Wedded Bliss: Alexandra + Jonathan

Today is a very special post for me as it's personal and we all know I'm not one to share personal details up on our Sterling Blog very often.  But today is the exception, as it's a special one near and dear to my heart and I'm super excited to share it with each of you!

A month ago today I married my best friend.  It was the most amazing fairytale inspired day and believe it or not I'm confident after experiencing it all as a "Bride" myself, I'm a better planner now for it.  I see things not just as the educated professional now, but also as the one that has to go through cutting the guest list, registering for gifts, going over budget and even the nerves on the big day!  It was a remarkable experience, a perfect day and I feel so lucky to share what lies ahead with my husband.  You may remember him from the few posts he wrote about being a wedding planner's groom. 

Anyway, so many of you are asking about the wedding and so today I decided to share one of my favorite photos with you from the big day by our amazing photographers, Callaway Gable Photography.  In addition, here's a preview from our day, our epic same day edit!  Created by one of the best of the best, Daniel Boswell of Imagique.

 Hope you enjoy this sneak peek as I've enjoyed sharing it with you.  So many of you have asked how it was to plan the wedding while planning everyone else's big day simultaneously.  I'll be honest, it was hard, really challenging as my clients and company are always a priority, it was extremely interesting to try and hold that up while also allowing time to plan our day.  Regardless, our wedding is now an amazing set of memories.  I'm so excited to be back, working with my clients, meet new ones and look forward to giving you and yours an extraordinary planning experience too!      

Behind the Bowtie: Our Venue

So one of the first things you’re supposed to do (according to Alex) when planning a wedding is figure out where. Where will we get married? We didn’t want to make people go from one place to another. It’s a lot easier for everyone to be in one place for the entire evening. The last thing we want is our guest’s complaining about the traffic from the ceremony site to the reception. People in LA love to complain about traffic, and this would no doubt occupy the majority of conversation during cocktail hour, when they should be talking about how shiny my shoes are, or how beautiful the bride is. (Probably the ladder)

Photo Courtesy of Miss Taylor Cast

We only looked at 3 venues for the wedding. The first was Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley. My first thought was “Wow, I can’t wait to put Simi Valley on the wedding invitations!”. But as we drove up a windy, tree-lined road to the estate, it began to grow on me. It’s hidden, it’s quiet, and it should have it’s own zip code. The house itself was not so big, but the entire estate was massive. There are all sorts of lodging at this venue too. Alex liked one of their lower areas with a bunch of trees for the ceremony site called Sitting Bull, and then she wanted the reception in another, which was a nice hike to get to. We would have had to hire a shuttle service to caravan our guests up the hill from one end of the property to the other. It would have been a “Survivor” challenge otherwise. Plus, it’s windy in the mountains, so she wanted to tent. We would have had to spend way too much money ON the venue after spending FOR the venue. In the back of the property is a grass area the size of 10 football fields. Seriously. 10. Maybe more.

Photo Courtesy of Bloomberg Business Week

They probably lost their bid for the 2016 Olympic games, but only because of the Simi Valley address. In the end, the place was beautiful, but too big, and not quite us.

Photo Courtesy of The Back Nine

Then it was off to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks. Yes, we saw both in the same day. It’s a wonderful place, I go there every year for a golf tournament and love it. It’s very luxurious, high-end, etc. Again though, was not really us. It wasn’t as expensive as I would have imagined, but it was booking up fast and the weekend we wanted wasn’t even available. So we moved on.

Photo Courtesy of Carcano DJ

The following weekend we went to Downtown LA to see Vibiana. This was our winner. It was surprising because it was nothing amazing from the street, but the outdoor courtyard is perfect for a ceremony and the tall vaulted ceilings inside can let Alex go crazy with design and décor. I know she’s going to go absolutely crazy in there, I promise. Vibiana used to be Los Angeles’ oldest cathedral, but has been converted into a venue. The irony of a Jewish Wedding at a former cathedral is not the worse thing I’ve ever heard, just try to ignore the confessionals in the walls if that sort of thing bothers you. My High School actually just had their Senior Prom there. Not quite sure how that makes me feel. There are tall pillars inside, lots of space, and it’s perfect for what Alex wanted. Mission accomplished.

An Introduction... I'm Finally the Groom

As the Groom of a Wedding Planner who is planning her own wedding, one would think the process is going to be seamless. However, I don’t think anything happening isn’t out of the ordinary for a typical Bride and Groom.

Alex is the love of my life, and I could never imagine my life without her. We’ve been together for nearly a decade, unfortunately, the time and effort we’ve put into our relationship has no effect on the obstacle that is: planning a wedding.

Photo Courtesy of OnceWed

I’ve watched her establish her company with much success over the past several years, helped her along the way and witnessed firsthand, on many occasions what goes into a wedding. I’d like to say I could count the number of centerpieces I’ve carried, the chairs I’ve moved, or the chargers I’ve set up, but the numbers are much larger than one can remember. And I have a great memory.

Because Alex is a wedding planner, she and everyone else is expecting so much out of our wedding, it’s putting a tremendous amount of pressure on Alex and myself to deliver an event that is nothing less than mind-blowing. Is this fair? No, of course not, but life isn’t fair, and neither are weddings. They’re expensive, time-consuming, and the number one cause of migraines among men ages 25-31.

Alex is also the bride in this case, not just the wedding planner. I tried to order the partial-planning package, but I just didn’t think it suited my needs, nor was it a realistic option. I have been awarded the full service, in your face, going to make you do things you never imagined package and I’m okay with that. Hence, here I am, writing a wedding blog, on a wedding website, for my fiancé, the wedding planner.

Photo Courtesy of Chiq Weddings

Thanks for reading, there will be more to come over the next 6 months. I'm sure it will get more interesting. I don't see how it couldn't.

Very Special New Series Coming To The Sterling Blog!

Happy Thursday! Today's a special post as I'm going personal with you which many of you know I don't do very often.

As most of you know, I myself got engaged last November. So far the planning has been amazing and a very special experience. I'm very lucky because I really do have the best Groom in the world for me, right by my side every step of the way.

Starting tomorrow, April 1st, 2011 which happens to be the 6-month mark until our day, my Groom will be sharing with you a little bit of what's happening behind the scenes with our planning. I felt it would be a unique perspective for our clients, prospective clients, friends & colleagues to be able to share in the experience of what it's like and has been like to be "A Wedding Planner's Groom".

Photo Courtesy of Ashleigh Taylor Photography

Stay tuned for fun stories, funny moments, inspiration and a sneak peek at what's to come on October 1st, 2011 as Jonathan and I say I do. This series will all be told by my favorite man in the world, my soon-to-be husband.

Thanks so much and can't wait to see your feedback, comments and more. Feel free to give him a warm welcome, comment and ask him what you want to know!