Editorial| Magnolia Rouge Magazine

I am so happy to finally share this editorial photo shoot with you! We patiently waited for Magnolia Rouge’s 8th Issue to be released before posting more images. Earlier this year myself and photographer Kurt Boomer alongside some of SoCal’s talented event professionals came together to create this editorial in a very special venue, the Villa San Juan Capistrano. The day was one of the hottest days on record {no kidding!} and that was also the day the fires ravaged our beach town of Carlsbad as well as many other areas in San Diego. Just as I was about to leave my home, Interstate 5 was shut down due to the fires…no biggie if Interstate 5 was not the only way to get to San Juan Capistrano! After waiting an hour for a miracle I called the floral designer and told him we may have to cancel…not the news anyone wants to hear with a truck filled of gorgeous and costly blooms. In the end the heat did not relent but the fires did and as true professionals we made it happen. Here are some additional images from that shoot designed by me {At First Blush & Co. Events}with the help of a great team!

Jason from A Small Masterpiece came with ruler in hand to meticulously set the vintage Limoges plates and silverware. With Jason’s guidance, I chose plates that would reflect the color palette of the design and they did perfectly. There is an art to setting a table and if anyone has mastered that art it is Small Masterpiece!

Instead of having one runner for the entire table, custom runners were made to go across the wooden farm table from one place setting to the other as seen in the images above. This acted as a lovely backdrop for the gorgeous Limoges plates. The beautiful gold ring wine coupes were courtesy of Hostess Haven. They added just enough gold to the table and were paired with wine goblets of different patterns also from Hostess Haven.

The invitation suite by Smitten on Paper was a collaborated effort to create a bespoke invitation suite with calligraphy elements, by Jenny Sanders of Graceline. Simple kraft boxes were made elegant by wrapping lace tape around each and topping it off with a light blue ribbon. Gold foil was used to give this lovely invitation suite just a touch of opulence. The burlap background was a nice contrast to the pretty paper pieces and lent a touch of rustic already present in the design of the shoot.

The cake is one of my favorite elements of the shoot. I love simplicity and Elaine of Sweet Cheeks Baking Company, here in San Diego, made the perfect cake for this shoot. Light blue fondant with a gold pipping detail and the most romantic I love you written in French at the bottom of the cake. It is the perfect something blue! The vintage table from Farm Tables & More acted as the cake table and it’s worn look made the cake stand out perfectly on its own without the need for specialty linen.

One of the tables I designed for the shoot was for all the yummy goodies supplied by my local French bakery. Needless to say none of the pastries went to waste after we wrapped up the day. The calligraphy for the pastry table is by one of my favorite calligraphist, Jenny Sanders of Graceline.

Since inspiration shoots are done to inspire couples who are planning weddings, I thought a “Refreshment Table” would be a great idea to add to the photoshoot especially during the warm summer months. Flavored lemonade was placed in the glass bottles with stoppers. Before filling the bottles lace tape was placed around the circumference of the bottle to tie in the other lace elements used throughout the shoot. The blooms used on the table was the inspiration for the colors of the refreshments. Gotta tie it all in!

I am a big fan of the couple having a little private time to themselves after the ceremony. I often create a little table or an area aways from it all for my clients with a few sweet treats, wine, or some champagne. Often couples do not have a time to sit down and really take it all in. A few macarons and some champagne in a private area gives them that much needed privacy albeit for a few moments. The macarons by La Reine de Macarons were not only the perfect shades for the shoot they were so delicious!

Beautiful wedding dresses on loan from San Diego bridal boutique, The White Flower, were modeled by Viktoria Belany. She was made bride beautiful and camera ready by the skillful hands of one of the best in the business, Erica Beukman of 10.11 Makeup. There are many favorite pictures from the images taken with Viktoria but one of my favorites is her lounging on the gorgeous white and gold sofa from Artquest Flowers. It is one of my favorite pieces from their vast rental inventory. The amount of flowers used for the shoot was incredible! All of the creamy and lush floral arrangements as well as the bridal bouquet were designed by Arturo Marques, the owner and floral designer of Artquest Flowers.

Thank you to the vendors that made this shoot so beautiful with their vision and their hard work: Kurt Boomer Photography, Smitten on Paper, Graceline, Artquest Flowers, Small Masterpiece, 10.11 Makeup, The White Flower, Sweet Cheeks Baking Company, Farm Tables and More, The Villa San Juan Capistrano, The Hostess Haven, and Le Reine de Macarons. A very special thank you to our friends at Magnolia Rouge for choosing us to be a part of their latest wedding issue which can be viewed here. Hope you enjoyed! Happy New Year to you all! xo