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

When the owner of a stylish boutique store in San Francisco gets engaged, you know you’re in for a fashionable engagement session. Marisa and Dan chose the Sutro Baths and Ocean Beach for a mix of glam and casual chic.

We’re totally diggin’ her two looks. The first look with a sparkly sequined dress and nude heels on the sandy beach is unexpected yet oh-so-sexy.

And we absolutely love her peplum top and hot pink pants with gold pumps! What a fun way to make your pictures pop!

Photography: Ashley Batz Photoraphy

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

Do you remember the first time you fell in love? I know I do. Even though it’s been 11 years since the first time I said “I think I’m falling for you”, the feelings are still as real as they were 11 years ago.

Love has you floating on cloud nine and living in la-la land. Every experience with love is refreshing and new. Your five senses are heightened. Food tastes better. Every word, smell and touch is so much sweeter.

But Love together and apart is intimate and mysterious. Leaving you at peace but always wanting more.

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Words: Lucia Pador of Utterly Engaged  /  Photography: Kiss me Frank /  Stylist & Planner: Las alas de Fabiola /  Makeup & Hair: Alba Pesas  /  Dresses: Las alas de Fabiola /  Model: Carmen Pérez

Finding the perfect bridesmaid dress is not an easy task. In fact, itʼs often much harder than finding your wedding gown! Iʼve had brides send me emails describing how hard of a time they are having trying to find a style (or styles) that both they and their bridesmaids love. When you take into consideration all the different body types, skin tones, and personal senses of style, trying to suit each girl can be overwhelming.

Whenever Iʼm consulting a bride on what her options are for her bridesmaid gowns, it all comes down to what she wants. However, you still want your girls to feel pretty and confident. Gone are the days of horrible bridesmaids dresses that are still hanging in your closet from the 90ʼs. There are so many different colors and shapes to choose from that are not only stunning, but will often fit in your budget.

Dreamy pastels and sherbet hues are a huge trend in bridal this season. The lineup includes minty green, coral, and shades of grey. These colors not only work on a variety of different skin tones, but they are also just in time for spring and summer weddings.

Iʼve selected a few of my favorite pastel bridesmaids dresses in all different styles, from short and sweet to long and lovely. I guarantee youʼll find a style that not only you love, but one that they will actually want to wear time and time again!

Minty Fresh
Mint was one of the most popular colors on the spring/summer runways. Thereʼs just something so beautiful about a mint green chiffon dress for a summer wedding. I love the color combo of mint and gray, which can work in a number of settings. Silver or gold accessories work great and will give your girls some styling options.

Chic Coral
Coral is another color that looks great on just about everyone. Itʼs also very versatile because it looks appropriate for a daytime wedding but can easily be dressed up for evening. Gold or metallic jewelry looks amazing with coral and will really pop next to the white or ivory color of your wedding gown.

Shades of Grey
Grey looks amazing in pretty much any setting, whether youʼre planning a wedding on the beach or in the city. Mixing different shades of dark and light grey looks super chic and modern. Look for grey dresses in different patterns and fabrics so that each girl has her own unique style.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since the devastating disaster in Japan. But even two years later, the memory is still so freshly imprinted in our minds. It’s so important to take a moment to remember the lives lost and the survivors from that tragic day, and to remember never to take our lives and our loved ones for granted.

The thing that still touched us most is the outpouring of kindness and generosity through For Japan With Love that came out of this tragic day. It was truly an incredible thing to witness the blogging community from all over the world come together to reach out and help. Over 1,200 bloggers participated in the Bloggers Day of Silence and because of this, we were able to raise $66,733 within two weeks! And after our friends in the Bay Area organized a charity event on behalf of For Japan With Love, the grand total ended up being $73,000! And all raised within one month. The idea still overwhelms us.

We are grateful for Lydia of Ever Ours for finding ShelterBox, such an amazing organization to donate to. And for the Shelterbox team for bringing our donations to those people in need. And we are especially grateful for all of you who reached out and contributed. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Let’s just take a moment to remember what happened two years ago today, to remember those who cannot speak anymore and those who have lost so much that day. Our hearts and minds will forever be with you.

Watch this video created by ShelterBox reflecting on the 2 years since the devestating earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan and how YOU helped rebuild their lives.