Beth Helmstetter Blog

BALI BOUND

Beth — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:04:41 +0000

I’m off to Bali to scout for an upcoming June wedding. Think layers and layers of bohemian batiks, overgrown garden blooms and vines EVERYWHERE and a wedding full of residential warmth, Balinese style. We’re very excited to take our effortless and approachable aesthetic to Indonesia to create an intimate wedding weekend and an experience the guests will never forget. What would you do if you were designing your dream wedding in Bali?

While I’m off getting inspired, Susie and Miya are holding down the studio. Otherwise, I’ll be tweeting and instagramming throughout and give you all a follow up next week!

WE’RE PINNING

Beth — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:34:26 +0000

I’ve finally have caught up with the times and joined Pinterest. To say I’m addicted would be an understatement…Check out both our work and what I’m truly inspired by in all things design by following us here.

Happy Monday!

TRUNK SHOW TIME : MONIQUE LHUILLIER

Beth — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:09:03 +0000

For all of you newly engaged ladies, Monique Lhuillier is having a trunk show at their Melrose location next week. The show will feature their Fall 2012 collection which is gorgeous to say the least. Here are all of the details and for those of you who can’t make it or wanting a little sneak peek, below is their Fall look book.

See the collection here…

KARI & ELAN GET HITCHED : CARMEL, CALIFORNIA

Beth — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:00:23 +0000

Kari & Elan were the loveliest tree huggers we’ve ever had the opportunity to work with. We loved working with them to create an urban oasis in Carmel highlands, completely inspired by the landscape of Big Sur and completely and utterly green. From plantable invitations made with handmade paper to every detail of the seven course tasting meal being locally grown and sustainable, it was beautiful to see that this couple loved Mother Earth as much as they loved each other. We used air plants, succulents and orchids on the actual plant instead of cutting flowers which not only was environmentally sound, but also now all of the plants used from the wedding have made a home in Kari & Elan’s personal garden. I just love their story…and how beautiful is Kari? I just loved her bohemian style and was honored to help create her vision at the beautiful Point Lobos Ridge. Enjoy the images from Tiny Water and see the entire gallery over on Style Me Pretty…

YOU’RE ENGAGED! WHAT’S NEXT?

Beth — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:00:37 +0000

Congrats to all the newly engaged couples out there!! It’s obviously a romantic and very exciting time. As you settle in to your role of “fiance”, for many of you the thought of starting plans for the day can be a bit overwhelming…To help out, we invite you to check out Darling for a game plan on how to tackle the planning process. Our article, “Congratulations, You’re Engaged! Now What?” is our answer to a planning process that takes one thing at a time, hopefully making it just a little less stressful for all of you. Enjoy this time and happy planning!

REAL LIFE BRIDE : THE HONEYMOON

Beth — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:00:45 +0000

Hi there. Remember me? Your Real Life Bride-To-Be? Well it has been a few months now and I am happy to report that I am well-rested, happy and … married! I’ve missed writing you and feel that there is so much to catch up on: the ceremony, vows, dress, flowers, video, my handsome groom and did I mention the dress!?? (which is up for sale on Pre-Owned Wedding Dresses.com) (link to: http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/dresses/37635/Vera-Wang-Fawn-Size-2.html)

I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing our wedding day was. I realized today that I started writing for Beth’s blog on 11/22/2010 (link to post here: http://www.bethhelmstetterblog.com/2010/11/brand-spankin-new-real-life-bride-week-1.html) at the time not knowing just how unbelievably fast the year would fly. I feel so much wiser, confident and safe in my family and marriage. Life is so good! It’s been an incredible journey and one that I am very thankful for having documented right here on this blog.

I will tell you all about our wedding day once we have more pictures to share. In fact, I have a special letter waiting to post for all of you brides out there. Until then, I thought I’d share with you some of our honeymoon photos. We ended up traveling to Hong Kong, Thailand and Bali and it was so incredible!!! If you’re planning on traveling there in the future please reach out because I have several amazing recommendations. Sure we wanted to adopt an elephant or two and bring home a baby tiger, but I must say after 18 days of traveling we were happy to see our pups and eat a cheeseburger.

I will be sure to give you a full wedding recap very soon. I just didn’t want all of you readers out there to forget about me. Your real life….Wife!

NATALIE & PAT GET HITCHED : NAPA, CALIFORNIA

Beth — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:00:21 +0000

The New Year, just like a wedding, is reminder of all of the possibilities that can be, both personally and as a couple. Both are a chance for a clean, fresh start and to me, no wedding says clean and fresh like that of the wedding we produced for Natalie and Pat in Napa at the gorgeous Carneros Inn. This was not a New Year’s Day wedding, but it certainly could have been with it’s cool blue tones, abundance of white on white and sleek ghost chairs. The aesthetic, the food and the intimate group of 80, made for a modern yet comfortable day and one we were thrilled to have a hand in. If you want to read more about Natalie & Pat’s story, check out our article in Darling, or hop over to Style Me Pretty to read Abby’s take on it. She even called it a “Wedding That Set the Bar” in a recent article for Huff Post. Enjoy the images from the too talented for words, Jose Villa, and here’s to fresh starts in 2012 and to many, many more beautiful weddings!

NEW YEAR’S EVE INSPIRATION

Beth — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:10:53 +0000

As you head into 2012, we couldn’t resist sharing a little inspiration for a glamorous way to ring in the new year. Sequins, sparkle and luxurious textures…Below is the perfect recipe for not only a beautiful cocktail party but one that is comfortable, fun and delicious. And, if this is a little much for ringing in your new year, you could also use the same ingredients to create the perfect engagement celebration that I know many of you are gearing up for in the new year. Happy 2012 and congratulations to all of the newly engaged couples out there!

Fig. No. 1: Twinkle in this sequin sweater dress from Stella McCartney

Fig. No. 2: Kate Spade makes you shine in her Karolina Pump

Fig. No. 3: Gold imprinted Thank You cards by Gilt are the perfect follow up to a sparkly engagement party

Fig. No. 4: Silvery & silky lounge furniture with gold accents will set a funky but formal mood for celebrating

Fig. No. 5: Vintage Swizzle Sticks with just the right amount of Gold from Kiss A Vintage on Etsy.com to accent your champagne cocktails

Fig. No. 6: Mercury Glass Lanterns from Roost to hang from every beam and banister will make the room sparkle

Fig. No. 7: Gold & luxurious pillow covers from West Elm will be perfect to cozy up your lounge

Fig. No. 8: Silvery Clutch from Louis Vuitton will accessorize and sparkle

Fig. No. 9: Mini Sparklers from The Last Detail will be a fun way to light up the night and send off your guests

Fig. No. 10: Pierrer Jouet Rose will offer a classic drink option as well as add the perfect amount of pink

In addition to beautiful decor, don’t forget to keep guests full, festive & merry! For a new year’s or engagement party full of sophistication and shine, we like a standing cocktail party with heavy appetizers, a champagne bar & familiar yet interesting enough music in the background to keep people guessing yet comfortable. Below is the menu & music we’ll be using to do just that.

For music, we asked our favorite DJ, Nahchey Storer, to put together a collection of his top tunes for an elegant but happening cocktail party.

These all could easily be popped into your iPod along with some of your tried & true favorites!

BHE HOLIDAY PARTY : SCUOLA DI PIZZA : LA, CA

Beth — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:23:06 +0000

You would think that in the off season, I would take a break from planning parties, but with this year being our best year yet, I couldn’t let it end without celebrating the team that made it happen. For this year’s end of the season shindig, we headed to Scuola Di Pizza, the private dining room and cooking school of Nancy Silverton’s Mozza. We did a little wining, dining and yes, we learned the secrets to the city’s best pizza at the same time. For design, I kept it simple since I couldn’t have my team work on their own party. I let the venue inspire the aesthetic and created a homespun feel with centerpieces created out of white porcelain bowls overflowing with heirloom tomatoes on simple belgian linen, kraft paper invitations mailed in a box with personal labels and sweet aprons for each person. The favors included houndstooth chef’s hats and a pizza kit so the team could go home and practice what they learned at Scuola. Check out the images from our little get together courtesy of Heidi Ryder:

I know I already said it with pizza, but I just want to give another shout out to my team…Norma, Susie, Lina, Gena, Matt, Kate & Amy…I could never do what I do without the talent and passion of these people!

END OF YEAR NOSTALGIA

Beth — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:44:17 +0000

Just like many of you, the end of the year brings about a certain amount of nostalgia. Looking back at all the amazing things we’ve accomplished over the year and the even more wonderful couples we’ve worked with. As we head into the new year, we wanted to say one last congratulations to the beautiful people we’ve been able to work with this year. You take us into your lives, often treating us like family members, giving us the opportunity to create a once in a lifetime moment for you and for that we will be forever grateful. It is because of you that I get to do what I love day in and out, all year round, this year and next! Thank you for allowing us to be a little piece of your worlds in 2011!

Jody & Patrick : April 2nd, 2011 : Bacara Resort : Santa Barbara, California : Photography by Max Wanger

Laura & Jeremy : April 30th, 2011 : Kona Beach House : Kona, Hawaii : Image by Steve Steinhardt Trudy & Rob : May 28th, 2011 : Hahn Estate : Santa Barbara, California : Image by Jose Villa

Tess & Peter : June 4th, 2011 : Private Residence : Bel Air, California : Image by Amy & Stuart

Amelia & Danny : June 18th, 2011 : Devil’s Thumb Ranch : Tabernesh, Colorado : Image by Steve Steinhardt

Rachel & John : July 16th, 2011 : Hummingbird Nest Ranch : Simi, California : Image by Jose Villa

Lindsey & Nick : July 2011 : Private Residence : Brentwood, California : Image by Steve Steinhardt

Bettina & Brian : August 13th, 2011 : Gull’s Way : Malibu, California : Image by Steve Steinhardt

Nicole & Matthew : September 3rd, 2011 : Hummingbird Nest Ranch : Simi, California : Image by Jasmine Star

Jessica & Chetan : September 10th, 2011 : Chateau D’ Esclimont : Saint Symphorien, France : Image by Janis Rietnicks

Jacey & Grant : September 24th, 2011 : Smog Shoppe : Los Angeles, California : Image by Lauren Ross

Nikki & Paul : October 16th, 2011 : Saddlerock Ranch : Malibu, California : Image by Jason Merrit/Wire Images, courtesy of US Weekly

Amy & Jason : November 12th, 2011 : St. Vibiana’s : Los Angeles, California : Image by Samuel Lippke

Here’s wishing each of you a wonderful first holiday season as a married couple and to many, many, many more. Much love to all of you!