Monthly Archives: March 2019

Suyao and Rui – a Glamorous Winter Wedding at Villa Montalvo

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Who says a winter wedding needs snow?! We are here to disprove this myth! Suyao and Rui …

The bride…
… the groom…

… and both of hem together!

… gave my company, A Day Like No Other, a mere three months of planning time – intense and exhilarating! – and that took us to December 15. Right in the middle of winter in California. Since they had chosen Villa Montalvo, a spectacular mansion and park on the SF Peninsula, there was no snow to be expected – possibly rain, though. BUT we made it through a glorious wedding day without rain, with sun and with lots and lots of great atmosphere. Have a look!

Villa Montalvo, surrounded by a huge manicured park

Busy as these two are (they met at a job interview – with Rui interviewing candidate Suyao – and now they are both working long, long hours at the same company!), we pulled everything together in a whirlwind, and in no time, Wedding Day was upon us.

Suyao and her bridesmaids had their hair and makeup expertly done by Tiffany of Design Her Image…

A beautiful bride is getting even more beautiful!

… and then the bride got into her dress …

… with the help of her bridesmaids.

All that she still needed were her bridal bouquet (from Green Petal Designs, like all floral decor throughout) and the rings…

Groom Rui and his groomsmen had been getting ready next door…

Looking good!!

… and so both bride and groom were ready for their “First Look” in the beautiful Italianate Garden of Villa Montalvo. Their photographers (Toanven Group) and videographers (Dreambook Productions) captured every precious moment.

And now… off to their wedding ceremony in the Oval Garden behind the mansion!

Everything was ready for them, with a beautiful swirl pattern of rose petals on the aisle.

Guests began arriving, greeted by a custom Welcome sign. The ceremony musicians (Amethyst Trio) began to play…

…the bridal party took their positions, the groom was waiting…

Here comes the bride, escorted by her Dad…

The ceremony was officiated by a longtime friend of the couple.

Just married!

Off to more photos!

Guests were meanwhile enjoying cocktails, and the teams of A Day Like No Other, of our caterer (Le Papillon) and our florist (Green Petal Designs) were hard at work to get everything lined up for dinner. Venue manager Caitlin Dieni supported us all throughout the day and evening.

Suyao and Rui presided from their extra-special Sweetheart Table:

Guests were dining from “Limoges” china and gilded flatware from Hensley Event Resources, and after dinner, they were treated to an extraordinary wedding cake (by Satura Cakes).

For this occasion, the bride had changed into a stunning short red dress that allowed for free movement – for their highly choreographed, perfect First Dance to music provided by Henry Kim of Big Fun Disc Jockeys.

With this, the dance floor was officially open for everyone, and the concluding part of the evening consisted of dancing, dancing and more dancing! The newlyweds stole away for a few nighttime photos…

There was, however, one more highlight to come: a festive Grand Send-Off to a stunning vintage limousine (by Elegant Journey).

A fitting start to their lifelong journey together, don’t you think? Our best wishes on your way, Suyao and Rui!

And HERE you can see it all live:

Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain: Christina and Cuyler

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Christina and Cuyler met at work – a full eleven years ago – as colleagues. Over the years, they became friends… and started dating… and then they realized that they wanted nothing more than to marry their best friend! For their wedding, they envisioned a Spring day at Thomas Fogarty Winery, perched high above Silicon Valley, with endless views… and so they started planning with me and my company, A Day Like No Other.

As we were getting closer to Wedding Day, the weather forecast turned gloomy, and unfortunately, this time the meteorologists were right. We were taking precautions: two dozen huge umbrellas for the couple, the bridal party and their guests were in place, and Christina and Cuyler took it all in stride!

For Christina and her bridesmaids, as well as for the Moms, the day began with hair and make-up services by Sarah Hyde of sHe artists – and all those pretty ladies emerged as stunning Hollywood-worthy beauties! Everyone looked their very best, carried herself with confidence and was just simply happy.

With that, Christina was ready to put on her gorgeous Hailey Paige wedding dress – a modern take on lace with a geometric pattern, a chic little shrug and a feminine tulle bow at the waist:

Florist Indelisa Montoro of Royal Bloom Boutique had delivered a vibrant bridal bouquet …

and matching bridesmaids’ bouquets, boutonnieres, ceremony decor and centerpieces – you’ll see! The winery was transformed into a summer garden…

Meanwhile, Cuyler had dressed up as well, and bride and groom were ready for their official “First Look:”

Photographer Janae Shields and her assistant took the couple around for photos. Meanwhile, a small army was hard at work to get everything ready in time for the celebration. Kaitlin Brinton, one of the venue managers at Fogarty, was our guardian angel throughout the day and the evening and supported us diligently behind the scenes. The Toast Catering team under leadership of My-Dung and Gio set up all tables and chairs, put on the table settings and got the kitchen and the bar going. Florist Indelisa installed an incredible arch seemingly overgrown by summer flowers. Ivy Hill Entertainment set up sound systems and provided a duo for ceremony music. Guests arrived via shuttle buses from Corinthian Ground Transportation. We were ready for the ceremony!

Here comes the bride …

The ceremony was officiated by a longtime friend of the couple’s, and it could not have been more personal!

The ceremony was short and sweet – and here they are, JUST MARRIED!

For Cocktail Hour, guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres paired with special wine selections – a really unique idea!

Meanwhile, my assistant Alexandra put the finishing touches on the elaborate setup of place cards and favors on the dining room tables …

Wine corks served as table card holders, and the color of a little flower on top of each cork was the indicator for each guest’s entree choice. So elegant!

Together with the subtly structured linens, silver-rimmed china and Indelisa’s gorgeous centerpieces, this setup was simply perfect. The Sweetheart Table got, of course, extra-special treatment!

BUT we have not yet introduced the unspoken star of this wedding: doggie Gigi! She lives with the bride’s sister but is truly the darling of the whole family – and became the darling of the whole wedding as she made her appearance, dressed up with a flower collar, and accompanied by her “Doggie Mom for the Day,” my assistant Melinda.

She is simply too cute for words! (And she has more Instagram followers than most people. Small wonder…)

After a delicious meal…

… the couple cut their cake, a classic white wedding cake by Studio Cake, adorned with flowers exactly matching the bridal bouquet.

After that, there was no holding back from dancing! Christina (a former competitive ballroom dancer) and Cuyler had practiced their elaborate, highly choreographed First Dance to a true classic, Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” sung live by Erin Honeywell, bandleader of “Family Funktion” (through Ivy Hill Entertainment).

Then there were the parent dances and just simple fun on the dance floor! These two were literally “singing and dancing in the rain.” Nothing could dampen their spirits! What a party that was…

Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together, rain or shine!