WEDDING: Oceanfront Ceremony in Laguna Beach, CA

CONGRATULATIONS, Kendra and Scott!

My workmate and his lovely wife were married at Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach, CA yesterday evening. As they were both previously married, this wedding created a new family, with a total of five children! In honour of this occasion, we created a special family blending or unification ritual: one by one, each of the five children, and husband Scott, handed Kendra a different flower. Once she tied together the six flowers with her one, she was left with a lovely bouquet of seven flowers, to symbolise the new family!

Professional photography (not above) by: Cindy Meadors Photography. (BTW You can see the cement semi-circle where everyone was seated at Radified.com's site here.)

WEDDING: At Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach, CA

Congratulations, Jeanie and Eric!

This ceremony took place at one of my favourite venues in Orange County: SEVEN DEGREES.
Any time a proposal story is unusual and fun, it can be included in the text and told as part of the ceremony:

"The proposal was an interesting experience. Jeanie and Eric had been together for over three years, when they decided to take a trip to Hong Kong for Jeanie’s birthday. Prior to this, they had discussed the issue of marriage, but never really went into detail about it.

In Hong Kong, they eventually ended up in a jewelry store as part of a city tour. A
sales associate began showing them rings, and dropping hints to Eric about how
he should be looking for one. Eric appeared uninterested. Jeanie, being the beautiful emotional person she is, left the store in tears, feeling hurt and thinking Eric didn't want to ever consider marriage. Meanwhile, Eric chased Jeanie around the streets of Hong Kong, and then they finally returned to the hotel. As Jeanie sobbed about how Eric didn't want to marry her, he pulled out a ring from his suitcase and said, “I was going to wait until your birthday tomorrow to ask you, but now that you're going to be like this, I guess I'll ask you now.” He had already asked Jeanie’s mother for
permission, and so he got down on one knee and proposed!"

The bride wore a beautiful antique lace dress, and there were seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen. The groom is the guitar player in the local band PLASTIC PILL. Appropriately enough, the groom cake was in the shape of a sunburst Les Paul guitar! The Seven Degrees staff was first-rate, led by wedding director/coordinator Alyssa (Alissa?). Photography by Nicole Caldwell.

EVENT: The Knot Season Preview Party 2008 at Casa Romantica in San Clemente

i returned a few hours ago from the annual get-together sponsored by uber-wedding website The Knot. The party was held at the beautiful Casa Romantica in San Clemente. There was a stunning sunset in the back of the property, but not enough ventilation inside the building, which became a heat-retaining chamber after an hour or so...

Regardless, i met some really great wedding vendors (read: co-advertisers!), and before i forget anything, i wanted to mention them here in alphabetical order:

• A&B PHOTOGRAPHY: Thanks to Lee, the photographer, i actually had a fun-filled and not completely business-focused evening! He's an amazingly cool guy and likes to have fun.
• CARVING ICE: Grace was a great person to meet, who talked about her company's CNC machining of their beautiful ice bars!
• CUBAN CIGAR FACTORY: Cigars are handrolled before your eyes! i can't wait to smoke mine.
• ETHNIC ESSENCE: They plan, design and manage 'couture events'. Thanks to Shawna Yamamoto for being so open to my approaching her!
• HANNA HARTNELL: OMG the dresses this woman designs are freaking gorgeous, hearkening back to the fashions of old Hollywood, and the flapper era! Her dresses have every feature i love in a dress: open back, dropped waist, slinky material, hand beading, etc. etc. You have to see them in real life.
• LA SOIREE PRODUCTION: An all-inclusive group, handling photography, videography, hair/makeup and event specialisation.
• MARTIN GERSCHWITZ: Musician and former Iron Butterfly keyboardist, with a sweet wife named Tricia.
• MISSION VISUAL: Mike McCaleb is super cool, very considerate, and a consummate professional, as his features in Ceremony magazine will attest to, as well as his being brought on as the official videographer of the party.
• OLE HANSON BEACH CLUB: This is the secondary property owned by Mr. Ole Hanson, who was the real estate developer responsible for old day San Clemente. It was great to meet Maile (pronounced MY-lee)!
• PACIFIC PALMS RESORT: In Industry Hills. If you've ever driven north of the 60 freeway and looked up to where Azusa Ave. goes, you've seen the old Sheraton hotel, perched on top of the hill, that has now been transformed into this newly renevated property. Nice to meet you, catering manager Joanne Zhong.
• SEVEN DEGREES: Easily my favourite venue in Laguna Beach. i met Tabatha as she and her crew were leaving the party.

i met a fellow wedding officiant, the legendary Reverend Bruce Danzara, who greeted me with a hug! What a nice guy. And of course, thanks to Shannon Ratcliffe at the Knot for inviting us to another fabulous event!

WEDDING: GLBT Beach Ceremony near the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach, CA

CONGRATULATIONS, Scott and John!

These New Yorkers decided to be married on a beautiful California beach. With the help of their dear friend Neil, their dream came true on the beach in front of the exclusive Montage Resort in Laguna Beach.

It was a small, private ceremony with just a few members of each family attending...they did, after all, have to travel across the country!

We began by drawing a sacred circle in the sand, which Scott and John stood inside with me, and with the guests just inside the outside edge. As a soundtrack played of Brian Eno's music, the ceremony proceeded, with the participation of family members who read separate excerpts. They concluded by erasing the sacred circle, and with a celebratory dinner at the Loft Restaurant inside the Montage.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE MY WEBSITE: A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY.

BEACH WEDDINGS in Southern California are lovely!

Along with Malibu, LAGUNA BEACH is one of the most sought-after locations for beach weddings in the Orange County and Los Angeles Counties. It's easy to have small (fewer than 10 people), meaningful ceremonies on or near the beach in Laguna. For larger events, there are many, many fantastic venue possibilities for both ceremony and reception! Please search this blog for keywords Laguna Beach, Heisler Park, beach ceremony or wedding for more...


The ceremony shown below took place just outside of the gazebo in Heisler Park:



This ceremony was inside the gazebo. Doesn't the water look beautiful in the background?

This ceremony was held on a sloping pavement area, just outside of the lawn bowling field/yard at Heisler Park:

And, this ceremony was down on the beach itself. Please note our bare feet in the sand! :)

CONGRATULATIONS: Helen and Steve! (Laguna Beach)

It was an honour to perform a marriage ceremony for these two wonderful people! The bride's sister and groom's mother served as witnessness and wedding party. Although ominous grey clouds loomed inland on this day, the coast was absolutely clear and perfect. The sun shined upon the couple as they exchanged self-composed vows against a beautiful ocean background.

The couple concluded their ceremony with this lovely couplet:

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."

---from A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare

Laguna Beach is often chosen by couples as the site for their wedding. Of all the beach weddings i have performed, 90% of them have been in Laguna Beach! There are blocks of oceanside and sidewalks for small informal or intimate ceremonies, and you can reserve HEISLER PARK* or the gazebo* next to Las Brisas Restaurant, off of Cliff Drive, or the beach itself, for larger groups.

Please see the Laguna Beach city website for information about these fantastic venues!

* Links are for photos only, thanks to radified.com

WEDDING: At Heisler Park Gazebo in Laguna Beach

CONGRATULATIONS: Yu & Wi!

Short and sweet. The wedding was, that is...

This couple was married in the GAZEBO at HEISLER PARK in Laguna Beach. The reception was later held in a private room inside the Loft Restaurant at the MONTAGE resort.

It was another fantastic experience, and i am so glad to have met this couple. It was such an honour to be included on their special day!