Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Posted in Weddings
It’s hard to know where to start with Liz and Jean. These two have become amazing friends to both Jayse and I through several fun photo-shoots and mini-adventures together over the past few years. You may remember them from their L.A. County Fair & Griffith Park engagement session that was featured on SMP earlier this year.
As you can probably tell from the photos, Liz and Jean are one of those couples you always feel happy just being around. I think part of it is that it’s easy to tell just how much they love each other, and how much they appreciate having good friends around.
And that’s how this wedding felt – a bunch of good friends and family gathering in sunny California for a stunning destination wedding on the romantic grounds of Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The talented coordination trio, Scheme Events, was there to make sure every detail was in place and the entire day went flawless!
The morning started at The W Hotel in Hollywood, getting ready surrounded by close friends and loved ones.
I adored all the detail and love put into Liz and Jean’s wedding. The gorgeous floral was artfully created by the amazing team at Layers of Lovely, and custom letterpress invites were designed and made by Paper & Home.
For their first look, I brought Jean to a quiet private place between a long pathway of towering cypress trees. I think five years of loving Liz, and waiting for this day must have flooded Jean when he turned around to see his bride for the first time that day. His expression said it all.
The ceremony took place on the garden lawn, with a historic fountain and archway of soft peach and pink rose strands as the centerpiece.
The happy newlyweds – Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez! <3
The desert table was to die for (and incredibly delicious too!) Designed by Liz with the main cake by Peridot Sweets and smaller cakes and deserts by Sweet & Saucy Shop.
For their first dance as husband and wife Liz and Jean were serenaded by Frank Sinatra who sung “The Way You Look Tonight”.
A couple days after the wedding we met back up for an after-session and more photos in beautiful San Juan Capistrano:
L+J: Jayse and I love you guys!!! Congrats on finally tying the knot and becoming Mr & Mrs! You two are so perfect for each other. :-)
The fantastic team:
Wedding Venue: Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California / Wedding Coordination: Scheme Events / Flowers: Layers of Lovely Floral Design / Invitations + Paper goods: Paper & Home / Custom chargers + decor: The Pottery Shop / Wedding Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Catering: Wolfgang Puck / Entertainment: Frank Sinatra-Gary Anthony, Violinist-Tamboura Baptiste / Hair and Makeup: Le Brian Salon / DJ: Hey Mister DJ / Videographers: Something New Films / Officiant: JP Reynolds / Main Cake: Peridot Sweets / Mini-cakes and Desserts: Sweet & Saucy Shop / Rentals: Elm Concierge Rentals / Vintage Rentals: The Wooden Trunk + Layers of Lovely
I’m so excited to introduce you to my good friends, Liz & Jean!
When they first met, Jean couldn’t get Liz out of his mind. After talking all night with her, he regretted not getting her number. But he just had to see her again. He found out about the pottery shop, The Artful Potter, she owned and decided to get a little creative. Employing the help of a friend’s child, he came to “paint pottery” as a ruse to see her again. When he found out she had already left for the day, he decided he had to cook up another plan. He left the little ceramic dog and returned a few days later to pick it up. This time he came at midday on a weekday so that he could be sure to bump into her. His plan worked. He asked her to dinner, and they went out that same night. And this time, he didn’t leave without her number. 
In addition to being good friends, Liz & Jean are also great photographers and owners of Elizabeth Le Photography. I’ve gotten to know them quite well and knew we had to plan something as fun and lively as they are for their engagement session! After brainstorming ideas together, we decided on a 2-Part shoot starting at the L.A County Fair.
After the fair we headed to Griffith Park for part II! We made it just in time for the magical sunset. 
I loved the adorable tree swing and ‘Sweet Love’ plates Liz made for our shoot! 
I can’t wait Liz and Jean’s wedding day next spring at the historic Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills! :-)
**Update: See more photos from Liz & Jean’s engagement session featured on Style Me Pretty California!
I’m so excited to finally introduce you to Amber and Derik! We first met up about a year ago in San Francisco to chat about life and plans for their big day. I immediately got the feeling that we were going to have lots and lots of fun together – and I was right!
Amber and Derik are quite amazing together. Whether traveling the world, hanging out at their family lake house in Tahoe, or curling up for a relaxing night at home, they’re best friends and love simply spending time together. They also share big dreams and aren’t afraid to go out and make things happen. Derik owns a successful fantasy football company and Amber is the owner of a very stylish wedding and event planning company called A Touch of Grace.
Since one of their favorite things to do together is boating, we thought: let’s get a sailboat and spend the summer day on the water in Santa Barbara!
After parting with our sailboat, we took a stroll along with beach to soak up the last bit of daylight. Amber and Derik brought their puppy, Hurley, along with them from San Francisco so that he could join us for part of the shoot. Though he’s been to the lake several times, this was his first time to an actual beach – and I think it’s safe to say he was loving it!
Luckily it wasn’t too hard to distract him for a while, so that his mommy and daddy could have some ‘alone’ time.
Thanks for making the shoot so fun you guys! (You too Hurley!)
Now – the exciting part: Only TWO weeks to go until Amber and Derik’s wedding at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village! I know great things are in store, so definitely check back soon for lots of photos!
The “PreProposal”
It all started with an instant message.
Linda and Andy had worked in the same office for many years and were best friends before becoming a happy couple.
Their proposal story, or shall I say, “preproposal” story, started like any average day. While they were both on a conference call at work, the two couldn’t stop secretly IMing each other like giddy school-kids that you have to keep separated. When someone mutilated the difficult pronunciation of Andy’s last name, Linda wrote a playful, “Hahahaha” to which Andy responded, “Yeah, my last name is funny…” “Want to share it?” Taken off-guard, Linda asked if that was a proposal. Andy said “It’s a pre-proposal. I’m still working on the proposal.” Andy re-proposed again a few months later “…with a beautiful ring.” But for those who know them, their IM proposal was perfect.
For Linda and Andy’s engagement session, I just knew we had to do something to showcase their bubbly, fun-loving personalities. When I discovered they both shared a love for theme parks and Disneyland, I couldn’t think of a more fitting place. After all, what’s better than “the happiest place on earth”? And Linda confirmed my idea with an enthusiastic ”YES!”
It ended up being a blast! What can I say – we definitely clicked!
We woke up to a rainy forecast, but we didn’t let that spoil our fun! Instead, we took full advantage of the glistening, wet walkways and magical skies.
On one of our last stops, we visited the coolest place in Disneyland, the whimsical streets of Mickey’s Toontown! And I have to point out Linda’s adorable shoes that would make Minnie Mouse (and me) jealous. So cute! 
After spending the day together, I know their wedding is going to be a blast next month at the beautiful Four Seasons Las Vegas!
Afterward we headed to Griffith Observatory for a few more photos. It was evening by the time we got there, but it made for a beautiful view of the sparkling city lights below.
by chels
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