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!

Texas Sweethearts!

In May I posted this photo of Mary and Taylor, when they were visiting to finalize decisions for their wedding......

May 12, 2008, Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay

...now I can show you the happy couple, at long last married, after dating for 8 years, beginning with their freshman year in high school!

July 12th, 2008, Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay

This weekend 55 family and friends, who have known Mary and Taylor for most of their lives, flew from Texas to California, to be a part of their wedding celebration at the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay.

I have had the privilege of planning this destination wedding for Mary and Taylor, over the last year, and finally getting to meet all the family and friends who have watched them "grow up", was more fun than I could have ever imagined! As you see below, the weather could not have been more perfect!




When the professional photos are done (check out "sneak preview" by clicking on the link below), I will post more details from this romantic weekend, which included an elegant rehearsal dinner at Fogarty Winery, with views overlooking the entire Bay Area.

But for now, I want to leave you with this sunset image of Mary and Taylor,
still the sweethearts they have always been.



News Flash! This just in from Lisa Leigh:
A slide show, created by Lisa in just 10 days, of Mary and Taylor's wedding; it will be presented this weekend, at the 350 person reception in Texas.
www.lisaleigh.com/slideshows/MaryTaylor

Nestldown! The season begins...

Bride and her father enter Nestldown "Chapel"; photo by Rhee Bevere (www.rheebevere.com),


In case you have not yet discovered the wonder of Nestldown, www.nestldown.com, please allow me to introduce you to this gem of a venue, tucked away in the hills above Los Gatos, California!



Recently Nestldown hosted an Open House, to introduce engaged couples to the magic of the venue, and to showcase the vendors who often work with couples getting married there. As one of the preferred coordinators for Nestldown, I was able to be a part of the Open House, meeting couples, and describing how all the levels of this exquisite property are incorporated into the flow of their wedding day.


It was especially easy for me to describe the flow of a wedding day at Nestldown, since just 3 days earlier, I had coordinated Paul and Nasim's wedding there---the first of my Nestldown weddings for 2008.


While Nasim was getting dressed in the Bride's Room up on the highest level of the Nestldown property, my staff and I were working down at the Barn where the reception would be held, setting up the escort cards in the moss trays supplied by Karen Baba (www.plandecor.com).



I was also involved in checking the table arrangements, and working out details with the catering staff; Nasim and Paul chose to dine inside the Barn, but many couples have their wedding dinner out on the lawn, beside the Koi Pond.


Below is the area where guests would come for cocktails after the ceremony. The table in the foreground was later set up for the Polaroid Guest book table, managed by two of Nasim's young cousins...it was a big hit!




Meanwhile, up at the Bride's Room, Kim Sayre was getting shots of Nasim, her dress, the hair and makeup preparations, and Nasim with her mother, helping her put on her wedding gown.


At exactly the right time, when all was set and ready for the reception, I went up to bring the lovely bride out to ride in the Nestldown taxi to the Redwood grove known as the Chapel, for the ceremony.



Nasim and Paul chose to enter the ceremony together, coming down the romantic Nestldown stairway to join their families and guests who were waiting to witness their vows, and celebrate their marriage commitment.

Here is another "meanwhile back at the barn" shot, showing the guest book table with cameras ready to go, and a member of the catering staff checking to be sure all was in readiness for the guests' arrival.


After the ceremony, while the guests were enjoying the cocktail hour, Paul and Nasim made time for some special shots with Kimberly throughout the Nestldown property, including one in the tree house...it was a challenge for Paul, who stands 6 feet and 8 inches tall, to maneuver into this child sized structure, but the pleased look on Nasim's face made it all worthwhile!


After dinner, there was lots of dancing, including the traditional Persian folk dances, which had everyone up on the floor! Kimberly caught the action, as the Barn was transformed into an orb of movement and smiles.


Working at Nestldown is a privilege and an honor for me; I treasure each occasion I have to work there, so participating in the Open House, and coordinating Paul and Nasim's wedding, both in one week, provided a wonderful beginning for my summer wedding season.

I encourage you to consider Nestldown if you are a couple looking for a location to be married....as you can see from the Fantasy Cottage, there is a feel of magic at Nestldown!