Cake Monkey, Los Angeles

Yummy bites from Cake Monkey make the best dessert bars. The only sad thing was that the bride could have gotten double the amount: they were gone so fast, there was no bite left for the sugar craving wedding planner:) But then I get to go to their tastings with my brides, delicious.

Sweet, sassy, saucy.

Amazing dessert displays are the way to go: eclectic, whimsical, rustic: matched to the theme of the wedding they are the bang at the end (or crescendo in the middle) of the reception.
By Sweet and Saucy.

Organic Halloween wedding

Aurora and Ryan's Halloween wedding was a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The organic pumpkin pies were their guests favorites.


We had pumpkins serve as vases, which gave the decor the personal touch the couple wanted and orange really goes amazingly well with purple. It seems to be one of the latest color trends, (remember pink and chocolate? It was everywhere a year ago) Melinda and Tyler's wedding on 10/12 featured orange Indian style overlays on dark purple with purple napkins.

French Themed Wedding

Credit: Dana Hargitay Photography
Oh mon Dieux, Cynthia and Jeff were married at the Inn, inspired by the memories of their trips through the beauty of France and Edith Piaf's "La vie en rose". The touch of 1940 ties fit like a glove.

The Tour Eiffel was everywhere, not missing humor around their addiction.


Black, white and red was a passionate back ground for bridesmaids with a little edge...

and a bride wearing her tattoo as part of her bridal couture.



As a wink to the Inn's love for all things lavender and purple, Cynthia wore purple shoes...

... and integrated a touch of the royal color in her center pieces.


The eco-friendly aspect here: all crystal and glass containers were re-use objects.


Yes, the flower arch was opulent and the florist not much into eco ideas but we saved all flowers and created vases for the restaurant tables who then saved a trip to the LA mart not needing fresh flowers for their day to day table decor.





Je me souviens: Catherine Deneuve...


Photography: Dana Hargitay Photography,  Location: Inn of the Seventh Ray, Topanga, CA

Celebration extraordinaire

Charming, beautiful Jo Giese married charismatic Ed Warren on May 23, 2009 at the Malibu Nature Preserve. The Malibu Times Magazine will publish a spread of their colorful celebration in July.

Jo did not want any "down time". We had kites for the kids on the bluff, music, hors d'oeuvres and drinks at all times and on all areas of this huge property.

Friend and photographer Bradford Stanley did an amazing job capturing the joy of this event, which did not miss a second of entertainment - welcome grove, the wedding bluff, the walk way, where 180 lined up guests tossed rose petals over the beaming couple, and the reception area presented 17 different musicians from classic trios and septets to a Banjo Bard and the six piece band rock'n with 60ties and 70 ties songs. Blue Skies Event only works with professionals, for whom music is their job, not a side gig. More expensive maybe but it certainly pays of.

Romantic on the bluff and upbeat on the Sycamore Grove, they added dozens of songs to their repertoire to get guests swinging to Tom Petty and John Denver.


The magenta linens with sheer pink overlays, (to be re-used) were the perfect match for the Indian influenced decor.



Jo, founder and president of Malibu Green Machine is loved and respected by the Malibu community. Mayor Pamela Conley was their cheerful wedding officiant.

Loving the spoken and written word, Jo and Ed's mini cup cakes from Le Bon Bakery in Woodland Hills featured words they are fond of; whenever do we get to munch philosophy?
I have rarely had so many prep discussions with vendors, but it was worth it: Frank from Malibu Party Rentals was extraordinarily helpful and got us those out of the norm orders he did not have in stock. Diana Temple from Creative Fare Catering managed a tasty sustainable sea food feast on four food stations, while the SMS bio diesel generator and the amazingly cool bathrooms from Uptown Bathrooms performed just excellent.



Many guests personally thanked me for a gorgeous event, but it was Jo and Ed who created the inspiring ambiance with their love and joy, they were the sparkling soul of their green wedding.
Location: Malibu Nature Preserve, Event Planner: Angelica Weihs Events, Musicians: Blues Skies Events, Caterer: Creative Fare Catering, Bakery Le Bon Bakery, Bathroom rentals: Uptown

A Delicate and Delicious Green Malibu Wedding

Dan and Daniela got married on April 5, 2009 in their grand parents Malibu villa, built by Daniela's architect dad, Jaime Gesundheit.

The modern, high-ceiling house, cover page of Architectural digest 1992, with it's Koi pond yard and ocean deck was the perfect canvas for the delicate taste of this couple. Both musicians of the alternative kind, both eco conscious, creative human beings, they looked at their wedding as a celebration of life. It meant not only to respect animals and the environment, to offer healthy life sustaining foods and keep pesticides and chemicals as far away from their guests as possible. It also meant to extend their love to everybody, young or old, vendors, family or dad's business partners and to integrate the community as much as possible. Their musicians and DJ's, their photographer and Rabbi were friends or friends of friends co-creating an amazingly loving atmosphere.



Renowned photographer Greg Slick, San Francisco, captured their eclectic and unique style with intuition and great sensitivity, a style, which was at the same time fresh, modern and sprinkled with romantic and traditional moments.


Daniela and Dan followed the outline of Jewish ceremonies but added their own hearts to it: the couple was woven into a Star Mandala by their attendants, every word was hand crafted and their female Rabbi later joined the Klezmer band as their lead singer.

Todd Bracken, eco conscious jeweler for the stars in Los Angeles, created their rings from gold their families fished out of drawers and forgotten jewelry boxes: broken or old fashioned pieces, which were recycled into unique wedding bands full of memories of many dear people.

Hand made paper bound into an antique looking guest book in China and a gift to Daniela's parents and the Kippahs matched the sparkling blue (with orange accents) color of the wedding.



Haute florist Arsine from Shirvan Design used organic flowers for the bouquets and boutonnieres but kept all center pieces alive: only succulents and plants were used or leafs of plants, which continued growing after their trim. Arsine started to grow the succulents in her own garden six months before the wedding, another personal touch adding to the warmth of the reception. They are now happily growing on in mine and gardens across California.





I didn't expect a Klezmer band to rock the crowd, but Kugelplex high energy contemporary sound got guests off their seats - not just for the hora.

The Challah was enormous, too big for the table...

Susan Gesundheit, Daniela's mom and a wonderful artist, offered a colorful water color Ketubah and Lily Goldman, Dan's mom, a well-known water colorist in Montreal, Canada where Dan's parents live, created decorative pieces like the Martini Mashed Potato Bar menu.


The wedding started in the early afternoon, which saved some electricity, but went way into the night and, sorry environment, nobody wants to give up on those amazing lighting effects.
To add the eco touch we used my treasured memories from Farolito-lit Christmas nights in Santa Fe, New Mexico and created Luminarios with recycled paper bags and soy candles, which were placed around all water features and the beach seating.
Classic Party Rentals has become a green rental company with trucks running on alternative fuels. They did beautiful up-lighting, always conscious not to overdo it but still creating a lush effect. We did not need a generator, but when we do, we know where to rent bio diesel generators. (No fear, they are quiet.)
Curtis from Classic and his crew did an amazing job, they placed the floor and over head retro lighting for the beach seating the day before and came early on the wedding day setting up bars, beach and ceremony seating. They did not only help to set up tables and chairs on the yard after the ceremony but stayed all night jumping in whenever necessary and with a smile on their faces. The community spirit seemed to en wrap everybody.

On the practical side: I ordered solar powered bath rooms and eco trash bins to recycle all waste.

Jaime, a wine connoisseur, took care of stocking the two bars. He also knows his cocktails; when Jaime and Susan invited me for dinner at the Garden of Taxco after the wedding, where nervous Dan had spilled the news about their wedding idea a year before, he ordered an amazing fruity drink, its name unfortunately drowned in its powerful ingredients.

Don Kreindler and his crew did their catering magic again: delightful hors d'oeuvres were followed by delicious food stations, most of it organic and certainly sustainable. Winner of the night due to originality: the organic mashed potato Martini bar.
I just love Don, a master of haute cuisine who creates healthy banquets, which simply are to die for.

After a journey through well known bakeries and talking to a dozen pastry chefs, we found that nobody in the wedding cake market was open to create the very specific pies Dan had asked for. The pies were his thing and had to be just right.
Susan contacted one of the restaurants she frequently visits and Aaron from Boneyard Bistro was eager to help: a multitude of colorful pies arrived at the wedding to be served with organic whipped cream and Lavender Honey Vanilla Ice cream.

Danielas brides maids were asked to choose dresses thinking of Daniela - the whimsical and delicate result was just her.


Daniela's dress sums it all up: it is a white designer dress but unpretentious, unique and with that touch of Pixie which is part of the magic of this creative duo, with love for life in their hearts and the happiness of the earth in their mind.

Location: Malibu Beach
Event Planning&Design: Angelica Weihs Events, LA
Photography: Greg Slick, SF
Caterer: Don Kreindler, LA
Flowers: Shirvan Design, Glendale
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Culver City
Entertainment: Kugelplex, Chansonniers, Live Piano, DJ (friends), SF
Favors: Home made coco powder in small recycled glass containers, Snowblink CD's
Huppah: home made, family
Rings: Todd Bracken, LA