Favorite Holiday Things

'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la....

Who doesn't love Christmas? It's such a joyous, festive time! Since there is less than a week until Christmas, I thought it'd be fun to post some of my favorite things for the holidays this year!

1. Chocolate gingerbread house petits fours--how cute is that? I'm definitely saving this idea for next year, when my daughter is old enough to enjoy this together!

It's a Martha Stewart creation. Click here to get the full recipe.

2. Marshmallow Snowflakes--another super cute MS creation. Homemade marshmallow is such an inexpensive way to add some spark to your holiday party. Add it to the hot chocolate that you're serving your guests, and they will be ooohing and aaahhhing for sure! You can find the recipe here.

3. Holiday Hand-Dipped Strawberries--a festive twist to a much loved dessert. No time to make it? Just order it on Red Envelope!

4. Gem Martinis--I'm all about throwing a great party to wow your guests, but it doesn't always have to be ultra expensive. Focus on the little details. A fun, colorful martini glass goes a long way and it's only $4.95 each at cb2!

5. Telluride Stocking Collection--I love these vibrant, cute stockings at Pottery Barn Kids! It's perfect to enhance any fireplace mantel, and there is plenty of room to stuff them with all sorts of goodies!

A Special Deliver-E

I am super excited to discover this service and would like to share it with all the brides and grooms out there!

Special E is a 'green' service that rescues leftovers from flowers to food to beverages from meetings, special events, and weddings and recycles them in ways to save our planet and people in need.

Example: They will come at the end of your event and rescue leftover to be brought to food banks, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters. Floral arrangements and centerpieces would be brought to nursing homes and hospitals.

I think it's such an awesome service. As a planner, I stay long after all the guests have left to oversee the break down and clean up process. It makes me sad to see flowers that are still fresh and beautiful get tossed in the trash. It's even more disheartening to see food and cake be dumped, knowing how many hungry people there are out there.

There is a fee associated with the service, and you would need to contact them to see if they service your area and what the fee would be. Couples should definitely work this into their budget!

http://thespeciale.com/index.html

The Wedding University

For those that know me well, they can tell you that creating wedding planning workshops for brides and grooms have been a dream and fantasy of mine for quite a few years now. I've always loved to teach. Before I became a wedding planner, I taught a lot of HR courses on conflict management. Two years ago, I was invited to the Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica to teach and certify a group of wedding planners. For the past 6 years as a wedding planner, I have certainly taught A LOT of brides and grooms on many aspects of wedding planning from designing concepts to creating a fabulous menu to dealing with tricky family dynamics. Okay, you get it--I love to teach.

Well, I've dreamed about it and talked about it....now I'm finally ready to act on it! On February 8, 2009 I will be co-hosting a very unique and special event call THE WEDDING UNIVERSITY.

What exactly is it?

Imagine being a first time bride. You're newly engaged and super excited about that dynamic ring that he chose for you. You share the incredible news with your family in their living room, then with your girlfriends over cocktails. Your next stop is the bookstore, where you purchase every single magazine with the word WEDDING on it.

The first month is probably a whirlwind as you pour through tons and tons of magazine and online photos, fantasizing about that dream wedding of yours. You may have even purchased one of those wedding organizers, determined to stay calm and organized.

But then, reality kicks in. You start to become overwhelmed by question marks floating around your head.

1. How much is all this going to cost?
2. OMG, there are thousands of photographers in the area. Which one is right for me?
3. How do I get the most value for my money?
4. What's a Banquet Event Order?
5. What's an escort card versus a place card?
6. Who helps me create a timeline?
7. How do I personalize my wedding with special touches?
8. What hairstyle looks good with my dress?
9. How can I tell my bridesmaids that they have to pay for their own dresses?
10. What's the proper wording for my invitation?

Yes, there are A LOT of decisions to be made for a wedding. Most people have not planned an event of this caliber before so feeling overwhelmed and lost is normal. The Wedding University is designed to help newly engaged couples with their wedding planning by providing them the knowledge, tools, and resources that they need to make wise decisions. It is an all day event, in several different classroom settings, with topics varying from photography, videography, makeup + hair, budget, etc.....all the way to learning the steps for a fabulous first dance! In the midst of all that, you can sample extraordinary food and wine from the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley and interact on a personal level with some of the very top wedding professionals in the Bay Area.

In other words, it is an event NOT to be missed!

For more information, keep up with our Wedding University Blog or our website.

Girl Power

One of my favorite parts of the wedding day are the morning preparations in the bridal suite. There is a very strong emotional connection between all the girls as they get ready together and it's usually a time of bonding, tears, and laughter. It's a great idea to have your photographer and videographer be present for at least a part of that time so they can capture all of those great moments for you!

I've seen a lot of nervous brides on the wedding day, and it's always touching to see the bridesmaids fussing over the bride to make sure she looks perfect. Girlfriends are just so special!!

In my wedding day timelines, I always schedule the bridesmaids to get dressed BEFORE they help the bride get into her dress. The reason behind that? Well, take a look at the photos above. It makes for MUCH better photos and videos when you have bridesmaids that are fully dressed and beautiful helping the bride get into her gown!

If you are having a hard time deciding which girlfriends to choose to be your bridesmaids, here are some words of wisdom:

1. Choose people you are genuinely close with, on an emotional level. They should be the true friends in your life, those that you cherish and love.

2. Choose people that are dependable. It's a committment on their side to be there for you throughout the planning process and especially on the day-of.

3. Choose people that are sensitive. It's often a roller coaster ride of emotions for you on the wedding day. You will need to be surrounded by people that can be sensitive to that, which will calm you down.

In essence, trust your instincts! You're not putting on a show for people so don't pick bridesmaids based on physical appearances. Choose the real friends in your life.

Photo Credit:

Top set of photos by Lisa Leigh
Middle set of photos by Todd Rafalovich
Bottom set of photos by The Image is Found

What are your Christmas colors this year?

I love the holidays. It's my favorite time of the year, and I always take time to decorate our home to make it especially warm, inviting, and festive! 

As we all know, traditionally Christmas consists of the following colors: red, green, white, silver, and gold. However, blue entered the mix awhile back and now, we're seeing much more creative color palettes for this special holiday. While shopping this year, I fell in love with a goldish rose color that sprung up in holiday decor. 

Admittedly though, I feel a little bittersweet about this. On one hand, I want to preserve the traditional wedding colors and be reminded of Christmas when those colors pop up everyone around the stores. On the other hand, I'm excited that one no longer needs to worry about the holiday colors clashing with their home design and decor. 

During my recent Tokyo trip, I noticed that their holiday colors (at least for this year) were mainly blue, silver, and white. It's quite glamorous, and lovely. Interestingly enough though, they were encouraging a new color palette for Christmas. Take a look below! What do you think?

 

A Day of Pampering

So many people think that being a Wedding Planner is an incredibly glamorous job. They don't see the sweat and tears that go into each wedding, and think we just wine and dine all the time!

I'm certainly not complaining, as I admit I have the best job in the world. It's just HARD WORK too, you know. BUT....I should confess that my job does indeed come with a lot of fine dining, wine tasting, partying, socializing, partying, and more partying. In all honesty, I seriously think one of the criteria of being a great party planner is to know how to enjoy a fabulous party.

Well, us planners were once again SPOILED this week by the fun, witty, lovely, newly married Kelly McLeskey and her partner in crime Jill at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. It's their third annual Wedding Planner Event, and this year nobody knew what they were cooking up. It started with a simple Evite, reminding us to save the date.....followed by a beautifully designed letterpress invitation by Peculiar Pair Press, asking us to dress casually and be ready to have an amazing time. The past two years had been a lot of spa pampering, but this year promised pampering and MORE.

First impression counts, and when a valet attendent + 2 courteous FSMI staff greeted me upon arrival, I knew I was in for something very special. The first part of the event took place in their Sonoma Valley Room, where I had one of my favorite weddings a couple years ago. I saw the familiar faces of my peers, and had a great time catching up with everyone while feasting on macaroni and cheese with LOBSTER (the best I've had!), lamb sliders, and lots of wine. I ofcourse had to get my turn at the 'modern' photobooth provided by the lovely Michelle Walker before joining everyone on a tour of the divine property.
The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn has SO much to offer for its wedding couples and guests. There are several indoor AND outdoor alternatives, including a newly carpeted tent! It's not your 'typical' hotel ballroom at all, and offers a real wine country experience. The second part of the event took place at their golf course, which is an extension of their vast property and one that promises warmth and intimacy for your event. I was stationed at their oyster shooters table for quite some time during this part of the event, before getting in line for a soothing massage that was much needed.
The fun doesn't stop ofcourse. We were then whisked away on a big bus, to our next destination. It felt like a school field trip again, as we were all giddy and excited to see what Kelly and Jill had in store for us next....
The bus took us up some curves and turns, and we finally arrived--at the Benziger Family Winery, one of the few family owned wineries left in the wine country. Red carpet awaited us to enter their estate, where we enjoyed wine tasting with cheese and a very interesting info session on the winery's history. It's the perfect place to host a rehearsal dinner or special event, allowing guests to make the most out of a wine country experience.

The WOW factor doesn't end. We were treated to an incredibly lavish 5 course dinner inside a magnificent cave. Ofcourse, being at a winery meant each course was carefully paired with the perfect wine! We feasted on the following menu catered by the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn (yes they can do outside catering too!!):

First Course: Dungeness Crab and Cauliflower Soup paired with 2007 Benziger Family Winery Sauvignon Blanc

Second Course: Truffled Marin French Triple Cream Brie Mache And 50 Year Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette paired with 2006 Benziger Family Winery Reserve Chardonnay

Third Course: Cilantro and Green Onion Crusted Halibut Heirloom Beet Ragout paired with 2007 Benziger Family Winery Pinot Noir

Fourth Course: Cabernet Braised Painted Hills Short Rib , Bloomsdale Spinach and Sebastopol Organic Mushrooms, Natural Jus paired with 2005 Benziger Family Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Fifth Course: Chocolate Quattro paired with 2005 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Valley Port

Each of us left happily with a gift bag that included a bottle of Benziger wine, spa certificates, toiletries, and lots of other goodies. A big, gigantic THANK YOU to Kelly, Jill, the staff at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, Teresa and her staff at Benzinger Family Winery, and other sponsors including:

Hartmann Studios
La Tavola Linens
Peculiar Pair Press
Inticing Creations
Fleur Essence
Dandelion
Michelle Walker Photography
California Wine Tours and Transportation

Please Be Seated

A chair is not just a chair. At least not at a fabulous party! You've probably heard this a million times, but it's all about the details....so even a chair needs some dressing up!

Wildflower Linens is always fashion forward in the Special Events world, and we all see them as a trendsetter. When I had a chance to 'play' there this week, I couldn't resist photographing some of their faaaabulous new chair covers. Who would not feel special dining on one of these beautiful chairs?


They have also designed a new type of covering for the tall cocktail tables, as show in the center picture above. It gives it a much sleeker look--I LOVE IT!!

A Wedding Movie

Discovering talent is a part of my job, but discovering Savadelis Films was one of the best treasures of my career. There is a reason why the owner's name is JEWEL! She is definitely a jewel to me, and to many, many brides and grooms out there.

If you visit my website, you will see many different trailers from Savadelis Films. I have had the pleasure of working with them on many special weddings and events through the years. Each time they send me a completed wedding movie of our mutual client, I can be sure that I will be both laughing and crying as I watch it. They are really THAT good!

If you want a wedding video that looks like everyone else's, they are not the right ones for you. With each couple that they work with, they go to great lengths to discover everything about them and their families, their wedding visions, and their wedding details. From that, they will capture your unique story, like no others.....and you will get to pass this beautiful memory on for generations to come! It's the ultimate way to preserve all the special moments of your wedding day!

We recently finished another spectacular wedding together at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, and here is the amazing trailer that they put together. It completely captured the tempo of that day, and is a true reflection of the couple's fun personality. Enjoy!!

Interesting Lighting

My trip to Hong Kong last month was unlike any previous trip I've taken, because I was traveling with a two year old. I was constantly squatting down to keep up with her and it was quite interesting to see things from her 'level'. When you're always on the floor, looking upwards, you tend to notice LIGHTS a lot. And so, I got to appreciate lighting from a whole new angle, and thought it would be fun to share some photos with everyone of the different lights that caught my eye in restaurants, boutiques, and malls. Perhaps this will inspire you to do something 'different' with lighting for your next event!