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New Blog coming soon!!

Grand Engagements is getting a fresh new blog and it will be up and running within the next week. I will keep you posted with the link, so check back with us. Happy Friday!!!

Real Wedding Sneak Peek :: Sonia + Kraig

Sonia and Kraig just got married and here is a little teaser of their special day...Megan, from Honey and Poppies created this stunning bouquet. She is so amazing with design and is hands down one of my favorite floral designers! Enjoy!!



photographer :: Leila Peterson

Featured on Grey Likes Weddings :: Great Gatsby Inspired Wedding

Old mixed with new is a favorite equation of mine. It is not just vintage, not your borrowed or something new, it is a little more than that...it is about style. Create a modern wedding inspired by The Great Gatsby with a hint of Southern twist is just that; glamorous, sophisticated and modern.

As soon as I set foot on Rancho Los Cerritos with Gavin Wade to work with him on one of his amazing photography talkshops. I was inspired by the 1920’s and The Great Gatsby. I immediately could feel the life the house had and the parties that took place. Our inspiration included the subtle shades of powder blue & butter cream yellow because the home had such a open garden setting. When it came to flowers, I envisioned a whimsical garden style with their enchanting secret garden gates. Everything had a glowing and airy feel to it yet had such a radiance about it. I wanted to make sure everything was balanced and that when you look at the pictures you felt that you could envision yourself there in the moment, enjoying lemonade, playing croquet and chasing butterflies. The styling was all about going back in a moment of time and almost reliving the past, but better. The croquet balanced the freedom that this era was all about. An additional key ingredient was the 1927 All American Packard that brought the 20’s back to life.

A special thank you to Summer for the feature and all the phemnomial vendors who helped make this happen. So thrilled to have our work on Grey Likes Weddings. To see more incredible photos by the talented Gavin Wade Photographers, check out their blog!

 

Venue :: Rancho Los Cerritos

Photography :: Gavin Wade Photographers
Styling & Design :: Gloria McCune of Grand Engagements
Flowers :: Heavenly Blooms
Food :: Jay's Catering
Cake :: My Sweet & Saucy
Butterflies :: Chase-N-Butterflies
Linen :: La Tavola
Stationary :: Grand Engagements
Rentals :: Town & Country Rentals
Vintage Rentals :: Found Vintage Rentals
1927 Packard :: Classic Limos
Hair & Makeup :: Vivian Tran

Malibu Engagement Session :: Courtney + Isaac

Courtney & Isaac met as college students Vanderbilt University during a volunteer trip for Habitat for Humanity that the two first became acquainted and began what would be their life together. College days were filled with football games and theme parties, always at each other's side. Every night after he studied at the library, Isaac would come by Courtney's dorm with cookies for a goodnight kiss.

They followed each other to the west coast and law school in Los Angeles, Isaac at Pepperdine and Courtney at UCLA. There were many all-nighters, Courtney teaching Isaac Constitutional Law and Isaac coaching Courtney  through the first year brief writing. They also found a city that they could call home, with a church, friends, and lots of Korean BBQ.

But it was when Courtney returned from her second home of China that she and Isaac realized how much they meant to each other. Isaac promised that the next time she went to China, she wouldn't go alone, and Courtney discovered her home was with Isaac, wherever they were. The couple plans to wed and work both as litigators in L.A., debating who does the dishes (Isaac) and who does the laundry (Courtney) for many years to come...

Courtney & Isaac are such a stunning pair and quite the models. She has such an incredible eye for details and magnificent sense of style. Isaac is charming and witty, whenever you see them together, they are always laughing. In a few months, their wedding is going to be at the posh London Hotel in West Hollywood. Here they are enjoying life, just as they remembered it...crazy in love in Malibu.

photography :: Jasmine Star 

Utterly Engaged Feature, Issue 15 :: French Wedding Inspiration

Anytime I work on styling a wedding, I start with a love story and it goes from there. France is known for the most amazing love stories in the world...and I am always inspired by it. From it's amazing history, architecture, art, food, style, and fashion, I am mezmerized by it all. I was very lucky to work with an incredibly stylish & talented group to create this French Inspired Wedding! See our latest feature in Utterly Engaged.

 

designer & stylist :: Gloria McCune - Grand Engagements
photographer :: AGIPHOTO Studios
florist :: Nisie's Enchanted Florist
cake :: Sweet and Saucy Shop
stationary :: Posh Paperie
vintage rentals :: found
linens :: Wildflower Linens
rentals :: Classic Party Rentals

Orange County Engagement Session :: Cheryl + Kevin

Energy is something you cannot see but something you can definitely feel. I am not a chemistry major and as much as I admire science, I cannot explain the wonder that takes place when two people fall in love and create the equation we call love. It is beyond my understanding but I know it exists...I am blessed to witness it as often as I do.

Cheryl & Kevin are one of the most perfect couples I have ever met...It may sound crazy, but it is true. Love is a complicated dance and when you have two people together who are in sync, the most incredible thing happens, you have the chance to witness love happening in front of your eyes. There is so much beauty in this world and it is because of one common thread we all wish to feel and when you do...consider yourself one of the luckiest people on this earth.

 

 

 

photography :: Studio EMP

Los Angeles Engagement Session :: Sonia + Kraig

Love finds you when you least expect it. It can sometimes be in the most unlikely places. Even when you are furthest from home on a vacation...this the story of how Sonia & Kraig met while on vacation in Mexico. They were both two people living separate lives when fate had better plans.

As the time would have it, they reconnected. Little did they know that they would fall crazy in love and quickly became inseparable. Sonia & Kraig decided to take another vacation back to Mexico together where they fell in love...Kraig popped the question and Sonia happily accepted.

Here they are for their engagement session having fun, laughing and being in love!

 photography :: Leila Peterson

Motorcycles, Stilettos and Tanks :: D. Park Photography

Years ago, I decided to leave the corporate world behind to continue in the pursuit of my happiness...planning & designing weddings. Life has been so sweet and full of happily ever after since then. For me, it is all about enjoying the journey and living every moment to its fullest. I feel so lucky to spend my days with people who are so in-love! We are all here to love and share that love. Marriage is such a sacred passage in life and it should be cherised. So when you meet the person of your dreams, hold on to them tightly and never let them go. If the grass seems greener on the other side, water your lawn more!

Cory & I have already been together for 10 years!!! I believe that love grows deeper and richer with time. Our 5 year anniversary is quickly approaching, I can't believe that we have reached this mini milestone. I say "mini" because I plan on exceeding 60+ years of marriage together. I love him so much and am just as in love if not more since the day we met. So 60 years should be cake! The moment I saw Cory, I saw forever. He is everything I could have ever dreamed of and so much more. I picture us growing old, sitting in rocking chairs on a front porch together and talking about life.  I feel so lucky to have such an amazing friend, partner and lover to call my own. Love is a funny thing...it is simple, complicated and everything in between. If love is the foundation of a marriage, then a good sense of humor is the glue that keeps it together...at least in my book.

Drexelle & David of D. Park Photography have created a series dedicated to soon-to-be married couples about what makes marriage so special. Once you are married, it is just the beginning of a fun and wild adventure. Here is a snippet of what life is like keeping up with the McCunes.

Why Marriage from David Park on Vimeo.

photography :: D. Park Photography

Wedding season is here!!

There are a lot of great things happening here at Grand Engagements! With wedding season in full swing, I am so excited to share with you the amazing weddings we have coming up. Which explains the biggest reason why I haven't had the chance to sit down and blog...but it will be worth it! So I will bring you up to speed since the holidays...

January was crazy and by crazy I mean, I turned the BIG 3-0! Yikes!!! I wasn't sure how that was going to feel, but fortunately, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I spent so much of my teens thinking of my 20's that 30's felt like it was so "old!" Yes, I said it! Now that I am 30 and the 90's are still considered young in my eyes, I am looking forward to life more than ever! Everyone kept asking me what big party I was going to have, and we all know as a planner that would be hard to do, unless I was having a huge party thrown for me by Sean Combs off on a private island or a loft in NY, I don't think I would have wanted it. Trust me!! I am all about "Go BIG or Go Home!"...So I went home. I wanted to do just the opposite of what I thought I would want. Cory and I went to Disneyland, just the two of us, shared churros and laughed all day. It was so fun and refreshing! So, in a lot of ways, it put life into perspective and made me the happiest girl in the world at the happiest place in the world. Turning 30 is more than a number, it is about feeling comfortable in your own skin...and finally I can say that I am.

Now that spring is here and it still feels like winter, I am looking forward to the warmer days ahead. With the summer-like days on the horizon, this will be beautiful wedding season. Weeks have been flying by as I have been meeting with my incredible clients and planning their weddings. There is always so much great stuff going on, getting to sit down and write on the blog can easily be overlooked. So come back often, great posts are headed your way!

Los Angeles Engagement Session :: Liz + Peter

If I could choose two words to describe Liz & Peter, it would be "Hollywood Glamour." They are the kind of couple with the "it factor." Liz has a true everlasting glamour about her, she is beautiful inside and out. Peter is strong, intelligent and funny! Together, they are perfect and can take over the world! Just spend some time with this incredible duo and you will see in no time their passion for life rub off on you!

Greg Bumatay captured this high-fashion engagement shoot that I am just drooling over. Greg just won my heart over!

 photography :: Greg Bumatay

My little one...

My son Ryder is my world...I never thought I could love soooo much. He is funny, silly and knows how to make you laugh! He loves to dance and play...and will amuse you with his fanciful stories. He is perfect in everyway. Here is Ryder doing what he does best, being a ham! I guess that is what happens when you grow up in family full of photographers...my theory is, someone has to be in front of the camera...now I know who he got that from.

photography :: AGIPHOTO