Hiya! Our recent radio silence was due to an exciting, overseas, wacky tacky voyage. Alright, "overseas voyage" might be a bit of an overstatement, but we did have to pack our suitcases and board a boat. Our pals Benny & Jenn decided to make it official, and we celebrated their nuptials on sunny, scenic Santa Catalina Island! Catalina Island is one of my favorite places in California. Slightly lost in time, it reminds me to slow down and realize that the sun is shining and the ocean breeze is blowing for me to enjoy. Seriously folks, if you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it. It's so choice...
Finished in 1929, the Casino Ballroom has been host to the biggest jazz and big band legends the world has ever known. Thankfully, Mary and I were included on the bill with an all-star line up of musicians for the evening's entertainment. I am still trying to process that I played the same room as Benny Goodman (not nearly as well, as long, or to as much ovation, but it was a thrill!).
Every detail of the Art Deco, island wedding was pitch perfect...especially these awesome fish-shaped cream puffs. |
A gratuitous shot of one of my favorite foods on Earth!!! |
Of course, a vintage wedding called for a new dress for Mary, so I got to work! Most of my sewing decisions come from a near-lethal combination of economy, procrastination, and foolishness - this dress being no exception. I have never sewn chiffon before. In general I am too lazy to match plaids perfectly. And I have never made a floor-length, bias-cut gown. So what did I do one week before the wedding? I decided to dive right into a bias-cut, plaid/check, chiffon gown - figuratively speaking, of course.
Given the black/orange/yellow/white color scheme, I was surprised that the gown did not read too Halloween-y (if it did, don't tell me).
It was a beautiful wedding and an fun chance to get dressed up, spend a relaxing weekend with good friends, meet new friends, and listen to some incredible music. Mary's new gown had plenty of fun fluttering around the floor too!
Emily, Mary, and Jesse We got to spend the whole weekend with our pals but they looked way too good to have Mr. Tiny muddle up the picture. |
Mes amis - Laurence, Mary, et Sylvain These fine folks flew in from France for the wedding! My vote for "Best Dressed" of the weekend definitely goes to them. You can see more of their incredible wardrobes and follow their adventures at Laurence's blog, Lost in the 50's. |
Meine freunde - Katharina, Mary, und Eva This wedding was practically a UN Summit with Germany well represented. I guess they're afraid of giants... |
The food, fun, and friends were great, but the entertainment was unparalleled. The amount of talent in the rooms was unbelievable and I only wish I hadn't been too busy dancing to capture all of the amazing performers as directed by our pal, and saxophone all-star, Marco.
The incomparable Carl Sonny Leyland |
Vicki Tafoya & The Redondos (not pictured) |
Sax legend, Big Jay McNeely |
Amber Foxx & Big Sandy |
They even let Mr. Tiny get up and embarrass himself. (photo by Kat of GoForKat) |
The real stars of the show were the bride and groom, Jennifer and Benny. We are so honored to have been a small part of their big day. I couldn't be happier for them and even though they don't need it, I wish them all the luck and happiness that life can afford them. I am grateful to have had such a wonderful excuse to visit one of my favorite places and, yes, even to make a new dress for Mary.
This wedding looks so fun! I was supposed to go to Catalina Island a few years ago and plans got changed...but I definitely wanna go. I heard there are sheep there....but I heard that from Arrested Development and that may not be the best source. Also, now I want some Reese's pieces.
ReplyDeleteNot so many sheep as Bison; they were imported to film epic Westerns in the early days of cinema. But EVERYTHING else you learned from Arrested Development is 100% true; take that from someone who spent much of his formative years in Newport Beach! HAHAHAHAHA!!!
DeleteMy goodness! My jaw is on the floor! What fun to attend such an amazing wedding! In my dreams I wish I knew folks like these! The dress you made is beyond lovely - and in such a short amount of time!
ReplyDeleteOK, I've used too many exclamation points, but this is just too lovely!
Thank you so much! It is a wonderful thing to have creative, musical, well-dressed friends; they make me look way cooler than I am!
DeleteNow that looks like a fabulous wedding. Heard Big Jay McNeeley and Big Sandy here in Chicago, but not Mr. Tiny, not yet! Catalina looks beautiful - I've never been! Add it to my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteIf you make out this way, it is a must do as far as I am concerned. It is so peaceful, and lovely, and reminds me of the French Riviera (except that I've never been there).
DeleteOh my, what a wonderful looking wedding! I'm just dazzled by Mary's dress, too. Chiffon, plaid, bias? I bow down to you for even entertaining the thought.
ReplyDeleteI love Laurence's blog too-- they are always just impeccable!
Thank you!!! Dresses are nothing compared to all that beautiful work you are doing on your jacket!!! That is sure to be an heirloom piece when it is all done - can't wait to see!
DeleteMy, my. Not only are you the poster boy for Catalina, but you could be their couturier as well. Bravo, sir.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! Coming from such an advanced couturier as yourself, that is a high compliment indeed!
DeleteI don't know where to begin...that whole wedding looks amazing! And well done on that dress! I really must go back to Catalina some day. The Avalon Casino is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! Catalina is truly one of my favorite places (so far, I should probably do a little more traveling before making any huge pronouncements). I could spend forever in that Casino building!
DeleteWhat a fabulous wedding! And of course, the dress you made Mary is simply wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you!!! It was a great wedding and I am so glad to have been celebrating with good friends!
DeleteGoodness me! I've just added the ballroom to my list of places to see! What romance and what fabulous duds everyone had on. Marys dress looked wonderful for the occasion!
ReplyDeleteYes, the ballroom and the theater on the ground floor are majestic and wonderful and worth every ounce of time and expense to get there! Thank you!!!
DeleteGotta agree about the dress. I didn't know you were a seamster, mr.Tiny! FANTASTIC JOB; the dress is STUNNING, and the tasty co-ordinating matchup with the Reese's Pieces was definitely fortuitous! And no, it definitely didn't 'read' as "Halloween"-y! Looks like it was a FANTASTIC and ORIGINAL wedding (my very favourite kind)and I wish I could have been in attendance because it looked like a BLAST. The venue was fab, too; i also would have had a hard time to keep from standing in the centre of the floor looking up!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! I have bee n making Mary's clothes since she was a wee lass but I have committed to posting about them more here!!! The wedding was a dream and a blessed excuse to hang out in Catalina!
Deletehow beautiful! that ceiling is out of this world!! i love that you got to hang out with Laurence! i LOOOVE her blog! They are so well dressed and their collections!
ReplyDeleteI think the dress turned out perfectly. I didn't think halloween at all.
Thank you!!! Laurence and Sylvain are such wonderful people and I think we'll get to see them a few more times before they go home - LUCKY US!!!
DeleteWhat a fabulous wedding!
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty great! I'm so glad to have friends who can make such wonderful events happen!
DeleteDamn, Mr. Tiny. Bias cut? Plaid? Chiffon? You are the king. THE KING! That dress is amazing. I love everything about it! It looks so great on Mary too. Wowsa. Catalina is on my bucket list of places to go and your photos from the wedding just make me swoon. It looks like an amazing and truly fabulous event.
ReplyDeleteHahaha...Thank you!!! I probably made it seem harder than it was. Sometimes I think the less I know, the better. If I knew what I was getting into I probably would not have done it. Also, I never encourage people to examine my work too closely; sInce Mary usually only wears things once or twice, I have given up on fine finishes. You must go to Catalina, it is slow, quiet, and boring (in the very best of ways) and requires nothing of you but to relax and enjoy the sunny weather.
DeleteYou go to the best weddings! And Mary (in the dress you made, bedazzled buckle and all....I think it worked great!) looks like a million dollars cash. Kudos to you both, and to the new married folks, too! I wish you'd start selling her cast-offs, or last season's crop of duds, on etsy...do you have any idea of the scarcity of vintage clothes like this for fellow Amazonians WITHOUT incredibly talented sewing brothers? I'm telling you, it's serious!
ReplyDeleteHahahaha, THANKS!!! That's why I got into it; a GIANT for a sister with a need for special occasion outfits. The only problem is that I kind of hate sewing - totally boring. It is a necessary evil in order to see my ideas realized. I've heard about that 3D printer and I believe that Dita VT wore a dress that was created by the same; maybe that is in my design future - no sewing required.
DeleteHoly smokes!!! You have outdone yourself! Chiffon on the BIAS, and pattern matching? Did I ever tell you that you're CRAZY? Don't tell me that's the first time you've ever sewn chiffon. I think I might faint.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully done!
Mary looks gorgeous, of course.
Such a beautiful wedding. So sad I'm a big chicken and don't like boats. :(
Congrats to the happy couple!
Knowing of your boat phobia, I wasn't sure if you would be there or not. We definitely missed you guys. The dress you made for Jennifer was spectacular! Thank you for your kind words - high praise indeed! Chiffon is a beautiful beast (especially for someone with no patience and butterfingers)!!! I think ignorance was working in my favor on this one. I just kind of crossed my fingers and hoped that it worked out.
Deletep.s. Do you know how hard it is to sew with crossed fingers?!!!
Oh!!! What a wonderful wedding!!!! Mary's dress is just scrumptious!!! I just can't get over the lovely outfits you always make for lucky Miss Mary!!! OH, and OMG OMG OMG - Laurence and Sylvain were there, too!!!!!! How perfectly awesome!!! They are my favorite couple!!! They always look so wonderful together no matter what they are doing! Their home is also to die for! Thanks ever so for sharing pix of this wonderful event. And congrats to the beautiful couple!!!! Gee, it must have been like being in a dream ....... ((smiles))
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty dreamy! Thanks RS! Laurence and Sylvain are so much fun; I hope we get a chance to go visit them in their neck of the woods someday!
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