Gorgeous and Green

I was on my way to rendezvous with Guitar Fred, when I walked by a cute store that beckoned to me with a wall of succulents. Yes, a wall. My jaw dropped and I wandered in and to the right, I saw a wall of jewel-toned vintage glass and plenty of fine white milk glass (which is what we're using in our 10/10/10 wedding). I then realized that this was the new retail shop for Gorgeous and Green Events by Pilar Zuniga that I had heard about from three of my bride-clients!

I have admired Pilar's work from afar and I was excited to get up close and personal. Brides -- if you're looking to bring inspiration you see on Style Me Pretty or 100 Layer Cake to life, you must stop here. If you decide to DIY, you can purchase or rent pieces from Pilar. Or, just hire her! The following is my interview with Pilar.

Q. How did you get started?

A. I've always been crafty and creative and grew up doing floral design with my Aunt, but I really jumped in to wedding and event design with my own wedding. My husband and I wanted to plan a celebration that would be sustainable and not as polluting as most weddings and events. So, I did a lot of research and started to become my own green wedding expert. After helping a few friends, I decided to start a business.

Q. What do you love most about designing events? What inspires you?

A. I love being creative. A full day of work will go by and I won't realize it, because I get to use my brain and make things with my hands, it's what I love. I try to get inspired by the people I work with and their stories. Of course, I also get inspired by living things, plants, flowers, animals, the forest, etc. I also like most things vintage, so I'm partial to the 1940's and 1960's and everything kitchy about old eras, like Candy stores from Willy Wonka or Diamonds, Pearls and Silk and Black and White movies from Hollywood.

Find out more about Gorgeous and Green and what surprises Pilar most about being married at the Bay Area Bride Guide.

I-Do Wedding...Hair

 

{I-Do's Wedding Hair by Dianna Perona}

As a wedding coordinator, a lot of my clients ask me for recommendations for bridal makeup and hair. One of my recent “discoveries” is Dianna Perona of I-Do’s Wedding Hair, based in Palo Alto.

Since I’m getting married this year too, I had Dianna give me a hair trial. Our wedding style will be vintage, with a dash of Southern bluegrass goodness. I’m planning to wear a birdcage veil and Dianna recommended I go with finger waves. It turned out very cute!

I asked her to share what brides should bring to a hair consultation and perhaps this might help you in your search for a hair stylist:

My trial-run appointments are 2-hours long. We would have a thorough discussion about all of the details of the day and then choose different hair looks to try. The end result is a custom hair design for their signature bridal look. I would ask that they bring a camera, any veil or headpiece that they may have, any magazine pictures of styles they like, a picture of the dress, and invite a girlfriend, a mom, etc. - Dianna Perona, I-Do's Wedding Hair

[Continue reading my  interview with Dianna at the Bay Area Bride Guide.]

As for pricing, brides can save money by getting their hair done at a stylist's studio versus on-site. For example, some stylists, like Dianna require a minimum (usually $1,000) for on-site hair and makeup (that's $200 for the bride and $150 for all others).  Otherwise, if the bride and her attendants get done up at the stylist's salon/studio, they aren't held to a minimum (as is the case with Dianna).  This can also allow you to be flexible in choosing a makeup artist; if you do your homework, perhaps you can find a makeup artist that works for Benefit, MAC or She Uemura and gigs on the side (and may possibly charge less than a stylist who does both hair and makeup). In the end, it's helpful to have a wide range of options for bridal makeup and hair. 

If you're on a budget and willing to go to a salon in the same town you're getting married, I suggest you look into it as it usually costs a little bit less than hiring a makeup artist to go on location. At the same time, definitely schedule a consultation regardless if the stylist works out of a salon/studio or independent (on-site) -- you want to be sure whomever you end up choosing is the right fit in terms of being able to execute the look you want to achieve and also if their personality and professionalism suits you.

P.S. In case you're wondering, I'm going with a makeup artist who will be doing my makeup and hair on-site (at our hotel). I'll reveal who in a future post!

One to watch: Aaron Lee Films

For the San Francisco brides, every Thursday on the brand-new Bay Area Bride Guide, I'm going to introduce you to local vendors you should consider in your search. I've found these vendors on my own, probably like you have -- combing wedding websites, blogs, online review sites, Craigslist, you name it.

In the coming weeks, you'll be meeting an affordable jeweler with ethereal tastes, the most outgoing hair stylist I've ever met to date, and a down-to-earth photographer with a great eye.

On this inaugural post, I'm pleased to introduce you to Aaron Lee, of Aaron Lee Films, based in San Francisco, whom my colleague, Corina Beczner of Vibrant Events recommended. I've enjoyed Aaron's videos, as seen on his website, and his amiable personality shines through!

Here's a snippet and you can continue reading at Bay Area Bride Guide. 

{Mike and Melissa from Aaron Lee on Vimeo}

What is your favorite part of a wedding?

Wow, it's tough to choose one part of the wedding day as my favorite. But I'm going to go with the vows. That's truly the moment. Up there, in front of everyone, eye to eye with each other, and you make that commitment, you say those words, tears roll, and you cross a threshold in life.

What has been your favorite wedding so far? What made it so special?

One of my favorite weddings was Heatherose and James. I think that the couple's clearly unique style, and intense love for each other and their circle of friends made for such an emotional day. Add in the dramatic setting of the Scottish Rite temple in Oakland, and the pure good luck of working with Ben Chrisman and I can't think of a wedding that inspired me more. Heatherose and James are fearless people. They take life seriously, and celebrate love.

What would be your dream wedding to film?

I want to film a Philippine wedding. Like, "in the Philippines" Philippine. I don't know if you're familiar with the weddings there, but I love the culture, the architecture, the family bonds, and the desire of the clients to have amazing videos. It's a big deal over there. Videographers are hired before the photographers. Imagine that!

Continue reading at Bay Area Bride Guide.