favorite moments: a stranger’s advice
Generally, I find myself mostly working with the bride…sometimes the groom has an interest in certain areas, but I can usually bet that when I’m talking about the linen choices, or the decor for the guest book table, etc…I need not bother the groom. So it was that I had gotten through a large portion of the planning process with one couple, never having sent an email to the groom. And so it was that my first opportunity to do so was on that oh-so-important decision of hiring the photographer (other than me, this is the person they will see the most on their special day…they had better really like them…). So, I wrote the email to the bride, and copied the groom (or so I thought). Mere moments later, I receive a reply-all: “I am not [groom's name]. Hope you have a lovely wedding. PS. Splurge on the photos, it’s well worth it 
“.
I agree wholeheartedly.
real wedding: verlin and ashley
Fun, fun, and more fun. We had a blast with Verlin and Ashley from the moment they walked in the door. Ash’s vibrant personality instantly puts a smile on your face, and the combination of Verlin’s strength and his love for his bride is enough to melt your heart on the spot.
They said “I do” in a picturesque ceremony at the San Diego Museum of Art, followed by dinner and dancing at The University Club. The incredible city skyline views were only enhanced by the and gorgeous floral design provided by Adorations Botanical Artistry.
Add in a cupcake tower from Sweet Cheeks and a dance party kept rockin’ by Chad at Injoy Entertainment…what more do you need?
All photos by Jewel b. Photography
Here’s to a lifetime of love and lots of laughter! Congrats Ash and Verlin!
all in the family
Three years ago, I had the privilege of helping my dear friend plan her wedding while her betrothed was deployed. It only concerned me a little bit that the groom wouldn’t be home until just two weeks before the wedding…and that we wouldn’t have a definite list of groomsmen until a week before the wedding, due to the fact that many of them had a hard time getting leave…including the best man, his brother. Fortunately, it all worked out, and family and friends were there to celebrate these two on a perfect August evening.
Photo by Callie Murray, Achor and Eden
Little did I know that just a few years down the road, I would get to plan another wedding in the family…this time for the brother. In two short weeks, I get to be behind the scenes as the family gathers again, this time to celebrate Nate and Lisa.
Photo by Kate Bauer, He and She Photo - Associates
What a joy to take part in both weddings! We’ll be sure to write again about Nate and Lisa’s special day after they say “I do”, but in the meantime, check out their engagement session with He and She Photo Associates Luke and Kate Bauer.
i saw that going differently in my mind: a sand ceremony
Photo by Kevin Schmidt www.flickr.com/photos/kevincharles
The sand ceremony: two different colors of sand are poured by the bride and groom into a single container. It’s a beautiful symbol of two lives coming together to create something more intricate and wonderful than if they had stayed apart…and once they are joined, there is no going back and trying to separate them. (No really…you do not want to try and separate two colors of mixed sand from one container…)
I’ve seen the sand ceremony many times, and have always appreciated it. And, as a coordinator, I am often the one who sets it up prior to the ceremony: the empty container goes in the middle, the container with the bride’s sand goes on the left, and the container with the groom’s sand goes on the right. Easy enough.
So when I went to set up one particular sand ceremony one day, and found a rock in the same bag with the sand and containers, it seemed a bit curious to me. ”Gabrielle, do you know if this is supposed to be here? [The bride] didn’t happen to mention anything about a rock to me.” ”Nope, it probably just fell into the bag from something else.” Good enough for me. I set up the sand, and put the bag with the rock away.
Fast forward. The ceremony has started. The parents have been seated. The landing of a large staircase is serving as the altar, and so the pastor and the groom are set to come down the stairs from around a bend, with the bride and the rest of the wedding party entering from behind, and going up the stairs. Quite beautiful, actually. But the cue for the pastor and the groom to descend comes…and goes…
…and the music plays…and the photographer who is staged up the stairs to get an overhead shot looks down at me, and I look at her and motion toward the groom…and she goes over to him…and the music plays…and all of the guests are just sitting there…and Gabrielle is waiting outside for my cue to send the bridal party down the aisle…and the music plays…
…and so, it just had to be done. I walk up the aisle in between the guests, up the stairs in front of the guests, and around the bend where the pastor and groom are waiting. ”Is something wrong?” I ask. The pastor replies, “there was supposed to be a rock on the sand ceremony table.” Oh dear. ”Is that absolutely necessary for us to begin?” “Well…yes…I mean, it’s symbolic, and I talk about it during the ceremony, and so…can you…do you know where to find a rock?” Yes, I know exactly where to find a rock. Could you not have mentioned this before the ceremony started? “Sure. I’ll take care of it.” So I walk down the stairs in front of the guests, and down to the room where all of our extra stuff was stored, and I retrieve the rock, and I walk back up the stairs in front of all the guests, and I place the rock on the table, and I motion to the pastor that we’re all set, and I walk back down the stairs in front of all the guests, and I walk back down the aisle in between the guests…and the music plays…
And then they came down the stairs, and the ceremony proceeded, and the bride made a beautiful and grand entrance, and I’m sure that by that point, no one really cared about the woman who kept going up and down the stairs.
But I kinda saw that going differently in my mind…
holiday dinner party redefined
When 3Ones, Inc. came to us for their company holiday party, the last thing they had on their mind was Santa Clause, candy canes, and jingle bells. Leave your ugly Christmas sweaters at home for this one, folks.
Instead, imagine a private dining experience in an upscale modern kitchen showroom downtown, with sleek and contemporary decor and a gourmet four course feast.
The beautiful Bulthaup showroom provided the perfect setting for the occasion.
Mono-thematic design elements consisting of cinnamon, chestnuts, and pine cones gave a subtle nod to the season.
Due to the nature of the venue, we were able to provide an interactive experience for the guests: their dinner was prepared in the main show kitchen adjoining the banquet table. As they enjoyed beverages from the bar and savory hors d’oeuvres, they could also observe our resident culinary expert, Gabrielle, in her element (perhaps with the help of a willing…if not quite as talented…sous chef).
It was a beautiful and celebratory evening, complete with good food, good drink, and great conversation.
Special thanks to:
Stephanie Abbott, Bulthaup: Venue
Concepts Event Design: Linens
Adorations Botanical Artistry: Glassware Rentals
Kate Bauer, He and She Photo: Photography
a wedding! or…not… a NotWedding!
So, as a bride-to-be, you get all these invitations to various wedding shows and showcases where you can meet vendors, perhaps snack on an appetizer or two, and enjoy a glass of champagne. But do you ever leave thinking, “Well, that DJ sure was nice, but I wonder what he’d be like at a real wedding…”? Or perhaps, “That stuffed mushroom was quite tasty, but I wonder what their food is like when it’s a whole dinner prepared for a wedding reception of 150 people…”?
If you’ve got a wedding planner (ahem…hint, hint), she can steer you in the right direction, but sometimes you wish you could just be a fly on a wall at a wedding these vendors actually put on…just to see how it really, really, is…
Enter The NotWedding.
The brainchild of my dear friend Callie Murray over at Achor and Eden Photography, this is a wedding show like none you’ve ever seen. It’s a real wedding. There’s a real ceremony. With a real couple (okay, so they’re already married, and they’re just acting, but still…). And a real reception with a real sit-down dinner and dancing. And you’re invited. I’m telling you, this is as close as it gets to seeing vendors in action without being a wedding crasher (and as fun as it might seem to be a wedding crasher, it won’t be so fun when I catch you…).
Until this year, you’d have to make your way to Atlanta to attend this beautiful affair…but fear not! Callie and her amazing team are bringing The NotWedding to San Diego! So check out the website. Watch the video. Buy your tickets. This is one wedding you will NOT want to miss! (See what I did there?)
And be sure to come find Gabrielle and me…we’ll probably be cuttin’ a rug on the dance floor…
