A Southern California Wedding

Yesterday I had the pleasure of assuming the title of maid of honor for my friend, Melissa's, wedding. We had a blast, it was a beautiful celebration! Here is some insight to the locations that were utilized for the wedding, from dress stores to the reception.

(This will only apply to those who reside in Southern California, however, the second half of my post will be insight for everyone.)

-Castle for Brides in Huntington Beach: DO NOT GO HERE TO PURCHASE A DRESS! Whether it's the bridal gown, or a dress for a bride's maid, it's a bad idea. The service was horrible. I had many problems. I won't get into all of them, but I will mention a few. I was charged $800 for a dress that costs about $150. Yeah, big ordeal. Then my dress was given to someone else, and I didn't receive it until 3 days before the wedding. And that is after they alterations that I told them not to. I could go on and on...


-Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes- The location was amazing. A glass chapel on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the setting was picturesque to say the least. Although the chapel was modest (only holding 100 people), the fact that the building was made of glass made the small guest list well-worth while. If you were a fan of the TV series "The OC," you may recognize this setting. It was used to film a wedding and a funeral during the show's short lived popularity.


-Simon's at Ports 'O Call in San Pedro- Right on the harbor of the biggest port in Southern California, this restaurant serves as a banquet for many special occasions. Perfect for a guest list of 150, there was plenty of room for dining, dancing, and mingling.

(Now here's where the story is useful to all.)

For the centerpieces, a bright assortment of flowers sat spectacularly in a vase filled with limes cut in half. The favors were an extreme expression of both the bride and groom: a CD comprised of the couple's favorite songs. An added touch, the CD was decorated with a picture of the pair.

Weddings are horrendously expensive, but my friend's dream day was achieved with some research, advance planning, and compromise. Aside from my dress dilemma, the whole experience was pleasant.



Photos courtesy of: Seeing-Stars.com and my camera (at the reception)...don't have the professional pictures yet =(