Long Beach Wedding Collective — Fantastic Long Beach wedding vendors all in one place

Yve meets Melissa Balmer

by Yve on August 2, 2010

I have to say that i am having such a blessed summer meeting so many talents here in Long Beach. I love to meet many local Long Beach women and work with them in creating a new look and expression for themselves. Women have so many roles in this day and age and i feel they are so strong and capable of anything. I love to find out all the great gifts a woman has to offer while doing what i do best. Co-create and express!

I had the privilege to meet Melissa Balmer http://www.melissabalmer.com/ at the Long Beach Wedding Collectives meeting. She does all our social media and P.R. for the collective. I was sitting there watching her presentation and was fascinated by her ability to engage me. I invited her to breakfast one afternoon and there we decided that we both needed a new make over. YES! I love the sound of this! She knew that she wanted to collaborate on creating a new look for herself and she also knew exactly what I needed to spice up my business. Perfect! Let’s get to work!!! She came in and I cut her hair a lot shorter with some romantic no-frills waves and gave her soft summery hues for her make up. She looked so amazing! WOW! She will be able to use these great pictures on her marketing material and I see she has it posted on her Facebook page already. Hooray!

I am grateful for the advice and direction Melissa has given me in my business. She has been a valuable guide in developing my business and my material. I have also acquired a new perspective on how I do things. I am forever learning and growing and am so open to her knowledge. She helped me see how easy it was to work with social media, blogging, and connecting with others in the city. Her approach is very clear and she is so warm and personal. My partner Armando and I also went to her workshop and loved the detailed information on social media and her favorite tips. I recommend these workshops to anyone who is trying to grow their business and look at it trhrough fresh new eyes.

Melissa is a Long Beach native and can be seen hanging out in some of her favorite places like Kafe Neo, El Dorado Park, Long Beach Museum and Portfolio or Sipology. If you see her and have a business of your own, ask her what amazing things she can do for you! She loves doing business with consciousness and heart. Thank you Melissa! It is always a pleasure.

Yve
http://www.yvehart.com/

before shot of Melissa Balmer

After shot of Melissa Balmer

After Shot of Melissa Balmer

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{Introducing} the Real Me | KrisD Mauga | KrashingMotions Photography

by KrisD on July 13, 2010

A few months ago I attended Cypress College for their photo expo that hosted some of the best photography speakers (ie. Jasmine Star, Lawerence Chan, Dane Sanders, Becker to name-drop a few). I attended Jasmine’s and Lawerence’s seminars. The common thread of advice to other photographers was to be completely transparently YOU! Not only to be you, but let people know you- your likes, your dislikes, etc to create a common thread between us.

So there I was thinking really hard about the real me and how do i convey it with others, so they could be more familiar with the real me, not just KrisD Mauga the photographer.

So who am I ? I’m KrisD Mauga a mother who feels likes she could lose her mind some days, a wife who thinks her husband is super sexy though sometimes wishes she could bop him over his head (just to knock some sense into him, not to hurt him…well maybe just a tad sometimes), an artist who lost her inspiration to paint so took up photography instead, a woman who just realized this year I am not 27 anymore (damn!), and a girl who cracks herself up while my laugh is not just a laugh it’s a cackle; my husband calls me a cackling hen.

Here’s a breakdown of my loves and urks…

Green is my favorite color; it calms me. I love Sushi; if I could afford to eat it every day I would have salmon lox on a bagel for breakfast, Ahi poki for lunch and 2 orders of Salmon Sashimi for dinner and 2 quail eggs for dessert. I love music (my ultimate dream is to be a ROCKSTAR, but I can’t sing)- MANY kinds of music: Latin Jazz, adult alternative,Blues, classic rock, hard rock. Some of my faves are Rodrigo & Gabriella, Sting, U2, Black-Eyed Peas, Lady Ga-Ga, Madonna, Kid Rock, Ricky Martin, Train, Coldplay, Donavon Frankenreighter, No-Doubt, the Cult (my first concert ever), Pink Floyd, and here you go yes….. Metallica- oh and I can’t forget Jeramiah Red- they represent a fusion of all my fave genres! I love to dance; my husband and I did the salsa for our 1st dance as husband and wife (I elbowed him in the nose at the end because I threw in a triple spin when it was to be a double…ooops). I loved my wedding and still get excited when people say it was one of their faves (our 8 years of wedded craziness of life is coming up in June). I love tattoos; they are true works of art and represent fab personal expression. I love the styles of the Roaring 20’s, the cigarettes skirts of the 40’s & the Rat Pack ruling of the 60’s; I always felt like maybe I lived during those times. I believe in Karma. I’m a TV pop-culture encyclopedia; if there’s a trivial pursuit or Scene It game going on watch out…ask my friend’s Charla and Maggie- they hate playing against me (”It’s Lizard man!”) I love to travel and wish I could travel the world with my husband, daughter and two dogs. San Sebastian, Barcelona, Canne, Beaunne and the Cinque Terre were my faves; today I dream of renting a Villa in Tuscany on a vineyard. I love wine! I love to go wine tasting, I love to learn about it, smell it and of course I love drinking it! I grew up boating and I love that my husband I get to share the experience with our daughter. I love where I live! I’ve lived all up and down California and other than Santa Barbara which holds many amazing memories for me, I love living in Long Beach; it’s an amazing city!

Of course, you already know I love photography… so we don’t need to get into that right now.

dislikes…

I really dislike doing dishes; I do not have a dishwasher and it seems like a never ending task. Laundry is also another task I just can’t embrace; I have no problem washing and drying it, it’s the folding and hanging I can’t seem to follow through with. I can not stand whining! I rarely cry and wish people would stop with all the ‘woe is me’; there are people in Haiti right now with no food, no shelter, no clothes, no families… for G sake get off your woes! I can’t stand it when skinny people say they are fat; no you are not and no I am not going to feed into your self loathing and shell out a compliment to make you feel better. Hey I know I’m thin; I’m’ not perfect but that’s my fault, I drink wine, eat cheese and rarely do sit-ups, but you don’t hear my whining about it. I have road-rage as well, and I really can’t handle it when people make a complete stop to make a right hand turn or put on the brakes to change lanes.

I wish there were no haters in this world and we all could just accept each other for being different and having different beliefs and opinions; I don’t understand extremist!

Is that transparent enough? I know TMI; that’s me, once you get me started I don’t stop! Since I basically barfed up everything about me in one blog, I’ll spare you all for a while; I have about 10 more blogs to post and they are all about other people!

Do my likes and dislikes really define me? Probably not but maybe they are the things that guide me to the person I am. I’m a sarcastic, bluntly honest, bit crazy gal who realized she is getting older (yuk) and who lives to tell my truth, share my ideas and as a mom …give advice whether you like it or not…sorry. Now you either love or hate me, maybe a bit of both; you definitely got to know me a bit more. I’m that crazy mom who drinks wine, tells stories about my life and yours and shoots weddings for a living.

Maybe I’ll be shooting yours in the near future!

Cheers!

Since it’s all about me today… here are some fabulous pics my amazing friend & photographer Charla took of me to showcase me and my style- though to be honest…she makes me look cooler than I really am!

Oh and did I mention that my house is full of fire signs? My hubby n I are both Saggitarians
& our outpoken, inquistive lil spitfire daughter is an Aries….? FYI

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{Yve} MUA & Hair Stylist Guru | Long Beach Wedding Collective | by KrisD Mauga {KrashingMotions}

by KrisD on June 22, 2010

A few months ago maybe more like 5, I was at Flaunt Salon getting pampered by my stylist Ivan. I asked if he ever did weddings (hair that is)? With a smirk, tilted down chin and an upward glare he said, “uh, NO, but My friend Yve here does and she loves them!” Great! Yve has been in the business for over 17 years. I checked out her website and it is beautiful. She is a lover of vibrant, rich colors and has an elegant, eclectic style wrapped in one. So now why was I looking for Yve?…..

I became apart of the Long Beach Wedding Collective back in November/December of 09. It’s been a work in progress trying to get the most fabulous vendors with unique styles that set them apart from the rest. Megan Gray and Candice Maloney are the co-founders and inspirers who came up with collective, developed it and sought after all of the members with a few spots left when it had started. The collective has been very inspiring to me and I have been honored to be apart of it since the beginning.

When it came time for our first mixer, they had mentioned they needed hair & make-up and hopefully one person who did both. I am one of those people who loves a mission. Candice & Megan have posed a few missions for me and so far I think I have hit them out of the ball park when it came to finding talent (I hope I didn’t sound la-de-da or neener-neener, but I am really proud of the people I have helped bring on board because they are amazing); my friend Charla of Charla Blue when we needed another photographer with fab style and Yve who not only just ‘does’ hair and make-up but exudes style in works of art… meaning you! You are her canvas and when she lays her brush on the canvas of your face, you are transformed into a beauty like no other!

Last month, the Collective met for a photoshoot to be done of us for a feature on the Long Beach Business Journal. After our shoot, Charla and I asked if anyone still needed headshots. I was thrilled to see Yve was in. She is so beautiful and edgy at the same time… my kind-a-girl! I shot a few headshots of her and they all came out amazing! She is stunning! Her eyes just grab you! I definitely need to hire her to do make-up n hair for my clients during boudoir sessions and me too (I could use a make over).

After some shooting, we met downstairs at the Avia’s bar for some vino. Charla, Yve and I talked for while. Yve is soft spoken, super sweet and very creative in work and play. She is definitely an artist in the truest form! She mentioned that she and her husband Armando had created a drum circle called Drum for Love. I didn’t know that, nor expect it. I have known a few people who sit in drum circles from my past, one being was in New Mexico while people passed the Native American ritual pipe and a few people danced naked around a fire…. but that’s another story, another drum circle. Yve’s drum circle has developed into something so much more. It has brought all sorts of talent~ violinists, trumpets, even fire dancers! I will have to check out their next performance which will be a collaboration with Alfredo’s Beach Club in Belmont Shore (details to follow soon). Their vision of the Drum Circle is not small by any means, they look into the future and see it as a entity to give back to their community while doing something they love and hopefully traveling with their massive ensemble.

After hearing this, I had to know more about Yve. I asked if she would mind if I featured her along with some of her personal experiences in life.

Come to find out more, she has an amazing love story! Yes, I know I’m apart of the wedding industry and I have heard many but this one tops the cake when it comes to getting married to your lifetime partner, your soulmate! This girl is adventurous and so his her husband. Last November, she and her partner Armando decided to “follow their hearts to Guatemala” and have a traditional Mayan Ceremony performed by a Mayan Elder. Right there I am like “WOW!” but it gets even better. They took off without any real plans, no reservations, no guests, no contacts, no idea if they could EVEN find an Elder- nothing…just an idea that came from their hearts and off they were to follow that feeling, that inspiration! The day before they were to marry or as they prefer to say “Sacred Union”, they saw smoke on a hill and decided to follow it. They had walked into a ceremony and met an Elder. Of course they told him of their wishes and he not only welcomed it, but said he had seen in it in a prophetic vision of them coming from far away to have their ceremony with him. OK can you say “what? n WOW?” Again! So it was set, the next day they would have their Mayan Union Ceremony. From what she says, the Mayan people were “so kind” and took care of everything! How is that for wedding planning? They say “it takes a village”…. They built a sacred fire, altars and stringed flowers to “lasso” them together. She said the experience was surreal and I can only imagine. Their elder Tato Pedro Cruz was known as one the most respected Elders. Seriously this doesn’t just happen to anyone.

So if you meet Yve just know she is talented, spiritual, adventurous, artistic. To have her presence on your wedding day should mark a sign of good luck for you I’m sure!

If you would like to get in touch with Yve… visit her website http://yvehart.com

If you want to know more about Drum for Love visit http://www.meetup.com/Drum-For-Love/

Contact KrisD Mauga | View KrashingMotions Gallery | Book Me

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A Gift to You in honor of my Anniversary to my Hubby! | KrashingMotions Photography

by KrisD on June 15, 2010

contact KrisD @ kris@krashingmotions.info / 562.310.5513

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Giving Back… | KrashingMotions Photography | Engagement Photographer

by KrisD on June 10, 2010

One thing I have done religiously is give back. I donate about 40% of my time to giving back to my community, to NILMDTS , and to other foundations. I really love what I do and if it can improve the lives of others or give them something they couldn’t normally have than it makes it even more worth while. I wish I were rich or very well off so I could donate all my time, but that’s not the case. The life of a photographer can be volatile when it comes to recession and the time of year. Yes, my family and I were definitely hit by the recession. First my husband lost his job December 28, 2009 (can you say Merry f-in Xmas? And he is the primary bread winner.) This meant “Kris get it together and step it up… this is no longer a starter business, this is a BUSINESS, a financial means to to better my family’s life!” Through struggle, I have learned so much more about running my own business. I have challenged myself, taught myself, engaged myself, and completely exhausted myself. Through it all I find myself continuing to donate my time (the little I have) despite my need to grow a business for the better of my family. And so I say, I love you all and I wish I had more, more love , more time and more money. …. but as we all know sometimes we only have so much. So for this year my giving has been put to the test; I now have to say ‘no’ sometimes (which I regret to say but I will be donating more next year, every year…. it is my duty as a person, a mom, a wife, an American, a lover of life).

Here are some pics from a day I gave back to Sail With Me for Jenn O’Sullivan. An experience to give back and I said yes… I couldn’t say no to such a wonderful experience!

~Tehniat & Stillian~

~Nichole & Casey~

~Stephanie & Pat~

~Sonia & Luis~

~Jessica & Garrett~

~Nicole & Daniel~

(you may remember them from a past post)

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{Kristy + Maoni} A Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel Wedding

by lbwc member on May 28, 2010

I recently shot a wedding at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel. It was an awesome venue with a super fun couple. The day could not have been more beautiful! I drove down the coast on PCH to the wedding and was reminded again of the fabulous place I call home. I was also reminded of this crazy dream job that I never knew I had. I pinch myself on days like Saturday.

It was great working with Melissa of Paper Lantern Events. Here are some of the other vendors that made the day perfect…

Venue: Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Florist: La Tulipe Floral Designs, Laguna Niguel (Annie)
Officiant: Reverend Bruce Danzara

All photos by: charla BLUE photography

Here is just the first sneak peak into Kristy & Maoni’s wedding. They have been together for some time and have two beautiful daughters as proof!

Kristy’s friend was practicing walking down the aisle with her daughter Olivia. It was so cute!

I love this moment! The moment when a loved one sees the bride for the first time. It’s priceless.

Kristy, you looked stunning! I mean STUNNING!

Sisters! Yes, their parents make pretty girls. As did Kristy!

I love this decorative beaded wall! It’s located in the Ritz Spa. Hello beautiful, again.

More beautiful moments for a beautiful day…

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AVIA Hotel–Modern Long Beach Wedding

May 27, 2010

It was so amazing working with the AVIA hotel in Long Beach for a modern and chic wedding. You may have seen this wedding recently featured on OneWed’s blog called Savvy Scoop….but I loved the wedding so much, I just had to post it here too. If you have never been to the AVIA hotel [...]

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Honey and Poppies and Erica O’Brien Cake Design: A literary garden photoshoot

May 26, 2010

Erica O’Brien and I put together this photoshoot based around books and flowers. It has already been featured on 100 layer cake, but I couldn’t resist sharing a few more images here.

We wanted to create something that was vibrant and eclectic and that incorporated vintage elements and books in ways that hadn’t been done before. [...]

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Honey and Poppies: inspiring our clients

May 17, 2010

One of the services I provide for all of my clients is a custom inspiration board. They’re pretty time consuming to make, but I find them invaluable.
When I meet with a prospective client for the first time, I like to just let them talk. Instead of having a rigid form for them to [...]

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Engaged Couples Advice | Nicole & Daniel in action | Engagement & Wedding Photography

May 14, 2010

Advice to all engaged couples:
~Be in the moment for this is your practice run before the big day!
~Don’t worry about me or any photog; look at each other, forget we are there and you will end up with the most amazing shots!
~We will capture the real moments- hire a photog who specializes in editorial-photojournalism / [...]

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