I was referred to Anna and Will by her cousin Liza, who is a dear friend and past bride of mine. Anna and Will live in Davis, CA, but were having their wedding at the Fig and Olive in Hollywood. Anna, Will, and I did all of our pre-wedding meetings via FaceTime, because they were not able to travel down to SoCal before the wedding. They were assisted greatly by their awesome wedding coordinator Kaci Mallat from XOXO Weddings. I actually met Kaci for coffee prior to my final planning meeting with Anna and Will so we could get on the same page and make the most out of this unique situation.
The big day finally arrived and Anna and Will saw their vision come to life with The Courtyard of the Fig and Olive transformed into a picture perfect wedding venue. Their guests were eager to greet them as Husband and Wife, and the reception started with a fun filled Grand Entrance and a touching first dance. During the toasts, Will’s dad and step mom presented the newlyweds with a glass “Bride’s Bowl.” He explained that this tradition dates back to the 1850s. Guests at weddings used to throw pebbles in front of the bride for good luck. The bride would collect the pebbles, place them in one of these bowls, and keep them in the home as a token of luck and prosperity. Will’s family wanted start a new tradition of presenting this gift at the wedding.
The guests, who were ready to get the party going, made their way to the dance floor and stayed there the whole night. From line dances to the latest dance crazes, everyone enjoyed the revelry happening on the floor. When we had to break for the cake cutting and money dance, I knew there was only one way to keep everyone happy. I announced that the “Money Dance” would be a “Money Party.” Will’s mother is from the Caribbean and wanted to hear a little Soca music. Taking some of Will’s requests, I created a Soca Party Money Dance that was anything but ordinary. The guests kept dancing and the party continued seamlessly afterwards. In fact, we had to end the party earlier than it could have because of sound ordinances. However, at 11pm, we just turned the music down and switched into what I like to call “Lounge Mode.” Of course, this did not stop the guests from doing a series of sing-alongs, which were louder than the music playing. We all had such a great time, none of us wanted to go home. It was at this time that Will’s step mother, Wangari, asked if she could sing a blessing to the bride and groom. She explained to the guests that this was a traditional Kenyan blessing she would sing in her native language. She asked if I could bring in some music at the appropriate time. As she began the song, I literally dropped a beat, and she and the guests synced to it perfectly. (I got some amazed looks for that one…I was pretty amazed myself!) It was the perfect night!
Dave’s recommended vendors from this wedding included:
- XOXO Weddings – Kaci Mallat – www.xoxowed.com
- Fig and Olive – Samantha Heart (Sales Director) – www.figandolive.com
- Lovelit Films – Abigail Collins – www.lovelitfilms.com