Balboa Bay Club celebration

I enjoyed Erin very much, she was a really busy professional working woman who lived out of state, and we planned her wedding entirely by phone and email, I did not even meet her until she walked into the hotel to begin the reception portion of the day!!! They had got married at a church who provided a church lady, so no need for me to be there, I could focus on the reception.

Her colors from the beginning were black and white and once we had the budget down, we booked the location which was close to her parent’s home, and then I gave her vendor options that I knew suited her style and budget. There was always a niggle in the back of my mind that a daring look may be fab for her, but we had a cool look going that would be really nice, and then she sent me her inspiration board that she had created, about three weeks before the wedding………. and I was thrilled. I immediately threw my daring idea at her and she went for it, stripes!!! As she said, she should have sent that to me earlier!! LOL

So below is our end result. The Commodore Room at the Balboa Bay Club, Newport Beach, is a great size for 100 or less and has a lovely patio that looks out to the huge vessels berthed and those moving up/down the harbor. The hotel has a really special/boutique feel to it, and I am happy to say I have another there in a couple of months.

Thanks to the awesome team I suggested and that Erin selected (she didn’t want options, I gave her the one I thought was best to spend our time phone interviewing/chatting with in the various categories and she trusted and knew I knew what she wanted and went with me. http://www.studioemp.com thanks to Joel Eckman Maus for the photos below always nice working with Joel and Lorely. My fave band, I am sorry, some tell me wait until I have heard their band then I will sway my thoughts to others and it never pans out, Full Spectrum Band out of Los Angeles, even after they had done 1/2 hour overtime, dancefloor was full and Adam (band leader) put his ipod on and they danced for another hour, until he needed to unplug it to leave as the rest of their equipment was gone from the ballroom. Nisies Enchanted Florist, nothing more to say. Fusion for the black dancefloor, linens and chivaris. Design Visage for hair and makeup, and Lake Forest Limousines for getting everyone from BBC to church, to the beach, back to the club. We even had a martini luge that was their boxer dog Brutis!!!

Till next time
Lisa
http://www.lisasimpsonweddings.com
http://www.pinterest.com/lisasimpsonwdgs
714 305 7112

Add a comment July 12, 2013

July 4th at St Regis Monarch Beach

In case you are looking for a great way to celebrate July 4th or just need a simple excuse to come back to stay/enjoy, they do a great July 4th celebration.
I happened to be there last week to celebrate July 4th and found a great event you can pay to be a part of on the Grand Lawn, band/great food/tables to fit your size group, then a fireworks show put on by St Regis even though I am sure that houses near by probably thought it was the city of Dana Points. The fireworks show was awesome, went on forever, the grand finale had everyone cheering.
And just a thought, if you are thinking this is a great date for a wedding and you are under 100 guests, then have your ceremony & dinner/dance at Club 19 with fireworks timed for the end of dinner prior to the dancing beginning, I can only imagine you must feel like you are under/can touch the fireworks from down there.

This is the first time they did an event like this for July 4th and I am not aware of any other hotels here in S CA that have come up with this concept yet…..
Till next time
Lisa
http://www.lisasimpsonweddings.com
http://www.pinterest.com/lisasimpsonwdgs
714 305 7112

Add a comment July 8, 2013

Fabulous Pavilion Ballroom, Ritz-Carlton, Dana Point

I could not wait for this celebration to happen, I had seen in my mind how I thought it could look/be, after my first meeting with the MOB. She had great taste and the inspiration was tiffany blue with a pop of damask, I saw more damask & black with a pop of tiffany, and ultimately that is what we ended up doing.

You can always tell when a photographer is inspired or loved how things looked, it can take weeks/months to get pics from the photographers to post (in fact I am still waiting on some from a photographer from a year ago in this same ballroom where we really did a cool setup/playing with colors) but Tony ( http://www.tonyflorez.com )
got me these pics within 7 days, and I didn’t even ask. So even though I was not planning on doing this post so soon, here it is.

Lots of details, and that always means more time needed on the day and more bodies, they understood that you pay people for time to get things done right, so we had people at/doing what needed to be done so they could relax and enjoy their day. They had me start earlier than I would have normally, as they were getting married in a church (Our Lady Queen of Angels in NB which has just reopened, so beautiful and I will say, really nice church ladies!) and I would normally just start at and handle the hotel reception portion, but they had had #1 daughter’s wedding two years ago in another area, and realised they needed someone to keep them on track pre cere. When I arrived they were on plan to my timeline, I kept them moving with photos, and luckily we could get into the ballroom nice and early (it was a Friday wedding which means, more chance of this happening than on a Saturday or Sunday, fyi), so I had everything we were handling moved to the ballroom, the vendors started arriving, and I was able to oversee and leave for the church knowing we were in fabulous shape. I followed the girls/parents suv limo to the church and then sat with them pre cere in the brides room (sometimes nice to have a calm person in there) then the bride went up the aisle, my assistant and I switched, she took over church shadowing and I headed to the hotel where everything was pretty much done and I could focus on the little things. When assistant called and advised they were close to the hotel, I grabbed Hailey (Ritz) and we went up to gret/congratulate them, and I got them off doing romantics around the hotel now. Guests started arriving, earlier than the start time on their invites, but we let them into the cocktail around 15 mins early and the party began.
The dancefloor decal was the last detail we added and I had it so it was the first thing the guests saw when they entered the ballroom, it got rave reviews and was the bow on top of the package.
As I said to mom/dad at the end, I am sad, they said ‘we know’, I said, no I am really sad you don’t have more daughters for us to do more weddings for. They said guests said the same thing, but their reasoning was for the party they got to enjoy. Such a fabulous family, group of guests and beautiful bride and fun groom. In fact one of my Sept brides was a guest which was fun, I didn’t realise she would be there.
Lot’s of details, stunning end result, love it

As always, takes a good team to pull a fabulous event together, thanks to Nisies Enchanted Florist for the gorgeous florals (I had them consider one other florist but knew Nisie was the perfect fit for them, and they worked that out also), Fusion for the linens/chairs/furniture/dancefloor, Lake Forest Limousines for providing 3 different vehicles for the different needs we had and as always the drivers getting in touch with me and keeping me in the lop (never a lost or late driver/vehicle with them), PSAV for the lighting in the ballroom (they are in nearly all the hotels now and the team/guys are there to please), Design Visage for as always great hair and makeup on everyone, Hailey Hawkinson at the Ritz Carlton and the always wonderful team/family I work with on the floor – the banquet dept, from Carole & Jesse who lead them, to the banquet captains to the service staff (ladies & gentlemen) most who have worked there for the past 12 years I have done weddings there, and just further reinforce why this hotel was just voted #1 in the America’s – well deserved and earned.

Till next time
Lisa
http://www.lisasimpsonweddings.com
http://www.pinterest.com/lisasimpsonwdgs
714 305 7112

1 comment July 2, 2013

Marriott Newport Beach

I was invited to the official unveiling of the new Rose Garden Gazebo ceremony site at the Marriott Newport Beach Resort & Spa by fashion island. It was an intimate group, the Mayor and other important people from Newport Beach and even some pals of mine from hotels in the area, the food was excellent, my fave champagne was being poured, and after all the chatting and commenting on how great the ceremony site was, the ultimate was when everyone had left and 4 of us just sat at our table looking at the view from the gazebo beyond, the Pacific Ocean glimmering at Sunset, this is an awsome site to consider for your ceremony, followed by a reception in one of the ballrooms. I didn’t have it at this event, but you must try their mushroom soup en croute, devine!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Xuong of Happy Photos http://www.happyphotos.com for getting this pic over to me. He was standing on top of the bar to take this!!!!!

Till next time
Lisa
http://www.lisasimpsonweddings.com
http://www.pinterest.com/lisasimpsonwdgs
714 305 7112

Add a comment July 1, 2013