Networking is not work, it is FUN!

Tuesday I had the kind of work day many people would call play, because it was so much fun! As a wedding planner, part of my "job" is to visit some of the most beautiful spots in San Francisco, and to meet some of the most interesting and creative people in the industry. My day, shared with Bev Yip, Especially Yours Chair Covers, began at the historic Palace Hotel, in the heart of Downtown San Francisco.
Bev, who often works at the Palace Hotel providing chairs and chair covers, introduced me to Kate Taffel, who is Catering Sales Manager, specializing in weddings at the amazing Palace Hotel. I have worked at the Palace several times, but not in the last year and a half, since Kate took on her new role. I was excited to get to know Kate, and that came with another treat... lunch in the Garden Court; I can now personally recommend the Palace Hotel Signature Crab Salad! Thank you Kate!



Kate went over the wedding packet with me, so I can answer questions and share information with couples who contact me looking for an elegant, historic San Francisco venue for their wedding and/or reception.

Next, Bev and I walked over the the Four Seasons Hotel, to see the Wedding Specialists there, Emilie Rekart, Associate Director of Catering, and Serra Skadden, Catering Sales Manager. I had known Emilie in another hotel setting, but was looking forward to reconnecting with her now that she is at the Four Seasons; Serra was a new acquaintance for me, but she now is a new friend!

This is the modern, chic decor in the Four Seasons SF Restaurant; Bev and I were served tea in the cozy private lounge, just outside the Restaurant, which would be opening for dinner in a few hours. As I said, this is the kind of work you could easily mistake for an afternoon off in SF, relaxing with friends. But Bev and I were learning so much about the current wedding packages offered at the Four Seasons, which were described in the packet Emilie had prepared for us. Here again, I was learning how to provide helpful information for any couple looking for a modern, chic, upscale wedding venue in San Francisco; as I sipped my Earl Grey tea, with milk, I was working!


For our final visit of the day, Bev and I made a quick stop to see Solera Smith, Senior Catering Sales Manager at the brand new
Intercontinental, San Francisco. I had met Solera once when I attended an introductory tea/spa afternoon for wedding planners early in the Fall, but now Bev and I wanted to drop by to say Congratulations! Solera just announced her engagement, so Bev, who knows Solera very well, wanted to bring her a little gift to help celebrate the exciting occasion.


We spent some time visiting in the striking, ultra modern lobby, talking about weddings, both Solera's and the ones being scheduled for 2009at the hotel. Again, I learned tons about how this particular hotel venue might best serve couples coming to me for ideas on ultra modern, brand new downtown hotels. For this stop, we were offered lemonade and Italian sparkling water; what a hard job I have, right?!

After a full day with Bev, we parted company briefly, since I had left my car at her home in South San Francisco; we were both planning to attend the Open House/party being held at Classic Party Rental Company in Burlingame. This company is known by all SF/Bay Area/North Bay/Napa wedding vendors, so the turn out was huge! And what a party we had...again, more networking, seeing the amazingly creative table top/floral designs, meeting caterers and wine makers from all over California, and...can I say it again, Having Fun!!

I saw Bev soon after I arrived; no fair, she got to go home and change...oh well, my well-known bright apricot jacket was comfortable, and made me easy to find in the crowd!

The first part of the Open House featured table top/floral designs by dozens of talented Bay Area florists, incorporating rental items provided by Classic Party Rental.

Michael Daighan Designs worked with Royal Blue and Gold, with a touch of green...yummy and elegant.

Karen Baba, of PlanDecor, worked with a luxurious brocade and English China look; can you see the support for the circular centerpiece? It seemed to be floating, until you looked closely for the clear plexi glass support.

Neil of Hunt Littlefield, did his own magic with a bamboo and green lily frond ball, suspended atop an elegant dried Manzanita display; the greens and browns were carried out in the linens, bowls, plates and napkins...this would work well for an eco friendly wedding reception.

Now, once we moved through the showrooms full of amazing displays such as those above, the myriad of wine tasting stations, gourmet food presentations, we found our selves in the tent set up outside the warehouse...and this is where the Partee began! A DJ had music going, complete with a smoke machine (note the hazy look in the next group shots), a photo booth, a frozen brownie/ice cream bar, and an espresso cart. Once again, I found myself net-working with friends and colleagues, some of whom I have known for over 15 years, such as Susan Groves, In Full Bloom, who brought me into her business as a floral design assistant 15 years ago! Now that is something to toast, and toast we did!

Susan Groves and me, beside the bar!

Amy Burke, Amy Burke Design, Ellie Warner, Fogarty Winery, me, pointing out how much Mike, owner of Le Papillon reminds me of Indiana Jones, Mike Marakesh, and Jondel Goldsmith, owner of I Do Weddings.

my Burke, Tony White, Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, Elisheva Basseri, Janece Shelloe, Every Elegant Detail, Tisa Mantle, Componere Fine Catering,
Ellie Warner, and moi, the hard working wedding planner!

It was a long day, and I was tired as I drove home about 10 pm; but what a wonderful way to be tired...a full day of net-working, spending time with colleagues and friends. I like my job!

Style Me Pretty wrote about us!

Please take a look at the 2 blog entries from Style Me Pretty, as a follow up to the initial entry she had about the Wedding University:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/03/06/the-wedding-university/

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/03/06/the-wedding-university-part-ii/

Thank you Abby, and Viola Sutanto, for writing about the Wedding university! We look forward to including you in next year's event, which promises to be even better!

Wedding planning/design, a team effort!

I love working a part of a team, and when Dianna and Andy hired me, along with Gloria Tritasavit, to design and plan their July 4th wedding, I knew we were developing a wonderful team! Gloria would focus more on the design elements of the wedding, and I would handle the overarching framework for the wedding, including logistics, and advising Dianna and Andy as they hired the other needed vendors.
The contracts were signed in May, 2008, and since then Gloria and I have been enjoying working with Dianna and Andrew to fine tune and bring into reality the vision Dianna and Andy described to us. Their dreams for an elegant, chic, and yet comfortable wedding celebration is definitely coming into focus!
Yesterday we all met at the floral shop, Mints in Alameda, to view, and "play with", the mock up for Dianna and Andy's table setting.

When Andy, Dianna and I arrived at the florist shop, Gloria had a sample dinner table, set with all of the elements she and Dianna had been discussing and selecting during the last several months, but which Dianna had never seen "put together". It was amazing, and Dianna loved it!

But the reason to have such a "mock up" meeting is to look closely at each detail, and evaluate how well the total concept is supported by each one, and what might be "tweaked" a bit to improve the overall look. Here, Dianna is evaluating the tall candles, with the black and white design around them....something wasn't quite right..


The next part of the design to evaluate was the large grouping of flowers at the top of the arrangement; we all loved the combination of flowers, although Dianna and Gloria agree that we might want more of the muted pink shade, which closely replicates the pink in the elegant linen from Wildflower Linens.


Also, the size of the rounded arrangement on the top might need to be larger in circumference to better complement the size of the tables we will be using, which are 72 inches in diameter, instead of the 60 inch diameter table we were using for the mock up. Out came the measuring tape, so that Gloria and Dorothy, the owner of Mints, could estimate exactly how many more flowers it would take to enlarge the arrangement by about 2 inches all around.

This is the final design we established for Dianna and Andy's place settings; notice the tall candles now do not have the black and white detail, but instead we have added that same element to the votive candles

...it feels more open and lighter, don't you think? We do, and we are all looking forward to seeing how amazing the entire dining room at Casa Real will look filled with table decor very much like the finished product below.
And here we are, the Wedding Planning/Design Team, Andy and Dianna, engaged to be married in July, me the pink wedding planner in the back, and Gloria Wong Tritasavit, the Design mastermind in the front. We are a great team, and the fun has just begun!

One final shot before we left, this time with Andy and Dianna sitting at the proposed place settings for their guests, and including Dorothy Teng, Diana's florist, and owner of Mints; Dorothy and her sister worked long and hard on Saturday morning to put all these wonderful flowers together for our design "party".

Hard Hat Tour

I have a new neighbor! Rosewood Sand Hill is preparing to open their doors in April of this year in Menlo Park, within walking (well, hiking) distance of my home in Palo Alto! On Tuesday, Todd Outhouse, Catering Manager for Rosewood Sand Hill escorted my friend Jubilee Lau and I on a "hard hat tour" of the property, enjoying a preview of what will be completed in just a few weeks. I love having a before and after perspective, so I want to share photos from our tour with you, to whet your appetite for the unveiling of the finished hotel/resort/event space later in the Spring.

This will be the Madera Restaurant, with its state of the art open kitchen, huge welcoming fireplace, and hip, upscale bar area; floor to ceiling windows provide incredible views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the nearby rolling hills, which I have loved and explored for the 20+ years I have lived in this beautiful area.



Slate floors, massive wood paneled walls, and intriguing light fixtures will accentuate the bar area...Todd has promised that I can post another photo of this very room, later this Spring, with me sipping a glass of wine and watching the sunset behind the Santa Cruz Mountains!

Of course, no tour of a new venue would be complete without a wedding coordinator seeing the areas where a wedding could be celebrated! Rosewood Sand Hill has thought of every amenity and convenience for brides and grooms and their guests to have an elegant, relaxed and seamless wedding day.
The Vista Lawn (still in process!), which will be ideal for wedding ceremonies, is adjacent to the Rosewood Terrace, which opens directly into the Rosewood Foyer, and the Rosewood Ballroom, pictured below.

I love the color palette in this room, because it offers a warm, welcoming tone, but does not dictate which colors a bride could incorporate into her wedding design. It seems that I am not the only one to appreciate the wedding possibilities here, as Todd and his staff have already booked seven weddings for this year, and the doors have not officially opened!

This is the entrance which guests will use as they first arrive at Rosewood Sand Hill; they could not imagine what awaits them just beyond the front door!

The infinity pool, with private cabanas, and hot tub, adjoins the 17,000 square foot Spa, offering massage, saunas, hair and makeup design, manicure/pedicure salon, fitness center, and a broad range of other personalized services...what an oasis of relaxation for the Rosewood Sand Hill visitor!

Jubilee and Todd paused in the tour, to enjoy the view, fresh air, and quiet of what will soon become very popular destination for visitors from all over the world. I am so glad I can just drive a few short miles to enjoy all that Rosewood Sand Hill has to offer, not to mention that promised glass of wine with my friend Todd Outhouse!

Old San Francisco Charm

I was one of the first to arrive at the BAWN (Bay Area Wedding Network) event at the Marine' Memorial Club and Hotel in San Francisco this week, so I was able to see the Crystal Lounge and Crystal Ballroom as they were set for the arrival of guests.



Annie Siu designed the decor for the Crystal Lounge, using her floral designs, and Classic Party Rental's table top items, chiviari chairs, and lighting, including the butterfly gobo over the ceremony set up. I like the way Annie made a chair decor holder from a napkin which match the pattern on the Chiviari chair cushion.

I enjoyed visiting with friends in the Crystal Ballroom, which was my favorite venue of the 3 different event spaces available at the Marines' Memorial Club.

Beverly Yip, Especially Yours Chair Covers, Annie Siu, and I enjoyed staying close to the dessert bar, where Coco Delice and Krumbs Cakes offered lots of samples!

What I love about BAWN events is getting to see old friends, and to make new ones; these photos are perfect examples. Above are Liz Guthrie, San Jose Wedding Consultants, and Frank Goldstein, Joel Nelson Productions; I had been chatting with Frank , whom I have known for at least 6 years, and then Liz Guthrie introduced herself to me, with the reminder that her blog had featured the Wedding University, as part of our promotion to raise awareness prior to the event, held February 8th...we had never met, but I was so happy to get to thank her personally for her support, and to establish a new friendship!

In this grouping of friends, old and new, I was just getting to know Amy Tam, Amy's Weddings and Special Events, standing beside me, as we chatted with old and new friends, Julie Kiendra, of the Four Seasons, Silicon Valley, Adrienne Keats, Calligrapher, and Annie Siu, my new florist friend.

The Crystal Ballroom was the location for our final meeting as a group, after we had toured 4 floors of elegant, vintage and "new to me" event spaces; as you can see, the original chandeliers and shape of the room, accentuated by the lighting and warm-toned linens, created a warm, relaxed environment for the 150+ wedding professionals to encourage brainstorm, and encourage one another, as we head into a year of UEC (Unique Economic Challenges)!

Thank you to Gwen Helbush, Where to Start, and Marie Rios,
Creative Occasions, for the amazing gift you give to all of us by organizing and producing these networking events on a quarterly basis.

Friends and flowers!

Today I was able to drop by the Ralston Hall Wedding Fair to encourage several of my friends who were hosting booths there.

Diane Phillips, owner of DK Designs had her hand made clay flowers on display; her unique craft is becoming very popular...even Martha Stewart has brought Diane on her show to discuss the realistic floral designs she creates...designs that will not fade like live flowers, but remain colorful and fresh for years to come.


Shawn Cavlan, owner of Shawn Cavlan Beauty Company, was there, offering demonstrations of the fantastic hair and makeup sevices she and her staff provide for on site wedding preparations.
My dear friend, Susan Groves, owner of In Full Bloom Florals, who first brought me into the wedding industry as her floral assistant, had a table with samples of her unique designs and creativity.
Stacie Tamaki, owner of The Flirty Guide, was at Ralston Hall to help Diane with her booth, and to take in the Wedding Faire for a blog post, I am sure.
Having close friends who are also colleagues is one of the best parts of the wedding industry; we all want to support each other, and to see our businesses become the best they can be. Showing support today for friends involved in the Ralston Hall Wedding Faire, was a way for me to encourage them, and their businesses, as they seek to expand their contacts.

Wedding University, Student Review!

It has been so exciting to read the evaluations from the students who attended our Wedding University on February 8th, at the Four Seasons, Silicon Valley! One of the brides has written about us on her personal wedding blog, which I will quote from here:


"i didn't know what to expect really when i decided last minute to attend the "wedding university" on sunday. i had never been to a wedding event .. so i didn't have it anything to compare it to, but i imagined it to be some huge commercial for local vendors, lots of walking around, and lots of pushing and shoving by a bunch of bridezilla's. i was so wrong.

the event was held at four season's hotel in palo alto california (about 45 min. south of san francisco). the hotel was magical...beautiful, serene, and comfortable. we were greeted with a glass of champagne on a silver platter and were welcomed to try a freshly sliced cut of prime rib with truffle au jus, roasted brussel sprouts, and potatoes. there was an array of fresh beverages that were available throughout the day, including pelagrino, fiji water, soda's, and tea with honey or coffee.

we each were given a folder with an agenda..each bride's agenda varied to the color of her name tag, so we were split most of the day, which made for a relaxed atmosphere, as the groups were made up of about 20 girls. the mini-classes were great! not only did we learn about the vendors giving the presentations, but they were very informative...like how to choose a photographer or dj...the right questions to ask, what to look out for, and normal pricing and what to expect for each price point. i learned so much and wished there was an event like this one earlier in my planning that i could have attended. i hope to go over some of these tips within the next few weeks, but for now, enjoy some eye candy from the day..."




I will be posting more reports from my perspective on the success of The Wedding University, but I think it is good to begin with the perspective of one of our participants. Thank you Amy for deciding to join us, and for your personal endorsement!