Ooh la la, Le Creme!

It's the end of the wedding season and to celebrate a very successful year, my dear friend and colleague Nancy Liu Chin treated me to a wonderful manicure and pedicure session at Le Creme. Though I'm a frequent visitor to the chic and fun Fillmore Street, I had no idea that Le Creme existed until Nancy introduced me to it! What a delightful surprise it was!

Located just off of Fillmore Street, Le Creme is a shabby chic mani/pedi salon that uses only nature's finest ingredients such as fresh flowers, fruits, vegetables, and essential herbal and healing oils. There is a wonderful team of professional staff there, providing a truly luxurious experience for everyone that walks through their front door.

I chose their signature hand and foot therapy, using lavender essential oil combined with a hot cream massage that almost put me to sleep in comfort on their plush couches! For those opting for extra comfort, you can add an additional massage for your feet which is undoubtedly much needed after that strenuous holiday shopping adventure you just overcame!

Le Creme is such a cute and relaxing place to be that you just don't want to leave. It's the perfect location for bridal showers, birthday parties, or baby showers! You can reserve the entire salon for your special occasion and even bring in a caterer to provide some delicacies and drinks! On a sunny, clear day, you may opt to have your party outdoors. Le Creme has an additional patio in the back perfect for your intimate celebration!

Check them out online at www.lecremespa.com

Love, Sweet Love

Sara and John, a young sweet couple from the Big Apple, tied the knot in San Francisco this past July and I couldn't have been more honored to be their Wedding Coordinator! Since Sara and John couldn't physically be in the Bay Area throughout the planning, I worked closely with Sara's lovely mother, Marg, on many aspects of the planning. We had such a great time during the process, carefully selecting a decadent menu with McCall's, arranging 3 full days of transportation for their guests, brainstorming with Miguel the fabulous floral designer, and many more tasks! During the months that we worked together, I found myself continually being touched by the warmth of the Mikulsky family and how close knitted they were. Marg told me many wonderful stories about their families and when I finally got a chance to meet everyone several days prior to the wedding, I felt like I have known them for a long time already! It's one of the things that I love most about what I do, and there is no better delight than seeing families get together for such an intimate occasion.

The wedding weekend began on Thursday, with a welcoming dinner at the Mikulsky household for close families and friends. Friday following the rehearsal, John's mother Carol, hosted a delicious dinner for the Wedding Party and families at R & G Lounge while other guests were invited to a cocktail party at the Grand Hyatt hotel. Saturday was the wedding day, and we were greeted in the morning with beautiful, clear weather. Sara and John exchanged handwritten vows to one another at the Old St. Mary's Cathedral. After the touching ceremony that officially joined the two families together, guests were whisked to the San Francisco City Hall on cable car trolleys. As a special touch to this black tie affair, we laid out red carpet on the front steps to greet the guests, making them feel like they were part of the Oscar's!

During the cocktail hour, guests feasted on a seafood bar full of fresh oysters, shrimp cocktail, and crab as well as a variety of creative hors d'oeurves. When the silver Vera Wang dinner bells were rung by servers, everyone walked down the marble staircase to be seated. Tall white branches with hanging votives and white orchids sat at the center of each table. Gordon Ng, a very talented artisit, drew caricatures of Sara and John under different San Francisco landmarks to indicate each table's name, and periwinkle fabric boxes with Sara and John's name sewn on the cover sat on each charger as favors. Decadent chocolate sat inside, along with a note of gratitude to let guests know a donation was made in their name to a special charity.

The evening was magical, as guests enjoyed a sumptuous 4 course dinner paired with the perfect wine, a lavish dessert bar, and lots of dancing. At the end of the night, everybody lined up in front of City Hall to send Sara and John off.....to their beautiful and exciting journey ahead as Mr. and Mrs. Capman!!





All photographs were taken by the incredibly talented and artistic Kevin Chin (www.kevinchin.com)

Yah Mon!

I was recently asked what the biggest highlight was for me this year. Well, nothing beats being pregnant (I'm expecting a baby girl in February, 2007!) but I have to say, my Jamaica trip comes to a close second! In October this year, I was invited to give a training class on behalf of June Wedding Inc. to the Romance Team at the luxurious Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Knowing that this was one of the greatest locations for destination weddings, I was both honored and excited at the opportunity.

Being a first timer in Jamaica, I was amazed at the wonderful hospitality that I received the moment I arrived at the airport. Greeted by welcoming faces, fresh wet towels and sunny weather made a fantastic first impression. The Half Moon Resort is a 5 star luxurious resort featuring private villas and breathtaking oceanside suites. For the first two nights, my husband and I stayed in one of their magnificent villas with a butler, maid and chef all to ourselves! Talk about being pampered. It's a perfect place to stay with groups of friends or even a family reunion as each villa has up to six individual rooms, large spacious common areas, and a private pool with bbq. We felt a little TOO spoiled being in such a large villa by ourselves so we exchanged that for a more contemporary seaside suite for the next 4 nights. Waking up to crashing waves and ocean scent is just unbeatable!

The Romance Team at Half Moon consists of an amazing group of ladies and gentlemen who are all dedicated to providing the best experience possible for their brides and grooms. There were a total of 4 of us from June Wedding, Inc. that conducted the training to their group of 15. We went over topics of Marketing, Web Design, Wedding Consulting, Public Relations and Business Strategies. The group was extremely attentive and interactive, asking many wonderful questions and contributing greatly to all the various topics. They were so gracious and appreciative of the knowledge that we provided to them, and were very eager to be certified as Wedding Consultants.

Outside of the 2 day training courses, the Romance Team at Half Moon provided wonderful hospitality for our stay. We were treated to lavish dinners and cocktails, and there's nothing like fine dining with great company and interesting conversations. Each experience was thoroughly enjoyed and cherished. We also got to witness an amazing birth of sea turtles by the beachside during one of our cocktail parties!

If you're looking for a beautiful location for your destination wedding, elopement, honeymoon, or even your next vacation, you should definitely consider Half Moon. There are a ton of activities such as horseback riding (in the ocean!), swimming with the dolphins, scuba diving, and rafting on the Martha Brae river just to name a few. The hospitality is beyond five star, the culinary is excellent, and it's right by the oceanside! They offer several different locations on-site for weddings, including a gazebo on the water! Check out their website: www.halfmoon.com