Epicreation to Celebration: A Wine Tasting Rehearsal Dinner & Cheese Pairing Table
A Wine Tasting Rehearsal Dinner & Cheese Pairing Table Featured on Martha Stewart!
One thing that all of my closest friends know extremely well about me is this… I LOVE CHEESE!!!! Not only do I love to cook with it, I appreciate it with wine, with fruit and basically any opportunity to put out a fragrant spread of delicious delicacies. Pour me a glass of wine, nibble and let the chatting begin.
When working with Jessica and Ilya for their wedding and rehearsal dinner, I learned about their passion of food and wine and we immediately clicked over it! With Italian, Jewish and Persian heritages in play, food was always a top priority and so important to all of their families cultures. Not only does food bring people together over tables, it sparks conversations, memories and new friendships. So when designing Jessica and Ilya’s rehearsal dinner I decided to create the ultimate cheese table that could stand up to the most beautiful wines Ilya’s uncle was providing and to whet their guest’s palette of the weekend to come.
I created this custom designed cheeseboard by painting a plank of wood with chalk board paint for the perfect backdrop . For each cheese we offered, we suggested a bread, a fruit, and spread to be paired with each of the delicious creamy cheeses to create the perfect bite!
Read on to see the details below but don’t miss even more details of our cheese pairing table on our Martha Stewart feature seen here!
For a wonderful variety of cheeses make sure to cover your milks! Cow, sheep and goat milk cheeses all have such wonderful unique characteristics to them and pair very differently from sweet, crunchy or salty components. For our cheese pairing table we offered goodies such as spicy and salty meats, briny green and black olives, sweet spreads and preserves such as quince paste and tangy and spicy components such as dried apricots and crystallized ginger.
Guests were offered cocktails such as The Buckley and Peach Proscecco to sip as they enjoyed lawn games and listened to ragtime music played live on the piano.
For this wine tasting dinner we used pinot grigio bottles as candleholders for a true bistro feel mixed with white blooms in vintage glassware.
Each guest received a pan baguette wrapped in cheese cloth and a lavender sprig tied with the perfectly hued bakers twine with well wishes for their meal to come.
To create an outdoor bistro atmosphere I hung drum lampshades from the patio rafters to create a cozy and intimate lighting. We mixed black china and black chairs with a mint green ticking striped linen for a clean and bright palette.
In lieu of printed menus we wrote the menus on suspended mirrors for guests to gaze at before taking their chairs.
From cheese to wine to food and conversation, we enjoyed blending our love of food, entertainment and design so much for this spectacular rehearsal dinner! We hope you enjoyed it too!
Event Design, Planning, Invitations & Flowers by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Photography by Scott Clark
Headboard Rental by Pow Wow
Catering by Joe’s in Venice
Linens by La Tavola
Ren + John’s Art Deco Wedding
Art Deco Wedding in Santa Monica
After a bit of a blogging break we are back! We have been doing more than our share of globe trotting lately designing weddings, workshops & events from Italy to Ibiza to Miami and back again and are very excited to kick off our blogalicious fasting with this colorful Art Deco Wedding. We were so excited to design this fabulously bold and daring fete for our dear friend Ren and her darling hubby John. ‘Dharma & Greg’ as their friends jokingly call them, are the epitome of the free-spirited boho wild child meets the traditional buttoned up good boy. Opposites attract in romance and in this case, the bold splashy designs mixed with a classical charm and romance definitely started a love affair as well.
Ren + John’s Wedding was also featured on 100 Layer Cake!
For the Butterfly Big Top invitations we designed bold striped and art deco influenced geometric designs printed on a suede textured paper for a fun tactile element. Crystal Kluge adorned our black envelopes with beautiful whimsical white calligraphy and topped each envelope with our custom designed matching stamps.
Ren’s Miu Miu rhinestone encrusted heels were to die for and were the perfect bold splash to complement the customized etheral boho gown by Allyson Simone.
When Ren & John first rekindled their romance he took her on a date to Palos Verdes where they stumbled upon the most magnificent church she had ever seen. She decided then and there that that was where she wanted to get married. Several years later her dream came true. The Wayfarers Chapel, designed by Frank Llyod Wrights Son, Llyod Wright, is designed with an art nouveau style and features architecturally lined windows opening up to pine trees and endless views of the pacific ocean. 
John’s mother offered up precious pieces of lace from her own wedding gown which we used to make a heart-shaped ring bearer pillow along with the silk ikat fabric from the reception decor.
Los Angeles based designer, and friend and guest of the brides, Yana K, created custom designed bridesmaids gowns in a bevy of colors and styles to allow her leading ladies to wear a gown of their own style and hue.
The bold & colorful bridesmaids all donned art deco necklaces gifted to the lades from the bride. These gorgeous beauts also happen to be my friends from junior high!
Having a former fashion model as a bride sure doesn’t hurt for incredible photos! 
For a fun and dramatic seating card display we created a 13 ft tall installment of colorful ribbons and bold plexi-glass letters spelling out FOREVER. 
To customize Ren’s dress Allyson Simone added butterfly sleeves onto the spaghetti strap gown. Such a fun and unique look in a sea of strapless gowns!
Each centerpieces was a different color combination to match the three different silk ikats we used for custom table linens.
Each napkin was also adorned with handmade rhinestone encrusted napkin rings.
To create a stunning art deco cake I illustrated a design inspired by this art deco Hoover building in London for Cupcakes Couture which they then transformed into a delicious work of art! For a stunning backdrop I created a geometric design of round and square mirrors suspended on thick black ribbon. To stay in theme with the geometrical feel of the evening I also created a custom designed table linen with baguette rhinestones to match the napkin treatments.
When Ren & John had a chance encounter years after their brief high school romance he sent a darling letter to her parents home in hopes of reconnecting with her. We blew up this letter onto a 10 ft tall heart and displayed a large R + J = HEART in the lounge where guests could read his sweet words.
Sweet Lucie’s ice cream cart made an appearance for a fun after dinner treat.
Michael Antonia of The Flashdance kept guests on their toes all night!
Credits:
Event Design & Planning by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Wedding Photography by Luna Photography
Invitation Photography by Scott Lawrence
Invitations by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Ceremony at Wayfares Chapel
Reception at The Annenberg Community Beach House
Catering by Urth Caffe
Mixology by The Martini Shop
Ice Cream by Sweet Lucies
Cake by Cupcakes Couture
DJ by The Flashdance
Videography by Shark Pig
Bride’s Dress by Allyson Simone
Bride’s Shoes by Miu Miu
Make UP & Hair by Jennifer Budner
DREAM:: An Intimate Bridal Affair
A San Diego Intimate Bridal Show featuring Modern Luxury Design
A few weeks ago we had the exciting idea to collaborate with our favorite San Diego vendors and create a very un-bridally bridal show! Along with Isari Flower Studio and Luna Photo, we pulled together our favorite San Diego vendors and designed and coordinated this special event just as we would a real wedding. No big tacky signs, no booths, nothing like a traditional bridal show! I really wanted to show a bride ‘this is how we would really all work together!’. From creating a cohesive design plan, site plan and gearing our furniture, flowers, food, music and drinks all towards the same design direction for one cohesive look verses a piecemeal feeling that you walk away from traditional bridal shows with.
Whether you need to fill in a few spots in your vendor list or come and hire the DREAM team as a whole, we were and are very proud to bring you San Diego’s best! Thank you everyone for helping us have had such an amazing turn out of more than 350 brides! With such an amazing success DREAM may be making another appearance later this year.
Pop Art + Modern Glam + Impressionism + Vintage
– Plan, Design, Invite: Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
– Embellish: Isari Flower Studio
– Capture: Luna Photo
– Dine: Toast Catering
– Stay: Starwood Hotels (The US Grant, The W, The Westin)
– Dance: Elan Artists
– Film: Modern 8
– Nibble: Sweet Cheeks Baking
– Illuminate: AV Event Rentals
– Set the Table: Casa de Perrin
– Furnish & Accessorize: Pow Wow Vintage Rentals
– Beautify: Shampoo Too!
– Dress: M Bride
– Say Cheese: The Foto Box
– Discover: Luxe Finds
– Style: CBS Life Stylist
– Sip: For Real Bartenders
– Pillows: Lounge Appeal
– Register: Bloomingdales
Celebration: Orange & White Modern New York Birthday Party
A Modern Orange and White Modern New York Birthday Bash in Armonk New York
I am such an admitted lover of modern and eclectic design so when my client contacted me and expressed her love of the same I knew we were going create something special. ‘Love, Laughter & Smiles, XOXO’ was Shari’s signature sign off wish on all for her birthday and holiday cards she gave to her friends and family. So naturally, when we were looking for inspiration on how she wanted to celebrate this special milestone with her loved ones, she wanted it to be filled with the same sentiments.
Our shared love of the color orange and of modern, clean contemporary design was the inspired design platform for this special evening. Clean sleek lines, lots of chic white couches and ottomans and mixed glass and Lucite made for a modern yet eclectic feel that was still warm and inviting.
Mid-century modern smoky and topaz stackable side tables were paired with rustic wood logs to create a visually interesting cluster upon which to layer vibrant orange and clean white arrangements of roses and orchids.
To keep in theme and design with our custom chevron pattern I created for the invitation we printed fabric via Spoonflower to use for the throw pillows and line the cabinet which we made the purse valet.
Finding the perfect caterer for this special event was first and foremost on our list. We wanted guests to dine on creatively delicious food all night but also be able to eat standing up or walking around. Peter Callahan was the perfect choice! With such creativity and ingenious displays of presentation Peter was able to wow the guests with his delicious flavors, unique alcohol pairings (mini rum and coke bottles anyone?) and runway worthy staff.
For an extra special touch we created a VIP lounge complete with ‘bottle service’ boasting a luxury tequila tasting served out of an orange Hermes tray.
In lieu of a dessert bar we created a vintage cigarette-tray style roving candy bar with custom printed matching chevron bags for guests to fill up on goodies to eat or take with them.
60 Second novelist – Dan Hurley – The 60 Second Novelist was a hilarious way to get guests talking as this faster than the speed of light novelist would ask you questions about your life and then in 60 seconds recreate a hilarious foot-note version of your biography.
Tarot & Lip Print Reader Maxine Albert – To keep in line with the XOXO theme we brought in Lip Print Reader Maxine Albert to read the ladies kiss prints from and read their tarot cards.
This event was featured on 100 Layer Cake!!
Event Design & Coordination Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Invitation & Stationery Design Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Floral Design Rountree Flowers
Catering Peter Callahan
Photography Les Loups
Furniture Rentals by Taylor Creative & Bridge Props
Custom Pillows by Nena Von
Fabric designed by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations via Spoonflower
DJ Jason Fioto of Generation Events
Lighting James Daniel Entertainment
Pizza Truck Jianetto’s Pizza
60 Second Novelist Dan Hurley
Lip Print & Tarot Card Reader Maxine Albert
