A full wedding weekend....

Marcie and Alfie's wedding weekend began with the rehearsal at Nestldown, on the Saturday morning before their Sunday wedding. Here, Marce and I survey the arrangement of the wedding party, before practicing the exit, entrance, and overview of the ceremony with everyone.

Everyone, including Marce and Alfie, seem pleased with the rehearsal, and are ready for the next event of the weekend!

After the rehearsal, Marce and Alfie had planned an afternoon of wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains for 100 of their out of town guests, many of whom had never been to California, much less experienced the fun of tasting wines, in the same location where the grapes are grown and pressed.
The vans pulled away from the hotels just an hour after the rehearsal for the wine tour which would stop at 3 Santa Cruz wineries, and then take all the guests to a rehearsal dinner at an Italian restaurant in Felton.




After a good night's sleep, Marce, Alfie and about 85 of the close family members were up early to begin preparation for the family tea ceremony and brunch, which would precede the afternoon wedding.

Hair and makeup service began at 7:30am in a room set aside at the hotel; during the day over 24 people rotated through the room for hair and/or makeup.

I had been working with the staff at the Hotel Los Gatos, and Dio Deka Restaurant for several weeks, to design a customized tea ceremony arrangement, to finalize details for the brunch after the Tea Ceremony, and to set aside a location for the hair and makeup services.

I was well supported by each of the staff at the Hotel Los Gatos, and know that the smoothness of Marce and Alfie's wedding day was enhanced by the service we received there.

Alfie and Marce serve tea to Marce's parents in the time honored way of showing respect and gratefulness to close family members by the couple who are beginning their married life together.

Marce and Alfie wore beautiful traditional Chinese outfits, as another way to show respect and appreciation for the culture and traditions of their beloved families. As Marce and Alfie are both "only children", thus the one wedding either family will be blessed to celebrate, there were many tears of happiness from all participants, including the bride and groom.

Following the tea ceremony, Alfie and Marce hosted the family and guests to a lovely brunch at the hotel; after eating brunch themselves, Marce and Alfie excused themselves to change out of their traditional Chinese clothing, for the drive to Nestldown, where Marce would put on her wedding gown, and meet Alfie for photos.

At this point I also headed out to Nestldown to check on the set up for the wedding day, my final step to coordinate in this full wedding weekend!

First the ceremony site, check!


Then the barn, in process, check!



The cake had been delivered and set up in the proper location, check!


For 10 months, in tandem with my "logistics" planning for this amazing wedding celebration, Gloria Tritasivit, a wedding designer and owner of Sash and Sugar, had been working with Marce and Alfie to incorporate Marce and Alfie's favorite pastimes...reading great books, and enjoying tea together..into the theme and ambiance of the wedding day. I had Gloria's layout with me, so as I walked the grounds at Nestldown, I began to see and enjoy all the fruit of her design development.

Outside, the guest sign-in table, which was a display of books, tea things, jewels, and antique boxes holding paper for the guests to write personal notes to the bride and groom, was guest ready...check!






Escort card boards, with personalized tea bags for each guest, denoting their table assignment (the tables, of course, were named after various kinds of tea), were set up on the way in into dinner. Check!




The 17 "queen" sized tables, being set up on the lawn, suggesting the elegance and beauty of a lovely tea party. Check!




And at this point, I became quite busy making sure that the guests were welcomed, directed to the ceremony site, and that the bride, groom, bridal party and family members were in place for the ceremony to begin, which I am pleased to say, started promptly as scheduled, at 3:30pm!

I will rely on the photographer for the further images of the wedding day, beyond the set up; but I know the wedding was a success because, as we moved through all aspects of the wedding day, Marce and Alfie kept remarking excitedly, that the day was like a dream come true!

So the preparation, planning, and care that went into creating the warmth and personalization of Marce and Alfie's wedding were all worth it; after a full and rich wedding celebration, spanning an entire weekend, hosting guests from around the world, Alfie and Marce left for their honeymoon, knowing they had created blessed memories, which would stay with their families and guest for years to come.

Many thanks to Marce and Alfie's amazing wedding team, which included:

Pre wedding:
Wine tour: www.thesantacruzexperience.com, Tea Ceremony/Brunch: www.diodeka.com, Hotel accommodations: www.hotellosgatos.com, www.tollhousehotel.com, Hair and makeup: www.wowpretty.com, Transportation: www.thesantacruzexperience.com, and www.lonestartransportation.com
Wedding:
Caterer: www.lepapillon.com, Flowers: www.wiggyflowers.com, Photography/Videography:www.xsightusa.com, Lighting/Draping: www.elle-music.com, Officiant: www.ministermaggie.com, Cake: www.edithmeyer.com, Design: Gloria Tritasavit, www.sashandsugar.com, Ceremony/cocktail music: An Elegant Touch of Strings, DJ: Rise Above Productions

Wedding Day on Canvas

When I began planning Laura and Mike's wedding, I was delighted to learn they were interested in having a "live artist" create a painting, on site, of their wedding day. I had been hoping to work with the artist Ken Lund (www.kenlund.com) since I had first seen his work, so I recommended him to Laura and Mike immediately.

Fortunately Laura and Mike had hired me 14 months before their August 2008 wedding date, so when I called Ken, he was still available!
Just last weekend the wedding day, and the painting of the wedding day, were ready to begin!



All paintings begin with the proverbial blank canvas.....

1:30pm, Fogarty deck

Here Ken is setting up his easel, his drop cloth, his paints, palette, brushes, and spatulas. It was a busy time, as the caterer, florist, musicians, DJ, and my 2 assistants and I zoomed around setting the stage for Laura and Mike's wedding celebration. Somehow it was comforting to me to see the artist calmly staying in one place, setting up his area of creativity, calmly, and in no rush...just waiting for the curtain to rise, and his painting to begin.

3:00pm, Fogarty deck

First he sketched in the outline of the Pavilion and the deck, the area Laura had chosen for him to focus the painting. While my assistants and I were going up and down the stairs, setting up for the ceremony, welcoming and seating guests, cuing the musicians, beginning the ceremony with the entrance of the family members, officiant, wedding party, the bride and her father, ending the ceremony, inviting guests to cocktails, and gathering the wedding party and family for photos.....Ken was quietly filling in the colors
and textures upon which he would add the guests and the evolving action of the day when they moved down for the cocktail hour.

4:30pm Fogarty deck, with bride and groom, see larger view below

During cocktails, dinner, and dancing, Ken was adding detail to the painting; as Laura walked by, to go in with Mike for their first dance, Ken asked if there was someone special she would like in the painting, and Laura suggested her mother; deftly, Ken added a few brush strokes, and now Dorothy, Laura's mother, will always be a part of Laura and Mike's painting. (In the completed canvas below, Dorothy is the elegantly tall woman in a long green dress, looking out at the view.)

7:30pm competed painting; note fog coming over the hills

This 30" x 40" canvas will be framed, and placed in a prominent location in Laura and Mike's home, a lasting reminder of a day never to be forgotten!


As the evening ended, and the guests left, the painting was taken by Ken, to dry thoroughly; it will be presented to Mike and Laura after their honeymoon. Those of us cleaning up at Fogarty enjoyed the beauty of the sunset, with the fog rolling in over the hills....the last detail of a beautiful day, and one which Ken was able to add as his final touch to the depiction of Laura and Mike's wedding day.

Beth, Beau and Berkeley

Beth and Beau had only lived in Berkeley a few months, when they decided to have their wedding here, rather than back in Virginia, where they had grown up. Beth had come out in September to begin her graduate studies in Architecture, at UC Berkeley; naturally she had a keen interest in the life and work of Julia Morgan, the first woman architect licensed in California, and a graduate of UC Berkeley.

Once Beth and Beau toured the Berkeley City Club (www.berkeleycityclub.com), designed by Julia Morgan in the late 1920's, they knew they had found the perfect place to celebrate their wedding, surrounded by the beauty and creativity of Beth's predecessor in the field of Architecture.


The front of the Berkeley City Club is lovely, but does not prepare visitors for the beauty and intricate design that awaits them inside.



Beth and Beau held their ceremony in one of the peaceful courtyards filled with lush greenery, refreshing fountains, and even a resident pheasant, who mysteriously found her way there, and is no hurry to leave...I noticed a tiny bowl of bird seed under one of the ferns, so I think she is a wise bird!








After the wedding, the guests were invited upstairs to the Members' Lounge, an exquisite room, with an ornately paneled ceiling, arches delineating room divisions, and bountiful light pouring in from elegantly shaped windows. I learned from my reading that these elements are found in many of Julia Morgan's creations, including Hearst Castle.

In the center of the room was the elegantly decorated, and candle-lit "King's Banquet Table", set for exactly the 32 family members and close friends who flew in to celebrate with Beth and Beau. Their guests were welcomed into the Members' Lounge by the live jazz music of Beth and Beau's favorite group, who play regularly a popular Berkeley night club.
At the far end of the room was the library, where we placed the 2 wedding cakes; it is a strong Southern tradition to have a bride's cake, and a groom's cake, with the groom's cake usually a spice or chocolate cake.


The florals for Beth and Beau's wedding provided another very personal touch; Beth collected each of the 35 vintage vases, pitchers, and carafes which held the flowers, during the infrequent breaks she had in her Graduate Studies. Almost all of the vessels, even the 2 cake stands, were found on EBay! I sensed it would be easy to get "hooked", as I helped Beth locate the cake stands one afternoon...who would have thought there were over 400 vintage cake plates available at that very moment? I can see how the low prices, the thrill of bidding, and winning, could become a bit addictive!


This small blue container went home with one of Beth's good friends, as did almost all of the containers, with various family members and friends; what a great way to remember a close friend's wedding...to lovingly use the vintage vase which was hand chosen by the bride!




Also, because Beth and Beau both come from families who garden, and love unusual flowers, the blooms chosen were anything but ordinary...for example, lady slipper orchids, seed pods of flowers most non gardeners would never recognize, and the beautiful passion flower, seen below, as a part of the entry way arrangement. Leighsa of Branch Out Flowers (www.branchoutflowers.com) worked closely with Beth and Beau, to provide the unusual combinations of flowers and greenery, which surprised and pleased the family of flower/garden enthusiasts.


Wendy Maclaurin Richardson (www.wmrphoto.com) did a wonderful job of capturing the details and the warmth of Beth and Beau's wedding; I am grateful to her for sharing these photos with me. I look forward to getting together with Beth and Beau when they return from their honeymoon to see all the photos, and to once again enjoy the laughter and hugs which were a big part of our months of planning.


Working with Beth and Beau, besides being a joy from start to finish, introduced me to the Berkeley City Club, a treasure of a venue which I plan to recommend often. I can also credit Beth with deepening my understanding of architecture, the heritage of Julia Morgan, AND the wonders of EBay!

"Welcome to California" Rehearsal dinner

In July I had the pleasure of planning 2 destination weddings, one with all the guests flying in from Texas, and the other with all the guests coming from the Washington, DC area. In both cases, it was the first time for many of the guests to visit Northern California, so the entire weekend became a chance to introduce new visitors to the amazing San Francisco Bay Area. The rehearsal dinner is the event that "kicks off" the weekend, so the location was of prime importance, as was the food and atmosphere.


Mary and Taylor welcomed their guests from Texas with a lavish dinner at Fogarty Winery, catered by Componere Fine Catering.






Appetizers were served on the deck, along with an informal tasting of the delicious Fogarty wines; when the guests were invited into the Hill House for dinner, they were entertained by a 4 piece jazz ensemble, from Beat Street Jam, and more of Componere's amazing food!










What could say 'California' more than a summer evening, sipping wine, surrounded by the very grape vines which produced the fruit for the wine! In July the grapes are young, but within 2 months, they will be full grown and ready for harvest. Mary and Taylor spent some time in the vineyards with Lisa Leigh, their photographer for the weekend, and the results will provide happy memories for years to come!

All photos of Mary and Taylor's Rehearsal dinner are by Lisa Leigh (www.lisaleigh.com)

In my next entry, I will tell you about Beth and Beau's "Welcome to California" wedding weekend, as they introduced family and friends to the City Life of Berkeley/San Francisco, their newly adopted home.
This Fall, Beth entered Architecture Graduate School at Berkeley, and Beau began his creative work with a thriving internet start-up company in downtown San Francisco.
The more they grew to love the Bay Area, the more they wanted to share it with their closest friends and family; I was able to help them craft a weekend of activities and celebrations, which left the guests planning their next trip back to visit Beth and Beau!