Sprinkle, Sprinkle Little Star

In less than an hour, my little star is turning 2 years old! Last weekend, we had a small party for her with her cousins and friends. If you read my post on her birthday last year, you may remember that I ordered a variety of faaaabulous desserts from one of my favorite places--Satura Cakes. This year, I contemplated on doing the same thing since Satura had some new items but decided to do something different instead.

That 'something different' was a cupcake tower featuring 13 different flavors of cupcakes in whimsical designs from Sprinkles in Palo Alto!

It was a big hit at the party, and I think the most popular flavors were red velvet and mocha. Hmm....what desserts should I pick for Bridgette's third birthday?

Straight from the Horse's Mouth!

The Wedding University rocked! That was pretty much the consensus from the student evaluations that we collected at the end of the day. Whew! They liked us! Yay!

One student even blogged about us on her personal blog, which I thought had a cute name--{with the pixie grin} Here's what she said, verbatim!

"i didn't know what to expect really when i decided last minute to attend the "wedding university" on sunday. i had never been to a wedding event .. so i didn't have it anything to compare it to, but i imagined it to be some huge commercial for local vendors, lots of walking around, and lots of pushing and shoving by a bunch of bridezillas. i was so wrong.

the event was held at four season's hotel in palo alto california (about 45 min. south of san francisco). the hotel was magical...beautiful, serene, and comfortable. we were greeted with a glass of champagne on a silver platter and were welcomed to try a freshly sliced cut of prime rib with truffle au jus, roasted brussel sprouts, and potatoes. there was an array of fresh beverages that were available throughout the day, including pelagrino, fiji water, soda's, and tea with honey or coffee.

we each were given a folder with an agenda..each bride's agenda varied to the color of her name tag, so we were split most of the day, which made for a relaxed atmosphere, as the groups were made up of about 20 girls. the mini-classes were great! not only did we learn about the vendors giving the presentations, but they were very informative...like how to choose a photographer or dj...the right questions to ask, what to look out for, and normal pricing and what to expect for each price point. i learned so much and wished there was an event like this one earlier in my planning that i could have attended. i hope to go over some of these tips within the next few weeks, but for now, enjoy some eye candy from the day...'

Wow, thanks Amy, for such a wonderful endorsement. We are so, so happy that you enjoyed all the different elements of the day!

The Inaugural Wedding University--Part III.

One of the most amazing aspects of The Wedding University was definitely the design and decor room. It was completely awe-inspiring, and students' jaws literally dropped when they first entered the room. Our design team had 4 very distinct designs, with a lounge in the center of the room. Enjoy the eye candy here!

SHANGHAI TANG

GOLDFINGER

WALDORF

MODERN LUXE

LOUNGE AREA

Last, but not least, the Love Letters dessert bar and tables were set up as the 'case study' for the design team's presentation.
All photos above by Kevin Chin.
Kudos to our design team for their spectacular work--Gloria Wong Tritasavit, Nancy Liu Chin, Viola Sutante of Chewing the Cud, and John Woods of Enhanced Lighting

The Inaugural Wedding University--Part II.

At 10am, we (The Deans) were brought upstairs to the suite for an interview with KMTP, a new local 24/7 Wedding Television network airing on Channel 32. I was a bit nervous, but Christina, the host and producer of the show, was extremely easy going as she interviewed us which put us all at ease. I actually enjoyed it!!
After the interview, we went back downstairs and was delightfully surprised to see that a few students had arrived already even though it was not 11am yet. They admitted that they wanted to come early, because they were so excited about the event! We arranged a warm welcoming for all the students, with our modeling brides and grooms as greeters, passed champagne, and the beautiful tune of a harp. Our registration table was ready to go, filled with smiling volunteers to help students find their name tags and student folders.
During the first 40 minutes, students enjoyed sampling fine culinary creations from the Four Seasons, including a prime rib action station that was the most popular. They also relaxed with hand massages from the Four Seasons spa, and got inspired by the different tablescapes in our design and decor room.
At 11:45am, all the students were seated in Ballroom A. Kelly Nelson, Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Silicon Valley (and also one of our Deans for TWU) gave a warm welcoming before Jean and I went into our presentation on Planning + Logistics. Following that was the presentation on Menu Planning by Julie Kiendra, Catering Manager at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley.
After the first hour, students were separated into 3 groups, based on the colors of their name tags and student folders that we had preassigned them. Each group had one of our volunteers as their 'group monitor', to guide them and to answer any questions that they may have throughout the day. There would be 3 different presentations going on at all times:

MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT

(Professors: Carl Mindling + Peter Rudolfi + Ron Grandia + Cynthia Glinka)

Cynthia was her usual enthusiastic self, bringing so much laughter and excitement in the room as she taught students how fun dancing can be. At the end of each class, she even asked all the students to get up and do a few moves together. Everybody had a great time.

DESIGN + DECOR
(Professors: Gloria Wong Tritasavit, Nancy Liu Chin, John Woods, Viola Sutante)

PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEOGRAPHY
(Professors: Lara White, Kevin Chin, Chuck & Jewel Savadelis)

As students transitioned between each class, they were surprised with new food stations set up for them. These included sushi and a variety of small plates, fruit, candy, and an awesome dessert bar.
For the last hour of the day, all the students joined together in one group again in Ballroom A and listened to the final presentation on beauty and attire by Armando and Gabrielle. The models were asked to do a small fashion show as Gabrielle described the various wedding gowns that they were wearing and Armando picked a student to do a live updo demonstration. During this hour, all the grooms were asked to follow Bennie of Eli Thomas to a separate room to learn about trends in tuxedos and suits.
We ended the day with the much anticipated drawing--first for the 3 night stay at one of 3 Four Seasons Resort including Lanai, Bora Bora, and Whistler. The second prize was a complimentary engagement session from the fabulous Kevin Chin. The two lucky winners sure left with big smiles on their faces, but every student got to leave with a goody bag that included special gifts and never-before discounts from some of the top event professionals in Northern California!
All photos above by Janae Shields

The Inaugural Wedding University--Part I.

Previously, I posted some tidbits on the night before our big event--the inaugural Wedding University. Now, I am ready to start blogging a series about the day of, providing you some behind the scenes exclusives!

The morning started off early for many of us--6am! Ofcourse, John Woods and his crew were the exceptions--they were up the entire night installing the drapery and lighting! The whole design team and our volunteers were hard at work at the crack of dawn, setting up the various tables in their different themes.

The Deans--Jean, Julie, Kelly, and myself, took on a role that we were not quite familiar with. Rather than having our sleeves rolled up like we normally do at an event, we were instead taking turns having our makeup and hair professional done by the fabulous Armando of Get Your Do Up and his lovely assistant of the day Joey. I have to admit...I loved every minute of it!

At 9am sharp, all the Deans, Professors, and Volunteers met in the Conference Room for our 'Staff Meeting'. The Four Seasons provided coffee and pastries to bring everyone's energy up as we went over the timing and logistics of the day together. I could sense the excitement, anticipation, and enthusiasm in the room!

Janece was our very competent leader for the registration process, which was crucial to the success of our event. She delegated various tasks to our many volunteers that day, making sure that each of them understood their roles and responsibilities clearly.

My fabulous Production Lead Amanda was our 'day-of coordinator', making sure that we were on schedule, and being the go-to person for questions and support. While she was managing the final set up in the various rooms downstairs, Armando and Joey continued working their magic upstairs in the spacious suite--this time on the models that we had casted for this special event.
Gabrielle of Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier was also there to help style each model, as they got dressed in her beautiful gowns.

With less than one hour before the students were due to arrive, the professors began doing one last 'practice' run with their presentations. We were ready to rock!!

All the above photos by the fabulous Janae Shields, who was present from 8am-6pm to document the entire event for us from beginning to end.

Stay tuned for Part II...for our television interview and the arrival of TWU students!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm big on all the 'special occasions' throughout the year. After being together for 8 years now, my hubby has learned to take them seriously too. You can imagine his shock then, when I told him NOT to make any plans for us this Valentine's Day.

'Is this a trick?' he asked.

It took me some time to convince him that no, this was not a 'trick'. This year, I told him, I just want to lay low at home....with him and with my little Bridgette. Maybe it's because I am still very sick, but more so that there has been sooooo much going on lately that I just want to take it easy.

So, I am dedicating this post to all you lovebirds out there that want to celebrate Valentine's Day with a nice dinner out. Here are my top recommendations for the fabulous, but 'undiscovered' restaurants you may love :

1. Shokolaat in Palo Alto--a perfect neighborhood bistro that's warm and intimate. I highly recommend the wild mushroom and mint soup for your starter, and the raspberry souffle for your happy ending.

2. Red Lantern in Redwood City--if you love an Asian/Fusion menu, you will love this place. From authentic filipino dishes to the familiar pad thai, their menu is extensively filled with flavorful and delicious selections.

3. Chapeau in San Francisco--a small, inviting neighborhood french bistro. It's the type of place where the owner himself will come out and greet you before your dinner is over. I recommend doing the pre fixe. It's a great menu and the prices are very reasonable!

4. Wood Tavern in Oakland--my good friend Rebekah and her husband Rich are the owners, but that does not make me bias because this honestly is an AMAZING restaurant. Another one of those casual, yet chic, neighborhood brasserie that focuses on local, sustainable ingredients.

5. Local Restaurant and Wine Merchant --if you are planning to eat here, may I recommend that you book a mani/pedi upstairs at Cocoon Urban Day Spa? It's the perfect combo. Local's nicoise salad is my absolute favorite, and you just HAVE to try their truffle and parmasean fries! They also have a very interesting wine selection--just lovely!

Bon Appetit!

'Tis the eve before TWU...

I couldn't have picked a worse time to get sick. Well, I guess I didn't quite 'pick' to be sick. But ofcourse it happened. I woke up on Saturday with a terrible headache and sore throat. I was devastated, as I knew there was a lot of work waiting for us in preparation for the big event on Sunday. Jean, Janece, and I were suppose to meet at the Four Seasons at 3pm to start assembling the gift bags and student folders together amongst other things. At around 2pm, I knew there was no way I could drag my body there and be productive. This is when team work is SO, SO, SO important!! I knew I could count on them, and they persuaded me to stay home and rest. After a nice long nap, I woke up at 5pm feeling somewhat better and made my way to the hotel to join the assembly party. When I arrived, it was well underway but there was still a lot more to be done. I was glad to be there, and we were quite focused for the next few hours.

As we slipped into the evening, more of our wonderful partners arrived--the Chins, Gloria, and my lovely assistant Amanda who just happened to be LION DANCING that whole day. Yes, lion dancing and she happens to be the lion HEAD! Okay, that's an entirely different post on another day, but we were all amazed at the energy she still had left to join our assembly party!

My body finally collapsed around 10pm. I was really excited about the next day but also worried that I would be even more sick when I woke up.

Jean, Renee, and Janece assembling the student folders together

Jean and Amanda assembling the gift bags

Gloria hard at work counting the rental items to make sure we had everything

Gloria and Nancy assembling the lounge furniture

There's me, resting on the daybed, while Nancy is being her funny self as always

Kevin Chin hard at work with the furniture assembly

I need to mention that I was asleep already and didn't take any photos when John Woods and his crew arrived at the hotel right before midnight. They worked through the night to install all the drapery and chandeliers.

To be continued...

The Wedding University Slideshow Recap

The Wedding University = Smashing Success

That was what someone wrote on my Facebook wall this morning.

I admit, I am still on a high from our event yesterday. It was amazing! Even though I was sick, the adrenaline kept me going the whole day. I was at the Four Seasons from 7am-9pm, and I almost didn't want to leave at the end of the night.

I will likely dedicate a whole week to blogging about this fabulous event, but I promised my daughter I would spend the day with her after being away from her for two whole days, so for now, here's a sneak preview from one of my very favorite bloggers--Stacie Tamaki of The Flirty Guide. She attended our event yesterday as a 'journalist', and was live blogging the entire time!

Join us this weekend!

We still have a few spots left for The Wedding University this Sunday, February 8th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto. It is going to be super fun, and educational. If you want to get good tips on planning your wedding, or to get inspired by new trends and designs, or enjoy an amazing menu by the Four Seasons, you MUST come!

We are loved by two of the most popular wedding blogs--Style Me Pretty and Ritzy Bee! How cool is that?

Counting Down!

We are less than one week away from the first Wedding University! The momentum is building, as all the professors finalize their fabulous presentations. I am off to a meeting at the Four Seasons now, to discuss the final MENU for all of our lucky students. We are going to WOW you on February 8th!

If you would like to test your luck, try posting a comment on Ritzy Bee's blog post about TWU and you may be the winner of two tickets! Good luck!