Wedding Photograper? Cake Baker? Floral Designer? We Want You!

Dearest SJE Readers,

Are you an up-and-comer in your biz? An artist, a bad-ass, a pro? If so, or if you know of some, we want to hear from you!

SJE is all about discovering the best new wedding and party-related vendors in the Los Angeles, Orange County and South Bay areas ~ we know SoCal is brimming with tons of talent, so if you are (or know of):

~ A photographer/Videographer
~ A makeup artist
~ A floral designer
~ A graphic/stationery designer
~ A Baker
~ An accessories designer
~ A musician/entertainer

...or if you provide any special services that you feel would be especially great for parties and weddings, please do give us a shout. We'd love to not only feature your work on the Sweetest Things blog and with our Facebook community, but actually connect with you in the hopes of adding you to our ever-growing roster of top-tier vendors.

Sweet June Events is a relatively young company as well, and one of the best things we can all do is become resources for one another. Our business has plenty of established pros, but we want to hear from super-talented folks who are ready to grow their business and who are willing to work within a client's budget ~ no matter how modest.

Ready to network? Great! Just send us some photos/videos of your work and a quick blurb about you and what you do (as well as any website or blog info)...and so the fun begins!

Looking forward to meeting you all!

XO SJE

*image courtesy of Tracy Stern’s new book Tea Party: 20 Themed Tea Parties With Recipes For Every Occasion, from Fabulous Showers to Intimate Gatherings

Color Us Happy ~ Non-Traditional Wedding Inspiration from Designer Wai-Ching!

We were on a search for colorful wedding gowns - splashes, dashes, sprays, washes...you name it! Color is the big thing right now and we couldn't be more excited because it's time to turn tradition on its arse and bring in some beautiful hues!

Well, we not only found color, but we found eco-conscious, beautifully constructed raw silk couture gowns from Chrissy Wai-Ching, a Seattle-based designer whose special gowns are a favorite among brides with a funky, off-beat style. You can see her collection on her site, Wai-Ching.com, but we've featured some of our favorites here and even did a little mini-inspiration board for each gown.


~Sea Glass Inspiration~

L'Arbre Dress by Wai Ching


Invitation Inspiration (from Folklore Eye Designs)


Bouquet Idea


Cake! From Michele Coulon Dessertier


~Boho Juliet Inspiration~

Silvio Dress by Wai-Ching


Floral Inspiration


Gothic Indian Choker Necklace from XinXinemin's Etsy Shop

Vintage Postcard Wedding Invitation from Golden Rectangle Press's Etsy Shop


Cake Inspiration by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, New York


~Woodsy Floral Inspiration~
Chrystanthemum Dress by Wai-Ching


Passion - Gold Satin Clutch with Feathery Brooch / Hairclip from AngeeW's Etsy Shop


Incredibly Unique Invitation Inspiration from Tugboat Printshop (Note: you can see all of the details of this custom woodcut wedding invitation here)


Adorable woodland-themed cake topper from Sweet Pixie Pie's Etsy Shop


~Gypsy Chic Inspiration~
Zolotova


...which the STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS designer wore for her very own wedding:


Save-the-Date/Invite Inspiration from Kim's Custom Cards & Gifts


Decor, Moroccan Style

Lounge decor, from Mosaik Events


From Overstock.com ~Mediterranean Faux Stained Glass Chandelier


Hope you enjoyed today's inspiration! Be sure to check out Wai-Ching's site...you'll really be blown away.

Have a great weekend, lovelies!

xoSJE

Invitation Designer Spotlight: Betsy White Stationery

We're not afraid to admit it: Paper is like porn to us. Perhaps it's a bit unhealthy, sure, but really? There are just so many talented stationery designers out there that we feel need to be shared with the world! Okay, perhaps just our wee readership...hey, it may be a small world but it's our world nonetheless, and we want to share our great finds with you!

Which brings us to Betsy White and her absolutely precious designs! There's something really special about her style, and it's not limited to wedding invites. She's a full service design shop, creating everything from personal stationery to party invites to wedding logos. You name it, she does it, and she does it with complete finesse.

Behold, the Cheeky Cherub Party Invitation ~


...and the Tropical Bird Personal Stationery~


...and the Cirque baby announcement~


...and the Parker collection ~


...and from the Amelia collection ~


..and this gorgeous personal wedding monogram sample:


...and the adorable Truckin' Kids Party Invite~


As you can see, it's official...Betsy White is awesome. Check out her inspiration blog, Flights of Fancy!

xo SJE

Sweet Decor Idea: Framed Chalkboards

We love the idea of using framed chalkboards in party and wedding decor. Whether it's to write something as simple as the menu, or to tell a little story, or to instruct your guests, these are a fun, decorative solution and they offer instant style.

We found some great ones on Etsy (of course!):

From Polkadots n' Pinstripes' Shop

Large White Vintage French-Inspired Framed Chalkboard


Chalkboard Magnetic Memo Board Oval Metal Frame from Shabby Vintage Mom's Shop:


Mini Day of the Dead Chalkboard in Orange from Kitty McFar's Shop:



Antique Framed Chalkboard from Rowan's Room's Shop:


Purple Ornate Chalboard Frame from Nonookyes's Shop:


And this one...so cute! From K9Gifts.com:


Actually, we're told this is a fairly easy D.I.Y. project - just buy some frames at Goodwill or a garage sale! We've included some instructions below. Send us pics if you decide to do it and we will feature them!

Supplies

Large vintage or secondhand frame

Chalkboard paint

Pencil

Masking or painter's tape

Nails, hammer, paintbrush/small roller

Instructions

Place the empty frame on the wall in the exact place you would like to have your chalkboard. Have someone hold it very steady, or actually nail it on the wall. Using a pencil, trace the inside perimeter of the frame directly onto the wall. Remove the frame from the wall.

The next step is to tape the area off. Place tape along the lines you have drawn, not flush against the pencil marks, but about an inch away. This will create a space in the same shape, but about a full inch larger altogether than the pencil outline. Erase the pencil marks.

Place the frame back over the area, and make sure you can't see any tape from any angle. (The boundary of the tape now represents the unpainted wall, and what you will be able to see once the project is complete.) If necessary, adjust the tape lines so they are covered completely by the frame. If this is difficult, your frame's edges may be too thin/narrow.

Happy Crafting!
xo SJE

Invitation Spotlight: Old School Retro Goodness!

Why is it that retro never gets old? Maybe we just long for the past when life was simpler, or maybe it's because there's something about design from the 60's and 70's that makes us giddy!

There are so many fun invitation designs out there, and we decided to dedicate a post to some of our wedding and party invitation finds. Kind of makes us want to channel our inner Carol Brady!

Our first..."Retro Sunset" from Wedding Paper Divas:


Stunning custom design by Nickelson's Invitations:


"Sewn Poppy" Fabric Invitations from Merriment Design


This one is amazing! Custom design by Paisley Quill:



These are super fun - they look like old school plane tickets! From Wedding Invitation Designer:


"Vivienne Greene Peacock" invitation from Periwinkle Stationery:


Hope you dug our groovy finds!

xo SJE

Romantic, Bohemian Topanga Canyon Wedding!

If any of you have ever watched The Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo, then you'll be familiar with the phrase: "I...Die!" ~ it's usually used in the context of something being so gorgeous, so absolutely perfect, that you simply may cease being from the overall loveliness overload.

This wedding, friends, is one of those occasions that calls for us to channel Rachel. First off, it took place in the glorious Topanga Canyon, at a heavenly venue called The Mountain Mermaid, which we were unfamiliar with and it's in our own backyard! Evidently (and quite understandably) it is frequently used for photo and film shoots.

Please, just take a look at what the place looks like from the front:


I know! Right? And here is the view of the grounds in the back and the pool:


And then of course, apropos of the name, there are the many fountains and decorative elements around the property featuring beautiful mermaids...


And now for the wedding. We found this by way of one of our new fave photographers, Justine Ungaro. We happened upon her site some time ago and fell in love with her style. And now you will see why!

Welcome to Liz & Edward's Wedding!

The bride!



Some details...




Yes, that is a percussionist seated on a gorgeous woven rug...too cool.

View of the ceremony by the pool.


The kiss.


And...we die!


Still dying...


Breathtaking presentation of the food.


Pure romance.


This image shows why having a photographer who "gets it" is so important. Beautiful nod to photojournalism.


Precious couple.


Ah...so good...every last detail. We hope you enjoyed! And thanks to Justine Ungaro for featuring this special wedding on her blog.

Have a lovely day!

xo SJE