After my "StayCation", an update

As you see, there has been a slight gap since my last blog entry.  After a very busy 2012 wedding season, this wedding planner decided to have a
"StayCation/Sabbatical for 6 weeks!

 It has been wonderful to enjoy long days in my home town of Palo Alto, as if I was on a vacation in some far-away location such as Italy, which I might have preferred, but could not manage this year. :)

After many long walks, intense weeding/pruning sessions in my garden, date nights with Jeff, wine tasting at yummy local wineries a short drive from our home, lazy evenings of reconnecting with friends and neighbors, sleeping very late in the mornings (I call it partial hibernation) and local adventures with my children, I am easing back into the profession of Wedding Planner.

As I get back to my wedding world, I want to offer a big THANK YOU! to Tony White and Elka Goldstein who were my Loyal, Steadfast and Rock Star wedding team for 2012.

 Tony and Elka at Fogarty Winery, where we worked together on my last local wedding for 2012.

Thank you so much Tony and Elka for all your hard work and special care for our wonderful clients in 2012.  I look forward to working with you again in 2013!!!

Welcome Dinner for 100, Northstar

Sharon and Jason's Welcome Party at Northstar

It was an interesting AND challenging job to help Jason and Sharon plan their Fall 2012 wedding from Hong Kong, with only 2 visits to the US before the wedding day.  Via carefully scheduled Skype calls the 3 of us were able to make arrangements for 100 family and guests from 5 continents to gather for 3 days in the Lake Tahoe Area to celebrate with Jason and Sharon.  The fantastic events that spanned 3 days will be remembered with joy by all who attended.

Day one was the Welcome Barbecue just a short gondola ride from the Ritz-Carton on the mountain.

....just before the guests arrived on the gondola from Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe; the site was guest ready,  and the weather was perfect, and I was excited to see the events unfold.
 

The first 2 guests were the honored couple, Sharon and Jason...after 9 months of planning from Hong Kong, Sharon and Jason were finally here in California to celebrate their wedding with 100 close family and friends from 5 continents!  An enthusiastic "High Five" was very much in order!

The Overlook at Northstar provided a perfect location for Sharon and Jason's guests to relax after their long journeys, enjoy a barbecue, and reconnect or get to know the folks they would be spending 3 days with in the mountains.

The outdoor movie "theater" and s'more pit ready for the sun to set and the moon to rise.

This birthday cake (...it is all cake, made to order by Studio Cake) for Sharon and Jason's fathers, whose birthdays happened to be the same week as the wedding celebration.  We can see from the impish photo below how happy the bride and groom were to shock the unsuspecting FOB and FOG.

 

Yes, we lit the sparklers which Jason had strategically placed, and No, the fathers did not have heart attacks on the spot when the cake was presented...but neither one wanted to blow out the "candles". :) 

After the laughter about the birthday cake, some very eloquent and hilarious toasts to and of the groom and bride, it was time to enjoy toasting marshmallows by the fire, getting very sticky making messy s'mores, and discussing the plans for tomorrow's wedding celebration. 

The last gondola up to the Ritz-Carlton was at 10pm, so those whose jet lag allowed it, reconvened in the Living Room at Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe for warm drinks before heading off to bed.