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A Summer Wedding to Remember

There must be something in the air; this Summer I’ve been to some of the most enchanting weddings I’ve ever been to in my LIFE! If you’ve been reading my blog, you already know about the beautiful wedding I recently attended in Paris, and just last weekend I flew out to Newport Beach for (another) wedding of a lifetime.

There was simply too much to do and see throughout the wedding weekend for just one blog post. Today’s blog is all about the pre-wedding party, and next week I’ll tackle the ceremony and reception. You’ll soon see why this is so necessary!

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Okay, so let’s first start with some background. The mother-of-the-bride, Iris,  is one of my dear friends, and it was a delight to be invited to her lovely daughter’s wedding.

An Irresistible Invitation

I knew it would be a fabulous time upon receiving my invitation: an elaborate white music box! The song it played even had symbolic meaning to the couple, a theme I learned would continue throughout the nuptials.

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For the wedding pre-party, the couple recreated where they rekindled their romance– the Santa Monica Pier. The party was completely decked out with boardwalk decor, with an enormous ferris wheel as the centerpiece! Performers were dressed up in black, white, and red costumes and were placed throughout the event for entertainment. It was like nothing I’d ever seen.

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As you can see, red, white, and black established the color scheme and helped create a circus-y feel to the entire party.

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A Feast of Epic Proportions

My favorite part (naturally) was the creative food and cocktails being served! Boardwalk-style vendors were everywhere, serving anything from mustard-infused pretzels to fried chicken in waffle cones and so much more!! There served absolutely every carnival dish imaginable. Check it out:

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The cocktails are where things really got interesting. This one had in it something like dry ice, making the drinks give off eerie mist. Another favorite of mine were these margaritas served out of miniature tequila bottles. How great is that?!

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Mucho Mucho

You may have noticed that the phrase “Mucho Mucho” is repeated throughout the party. It was printed on napkins, umbrellas, and even made into a decorative sign for photo-ops. The meaning behind this motif couldn’t be sweeter. Adam (the groom) and Kaily would tell each other “I love you,” so many times that the phrase felt tired. They started saying “I love you mucho mucho,” and it soon was shorted into simply “mucho mucho.” Awww!

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Here we are enjoying ourselves to the fullest in front of the “Mucho Mucho” lighted sign. It was SO MUCH FUN!! Michael even won me a teddy bear at one of the carnival games. He’s the best!

Red roses were everywhere. Everywhere!! It was like out of a dream.

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Ushering in Entertainment

Of course, when you’re already throwing a party of this magnitude, why not hire USHER as your musical entertainment. Why not?! Usher came out later in the evening to perform several of his hits, as well as to wish the couple well in marriage. The venue wouldn’t allow for loud music past 10pm, but fear not! We danced the night away silent-disco style with these funky headphones.

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The table of desserts was certainly a sight to behold. Cupcakes, cakepops, brownie pops, candy, oh my! Luckily, I didn’t indulge in everything, but I had my fair share of delicious treats that night! I simply could not believe the incredible amount of theme coordination that went into planning every aspect of this party!

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As a party planner myself, this event certainly left me speechless. I always stress how important creating party themes is, but this night really cemented that for me. Every detail came full circle around the boardwalk/mucho mucho concepts, making the party feel perfectly fluid. These are the details that make parties memorable!

More to Come

I know that I’ll be thinking about this celebration for years to come, and we haven’t even touched on the actual wedding yet! Stay tuned for next week’s blog, where I’ll be sharing all my photos from the spectacle that was Kaily and Adam’s ceremony and reception. If you thought this was something, you really won’t believe what’s to come!

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Thank you so much to the beautiful couple and radiant mother-of-the-bride for including me in this unbelievable celebration. I love you mucho mucho!