See the gorgeous spread below, but don’t forget to check out the rest of the magazine for some of the most beautiful dresses and shoots by amazing artists that really made this issue even more special.

Thank you so much again Utterly Engaged! You just made our, day, week and month!

A marathon, to me, has really been about pushing your body to its limits and running for a cause, a purpose and for loved ones. With that being said, it really broke my heart when the news reported the bombings that occurred at the Boston marathon in last week. This was also particularly concerning for me personally because I will be heading to Washington D.C. this week to partake in the 1st Nike Women’s Half Marathon in D.C. I had sent an email the morning before the incident to all our clients that I would personally be out-of-town this coming week to participate in the marathon in D.C. After learning of the tragic news, I began contemplating whether it’d be wise to go and to run at our nation’s capital, knowing that such a catastrophic event had just occurred.

An hour after I had sent out those emails, I received numerous emails, texts and phone calls wishing me safety and extending their prayers during my time there. After much thought, prayer, and uplifting and warm emails, I came to the realization that despite all the scary and tragic things occurring around us, we shouldn’t allow those who try to instill fear in our lives dictate how we continue pursuing our aspirations and dreams.

I’m happy to say that I will still be partaking in the marathon in D.C., and am truly excited to be traveling with my good friend, seeing cherry blossoms in full bloom and eating our way through D.C.! We actually planned our days around the restaurants we will be eating. =)

On a positive note, we are very excited to share with you Monalisa and Paul’s wedding, who were wedded this past December! It was such a fun, energetic and lively wedding, and it was the first time we got to actually “play” with the color RED as the main color of the wedding.

Monalisa and Paul are both lovers of great music. Naturally, we based their winter wedding around some of their favorite great tunes. The couple truly embraced the overall look of their “Hollywood Glam” wedding with sleek black vinyl, strong reds in all the floral, cut-crystal glass and tufted white walls (behind the bar).

For the stationery, the very talented Lani Choi created a beautiful invitation suite that also included a map of “Mona and Paul’s Hollywood,” which included some of the couple’s favorite record stores to buy and listen to great music. Guests signed in on vinyl records, and desserts were custom colored by the amazing Semi-Sweet Bakery in Los Angeles. If you haven’t tried this bakery YOU MUST try their ding-a-lings. Our CCL Team is absolutely hooked on them and we are always excited when we have them at any of  our weddings.

Mona and Paul, THANK YOU a million times for allowing me to be a part of your wedding planning journey and your big day. It was so great to work with the both of you! And a BIG congrats to you both on your soon-to-be bundle of joy. Please keep in touch and whenever you are in town, please let me know so we can do dinner! Love you both!

In the meantime, I will be jetting off to Washington D.C. with a girlfriend in a couple of weeks to run the Nike Women’s Half Marathon for Leukemia and Lymphoma. This is the first year this race will take place in D.C., and I’m so excited to see what the course will be like and see CHERRY BLOSSOMS in full bloom! I still remember the first half marathon I ran in 2005, and this next race will mark my 8th marathon in total (mostly half marathons and one full).

Now, on to a wedding from last year for Frances and Bryan at Union Station. Funny enough, Frances and Bryan actually were referred to me by another couple (Jenn and Daniel), but were also coincidentally friends with another one of my couples as well. It’s just that small of a world. I still remember when I first met the two because I had been recovering from the  flu. We enjoyed dinner in Fullerton at a restaurant that made me fall in love with Italian Wedding Soup. We hit it off right away! With Frances having tons of energy ad Bryan with his witty jokes, it made  planning their wedding very entertaining.

The couple wanted to have a travel-based wedding in consideration to their venue, so we brought China to Union Station! The couple had an outdoor ceremony in a circular setting for 150 of their closest friends and family. During cocktail hour the guests munched delightfully on dim-sum accompanied with a lychee sake martini. The groom’s BIG obsession with popcorn led to us having a popcorn machine serving freshly popped popcorn. The high ceilings and gorgeous architecture complemented with very high decor created by the bride’s talented friend.  The couple’s monogram was placed on the ends of each table runner and on a large banner hung from the balcony area. Guests dined on an Asian-fusion inspired dinner, and cooled down the evening with a Pinkberry station. And did I mention Frances and Bryan are huge King’s fans? So it was possibly the best way to celebrate the King’s winning  by walking into their grand entrance holding a blow-up version of the Stanley Cup.

Frances and Bryan, you both are seriously two of the most energetic people I have met. I loved working with you both and having random side conversations about life, travel and food. I’m so happy you don’t live too far and can’t wait to visit you new home! I’ll just look for the large banner from the wedding hanging in front of your new home!  Thank you again for allowing me and the CCL team to be a part of your big day.

Thank you to Erwin from Apertura for providing these stunning photos.

The TEAM that made this wedding possible:

Wedding Planning & Coordination: CCL Weddings & Events

Venue: Union Station – Courtyard and Fred Harvey Room

Photography: Apertura Photography

Videography: Komotion

Catering: 24 Carrots

Photobooth: Cheesy Photobooths

Cake: King’s Hawaiian

Dessert: Pinkberry

Graphic Design: Chris Kim

Floral: friend of the bride

When Tina and Aryan first began dating, Tina was living in Southern California and going to school out in Grenada, while Aryan was living 10,363 miles away back home in South Africa. Predictably, distance could not keep these two apart.

Tina and Aryan were married on December 22, 2012 at the Newport Beach Hyatt. Like the wedded couple, the weather and venue chosen were perfect. The venue was accented with a color palette of navy, blush pink and silver. Heartfelt quotes placed throughout the venue illustrated Tina and Aryan’s story of their long-distance relationship, which included one of my new favorite quotes: “Distance means so little when you love someone so much.”

The couple wedded in a traditional Baha’i Faith ceremony in front of 300+ friends and family from all over the world (I literally mean all over the world). The wedding included a beautiful Sofreh arrangement, set up and decorated by Tina’s very talented cousin.

Once the wedding ceremony ended, the second round of festivities kicked off with dancing, food, food and more food! It was a feast indeed, which was needed to fuel the party for the non-stop dancing which took place, even before dinner started. Even the staff members from the CCL Team commented that this wedding possibly had the most food they had ever seen.
Tina and Aryan, I cannot even begin to say how absolutely BLESSED I feel to have been a part of your wedding journey. Tina and I had known each other since elementary school and have been friends since. We briefly lost touch with each other along the way but I am so THANKFUL that we connected once again. It was such joy for me to spend more time with your family again, Tina, and meet your family, Aryan. Both of you are such kind and generous people and I wish you the very best in all your new adventures together! I know you are still far apart for now, but distance has nothing on what you guys have. Many congrats to you both! Love you so much!

The TEAM that made this wedding happen:

Wedding Planning and Coordination: CCL Weddings & Events
Venue: Hyatt Newport Beach
DJ/MC: Dashing Events
Florist: Green Leaf Designs
Photography: Chaz Cruz Photography
Videography: Shade Tree Films
Catering: Caspian
Photobooth: Cheesy Photobooth
Cake: Tom Girl Baking Company

Planning Catherine and Sam’s wedding was a bit more interesting due to one factor: they both lived in Hong Kong. With the challenge of planning a wedding and two receptions from abroad, they contacted us to assist them with their planning. The rest, as they say, was history. The atmosphere during the evening was a food lover’s affair, accented with pops of deep oranges and calming sage greens. Centerpieces were decorated with fresh oranges, tangerines, and kumquats in beautifully matching ceramic dishes.

True foodies at heart, Catherine and Sam selected the well-thought-out menu for the entire evening. It was a four-course meal of absolute bliss that included a starter, the main entrée, a cheese & wine pairing, and dessert. The reaction from the guests? A very appetizing and fulfilling meal that had them going up to the main kitchen window to toast the chefs for such an amazing dinner.

The idea of a traditional dessert station was replaced with a fruit and nut station that was both unique and fun. Oh! Did I mention their wedding cake was a four-tiered beauty constructed of sheep, goat, and cow cheese wheels? It was one cake I truly enjoyed decorating.

Catherine and Sam, thank you so much for allowing myself and CCL Weddings & Events to be a part of your special day. It was such joy to get to know you both and for introducing a restaurant that I could happily say is my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. I wish you both the very best back home  in Hong Kong and hope to see you in L.A. soon! Many CONGRATS!

Now get ready to feast your eyes on the beautiful photos by Christine Farah Photography.

The Team that made this wedding happen:

Wedding Planning & Coordination:  Catherine Leo – CCL Weddings & Events
Church:  Westwood United Methodist Church
Reception:  Hatfield’s Restaurant
Photography:  Christine Farah Photography
Videography:  Storybook Media
Floral:  Greenleaf Designs
Invitations:  Delphine Press
Hair and Makeup:  Theresa Huang Hair and Make-up
“Cheese” Cake:  The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

The wedding took place at the Waldorf Astoria La Quinta Resort & Spa, and if you have yet to visit this gem of a place you MUST make a weekend out of it. I’ve never seen a hotel with so many pools! It still blows my mind up to this day. What did I love most about this wedding? The couple had generously donated to a cancer foundation in honor of the bride’s late father in lieu of gifts, a surprise bag piper to the couple as a family tradition, and the beautiful “first look” that made me melt.

Ashley and Mike, it was such a pleasure and honor to be a part of your BIG DAY! I loved meeting your families, and Ashley, I loved working with your mom while you and Mike were back in Canada. Thank you so much for allowing me to see you two become “Dr and Drs”!! Congrats again!

It was also my first, and hopefully not the last time, I worked with the wonderful Candice Benjamin Photography! Get ready for some gorgeous photos.

The Team that made this wedding happen:

Wedding Coordination: Catherine Leo – CCL Weddings & Events
Venue: Waldorf Astoria La Quinta Resort & Spa
Photography: Candice Benjamin Photography
Videography: Studio 205 Films
Florist: Desert Floral Importers
Cake & Dessert: Sweet & Saucy Shop

Come on back to check out the website here, here and HERE! And don’t forget to keep checking out the blog to read about our weddings, projects, community service, travels and much more! And if you would like to still check out some of our older posts you can still check us out HERE.

What else is in store for CCL Weddings & Events in 2013? Besides a brand spankin’ new website, we are working on a few fun projects that we will share later on this year. Here are a few things coming up!

• One of our very own, Robin Kim, will be walking down the aisle herself in September of this year. We have so much in store for her wedding, and although we cannot share the details, we cannot wait to share the photos. Robin, you are going to rock this wedding =)
• My dear sister, Amy, is getting hitched in June at a winery wedding that has give me the task of learning a few new talents to craft her wedding. I will say that silk screening is awfully fun to do, but when you have to do over 75 bags it becomes a workout for my arms.
• CCL plans to get more involved with the community and world around by doing more volunteer work and participating in non-profit events all year round!
• We have many new faces and we will definitely be taking the time to introduce each to you here on the blog. In the meantime, you can visit the website and read about some under the “ABOUT US” tab.
• We are working with a few companies to create new ideas for entertainment and design pieces to bring into weddings!

We would also like to say a BIG THANK YOU to each and every one of our past and present couples that keep us moving and on our feet. We love what we do and we definitely could not do it without you!