By Laura Medina
The numbers of weddings may be at an all-time low. The average age of people getting married for the first time has risen to 40.1 but remember kiddos, it is the quality that counts, not the quantity.
For my Charleston readers or those who wish to wed in a Lowcountry plantation, you all either are suffering from wedding rush or frustrated that you're blocked out from a fully-booked Spring/Summer schedule; or standing in a mosquito-swamped field, sweating underneath a blazing sun makes you want to hide. Have no fear, this scribe discovered some gorgeous wedding gems in the City of Angels. Yes-Los Angeles.
At the Soolip Wedding/Bridal event at the exclusive Bel Air Bay Club (in Malibu), it was a showroom for exquisite Black, Starr & Frost jewelry, a David Pressman Events exhibit, a Rrivre Works Event Design exhibit by Rrivre Davies, Century City's Bloomingdale's wedding registry display. Delicious hors d' oeuvres and easy guzzling libations served by Good Gracious! Events by Pauline Parry.
Event and wedding planner, David Pressman greeted and advised attendees. This man knows his stuff, from permits to logistics. He will even "groom" the groom, from styling him, to "grooming" him.
The biggest surprise was that Warner Bros. Studios' Special Events does weddings on its lot and premises. If being blocked out of a Lowcountry wedding is bumming you out, you can have an authentic, glamourous Hollywood wedding through Warner Bros. Celebrity Weddings, http://wbspecialevents.com/weddings. Ironically, next month...Warner Bros. is releasing the revamped, amped-up "The Great Gatsby" by the kinetic Baz Luhrmann and starring the enigmatically handsome, Leonardo DiCaprio.
Guess what they had for their display? A "The Great Gatsby" wedding table setting with placards for Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Daisy and Tom Buchanan.
This is the "trend." Not just in Flapper fashion but for weddings...a "The Great Gatsby" wedding.
Warner Bros. Celebrity Weddings can do weddings and events on various scales done on numerous spots on the Warner Bros. property...mosquito-free. It'll be less sweat on you.
A few weeks later, Martha Stewart's Wedding presented its own wedding expo, "UnVeiled."
Sky high on the AT&T Building, inside the penthouse, it was cocktail, Wolfgang Puck and Patina Restaurant Group buffets, and the coolest dessert buffet you can ever imagined. The freezed-dried meringues and the pop-up mousse pops were a hit.
But what folks really came for on a Sunday afternoon...the Vera Wang runway show, a whipped confection of tulle and satin.
Bridal gowns are the last vital remnants of haute couture and "Project Runway" alumni, Austin Scarlett is one of the few to save it into the 21st-century.
While premiering his new bridal collection at Saks 5th Avenue in Beverly Hills, Mr. Scarlett took time out of his hectic schedule to discuss about saving the art of haute couture then adapting to the needs of a modern 21st-Century woman.
During the interview, he talked about hunting down that very experienced and very old seamstress or designer then trying to learn from them before they disappear. There have been times where his design team and him are forced to dissect a vintage gown just to study the interior construction and the paneling. It breaks his heart to do it but they have no choice since master pattern-makers are fading away.
Using what he learns and knowing that today's bride is an older, career-woman who is self-assured in what she wants and what she needs...
In other words, a white haute couture gown with a billowy skirt for the aisle and the ceremony then a slinky cocktail dress to celebrate and dance in.
Scarlett designed a line of hand-painted water-colored bridal gowns with detachable full skirts for the ceremony that reveals a leaner, sleeker eveningwear dress that seems so appropriate for today or tonight's warmer Spring/Summer afternoons and nights.
It is his way of saving haute couture for today's woman. She will still have the haute couture tailoring but design for today's living and budgets.
This week, Gilt Los Angeles is offering knocked-down prices for stellar bridal services...
Gilt City LA’s expert curators have scoured the city to bring you the very best wedding offerings to help you make your wedding day truly unforgettable!
To PLAN the special day:
- Wedding consultations with internationally renowned bridal stylist, Renee Strauss (April 15)
- Exceptional custom centerpieces for your bridal shower or wedding from balloon artists extraordinaire, Balloon Celebrations (April 15)
- Incredible packages from renowned stationary haven, Wedding Paper Divas (April 15)
- A comprehensive photography workshop with Action Snapshots, Inc. (April 17)
- Expert engagement, elopement or wedding photography packages from Blair Masri Photography, starting at just $199 (orig. $500) (April 18)
To BEAUTIFY:
- Vitamin-infused facials and organic airbrushed tanning sessions from Beauty Park Medical Spa (April 22)
- Detox and cleansing packages designed by raw food nutritionists and yoga enthusiasts at Philosophie (April 17)
- Personalized, in-home full-body spray tanning sessions from Born To Glow Tanning, starting at just $50 (orig. $150) (April 18)
- One-on-one consultations at medical day spa, Ona Spa, with Medical Director and world renowned plastic surgeon, Dr. Stanley P. Frileck (April 18)
- Beautiful hair extensions, Brazilian treatments and haircuts from True Brazilian, starting at only $150 (orig. $300) (April 18)
To GET FIT for your dream wedding dress/tux:
- Private training sessions at WeHo’s private training gym Mansion Fitness, starting at just $50 (orig. $240) (April 15)
- De-stress, sculpt and steady yourself for the big day with amazing yoga offers from east side urban oasis, Namaste Highland Park (April 17)
To FORTIFY your friends and family:
- Savor a delicious family style menu when your guests come to town at West Hollywood-favorite, Ago; a Northern Italian cuisine experience, starting at just $60 (April 18)
See...you can have alternatives, options, and choices for the wedding of your dreams in the City of Angels.
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