So Cal Event Planners

Once upon a time, Lubena and Mustafa met through mutual friends in San Diego. Unfortunately, soon after they met Mustafa had to move to the Bay Area, but they still kept in touch. Fast forward three years, Lubena was in for a magical surprise. Mustafa drove down to visit Lubena again in San Diego, and while they were having a nice walk in Del Mar Beach, Lubena noticed a beautiful sitting area under a canopy. Little did she know, Mustafa had set the whole thing up just for her. They spent a romantic evening under that canopy which ended with a very important question to which Lubena answered ‘yes’!

Before the wedding, Lubena felt a little stressed about all the details to keep track of for her various events. She almost couldn’t believe she was planning her own wedding. She met So Cal Event Planners at another event and they proved extremely helpful and very friendly. There were many months of planning. Slowly but surely the big day was coming closer.

Love is by our side.

Lubena’s favorite part of the whole process was getting ready on the morning of her wedding day. It was finally time for her to relax and allow herself to be pampered. Her hair and makeup team did a fantastic job! Just see the pictures below! Not to mention her gorgeous dress!

Beautiful design!

But he’s looking at you…..

The bride in all her glory.

They planned a gorgeous wedding with lovely details including sparkly linens topped with elegant centerpieces and a breath-taking stage. A delicious white cake had disappeared by the end of the night. But the most important part of the wedding was celebrating this day with family and friends.

Elegant centerpieces.

Breath-taking stage decor.

Delicious dessert.

Mustafa and Lubena are truly a perfect match. She is a vision of beauty and his eyes light up at the sight of her. So Cal Event Planners would like to wish them both a lifetime of happiness and love. And so, their wedding day came to a close and they lived happily ever after.

Princess and her Prince.

“SCEP exceeded my expectations by staying in touch with my vendors and taking over the minute details from A to Z. Shumaila was very organized in her ideas and during the planning process which facilitated the execution of the big day to be absolutely perfect. Before the wedding, as any frantic OCD bride is, I was very nervous as I expected everything to be very particular during the wedding and SCEP enabled me to trust them in leaving the rest in their hands.”

Happy wife, happy life. Gorgeous bride.

She is all that he sees.

Apple of my eye.

This is the beginning of something beautiful.

Happiness.

Magical staging!

In case you haven’t seen Part 1 of this gorgeous couple’s events, click here! 

Afra and Saad deserve the best, and that’s exactly what they got. The lovely couple wanted a classy and humble wedding, centered around family and love. They simply wanted to provide a serene and enjoyable space for their guests to celebrate.

Their glamorous wedding was no small feat. It was full of enchantment and elegance. They even had an indoor water fountain with luscious roses. The night was full of laughter and love. Below is just a preview of their wedding. Don’t forget to go the gallery for more incredible photos of other weddings planned and coordinated by So Cal Event Planners!

The bride’s favorite part of her wedding was towards the end of the night. In the words of the bride herself:

“As we were leaving the hotel, my family created a walkway of bubbles – it was so fantastic to have Saad carry me through that. Outside, as we approached the car, our families began to cry. So to bring some comic relief, Shumaila quickly handed me and my husband our quirky sunglasses that said “Bride” and “Groom,” the driver blasted FloRida’s “It’s Goi’n Down For Real” on the radio, and my husband and I turned around waving good-bye. It was such a silly surprise that everyone was laughing as we drove way. It was a great way to end the night, with laughter.”

Hotel Irvine was blessed to hold Afra and Saad’s mehndi reception. Vibrant colors on a gorgeous sunny California day stood as a good omen for the happy vibes that were destined to happen. A huge audience of guests and a lovely walkway of flower petals led up to the stage for the Mr. and Mrs. Check out the photos below for sneak peeks at their charming event, and to read about how the couple met.

Afra was MC’ing the mosque’s fundraiser a little over a year ago. Saad had seen her for the first time and was immediately mesmerized. About a month later, coincidentally, Afra and her family were accidentally invited to the “family only” dinner party at one of Saad’s relative’s homes. Afra and Saad were introduced. He realized she was the same girl of his dreams, so they arranged to meet up and get to know each other. The rest is history.

Before the wedding Afra was very worried about what needed to be done logistically. Planning was definitely fun, but she first she had to come up with a checklist which proved very stressful with no guidance!

Afra was introduced to Shumaila through family friends. Immediately, she noticed Shumaila’s friendly personality and determination to plan this wedding perfectly.

Afra explained her expectations for the wedding. With Shumaila’s help and assistance, her instructions were executed excellently. She trusted Shumaila and her team and was confident the details would be taken care of properly.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Afra and Saad’s wedding!

Venue: Hyatt Huntington Beach
Date: December 13, 2015

The So Cal Event Planners were introduced to this cute couple through Ankit’s father who played a vital role in the planning process of their wedding. Aniata had moved here from India, and Ankit is from the OC. They met through mutual friend, began talking and fell in love. Together they dreamed of a beachside wedding and found the perfect venue at the Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency. It became a great backdrop to their Indian ceremony which was followed up by the intimate reception of 150 guests. Fun filled and exciting, this weekend was abundant with love and laughter. The couple even had a special Bollywood-esque slideshow and video to share with their guests. Ankit and Aniata’s love is evident and strong. For us, it was wonderful working with the couple and their families. See their pictures below!

The bride’s shoes shall be the most sparkly~

And she shall also be the most beautiful~

There will be the most perfect weather~

And she must wait for her prince~

A most luxurious chair~

But a chaise for them both~

Romantic purple hues~

A wardrobe change~

An end to a romantic night~

Photo credit: AJ Studios

Date: November 27, 2015

It was our pleasure to work with this couple. Hiba contacted SCEP towards the middle of their planning process and we helped put a framework around their event with vendor management, timeline and script. Her calm demeanor made planning process a snap. Hiba looked beautiful in a custom-made Pakistani designer outfit with makeup by talented Nida Gazi from BeautybyNG. Hiba & Asif wanted an elegant, romantic event and they got just that with the help of 2CreateDesigns! A one-of-a-kind couple, they shined on their special day. Check out their pictures below!

Our flawless bride.

Brotherly advice.

‘I got this’

‘Uh oh, I don’t got this’

The main man.

It’s official!

Dessert time!

But first…

Romantic and elegant.

A very happy bridal party!

And into the night they go…

Photo credit: Samson Productions.

Vendor Love:
Event Coordination l So Cal Event Planners
Décor l 2 Create Designs
Make-up l Beauty By NG
Photography l Samson Productions
DJ l Dhamaka

Venue: Doubletree by Hilton Anaheim
Date: August 16 2015

We had the pleasure of meeting Bushra and Anas at another client’s wedding. Bushra mentioned how her own event was coming up quickly and she was “looking for a friend with experience and creative insight to help with [her] wedding”. We quickly became friends with Bushra’s easygoing personality and Anas’ charming demeanor and gained their trust as clients. We met with Bushra and reviewed décor ideas and timelines.

Essentially, we organized two separate wedding events— one for the men and one for the women, a common occurrence in many Arab weddings. Each banquet hall needed our full attention, décor, two separate DJs, two photographers, (and dance floors of course). Imagine how much planning goes into one event – now imagine two simultaneous events!

Together we created a stunning wedding tailored to Bushra’s every need. Her Arab background and modern American twist gave way to a wedding filled with great people, an amazing program and an exciting night of fun and laughter. Check out sneak peeks of Bushra and Anas’ remarkable wedding!

Bride’s bouquet ~

And a matching cake ~

Momma centerpieces ~

Baby centerpieces ~

A more ‘manly’ color scheme for the men’s side ~

A party for the women ~

And a party for the men ~

Couple :Summera & Shabbir
Venue: Knotts Berry Farm, Buena Park
Insights: Once upon a time, a lovely girl from Southern California named Summera met a fellow from Chicago named Shabbir. Girl meets boy and boy meets girl. As is true with all love stories, the two became inseparable except for the fact that Shabbir lived in a land far far away.  To make it all okay, Summera agreed to take the leap and follow her prince to the land of deep dish pizzas and the Bean! Before their Happily Ever After, the two held a great night of celebration in late August. In attendance were family and friends wishing them all  the best along with members of the So Cal Event Planners team.

Couple: Shifat and Shathi
Venue: Marriott, Anaheim
Insights: This couple was hands down one of our favorites. Their love and playfulness together was unmatched. Shifat and Shathi truly shined as a power couple – the groom and bride alike were heavily involved in the planning process. We started by meeting this couple during a bridal expo in January. In the following months, we kept in close contact with Shathi who was on top of all the planning details. Meeting with the bride and groom during consultation was easy – they were friendly and happy to discuss each and every detail. You could see that they were beyond happy to begin their lives together with the wedding being the first step. Meetings took just a bit longer with these two because of all the cute flirting going on – but we didn’t mind! That’s what wedding planning should be all about!

Here is a sneak peak of their beautiful Bengali wedding!

Words from our bride:

Couple: Maham & Adeel
Venue: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in Anaheim
Insights: So Cal Event Planners had the pleasure of coordinating a beautiful wedding for longtime friend, Maham and her new husband, Adeel!  The couple and their love for one another was evident throughout the planning and wedding events. They thoughtfully choreographed their first dance and surprised guests and family members. The groom even serenaded this bride. Congrats to this wonderful couple who are a true match made in heaven.

maham highlights from AJstudiosphotography on Vimeo.