Category: Wedding Ceremony

Recently, KC and I had the pleasure of visiting Carmel Valley Ranch. It’s a fantastic weekend getaway with a wonderful restaurant that offers many creative menu choices. The lobby’s rust-brown and burnt orange hues are warm and inviting. The golf clubhouse has shades of lime green, deep chocolate and white, giving it a crisp, modern feel. The pool area is charming without being too fussy, and the staff is so attentive. I can’t remember how many of them remembered my name, “Mrs. Chin!”. The in-room spa service was terrific, and they even honored my request to have my spa services near the pool. I believe I had Carmel Valley Ranch’s very first by-the-pool massage!

We recently held our annual off-site 3-day planning meeting at Woods Hole—a private home right on Pebble Beach Golf Course—and it’s a wonder we got anything done. Lounging around on comfy couches and chairs, we had the perfect seats from which to ogle the mesmerizing view through a wall of glass: verdant blufftop fairways giving way to a sapphire-blue sea and cloudless sky. You try focusing on a 10-page to-do list with that gorgeous panorama constantly tugging at your peripheral vision!

I had the privilege of attending my first legal gay wedding on September 20, 2008 for my friends Dan Joraanstad & Bob Hermann. Since this was a same-sex wedding, I’d been especially curious about how my friends’ marriage ceremony would play out at the rather traditional Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. I was delighted to see that the adorable (female) pastor at the church wholeheartedly blesses these unions.

Have you ever had one of those meals when you’re on vacation that you keep thinking about for weeks after you get home? You know, you’re sitting at work and all of a sudden you’re struck by an intense desire to eat at that restaurant again. Like, right NOW. You entertain thoughts of calling in sick, just to go back and have that food one more time?

Since California legalized gay marriage, many same-sex couples—including Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi—have already happily tied the knot. So after all is said and done, what is the difference between a same-sex wedding and a straight one? “Gay weddings don’t seem to be much different than straight events, except for what’s on top of the cake: two girls, two guys or a mix,” quips Mark Belhumeur from the Russian River’s Village Inn.

On the way to Lake County for my latest family vacation, I took a leisurely detour to Cornerstone Gardens where I visited their wine tasting room. What a welcome way to cool down on an otherwise painfully hot day! I could instantly see why this place is such a draw for weddings: The outside sculpture garden, which is encircled by lush flowers and art, is simply stunning.

While I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 30 years, I took my very first trip to Lake County only recently when I rented a house on Clearlake for a much-needed family vacation. Now that I’ve finally visited, though, I’m already starting to wonder when I can return to this peaceful region north of the wine country. Of course I managed to scout out some ideal wedding ceremony, reception and rehearsal dinner sites while there. A couple of my new favorite places:

I recently went to an event billed as a “scintillating evening of fun and information, focused on the Bay Area Indian wedding market.” Well, it was all that and more. Afterwards, I wanted throw my own Indian bash. I wanted to be Indian.