This & That & Ryan & Susanne

What a busy, wonderful weekend! Mimi's baby shower on Saturday was a huge success and so much fun! Pictures will come soon, but my photographer hubby left his camera at the venue so right now I've got nothing for ya.

I spent most of yesterday touring wedding venues with Colin & Amber. I'm happy to report that there's definitely a frontrunner, but we're still going to do a bit more searching, so I'm not spilling any beans yet...

One of the places we looked at was Calamigos Ranch, a gorgeous venue in the hills of Malibu. Our friends got married there last year in one of the most colorful, personable, warm and fun weddings I've ever been to. Sam went to film school at USC with Ryan, and he and Susanne are two of the most creative and artistically talented people I know - and they are so super friendly, too!

Here's a look back at Ryan & Suzanne's vibrant summer wedding:

I love the way they mixed in modern colors and design, while still keeping things rustic and pretty. The balance was perfect!

I just adore the bright and inviting colors they used throughout the ceremony and reception venue (how pretty is the tree they got married under?!) and I have to give them props because they, too, had a choreographed first dance - I like to think that Sam and I had something to do with the inspiration for that decision!

Nothing about their wedding was over the top, a feat that's hard to pull off when you are trying to seamlessly incorporate some carnival-themed elements into the mix - it's easy to head into cheesy-ville, but these two stayed on the right side of the line the entire way through. There wasn't a detail that didn't go unnoticed, and their personality was really present throughout the whole night.

When done right, you really can't go wrong with a ferris wheel, photobooth, cupcakes, dancing, and popcorn! And these two did it all right, all the way. I had nothing to do with the planning of this affair, I was just lucky to be a guest!

Their photographer Kali Kraum did an excellent job capturing the night, and she has a great website - I could get lost in her blog!

Dreams

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Lots of dreams are starting to come true these days for me and the hubs. We set out to make 2011 a year of positive change and growth and, good golly, are we pleased with how things are turning out so far. Sam's working on cool projects with cool people - and he actually gets to utilize his skill set and flex some creative muscle, which is the ultimate icing on the cake. The fact that's he's getting paid to do so? Well, that's just the cherry on top.

And for me? The triple threat of this blog, world of mouth, and plain old being in the right place at the right time, has brought some honest-to-goodness business my way. Slowly but surely, this event business of mine is getting off the ground. I've been hired to plan a couple of fun events for some very cool people and I am loving every minute. And, just like Sam, the fact that I am getting paid for it? Mind-blowing. I'm positively giddy at the thought that my teenage dream of one day running my own event-planning business is actually becoming a reality - a reality that is, in fact, unfolding in front of me every day. In the meantime, I'm happy to be back at my old stomping grounds while Sunny Day Strategies continues to grow.

With all this good mojo in the universe, the future we've imagined for ourselves is now feeling closer than ever. Dorothy, you were right - the dreams that we dare to dream really do come true.

Off The Rack

I was out recently with my friends Reuben & Rachel who are getting married in May. Rachel mentioned that she was looking for purple bridesmaid dresses, which I had - the rich, jewel-toned dress was the perfect background for bright, vibrant flowers which I knew I wanted.

Much to Rachel's dismay, the dresses aren't available anymore. I found them completely by accident about a month after Sam and I got engaged in 2008. We were seeing a movie at The Grove and walked by Banana Republic on our way to the theatre - I did a double take as we passed by and made Sam turn around and go back to the store so we could scope out the flash of purple that caught my eye. Turns out that it was a knee-length, cap-sleeved, inexpensive, jewel-toned dress: all of my requirements for the bridesmaid dress I hadn't event started looking for yet. I sent an email to all of my girls that night after the movie and they all ran out and got it the next day. On sale. Leah even had a coupon. I think the most anyone paid for their dress was $89.

I also know that at least three of the girls have worn it since the wedding, which is a total bonus. It's unrealistic to expect that anyone will re-wear a dress that was forced upon them, no matter how much the bride loves it, so I didn't set out with that in mind when I was thinking about dresses for my ladies. I did, however, want to find a dress that wasn't uber-pricey - just because I had the power to pick their outfits, didn't give me the right to break their banks, too.

Which brings me back to Rachel, and the advice I gave her about her bridesmaid dresses: get something off the rack. It's easy, usually less expensive, and the chances of repeat usage go up exponentially.

Here are some options that you can find right now, on the rack at your local retailer (Rach, the purple ones are especially for you!):

Nordstrom

Nordstrom

Banana

Nordstrom

Nordstrom

Of course, I also found some non-purple options that I liked a lot, too. Some of these aren't your traditional, run-of-the-mill bridesmaid getup, but there's nothing wrong with shaking things up a bit.

Nordstrom

Nordstrom

Anthro

Nordstrom

There are so many great options out there, I could go on forever. What do you guys think? Have you seen any other fun bridesmaid dresses lately?

P.S. Sorry if the formatting is a little off in this post - I used a PC for this one instead of my mac and everything's all funky on me. I tried to fix it, but if its still weird, please accept my apologies.

Heaven

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I recently came across this picture when perusing a new blog. I loved the art right away - it commands your attention immediately, and it's dramatic and simple at the same time. And then I looked closer - zoomed in cause it was hard for me to see the little words on the screen - and realized that it's the lyrics to "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. Our wedding first dance song. Now I really must have this piece of art. MUST HAVE IT, I tell you.

We chose the song because it's romantic but kitschy, kinda like us. And, while we took our dance lessons quite seriously, and we take our love quite seriously, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. There's always room for fun and love in the Lembeck Household. I think our first dance captured that pretty perfectly. See for yourself:

God, I loved our wedding. It was so much fun! When I went to find the first dance video, I discovered that we took a handful of videos throughout our wedding planning journey. They pop up at the end of the video above - for those of you who are looking to mindlessly pass about 15 minutes or so. I especially like the one from our tasting - Sam makes a sweet cameo at the end, and graces us with a little of his awkward SamLem-ness. Enjoy!

Kate & Adam

I love Kate & Adam. Their wedding was, no contest, one of the best events I've ever done. Why? Honestly - it's mostly because of them. Don't get me wrong, the details were incredible and so outside of the typical wedding mold (more about that in a second). But from the first moment we met, we just clicked. Kate is so warm and friendly, and Adam has this awesome dry sense of humor. They are designers and tastemakers, they are foodies and 'eco' minded - and they do all of it without a hint of snobbery or ego. They couldn't be more down to earth and they complement each other so well. And I love them for it.

Kate & Adam have been together for 17 years. They got engaged in May last year and chose 10.10.10 as the date to officially get hitched, leaving them only 4 months to get everything together. By the time I met them, they had done most of the planning themselves but were getting a little overwhelmed with the final details as the big day approached, so they hired bash, please to help them with Day-Of Coordination - lucky me! They already had all of the big pieces in place, so I just swooped in to help them with all of the fine details and finishing touches and make sure that they day ran smoothly. They were calm and kind and funny throughout the whole process. And I love them for that, too.

That's me lighting one of two stunning chandeliers that one of their friends MADE for the wedding. Amzaing!

Kate is a graphic designer (check out her latest project Egg2Cake) with a keen eye for detail - she created all of the printed pieces and designed the overall look of the night. Adam is one of half of Blackman Cruz which came in really handy when choosing a wedding venue. They cleared out the bottom floor of their stunning showroom to create the perfect intimate setting for the family-style farm-to-table meal that was the centerpiece of an incredible evening. The night was filled with great style, incredible food, and so, so, so much love - and an impromptu visit from the King himself. Did I mention how much I loved this wedding?! Take a look...

The gorgeous room all set and ready for the guests to arrive. I love how simple it is. The space was stunning to begin with, so they didn't overdo it by adding any extravagant floral centerpieces or anything else to complicate the simplicity. Sometimes a beautiful space and some candlelight is all you need - this is a perfect example of that.

Kate designed this gorgeous menu that also served as the place cards. Each guests name was written on the top and set on their plate. I love how those plates and knives double as their wedding date 10.10.10. So clever!

This seating list guided guests to find their pre-set seats. I'm not gonna lie - doing the seating this way can be time and consuming and complicated. But it looks great and it's a nice spin on traditional place cards.

Birdseye view of the room filled with guests.

Amazing cake by Valerie Confections.

It's not every day that Elvis shows up and tells me he's been sent to serenade the newlyweds. I was shocked and I had no idea if Kate & Adam would be thrilled or horrified if I let him interrupt their totally not-kitschy reception. However, at the exact moment that Elivs arrived, I was in the middle of a mini-crisis: the microphone at the store wasn't working, and toasts were supposed to start any minute. So, I made a deal with Elvis - I'd let him in, if he would stick around after his set and let us use his tiny portable sound system (picture a slightly more upscale version of the kiddy tapedeck we used when we were little) for the toasts. I could hardly stand to see the shock on Kate & Adam's faces when Elvis walked in. But the shock quickly melted away as soon as they found out that Elvis was a gift from friends that couldn't make it to the wedding. And everyone could hear the toasts just fine.

Thanks you, Elvis, for saving the day.

The happy couple at the end of the night (with their little hound dog - a gift from Elvis).

Leslie Barton did an incredible job capturing the night (and she couldn't have been any nicer, which is always a plus!). Kate wrote about the wedding on her blog and it's really fun to hear her take. For many more amazing details, photos, and stories visit her blog.