Vendor News
The Beautiful Casa Elar @ Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
| Casa Elar (‘L’ ‘R’), Ojai Valley Inn & Spa’s Private Estate, has recently been released for weddings and special events. This beautiful Estate, design by Santa Barbara architect William Mahan, awaits you nestled in the hills of Ojai Valley just minutes from the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. This private 10,407 sq ft Italian styled villa is now available to you. Exclusive use of a Bentley-inspired golf cart, private spa and pool with shaded terrace, stone pizza oven and gas BBQ, 2 master suites, each with spacious his & hers bathrooms (OMG the hers bathroom I could live in!), outdoor balconies with fireplaces, private massage room, great room with dining for 12, library with built-in bar, gourmet kitchen, and so many more amenities it’s a must see for your wedding or next special event. | |
| To celebrate the release of Casa Elar, XOXO BRIDE was asked to design a dinner in the gardens of the estate. With a stellar cast of my favorite vendors we were spoiled by the staff of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa to a delightful dinner followed by deserts and cordials in the library. | |
| All photographs by Michael and Anna Costa Photography unless tagged otherwise. | |
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| The design all started with the Nandini Net Guilded overlay by La Tavola. I knew I wanted to use this overlay as it is the personification of royalty in lace. I coupled it with a soft butter yellow Dupionique Iridescence linen and used the vintage pearl flatware line at Town & Country Event Rentals. In addition, I couldn’t help but pull in their beautiful Vineyard Collection chairs rotating designs down the table. | |
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| Holly Flora graciously provided our table scape of romantic blooms. Holly’s expert eye caught every detail with books, vases, glassware and all kinds of goodies in every nook and cranny of our event. My thoughts then ran to draping in decadence… and who better than Brent Jongeward of BAM Specialty Fabric & Event Draping to pull it together… literally! I wanted to emulate an indoor formal dining room feeling and Brent knew exactly what I was going for and gave us an amazing display of his talents. Next, the frames!! I dreamt of having the indoor experience outdoor and wanted to continue that feeling by pulling empty frames and suspending them in such a way you felt like you were in a dining room. | |
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| One of my favorite parts was putting an oversized oval mirror on an easel at the foot of the dining table. This small but impactful element provides an intimate dining room experience for guests. The frames and the fabulous vintage rental furniture were provided by Krista Jon of Archive Vintage Rentals, love them! Notice those great benches by the ceremony arbor, very chic use of seating for guests. The night was so beautifully illuminated by Images by Lighting. Casa Elar was glowing in the night’s skyline and it was unmistakable that a VIP event was being held that night. The pool glistened while we sipped wine and savored the wonderful foods. Ceci New York provided us with beautiful designed menus. | |
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| A special thank you to Michael and Anna Costa Photography and Next Exit Photography for capturing Casa Elar’s release dinner so artistically. We love you! Guests were treated to gift bag goodies provided by, The Ojai Vineyard winery, Ojai Olive Oil, New Oak Ranch lavender jam, Friends Ranch citrus cuties, Zena’s Gypsy Tea (my personal favorite is the Coconut Chai Tea… Amazing!), and a variety of Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Products. Oh and who could forget Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Pastry Chef Calvin created seating cards for each guest in a sugar cookie with their personalized business logo, another of my favorite moments of the night. | |
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XOXO Bride Loves… Santa Barbara Barbeque Gourmet Catering
| We wanted to take a moment and recognize Santa Barbara Barbeque Gourmet Catering (affectionately referred to as SBBGC) and specifically Sidney Adams-Raney. Our experiences working with them over the years, watching their growth and success, has brought not only our clients joy but us as well. Sidney’s personable, professional, and efficient staff allows the service and food to shine at every event large or small. |
| One of my favorite things to do in my work is to help couples determine their menu. As important as your wedding gown features your personal style, food speaks directly to your tastes as a couple. Choosing a menu that sings to your guests pallet is an art form. Sidney is so brilliant and talented at offering the perfect pairings. She can design a menu around any specifications that’s unique, fresh and visually stimulating.
XOXO BRIDE honors and congratulates Santa Barbara Barbeque Gourmet Catering for all their hard work and brilliant style in 2010. |
| Click here to view their website |
Tobin Poppenberg ~ Photo Shoot for Haiti Relief
We all, in one way or another, were affected by the devastation left in Haiti after the earthquake this year. We have been reaching out to help anyway we can. Tobin Poppenberg, world renown photographer http://www.tobinphotography.com/wedding/1/home, is doing some great charity work for the Haiti relief efforts this weekend April 17th & 18th in Santa Barbara, CA. He is offering his skills as one of the most sought after photographers to raise money for the work needed in Haiti. He’s offering a mini photo shoot for a donation to the relief fund of $50. (Give more if you can!) It’s a great opportunity to help this charity and get some amazing photos for yourself. Take this opportunity to have a mini engagement session or just some fun shots of you and your fiance. Please join me in supporting Tobin in his efforts. For more information and to secure your photo shoot time go to, http://tobinphotoblog.com/2010/shooting-for-haiti/.
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