What happens when a reality TV star ties the knot with camera crews in tow? Well, when that star just so happens to be Morgan Stewart of Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, it equals a glamourous affair with steal-worthy moments at every turn. No surprise, Morgan and her hubby Brendan Fitzpatrick brought on an A-list vendor entourage including Wish Wonder Dream, The Butter End Cakery, Contemporary Catering, Found Vintage Rentals, and Closer to Love captured it all. Love the luxe wedding vibe? Sit tight for a get-the-look breakdown later today!
From Wish Wonder Dream…Morgan is my first cousin and it was a very sincere honor to coordinate her and Brendan’s wedding. Brendan is a great guy and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him at our annual holiday dinners over the last few years. Morgan’s parents, Susan and Herb, are my aunt and uncle. So this was very much a family affair and my daughter, Avery was even the Flower Girl.
Morgan and I had lunch in Sherman Oaks last August and we exchanged stories about our lives since we last saw each other. I had a new baby and she had become engaged to Brendan. She mentioned that she was really excited to begin planning the wedding but hadn’t begun yet. So I was really excited when she asked me to be her coordinator and I knew my team would be in for a wild ride, because the process would be documented for season 4 of Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. I managed all the planning and design leading up to the big day and then I handed the reigns to my team on the wedding day, so I could attend as a guest. Thus I have the unique perspective of knowing what it was like both to plan and attend her wedding.
Morgan’s style is classic, timeless, elegant, chic, and traditional but with a surprising twist. From the first day, Morgan and Brendan were heavily involved in the designing process and both knew they wanted a white wedding. Brendan’s favorite designer is Tom Ford and he appreciates his modern, clean lines with luxurious and timeless appeal. That was a source of inspiration from him, throughout the process.
Morgan’s dress was custom-designed by Badgley Mischka and she flew out several times to their New York boutique for creative meetings and fittings. She worked in collaboration with them and ultimately landed on this two piece lace gown. She described is as “Grace Kelly circa 2016.” Brendan work a blue Tom Ford tuxedo. He changed shirt midway through the wedding day so he’d always be wearing a fresh, clean shirt.
When it came to selecting a venue, Morgan and Brendan kept saying she wanted modern elegance but with a romantic component. Over time it became more and more apparent to me that the right venue was actually Sitting Bull at Hummingbird Nest Ranch. I knew once filming season began for “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills”, their availability would become far more limited. Thus a venue closer to home would be preferable, especially knowing how involved they wanted to be. The venue brought the “old” and we’d bring the “new” in the styling, florals, and furniture selections.
Bloom Box Designs absolutely nailed the vision with large arrangements of calla lilies, roses, and jasmine, and lily of the valley. Morgan was not a fan of orchids, garden roses, peonies, or hydrangeas. Fayaz Chamadia, the owner of Bloom Box Designs was such a pleasure to work with. He went above and beyond by creating a custom wood runway aisle for the ceremony (he managed to build a flat and level runway on a slope) and then lined the runway with white delphinium and it looked like a fairytale. Walking down the aisle gave the illusion of floating across a field of beautiful flo wers and it was incredible. Bloom Box also provided arrangements of beautiful yellow roses for the Rehearsal D inner at Hotel Bel Air .
Trish Hook from Classic Party Rentals assisted us quite a bit with the rentals. We rented almost everything from Classic Party Rentals , including the chameleon chairs for reception, the glassware and china, the bars, and the furniture from the cocktail lounge vignette. The ceremony chairs were very important to Morgan and she really felt they made the look. They came from Revelry Event Designers. We also rented a few pieces of furniture for the After-Party from Found Rentals. La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals” provided the lovely table linens on the cocktail tables, the cake and dessert tables, the welcome table, and a few other key tables.
Morgan and Brendan did not see each other prior to the wedding and they did not do a First Look. So I built the timeline to include an extended Cocktail Hour. After Morgan and Brendan were finished taking formal photos, they joined their guests for the second half of cocktail hour. Brendan was adamant about attending the second half because there was a full live raw bar (with oysters shucked upon guests’ request) and a charcuterie bar, where wine/cheese experts paired charcuterie to the guests’ chosen beverage. Brendan was especially excited about those two displays and didn’t want to miss them. The Cocktail Hour also included a top-shelf open bar and tray-passed hors’ d oeuvres.
We decorated several beautiful gold bar backs with champagne flutes, candles, and floral arrangements and positioned them at the entrance of the reception tent. As guests arrived at the tent, they took their champagne flute with their name and table assignment etched on an acrylic stir stick.
All guests sat at custom-made acrylic tables with table tops upholstered in suede Morgan and Brendan strongly disliked round tables – I believe “hate” was the word, so Bloom Box Designs made them in a mix of square and rectangular tables. At each place setting was a custom menu from Heirloom Paper Co (who also created their wedding invitation suite, matchboxes, cocktail napkins, and asst. signage). The menu had each guests’ name in calligraphy at the top. Also at each place setting was a Swiss Chocolate, to honor Morgan’s Swiss heritage.
After the wedding reception wrapped around 11:30, guests went to the Motorcourt area in Sitting Bull, where we’d set up a cool Moroccan-inspired setting. We used lounge furniture in neutral colors, and then added pops of color with Moroccan rugs, lanterns, and lots of pillows from Found Rentals. Everyone had a blast at the after party and it went until about 3:00 am. Overall, the night went off without a single hitch. Morgan, Brendan, and their 150 guests had the time of their lives and people are still raving about how beautiful and intentional every detail was. Oh and they’re raving about Morgan’s dress!
Photography: Closer to Love Photography | Cinematography: Pixel Perfect Wedding Films | Wedding Dress: Badgley Mischka | Cake: The Butter End Cakery | Jewelry: Martin Katz | Makeup: Ernesto Casillas | Hair: David Stanwell | Calligraphy: Angela Interiano | DJ: Who's That DJ | Groom's Attire: Tom Ford | Officiant: Officiant Eric | Venue: Hummingbird Nest Ranch | After Party Rentals: Found Rental Co. | Catering + Desserts: Contemporary Catering and Event Production | Coordination + Styling: Wish Wonder Dream | Floral Design, Custom Table, Tabletop Decor + Etched Stir Sticks: BloomBox Designs | Flower Girl Basket: Micheles Cottage | Linen Rentals: BBJ La Tavola | Modern Rentals: Revelry Event Designers | Orchestra: West Coast Music | Photo Booth: Vox DJs | Rentals + Lighting: Classic Party Rentals | Stationery, Cocktail Napkins, Signage + Matchboxes: Heirloom Paper Co.