Category: Rehearsal Dinner

You and your fiancé have spent practically every free Saturday since he popped the question touring possible wedding locations. In your determination to find “the perfect place,” you’ve braved traffic jams, crazy drivers, exorbitant gas prices, and sticker shock. On the first outing, he was a real trooper, agreeing wholeheartedly when you nixed the place that didn’t offer linens in periwinkle.

Being an adventure junkie who loves all things untraditional, this is my idea of a really exciting rehearsal dinner on the town! Where do I sign up? Wait, 8 hours without a restroom. Hmmm. Probably not for me!

I remember the first time I saw Lake Tahoe—I had just moved to San Francisco for graduate school. My then-boyfriend invited me to a summer weekend at his family’s cabin on North Shore. As a city girl, I had precious little experience with life more than 10 minutes from a shopping mall, and was instantly enraptured with Tahoe’s quiet beauty and mountainous grandeur. Six months later, the same boyfriend took me on a spontaneous Tahoe jaunt for another first—my first time skiing. And even though at the end of the day the Bunny Hill still seemed like K2 to me, there were plenty of other joys to be had. I was amazed at how different and yet equally magnificent the blue lake was in its winter setting, and how crisp and clean the rustic terrain appeared with a dusting of snow. Hot chocolate just tasted better in the sweet mountain air, and surely Lake Tahoe had more stars in the sky than anywhere else on earth!

I’ll admit I’m a gardening junkie. My favorite part of any outdoor spring wedding is having the chance to explore a new wedding location with amazing gardens or flowers. If you love gardens as much as I do, you might want to think about celebrating this Earth Day in the Tri-Valley wine country (the other Napa).

On a recent weekend getaway to the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country area, my husband Phil and I decided to explore a different side of this famous wedding region. To me, an ideal wedding locale allows guests plenty of options for exploration, and the towns of Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Petaluma certainly kept us happily occupied.

For San Francisco Bay Area brides, have we got an idea for you: how about a rehearsal dinner celebrated with the folks at Kitchen on Fire in Berkeley? You bring your guests, KoF provides the ingredients, kitchen facilities and tools and you and your fam cook your meal together before sitting down to eat. KoF’s professional chefs are on hand the whole time to provide guidance and support if needed. All the preparations are taken care of by KoF and the group can enjoy a completely private dinner (unlike simply reserving a table at a restaurant). You are also welcome to customize a menu that would be meaningful to you and your family (like an Italian-themed meal before the honeymoon in Rome.)

Wedding Planning Tip: if you’re still hemming and hawing about where to have your rehearsal dinner , Restaurant Week’s a great way to test drive your faves without breaking the bank!

I can’t be the only one who thinks the holidays are always better with some good wine. If you agree, grab your honey and make dinner reservations at the Duck Club Restaurant at the href=“http://www.herecomestheguide.com/location/detail/lafayette-park-hotel-and-spa/”>Lafayette Park Hotel and Spa for December 5.