jazzybride's biography
I am a (late) 20-something jazz-loving bride from Southern CA inspired by the vintage styles and icons of the late 1950's-early 1960's. Although I am no stranger to the wedding industry, I have found the planning of my own wedding to be an exhilarating, stress-free expereince. I am a perfectionist, extremely detail-oriented, and calm in the way I execute events - so this should be cake, right? Well, not exactly all the time - I do have those familiar moments of anxiety every bride goes through! But, I am quite confident that whatever course this wedding planning takes, and however our special day ends up - I know that come 9.15.07, I will be one elated bride with a dashing groom by her side! Eat your heart out, Jackie :-)!
My Fiance and have been together for nearly 2 1/2 years. We first met through a popular dating site, and after our first date out to sushi the rest was history! Although we seem meant to be (or the "perfect match" - no pun intended), we are quite different. He attended UCLA and ran track professionally. I attended USC and am a classical violinist (among other hobbies and occupations we have - those are our top passions). But it is our shared interest in the importance & closeness of family that binds us. We are certainly looking forward to sharing our special day with our close family friends in a big, southern-style soiree honoring our family heritages!
A trip to Maui last August would have seemed the most logical and expected place for him to pop the question. But, that would have been too easy! Nearly one month after our romantic Hawaiian get-away, I came home from work to our apartment filled with roses and rose petals, candles, wine, a small cake, and a favorite love R&B song playing in the background. Before I knew it, my love was on BOTH knees with a gorgeous vintage-inspired asscher-cut diamond beaming before me. Amidst tears, I said yes! We celebrated at a favorite, local BBQ southern restaurant thereafter!
Our wedding will reflect our plans to celebrate in grand, southern-style! His family is from Kentucky, as my
mother hails from Louisiana (New Orleans). With that, we will be using the Fleur-de-lis as our prominent motif on all of our paper & other decor! Our colors are chocolate brown and fuschia pink and will be reinforced from the bridesmaids
chocolate shantung dresses (Jenny Yoo), to the fuschia blooms of ranuncula, roses, dahlias, and hydrangeas (to name a few). Little antique-gold painted mint julep cups, commonly used at the Kentucky Derby, will contain small nosegays of flowers on all
of our cocktail rounds. We will also honor an african-american tradition dating back to the slave days, by jumping the broom.
But if there was one way to really evoke true SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY, then that would be through our amazing menu I
designed. Appetizers will consist of Fried Green Tomatoes &Cajun Shrimp Skewers; our main buffet will feature a Fried Chicken station (where cooks will fry your chicken on the spot), Grilled Tri-Tip, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn Bread; and
finally, our wedding cake will be no other than a Red Velvet 4-tier cake with alternating white cake/fresh berries! Favors are still TBD - but we may go with Sugared Pecan Pralines in wax paper goodie bags for guests to leave as they
exit....YUM!
Finally, we are quite fortunate to have an amazing wedding location that really drives home our theme: The Cravens Estate is a beautiful french-chateau style mansion that embodies vintage elements reminiscent of the 1920'sand 1930's and a little
southern charm!
I have 6 and they will all be in the same Jenny Yoo "Josephine" Chocolate brown shantung dress (with straps). Similar to this one!
My husband-to-be and his groomsmen will all be sporting tan suits with chocolate brown ties (to match the bridesmaids) and shoes. Similar to the stlye above!
Since I am wearing a vintage-inspired white feather hair adornment, I will have a white bouquet similar to the one posted above but perhaps with some white feathers also adorned in it to mimic my hair piece! My bouquet will definitely include my favorite flowers: Ranuncula, Roses, Gardenias, & Hydragena all in hues of ivory & whites.
Tightly-bound bouquets of fushcia pink blooms (I love the idea of them carrying giant pink dahlias)!
Again, to exude my "vintage" style, I have looked to wearing accessories that clearly are ME. Thus, I am not wearing a traditional veil, but a feather, floral hair adornment with a birdcage, vintage-tulle veil to complete the look (I have taken this sample from a local bride here in So Cal - whom I give credit!). Also, I just stumbled across earrings that are the EXACT replicas of the same earrings Jackie Kennedy wore to many presidential events during her time in Camelot - I MUST get those! My shoes are by "Something Bleu" and are properly a peep-toe, slingback style.
My reception flowers will consist of bright hues of pinks in open blooms tightly binded in short, brown/nronze square vases (some with fleur-de-lis printed on them). Draping amaranthys will also accent a pomander-shaped arrangement in the site's urns. We are relying on a slew of votive candles in cylinder and square vases to illuminate the outdoor space, hurricane candles to align the fireplace mantle found in the dancing area, and old gas-lamps (reminiscent of the French Quarter).
Our ceremony will take place in the front of the estate with the porch acting as our "altar". The beautiful urns will contain an arrangement of pink flowers with hanging amaranth while my aisle will be lined with wrought-iron (wrapped in garland vines) with hanging hydrangea pomander balls.
A low chignon with volume on top and side-swept bangs is how I would like to style my hair!
DYI mostly - worked very closely with a former knottie who designed my maps and I loved them so much, I asked
her to design the rest. Pocketfolds & matte paper: www.cardsandpockets.com
Envelopes will be Ivory with Gold writing and sealed with a Gold Wax Fleur-de-lis Seal!
