Oakland, CA, LDS Temple Wedding: Janessa and Jeffrey

This is one of those brilliant posts where the fantastic bride shares her her thoughts and feelings about her own wedding and I try not to chime in too much.
(but when I do, my comments will be in parenthesis and italicised… like this.)
Enjoy.
Take it, Janessa…


On October 9, 2010 I was sealed to the man of my dreams in the Oakland California temple. It was, in my opinion, the most beautiful, perfect and picturesque day that I will ever recall. I was fortunate to have a team of planners, vendors, and great family and friends that helped me to never felt stressed, worried, or unsure that things weren’t going to go as planned. Thanks to the helpful hands and creative minds, Jeffrey and I were able to have a wedding void of any mishaps. It truly was magical.



(I love the 3/4 sleeves!!!! So very flattering on all body types. And Janessa looks absolutely stunning.)


We got engaged the end of June and were to be married by October. To some, planning a wedding in four months might seem like an impossible task; however, I was armed and ready with a team who was willing to make sure everything was ready and set to go come October.



(beautiful shoe detail. If you don't feel like going "color", I highly suggest finding details like Janessa's, or you can even add detail with shoe clips!)


I am truly blessed that my mother, Liane McCombs, is a professional wedding planner and was there for me from day one. I know for certain that I would have been completely stressed out if she weren’t there by my side. She was there to schedule my appointments with all my vendors, and made sure that everything was in perfect order. Her attention to detail as well as her ability to create utmost beauty on a budget is something that I have yet to find in another wedding planner. Yes, I am a bit biased, but she truly was phenomenal.



I knew before getting engaged, the most important things to find/book immediately were: The dress, the flowers, and the photographer. Fortunately, we were able to have our reception in my back yard so the venue was free and open for business. Also, my mom had worked with Kim Thomas from Fig Tree Catering from my sister’s wedding, and so we booked her immediately. My mom told me about a dress designer named Maggie Sottero who designs dresses that are very affordable as well as unique and stunning. I went on her website www.maggiesottero.com and within five minutes I found my wedding dress. I was shocked at the selection of dresses on her website, and was even more amazed at the prices! I was living in Utah at the time, so I found a wedding store that carried Maggie Sottero dresses. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that particular dress in stock, so I had to order the dress without even seeing it in person or trying it on. It was a big leap of faith, but I knew that it would all work out.




The dress originally was strapless, and getting married in October, I knew I wanted to have elbow length sleeves. I knew that finding a very skilled seamstress was needed, and I, without a doubt feel that I found the best seamstress in Provo, Utah. I went to Diana at and she was amazing. She only had a week to create sleeves, and rebead my dress and she did so flawlessly. Her craftsmanship and her attention to detail is truly a gift and I whole heartily recommend her to anyone living in Utah who needs and wants professional alterations.



(I love Janessa's simple, natural hair. And I totally dig her mini veil!)


My flowers came from Candlelight and Roses in Reno, NV and April Hammond was the florist who helped me. I went into our first meeting with an open mind and April showed me which kinds of flowers were in season and which flowers would really stand out above the rest. My advice would be to have an open mind when it comes to flowers and be up for suggestion. I know that because I did this, I was able to have flowers in my wedding that I would have never thought of if not given proper advice.



My favorite part of my wedding (besides the getting married part) were the photographs. Marielle Hayes is an extremely talented and professional wedding photographer, and we were fortunate to have her take our engagement pictures, as well as our pictures on our wedding day and both receptions in Reno Nevada and Shreveport, Louisiana. Marielle was so much fun to work with. She made us feel comfortable and was always positive and upbeat. Her natural ability to capture life’s happiest memories in a photograph is what makes her pictures stand out above the rest. She found the greatest locations and was willing to do whatever it took to make sure we would end up with breath taking photographs. Not only is she a wonderful person, she is also a wonderful photographer. I highly recommend her to everyone, as she truly is one of a kind. You can view her blog at www.mariellehayes.com



The four months of planning went by extremely fast and I know for certain that everything went as planned because of the people who helped me make the wedding of my dreams a reality. Luckily, nothing went seriously wrong and everything ran smoothly on the day of the wedding and reception.



If I could give any advice for future brides on their wedding day it would be this: This is your wedding. Know what you want, but don’t be afraid to take chances and try something out of the ordinary. Find a trusted wedding planner and photographer. The planner will make sure everything runs smoothly and the photographer will capture the happiness and love of your day that you and your husband will be able to look back as the years pass on. Stick within your budget, because when its all said and done, you won’t really remember all the minor details of your wedding reception, you’ll be focused on your new spouse and on your new lives together and everything else will seem like a blur. Have fun, enjoy being engaged and enjoy planning.


Don’t stress on your wedding day if something goes wrong. Look past it as if it never happened and enjoy your party. After all, it’s probably going to be the biggest and most memorable celebration in honor of you and your soul mate.


A million thanks to Marielle Hayes for sending in this BEAUTIFUL Temple wedding! 
Janessa, Jeffrey is one lucky man! (and I'm sure you are one lucky lady.) Congratulations on forever. 


-The Vendor line up-
*Temple: Oakland, CA
*Venue: Backyard
*Florist:Candlelight and Roses in Reno, NV
*Catering: Fig Tree Catering
*Photography:Marielle Hayes
*Coordinator; Liane McCombs
*Gown:Maggie Sottero