Weddingbee Blog

Jeannie is one of the lovely ladies behind Project Wedding’s One Lovely Day blog, and recently got married to her beau at the venue where they first laid eyes on each other (merely three feet from where they actually met!) 10 years earlier.

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The Details:

1. Bride’s Name: Jeannie
2. Groom’s Name: Dane
3. Venue: Padri Italian Cucina, Agoura Hills, CA
4. Wedding Date: September 26, 2010
5. Bridal Gown Designer: Sue Wong
6. Florist: Fujiko’s Flowers
7. Photographer: Alice Hu
8. Dessert Table: Sweet and Saucy Bake Shop
9. Food: Padri
10. Honeymoon: Maui
11. Coordination: Kristeen LaBrot Events
12. Makeup: Judith Koppelmann
13. Hair: Tawny Perkins of Suburbia

The Story:

I wanted my wedding to be a fun, intimate celebration with friends and family,  just full of love and charm! I decided against having a bridal party and wanted the ceremony aspect to be as simple, sweet and short and possible ( I don’t love being in the spotlight!). Since I am lucky enough to work for Project Wedding, I have collected so many amazing ideas and had a good sense of the style, color palette and most importantly, where to get that dessert table (Sweet and Saucy, the only place for me!).

I knew I wanted to have our wedding at the place Dane and I met ten years earlier. We did just that, and tied the knot about three feet from where we actually met. About 100 of our closest family and friends were right there with us.

I spent the morning getting ready at Dane’s sister’s house with my mom and sisters, sipping mimosas and eating chocolate croissants. Yum!

I stayed relatively calm through the getting ready process, and was very excited when it came time for our “first look”!

Up next, the ceremony! Things were absolutely perfect; our nieces and nephews gingerly dumped flower petals in one particular spot towards the end of the aisle, and I was very proud of the simple chuppah, with hanging flowers above us.  Lanterns and simple mason jars filled with flowers were everywhere. Our  color palette included melon, yellow, pale pink and celery hues.

We walked down the aisle to Here Comes the Sun and exited to Bob Marley’s One Love. It was really such a sweet and memorable moment for both of us.

For dinner, our guests dined on swordfish, filet, delicious pumpkin ravioli, bruschetta and strawberry salad. I actually sat down and ate—something I didn’t expect to be able to do! The restaurant’s usual chalkboards were replaced with meaningful quotes that we chose—along with my favorite “J hearts D.”

Then came the fun part, the toasts and dessert bar—something I had been anticipating for months! My brother gave the sweetest speech, which was the first time that day I cried. It was an unforgettable moment.

We cut the cake and kissed. I couldn’t think of a better way to complete our special day!

Is there anything you would have done differently?

I think a rehearsal for the kiddies might have been a good idea, since they really didn’t have the flower tossing down! Everything else was really perfect!

Do you have any advice for future brides?

Everyone kept telling me that it goes by so fast—and to savor the moments and take it all in. I consciously stopped, looked around and took mental pictures the whole day and through the evening. That helped! I would also say to embrace all of the emotions throughout the day. Don’t be afraid to express your joy!

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