Plums and Pearls

Favorite Southern California Wedding Venues

Left to Right: Pelican Hill Resort, Fairmont Miramar Santa Monica, Four Seasons Westlake Village, Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles, The London West Hollywood, Langham Huntington Pasadena

Pelican Hill Resort: We never got a chance to visit this magical resort located in Orange County because we didn't want to fall in love with a place that we knew would be too far for our family and friends. It always stuck in the back of my mind throughout our venue shopping experience. 

Fairmont Miramar Santa Monica: While this beautiful hotel is located right by the beach, there's surprisingly no view of the water. I felt that if we were going to get married on Ocean Blvd, there would have to be at least some sort of view of the ocean. 

Four Seasons Westlake Village: Their charming asian-styled garden with the pagoda would have made the perfect ceremony backdrop for our wedding ceremony site had the hotel been just a little bit closer to the city of Los Angeles.

Millennium Biltmore: This historical hotel is full of grandeur and elegance. I loved everything about the hotel from their lobby to their ballroom and their black and white photos of celebrities visiting the hotel back in the 1940s. The only downfall was that I knew I wanted an outdoor ceremony, something the Biltmore could not provide. 

London West Hollywood: This hotel is all about Black and White and it's located in the heart of West Hollywood and as you can expect, is super trendy and stylish. I loved the modern touch but after visiting the hotel, I learned that I loved the photos more than the venue itself. 

Langham Huntington: *Winner! This hotel a heavenly gem tucked away in a beautiful green neighborhood between the cities of Pasadena and San Marino. Their garden and ballroom has class and romance written all over it. Once I saw the Horseshoe Garden and the chandeliers in their Viennese Ballroom, I knew this was the perfect venue for our wedding. 

Wedding Project: A Bride's Bouquet

Inspiration Board: A collection of photos found from Etsy, Instagram and Style me Pretty

Pretty in Pink

As the writer of Plums and Pearls, my favorite color is not plum or purple but actually pink. I’m dressing my bridesmaids in Dusty Rose and I plan on adding some sort of pink to my wedding invitations. Selecting my floral bouquet, however, is bringing me at odds with my preferred color. After hours of scrolling through Style Me Pretty and Pinterest, I’ve concluded that there is such a thing as too much pink… Wait, I take that back, maybe I’m wrong and that I’ve simply looked at too many pink bouquets in the last week. Yes, these are the types of details that are keeping me up late at night.  

Elegant White

The theme that I’ve set for our wedding style is romantic, chic and elegant. I envision lots of white and some touches of gold. While white flowers don’t pop out as much as the pink peonies and roses, I think that the all-white floral arrangement creates a beautiful display that’s soft and timeless.

Glitz and Glam

I’m finding that a lot of wedding bouquets are evolving into artsy arrangements that include gemstones, Swarovski crystals, sequins and fabric petals. They’re all over Etsy and it’s fun to see what new trending ideas are out there in case I decide to go for the nontraditional option. I could always use more sparkle! 

Source: Style Me Pretty aka the Wedding Bible 

 

Save the Date Photo Session

P&P has given me the opportunity to utilize my camera for all things that I love - fashion, food and ...the finer things in life of course! But when it comes to getting my own photos taken by someone else for our Save the Date Cards...anxiety sets in. I wasn’t sure if I could find someone that could understand what I was looking for. I’ve never had to describe to anyone how I like photos taken. I’m really particular. My parents call it picky and difficult. *shrug* Well thankfully, I met Nina from Love and Lemonade, who had the most adorable blog with taste that I felt was very similar to mine. During the photo session, she provided us with direction and her personality put us both at so much ease that we forget about our surroundings - yes, the beautiful surroundings of Malibu.  When she sent us our photos, we were completely amazed. Her photography and editing skills are beyond phenomenal and I couldn’t be any happier with the pictures! XOXO, Jovian

Wedding Shoes - Finding your SoleMate

Here is my wedding post on shoes. It's a serious blog post. Yes, more serious than the post on DIY Projects. I’m a hopeless romantic type of gal and I’m really determined to find my perfect glass slipper for that Cinderella wedding I’ve imagined my whole life. OK maybe I’m getting a little carried away but I’m realizing that finding the perfect pair of Wedding shoes is not easy. I’ve thrown out the rule that brides must wear white shoes. I like the idea of a bride in her beautiful white classic gown with heels that don’t quite match the dress but perfectly reflect her style. I have a tendency to pick up the pair of shoes with the most sparkles. I love sparkles. I also love bows. Bows or sparkles definitely catch my eye but the problem is there are so many amazing options out there. Even the amazing Black Friday sales and half year promotions can’t pressure me enough to make a decision. I’m still looking but below are the 15 pairs of shoes I’ve saved to my “Wedding Shoes” folder. I love them all and I could really use all 15 but it’s a good thing I’m only planning for 1 wedding. 

 

1. Benjamin Adams
2. Giuseppe Zanotti 
3. Gucci 
4. Valentino
5. Badgely Mischka
6. Nina 
7. Badgely Mischka
8. Prada
9. Chanel
10. Yves Saint Laurent
11. Louboutin
12. Yves Saint Laurent
13. Miu Miu
14. Giuseppe Zanotti 
15. Jimmy Choo

10 Things: Sweet November

The holidays always seem to go by too quickly, especially in Los Angeles where Christmas trees are more likely to be met with sunlight than falling snow. This year is particularly significant because 1. We're engaged!!! and 2. I get to bring my FIANCE home to the Bay Area this Christmas! While I'm still getting used to that term, I'm determined to document as many events possible, both big and small, so that I can look back at all the precious moments building up to our special day. Here are the little fun things that are keeping me happy this month. Happy #November and see you on Instagram! XOXO 

NOVEMBER ACTIVITIES + LINKS

1. An Elie Saab Red Holiday Dress I've been eyeing 
2. Follow us on Instagram!  @PlumsandPearls 
3. Engagement Session in Malibu (more photos soon)
4. Celebrating Laker Season at L.A. Live Katsuya 
5. Hello Valentino, I must have you!  #weddingshoes 
6. Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple Syrup - A Barefoot Contessa  recipe
7. Ideas: Candy Bars & Cotton Candy Stations for our reception
8. Building our Wedding Website
9. Kate Spade Earrings on the Black Friday Gift Shopping List
10. Stay tuned for the next post ....