Jen & Ryan are my clients who hold the current title of “Rebel Belle’s Geekiest Clients of 2013,” which means they also hold a very special place in my heart. So imagine my head-popping-off excitement when they shared their all-things-geek wedding Save The Dates with me. All I wanted to do is shout from the rooftops YOU GUYS! LOOK AT HOW COOL THIS IS!!!! So, here you go. Geek out & enjoy!

Pencil artwork by Ryan Gallegos (the groom!), inked & colored by Michelle Thieme. (Actual date removed for privacy’s sake.)

UPDATED 4/20/13

CLICK HERE TO HELP JENN

As many of you know, I have been working alongside The Elysia Skye Breast Cancer Organization to produce a wedding from start-to-finish in 10 days flat for a bride who was recently diagnosed with a rare and very aggressive form of breast cancer. (If you are new to this story, you can read about our incredibly brave bride Jenn by clicking the link above.) We are currently smack-dab-halfway through that time frame and working ‘round-the-clock to make this dream a reality.

Elysia herself came up with this idea and put together an Indiegogo campaign with the intention of crowdsourcing the funds for a small wedding, as well as generating a little bit extra to help cover the cost of moving Brian (Jenn’s fiancé) to Los Angeles and contribute a bit to Jenn’s out-of-pocket cancer treatment costs.

And then something astonishing happened…

Friends, family, business owners, companies – all kinds of people – jumped (and I mean JUMPED!) at the opportunity to donate their venues, products, services and time. With four days left in the fundraiser, the team and supplies for this intimate wedding for 30 guests are nearly fully arranged, and 95% of them are being provided by donation.

Thanks to all these unbelievable vendors, a vast majority of the funds raised will now be able to go towards treatments to help extend the time this brilliantly bright soul has on our planet. What an astounding wedding gift that would be! Please, if you can over the next few days, consider donating a few dollars. And please PLEASE, pass Jenn’s story onto your connections. Every little re-post helps.

CLICK HERE TO HELP JENN!

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

Laura

UPDATE 4/17/13: Jenn and Brian, Elysia and I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has donated their money, time, goods and services. Below you will find a list of ROCK STAR vendors who came together without hesitation to make what was just an idea last Wednesday a reality this coming weekend. We cannot thank them enough!

Ceremony Venue - Yamashiro 

Reception Venue, Food & Drink - M Bar

Photography - The Coco Gallery   

Videography - NST Pictures   

Wedding Cake – The Butter End Cakery

Makeup – Alli B Makeup

Wig – Nigel’s Beauty Emporium

 Transportation – Classy Chassis Rentals  

Wedding Gown Alterations – In Stitches

Accessories – Petal Blush Love 

Balloons – Balloon Celebrations

Hotel Accommodations (courtesy of Antoine Berberi, GM) - Hollywood Roosevelt

Wedding Officiant - LA Wedding Woman

Wedding Planning and Coordination – Rebel Belle Weddings

Additionally, we extend our very deepest appreciation to the following friends and family members who so generously contributed their time, energy and special talents as well: Christine & Marsha (for the lovely flowers), Yasmin (for the gorgeous hairstyling), Jovina (for the stunning wedding gown), Branden (for the fabulous music), Jeremy (for the super-cool guest book), Dorian & Lynn (for the plentiful wine and funky photo booth props), Hayley (for the magnificent giant flowers), “Make it Pretty” Megan (for just that talent), Heather & Gavin (for the helping hands), and last but very much not least – Lorraine, Madelyn, Blanca, Marlan, Jenny, Emilyn, Jennifer and Meilanie (for all the decor, wedding goodies, support and love).

(So many people have come forward to help, and we have been working so quickly, that it is entirely possible I have missed someone on this list. If so, please accept my apology in advance and email me right away!)

Update 4/20/13: If you are reading this prior to April 27, 2013, there is still time to donate on our Indiegogo page to help Jenn & Brian. (And if you’re shopping for a Los Angeles area wedding officiant, a $1000 donation not only helps out Jenn & Brian, it also procures you the services of one of the fabulous gals over at LA Wedding Woman!)

April 3, 2013

Typically, this Adventures blog is a showcase for my personal perspective on the wedding planning process and the events Rebel Belle has had the pleasure of producing. Today, however, I enjoyed the rare treat of listening to RBW clients Arlene and Dick Van Dyke candidly discuss their wedding planning process on The Disney Wedding Podcast. It’s really kind of fun to listen in like a fly on the wall as Arlene details the challenges of planning a large scale wedding in short (very short!) amount of time – and on the property of the former head of MGM Studios nonetheless! You’ve read the blog posts, now you can click here to get the behind the scenes scoop from the Van Dykes themselves.

March 29, 2013

“The Perfect Venue”

The definition of that term is different for every couple, and locating such a place is usually the first obstacle on the road of wedding planning. When I initially sat down with Sarah & David, they had been struggling with the venue issue for some time. However, right about the time many people start to think of eloping, they found the Culver Hotel.

The Historic Culver Hotel, Culver City California

Rich in history and brimming with 1920’s architectural charm, this gem of a venue was the answer to their every hope, and the perfect backdrop for their intimate, romantic wedding.

Ethereal Bride in the hotel hallway.

That dress! Swoon!!

Sarah & David’s first look in the white lounge.

The ceremony was held in the gorgeous hotel lobby, an area so full of natural charm and beauty that very little extra décor was needed, so the couple chose simple floral with earthy elements that incorporated Sarah’s love of succulents.

Succulent bridal bouquet

Immediately following the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails in the vintage chic hotel lounge, as the lobby was converted to host an evening of dining, dancing and delectable cake provided by Jamaica’s Cakes.

Vintage Chandelier

Succulent Wedding Reception Centerpiece

Wedding Cake by Jamaica’s Cakes

When a couple really connects with their wedding venue, it creates something magical that’s actually tangible, and you can see the sparkle of that connection in Sarah & David’s beautiful photos. I’m so happy they found such a special place, and honored to have been a part of their celebration.

Photography by Mi Belle Photography

A hint of what’s to come in a hand made wedding invitation.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Psst! I have something to share with you. A wedding so colorful, festive and downright unexpected that it virtually defies description. And yet, I’m gonna give it a shot anyways. You can thank me later.

Meet Lisa & Robert…or “Raubert” as their friends call them.

Lisa & Robert and a little wedding Twister.

They love rainbows.

Rainbow hair chalking.

They love robots.

Groom’s fortune told by Voltar the Robot.

And they love each other, very much.

iPhone kiss wedding photo.

So when the time came for them to get married, a most unconventional wedding was in order and Rebel Belle was contacted. Thus begins the story of The Super Happy Funtime Robotland Wedding. I named it that. Yep. Quite by accident too.  When they were explaining their initial wedding concept to me, Raubert described their vision of a pair of robots in love and the enchanted land in which those robots lived, filled with color, fun and whimsical creatures. Lisa showed me a prototype of the artwork she herself had created, and I involuntarily blurted out “It looks like Super Happy Funtime Robotland.”

Aaaaannnnd…it stuck.

Super Happy Funtime Robotland Wedding Invitation.

And so began the planning of an entire event designed around two words: fun and color. If it was one or the other it was considered, and if it was both, it was in. Streamers and balloons created one of the most lively, festive wedding ceremony sites you have ever seen.

Wedding bouquet alternative: Giant balloons filled with more balloons!

Rainbow ribbon wedding altar & rainbow petticoat wedding dress.

Wedding ceremony balloon release.

 The ceremony itself took place smack dab in the middle of a carnival, were guests enjoyed retro table games…

Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots!

Hungry Hungry Hippos!

…had their fortune told by a live-action, vintage fortune teller “robot”…

Yes, that is a real live actor playing Voltar!

…bravely paddle boated around a pond…

…were entertained by mimes…

The incredibly talented Jules Ross!

Lola Kelly & Co. – Robotland’s French Traditional Silent Clowns.

…left their fingerprints on a balloon themed guest book…

Rainbow balloon & robot thumbprint wedding guestbook.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, they played kickball. Yes, kickball – in the middle of a wedding reception! This was a first for a Rebel Belle event and I admit I had my concerns. But, you know what? The kids dug it…and, for that matter, so did the mimes!

Kickball at a wedding reception!

Now we head into the “but wait, there’s more” portion of this post. You see, all that was just PART ONE of this event. There were more surprises in store for Raubert’s guests once they had enjoyed the ceremony, the carnival and all the unique activities. Once a guest had retrieved their shiny robot place card…

Handcrafted robot wedding reception place cards.

…they were escorted to a second location to dine under the stars.

Calamigos Ranch Malibu

In keeping with the theme, the entire dinner area was color infused in creative ways such as the gumball/clay sculpture centerpieces.

Centerpiece clay animal sculptures created by David Hale.

Not fans of wedding cake, Raubert chose instead to offer a rainbow assortment of pies for dessert.

Mmmm…purple. My favorite flavor!

And the evening was rounded out with sophisticated eclectivity (yes, I just made that up) by one of my favorite local bands, The Dustbowl Revival.

Oh, and one more thing. This entire shindig was alcohol free and people had a blast regardless! (You can learn more about Raubert’s choice on this topic in my previous post.)

Lisa and Robert coined a term during the planning process that I use to this day: “Cartoon Thoughts,” defined as ideas born of vivid imagination with no current basis in reality. It was my job to translate those thoughts into things that were actually do-able with the technology that currently exists on this planet. Easy? No. Fun? Yes! And I can’t tell you how thrilled my team and I were to have helped Raubert bring their singularly unique wedding vision to life. These two dream really really big, and my personal wish for them is that they never, ever stop!

Post Script: I would like to extend a special Rebel Belle thank you to Cindy and the entire crew out at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California who NEVER ONCE FLINCHED when we approached them time and time again with questions regarding so many of this wedding’s wilder elements. They exceeded our expectations at every turn and demonstrated their support of unconventional weddings with nothing but grace and smiles! Thank you guys!!

Photography by Joey Ikomoto Photography

 And The Winner Is…

Friday, January 25, 2013

(This is the final installment of a multi-part post on Dick and Arlene Van Dyke’s “Seafoam Circus” wedding. Please click here to get the full scoop on all the fabulous fun!)

This Sunday, Dick Van Dyke will receive the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award honoring his 60 plus year career in film and television along with his lifelong humanitarian accomplishments. The entire Rebel Belle Weddings crew couldn’t be happier for him, and since he and his wife Arlene have been so generous in allowing me to share their spectacular wedding pictures with you, I thought it would be fun to honor their Seafoam Circus celebration with a few special awards of my own.

Award Number One: Unanticipated Re-Imagining of Wedding Traditions

Yummy Wedding Cake Alternative – Stacked Bundt Cakes!

Fan Boys add that je ne sais quoi to a bridal bouquet toss!

First Dance? Try “First Duet!”

 

Arlene’s Brother’s  Wedding Toast aka “My Sister is Dating Who?!?”

Award Number Two: Unique Twists on Wedding Reception Accoutrements

Candy “Cigarette” Girl

Message In A Bottle DIY Wedding Guestbook Alternative

Leave A Wish For The Couple

Award Number Three: Innovative Use of Modern Wedding Planning Tools 

The “Arlene Could Not Have Envisioned This Wedding Without The Help of Pinterest” Seafoam Circus Inspiration Board

Carnival Straws by Etsy seller VanillaSkys

 

Under the Sea wedding shoes by Kristie Ann Couture via AdvantageBridal.com

 

Dove Grey Ostrich Wedding Clutch from saracaccessories.com

 

And, finally, The Rebel Belle Weddings Special Award for Most Octopodes Ever Featured In a Wedding

 

Seafoam Circus Wedding Invitation Cover – “Octopodes In Love” theme artwork by Etsy seller EphemeraAndMore

 

Octopus Woman Wedding Table Number. Created by Pop Ink using art from Etsy Seller EphemeraAndMore; Centerpiece design by King Dahl Event Design

Look close! That’s an Octopus Cake Stand from www.bhldn.com

Octopodes In Love dance floor graphic by Pop Ink with artwork from EphemeraAndMore

The Wedding Guest Who Brought Her Own Tentacles

Yes, I’m going to say it….it’s time…I have to say it….

THE END!

All photographs by Ryan Williams of Rawtography 

 

Welcome To The Big Top!

Thursday, January 10, 2013

As mentioned in my previous post, Rebel Belle Weddings had the great good fortune of being part of a vast team of friends and vendors amassed by Arlene Silver-Van Dyke to help bring the “Seafoam Circus” celebration of her wedding to Dick Van Dyke to life. In Part II of what I am now calling the “Rebel Belle Seafoam Circus Series,” I’m extremely excited to be able to share some of the Van Dyke’s gorgeous photos, captured by Ryan Williams of Rawtography, as I attempt to paint a picture for you that will do this magnificent wedding justice.  However, I have no doubt that you will have many questions as we go along, so perhaps the best way to begin is by taking a few of them:

Q. Van Dyke? As in, the Dick Van Dyke?

A. Yes, the one and only, and his truly lovely wife, Arlene Silver-Van Dyke.

Q. Didn’t they already get married?

A. Yes, back in February of 2012 in an intimate ceremony. The Seafoam Circus was a larger ceremony and reception, held later in the year, to celebrate their marriage with friends and family.

Q. What in the world is a “Seafoam Circus??”

A. I’ll try to explain….

This wildly imaginative and vividly colorful vision Arlene dreamt up truly does defy explanation in words. Glittering, glorious and grand in every way, an oceanic carnival, an undersea nautical festival – “Seafoam Circus” was the name eventually bestowed upon the event, designed to evoke images of an underwater playground that would do both P.T. Barnum and Jacques Cousteau proud.

The magical evening began with cocktails overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The bride’s friend Brooke, a talented harpist who just happens to have a lovely mermaid-like quality about her, performed atop an elevated platform, while a waterborne Gymnast-In-A-Bubble floated in a pool, amazing the guests.

And that, my friends, was just the beginning. Soon, it was time to enter the Big Top. Cue the circus music! (To really get the feel of The Seafoam Circus, click here to play Arlene’s ceremony opening music selection, “Roustabout” by Beats Antique. Just cue the song to the 35 second mark then let it play as you read the rest of this post.)

Limber gymnasts and multi-talented jugglers, provided by Kevin McNally at Milestone Productions, Inc., set the tone as the ceremony began.

Ever fabulous and unconventional, the bride chose “fan boys” rather than “flower girls” to signal her entrance!

Here’s a closer look at that stunning brooch bouquet, created by Carol Matteson at King Dahl Event Design.

The romantic ceremony was officiated by the couple’s friend Bryan, who also performs together with Dick Van Dyke in their a cappella singing group, The Vantastix.

Post-ceremony, “Scott the Barker” announced the couple’s Grand Entrance.

Ah, I see you have more questions…

Q. Who?? What? Is that an Octopus arm on his head?!

A. I’ll try to explain, but you’re really going to need to just roll with this one. That is Scott, close friend of the bride. He was the absolutely brilliant Master of Ceremonies, The Ringmaster, The Circus Barker – a man of many titles (and outfits!).

As the leader of festivities at The Seafoam Circus, it seems fitting that an Octopus tentacle protrudes from his head, don’t you think? The only question that remains is whether you would call that an Octorcorn or Unipus. Regardless, it’s epic. Let’s move on.

In addition to a delicious dinner (served family style) there were plenty of yummy treats and circus style fun.

And what is a circus without circus animals?

 Mr. Bear! Oh how everyone loved the tutu-wearing circus bear!

More questions? Understandable, I suppose.

Q. Are those…hula hoops on the floor?

A. Yes, of course they are. Why wouldn’t they be?

Hula hoops! Whoda thunk? Yet another one of Arlene’s many fantastic ideas that added such unexpected fun to the reception!

(By the way, the woman in blue is Mary, Arlene’s mom. And she is not about to be shown up in the hula hoop department!)

Of course, when you’re having this much fun and you’re wearing shoes as fabulous as these…

You know at some point in the evening they’re bound to come off!

Which is a good thing – because you’re going to need some serious moves to keep up when the Electric Jellyfish come dancing in to wrap up the night!

Electric Jellyfish – yep, we’re going to end on that note. Because, honestly, where do you go after you bring in the dancing electric jellyfish?!

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Van Dykes for choosing Rebel Belle Weddings to assist with this mind-blowing celebration, and I invite you to stay tuned for Part III where I’ll be taking a closer look at the traditions, personal touches and scores of creative little details that combined to make this night so very special!

The Van Dyke’s Hand-Picked Seafoam Circus Event Team

Event Design: King Dahl Event Design

Event Coordination: Rebel Belle Weddings

Entertainment and Performers: Milestone Productions, Inc.

Catering: Monrose Catering

Tent, Lighting & Event Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Graphics and Custom Artwork: Pop Ink

Photography: Rawtography

Videography: Pivotal Media

Officiant: Bryan Chadima

Harpist: Brooke Weller

Makeup & Hair: Jessica de Ben

Bridal Gown: Renee Strauss

Circus Barker: Scott Froschauer

Electric Jellyfish: Scott Froschauer & Kymber Blake

Special guest appearance by Mr. Bear, as himself.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

It is with tremendous pride and a huge amount of barely contained geek excitement that I make the following announcement:

Rebel Belle Weddings has officially partnered with The New Starship Foundation to produce and coordinate their first Star Trek themed Wedding on The Bridge as well as their Grand Gala Opening Night Celebration!

Wait….what?!?

OK, let me back up. First, I have a confession – all you Star Wars and Doctor Who people I’ve been working with? Love it. It’s all good. But truth be told, I’m a Trek girl at heart. Specifically, Next Gen. So when I discovered that The New Starship Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was restoring one of the Next Generation bridge sets in order to create an interactive museum and…HOST WEDDINGS?!? Suffice to say I was all over that like Troi on a double chocolate hot fudge sundae. (Sorry. I warned you. I’m really geeking out over this!)

All fanaticism aside, what this means is: Star Trek weddings are happening, near the end of the year, right here in Southern California – and Rebel Belle Weddings will be there! If you’d like to learn more about the plans for The New Bridge, visit The New Starship Foundation’s website and follow them on Facebook or Twitter. In the meantime, I’ll just be over here designing phaser flower vases, communicator boutonnieres, and trying to explain to caterers why, exactly, Romulan Ale is contraband.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Happy New Year everyone, and Happy Birthday to Rebel Belle! Yesterday marked our fifth business anniversary and I am so excited about how far we’ve come and where we’re going next. The 2012 season was by far the busiest, most insanely fun to date. From Dinosaurs to Disneyland, Rainbow Robots to Circuses Under the Sea, the “Just When You Thought You’d Seen It All” list never stopped! (And, yes, I know I still owe you photo posts from some of these. New Year’s Resolution #23: Must Find More Time to Blog!) 2013 promises to keep up the momentum as Rebel Belle expands into both corporate and personal events as well as….ready for this?…space! Yes, space – as in “The Final Frontier?” Can’t wait to tell you more about that but I most hold off just a teensy bit. In the meantime, I want to thank all my rock star team members and vendors for their ongoing support and enthusiasm, and ask that you keep your eyes here for a big announcement soon as well as many more details on the continuing Adventures of Rebel Belle!

Wedding Rings on a Steampunk Wedding Invitation

Thursday, November 8, 2012

When I first met Kari & Mark, they were searching for a way to tie together their vision of a classic, vintage-esque wedding. They wanted to keep the feel of their celebration sophisticated and avoid slipping into any kitschy themes, while at the same time establishing a through line that would create balance and give the event a cohesiveness they felt was lacking. In our initial conversation, the words “time” and “vintage” came up repeatedly, so I offered up the concept of Steampunk.

Steampunk Brooch Wedding Gown Accent

“What is Steampunk?” they asked. (It was the first of many times I would be asked that question, by many different people, over the course of their planning process.)

The term “Steampunk” is widely credited as having been coined by science fiction author K.W. Jeter and sometimes I think the word itself actually derives pleasure from being difficult to define. Dictionary.com has boiled it down to: a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world. For the purposes of wedding décor, I like to describe it in such über-technical terms as “Vintagey, old-timey, technologically anachronistic items with lots of watch parts and gears showing.” When I first showed Kari some images of what I meant by that, she got so excited, she looked something like this:

You're So Pretty!

And so began the process of incorporating little bits and pieces of Steampunk culture and décor into a lovely garden wedding, creating a hybrid of sophistication and Steampunk style that is not often seen in the wedding world.

Steampunk Bridal Gifts and Clothing Accents

Steampunk Robot Flask

I have to give a lot of credit to the open minded vendors who threw themselves into the theme even though it was like nothing they’d ever done before. Flowers by Leah did an outstanding job of combining natural elements with items Kari and her family had collected over months of scouring thrift stores and flea markets.

Steampunk Inspired Boutonniere

Steampunk Owl Centerpiece

Steampunk Treasure Centerpiece (Notice the keys submerged in the candle!)

And Belle Donna Events created a magnificent watch-and-gear accented wedding cake.

Steampunk Gear Wedding Cake and Robot Topper

A particularly sweet touch was the pocket-watch style photo frame boutonniere given to the bride and groom’s respective fathers, each one displaying a vintage photograph of their child when they were young.

Steampunk Pocketwatch Photo Frame Boutonniere

Steampunk Pocketwatch Photo Frame Bouttonneire

In the end, Kari & Mark’s wedding turned out absolutely lovely, quite romantic, a little edgy and a lot of fun. And I think that was exactly the look they were going for.

Photography by Jessica Roark, epaga FOTO

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