Catching up....

Well, we are now on "maternity leave"!

Yes, since half of Style & Grace Events is VERY pregnant, it's time for a short hiatus called "maternity leave". I am sure my mom would be thrilled to have me on maternity leave...unfortunately, I don't think this is the kind of leave she expected! Ha-ha!!

Well, we've been busy bees....I can't wait to share pictures. We've been to Santa Barbara, we helped pull together a "blank canvas" in Pasadena, and we've had fun with Latin chic at MoLA. It's been a fun June! I also planned a beautiful (so I am told) baby shower for Stephanie at Long Beach Museum of Art. I loved how the invitations turned out...I'll have to share a pic or two!

A favorite client of ours, J, was a guest at W & L's wedding in Agoura/Malibu Hills. She was kind enough to share a few pics. J must be a budding photographer....she's got quite an eye! We are utterly impressed with "her work". Here's a preview of W & L's wedding, courtesy of J!

W's smile is infectious, and her dear husband L is completely in love with her!

What a beautiful couple!

Cake from yummy Porto's Bakery!! Fantastic!

A new favorite vendor and friend, Anne K! designed all of the beautiful stationery. She's a real talent...and since she was a guest at W & L's party, we can now say she's a sweetheart too!!
What a fabulous new vendor find! http://annekinla.blogspot.com/

Stay tuned...I'll have new pics soon and I'll be sharing the exciting news of Stephanie's newest addition!!

Sneak peek?

Does a sneak peek count if it's a painful two years late?

Well, there's a story here but I'll save it for "in person" meetings.
Instead let me share with you MY wedding album. It's two years old but it's soon to be finished.
Here's a sneak peek...if Pictage is cooperating:

http://www.pictage.com/client/album.do?event=295330

It seems so long ago but I still get butterflies looking at my pictures.

A sneak peak of what's to come......

This weekend, Steph and I had an amazing time at W and L's wedding.

It was rich in culture, love, and fun.

From out-of-country guests to a fun photobooth to "Romeo and Juliette" cigars....It was fabulous.

We were both too busy to snap pics so we'll wait for a few from the amazing Kim Fox.

Until then, here's a snapshots of the venue....Villa de la Vina

PS- I have never seen so many amateur photographers taking advantage of the beautiful scenery at this wedding. Everywhere we turned, I saw photos snapping. The wannabe photographer in me really wished I'd had the time to join in!

A Recipe for Love

A little bit of me and a whole lot of you

Add a dash of starlight and a dozen roses, too

Then let it rise for a hundred years or two

And that's the recipe for making love.

- Harry Connick, Jr.

At the recent wedding celebration between R and B I think I found it.....the recipe for love. Sure starlight and a dozen roses may help but there's more to love than "things".

Start with a beautiful and intelligent woman....

Add a caring man who adores this wonderful woman...

Parents and family who love and adore them....

A sprinkling of strong friends to cheer them....

Add spiritual faith to guide them....

A dash of traditions to enrich them....

Lots of respect for one another....

A dash of fun....

And you are sure to have the perfect recipe for a love to last a lifetime....One that will keep the couple dancing through life.

Stephanie and I feel truly blessed to be part of unions such as this one. R & B's love for each other and their families is plentiful. The warmth between them is obvious, and their excitement for this adventure called married life abounds.

Congratulations R & B!

Photos courtesy of Brian Crane
Venue: Los Angeles Athletic Club

Service courtesy of Rabbi Dan

Wedding Season!

Yep, it's officially wedding season!
Stephanie and I were happily trotting about town this weekend with clients and vendors and dreamers alike. And, wow...the weather was spectacular! While this weekend was filled with meetings, I envy the lucky couples who wed this weekend and had spectacular Southern California weather. Absolutely perfect!

Everywhere you look, weddings are blooming.

Los Angeles Times is no exception.

In the May issue of LA Times Magazine, the LA Dream Team is for weddings is listed.

Alas, Style & Grace was once again beat out by Mindy Weiss.

She gets all the good gigs, doesn't she?! She must be out-bidding us! Ha!!

(For those of you not familiar with Ms. Weiss, her client list runs from Andre Agassi to Steve Wynn.)

While I joke, it was fun to read how LA's elite plan weddings. If you are interested in reading all of the "hot vendors of 2008", check them out at http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/.

A fun find while reading the article and perusing on-line was Mindy's on-line shop. First off, her site is adorable, as to be expected! But her fun finds are, well, FUN!https://www.mindyweiss.com/store/

Lastly, I was impressed to see that LA Times is caving to the constant pressure that the enviable NY Times has set.....actual WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENTS of sorts.
LA Times is posting on-line wedding pictures with captions. Not quite the announcements which are devoured in New York, but, hey...it's a start. We are in relaxed California after all!

http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/la-tm-0428-weddingpix-pg,0,4948865.photogallery?1

Enjoy the season!! It's here...and we're here....and it's going to be the best!

I'll toast to that!

Vineyard weddings = Romance.

Perhaps it's a Californian thing. I am a farm girl at heart. My uncle tried his hand at growing grapes when I was in Junior High School. For a moment in time, I thought I might end up part of famous winery family. Girls can dream, right!

When I was getting married, my first thought was I wanted to have a reception in Wine Country. I wanted a rustic yet romantic summer affair. That didn't happen but since then we have had the privilege of working with clients that lived out my dream....a romantic vineyard wedding.

Enter E and B. A fantastic couple that turned client.
They may be the sweetest people we've ever met! Full of smiles and completely up beat and in love.

E & B "stumbled" across an amazing find in the Southern California area: Bella Victorian Vineyard.

The main house, "The Painted Lady" serves as a beautiful backdrop to terraced yards and open vineyards. The Painted Lady has a beautiful bridal suite, and a welcoming front porch.

The grounds are split into several different levels.

The proprietors, Kim and Jerry Monahan, built the estate with parties in mind. I am finicky about bathrooms. I think most brides are concerned but it's rarely discussed! Bella Victorian has beautiful bathrooms in a stand alone building. Tile work, vintage hardware, pedestal sinks. As silly as it sounds, the "facilities" could sell me on this venue!

One of the unique aspects of the Bella Victorian is that it feels isolated....parties are transformed to a country vineyard away from the rest of the world. To achieve this quiet serenity, all parking is off site and guests are shuttled via old cable car trolley. It's adorable and makes for a fun experience and fantastic pictures!

If you are looking for a unique opportunity to celebrate at a working vineyard, Bella Victorian Vineyard might be the venue for you! For more information: http://bellavictorianvineyard.com

Whether day or night, Bella Victorian will be full of romance......

Professional Photography courtesy of Janice Trowbridge Photography. Snapshots from Style & Grace.

Floral artistry by Janet Webb, Greenwich Floral.

1-2-3....CHEESE!

Flash back.....

Eighth grade graduation. Someone asks Jill, "What do you want to be when you grow up?".

Jill says, "A neonatologist or some other kind of doctor".

Flash forward to today....

Someone asks Jill, "What would you do if you could do anything you wanted in this life?".

Well, I could answer with a philosophical retort, or I could say I'd want to save animals or children, but to be perfectly honest, my secret passion is photography. I am one crazy photography blog stalker. I love pictures. I love weddings. I love looking at the art which is wedding pictures.

In today's entry (yes, I know I am overdue for blog entries of actual weddings....) I salute some of my favorite local photographers. I send you all my love and respect!

• I "met" Crissy Farah when she was new in the biz. She took my Godson (aka Stephanie Janisse's baby's) first year photos. I fell in love with her work and my admiration has grown. http://itsjustsillyme.blogspot.com/


• Jonilyn Photography is a new find. She was the fun photo-artist (sometimes you've got to salute the artist within) at J & C's rehearsal dinner. Genious work! http://jonilynphotographyblog.com/?p=33


• Cameron Ingalls is my new crush (along with Rob Holley but he's out of the area now).
  Cameron took amazing pics at a wedding at Villa del sol D'Oro. His work is genuine and emotional. http://cameroningallsphotography.com/ Even his choice of music on his website evokes an indescribable sense of love.


• Sarah K Chen I've not yet worked with Sarah but I love her work! We've chatted about my own wedding picture woes and she seems like a doll. http://sarahkchen.com/blog/


• Janice Trowbridge is a fabulously warm and personable photographer. While she's not one of the regular names thrown around on WeddingBee and The Knot, she deserves a cult following. The picture above, the vineyard shot, is just one my favorites from a wedding last summer. She's super sweet and fun to be around. http://www.janicetrowbridge.com/


• A local girl, done good is none other than Felicia Perry. Felicia is another photographer I've watched and admired from afar. When I got married, Felicia was just getting started and she made my "short list". I am so impressed with her work and I can't wait to work with her in person! http://www.feliciaperryphotography.com/home.html
  

LA is such a lucky town to have such photography resources at hand. Brides (and grooms!) have so many great choices at varying price points. I know that I am missing so many talented names on my short list. I salute your talent, photographers and I dream of living your lives....tucked behind a camera.

PS- Here's a favorite of mine that Crissy took of my dear Godson (aka Steph's baby boy)! Does it really get any cuter than ten chubby toes?