Ashley & Sean’s 1st Anniversary
I can’t believe it’s been one year since Ashley & Sean said their “I dos” at Granite Bay Golf Club! August 22, 2009 was a wonderful day with a fabulous theme of “Hot August Nights” – no detail was left unturned. The vibrant and “hot” colors of red, oranges, fuchsia and yellows were played well. Katie with Ambience Floral Design created the fun, bright flowers and the ribbon spheres, and also installed the stunning red backdrop for the ceremonial alter. We repeated the backdrop behind the fabulous dessert table featuring yummy confections by Carissa of Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts.
Sean is a firefighter (more “hot”), and so I had him cut the wedding cake with his fireman’s axe (quite a surprise for Ashley), plus he arranged for a vintage fire truck to whisk them away at the end of their reception. Mother Nature even provided a brilliant sunset for the evening. Thanks to Jordan of Jordan’s Photographic Designs for capturing all the fun and beautiful moments!
It was a great wedding! I hope the First Anniversary is celebrated in Hot August Nights style. Happy Anniversary Ashley & Sean!
Wedding Style 101 Workshop – March 28th
I have two free tickets to give away to attend the Dynamite Weddings Wedding Style 101 event to be held on March 28th. E-mail me soon!
This will be a great opportunity to gain insider information and speak candidly with those qualified to help you facilitate your wedding day goals and help you create your own personal wedding day style. There will be champagne, delicious treats, door prizes, and loads of fun, and you’ll walk away with a better sense of your wedding style.
When: March 28, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. (over by 3:00 p.m.)
Where: Granite Bay Golf Club
Sign up here before space runs out – cost is just $25.00/couple … or send me an e-mail or give me a call and I’ll tell you how you can get TWO free tickets.
I’ll be there! Come see me.
A Carnival Themed 1st Birthday!
What fun! Miss Kaitlyn turned One Year Old in February, and I was asked to be a part of the planning. Such a lucky girl. The theme was old-fashion midway or carnival.
The party was held at Granite Bay Golf Club, where we brought in a carnival tent and six old-timey wooden games. Many children got into the action, as did a few parents. I retained the services of Sierra College cheerleaders who helped the kids with the games, passed out the prizes, and also worked with little ones at the arts and craft table.
Carnival food was served – tray passed mini hamburgers and vegie sticks in ranch dip (the vegies were an attempt to be somewhat healthy since the buffet included corn dogs, mac & cheese, mozzarella sticks and four styles of French fries) Lordy, Lordy!
I love the cake, in the perfect theme. This cake was served to the guests, while little Kaitlyn got her own mini-cake.
And what carnival doesn’t serve popcorn? We set up 5 containers each containing a different flavor. Believe it or not, the favorite might have been the cheddar cheese flavor!
Cute table centerpieces – simple and perfect for the kids to enjoy.
The cheerleaders, holding the Birthday Girl were so much fun, and a huge hit to the party! Here they are in front of a giant popcorn box (filled with balloons at the top).
Each child who played the carnival games received tons of prizes and stuffed the winnings into their own box.
Thank you so much to Jeremy Underwood of Sharpe Photographers who took all these photos, and so many more – we had a blast working together on this event.Granite Bay Golf Club Bridal Open House
Join me this Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the beautiful Granite Bay Golf Club for a Bridal Open House. Meet some very cool vendors (other than myself!) and sip some wine and munch on yummy appetizers. Be sure to check out the lovely tables that will be set with gorgeous linens and floral displays by Ambience Floral Design.
Anca & Chris – Part 2
In our planning discussions, Anca advised that it is a Romanian custom that she circle three times around a bucket of water (originally milk) and then kick the bucket over! The symbolism is carefree abundance and good luck. I happen to own a vintage milk bucket… here it is – with some water.
After this, the newlyweds, parents and godparents gather with a glass of champagne, gave a toast to the bride and groom and to themselves as a family, and then threw their glasses into a pile, smashing them with great enthusiam. This photo is a little dark as I (very smartly) laid a black cloth on the ground so as to make it a bit easier to clean up 12 broken champagne glasses!
Remember I said the Romanian gentlemen kiss the ladies’ hand? So cool!!
Chris requested that each table have one bottle of Slivovitz so the guests may enjoy (another tradition in Romania). This is a very sweet plum brandy.
The lovely cake was created by Shelton’s Wedding Cake Designs. And as you can see, Chris was so enjoying himself when feeding Anca.
Chris’ brother blindfolded the eager groom prior to the removal of the garter.
Then slipped in a “ringer,” which Chris was very surprised to feel quite a different leg then his sweet bride!
Other antics occured throughout the evening, such as steeling Anca’s shoe and then auctioning it off to the highest bidder. Lots of laughs and good times.From Romania With Love
I love their romantic story. September 2008, mutual friends talked Anca and Chris into communicating with each other via the internet. Anca lived in Romania, and Chris lives here in the Sacramento area. They had a lot in common since 10 years ago Chris lived in a neighboring district near the city that Anca lives. After a few months of e-mails, telephone calls and then some video calls via Skype, they could wink-wink and flirt-flirt more easily. In June ’09, Anca made a trip to the United States to physically meet Chris. EXCITING! They both knew this was a very special and real relationship they had developed long-distance. It felt comfortable; as if they had known each other a long time. In July, Chris proposed – she said YES! However in September, Anca had to return back to Romania to continue her teaching position, but with the knowledge that she would be back to marry her beloved Chris in January 2010. Anca arrived last week, just before Christmas, and I took this cute picture of a loving couple, while in my office, when we sat down and wrapped up the details. They will marry at the Romanian Orthodox Church in Sacramento, and hold the reception at Granite Bay Golf Club. (I’m so happy Anca loves the club because Chris and I selected it for her sight-unseen!)
Michelle & Kyle's Champagne Luncheon – Part 2
These high school sweethearts are a wonderful couple, and I was very happy to be a part of their wedding planning and get them started in a new phase of their life.
Michelle & Kyle's Champagne Luncheon – Part 1
Hot August Night-Part 2 (it's all about Sean!)
Even funnier, is Sean’s expression as they actually did cut the cake with the ax. Pure joy! This whimsical cake was designed by Sugar and Spice and…
Ashley had envisioned a sparkler exit, but Sean, being the cautious fireman, felt a bit uneasy about that, and so we compromised with a pathway of candlelight (contained in glass).
And finally, what better send-off but to leave the wedding reception, riding on the back of an antique firetruck from the Rocklin Fire Department.
Have a wonderful life you two. Your wedding was spectacular (in Sean’s words… “Epic”) and most memorable!
More Hot August Nights – Part 1(a)
The wonderfully talented Katie Edwards of Ambience Floral Design worked magic. Such a great person to team with and a tireless worker! She created this stunning backdrop to the ceremony gardens, in deep red and orange luxurious fabric, then hung huge floral spheres from the arbor frame, and included cute fabric ribbon spheres to line the processional path. Hard to see, but I added Indian Wedding Bells and a note to instruct guests to ring the bells when the couple kissed!
Being a “hot August night” individual fans were a nice touch.
This is the very happy bride, Ashley, with her sweetheart sister, the MOH. Look at those bouquets. Huge and so-so colorful!
Inside the reception room, Katie hung multi-colored floral and ribbon spheres, amongst paper lanterns. The colors of the linens and the flowers, and the added elegance of the gold chargers and the Chivari chairs, made you “dizzy” with vibrant beauty. Ashley made the 20′ long custom table runner for the Kings Table where the parents and bridal party members were seated. All rentals were from Celebrations (they have great selections!)
Another DIY project for Ashley was the manzanita tree set within the Irish moss tray, which we used as the place card display. The family place cards hung from the “family tree.” Cute!
And finally, everyone’s favorite part… dessert – made by Carissa of Sugar and Spice. The backdrop was created by all hands-on-deck with Katie being on the ladder, Carissa’s height for easy adjustments (she’s very tall), and me giving guidance with “more to the left/more to the right… ahhhh, perfect”! We wanted a stunning focal area for the cake and the small bites dessert display (I dislike just a plain wall behind a beautiful gorgeous cake!) and I wanted to mimic the ceremony backdrop with a little variation.
Yummm-o! Check out the cool thematic papers used on the trays of desserts. The guests went crazy making their selections!
There is more to showcase of this hot, hot, hot wedding. Part 2 will be upcoming. To be continued…