Today's Bride Photoshoot

A couple of months ago, I was asked to be a part of a cover shoot for the fabulous Today's Bride. It was a total honor and an amazing opportunity to collaborate with some of the best of the best in the industry, including Maria Chang of Professional Makeup Artistry, Jennifer Skog, Gloria Wong Tritasavit, Nouvelle Vogue, Blueprint Studios, Enhanced Lighting, and Andrew Hsu of Studio MSV. The shoot took place at the iconic Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange Building in the heart of San Francisco's financial district. Here is a sneak preview. Look out for the new Today's Bride issue coming soon!

Black Tie Wedding at the Bently Reserve

I can't really say any one wedding is my 'favorite', because I really do love all my weddings in their own special ways. I have yet to have two weddings where it looked or felt the same. The clients are always different, their visions are different, and their experiences are very different.

Planning Helen and Hwa's wedding was like planning a wedding for a friend. From our very first phone consultation from across the country, we really established a strong trust and rapport. Helen's all about meticulous spreadsheets and flowcharts to keep organized, and I got excited over that because I am the same way!

Helen and Hwa, besides being extremely smart (she just got accepted the Harvard for her Masters when we first started planning the wedding), are also very fun-loving with one another and has the love, respect, and admiration for one another that every couple desires to have. It was an absolute pleasure to work with them!

Both being successful bankers in NYC, they naturally fell in love with the Bently Reserve in San Francisco as their wedding venue. In collaboration with the uber talented Nancy Liu Chin, we created a sophisticated, elegant black tie soiree for Helen, Hwa, and their guests who traveled from all over the world to be a part of this celebration.

A few weeks prior to the wedding, Helen had a few surprises for Hwa that she asked me to help her with. Ofcourse, I was more than eager to help her 'make it happen'! One of the surprises was for the Golden Gate String Quartet to play the Michigan Fight Song as Hwa walked down the aisle during the Processional, as a tribute to his school. Hwa, as reserved as he usually was, couldn't help breaking into a grin when he realized what tune he was walking down the aisle to. It was fantastic!

Componere Fine Catering was the caterer for this beautiful black, white, and pink Bently Reserve wedding, and they totally added the wow factor with creative delicacies such as:

Warm Goat Cheese-Pistachio Croquettes with Red Wine Poached Pear

Mini Kobe Beef Burgers with Slow Roasted Tomato, Garden Micro Arugala and White Truffle Aioli

Reverse BLT: Fried Green Tomatoes, Black Pepper Bacon, Fresh Mozzarella and Arugala

After a sumptuous dinner, guests dance the night away with Pop Rocks, In and Out burgers, red velvet cake by Butterfly Cakes, and milkshake shooters!

This wedding was recently featured in Style Me Pretty! Check it out here.

Thank you to my A team of Event Professionals that worked tirelessly alongside me to produce this stunning soiree for Helen and Hwa!

Event Planner/Producer: Jubilee Lau Events
Event/Floral Designer: Nancy Liu Chin Designs
Venue: Bently Reserve
Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz Photography
Cinemtaography: Kevin Chin Cinema
Caterer: Componere Fine Catering
Makeup and Hair Stylist: Get Your Do Up
Officiant: Diana Morgan
Ceremony and Cocktail Musicians: Golden Gate Strings
Band: Pop Rocks
Lighting and Draping: Enhanced Lighting
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Specialty Furniture and Props: Blueprint Studios
Cake Designer: Butterfly Cakes
Transportation: Classic Cable Car 
Paper Goods: Peculiar Pair Press

Stylish Wedding at the De Young Museum

It's been awhile since I've blogged, because I have been so busy with many beautiful, fantastic weddings this Fall. I can't wait to share the photos here. To start, here is a recent wedding we had the pleasure of planning for Carolyn and David-- a fun, down to earth, witty couple that entrusted their entire wedding planning to us, with one goal:

"We want to be a guest at our own wedding and party, and have FUN!"

No grand entrance, no first dance, no formal portraits.....just a good 'ole time with friends and family!

They married inside the Piazzoni Mural Room in front of a Eucalyptus wood table filled with a dynamic interplay of glass, stones, and arching stems of white flowers by Hunt Littlefield.

After a short and sweet ceremony, Carolyn and David led their guests to Hamon Tower, located on the top floor of the museum with a 360 degree panoramic view of San Francisco. As guests enjoyed an array of hors d'oeurves and an open bar by the renown Paula Le Duc Fine Catering, our team hustled and bustled downstairs to transform the Wilsey Court for their dinner and dancing.

My very talented partner Gloria Wong of Gloria Wong Design did a phenomenal job designing a refined, stylish wedding for our clients that blended beautifully with the contemporary style of the museum. Along with Neil Hunt of Hunt Littlefield, they played with sleek, textured materials and used unusual, whimsical elements to create the look and feel that Carolyn wanted.

After a delicious dinner, we reopened the Piazzoni Mural Room which became a museum exhibit. We used faux museum display plinths to showcase a variety of Carolyn and David's personal memorabilia. At the center of the room was a 10' wish tree, allowing guests to hang their hand written note cards expressing their well wishes for the couple. Guests also got to enjoy a beautiful dessert buffet and a fun photobooth with silly props.

Thank you to an amazing team who made this happen!

Event Planner/Producer: Jubilee Lau Events
Venue: De Young Museum
Caterer: Paula Le Duc Fine Catering
Event Designer: Gloria Wong Design
Floral Designer: Hunt Littlefield
Photographer: Lisa Lefkowitz (all photos above by Lisa!)
Makeup and Hair Stylist: Get Your Do Up
Cake:: Cakework
Lighting: Enhanced Lighting
Wall Flats and Specialty Furniture Rentals: Blueprint Studios
Dinner Chairs: Hartmann Studio
Ceremony Chairs and Tabletop Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Photobooth: Photoworks Interactive
DJ: Ron Grandia
Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Musicians: Golden Gate Strings
Paper Goods: Olive-Route
Transportation: Pure Luxury