Wohlstadter Wedding, July 3rd 2011, Sherman Oaks CA

On July 3rd we produced a wedding for Tom and Hang Wohlstadter.  We were so excited about this wedding because we've been on board with the planning from the very beginning!

   The sweet bride and groom wed in an intimate and lovely backyard ceremony at the home of the Groom's brother, where a delicious dinner was also served courtesy of Contemporary Catering. The Summer menu included herb de provence crusted chicken, chilled poached salmon with a dill cream sauce, grilled vegetables with balsamic reduction, and much more.  Beautiful flowers in all shades of white, ivory, and yellow brought somewhat of a theme color to the already very colorful and beautifully landscaped backyard.  Draping on the existing pergola created a chuppah for the Jewish ceremony, and created shade for guests on another nearby pergola.  

    Guests were treated to some dancing after dinner and live music throughout the night by the Sam Graham Trio - a WONDERFUL jazz trio that fit the audience, the vibe of the backyard affair, and appropriate volume to be considerate to the neighbors.  It was a beautiful and fun wedding!

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals 

Photography: Embrace Life Photography 

Music: Sam Graham Trio 

Flowers: Floral Fields 

Catering & Bar: Contemporary Catering 

Hair & Makeup: Julie Quintanilla 

Design, Planning, Coordination: JNB Marketing & Events 

Electronic Invitations...for a Wedding?

Well they are eco-friendly, quick, efficient, easy to track, and tech saavy, but what are the benefits and downfalls of using an electronic invitation for a large or classy event such as a wedding?  Can you really get away with going fully-electronic for your wedding day?   It is common nowadays for newlyweds-to-be to send out a paper invitation and have a 'wedding website' where guests can submit their RSVPs, get directions, see pictures and more.  However if you decide to go the fully-electronic route, a few things to consider:

Yes an electronic invite is instant but remember your audience.  If they're older they may not check their email too often, or they may frown upon the 'electronic' version of what is traditionally embossed and tangible.  But then again it's your big day so if you want to save some time, money, and trees - go for it!

We recommend Pingg for fancy invitations, thank you cards, and more, but first, here are some pros and cons of electronic invitations to consider....

Some Pros:

1)  You know when someone opens the invitation, reads it, and whether or not they respond.

2)  People can easily access the schedule, directions, etc. on the invitation website any time they like, rather than potentially losing the tangible invite.

3)  It's cheap!  Well it's free but for an ad-free invite it's only $10, total!

4)  You can easily send reminders and updates to guests regarding registry, or reminders to RSVP

Some Cons:

1)  People can CHANGE their RSVP from No to Yes - which can be bad for your budget and timeline

2)  Guests have the option of saying 'maybe' which makes it very hard to get a head count in a reasonable amount of time because people often forget

3)  Some people don't check their email as often as others.  People can't avoid tangible mail!

So even though we have one more pro than con on this list, we think the decision will depend on your audience.  For a weekend bbq or a family potluck yes - do it!  For a wedding, we suggest sticking to the old fashioned sensibility and reliability of printed invitations.  It seems that in trying to make it easier for people to RSVP, they are given so many options that it creates more work for you the bride, planner, etc!