Posted on: Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Well I had an unusual end to the season, I not only did weddings at Ritz Carlton/Laguna and St Regis/Monarch Beach, but also got to do some for the first time at some different locations.
One, we did the ceremony in the backyard of this couples home in San Clemente. They have a great view with the ocean in the background and it was just spectacular, and as it was an intimate event with people who were local yet not Americans, and people that flew in from around the world, this was a true reflection of them and started the celebration off the right way. Then we did the smart thing, everyone went to the Ritz Carlton where we did the dining/dancing, so there was no cooking or mess for the couple to deal with or come home to. What a backdrop, don’t you agree ….
Then a photographer I did a wedding with a couple of years ago had referred me to a father of the bride, that I got a call from 4 weeks prior to the big day, saying they needed someone to pull it altogether and run the day for them. This one was held at the Pacific Edge in Laguna Beach. The venue has changed since I was last there, now it is joined to the hotel and the Beach House Restaurant and the villa no longer has a kitchen and it has an elevator. Not sure what the plans are for this venue in the future but they seem to be changing things and I would think with a plan in mind. Anyway I digress, this was an intimate group of 50, mid week, and a very casual event, where the ceremony was held with the ocean right behind, then the guests went up into the Villa for cocktails and then we invited them back down to the dancing/food station area, and the night ended with a lot of dancing and good memories for all. It was very relaxed feel created by switching out the cere chairs for lounge furniture and leaving space for dancing. It was a beautiful still night and the view along the ocean/sand down to main beach was gorgeous. Here’s a couple of pics.
Then I had a wedding where a lot of my St Regis couples have gone for photos, but I have never done a wedding there, the Monarch Bay Beach Club. Really nice couple, another intimate event with close family and friends, these are such great, warm celebrations. We did the ceremony with the ocean backdrop and oocktails, and then everyone moved into the banquet room for a private dinner and some even danced, wasn’t the plan but they did, love it. Variety is the spice of life they say!!
And as the season wound down I didn’t have conflicts with invites to special events, so managed to squeeze in a few, I was invited up to the Avalon in Beverly Hills where a few properties from Palm Springs were showcasing. What a great property, very low key, kind of retro, and the bar and dining around the pool were popular it seemed with people meeting after work or locals in the area coming by. Went over to Rancho Los Lomas for a YWD magazine event, such a unique location for a celebration. Had a lovely lunch with a small group of co-ordinators at the Balboa Bay Club, hadn’t eaten the banquet food there for a while, it was great, the pumpkin soup was divine, and the view of the yachts going by while dining is pretty hard to beat!! Also went for a lovely lunch and tour of The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Down in the same area as Rancho Valencia, but maybe a 30 second walk into the main street of the historic town, you really felt like you had gone back in time or were really really out in the country, yet in reality it is only 15 minutes from the freeway. So serene and calm and makes you just want to sit by the pool, grab a book and relax. Lots of lovely locations for ceremonies and outside dining and dancing or inside, all depending on what you want and what size you are.
Stopped by the new hip mexican restaurant in Newport Beach on PC H at an event they had, Sol Cocina, seems like a location with a lot of atmosphere, great for a rehearsal dinner.
La Tavola Linens opened their new showroom on PCH in Newport also. What gorgeous linens they have, a showroom just oozing with quality, all colors, styles, looks etc, fabulous.
Over Thanksgiving I had a few brides who live out of state in town to celebrate, and we made use of that time with vendor meetings and selections, so by the time they left they were all organised and feeling good knowing who their team was and getting a feel for how fab their celebrations are going to be, love it.
Well that is it for the year for now. Will hop back on when I have something of interest to chat about.
Till next time
Lisa
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We are so thankful and appreciative to have had you there on our special day. Words can not express our gratitude. From the very first moment we met you until the last moments of our wedding, you handled yourself with professionalism and respect. You made us feel comfortable and confident throughout the entire process.
I just wanted to say thank you for everything. The wedding turned out soooo BEAUTIFUL. I don’t know what we would have done without you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you
What a pleasure it was to work with you on our wedding. You are very focused and amaze us with all that you do. Thank you for making our day flawless.
Thank you for making my wedding perfect. Everything went really well and I was able to really enjoy it. My guests are still complimenting me on how nice everything was. Everyone kept commenting on how calm I was and that is because I had you to take care of everything.
I just can’t imagine how the date could go through smoothly without you, you were amazing. Going through the whole process with you was a great life experience.
