Old Hollywood Inspired Persian Wedding at the Bel Air Bay Club by Alchemy Fine Events
A Colorful and Festive Persian Wedding in the Pacific Palisades - Part 2 Cocktail Hour & The Reception
Make sure to visit Part 1 on our blog to view photos from this Jewish and Persian wedding ceremony!
As soon as Jessica and Ilya said “I do”, a joyful spirit was in the air and it didn’t take long for the party to start. A traditional Klezmer band entertained guests as they made their way to cocktail hour in a naturally beautiful outdoor courtyard. An abundance of food, lively music and comfortable lounges allowed guests to eat, drink, converse and become instantly immersed in the festive atmosphere.
A Persian wedding is not complete without tons of food, so to really incorporate Jessica’s heritage, we had the pleasure of creating a Persian feast table overflowing with fruit and nuts for guests to pick at. This served as a gorgeous focal point and also as a teaser for the hot Persian buffet to come later on in cocktail hour. Guests definitely had full bellies and happy hearts!
For the seating cards, we created a stunning display of hand painted tiles that Laura Hooper Calligraphy wrote each guests name on in gold. They doubled as a beautiful take home gift for the guests.
For the reception tablescapes, we really wanted to intertwine the Persian influences with an Old Hollywood glamour flair. We did this by having Krista Jon create exotic floral centerpieces featuring a variety of vibrant and textured blooms upon mirrored boxes and eclectic vintage glassware. The tables were lined with jewel toned glass, vintage gold and brass mirrors and bowls of fruits and nuts to offer to guests. This was complemented by colorful mercury glass votives, as well as crystal pieces on top of bold patterned linens by La Tavola.
Laura Hooper wrote gold calligraphy onto mirrors to create glamorous table numbers.
For additional fun touches, we custom made lace napkin treatments with a large rhinestone button that many ladies ended up wearing as bracelets later on in the evening. We also had AV Event Design display a patterned wash on the ceiling in addition to the fuschia uplighting.
This gorgeously decorated, candlelit fountain looked spectacular as the sun went down.
For dessert, we had Vanilla Bake Shop create an all white tiered wedding cake that we decorated with fresh blooms for an exotic flair. Later on in the evening guests were surprised with ice cream sandwiches from the Beachy Cream girls for a delicious send-off treat.
As the joyous and fun-filled night was wrapping up, Jessica and Ilya’s family and friends sent them off through a sparkler lit tunnel to their Rolls Royce escape car.
This wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty here!
We also recently posted Jessica & Ilya’s rehearsal dinner on our blog which was also featured in Martha Stewart’s Bride Guide!
Planning, Design & Stationery: Alchemy Fine Events
Florist: Krista Jon
Photography: Luna Photo
Lighting: AV Event Design
Rentals: Archive Vintage Rentals
Calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
Wedding Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop
Ice Cream: Beachy Cream
Linens: La Tavola Linens
Beauty: Fiore Beauty
Venue: Bel Air Bay Club
DREAM:: An Intimate Bridal Affair
A San Diego Intimate Bridal Show featuring Modern Luxury Design
A few weeks ago we had the exciting idea to collaborate with our favorite San Diego vendors and create a very un-bridally bridal show! Along with Isari Flower Studio and Luna Photo, we pulled together our favorite San Diego vendors and designed and coordinated this special event just as we would a real wedding. No big tacky signs, no booths, nothing like a traditional bridal show! I really wanted to show a bride ‘this is how we would really all work together!’. From creating a cohesive design plan, site plan and gearing our furniture, flowers, food, music and drinks all towards the same design direction for one cohesive look verses a piecemeal feeling that you walk away from traditional bridal shows with.
Whether you need to fill in a few spots in your vendor list or come and hire the DREAM team as a whole, we were and are very proud to bring you San Diego’s best! Thank you everyone for helping us have had such an amazing turn out of more than 350 brides! With such an amazing success DREAM may be making another appearance later this year.
Pop Art + Modern Glam + Impressionism + Vintage
– Plan, Design, Invite: Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
– Embellish: Isari Flower Studio
– Capture: Luna Photo
– Dine: Toast Catering
– Stay: Starwood Hotels (The US Grant, The W, The Westin)
– Dance: Elan Artists
– Film: Modern 8
– Nibble: Sweet Cheeks Baking
– Illuminate: AV Event Rentals
– Set the Table: Casa de Perrin
– Furnish & Accessorize: Pow Wow Vintage Rentals
– Beautify: Shampoo Too!
– Dress: M Bride
– Say Cheese: The Foto Box
– Discover: Luxe Finds
– Style: CBS Life Stylist
– Sip: For Real Bartenders
– Pillows: Lounge Appeal
– Register: Bloomingdales
Decoration to Illumination: Let there be Light! Creative and Modern Candle Holders
Creative and Modern Candle Holders: Shed Some Light on Your Designs!
When designing a special event one of the most important aspects in my opinion is lighting. So many people forget about this factor as a huge design element or put it in as an afterthought. Not only does candlelight emanate a gorgeous and naturally flattering glow upon you and your guests, it makes the evening feel intimate, personal and sexy. Sometimes used as accessories, when done right, candle light can definitely make an impact as the centerpiece and focal point of your designs.
Here are a few tips to consider when designing with candles:
- Create stunning entryways with clusters of floating candles in vases of various heights
- Line a plank of wood with colored votive holders for a simple yet striking centerpiece
- Place candles on top of mirrors to reflect even more of that beautiful glow upwards
- Don’t forget candles in the bathroom! Nothing spoils a sexy mood more than having to turn on a bright light when excusing yourself from the party.
- Make a beautiful backdrop for the bars with shelving full of candles.
Here are a few of my favorite creative and modern candle holders at moment courtesy of Jamali Garden and Z Gallerie:
Inspiration to Illumination: Lighting Installations
Inspiration to Illumination: Bruce Munro’s dramatic installation art
When designing a statement piece for a dramatic entrance to a special event nothing is more spectacular than wonderful lighting installations. Today, again, I am awe inspired by Bruce Munro’s work of lighting and environment installations. He not only works with interiors creating interesting focal points and scultpures with his creations, but is a daring fine artist in the world of installation art.
Exploring scale and repetition (such as the Tara Donavon exhibit seen here) through lighting and light reflective elements such as cd’s and bottles of water (a must see!), Bruce creates wonderlands of illumination and shine that transport you into another world.
In the event design world, such installations such as these may seem like an impossible fete to accomplish for a single events, but don’t let that stop you from dreaming big!
