Unique/Personal touches

Well hi there, got quite some catchup to do, we are well into the season and time to blog just seems to not be there.

This blog is about personal touches and things couples have done recently to put their personal stamp or touch on their event, something I really like to encourage.

Had a lovely wedding at the beautiful St Regis early May, a fun couple where the bride had three young adults who we incorporated into the ceremony procession.  Her daughters walked her part of the way down the aisle then her son met them and escorted her with the girls flanking them and then the son gave her away, really special.  It took us some brainstorming to work out how/when to incorporate all of them and it worked out wonderfully.  After the ceremony the guests went to cocktails where steel drummers were playing, very islandy feeling and a relaxing fun reflection of the couple, not your traditional cocktail music at a 5 star/5 diamond resort.  Over the open air dining area we had big paper balls hanging at different heights that as day became night had lights in them, so later in the evening it looked like floating balls over the dining area, again different to the normal ceiling draping/hanging chandeliers or votives.  For the men, and some women too, we had some cigar rollers there which made it very personal for the groom, as he loves cigars.    Another great wedding event that I was honored to be a part of.

Finally got to the McCharles House in Tustin.  I had heard about this location as a great place to go and have tea, just never had made the time to go.  It is now closed to the public and only open for private events.  Cute house with lovely rooms setup like a tea house with tables/chairs in nooks and crannies, and then really lovely small grounds with a gazebo that actually used to be the main wedding gazebo at the Disneyland Hotel before Downtown Disney came to be.  It used to be white and I saw hundreds if not thousands of couples get married in it, it is now brown and fits in with the landscaping, but will always be the white gazebo I used to look out to from my office while I was working.  I totally see this venue being fabulous for bridal showers and events along those lines for the girls.  Unique and much more personal feeling than a hotel smaller banquet room or a restaurant.

I will miss my Wei and James.  We married them late May at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna, at a lovely celebration with around 100 guests.  It seemed to be the windiest day I could remember for a long time, and my lovely Wei just laughed and used the wind to help make her look more fabulous.  Their ocean backdrop was added to by a screen behind them that had crystals and orchids hanging down, so feminine and soft looking and they swayed in the wind. Inside the ballroom we of course had lovely linens and chairs to enhance the florals and lighting.  Had one of my favorite djs who also plays the saxaphone which adds the element of live music to a dj event.  We had created their wedding in only a few months, they were both very busy with their careers, so it seemed like there were many meetings with just the three of us, some with vendors/hotel, and of course lots of phone calls and emails within a short amount of time, and now nothing!!  They made me laugh and were so sweet and in love.  We did some really unique touches to personalise their event.  The grooms family has their own whiskey so we had some custom chocolates made using the whiskey and some others that incorporated flavors the bride loved.  A great couple with a great group of people there to celebrate with and for them.

I can always remember in my hotel years, one of the biggest bars based on per head basis was for a small group of 16 from Canada.  We were very happy to know they were all staying in house!!  Well I had a group of 14 Canadians recently on  a lovely Monday evening, where I believe they gave that previous group a run for their money.  Last time they came from Vancouver, this time Montreal, so proof that Canadians from one coast to the other are always out for a great time!!  It was an intimate cere at the Botanical Garden Gazebo at St Regis and then they headed up to Motif for a great celebration/dinner in the private room.  They are avid golfers so we incorporated some hitting of balls after the cere to the greens which was very significant and fun for them.  We transported them all over the grounds so they could get some great photos to remember this lovely day by, all taken by Larry Crandall.  Love him.  Anytime you have such a small group you have a very intimate special memorable event not only because everyone feels so special to be a part of the event and honored to have been invited and be able to come, but because the food and beverage is normally over the top, so a great foodie wedding experience too.

Srikant and Shalini got married in India but we planned their celebration for all their friends and families here in S.Ca, at the St Regis.  We had started with a theme that was color based, vibrant/jewel tones, but as the event neared we had become quite French/Parisienne.  Srikant had proposed in Paris, so this theme/feel  had a very personal/special place in their hearts.  We incorporated an  Eiffel Tower martini luge, a crepe station later in the evening and of course late night ….. french fries!!!  We had a red carpet and lighting to carry the colors through from the florals, and added names to the tables from around France and an explanation of why that town or area was special to them.  Their placecards sat on Eiffel Towers the guests got to keep, as well as a parting gift of mints in a container that looked like a suitcase.

One of my new favorite items to add to an event is the Epod photo booth.  This booth blows all booths away.  It looks like a capsule, nice and silver very classy compared to a lot of the others out there, it talks to you and by that I mean it comments on you and your pose.  Hilarious!!  They can do the albums where your guests put a strip of their photos in the book and write a message, as well as other add ons the other companies do, and after the event they create a slide show to music of all the photos your guests had done and what they were doing.  I just saw one and wished I had of been a guest instead of working, they were all just having way too much fun!!  I was laughing and I don’t even know these people.

Boy I love what I do and get to be a part of.

Till next time

Lisa

www.lisasimpsonweddings.com

714 305 7112

Add a comment June 30, 2010

Larry Crandall Photographer

Today I want to high light a wonderful photographer we have here in S.CA.  Larry is a gentleman who is so lovely to work with, and takes such beautiful photos, and then you end up with a beautiful album (he offers albums that are unique not only from the cover look etc but to how he lays them out inside) that showcases your wedding like a piece of art and something beautiful that you will always be proud to show others and look at yourselves for many years.

Larry was the first I saw to use the staircase by Motif restaurant at the St Regis as another great photo op.  It’s a dramatic visual and always makes me think of the Titanic staircase in the dining room.  No matter the couple or the style of gown this is a shot that looks fantastic every time.

Here is a creative touch that I see Larry do that couples love to add to their album.  See the same scene below but just how different it looks.  Very unique eh.

Till next time

Lisa

http://www.lisasimpsonweddings.com

Add a comment June 29, 2010