Hotel Bel-Air Wedding

Hotel Bel-Air Wedding
For their Sunday afternoon wedding in Los Angeles, Kary McHoul and Terry Gaten wanted an
elegant setting that was luxurious but that also reflected their relaxed lifestyle. As such, they
chose the historic Hotel Bel Air-a lush, sprawling property that embodies the best of both worlds.
Today, Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings, gets a behind-the-scenes look
at this extraordinary event, from the flowers to the bride's make-up to the cake, and assists the
couple with a few last-minute details.
In choosing flowers for the event, Kary turned to renowned floral designer Mark Held, who has
decorated everything from celebrity weddings to the Academy Awards. Building upon Kary's
palette of white, cream, and baby blue, Mark encased bunches of white roses and blue
hydrangeas in various silver vessels, such as lofty trumpet vases and diminutive julep cups. He
and his team then fashioned breathtaking handheld arrangements to match, including the bride's
and bridesmaids' bouquets, a flower-girl basket, and a charming ring-bearer pillow. In addition,
Mark created a "sweetheart table" for Kary and Terry, featuring a light-blue duchesse-satin
tablecloth with a polka-dot organza overlay, as well as floral garlands for each chair.
In keeping with the color scheme, Joan Spitler and Leigh Grode-a Los Angeles duo known as "the
cake divas"-designed the couple's grand wedding cake. Inspired by the baby-blue bows that
adorned the invitations, they created a towering, beribboned confection comprising several tiers,
each embellished with a bow made of baby-blue fondant, as well as a base surrounded by mixed
berries, cream, and fudge.
Like all brides, Kary wanted to look her best at her wedding, so she enlisted the help of Valerie of
Beverly Hills. Not surprisingly, Kary's greatest beauty concern was that her make-up would smear
if she cried, so Valerie and her team used waterproof cosmetics to ensure a longer-lasting look.
Once her make-up was applied, Darcy helped Kary with her gown-the bride's "something new," as
well as her breathtaking Harry Winston jewelry-her "something borrowed." As Kary explains, her
grandmother's handkerchief will serve as both her "something old" and her "something blue."
Later, after the ceremony and with all the details in place, the reception began with the
newlyweds' first dance, as well as champagne and hors d'oeuvres on the lawn. From that point,
the guests moved to the garden room to enjoy Philippe Renniger's elaborate five-course menu,
including the event's savory pièce de résistance-Santa Barbara prawns with corn coulis, dressed
in fresh truffles, chanterelle mushrooms, and leeks.
Sources:
Hotel Bel Air
701 Stone Canyon Road
Los Angeles, CA 90077
(310) 472-1211
www.hotelbelair.com
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA
Hotel Bel-Air Wedding
Mark's Garden
13838 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, Ca 91423
818-906-1718
www.marksflower.com
Valerie Beverly Hills
460 N. Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-274-7348
800-282-5374
www.valeriebeverlyhills.com
Cake Divas in Los Angeles
9626 Venice Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
310-287-2609
www.cakedivas.com
Ken Worthy Salon
310-274-9360
www.kenworthysalon.com
Gallerie Salon
818-528-7373
Masse Made to Measure
306 N. Flores Street
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-653-2941
www.melissamasse.com
Harry Winston
371 North Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-271-8554
www.harrywinston.com
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA
Hotel Bel-Air Wedding
Stuart Weitzman
437 North Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-860-9600
www.stuartweitzman.com
Jay Lawrence Goldman
6139 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323-954-7436
www.jlgphoto.com
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA