Angie & Brett : San Ysidro Ranch : Santa Barbara

Yes, that's right, one week I was in Costa Rica and the next week in Santa Barbara...I do think I could possibly be the luckiest gal alive and yes, I am not above bragging just a smidge :). A few weeks ago, I had the honor of being a part of Angie & Brett's wedding at one of my favorite places on earth, The San Ysidro Ranch. We started planning this wedding at the beginning of February and I think it is proof positive that with the right experience and resources, a beautiful affair doesn't have to take a year of planning. In six short weeks, I worked with this couple to customize even the smallest of details from the welcome drinks to the stationery to the sweetest of flowers (Holly Flora) and the most luxurious linens (La Tavola). Nothing was overlooked even with a short planning process.

Angie and Brett choose the wine cellar at the San Ysidro Ranch as their ceremony and reception location. We used the venue's old stone fireplace as the backdrop for the ceremony and draped it in some of Angie's favorite blooms from ranunculous to hydrangea. 23 guests were greeted with lavendar lemonade and lounged on rustic, antique benches prior to the ceremony while listening to the sounds of acoustic guitarist, Christopher Wooley. After one of the most personal ceremonies I have ever heard was performed, everyone enjoyed wine from the central coast and passed appetizers that included only the freshest meats and produce. While the couple took pictures around the breathtaking gardens of the venue, guests enjoyed conversation near the outdoor fireplace surrounded by hanging lanterns and beatiful oil lamps shipped straight from France. For dinner, Angie and Brett hand selected an organic menu with their guests in mind that included Pacific Crab Cakes, Classic Caesar Salad, Filet, Salmon and they finished with a homestyle Apple Tartine and cinnamon ice cream. The couple shared a few dances, but mostly kept the evening to great conversation with all of the favorite people in their lives. Just one of the many reasons I love small weddings...every guest knows how much it means to the couple to have them there. No one leaves unnoticed and everyone truly feels a part of the celebration. At the end of the night, each guest left with a jar of homemade jam which was handmade by the mother of the bride which we displayed in rustic flower boxes. I was even able to keep a jar for myself and it is delish! I've said it before and I'll say it again, the 2009 wedding season is off to a very, very good start and I'm so excited to share every single event in the works for this year.

These beautiful images were captured my Miss Meg Perotti, who is quickly making it to the top of my favorites list. Not only is her work amazing but her demeanor is so professional and laid back on the wedding day. Exactly what every bride needs on what can be an oh so stressful day. Oh, and I know it seems like I am posting a a lot of images, but believe me, there are more to share. As soon as I get the full set of images, I'll show you even more of my favorite details from the day!

Sean & Claire : Cala Luna : Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Okay, so if I'm being completely honest, about once every day, I think to myself how lucky I truly am to be a part of such an amazing moment in people's lives, but with Sean and Claire's wedding, that thought crossed my mind almost every five minutes during my amazing experience planning their Costa Rican nuptials. Now, don't get me wrong, like all destination weddings, this one had it's challenges, including an all around laid back culture, a wind storm that wiped out every cymbidium orchid in the country and tons and tons of paperwork to get the legalities in place for the marriage to be official, but I think if you ask Claire and Sean, the sacrifices were definitely worth the end experience. The event was not only beautiful, chic and romantic, but Sean and Claire gave their guests an experience none will ever forget.

Sean and Claire planned a four day affair including beachside massages for the ladies, a snorkel tour for all of the guests and dinner at the town's finest restaurant, but it was obviously the wedding that was the highlight of the week. They chose to marry on an ultra secluded beach in Tamarindo, which is on the Pacific side of the country, know for it's sun, surf and of course, pina coladas. With guests being greeted with Mojitos and bamboo fans, the couple exchanged vows just before sunset on a lazy Monday afternoon. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed champagne and passed appetizers oceanside right before heading to dinner at the couple's private villa at the very boutique, Cala Luna Hotel. Dinner consisted of a four course meal of local cuisine accompanied by Sangria Roja and Sangria Blanca, which the guests drank every sip of. Following dinner, the couple and their 19 guests danced the night away and just all around enjoyed the company of their closest friends and family. All in all, it was a major success and definitely will stay at the top of my list of blessings for 2009. What a way to start the wedding season!

Check out the images below from the wonderful Julie Comfort of Comfort Studios. Julie not only is beyond talented, but she could definitely make a few dollars on the side as the perfect tour guide, as she very often served as my eyes and ears throughout the planning process. Take note, if you are planning a destination wedding, make friends with at least one or two locals. They'll not only give you a heads up of any potential issues, but they can also show you where all of the good stuff is that the guidebooks may never mention.

Staying Warm at a Winter Wedding

Well, I definitely thought I had lost my window to blog about this topic, but given the oh so chilly weather we are still having in Southern California, I thought a few of you out there might still be looking for great ways to keep a cold weather wedding warm and charming. Enjoy...

CHRISTA & TRAVIS : HARTLEY BOTANICA : SOMIS, CALIFORNIA
The wonderful wedding of Christa and Travis took place in November at Hartley Botanica in Somis. Christa always imagined a November wedding in Southern California with a Southern twist. Now, I'm all for winter weddings, but when she wanted to be outside, I was of course a little nervous. Even in Southern California it can be a little chilly this time of year. So, to make the dream a reality we did a little praying for warm weather and got a little creative by adding a few festive details that would keep the guests warm all over no matter the weather. From a S'mores station with an outdoor fire pit to guests being greeted with pashminas and spiced apple cider, the comfort of the guests was a top priority in every detail, all the while carrying out Christa's vision. Take a peek...

By the way, this event was just featured on Southern Weddings. This is one of my favorite reads and such an honor! If you have the time, check it out:

Christa & Travis, Part 1
Christa & Travis, Part 2

Images shot by the talented Meg Perotti.

Piloxing & Bootcamp

So, as the story goes...busy wedding planner, chilly winter spent in bulky sweaters, and low motivation...the end result, an extra 10 lbs that typically would take me forever to get off. That is until, I discovered Viveca Jenson of V Pilates in Toluca Lake! Now, I hate to use my blog as a selling platform, but I cannot say enough about this woman. I have taken her bootcamp and been a regular at her Piloxing classes over the past three months (of course with the obligated break for the holidays) and I genuinely feel like I am in the best shape of my life. I've lost over 10 lbs. so far, but in addition, lost 4% body fat which I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure is a bigger deal than the weight. 10 lbs might not seem like much, but I really just feel like I'm changing my body. I'm tone in areas that I've never, ever had the slightest muscle tone and it's so wonderful! But, the biggest thing for me is, I am still motivated to go. I just love it! The class is a blast and kicks my butt and I guarantee if you talk to me in a couple of more months I will shed the last 10 lbs I am dying to get off. Who could ask for more? So, the point is this, for all my brides out there in the San Fernando Valley or even farther, trying to get in perfect bridal gown shape, check out Viveca's bootcamp which is held once a month or even some of her Piloxing classes. Click here for the schedule. Viveca and her team are extremely motivational, a lot of fun and work you very hard yet you still feel feminine and powerful all at the same time. This is who Hilary Duff uses to get in shape. Have you seen that girl lately? If not, take a peek at her latest magazine cover below. That should be enough to convince anyone!

For those ladies who are outside of the surrounding areas, I'm not going to lie, you're missing out. But don't worry...Viveca's new Piloxing DVD is out and you can order it here. This is a great at home alternative if you can't make it out for the real thing! Oh, and get the gloves too...They are just an 1.5 pounds that will help you achieve results that much quicker.

QUIZ: Is a Destination Wedding right for you?

I'm hot and heavy in the final preparations for a destination event in Costa Rica, which is going to be fabulous to say the least, and Claire, the bride I am working with, couldn't be a more perfect candidate for a destination wedding. Now, many, many of my clients consider and even dream of a destination event, but let me be the first to say that they certainly aren't for everyone! Cultural differences, language barriers and the inability to touch and feel every element of your day can get to even the calmest of brides. So, before, you book those tickets to Capetown or even Napa, take the following quiz to determine if traveling outside of your comfort zone is the right move for you.

1. Your best friend since the third grade just let you know she cannot attend your destination fete due to finances, you:
a. Tell her you understand, but secretly feel like your relationship will never be the same.
b. Totally get it. You wouldn’t be able to spend $1000+ for her either.
c. Foot the bill for her ticket and demand her attendance.

2. I want a destination wedding because:
a. Duh, it’s cheaper!
b. I want my guests to have an experience like no other wedding they’ve attended.
c. Who has the time to plan anything else?

3. The internet and you are:
a. like old friends who spend hours interacting every day.
b. acquaintances. You email occasionally, but are not completely web savvy.
c. What’s the internet?

4. You think a wedding planner is:
a. A luxury reserved for brides with much larger budgets than yours.
b. Pointless. Why would I hire someone else to do what I can do myself?
c. A necessity. How the heck am I supposed to go it alone thousands of miles away?

5. Your attitude towards your wedding style is:
a. everything must be perfect down to the exact shade of ribbon tied on my bouquet.
b. I have a vision, but since it’s in such a great destination, I know it will be beautiful no matter what.
c. What do you mean wedding style? I think my wedding planner is taking care of that for me.

6. You think you’ve found the perfect photographer for your day, but can’t meet him in person, you:
a. Blow your budget by scheduling a planning trip to your destination. You can’t do this without touching everything and meeting everyone involved in your day.
b. Send in your wedding planner to do the footwork. That’s what she’s there for anyway.
c. Risk it. He’s got a nice web site so he must be legit.

7. Your Aunt just called you for the 17th time to ask where the best restaurant in your destination is, you:
a. Send her the link to your wedding website where all the information is readily available.
b. Tell her she is on her own. How are you supposed to help with other people’s vacations when you have a wedding to plan?
c. Get her started by giving her the phone number of your wedding planner, hotel concierge or local travel agent so she can do the research herself.

8. How do you feel about the culture in your destination?
a. Love it! The traditions, people and foods are the inspiration for designing my day.
b. It’s a little tacky, but it’s fine, as long as it doesn’t show up on my big day.
c. I don’t know much about it.

9. You want to be married by a catholic priest, but just found out that this is not an option in your location, you:
a. Cancel the wedding. Religion is a non negotiable factor for your ceremony.
b. Marry anyway, but plan a small ceremony in your own church when you return home.
c. Don’t care too much. You were really only doing it for your mother anyway.

10. It’s the day after your wedding and you can’t get a minute of alone time with your new hubby, you:
a. Secretly check out of the hotel you have been staying at and head for more secluded accommodations.
b. Love it! You want to spend every last minute with your family and friends.
c. Let them all know how rude they are being. After all, this is your honeymoon too.

SCORING:
1. A. (1) B. (5) C. (3)
2. A. (1) B. (5) C. (5)
3. A. (5) B. (3) C. (1)
4. A. (1) B. (1) C. (5)
5. A. (3) B. (5) C. (3)
6. A. (3) B. (5) C. (1)
7. A. (5) B. (1) C. (3)
8. A. (5) B. (1) C. (3)
9. A. (1) B. (5) C. (3)
10. A. (5) B. (3) C. (1)

10 to 16: CONSIDER A HOMETOWN AFFAIR: Unless you have the time and budget to make multiple trips to your destination of choice, save the pain and stress planning a destination wedding will cause you. Choosing the exact shade of peony, the perfect material for the table linens or ensuring your favorite cousin is able to attend will be a whole lot easier to manage with a hometown affair.

17 to 32: DON’T GO TOO FAR: A weekend in Napa or the Palm Springs area might be the perfect getaway for someone like you who doesn’t want to relinquish complete control, but still wants a new experience for their guests. This will allow you to make a couple of road trips to your destination for planning without breaking the bank.

33 to 50: ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD: You’re all about the destination wedding experience and are open to the bumps in the roads that may come along with the journey. You know what you want, but at the same time know when to trust the experts. Consider Greece, South Africa, Bali or anywhere else in the world for your big day.

BEST ANSWERS:
1. B
Why: When choosing a destination wedding, you have to consider that many key people in your life may not be able to attend. The best attitude to approach a destination wedding is if it only ends up being the two of you, you will still have the wedding of your dreams. Now obviously, you will have some guests, maybe even a lot, but unless you have the budget to pay for your guests to attend, or you associate yourself with guests with a bit of money, do not expect lots of people to shell out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for your big day.

2. B or C
Why: Unless you are a no frills, no fuss type of gal or you are eloping, destination weddings are not always cheaper. While destination weddings tend to have fewer guests, there are more factors that contribute to the cost of the event. For example, you may want save-the-dates, welcome baskets and even to plan a day trip or extra events for your guests during the week. Also, expenses like shipping items to and from your destination or something usually simple like roses in your bouquet can add hundreds of dollars to your wedding budget. Now, if you’re a bride who doesn’t have a lot of time and can let go of the reins, destination weddings are perfect for you. Hire a wedding planner to spend a couple of hours on the phone with and she can take from there. Or, if you’re someone who wants to make the day very personal so your guests to have an out-of-this world time, destination weddings are also the way to go.

3. A
Why: If the internet is not currently part of your world, prepare for it to become your best friend during the wedding planning process. Because of time differences and the fact that you will not be able to see each detail in person, email will be your number one means of communicating with your wedding planner and other vendors as well as viewing pictures of flowers, linens, chairs, etc.

4. C
Why: When it comes to destination weddings, a wedding planner is a necessity. She will be your eyes and ears at your destination of choice and steer you in the right direction when it comes to choosing vendors as well as any other details for the day. While you do not need to relinquish complete control over to your planner, definitely find someone who is on your side during the planning process.

5. B
Why: When choosing a destination wedding, recognize that you may not have as much control over the design of your day as you might prefer. If you have a good wedding planner, she should be able to get you just about anything you want, but be prepared to pay big bucks if you are not willing to settle for what is readily available in the region of your choice. In an effort to save your sanity and a few dollars, go into the planning process with a bit of flexibility on the design of the event. Embrace the atmosphere of your destination and everything else will fall into place.

6. B
Why: Never hire a vendor without doing the proper research on him or her first, especially for a destination wedding. Unfortunately, a web site cannot tell you the whole story, but a wedding planner can do the necessary leg work to ensure you are hiring a reliable team for your day.

7. A or C
Why: Do not try to take on everything yourself with a destination wedding. Aside from the wedding, you are essentially inviting all of your guests on vacation with you too. To avoid a million phone calls, contact a travel agent immediately to provide information on flights, accommodations and activities. If you are able to compile this information upfront, you’ll be home free from time consuming phone calls and frustrated wedding guests.

8. A
Why: One of the best things about destination weddings is exposing your guests to new and unique cultures. To get the most out of your wedding celebration consider incorporating some traditions and foods from the destination, even if it is something as greeting each guest with a lei in Hawaii, or having a flamenco dancer during the welcome party when in Spain.

9. B
Why: Often with destination weddings you have to take what you can get when it comes to ministers or other members of the clergy. Just like in your hometown, often Priests, Pastors, etc. will not leave their congregation to perform wedding ceremonies. Unless you are willing to fly your officiant in with you for the ceremony, more often than not, you will need to settle for a non-denominational officiant for the day. Since religion often is a big factor in your day, determine whether this is a deal breaker for you and your fiancée.

10. A
Why: It goes without saying that you shouldn’t be rude to anyone who just traveled thousands of miles to be with you on your big day. On the other hand, you do need to spend some time alone with your new spouse. The best solution is to let guests know up front that after the organized activities are over, the two of you will be heading off for alone time. While most people will expect this anyway, this will prevent any potential hurt feelings or conflicts from arising.

On Site Coordinator VS. Wedding Planner

My good friend, Amber over at Amber Events posted an overview on the difference between on-site coordinators and wedding planners and I just had to share. Take a peek at the great outline put together by a venue in West Hollywood. I couldn't say it better myself, except I would add that even if you are sure you don't need more service then what the Venue Coordinator manages, many hotels and venues have high turnover. With this being said, it's important to keep in mind that you may have two or three different people you work with by the time your wedding day comes around. Most venues handle transition well and very professionally, but you should evaluate whether you are one of those people who can handle a potential change in a major player of your wedding team.

The Venue Event Director will

-Recommend Special event professionals that are familiar with and know the venue
-Act as menu consultant for all food and beverage selections
-Detail your banquet event order and wedding outlining all of your event specifics
-Create an "estimate of charges" outlining our financial commitments and deposit schedules
-Create a floor plan of your function space
-Arrange and attend your menu tasting
-Establish your guestroom block
-Oversee the ceremony and reception set ups
-Be the on-site liaison between your wedding coordinator and hotel operations staff
-Ensure a seamless transition to the hotel's banquet captain once the grand entrance has occurred

Your Hired Professional Wedding Coordinator Will:

-Assist with etiquette and protocol for invitations, family matters, ceremony and reception
-Create a "time line" for your wedding day, including the ceremony and reception
-Work with you to organize and coordinate your ceremony rehearsal.
-Remind Bridal party of all pertinent "call times" and "don't forgets" on the day of the wedding
-Confirm call times and details with all vendors several days prior to the wedding day
-Be the liaison with your family, bridal party, band/DJ, florist, photographer and other vendors to create a seamless operation
-Assist you with your gown and any additional needs of the bridal party
-Ensure the ladies have their corsages and bouquets, etc. and assist with the pinning of the mens' boutonnieres
-Set up programs, place cards, guest favors, guest book, champagne flutes, and all personal items
-line up and queue the bridal party and musicians at the time of the wedding ceremony
-Collect any personal items at the conclusion of the reception
-Assist you with "full service" or "day of" coordinating from your engagement to your honeymoon

John Derian Company

One of my amazing clients, just gave me the most lovely decoupage tray from the John Derian Company out of New York and I just had to share! These products are hand made by the artist and his team, but have the feel of a rare vintage find you would come across only after hours and hours of digging at a local flea market. I just love his work and if you have anyone from your mom to your maid of honor who treasure art that is inspired by the past, I think they would love anything from his collection as well. With items starting at $60, this would make a great gift of appreciation to anyone in your wedding party.