Yamashiro Wedding: Stephanie + Jeffrey
October 24, 2010
It was a tranquil setting tonight at Yamashiro Restaurant in Hollywood for the zen wedding of Stephanie and Jeffrey.
During the ceremony, poems by Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Moore, and Rainer Maria Rilke were read and a sand blending took place.
I didn’t stay for the reception, but you can see from some of the photos the beautiful style of the event.
My favorite words:
Courtesy and consideration even in anger and adversity are the seeds of compassion. Love is the fruit of compassion. Trust, love and respect are the sustaining virtues of marriage. They enable us to learn from each situation, and help us to realize that everywhere we turn we meet ourselves.
Fred, Sara & the kids
October 19, 2010
I recently received photos from Fred and Sara. I married them August 8, 2010, at their home.
They are such a beautiful couple and I had a lot of fun.
A good way to make your wedding personal is by adding something meaningful to your ceremony. Sara and Fred love the Disney Pixar film, “Up”.
For those of you who did not recognize the music at the very beginning of the ceremony, it was from the animated movie “UP” – a favorite of this family. The balloons affixed to the top of the arch are also a reference to this movie as the character; Mr. Frederickson attached balloons to the top of his house to float it across the globe in search of “Paradise Falls.” Just as in the movie, Frederick & Sara were looking for their “Paradise Falls.” Now, they have found it here, but not just in this house or by this waterfall, but wherever they are and can be together. Their search having ended, they will now release the balloons as a sign they have arrived in their “Paradise Falls.”
If that wasn’t enough, they also handed out small waterproof lights to each guest and during the recessional those guests made a wish for the bride and groom and tossed the light into the pool. That night you could see little twinkles throughout their backyard. Simply amazing!
Photos courtesy of Patrick E. Pang.
Warm the Rings with Love
October 18, 2010
October 10, 2010 was a big day. I performed four weddings that took me from Ventura to Oxnard to Malibu to Culver City.
Style Unveiled invited me to write about my experience performing a ring warming that I did at the Smog Shoppe that day.
Below is a copy of my post. I invite you to read the full blog post at Style Unveiled: Ceremony Idea! ~ Warm the Rings with Love.
You are planning your wedding and want to include a unique feature during the ceremony. What do you choose: a unity candle, blending of the sand, rose ceremony? How about a Ring Warming ceremony. Never heard of it? Most people haven’t. Incorporating non-traditional elements into your ceremony can not only make it even more memorable for you and your guests, but also keep everyone’s attention.
Before you say your vows and exchange your rings, the wedding officiant will ask everyone, including your wedding party to participate in a ring warming. Your officiant will explain to everyone that the ring warming is an opportunity to send the bride and groom good luck and love through a silent wish to the rings when passed to them.
It is a great idea to have one or two people in your wedding party help out with the process of moving the rings from row to row of your guests. Make sure to have the rings in a box or tied together as you don’t want them to get lost.
At the end of the ring warming, your rings are brought back up to the best man or maid of honor until the exchange of rings. If you have less than forty guests, it is possible to do this in less than ten minutes with music playing in the background. (15 seconds per person)
If you have a lot of guests, you may want to consider continuing with the ceremony while your rings are moving. This can be a time for you and the groom to talk to each other and watch the guests. It is a lot of fun and will definitely make your guests talk about your wedding the next day.
Swiss Park Wedding: Stefanie + Bryan
October 1, 2010
Stefanie and Bryan had an amazing “Nightmare Before Christmas” themed wedding. Take a look at that cake! The weather was perfect at the Swiss Park Banquet Center in Whittier.
Matt & Erika at Maximilians
July 24, 2010
I had the pleasure of marrying Matt and Erika today at Maximilians in North Hollywood. It was a beautiful ceremony and they added a special touch by giving bouquets of roses to their mothers as of way of honoring them for their love and support.
Whitney & Brandon – Westlake Village Inn
July 18, 2010
Today was a great day for Whitney and Brandon at the Westlake Village Inn.
Both of them surprised their mothers by including them in their sand ceremony:
Four colors of sand are layered in a vase to symbolize the importance of the individuals within the marriage and the joining of the two lives into one entity. The sculpture begins with a layer from each mother. This is to symbolize that the marriage is grounded by each of their families. The next layers are the individual colors representing BRANDON and WHITNEY, which symbolizes that the foundation of the marriage is based on the strength of each other as individuals. The final layer is BRANDON and WHITNEY’s colors combined to symbolize the joining of their lives as one in marriage.
I truly enjoyed working with both of them and know they will have many, many happy years together!
Brandon and Elizabeth plus Rain
July 10, 2010
I had such a great time performing Brandon and Elizabeth’s wedding tonight at The Vineyards in Simi Valley.
The weather has been a little strange for July in Southern California and during the ceremony it started raining. No one was phased and we continued on. Scott Mann, one of the DJs brought the couple an Asian style umbrella to hold towards the end when the rain was heaviest.
Although I got wet, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Rain at a wedding means Good Luck!
Sara and Kevin in Malibu
July 10, 2010
At a beautiful home in Malibu, Sara and Kevin were joined by friends who traveled across the country to be with them.
Although over-cast, the fog was a beautiful backdrop that surrounded the entire area.
Rose and Brent at the Ranch
July 5, 2010
Nestled in West Hills, California is place called Orcutt Ranch Horticultural Center. It is a historical cultural monument.
From the street, it is very unassuming, but once you enter, you will find lush manicured gardens and towering oaks.
Rose and Brent, along with family and friends were married here today and I was honored to be a part of their special day.
Poruwa Ceremony at the Four Seasons
July 3, 2010
The traditional Sri Lankan wedding ceremony is an exchange of vows and symbolic gifts that dates back before the introduction of Buddhism in the 3rd Century B.C.
Sriyanthi and Aaron’s wedding was in this tradition. The ceremony began with the blowing of the Hukgedia (conch shell) and the beating of the Mangala Bera (wedding drums).
Jagath Lakpriya performed the Poruwa Ceremony. Just before two Monks blessed the bride and groom, I signed the marriage license.
After kissing the bride, the doves were released.
This will be a wedding I always remember at the Four Seasons Hotel, Westlake Village.
