Allow me to share with you the visually and spiritually beautiful wedding of Sonia and Danny. I met Sonia through a referral from a trusted colleague. We met in late December 2009, and we hit it off instantly, and I couldn’t wait to starting working with her to create an Indian/American wedding, that reflected a sense of love, family and respect for tradition and customs.

There was only one catch. We had to do it all in THREE MONTHS!! The only thing she had was her venue. The magnificent St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. I knew I needed every vendor to be the absolute best to pull this off. I went to my database and chose the creme de la creme of Southern California wedding professionals.

It was a wild ride and here are the pictures to show how TRULY SPECIAL this wedding was. They images of the day were captured beautifully by Jen Bierman of Photojenic Photography. What was more amazing was these two beautiful souls and their families sharing this union. Sonia and Danny share their hearts with everyone they know so completely. They did with me. and I feel blessed to have not only been a part of their celebration, but I’m looking forward to the precious friendship that has come from it.

Venue & Catering & Cake: St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point
Photography: Jen Bierman of Photojenic Photography
Videography: Thomas Buckley of Buckley Videography
Floral Design & Decor: Chris Crisolongo of Paradise Delight Floral & Event Styling
Lighting: PSAV Presentation Services
Entertainment/DJ: Ajay Mantakala of Special Occasions DJ & Lighting
Bhangra Dancers: Bhangra Regiment
Stationery: Artiface

 
Bridget & Alex - Mexican Tradition

Southern California is a melting pot of beautiful people. We are a collective group of various races, cultures and religions. It’s one of the things I love about my job. With every new couple I meet, I learn some new tradition they want to incorporate into their wedding. I’m consistently challenged with blending cultures together, while respecting the traditions of each family. It got me thinking about how many beautiful rituals we’ve seen along the way. I decided I would share them with you. From time to time, we will feature a tradition from one of our real weddings. You’ll learn what that tradition means. Perhaps, you’ll be inspired to come up with a new tradition of your own. After all…..every tradition had a beginning. We hope you embrace the beautiful cultures we’ve had the honor to experience. If you have a tradition you want to share, please comment or email me. We’d love to share it with our readers.

In honor of my Latin culture, I would like to begin with THE LASSO, which is celebrated by both Mexican and Philipino cultures.

As part of the ceremony to symbolize unity, a large loop of rosary beads or a cord is placed in a figure eight shape around the necks of the couple after they have exchanged their vows.  

A special person/couple (usually called Sponsors or Padrinos), places the lasso around the shoulders of the bride and groom, groom’s shoulder’s first. The couple wears the lasso throughout the remainder of the service. (The loop is symbolic of their love which should bind the couple together everyday as they equally share the responsibility of marriage for the rest of their lives.)

At the end of the ceremony, the lasso is removed by either the couple which placed the lasso on the couple, or the priest. The lasso is given to the Bride as a memento of her becoming the mistress of the groom’s heart and home.
Courtesy of http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/mexican.cfm

We recommend purchasing your Lasso at Para Ti Novia.