Utterly Engaged } The 1st Online Wedding & Bridal Magazine. Inspiring Brides with Style.

From Humble Beginnings Come Great Things.

Springtime is a time for new beginnings, a time to celebrate growth and new life. A wedding is the perfect beginning to a new chapter in a couple’s relationship, where two people come together to start their life as husband and wife. In this union comes new happiness to enjoy, new adventures to experience, as well as new challenges to overcome. With this issue, we want to capture the excitement and joy of starting a new beginning, and also remember the simple beauty of the place where it came from.

This issue is graced by so many beautiful imagery of love captured through the lens of renowned photographers, including Elizabeth Messina for “A Lovely Workshop”, where her talented wedding industry friends share tips and inspiration on creating a more lovely day for your wedding, and Jasmine Star in “Leather & Tweed”, where fashion trends for everyday style can be incorporated into your wedding day. Our honeymoon expert, Katie Frederick of Ever After Honeymoons, answered questions from couples who are planning their honeymoon, which is usually the first trip they’ll take as newlyweds. In this issue, we also give you a double dose of He Said / She Said following the love story of two couples with two different beginnings, but both found their true love.

We interviewed two trendsetting women whose humble beginnings are making impacts and changing the industry, if not the world. Wendy Bird, the founder of Pearls with Purpose, shared with us the humble beginning of her pearl jewelry business, that has grown and helped the lives of hundreds of disadvantaged individuals and families in the Philippines and India simply by teaching them how to make jewelry and by responding to their basic needs. We’re also excited to share with you the story behind drop it MODERN, a contemporary backdrop company that started in a garage by Breanne Schaap, who was out to challenge the norm within the photography industry and introduced fresh, modern, printed backdrops for photographers and couples alike.

Putting together this issue, we feel utterly grateful for all the beauty that surrounds us and for our readers and contributors that have supported us all this time. We are nervous and excited as we approach our 4th year and cannot wait to welcome another new chapter in Utterly Engaged and invite you to embark on this adventure with us. And with this new year, we’re also gearing up to welcome another birth in our growing family, as our Co-Founder Henny is expecting her third child this summer. Congratulations to her and her family!

We hope you enjoy this issue and share stories of your own humble beginnings with us.

xoxo,
Lucia & Henny

Thank you ladies for entering our FREE ticket giveaway for Unveiled OC this Sunday, April 7! Congrats to Melissa, Joi, Rochelle and Reyna! Email me for instructions on how to claim your tickets!

If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, it’s not too late!
Use “THEOC” code for $10 off your ticket price and get your tickets now!
Also, Casting Producers from  TLC’s hit show Something Borrowed, Something New will be there to find new brides for their upcoming episodes! Who knows you might get on the show!

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When: Sunday, April 7, 2013 | 11 am to 3:30 pm

Where: South Coast Plaza Village | 1621 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92704

Cost: $30 in advance | $40 at the door

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This Sunday, April 7, Utterly Engaged will be a proud media sponsor at the Unveiled OC event at South Coast Plaza Village and you’re invited! If you’re a So-Cal bride in the midst of planning your wedding and looking for inspiration, “best in bridal” partners and expert tips and advice, you need to come to this!

Spend an unforgettable afternoon, mingling with wedding experts and trendsetters, and look forward to Couture & Designer Gowns presented by The White Dress (featuring Kenneth Pool, Christos, Katie May and Trousseau), Styling secrets by Kelly Nishimoto & Sam Saboura of TLC’s hit show “Something Borrowed, Something New”, Meet & Greet with best-selling author of FOOD TO FLOWERS and lifestyle expert Lulu Powers, live entertainment by Elan Artists, tasty treats from 24 carrots Catering & Events and innovative drinks from BevMo! Weddings, desserts from Christopher Garren Cakes, and more!

Also, don’t miss the curated collection of exhibitors including 31 Bits, UGG Australia, Stylish Details, La Costa Resort & Spa, Jo Malone, Wedding Paper Divas, Wish Upon a Wedding, Heifer International and Sweet & Saucy Shop!

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When: Sunday, April 7, 2013 | 11 am to 3:30 pm

Where: South Coast Plaza Village | 1621 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92704

Cost: $30 in advance | $40 at the door

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But since we love our readers, we’re giving away 4 pairs of tickets so you can go to the event for FREE!
To enter to win one (1) pair of tickets to Unveiled OC:

1. Follow our UE Pinterest page and Unveiled Pinterest page
2. Like our UE Facebook page and Unveiled Facebook page
3. Leave a comment below and let us know why you’d love to go!

Good luck! We’ll pick the 4 winners this Friday, April 5. This is no April Fool’s joke so enter now!

Finding the perfect venue for your wedding can be a challenge. But sometimes the stars align and the perfect venue just comes to you. That’s what happened to today’s featured couple Cara and Garret. When they were invited to Garret’s mom’s best friend’s home in Acton, California for a birthday party, they didn’t expect to find their wedding venue. Complete with twinkling lights under the desert sky, they knew it was “the one”.

Words of the Bride:
Linda Marshall (our florist) is one of Garret’s Mom’s best friends. Garret and I had already picked a venue in Northern CA (where I grew up) when we went to a birthday party at Linda Marshall’s home. The venue in Northern CA was beautiful, but Garret and I were frustrated because we felt with every venue there was something we had to compromise on (i.e. wedding ending time, using specific vendors etc.). When we went to Linda’s birthday party at her home, it was perfect. Her home is in the desert/mountains in Acton, CA. It was lit up with string lights (one of my essential musts for my wedding). Linda created a perfect relaxed, but very fun atmosphere.  Not to mention it was decorated beautifully (she’s a florist after all). Jokingly we said we should just get married at her house. Linda being the very generous person that she is, actually got very excited by the whole idea.  Her husband Dave even got ordained and officiated our wedding. So the Marshalls really made our wedding happen!

Some of the key decor that we incorporated into our wedding to match our rustic venue was: burlap table runners, mason jar drinking glasses and candle holders, and horse saddles in the cocktail area. A few personal touches included in the ceremony were: our dog “swamp monster” walking down the isle, my grandmothers’ necklaces wrapped around my bouquet (they have both passed so I wanted to include them), personal vows that included “in happiness and in grumpiness”, and a fiddle player Teri Villani who played “Puff The Magic Dragon”, “Norwegian Wood”, and “Here Comes the Bride”.  Some other fun stuff we incorporated was: Pirate Themed Beer Cozies as wedding gift saying “Till Death Do Us Part”, and Skull/Cross Bones cupcakes.

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Photography: Honey Honey Photography | Wedding Coordinator: Lisa Nutall of Crystal Clear Weddings & Occasions | Florist: Linda Marshall Acton Country Flowers (661-269-9326) | Hair/Makeup: Andrea Martin of Blush Up LA | Catering: Kenny Fryer (661-916-6224) | Rentals: A-1 Event Rentals (661-755-8111) | Music: John Spears (Runaway Train Band and Teri Villani

We’re still dreaming of all the gorgeous details at A Soolip Wedding yesterday. Founder Wanda Wen and their awesome event producers Brooke and Erica have certainly outdone themselves once again. From the vendors to the fashion show to the expert panels, each reflects style and grace. We are so honored to be there to do media coverage for the event. If you missed the event, here’s a little glimpse via Instagram.

St. Pucchi dress on the runway via UtterlyEngaged

via UtterlyEngaged

via StylishDetails

via StylishDetails

via StylishDetails

via LetiziaSilvestriEvents

via LetiziaSilvestriEvents

via LetiziaSilvestriEvents

Me with St. Pucchi designer Rani Totman via UtterlyEngaged

Great Gatsby inspired tablescape for Warner Bros Special Events via UtterlyEngaged

The Butter End cake via UtterlyEngaged

Close up of the bling on The Butter End cake via UtterlyEngaged

Rrivre Works luxury rentals via RrivreWorks

Paper Flower Garden at the Copper Willow Paper Studio via UtterlyEngaged

Paper Flower in a teacup at the Copper Willow table via UtterlyEngaged

Paper fans by Copper Willow via CopperWillowPS

Master Calligrapher Aleksey at work at the Soolip table via SoolipWedding

My name looks so much better in calligraphy (via UtterlyEngaged)

With my date for the day Sophie Mae of Stylish Details in the Magnolia Photo booth (via UtterlyEngaged)

Hope you enjoyed the teaser coverage. Watch out for the full coverage story for this event in our next issue! Have a lovely day!