when krista mason and i dreamed up the concept for this photoshoot, we were intrigued by the sexy romance of vintage burlesque. what better space for this vibe than the brand new the loft on pine in long beach. it’s raw industrial space, with romantic curves of iron, rich wood, and exposed brick..you can’t get better than that!

as the ideas formulated more, i kept coming back to the idea of marrying the burlseque with a fun mardi gras vibe…but with a twist on colors by using black, gold, and radiant orchid. being creole, new orleans and mardi gras is in my blood…so i ran with this dark, rich, burlesque, edgy spin on classic southern traditions. the re-occurring theme we kept coming back to was feathers, lace, and masquerade. i love the mystery of burlesque feather fans and we were lucky to have fancy feather create beautiful black ostrich feather fans for us to use at the altar area. these could also be a great alternative to a bridesmaid bouquet. i wanted to keep the look straightforward and clean for ceremony, so my team created a backdrop of suspending gold dipped feathers behind our couple, and also did a mix of gold dipped feathers and reflux black roses from krista jon down the aisle. archive rentals created a “chapel meets home” ceremony setup by using a mix of wooden pews and plush tufted armchairs that looked so beautiful in the space.

the invitations were black lace wrapped with hints of gold peeking through. i love lupa & pepi for adding an edgy touch by printing black on slate paper, was so rich and luxurious! all the other paper goods had a 3 dimensional curve to them, just to make it feel a bit more romantic and less like a typical wedding day stationery. i loved how those curves looks so beautiful set against the place setting, or even mimicked the curl of the ribbons on the masquerade escort display!

when i think sexy & black when it comes to bridal fashion, i immediately think of vera wang! with it’s black lace, this gown was actually a main piece of our inspiration and it, along with the luxe jewelry pieces were from erin cole bridal. the romantic soft tulle bridesmaid dress is from bhldn, and i loved how it could be tied 15 different ways. it all paired so beautifully with these bespoke masquerade pretties from petal & thorn. we had 1011 makeup create a soft vintage hair for the girls, and natural makeup look on the bridesmaid with a little subtle drama on the bride…even her lips were a soft touch of the radiant orchid color. the stunning bouquet was a romantically wild mix of color and textures, to soften up the look.

urban palate urban palate customized an hors d’oeuvres menu with a new orleans twist…crab beignets, maple bacon biscuits, muffaletta pizza, and banana foster tartlet. it was all simply amazing!! we even had pharmacie serving up a hullabaloo spicy gin drink, and a sweet chocolatey spin on the classic mint julep. archive set antique gates behind the bar cart, i wanted the dark feel of old cemetery gates mixed with soft floral vines climbing up. dont you just love how this cake designed by sweet and saucy shop pulled together the entire inspiration?

the deep walnut dining table was draped with black lace piano shawls as a slight runner. then krista jon filled the table with an electic mix of brass pieces overflowing with gorgeous floral in various tones of fuchsia, radiant orchid, plum, and even pops of apricot colors. all the dinnerware and glassware pieces from archive (even the raw lace tied napkins) gave everything such a feel of soft romance! was so perfect for the space!

much thanks to jen with green wedding shoes for sharing our little bit of madri gras delight. now…laissez les bons temps rouler!!!

the team that made it all happen…
- venue: the loft on pine
- photography: krista mason photography
- planning/design/styling: us
- bridesmaid dress: bhldn
- burlesque fans: fancy feather
- cake: sweet and saucy shop
- catering: urban palate urban palate
- cocktails: pharmacie
- floral: krista jon
- gown & jewelry: erin cole bridal
- hair & makeup: 1011 makeup
- masks: petal & thorn
- cloud parade vendors: cufflinks and confetti
-onsite babysitting: la wedding sitter
- paper goods: lupa & pepi
- rentals: archive rentals

the father daughter dance is one of the most touching moments during a wedding and choosing that perfect song is key, so i’ve listed a few good ones to take a look at. some are typical favorites, and some are ones you maybe haven’t thought of. but hopefully this helps in choosing something for that very special moment with you and your father…

sweet child o’ mine by guns & roses
isn’t she lovely by stevie wonder
to sir with love by lulu
what a wonderful world by iz
daughter by loudon wainwright
it’s for my dad by nancy sinatra
tupelo honey by van morrison
walk with you by edwin mccain
she’s a rainbow by the rolling stones
butterfly kisses by bob carlisle (my personal favorite)
daddy by beyonce (christina’s personal favorite)

xoxo,
kerisa

this beautiful father/daughter dance sequence was shot by three nails photography

so so so incredibly thankful to the amazing team that made this happen for us. we dream up these crazy ideas, and just like a real wedding…it could never come to life without all the elements of a perfect team. the best is taking a step back once it’s all setup and saying “YESSSSSSS…this is even beyond what i wished it to be”!! that’s the goal we have for each of the weddings we take on, we want to take your vision, ideas, and crazy thoughts and help create it into something even bigger than any of us could have ever wished. so when you see it come together you too can say “yessssss”!

okay enough of my rambling…here’s a very small selection of my absolute favorite images from the shoot!!

(ps. do you spy my sweet little roma?! love the idea of your dog wearing collar floral to match the wedding)

modern california orange grove wedding inspiration modern california orange grove wedding inspiration

thank you again to jen from green wedding shoes for the feature!! as always, i am forever humbled & grateful for you sharing our work with your readers!!

i know it’s included in the gws feature, but another shout out to all the peeps that made it happen…
- photography: onelove photography
- planning, design + styling: us
- floral design: krista jon
- vintage rentals: archive rentals
- tabletop: archive rentals & west elm
- table: signature rentals
- desserts: sweet and saucy shop
- hair & makeup: 10.11 makeup
- stationery: joanna waterfall
- bridal gown: bhldn
- groom suit: banana republic
- groom bowtie: the belle & beau

this inspiration board is a little peek into a recent shoot we designed that was inspired by that book. i just can’t WAIT to share more about the shoot with you, so stay tuned…

(credit: bouquet-100layer cake; place setting-ruffled; centerpiece-style me pretty; vintage orange grove-all posters; circle graphic-betsy white; gift box-snippet and ink; drinks-santa barbara chic; chandelier-martha stewart; orange label-flickr)

lately i’ve been loving a new thing called “green graffiti.” it’s a way to creates words and images on a wall using moss. it’s so unique, fun, and environmentally friendly!!

so for anyone else out there wondering how to do some moss tagging of your own i listed some instructions below from a wonderful blog called greener green grass:

- crumble three handfuls of moss into a blender
- add 2 cups of lukewarm water or beer
- add 2 cups of buttermilk or plain yogurt
- pulse the blender until the mixture combines into a gel
- pour the finished product into a bucket
- use a paintbrush to apply the moss gel to your chosen surface
- mist the moss every week and watch your words or designs grow into a masterpiece

and if you are thinking about different ways to add some environmentally friendly elements to your big day favors are a great way to do so. one of our sweetest and most adorable couples, jessica and ian, had some lovely mini boxes filled with paper hearts made of seeds. all the guests have to do is sprinkle the hearts on some soil, occasionally add water, and voila a flower or herb will soon be sprouting in that very spot. it’s a perfect way to make a lasting memory in your loved ones very own backyard!

xoxo,
kerisa

(credit: bride-jose villa; moss lightbulbs-etsy; moss table-art beauty life; moss graffiti-greener green grass)

don’t miss out!!

can’t wait until the day we get to use some colorful chairs on a wedding design, there are so many fun shades to choose from!!!

xoxo,
kerisa

(credits: red chairs-town country; hot pink chairs-party rental ltd.; blue chairs-rentals unlimited; aqua chairs-perfect settings; yellow chairs-fermob; line of colorful chairs-the party dress; orange chairs-classic party rentals)

so mark your calendars for march 23rd and 24th, because so many of her gowns are going for $99-$299, and veils are $49. such a steal for her beautiful designs!! and if you aren’t local, don’t worry…you can also shop for them online as well.

get a fabulous gown, and an even more fabulous price…double score!!

there are so many different ways to play around with the mixing of dresses. you can select different silhouettes; pick varying shades of the same color, or a palette of colors and patterns. there are so many options and different ways to go when allowing your girls to pick that dress they feel most comfortable in while keeping your overall wedding look consistent.

you can certainly do this with traditional gown designers like amsale; jim hjelm, dessy, jenny yoo, monique lhuillier; vera wang, watters, etc…or go with bridal party fashions from jcrew or bhldn. also twobirds is an amazing dress that provide your girls with the same fabric and color tones but options to twist and tie the dress into any silhouette of their choice.

i love seeing fashions from anthropologie, ruche, forever 21, and modcloth…all of which have such amazing options of cute chic dresses that vary in color, fabric, and look, and can definitely be worn again!!

xoxo,
kerisa

(credit: coral bridesmaid dresses-jill thomas photography; ivory dresses-shannen norman photography; neutral tone dresses-molly sims; sequin bridesmaids-jarvie studio photography; mix match bridesmaids-whitney darling photography)

this is what led me thinking about ideas for his 1st birthday party. even though some people say the 1st birthday isn’t a big deal, kids won’t remember it, blah blah, but it really is a major milestone. never in life will they grow and develop so much in one year. it also celebrates our 1st year of parenthood, we did it!! so i wanted this day to have meaning and to be something special for him.

i was inspired by one of his favorite activities…reading, and specifically bedtime stories. we’ve been reading him bedtime stories since before he was born, and it’s become something very special. it’s the time where we wind down from playing, and he snuggles up with his cozy pjs in our arms, and we are then transported to a land of imagination in his stories. as he excitedly turns the pages, touches or leans down to kiss the characters in his books, i am reminded of my own love of books as a child. there are even times where he’s quietly playing alone in his room (while i watch on the monitor) and i will see him get his books, sit down, and flip through them. then i wonder if he’s remembering the stories, the funny character’s voices, etc.? it’s just the cutest!!!

so…a bedtime story inspired party!! kids will be wearing their favorite pjs, we have a book donation going to CHOC, and some little fun activities. i am keeping as simple as an event designer can, but i did go a little crazy on some ideas. let’s just say, i have never crafted so much in my life. haha!! i am excited to share more details later, but in the meantime here’s our inspiration board created just for my little man’s big day. i can’t WAIT!!!

(credit: dessert table-sweet and saucy; pajamas-target; blue door-pinterest; party hats-tammy hughes photography; straws-shop sweet lulu)