BD’s Wedding Advice
Vibiana Downtown Los Angeles Wedding l Tina + Jonathan
Jul 2nd
A melodious wedding in a timeless venue, Tina and Jonathan were the sweetest couple with unique ideas for their special day. We invested 10 months planning this wedding, all beginning with the couple’s engagement session. The ceremony was held at the Vibiana in Downtown Los Angeles. The formal Cathedral of St. Vibiana dates back to 1876. The cathedral is modeled after the Italian Baroque style, that is dramatic yet tasteful. Key elements to this wedding design were pieces of sheet music used in several different ways. The addition of candle light during the reception added warmth to the white floral and the venue itself. One of our favorite elements was designing and styling the dessert table on the vintage piano and vintage furniture. A special thank you to Callaway Gable for the amazing photographs!
How To: Neutral & Pastel Bridesmaids Dresses
Mar 12th
Color is such an important factor when making decisions about your wedding – everything from flowers and table settings to smaller details such as escort cards revolve around it. During the ceremony it is the bridesmaids dresses where the color theme of your wedding is most prominently reflected to your guests. So what if you’ve chosen a more neutral palette for your big day? How do you incorporate this into the bridesmaids dresses while still keeping your ceremony visually exciting?
In a recent Monique Lhuillier runway show we see beautiful examples of bridesmaids dress designs in gold, silver, ivory and gray. While the color is kept simple and elegant, it is the texture that makes them exciting with draping, pleats, ruching and cascading “feathers“.
Actress and model Molly Sims brought to life her beige and black themed bridal party by having each bridesmaid wear her own unique dress, each a variegating shade of beige, and even utilizing print and accessories like belts to keep each look fresh.
Having a neutral palette for your wedding doesn’t mean you must limit yourself to beige, black and white, though! When actress and style-maven Rachel Bilson served as bridesmaid in her best friend Jill Stonerock’s wedding, she looked stunning in muted pistachio while her fellow bridesmaids wore other lovely shades of green ranging from mint to sage. Fresh bouquets of lavender brought in an additional pop of color while still keeping the overall look earthy and ethereal.
Often times we think of neutral and pastel color palettes as being limiting, sometimes even boring. The truth is, though, that when these palettes are used correctly – with attention to variation of shades, texture and detail, perhaps with just the right pop of color in the bouquet or an accessory – they are quite simply and beautifully elegant!
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Greeting Guests At the Reception
Nov 20th
When are you supposed to greet guests at the reception!? If we visited all the tables it will take at least 1 hour alone….
{ Marakesh Wedding Shiri & Dante }
If you plan to visit every table during dinner, you will more than likely not have time to eat.
So we recommend this:
- See each other before the ceremony to do all of your photos. That way you can join the cocktail hour and greet a number of your guests there.
- Make it to the tables of the elderly family/guests first as they are the ones who will be offended if you do not visit their table.
- Let your younger friends/coworkers know that you’ll meet them on the dancefloor.
Good luck and enjoy your wedding!
Seating Chart and Escort Card Advice
Dec 30th
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Escort cards, or seating cards can be a fun and personalized item at your wedding. Some couples even tie them in with their favors. Depending on the size of your wedding you can have a seating chart and cards or just seating cards.
This seating chart is in alphabetical order and their table number is next to their name. It’s easy to read and understand and laid out neatly. If you are an eco-friendly bride and looking to save paper, this is a good way of displaying your guest’s seats instead of printing out little cards with their name on them.
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I also love the chalkboard & window ideas:
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Vows
Nov 28th
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There is no wrong way to approach the topic of Vows. Only you and your partner understand the depth and importance of your loyalty, devotion, love, and commitment to one another so however you choose to display your relationship on your wedding day is entirely up to you.
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If you do decide to write your own vows, one thing that you should keep in mind is time. As much as your guests love and adore you both, and will enjoy being at your wedding witnessing your union, they most likely do not want to sit through a vow that is 10 minutes long. If you read the traditional vow out loud and time yourself, it only adds up to about 35 seconds long. If you write your own vows, I suggest it not to be longer than 2 minutes. Your guests already understand the dedication you 2 have for one another, you wouldn’t be getting married if that weren’t the case! So you don’t need to take too long displaying that in your vows.
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Here is the traditional vow:
“I, (name), take you, (name), to be my beloved (wife/husband), to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life.”
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Here is a beautiful personalized vow:
“From this day on, I choose you, my beloved (Name), to be my (husband/wife). To live with you and laugh with you; to stand by your side, and sleep in your arms; to be joy to your heart, and food for your soul; to bring out the best in you always, and, for you, to be the most that I can. I promise to laugh with you in good times, to struggle with you in bad; to solace you when you are downhearted; to wipe your tears with my hands; to comfort you with my body; to mirror you with my soul; to share with you all my riches and honors; to play with you as much as I can until we grow old; and, still loving each other sweetly and gladly, our lives shall come to an end.”
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Here is a short and sweet personalized vow:
“I promise to be there when you need me,
to fill your days with sunshine, to comfort you and encourage you,
to help you reach your goals, to be your best friend
ever and to love you all my life with all my heart.”
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As you can see all of the examples are touching and heartwarming. They are your vows –write them however you want!
