Simply Modern Weddings

Happy Photo Friday peeps! I ran across this photo by Oeil Photography and I just thought it was so soft and beautiful. Makes me ready for spring!

If you are still looking for a dress, head down to the Anaheim Marriott this weekend for Brides Against Breast Cancer’s annual gown sale.

These gowns have either been donated by brides or donated brand new from the bridal designers and retailers, so you have a chance to get a gown 25-75% below retail cost! So not only are you saving money, the proceeds from the sale are going to support the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.

When:
Friday, February 27, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (power hours)
Friday, February 27, 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday, February 28, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Where:
Anaheim Marriott Suites Hotel
12015 Harbor Blvd
Garden Grove, CA

Registration:
Click here to register for sneak preview at Power Hours
Click here to register for general admission

Costs:
Power Hours: $20
General Admission: FREE (yay!)

BONUS!
A coupon for $25 off any gown priced $250-499 or $50 off any gown over $500 will be printed in the Orange County Register and the LA Times: Orange County Edition on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for additional savings! (you must present the coupon clipped from the newspaper to redeem the discount)

Make sure to wear some pink to show your support!

Some of you may know from my past posts about Mardi Gras and my trip to the South, that Na’wlins holds a very special place in my heart! When James and I went last year, I really felt at home in the city. The food, the music, the art, the people…there is so much to love that I just can go on and on.

Since so much about N’awlins revolves around food…I thought I would post a “semi-homemade” recipe from my personal collection. It’s a great “last minute” meal for those who would like to make something quick and yummy to celebrate today’s Mardi Gras festivities!

Ingredients
(1) box of Zatarains Jambalaya Mix
(1) cup of chopped celery
(1) cup of chopped white onion
(1) lb. of 16-20 count sized shrimp (peeled and deveined)
(1) lb. of andouille sausage
Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
Garlic powder (to taste)

Prepare the Jambalaya mix as stated by the recipe on the box. Add the chopped celery and onion to the mixture. Season with the cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic power. (I tend to go heavy on the cayenne pepper because I like it SPICY) Add the sausage and shrimp towards the end of the cooking process, as stated on the box recipe. You can also add chicken, but I prefer shrimp and sausage jambalaya. (yummo!)

That’s it y’all….now you can serve and enjoy!

Now I don’t go around doing box recipes for my creole cooking…but when I am trying to whip something together real quick, I have no problem using the box mix as my base. If you do prefer a real recipe to a shortcut, check out my favorite Food Network chef, Paula Deen’s recipe. (photo courtesy of Food Network)

With the recent launch of Elizabeth Messina’s new site kiss the groom….I just had to feature more of her fabulousness with today’s Photo Friday image. This photo is so beautiful, it’s more art than a wedding photo. Elizabeth definitely has a gift for capturing the feeling of special moments like this. LOVE it!

So I realized that I never shared some of the beautiful tablescapes from my trip to San Diego for TSE 2009 a few weeks ago! The conference itself was definitely time well spent. Some of my favorite courses throughout the week was Color Palettes, Elements of Linen Couture, and Trends in Design. I spent tons of time with my local friends and colleagues, as well as those from across the country.

The highlight of the week was the sold-out Wedding Luncheon at the Hard Rock Hotel, featuring Carley Roney of the knot as the keynote speaker. The setup of the space was absolutely breathtaking! Another local planner and I walked around the room marveling at the various tablescapes they created to match the black and white theme. After lunch, it was off to the Wedding Gallery which also featured the most creative decor setups…each room having it’s own theme. The entire day was filled with very fabulous design ideas! I can’t wait for TSE 2010 in New Orleans…what can be better than an inspiration filled week in the Big Easy?!

One piece that was featured throughout the week, was the Chameleon Chair. I have fallen in love with them and there is no turning back. (more to come on them!)

For now, just enjoy the eye-candy courtesy of Barnett Photo!

One photographer I have fell in love with over the years is Elizabeth Messina. She is such a down-to-earth, wonderfully gifted artist…with an amazing eye for catching the beauty of a wedding day!

So I am totally drooling over her new site kiss the groom which “celebrates life, love & kisses…..through photographs and personal insights….honoring weddings, family and other love stories”. If you are new to seeing Elizabeth’s work, definitely take a stroll through her website for more eye-candy!

The photo below is just a taste of her beautiful work, and of course this amazing wedding was designed by my mentor Lisa Vorce with Oh How Charming!

Today’s photo is courtesy of Envi Photo. I felt this photo was very appropriate for today. The pink umbrellas are just so fun for rainy days like this weekend is supposed to be, and it’s also sweet for Valentine’s! Which by the way, I hope that you all have a beautiful weekend!

This past weekend, Jill and I met to do a walk through of the Bel-Air Bay Club for her upcoming wedding. I was very excited when I saw the drop-dead amazing ceremony location, it’s a beautiful lawn overlooking the ocean. (which can also accommodate up to 800 people!) Not to mention the ballroom has sweeping views of the Pacific as well. Gorgeous!

After our walk through, Jill and I headed over to The Village Pantry for a yummy lunch while we discussed fun details and decor plans for the wedding. If you are ever in the Pacific Palisades area and looking for a great little spot for lunch, they have such yum food and amazing service. Our sweet server even brought us a giant cookie after he saw that our meeting was going on a bit longer than our lunch. Gotta love great service and giant cookies!

Jill, I had such a great time hanging out and I am super elated for your wedding day!

(clockwise):
Jack Slomovits Photography ; Dana Grant Photography; Katie Moos Photography; Katie Moos Photography; Jack Slomovits Photography

This is a very special Photo Friday post because today’s photo is of the beautiful Trista Lerit and her hubby Doug. This amazing photo was shot by the fab Jessica Claire last year for their five year dating anniversary. I love that James and I aren’t the only married couple who still celebrate the dating anniversary as well. Just sappy lovebirds I guess!

In honor of their upcoming six year dating anniversary, Trista is giving away a free photo shoot to one lucky married couple! This includes a two hour shoot, dvd with the hi-res images, and her travel to shoot in a location of your choice anywhere in California.

Go to her blog to read all the details about this amazing contest. But hurry…the contest is over February 10th at 9:00am!

One of my favorite things about iPhones is the applications you can download on your phone. Things like Facebook, Pandora, Urbanspoon, and let’s not forget games like my personal favorite BubbleWrap. (one of the coolest games ever!)

So it’s no surprise that people have created handy applications for weddings as well. There is iBridalGown, which helps you while shopping for the perfect wedding dress. The Wedding Day application is a live countdown of how many more days until your big day. My Wedding will help you with keeping track of your to do items in your wedding plans, budget, vendors, etc. A fun game is Wedding Dash, which lets you role play as a wedding planner trying to run a wedding and keep disasters from happening. That is one crazy game!

There are many more applications available to help you stay wedding connected at all times!

(screenshot courtesy of iBridalGown)