To get the party started off right, pre-poured glasses of wine were available as guests entered cocktail hour. This is a fantastic idea because the bartenders are always inundated at the very start of cocktail hour. Having glasses of pre-poured beverages either displayed or tray passed allows for a smoother transition from the ceremony.

Heavy candlelight paired with chocolate brown and sky blue linens made for a very warm reception. Ashley and Johnathan are truly loved. Thanks for letting us share in your day!

Team: Personal Touch Dining, MyDJs, Grove Pastry Shop, Posies Flowers, Pastors Ken and Pam Ingold from The Church at Rancho Bernardo,
Sean Loring Schofield for Amore Photography, Classic Film Works

Their intimate day time ceremony was at Cuvier Park (The Wedding Bowl) on the cliffs in La Jolla.  Rachel and Steve married under a bamboo arch adorned with white roses and ivy.

Because of their small guest count, Rachel and Steve were able to keep the reception very relaxed and comfortable in their private residence. TK&A created a delicious menu and provided excellent service, as always. We played soft music in the background on the speakers throughout the house and backyard.

When the kids entered the backyard their eyes got as big as saucers and their jaws dropped at the spread at the candy buffet. Guests of all ages helped themselves to the sweets and the whimsical cake from Twiggs turned heads.

Rachel did a great job of playing up the red and pink Valentine’s theme, yet kept the decor fairly simple and tasteful.

Congrats Rachel and Steve! I so loved being a part of your day!

Tip: Using a private residence can create an intimate space for your reception, but the prep work can bring some added stress. Make sure you have your carpet steam cleaned, consider using nice paper hand towels in the bathrooms so that your guests to do not have to use a wet cloth hand towel, have some where to hang coats – consider renting a wardrobe rack, make use of existing furniture, bring in stemware and china and hire wait staff.

Their ceremony and reception were held at Admiral Kidd Club on the Naval Fleet Anti-submarine Warfare Base. Since winter daylight was not in their favor, Giuliana and Rick chose to do a ‘first look’ at Balboa Park with their wedding party before the ceremony. Richard Santini of RHS Photo was easy going and efficient and got some great shots of the group.

Giuliana and her parents walked down the aisle just as the sun was setting, with the gorgeous San Diego skyline in the background.

They chose black and red for their primary wedding colors and incorporated snowflakes for a subtle winter accent. Nancy Stevens Wedding Flowers created the beautiful centerpieces with red orchids, manzanita bushes, hanging candles and crystals.

Giuliana and Rick incorporated their story into the wedding day by creating a photo timeline. They included photos of them as young children, photos together from high school (so sweet) and from present day. Guests really enjoyed seeing the photos and remembering old times!

It was a wonderful evening! Thanks for letting us be a part of your day.

In addition to having an engagement photo book for guests to sign, Sabrina created time capsules for their first, fifth, tenth and twentieth anniversaries. Guests were asked to make predictions about the bride and groom’s future such as when they will have their first child, how many children they will have, where they might be living and how they spend their ‘free’ time. It was a great idea that created memories for years to come.

Shane chose one of the coolest cake toppers I have ever seen…a LEGO bride and groom!

I had an opportunity to work with two amazing new-to-me vendors for Sabrina and Shane’s wedding: Megan from Megan Ann Photography and the guys of FortyOneTwenty. They were professional and a lot of fun to work with. Check out their websites for photos and video of Sabrina and Shane’s wedding!

Vance returned from deployment just a week before their wedding and couldn’t have been more happy to marry the love of his life!

Irene and Alan’s home pastor officiated their ceremony and close friends and family participated in readings and lead a worship song, making it very special and meaningful.

A friend added photos from the ceremony to the end of the slide show as a surprise for Irene and Alan. It was so fun to see the quick turnaround, especially since the ceremony area had been transformed for the dinner reception! Guests had a great time using the photo booth and incorporating the many props that Irene and Alan provided.

Jennifer and Duane’s ceremony took place in the absolutely beautiful St. Gregory the Great Catholic Parish in Scripps Ranch. Guests then traveled to Rancho Bernardo Inn for the cocktail hour and dinner reception. RB Inn staff at both the reception, as well as on the property itself, were some of the most genuine and friendly I have ever worked with.

As the evening progressed and the night grew dark, extra heavy candlelight and just a touch of glitter on the centerpieces really made the room seem magical!

The ceremony music was some of the very best and most unique I have ever experienced for a wedding. Noah Needleman played John Mayer’s Heart of Life and Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, among others as guests were seated and for the ceremony processional. He also played up on the terrace during cocktail hour.

To keep the party going after the reception ended, Lisa and Tim hired OC Cruiser’s Woody style mini-bus to take themselves and their guests to a local wine bar and then back to their hotel. What a fun and relaxing way to spend the rest of the evening with their closest friends and family!

My favorite thing about Marina Village is that you can essentially take a blank canvas and, with the right vision, transform the room into whatever you’d like it to be. Anjeanette did just that! The Sunset room overlooking the marina was truly transformed into a fairytale with the use of black linens and chair covers with Victorian lilac sashes, ivory tulle with lights and a lot of candlelight.

Anjeanette took special care to incorporate some of Jimmy’s favorite things into the day by naming the tables with types of fish and ordering a surprise ‘Great Catch’ groom’s cake. They also treated their guests to a candy buffet complete with Swedish Fish.

Maddy and Geoff were married at the gorgeous Estancia La Jolla. What a wonderful place! The grounds are exceptionally manicured, the food is fantastic, the rooms are comfortable and the staff is dedicated to customer service. The event staff helped facilitate a last minute ceremony location change faster than I have ever seen before.

Maddy and Geoff, as well as their families, were truly a pleasure to work with. Utilizing our full planning and coordination services, Maddy had an all-star vendor team made up of Andy of Disc Go Round, Adina of Simply Adina Floral, Paul of Photography by Paul, Pastor Richard Huls and Caprice Strings.

Maddy and Geoff performed a ceremonial pie cutting with a Julian dutch apple pie, while their guests were served delicious apple tartlets with vanilla ice cream from Estancia.

The party really got started went we busted out glow necklaces and braceletes, as well as LED glasses! Everyone had a great time!

Special thanks to Paul for sharing his beautiful photos!