The Wedding Yentas™ | A Guide for the Jewish Bride!™

Friday Favorites | Living Art

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Alison in Inside Scoop

Looking at flowers and considering different arrangements are fun parts of the wedding planning process. When I was planning my wedding, I learned so much about species of flowers I’d never even heard of and suddenly felt very knowledgeable that I now have a new appreciation for such beautiful living things.

But these living things are now at a whole new level. A friend of The Wedding Yentas and Los Angeles flower artist, Alison Franchi of Le Petit Gardenia has co-created a new concept in floral arrangements that merges art and blooms. But Alison is not shopping around for complementing pots and vases, no, no, no. She’s arranging her flowers on people.

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If you’re a flower junkie and in the Los Angeles area, you should definitely check out this one-night event that will have you rethinking your wedding blooms. Well, maybe you won’t stack flower-wrapped people on your reception tables or chuppah, but this whimsical and magical take on — literally, living art — will inspire you and open your eyes to a whole new medium of decor.

The Human Vase is an original concept created by Living Art in which a live model is adorned with layers of body paint, jewels, and a brilliant display of perfectly manipulated flowers. The result is a spectacular marriage of floral design and fine art on a human canvas. As pioneers in this field, The Human Vase is a ground-breaking approach to art and event decor for 2011.

This intricate process takes an average of 12 hours to create, and each Human Vase is aesthetically unique down to the smallest detail. For this upcoming exhibition, four models will be transformed into characters of different cultures, historical times, and fictional works while paying homage to the artists’ personal journeys and love of travel. The Human Vase epitomizes the idea of living, breathing art.

Living Art is the professional collaboration of make-up artist effects by Jennifer Aspinall and floral design by Alison.

You can feast your eyes on The Human Vase this Saturday, January 29th from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Thomas Paul Fine Art
7270 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA

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Inspiration Board: Engagement Parties

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Alison in Inspiration Boards

It’s your engagement party! Go crazy…with color! Your engagement party is your big coming out event with your new fiance and you should be the center of attention. We don’t necessarily suggest you come down a grand staircase wearing a huge sparkly ball gown because, well, that’s only reserved for Scarlett. But, why not a chic, gorgeous teal dress and super hot heels? Yes, that’s more like it.

We’re diggin’ the teal/turquoise palette and foresee a burst of this hue in this season’s weddings. This inspiration board is the perfect engagement party color scheme because it’s easy to incorporate with a lot of other colors. It works for subtlety, but also makes a statement if that’s what you choose.

Sprinkle some teal into your invitations, party favors, your outfit, desserts, and even table linens. You choose how much or how little you want to use. Just know, this vibrant shade can be dropped into pretty much any element of your engagement party.

Your engagement party should be fun, and even if it’s a very formal event, you can use color to reflect your personalities and taste. But more than anything, it’s all about looooove and we loooooove that you’re getting married!!

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Engage In A Party!

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Alison in Inside Scoop, Planning

You’re engaged! Time to celebrate!

Most couples enjoy an engagement party to honor the upcoming nuptials sometime in the first few months of the popped — and accepted! — question. But what happens when it’s actually time to start planning an engagement party? What are some key points to think about and how the feezy does it differ from planning the actual wedding? Yentas, as usual, are here to help!

When should I have my engagement party?
Plan on celebrating your engagement soon after that ring is slipped on your finger. The exact timing, though, is all relative compared to your approximate wedding date. Ideally, you want to space out your engagement party from your wedding so that there isn’t too much of you two. With all due respect, as awesome as you and your partner are, an engagement party in one month and a wedding two months later is just a little… much. Most engagements are about a year to 18 months long. Consider holding the engagement party about a year from the wedding, if possible. If you haven’t solidified your wedding date yet, that’s okay. It’s likely you have a month, or at least the season, in mind. Start there and work about a year back. That said, you don’t need to have an engagement party before you can even finish answering yes to become a Mrs. It’s okay to go ahead and enjoy your new title as fiance before diving into engagement party plans. Take a couple months to soak it in, stare at your ring, share the news, stare at your ring, daydream about your dress, stare at your ring, and make a guest list.

Oh yeah, so regarding the guest list, who do we invite to the engagement party?
The absolute #1 rule of your engagement party: whoever you invite to the E-Party, must also be invited to the wedding. That means you better be sure that the engagement party peeps are going to be sticking around in your life for a long enough time that a year later, you’ll still be close and want them at your most special event. Really, though, if you invite all the people to your engagement party who are also invited to your wedding, you may as well have your rabbi and a chuppah on hand and just tie the knot at the engagement party! We suggest you keep your engagement party smaller than your wedding day. The stress, expense, and build-up to the wedding day does not need to be duplicated. Therefore, send invitations to your immediate family, bridal party, and close friends. Most likely, you’ll only want to invite 30 to 40% of your wedding guest list. Keeping it intimate, yet festive, is the way to go.

What kind of venue works for hosting an engagement party?
As long as you have an open space that allows for schmoozing, you can hold your engagement party anywhere. Parties can be at private homes, restaurants, country clubs, or even parks. Just make sure you have a private area so that you can enjoy conversation and kibbitzing.

What about decor and entertainment? How far do I go there?
Remember, you don’t want to give away all your goods at your engagement party. If you go to the same extent as your wedding, you’ll have no surprises up your sleeve for the day that truly matters! So, decor can be simple flowers or candles. You could probably take on the craft of arranging flowers yourself in Mason jars or vases. Candles on tables and open areas add a dramatic and beautiful look, while keeping costs and resources down. You can also reuse the candles on your wedding day if they’re not burnt too far down. As for entertainment, a mix or Pandora station that fits your party theme can absolutely suffice for entertainment. Since typically there is no dancing at an engagement party, mood and ambiance music is what counts. Save your bucks for the live music at your wedding reception. If you really want an element of live music, enlist a friend or college music major play some acoustic guitar or keyboard to set a more formal engagement party mood.

If I’m throwing the party at home, should I hire a catering company or just serve chips and salsa?
We think coordinating something in between a sit-down dinner and a cheese plate is probably acceptable. Depending on your budget and party space, heavy appetizers or a buffet can be acceptable and common offering for munchies. Pick a theme — Mexican, Italian, gourmet salads, BBQ — and run with it. Tray passed appetizers or a few tables with heated servers will suffice. You can even choose to do a desserts-only party and offer a slew of sweets from a cake to cookies and in between. Anything beyond that is, no pun intended, gravy. And as for booze, it’s up to you! You can hire a bar service or set up a cooler, but you can range from just wine and beer to heavier drinks. Either way, you’ve got to have a champagne toast!

So get your invitations ready (and, speaking of which, for more casual affairs like engagement parties, it’s acceptable to send online invitations or snail mail invitations), pick out a cute dress, and get ready to pose for the camera and show off your new bling! Your engagement party is a wonderful “first” during your wedding-planning experience. It’s like the opening ceremonies to the start of your wedding Olympics, sans any competitions because, after all, you already scored the gold when you found your love!

The photos above are from Anna and Sam’s engagement party brunch in Santa Monica, California. They worked hard to create an intimate party with personal touches including family wedding photos, speeches and gifts to their parents, and Mason jar floral arrangements that reminded Anna of her childhood.

Mazel tov, Anna and Sam, and may you have a wonderful wedding-planning experience!

Photos courtesy of Iconica Photography, Peter Garabetian
Venue: La Vecchia Cucina — Santa Monica, CA

Real Engagements | Malibu, CA

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Working for JDate.com, the first question Jessica gets asked about how she met Eric is, “Did you meet on JDate?” The answer is “No, we met the other way Jews meet… summer camp!” Both Eric and Jessica grew up going to Jewish summer camp, but she was in Los Angeles and he was in New York. But they both can thank Jessica’s childhood summer camp for bringing them together in adulthood. Jessica was a camper and counselor at Camp Hess Kramer in Malibu, California from 1998 until 2005. While Jessica spent her summers at the beach with her fellow campers, Eric was doing the same by a lake at Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It wasn’t until 2008 that Eric moved out to Los Angeles to be the Assistant Director of Jessica’s summer camp. By way of Jewish geography (and Jessica’s friends who still worked at Camp Hess Kramer), Eric and Jessica “officially” met at a bar on a Thursday night in 2009. (It is important to note that they were Facebook friends months prior to meeting because, really, how else do you get to know someone?!). A year later, they became engaged and are now set to get married August 27th, 2011 at Cicada in downtown Los Angeles.

Their engagement pictures were taken at the place that brought them together and holds a very special place in their hearts, Camp Hess Kramer. They chose camp because they feel a very strong Jewish connection there and they can’t get enough of that scenery! After all, camp has allowed Jessica and Eric to cross paths and find the love of their lives.

Photographer – Marianne Wilson

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Engagement Photos 101

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Alison in Planning, Real Jewish Weddings

If you are newly engaged, welcome to The Wedding Yentas! We wish you a hearty mazel tov and hope we can help you with all your Jewish wedding planning needs!

One of the many engagement milestones is a photo shoot, typically with your wedding photographer, that happens at some point before you actually tie the knot. This photo shoot is helpful for both of you: the couple and your hired photographer. You may think you’re comfortable behind a camera, but remember, every photographer has a different style and method, so taking engagement photos gives you and your betrothed a sneak peak into what you can expect from your photographer on the big day. Also, your photographer will learn about how to photograph you. Let’s face it, everyone is different — different angles, features, bodies, comfort levels — and this shoot will also allow your photographer to get a feel for what methods work for capturing you at your best. Plus, whatever, it’s fun.

These shoots are usually included in most photographers’ wedding packages when you book and it’s a good idea to put some thought into personalizing this kind of session. Make sure to ask if your wedding day reservation also includes an engagement shoot and then ask if you receive a DVD of the photos. Many couples like to incorporate their engagement shots in save the dates, escort cards, table numbers, guestbooks, or sign-in boards.

So, let’s fast forward: You’ve confirmed that your photographer does indeed shoot engagement photos and you’re amped to get started. What do you need to know?

Pick a date! Go with a date that doesn’t cause you to rush, so make sure your schedule is clear. Also, consider weather and how that plays into your shoot. If you know you want to wear cute, summery dresses, it’s probably not best to book a date in February. Make sure to think about where you want to shoot and how the date will affect your location as well. Some places are closed on the weekends. Check before!
Speaking of places, you can shoot your engagement photos anywhere, but maybe think of a location that’s special to you and your partner. We’ve seen engagement photos in the ballparks of the couple’s favorite baseball team! Perhaps you and your fiance are alum of the same university or met through Hillel at college; you might want to walk around campus and take photos at your favorite spots. Maybe you’re into cycling and the outdoors; we’ve seen adorable photos of couples hiking or on bikes by the beach. Think about colorful locations like piers or carnivals. The park usually has great color and open space as well. The possibilities are endless and we encourage you to think outside the box.
Confirm with your photographer what colors or patterns work on camera. Some may say no busy prints or white colors depending on their style and post-processing methods. This is important because you want to be sure that what you wear will be appropriately represented in your finished product. You also may be able to have two or three different looks in your shoot. This is something else you should confirm with your photographer. If you do have multiple looks, make sure you find a variety of outfits to wear. It’s fun to see engagement photos that feature the couple in casual and formal wear.
Be yourself! Don’t try to mimic your favorite model or celebrity. You’ll probably just end up looking silly (um, been there, done that). Instead, just smile and have fun! If you’re actually, really, truly having fun, your photos will look like that you are actually, really, truly having fun! Forcing poses or pouty lips doesn’t work. If you and your partner have fun acting goofy together, then let out your inner silly. If you’re more on the shy side and not really wild and crazy, that’s okay, too! Just be your usual in-love selves and the goodness will pour through the photos!

Tomorrow, we’ll be featuring a wonderful engagement shoot that showcases an adorable couple who followed our guidelines exactly! We can’t wait to show you! In the meantime, start considering our tips and let the fun begin!