As you may recall, Marine and Mitchell recently got engaged with a surprise romantic proposal on April 24 in front of the Armenian genocide monument in Fresno. Following the proposal, the couple visited Armenia to have their engagement blessed and to do their engagement photoshoot! We're very excited to share the magical photos from their engagement by Lumen Wedding as well as our interview with Marine about all the details of their photoshoot:

Q. Why did you choose to have your photoshoot in Armenia?

Invitations are one of the most important aspects of event planning as they set the first impression and tone for your entire event. Accordingly, depending on the season and theme of your event, you want to stay up to date with the latest trends. We spoke with Deanna from Cordially who gave us a scoop into the current wedding invitation trends and provided insight for each trend. Here are the current top 12 trends: 

Spring 2018 bridal fashions are here and they are full of surprises! As we scouted the runway reports by Vogue, we were startled by all the stunning dresses and unexpected details. This season truly presented something new and offered a variety for every bride. Throughout their collections, designers introduced bridal looks in new and unconventional ways. While keeping classic silhouettes, they incorporated surprising details, setting the latest trends. Here are our top 20 Spring 2018 bridal trends: 

1. Capes & Capelets

It's Official! Newlyweds Alik and Lilit tied the knot on June 10, 2017 at the Renaissance Banquet Hall! We shared the couple's fairytale engagement on our blog last year and now we are thrilled to feature their wedding day. As we await all the details and professional photos and videos, we have a sneak peak of their special day! 

From the traditional Armenian morning celebration to all the fun at reception, here are some of the candid and unfiltered shots that Lilit and Alik, their friends and family, and vendors shared: 

From a red carpet photo wall, numerous food stations, to custom LED panels, L.A. Banquets' newest ballroom, Legacy Ballroom & Lounge, was transformed into a glamorous gala in celebration of L.A. Banquets' Director of Human Resources, Ani Keshishian's 40th birthday. We spoke with the L.A. Banquets team and are very excited to share all the details of this event.

Bound by the infinite beauty of nature, MTH Photographers takes us on an adventure to Iceland for Varti & Mikhail's pre-wedding photoshoot! We had the pleasure of speaking with photographer, Mher Hagopian, who shared his experience with destination photoshoots, a behind the scenes video, and all the details about the endless planning of this breathtaking Iceland photoshoot. Here is what he had to say: 

Q: First, why did you start doing destination photoshoots?

Every man needs a well-tailored suit in his closet. But on his wedding day, he needs more than just that. As important as the wedding dress is to the bride, the suit is to the groom. With that in mind, nowadays, many men are opting for custom suits on their special day. Custom suits allow the groom to design and personalize his suit, look sharp, and of course wear it again!

To learn more about custom suits and the fitting process, we reached out to Jerry Bakhchyan, Designer & Founder of JB Clothiers. Jerry's a veteran in this industry with over 20 years of experience, and nearly 80 5-star reviews on Yelp, so we knew we were in good hands. Located in downtown Los Angeles, JB Clothiers provides bespoke suits, tuxedos, dress shirts, sports coats and more that are specifically tailored to your image and lifestyle. Bespoke suits are created from scratch to the customer’s exact measurements with total choice of design, fabric, and detailing. We had the pleasure of meeting with Jerry and learning all the details of a custom suit fitting experience.

To begin, Jerry shared the 3 most important factors in men’s suits:

Connected at their roots and destined by fate, Marine and Mitchell's story is an Armenian fairytale indeed! On April 24, 2017, Mitchel proposed to Marine at the Armenian Genocide Monument in Fresno, California. We spoke to Marine and she shared all the details about their love story and the significance of their proposal. Here is our interview with Marine:

All About Marine & Mitchell

Q: Tell us about you as a couple and how you met:

In the ancient times, Armenian women participated in a traditional festivity called "Jan Gyulum". Jan Gyulum is also known as Hampartsoum, a celebration of love and enjoyment, which takes place outdoors in the month of May, 40 days after Easter (referred to as Ascension Day). Following Mary and Harut's surprise romantic engagement, instead of a bridal shower, Mary's family organized a Jan Gyulum to celebrate the bride to be. We spoke with Mary and she provided all the details of this beautiful Armenian tradition and her special day in her interview below.

Q: What is Jan Gyulum?

Mesmerized by all the beautiful scenery and locations, Varti and Mikhail visited Iceland for their destination pre-wedding photoshoot by MTH Photographers! From their decision, favorite moments, to the many challenges, Varti shares all the details of their adventurous and astonishing photoshoot!

First you should know, from the two, Varti is the more adventurous one and she definitely had to push Mikhail a little to get him to do all the crazy things on their trip! The couple currently lives in Los Angeles and the two had never taken a daring trip like this one together. So visiting Iceland was definitely an experience for them. When their photographer, MTH Photographers, suggested Iceland for their photoshoot, they never thought they would go there. But after researching the country, they simply couldn't say no! Here are some of the questions we asked Varti: