Weddingbee PRO

Every girl needs her own favorite beauty finds. I love swapping products with my sister and girlfriends, as well as reading reviews of new items online. In honor of the wonderful discoveries I’ve made in this arena, it’s time for a beauty-inspired installment of fab finds! Please join me in little virtual swap here on the blog. Below are some of the fabulous things that rock my beautiful world; make sure to share your favorites in the comment section!

fab find: kiss me mascara by blinc

It was a mixture of fear and curiosity that overcame me when I first read about this mascara. On the company’s website, a funny animation demonstrates how the mascara does not “paint” lashes, but “tubes” them by creating water-resistant tubes around each one. The result is perfectly primped and natural-looking lashes with zero clumping. To remove, you simply use warm water and “gentle pressure” to slide the tubes off.

Truth be told, I was freaked out at the prospect of pulling little tubes off of my eyelashes. BUT, when Santa left me this mascara in my stocking last Christmas, I had to give it a whirl. I LOVE this mascara and don’t think I could use anything else now. It really makes you look like you just have incredibly long and lovely natural lashes. And the formerly-dreaded tube removal?? Though nervous at first, I’ve become a total pro. The “tubes” are black and just look like individual false lashes. I haven’t ripped out any real lashes… yet.

Read more…

Just in case you don’t already stalk THE BLOG of fab-photographers The Image is Found (and if you don’t… you SHOULD), I thought I’d share with you some pics they took of me & my husband Erik earlier this year.

In March, Erik and I headed down to Oceanside to model for their Shootshop: a cool one-day seminar for photographers. It was so much fun watching Nate & Jac in their element, really opening up to all of the attendees and answering each and every question. We also just adore Nate & Jac as wonderful friends, so it is always a treat getting to see them! As the ultimo bonus, we came away with these utterly incredible pics of us.

Read more…

When I first became a wedding planner, I had a lot of friends and family members approach me with quizzical looks. “What exactly do you do as a wedding planner??” They were either genuinely curious OR still coming to grips with my crazy life/career change ;-), but either way I was happy to answer their questions. First, here are a few replies to FAQs.

How much do you actually work?
I work a lot, but it never feels like work. It sounds cliché, but it’s true! I spend hours each day answering emails, researching vendors and obtaining quotes for clients, and drafting various paperwork (e.g. time lines, checklists, inspiration cheat-sheets for other vendors). I probably am on the computer a minimum of 5 hours a day. The rest of the time I am typically in my car, driving to client & vendor meetings all around southern California. Other times you will find me sourcing the perfect ribbon in downtown LA, assembling programs and paper goods for clients, or touring new venues and vendor showrooms. On an actual wedding day, I spend a minimum of 12 hours working (set up, event, tear down). It averages around 16, although I have done amazing weddings (with very intense set-ups) that have kept me on my feet for 22 hours from start to finish.

What hours do you keep?
I try to stick to a 9a to 6p schedule (during the week) as much as possible. I work from home (and love it!), so it is tempting to scoot over in front of the TV and just hang out instead of work. But, I want to have time to be with friends, keep my home looking lovely and cook dinner each night. So, I really try to stay on top of my work during the day. Erik and I spend at least an hour just “hanging out” each night. Once that is done and my dishes are put away, I like to sneak in another hour or two of emails. That said, I do not consider myself a 40-hour-a-week kinda girl. So much of my job is wrapped up in my loves/hobbies that it’s really difficult to feel like I’m slaving away when I’m surrounded by flowers and fabrics and all things beautiful.
Read more…

This June wedding at the Walt Disney Concert Hall was a New York-inspired affair, full of personal touches and vibrant color. This couple was one of my favorites… and two of my biggest fans. Their devotion to my blog made me blush!! It’s now their turn to shine here~

For the ceremony, we embraced a citrusy palette of colors including orange, yellow, and chartreuse green. Everything felt fresh and joyful! The actual ceremony took place in the Blue Ribbon Garden at the Disney Center, in front of a giant rose-shaped fountain made of mosaic delft tiles. Surrounded by the towering buildings of downtown L.A., the garden was a peaceful oasis. Of course the signature curvaceous lines of the Disney Center added a modern feel to the entire event.

All photos are courtesy of the ultra fabulous (and completely unpretentious), super star photographer Bil Zelman. He is renowned for his incredible portrait work (having shot many of my fave musicians, including Jason Mraz and John Legend) as well as his emotive, vintage-feeling wedding photography. I loved poring over these images; each one is brimming with so much emotion!

The ceremony site had a striking and completely modern focal point: three abstract, spindly, free-form poles covered in moss and exotic florals. I spy billy balls, hanging amaranthus, mango calla lillies, james storei orchids, button mums and protea, among other items! They were the handiwork of passionate floral visionary, Bobbe Vagell.
Read more…

Wowowow am I excited to share this post with you!! Thank you sooo much to Jerry Yoon + Ingrid for their hard work and incredible eyes for detail. I am swooning over all of these pics!!

Veronica is a dear college friend of mine. Her wedding at the breathtaking Villa del Sol d’oro in Sierra Madre was truly special to me, and it was an honor and privilege to play this role in designing, planning and coordinating it. My husband Erik and I were also guests (although truth be told, I barely sat down that evening!), so we had a blast catching up with old pals. Without further ado, here are the pics…

A delicious detail collage! I especially adore the close-up shots of my beloved library cards and the stack of books wedged underneath the altar arrangements. We used children’s encyclopedias for the altar pieces, and I love their cheerful, colorful spines.
Read more…

Thank you for your incredible response to my posts thus far! I am glad that so many of you are interested in my story and that my sharing may even help some of you make some key career moves in the future. Let me pick up my narrative where I left off last time. I had dropped out of law school and had no prospects for the future. Sounds encouraging, right?

I had just gotten married myself (August 2005) and thoroughly enjoyed the planning process. I only planned for 7 months, most of it long-distance while I was still finishing up at Berkeley. But, I savored every task and every detail. Since law school had been on the horizon, I never made a connection between what I was enjoying and the potential for a future career. In fact, none of the next part of my story was intentional at all! This is why I tell everyone that my path to planner-hood is characterized by serendipity.

A friend of mine was getting married in November and asked me to assist her with tying up some final details. I happily obliged, as I was more than willing to share my experience with her. I made some calls, created a timeline, and helped her check off a list of final tasks to complete. Meanwhile, this friend was chatting with her engaged friend. One day I received a phone call. The bride-to-be on the other line was the friend of my friend. “Hi, is this Angel? I heard you’re *blank’s* wedding planner! Would you be available to help me with mine next year?” Yep, I was bamboozled. Hahaha My dear friend had, without asking, passed my name and info on to her friend. She’d even given me a job title! And with that, my career was born. Actually it was more akin to adoption. This perfect, pre-packaged opportunity was placed in my lap by God.
Read more…

It is with sheer joy that I am able to share these photos from my mother’s wedding with you!! This is going to be a photo-heavy post, so I hope you don’t mind. Many heartfelt thanks go to my dear friend & colleague in the biz, Trista Lerit. She did an incredible job capturing this special day and I am so honored that she was with us to celebrate! Without further ado….

the rings!
Read more…

I know, I know… laugh all you want at my cheese-tacular title. I thought it would be fun and informational to write a mini-series on how I first got into the wedding planning biz, as this is one of my most frequently asked questions. I receive 2-3 resumes per week from people who want to enter the industry, as well as numerous inquiries about how I came to become a planner in the first place. Needless to say, it is pretty flattering, but I take it with a grain of salt. I do not see myself as any sort of figurehead in the industry, but I do consider myself an open person who is more than willing to answer questions when asked. So, without further ado, here is my story!

Read more…

I can’t describe how I felt when I saw Bee’s name in my inbox a few weeks ago. It couldn’t be THE Bee of Weddingbee fame, could it?? Imagine my delight as I opened the email and read that she wanted me to consider joining a new Weddingbee venture. One phone call later, I was ready to sign on. The concept for Weddingbee PRO is brilliant. Readers will get a unique look at what goes on behind-the-scenes of a wedding by gaining insight from various voices within the industry. I know I am in fabulous company with the rest of the inaugural bloggers and can’t wait to see how they use their time on WB PRO.

Here’s the skinny on me: I’m a wedding planner + event designer based in Southern California, and I absolutely love my job! My boutique planning company, Events of Love and Splendor, takes on only 20-25 clients per year to offer the highest level of personal care and service. I entered the industry in 2005 quite serendipitously, and I will definitely share that story in a later post. Since then, business has boomed due to the incredible word-of-mouth support I’ve received from my amazing clients. I do not advertise and still keep very busy.  I do write my own blog, featuring photos and recaps from recent weddings as well as glimpses into my personal life and interests. In just over 3 years, I have seen my business go places I had only dreamed of as a budding entrepreneur. It has been a fantastic ride and I am inspired daily by what I get to do for a living! I was married in august 2005 to my college sweetheart (go Bears!). When I’m not working, I love to cook, plan vacations, scrapbook and make cards, decorate my home, and read.


Here’s a snapshot of me + my husband, Erik, so you can put a face to the name. The photo was taken by dear friend, the wildly talented Jasmine Star.

I would love to know what you want to see in my  WB PRO contributions, so don’t hesitate to drop me a line below.  I am truly honored to be here and am thrilled to see what will become of WB PRO.

xoxo, Angel