You know what combo hits it out of the park each and every time? The wonderful images of Docuvitae and every single wedding they capture. Yes, that is indeed a show-stopping match that we welcome with open arms here at Style Me Pretty. Lyndsey Hamilton Events crafted this Malibu fete and it is equal parts classic and modern with a whole lot of color and one swoontastic Vera Wang frock mixed in. See more of the day here!
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From the Bride… We knew right away that Kelly from Lyndsey Hamilton Events was the planner for us after our initial meeting. She was very easy to talk to, knew her stuff, and from what we saw from photos of other LHE events, they had the exact same aesthetic we wanted for our wedding. And it was the right choice: Kelly meticulously handled every single detail with a smile, never lost her cool, had some great ideas but was never pushy about anything, and is just an all-around amazing, incredibly organized and wonderful person. Any bumps along the way (there might’ve been a few at most) were met with a sense of humor and then smoothed over. We feel incredibly fortunate we were able to collaborate with Kelly and Lyndsey on our wedding day.
For our venue, the private Church Estate in Malibu was just perfect. No ocean view, but the expansive grounds were so lush and beautiful—and we could have it all to ourselves. From the boathouse and pond to the vineyards to the horse barn to the tennis court to the creek, there was so much flora and fauna filled space for us and our guests to explore. The bridal party prepped in the spacious upstairs master bedroom, with a balcony overlooking the lawn, what a perfect perch. Our dinner in the courtyard almost felt like a garden party, and the lawn where the ceremony was held overlooked the cliffs of Malibu, which is very near to our hearts because Ben lived in Malibu when we first started dating and we spent a lot of time getting to know each other there.
We chose Campanile as our caterer. Mark Peel (the Executive Chef of Campanile) and his wife Daphne Brogdon are Ben’s good friends, so naturally we wanted to enlist the help of friends to make the day as personal as possible. Ben and I had a few wine and food tastings at their La Brea restaurant, and it was hard to narrow down the menu choices because everything was so good! People are still raving about the pork belly appetizers (moi included), potato gnocchi with truffles and afterparty snacks. Also, their wait staff was topnotch.
My cousin, Marcia, is an interior decorator in Toronto, Canada, but came out of retirement as an invitation designer to create my save the date cards and invitations. We went with heavy-duty duplex and three shades for the letterpress. I am a huge paper lover, and these far exceeded my expectations. They were so elegant, yet modern and really set the tone for the day. Marcia also sent extra paper to be used throughout the grounds. Having a close relative be so intimately involved with the invitations meant so much to me, and was another personal touch that both Ben and I were so glad to have.
The ladies of Fiore Beauty did my hair and makeup. They listened to what I wanted and amped up the drama just a bit more for the big day, and I LOVED my hair and makeup. All the bridesmaids were happy with their looks, too. And Jaime, the owner, couldn’t have been more accommodating and lovely. Afterward, she sent a CD of the music that they played while we were getting ready, to remind me of that special morning. What a wonderful and thoughtful touch. AMAZING.
Our dessert table and cake were created by Jin Patisserie. Jin is just around the corner from where we live in Venice on the very trendy and chic Abbott Kinney Blvd. I’d been going there for years to buy birthday cakes because the flavors are very unique and the cakes are works of art, and knew I wanted them to make my cake. The flavors they came up with were truly delicious and slightly unusual. We did different flavors for each layer: chocolate with caramel and sea salt, green tea with ginger filling, raspberry with vanilla cream. All to die for! Annabelle, the baker, is a genius and a really lovely person.
Our escort cards were created by Peony & Plum. Susan blew up a photo of Ben and I on a motorcycle road test for his magazine, Popular Mechanics. The photo was cut up into little rectangular magnets with names of guests and their table number, which they could use on their fridge afterward. And behind the magnets was another copy of the exact same image so we could take hang it in our home…bonus!
Our officiant was Pastor Robert Garber, an old family friend. We flew Pastor Bob out from Pennsylvania to marry us. He and his church sponsored my family when they were refugees of the Vietnam War back in 1975. Though we moved away and settled in California, we stayed in touch over the years. Pastor Bob was the officiant at my two elder brothers’ weddings, so of course I wanted him there for mine. The mood he set during the ceremony was playful, fun, which was exactly what we wanted, but it was also serious when appropriate, natch. Having our old family friend marry us was one of the most special moments of our day.
We chose Laura and Rebecca from Docuvitae as our photographers. They are pretty fabulous at what they do. Unbelievable that their shots, except for the portraits, aren’t posed. They captured a lot of beautiful moments from our wedding day, and they’ve always been so passionate about what they do and it shows in the quality of their work. We’ve been thrilled with how the slideshow and all the photos have turned out.
Wedding Photography: Laura Kleinhenz of Docuvitae / Second Shooter: Rebecca of Docuvitae / Wedding Planning & Coordination: Kelly Dunphy of Lyndsey Hamilton Events / Wedding Venue: Church Estate Vineyards / Catering: Campanile / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Groom’s Suit: Custom, Giorgio Armani / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Flower Girl Dresses: Us Angels / Hair & Makeup: Fiore Beauty / Wedding Invitations: Cousin of the Bride / Floral Design: Hoot & Heart / Church Estate Maps: Hoot & Heart / Tent & Flooring Rental: Zephyr Tents / Furniture Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Wedding Signs, Favors & Menu Board: Melangerie / Wedding Cake & Dessert Table: Jin Patisserie / Officiant: Pastor Robert Garber / Escort Cards: Peony & Plum