sweetheart table | Wedding Woof

Andrea and Alexander had found their absolute dream venue – the historic Kohl Mansion in Burlingame – and then they realized that a lot more had to be done to actually host their wedding there… so they turned to my company, A Day Like No Other, to help them fill in all the myriad details that, in the end, come together to a great wedding celebration.

We had eight months to make it happen – and this time went by very quickly. On a breezy, sunny Friday in April, the Big Day had finally come!

For bride Andrea and her bridesmaids, it began with hair and makeup services (Beauty by Cherie); then, with the help from her bridesmaids, she stepped into her elegant wedding dress… and look how radiant she is!

Time for photos (by Frank J. Lee Photography)!

What’s missing? Her bridal bouquet, of course! (All flowers by Narose).

Now she’s ready for her First Look…

… on the main staircase of the Mansion.

Every single time, this is such a special, intimate moment between bride and groom. Truly priceless.

And now, it’s couple’s portrait time! Having fun …

Peekaboo!

On to more official wedding photos…

… like this…

… or this…

… or that one!

Soon enough, guests were arriving (all 200 of them!!)…

… and the ceremony began in the elegant Green Room of Kohl Mansion, with a friend of the couple officiating.

The Kohl Mansion staff under the leadership of Events Director Denise Severi had done the complete setup – not only for the ceremony, but for cocktails and dinner as well, florist Narose had prepared impressive altar arrangements, and our DJ/MC Paul Burchfield of Big Fun Disc Jockeys provided beautiful music – while photographer Frank Lee and videographer Martin Meyer of martinFILMS captured it all.

Meanwhile, Lucia’s Bar Company had set up the bar in the Courtyard, ready to serve guests right after the ceremony, and Ginger Cafe Catering was ready to serve hors d’oeuvres.

The newlyweds had, of course, even more photos to take:

Time for dinner in the double-height Great Hall at Kohl Mansion!

The dinner table centerpieces by florist Narose were literally glowing in fresh Spring colors, and the Sweetheart Table got special treatment.

What’s happening after dinner? Cake Cutting! The cake and an impressive dessert buffet had been provided by Always Your Bakery Cafe – look, how pretty!

There was one more highlight of the celebration, of course: dancing – and for those who’d take a break, a photobooth.

One thing’s for sure: Andrea and Alexander GOT their dream wedding! Congratulations!

… at Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside! The two had been together a full seven years, were parents to three cats (the youngest kitten having been adopted two weeks before their wedding!) – so all their friends agreed: it was about time! Stacey and Michael are super busy young professionals, so when they decided in Spring to “make it official” in October of 2018, they were looking for help. A lot of help! My company, A Day Like No Other, was entrusted with all the preparations, and off we went…

The two had chosen their venue, a spectacular winery overlooking all of Silicon Valley with endless views, and a day that turned out to be proverbial “Bay Area Golden October:” sunny, with blue skies, and warm. Just perfect.

The bride arrived at the venue in full hair and makeup (by A-List Makeup) and all she needed to do was get into her gorgeous wedding dress with the help of her bridesmaids…

… pick up her vibrant, Fall-colored, richly textured bridal bouquet (from Laurel & Vine)…

… and here she is, ready for her First Look:

Groom Michael and his groomsmen were meanwhile also getting ready…

… donned their boutonnieres, and the Best Man took care of the rings.

With that, Bride and Groom were ready for their official First Look:

Time for many, many photos with bridesmaids and groomsmen (by Sandra Fazzino Photography) and video (by Sway Media) while the teams of Thomas Fogarty Winery, Laurel & Vine Florals, and Toast Catering were busy with preparations. DJ Justin of JustIntertainment set up their sound systems while my assistant Trisha and I set up decorations and made sure that all went smoothly and on time.

Very soon, the first guests were arriving – they were greeted by a vintage baby-blue typewriter to leave their messages and well-wishes for the couple.

In addition to the (already quirky) typewriter in lieu of a conventional guestbook, we had provided a map for all guests to mark from where they had traveled to be with Stacey and Michael on their special day…

… and here they see the first of many kittens that would pop up throughout that whole wedding celebration in honor of the couple’s beloved felines!

Time for the ceremony which was officiated by a longtime friend of the couple, aided by more friends who read passages from Antoine de St. Exupery’s “Le Petit Prince” during the ceremony.

You may now kiss the bride! And here they are, just married… and so happy!

For the couple, it meant… more photos! And for their guests, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the open deck, with gorgeous views.

For “escort cards,” the couple had come up with yet another quirky and unexpected idea: custom cookies decorated in the “College colors” of each particular guest! A smart idea as most of their guests were their friends from college…

Dining tables in the beautiful open “Pavilion” were adorned with centerpieces matching the bride’s bouquet, and the table numbers were another loving nod to the couple’s cat babies.

The couple’s Sweetheart Table got, of course, a little extra-special treatment!

Time for the Grand Entrance of the newlyweds!

… and for speeches…

… and then, for dessert! Another quirky choice: delicious, fragrant mini donuts (by Harvey’s Donuts) – everyone decided to “re-start the diet tomorrow!”