A new photographer! - Colleen Bell

Hi!

It was a perfect day for a spectacular yellow wedding! Here I am with the new Mr. and Mrs. Ron Bayles! Congratulations!!!

I had the pleasure of working with a new photographer named Colleen

Bell last weekend! She has been a photographer for some time but I hadn't worked with her before. There is nothing better than having a photographer "click" with us! She is a kindred spirit to be sure!!!

She captured the precious moments, the fun and was everywhere at once.

Lynne and Ron, the Bride and Groom, really enjoyed themselves.

After all, isn't that what it is all about?

Here, Lynne's brother and sister, Allan and Karen, showed off their dance moves as they joined the celebration!!

Here is what Colleen wrote on her blog! Oh, and check out the photos! She has them posted already!!!! Go to www.Colleenbell.com/blog.

I picked a few of my favorites but they were sooooo many of my favorites! Enjoy!

Smiles,

Michelle

"At the invitation of Lynne + Ron, I had the distinct pleasure of shooting at the Jones Victorian Estate in Orange, California last weekend for their beautiful wedding. I was excited when Lynne told that she had selected the Jones Victorian Estate for her wedding because I had heard many wonderful things about it from other photographers and vendors, so I wanted to experience it myself. Lynne and Ron are an incredible couple and it was wonderful to see them so relaxed from the moment they stepped on the property. I know Michelle, the coordinator at Jones had her hand in creating that atmosphere of calm by being so prepared. She was very hands on and personal, but she is also blessed with the gift making everyone feel like family the moment you meet her. It was very obvious that she had made the whole planning experience for Lynne and her family an enjoyable one and it all came together so beautifully. I am elated that this evening turned out so beautiful for Ron and Lynne, that Lynne enjoyed the wedding of her dreams, and most of all that she found an amazing man to cherish her for the rest of her life. It is obvious by all of the kissing images I have posted that they stole every spare moment for a kiss. I tried to capture their joy in images, but it is almost impossible to capture that spark you feel when they see each other. I wish you both the best!!"

From our heart to yours!

Hi!

Our new garden area is officially open! We had our first wedding there and it was soooo beautiful.

Erica and Charles were married amongst the many tall trees, the beautiful assortment of colorful flowers, the green grass of the garden!

More pictures to come!!!!!

Each guest was welcomed to the garden with the heart gate!

From our heart to yours, welcome!!

Love

Michelle

Silver Candelabras .... oh yeah!

Hi!

Are you thinking about centerpieces? How about the grand tradition of silver candelabras?

They bring such elegance to any decoration.

Guess What? We have them! They are all silvery and shinning and beautiful!

Here, Flower Allie provided the huge floral arrangements that went on top and the strings of pearls the hung all around. The candelabras were further accented by beautifully framed table names in silver. Each frame included an explanation of the name. It was a beautiful way to get a glimpse into the lives of the Bride and Groom.

My favorite table was the Mother of the Bride's table; "Sunday Morning". This frame related the story of Sarah sitting at the table, one Sunday morning, talking to her mother about one day marrying Greg. Priceless! Please pass the tissues.

Thank you Jeray and Kim for the photos!

Love,

Michelle

Here Comes The Bride!

Hi!

Here at Sarah and Greg's wedding, these two Ring Bearers were the cutest ever!! They managed to carry the sign all the way down the aisle to the utter amazement of all the guests. I rewarded them with ice creams and it was a well deserved treat!!! They are so precious! Can we hire these two? Do they have an agent yet?

And... that's not all! How about this little one that has a mini crown on!! Ahhhh.

Thank you so much to Jeray and Kim Photography for the photos! You two are amazing!!

Here, we added our stained glass piece to the floral decoration on the Arch for a magical effect. Our intention was to pay tribute to Sarah's grandfather, who had worked in the glass trade, and it was one of her favorite decorations! What a gorgeous backdrop for her wedding. The glass was further accented with strings of pearls and crystals spilling down each side of the arch.

Her joy and playfulness was so refreshing! Thank you again, Kim and Jeray, for capturing these precious moments!! The Groom, Greg (mfg), was her perfect match.

Thank you for allowing me to share in your special day!

Love,

Michelle

Everything was Perfect!

"Hi Michelle:

We cannont thank you enough for Jody and Sean's glorious Wedding!! Everything was perfect, ALL came together first as Jody wanted... all because of your constant help, wonderful ideas and guidance!! Our entire experience with you was fantastic!

We have had so many compliments on your Estate, prettiest Wedding venue people have seen.

We entrusted this day to you --- you did not let us down in any aspect.

Love,

Leslie and the Cochrane Family"

Candy is always in fashion!

Hi!

I remember when I was young and I had some change to spend, a sweet treat made the day that much better.

It didn't matter if it was Bazooka chewing gum or a pocket full of Red Vines licorice, it was just plain fun.

Now you can bring that nostalgia flare to your gift favors with a Candy station. Now, some of you will say that the Candy Stations have been around for a long time. I couldn't agree more! However, you can create yours with your own flare! Besides, in all the years we have featured the Candy Stations, never have I heard anyone complain about candy!! It's always a big hit!

There are all sorts of resources for candy. Go for the candy you and your parents enjoy, go for candy that are in your colors, go for the candy necklaces, rings and bracelets! Go for what makes you smile! It's all yummy. Bring out the kid in you and your guests!

Here, we displayed Candice and Travis' candy in our vintage candy jars. Green and yellow were the colors of the day! We livened up the table up with a satin green linen. We added height to the centerpiece and waaalaaa! A self-serve Candy Station fit for a Queen!

Enjoy!

Thank you Edna of Squareeyephoto.com!

Michelle

Orange and Light Blue - Stunning !

Hi!

I just received an email from Ketara of

KetaraGPhotography.com with a few photos highlighting the event for Matt and Laura.

I love the stunning contrast of the two colors! Laura was sure of her choice, while other family members couldn't quite picture it.

She stayed true to her choice and I helped her create her vision. We brought the colors to the seating cards, the centerpieces, the bouquets and the decorations for the arch. It was breathtaking. It was just what she wanted!! It was the "sunset over the water!"

What you can't see from these pictures are Laura's beautiful, crystal blue eyes!

Thank you Ketara for the photographs! Check out her website, she is local!

Smiles and Love,

Michelle

Sarah and Greg Casford's thank you!!!

Hi Michelle!

I can't believe how time has flown and it has almost been a month since our wedding! I have been meaning to sit down and write to you for awhile now but it has been such a busy (and fun) couple of weeks I have just now found the time!

Everytime I think back to May 21st, I get goosebumps; it was truly the happiest day of our lives. We had so much fun at our wedding and everything was more beautiful then we could have imagined. I always thought I would be a giant ball of stress at my wedding & be worrying about every little detail, but with you there I was completely relaxed and really got to enjoy and appreciate my day. We got the preview of our pictures last week and I was in such awe of how gorgeous everything came together; I really appreciate your attention to detail and all the insight and ideas you helped with to make our day personalized and unique.

From the food, to the venue and beyond, The Jones Victorian Estate did not disappoint. What you offer is an outstanding location for any bride & groom that is unparalleled in Southern California and one of our best decisions was to get married there. You helped create a picture perfect backdrop for our "happily ever after" to begin. :-)

Thank you sooooooo much for everything! We are almost sad our wedding is over because we will miss our visits with Michelle!!! You are so amazing!!!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Love,

Greg & Sarah Casford

Green and Yellow for Travis and Candice!!

Hi!

Green and Yellow were the fresh and lively colors Travis and Candice picked for their wedding and reception. And why not? It was refreshingly bold... Green with the spike of Yellow!! Look at all the details we incorporated....

How about those paper lanterns? We mixed large Chinese lanterns for overhead with various shapes and sizes of paper lanterns on the arch and throughout the property! They added just enough color to different areas of the Estate!

It was so much fun mixing textures too! Did you notice the crystals on the arch? The buttons in the pomiander balls, bouquets and centerpiece flowers? The fruit (lemons and limes - of course!) in the bases of large vases at the arch and centerpieces. All these details just added to the overall look of the day! Everywhere you looked there was a splash of color and accent!

Guess what color shoes Candice wore? You guessed it.... GREEN!

Thank you so much to SquareEyePhoto.com for the pictures! Well done!!

Love,

Michelle

Much more than cake at the Jones Victorian Estate

Hi!

Erica's wedding in the Garden was spectacular thanks to Alison at Flower Allie, Kevin and Rachell at the Gregory Palm Farms! I can hardly wait to post more pictures!

Did you ever think about adding more choices to the cake cutting/dessert? We did! Erica and her sister are an incredible cooks and bakers. She decided to add a wonderful homey touch by including cup cakes, croquembouche and homemade Pies!! Two Pecan, Three Chocolate Cream (check out the two hearts on top) and Two Berry/Cherry pies were all made with love by her Sister, Rachell. No one even wanted to dance as they anticipated their choice of dessert!

Erica wore a polka dot apron to add to the fun to her pie cutting! Her and Charles enjoyed their favorite pie - Berry/Cherry for their "cake cutting."

Enjoy your day to the fullest!

Love

Michelle

Erica's getting married in the Garden!

Hi!

We've opened up a new area for the weddings and it's soooo pretty!

On Saturday, Erica and Charles will be the first to be married under the canopy of huge eucalyptus trees surrounded by flowers.

The grassy area is just another gorgeous aspect of the Jones Victorian Estate.

What happened to the swing? After the wedding, the swing goes back up. I don't want them missing out on any of those great swing pictures!!

The grassy knoll pictured here was our trial run. Thank you Joel of EMP Studios for the photos! I'll be posting their pictures next!!!

Love,

Michelle

What happened to Joel Maus of EMP Studios?

Hi!

What happened to Joel Maus of EMP Studios?

I haven't seen him around the Estate lately!

We all miss him!! There is only a handful of photographers that really help make my job easier, he's one of them. He works really well under pressure. He is incredibly talented. He has a wonderful sense of humor! He is fast, fast, fast!

You should see him around the kids! Priceless!

He's one in a million! What a great, great, great, great job he does!!!

Thank you Joel!! We'd love to have you back!

Love

Michelle

How about a Family Photo Display?

Hi!

Did you ever think about including a video montage or slide show during your wedding reception?

If that job seems to complex and technical, how about a Family Photo display? It can be as simple as a couple of photographs OR bring a whole bunch!! The frames don't have to match. The sizes can be all different!

It allows your guests a glimpse into your life! Those who knew you then love to see them again! The photographs can include your family and friends too! Mix it up because that's what makes it so interesting.

Here at the Estate, I set up a special table for those photographs so everyone could see and enjoy. We packed them safely all back up at the end of the evening!

Don't let a special moment pass you by. You were such a cute kid!!!

Love

Michelle

Where does an idea come from?

Hi!

Where does an idea come from?

Let me ask you...What do you love?

Katie, her Mother and her Auntie met me at Flower Allie for our centerpiece and bouquet "trial" session. Katie loves the richness of purple and greens along with feminine details such as crystal, silver and lace.

Collectively, they had all sorts of crystal pieces, pedestal candle holders, votive candles and lace. We brought together all her "loves" to see where the "wow factor was.

As it turned out, the wow was everywhere. We decided to create three separate vinettes for the tables. In that way, everything she loves will tie in nicely!

Alison of Flower Allie brought out this wonderful green vase that was just the right color and accent to finish the look. It's little but just perfect to bring more green to the table.

Where does an idea come from? Inside you! From your heart! It's what you love that can be incorporated into your day! Even the smallest of accents can be just the inspiration you need! I'm here to help!

Enjoy the process by taking baby steps. Before you know it, you'll be running with enjoyment!

Smiles and Love,

Michelle

Planning was So Easy and FUN!

Hi!

I just received this thank you note from Elise, who got married here on the 30th of April. I have to say, it brought tears to my eyes reading it. My intention has always been to provide the absolute best service possible while helping the Bride enjoy the entire process. Some say that can't be done. I say, it can be and here's the proof.

Thank you Elise and Joe for allowing us to share in your special day! It's hard to believe, but I am speechless, my cup run-ith over.

Sending you and all Brides lots and lots of love!

Michelle

"Dear Michelle,

I'm sorry it took me so long to send a formal thank you. It took me a little while to process just how perfect The Big Day was and put my feelings into words.

I was dreading all of the work that would go into planning a wedding, but you made everything so easy and fun. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to enjoy my wedding day and the planning leading up to it.

Because of your calm nature and caring words, I was able to focus on what was really important; Marrying Joe!

We still get compliments almost every day about how beautiful everything was, and that's all because of you and your hard work. We will always remember you and everything you did for us, and we'll be telling our children about you some day! :)

Love,

Elise"