Friday Spotlight: Chris & Rachelle's Sophisticated San Francisco Affair

Chris & Rachelle ~ June 2, 2007

Reheasal Dinner Location: Sofitel, San Francisco Bay
Ceremony Location: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Palo Alto
Reception Location: Sofitel, San Francisco Bay

Color Choices: Light Blue & Silver

Wedding Dress Desiger: Pronovias
Bridesmaids Dress Desiger: Dessy Collection

Unique aspect of your wedding: Chris and I grew up in the Bay Area and were engaged in San Francisco, so we wanted to celebrate and highlight the unique aspects of the Bay Area throughout our wedding weekend. We did this in a variety of ways – from welcome baskets for out of town guests with Ghirardelli chocolates, to using San Francisco neighborhoods and landmarks for reception table names instead of numbers, to a cruise around the Bay for the groom and groomsmen, we tried to give our guest the complete San Francisco experience.

Smart move:
Since we had a lot of guests flying in from out of state, and some even from outside the U.S., Chris and I felt it was important to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for our guests to attend all of the wedding weekend festivities. Two aspects of our wedding that made this possible were our reception location and transportation arrangements.
· Transportation: We arranged for coach buses to transport guests to and from the Sofitel and St. Mark’s Church for the wedding ceremony and reception. This ensured everyone arrived to both events on time, relaxed and ready to have a great time.
· Reception Location & Guest Accommodations: Almost all of our guests (even those living in the area) decided to stay at the Sofitel the night of our wedding. This was wonderful because almost all 200 of our guests stayed until the band stopped playing, and we didn’t have to worry about anyone driving home after a night of celebrating. It gave us more time to enjoy with our guests the night of our wedding, and many of them also joined us for a farewell brunch in the hotel the next morning.

Advice for other brides:More than anything, your wedding is about celebrating your love & your new life together with family and friends. Your wedding day will be a blur of excitement, anticipation and activity, but make sure you take time to focus on the whole point of the celebration, each other!

Friday Spotlight: Stacey & Nathan's Red Rocks Romance!

Stacey & Nathan ~ June 21, 2008

Rehearsal Dinner Location: Lions Park - Golden, CO
Ceremony Location: Red Rocks Chapel
Reception Location: Fossil Trace Golf Course

Advice for other brides: Get all of the planning done ahead of time so you are not stressing at the last minute. Enjoy every second because the day flies by!

Color Choices: Black, white, pink
Bridesmaids Dress Designer: White House Black Market

Unique aspect of your wedding: gift bags for out of town guests -

Colorado wine, maps of Denver/Golden, tourist attraction pamphlets

Friday Spotlight: Julia & Jordan's Classic Lakeside Wedding!

Julia & Jordan ~ June 14, 2008

Ceremony & Reception Location: Bishop's Bay Country Club, Middleton, WI


Wedding Dress Designer: Monique Lhuillier
Color Choices: green and white
Bridesmaids Dress Designer: Ann Taylor

Unique aspect of your wedding: It rained!! It's the chance we took by having an outdoor wedding, but afterwards a rainbow came out and we got some great pictures.
Smart move: Buying tons of flip flops and setting them out in baskets under the tent during cocktail hour. They were a huge hit since the weather wasn't cooperating, and ladies in uncomfortable shoes were happy to have an alternative.

Advice for other brides: Consider taking your pictures before the ceremony. Our photographer captured the first moment we saw each other and I felt fresh and pretty since I'd just gotten my makeup done. After the ceremony we were able to enjoy our cocktail hour and visit with guests without having to worry about pictures. Plus, we got great photos in the sunshine before the rain started to fall!

Baby Face

Before I begin, I have to give 100% of the credit for this post to Megan, my college roommate, who called me days before my wedding with this brilliant idea!



So here is it... table numbers are a must for your reception and some couples like to incorporate names of cities they traveled to, or streets they have lived on to bring a personal element to their table decor. Well, this idea is the best in my opinion! Number your tables and then flank each number with a photo of yourself and your groom at the corresponding age. Guests will have a blast walking around to each table, checking out your first Halloween costume, or your groom as a one year old squeezing live toads in his diaper!


When setting up your pictures try to keep the display clean and constant. You can find hinged frames with three sections at a variety of locations (Hobby Lobby, Target, etc). If your pictures are different sizes or colors you can always scan and reprint them so they fit nicely in the frames. Also, make sure that your wedding planner knows to collect the frames at the conclusion of the reception!

Vintage Twist

So many decisions have to be made regarding your reception... seating, centerpieces, music, etc. So why not kill two birds with one stone? A clever idea is to mix your centerpiece arrangements & your wedding favors for your guests! The picture from Martha Stewart Weddings shows a beautiful mix of flowers in vintage tea tins. At the end of the evening guests can take a tin of flowers home with them! A few things to think about before choosing this for your wedding... 1) Are most of your guests local? 2) The tea tins are not made to hold water. You should place a glass container inside the tin to avoid any water leaking onto the table. An alternative option for this idea would be to cluster potted plants on the table, perfect for a spring wedding!

If you google "vintage tea tins" you will be able to find new and antique options for sale!

Shop Style ~ Beauty

Looking for a fun gift for a bride-to-be? Check out the Bride Kit by philosophy ($53)!

• The Bride Kit:• 1x Purity Made Simple - One Step Facial Cleanser 59.2ml/2oz• 1x Hope In a Jar Moisturizer 56.7g/2oz• 1x Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath 59.2ml/2oz• 1x Amazing Grace Perfumed Firming Body Emulsion 59.2ml/2oz• 1x Amazing Grace Perfumed Hand Cream 28.4g/1oz

Or if you need a little something for your bridesmaids try The Bridal Party set ($30).

Bridal Party: 6 oz Wedding Cake Ultra-Delicious Shower Gel, 6 oz Bubbly Ultra-Rich Shower Gel, and a 6 oz Bridal Bouquet Ultra-Feminine Shower Gel in a signature box.

http://www.sephora.com/

Ladies Who Brunch

To accept the invitation to be part of a couples wedding party has evolved into a very expensive commitment. Between purchasing dresses, shoes, jewelry, to spray tan, nail, and hair appointments… not to mention the days of keeping all of your friends and family in one town are over, so add a flight, hotel room, and maybe even a rental car! We are talking BIG bucks. As a way for a bride to show appreciation for her bridesmaids, (beyond the normal gift), the Friday morning ‘Bridesmaids Brunch’ has become a popular trend. This is where the bride’s family hosts all of these ladies (and the dates of the groomsmen) to brunch before the ceremonial mani/pedi appointments that normally take place on Friday afternoon. I suppose technically it is more of a breakfast… but if you call it a “Brunch” for some reason that seems to make it less taboo to finish off several pitchers of Mimosas!

If your wedding is taking place in the Denver area I would recommend the following Breakfast spots!

1. The Squeaky Bean www.thesqueakybean.net
2. Snooze www.snoozedenver.com
3. Mona’s www.monasrestaurant.com
4. Lucile’s Denver www.luciles.com
5. Organixx www.organixxrestaurant.com