tonight i was privileged to meet caroline loureiro, of indulgence the home spa. not only is she a total sweetheart, but a savvy business owner who delved into the industry of beauty and relaxation five years ago. after working for some of santa barbara's most exclusive hotels, caroline noticed a need for readily available spa treatments that come to you. a native of brazil, caroline has put together a team of 25 talented spa professionals who will come to your home, office, hotel or event location and treat you and your guests to list of spa indulgences. i can't wait to host my own spa party and refer indulgence to merriment's clients! we're talking bridal packages, bachelorette parties, massages, hair treatments, waxing, make-up...the list goes on. 
we met at the newly renovated hotel oceana where indulgence is the exclusive spa provider. set outside by one of oceana's pools, live music played while guests and clients sipped wine, enjoyed santa barbara's perfect weather and of course were offered massages by indulgence. oceana's general manager, melissa treue, was kind enough to give me a tour of one of their renovated rooms. brides, this is a place to stay! beachy chic decor, across the street from the beach, within walking distance to state street and a truly nice staff..it doesn't get much more "santa barbara." did i mention they rent the pool area for your private daytime parties?
i was delighted when fellow dancer and friend anne, asked me to consult with her on her upcoming wedding plans to marry her beau marcus. their wedding weekend planned for early september doesn't get more romantic. set in a small town in the canadian rockies, christina lake, anne and marcus will be tying the knot on anne's father's lakeside property, with breathtaking views. a reception to follow at a nearby country club will incorporate marcus' brazilian heritage and anne's canadian. guests will be staying in nearby cabins and partake in various activities throughout the weekend. the photo above, from their engagement shoot, is just a taste of what's to come from this easy going and fun loving couple. anne will be sharing photos of the big day - coming soon, stay tuned. photo by gabriel nordyke
yesterday i met with the talented leslie lewis sigler, of lilly louise. custom weddings invitations, party invites and announcements are just a few of leslie's artistic creations. i was in awe of her creativity, clean designs and quality materials. merriment highly recommends lilly louise. i can't wait to use them for my own celebrations! i was truly inspired. check out leslie's website and view some of her work. lilly louise is based in santa barbara.
a dear friend is getting married in september (congrats miss montoto!). to assist her with interfaith and multicultural wedding research, i did some research of my own. it wound up being more fun, than research. many of my friends have blended their cultures and faiths during their wedding celebrations. i was able to look to those friends and wound up re-living their special days' and broadening my understanding of their culture. 
{rina + joe}their korean ceremony - known as the pae baek, took place in a private room of the church, where they had just said their i do's. although traditionally only attended by the grooms family, this modernized ceremony incorporated both families. the ceremony is meant to join two families instead of just two individuals. in the room the parents are seated in front of a table prepared with various food and tea. the couple bows to the parents and then kneels to them, before listening to their words of advice, wisdom and hopes for their future. this is followed by the bride and groom holding a cloth (traditionally the bride's skirt) while the parents throw dates and chestnuts onto it. the number of fruits and nuts caught signify the number of children the couple will one day have. dates represent girls and chestnuts, boys. the happy couple finished the celebration surrounded by friends and family for an evening of dancing in a local art gallery. photo above by michelle sterling
{rebecca + charley}their ceremony - a touching combination of jewish and non-denominational tradition, took place on the bluffs of santa barbara's coastline above the harbor. along with an apache wedding blessing, a traditional jewish wedding prayer known as the sheva brachot or "the seven blessings," was read. the ceremony also incorporated the jewish chuppah. the chuppah symbolizes the house where the bride and groom will live. the four poles which are carried by relatives or those close to the couple, represent the pillars of trust and faith on which the marriage will stand. the chuppah is held over the bride and groom as the ceremony unfolds and is open on all sides, which shows that the home is always open to friends and family. photo above by diegas zavala
{mandy + bobby}their wedding - a beautiful blend of persian and catholic tradition was set in the foothills of montecito overlooking the pacific ocean. the sofreh aghd traditionally an intimate gathering of close family, part of the zoroastrian faith, was combined with a modern catholic ceremony. sofreh aghd translates to "wedding spread," and is believed to represent prosperity through the couples life and marriage. items are placed on a traditional silk cloth in front of the seated bride and groom while the ceremony is performed. the items presented signify various well wishes for the couple. examples are gold coins for prosperity, sugar and honey to bring the sweet life, eggs representing fertility. much of the ceremony is interactive with relatives, the bridal party and guests close to the couple performing tasks, giving verbal response and presenting gifts. after their zoroastrian i do's, mandy and bobby also took catholic vows before being pronounced husband and wife. a festive party immediately followed. photo above by sundance photography
we met at the newly renovated hotel oceana where indulgence is the exclusive spa provider. set outside by one of oceana's pools, live music played while guests and clients sipped wine, enjoyed santa barbara's perfect weather and of course were offered massages by indulgence. oceana's general manager, melissa treue, was kind enough to give me a tour of one of their renovated rooms. brides, this is a place to stay! beachy chic decor, across the street from the beach, within walking distance to state street and a truly nice staff..it doesn't get much more "santa barbara." did i mention they rent the pool area for your private daytime parties?
