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

Team F-A-B

One of the greatest delight of my job is getting to work with fabulous people. My passion is in matching my clients up with the best Event Professionals and I really appreciate my clients' trust in me to do that. I would definitely consider this one of my greatest strength as a Wedding Coordinator. To all the brides out there--it makes all the difference in the world when you have a strong team of Event Professionals working for you so don't be hesitant to pay a little more to hire experienced, ethical, fun, and all around FABULOUS vendors!

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of working with some of my all time favorite people. The wedding was at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Kelly Mcleskey is definitely one of the BEST Catering Managers that I have worked with. Her energy, attention to detail, and sense of humor is just superb! The quality of food, cake and service were all extraordinary and they even ordered the perfect weather for us that day!

Kevin Chin photographed the wedding and he is AMAZING. His sense of calm and unobtrusive style really helps people to feel very comfortable in front of his camera. Because he is a film photographer, you will not see him snapping away like crazy. Instead, he is extremely observant with everyone and everything in front of his camera and he waits for that PERFECT moment before he presses his shutter. Kevin may not shoot thousands of pictures on a wedding day, but of the few hundred that he shoots the clients will love the majority of all the photos because they truly capture the special moments. For those who have been to Kevin's studio/loft, you will agree with me that it is like being in an art gallery. Mariko, the bride on Saturday, commented to me that seeing Kevin's photos is like seeing an art piece. You really take the time to admire it, and it will never go out of style!

Nancy Liu Chin was the floral designer for this wedding and as always, she did a phenomenal job. For those who are unfamiliar with Nancy please read my previous post on her as she is one of the most sought after floral designer in the Bay Area and there are good reasons why! She created a beautiful spring look for this wedding with flowers like tulips, hydrangeas, and roses. She also used wheat grass to add to the modern flair of the square and rectangular tables draped in a satin periwinkle linen. The couple loved Nancy so much that they invited her to stay for dinner as a guest. She is so loved and adored by all her clients!

Carl Mindling was the DJ and he is just superb! I work with him for over half my weddings every year and all my clients love him. He has the perfect balance of professionalism and fun, which is so important for a DJ! He never makes cheesy remarks or act as if the wedding is about him. He is extremely articulate, and is really good about reading a crowd which always help him to play the right music at the right time. No matter what generation your guests are from, you can depend on Carl to get them to strut their moves on the dance floor!

Lighting is often forgotten but let me tell you....it is the final mark of perfection for your reception site! You've spent a good amount of money on all the decor from flowers to linens to the chiavari chairs. The lighting will tie everything together beautifully and truly transform the room to create a WOW factor. If you don't have the budget to do pinspotting on the tables, at least do uplighting around the perimeter of the room, a pinspotting on the wedding cake, and a gobo projection on the dance floor. When my clients walked into the room for the first time that day, they were in awe at how beautiful the room looked and they thanked me a million times for talking them into doing the lighting. It is worth every penny! Enhanced Lighting was the company that did the lighting for this wedding and they pretty much do the lighting for all my events! Megan and John Woods are the dynamic duo behind this company and they are just wonderful, wonderful people to work with. They can also do draping as well!

Nellie Muganda was the makeup/hair stylist for the bride, her mother, and her Matron of Honor. Nellie has her own line of makeup and she is so good at enhancing a person's feature. Instead of making them look like a totally different person, Nellie is careful to keep her clients looking natural and very much like themselves except with enhanced features. She also has a terrific personality and great sense of humor, which is important because she is the first vendor that a bride will see on her wedding day! Nellie is sought after by even the celebrities and was recently commissioned to do John Travolta's makeup!

Saturday's wedding was as close to perfect as you can get on a wedding day. My clients Mariko and Matt could not have been happier and I refused to take all the credit for it. I had a fabulous, fabulous team to work with!!

(The photos here were taken by me, and I cannot wait to see Kevin's photos!)

www.kevinchin.com
www.nancyliuchin.com
www.reachcarl.com
www.enhancedlighting.com
www.nejacosmetics.com
www.fairmont.com/sonoma