Family Fun on the Ranch: Pam’s and John’s Wedding on Mt. Diablo

Posted on July 28, 2014 by jlammerts

After seven years together and a full year of planning and do-it-yourself projects, Pam’s and John’s dream finally came true: Wedding Day! I am so happy they allowed my company, A Day Like No Other, to accompany their journey from first ideas to ceremony and celebration, from preliminary sketches to planning memos and vendor sourcing to final timelines.

From our very first planning and brainstorming session on, one thing was clear: this wedding would be a big fun affair. Both Pam and John are fun-loving, quirky personalities who don’t care a bit for convention, but very much for their families – all just as upbeat and fun-loving as they themselves. There would be lots of kids in the wedding, and of course their own “baby” (or rather: fur baby) Cody. So what emerged was the idea of a carnival-themed wedding on a dog-friendly farm. Now, that’s definitely not your “run-of-the-mill wedding!” Far from it… what else? Lots of DIY projects – hand-crocheted boxes, centerpiece decor, and even little birdies for the wedding cake. Handmade paper flowers for the centerpieces. A color scheme of nostalgically muted, slightly faded pastel colors, mainly mint and peach and a dusty rose. And no conventional catering, please!

Look what we put together:

Our venue: Diablo Ranch, a working ranch at more than 1,000 ft of altitude high up on Mount Diablo in the San Francisco East Bay, with miles and miles of views…

… and a romantic farmhouse with a shady courtyard…

… and real farm animals…

… and a beautiful pool for poolside dining:

On wedding day, we were all tempted to jump in – with temperatures soaring to more than 100 degrees!

The bride (already in full hair and make-up by Nini’s Epiphany) and her bridesmaids were getting ready in a cool tack room…

showing off the dreamy bouquets by Green Petal Designs:

The groom and groomsmen dressed up as well:

The fantastic ranch team …

(and my assistant Angeliki and I) were all busy putting final touches on the setup. Arriving guests were greeted with beautiful Chinese hand fans (their wedding favors) – very much appreciated on this hot day!

Photos of the couple (and more yummy favors, little “honey bears” hand-filled by the bride) led the way…

… to the table assignment board – handmade by bride and groom:

Then it was time for the First Look:

… and bridal party photos (by Majesta Patterson),

The ceremony, officiated by Rev. John Sullivan ([email protected]), took place in a magical spot under an old gnarly tree, overlooking a valley…

… while I was taking care of fur baby Cody:

And here they are: Just married!

First one to congratulate his Mom – was Cody:

It was a glorious day for charming couples’ portraits and bridal party photos:

Time to party! With music by Love in the Mix, guests – young and old! – enjoyed real Carnival games by FunServices:

… and Photo Booth shots by Night Owl photo booth.

As promised, food and drink were “off the beaten path” as well: since “Life is short – eat dessert first!” guests (as well as the newlyweds, of course!) were first treated to yummy ice cream from the Garden Creamery ice cream truck!

And after that – the “Yummi BBQ” Chinese food truck served more substantial fare.

Dining tables by the pool were decorated with centerpieces (of course!) handmade by the bride: pastel-colored jars filled with paper flowers crafted from coffee filter paper… a true labor of love!

Everyone simply had a blast – kids and grown-ups alike! Everything was captured on video by Luke and Pamela Goodman – like the cutting of the cake (and cupcakes by Cupkates):

… the couple’s First Dance and the most glorious sunset ever – a fitting end to an unforgettable day!

Many happy, fun-filled years together, Pam and John – and our very best wishes!

And here is their wedding video – for the fun of it!

WEDDING: Pamela and John Short film at Diablo Ranch from Luke Goodman on Vimeo.

The Beauty of Art and Nature: Alan’s and Miles’ Wedding at the Monterey Aquarium

Posted on July 27, 2014 by jlammerts

This weekend, my company, A Day Like No Other, had the pleasure and the honor to coordinate a really extraordinary wedding – a wedding of two artists, in one of the most spectacular venues imaginable: the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And what a celebration that was!

It meant a lot to them, that’s for sure. Alan had admittedly nearly given up hopes to find his soul mate one day… but as we all know (or at least hope…) miracles still happen. And in this case, the miracle was Miles, and it was love at first sight. They complement each other perfectly. One is quirky and super-energetic, and the other is calm and keeps him grounded; and they deeply care about each other. After four years together, they were both sure that they were, indeed, meant for one another.

Alan and Miles, the grooms, are both incredibly creative (Alan is a graphic artist and designer, and Miles has a degree in Fine Arts), and so they wanted a visually compelling surrounding for their Great Day, AND they absolutely insisted on creating most of the decor themselves. Leave it to the artists!

They came up with a color scheme in hues of lavender and purple which they carried through from the bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen’s shirts and neckties and to the flowers – which Alan handcrafted himself! Each of them a little work of art – he made his own bouquet (a giant rose)

and a toss bouquet; bridesmaids’ bouquets with the most delicate “wax flowers”

and elegant boutonnieres

and a cake topper

and and…

Here is Alan with his “grooms maid” Lisa:

Hidden behind Lisa’s bouquet is her gift from the grooms: a golden filigree pendant in the shape of their initials, designed – of course! – by the grooms themselves for all members of their bridal party.

Which was as unusual as nearly everything about this wedding: defying any rules and traditions, the grooms had picked a “Best Woman” and a “Grooms Maid,” along with more traditional roles – and they had a super-cute ring bearer (dressed up in a miniature version of the grooms’ suits!) and flower girl:

Their ceremony under the “fish dome” was officiated by Miles’ Godmother Gail who has played an integral role in his life since his childhood – and so their ceremony was a deeply personal one.

When it came to the vows, Alan surprised Miles with something literally “unheard of:” he expressed his feelings in a song. In his beautiful, mellow, professionally trained tenor voice, he sang the lyrics to the melody of Eva Cassidy’s “Songbird:”

For you/the sun will be shining/’cause I feel that when I’m with you…

To you/I would give the world…

And I love you, I love you, I love you…

interspersed with everything else he wanted to say and promise to Miles. Needless to say, we all had moist eyes… So beautiful!

Just married!

The eighty guests – handpicked closest friends and family members, every single one a trusted companion in the grooms’ lives – formed a spontaneous receiving line after the ceremony – and then proceeded to a delicious dinner (by in-house 886 Catering) in front of the huge shark tank. A truly spectacular setting!

And more was to come – cutting the cake in front of the giant orange jellyfish exhibit…

…. and a traditional bouquet toss (equal opportunity for gals and guys, in this case!)

and a beautifully choreographed First Dance to the music of “A Thousand Years:”

After that, the dance floor was open to everyone, and DJ Collin from DNA Entertainment kept the crowd going!

Those who took a break from dancing had a chance to admire the gorgeous exhibits, from the puffins…

.. to the jellyfish:

…and there is also the “hanging overhead” version – artificial and very artistic:

All that beauty was captured in lasting memories – by Breeann Hollon Photography and by Alan’s nephew on video.

Before they left, guests signed a very unusual “guest book” (well, nothing was “usual” at this wedding!) – a double portrait of the couple, painted by Miles:

… and as wedding favors, they took home wood blocks, all designed and hand-made by Miles:

What an abundance of beauty, both from Art and from Nature – and what a deeply moving experience that celebration was for everyone attending, me included!

Many happy years together, Alan and Miles!

Chic in Teal, Cobalt and Hot Pink: Laura and Tyler’s Wedding

Posted on July 20, 2014 by jlammerts

After five years as a couple and another year of engagement (and wedding planning!), Laura’s and Tyler’s Great Day was finally drawing close, and I am so honored they chose my company, A Day Like No Other, to coordinate their wedding. To make it easy on their guests, many of whom had come from far (and a good number even from Europe) to share their joyful occasion, the couple opted for a hotel where everyone could simply stay and be pampered: the Marriott in San Mateo.

Laura had chosen a bold and striking color combination to go with her dramatic ivory-and-silver wedding dress: teal (for the bridesmaids’ dresses), hot pink (for the bouquets by Floravida)

and a dash of cobalt (chair sashes and napkins) to round it off.

For Laura, her four bridesmaids and the mothers, the day began with a beauty session in the two-story bridal suite with hair by Char Petersen ([email protected]) and makeup by Lanay, the Makeup Girl. Photographer James Everett and the Less Than Three Video Team captured the ladies getting ready – and then the bride was being helped into her voluminous dress.

Off to photos with bridesmaids …

… and the bride’s family – especially with the bride’s brother Lane who was also the officiant!

The groom and his groomsmen were meanwhile treated to a grooms’ party by the groom’s Dad …

… to make sure they wouldn’t try to get a peak at the bride, because… Laura absolutely did not want to be seen by Tyler before the ceremony! Everybody played along, and so the last moments before the ceremony became very emotional…

The ceremony took place in a courtyard with a beautiful gazebo, and the aisle decor matched the bride’s favorite colors perfectly:

Here they are, with Lane officiating (and doing a wonderful job with a deeply personal ceremony).

The day turned out to be perfect, summery, sunny under blue skies with a light (and sometimes stronger) breeze that blew away the petals on the aisle… and the bride and groom were all smiles! DJ Dan of Love in the Mix provided wedding music, Pachelbel’s traditional Canon in D followed by “A Thousand Years.” And everyone needed the tissues the bride wisely provided for the guests!

Just married…

Immediately following the ceremony, our photographer took a group shot of everyone attending the wedding – more than a hundred friends and family members!

While the couple had their traditional post-ceremony photos taken, guests enjoyed cocktails and snacks, followed by a lavish sit-down dinner in the elegant “Engage” ballroom.

Once guests were seated, the newlyweds were introduced …

… and enjoyed their (beautifully choreographed) First Dance:

Toasts and speeches punctuated a delicious meal, but Bride and Groom had one mandatory task waiting for them: cutting the cake (by Studio Cake):

(“T” for Tyler, “L” for Laura, and “C” for the initial of both their last names – isn’t that perfect?!)

Another highlight of the evening was a special surprise by the Mother of the Groom: a musical slide show to accompany the Mother-Son dance!

Then the dance floor was officially opened to everyone, kicking off a wild dance party! Guests just took a break for the bouquet toss and garter toss …

and then later on to enjoy a surprise sundae buffet.

In lieu of a conventional guest book, guests signed a matted and framed engagement photo of Laura and Tyler – ready-to-go artwork for their home and a forever-cherished keepsake for sure!

And here is why I love my job so much:

Many happy years together, Laura and Tyler, and our best wishes on your way!

Wedding Woof

Monthly Archives: July 2014

Family Fun on the Ranch: Pam’s and John’s Wedding on Mt. Diablo

The Beauty of Art and Nature: Alan’s and Miles’ Wedding at the Monterey Aquarium

Chic in Teal, Cobalt and Hot Pink: Laura and Tyler’s Wedding