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Things We Love |
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The enchantment of the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez regions, unfolding their miraculous natural beauty, cast their spell on Jill la Fleur, The Wedding Planner.
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 Skip the never-ending search for the perfect favor and head straight to the valet! Surprise your guests with an old-fashioned donut cart stationed upon the exit.
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With the trend of destination weddings on the rise, brides-to-be are constantly in search of that perfect wedding weekend locale. Palm Springs gives the destination wedding vibe.
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Northern California’s wine region is ranked as one of the nation’s top five destination wedding locations. Robbin Montero unites the wedding, wine, and tourism industry of Northern Califorina.
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 In the words of the Brooklyn-based premier perfumer Christopher Brosius, “We live because we breathe, and with each breath we smell. This is inevitable. The sense of smell is our first and most immediate link to the world around us....
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SANTA BARBARA has been called the American Riviera, and it only takes one drive through this stunning intimate city nestled between gentle cascading hills and the deep blue Pacific...
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 To begin the plan for her event design creation, Camilla Svensson Burns pulled out her dictionary to explore the meaning of the word “sensual”—Your Wedding Day’s theme for this issue. Finding an interesting definition, “indulgence of physical appetite,” among Webster’s other meanings for the word, she began to form an image in her mind of that certain feminine quality that the color and curves of flowers can evoke.
In addition to visions of floral arrangements, images of feathers also came to Camilla’s mind, and especially those from the peacock and the ostrich. “The colors of the peacock feathers kick-started my eventual color palette of soft aubergine, sultry magenta, and inky purple,” says Camilla. She also selected a variety of rich golds and turquoises to serve as punctuating accents for her tableau.
Further innovative inspiration came from an unexpected environmental element: the floor! Sitting on the floor or the ground is intimate and friendly, Camilla was thinking. From that thought, she got into the mood for soft lounge pillows and luxurious linens.
“The florals were secondary, and I chose them to be texturally complex,” she comments. Her selections included parma violet hydrangea florets, sultry magenta phaelanopsis, cattelya and dendrobium orchids, velvety black calla lilies, and inky-purple garden roses embellished  with feathery wisps of ostrich plumes.
Camilla’s emphasis was on the “plump curves” of the arrangements. “The undulating curves of the florals reminded me of the female body, and the juxtaposition of colors was visually intriguing,” she adds.
Camilla’s choice of a venue paralleled the theme that evolved from her mood. She chose Bianchi Winery and Tasting Room in Paso Robles, which is situated on the banks of the San Joaquin River in California’s fertile Central Valley, for its sensual beauty. “The pond at the Bianchi Winery and vineyards is aesthetically quite pleasing, and has a calming quality about it,” she reflects. The Bianchi venue is situated on a gentle rise, with a commanding view to the west over rolling vineyards dotted with ancient oaks.
By the time Camilla had her event design all put together, she could not have been more pleased with how she had rendered her vision... and neither could we!
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Event and Floral Design: Camilla Svensson Burns Floral Design , camillaflowers.com
Photography: Arrowood Photography , arrowoodphotography.com
Location: Bianchi Winery, bianchiwine.com
Product: Z Gallery, zgallerie.com
Linens: Cloth Connection, clothconnection.com
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 For the reception, Jemie changed into a Chinese Chi Pao dress which, in keeping with the ocean theme, was custom-made by Helen’s Chi Pao in blue instead of the traditional red...
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 “Hindu weddings have rituals that have evolved since early times,” Monica says, “and they differ in many ways from the modern Western wedding ceremony.”...
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 After a yacht ride across San Francisco Bay and dinner with Alvin’s parents, they wound up alone on the top floor of the St. Francis Hotel...
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 On the eve of her birthday, Maria was with friends at the Spotted Pig restaurant in New York, standing alone at the bar waiting for her drink....
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Tips |
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#26 MARRYING MINDFULLY
Creating the “perfect wedding” can easily overshadow what is really
important about getting married—creating a sacred and lifelong bond
with your beloved. Your wedding is not a “to-do” list. Take time to
tend to your relationship and to yourselves so that you enter into the
celebration relaxed, joyful, and with a full heart.
Carmina McGee, Skin – Health - Well-Being
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# 6 RECIPES FOR FAVORS
Gather together the favorite recipes that you remember as a child. They could be special family recipes, holiday menus, etc. Have them bound in small books, affix a wedding label on the front with your monogram and date that you were married. And there you have it, a unique favor that your guests will use again and again. Also, it is a wonderful way to acknowledge grandmothers and mothers.
Melissa Lee, Events of Santa Barbara
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# 1 - LOUNGING ANYWHERE
Wonder what to do to a resort ballroom to make it more interesting and intimate? You can create individual lounge areas by renting tents of sheer flowing fabric and adding sofas and coffee tables with lots of candlelight in them. You’ve suddenly created that romantic lounge atmosphere in a standard ballroom and given it more intimacy. Your guests can move to different “rooms” during the cocktails hour or or they can dance the night away. Jill La Fleur, The Wedding Planner
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MAGAZINES 
