Old Hollywood Inspired Persian Wedding at the Bel Air Bay Club by Alchemy Fine Events
A Glamorous and Exotic Bel Air Bay Club Persian Wedding in the Pacific Palisades - Part 1 The Ceremony
When I first met Jessica and Ilya, I knew this wedding was going to be absolutely fantastic. Not only are they truly, madly, deeply in love with each other, but they also had a great vision for their wedding. They wanted to play off of their heritage and religion to create an event defining who they are as a couple, so we got to work designing a marvelous wedding with Persian and Jewish influences with a flair of Old Hollywood glamour.
We recently posted Jessica and Ilya’s rehearsal dinner on Alchemy Blog which was also featured on Martha Stewart’s Bride Guide!
This wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty seen here!
Jessica and Ilya’s day started off with a traditional Jewish ceremony on the striking property of the Bel Air Bay Club, which boasts a breathtaking panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. With so much natural beauty present, we wanted to keep it simple by creating one magnificent statement piece - a vibrant bougainvillea chuppah. Krista John brought this vision to life better than we imagined. The eye-catching pink and orange blooms were absolutely stunning and created a cheerful ambiance for this special day.
Playing off of Jessica and Ilya’s heritage, we used Persian, Spanish and art nouveau influences to create a colorful invitation suite with fun patterns.
To give the groomsmen some level of customization, we worked with Jill Courtemanche to design custom printed yarmulkes, as well as select bow ties and pocket squares in all shades of blue to complement the bridesmaids dresses.
As a joke to one of the groomsmen starting to thin out up top, Ilya had a yarmulke created with a faux pony tail! I loved his sense of humor.
One we thing we loved most about Jessica and Ilya was how evident their love was for each other. Your heart will melt when you see the photos Luna Photo captured of the tender and sweet moments these two shared.
Our dapper groomsmen and groom with their custom Jill Courtemanche bowties and pocket squares for pops of color alongside their vibrant boutonnieres.
The bridesmaids were stunning in their array of blue mismatched Amsale gowns, which served as a beautiful contrast to their pink, exotic bouquets by Krista Jon.
Guests were greeted by a classic old hollywood inspired champagne tower and an ombre fade of blue macarons for a quick bite, hinting at the fun festivities to follow.
This intricate laser cut ketubah was gorgeous!
Five darling flower girls wearing custom designed tutu inspired dresses prepared the way for Jessica by spreading vibrant petals from their shining gold baskets.
How adorable is this little munchkin?!
The bride’s fuchsia and pink peony bouquet was gorgeous… and smelled heavenly.
How fun! This bridesmaid matched her nails to her dress.
What a picture perfect shot!
Stay tuned for a follow-up post sharing photos of the festive reception that followed.
Planning, Design & Stationery: Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Photography: Luna Photo
Floral Design: Krista Jon
Wedding Venue: Bel Air Bay Club
Lighting: AV Event Design
Calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
Wedding Dress: Lea Ann Belter Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaids Dresses: Amsale
Beauty: Fiore Beauty
Yarmulkes, Bow Ties & Pocket Squares: Jill Courtemanche
Ren + John’s Art Deco Wedding
Art Deco Wedding in Santa Monica
After a bit of a blogging break we are back! We have been doing more than our share of globe trotting lately designing weddings, workshops & events from Italy to Ibiza to Miami and back again and are very excited to kick off our blogalicious fasting with this colorful Art Deco Wedding. We were so excited to design this fabulously bold and daring fete for our dear friend Ren and her darling hubby John. ‘Dharma & Greg’ as their friends jokingly call them, are the epitome of the free-spirited boho wild child meets the traditional buttoned up good boy. Opposites attract in romance and in this case, the bold splashy designs mixed with a classical charm and romance definitely started a love affair as well.
Ren + John’s Wedding was also featured on 100 Layer Cake!
For the Butterfly Big Top invitations we designed bold striped and art deco influenced geometric designs printed on a suede textured paper for a fun tactile element. Crystal Kluge adorned our black envelopes with beautiful whimsical white calligraphy and topped each envelope with our custom designed matching stamps.
Ren’s Miu Miu rhinestone encrusted heels were to die for and were the perfect bold splash to complement the customized etheral boho gown by Allyson Simone.
When Ren & John first rekindled their romance he took her on a date to Palos Verdes where they stumbled upon the most magnificent church she had ever seen. She decided then and there that that was where she wanted to get married. Several years later her dream came true. The Wayfarers Chapel, designed by Frank Llyod Wrights Son, Llyod Wright, is designed with an art nouveau style and features architecturally lined windows opening up to pine trees and endless views of the pacific ocean.
John’s mother offered up precious pieces of lace from her own wedding gown which we used to make a heart-shaped ring bearer pillow along with the silk ikat fabric from the reception decor.
Los Angeles based designer, and friend and guest of the brides, Yana K, created custom designed bridesmaids gowns in a bevy of colors and styles to allow her leading ladies to wear a gown of their own style and hue.
The bold & colorful bridesmaids all donned art deco necklaces gifted to the lades from the bride. These gorgeous beauts also happen to be my friends from junior high!
Having a former fashion model as a bride sure doesn’t hurt for incredible photos!
For a fun and dramatic seating card display we created a 13 ft tall installment of colorful ribbons and bold plexi-glass letters spelling out FOREVER.
To customize Ren’s dress Allyson Simone added butterfly sleeves onto the spaghetti strap gown. Such a fun and unique look in a sea of strapless gowns!
Each centerpieces was a different color combination to match the three different silk ikats we used for custom table linens.
Each napkin was also adorned with handmade rhinestone encrusted napkin rings.
To create a stunning art deco cake I illustrated a design inspired by this art deco Hoover building in London for Cupcakes Couture which they then transformed into a delicious work of art! For a stunning backdrop I created a geometric design of round and square mirrors suspended on thick black ribbon. To stay in theme with the geometrical feel of the evening I also created a custom designed table linen with baguette rhinestones to match the napkin treatments.
When Ren & John had a chance encounter years after their brief high school romance he sent a darling letter to her parents home in hopes of reconnecting with her. We blew up this letter onto a 10 ft tall heart and displayed a large R + J = HEART in the lounge where guests could read his sweet words.
Sweet Lucie’s ice cream cart made an appearance for a fun after dinner treat.
Michael Antonia of The Flashdance kept guests on their toes all night!
Credits:
Event Design & Planning by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Wedding Photography by Luna Photography
Invitation Photography by Scott Lawrence
Invitations by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Ceremony at Wayfares Chapel
Reception at The Annenberg Community Beach House
Catering by Urth Caffe
Mixology by The Martini Shop
Ice Cream by Sweet Lucies
Cake by Cupcakes Couture
DJ by The Flashdance
Videography by Shark Pig
Bride’s Dress by Allyson Simone
Bride’s Shoes by Miu Miu
Make UP & Hair by Jennifer Budner
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
Black & White Hollywood Glamour La Jolla Wedding Inspiration at La Valencia
Black and White La Jolla Wedding Inspiration at La Valencia Hotel
Recently featured on Wedding Chicks seen here!! Here are a few words from Wedding Chicks describing our collaboration:
Black and white will always be a front-running trend in the wedding world. It is classic, elegant and timeless. There are endless ways to personalize this palette to make it all our own. Alchemy Fine Events & Isari Flower Studio collaborated on an old Hollywood inspired table using these timeless colors.
Framed by the hotel’s crystal chandelier, delicate drapery and stunning black and quite checkered floor. The majestic table-scape came alive with luminous candles set aglow amidst cut crystal, urns and interesting shaped decanters. Photographed ever so beautifully by Luna Photo. See more romantic table decor ideas in the full gallery.
To complement Isari’s floral palette of green, white and black, I created a super luxurious art deco inspired menu with a chinoiserie flair including illustrations in an aqua, green, black and white color palette. An intricate laser cut belly band featuring art deco and chandelier designs encompassed the folding menu that opened up to showcase delicate butterflies and romantic calligraphy.
Tam of Isari Flower Studio, describes the stunningly romantic table scape:
To showcase the gorgeous La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla we created an old Hollywood inspired table featuring sparkling cut crystal and a winter palette of black and white framed by the hotel’s crystal chandelier, delicate drapery and stunning black and quite checkered floor.
The majestic scape came alive with luminous candles set aglow amidst cut crystal, urns and interesting shaped decanters.
We selected winter white blooms such as amaryllis and anemones with it’s black centers, reflecting and resonating the black touches from the other details such as the black chivaris. Giant ranunculus, azaleas, pierris, and parrot tulips snuggled up close with carnations while small wintyer cyclamen plants were placed under glass cloches for an interesting surprise.
Glass candlesticks, bud vases, and other interesting shaped old world classic vessels were scattered amidst the arrangements for a multidimensional and interesting effect. For a dramatic statement we tied on large black satin bows a la Chanel around each place setting to remind each guest that their presence was a gift. For an additional sweet detail, green and white chocolates were custom designed as an additional touch to offer guests.
Photography by Luna Photo
Floral & Design by Isari Flower Studio
Menus & Table Styling by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Venue La Valencia
