A Divine Occasion

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Angie and Brian's Kiawah Island Wedding

Angie and Brian both spent their childhood summers in on the beaches of Kiawah Island in South Carolina and Brian and his dad played golf on the island several times. When choosing their wedding venue, they wanted to find a place that reflected the great summer memories spent with their families.

The Sanctuary was the perfect venue for their wedding day, and it was even more special when the date they picked turned out to be Angie’s brother VJ and his wife Nicole’s anniversary. The Sanctuary is a luxury beach hotel and top-rated golf resort, situated on the pristine shores of Kiawah Island, just thirty minutes from downtown Charleston. It's a beautiful, seaside mansion with lots of Southern history, charm and gorgeous architecture!

Angie's dress, by Vera Wang, exuded a traditional, timeless and yet modern style. Her veil, a flutter-cut tulle with triple-tier silk organza, edge accented with a double row of rhinestones, was a stunning accent piece. But it was Erin Cole's exclusively designed vintage velvet ribbon belt, embossed with faceted smoky quartz center stones and highlighted with pearl and rhinestone accents, which completed the elegant look.

Angie and Brian wanted East Coast elegance, but with the casual and welcoming touches of the West Coast. Angie wanted to incorporate elements from Kiawah Island and celebrate the beautiful location by using colors inspired by the beach. Her color palette reflected beach tones in blue, champagne, gold and a touch of soft pink. The beautiful and elegant Cape Cod feel, with a touch of South Beach energy was a perfect mix of their youthful past and present.

Angie's matron of honor was her sister Cassie. Her bridesmaids were made up on her cousin and friends and Brian's sister. Her flower girl was her niece. Brian's best man was his close friend and his groomsmen included his friends, brother-in-law, and Angie's brother.

At the welcome party, we were tracking a storm that was headed directly towards our beautiful poolside location! We calmly walked around and encouraged people to head into the hotel bar. As soon as the last person made it inside, the storm broke and it poured down rain! The timing was amazing! The guests walked inside to a candle wall we created, with branches that held all the guests escort cards leading into the ballroom, which was a great decor piece that remained in the foyer throughout the night.

The blue and white hydrangea and roses were so elegant and perfect for a beach wedding!

A gold starfish was added to the decor throughout to give a pop of elegance. This theme carried from the save the date, invitation and to the final rose and orchid on every napkin with the gold starfish in the flower. The room was filled with candles and specialty lighting to create a romantic mood.

One of the must-have items for Angie and Brian's wedding was a star curtain behind the band, giving a dramatic backdrop to the amazing "Atlanta Showstopper" band they selected. She also brought in some sleek light-up lounge furniture that created a South Beach vibe for the welcome party and after party.

Wedding Planner: a Divine-Occasion

Venue: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Resort
Caterer: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Resort
Photographer: Jim Kennedy Photography
Florist: Tiger Lilly
Linens: Exclusive Importer Distributor of Fine Fabric
Entertainment (Band): Atlanta Showstoppers
Entertainment (Cocktail Pianist): Steve Williams
Entertainment (Band): EastCoast Entertainment
Entertainment (Steel Drum Band): Vernon Grier
Entertainment (DJ): DJ Bobby Geiger
Gifts and Party Favors: Perfect Promotions
Stationary: Artiface Custom & Distinctive Invitations
Calligrapher: Calligraphy by Kathy

Wedding Dress: Vera Wang

Hair: Affair Hair by Tanesha
Makeup: Pamela Lesch
Lighting: PDA - Production Design Associates

Transportation: Absolutely Charleston and Limos for Less Charleston, LLC

Travel Agent: Pro Travel
Tuxedo Rental: Men's Warehouse
Lounge Furniture: AFR Furniture Rental

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Perfect Gifts for Bridesmaids

Your bridesmaids have been by your side and worked hard to make sure your big day is stress-free and filled with love and laughter. They deserve a beautiful gift that says thank you for being a great friend and for participating in one of the most important days of your life.

But how do you find jewelry that not only coordinates with your wedding colors and style, but also suits your bridesmaid's personality? Don't forget that not all of the bridesmaid jewelry has to match perfectly. It all has to coordinate and harmonize.

Buying personalized jewelry is another option for your bridesmaids. Having a bracelet with their name engraved in it is something your friend will save as a keepsake forever and it will always remind her of your wedding.

Keep in mind each bridesmaid's personality. Some people like old-fashioned jewelry and some do not. If you're going with gold jewelry for your wedding, one bridesmaid could have a traditional style gold necklace, while another bridesmaid might like a more modern style gold bracelet. Take some time to peruse magazine, blogs and books for the perfect jewelry for your best friends. We've picked out some beautiful items to get you started!

Pearls and gold chain necklace at www.pinterest.com. 1950's milk glass necklace at www.etsy.com

Deanna Littell's Charm School charm bracelet. Gold and turquoise earrings at www.modcloth.com

Gold and pearl bracelet by Scarlett Jewelry. Pearl earrings by JCrew.

Pearl bracelet by Skye Juice at www.etsy.com. Fall necklaces by Sara Freeman at www.etsy.com

Personalized silver spoon bracelet by The Cottage Path. Tiffany Sugar Stack Rings.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Eddie Zaratsian of tic-tock Couture Florals

I love working with Eddie Zaratsian for a number of reasons. He is not only acutely mindful of design trends as they're happening, he is a forward-thinking trend setter. When designing events, it's crucial to be fresh and unique, while at the same time honoring the personality and wishes of your client. When I describe the vision for a wedding or event, Eddie always gets it and he goes above and beyond to deliver floral arrangements that incite amazing emotional responses from my clients and their guests.

Eddie unearthed his passion for floral design over 20 years ago and decided to enroll with the Phil Rulloda School. Phil recognized Eddie's talent and encouraged him to join the American Institute of Floral Design (AIFD) where he became one of their youngest inductees. While Eddie lived abroad, he learned so much and was inspired by Europe's beautiful art, architecture and history.

He returned to the United States and began pushing creative boundaries as Creative Director of tic-tock Couture Florals. His A-list clientele grew quickly and he began working with the world's most renowned wedding planners. He has designed for private events at Chanel, the Emmy's Governor's Ball, the launch of the Oprah Winfrey Network and has been featured on countless television shows, including an appearance as a contestant on LOGO TV's The Arrangement.

In June, he launched Eddie Zaratsian Custom Florals and Lifestyle in conjunction with the grand opening of Restoration Hardware's Beverly Hills concept store. The studio features arrangements for in-store purchase or home delivery. Eddie's style complements Restoration Hardware perfectly and I can't wait to visit the gorgeous new boutique!

Photo Credits:
1. Eddie Zaratsian. Photo by Kris Kan
2. Wedding by a Divine-Occasion. Photos by Larry Crandall Photography
3. tic-tock Couture Florals bouquet. Photo by JLG Photography
4. The Fashion Report at Junebug Weddings. Photo by Apertura Photography
5. Eddie Zaratsian's Fresh Floral Boutique at Restoration Hardware
6. The Flower Wall inside the Fresh Floral Boutique at Restoration Hardware

Friday, September 9, 2011

Jes and Danielle's California Wedding

In 2005, Jes was on a business trip to Los Angeles and stranded in downtown LA. He'd missed his ride back to his hotel in Santa Monica after a company party that Danielle had also attended. And as fate would have it, he didn’t meet Danielle until he was aimlessly trying to find a way home.

A colleague spotted Jes looking for a cab (which does not exist in downtown LA at midnight) and introduced him to Danielle and her friend Erin, who were about to drive home to Santa Monica. After some playful ribbing, Danielle somewhat reluctantly agreed to give him a ride home. And that’s how it all began...

On October 3, 2009, Jes and Danielle went for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. After hours of hiking, they finally made it back to the car and began a search for somewhere to eat. While on a back mountain road, Jes hit a huge pothole and said he thought they might have a flat. He pulled into a little grassy area overlooking the Delaware Water Gap and got out of the car to check on the tire. While under the back of the car, he yelled for Danielle to come out and help. As she walked to the back of the car thinking she was helping fix a tire, she saw Jes getting down on one knee, getting ready to propose.

When Danielle first came to me, she immediately expressed her desire to capture the essence of California style into her wedding. She grew up in Southern California before moving to New York and wanted to bring her friends and family out here, to share with them what she loved so much about Orange County for her big day.

She also wanted to have the ocean as a backdrop, so this really helped in choosing a place; and the St. Regis was perfect. It had everything Danielle and Jes wanted; elegance, a California vibe, a top-notch staff and an amazing view of the ocean with gorgeous sunsets every evening.

Jes and Danielle's wedding day turned out to be truly amazing! All of their family and close friends were in attendance and Jes’s father performed the ceremony, which made it wonderfully warm and emotional.