Wedding themes: the perfect touch

Like pretty much everything else wedding related, some folks love a wedding theme and some folks don’t. For those that love them and for those that may still be unsure, here are my top ways to make sure your wedding theme isn’t over the top:

❤️ Pick one or two aspects of the theme to be the central focus throughout. These two things should be easily identifiable by your guests. For the shoot featured, it was the honey bee and the honey itself.

🧡 Those two things don’t need to be everywhere but should show up consistently throughout each aspect that makes up your wedding. For this shoot the bee showed up in the invitations, favor tags, suit, and desserts; honey showed up in the cocktails, charcuterie, favors, and on the cake. Two things + different aspects = pulled all together!

💛 Think about how your colors play a part in your theme. For the shoot featured, we picked shades of green and yellow to pull in the honey, bees, and bee habitat/landscape of our gorgeous venue.

💚 Bring your colors and theme to life through your florals. For this shoot, our amazing floral friends at Strelitzia Flower Company used yellows, creams, greens, and blush to really bring the color palette to life, add complexity and dimension to everything. In addition, our amazing friends at Blossom Farm Vintage Rentals added pops of color through green and honey colored pillows and those stunning scalloped chairs!

💙 Think outside the box and bring in your theme through some abstract items. Here we used decor that gave the feel of honeycomb that our friends at delicious Sugar Sweetery used to hold macarons and that beautiful cake.

💜 Last but certainly not least! Start your wedding theme off on an impactful note by incorporating it into the first thing your guests see: your invitations! Our super talented friend at Matinae Design Studio created an amazing invitation suit that started the excitement buzz!

We can help you streamline and get creative with any theme you choose! See what all the buzz is about; Set up a time to chat with us about how we can support you in bringing your vision to life!

Let’s do this!

Styled Shoot Creative Team:

Photography: Bloom Photography; Venue: The HIVE by Z Specialty Foods; Coordination + Design: Rainbow Weddings & Events; Floral Design: Strelitzia Flower Company; Rentals: Blossom Farm Vintage Rentals; Paperie: Matinae Design Studio; Cake + Desserts: Sugar Sweetery; HMUA: Veronica Marshall for DV Beauty; Gowns: Brides for A Cause, Sacramento; Suit: Tuxedo Den; Jeweler: Ayala Jewlers; Signature Cocktails + Charcuterie: The HIVE by Z Specialty Foods

What to Think About When Choosing a Wedding Venue

Selecting a venue can be challenging but it doesn’t have to be! It can be super fun because it means you know exactly where you are gonna be when you start the next chapter of your magical journey. Here are my top 5 things to keep in mind:

❤️ When putting together your shortlist of possible venues, make sure you select ones that are within your budget. There are amazing venues that fit all kinds of budgets!

🧡 As you consider venues, keep in mind the season you want to get married and what the weather is generally like. Selecting a venue that has a space that can be a rain plan can be super important!

💛 Ask about what additional items are included in your venue fees. Some venues offer tables and chairs, others a full kitchen, others offer decor options, and more.

💚 Some venues require use of other vendors off their preferred vendor list rather than allowing nearly-weds the ability to bring in vendors who are not. This can be really great for some and can also be limiting for others. Make sure to check in and ask about this so you know!

💙 Lastly, does the venue give you butterflies or make you super excited, or both? You should love your venue as much as possible. It’s gonna be a big part of your day and will be in all those photos so make sure it fits who you are and brings your joy is super important.

There you have it! Let’s do this!

Why Hire a Planner? Our Top 5 Reasons!

Almost there! Moments right before marriage. Photo by Annie Hall Photography.

One of the main questions I hear from nearly-weds is: “Why should we find a planner to be part of our day?” It’s usually followed by: “We totally got this…” and here’s the thing…I agree!! You got this!
And a planner doesn’t just support with planning…that’s not where the wedding ends…that’s where it all begins…so here is why it’s important to have a planner:

❤️ Planners have tons of connections that have been established and fostered over time. Knowing where to start when it comes to planning is like coming up with a thesis statement for your final term paper. Trust me…get you a planner with some connections (I got lots of those).

🧡 Planners help you stay grounded. There are lots of moving parts that sometimes can get a little overwhelming. Many planners have spreadsheets and documents already created that can support you along the way. Trust me…don’t let your desk get covered in contracts! Find you a planner that has a system already in place (it me).

💛 Planners are in it for you! Do you already hear the backseat folks asking you why you aren’t doing this or that? It can be challenging to filter out the chatter and make a decision that is solely about you! Find you a planner that centers you and your person and can serve as your filter (just me waving enthusiastically wanting to sit at your table).

💚 Planners handle the details and the day of! Getting everything booked feels amazing! And also…who is gonna make sure it all comes to life on the day of and who is gonna make sure your rehearsal runs smoothly? Also what happens if something is missing from the rental company or a vendor hasn’t arrived yet and it’s 10 minutes to go time? Yea…trust me…find you a planner that has all this on lock (hey! You looking for me? 😎)

💙 Planners LOVE what they do! So let us do the things! We love seeing the vision come to life, the first looks, trying new food, laughing with guests, revealing stunning reception spaces, most of all we love love and seeing yours shine brightly! So please…trust me…find you a planner who loves what they do and sees you for the people you are…

Let’s do this!

We did it! A happy wedding planner hugging their even happier bride after the couple said “I do!” - Photo by Annie Hall Photography.

Dearly Beloved: A Prince Inspired Sacramento Wedding Shoot

Inspired by the soul moving sounds of musician Prince, this styled shoot brought vendors together to celebrate his life and legacy through a display of love. When Gina from Inspirations by Gina, and Sandra, from Sparkle Bridal Couture, approached me with the idea of a Prince inspired shoot, my heart skipped a beat. Prince's music had an impact on each of us in profound ways and with 2021 being the 5 year anniversary of his transition, it was important to celebrate his life and legacy. We chose to focus on ways to incorporate Prince's signature purple while not letting it overwhelm. It was also important to incorporate lyrics, songs, and parts of his life which you can find in the vow books, menus, number of table settings, escort cards, and welcome sign. We chose to honor Prince's legacy of empowerment, sensuality, and vitality through stunning floral installations by Gina, beautiful black gowns from Sandra, and an authentic motorcycle we wish we could have all ridden into the sunset.  

My approach to bringing this vision to life was rooted in collaboration and love for the musical genius, Prince. Each vendor that was part of this shoot had a passion for or some connection to Prince's music. This really allowed for the creativity to flow and vision to come together seamlessly. 

This shoot took place in a gorgeous photo studio in downtown Sacramento and was captured beautifully by photographers Adrienne & Dani. Being in the studio allowed for the urban grittiness of Prince's music to be paired with the softness of his signature color, throughout the shoot. It presented an opportunity to play with creativity just as he did in his music. 

Shades of purple flowed throughout this shoot; from the locally grown lavender from Araceli Farms, to the deep purple satin on the back of the suit vest, to the soft swirls of the marbling in the cake, vintage glasses, and stunning florals. Each purple detail popped when placed against the contrasting neutral colors of cream, black, green, and gold. 

Prince's sensuality was evoked by the gorgeous black wedding gowns chosen by Sandra from Sparkle Bridal Couture. The black lace brought the frills of Prince's concert wear to life while the smooth black satin of the second gown flowed perfectly and was paired with a white motorcycle jacket with Prince's lyrics, as if ready for a motorcycle ride into the sunset. 

Gina, from Inspirations by Gina, brought the magic of florals to life through her magnificent wall installation. Wanting to transform the simple black room into a gorgeous and intimate reception space, Gina's floral arrangements and wall installation brought the space to life and truly captured the vibrant life Prince led. It was important for the florals to complement the tabletop place settings and allow for the beautiful vintage china, delicate gold rimmed glasses, and deep purple goblets from Frances Lane, to sparkle. Hand picked and curated, each dish, glass, and item of flatware has a story that is brought to life the moment it is set. Combine that with a beautiful linen from Napa Valley Linens and you have absolute magic surrounded by a garden of locally and sustainably sourced floral arrangements. Cozy, soft pillows and a specially made low farm table served as the foundation and added to the intimacy of the reception space.

When working with Janae from Matinae Design Studios on invitations and other paperie. I wanted to make sure that we captured some of the more nuanced details about Prince. Janae brought the paperie items to life by placing gold foil by hand and creating menus that incorporated lavender wax seals. We went with 7 guests, menus, and escort cards as 7 was Prince's favorite number. The menu selections were inspired by Prince's favorite foods and a signature mock-tail (Prince did not drink alcohol), created by Te from 5 Star Bartender Catering Co., inspired by one of my favorite Prince songs, Raspberry Beret.  

To bring everything together, the beautiful wedding cake designed by Dena from Kalani Kakes, incorporated delicate doves and gold buttons in homage to Prince. The cake itself was purple velvet with ube cream cheese filling and Tahitian vanilla buttercream. This inspired cake was placed perfectly atop a vintage black cake stand from Frances Lane, on a beautiful gold tower stand.

My wife and I were the real couple featured in this shoot. Being a part of the shoot in this additional way, was so special for us. We celebrate 5 years of marriage in 2021 and find ourselves dancing to Prince, with our pup, in the living room. Prince challenged society's ideas on gender and gender presentation and to be a part of honoring him in this way as an LGBTQIA+ couple, was beautiful. 

It was an honor to have my hair and make-up done by Zoey from All Dolled Up. She did a wonderful job making sure the subtle purple on my eyes tied in with my wife's custom Saint Harridan suit she wore on our wedding day. It was a joy to have the sounds of Prince's music surround all of us as we brought this vision to life. 

If I could give advice to future couples as they plan it would be this: do not be afraid to push the boundaries, be creative and think outside of the box. Find vendors that are as much in love with your vibe as you are. Magic happens when people come together to bring a vision they are all passionate about, to life. 

If I could share advice for couples on marriage: don't be afraid to have fun and do things you never thought you would do. Communication is key and inviting each other to share in things as a couple is so important. Do "new" together and don't forget to dance in the living room as much as possible. 

Rustic Sacramento Sunflower Micro-Wedding

Grace and Jester are two fun people full of joy and laughter. They met through their love of CrossFit, Jester is a CrossFit coach and Grace a competitive power lifter, now in the process of getting her Physicians Assistant degree. They invited me to be a part of their wedding planning process in November 2019 as we had dinner at the local Irish Pub. When we started the planning process, we could never have expected that their wedding date would land smack in the middle of a global pandemic and require a complete planning pivot.

One of the things that I love about Grace and Jester, is that they take everything in stride. When the COVID-19 pandemic became a very real issue to navigate, Grace and Jester, like many other couples planning summer 2020 weddings, were concerned about what to do next. As a planner, I am used to needing to get creative and accustomed to needing to make drastic changes, but I have to say, this was a new level-up, not just for me, but for everyone in the industry. And, I was so lucky to be working with a couple like Grace and Jester. As I mentioned before, they take everything in stride. After a couple of packed consultation calls, we came up with a plan that would allow them to moved forward with their date, have an in-person component, and follow social distancing State, County, and CDC guidelines.

On June 28th, 2020 in the grand, rustic great hall of The Lincoln Avenue building in Woodland, CA, Grace and Jester made it official in front of 20 close friends and family (in-person) and 50 more who watched the beautiful and emotional ceremony via Zoom. Rainbow Weddings & Events designed and crafted two beautiful Eucalyptus garlands to line the aisle and a gorgeous Sunflower bouquet with materials from the amazing Strelitzia Flower Company in Davis, CA. Floating candles were placed in bowls along the garlands which led to an open circle of glowing candles that held the couple, their witnesses, and the officiant, in the warmth of its light. The ceremony was followed by an informal reception with individual meals for each guest, from Grace and Jester’s favorite Mexican restaurant, Maria’s Cantina. Sweet Romeo’s By Antonia J created a beautiful red velvet cake and two different flavors of cupcakes to satisfy those cravings following dinner.

In the end, what we were all able to takeaway from this was: love is far from cancelled, weddings are still possible. They may need to be smaller and some guests may need to be respectfully told that they are no longer invited to join in person, but micro-weddings are still possible. There are so many ways to be creative, whether that is doing decorations DIY, ordering individual meals to be packaged for each guest separately, and having your loved ones join via Zoom. We can still plan and move forward towards that special day and we can do this while making sure that everyone is safe through understanding the guidelines, practicing social distancing, wearing masks, providing cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer in bathrooms and to guests, and making sure that things happen in spaces that are outdoors or where there is more than enough air flow from open windows and doors.

Do not get discouraged, micro-weddings can be everything that has been dreamed about and more. And let’s not forget about elopements; did I hear someone say romantic “I do’s” in the middle of a beautiful lavender field or with the waves kissing toes in the sand of a peaceful beach? Sounds like a plan to me! Let me know when and I’ll see you both there, with everything you need to make magical memories that will last a lifetime.