hung some of them on this lovely lace backdrop that Kristine Shin Designs made.

The lush florals with hints of lace throughout the ceremony and reception by Kristine Shin Designs made such a romantic outdoor setting. Believe it or not, it was over 100 degrees while setting up so huge kudos to our staff & Kristine's staff for enduring the hot scorching weather!!

Guests sipped on cocktails in the lounge area furnished with great rustic benches from Classic Party Rentals and accent decorative pillows that EmDee found on clearance.

This wedding was also special because the creative director from a Korean wedding publication called {My Wedding} reached out to me and wanted to come out to Temecula to feature this wedding on their 18th anniversary issue. To those who aren't familiar with this publication, it's one of the best selling wedding magazines in Korea and we were absolutely honored to have them join us. Hopefully we'll be able to work on creative projects for their magazine soon. ;) 

Hope everyone had a great labor day weekend and be sure to check back soon for some amazing news we'll be sharing soon!

Dress up your sweet heart table!

If you're thinking of having a sweet heart table instead of sitting with all your bridal party, why not dress it up a little more? It definitely draws attention and I think it's such a fun way to personalize the wedding even more! Here are some sweet heart tables we put together in the past. (Please excuse the poor quality pics from my iPhone)
You can bring in your favorite color accent pillows, arm chairs and any other decor pieces or personal items to create a whimsical and eclectic look.  Instead of you two going around to greet the guests, I'd bet you, they would line up to take pictures of you sitting at the sweet heart table!

Here's a sweet heart table set up for Min & Sean's wedding. The navy blue love seat & rustic table were rented through The Found and we just moved ceremony props & flowers to bring out more color!

I'm dying to share this lovely wedding from last weekend at Jonathan Beach Club. The bride wanted everything modern, clean and classy so we decided to rent a cabana with a crystal chandelier hanging from above with a white banquette.  We used all the bridesmaids' bouquets to add some color to the table and added some colored cushions too! 

Check out what Kate Holt of FlowerWild  did to back of the chivari chairs. It's such a romantic way to dress up your sweet heart table, no? :)  Photo Credit: Chenin Boutwell

I'll be back next week to share with you more gorgeous weddings and ideas you can also incorporate into your own wedding! Stay tuned!!

How to build a solid, profitable business

NOTE: I've been getting a lot of emails from readers how they can pursue their passion into profit making businesses. So this post is dedicated to all small business owners so if you're a bride planning for your wedding, more than welcome to browse through other inspirational blogs today. ;)

When I first started event design & coordination company back in 2007 as a full time career, I had no idea it would come this far. I didn't know what to expect after giving birth, but to my surprise, I received more inquiries than prior years. I've seen many wedding businesses come and go, so there was small fear in me that one day my business will close doors as well. Let's be real: If you love what you're doing but not making much profit in 2-3 years in this industry, you should reconsider your path or re-evaluate the direction you're headed towards.
There were many disappointments and conflicts I faced in this saturated wedding business, but one of the greatest assets about it is that I'm ALWAYS learning & moving forward. Here are some tips I'd to share for future wedding planners or anyone who'd like to start their own small business.These are just my personal opinion so feel free to filter out whatever I say ;) 

1) FOCUS ON YOUR SERVICE OR THE PRODUCT YOU'RE OFFERING

It is important to focus on your product or the service you're offering and be the best at it. First year is crucial to brand your business but, don't take EVERY opportunity that comes your way.  When my son's birthday party got featured on various blogs, I received an overwhelming birthday party inquiries and I had to turn down ALL of them because I knew I didn't want to spread myself too thin. It isn't our main service to chase after kids & try to deal with moms who are on an extreme tight budget. It could have brought more business or I could have given the jobs to our associate coordinators, but I intentionally wanted to focus on weddings to provide exceptional, proactive and authentic service to our clients. It was more important that I built credibility & trust with our clients than taking on way too many events to appear more attractive to customers.  It's the little things that make us reliable, professional, and an experienced vendor and I truly believe that it all starts with great customer care & undivided attention to our clients' needs.  If you say that you're good at everything & start dabbling on everything that sparks your interest every time, trust me.. you can't go too far with your flings of interest or the next 'cool' idea. I also have way too many ideas that I'd like to implement, but I sometimes have to shut my brain and be diligent with what I'm given on a daily basis.   Instead of reaching out & spend a fortune on advertising your business, focus on your product or the service you're offering and be the best at it.  Bottom line is, You have to make clients come to YOU. 

2) PROMOTING BUSINESS TAKES TIME. 

Don't get too desperate about promoting your business because good branding doesn't happen by chance.  Make sure to be intentional about where you're headed and also have a clear purpose. I'm sorry to say that there's NO short cuts, especially if you want to survive in the wedding industry for the next 10-15 years.  This means that you don't have to take on every styled shoot or go to every social networking to get your name out there. It's about working and getting connected with the right types of clients. In addition, it is important to find vendors who'd be best at representing your company's work. There's no need to sell your integrity and yourself to promote faster. Staying true to yourself is key. Better opportunities will come when you're ready for it. 

3) HUMILITY AND MODESTY IS KEY.

Be humble & be modest. Weddings are probably one of the most lavished events where couples spend their money that they saved their entire life. With that said, they will choose the most expensive, quality food, dress, florals and other wedding needs. However, you need to guard your heart that you are not personally affected by their money spending. Planners, having a good taste is great, but don't judge others around you if they don't meet your standards. Just because you're dealing with high end venues & clientele, don't be a snob! Just because your work is being featured at various blogs, don't  think you're now a rockstar. Weddings are just one time events, so it shouldn't influence your day to day decisions about how you live as a person.{ my personal reflection & reminder everyday}

4)  ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION:
Before you implement your 'new' idea, ask yourself, " Will the financial return exceed the money I'm spending on my business expense? How much profit will I make?"  Over the years, I've seen numerous photography studios & vendors close their shops simply because they couldn't pay for the rent. You need to make smart investments, but you also need to make an educated prediction of how much you'll be earning in one month/year. Just because you open up a fancy studio, it doesn't mean you'll immediate get business. Asking these questions will help you check your status of your business to prevent from unfortunate closures. 

If you'd like to read more tips & things I learned over the years, here are some entries I wrote in the past.  Hopefully, these entries will make you think twice about what it means to build a solid, profitable business while staying true to yourself.

Finding Contentment

Things I've realized lately

Dear Wedding Professionals

Do you want to become a wedding planner?

Fab Finds: Fitness

Hello Everyone!  Summer is here and wedding season has been in full bloom over here for all of us at My Bride Story!  It's been lovely seeing all of our fabulous brides & grooms tie the knot and see the many months of planning unfold into beautiful weddings!

Since summer is here, I just wanted to share with you a fabulous work out program that I discovered last year.  It's called Pure Barre.  Sometimes I think it's "pure torture" because of the intensity of the workouts but after the class is done, I feel pure bliss!

What is it?
The Pure Barre Technique is a total body workout that burns fat and produces lifted seats, toned arms, thin thighs, and flat abs by fusing elements of ballet, pilates and weights in a 55 minute intense session.  It is the most effective, fastest, yet safest way to change your body.
Pure Barre was founded by dancer, choreographer and fitness guru, Carrie Rezabek Dorr.  Carrie opened her first studio in 2011 in the basement of an office building in Birmingham, MI.  With no intial clients, signage or even a bathroom, the studio grew to a new location, a staff of 30 and a devoted clientele base. (Source)


Does it work?
They say that after just 10 classes you will see results.  I personally tried this program out last summer for one whole month and I did see results-- my arms were more toned, my pants fit better, and I felt better.  After the first class, I felt fine-- until the next day.  PAIN.. but the good kind.  You know, the kind where you are sore for days.  It hurt my stomach to laugh!
If you want a total body workout that lifts your seat, tones your thighs and burns fat in a short amount of time, check out this program.  Your first class is always free and they have specials for new clients, brides-to-be, and new moms.  The time goes by quickly because the exercises are done to fast, upbeat music.  It does BURN!!

As with any fitness program, do not over exert yourself and if necessary, consult a physician prior to starting a new exercise routine.
Will you check it out?  There are many locations in the LA and OC area.  Check it out!
xoxo,
sally

Cindy & Sean Tie The Knot {Featured on Style Me Pretty}

We cannot be more thankful for our wonderful & talented clients who have such a beautiful personality and style! Cindy hired Leena as the day-of coordinator while she and her friend, Shantel put together all the design elements so we can't take ANY credit for their awesome work!

We are also honored to be featured on Style Me Pretty three weeks in a row now!! Head over to SMP to see all the beautiful photos by Heidi from Labor of Love and all the vendors who were involved. 

From Cindy…After visiting almost ten different venues and contemplating even a destination wedding, we chose Marvimon as our venue because it captured the essence of what we ultimately wanted our wedding day to be…an intimate dinner with our very closest friends and family.  My daily morning ritual for almost eight months, bordering on obsession I’d say, was to “research” wedding blogs to help me create our beautiful day. To create the romantic vintage-esque ambiance, we used ivory lace runners down the two exposed wooden tables at Marvimon and sprinkled them with vintage oil lamps my sister-in-law Yuki had purchased from flea markets throughout her years. The guests dined on square tables covered in ivory striped linens. We used a palette of fuschia, pink, and ivory with accents of coral and spring green for our flowers — peonies, anemones, garden roses, ranunculus, and viburnum held within a mix of clear glass, vintage bottles, and brass bud vases. Lots of candlelight thanks to oil lamps of varying heights.

Although we had a day-of coordinator for the wedding, the “styling” of the wedding was a combined DIY effort between myself and my friend Shantel. I purchased the stationary we used for the backdrop of our table numbers and “escort cards” on zazzle.com or minted.com.  Shantel purchased differing frames in either gold, brass, or wood and framed the table numbers she created herself. Her husband built and painted the wooden stand we used to hang the “escort cards” which Shantel decorated with tissue paper florals in pink/white/brown (created by her sister Sarah!) and white lights. We purchased mini-desserts from Sweet & Saucy and macaroons from a local Japanese bakery which our wedding coordinator elegantly displayed along a backdrop of white IKEA vases filled with peonies.

To keep our wedding intimate, our friends and guests played crucial roles in our wedding. My friend since I was twelve years old Reverend Steve Jin married us, my brother-in-law Danny sang “Prayer” by Andrea Bocelli during the ceremony, and my friend Merlin Peck acted as the MC when necessary and DJ.  We decided to forego some of the more traditional components of a wedding like the bouquet or garter toss.  Our processional song was “Eres Tu” by Mocedades and we danced our first dance to “Amazed” by Lonestar with Casablanca playing in the backdrop.  It was an absolutely wonderfully intimate day and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding!