Confessions of a wedding planner

A hot destination

2009-10-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Going to Mexico is always fun, laying on the beach, drinking Margarita's by the pool, and soaking up the sun, Going with a giddy bride and groom and their closest pals, what an absolute blast. Planning Amy and Chris's wedding was such a joy, as a couple they seemed to know, go with the flow, give me your trust and everything will be amazing. Amy wanted colors that were reflective of Mexico, blue for the ocean and orange for the Terra cotta hills.
Everyone had a blast, the dance floor was packed, and it was a hot night, which led to the bridal party jumping into the infinity pool that looked over the dance floor and the ocean, fully dressed, and then eventually, I was grabbed and tossed in, while in my little black cocktail dress. I was handed a Margarita, and we spent the rest of the night laughing.

When planning a wedding in another country there are many things we rely on locally, but I always recommend bringing your own photographer. On this trip Jennifer Skog came along for the ride, and is always a blast to hang out with.

photography by Jennifer Skog

Spring is Here!

2009-03-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

I am loving this beautiful weather we have been having. It has been so nice to get out and about and soak up the sunshine. I also love the spring as it is one of my favorite times for flowers, in particular tulips! Andrea has the most amazing flowers at her lovely wedding to Gabe, lots of tulips and other fun bright purple tones. We lined her aisle runner with purple delphiniums and she completely handed over the table design to me to create a vibrant, and elegant appearance for her winery wedding. For this wedding I was lucky enough to work with two great gals, Jennifer from Lush florals, and Lori of Lori Paladino photography.

Christina & Macey

2009-02-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

This is one of those weddings that makes me so grateful I get to share these moments with my couples. Christina and Macey both lead busy lives and really needed help to bring their vision to life. Through out the planning process I chatted often with these guys and I helped Macey plan his big surprise for Christina. In December, 6 months before their wedding Macey told me what he was up to. He had just bought himself a keyboard and was taking lessons to learn how to play the piano so he could sing a song for his lovely bride. I almost started crying right there. He not only learned how to play the song, took singing lessons, then recorded the song as part of the favors for guests. I had such fun setting up the candy station that was designed so guests could make their own favors, and sneaking around getting a piano into the ballroom all with out Christina having a clue. Shortly after dinner, Macey excused himself, sat at the piano, we put a spotlight on him and I asked Christina to come sit on a chair next to the piano, and Macey started to sing. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house including me.
I saw these two a few months later and it seems they brought home something really special from their honeymoon, and its due in April!

photography by Lisa Lefkowitz

Kiss me I'm Irish

2008-10-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

When Heather and John said things are going to be "fun", I had no idea. All though I have to admit, John is Chico State Alum, my own Alum, so i guess I had an idea... Heather is one of the sweetest brides, and I loved being around her every minute.
Heather and John were married in Old St Mary's and then the party continued at the Irish cultural center. To be honest i had never been to the cultural center, and what a little hidden gem. John's family goes back almost 50 years with his grandmother coming over from Ireland, and she has been working at the UICC for ages.
Forget the rolling hills of the Irish country side, how could you, when we had a beautiful bed of lush grass cradling the place cards for our almost 300 guests. Nancy Liu Chin created this beauty, along with several other amazing table arrangements. You see, we had 4 different table designs to mix around the room. We filled the room with candles, soft lighting, and a wall of lights as the back drop for the yummy cake from Copenhagen bakery. For more pictures check out Lori Paldino's site . It was such an honor and a blast to Join Heather and John out on the dance floor and kick up my heels! You'll see me with the boy who had one too many pints of Guinness.
Cheers

Our beautiful City - Hall that is...

2008-09-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

As my lovely bride descended down the stairs floating in her custom gown by Amy Kuschel, one can not simply be awestruck by the beauty and elegance that is City Hall. It reminds me of Rome, and this bride was most certainly on a holiday. Sylvia and Michael surrounded themselves with their super fun friends and this party took off. The reception at the Green Room was a cocktail reception that included a floating buffet, mashed potatoes and short ribs being served in a martini glass by Living Room Events and a fabulous cigar/cognac bar. I designed lounge areas in different sections of the room and balcony, and guests mingled through the evening. Michael being from North Carolina greeted everyone with his southern charm and Sylvia's laughter filled the room. We customized all the details to be a reflection of Sylvia and Michael including yummy favors from Miette, the specialty Lavender Amour cocktail, and must have playlist CD's for guests to take home. One of my favorite things, I noticed the bride has the most amazing Giuseppe Zanotti shoes. I have noticed Jen Skog is using the picture of them on her blog.

Photography by Jen Skog

Catching up

2008-09-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

Well hello there. It has been a while since I have posted anything and i have tons to put up. This year has been a challenge for me personally and i am so grateful to my lovely brides and happy couples for giving me such happy moments to look forward to.

In May my father passed away from cancer. It has been very hard and it is still a tough subject for me, but all my couples, vendors and so many friends rallied around me that I always knew everything was ok. Even the week i didn't leave the couch. My first wedding back i do admit I had to step out of the room during the father daughter dance and regain control of myself, and actually i have found myself tearing up each time. I can not express how much of a moment that is.

My pop was the strongest man i have ever known, in so many ways, and even in his fight against the cancer that grew inside him. He went through his medical treatment at USC and loved the fact it was a teaching hospital, he would drill young doctor's as they came through their rounds " to help them, help me" he would say. In all of this i have decided to make some changes in my life and business.

Bella Notte will begin by donating a proceed of each years bookings to the American Cancer Society. I am planning on opening a second office location in Portland Oregon along with a retail location and will have specific products that will donate 50% or more of the proceeds to cancer research.

I would like to thank my couples who helped me through the spring and beginning of the wedding season, they are each amazing.
Heather and John, Natalie and Robert, Kate and Bill, Paul and Aileen, Eric and Jenny, I could not have come back to work with out such lovely people around me.

My heartfelt thank you's to my lovely vendors Nancy Liu Chin www.nancyliuchin.com, Lori Paladino at www.Loriphoto.com, www.Cityclubsf.com Natasha at www.waterlilypond.com
Jen at skogasinvogue.com, wmrphoto.com, parkavenuecatering.com, and many more your professionalism and patience made it "alright" for me to take a moment and I thank you with all of my heart. I truly felt our wonderful wedding community come together.

I am looking forward to putting up all these lovely weddings and catching up. There is a great deal to share!

Cheers
Cindy

High In the Clouds

2008-02-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

This private estate in the Napa hills has gone by a few names now, but is just as majestic as it has always been. For Jee and Paul getting 60 of their closest friends together from around the world to a home that sits high on a mountain in Napa was a dream come true. Living Room Events came up to cater this wonderful evening with all of Jee and Paul’s favorite foods. The flowers were amazing, elegant and contemporary just like my bride. The rain storm right before the wedding made for a nervous planner with me having my Plan B all set to go, we awoke on Saturday morning to find the skies cloudy, but clear and sunny, and we could see all the way to San Francisco from the house. One of my favorite moments was when my happy couple “cut the pie” yes, there was no cake to be had at this wedding, just home style pie, the grooms favorite.

BAWN 25th anniversary

2008-02-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

This was a fun party. The room looked amazing with wonderful linens and decor! We all made our own masks and sipped champagne all night. I danced the night away with pals Maria Chang, Jen Skog, and Linnae Asiel all wonderful pro's that i love to work with.

Gen Art Party

2008-02-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

The reason I haven't been writing as much as I had hoped during this down tme is due to so many parties. What a blast we have been having during this off season, and now I am redy to start again. I have an amazing wedding coming in March and the wedding season is officially ON! I can't wait for this year, with so many fun brides, great colors, and wonderful vendors i get to share the day with.

Cheers
Cindy

Black Is Back

2008-02-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

While black may be a timeless essential in every stylish wardrobe, it's now making a bold mark in the world of weddings.
Blame it on the runway - black was everywhere. Think moody, lustrous and devastatingly chic. Whether you choose to embrace a goth mood ( imagine romantic chandeliers and velvet linens, or a clean modern vision ( go for glossy finishes in simple lines)the effect will make a daringly dramatic statement. Recommended splashes of canary yellow, emerald green or plum pop with flare.

Dare to be different!

Simply Awesome

2007-12-07T09:36:00.001-08:00

Best Wedding First Dance Ever

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This is my kind of first dance!

Oops I did it again!

2007-12-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

My husband and I just celebrated our 5 year anniversary, so what better reason is there for a gal to pull out her precious wedding dress and run around town.
I love my wedding dress, I adored it, and it was pretty obvious when I squeezed myself into it, it was going to be a good day.

The story goes like this, 6 years ago while planning my wedding, my father, with every bill I handed him, kept repeating - "go to Vegas, I'll give you 5K". He was only partially kidding of course, maybe less so as the cost of the wedding grew and grew, but the idea always stayed in my head. I knew if I did Vegas, it would be in my own way, and nothing like the wedding I really dreamed of. So here we are 5 years later, a lot has happened in 5 years, we have really grown as a couple, our lives have changed in so many ways, we really wanted to recommit ourselves, renew the vows we took 5 years ago, and well... have another party! So I called my dad... the howling laughter on the other end of the phone when I casually asked if he wanted to host another reception, was deafening.
On to Plan B - Vegas baby! Ok I don't go to Vegas for the trendy new places that have popped up, I love Vegas for its cheesy grandeur, gambling, not on a diet atmosphere. In this spirit I called up The Little White Chapel, booked Elvis, a pink convertible Cadillac and through the tunnel of love we went. Elvis sang, "Can't help falling in love" (our first dance) and we danced again, this time me in a vintage 60's mini dress and a giant bouffant on my head. Elvis hung out with us for a couple hours actually and it was a blast cruising through the casino's playing poker and drinking champagne until 5 am. We woke the next day to find that yes we were in fact married again.
Only this time Elvis signed our marriage license.

We got back to the city and our wedding part 2 continued with Jennifer Skog photographer and friend taking our pictures around the city. When that dress zipped up I was a different girl, giddy all over again and I spent the afternoon twirling in my dress, loving that everywhere we went people were staring. We came in town downtown, and as the rush our commute began I proudly stood, poised in my dress, letting Jen snap away at me. Who says you only wear your dress once. I can only imagine how happy I'll be if it zips at our 10 year anniversary!

Fabulous Jewels!

2007-10-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

We have never been shy to show off our jewels and gems, so why not be bold at your wedding. There is nothing more I love to play with than bright colors and so far for this and next year the Jewels are winning! Bright Plum, Amethyst, Rubies, Emerald greens, and even Navy Sapphires! How do you balance you ask? Choose your pop colors and keep everything else clean. Its great to have fun with color but just keep it all in balance.

This was such a fun wedding; I had an absolute blast with Nazy & Sirous and all their friends. What a rowdy group! We took over the top floor at the Westin St. Francis and spent the night eating and dancing! Nazy said she wanted lots of color, Sirous said he wanted a party, like a nightclub - sleek and cool. What turned out was a lush, deep fuchsia room with gold accents and everyone partying the night away. Waterlily Pond created beautiful 'blossoming tree's" with orchids and hot pink peony's, the girls all had feathers in their bouquets, and yes the guys did as well on their boutonnière’s.

Towards the end of the evening as I looked around the room, I wondered if things could get any better, I remembered yes they could! And almost as if the crowed sensed what I was thinking, I was nearly barreled over as the mini cheeseburgers and fries came out, the pieste de resistance!

Kevin Chin Photography

That's entertainment!

2007-09-05T09:26:00.001-07:00

This year has been so exciting and I still have 3 month's of weddings to go! One big trend I have noticed this year is the addition of entertainment, not just the standard ol DJ or Band, but a little something extra. We all know the Bay area is rich in culture, so to celebrate it in your wedding is ideal.
Small performance interludes give your wedding that extra special wow, which is what I love. This year alone I have had the following performances:
Belly Dancers, Irish dancers, Lion Dance, Bag Piper, Flamenco performers, Mariachi's, and Fire dancers. I was also able to bring in a choir for a ceremony on a vineyard this summer for a couple who really wanted to feel like they were still in church, but over looking the vineyards.

Johnson-Perido Photography