Jenni & Matt

My bride Jenni Rae, as her Mother calls her, came to me looking to see if it was possible to create her dream gown within a very specific budget.  You see, since her grandparents were paying for her dress, she wanted to honor them and make sure that she not go over a certain amount.

At my first consultation with Jenni, her mom Tamra, sister Nikki and grandma Gwen showed me images of other dresses which she had tried on and discussed with me what she liked and didn't like. It was interesting to see that her grandmothers eye was right on target, as she had a very detailed idea of what her grand daughter should wear...but of course, ultimately, it was whatever Jenni wanted.

Since it was going to be a Palm Springs wedding, light fabric and an easy flow for her gown were a must. Additionally, three key requests for her gown were: cap sleeves, had to have beading and a minimal train. The beading, especially, had to be just right and work well with Jenni's frame.

The final gown I designed for her was an Empire waist,  Crinkle chiffon gown with draped cap sleeves. The highlights were the hand beading on the shoulder as well as on the empire waistline.  

Since they are both outdoor aficionados, Jenni & Matt were married at Spencer's Restaurant in Palm Springs, and the grounds were just beautiful.  All of the beauty and love were captured by Brian Kent of ABM Photography. 

Congratulations Jenni & Matt!

Raquel & Ian

My bride Raquel came to me looking to create a unique gown that would fit her beautifully as well as fit her unique wedding story...

It all began with a surprise proposal in Starbucks by her hubby Ian, which everyone was in on, when she was handed a gift which said she was a prized Starbucks customer.  Little did she know that the box contained more then just a gift certificate, it was actually a one of kind designed engagement ring! 

The second part to her story, was her dream of getting married in a house she would always drive by.  As she did a little research and found that one of her students actually lived in the house, and was able to accommodate her wedding, the pieces were starting to come together.

Her dream dress was now the final part needed to make it a true reality.

Just as her ring was custom designed, Raquel wanted a gown that reflected her unique style. She also wanted to keep the gown a surprise from Ian until her wedding day. So she made the decision to board a plane in Connecticut and come to California, where she would be able to have her gown made discreetly and without any distraction.  Pasadena worked out perfectly, since her future sister-in-law also lived here. So, we set about scheduling her fittings and alterations to work out as efficiently as possible and get in as many details as we could during each trip.  Her final gown was a beautiful duchess satin with tucks and pleats throughout.  Her drape shoulder was asymmetrical and form fitting.  The only request Raquel had was to include her initials and favorite number.  So, I had her initials laser cut, as we embellished them with the amount of stones that represented her number, and placed them on her train. 

Additionally, we designed and fabricated three cute little flower girl gowns to represent her peacock color scheme.

From day one, that little spitfire won my heart..... dancing, singing and especially beat boxing, filling us with non-stop laughter through every fitting and appointment.

Congratulations Raquel & Ian!

Kristi & James

When my bride Kristi, who is a kindergarten teacher in the Pasadena area, came to her first appointment, she opened up to me about her family and the recent passing of her father.  As we spoke, we instantly bonded and connected over the fact that we had both lost our fathers.  After shedding many tears, Kristi told me what her vision was for her gown and her wedding.  She gave me her full trust and wanted me to style her and her entire party from head to toe, which I gladly and proudly did.
Her Bohemian vision came to life in the design of her gown which we made from Battenburg lace appliques and Crinkle chiffon, from the simplest of ideas, one of which was a sun dress.  After every meeting and fitting, I knew that as we adjusted and played with ideas, that I was on the right track when I could see a glimmer of tears in her eyes.
I even involved her sister Cami in the fabrication of Kristi's gown and had her assist with a portion of the beading, making it very personal for her and her family.
Kristi also put her lovely Mom in my hands, as I put her in a gold Dupioni jacket with matching cigarette style pants.  As the matriarch of the family, I thought it only fitting that her Mom be in gold as the rest of the party were in shades of yellow.
The wedding and reception took place at her beautiful brother-in-law's house in Altadena.  Quaint, intimate and emotional, her wedding brought tears all the way around, including myself and my husband.  All of it captured by Rose City Photography.

 Congratulations Kristi & James!

Kristi's Wedding Party

Nine different dresses for nine unique ladies and girls....
This is how many gowns I designed and fabricated for my bride Kristi's Wedding Party.  It all started when discussing Kristi's wedding as she wanted all yellow for her bridal party.  So, I thought, why not come up with different shades of yellow in order to make it more unique, since each design was different.  The colors complemented her Bohemian vision of her wedding and reception and brought a beautiful array of Summer color to a wonderful outdoor Fall wedding (just as the drizzle cleared!).
Additionally, I designed and fabricated the head pieces, out of burlap, for the girls and added burlap floral broaches to their Toms ballerina shoes.
All of my girls, my little "pollitos" - Ava, Elle, Niki, Kerry, Lisa, Cami, Laura, Gloria and Andrea, who will be featured in the next blog along with Kristi, were the most wonderful wedding party that a bride could ever want.
The closeness of the two families from the beginning of the design process, to the fittings and through to the wedding itself was inspiring and touching.  I am very happy and proud to have been part of Kristi's wedding and now count them as family myself...
xoxox,
Alina

Jacky & Vince

Before I begin to talk about my bride Jacky, I wanted to thank her "adopted" mom Sue for discovering me in her own backyard...
My bride Jacky came to me with a very special request.  She wanted to incorporate elements from her Mother's original wedding gown into her gown as a beautiful homage to her mother, as a remembrance as well as a celebration.  This thought was especially dear to me as I too have experienced the passing of a parent.

So, I set about coming up with a creative solution of how I could delicately remove some of the lace patterns from her Mother's dress and re-create Jackie's gown while still retaining a contemporary look and style and fusing the two elements together so that they appeared seamless.  Additionally, Jacky wanted a gown with a long train, but one that could also be removable to allow her to dance and celebrate at her reception.
Her fittings always included Sue, her Maid-of-Honor Mary, and her Mother-in-Law Celia. As we worked on fittings and adjustments to the design, the idea of her gown being contemporary, yet also having that Hollywood glamor was discussed more and more, as I found out that her reception venue was the Majestic Halls in Downtown LA. 

What I came up with was a lace gown that had a hidden attachment for the removable train.  I incorporated the lace flowers and appliques from her Mothers gown into the lace around her shoulder and alongside the hem as an added detail.  I also matched the original pearl bead work and kept that as a bit of "bling" wherever I could. 
I would say that Jacky looked quite beautiful...as I am sure Vince would agree!
 

The beautiful wedding, lively reception and wonderfully playful shots were captured by Glen Lastimoza of BlueLabel Photography and Peter Trans of Icons Photography.  Excellent work!

Congratulations Jacky & Vince!

Kelly & George

My bride Kelly, who I now refer to as my "Number One Fan", is more than just a previous Client, she has truly turned into a friend.  She discovered me in Pasadena, as she was starting her search for her wedding gown very early on.  In fact, Kelly visited me almost 16 months prior to her wedding.  When she made her appointment and came in to try on gowns, she instantly fell in love with two different gowns, the Veronica gown, which is a twist front design, and the Marilyn, which has a beautifully tiered train. 
So, I redesigned her gown to incorporate both of the beautiful features from these gowns...
The final result looked very vintage Hollywood, with all the glam, beauty and class that fit Kelly to a tee!
At her fittings, her Mom and friends would also attend, and our meetings became more like girlfriend sessions.  I don't think we ever talked for less than an hour as we laughed and chatted together.
So now, Kelly has become a great supporter of me and my work and has become my "Number One Fan" as she continues to give me love...Thank you Kelly!
Kelly's wedding and reception were wonderfully captured by Cean One Photography at the beautiful Mission Inn in Riverside.

Congratulations Kelly & George!