summer wedding

Stylish Posh Wedding in Long Beach

Monique and Andrew Caldarella’s Stylish Posh Wedding at Recreation Park Golf Course 18 in Long Beach, California

July 23, 2016


Monique and Andrew were definitely the 2016 Kim and Kanye serving us all Hollywood royalty vibes complete with glamorous outfits, chic decor, and a sizzling wedding party. Monique found us in hopes to challenge how ‘Glam’ we could go and with every idea she had we took it on and served up a dazzling wedding in the end.

vogue style wedding party photo

The couple decided to have a first look before the ceremony and in preparation Monique got ready in the gorgeous bridal suite at Recreation Park Golf Course 18 in Long Beach. Her getting ready photos quickly turned into a whole glam photoshoot fit for Vogue Magazine!

Andrew cleaned up well himself, posing while getting ready as if he was shooting for GQ. Once the guys were dressed and ready to go they headed to the venue.

You know what the say about idle hands so in true guy fashion they quickly found the bar and the drinks started flowing! These pre wedding drinks made for some hilarious groomsmen portraits though!

While the guys were goofing off the ladies made use of their time to take more pictures of course! Their photographer Celina Kenyon kicked butt in the photo department delivering awesome shots of every priceless moment.


GETTING READY

bride getting her done for wedding day
bridal hair for bride's wedding day
black and white portrait of bride getting ready
bride in bridal robe getting ready
bride in white robe
bride on her wedding day

bride tribe
girls getting ready for a wedding
picture perfect bridesmaids
bridesmaids for life
mom getting daughter dressed
mother of bride getting bride dressed
glamorous bride on her wedding day

groom fixing his tie
groom getting ready for his wedding
groomsmen helping groom get ready
dapper groom anticipating wedding
groom putting watch and cufflinks on
groom putting shoes on
groom putting socks on

groomsmen drinking
groomsmen pre drinking before ceremony

drunk groomsmen pictures
groomsmen flashing socks
groomsmen portraits

stylish wedding party
posh bridal party at summer wedding
bridesmaids laughing
rental furniture for wedding
badass wedding party portraits

First look

groom first look
first look photos
first look moment
joyous first look
showing off first look
in love with their first look
romantic portraits

ceremony

ceremony at recreation park golf course 18

After their first look Monique and Andrew were ready to get married! The ceremony was held in the private garden at the venue that served as the perfect backdrop for their “I Do’s”.

Their couples portraits followed the ceremony and they truly captured how in love the Caldarella’s are. Their sunset session was timed out perfectly.

During the couples session Monique and Andrew’s guests enjoyed cocktail hour. There they had appetizers, drinks and lounge furniture from Striking Elegance.

procession
wedding procession
wedding party
flower girls
groom waiting for his bride
bride walking down the aisle
AMC_Wedding-271.jpg
father of the bride hugging groom
father of the bride giving daughter away
wedding ceremony
ring exchange
Philipino coin ceremony
first kiss
recessional
celebratory recessional
happy newlyweds

Couples portraits

bridal portraits
bride portrait
couples portrait
dark and moody portraits
moody portraits
sunset portraits
classic wedding photo
veil picture
veil shot

cocktail hour

welcome to the wedding
bar decor
place cards
gift table
instagram hashtag
card box
cocktail tables
cocktail hour
cocktail hour
lounge furniture

decor

centerpiece
wedding centerpiece
ballroom

Their venue is not normally draped this way. Monique hired Glam Event Stylist to drape the entire room to give that touch of elegance. Guests were definitely wowed when they entered the space.

Michael’s Flowers from Downtown Los Angeles provided the centerpieces and the stylish look was completed with a flower wall behind the sweetheart table.

Monique left no detail out! She included napkin ring holders that matched all the decor.

charger plates
flowers
wedding hall
ballroom view
flower wall
sweethear table

reception

Guests were not done being treated to an experience just yet. From an epic grand entrance to tear jerking parent dances followed by phenomenal toasts from loved ones the room was filled with laughter and good times.

The couple decided to not just have a regular cake table but to include the cake on a dessert table with the stand provided by Platinum Prop Rentals and desserts by Great Dane Baking Co and Munch Bakery LA.

Andrew surprised his bride with an exciting garter removal and toss in which he showed off his Magic Mike moves to “A Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin.

Friends, family, and the couple ended the night on the dance floor getting down to DJ Ace from Flawless Entertainment.

grand entrance
couples grand entrance
first dance
couples first dance
first dance as husband and wife
mr and mrs
father daughter dance
father daughter dancing together
father daughter dance
mother son dance
mother and son dance

Toasts

toasts
wedding toasts
toast to the newlyweds
toasting to the couple

Cake cutting

glamorous dessert table
candy bar
dessert table
dessert bar
cutting cake
cake cut
candy bar
feeding groom cake
wedding cake
wedding cake kiss

Garter toss

garter removal
garter
garter removal
garter
garter removal
garter toss
garter toss

Dancing

wedding reception
dancing
wedding guests dancing
wedding dance

The End.

newlyweds

We are so thankful that we go to live out our Princess wedding dreams through Monique and Andrew’s wedding. Not to mention we are so proud of all their accomplishments in the past three years since they wed which include purchasing their first house and adding another dog to their family. Monique even referred one of her bridesmaids, Amanda, to us when she was planning her own wedding. We often look back at their gallery and daydream about how much the Caldarella wedding was!


The Dream Team:

Coordination: Rock n’ Willow Events \\ Venue: Recreation Park Golf Course 18 \\ Photography: Celina Kenyon \\ Flowers: Michael’s Flowers Los Angeles \\ DJ: Flawless Entertainment \\ Calligraphy: Ashley Fabrigas \\ Cake: Great Dane Baking Co \\ Desserts: Munch Bakery LA \\ Rentals, Draping, + Flower Wall: Glam Event Stylist \\ Lounge Furniture: Striking Elegance \\ Cake Stand: Platinum Prop Rentals \\ Uplights: DJ Willie Will \\ Officiant: A Moment To Cherish \\ Linen: Dream Decor

Vintage D.I.Y. Wedding in Southern California

Annie + Israel Navarro's Vintage D.I.Y. Wedding at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and El Dorado Park Golf Course 08.15.2015


eldoradogolfcourselongbeachwedding

Before the blush pink and succulent trend started to be number one on Pinterest there was Annie and Israel Navarro and their futuristic wedding ideas! Their wedding took place on the hottest day of the summer during a heat wave at St Margaret Mary Alacoque Church in Lomita, Ca with the reception at El Dorado Park Golf Course in Long Beach, Ca.


Annie opted out of getting ready at the venue or hotel. Instead she got ready in the comfort of her home surrounded by her Mother and Sisters. That made the process much more small and intimate.

weddingdress
bridesmaidsdress
motherdaughterveilattachment
motherdaughtermomentsouthbaywedding
bridegettingreadysouthbaywedding

Once Annie was ready she was off to the church!

goingtothechapelandwearegonagetmarried

Annie and Israel stayed true to their religious routes and had a gorgeous Catholic church ceremony in the heart of the South Bay! 

walkingdowntheaislelomitawedding
stmargaretmaryalacoquechurchwedding
catholicchurchceremonylomitacalifornia
stmargaretmarychurchlomita
firstkissaouthbaywedding

At St Margaret Mary's there was a perfect stone backdrop to snap a few pictures on the way to the reception venue. 

stmargaretmaryalacoquelomita
southbaylomitaweddingatstmargaretmary

While the ceremony was underway we were at the reception venue across town. As the guests traveled from Lomita to Long Beach we were setting up all the D.I.Y. aspects Annie and her family created. Israel's Mom hand made each and every chair bow, and did we mention there was about 240 guests? Wow! 

vintageblushweddinginlongbeach
diyweddinglongbeach
handmadechairbowslongbeachwedding
sweethearttablelongbeachwedding

Annie was ahead of her time with her wedding vision. Dressing the tables in blush linen from Stephanie’s Linens was not the only future trend she was setting. She also inluded succulents as favors and a ton of vintage decor.

succulentweddingfavors
vintageweddingdecor
diyrusticseatingchart
beourguestseatingchart

Guests were welcomed into the cocktail hour with a live performance by the Downbeat LA group AMFM and accompanied by DJ Rage for the reception.  Then it was time for their epic grand entrance into the first dance.

Downbeat LA - AMFM
grandentranceatlongbeachwedding
grandentrancelongbeachwedding
firstdancelongbeachwedding

Dinner was catered by the on site restaureant at the venue but their gorgeous wedding cake was provided by Great Dane Bakery. Annie surprised her new husband with a groom's cake from Sophie's Sweet Shop with his favorite football team, USC. The couple had a recent dog pass away which they paid tribute to on their cake with a dog figurine by Sophie's Sweet Shop too. 

Dog figurine by Sophie's Sweet Shop

Dog figurine by Sophie's Sweet Shop

greatdanebakingcocake
groomscakesophiesweetshop
uscgroomscake

After cake and dinner was digested it was time to start the festivities! The couple started with dancing with parents then the bouquet toss and a very unique garter toss. The bride did not feel comfortable with the traditional garter toss so they warpped the garter around a football and the groom tossed it to his eligible bachelors. It turned out to be a really fun idea we still recommend to all our couples! 

fatherdaughterdanceatwedding
mothersondanceatwedding
bouquettossatwedding
bouquettossatwedding
footballgartertoss
footballgartertoss
footballgartertoss

The cultural money dance typically starts off the dancing portion in the Hispanic community. With over 200 Latinos ready to party they were eager to give the Couple money with wishes for their prosperity. 

dollardanceatwedding
dollardanceatwedding

Adding more D.I.Y. elements, Annie used props form her bridal shower and made her own Photo Booth area.

diyphotobooth
diyphotoboothprop
diyphotoboothwithprops

We love how their photographer Erica Adams snuck the couple away from the reception to capture some sunset photos.

susnetweddingphotos
susnetphotosateldoradoparkgolfcourse

mrandmrsnavarro
husbandandwife

It’s been three years since Annie and Israel’s special day and they have since welcomed the birth of their daughter Jayla. The Navarro wedding will always hold a special place in our heart not only because of all the firsts we experienced, but because of the warmth both sides of the family expressed towards us. Annie even assisted Rock n’ Willow Events for a short time prior to her pregnancy! We miss you dearly and wish you and Israel nothing but the best!!


golfcoursewedding

Vendor Team: // Coordination: Rock n’ Willow Events // Venue: Ceremony- St Margaret Mary Alacoque Catholic Church + Reception: El Dorado Park Golf Course // Photographer: Erica Adams Photography // Videographer: Wedding Video Pro // DJ: DJ Rage // Band: Downbeat LA // Linen: Stephanie’s Linen // Furniture: Striking Elegance // Cake: Great Dane Baking Co // Groom’s Cake: Sophie’s Sweet Shop // Flowers: Lily’s Flowers DTLA

Vintage Summer Garden Wedding in the Middle of Long Beach

Briana and Riley's Vintage Summer Wedding in the Middle of Long Beach at Recreation Park Golf Course 18, 07.11.2014

154456_10154457365340235_7036791584274008901_n.jpg

Briana and Riley Peck came to us as a refferal (don't you just love when that happens!) and we had about eight months to put the entire wedding together. They were in search of a garden wedding venue local to them in the South Bay. After touring several properties we found a gem of a venue located in Long Beach called Recreation Park Golf Course 18.


10492269_10154457265235235_1206270629725021710_n.jpg

This venue provided their ceremony space, cocktail hour, and reception ballroom while also including on site catering and bartending. That is not all! Most golf courses may include tables, banquet or garden chairs, and house linen. What a steal!!



When Briana and Riley came to us and described how they envisioned their wedding day they expressed how they wanted the perfect garden wedding but with hints of their English and Irish culture and of course incorporating aspects of their nerdiness! They had an English Knot ordered via Etsy straight from England, a sixpence inside the bride's shoe, Harry Potter cufflinks, and a Dr. Who garter belt.



Briana's brother-in-law made a custom wood sign in shadow box entirely from scratch, even going to a nearby glass manufacturer to get the glass part cut and fit to shape. These can be seen all over Pinterest these days and even in some craft stores but back in 2014 this was ahead of its time!


10557463_10154457208815235_8740863444284071682_n.jpg

Looking back, Briana and Riley had one of my most favorite first dance 'til this day. They selected "How Long Will I Love You" by Ellie Goulding. 


47649_10154465444990235_4235838313991723054_n.jpg

Since this warm sunny day the couple has welcomed the birth of their son, Atticus, who just celebrated his second birthday! Fun fact, the grooms Uncle was actor Gregory Peck from the motion picture To Kill A Mockingbird. Briana and Riley selected their sons name as a way to pay homage to the character he played in the movie, Atticus Finch.


Planning + Coordination: Rock n' Willow Events, Venue: Recreation Park Golf Course 18, Photography: Wedding 64, Flowers: Romero's Orchids, Cake: Torrance Bakery, Dress: David's Bridal