Our friends Jim and Stephanie invited us “over for cocktails” last week, and it was just lovely! We all dressed up, joined in a zoom.com meeting (more of that later), and had our cocktails while catching up on things.
So… here are some of my favorite cocktails with recipes!
The Cosmopolitan:
INGREDIENTS
2 oz vodka, 1 oz cranberry juice cocktail, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, ¾ oz triple sec
Orange twist (for serving)
PREPARATION
Combine vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, and triple sec in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
Strain cocktail into a martini glass and garnish with the orange twist.
The Mojito:
INGREDIENTS:
10 fresh mint leaves; 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges; 2 tablespoons white sugar, or more to taste; 1 cup ice cubes 1 1/2 fl. oz white rum; 1/2 cup club soda
PREPARATION:
Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass. Crush the mint and lime with a muddler; add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and muddle again. Do not strain! Fill the glass nearly completely with ice. Pour the rum over the ice and fill up with club soda. Stir, taste, and adjust sugar if desired. Garnish with the last lime wedge.
And… my favorite: the Chi Chi
INGREDIENTS:
3 oz vodka, 4 oz pineapple juice, 2 oz cream of coconut (e.g. Coco Lopez), 1 tsp (or more) confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup crushed ice
Pineapple pieces and Maraschino cherries for garnish
PREPARATION:
Combine first five ingredients in a blender; process on high speed until combined, ca. 30 sec. Pour into chilled glasses, garnish with pineapple and cherry. Serve immediately.
Lastly, the meeting format! These days, it’s videoconferencing, and we used zoom.com – free for up to 45 minutes. Just have everyone sign up for it ahead of time, send a zoom link to your event in time to all your friends, and… oh, we forgot. Dress up. And the ladies: “doll up!” Stay tuned for that – the “Barbie Doll” makeup tutorial is in the works!!
The world around us has taken a long pause due to the Covid-19 virus pandemic, forcing most of us to shelter in place and practice social distancing. While the essential businesses are still operating, the wedding industry has literally stopped in its tracks. All events have been cancelled or postponed to the near… or the far future…? The couples who spent months navigating the wedding planning process are now facing a new set of challenges. All small business owners who cater to the wedding industry like photographers, florists, caterers, hair and make-up artists are without work for possibly months.
When the shelter-in-place order gets lifted, the return to normal life will likely be a multi-stage process, and eventually some gatherings will be allowed.
Below are a few ways how to make your wedding safer for you and your guests.
Keep it small.
Looking back at the last couple of months, events with over 50 attendees were the first to be cancelled, so it is likely that the return to normal will follow a similar path. Keeping your guest list small will likely help to “make it happen” as it will be safer for everyone – and as a side benefit in these uncertain times, it will be cheaper, too. I know, you tried to keep that guest list small from the beginning, but in the current situation I think everyone will be much more understanding.
Even without a pandemic, planning a destination wedding presents its own set of challenges – but risking to contract the virus on a plane or getting stuck somewhere en route is not fun at all.
Keep it outdoors.
The chance of catching a virus in an open space is much smaller than in an indoor space, so take advantage of the beauty of our nature and get married outside! Vineyards, parks, backyards, and beaches are all great options.
Streaming your event.
One of the ways to keep your most vulnerable guests safe is to live-stream your wedding.
It could be just the ceremony, or it could include more key events like your First Dance, Cake Cutting or speeches.
Hiring videographer to document your celebration is a great idea as well.
Avoid buffet or family-style served meals.
Having all guests use the same serving spoon is probably not the best idea in these times, so if you decide to have a buffet make sure that all food is served by catering staff.
Offer hand sanitizer and reusable face masks with fun designs to your guests.
I know that hand sanitizer is “worth its weight in gold” right now! Still, try to find it for your celebration. There are also a lot of cute face masks available these days; the skilled craftspeople making them would certainly be happy to help you.
We are sheltering in place to “flatten the curve” – but after a few months of confinement at home we will all go back to our “normal life,” whatever that means. It will certainly take time to recover and life might be different than before, but the world will start spinning again and people will start getting together again and celebrating. No matter how scary things are right now – the most important things are that we have our health and that the people we love are close. If this continues, then we are winning.
Here’s to International Relations! Bride and groom actually met while studying – you guessed it! – International Relations (plus an MBA on top of that…), and what they entered into was, in fact, a very international (and for the longest time, long-distance) relationship: Marcelo is originally from Argentina, studied in Philadelphia, where he met Katie, originally from the SF Bay Area – but she had lived in West Africa for four years for her work… in no time, the two bridged any international issues and became inseparable, albeit in separate locations; only a few months before their wedding, they actually, finally, were able to move into their first shared home.
Given that they both were living and working far apart and far away, Katie’s parents and family friend Alice stepped in to take the lead for a truly memorable, truly big (280 guests) and extremely elegant wedding celebration for their only daughter, and they brought my company, A Day Like No Other, on board to come up with ideas and make them a reality for that one glorious day in October when all our yearlong hard work came to fruition.
Katie and her bridesmaids got ready at the house of Katie’s parents.
Fiona Tsang of Urban Beauty Loft and her assistants worked their magic on the bride, bridesmaids and mothers, and photographer Taralynn Lawton (all photos in this feature are by her!) and videographer Jesse Eckel of Owl & Tree Films captured it all, including Katie’s diaphanous wedding dress…
… and all the pretty details.
And here is a timeless mother-and-daughter moment…
Florist Janelle Jacky-Litt of Green Petal Designs delivered Katie’s bridal bouquet and all other personal flowers (and then started floral installation for the festivities)…
Marcelo and his groomsmen were also dressing up…
With that, bride and groom were ready for their First Look at the Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose…
Isn’t it romantic?!
While bride and groom were busy taking many, many pre-ceremony photos, my team, multiple vendor crews and family friend Alice were hard at work (actually, everyone had started work in the early morning hours…) to transform the chosen venue – the Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club – for Katie’s and Marcelo’s ceremony and reception. Annette Boyd Kevranian of Method42 Productions and her crew were rigging suspended floral decor and string lights and installing draping; the venue team led by onsite manager Brittany Rieland set up tables, chairs and lounge furniture and set the dining tables; my assistants and I were setting up signage and completing table settings; and…
florist Janelle brought the beautiful parklike surroundings inside by adorning every easel, railing and surface with trailing vines, visually connecting the outdoor ceremony setting with the indoor spaces for the reception.
Golden October sun bathing the rolling hills of the PAHGGCA detail of the lush floral decor of the arch – a rich texture of hydrangeas, roses, dahlias, lilies and wildflowers, in shades ranging from ivory and blush pink to peach, mauve and wine red
Once the ceremony setup was in place, DJ Henry Kim of BIG FUN Disc Jockeys installed a sound system, and the Synchronicity String Quartet arrived to serenade the bridal party and the guests at the ceremony.
Hand fans doubled as ceremony programs…
… and soon enough guests were arriving (shuttled in style by Le Grande Affaire), and the ceremony began. Officiated by a longtime friend of the bride’s family, it was heartfelt and authentic – it does not get more personal than that!
The bridesmaids were wearing subtle shades of mauve and pale lavender, accentuated by their bouquets which picked up this color scheme and complemented it with deep burgundy, magenta and ivory.You may now kiss the bride!Just married!
The newlyweds had more photos to take…
… while their guests were treated to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the elegantly appointed patio.
Cozy lounge furniture and color-coordinated blankets beckoned; living green trees were literally bringing the gardens to the patio… and built-in heaters provided warmth against the late Fall evening chill. To keep guests well entertained, a photo booth by The Laugh Box provided unlimited fun!
Indoors, a guest book table was used to display a personal photo gallery…
… whose backdrop, a natural stone wall, was filled with flowers in every niche and “overgrown” by gracefully trailing vines – all the masterpiece of florist Janelle.
Then it was time for dinner! The dining room had been transformed into an indoor garden scenery with string lights, living trees, a giant floral arrangement suspended above the Head Table, stunning tall floral centerpieces, white-washed Chiavari chairs and elegant place settings.
Every guest table enjoyed a giant version of the bridal bouquet as its exquisite centerpieceMauve velvet napkins were adorned with simple green sprigs and a little wedding favor: a personalized wine cork to commemorate the occasion
Once all guests were seated, the new Mr. & Mrs. opened the lavish dinner buffet with their Grand Entrance.
Over dinner, Katie’s Dad surprised everyone with an outrageous performance:
He expertly “decapitated” a bottle of Champagne with a saber!
The two clearly enjoyed the evening! What else was there to do? Cutting the wedding cake (from Studio Cake)…
… and opening the dessert buffet of Argentinian cake specialties…
… and dancing, of course! DJ Henry Kim – who also served as our bilingual MC – kept the crowd going with the perfect mix of Argentinian tunes and international favorites.
The newlyweds’ First Dance…… was followed by a spectacular Father-Daughter Dance routine (which both of them clearly had sheer joy in performing!)
That opened the dance floor to all guests.
It truly was an “International Summit” and an epic party! Keep celebrating life and love on your shared journey, Katie and Marcelo!
Anna and Etan had chosen Thomas Fogarty Winery for their wedding – a spectacular venue with endless views over all of Silicon Valley right to the San Francisco skyline – and brought my company, A Day Like No Other, on board to plan everything else – from vendor sourcing to design, ceremony planning to wedding day schedule. Our many months of planning time literally flew by, and on the first weekend of September, Wedding Day was upon us.
Anna and her bridesmaids got ready at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto where Felicia Chang of Bun Bun Bridal Lab had set up a veritable beauty lounge.
The girls REALLY had fun together… see here!
Then it was time for the bride to transfer to her wedding venue in style – we had reserved a stretch limousine from Le Grande Affaire – and to get into her dress…
… a delicate, diaphanous, lace-encrusted stunner!
Matching the blue-and-silver color scheme, Anna had chosen shimmering silver wedding shoes. Here are the rings….
… and the beautiful bouquets for bride and bridesmaids (by Marie Krick of Laurel & Vine)..
And here is the happy bride…
Groom Etan was also getting ready…
… and he and his groomsmen were outfitted with boutonnieres matching the bridal flowers.
Officiant Chris Thielen (of Personal Weddings by Chris) and groom Etan were awaiting bride Anna as she was escorted in by her proud Dad.
The arch was decorated with ivory roses and baby-blue hydrangeas, and the aisle was covered with ivory rose petals (all floral decor by Marie Krick of Laurel & Vine).
After the ceremony, it was time for many, many photos of the couple and their friends and family members …
… photographer extraordinaire Danny Dong and videographer Martin Meyer (of martinFILMS) captured it all …
… while guests were enjoying cocktails and my team and the team of Toast Catering put finishing touches on the dinner setup (with chairs, linens and elegant tabletop items by Hensley Event Resources, design by A Day Like No Other).
It all turned out exactly as bride Anna had envisioned it – until the weather threw us a curveball: a freak storm forced us to move dinner inside, and the catering team, onsite coordinator Kaitlin Brinton, my assistants Chrissy Wolfman and Stephanie Hui and myself, and even our DJ scrambled to carry everything inside. Incredible but true: it was all done in a mere twenty minutes, and guests could sit down in warmth and comfort to a delicious meal by Toast Catering. The rest of the evening progressed smoothly, including cutting the breathtakingly elegant (and super delicious!) wedding cake (by Cake Coquette).
The remainder of the festivities was dedicated to dancing to the rousing tunes of DJ Woody Miraglia of BIG FUN Disc Jockeys …
… and the newlyweds just snuck out for a moment to take photos with sparklers, despite the howling storm…
A stunning vintage limousine (from Elegant Journey Limousine Service, chauffeured by owner George Rose himself) whisked the newlyweds away for their First Night.
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 passerbyAgain – 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!
… 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…
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…
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!
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 PhotographyPhoto: 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 PhotographyPhoto: Danny Dong PhotographyPhoto: 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!
Shanna and James are true Stanford fans – that’s where they spent their undergraduate studies, that’s where they met, and that’s where they got married, with Stanford colors, of course!
My company, A Day Like No Other, had the honor and the pleasure to organize the festivities.
For bride Shanna, the day started with hair and makeup services by team Skyla Arts…
… and then it was time to get into her big white wedding dress (dress no. 1, that is!)…
… with the help of bridesmaid Yoo-Yoo…
and to pick up her stunning bouquet in the Stanford “Cardinal” colors, courtesy of Floral Designs by Marnie…
… who provided the bridesmaids bouquets and boutonnieres (AND the centerpieces) as well.
Photographer Teresa Halton captured every precious moment – just wait until you see HER photos! (For the time being, all we have to offer are our wedding planner snapshots…)
Time to party – on the Stanford Campus, of course! Guests were heading over to Cocktail Hour at the Stanford Faculty Club…
… followed by a delicious buffet dinner inside the completely draped, festively transformed main dining room (draping and lighting by Impact Lighting).
Tables were set in all ivory with – you guessed it! – centerpieces in the couple’s trademark “Stanford Cardinal” red.
After dinner, there was a cake (by Susie’s Cakes) to cut (and an additional one by Satura Cakes to eat).
Both the newlyweds and their guests also lined up at Night Owl Photo Booth for lots of funny snapshots…
… and the real highlight of the evening was the couple’s astounding First Dance – an elaborate dance routine right out of “Dancing with the Stars!” Everyone agreed: these two CAN dance – like professionals!
The bride had changed into dress no. 2 – a lot easier for dancing – and that’s what the remainder of the evening was all about: dance, dance, dance! DJ Stefano of Big Fun Discjockeys got the crowd on the dance floor and kept the momentum going. What a party…
Dance on, Shanna and James… and our best wishes on your way!
Who says an Anniversary Party can never be as stunning as a wedding? Wrong!! Last year, my company, A Day Like No Other, had the honor and the joy to put together Joan’s and Jim’s very unusual wedding celebration – have a look here – and this year we were on board again for an equally unusual First Anniversary celebration, combined with a housewarming party! The couple had meanwhile bought and remodeled a beautiful house together – and the best of it: an incredible garden! What had been a drab backyard, became a lush oasis under Joan’s hands, with the expert help of her extraordinary landscape designer Sharon Finkle ….
Nearly exactly on the day of their anniversary, Joan and Jim opened the doors of their gorgeous new home to 120 friends…
With rental items and lighting from Stuart Event Rentals, elegant yet effortless-looking floral decor from Green Petal Designs that looked as if the flowers had just been cut from Joan’s garden (that’s how perfectly they fit!!)
… complete with a bar stocked with the couple’s favorite wines from local wineries, guests had the ultimate festive experience.
Jim’s son Andy, a professional DJ, put on the couple’s all-time musical favorites, and live painter Talia Koval painted the scene right then and there, to the delight of the guests who kept looking over her shoulder and admiring how the canvas was coming together right under their eyes!
If that hadn’t been enough – guests were also treated to professional portrait photography by Vanity Portrait Studio. Photographer Billy Cole was tirelessly at work staging his subjects and capturing their poses…
… so that everyone could take home their framed portrait as an extraordinary party favor.
And here is Billy’s official photo of our wonderful couple, Joan and Jim!
As darkness fell and the lights came on, the couple had yet one more task to perform: to ceremonially cut their cake – an exact replica of their wedding cake from a year ago…
… and that was also the official opening of the dessert buffet!
The last highlight of this memorable party was the unveiling of Talia’s painting – she had at the last moment added two tiny figures to the scene: Joan and Jim toasting their guests on the lawn. That way, Joan’s words: “Friends are the flowers in the garden of life,” will forever stay with us… Cheers!
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!
