I'm a little behind on my blog posts, but I do have some great things in the queue, so I hope you will follow my blog or check back often!
I feel blessed that wining and dining is a part of my job. Even before becoming a Wedding Coordinator though, I have always loved trying out new restaurants. It's just that now, I have a better excuse to do so without feeling too guilty. 'It's a part of my job' just sounds better!
Recently I tried out two new restaurants that are worth blogging about and I'm really excited to share it with my readers...
1. Anchor and Hope--tucked inside an alley way in downtown San Francisco, this warehouse looking restaurant is an amazing seafood shack. The ambiance is suited for both formal and informal, so you may see someone dining with a suit on and you may see lots of jeans around. The ambiance and decor? Think nautical, brick, chalkboards, plywood floors. Awesome vibe. My favorite appetizer was the warm sea urchin in the shell, dungeness crab, with lemon beurre blanc. The steamed clam paella is excellent, and if you like good ole 'fish & chip', they offer a fabulous battered cod with rosemary and thyme potato wedges. Don't leave without at least a bite of their lemon meringue pie! The strawberry coffee cake sounded appealing, but it was too sweet even for my palette.
2. Pampas--one of the newest restaurant in the Palo Alto scene, right off of the bustling University Avenue. I had heard it was the place to go to for authentic Brazilian churrasco (aka Brazilian Steakhouse). Unfortunately I was there for a rather late lunch, so I did not get to experience that but what was available on the menu was still yum-o! The layout of the restaurant is very unique, with three different levels. My favorite was the the lowest level which felt like a hidden basement--perfect for a private party, like a rehearsal dinner! The entire restaurant is quite airy and pretty, with a long bar surrounded by furniture vignettes that's so perfect for the happy hour crowd.
I am so excited to feature my very first guest blogger today! Her name is Julie, and she is a really creative bride that I am working with this year. We are having a lot of fun planning her wedding, and it's going to be SO special.
I was incredibly impressed when Julie first confided in me on a 'secret project' that she had been working on. She had 12 special girls in her life that she wanted to invite to be her bridesmaids. However, she didn't want to just pick up the phone or send an email to ask them. Instead, she wanted to do something totally different and unique, so that she can express to them how special they are! Here is Julie....
"The day after I got engaged, I immediately thought about how I would ask my bridesmaids. I just jumped at the opportunity to do something unexpected and creative for my close friends. One of my favorite artists I've met in San Francisco, Lea, sets up the Worlds Smallest Postal Service where she writes a teeny tiny letter and mails it with a magnifying glass. Now, I've been a letter writer for years, so this was perfect. Last year, Nathan, my fiance, knew of my amazement at her teeny tiny letters and sent me a hilarious poem on one. Naturally I had to send teeny tiny letters to my bridesmaids, but with a fun spin. Over a couple of weeks, Lea and I worked together and came up with the idea to get vintage buttons and create a mini book. The button book fit perfectly into a square magnifying box that is needed to read the writing inside. We topped it off by wrapping it in sewing paper, her beautiful poetry ribbon, and a chartreuse box! I liked the fact that this button book would be such a discovery process with each step of curiosity."
Thanks so much for sharing this with us Julie! If I received something like this, I would feel pretty darn special! I hope this encourages more brides to be creative in their wedding planning journey.
Lea is also a creative consultant and loves helping clients come up with unique ideas for their wedding! Check out her awesome website here.
To read the response of one of Julie's bridesmaids upon receiving this package, click here! Love it!!!
Many people have asked me what was shortest lead time I've had to plan a wedding. As of early March this year, my answer was 2 months. That was my swanky pink and black soiree at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. Well, just a few weeks ago, I was approached with one of the biggest challenges of my career as a wedding planner.....
Friday, March 20th, 2009. It was one of those super busy days at the office for me when my phone rang. I was in the middle of a really important project for one of my clients so I didn't pick up. A few minutes later, it rang again. Determined to stay focus, I let it go directly to voice mail once again only to then hear my cell phone ringing immediately after.
Okay, I thought to myself, this person obviously needs to reach me right away as I leave my cell phone number on my voice mail greeting for emergencies. I answered in my usual cheery phone manner.
A really sweet voice was on the other end. 'Hi, my name is Maria. My fiance and I are trying to plan a wedding and I would really like to know more about your services.'
I ask the first question that I always ask. 'Have you set a date yet?'
'Yes,' Maria answered. 'April 3rd'.
I quickly pulled out my Outlook Calendar and scrolled down to April 3, 2010. 'Great!' I responded, 'Saturday, April 3rd. I'm still available!'
I sensed a slight pause on the other end.
'Um...no, I meant Friday, April 3rd 2009.'
I raised my eyebrows, but ofcourse Maria didn't see that! 'Oh!' I replied. 'That's coming right up in 2 weeks! Can you tell me more about your wedding plans? Where will it be?'
I sensed another slight pause from Maria. 'Well, we don't have a venue yet. We actually don't even live in the area. We're in Mexico City.'
Now I was really raising my eyebrows and trying to understand what exactly was happening in this conversation. Could it really be that this sweet bride-to-be from Mexico City was asking me to plan an entire wedding for her in TWO weeks?
I asked the question that anyone would ask ofcourse. 'May I ask why the hurry to try to plan this wedding?' I wasn't trying to pry into her personal life but as a planner it's important to know these kind of things. Maria explained that she and her fiance were childhood friends and their families have known each other for over 50 years. They are already like a family, so there is no point to have a long engagement. They had plans to be in San Francisco the first week of April with their families, so they want to get married while they are there!
Next important question. 'Do you have a wedding dress yet?'
'No'
'How many guests are you anticipating?'
'About 70'
Our conversation continued for the next hour as I tried to gather as much information from Maria as possible. Finally, I assessed her needs as an out of town couple trying to plan a destination wedding in downtown San Francisco for 70 guests. Their ideal ceremony venue is one that is rich in architecture and representative of San Francisco. For their reception, they would like a setting that is elegant, traditional and ornate with an Asian inspired menu. They will not be in town until a few days before the wedding, so much of the planning will be dependant on me as their planner. They will be calling each of their guest to personally invite them to the wedding, and would like to provide a fun type of transportation for everyone. They want the ambiance of the wedding to be low key and intimate, focusing on their love for one another and their love and respect for their families.
For the next 13 days, my Production Lead Amanda and I worked diligently to pull this wedding together for Maria and Fred. There is no 'simple' wedding--even simplicity has to be well thought out and planned. We quickly found the perfect venues for them--a ceremony on the beautiful fourth floor of San Francisco City Hall, followed by an elegant dinner reception inside the French Parlor at the Palace Hotel (which, by the way, is one of my all time FAVORITE event space and a 'best kept secret'). Making sure we worked within their budget and around their priorities, we pulled together an amazing team of vendors for their wedding day.
From dresses to flowers to transportation to marriage license, we left no stone unturned! When I finally got to meet Maria and Fred for the first time, two days before their wedding, they were prepared to make some final decisions and we were set to go for their wedding!
April 3, 2009 was a gorgeous day, filled with love and laughter as Maria and Fred tied the knot in the heart of San Francisco. Guests flew in from all over, to celebrate this special day with them. In 14 days, we planned an entire wedding from scratch--we proved it was doable!
I'll post more details about the wedding day when I get more photos from the photographer. For now, I just had to share a wonderful note that I received from Maria and Fred shortly after the wedding...
Dearest Jubilee and Amanda,
Maria and I want to thank you very much for making our wedding day a success, memorable, and, enjoyable. You both have done so many countless and wonderful things for Maria and I, our bridal party, and all of our guests. Our sincere and greatest gratitude for all of your hard work, excellent coordination, persistance with decision making and prioritizing, and fantastic guidance of excellent vendors of superb high quality.
Jubilee, you and Amanda have gone above and beyond for Maria and I and all of our guests and we can not thank you enough for making all of this happen in just two short and amazing weeks. When I asked you what you thought of our short and aggressive time line of 14 days, you mentioned, "you like a good challenge." Indeed, it was more than a challenge and you executed flawlessly and professionally.
We are forever grateful for your wonderful assistance and professional guidance in making our special wedding day so much more special and amazing for us and all of our guests. Let us know when you plan on coming to Chicago and Mexico. We look forward in showing you around and making more special life long connections.
With love and gratitude,
Fred and Maria
Thank you to my wonderful team of vendors who made it happen:
Last month, I was amongst one of the 50 lucky ladies who received the evite from Linda Hylen, the Director of Events at the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom. The evite was quite mysterious, with hardly any information written out, but those who were invited knew Linda well enough that something awesome was cooking up her sleeve. Without hesitation, nearly all of us responded YES immediately.
Upon our arrival to the JMB that day, we quickly encountered the first 'surprise'--the extraordinary stylist Jim Avila himself courteously greeted us the moment we stepped off the elevators, and directed us to the coat check which was manned by Michael Daigen! Us girls giggled, curious to know what else was in store for us....
We were kept away from the ballroom for the first hour, as we sipped champagne and chatted with many friends whom we have not seen for a long time. We all expressed our good fortunes to be included in such a fun event planned by the BEST hostess in town, and eagerly awaited for the luncheon to come.
The drapes to the ballroom finally opened, revealing one long table across the room, filled with beautiful, organic looking arrangements by the talented Leighsa of Branch Out.
Who doesn't love being served good food on a table that is all decked out? Well, that wasn't the best part. Our biggest surprise of the day was the introduction of our servers--13 handsome gentlemen that we all know and love from the wedding industry--Kevin Chin of Kevin Chin Photography, John Woods of Enhanced Lighting, Ron Grandia of A Different Kind of DJ, Tom Henderson of Thomas John Events, and Philippe Lee of Jade Studio Productions, just to name a few. We girls cheered and whistled, and did not pass up the opportunity to order our good friends around. They were great sports!
As you can already tell, 'surprise' was the buzz word for this event. Towards the end of the luncheon, Linda got up to say a few words. It was touching to know that she organized this luncheon as a way to encourage all of us to continue doing our best, despite the bad economy. She wanted us to know that collectively, we are a powerful force, and can continue to make a positive influence on the industry as a whole, and for our wonderful brides and grooms out there!
After that, Linda said she had a few people to recognize. When she first called out my name to stand up, along with Jean Marks, we were both in utter disbelief. Linda went on to recognize both of us for our hard work and dedication in creating the inaugural Wedding University, for its success, and its core values. WOW! Thank you Linda!! She also recognized Joyce Scardina Becker for being one of the Founders of WIPA, a new association for wedding professionals that aims to set the bar high. Last, but not least, Johanna Kaestner of By Recommendation Only was recognized for her 20+ years of passion and dedication to this industry.
All of us left the luncheon inspired, happy, and with colorful boas!!
A girl really CAN have it all--good looks, clever brain, stylish clothing...cute smile. I just described my uber talented friend Gloria Wong of Gloria Wong Design!
Gloria first reached out to me in 2007, when she first started her business and when I was just about to give birth to my first baby. Needless to say, I wasn't quite 'available' to meet with her until a few months later. Boy, am I glad I didn't brush her off. Just being around Gloria makes me appreciate the good things in life! She's got this incredible eye to spot 'things' around us everyday....and then she takes these 'things' and creates unbelievably unique and extraordinary designs! Try giving her an old paperweight that you are eager to get rid of, and I bet you she will create an entire design around it!
Last year, Gloria approached me about working together for two of her weddings. I was puzzled at first--how should two coordinators partner together on the same event? She explained that she would solely focus on design and styling, while I would be the queen of logistics. My admiration and respect for Gloria encouraged me to try this partnership. The result? Two very lucky couples that had an amazing wedding which LOOKED beautiful and RAN flawlessly.
Gloria's company was formerly Sash and Sugar, and in the short amount of time that she has been in business, her work has been featured in numerous publications. She is known for her 'mood boards', where she compiles tear sheets and photos onto a board to show the look and feel of a wedding that she is designing. She will literally spend HOURS shopping or pouring over the internet finding that PERFECT item to incorporate into one of her client's weddings.
Gloria was on the Design Team for The Wedding University, where she not only designed four very distinctive, elaborate rooms but also taught students how to thread a concept throughout the different elements of a wedding to create a unique, cohesive look. With a background in fashion, Gloria (as she is described) is obsessive about color, composition, and how visual elements can stir the heart!
I am very excited to introduce to you the brand new website of Gloria Wong Design! She offers different levels of packages, and can customize one based on your specific needs.
I'm still trying to think of the right words to describe the oh-so-talented and brilliant Viola Sutanto of Chewing the Cud. I mean, C'MON, the name of her company alone tells you how clever this girl is!
When I first met Viola, I was immediately struck by her sincerity. Soft-spoken and sweet, but with a fire and passion in her eyes as she described her business to me. In hindsight, I now know how incredibly HUMBLE she was at that first meeting. Many people in the wedding industry know her as an extraordinarily talented invitation designer but she is actually much more than that. Clients hire her to create an entire concept for their wedding design! Viola's own wedding was featured in numerous print and online publications and I absolutely LOVE her clever concept designed around her favorite book-- To Kill a Mockingbird.
I had the opportunity to work closely with Viola for The Wedding University, and the more I got to know her the more she amazed me. She is not only a really creative designer, but also very smart and savvy when it comes to branding. She is a quiet force and I respect and love her tremendously.
We are working on a special project together, which I cannot WAIT to show the world. For now, you've GOT TO see her fabulous work here!
I recently had the chance to see her new loft space in San Francisco, and thought it would be fun to post some photos of her 'at work'!
Viola spends a lot of time here, 'in production' for her many projects
Here is Viola at her workstation...as you can see, she loves what she does!
The last picture that you see above, shows you that Viola is not ALL about work. I really admire her ability to live a well balanced life. She makes time for morning runs along the pier, basketball on weekends, and fresh flowers from the Ferry Building's farmer's market! No wonder she is so full of inspirations.
One of the more popular segments of The Wedding University was the Beauty + Attire session, which not only included the class itself, but also the styling of several models with very distinctive looks. Gabrielle of Gabrielle's Bridal Boutique provided the beautiful gowns, Eli Thomas dressed the men in sophisticated tuxes and suits, and Armando of Get Your Do Up was the master of all stylists on that day!!
This is one of my favorite photos from my Martha Stewart Weddings book. There is something so incredibly serene, warm, and pretty about these glass lanterns hanging above each table. I love how the candles are sitting on rose petals, and can imagine that at night it would seem like there are floating little twinkle lights in the air.
