Kelly & Alex's San Diego wedding at the Mission Bay Yacht Club was the wedding we all would have loved to have attended!  Since the couple are avid boaters, they chose to get married at the place where they spend all their spare time--where the fish tacos are awesome and the Mai Thai's are sure to ensure a good time!  Kelly arrived with her bridesmaids by boat and after the ceremony and cocktail hour on the dock, the guests kicked off their shoes and enjoyed a taco bar and dancing to Freeze Frame on the beach.  A huge 80's music fan, Kelly instructed the band to play 80's hits all night and named the tables after her and Alex's favorite 80's songs.  Check out these awesome photos by Theorie.  A beach wedding, tacos, Mai Thai's, 80's music till midnight...who wouldn't want to attend this wedding!  And a CZ Events wedding where even we got to wear flip flops--that's awesome!

Check out these photos from Karen and Mitch's wedding in April.  Huge kudos to Bauman Photography for the amazing pictures.  Kathy Wright did the decor and, as always, she was phenominal.  How can you go wrong with Kathy Wright?  She is a creative genius!  The newly remodeled Hilton Torrey Pines was the host venue and I was impressed.  The remodel has signficantly upgraded the hotel and I would definitely do more events there--it was beautiful!  Positive Energy Productions dj'd the event.  Kris is a great guy! 

Karen and Mitch added some fun extras for their guests like a cigar roller at the cocktail booth and a photo booth that talks!  The new ePod photo booth was a total hit and definitely something I would recommend to future clients!

  
   

With the economic downturn, 2009 has been the year of the small wedding and I have to say that I have come to really like them.  The majority of my brides, this past year, have planned weddings in the 50-100 person range.  I have definitely coordinated some that were larger and even had one that was smaller, but the norm hovered around that number.

You get a bigger bang for your buck with a smaller wedding for sure.  I have seen my clients invest more money into food, florals, linens, and fun extras like photo booths, cigar stations, espresso bars, and even an on-site mini-donut vendor because they felt like they could spend a little extra when they didn't need as much of any one item (50 people = 5 table linens v. 20 for a 200 person wedding).

I think 50 people is really the critical mass needed to have dancing at a wedding.  With that number, you can fill the dance floor and feel the energy of a crowd.  My clients Seth and Marie had a wedding that size, and thanks to DJ Andy Hagenah of Disc Go Round, the dance floor was full all night.  They chose the La Valencia in La Jolla, for their venue, which is one of my absolute favorite locations for a small to medium sized wedding.  But with their smaller size they didn't go "small."  They had gorgeous flowers, done by Annette Gomez (who does amazing work!), and stayed within a reasonable budget because they only had 5 tables to fill.

Small weddings can definitely go "big."

Steal this idea:
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I coordinated a wedding for only 40 people and it was a wonderful, very intimate affair.  The bridal couple, Kathryn & Michel, wanted to spend time with each of their guests and therefore decided to sit with a different table for each course.  They had their reception at the Grand Colonial in La Jolla (a perfect venue for a smaller wedding) and had the staff set (5) tables with (10) chairs each but only assaigned (8) guests per table.  Kathryn & Michel opted for a drawn out 5-course meal and shifted to the empty seats at each table each time a new course was served.  I thought the idea was brilliant!  Only with a group of their size, could such a idea be possible.  And their guests felt incredibly honored by it!

  
Gorgeous flowers and decor and Marie & Seth's 50-person wedding
 
Marie & Seth in their photo booth and dancing away with friends and family

I have recently gotten to know local designer Allyson Simon and her couture bridal line.   I was so taken by her line that I wanted to get her take on couture bridal trends.  Read below for our interview.

 

For a little background, Allyson designed her first dress in 1988 and since then her gowns have been featured in numerous magazines, editorial, and the couture shows in New York City.  Each year, she comes out with a new line of 12-20 dresses.  Her main office is in La Jolla, with brides being able to have a sneak peak at her next line by appointment, and her production office is in Los Angeles.

 

What trends do you see in bridal attire?

     Destination gowns are still in the running, and more and more brides
still want the beauty of a simple elegant gown.  Silk flowers
are still a growing trend on bridal dresses and ball gowns.  We'll also see more added touches of crystals and lace in the details. 

How do you think the bridal industry has changed in the last 10 years?

    Bridal attire has become more fashion conscience. Fashion is not what everyone else is wearing--fashion is what no one else is wearing.  Brides now want dresses that veer from the norm rather than reflect it.  A bride describes her character and personality through  the bridal dress she chooses.  I always say, a brides true personality is shown through her bridal gown. I have been a Bridal Designer for 11 years, and my
collection hit the runways in New York City for the Couture Shows back in 1998. Since then  I have  seen a enormous change in the bridal industry. Weddings have  become some of the most fashion conscience events that we see.  It's a welcome and exciting change for us designers as we now have free reign to create anything we want.

 

What materials do you see being used in bridal fashion?

     All designers have their favorite textiles to work with.  Favorites often seen are silk crepes, silk-satin organzas, and beautiful silk taffetas for those sheered ball gown looks.  For 2010 we see simple, elegant dresses  with details of silk handmade flowers or jewelry accents such as a beautiful diamond belt.  Backless dresses are still in and will always be a popular dress for those far and away romantic destination weddings.

What do you consider to be some of your signature elements?

I am well known for my sexy bias cuts, and backless shapes.   My specialty background is textiles, I always say,"even a fabric wants to be something." 

 

Are you working on anything new?
I have recently finished a new Jewelry Collection called Bluetulle. This collection is far from being just basic bridal jewelry. I like to call it chunky, edgy and feminine all at the same time.  

 

Allyson Simon, local La Jolla designer and two of her couture bridal creations 

Signature Details 

     In planning a wedding, one of the most fun, but also one of the most difficult tasks, a bride and groom encounter is how they will make their wedding "their own." Finding thematic colors that don't feel overused or favors that their guests will actually enjoy and making the reception feel both fun and unique are tasks that often feel daunting.  Jenni and Tyson Cook, who were married this past February at the Estancia Hotel in La Jolla, did a wonderful job with creating signature details for their wedding.  Let's look at some of the fun things they did.

 

The Monogram

     Jenni and Tyson chose to make their wedding personal by incorporating their monogram into elements of their ceremony and reception.  For the ceremony, Jenni had a signature black and pink aisle runner created that read "Tyson & Jenni February 28, 2009."  The aisle runner not only incorporated their colors, but it also added a unique element.  For the reception, Jenni and Tyson similarly had a custom monogrammed table runner created in black and gold to adorn the wedding party table.  They further added a monogram to their dance floor through a custom made light gobo and crowned their wedding cake with a decorative C for "Cook."  All of these elements added a very unique and personal touch!

 

The Personalized Gifts

     Jenni and Tyson's gifts further carried their theme of signature details.  For her bridesmaids gifts, Jenni gave each bridesmaid a pink bathrobe, with the bridesmaide’s name embroidered on it, and black fuzzy slippers (in the wedding colors of course).  The girls were thrilled by their useful and unique gifts.  For their favors, Jenni and Tyson continued this pattern of signature gift giving by sending each of their guests away with a miniature bottle of Cook champagne--since they were now Mr. and Mrs. Cook!

 

Childhood Memories

      Both Jenni and Tyson grew up in Escondido, so they decided to name each table after locations they remembered from their childhood.  These table cards added another personal element to their decor.

 Helpful Hints 

      Here are a couple hints for making your wedding unique and fun:

1.    Make wedding favors meaningful by fashioning them after something personal or unique to the bride and groom or by giving something that will remind guests of the wedding.

2.    Personalize the decorations with memorabilia that reflect the bride and groom's childhood, how they met, or their future together. 

 

Custom bathrobes and signature details added a personal element to Jenni & Tyson's wedding decor.

Back in May, I was interviewed by the Union Tribune on how to save money on a wedding at the last minute and thought I would share those tips here.  This has definitely been the year of slashing budgets so I hope some of these tips will be helpful.  I'll make note of one misquote: in discussing how alcohol costs $5 a guest per hour, I was discussing the bar package of a specific venue.  Bar packages at many venues are significantly more than $5 per person per hour. 

How can I save money on my wedding at the last minute?
Caroline Dipping
Friday, May 29, 2009

The question's been popped. The date's been set. In fact, your wedding is just weeks away and most every detail – from the veil to the venue – has been arranged and paid for. Now, you're wondering if there are ways to defray some of the mounting costs.

The pro: Cynthia Zatkin, owner of Cynthia Zatkin Events, Signature Weddings & Celebrations

How far into planning can you change things? 
    It depends on the flexibility of the contract you signed. When it comes to food and beverage at a hotel, that is pretty inflexible. Couples need to consider this when signing that contract, because it is something that is truly set in stone. 
    But many vendors, if you go to them with financial concerns, will be pretty flexible. A linen specialist, rental company or florist won't need a finalized contract or final counts until about two weeks before the wedding.

Linen specialist? 
    One thing a couple can do is increase their table size. By choosing a 72-inch round instead of a 60-inch round, more guests can be seated at fewer tables. A larger table means fewer linens. 
    Table linens are somewhere around $40 apiece. If you take out a couple of tables, that's an easy way to whittle some costs.

And flowers? 
    Centerpieces can cost in the realm of $75 to $300 each, depending on what you are doing. That definitely adds up. 
    Downsize your flowers. If you thought maybe you wanted a $300 centerpiece, ask your florist what can be done for $100 a centerpiece. Most florists are pretty willing to negotiate. The way to do that is to say, “This is how much I have to spend. What can you create?”

Are there other ways to economize? 
    Cut off an hour from the event. This can save you in alcohol, DJ or band, and photography costs. Wedding receptions don't need to go more than five hours, and you can shorten it a bit if you want. If you host an open bar, shaving an hour off the event can save significantly. Consider your alcohol cost is essentially $5 per person per hour. If you have 300 guests, you could save nearly $2,000 by losing that last hour. 
    With the photographer, you don't need more than six hours. Have the photographer start two hours before the wedding to get the portraits and beautiful shots of the bride and friends while their makeup is still perfect. These are the shots people frame and keep forever, the memory photos. 
    As a wedding coordinator, I just stack all the events that need to be photographed toward the beginning of the reception. I make sure the cake cutting, bouquet and garter toss, money dance, etc. are all done before the photographer leaves. 
    A good photographer is $500 an hour. You can save $1,000 by shaving a couple of hours from your photography time.

Any other cost-cutters to consider? 
    I'm a big fan of using nice chairs, but they can be $8 to $20 a chair. A couple on a budget could use chair covers instead. There are some good companies out there with chair covers renting from $2 to $3.50 a chair. 
    Downsize the musicians. Instead of having a quartet at $500 an hour, choose a duo for $200 an hour. 
    Downsize the tiered wedding cake. Wedding cakes range up to $15 a slice depending on the pastry chef. If you do a tiny cake for the ceremony with sheet cakes for serving, it can be $2 to $4 a slice. 
    Eliminate any kind of “night of” transportation, like a limo or trolley. I've seen couples have just as much fun driving their own transportation decorated by the groomsmen. Or, if they are going to be drinking, enlist a friend with a nice car. I've also seen family and friends network to borrow great cars like a red convertible for the getaway car or a big Chevy Suburban to transfer family and friends between church and reception site. There are ways to get creative with transportation without having to pay for it.

 

This last year has been a year of whittling down wedding budgets. The Union Tribune recently interviewed me and featured one of my brides to discuss ways to save cash, even after the wedding has been almost entirely planned. Read what Heather did to reduce her budget from $60k to $35k and my tips for downscaling after many of the contracts have been signed.


With a hectic job, Heather Hendren considered wedding coordinator Cynthia Zatkin an essential expense. (Nelvin C. Capeda/Union Tribune)

THE RITE PRICE

A couple finds a more frugal way to tie the knot

By Caroline Dipping 

 

When Michael Kiesling proposed to Heather Hendren at the Hotel del Coronado last fall, they agreed they would like to get married there, too. Then they found out using the historic venue would set them back a minimum of $20,000. That was their first wake-up call.
"I was never going to touch that. It was obscene," said Hendren, 32, a finance manager for Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Developmental in La Jolla. "With the economy the way it is, you can't afford to take on that kind of debt. You just can't." 

 

An average wedding in America cost nearly $30,000 last year, according to a survey conducted by The Knot Wedding Network...

 

Read the entire article at:

San Diego Union-Tribune: The Rite Price 

A few months ago, I featured photographer Sara France in my monthly newsletter.  Because her thoughts on trends in wedding photography were so informative, I thought I would revisit our conversation here. Meet Sara France!  I asked her three questions and received three very inspiring and informative answers.

 

How has wedding photography changed over the last 10 years?

     The introduction of digital has revolutionized the industry.  It has brought a ton of new photogra-phers into the industry because they are able to learn and evolve much quicker and for less money than before. This influx means that an increased level of creativity has become standard.  When you hire a wedding photographer, you hire an artist--someone with a great personality who captures your wedding in a unique way. Clients are making more time for photos because they want to use their photographer to create life-long art for them.  And the on site photography is now only half the process. When we shot film, the type of film we used would determine the look of the photo but today we take an image and apply multiple artistic elements to it.  And the affect is amazing.

What is it that you love about photographing weddings?

     What don't I love?  I am one of the only photographers I know who became a photographer because I wanted to shoot weddings. I feel so honored every time I'm chosen to capture their wedding--honored by the trust clients put in me and inspired by the event itself.  What always takes my breath away the most, at each wedding, is the love present--the love between the couple and of the friends and family around them.  I make sure that at some point, the couple has quiet time to connect and take it all in. 

     Shooting weddings can never get old for me.  The energy, the relationships, and the surroundings are always different. No two weddings have felt the same to me in the 8 years I have been doing this. Capturing those memories that a couple will cherish for a lifetime and pouring myself into that is the biggest blessing I can give someone.   

What types of things/people inspire your photography?

     I pull inspiration from everywhere. Almost everything I see inspires me.  I am inspired by movies and videos.  I love watching beautifully shot artsy movies--where every frame could be frozen into an amazing photograph. I am inspired by fashion and music as well. I love to watch music videos that feel like a fashion shoot.  
     Textures inspire me.  I love the texture of walls and really gritty environments. I love spaces that have history and connections that seem opposing--it's like infusing something beaten up with a new sense of hope.  
     I'm also inspired by the work of other kinds of photographers: Sports Photographers like Vincent Laforete and Donald Miralle, Fine Art Photographers like Parish Kohanim, Commercial Photographers like Chase Jarvis and Nick Onken, and iconic Photographers like Annie Leibovitz.

 
Sara France herself and two rent brides of mine she has shot

Check out the upcoming trunk show at one of my favorite bridal boutiques!  Trunk shows provide a great opportunity to get couture wedding dresses at reduced prices!

trunk show invitation

we cordially invite your fabulous brides to a trunk show event featuring the latest bridal gown collections by…   PRISCILLA of Boston

october 9th -11th

appointment required availability limited...   call today! 858 551 1295

special event offer: 10% discount off your gown purchase

trunk show to be held at the chez bride moderne showroom: 5726 la jolla boulevard, suite 105 la jolla, california  92037 chez bride moderne

www.chezbridemoderne.com

    One of the latest trends, in wedding planning, is to create a socially conscious wedding.  But what is a socially conscious wedding?  Anything that benefits or creates less of an impact on the environment  and humankind is considered socially conscious. 

    My lovely clients Meghan and Stevan, both grad students at UCSD, talked to me about their desire to create such a wedding even before we began looking at venues.  I remember Meghan saying specifically that she wanted a venue that enriched the natural beauty of San Diego.  As we looked at venues, we therefore considered places that featured native Cali-fornia drought-tolerant vegetation and further that had an architectural design that fit with southern California.  When Meghan and Stevan viewed the Estancia Hotel and Spa, in La Jolla, CA, they knew right away that it was a perfect fit.  The Estancia had filled its grounds with indigenous plants and had further even incorporated recycled materials and buildings previously on the property into the new structure of the hotel.  Additionally, the Estancia would also be able to host both the ceremony and the reception so guests would not have to drive during the course of the festivities.  This too was important to Meghan and Stevan as eliminating driving would lessen their carbon impact.

    In addition to having an environmentally friendly venue, Meghan and Stevan also decided to use only locally grown flowers and plants that were in season for their decor.  We solicited The Magic Flower to create such a look for them.  The humorous part about such a decision was that Meghan could not do a true centerpiece preview until just weeks before the ceremony since she had to wait for her choice in flowers to become in season and therefore available.

    When it came to the menu, Meghan and Stevan also desired to be socially conscious.  By choice, Meghan is a vegetarian and Stevan a pescetarian.  They therefore asked the Estancia to create a menu for them that would be vegetarian with just a few fish accents.  The menu created for them was fantastic and the couple felt that they were being true to their values.

    Finally, in lieu of giving favors to their guests, Meghan and Stevan decided to instead make a donation to the AIDS foundation in honor of their guests.  They mentioned this gift in their programs and received very positive feedback.  Meghan had said that she didn't want to give her guests something that would immediately end up in landfills but something that would impact the world positively.

    It was such a pleasure to work with Meghan and Stevan and to help them realize their dream of a socially conscious wedding.  The choices they made felt good to them personally and positively impacted the world as well.

Meghan & Stevan showing off the native vegetation of the Estancia

One of the locally grown in-season centerpieces & their cake, reflecting the local decor of the hotel