I consider myself extremely fortunate to work in a field I love!  I have been in the industry a long time and have met so many amazing people.  My clients become friends and Kristen and John are no exception!  Off the bat I knew they were going to be a fun and unique couple.  The first call I got was from John (yes, the groom … sometimes it does happen!). Right away I was intrigued; I don’t get a lot of super involved grooms.

We put together a powerhouse of players for this wedding, starting off with the venue  of course (this should always be your first decision). They decided on The Ivy Room. Kristen fell in love with the outdoor space where we planned to have cocktails. This is such a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city.  Truly a hidden gem!

As is sometimes the case with October weddings, the weather simply did not go the way we had planned.  Not only was it unseasonably cold (we rushed out for heat lamps just days before the wedding), it also poured rain a good portion of the day. Now keep in mind Kristen had begged me to do everything possible to make sure cocktails were outside. So I was on constant Weather Channel watch throughout the entire day.  I arrived at The Ivy Room post-ceremony (which was held at the beautiful St. Jospeh’s Church on Orleans) and it was somewhat clear.  I decided to make the call to set up outside.  After all I had promised I would give it a shot! All I can say is, we tried.  About 15 minutes after set up started, the sky opened up and I knew we’d have to take cocktails inside.  So in we went with the soaking wet linens and chairs.  Fortunately when Kristen put her hand down on the wet table cloth she smiled and said “Thank you so much for trying.”  What more could I ask for!

One thing you can say about rain on your wedding day is that there are tons of fantastic photo opportunities! The amazing and talented Belen from Orange 2 Photo had a field day with this beautiful and creative couple!  My favorite picture is at the top of the post (I am pretty sure this is my all time favorite wedding photo ever in 13 years of event planning!). I have sprinkled several of my favorite images throughout the post so I hope you enjoy them!

Knowing upfront how important the band was to the bride and her family I knew they had to have The Larry King Orchestra!! As it turns out Larry knew several of the same people as Kristen so they always had a great time chatting! We even had a guest performance of by Jim Peterik (formally of the band Survivor) who co-wrote the Rocky III theme song “Eye of the Tiger.”  He performed his number one hit and the crowd went wild!!  The band had a blast playing for Jim and it was a real highlight of the night!

The caterer was the always fantastic Weddings by Blue Plate who treated the guests to some amazing food!  The specialty drink was White Sangria made from scratch and wow was it yummy. I did not get to enjoy it at the event of course, since I was working and eight months pregnant, but I had the pleasure at the original tasting!!  Blue Plate always does an amazing job and their food is not only tasty, it is also beautiful!!

The cake was done by Amy Beck Cake Design.  Let me just say Amy is beyond talented!!  The gorgeous ivory fondant cake actually matched Kristen’s dress.  The yummy inside included bourbon chocolate cake, almond cake and carrot cake.  Not a single piece was left, I did not even get a slice (and I live for wedding cake) … It was that good!

We all know that floral is what sets your event apart from the others.  Kelly from Fleur knocked it out of the park with this one. Kristen and John wanted an elegant, natural and organic feel.  Kelly used beautiful manzanita branches with hanging votive candles and wired flowers.  We placed tiny yellow orchids on each of the napkins which added a delicate touch to the tables.  There were candles everywhere and we added an amazing wall pattern and dance floor lighting done by Sound Investment.

Overall it was a spectacular event. Getting to know Kristen and John was nothing short of a pleasure.   Thank you for allowing us to play such a special role in the most amazing day of your lives!

I simply could not leave this post without sharing a few other pictures, I hope you enjoy them!!