By Ami Sampat

Check out these wonderful photos taken by Paula Kirkland from a gorgeous wedding held at the San Francisco Film Centre.

By Lauren and Haney

Palm Drive photo from Stanford University

With a vision in hand and certain values to guide our decision making, we recognized that a top priority was our interaction with our guests.  Because our friends and families are so important to us and would one way or another fly from across the globe and the United States, we chose a fun destination and an approximate middle ground for all. Of course, the added benefits of Palo Alto, California, include great weather and important to us both, Stanford University, where the interfaith and non-denominational Memorial Church allows everyone to gather on ground representing the importance of education to both of us.

The San Francisco Bay Area and Palo Alto offers our guests much to do with lots of convenience:

• Three major international airports: San Francisco International (SFO), Oakland International (OAK) and San Jose International (SJC);
• Lots of local transit options: BART, CalTrain, and in Palo Alto, the Stanford Marguerite Shuttle;
• Numerous hotels;
• Beautiful California weather & a destination spot for many;
• The perks of San Francisco—places like the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghirardelli Square;
• Wine tasting in Napa Valley just a hop, skip, and jump from Palo Alto.

Because we are planning our wedding from Washington, DC, we are utilizing lots of help from locals, family, the wedding party and other online resources. We also found quite useful some common resources we’d like to share:

• The Knot.com: Wedding everything & great checklist http://www.theknot.com/
• Here Comes the Guide: http://www.herecomestheguide.com/
• Yelp: http://www.yelp.com
  

  Alcatraz Island photo from the Garden Court Hotel

Online resources can help point you in the right direction, but nothing is better than visiting the sites yourself.  Everyone has different priorities and styles, so sometimes it is really difficult to trust the ratings that others have written.  Don’t forget the vision you put together; narrowing your perfect wedding location has much to do with what is important to you both as a couple.

I’m planning my wedding on a $10,000 budget, so I’ve got to be very careful about my expenses. So that’s one reason I love buying secondhand. Not only do you save money, you prolong the life of an object!

If you’re planning on making liqueur favors, run over to the Center now! They have petite glass bottles with cork stoppers for $1.00 each (or 25 for $18.00). They’d be fantastic for Meyer Lemon limoncello di crema, or an herb infused olive oil.

By Elizabeth Zachry

I was in Malibu last weekend for a destination wedding and just had to share these photos!  Chris and Dana’s wedding in Malibu was gorgeous and fit their personalities perfectly. They are both from the Bay Area, but wanted to have a fun wedding near the beach where there would be a lot of  sun.

Dana and Chris got engaged at Disneyland in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, so everything tied back to Disnelyland.  Prince Charming was the ring bearer, with Tinkerbell and Ariel as flower girls.  The cake (designed by the bride) helps tell their engagement story and was extra special because it was so personal.  The best part…the red velvet cake tasted awesome!! I just wish I had gotten the name of the bakery!

The Disney theme carried on to the tables, which were all named after rides at Disneyland and California Adventure.  To liven things up, each table was asked a series of questions, and if you got your question right you were allowed to go to the buffet, but if you answered incorrectly, you had to wait.  My table was the Enchanted Tiki Room.  I am happy to say I answered our first (and only) question correctly.

A lot of work went into the table decorations.  To help cut costs, the bride and groom chose not to put flowers on each of the tables.  Instead, they ordered large martini glasses off the internet, and filled each one with stones, water, and floating candles.  The floating candles looked great, and it was really nice having a small centerpiece on the tablesmaking it easy to talk to everyone at the table.

Vendors

Venue: Malibu West Beach Club – http://www.malibuwestbeachclub.com/

Hair and Makeup: Rachel Browning – rachelbrowning20@yahoo.com

Photographer: Susan Wood – http://susanwoodphotography.com/portfolio/  

Hello, I’m back here again! Allison, from Engaged and Inspired. I wanted to chat a bit about backyard weddings here today.

Ahh, the backyard wedding! In theory it sounds like a phenomenal idea. Getting married in a familiar space and being able to do whatever you want from picking your own caterer, to decking the pool out in whatever you want. Not to mention the budget cutbacks you would obviously see when everything is Do-It-Yourself.

I was looking at the possibility of having a Morgan Hill backyard wedding. My parents have a very large space and it is definitely doable for a wedding. The thing that you tend to forget about is the fact that it is just not setup for a wedding, which makes things a little bit harder to plan. There is no set ceremony spot, dance floor, etc. All of these things have to be created-which can sometimes cost money that you were not thinking about spending upfront.

My tip would be to look at the possibility of having a backyard wedding, but look at the expenses you will have to incur as well. It may even out, and one may be more expensive. Backyard weddings are definitely sweet and romantic though, so sometimes the sheer memories will sway you to a backyard event!

This week I took a City Guides walking tour of The Palace Hotel in San Francisco’s Financial District. 2009 marked the historic Palace Hotel’s 100 year anniversary. The fabled hotel, originally built as lodgings of unparalleled size and luxury, was completely rebuilt in 1909 after being devastated by the April 18, 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco.  It’s a lavish hotel, all gold, gilt and glass, and truly luxurious—a fairytale location for a Bay Area wedding.

I was sold on its high ceilings, drop chandeliers, and delicious food; a sample menu might include hors d’ouevres of Maine Lobster and Chive Salad with Wasabi Caviar, followed by Ginger Soy Glazed Sea Bass, Buckwheat Soba Noodles and Baby Bok Choy.  If massive ballrooms, custom cakes and ice sculptures are more your scene they’ve got that too.  While there I noticed a lavish baby shower tea with personalized menus set out in the Garden Court, an immense, amber-glass-topped dining area where afternoon tea is a spectacle to behold.  If looks aren’t deceiving The Palace Hotel is well-versed in throwing an expert event.  Planning a fairytale wedding of your own? Be sure to add The Palace Hotel to your list of locations to scout.

Recently I went to the craft store and stocked up on tons of things that I wanted to test out making for our wedding. My shopping basket was full of ribbon, glue, floral tape, glitter, scissors, paper punches, paper bags, felt and more. I was definitely ready to get crafty. I went home and tested my ideas.

Supplies needed

My first idea was to take ordinary small brown paper bags and transform them into cute little bags to use for the candy favor table. Where guests will be able to pick and choose from some of our favorite candies to eat through out the night or to take home. I tested a few ideas using scissors, a stamp, and pen then resorted to a Martha Stewart paper punch and Thank You stickers. I think the end result goes well with décor.

A few different trials

The one I liked

Second, I felt like I needed to test out the boutonnieres for the guys. I had so many ideas swarming around in my head. I know that flowers are something I am capable of doing since I worked in a floral shop years ago. However it has been awhile since I have made boutonnieres. I decided I wanted to do something a bit unusual in style as well as something that goes with our wedding colors. So I tested green orchids, with brown felt leafs. After cutting the leafs out of a felt sheet I hand wrapped the felt, orchid and a curling branch with floral tape and then wrapped that with a dark brown silk ribbon.

Floral supplies

Finished product. It looks very big in this picture but it's actually much smaller.

It actually looks jaw dropping in person. I could not capture the color or correct size of it with my camera. I am now thinking these same orchids will look great strung onto manzanita branches for possible table centerpieces?

By: Lauren and Haney

One interesting facet about our engagement that we did not expect was how interested everyone seemed to be about our non-existing wedding plans on the day of our engagement—of course, this is probably your experience, too. You want to share the joy of your recent engagement, but before you can even catch your breath, people are already asking you details about “when’s the wedding,” “where’s the wedding,” and so on.  That begins the wild ride of tackling the barrage of details decisions that wedding planners like you contend with everyday.

So it’s really easy to get completely engulfed in all the details like flowers, length of speeches, etc..  Like other normal human beings, we responded to all these questions from others about the wedding by asking each other when, where, who, what, how?

But we soon realized that we couldn’t answer these questions, big or small, without understanding the “why.”  We were trying to come up with details without understanding the big picture, which simply is answering the question about why do we as a couple work well enough to be married and joined for life and why are we asking people to come together to celebrate with us.

So we sat down and asked ourselves “what’s our wedding vision?” We knew that without clear goals, we would get lost in the whole wedding process, and we wanted grounding words to return to if we ever felt lost—the big “why” we are doing what we are doing.  We talked through the big picture goal and values to write our “wedding vision.”  And we can’t say enough times how having this focused direction has made life a billion times easier.  When we make decisions about our wedding, they all align with our big picture vision, and our vision helps us navigate the wedding world.

Writing a “wedding vision” may feel a little business-like or over the top, but trust us it’s worth it. After all, you do have to decide your theme (traditional, beach, modern etc.), location, colors and all. Having a road map– AKA your wedding vision– will help you and others to make the smart decisions that are all pointed in the same direction.

Here are four tips to help you get started:

1. Brainstorm these questions together: What is important to you as a couple and what values need to come out during your wedding?  What represents you as a team?  Be honest with yourselves.
2. Write your big picture vision (overall goal). Here is our wedding vision as an example:
   We want our wedding to be a timeless event, simple and elegant, which brings together our values and those who are important to us. It reflects upon our past and highlights who we are today; it projects what we will be in the future.
3. Jot down the values that are important to you both: flexible, organized, thoughtful, personal, family-oriented, importance of education.
4. Write down what the principles you want to guide your decision making, for example: Utilize our time and our guests’ time wisely.

Now you have a basic vision with objectives that you can share with people who may be—in business speak—stakeholders or in more informal terms, VERY interested persons like parents, wedding party etc..  This helps you to communicate what is important to you two as a couple, and you can choose whether you want feedback or not.  Make adjustments as you see fit, based on the input you get from those people who are important to you.

Now live it.  Make your vision come to life and know that everyone will feel your vision at one point, because you’ll be living it out loud!  If you delegate things to your friends or family, make sure they understand what you want—your intent.  In Haney’s world in the Navy, this is called “Commander’s Intent.”  With this vision and your discussion, you can trust them without ever micromanaging; you don’t want to become the “bride-[or dare we say, groom-] zilla”!

Hold each other accountable to your vision.  If discussions get heated or emotional, take a pause and reference your vision.  Reference the values and the guiding principles.  We can guarantee that you’ll get through the tough decision (with your future spouse or other family) if everyone understands and sticks to the “why” of your wedding: who you are as a couple and why it’s worth anyone’s time to get together to celebrate.

Now that you have your goals aligned get ready to make decisions! Stay tuned, next Friday we are blogging about picking a city and planning from afar! Bon voyage for now!

{Photo from Le’s Kitchen Catering}

My friend, Patrina, introduced me to Ava Le of Le’s Kitchen Catering a couple years ago and ever since, I’ve been a fan and have even hired her for a couple events. If you’re looking for contemporary Asian cuisine, look no further. [By the way, the banh mi, or Petite Asian Chicken Baguettes (see above; sliced and marinated chicken in five spices served with pickled cucumbers, carrots and daikon radish over buttered French baguette) are amazing!]
Here’s my interview with Ava:

1.  Why did you decide to go into catering? What are you passionate about?

I was very fortunate to grow up in a large family where the culture of food was a staple in and of itself. My mother has been a chef ever since I can remember, so growing up, I consistently found myself in the family kitchen or at my mother’s restaurant watching her create delicious meals that brought so many people together.  Even after graduating from college with a degree in business and economics, culinary arts continued to play a large role in my everyday life.  So it was natural that I ended up back where it all began for me and ventured into business with my mother.  With my business and management background, and her culinary excellence, we created Le’s Kitchen (she is the Le of Le’s Kitchen!); a boutique family-run catering company with a passion for bringing together the very best flavors from my childhood memories and her rich history.  In my experience, nothing brings people closer together than warm and inviting meals, whether you are creating them, or simply enjoying them together.  

2.  How would you describe your style? What do you think sets you apart from other caterers?
Traditional yet Elegant and Simple.  I believe Le’s Kitchen has been successful because we have been able to bridge together the gap between today’s chic generation of Asian Americans with that of our parents and ancestors.  We are one of the very few offsite Asian wedding caterers, and we are able to take the traditional Asian wedding banquet out of the restaurant and bring it into our couple’s beautiful venue of choice, whether it is a winery, grand ballroom, art gallery, museum, or even their  backyard. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.  We allow our couples to honor their families with a traditional banquet, and at the same time, the couple can bring in their own contemporary style and sophistication.

3.  What is your favorite part of a wedding?
For me it would have to be the dancing portion.  When all the “I do’s” are said, people are fed, drinks are served, and cake is cut, it’s time for people to let loose and just relax.  By this time of the evening, the bride and groom are fully relaxed with most of the day’s activities behind them.  Everyone just gets on the dance floor and you can feel the energy, love, and relief of pressure exuding from the dance floor.

4.  What has been your favorite wedding so far? What made it so special?
I don’t know if I can pick a favorite wedding, but I definitely have favorite moments from the weddings we’ve catered over the years. I catered a wedding where the couple was probably the most reserved people you’ll ever meet.  But when the day came, they surprised their guests with a live serenade while both playing the guitar. Both had been taking lessons! All the guests were shocked and amazed when they took the stage.  It was a great gift from such an unlikely couple!

5.  What would be your dream wedding to cater?Over the years we have catered for so many wonderful clients and in many beautiful venues.  But I would have to say any destination wedding would be lovely.

Company Info & Contact:
Ava N. Tran
Le’s Kitchen Catering
www.LesKitchen.com

By Elizabeth Zachry

Last weekend, after months of planning, we finally had the bridal shower!  It was fantastic and everyone loved the food and had a great time.  After all of the planning that went into this, I realized that even thought I thought I could do it all myself and save money, it is important to know your limits and know when to ask for help.  The shower would have been impossible to throw without the help of my sister and my mom, and all of the other bridesmaids.  As you get ready to plan your shower, you should keep these tips in mind…

Similar to planning the wedding, you should start with a list of everything you need to take care of and give each item a budget.  To start, keep it simple by listing out the major things you need done for the shower.  Here is how I had it broken down: invitations, decorations (includes all plates, utensils, etc.), food and beverages, favors, and games. From there, add in the projected budget for each area as a way to keep you in check so you do not get carried away with any one thing and spend more than you can afford. If you are lucky like me and you have a lot of helpers, then it should be pretty easy to divide up the responsibilities.

To make decorating easier, you should pick a theme and color palette.  We stuck with the beach theme of the wedding, but feel free to use any theme or colors you choose, you do not have to use the wedding colors.  One of the other bridesmaids found some great vases and filled them with sand and starfish, which looked fabulous on the tables.  Instead of typical placemats, we used 12×12 scrapbook paper.  It was easy to make all of them coordinate and there are so many more paper choices than you get with fabric.

I thought the food was going to be the toughest part, but it turned out to be pretty straightforward and we got so many compliments!  Here is our menu (along with some of our secrets!)

Appetizers

• Pita chips and hummus
• Cheese and Crackers
• Veggie Platter

Entrees

• Quiche (frozen quiche from Costco, super tasty, but also low in cost!)
• Orzo salad (homemade)
• Barbeque Chicken Chopped Salad (from California Pizza Kitchen)
• Asian Chicken Salad (from BJ’s)
• Fruit salad

Dessert

• Red velvet cupcakes (Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix, but with homemade cream cheese frosting piped on)

I do not know how all of you feel about bridal shower games, but my friend hates them.  She was pretty adamant about not wanting to have games, but we ignored her wishes.  We played my favorite shower game: gift BINGO.  Blank BINGO cards were passed out to all of the guests, who then filled in the squares with gift predictions.  As the bride opened her presents, people crossed off items until they had five in a row.  We ended up with 4 people winning the BINGO game and it made the present opening a lot more interesting!

Good luck with all of your shower planning!