Beautiful Northwest

Love is a beautiful thing…especially when you’re lucky enough for it to find you the second time around.  That is what happened for Ruby and I was so excited when she asked me to come up to Seattle to help her plan her dream wedding.  Her first wedding, having been in her teens in Vietnam, wasn’t quite what she had always hoped it would be.  Not because she wasn’t in love, but because she was so young and didn’t know what life would bring.

This time around, she wanted a totally “American” wedding and wanted to incorporate every tradition she could for herself and her groom!  We made sure to get everything checked off her list, even when I had to explain to her what “something blue” meant and what a garter was.  Ruby was up for anything and was quite a delight in her mermaid dress, higher than high shoes and flowers galore.

I had such a fun time flying up and feeling a bit of fall.  The skies managed to hold back rain long enough for us to get some gorgeous water-front pictures.

Wedding Planner: Christina Logan Design

Venue: The Woodmark Hotel, Seattle WA

Photographer: Jillian Rose Photography

Flowers: Distinctive Designs Florist, Anna Brandt

that glow

I need to start with sharing that I love kids.  Think they’re adorable, love goofing around with them, j’adore my two beautiful nephews.  That said, I am terrified of pregnancy and then, being a mom.  I think the whole thing is totally alien and very animalistic which makes me feel like I’m a female dog, and it creeps me out to think that something is actually growing inside of someone.  And then after that little terrifying part of actually having the child, I know I am going to be the “bad guy”.  I remember my mom saying she was the bad guy a million times growing up and I dutifully rolled my eyes.  And now, it’s payback.  I am doomed.  I train my dog with the same discipline that I plan on training  raising my children (though I probably shouldn’t pin them down just to prove I’m alpha), and I know they are going to hate me for it and dad is going to be way more fun.

However, when I look at people like this gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, mama to be, it all seems to have a purpose.  I mean, do you see that glow?!  It was hard for me to even choose a few to share because I loved them so much.  Jillian is just radiating and I felt so lucky that she trusted me enough to ask me to take some of her ridiculously beautiful maternity pics (since she couldn’t do it herself) just a month before she is ready to meet her little man.  So I guess it all must totally be worth it.  We’ll see what she says when she reports back on her sleepless first few months and she has the urge to pin the little dude.

The Other Side.

I went to a baby shower on Sunday and got to do a complete roll reversal.  Normally I love to be involved in the planning process in any possible form, but this time, I got to sit back and relax.  Why?  Because this mama to be has more friends and loved ones than anyone I know.  Seriously.  I think within 1 month of announcing she was pregnant about 5 people said they wanted to throw her a baby shower.    I was a little late when I started asking how I could help when she was “only” 5 months along, not knowing that it was well in the works!

That said, there were about 7 people already involved in making this shower a success.  Doesn’t hurt that one of her bff’s is an awesome florist, Tenley Erin Young and she has a storage room full of decor that is drool worthy.  I was thrilled when one of the ladies asked me to make a guest book and table tents – done.  So when the soon-to-be-mama Jillian, a photographer, asked if we could go early to help set up, I almost smacked her!  Knowing that meant she would also want to take pictures (and that I have a very hard time sitting still), I decided to take on the job myself, not allowing her to do a thing but chat, open presents, and eat *ahem* four cupcakes (okay, they were mini ones!).

Since Jill and her husband Corey have already named their baby boy, Myers, I decided to make his monogram for the wall and have everyone sign it.  This way all of the couple’s friends and family would be looking over the baby every day.  I took these simple letters from Michael’s (the phone shows the size to scale).

Then I chose a few different simple easy to paint patterns for the letters.  The shower was green and grey colors, so I opted for a fun chartreuse.

Then I made a little sign and asked the guests to sign away!   

And wha-la!

All set for the baby’s new room 🙂  Enjoy the rest of the beautiful shower!

Sweet Somis Love!

I’m not gonna lie.  I’d never even heard of Somis, CA when I got the call one afternoon from Michele, mother of the groom.  Not that that would stop me in a million years from heading their way, so I set out for a sweet little town just beyond Camarillo where there were beautiful farms, rolling hills and the gorgeous Julie about to wed her beloved Jared.

The wedding took place in the mother of the groom’s backyard which was right on a golf course (yes, my husband is drooling). Talk about a house to dream for with a backyard that was built nothing short of an entertainer’s haven (and then I began to drool!).  I couldn’t have been more excited to meet Michele and learn all about her past as an event planner.  She did an amazing job with this wedding and asked me to step in to follow through with her vision.  I mean, she actually worked on Brad and Jen’s wedding – as in the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.  Ridiculous.

The day was full of tatooed men (yup, Jared is a tattoo artist) and sweet little ladies, and home made DIY flare that transformed the countryclub pool area into another world.  Thanks to a lot of hard workers, this wedding turned out beautifully.

Event Coordinator: Christina Logan Design

Photographer: Stacey Millet Photography

Flowers: Michele Craft & helpers

Lighting: Brite Star Lighting

Venue: Somis Country Club

Classic Santa Barbara Beauty

It is just over a month since the gorgeous nuptials of Katie and Kyle Jones!  We had so much fun at La Cumbre Country Club for this perfect Santa Barbara fall day.

I absolutely adore Katie and Kyle.  Katie and I even went to USC at the same time, I just wish I’d known her when we were there, because she is hysterical and intelligent and quite the catch! Kyle, pay attention!

Katie chose gorgeous soft periwinkle, blue and peach as her colors, and boy did they pop against her gorgeous lace gown!  So happy to have been a part of it all!

Venue: La Cumbre Country Club

Wedding Coordinator: Christina Logan Design

Photography: Jillian Rose Photography

Flowers: Stella Bloom Flowers

Santa Barbara Four Seasons

When I was a Junior in college I was studying abroad in Spain.  It was the best experience of my life and there is very little I would have changed.  One of those things: missing my cousin Colleen’s wedding.  She was older and so beautiful and had the cutest boyfriend and had told me about her fairy-tale ideas… I was just so bummed to be missing out.  The wedding was to be held at The Biltmore Santa Barbara – today, known as the Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara.

Needless to say, I was elated to be asked to help Mariam & Gilbert with their big day up in SB!  I was finally going to be able to attend the wedding that I wanted to see all along…except I guess this time I would be working it.  I didn’t mind!

This wedding was so over the top gorgeous and flowing with whites and elegance.  The flowers were insane, the champagne was flowing, class was everywhere.  I was so happy to be a part of such a beautiful couple’s big day!

Thanks to the Ballow’s!

Venue: Four Seasons, Santa Barbara

Event Coordination: Christina Logan Design

Photography: Melissa Musgrove Photography

Flowers: Cody Florals

Lighting: Ambient Event Design

And three makes family

Now this was one happy union that I could not have been more thrilled to be a part of.  Not only did Kara find the love of her life, Jon, but she got lucky enough that he came with a  gorgeous daughter Caroline – and the three could not be more beautiful together.  From the moment I met these three, I knew I would fall in love with them too.  The joy is so thick it is tangible, and everyone at this 200 person affair could feel it in the air!

What’s even crazier…before the rehearsal as we are unloading their SUV of endless fun decor items, I turn to my left and was startled to be looking at a familiar face. One of my very favorite teachers from the 5th grade, Mr. Robak was there.  Turns out, Kara’s brother married Mr. Robak’s daughter!  After a good laugh he says that I can officially call him Glenn, but we’ll see about that.  And their family gets even greater and greater!

Enjoy these ridiculously gorgeous photos and tell me you don’t feel love leaping from the page.

Venue: Malibu & Vine

Event Coordinator: Christina Logan Design

Photographer: Zoom Theory Photography

Flowers: Stems with Katie Daniell

Calling all Campers

It could not have been a more gorgeous weekend down here in LA!  It was the perfect day to help craft up a backyard baby shower, and these folks went all out!  We had a camper, a tent, s’mores, an extravagant cake in the shape of a tent, build-a-baby games and bbq with a real eagle scout manning the grill.  It was a lot of fun and I was so happy to team up with Jillian Rose Photo again for this ridiculously adorable baby shower!  Congrats Sara and Jason, I don’t doubt that Baby Cruz is going to be born into a family full of love!

Malibu Hills

I am so thrilled to FINALLY get to show off these pictures of the beautiful Mr. and Mrs. McColl who were married on June 2nd at Malibu & Vine!  I had so much fun in the whirlwind of wedding planning with Betsy & Dan.  They hired me only a month before the wedding, so it was crunch time and we had a lot on our plates!  But when you see these two so madly in love here, you can tell it was so much fun to help them with all the little details. Trust me, these pics were worth the wait!  Michael + Anna Costa Photography shoot only in film (when was the last time you heard that!), so while it may take a little longer to get the photos back, you can just see the magic that happens behind the camera.  Thank you for sharing these gorgeous pics and congrats again to the happy couple!

Wedding Planning: Christina Logan Design

Venue: Malibu & Vine at Malibu Country Club

Photography: Michael + Anna Costa Photography

Flowers: Tina’s Flowers

Cake & Desserts: Susie’s Cakes

Make-up: Lauren Feist

Hair: Canyon Salon

Dress: Mon Amie

June in Seattle

With Seattle weather, you never know what you’re going to get!  Okay, well that’s not exactly true.  You pretty much assume you’re gonna get rain, and become overjoyed when the clouds part and a little piece of sunshine heads your way.  Nothing could be more true of my trip to Seattle in June for the gorgeous wedding of Gabriela & Keith Northrup!

With showers all day before the wedding, miracles sent the sun and blue skies our way just hours before the wedding was to begin.  The bride was glowing, the groom was full of emotion and the bridesmaids had on gorgeous green to match the beautiful greenery surroundings. The wedding took place at the bride’s former high school where her father was the headmaster.  Going into retirement at the close of the 2012 school year, it was an emotional and unforgettable event for everyone!

Wedding Planning & Design: Christina Logan Design

Venue: Overlake School, Redmond WA

Flowers: Distinctive Design Florist

Catering: City Catering Company

DJ: Sean Antonius

Photographer: Rita Hill Photography and Christina Logan

Stationary: Capture Creative Affairs