100 Layer CakeCeremony & Reception » 100 Layer Cake

Vintage Hollywood glam shoot

100layercake — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:30:42 +0000

Let’s all take a deep breath, pop open some pretty pink bubbly and welcome 2012 in style. While you’ve been enjoying the holidays, we’ve been sneaking in some work time to make sure the new year is an unforgettable one for you. Gorgeous weddings, engagements, inspirational shoots and tutorials await! Shall we mosey into the new year with a little vintage Hollywood glam?

We’re loving those sweet Mr & Mrs paddle signs designed by Little Retreats. The gold accent border adds the perfect touch of glam to such an elegant black & white invitation suite designed by Jen Simpson Design.

The bride was fashioned with an original Tessa Kim birdcage veil with black feathers and carried a beautiful antique brooch bouquet carefully crafted by Blue Petyl.

Loving the pattern and textures in their gorgeous Mr. & Mrs. banner handcrafted by Courtney of Joyful Joyful Designs. Cute idea to drape above the intimate sweetheart table.

The umbrellas? We’re dying over those too! Everything in this shoot is so thought out and executed beautifully. From the vintage pieces to antique mirror trays used as platters for the dessert bar, umbrellas hung on string lights taking the place of chandeliers, and gold tinged mercury glass – stunning.

We were so excited to hear that many of the vases and platters in the shoot consisted of jars and old glass vases that were painted or treated to give it a vintage look (very budget-friendly).

From the fabulous stylist:

Originally inspired by the modern Hollywood city scape, we arranged a variety of different sizes and shapes in matte black, ivory, clear and gold to resemble the eclectic mix of structures. They were paired with a mix of gorgeous ivory flowers. A dessert table is a must at weddings nowadays. It gives guests options making it fun rather than the traditional slice of cake. Miso from Miso Bakes slaved over a gorgeous setup of cakepops, sugar cookies, cupcakes and chocolate truffles. She also created the simply stunning black and ivory cake. We secured an ivory backdrop with a black raindrop beaded curtain in front to add that touch of glam!

Now that they’ve shared their secrets, who’s thinking of having a vintage glam themed wedding?

Photography: Ashley Bee Photography / Event planner + stylist: Erin B. Events / Floral designer: Flower Allie / Venue: Jones Victorian Estate / Invitation designer: Jen Simpson Design / Dress designer: Bonny Bridal / Mr. & Mrs. Paddle signs: Little Retreats / Mr. & Mrs. signs: Joyful Joyful Designs / Cakes: Miso Bakes / Heirlooms + extras: Tessa Kim & Blue Petyl / Linings + coverings: Allie’s Party Rentals / Vintage china: A Belle Affaire / Equipment rentals: Bella Umbrella / Hair + Makeup: A Pretty You / Models: Sarah Portillo & Cody Langan

Vendor spotlight: Scratch Weddings

100layercake — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:01:31 +0000

There’s a guaranteed way to make sure guests will be talking about your wedding well after your one year anniversary. Have yourself a Scratchfest! And, by Scratchfest we mean having one insane dance party by booking a Scratch Weddings featured DJ.

What sets Scratch Weddings apart as the most trusted, stress-free & risk-free wedding music option available today:

• All Scratch Weddings DJs have passed the Scratch Test™, a proprietary 10-step screening process that tests a DJ’s critical talents, background and appeal
• Couples are assigned a professional wedding music manager to work with them, their wedding planner, venue and their DJ to handle all musical details of their wedding
• Guaranteed DJ replacement in the event of an emergency and liability insurance
• “Change-of-plans” money-back guarantee for 72-hours after booking

Ready to put your dance floor in good hands? Head over to Scratch Weddings to scope out which wedding DJ is a fit for you!

{photos by W. Scott Chester, Heidi of Our Labor of Love and Heather Waraksa}

Costa Rica inspiration shoot

100layercake — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:30:26 +0000

We love spreading the travel bug around, so what better time than on a Friday morning to get you thinking, Costa Rica! If you’re a soon-to-be-Mrs. that’s considering a destination wedding, consider Costa Rica (you’ll see why in just a sec), and consider hiring the talent behind this inspiration shoot: Comfort Studio for your amazing photos + Four Winds Weddings for everything else. Really, they’ve got it all covered. Check out their take on what what a modern destination wedding could be. Also, we spy a few pretty air plants in this organic decor!

We used a very natural palette to highlight the raw organic materials used for decor. Eco-friendly rustic chic elements were used for every detail. Seasonal flowers, twine, recycled glass, coffee paper, driftwood, local hardwood, leather, and even stones were paired, and the end result was both earthy and opulent.

An oversized dining table layered with many textural changes in organic materials, refines the tablescape and blends to it’s surroundings. Typical dining chairs were replaced with streamlined benches made of 100% teak.

Keeping the focus on the tropical surroundings, chic lounge furniture, pillow seating and teak serving trays created a tempting, gathering space for sunset.

Next plane to Costa Rica? We want in! Ladies, thank you so much for sharing your amazing talents with us!

Photographer: Comfort Studio – Katherine Stinnett / Production Coordination: Four Winds Weddings & Events / Floral Designs: Four Winds Weddings & Events / Event Rental Items: Four Winds Weddings & Events / Bride attire: It’s actually two pieces (skirt & top of the same material) from two different designers and was found at two different boutique shops in Tamarindo, Costa Rica / Grooms attire: Calvin Klein found at Macys Men’s Store

DIY Bubble Chandelier

100layercake — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:00:09 +0000

We’re feeling extra bubbly today (pun intended)! Remember Kara and Andrew’s wedding? Well, we fell in love with their glass bubble ceiling so much that we scoured the interweb for more bubbly goodness. Which brings us to this chandelier on Alison’s ever-so-sultry boudoir blog, Frou Frou Fashionista. We’re huge fans of how the final piece came out and adore that both Alison and her mom made it for only $300! Now, it’s your turn.

Supplies:
•   2′x4′ white wire grid panel (though you can do any shape or size) (about $15-$23)
•   CB2 Bubble Balls (50 small & 40 large) ($1.95 ea small, $3.95 ea large)
• Silver Christmas ball ornaments (80 small, 80 medium)
• Fishing line (we bought high knot strength /30 lb.) $3
• One spool of sterling silver wire (20-22 gauge). You can also do 22 gauge floral wire.
• 4 ceiling mounting hooks
•   white chain (about 10 feet, cut evenly into 4 pieces)
• 4 S-hooks
• 2 lamp cord kits from Urban Outfitters (white) $12 ea
• 2 half mirror light bulbs $9 ea

Tools you will need:
• a 2″ nail
• Pliers
• one pair of wire cutters (or use scissors if you must)
• Scissors

Step 1: Insert your 4 chandelier hooks into the ceiling and attach about 2-3 feet of your white chain to each (make sure it is secured in the ceiling so as to carry the weight of the chandelier!). You need that extra amount of chain so that you can bring down the wire grid low enough to work on and install the lighting fixtures (and then raise up to the ceiling when you are done). Suspend the wire grid from the ceiling using your chains and s-hooks.

Step 2: At your work table, cut the silver wire into 2″ pieces (your quantity depends on the number of glass balls you are using). Loop each 2″ piece once around a nail to create the toggle. You can use pliers to adjust the size of the loop, particularly to make it small enough to fit inside the top of the glass bubble.

Step 3: Cut a piece of fishing line a few feet long. Knot one end to the silver toggle you just made. Slip the toggle inside the top of the glass CB2 ball. Then attach the other end of the fishing line to the wire grid. Hang each glass ball at varying lengths. We started from the center of the grid and worked our way out.

Step 4: In the very center of the grid we added our 2 light sockets. We wired both sockets close to the top of the grid and plugged in both cords to the ceiling fixture (or you can easily have an electrician wire the cords to a single ceiling outlet). Plug in your Half Mirror Light Bulbs.

Step 5: We added silver ball ornaments to the chandelier. We hung these balls extremely close together near the top of the grid so as to completely conceal it (the grid shouldn’t show when you’re done). For some of the balls we created toggles using our silver wire, and for some we simply used Christmas ornament hooks! Make sure that for each ball you hang directly on the grid that you twist the wire together so the hooks will not fall off if the chandelier is ever shaken (we live in California, so it’s a factor we need to consider!).

Step 6 (optional): We ended up creating a cover around the top of the chandelier so as to conceal the chains holding it up as well as the sides of the wire grid. We simply created a light-weight crate that could be hooked to the chains holding up the rest of the chandelier. It was painted a pale pink to match the color of the walls in our store. Another option is to create a framework around the chandelier and cover it in a semi-sheer fabric so as to let the light shine through, much like a lamp shade. If you hook the chandelier close enough to the ceiling, you don’t need any cover…we simply have high ceilings in our store and wanted something to finish the look of the piece.

Bookmark this post, print it out, do what cha got to do to save this baby for your next DIY project, and have fun with it. Imagine all the goodies you can put inside – glitter, confetti, succulents, flowers… And, please let us know (and send photos) if you end up making one of these for your wedding. We can’t get enough!

{top photo by Sarah Yates for Rue Magazine, multiple photo grouping by Alison, bottom photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Malibu vineyard wedding: A + M, part 2

100layercake — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:30:09 +0000

Here we are again, continuing on our little journey that is A + M’s sweet wedding. Have we mentioned that we love this wedding to the core? We’re ready to share the gorg details that were happening in their reception so, read on!

The wine barrels provided by the venue + the charming rustic pieces from Found Vintage Rentals, help to create the whimsical and rustic feel that A + M were looking to get with their ceremony/cocktail area.

As guests wandered up towards the reception area in the evening they were greeted by large oak trees with dripping lights and chandeliers. I created two lounge areas and tied together the previous décor with vintage furniture but accented them with gold and mirrored pieces to create a more luxe vibe. We also used a mirrored French table for our desserts with a satin background and chiffon florals. We used gold chiavari chairs for the dinner tables but kept the florals in vintage vases to tie the entire event together. Our wedding planner Nancy from So Happi Together, suggested using an aqua table runner which I loved and I think really made our table settings pop!

The stop motion film we created was a labor of love. We spent every weekend for a couple months storyboarding, shooting, reshooting, and then editing. We both love the film 500 Days of Summer and wanted to create a rendition where the boy and girl end up happy together. We’ve been together roughly 5 years, so we named it 2000 Days… The film starts out with the current day, then flips back to Day 1 (our first date at a coffee shop), Day 700 ( represents 1/3 into our relationship as we share our love for music), Day 1400 (2/3 into our relationship when we fall in love) and jumps back to the current day. We had so much fun finding (and sometimes sneaking into) some of the original locations in the movie. I’ll never forget the fun we had shooting it!

Wow, this wedding was top notch excellent and awe-inspiring! Congrats A + M! We now leave you with their super cute stop motion video!

Untitled from mattandaudree on Vimeo.

Photography: Gabriel Ryan Photographers / Wedding Dress – Vera Wang on Melrose / Shoes – Badgley Mischka / Jewerly – borrowed from my mom / Suit – Hugo Boss / Shirt – Thomas Pink / Shoes & Belt – Ferregamo / Tie & Cufflinks – Burberry / Ceremony & reception venue: Saddlerock Ranch / Printer – Aardvark Letterpress /Calligrapher – Copper Willow Paper Studio / Cinematography: Joe Simon Wedding Films / Hair and Makeup: Kelly Zhang / Floral Design: Holly Flora / Catering: Lawry’s The Prime Rib / DJ & MC: Richard Blade / Lighting: Bella Vista Designs / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Luxe Event Rentals, Found Vintage Rentals, Chiavari Chair Rentals, La Tavola Linens / Cake, desserts, macaron favors: Sweet and Saucy Shop / bird cake topper: Lauren Alane / Valet: Premiere Valet Service / Security: Sandman Security / Photobooth: Sassy Booths