Pastel Nautical La Jolla Wedding
Preppy Pastel Nautical La Jolla Wedding by Alchemy Fine Events
Preppy Chic + Vintage Nautical
When Christin and I first met to discuss their dream wedding I was immediately knew this was going to be amazing… Her fun sense of design, color and pattern were amazing! Not to mention she’s an accessories designer herself so has incredible style. With inspirations of preppy, pastel nautical, 60’s flower power and a bit of humor, we got started. I envisioned a combinations of a little Gilligan’s Island and a little vintage yacht club. With these muse’s in mind we were off to create her dream nautical La Jolla wedding. The talented Ashley Keleman captured the day beautifully through her soft and romantic eye.
I knew immediately that her sense of whimsy would be the perfect wedding for the talented Krista Jon who has a whole lot of inner flower child in her, as you can see by Christin’s ethereal bouquet above. Garden roses, lambs ear, astilbe, pampas grass and chamomile flowers were just a few of the flowers that painted this dream bouquet.
For Christin & John’s nautical wedding invitations I watercolored some soft floral designs and combined kitschy graphics and candy stripes. For a pop of glam we foiled a gold rope border and outlined the daisies II had painted. We used gold foiled polka dot liners and confetti for an extra pop of fun as guests opened them.
The ceremony design consisted of a driftwood arch that we hung a vintage ship wheel from. Krista Jon created a beautiful flower installation on top of the arch bursting with color and texture perfect for our kitschy bride.
Since the wedding took place on an expansive open rooftop we wanted to create the feeling of a private garden. To do so, we brought in hedges to line the ceremony space and combined mismatched white chairs and and thick nautical rope to line the aisleway.
Cocktail hour boasted a wooden bar any ship would be jealous of! Vintage ship wheels, life savers and painted buoys decorated our bar with racks of beautiful vintage glassware flanked by row boat oars.
For a fun escort card display we created mini life savers with gold calligraphy by Kathryn Murray showed guests to their seats. Your Love is a Life Saver!
After cocktail hour guests were seated at tables including this ‘Captains Table’ which we created for the wedding party. Whitewashed tables and a cabana frame were the base of this design which we hung a vintage chandelier and pink fish netting from.
After guests were seated we transformed the ceremony site into the dessert bar. We wanted to show off the beautiful ceremony design as long as possible so repurposed it as the backdrop to our row boat dessert spread including a beautiful cake and confections by Sweet & Saucy Shop. Nautical macarons, small desserts and a flower power worthy cake were all offered inside of a vintage rowboat by Archive Vintage Rentals. 
Event Design, Planning, Invitations & Stationery: Alchemy Fine Events
Flowers: Krista Jon
Photographer: Ashley Kelemen
Videographer: Joel VanZ
Cake & Desserts: Sweet & Saucy Shop
Venue: La Jolla Cove Suites
Hair: Ya Ling of Zen 2002 Hair Studios
Makeup: Bride
Catering: Roppongi
Furniture RentalsArchive & Farmtables & More
Vintage Glass Rentals: Hostess Haven
Seating Cards: Kathryn Murray Calligraphy
Photobooth: Flying Camera
Lighting: AV Event Design
Linens: La Tavola
DJ: DJ Alpha
Bride’s Dress: Watters from The White Dress
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Earrings: Kate Spade
Bowties: Made by Bride
Bridesmaid Dresses: Lulu*s
Belt & Accessories: J. Crew
Groomsmen Suits: Club Room
Read More »Luxe Valentine’s Dinner
Shot Through The Heart…. Valentine’s Dinner
THE DESIGN
With this ultra saucy and sexy inspirational design we wanted to create the ultimate Valentine’s dinner for two with dark design undertones of slithering serpents and spellbinding epicreations to nibble and sip on as you gaze across an arrow shot heart at your eternal Valentine. I started by setting the table with luxurious pieces by L’Objet including reptile printed elements such as their embossed Alencon collection, serpent twisting black trays and bewitching snake napkin jewels around snakeskin printed italian linen napkins. I want to show my clients how you can create an ultra romantic, luxurious and intimate Valentine’s Day dinner at home with a few key pieces.
THE Flowers
For this luxury Valentine’s dinner Isari Flower Studio created a texturally rich heart shaped arrangement with lush blooms in deep reds and raspberries for the perfect centerpiece to pour your heart over… The heart shape was studded with large bloom amaryllis, miniature blooms garden roses, ranunculus, 2 shades of ruffled french carnations, deep shade parrot tulips, astrantias, burgundy anemones and hellebores, with clematis and it;s foliages and flowering Japanese magnolia. 
THE COCKTAILS
Snakeoil Cocktail Company created three bewitching cocktails to help lure your sweetheart under your spell for your romantic Valentine’s dinner.. For an extra dose of drama molecular mixologist Mike Yen also created a ‘Beeting Heart’ which includes a cocktail encapsulated into a human heart shaped gelatin shell..not for the ‘faint of heart’… “Sipping on a beautifully crafted concoction will set the mood in any love den, especially one as lovingly crafted as these sultry cocktails” says Michael Esposito of Snakeoil Cocktails. Read below for the recipes for three of these spellbinding cocktails!
Old School Crush Cocktail
(served in an old school sour in coupe glass)
2 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon
0.5 Oloroso Sherry
5 Muddled Black Cherries
1.5 oz Fresh Pressed Lemon Juice
1.5 oz Fig Infused Honey Syrup
1 Cage-free Egg White
Garnished with a black cherry heart
Tops and Bottoms Cocktail
(layered in a double old fashioned glass)
1.5 oz Espolon Silver Tequila
1.5 oz Fresh Pressed Lime
1.5 oz Black Lime Syrup
1 oz Mulled Wine Float
Garnished with Splayed Vanilla Bean and Star Anise
SEEDS OF LOVE
(layered in a goblet)
1.5 oz Titos Vodka
2 oz Basil-Pomegranate Juice*
0.5 oz Fresh Pressed Lime Juice
3 oz Ginge Beer
Garnished with pomegranate arils and bloomed basil seeds
THE FOOD
Brilliant Chef Andrew Spurgin created an intoxicating Valentine’s dinner menu of salt crusted abalone and octopus with a lapsang souchang tea consommé, Gravlax and iberico ham with a squid ink sour cream and hazelnuts. An artists rendition of crudite was presented 2 ways atop a gold starburst and standing to attention… making vegetables once again very sexy… “Food is and can be very sexy, from the textures, the aromas and aphrodisiac effect” says Spurgin, “even the slightest gesture of feeding your love a sumptuous oyster can be an incredible turn on”.
CREDITS:
Design & Styling Vanessa Van Wieren of Alchemy Fine Events
Chef Andrew Spurgin
Photos by Luna Photo
Flowers by Isari Flower Studio
China by L’Objet
Napkins by Huddleson Linens
WANT TO SHOP THE LOOK?
Read More »Colorful Spanish Fiesta Dinner Party
Spanish Fiesta Birthday Party
For a recent client’s birthday in Rancho Santa Fe we created an intimate Spanish fiesta dinner party with a colorful and bold Spanish flair. We started by laying down a beautiful periwinkle linen and and created tile placemats out of hand painted tiles. We featured super colorful florals with bright warm fall colors including yellow sunflowers, orange mums and deep red roses. Eggplant purple tapers glowed above the table in vintage brass candlesticks and delicate light patterns were cast onto the table from the rustic ornate lanterns featuring glowing tapes. Mismatched aqua and purple goblets helped to lend even more pops of color on the table offset by an eclectic set of wooden farm chairs and stunning wicker peacock end chairs. 
Making a warm entrance into a party, even home entertaining, is alway important to set the tone from the minute the guests arrive. We did so with a bold spray of bougainvillea in an amber blown glass vases and scattered the table with glowing tapers and wooden balls. 
More colorful Spanish glass was featured at the bar with accents of Spanish stars and glowing candles. We created a beautiful collection of Spanish wines and sangria for guests to sip on while they nibbled on tapas from our cheese and Spanish bites tables.
We created a backdrop of colorful Spanish glass, terracotta tubes and glowing pillar candles to display a wide array of Spanish meats, olives, oils and cheese for guests.
For a backyard birthday party no more than a simple cake a few bites are required but why not dress it up with a beautiful presentation? We did with a fun array of Spanish glass, tiles, mirrored stars and votives.
Guests dined under the glowing bistro lights on freshly made paella while listening to the tunes of flamenco guitarist David Maldonado. Even with an intimate party of 20 this goes to show it’s all about quality over quantity, even in the comfort of your own home.
Event Design & Planning Alchemy Fine Events
Music David Maldonado
Photography by John Newsome
Vintage Rentals by Pow Wow Vintage Rentals
Lighting by LG Productions
Catering San Diego Paella
Read More »Garden Glam Ponte Winery Wedding, pt. 2
Herb Garden Glam Ponte Winery Wedding , the reception and dessert bar
After guests enjoyed the sun setting over the vineyards at Grace and Andrew’s Ponte Winery wedding they were invited inside to enjoy a vineyard feast upon our herb garden inspired tablescapes. Starting with a clean, fresh palette of a geometrical printed aqua linen we then layered on grey stained wooden planks and breezy cheesecloth for a layered and textured base to build upon. Regal silver candelabras stood in the center of each table and were surrounded by potted topiaries, olive trees, fresh live herb plants and garden baskets filled with lush blooms, wildflowers and herb markers. Isari Flower Studio did an incredible job on these seasonal fresh arrangements and used fresh herb within the flowers as well for a beautiful fragrant setting. For the table names we used vintage scientific illustrations to let guests know what herb table name they were sat at and tied fresh herbs onto each baguette that had their place card tied on with purple bakers twine.
See more details and bride notes on this wedding featured in the latest issue of The Knot magazine as well as online here!
See more of Grace & Andrew’s Ponte Winery Wedding in The Knot Magazine!
To bring in an element of glam we used a plum hued sequin tablecloth for the sweetheart table boasting vintage decanters, glowing hurricane pillar candles and gold and silver mercury votives and re-purposed the eucalyptus garland from the ceremony to hang on the front of their table. Re-use, re-purpose and save money on the wow design factors to enjoy their beauty all night!
For a fun chair treatment we wove layers of cheesecloth through the dark wood chivari chairs for a fun photo opp of the couple dining from behind.
After guests removed their photo seating cards and went inside of the ballroom to enjoy dinner, we took the beautiful chairs from the lounge areas and created a beautiful photo opportunity for the couple and their guests to enjoy as the sun was setting.
Our bride Grace is a HUGE fan of Sprinkles cupcakes and macarons so we had to really wow her with a beautiful dessert bar. We created a backdrop of sheer drapery backed by twinkle lights and built up wooden box risers to build a display of cut crystal bowls, garden decor and carved pillar candlesticks for a fun and interactive dessert display. The bride’s personal friend of Meebah Desserts made the most deliciously and custom color-matched macarons which were a huge hit and we customized the Sprinkles cupcakes with fresh herbs.
While the guests dined the couple got to take advantage of a bit of quiet time and the last bit of the beautiful soft sunsest lighting captured by photographer Jen Lauren Grant. 
Between snacking on cupcakes and cutting a rug on the dancefloor guests posed in the Smilebooth in front of our custom photo backdrop we made of string balls and eucalyptus and crystal garland re-purposed from the ceremony. Team Alchemy had to get a few shots in too!
Event Design, Planning & Stationery Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Venue Ponte Estate Family Winery
Photography Jen Lauren Grant
Bride’s Dress Jenny Yoo
Flowers Isari Flower Studio
Rentals: Lounge Furniture by Pow Wow Rentals Linens La Tavola
Desserts Cupcakes by Sprinkles, Macarons by Meebah Desserts, Cake by Jodee’s Bakery
Photobooth Smilebooth
Read More »