Sterling's 2012 Year-End Review

 

From our family to yours, we wish you a warm, joyful and extra special holiday as the season continues.   

Thank you for inviting us into your lives, special moments and celebrations.  Looking back on 2012, we continue to be humbled by our experiences with our loyal clients, vendors, friends and family.  It’s been an incredible year and our success could not be possible without you.  We are so grateful for all of your endless support, kindness and encouragement.   

Here are some of our favorite moments from the year!

Sarah and Matthew's Southern Wedding in Dallas, Texas!

Photo courtesy of Jessica D'Onofrio Photography

Kate and Rob's Epic Wedding at Cicada 

Photo courtesy of Von Swank Photography  

Corporate Opening Night Party for 4500 at The JW Marriott LA Live & Nokia Plaza   

Corporate After-Party for a Charity Concert featuring Diana Ross

Corporate Summit Multi-Room, Multi-Theme Closing Gala for 4500 guests

 Photos courtesy of Evoke Photography

Emily and Saul's Enchanted Wedding at The Millennium Biltmore Downtown 

 Photo courtesy of Next Exit Photography  

Mirella and Scott's Multi-Ethnic Wedding at Vibiana

 Photo courtesy of Ryan Phillips Photography

BJ and Judie's Glamorous Old Hollywood Inspired Wedding at Majestic Halls

Photo courtesy of Callaway Gable Photography 

 Alexa and Evan's Rustic yet Elegant Wedding at The Bel-Air Bay Club

Photo courtesy of Ryan Phillips Photography

Jen and Marc's Modern Chic Wedding at The Bel-Air Bay Club

 Photo courtesy of Joy Marie Photography 

Jill and Jordan's Natural yet Modern Inspired Wedding at a Private Residence

Photo courtesy of Callaway Gable Photography 

Michelle and David's Rock Concert meets Carnival Inspired Wedding 

Video courtesy of Jennifer Ruiz

Amanda and Hal's High-Fashion Lavish yet Romantic Wedding at a Private Residence

Photo courtesy of Callaway Gable Photography 

 The 1st Annual Huddle Conference in Denver, CO

 Photo courtesy of Matthew Photography  

Myesha and Craig's Modern yet Whimsical Wedding at Cafe Pinot Downtown

Photo courtesy of Adrienne Gunde Photography  

Ani and Patrick's Gorgeous and Glamorous Wedding at the Natural History Museum

Photo courtesy of Kris Khan Photography  

 

Sammy's Music & Lyric Inspired Bar Mitzvah

Photo courtesy of Amber Event Production

 

Corporate Opening Party for 9000 Guests on a Rooftop in Long Beach Roaring Twenties Soiree for 2300 Guests at 

Jesse James' former West Coast Choppers Warehouse 

Photos courtesy of Callaway Gable Photography 

Daniel and Kolette's Rustic Elegant Fall Inspired Wedding 

Photo courtesy of Michael Segal Photography  

Jessica and David's Elegantly Enchanted Vibiana Wedding

Photo courtesy of Docuvitae Photography

New Hollywood Glamour Opening Dinner for 550 Guests in a Parking Structure!

Old Hollywood Glamour Opening Dinner for 950 Guests in a Parking Structure!

A Holiday Journey through Space, Land, Sea and Fantasy Party for 1500 Guests 

Photos courtesy of Photography Christopher Todd Studios

 

We look forward to all that 2013 has to offer.  We cannot wait to design, create and produce extraordinary events for you and yours! 

Warmest Wishes,

Alexandra & The Sterling Engagements Team

Inspired by Lavender!

Aloha from Hawaii!  After an incredibly successful Spring and Summer season, the bulk of our busy season has calmed this week allowing me to take a quick breather in Maui.  So grateful for a little much needed rest and relaxation and of course beautiful inspiration too!

Earlier this week, very early in the morning we traveled to the Haleakala National Park to watch the sunrise and then headed to an amazing breakfast at Kula Lodge.  If you plan to travel to Maui anytime soon, I highly suggest this experience... it was incredible!  You can also bike down the park which I've heard from others is pretty epic as well.

Anyway, following our delicious breakfast I begged for a detour to the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm and it was just stunning.  I felt ever so inspired by this magical place so today's post is dedicated to all things Lavender!

I had to start with this beautiful photo of the actual farm we visited.  I was thrilled to learn that they can accommodate intimate weddings onsite under the gazebo seen in this photo. Wouldn't this be the perfect destination for your Maui wedding followed by a fun reception at the beach...

Photo courtesy of Hawaii FYI

Love this shot.  How sweet is the draped tulle with the mini pots of lavender?  I'm also swooning over this bicycle!  What a perfect backdrop for a bride and groom or even a couple flower girls with ring bearers. 

 Photo courtesy of Pinterest

I also love this place vintage place setting!  The lace placemat over the lilac colored linen with that country plate and the lavender sprigs just take it over the top for me.  Not to mention the super sweet paper flower with the personalized copper name!

Photo courtesy of Heart Love Weddings

Not to mention this blush peach signature cocktail with the lavender sprigs!  I adore the texture the sprigs add and the way these colors compliment each other.

 Photo courtesy of Indulgy

 These bouquets must have the most relaxing and delicious scent.  I bet you'd like to have the aisle seat as these maids walk down it! 

  Photo courtesy of All Things Lavender

The perfect quaint country wedding couldn't be complimented without something extra sweet too right?  How about this lovely lavender inspired Croquembouche?  Pretty sweet right!

Photo courtesy of Swoon

Love this look for a lounge grouping, long belly bar cocktail table or even kings tables as part of a cluster that sweeps down the middle of the table.  The lavender and wheat grass combo is so natural and graceful.   

Photo courtesy of She's Not The Marrying Kind

Very tiny but lovely escort cards with a little goodness tied in.  Love these little ones and I'm sure they smell amazing too!

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Such a perfect bouquet for that rustic wedding at a winery or just outdoors period.  I can see this in the garden, in a field, even at the right destination like Santa Barbara.  So beautiful and so soothing by scent if you can imagine...  

Photo courtesy of Bouquet Bridal

Isn't this just the sweetest of bouts?  I love how delicate it looks but at the same time somewhat complex in texture and neutral with color.  

Photo courtesy of Snippet and Ink

By far one of my favorite photos in the bunch.  Not just for my love for bows but also the texture, the color and again the beautiful aroma this would welcome your guests with!

 Photo courtesy of Etsy

Lavender is also one of the "it" flavors currently in the dessert world.  You'll find it paired with vanilla or a butter cake, with blueberries, honey and even some with chocolate! 

Photo courtesy of Wedding Decor 

I love this!  It can be just the perfect reminder of your inspired by lavender wedding day by giving them a sweet satchel to remember it by.  

Photo courtesy of GCDSpa

Hope these lovely images and ideas inspire you like the fields did for me in lovely Maui.  It's paradise out there but weaving a little lavender in your day is something you can do locally or for your destination wedding anywhere around the world. 

Star's Favorite Things: Welcome Bags & Packages

Your out of town guests are thrilled to be spending the weekend celebrating your day of matrimony; however, even with a blocked room rate, booking a hotel room for the wedding weekend can be costly.  On top of hotel costs, when you include the wedding and bridal shower gifts as well as the new cocktail dress they may have purchased just for your wedding, your guests may feel like they've forked out quite a chunk of change.  We all know they are happy to do it but wouldn't it be nice to give those out of town guests a little something extra to say "thank you"?  Consider surprising them with a welcome package!  It can be waiting for them in their hotel room or at check-in and is a great way welcome your guests and let them know you appreciate their presence.  It is also a chance to set the mood for the weekend ahead and give guests an idea of what they can expect.  A welcome package is a great way to tie your wedding theme in right from the beginning, as well as give your guests an opportunity to get excited about the upcoming festivities.

Start with something to hold the goodies in.  A reusable bag is a great option as guests can reuse them and will think of your wedding every time they pull it out.  If you are a DIY bride, you can purchase inexpensive canvas bags (Oriental Trading has them for less than a two dollars a piece) and stamp or iron your initials, monogram or message on the front.

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Style Me Pretty

I happen to think the stamped option, shown above, is just beautiful and is the easiest DIY option.  Simply choose a rubber stamp (Paper Source has gorgeous options), colored ink and have at it!  

Below is an example of an ironed on monogram.  It is beautiful but requires a bit more work.  Martha Stewart provides a step by step iron on tutorial on her website.

Photo courtesy of The Knot

The above DIY customization is fairly simple ; however, if you are not the creative type and still want to go all out on the bag, there are tons adorable custom bag options out there.  These are some of my favorites...

Photos courtesy of Wedding Chicks

Photos courtesy of Zazzle

If you'd prefer to go the simpler route, boxes, baskets or paper bags are also great goodie holders.  They can be personalized with stamps, ribbons, stickers and/or paper tags and can also save you a few dollars.

Photo courtesy of Ring of Yes

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Once you've chosen your packaging, its time for the fun part... filling it with goodies!  Below are some things you may want to include:

• -A letter from the two of you - This is your chance to welcome guests to your wedding weekend and to thank them for participating in your celebration.  This letter can be short and sweet or detailed with sentiments.
• -Information about your wedding festivities - If your wedding weekend is full of events, a weekend itinerary is a nice extra to include.  If you are hosting a post wedding brunch or offering a shuttle service to and from the wedding site, this would be the ideal place to provide guests with these details.  Even if you've referenced this on your wedding website, it's always helpful to reiterate it for those guests who may have missed it initially.  
• -Information about the area - Since the majority of guests staying at your hotel of choice are not from the area, it is also nice to include a list of restaurants, activities, and fun facts about the area.
• -Snacks and beverages - It is nice to provide some treats for your guests to indulge in when they check into their hotel room or when they need a late night snack after a night of dancing at your wedding!  You can keep things simple by including things like chips, granola bars, candy and bottled waters, or you can go all out with a bottle of Champagne, gourmet nuts or olives, and truffles.
• -Additional items - You may want to include items to make your guest's hotel stay more comfortable.  These items may include a candle for the room, cozy socks or specialty body washes and lotions.  It's also fun to include an item representative of your location.  Things like mugs, shot glasses, stationary, or even specialty treats from the local area are perfect additions.  This could be something like wine for Napa or kona coffee in Hawaii or even a local sport's team token item or souvenir which is always a favorite for the sport's lovers out there.  If your wedding is expected to get wild, you may also want to include recovery items too, such as Advil or Tylenol and a sleep mask :)

Again, these are just ideas to get you started - the possibilities are truly endless!  Remember, this is your opportunity to welcome your guests and set the mood for your wedding weekend.  Your welcome package can be silly and quirky, location specific (e.g. beach wedding), or elegant and luxurious.  Sit down with your love and put some real thought into what you will include and have fun!  If you met at a baseball game, include a bag of peanuts; if he proposed at Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco, include a few mini Ghiradelli chocolate squares; if you are going to Fiji on your Honeymoon, include a bottle or two of Fiji water.  Remember include a note explaining why each item is relevant to your relationship is a nice touch too so they understand why you choose the items you did. 

Below are some of my favorite welcome packages...

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Photo courtesy of The Bride's Cafe

Photo courtesy of Brides Blogs

Photo courtesy of Real Simple

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Style Me Pretty

And something kind of fun to include for the party animals...

Photo courtesy of Intimate Weddings

If a complete welcome package is not in your budget, you can still provide out of town guests with a thoughtful welcome.  Consider something like this...

A tiny flower arrangement and welcome note hanging from their hotel room door.

 
Photo courtesy of Think Garnish

A small package including the morning paper, a pastry and coffee, delivered to their hotel room the morning after your wedding.

Photo courtesy of Think Garnish

Whether your budget is large or small, there are many ways you can give your out of town guests a special welcome.  This gesture will truly make their stay because who doesn't like a little surprise gift?!

Best,  

Star