We're Featured: Julie and Jay's Wedding

I was thrilled to see that the newest issue of Today's Bride featured one of our weddings from 2007. It was the fabulous wedding of Julie and Jay, last October 27th, at the beautiful Thomas Fogarty Winery.

I remember Julie and Jay as one of the best couples that I've had the pleasure of working with. During the engagement, Julie lived in San Diego and Jay lived in Hong Kong, so they trusted me to coordinate all of their wedding plans here in the San Francisco Bay Area on their behalves. Julie flew out a few times throughout the planning to do the fun things, like tasting, makeup/hair trial, and mock table settings. They were both incredibly down to earth and easy going, and VERY much in love.

We planned an amazing destination wedding for this lovely couple, featuring a Fall theme of pumpkins, squashes, and a stunning color palette of oranges, reds, and golds. Nancy Liu Chin was one of the creative forces behind this wedding, and her talent was evident in all of the details.

Thomas John Events catered the wedding, and they presented a variety of interesting food stations featuring different cuisines from around the world. Guests were not confined to their seats, and enjoyed moving between all the wonderful spaces that Fogarty had to offer. Ofcourse, paired with the delicious food were a selection of Thomas Fogarty wines.

Gene Higa captured each moment with his distinctive eye behind the lenses, and Joel Cook documented each hug, toast, and dance with his video camera. Carl Mindling played the perfect music to heat up the dance floor as guests indulged in the cake by Cecile Gady paired with Jay's favorite ice cream flavors.

Thank you also to Peter Rudolfi for finding us a talented guitarist and violinist, Nellie Muganda for enhancing Julie's already glowing, beautiful features, Pure Luxury for safely transporting guests up and down the windy roads of Woodside, and Lisa Wong Jackson for her creation of the pretty paper goods.

I still keep in touch with Julie, and she is finishing up with her job in San Diego this year. After that, she will move to Hong Kong to settle down with Jay. How courageous to move to a foreign country like that!

A Beautiful Winery

Who says you have to travel to the Wine Country to get married at a beautiful winery? Thomas Fogarty Winery is a hidden gem in the peninsula. Located about 30 miles from San Francisco, it sits on a mountain top offering an astounding panoramic view of the valley. When you arrive, you immediately appreciate the tranquility of the property. It's lush greens and natural beauty is the perfect setting for wedding and special events.

I have had the good fortune of working at Fogarty on may wonderful weddings, one of which will be featured in the fall issue of Today's Bride. Yesterday though, I was able to experience the venue as a guest! What a special, special treat that was. Along with about 20 other Event Professionals, we sipped champagne on the Pavillion and enjoyed a delicious sit-down luncheon catered by the amazing Componere Fine Catering. Ethan, owner and chef of Componere, created a special menu just for us and each course was paired with a Thomas Fogarty wine. My favorite was the DESSERT-- chilled strawberry soup with roasted pineapple and vanilla bean gelato paired with 2003 Late Harvest Gewurtraminer. I have never tasted anything like that!!!! Everybody was on seventh heaven.

There's nothing as enjoyable as eating great food in good company, on a table dressed in beautiful linen and flowers by Amy Burke. Thank you to everybody who made this event such a special one!















Me! With saavy event coordinator Michelle and couture invitation designer Pavan















Ellie, the fabulous Event Coordinator at Fogarty, giving us a tour















Ethan and his extraordinary culinary team at Componere Fine Catering















Stacie, Duncan, and Pavan chatting away in the Pavilion






















Jean and Carrie with the wine that Fogarty gave us to take home

Special thanks to Ellie and Becky at Fogarty!!

Food, Wine, and Love

When I first met Paula earlier this year, one thing really stood out to me. She had an incredible spark of love in her eyes. It was apparent that she had found the true love of her life and she had the sweetest smile when she spoke of her fiance Harry.
We had just a little over 6 months to plan their wedding, and they selected one of the most charming venues in the Bay Area--Thomas Fogarty Winery. Food and wine were the priorities, as Paula was not only a food lover but also a great chef at home! I had the perfect caterer to match them up with, and it was indeed a match made in heaven. Paula and Harry fell in love with Ethan Mantle of Componere Fine Catering at the very first meeting/tasting. His impressive background in the culinary industry, along with his warm personality and exceptional food, really blew the couple away. They knew immediately that they wanted Ethan to cater their wedding. We had so much fun creating a customized menu together as Ethan worked hard to really understand Paula and Harry's tastes and preferences. Creating the menu and pairing it with the perfect wines from Fogarty were definitely the couple's favorite part of the wedding planning.

The wedding day took place on a hot summer day in July. Despite the heat, there was a nice breeze at all times since Fogarty is located high in the mountains. Guests gasped in awe upon arrival when they saw the magnificent panoramic view in front of them. Reverend Ed Holt performed a warm and touching ceremony that incorporated Harry's two sons and Paula's brother, acknowledging the coming together of two families. Following that, guests enjoyed delicious hors d'oeurves and a wine tasting experience with Patrick Meier's band playing smooth jazz music in the background. One of the highlights of the day was certainly the impressive four course dinner prepared by Componere, followed by a selection of creative desserts in the Hill House. It was definitely a beautiful day of great food, wine and company....just what Paula and Harry wanted!

Pictures were taken by the AWESOME Lisa Leigh, who can put even the most nervous, camera shy person at ease in front of her camera! Paula and her bridesmaids' makeup and hair were done by Armando of Get Your Do Up. All the flowers were the creative products of Mandy Scott Flowers, and the gorgeous (and tasty!) cake was the creation of Sonya Hong of Butterfly Cakes. All paper products (menu cards, escort cards, and programs) were designed and printed by the talented Lisa Wong Jackson of Good on Paper.