earthy, boho berkeley wedding

My last wedding of 2018! Ah, what a way to round out the year with the beautiful wedding of Kelsey and Boone. This wedding couple was so special to me because I’ve had the opportunity to work with Kelsey’s mom, Eileen, for about two years nows. Eileen owns and runs the stunning Lost + Found Vintage Rentals out of her home in San Jose, so with the both of us being Bay Area natives it’s been so fun working together on events and photo shoots! Kelsey and I also went to the same high school, one year apart — so this wedding was full of so many little small world connections! Brian of Rustic Atlas took these gorgeous photos of their wedding at the Piedmont Community Center. Even though it was October, the weather was near-perfect!

I loved how tucked away their venue was. The ceremony made you feel like you were in a secluded enchanted forest and then transitioned into the perfect, intimate courtyard experience for dinner and cocktails. Kelsey’s family DIY’d the entire wedding, from start to finish; chalk-full of all of Eileen’s vintage inventory. I think my favorite moment was watching her dad put her shoes on for her before the ceremony started. That, and of course the surprise FLASH mob dance the bridal party had choreographed! This wedding was nothing but J O Y.

destination wedding in white sands national monument

Back in September I met Tiago and Ines virtually. Them in the UK, me in the US. Since then, we had been planning their destination wedding remotely which took place last weekend of March in New Mexico at the GLORIOUS White Sand National Monumnent. 

This experience was unforgettable for me and to see all the planned pieces come together is something I will always cherish. What a milestone as Naseem Events creeps into season 3. From booking their accommodations (check out this casita, yo!), designing their tablescape post-wedding, booking vendors, and coordinating all the details in between -- this was such a valuable experience for me and I have now checked off remote wedding planning off the list! Huge thank you to Golden Days Photo for capturing these images. 

outdoor spanish-inspired villa wedding under 13K!

Overjoyed to be blogging this wedding from back in June 2017. I was waiting because the lovely Grey Likes Weddings just featured it yesterday (you can see the live publication here). 

Rebekah’s wish was to have her wedding at a private estate, and I was able to secure a gorgeous venue in Bonny Doon, CA. Rebekah and Adam both work full time jobs and had no desire for the nitty-gritty planning, so they brought me on as both their planner and creative director for all the design elements of their wedding. This is obviously a planner’s dream! They did, however, have a pretty tight budget (13k), but together with the other incredibly gifted vendors they achieved exactly that. BONNY DOON GARDEN CO. designed the loosely flowing greenery of the tablescapes, the bride’s sweet bouquet of anemones, and the pop of color on the arch which brought a simple but elegant vibe to this lovely wedding. And my bestie, Amanda Az was there to photograph all the special moments of Rebekah and Adam’s big day (one of my favorite parts of the day!). 

Some of my favorite tips and takeaways when planning on a budget:

  • This was quite the challenge as you come to learn that nice weddings are never inexpensive. I was beaming when I showed them our final budget checklist, coming in right at their mark.  My hope is for all new brides who see this stunning wedding is that they can remain hopeful in knowing that you don’t have to break the bank for the wedding of your dreams.
  • Hiring a planner who has connections is key — and knowing where to spend and what to splurge on, vs. what to forego.
  • We opted for a buffet dinner for guests, but were able to splurge a bit on gorgeous chargers to adorn the tables, along with thank you tags I personally designed, attached to a greenery sprig.
  • I wanted to include simple yet special elements to the wedding details, which included personalized honey pots and succulents for guests to take home as favors. Huge shout out to Andrea of Wilde Script for making my other vision come to life in her design of some gorgeous signage to accent the entire venue. I think one of my favorite touches were the seaglass blush escort cards!

indigo xx succulent dreams [[styled shoot inspiration]]

This week I had the honor of being published on the highly coveted White Magazine for a styled shoot I had been dreaming up all summer long. SO exciting! Before jumping to the gallery, I wanted to share the inspiration for what led to my initial vision for this shoot. This is hopefully right up your alley if you're all about organic, boho style and your spirit animal is a succulent ;)

The initial inspiration for this photo shoot came to me in a very simple form; texture.

I had just finished taking a Ginny Au styling course and felt led to start creating a mood board based off of particular textures that spoke to me. I ended up with a palate whose end result birthed in the shoot below. I wanted to showcase a “bohemian meets Anthropologie” aesthetic, if you will. There are so many couples who fit this look/demographic and I wanted to create a set of vignettes to cater to this particular vibe. Enter DIG Gardens in beautiful Santa Cruz. This space brought my vision to life the moment I stepped in. Every where you turn, there’s something to marvel at. 

The vessels I picked out were all from DIG and each unique in their own way. Even in constructing the dessert table vignette, I wanted to showcase multiple tables of different sizes and shapes. I think there’s something so enamoring about aesthetics you don’t see every day. We’re so used to seeing one cake on one table at weddings, so this look was so fun for my team to put together. 

The table set up was personally my favorite part of this shoot because of all the elements I was able to incorporate. We used DIG Garden’s beautiful farm table and chairs, and topped the table with Rachel Wadlow’s beautiful hand-dyed indigo napkins, a gorgeous set of mismatched Anthropologie plates I picked out, and natural wood cut flatware. Angie of Bobo Design Studio came alongside my vision and created these stunning vellum menus and laser cut name cards for each seat.

 

CREDITS

kathy & phil's wedding, conservatory of flowers SF

A month ago I got to watch Kathy and Phil tie the knot in front of their family and friends at the GORGEOUS Conservatory of Flowers in SF. This wedding was super special to me since Kathy hired me on as her planner back in the fall so we had naturally grown super close during the course of the months leading up to the wedding. 

One thing I loved was that Kathy did not care at ALL about taking creative control over the decor/ design of the wedding; that's why she hired me! (#plannergoals). So I took the liberty of helping shape the aesthetic of the wedding from A to Z. Kathy and Phil are not traditional in the slightest so we dreamed up ideas that were special to them as a couple. For instance, I suggested a message in a bottle idea for them instead of a regular guest book for guests to leave them. I also helped Kathy create little disposable utensil packets (we skipped traditional plateware altogether and saved a TON), for their guests to pick up at the food trucks as they licked their fingers clean of the gourmet goodness. The lovely Keegan of Petal Atelier adorned the long dinner tables with different sized floral arrangements for a simple and clean look. With the stunning backdrop of the conservatory at our fingertips, there was so much natural beauty to play with. 

A highlight for me was the ice cream taco cart we had for dessert. I can't suggest this idea more in lieu of a traditional cake.

Guests were able to wander the conservatory during cocktail hour, wine in hand. One fun project I took on was co-designing all of Kathy's signage for the wedding. She told me straight ahead that was not a fan of calligraphy (to each their own!) and so I worked with Nicole of Penny Lane Papery to make my modern, minimal signage vision come to life.

Best part was guests were able to enjoy the light show that takes place at night on the actual conservatory walls -- peep the photo below to see just how beautiful that was! 

Huge thank you to my friend and amazing photographer, Yasmin Roohi, for capturing these images.

white hot engagement party

Get ready to swoon. I had the pleasure of planning Natasha and Enrique's engagement party which took place last weekend at her parents' home in the gorgeous hills of San Carlos. Natasha and her sister Negisa have both been dear to my heart since we were teenagers, so when Natasha got engaged to Enrique I was ecstatic that her sister called me to help them plan their party! Natasha lives in Chicago so her sister and I tag teamed in dreaming up a white hot engagement party fit for their classy fam. 

It wasn't hard at all to beautify this home -- you can see from the photos just how gorgeous their family's home truly is. That spiral staircase for one. That VIEW. Anyways, Natasha is all about simplicity -- and I totally believe in "less is more," so we went with a fun backdrop for the bar, paired with classic vignettes around the deck. I decided to go with various white florals (added textures), accented with greenery and silver linens. I did the floral design personally and Rose Xpress Florals executed my vision perfectly!

Major props to my friend Yasmin Roohi Photo for capturing these stunning photos; it's always magic working together on projects! 

roya's pretty in pink bridal shower

Planning and styling this bridal shower was so special to me as the bride is a dear friend. Roya's mom was the main powerhouse behind this shower. When she first met with me she told me her goal was to throw a pink-filled, joyful bridal shower fit for a princess. She had already booked the venue, Faz Restaurant's Tea Room in Sunnyvale to pay homage to their Persian roots. After hearing her vision, I got my creative juices flowing and the rest is history!

Indoor venues can sometimes present a challenge aesthetically so my goal was to create a focal point to really steal the show. Thanks to Lynn Jones at Jones & Posy, we were able to conceptualize and create a stunning paper flower backdrop (all handmade by Lynn!). This mix of vibrant hues contrasted against the white draping made for a perfect backdrop not only for photos but for our dessert bar. 

Guests were treated to a gourmet Persian buffet of kabob and saffron-spiced rice, along with traditional pastries and a mix of cake pops, candy, and of course -- a wedding cake fit for a princess. 

See all the vendors below the gallery -- each of whom contributed their phenomenal talents to make this day possible. Special thanks to Sunshine Shannon Photography for these gorgeous images.

Vendor Team:
Event Planning/Design:   Naseem Events

Photography: Sunshine Shannon Photography

Floral Design: Petal Atelier

Venue and Catering: Faz Sunnyvale
Paper flowers: Jones & Posy
Cake Pops: Just Bakecause
Cake: C'est Si Bon
Calligraphy: Britni Chon (little things everywhere)

 

dana & jake's wedding 4/1/17

It's only the start of this wedding season and I already have a favorite that is so near to my heart. Dana and Jake are super special to me because they were my first official wedding where I had all the creative control from start to finish. I not only designed and styled this wedding but also helped them book a few of the vendors they were looking for. It's so awesome to have a team of creatives I am comfortable working with and believe in, so I was ecstatic to work with my friend Keegan of Petal Atelier on so much of the design elements of this wedding. It's not every day you'll find a florist who will deconstruct a MOH bouquet that isn't being used and create a breathtaking floral display on a naked cake (see below for more!). 

For this wedding, I started with really getting to know my clients and what they wanted. As Oakland natives, Dana works as a school teacher and Jake dabbles in graphic design. They decided to have their wedding at the Oakland Museum of CA. Perfect fit, right? Jake designed their invite suite too and with the usage of lines, I decided to go with a geometric theme for the wedding. I didn't want this to be too over the top so I just added subtle touches to the details here and there. My favorite piece was the hexagon ceremony backdrop I found on Instagram after hours of digging! (Courtesy of Petite Pomme Design). I also decided on doing cement hexagon tiles for each escort card (doubled as a favor for guests too!). The lovely Joy + Confetti  did all the calligraphy on those! 

The wedding was so special, especially because you could just see the couples' love for one another. High school sweethearts, Dana's class and simplicity exudes elegance, and Jake has such a genuine and down to earth spirit.  I loved working with these two and creating some magic!

All photos courtesy of Manali Anne Photography.  See full vendor list under the gallery.

Vendor Team:

Planning/Styling: Naseem Events

Floral Design: Petal Atelier

Photography: Manali Anne Photography

Calligraphy: Joy + Confetti

Hexagon Hoop Backdrop: Petite Pomme Design

Cake: JustBakeCause

 

muted baroque x classic romantic styled shoot

Crisp winter air. The perfect sunset. This shoot was an absolute dream. The vision was to create a modern baroque aesthetic with whimsical elements of a romantic wedding reception. Often times when we think "baroque," the words "gaudy" and "luxurious" come to mind. But I wanted to stay true to my personal style which is much more modern so I came up with a muted baroque aesthetic, if you will. You can see that present in the dessert options, created by the ever-talented La Vie Douce Designs, and the intricate wedding gown by Ju.Lee Collection. I absolutely loved how different the dress was from what we're used to seeing; the details are so beautiful.

I think the small details go a long way in setting yourself apart as a stylist / designer. I went with the vintage handkerchiefs instead of napkins to add some character & I loved that we were able to give so much life to the tabletop with something as simple as a blush pink. And those FLOWERS - Petal Atelier worked her magic as usual! 

One of my favorite elements that really inspired me from the beginning of the planning process was finding the vintage scale from the lovely Lost & Found Vintage's collection. We had this displayed on a side table during the reception as as symbol of the couple's love outweighing anything that life might throw at them. I chose to have the ring weighed down on the scale by rice, which has symbolized prosperity in weddings from the beginning of time.

It was so ethereal shooting at the SSS Ranch in Calistoga in the crisp winter air. The sun came out at the very end, making for some gorgeous candid moments for the couple on the Persian rug in the grass. Huge shout out to Michelle Chang for these amazing photos. See full vendor team below the gallery. 

Vendor Team

Planning/ Design: Naseem Events

Photography: Michelle Chang Photography

MUAH: Bun Bun Bridal Lab

Cake and desserts: La Vie Douce Design

Wedding dress: Ju.Lee Collection

Florals: Petal Atelier

Rentals: Lost and Found Vintage Rental

Calligraphy: Shasta Bell Calligraphy

Venue: Triple S Ranch

Ring: Susie Saltzman

Linens: The Linen Bar

Videography: Carisma Films

Ring box: Secret Keeper Box

botanical bliss // greenhouse styled shoot

There's something so calming about greenhouses. I always thought a wedding held within one would be so beautiful because the couple is coming together and growing into the next season of their lives, surrounded by botanical life which is constantly growing as well. It truly is love personified. And that's where this vision stemmed from - the venue! 

My vision with this styled shoot was creating an absolutely ethereal moment for the couple. I wanted to go with more neutral, earthy colors (deep reds, grey, lavender) that were more on the muted side so the true beauty of the venue itself (all that plant life!) could speak for itself. I didn't want to limit the scope of the concept by categorizing it under a specific season, but the colors and dress are definitely geared more towards the winter aesthetic. 

 I wanted to include some unique details, and one of my favorites was serving coffee in these vintage Turkish coffee cups and saucers that belonged to my great grandmother. That, paired with the romantic calligraphy decor incorporated really brought the entire look together. The entire day was simply magical. 

These stunning photos, both film and digital, are courtesy of my talented friend Yasmin Roohi Photography -- See our full vendor list under the gallery! 

Full vendor team: 
Styling/ Design/ Planning: Naseem Events
Photography: Yasmin Roohi Photography
Venue: Shelldance Orchid Gardens
Florals & Wreath: Petal Atelier
Rentals & linens: Chairs & Cups
Calligraphy: Danika.Ink
Makeup: Neda Abootorabi
Cake: JustBakeCause
Wedding dress, veil, accessories: Dean & Willow
Models: Sohrab Fatemi and Jessica Johnson 
Men's Suit and Shoes: Tuxedo Wearhouse
Hair: Nicole Jamora (One of a Kind Beauty)
Turkish Coffee Cups and Saucers: Naseem Events (personal collection)