Before I even knew this Bride happened to be the talent behind Chandra Abel Designs, I was obsessed with the florals in this wedding. OBSESSED. I may or may not have stared at all the breathtaking bouquets for an embarrassing amount of time. When I found out she arranged them on her own the day of, well that took it to an entirely new level for me. Combine all of that with the talent of All You Need is Love Events and the images from Christine Chang Photography, and you have a fête that takes weddings and their Brides to an entirely new level for sure. See it all here!
Click here for the FULL wedding!
Chandra and Tony were married in the intimate setting of her brother’s backyard — a private estate with almost canyon-like qualities — hillsides lined with century old trees surrounded by white garden roses, nasturtium and lavender, peppered by unique homes on the overlooking edge. The yard was almost completely renovated for the wedding, with every last inch made to serve a purpose. The bride and groom and their family spent every Saturday for the six months leading up to the day planting new blooms and foliage, delicately aiding the wisteria growth for the arch and turning the shed into a stylish but almost gnome-like bar, aptly titled with the couple’s last name, “Petelin Pub.”
As a florist, Chandra knew she wanted flowers to play a large role in the aesthetics of the event. They had to be pieces that would be hardy enough for her to create in advance so that she wasn’t left racing the clock, and of course, they had to live up to the beautiful venue and still create the garden-chic look she was going for. For the arch, she wired bleached manzanita, ghost wood and grape wood onto the existing arch and attached potted white orchids throughout to give it a soft, romantic feel. The large rustic dining tables had substantial potted pieces of the same white blooms, giving Chandra the time to create a different bouquet composed of a single type of flower for each of her nine bridesmaids, with all nine types included in her bridal bouquet.
Chandra and Tony knew they wanted a relaxed atmosphere for their big day with a “garden cocktail party” as their goal and did so by keeping the décor simple and comfortable, yet polished. The bride made striped pillows for each seat, hung Moroccan lanterns found at local consignment shop and incorporated art that her fiance had picked out for her over their years together. No formal dinner was served — there were heavy bites served throughout the evening so that guests could eat, mingle and dance all night long. The boys had cigars and a whisky tasting in the upper garden. Being in the industry, Chandra wanted to take advantage of all of the amazing vendors she’d worked with over the years. She chose Christine Chang to shoot the day, Sweet Catastrophe to create the beautiful cake, FortyOneTwenty to do the cinematography, Stocker Fine Foods to cater and DJ Sota to provide the tunes. But of course the day would not have been the successful event it was without the amazing guidance, organization, and composure provided by Vikki Marsee and Shannon Dexter of All You Need Is Love.
Wedding Photography: Christine Chang Photography / Wedding Venue: The Bride’s Brother’s Home in Laguna Beach, California / Floral Design: Chandra Abel Designs (The Bride) / Event Planning: Vikki Marsee + Shannon Dexter of All You Need is Love Events / Wedding Cinematography: FortyOneTwenty / Catering: Jock of Stalker’s Fine Foods (949-497-7147) / Wedding Cake: Sweet Catastrophe Cakes / DJ: DJ Sota Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Thread