Last Saturday I worked a wedding at Shutters On the Beach in Santa Monica with one of my mentors, Carol Rosen of Party Designs By Carol. I’ve always admired the hotel from the bikepath and the venue was as lovely as I expected, but it was also much tougher to work than I expected. The hotel is laid out in such a crazy way that there is no direct way to get from point A to B–to get from the Grand Salon to the lobby you seriously had to go up the elevator, across the pool deck, and then down the elevator on the other side. Herding guests through a maze like that consumes time, energy, and patience. The poor ceremony musicians were initially directed by the doorman to the Grand Salon when they should have been directed up to the pool terrace for the ceremony. I thought the poor Cellist was about to blow steam out his ears after he lugged his Cello down to the ballroom only to find out that he needed to be up on the roof.

The ceremony was held at sunset overlooking the Pacific and a 10 piece orchestra gave me Goosebumps. It was the prettiest ceremony music I have heard to date. The reception was equally fabulous with custom linens from Wildflower Linens, floral arrangements flown in from Hawaii, lead crystal stemware, and the killer 13 piece Entourage band of de Bois Entertainment bringing the house down. One of the highlights of the evening were the Bon Bon Girls passing out favors such as candy cigars, chocolates, and glow in the dark necklaces. I think every guest in there got their picture taken with the sassy cigar girls in their fishnet stockings and satin tuxedo jackets!

Below are pictures taken from the hotel website as I did not snap any pictures that day other than the hemming job I did on an usher’s dress–it was either this or her cutting off 5″ of her silk gown!