Union Hill Wedding | Patricia & Arnaud

Patricia & Arnaud are originally from Europe, but are currently living in Northern California. They decided to have a small wedding and invited 20 of their closest friends and family from Europe to celebrate their marriage together in California! It was a weekend experience unlike any other filled with good food, good wine and a gorgeous ceremony. They were some of the most fun clients to work with, not to mention, they had mad style! The bride wanted lots of color and wasn't afraid of vegetables in her floral, so we adorned the centerpieces with kale and artichokes. It was such a wonderful day with such a great vendor team!

VENDORS:

Venue: Union Hill Inn // Planning, Design & Floral: Engaged & Inspired // Photographer: Michele Beckwith // Tabletop Rentals: Frances Lane // Rentals: Classic Party Rentals // Day-of Paper Details: Bright Room Studio // Catering & Desserts: Lila & Sage // Band: Lucky Devils Band

Well Hello There! | New Bridal Blogger, Alisha

Hello lovely brides! My name is Alisha and I'm super excited to say I am the newest E & I bridal blogger. That means every week I will be here sharing my wedding planning journey; including personal updates, inspirations, and latest obsessions. 

Today I thought I'd introduce my fiance and I, give you an update of my process so far, and share my engagement photos - because I love them! Keep reading and let's be friends!

Photos by the awesome and talented Blurred Line Photography. 

ABOUT US

The handsome guy you see beside me is Tony. We've been together for 7 ish years now and he's  the best friend a girl can ask for. He and I have been through everything together and I can't wait to see him at the end of the isle on our wedding day. 

Something kind of cool is the fact that we actually own a wedding videography company called Koa Weddings. We stared it together last year and absolutely love the work. Wedding days are magic. The joy and excitement in the air makes the day feel unlike anything else and we are so thankful to the couples that let us be a part of their moment. Best job ever!

The Proposal 

Tony popped the question while down on one knee on Christmas Eve. I'll never forget how nervous he was and how long it took for the "Holly bleep this is real" feeling to sink in. I mean, after seven years of being together I knew we would get married eventually but had stopped trying to guess when. I was completely caught of guard and it was amazing!

I know you're thinking - WHAT TOOK HIM SO LONG? Well I like to think the answer is simply, love is patient. However, the fact that we 17 when we first met probably had a lot to do with it. Our photographer put it best when he called it our seven lucky years. I couldn't have said it better myself and for the record, it was totally worth it!

Wedding Style  

Since my fiance and I are into film and videography, we are planning a budget friendly, "Old Hollywood Glam" inspired wedding with modern touches. I really don't want it to look to costume-y or theme-y so it's been a process trying to put things together that toe the line. 

As far as color palette goes, since we are considering a fall wedding, we are going with deep burgundy plums, an array of pink and neutral tones, and lots of greenery. I plan to share an inspiration board with you in the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Planning

To be 100% honest, the planning has not been going great so far. Turns out, I am the most indecisive bride EVER! The only thing I know for sure is that I really want to get married and I have my style set. It's the details that give me trouble and turn me into and obsessive, over-thinking mad women. 

I think that's where this blog comes in. I'll be here, every week, working out the details of my big day. I hope you'll join me on this once in a lifetime journey that is my personal wedding planning experience and I'd love to be included in yours too! (Comment below)

Until next week. 

Pattern, Texture, Shine | Bridesmaid Trends for 2015

Now that you've booked the venue, know your color palette, and have been obsessing over your awesome new dress, it is time to figure out what your bridesmaids are going to wear. Gone are the days of those typical bridesmaid dresses. Let your girls pop in pretty frocks that compliment their personalities and body styles.

Finding the perfect bridesmaid dress can be tricky but, luckily - we've got your back. Today we are sharing three stunning trends that are sure to set your maids apart from the pack. 

Pattern: Floral Love 

Floral prints are making a comeback, big time! Choose a bold print for high impact or a more delicate one for a classic, demure look. 

Photo Credit: Southern Weddings

Photo Credit: One Fab Day

Photo Credit: Burnettes Boards

Texture: Pretty Pleats

I stinkin' LOVE pleats! If you're looking to keep things simple but want to give your girls that little extra oomph - pleats are your new best friend. It's an easy way to add texture, but still maintain that sweet bridal style. Bonus - these dresses are usually pretty flowy making them a little more forgiving for your body conscious bridesmaids. 

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty

Photo Credit: Every Last Detail 

Photo Credit: Magnolia Rouge

Shine: Glam Neutrals 

This trend is for the bride that wants a more neutral color palette, but needs a little glam in her life. It is both bold and subtle, and oh so perfect!

Photo Credit: Vanilla Photography

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty 

Photo Credit: Style Unveiled

The prettiness is overwhelming, I know, but we would love to hear which styles sent you swooning this year. Whether you're all about the floral print, in love with shine, or obsessed with another style not mentioned here - leave a comment and let us know. 

NOW HIRING

As we gear up for everything we have planned for Engaged & Inspired, and based on the scope of the events we are producing this year, we need the hands, minds and talents of a few key people to join the team.

Photo by Delbarr Moradi Photography 

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT:

Positions Available: 3

Event Production: This is what a wedding day looks like - long hours, sore feet, and basically the best feeling of accomplishment watching it all come together. This position entails about 6-10 hours of help on the wedding day with tasks such as installation, assistance to vendors and strike. We're talking a jack-of-all-trades on the wedding day. HUGE bonus points if you are located in the Monterey/Carmel (maybe even Santa Cruz/San Jose) area as most of our weddings are located in Carmel and Carmel Valley. 

ASSOCIATE PLANNER:

Positions Available: 2

Event Production: Event days will look the same as the one listed in the Production Assistant job description above.

Office: This position entails a small amount of weekly office work including handling emails, taking care of rental orders, booking room blocks, design sourcing, timeline and diagram creation, prepping wedding files for each wedding, and a variety of other tasks to assist in the success of each event. 

PROduction Manager:

Positions Available: 1

Event Production: Event days will look similar to the description above with the exception of managing both the Engaged & Inspired team as well as the vendor team on-site and off-site. The right candidate will not be afraid to get dirty and do what it takes to get the job done.  

Office: This position entails but is not limited to the following:

• Act in a Project Manager capacity for Engaged & Inspired weddings
• Manage the Engaged & Inspired team on both office and event days
• Attend and/or run Site Visits & Rehearsals
• Create contracts, proposals, and timelines as needed
• Assist in event design
• Manage rental orders, day-of production schedules, etc.

This position will act as an extension of me and will have a hand in every project throughout the year.

 

Who you are:

The right candidate will bring their own unique skills and expertise to the job, but here are a few qualities we are looking for on the team:

• Industry Experience: 
  • 1 Year (for production assistants)
  • 1-2 years (for associates planners 
  • 2-3 years (for production manager) 

• Must have reliable transportation
• Motivated, self-starter
• Problem solver
• Team player
• Demonstrates attention to detail
• Ability to work in stressful environments
• Eye for styling and design
• Must be local

 

how to apply:

Feel like you are a fit? Email me at allison@engagedandinspired.com with the subject of the position you are applying for. Please also include your Instagram and Pinterest profiles as well as any pertinent photos to showcase your work. 

I'm very excited to be expanding Engaged & Inspired so much this year, and I am really looking forward to hearing from you!

Austin & Ryan // Beach Engagement Session by Jasmine Lee Photography

I absolutely love seeing client's engagement photos. But these. These might just be my favorites of all time. Photography by the wonderful Jasmine Lee Photography.  

I've been working with these two for almost a year now. As we get closer to the date, I'm getting more and more excited about the details and overall design we have in store. She has been so excited about this every step of the way, and it has been an absolute dream working together. No drama here! Just lots of really fun talks, planning meetings and tossing ideas back and forth. I get more and more excited as each idea evolves.

Let's just say that I'm pretty darn excited about Austin & Ryan's wedding at Holman Ranch in April. 

Holman Ranch Wedding // Ali & Bo

It is always a pleasure working with Paradise Catering and Studio Mondine and this 200 + person wedding at Holman Ranch last October was no exception. I'm sharing just a few of my favorites from this beautiful day in Carmel Valley. Vendor details and a weather report (for those looking at getting married in Carmel Valley and need some weather deets!).

Venue: Holman Ranch // Catering: Paradise Catering // Coordination: Engaged & Inspired // Photographer: Perfect Circle Photography // Floral: Studio Mondine // Lighting: Chic Event Rentals // Desserts:

Weather Report: October 18, 2014 - No sign of rain. Warm throughout the day. Started getting a bit chilly toward the end of dinner. 

Favorite Table Runners

Ahh table runners, the best way to dress up a table without a ton of fuss. Renting your runners is always a great option, but if you just can't seem to find something that suits your fancy and perfectly completes your design, here are some of my favorite options to buy. 

If you aren't looking for anything overly graphic, texture always wins! (Sources for where to purchase these runners below). Good luck finding that perfect runner! 

Table Runners in order: Kilim Black & White Table Runner // Oh Joy! Gold Table Runner // Grey Graphite Table Runner // Gold Dot Reversible Table Runner // Maison Du Soleil Table Runner // Leather Twilled Table Runner // Handwoven Macrame Table Runner // Netted Fringe Black & White Table Runner 

(PS - if anyone does buy these I might be interested in buying them from you after your wedding)

Published // Hot Cocoa Bar

Last year I designed a little hot cocoa bar inspired by the brilliant collection of chocolates that Ticket Chocolate has to offer. Earlier this year, the shoot was featured in Mingle Magazine! 

Here are a few shots from the shoot! (I painted that patterned wall in our last home....I miss it!) 

Photography: Lili Durkin // Calligraphy: Bright Room Studio // Chocolate: Ticket Chocolate // Design & Styling: Engaged & Inspired 

Two New Services // Engaged & Inspired

I'm really excited to formally introduce two new services for the 2015! I have been offering these services for most of 2014 (and with great response), but I'm excited to formally open these services up to a select number of couples in 2015! Email allison@engagedandinspired.com for more information!

Wedding Planning Intensive - $295:

Not sure how to get started in planning your wedding? Not sure whether you want to hire a planner? Just need to be pointed in the right direction? This wedding planning intensive does just that. The purpose of this package is to help get you going on the right track. 

• Our full service planning binder
• Organized month-by-month to-do lists
• Budget planning
• Vendor Recommendations & help securing vendors
• Wedding logistics such as timeline, floorplan, etc.
• Simple design meeting to define your vision
• This package generally takes about 5 hours (on and off timing)

Design Consultation - $295:

This package is perfect for couples who have an idea of what they want, but need help to edit their vision. We start by discussing the look and feel you are envisioning. Then, help you pull it all together to create a cohesive design for you to easily execute. Consultation services include:

• Design meeting
• Mood board creation
• Color palette creation
• Detailed design plan including sourcing & pricing
• Inspiration for styling each space on the day-of
• This package generally takes about 3 hours (on and off timing)

Drink Stirrers

It has been a while since I've spent time working on this blog. I always promised myself I wouldn't become one of those people that stopped blogging, but I fear I have become just that. I'm planning on getting back to it, so hopefully you'll see more from me around here!  

Now, let's get to the festive point of this post. DRINK STIRRERS! And I don't mean striped straws or paper taped to screwers, I mean awesome stirrers. This is one of my all time favorite wedding details. It is such a small piece to any party that it is often overlooked. 

Glitter Diamond Drink Stirrer - DIY right here. Pretty legit. I want to make these real bad!

If you aren't in the mood for DIYing, you can buy these awesome geometric stir sticks from this Etsy Shop.

These feather stir sticks are pretty awesome. The only problem I ran into is finding cool enough feathers to use. But seriously, who wouldn't love these adorning their drink. DIY from 100 Layer Cake.

Ok, THESE! Such a brilliant idea. I was actually super excited to try out my own version of these for a holiday party. I was thinking foliage, ferns, etc. In preparation for the party, I realized the biggest downfall of this idea.....they have to be done the day of! (Or maybe the day before if you have a refrigerator). I ran out of time, so we ended up with nothing. DIY via Style Me Pretty. 

And there you have it! Some of my favorite stir stick ideas!