Quick Change
Posted by Denise on Oct 09, 2007. Filed under Real Weddings, Receptions
I had to share some more about the event I recently helped Instead of You with at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco:
One of the things about that event that blew my mind was the set up and timing of the whole thing, which was executed by the talented staff at Paula Le Duc Catering under the watchful eye of Maxine Andrew, the coordinator of Instead of You, who oversaw the wedding. The ceremony and reception took place in the same room, so it was a complicated and intricate process to turn the space around quickly. The whole thing had to happen while the guests were enjoying their appetizers and cocktails, so we had just about 75 minutes to make the space perfect for the reception.
In order to do this Paula Le Duc Catering had set up all 20 round tables for the reception, complete with plates, namecards and stemware (!!), in advance. When the time came, they quickly and very, very carefully moved the tables into place and VOILA! Instant reception. They make it look so easy! Everything went off with out a hitch and the bride and groom were delighted. The photos, again by wedding photographer Sherman Chu, show the breathtaking transition from ceremony to reception.
A New Take on Front and Center
Posted by Denise on Oct 04, 2007. Filed under Ceremony, Locations, Photography, Real Weddings, Trend Watch, Wedding Ideas
Recently, I had the pleasure of assisting one of our coordinators, Maxine Andrew of Instead Of You on a wedding at The Bently Reserve in San Francisco for 200 guests.
The event was jaw-dropping! Maxine’s creative design, eye for detail and fabulous group of vendors made this wedding one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot of events!) One of the things that I thought was so unique was Maxine’s idea to have the ceremony “in the round” instead of the traditional setup. This meant that all of the guests had a great view, and not just of the backs of the brides and groom. There were four ways for the party to enter the room rather than down the traditional single aisle. This made for lots of flexibility and creativity as honored family members were seated and the wedding party entered. In this case, the officiant and groomsmen entered from the right and then the bridesmaids and bride came down the main aisle. And, this configuration made the bride and groom feel very “surrounded” by their loved ones as they said their vows.
I love to see new twists on traditional things. I’ll be posting more on this event in the coming days. There were several interesting things they did that I know Here Comes the Guide brides will want to see.
By the way, (because I know you’re gonna ask!) these, and the other photos I’ll be showing you from this event, were done by wedding photographer Sherman Chu, who did a fantastic job!
Confessions of a Rehearsal Dinner Junkie
Posted by Meredith on Sep 30, 2007. Filed under Locations, Rehearsal Dinner
You’d think with my job, running Here Comes the Guide, that I’d be a wedding junkie. And I do love weddings, don’t get me wrong. The pomp, the emotional gravity… But, I gotta say, I am a sucker for the rehearsal dinner. There’s something so nice about that particular part of the wedding festivities: there are usually fewer people, you might actually get to speak to the bride and groom, the dress code is more casual, the food more eclectic, the toasts – well, they might even get a bit off-color. It’s a time where the focus is more on fun and less on formal. And, as two of my three kids are boys, I like the fact that rehearsal dinners give the groom’s parents time to shine. We’ve seen in recent years a definite increasing importance to the rehearsal dinner for many of these reasons and more. I love seeing how creative couples can be with this event.
Our Managing Editor, Lisa Edd, wrote a great piece on some ways that you can increase the impact of your rehearsal dinner. You can read it here. We also highlight some of our fave locations to have said event and we are constantly featuring different ones, so you won’t be short on possibilities.
Ever been to a really awesome rehearsal dinner, one that was maybe more fun than the wedding even? Let me know about it! We’ll share your feedback.