Tobi and Yasser – Nature and Elegance at Quail Lodge

Posted on September 2, 2015 by jlammerts

Tobi and Yasser were college sweethearts. They had met at UC Riverside early on – in their Freshman/Junior year, respectively – and became inseparable very soon. Despite their very different family backgrounds – Tobi is from a Korean-American family and Yasser from a Persian-American family – they found so much in common that there was never even a doubt that they would stay together. They were both family people, both love nature and animals. And wherever they were not already sharing the same interests and hobbies, chances were they would very soon! Yasser had always been big on playing sports, and soon enough Tobi picked up exercising as well – she would even begin her wedding day with a run! But more of that later…

One of the things they always shared was a love for the outdoors. Hiking, camping in Big Sur, and an engagement in the rain forest in Costa Rica – that way it was pretty clear that their wedding celebration would at least partly take place in beautiful nature. However, for that special day Tobi did not want “rustic” but “classy and elegant.” The solution? Quail Lodge in Carmel.

Set in the softly rolling hills of Carmel Valley as far as you can see, Quail Lodge has it all: a gorgeous outdoor ceremony site, elegant event space at the Clubhouse, and cozy accommodations at the Lodge. I knew it well, and I was overjoyed when Tobi and Yasser chose my company, A Day Like No Other, to plan, design and coordinate their Great Day.

For Tobi, wedding day began (AFTER her morning run!) with a hair and makeup session…

… in the bridal suite at Quail Lodge …

under the expert hands of Anna and Soyeoon from Wowpretty Salon. Next step (literally!) – get into her elaborate strapless Maggie Sottero wedding dress, with exquisite lace detailing and crystal embellishment…

Tobi’s bridesmaids, all in midnight blue crepe dresses, had quite some work to do lacing the bride up! Then: jewelry!

… crystal-embellished bridal shoes…

… and her bridal bouquet (from Janelle Jacky of Green Petal Designs, who created all the gorgeous floral decor throughout)

– and ready for First Look on the picturesque bridge at Quail Lodge!

While the couple had many, many photos and video footage taken (by Patrick Ang‘s photo and video crews), we were all busy getting the ceremony site at Quail Meadows set up for an outdoor Catholic Mass officiated by Tobi’s uncle.

A radiant and expectant bride was waiting upstairs in the “barn” (a rustic-elegant building at Quail Meadows)…

… until the great moment had come. The bride was preceded by her cute flower girl…

… and then her proud Dad escorted her all the way to the ceremony:

Isn’t that romantic? Her processional song, played by DJ John Gregoria of DNA Entertainment (who provided music throughout), was the Jurassic Park theme melody, and throughout the wedding mass, friends and relatives provided live music as well.

Cocktail Hour for the more than 170 guests was held on the patio of the Quail Clubhouse…

… with baby photos of the couple and other family photos for the guests to reminisce about, and with a photo booth (also from DNA Entertainment) which was a huge hit.

Guests looked up their seating assignment for dinner on an elaborate chalkboard chart by Ryanne Steele of Steele My Heart …

… and were then treated to a wonderful Persian wedding ceremony. Lili Ghazian of Aroosi had created an elegant sofreh-aghd (wedding spread) in the golden and blush pink colors of the wedding:

… and officiant Niloufar Nouri brought it all to life, walking the couple and the audience through the time-honored traditional ceremony step by step, explaining the symbolic meaning of all elements.

For example, the mothers rub sugar above their children’s heads to shower their marriage with sweetness.

The couple exchanged vows and rings once more…

It was very moving!

After that, everyone was ready for dinner…

…with tables set in midnight blue shimmering linens, ivory napkins and lots and lots of candle light in mercury glass and rose gold-colored votives…

The couple was presiding over it all from their sweetheart table…

Following dinner, bride and groom were planning to cut their cake from Patisserie Parker-Lusseau, but that’s not that easy for a Persian groom! First he had to negotiate for the cake knife with a succession of dancing ladies who were teasing him with a traditional knife dance…

during which he had to pay them off several times until he could finally snatch the knife from them!

Guests had the choice of dessert – wedding cake or mini red velvet Bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes with ice cream. And then everyone couldn’t wait to get up and start dancing!

Persian and American hits took turns and got the crowd going… and after a stop at the late-night snack bar, everyone was tired and happy, but nobody really wanted to go home. Everyone had such a good time!

And here is a little live preview of their wedding video:

tobi + yasser from Patrick Ang on Vimeo.

Many happy years together, Tobi and Yasser!

A French Princess at the Julia Morgan Ballroom

Posted on August 16, 2015 by jlammerts

All the brides for whom my company, A Day Like No Other, is planning a wedding, are a princess for the day. But none of my brides had so far taken this idea so verbatim – until Tanya requested a “French Princess” theme for her wedding! So together we set out to find the perfect “castle” for her and her Prince Charming (aka Dan) to celebrate with their 200 or more guests.

Tanya and Dan

We found our castle in the storied Merchants’ Exchange Building in San Francisco’s Financial District: the elegant Julia Morgan Ballroom. The bride chose coral and lavender for her wedding colors, plus a lot of sparkle and candlelight. So we began designing to make this vision come true. A full 15 months later, the Great Day had finally come.

Tanya got ready in the nearby Omni Hotel under the expert hands of hair and makeup artist Sunshine from Wowpretty Salon.

The princess wore a gorgeous wedding dress with a shirred bodice, crystal-encrusted belt and full skirt with layers and layers of tulle and a train:

… and she carried a romantic bouquet in ivory, coral and lavender tones by Deidre Rastelli of Tutti Fiori…

The First Look took place on the dramatic sweeping staircase in the lobby of the Omni Hotel…

…. followed by more photos:

And then it was time for Church! The couple had their ceremony at Old St. Mary’s Church just a block up from the hotel…

… and here comes the bride!

Meanwhile, the Day Like No Other team (my assistants Angeliki and Quan and myself) spread out – Church, photo session, reception venue – to get all the family photos done and everything ready in time for the arrival of the guests at the Julia Morgan Ballroom.

First off: photo galleries of the couple…

and then – escort cards, custom-designed, custom-made and hand-calligraphed on silver and lavender card stock, outfitted with an organza bow, and each of them sitting atop a wedding favor box (bottle stoppers with a heart motif) – one of my bigger projects, but certainly very princess-like!

For the dining room design, we chose lavender uplighting and lavender napkin bands with crystal-encrusted buckles (my second-biggest production here…), and together with the centerpieces from Tutti Fiori and lots of mirrors and candle light, it all came together to one unified design scheme:

“Prince” and “Princess” had their own sweetheart table…

During dinner (and throughout the evening), guests were entertained by Woody Miraglia and Andrew Tran from Big Fun DJs, and as dusk fell, Monique Albert’s beautiful lavender uplights (from Just De’Lights) imparted a beautiful ambiance on the grand ballroom.

Throughout the evening, guests were also having fun with a DIY photo booth and – the great hit of the day – with having their portraits done by caricature artist Michael Rosenthal of Caricatures 4 Every Event …

… while the little guests had fun in the game room with babysitter Claire Schimaneck.

What else? Cake cutting, of course! And with Dan being a physician and Tanya a nurse, they cut the cake with scalpels, to the amusement of all their guests… it actually works! Underneath the beautiful modern cake design by Jasmine Rae Cakes a rich chocolate-and-raspberry cake as well as a creamy vanilla cake were waiting…

Then came the bouquet toss and the garter toss – oops, no! No garter… a stethoscope toss! (More merriment from the guests!)

Following the cake dessert, the couple enjoyed their First Dance to the tune of “Lucky:”

And then bride, groom and their attendants treated their guests to a special performance “Gangnam style:”

That set off a truly wild dance party for everyone…

… and last but not least, at the end of the night the guests sent Tanya and Dan off to their married bliss with a sparkler farewell; a glorious fireworks worthy of any princely couple!

Every single moment was captured by photographer Lisha Wang (just wait until you see HER photos!) and videographer Gusto Lopez of The Life In Digital – for lasting memories of a truly unforgettable day.

Many happy years together, Tanya and Dan!

A Snapshot of the Fanfare Summer Show

Posted on August 14, 2015 by jlammerts

“Plan Your Dream Wedding In One Elegant Evening!” – the motto of the Fanfare Weddings summer show 2015 – is that possible?

Well… in fact, it is! Fanfare Weddings is a group of SF Bay Area luxury wedding vendors, one of each category (my business, A Day Like No Other, being the wedding planner), who put on a super-elegant wedding fair twice a year – at an equally elegant wedding venue, historic Kohl Mansion in Burlingame.

So… what do we need for a spectacular wedding, in addition to a stunning venue?

Let’s start with the planner, from Day 1! (Okay, I admit it – I’m somewhat biased…)

And then: Great food …. check! Guests were treated to a delicious sampling from La Bocca Fina Fine Catering,

accompanied by wines from Mills Wine Group …… and followed by super-fresh cake bites by Have Your Cake …

… with fantastic coffee choices from Travelin’Joe Espresso Bar.

All that to be enjoyed at a gorgeous table set by Classic Party Rentals in silver and eggplant colors,

… and topped by elegant floral arrangements from Plan Decor (who supplied all floral decor throughout).

… and beautiful lighting and draperies were provided by Enhanced Lighting and Sound for the perfect, festive ambiance.

What else do we need?

An officiant, of course – that’s why we have Minister Maggie Beretz in our group who specializes in highly personalized ceremonies. And of course the bride needs THE DRESS!

She’ll find an Haute Couture collection of wedding dresses at Nouvelle Vogue…

and she and her bridesmaids need hair and makeup services, expertly provided by Miabel.

And music! And there was a lot to choose from…

Brassworks Music and Gabriel’s Trumpets for the royal announcement and entrance;

Aria Bella and Premiere Harp Songs as the ne-plus-ultra for the ceremony,

and Big Fun DJs for the dancing part of the evening. All of these artists performed a selection of their repertoire – a whole show in by itself! Speaking of which… dance instruction for a choreographed First Dance? Check! “On the Dance Floor with Cynthia Glinka” was one of the performance highlights of the show.

And then there are all the extras and the details. Hyegraph for invitations and calligraphy;

Wedding bands from Padis Jewelers – a guest at the Faire –

and a custom perfume bar for the bachelorette party from Perfume Bar Soiree…

stylish dresses for the mothers by Siri…

and a wedding registry – courtesy of Bloomingdale’s.

For guest accommodations, there was the SF Airport Marriott Waterfront Hotel, and CatalystArts, another “Friend of Fanfare” provided guest entertainment: a whimsical photo booth in a vintage Airstream Trailer!

Not to forget, of course, a great photographer (Teresa Halton) and videographer (Thomas Hughes Films) for lasting memories of an unforgettable day!

Now, do you believe me that it is, in fact, possible to book your whole wedding in one elegant evening?! Happy planning – with Fanfare!

Asian Elegance: Elaine and Danny at Hakone Gardens

Posted on August 10, 2015 by jlammerts

Elaine and Danny met in College. And then they took their time… more than a decade, actually! When they finally took “the plunge,” they wanted to make it a very special celebration. And for that they found a gem of a wedding venue literally in their backyard. A mere twenty minutes away from their home, there is a magical century-old park – Hakone Gardens, one of the oldest Japanese Gardens in the Western Hemisphere, 18 acres of magnificent Japanese horticulture and historic architecture. I feel so honored that they chose my company, A Day Like No Other, to help them plan and design their beautiful celebration.

A heavy wooden gate opens to reveal all that beauty…

which is open for private events like this elegant garden wedding.

After having her hair and makeup expertly done by Tiffany Chiang of Design Her Image, the bride got into her crystal-encrusted wedding dress…

… and for her own romantic bouquet as well as the braidesmaids’ bouquet, she had turned to Ingela Floral Design:

At “First Look,” she moved her husband-to-be to tears! Here they are:

While Elaine and Danny were having their pre-ceremony photos taken by Ano and Hagop of Hagop’s Photography (wait until you see THEIR photos!!), guests were greeted at the traditional welcome table…

… and then seated for the ceremony with classical guitarist Julio Reyes providing a beautiful musical background.

Officiant Carolyn Selic of Mixed Blessings is awaiting the couple… and here comes the Bride!

Just married!

While guests were exploring the beautiful gardens, enjoying Champagne and nibbling delicious little bites from Eisenhauer Catering, and while the couple had even more photos taken…

… my assistant Quan and I were super busy getting everything set up and ready for the reception on the “Madrone Mound,” surrounded by mature trees and bamboo hedges and by the authentic Japanese buildings on site (all exact replicas of historic architecture):

Centerpieces in peach tones by A Day Like No Other and an escort card set-up…

… and a cake by Euro Delights Bakery:

The newlyweds got their own special table, of course:

In lieu of a dance floor, bride and groom had requested a children’s play area right in the middle of the dinner tables, and surprise performances by the bride’s sister and brother-in-law and a funny slide show made the celebration very personal.

As dusk fell, the overhead string lights by Bay Area Event Lights gave the scene a magical glow…

… and at the end of the evening, guests lined up with myriads of glow sticks to send the newlyweds off to their married bliss.

Many happy years together, Elaine and Danny, and our best wishes on your way!

Timeless Elegance in San Francisco – Liz’ and Tom’s Dream Wedding

Posted on June 14, 2015 by jlammerts

After a full eight years of courtship, Liz and Tom were ready to tie the knot – together with their extended families and many, many friends from all over the country. That made for a big wedding celebration – a guest list of 180, no less… and both Bride and Groom felt strongly that this celebration should mark the occasion in high style. Timeless elegance, no frills – those were my “marching orders” when the couple, together with the Mother of the Bride, enlisted my company, “A Day Like No Other” to help plan and design their wedding.

A few elements were already in place: the ceremony would be held at historic St. Patrick’s Church in downtown San Francisco – one of the oldest churches in town, and a very beautiful one at that. A reception would follow at the equally storied City Club of San Francisco, housed in a former Stock Exchange building, with an Art Deco interior, gold-leaf ceilings and murals by none less than Diego Rivera. It doesn’t get much more elegant than that!

The bride and her bridesmaids would get ready at the Bridal Suite in the nearby Marriott Marquis Hotel, actually next door to the church, with absolutely stunning views of the City and the San Francisco Bay:

Make-up artist Jessica Morton of Miabel Artistry and her assistant took care of the Bride:

while gowns were steamed and finishing touches applied…

The bride wore a couture gown by designer Trish Lee, and for the bridesmaids’ dresses, we had come up with midnight blue as the color of choice (the lighter blue dress is the stylish dress of the Mother of the Bride) as an attractive backdrop to bouquets in ivory and blush pink by Melissa Comito-Aakre of A Simple Ceremony:

The Bride would be all ivory, from her stunning lace dress …

to her princess heels …

And here she is, with the City at her feet! (And with photographer Elisabeth Millay capturing all those precious moments throughout the day).

Finally, the great moment had come to walk over to Church with her bridesmaids –

unseen by the Groom whom my trusted Senior Assistant Angeliki Menig had already whisked away together with his groomsmen.

The service at St. Patrick’s was truly moving and very personal, with readings by relatives – and even the cantor was a dear friend of the couple, soprano Liz Goedecke, whose beautiful voice soared and filled the nave.

Just married!

And here is our radiant, oh-so-happy, beautiful bride:

Aren’t they a stunning couple?

Time for the “Day Like No Other” team (enforced by trainee Quan Wu) to rush to the City Club, while Liz and Tom were already there on the rooftop for more photos – the view is just incredible up there!

We three hurried to get everything prepared for the reception, together with the incredible City Club crew. Tables were set with ivory linens from Napa Valley Linens, centerpieces by A Simple Ceremony and favors (quintessential San Francisco chocolates – Ghirardelli! – in embellished organza bags) handmade by the couple. Napkins were midnight blue like the bridesmaids’ dresses and favor bags and embellished with a profusion of (faux…) pearls.

Tables were not only numbered, but also named for the many places meaningful to the couple, from Denver to Dubrovnik… so many personal touches!

Bride and Groom presided over an enormous Head Table but barely took the time to grab a bite themselves – so many friends and relatives to greet!

And there were gorgeous flowers and candlelight everywhere:

What else? Fabulous food and drink (of course!)

and music – a lot of it! Tom, the Groom, had booked the KJ Allstars, a 7-piece band who kept the party going…

… and who accompanied the newlyweds’ First Dance.

And with that the dance floor was officially opened. Guests barely took a little break to watch the cutting of the gorgeous signature Wedding Cake (from Chef Bala of The Cakemaker), clad in ivory folds of the same pattern as the linens (!)

and of the Groom’s Cake (from SusieCakes) showing the logo of Northwestern University where the couple first met eight years ago.

And yes, of course, for watching the bouquet toss! The Night Owl Photo Booth was a huge hit – as was the stylish Cigar Lounge. And even more dancing to follow – until it was time to say goodbye and send the radiant couple on their way. Guests lined up by the front door and waved hundreds of sparklers, as Liz and Tom boarded a breathtaking silver 1947 Rolls Royce limousine by a private collector.

Our best wishes on your way, and many happy years together!

City Lights at the Four Seasons San Francisco – a Styled Shoot

Posted on May 31, 2015 by jlammerts

Where to start? When my longtime collaborator and friend, photographer Shhivika Chauhan, called and suggested to do a super-elegant styled shoot together, I was immediately on board – City Lights in San Francisco, at dusk! The Four Seasons Hotel in the heart of downtown SF invited us and offered us the Presidential Suite for our shoot – and we were overjoyed. It doesn’t get any more elegant and urbane than that!

We jumped into planning mode. We’d present a gay couple. We’d present the Pantone Color of the Year – “Marsala” – as an accent in an otherwise cool and masculine design scheme. Shhivika found the couple, I found the rentals (from Classic Party Rentals and Stuart Rentals) and decor items. Janelle Jacky, one of our favorite florists, promised the flowers, sculptural, geometric and un-frilly as dreamt up by us. Kathleen DeManti of Spoonful of Sugar provided the very unusual wedding cake that we envisioned. Bella Figura created the invitations, Selix provided the attire, Nicole Perez was our make-up artist extraordinaire. David Robinson, Meg Paynor and their Four Seasons team made sure we had absolutely everything we needed, and more. And here we go!

Getting ready

The rings, custom-made for this occasion by Vittoria d’Aste-Surcouf of VAS Bijoux:

…and the boutonieres:

… and shoes – with the City as backdrop:

Done!

The two have definitely earned a glass of champagne now…

Cheers!

Time to sit down at their “cool” sweetheart table –

Structured platinum grey linens provided an elegant and understated backdrop for sculptural dark red Amaryllis blooms in a geometric arrangement, red cut-crystal goblets, red candles in silver candelabras…

… and sleek white-and-platinum place settings.

The two liked it!

After dinner, they tackled the cake table:

…with City lights coming on as night was falling.

They took a stroll to explore their beautiful venue:

… and found the Grand Piano, one of their many shared passions…

Then they ventured outside…

… for an intimate nighttime walk …

… and back home.

Thank you so much to our couple – you were fantastic models!

Hotel – Presidential Suite at Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco / Model Couple – Brad And Tom / Hair And Make-Up – Nicole Perez / Wedding Props – Everything But The Wedding Dress / Calligraphy – Sarah Hanna / Custom Diamond Wedding Rings – VAS BIJOUX / Dessert – A Spoonful Of Sugar / Event Design Rentals – Classic Party Rentals / Grooms’ Attire – Selix Formalwear / Invitations – Bella Figura / Floral Designer – Janelle Jacky / Event Planning & Design – Jutta Lammerts at Day Like No Other / Photographer – SHHIVIKA CHAUHAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Urban Chic and Elegance at the Four Seasons, SF

Posted on May 31, 2015 by jlammerts

We have a special treat to share with you all today in the form of this elegant styled shoot at the Four Seasons, San Francisco, just published on myhotelwedding.com. It’s a collaboration between my company, A Day Like No Other (styling and planning), and my photographer friend Shhivika Chauhan, and it’s chock full of red wedding inspiration and also ideas for those looking for an intimate yet stylish celebration. We wanted to create a visual inspiration for a same sex wedding that was equal part elegance and creative. And, we wanted to create a few inspirational looks for any same sex couple looking for gorgeous ideas for their own intimate wedding.

The shoot focuses on two grooms, Brad and Tom (also a couple in real life!), and takes place in the Presidential Suite of the Four Seasons overlooking the twinkling city lights of San Francisco. We hope you like the cool, chic city style and the sweet intimacy of the celebration. Truly the perfect combination!

red wedding inspiration

Timeless Elegance and Luxury: A Stylized Wedding Shoot at the Westin St. Francis

Posted on May 19, 2015 by jlammerts

Both my friend, photographer Shhivika Chauhan, and myself cannot sit still. Ever. We both always have ideas… so during the short “lull” in wedding season – between December and January – Shhivika suggested we do a Styled Shoot together – A Day Like No Otherand Shhivika Chauhan. Theme: timeless high elegance and City lights at dusk. Great! I love high elegance. I love the City. And I love the Westin St. Francis. We were so lucky that Catering Director Lauren Schardt invited us to the gorgeous Alexandra’s Ballroom on the Imperial (32nd) Floor high above the lights of the City. So I set out planning and designing… And here is the result (published today on The Black Tie Bride blog). Hope you love it!

Let’s start with a dress fit for a princess…

… and a bouquet to match…

… as well as an Art Deco diamond and platinum bracelet and a South Sea pearl necklace.

Custom-made wedding bands…

… and timelessly elegant, luxurious invitations.

A stunning altar piece with matching aisle decor …

.. and a gilded harp to serenade the couple.

China, flatware, glassware and linens were chosen to complement the blues and golds in the ballroom decor…

… and a glorious, towering centerpiece of orchids, roses and hydrangeas anchored the look of the sweetheart table.

Elegant bride and dapper groom:

And here – comes the bride!

Just married!!

After that, it was time for THE CAKE! For that, the bride changed into a more modern, yet equally stunning dress, complemented by an antique brooch worn as a hairpiece:

For me, the dessert table was sheer designer bliss and fun…

Thanks to all who collaborated with us and made it happen!

The Art of Lighting – WIPA at the Omni SF

Posted on May 18, 2015 by jlammerts

In my capacity as the Regional Director of Events for Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA), it is my honor and my pleasure to create four festive events per year. After all, my business, A Day Like No Other, is all about wedding and event planning and design! Our meetings are always elegant luncheons with a speaker presentation, beautiful decor and a “WOW!” factor for our members and not-yet-members alike. And this time, we had more than just one WOW factor!

But I am definitely getting ahead of myself. This time, on May 12, it was the venerable Omni Hotel in San Francisco’s Financial District, that played host to our meeting. Our videographer, Spencer Sarson Visuals, prepared a little preview for you to enjoy:

Originally built as a bank, it exudes the grandeur of a bygone era…

… with a grand lobby, rich textiles, gilded crystal chandeliers… and a newly renovated ballroom. This ballroom actually became the “playground” for our speaker, Kim Martin of Impact Lighting – a live lab of lighting options.

The festivities began with registration…

… and Cocktail Hour …

… and that’s where the “WOW!” surprises for our guests started. Our photographer, Loic Nicolas of Loic Nicolas Photography (who also provided the whole photo coverage, thanks to the help of Colson Griffith Photography) had brought a demonstration of his new 3D wedding photography technology…

… and obviously, guests are STUNNED by the possibilities!

As you see – WIPA events are always a lot of fun!

But, as promised, that was just the beginning. In accordance with the elegant new “Great Gatsby” style decor of the Omni’s function rooms, Magnolia Jazz provided music fitting to Great Gatsby times:

And if that hadn’t already been enough to transport guests into celebration mode, the strolling “Champagne Skirt” by CatalystArts definitely did exactly that:

Mimosas, anyone?!

Then it was time to sit down for lunch…

… at tables decked out in elegant blue-and-gold linens by Classic Party Rentals and centerpieces by Ha Rue Designs (who provided all other floral decor as well) …

… and the speaker presentation. Lighting designer Kim Martin…

… relied on the power of “Show, not tell” and transformed the Omni ballroom by ever-changing lighting combinations:

That does deserve the title “WOW!”, right?! And Spencer Sarson Visuals videotaped it all so all WIPA members can watch this fabulous presentation again.

After lunch, the party was far from over, because – given that we are here all “wedding people” – one highlight was still to come: THE CAKE! And here is that piece of edible art by Maralyn Tabatsky of Have Your Cake:

Oh-so-beautiful outside, and oh-so-yummy inside:

And did people have a good time? Have a look yourself:

I’d say YES! Hoping to see you at our next event: September 1st, at the Argonaut Hotel San Francisco!

Whirlwind Planning for a Beautiful Wedding: Catherine and Jithun

Posted on April 18, 2015 by jlammerts

Last December, Catherine and Jithun enlisted my company, A Day Like No Other, to help them plan their wedding in August of this year, complete with traditional elements from Jithun’s native India – a Sangeet (dance party) a day before, for example… and of course a big Western style wedding. The even bigger Indian wedding would then follow shortly after, organized and hosted by the groom’s family in India. We were already right in the middle of all this planning … when the unexpected happened. A serious illness in the family forced Catherine and Jithun to move their wedding date up: to the following Sunday! Suddenly, we did not have another four months for planning, but a mere four DAYS.

Definitely a challenge! And definitely time to call in favors within my network of fantastic vendors – many of whom have become my friends over the years. I started making phone calls, and what happened was nothing short of a little miracle- everyone was immediately on board, and everyone agreed: we will make sure that these two wonderful young people will get more than an “emergency affair.” No, we would give them a joyful, memorable wedding celebration with all the bells and whistles we’d be able to muster!

First order of the day: find a new venue! On our first day of emergency planning, I received three offers, and Catherine chose the elegant Casa Madrona Hotel in Sausalito …

… just across the Golden Gate Bridge …

… and overlooking the San Francisco Bay and the Sausalito Yacht Harbor:

Catering would be provided by Poggio Trattoria next door – they cater all of Casa Madrona’s special events, and their food is simply stellar.

Catherine’s childhood Rabbi made himself available for an evening wedding ceremony, and florist Deidre Rastelli of Tutti Fiori provided a beautiful antique chuppah which she decorated over and over with the flowers of the bride’s choice.

And of course she made a bridal bouquet exactly as Catherine had envisioned it, in a saturated maroon color (her second accent color, together with an aquamarine blue). And boutonnieres. And bridesmaids’ bouquets. And centerpieces. Everything!

Jira of Wowpretty Salon sent two senior stylists…

and a wedding dress (the original one won’t get ready until May…) and pretty sandals were rush-ordered; the bride would wear her own stunning aquamarine jewelry… here we go! Catherine, more beautiful and radiant than ever…

And what a dapper groom she has!

My assistant Kelsey jumped in at the last minute and accompanied bride and groom and their families and guests throughout the day, from setup and hair/makeup session to ceremony, dinner and dancing – and provided our first photos of the day, until we get all the “real” ones from our photographer, Shhivika Chauhan. (We got a few from her already as a little preview – you see how fantastic they are!). Shhivika was already booked by another couple until early afternoon of that same day, but for her there was no question whatsoever: she headed over directly from her morning job to shoot Catherine’s wedding!

The Casa Madrona staff under the guidance of catering manager Stacey Turner did a beautiful job setting up the ceremony with a view of the yacht harbor, with the chuppah outside and the guest seating sheltered, inside.

Cellist Suellen Primost gathered her Espiritu Ensemble for elegant ceremony music, and then the great moment had come…

Thomas Hughes Films live-streamed the ceremony for all those who hadn’t been able to attend at such short notice (and of course, they covered the festivities following the ceremony as well…)

Just married!

Aren’t they a handsome couple?!

Cocktails were served on the adjacent patio, with guests watching the golden light of the sunset.

Meanwhile, my assistant Kelsey, catering manager Stacey and her team set up the dining room…

complete with Catherine’s dream cake by Cake Coquette and favor boxes with French macarons from Chantal Guillon, all in her favorite wedding colors!

DJ Paul Burchfield of BigFunDJs got his equipment ready first for soft background music during dinner and then exuberant dance music, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Bollywood hits (yes!) and, of course, the Hora Dance:

It was a magical night…

Thank you to all who made it possible, and congratulations and many happy years together to Catherine and Jithun!

Wedding Woof

Category Archives: Photo and Video

Tobi and Yasser – Nature and Elegance at Quail Lodge

A French Princess at the Julia Morgan Ballroom

A Snapshot of the Fanfare Summer Show

Asian Elegance: Elaine and Danny at Hakone Gardens

Timeless Elegance in San Francisco – Liz’ and Tom’s Dream Wedding

City Lights at the Four Seasons San Francisco – a Styled Shoot

Urban Chic and Elegance at the Four Seasons, SF

Timeless Elegance and Luxury: A Stylized Wedding Shoot at the Westin St. Francis

The Art of Lighting – WIPA at the Omni SF

Whirlwind Planning for a Beautiful Wedding: Catherine and Jithun