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 (charhdof@yahoo.com) 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!

A Gala Evening to Remember: French-American Business Awards

Posted on June 5, 2014 by jlammerts

The San Francisco Bay Area is a veritable melting pot of cultures, and so it’s not surprising that businesses here have their roots in many different countries. One example is the French-American community, spread out from the Wine Country to the City and further south, with its own support system: the French-American Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco, FACCSF. In an effort to further encourage this already thriving and vibrant business community, FACCSF created a business award to honor outstanding local French-American businesses in various categories. The first such award ceremony was planned to take place in 2014, and of course this occasion called for a polished event. FACCSF turned to my event planning business, A Day Like No Other, to make that happen. Truly an honor!

Yes, and a challenge … I always love a good challenge! Why that was? As a non-profit organization, FACCSF devotes all its funds to the community it supports, so events like our awards night need a lot of sponsors. What to do? 1.) Ask friends and colleagues in the event planner community for their assistance, and 2.) replace funds with creativity! Now have a look how it turned out last night!

We chose a historic landmark as our venue, the General’s Residence at Fort Mason. Not only is it an ornately decorated mansion…

… it also has unsurpassed views of the San Francisco Bay right across to Alcatraz.

But of course we didn’t stop there! We added “son et lumiere” (sound and light), food and wine, flowers and other decor to make it an elegant party to remember.

My friend Dan Rosenbach of Love in the Mix provided both background music and lighting…

… while Mega Event Production provided the stage and dining room A/V and lighting.

Arriving guests were greeted with the quintessential French welcome drink: a glass of champagne…

… accompanied by delicacies from Michi’s – my friend Mr. Shin had brought his famous sushi bar where guests enjoyed his creative Asian-Fusion cuisine, freshly prepared to order.

And here we are all together (Mr. Shin formally invited me to be a member of the Michi family!):

Following the initial Cocktail Hour, guests were invited into the festively decorated dining room where tables glistened with silver-rimmed plates on silver-toned chargers, glasses and silverware (all sponsored by my dear friend Mike Seramin of Abbey Party Rentals)…

and elegant centerpieces by another friend of mine, Annette Shulman of Petals Flower Studio, anchored the tablescape amidst a profusion of votive candles and matching shimmering glass gems.

What followed was a delicious dinner, a “joint venture” of my friends Maureen Kelly of Knights Catering and Hugh Groman of Hugh Groman Catering.

Here is Maureen’s fanciful presentation of a seasonal salad with goat cheese…

… followed by Hugh’s deceptively simple-looking Mediterranean salmon packages (just imagine: salmon steamed on a bed of potatoes, lentils, mushrooms and pesto aioli in a sealed parchment package… open and inhale deeply! So delicious…)

After that luxurious meal, guests were ready for the revelations of the evening: the winners of the FABA awards 2014 in the categories: High-Tech, Agribusiness/Gastronomy/Wine and Sustainability/Life Sciences. Our tireless photographer extraordinaire, Shhivika Chauhan, captured all the festivities in high style.

And now, of course, there was even more reason to celebrate!

Desserts and more champagne were awaiting in the lounge, among other things intensely flavored rainbow macaroons from L’Artisan Macaron…

Mr. Shin has just discovered the macarons …. much to his joy!

… and guests enjoyed it all in good company and high spirits. Our greatest compliment? Guests simply refused to leave!! Thank you to all my good friends and other sponsors whose enthusiasm and generosity made this splendid gala possible!

Starstruck – Erica’s and Lincoln’s Heavenly Nuptials

Posted on June 4, 2014 by jlammerts

Dear readers: before you even start, grab your hanky. Here comes one of those “The stars were aligned…” love stories. A real, true one!

Just a few years ago, Lincoln, the groom, had given up on getting married. He told a friend, “Since I won’t get married – let’s just throw a party. A big one – in lieu of a real wedding party!” Which she did, in fact… (and at that real wedding yesterday, she was his decorator!)

Erica, as her Dad said, had already faced a number of challenges in her life… but the moment she met Lincoln, she was transformed. Utterly, completely – and he knew, she had met “the one!”

How they met: through one of their shared passions – dancing! Music lovers, both of them (Erica is a professional harpist, and Lincoln plays in a mandolin orchestra), they met at a ballroom dance, and Lincoln fell for Erica immediately, and hard. Erica, more cautious by nature, took a little longer, but after all, Lincoln can be very persuasive. Done deal!

And – you have to know – Lincoln is very elegant, even a little bit old-fashioned, in the best sense. Following tradition, he proposed on one knee – at the Iguazu Falls in Brazil. It doesn’t get much more dramatic than that!

And of course, a photo of this momentous occasion had to be present at their wedding…

Just 18 months after their first encounter, the two got married, and I was so honored that they chose my company, A Day Like No Other, for their wedding coordination and design. They wanted an elegant, formal wedding, and they wanted – stars! Erica, the bride, is an amateur astronomer, and so we set out to incorporate the Moon and the Stars into this exquisite affair.

First step: find a venue! The two chose the Brazilian Room, a historic building in Tilden Regional Park in the hills above Berkeley. (Was that choice, maybe, inspired by the location of the proposal?)

An open Great Room with exposed wooden beams and a soaring ceiling opens onto a ceremony lawn that seamlessly flows into the verdant hilly landscape.

The bride got ready at the historic Claremont Hotel in Berkeley with hair and makeup expertly styled by her friend Kim Denny.

Meanwhile her groom was getting ready as well…

Coit Limousine service delivered her to the Brazilian Room where Lincoln was already waiting…

… dressed in a traditional morning suit, fitting for this elegant occasion. But the bride insisted on remaining unseen until the ceremony, so we literally snuck her into the building!

Erica had chosen an embroidered ivory A-line gown that literally floated around her and whirled with every step, complemented by a crystal-encrusted belt and elegant veil.

Finally, the great moment had come! Eighty of their closest friends and family members witnessed the very personal ceremony officiated by their friend Karryn Nagel, which incorporated a “Passing of the Rings” ritual. The groom’s nephew (stylishly outfitted in a 3-piece suit like his older brothers and his Dad) passed the rings to all guests present, to impart on them all their good wishes…

All the while, harpist Jessica Schaeffer provided a beautiful musical background.

And then, they were pronounced husband and wife, and the real fun was about to begin…

Just married!

Now come the myriad personal touches that made this wedding celebration so unique: the bride had styled her wedding shoes herself – with a star motif on a midnight-blue background:

Friends of the couple, Kris, a former actor proficient at stagecraft, and Anne (who would catch the bouquet later that night …), had built them a photo booth, and what a spectacular one at that!

Every single guest took a turn, and then signed the guest book – which, of course, was also special. In lieu of a conventional book, we came up with the idea of a historic typewriter…

To direct guests to their assigned tables, we did not use conventional escort cards (of course not…) – Erica found antique-looking picture frames which doubled as wedding favors, and combined them with handwritten star-studded name cards.

During Cocktail Hour, Silver Strings Mandolin Orchestra (the groom’s ensemble) played for the guests…

Meanwhile, the Great Room was ready for dinner, with centerpieces by the couple’s friend Lizzie Maxwell…

and decor by another of their friends, Jane Dougherty – think custom-made sconces of midnight-blue tulle with sparkling lights… speaking of which: the bride and I had found sparkling stars from Glimmers Inc. which, floating in the guests toasting glasses, added a truly heavenly touch to all those good wishes!

The duo “The Harpoons” (Harp and Bassoon – did you guess it?) kept guests entertained over dinner,

and Morningstar Entertainment took over for dancing.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. During dinner, guests were asked to propose one impromptu toast per table, and since most of this artistic couple’s guests were artists themselves, musicians, actors, performers – these toasts turned into artistic improvisations of the highest order. From hilarious skits to funny poems (in perfect meter and professional intonation) and rock star impersonations with slightly tweaked lyrics: it was rather a cabaret than mere toasts! In these moments, all the depth of personal connections, the warmth of long-time friendships, and the commitment of all these friends and family members to an extraordinary couple became apparent. Every single guest contributed to their happy union in a personal way… a rare and precious moment to behold.

Another case in point: the star-shaped gold-and-blue cake, home-baked in professional quality by the couple’s friend Effie Seiberg (complemented by some more from Sweet Adeline Bakeshop):

Once the cake cutting (and -eating) was done, Erica and Lincoln enjoyed their First Dance to “Never Stop Falling in Love” by Pink Martini. These two are professional grade ballroom dancers, and just watching them twirl and lead and follow and twirl again was a treat all in itself.

Dancing with the stars, definitely! And that’s what they all did for the rest of the evening… and photographer extraordinaire Amy Carr and videographer Adrian Quintero captured every precious moment.

Wishing our stars Erica and Lincoln “happily ever after” from the bottom of our hearts! And have a wonderful Honeymoon in Maui!

Angie’s and Michael’s Dream Wedding at Kohl Mansion

Posted on June 2, 2014 by jlammerts

Angela and Michael are not only deeply in love – they also share values and many common interests. They are both deeply connected to their families. They are both music lovers; Angie is even a violinist in a community orchestra and devotes a good part of her free time to practicing and rehearsing. They both appreciate good food. And on and on…

When they embarked on their first big common project – their wedding! – my company, A Day Like No Other, was honored to be booked for the wedding coordination. Bride and groom are very organized and systematic and had a good part of all the “wedding puzzle” pieces in place already, first and foremost their gorgeous venue: Kohl Mansion in Burlingame.

On Wedding Day, May 31st, all weather gods were smiling broadly upon Angie’s and Michael’s outdoor celebrations… the day was summery, warm but not too hot, under a cloudless blue sky with a light breeze. Simply perfect!

For the Bride, the day began with a beauty session for herself and her bridesmaids with hair stylist Elaine Nicdao and makeup artist Ally Kennedy. And look what a fabulous job they did:

The bride wore a diaphanous, etherial, crystal-embroidered couture dress by Rosa Clara from Nouvelle Vogue Bridal Salon, complemented by an elaborate, sparkly headpiece, also from Nouvelle Vogue.

And the bridesmaids were lovely, too!

In accordance with her wedding colors of blush pink and ivory, Angie chose her bridal bouquet…

… as well as ceremony flowers, an elaborate chuppah and centerpieces from Floral Design Studio, and they were all equally stunning.

The couple’s more than one hundred and fifty guests from all over the world were greeted with music by Turnaround Jazz Trio and DJ CAMS Scott Campbell, and the very personal ceremony was co-officiated by their friends Laura Shih and Suneel Gupta, incorporating elements of both the bride’s Chinese and the groom’s Jewish cultural backgrounds.

Here comes the Bride!

No Jewish wedding would be complete without breaking a glass (which Michael did) and the guests’ shouting the traditional blessing of Mazel Tov (which they all did)… and here they are, just married:

While the newlyweds disappeared for their mandatory family photos…

…. with photographer Sandra Fazzino, guests enjoyed Cocktail Hour with delicious treats from Toast Catering – and that was just the beginning of all the fabulous food provided by Toast! To keep everyone entertained, the couple had provided a special guest book: a scrap book with cards, markers, stickers… to be completed by the guests; and Say Ya Photo Booth, which turned out to be a true guest magnet.

At the conclusion of Cocktail Hour, the newlyweds and their Bridal Party had a truly Grand Entrance, every moment captured by Ocean Blue Videography …

…immediately followed by another honored Jewish tradition: the exuberant Horah Dance…

… during which the couple is hoisted high up on chairs to the delight of the cheering crowd!

After so much excitement, it was definitely time for dinner – and what a dinner that was! In the candle-lit double-height main hall of Kohl Mansion and within a sea of flowers, guests enjoyed their gourmet food…

… as well as a surprise performance of the groom and the bridal party who sang and enacted a Disney medley for the bride; and a slide show to follow. Dinner concluded with a delicious cake from Cakes by Maggie and an ice cream bar:

After dessert, Angie and Michael enjoyed their First Dance as a married couple:

…opening the dance floor for everyone. The bride quickly changed into an elegant qipao as a nod to her Chinese heritage – and danced the rest of the night away. What a fantastic party!

And here is why I love my job so much:

Let’s wish the couple what they promised each other in their vows – to build a happy, healthy long life together. Mazel Tov!

Create the Perfect Team – and Enjoy the California Coast!

Posted on May 15, 2014 by jlammerts

Today I had the honor and the pleasure to coordinate another elegant luncheon for WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association) – as the Events Chair for Northern California it’s my task to do that four times a year, and I absolutely love it!

After our 2014 kick-off meeting at the Mandarin-Oriental SF, it was time for a quintessential Californian beachside retreat… which we found in the quaint little town of Half Moon Bay. Our luncheon was hosted by Cetrella Restaurant, locally renowned for its excellent Mediterranean cuisine, and nominated for a much-deserved Michelin star four years in a row!

The day began with Cocktail Hour and “Meet & Greet” in the lounge, with wine and hors d’oeuvres and with jazz piano tunes by Lee Allen.

Guests could “shoot” their own keepsakes in Oran Cohen’s Night Owl open-air-style photo booth – not only good for the “goofy” kind, but also for beautiful portraits and group shots.

What’s next? Let’s consult our program booklets! Elegantly designed by Vellum & Vogue and beautifully printed by StationeryHQ, they set the tone for the day.

As the program said: then it was time for “continuous learning!” True to WIPA’s dedication to ongoing education of members (and not-yet members alike), we welcomed the speaker of the day, Tina Moran, event planner extraordinaire at her company Oh So Swank!

Drawing on two decades of industry experience,(and aided by Fantasy Sound‘s A/V set-up) Tina presented, “Creating the Perfect Team.” She touched on how to optimize vendor interactions, how to streamline the workflow with clients and how to navigate the treacherous waters of “legalese…” – we all took a lot of food for thought home!

Speaking of food… that was the reward immediately following Tina’s presentation! And what delicious food that was – beet salad followed by juicy roast chicken on risotto – everyone was simply “digging in!” To enhance the experience, we had a lot of beautiful decor: specialty linens in matching patterns and colors (ivory, taupe, mustard yellow) from Napa Valley Linens and centerpieces by Stems Floral Boutique in vibrant, summery colors and rustic design that perfectly complemented the texture and style of the linens.

To top it off, twinkling stars from Glimmers Inc. played party favors – dressed up in little organza bags today; but they are really in their element submerged in champagne (they are fully FDA-approved!) and sparkling from within.

Over lunch, the traditional WIPA raffle took place, with generous prizes: five gift certificates for make-up instruction from Wowpretty Salon, a voucher for a Hornblower dinner cruise, and another one for a stay at Costanoa eco resort. We had seven beaming winners today!

The real treat for everyone, however, was still to come! After lunch, guests were shuttled in a luxurious van (by City Express Limousine Service) to Cetrella’s sister property, Liquid Sky, just 10 minutes south of Half Moon Bay, but seemingly in a different world! And the Weather Gods were smiling on us…

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ocean, Liquid Sky is a dramatic wedding venue for up to 25o guests – with breathtakingly beautiful views.

Our guests today could enjoy these views from Liquid Sky’s patio, curled up in chic and oh-so-comfortable lounge sofas and chairs from Hartmann Studios – of course with tables and market umbrellas and colorful pillows and and and… to make it picture-perfect!

Magnolia Jazz Band under band leader Robbie Schlosser (here getting ready) performed …

… on the patio to the delight of the guests, who enjoyed dessert from Sweet Springs Rental‘s sky-blue nostalgic gelato cart accompanied by heavenly coffee from Travelin’ Joe‘s espresso bar.

Last but not least, the memories of this very special day will be kept fresh by Wendy Maclaurin Richardson‘s photos and Michael Loeb‘s video of today’s event. Thank you to all our generous sponsors and contributors – it was wonderful!

Wedding Woof

Category Archives: Photo and Video

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

A Gala Evening to Remember: French-American Business Awards

Starstruck – Erica’s and Lincoln’s Heavenly Nuptials

Angie’s and Michael’s Dream Wedding at Kohl Mansion

Create the Perfect Team – and Enjoy the California Coast!