A TuTu Party

My baby just turned 3! It was somewhat bittersweet for me as I planned her third birthday. At age 3, it just felt more 'official' that she was no longer a baby anymore, though I'll probably still see her as my baby the day she gets married!

This year, I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to plan her party, since I have been so busy planning The Academy for Planners + Designers. Luckily for me, being in the wedding industry means I have A LOT of great resources for all things party! I recalled reading from my good friend Nancy Liu Chin's blog, The Brown Bag, awhile back about a really cute ballet school for kids in San Francisco, called Tutu School. It happened to be owned by a mutual friend of ours, photographer extraordinaire Andrew Weeks. I've wanted to sign Bridgette up for ballet classes for the longest time so when it came time to plan Bridgette's birthday party, I naturally thought of the adorable Tutu School!

The kids had such a wonderful time! They started off with a craft project where they got to decorate their own crowns. Then, a professional ballerina taught them ballet moves, but ofcourse, it's very hard to teach 3 year olds to be graceful and elegant. The girls pranced around like princesses in the cutest little leotards and tutus, while the boys had sashes wrapped around them, like knights! After the dance lesson, they had a 'cupcake picnic' with lemonade, and finished the day off with storytelling, and a wand decorating project.

Happy Birthday to my little Bridgette!

Video of The Wedding University 2010

I am so proud to say that The Wedding University 2010 was a huge success! This year, Jean and I decided to step away from our teaching role, so that we can oversee the event in its entirety and sit in each of the classes. It was an amazing experience, and we were extremely proud as we listened to each of the professor teach passionately about the subjects they knew best.

I will post more about the event after I sort through all the fabulous photos but for now, I want to share an incredible video produced by Andrew Hsu of Studio MSV.

Andrew was a new addition to our Wedding University faculty this year, and he was definitely our 'rock star'. He arrived to the Four Seasons on Saturday afternoon, to film some of the 'behind the scenes' of our setup process. On Sunday, he continued filming throughout the day at The Wedding University, while working diligently on a 'same-day edit' in between his filming.

We saved Andrew's class for the very end, and many students commented on their evaluations that we 'saved the best for last'. He started his class off by showing this phenomenal, powerful same-day edit and everyone was both wow'd and touched at the same time. When he showed his latest demo, it touched so many brides, and they scrambled around looking for tissue to wipe away their tears. Then, Andrew shared with us the top 10 questions to ask an 'Event Filmmaker', and provided information and tips that were super useful. We all wish he had more time to teach!!

The Wedding University SDE from andrew msv on Vimeo.

A Wedding at The Palace

When I reflect back on Alyson and Nick's wedding, what stood out to me the most was Alyson's smile. She had one of those super contagious smile that everybody loves. I still remember the morning of her wedding, inside one of the elegant suites at the Palace Hotel. Alyson was so giddy and excited! She kept looking at the sparkly ring on her finger and saying, 'I'm getting married today!'

When people ask me what I love about my job, that is exactly what I love most about it! I love seeing how happy and excited my couples are as they experience one of the most emotional and beautiful days of their lives. It makes me feel so refreshed and inspired!

Alyson and Nick got married at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco. After a traditional Greek ceremony, they hopped into a vintage rolls royce with their awesome photographers Robin and Maria of Verite and drove around the city for some fun photos. Their first stop? Kinko's! Why? That was where they first met....Alyson had asked the stranger next to her for help with her copier. It was love at first sight for Nick, and luckily he had a great memory. As he helped this pretty stranger with her copier, he took notice of her email address on the resume that she was trying to make copies of. A week later, he emailed her and asked her out. The rest is history!







Their reception was held at one of the most beautiful hotels in the city--The Palace Hotel. Inside this historical landmark is the stunning Garden Court, with surrounding stained glass and gorgeous chandeliers. Crispy of Natalini Flowers created these stunning 6 ft tall trees on each table, with orange dahlias and hawthorne. Before guests feasted on a 4 course meal by the Palace Hotel, they were surprised with a performance by a group of filipino dancers as a tribute to Alyson's filipino heritage.






Ofcourse, what's a great party without a phenomenal band? After dinner, the guests danced the night away with Tainted Love, one of the best bands in the Bay Area!



All photos by Verite
Chiavari Chairs by Especially Yours