Category Archives: Featured

Flower Power: La Petite Gardenia On Designing A Perfect Wedding

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Flowers, Inspiration Boards, Planning

Yesterday, the wedding of Brian Autenrieth and Alisan Porter, known for her work as a child actress in hits like Curly Sue and Parenthood, provided some amazing eye candy for all of us to enjoy. It’s no surprise that Alisan, the cute little girl who made us smile, grew up to be a stunning bride. And her handsome groom, Brian, was dashing as a groom should be, and looked so in love and happy to be marrying Alisan.

Their venue, Dormido Diablo, was warm and rustic and provided the most excellent ambiance for tying the knot, but for a wedding, it’s always nice to step it up a notch and that’s where La Petite Gardenia came through to provide delicious and delicate floral design.

We have Alison Franchi, CEO and Lead Designer of La Petite Gardenia, to share the design inspiration for Alisan and Brian’s wedding.

Ali chose a quaint California ranch tucked away in the Santa Monica Mountains. Her theme was feminine, whimsical, and vintage-inspired with lots of David Austin garden rose (her favorite), ranunculus, and hydrangeas.

We worked with a color palette of taupe, grey, blush pink, and cream with accents of birch wood.

Birch wood boxes acted vessels for her whimsy centerpieces which held a variety of garden roses, spray roses, hydrangeas, lisianthus, dusty miller, and berries.

Her bridal bouquet was a lush French-inspired hand bouquet consisting of various David Austin roses, ranunculus, and dusty miller in shades of soft pink, cream, peach, and grey. We finished the look with burlap ribbon, hemp, and pearls to grace the stems of Ali’s bouquet.

The girls carried a lighter shade of soft pinks, white and cream.

It was the perfect array to complement Ali’s lace gown and soft style.

It’s always a treat to see photos of finished projects by La Petite Gardenia, a preferred florist of The Wedding Yentas.

La Petite Gardenia is a botanical art and floral design firm focused on providing unique living art installations for those whose passion for art equals their love of gorgeous flora. Each distinctive creation is rooted in nature and infused with a blend of concept art & interior design that cohesively breathes new life into any environment. CEO and Lead Designer, Alison Franchi, takes pride in offering floral designs that are filled with creativity as well as organic integrity. Featured in several notable publications and commissioned by such diverse powerhouses as Dior, CBS, Lamborghini, and Warner Bros, Alison has also collaborated with acclaimed interior design firms like Room & Board and Modern Home & Living. Currently serving both the East and West Coasts, Alison and her team provide patrons with customized living art developed in La Petite Gardenia‘s signature style – modern, organic innovation that’s truly artistically defined.

Real Jewish Weddings | Los Angeles, CA

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Jewish Traditions, Real Jewish Weddings

Today’s Real Jewish Wedding is a submission from the couple’s super talented cinematographer, Ahava Films, who expertly tells the wedding day story through moving pictures and sound.

Many people talk about the revival of downtown Los Angeles. The setting of Lauren and Daniel Packer’s wedding shows the beauty and diversity of the L.A. downtown environment. From the portrait session where we toured the various sites of downtown LA to the outdoor ceremony surrounded by massive buildings, the feeling is at times humbling and yet energizing. Lauren and Daniel were on fire the whole day, from the moment makeup was applied to the last dance ending with Daniel carrying Lauren off to a romantic “happily, ever after” ending. While John Solano and team were rousing the wedding party for high-energy photos, Ahava Films was putting together a cinematic masterpiece to delight all the senses. Adding meaning to the day was the charismatic Rabbi Shlomo Seidenfeld who has known Lauren since she was a toddler. And leave it to Nefesh Music to add soulful music to the wedding ceremony, and a rockin’ hora/dance set for the reception.

Mazel tov, Lauren and Daniel!

Lauren + Daniel from Ahava Films on Vimeo.

Photo stills from the Ahava Films masterpiece:

los-angeles-orthodox-wedding

Video: Ahava Films
Reception Venue: Omni Los Angeles Hotel
Photographer: John Solano Photography
Music: Nefesh Music
Makeup: Zulica
Wedding Dress Salon: Marylinn’s Bridal Salon
Floral arrangement/Chuppah Decoration: Elegant Thorn

Armed With Love

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Jewish Traditions, Planning

One of the main differences between a traditional Jewish wedding and a non-Jewish wedding is the wedding processional. A Jewish wedding needs a little wider of an aisle to accommodate the bride and groom as they walk down the aisle… with their parents.

It is a Jewish custom that both the mothers and fathers of the bride and the groom walk their children down the aisle. Naturally, if a parent is deceased or if there is a step-parent situation unique to the wedding occasion, that’s a different story and one to discuss with your partner and rabbi.

We love this beautiful tradition, as a child is still a child, even on his or her wedding day. Together, the parents raised the child to become an adult who is now taking on the mitzvah of marriage. It’s so nice that the groom doesn’t make the walk alone down the aisle; his parents showed him the way to be a man and on his wedding day, they show him the way to meet his bride under the chuppah. Likewise, the relationship between a mother and daughter is so unique and special, that it’s only fitting that the mother joins the father as they both link arms with their daughter in her wedding gown.

These are the tender moments that always send me to a waterfall of happy tears every time I attend a Jewish wedding. Here we’ll share with you some of these priceless, milestone moments. The photos give you a peek into this miraculous and lovely relationship between parents and their children. While I love looking at the the beautiful aura of the bride or the dashing and in-love groom, admiring the parents during one of their proudest moments gives me goosebumps! Grab a hankie!

Image courtesy of Kim Fox Photography

Image courtesy of eight20 photography

Image courtesy of Dahl Photography

Photo courtesy of Kim Fox Photography

Image courtesy of Sweet Monday Photography

Image courtesy of Jay Kelly Photography

Photo courtesy of Next Exit Photography

Image courtesy of eight20 photography

Image courtesy of Sweet Monday Photography

Image courtesy of Next Exit Photography

Image courtesy of David Michael Photography

Image courtesy of Sweet Monday Photography

Image courtesy of Dahl Photography

Image courtesy of Sweet Monday Photography

Image courtesy of Next Exit Photography

Sponsored Post: Choosing Your Wedding Rings

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Inside Scoop, Jewish Traditions

Today The Wedding Yentas is happy to welcome Zoara as an expert in all things wedding jewelry! Zoara is the culmination of over 50 years of combined professional expertise in the diamond and jewelry industries. For decades the company’s founders and management have been offering high-end jewelry and diamonds to the public in retail stores and online at Zoara.com.

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Rabbi Barry Tuchman performs a Jewish wedding ceremony and ring exchange. Photo by B&G Photography.

Choosing such a personal item like a wedding ring is going to take some time and looking around. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking this will be a simple task. Even if you just want a simple band, there are a lot of decisions to make: Curved or flat? Polished or matte? Narrow or wide? The list is long.

Traditionally kosher Jewish wedding bands are plain and without stones set into them. This came from a tradition where the bride should be able to easily find out its value and was needed because its worth, not the actual ring, that mattered. Nowadays, this is much more relaxed among modern Jewish couples, although most brides and grooms opt for plain rings anyway. According to Jewish tradition, it is not necessary for the bride to give the groom a ring, but most husbands and wives both choose to wear rings for equality.

Here are a few features to consider when choosing your wedding rings:

Textured Wedding Rings
Women’s and men’s wedding rings come in loads of different textures. This is a great way to add some detail to the ring while still meeting kosher requirements. There are many textures available and it is easy to choose matching rings for bride and groom. A texture is not a design, but rather a finish or combination of finishes.

Ring on the Left
Ring in the Middle
Ring on the Right

Patterned Wedding Rings
These wedding rings have a pattern engraved in them. They have limitless possibilities of what can be engraved or embossed. A popular choice for wedding bands is “Ani L’dodi” rings. This is taken from Song of Solomon and means “I am my Beloved’s.” Other patterns can include floral designs, geometric shapes, and just about anything you can think of.

Ring on the Left
Ring in the Middle
Ring on the Right

Two Toned Wedding Rings
This is one of the latest trends, especially for men. Multiple tones of gold are used to give added dimension and interest. These rings are especially beautiful and they have that element of uniqueness. The various colors can be intricately incorporated with designs or simply just bands of color. Two toned rings present an opportunity for you to explore the artistic and creative side of jewelry.

Ring on the Left
Ring in the Middle
Ring on the Right

If you are having trouble finding jewelry that you like for affordable prices, you might try shopping online. It is a great option because prices are very competitive which means you get a great deal. Zoara is an online jewelry store with a huge range of wedding rings and Jewish jewelry available. You are certain to find the perfect wedding rings that you will treasure for the rest of your lives.

What kinds of rings do you like?

From the Expert: What Happens In The Photo Booth…

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Alison in Featured, From The Yentas, Planning

Happy Foto Booth, a husband and wife team that promotes good ol’ fashioned fun via photos, is on board today to educate you all about photo booths and how they can add so much fun to your wedding, while also double dipping as a party favor! Need to know the questions to ask your photo booth vendor? Not sure what you should expect for set up and goods received? Keep on reading for the scoop on photo booths from the expert on photo booths! If you’re in the Southern California area, make sure to check out the very sweet deal at the end of the post from Happy Foto Booth!

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Planning a wedding and wondering what is the biggest splurge you may consider? Of course it has to be the photo booth! This is one of the ideas that started off as a niche, rare element and became a must-have, memory-making standard.

Your guests will jump into the photo booth at least once in the evening and they will get to take home their photo booth picture as favors from the wedding. They’ll end up taking many photos in different combinations of people, props, and poses. The photo booth makes for great breaks to cool off from the dance floor without keeping guests away too long. After a quick refresh in the photo booth, they’ll be ready to come back out and party!

There’s no denying that the photo booth keeps everyone in a festive mood! Don’t believe me?

Usually, it makes a great guestbook vehicle since the photo will make it into a scrapbook with the option for guests to leave messages or wishes for you to read later. Once you’re good and married, you will love going back to see the shenanigans that everyone enjoyed as they celebrated your wedding!

Happy Foto Booth supplies a scrapbook and necessary accessories to leave you with a complete compilation of all the photos from the night. Guests will have fun creating their pages and you will have fun reading them!

Don’t kid yourself. There’s nothing more fun than tossing on a feathery pink boa or top hat and accessorizing with giant sunglasses and mugging for the camera. Every photo booth is different, which is part of the fun as your guests hop on and off the wedding circuit during the season. So even if other couples hire a photo booth, it’s never the same experience. A Happy Foto Booth favorite has been Michael Jackson’s famous sparkly glove and pose with an inflatable microphone — people can’t get enough of celebrating the King of Pop!

According to Happy Foto Booth, an average-sized (150 or so) wedding will see about 45 people having fun in the Photo Booth in an hour! This number may help you decide how long you need the photo booth at your reception if you’re unsure about spending additional money. Think of it this way: if you’re having 100 guests, then two hours is plenty, but if you’re inviting your parents’ friends and in-laws’ friends and you’re way over 150, then you may want to add another hour or two so that everyone gets to enjoy.

Make sure your photo booth company knows the wedding events you’ll be including in your reception. Happy Foto Booth is always in tune with the parts of the reception that will not typically see any photo booth action. Events like dinner or toasts or special dances would not be favorable times to include for your photo booth schedule. Happy Foto Booth happens to be owned by a Jewish couple, so they also know the moments like dancing the Horah and blessing the challah that would be quiet for the booth. To make sure that your guests are enjoying these moments, Happy Foto Booth’s attendant will close the booth and suggests that your photo booth vendor does the same.

Happy Foto Booth wants to make sure you’re clued in before you hire a photo booth vendor. As a Los Angeles expert, Happy Foto Booth knows the tricks of the trade and wants to share some tips with you!

After choosing a photo booth vendor, you should make sure the booth is set up one hour before the booth will start.
Also, coordinate with your venue that power will be within 50 feet of the booth since the camera can’t snap away without plugging in somewhere!
It’s best to have the booth inside the reception room, but near the exit if the booth is going to sneak out before your event is over.The last thing you want to see is the photo booth and all of its equipment rolling out in front of your cake as you’re about to cut into it!

Happy Foto Booth’s package will always include unlimited color or black & white photos, a prop box, touch screen monitors, a scrapbook for preserving your memories and a DVD with all the pictures. You will also receive an online gallery, live slideshow and an onsite attendant(s) to make sure everything runs smoothly. Prices usually start at $600 and go up from there. If you’re not a Los Angeles couple and can’t hire Happy Foto Booth, keep this package in mind as you make your decision on your photo booth vendor.

Step into the booth, snap a picture and enjoy the memories! But don’t forget — what happens in the booth, stays on the Internet! It’s likely you might enjoy a drink or two (or four) before going into the photo booth and let’s be honest, it’s not a party until someone falls right out of the booth. Oh, it’s happened! It’s a good thing the camera is higher than the floor and that part won’t be captured on film. Let the ice pack* be a reminder of the events of the evening. Uh, oops!

If you’re in the Southern California area, you’re in luck! Happy Foto Booth provides you with superior service in Orange County, San Diego and the Los Angeles counties. You’re receive premium service and prices will not be beat! All Happy Foto photo booths contain touch screen monitors and exterior viewing 20″ LCDs for those waiting in line to enjoy and for your display throughout the event.

Contact Happy Foto Booth to book and mention Wedding Yentas to receive $100 off your photo booth package! info@happyfotobooth.com and 323-387-0321

*Event based on a true story. Yes.