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Things We Love |
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 THE ERA OF THE COCKTAIL has made a comeback, and we are,
once again, becoming a cocktail culture. With this in mind, what could
be more appealing than turning cocktail and bar accessories into your
wedding gift registry theme? With the accessories you see here, you’ll
be all set for company.
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 Custom Designer Cookie Platters
Entertain with style and panache with these exquisite custom designer
cookie platters! Personalize the colors of your cookie platter to match
your event’s color theme. 30 cookies, individually wrapped ~ $120 Beau-Coup
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 Monogrammed Straw Handbag - Monogrammed striped straw handbag with faux
leather handle, Colors available: Aqua/Lime, Lime/Pink, Pink/Orange,
Tigerlillyjewelry.com , Retail $56
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 Juicy Couture Set
Pamper her the Juicy Couture way with this limited edition fragrance set. The travel size spray is perfect for Juicy girls on the go. It’s adorned with an exclusive Juicy Lipstick charm and paired with a hydrating body moisturizer. Give the gift of Juicy—it’s fashionably romantic and fun. $95, sephora.com
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 Autumn Starburst Hair Pin - Delicate sprays of crystals burst from a cluster. (Also available in other Swarovski crystal colors.) Perfectdetails.com
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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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Monaco Chic Inspired Wedding |
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WRITTEN BY: Alisa Jennifer Kay
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Jennifer Skog Photography
Event Design/Coordination: Amazáe Special Events, Crystal LeQuang
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Floral Design: Nicole Ha
Linens: Custom Made
Lighting & Drapery: Enhanced Lighting and Sound
Custom Design Stationery: Marizette Paperie
Stemware: Swarovski Goblets
Favors: Cohiba Santana Row Cigars
Videography: Studio MSV
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 Creating a tabletop inspired by James Bond and Monaco Chic isn’t easy and involves a lot of creativity. Crystal LeQuang, owner of Amazáe Special Events is a designer and coordinator, who worked together with florist Nicole Ha to create this elaborate look. “Classy, glitz, high-end,” are the key words LeQuang uses, when describing the look for this inspiration. When creating this tabletop, the new movie, “Quantum of Solace,” was coming out, and the design inspiration was to combine Monaco Chic with the classic James Bond movie.
“Monaco is old school glamour and glitz. We wanted to take the roots of that old vintage stuff and add what you can do today,” LeQuang said, while describing Monaco chic.
The color scheme of this design is black, red, white and silver, which gives the look of refined elegance, with a splash of luxurious refinement. Color was an aspect of this inspiration, but, also “more on actual textures than the actual colors… like glass, crystals, mirrors and plexiglass,” LeQuang said.
LeQuang and Ha found unique ways to use the flowers and to create a lavish feel, with an air of sophistication. “We utilized very different elements for the centerpiece. We reversed the order of the centerpiece by using the floral blooms with crystals as the base, and a silver structure for the center focus,” LeQuang noted. To create the decadent and glamorous look, floral designer Nicole Ha incorporated red Freedom roses, red Coxcomb, Garnet Glow Calla lilies and exotic Gloriosa. The selection of flowers was done carefully and with intention. “I chose them for their textured, unique shapes, and deep rich color. Beside usage of flowers, we incorporated lots of crystals in our design to give that chic and luxurious feel to the arrangements,” explained Ha, adding, “Monaco is known around the world as one of the most beautiful and luxurious places in the world. My goal as a floral designer was to capture its essence through innovative designs, color, and the type of flowers used in the arrangements.”
Monaco is known as “the jewel in the sand,” so it’s no surprise that crystals, glass, mirrors and plexiglass made  their way into the design. These elements give a jeweled look, while being glamorous, yet vintage. The sleek and elegant design concept possesses a beautiful quality that is definitely glitz and glamour. Monaco has a sense of abundance, and yet refinement -- and James Bond is all about sophisticated suaveness – thus, a cigar bar was created. “There was a cool box lying on top of carnations,” LeQuang noted. The cigar bar has an assortment of high-end alcohol, cigars, and cigarettes were made with personal labels, which make it personal and posh.
“Doing something less trendy was my first inspiration. Plexiglass was becoming a trend, but we wanted to take that to a different level by using glass and reflecting items to create a newer trend,” LeQuang said. Her design process starts with the look in mind, she then picks the right location, finds great vendors and then it becomes a matter of “details, details, details,” she said.
The special details that deserve attention are: the mirrored tables, “which were hard to work with,” LeQuang said, the stationary designed by Marizette Paperie, which tie into the James Bond look, the dramatic lighting produced by Enhanced Lighting and Sound, the creative use of florals, and the crystals used in the goblets as well as on the cigar labels. The structural elements also deserve praise, from the floral centerpieces and the construction of the table to the overall layout of the cigar bar. “Each item could be taken out of the overall look, and be viewed very structurally,” LeQuang noted.
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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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#16 COMFORTABLE RECEPTIONS
Reception spaces are taking on a comfort
theme nowadays. Rather than using cocktail tables alone, couples are
creating a lounge effect in their reception areas by adding cozy
furniture groupings of sofas and coffee tables, along with tenting and
draping, lamps and lanterns, lit up trees and dozens of candles. You
may want to hire a jazz quartet or flamenco trio to create a sultry
ambiance. Some couples are even hiring cigar rollers! You can also
use this set-up outdoors for a living room beneath the stars!
Jill La Fleur, The Wedding Planner
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#11 QUICK FIX
Traveling with an emergency kit is like the American Express campaign, “Don’t leave home without it.” It should have everything from panty hose and nail glue to smelling salts and Tums, but the most commonly used item is SAFETY PINS! Although you should have a needle and thread, I have resorted to using safety pins for fixing hems on tuxedos, bustling the brides gown, pinning broken bra straps and creating a veil or headpiece out of tulle when the bride’s was left at home. Safety pins are great for a “quick fix.”
Toby Kay Applebay & Associates
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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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