Laura, Adnan, Eliana & Adam – a celebration of their young family

Laura and Adnan are anything but conventional. First of all, they reversed the “normal” order of things: after welcoming their first child (baby Adam) together in Spring, they planned on getting married in late summer. And then their wedding celebration wouldn’t follow convention either. For them, it was much more about their growing family (Laura has a young daughter, Eliana, from her previous marriage) than only about the two of them. Since “family” to them is synonymous with “home,” their celebration would also take place exactly there: in the beautiful, green, secluded backyard of their home – as opposed to any commercial venue. O, did I forget to mention that guest entertainment would also not follow customary rules?!

Off we got to an exciting, out-of-the-box planning project, and here is what ultimately happened!

The couple decided to have their actual wedding ceremony separately, ten days before their summer party with friends and family, at the iconic SF City Hall. Call that an elopement of sorts! Photographer Sasha Yevelev captured their happiness with the glorious architecture as backdrop.

Just married!!

After their civil wedding, the two went on tour through San Francisco…

… and had strangers snap photos of their newlywed bliss!

Photographer – an unknown passerby
Again – photographer unknown!

An intimate dinner at their favorite Mediterranean restaurant and a “sleep-over” in an elegant hotel rounded out the “couple’s” part of their wedding festivities. Exactly ten days later, it was time for the “family” and “party” part, in the backyard of their home. Again, photographer Sasha Yevelev preserved it all for their family album – here: the official wedding photo!

There was a well-stocked bar (courtesy of Avocado Catering)…

… decorated with hanging glass orbs from florist Marie Krick of Laurel & Vine who provided all other floral arrangements as well.

There was colorful food in a fresh presentation by Avocado Catering…

… and there was a cake.

Cake cutting in this case was clearly a family project!

Guests were mingling in the sunshine…

… and got to witness “mini vows” of the already-newlyweds.

Then there was an ice cream cart by Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos

… attracting NOT only the youngsters! (Although, of course, the youngest guests got served first). Once everyone had gotten their ice cream taco, the next surprise was a real magician performance (by Magical Nathaniel).

After that, it was getting dark… time to dance! DJ Henry Kim of BIG FUN Disc Jockeys made sure that everyone was on the dance floor…

… under romantic string lights (by Stuart Event Rentals).

Quite a party! And most definitely a very personal, totally unique way for Laura and Adnan to start their shared life journey together with their kids. Our best wishes on your way! Keep dancing and celebrating…

Macy and Josh’s Great Day: Family & Friends at Fogarty Winery

When Macy and Josh contacted my company, A Day Like No Other, for help with their wedding planning, one thing was clear from the get-go: with their 70-hour work weeks, they would need help. A lot of help! So I had my work cut out for me. They had chosen a spectacular venue for their nuptials, Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside – an elegant setting surrounded by vineyards, high up on a mountain ridge, with endless views of Silicon Valley and on to the San Francisco skyline.

Their top priority for their wedding day was to spend quality time with their families and friends – the one most precious thing in their lives! Their celebration would be simple and elegant, and, above all, relaxed and comfortable for all their guests. No glitz, no frills. The many months we had for planning simply flew by, and Labor Day weekend – wedding weekend! – was suddenly upon us. On a beautiful, warm, sunny Saturday, under blue skies and a slight breeze, all our planning work finally came to fruition; have a look!

For Macy and her bridesmaids, the day began with hair and makeup services by Jira Couture, and then both the ladies and groom Josh and his groomsmen convened at Fogarty Winery. With a little help from her bridesmaids…

… Macy got into her showstopper backless lace dress…

… picked up her summery, feminine bridal bouquet in all purple hues (by Green Petal Designs who provided floral decor throughout)…

… and Josh also dressed up to the nines …

for the bride’s and groom’s First Look and many, many photos by Frank J. Lee.

They are such an attractive couple!

Soon enough, their guests began arriving (by shuttle from Destination Systems), and it was time for the ceremony.

Befitting the location, big wine barrels topped by lush flower arrangements marked the spot where the two were about to say their vows …

… accompanied by the sound of an acoustic guitar version of wedding classics, courtesy of Spanish guitarist Jay Alvarez.

The ceremony was officiated by a family member who had already married a good number of her relatives in years past – a natural choice for Macy and Josh!

Just married – a quiet moment …

After the ceremony, the couple had many more photos to take solo, with their families, and with their bridesmaids and groomsmen…

while their guests enjoyed Cocktail Hour on the open patio ….

Specialty tea containers did double duty as escort “cards” and as wedding favors

… and my team – assistants Stephanie and Melinda and myself – the Toast Catering team and florist Janelle all put the finishing touches on the dining setup in the Winery Pavilion.

For centerpieces, Macy and Josh had opted for elegant potted orchids which guests would take home and enjoy for a long time to come.

After dinner, another surprise was waiting for the guests: Tucker’s Ice Cream was serving delicious flavors from their nostalgic cart, emblazoned with the motto, “Life is Uncertain/Eat Dessert First!” (We couldn’t agree more…)

After that, there was no holding back – from dancing! DJ Woody Miraglia of BIG FUN Disc Jockeys got everyone on the dance floor in no time.

Photographer Frank snuck the newlyweds out for just one spectacular sunset shot – isn’t that a sight to behold?

Photo credit: Frank J. Lee Photography

It certainly was a great party for everyone.

Wishing you a lifetime of happiness, Macy and Josh!

The Ultimate Summer Wedding: L & J at Thomas Fogarty Winery

First of all, this couple and their families are VERY private – so all we are allowed is a little peek at all the beautiful details of this incredible wedding celebration. My company, A Day Like No Other, had the honor of supporting the Mother of the Bride in creating an epic summer wedding for the couple, and we literally planned and designed over the course of nearly a year. It all paid off on a warm and sunny Sunday in mid-August at Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside … have a look!

Photo: Danny Dong Photography
Photo: Danny Dong Photography

The bride and her bridesmaids started the day with hair and makeup services by Sarah Hyde, and the bride’s lush bouquet in vibrant summer colors (by Nancy Liu Chin Designs who created floral decor throughout) …

… and her Cinderella slippers…

Photo: Danny Dong Photography

… complemented her elegant lace wedding dress perfectly.

Photographer extraordinaire Danny Dong captured it all…

After the ceremony, guests were treated to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres by Global Gourmet Catering (who also provided dinner and desserts)

– and to dinner in an eye-catching set-up of bare wooden tables, crossback chairs, mixed in with round tables with linens – an evocation of the rustic elegance of Tuscany.

Photo: Danny Dong Photography
Photo: Danny Dong Photography
Photo: Danny Dong Photography

Of course, the Sweetheart Table received extra-special treatment!

… and we also had a cozy, quiet corner to take a little break from the festivities!

After dinner, everyone congregated on the dance floor – DJ Woody Miraglia of BIG FUN Disc Jockeys made sure that entertainment was a great success. In addition to that, bride, groom and all their guests had a blast taking silly pictures at Night Owl Photo Booth. Even such a memorable party has to come to an end… and guests were chauffeured home in comfort by Corinthian Ground Transportation. Everyone agreed – this was the ultimate summer wedding!

Mazel Tov to our wonderful, happy couple!