Los Angeles Bride in the City: Renee Ortiz

Style Unveiled, as hard as we try, knows that sometimes it takes a woman who's walking in your same 'heels' to help with something like planning a day as big as a wedding.  And while we will always be here to help with inspirational photos, real weddings, vendor suggestions, venue ideas, our Perfect 10 lists, and more ... we want to bring you something priceless ... Advice from brides who are doing the same as you (right now!!) ... PLANNING THEIR WEDDING :)  Our blog addition, Bride in the City will give you inside info from other brides to help you along the way and make you feel like you're not the only one :)  So ... get ready to bond with Bride in the City guest:  Renee Ortiz

When did you become engaged?

 June 4, 2009

When is the big day?

 November 6, 2010

Who are the wedding vendors that you have already decided to hire?

One of the first decisions we made in planning our wedding was choosing Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses Photography for our wedding photographer. Her style is spot on and just what we were looking for! I've asked Mariah Nicole to do my makeup for our big day. In lieu of a traditional tiered wedding cake, we'll be ordering red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles - our favorite! To help tie everything together, we hired Courtney from Belagio Design Group.

 What is your venue and why did you choose it?

We chose to get married at the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes. We knew we wanted to get married in a church but we also wanted plenty of natural light. One look at the Wayfarers Chapel website and I knew it was perfect!

What are you most excited about for your wedding day?

I am most excited for the moment I see Jason all dressed and ready in his suit and he sees me in my dress. I know I'm going to be a bundle of nerves on that day what with worrying about all the preparations and everything but that moment will be ours to dwell in.

Is there anything you are nervous about for your wedding day?

I'm most nervous about the size of our reception space. I took a leap of faith and reserved the room without having seen the interior. Now that I have seen the room I know that it will be perfect for our intimate wedding reception - I just hope it isn't too cozy!

What is your wedding theme or concept going to be?  What inspired it?

The theme of our wedding is modern marries vintage. We both want our wedding to be intimate and personal so we figured the best way to do that is to design the wedding after our own personal styles. My fiance's style is very modern and minimalist with sleek, clean lines whereas my personal style is more cluttered, frilly and ruffled. Finding a happy medium has been a challenge but a fun one. In keeping with our modern theme, we've selected a muted color scheme of white, gray and pewter. To add a little quirk to the design I've been collecting vintage hankies from local antique shops to give to guests.

Did you decide to hire a wedding coordinator?  Why did you decide this?

We did! At first I thought that the site coordinator at the chapel and the catering manager at the reception would be able to handle everything but after more thought (and a few bad dreams) I decided I need to find someone that would be able to step into my shoes on my wedding day and make sure that everyone is where they should be and things get done on time. I am so excited to be working with Courtney from Belagio Design Group. Courtney has great taste and I trust completely that she'll help me enjoy my wedding day to the fullest!

Where are you planning to go for your honeymoon?

We're not doing the typical tropical honeymoon. Instead, we're going to Seattle and British Columbia. We both love rainy weather and thought, what better excuse to cuddle on your honeymoon than to go somewhere rainy? Actually, being newlyweds is reason enough!

What are some of your favorite wedding planning blogs and tools?

Wedding magazines and of course, wedding blogs have been great sources of inspiration. My favorites are Style Unveiled, Style Me Pretty, Utterly Engaged, Wedding Chicks, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Bride and Bloom. The Wedding Pantry in Old Town Tustin has also been wonderful. At The Wedding Pantry I'm able to relax and look through tons of wedding magazines. They even host DIY classes such as how to make your own bouquet.

Is your husband-to-be helping with the planning?  What are his jobs?

My fiance helped choose our photographer (the fantastic Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses), choose the menu for the dinner at our reception, and planned the honeymoon. He deserves a medal for all the support he's given me by entertaining my many ideas and giving me honest feedback. I was surprised at first by how many opinions he had about colors, flowers and stationery but I love his input.

What is your best advice to brides who are currently planning their wedding?

Take your time! We've been engaged for a year now and still have five months to go before the big day. A long engagement gives you plenty of time to figure out what you want and to change your mind about flowers, music, accessories, etc. without feeling rushed. Also, remember that the most important thing about your wedding day is that you're marrying the person you love and no matter what happens with the flowers, the food, your dress, at the end of the day you're married!

Are you planning to see each other before the ceremony for photos?  Why or why not?

I'd love to see Jason before the ceremony starts. I think it will be great to have a sweet moment to ourselves before we get too caught up in the whirlwind of excitement. Plus, taking photos before the ceremony helps shorten the length of time our guests will be waiting for us at the reception.

What are 3 words that describe how you feel right now?

Excited. Inspired. Loved.

{DARLING} Eye-Candy Submitted to us by Cakes and Kisses Wedding Photography

Update:  Make sure you check out this post on engagement photo ideas.