Mark & Cristina Enjoy Mobile Wedding Planning Tour for 2 and Find Their Dream Wedding Location
Blog, Event Planning Advice, Industry Shenanigans, Innovations / 04.11.20170 comments
Photo by Jose Villa
The Mobile Wedding Planning Tour for Two is perfect for couples just like Mark and Cristina who knew without a doubt they wanted to get married in Santa Barbara, but a) did not know where to start and b) were not sure they wanted to invest in a full-service wedding planner and c) had a limited spending plan (aka “budget”).
One of the biggest mistakes I see newly-engaged couples make is to spend weeks or months researching venues in an area on their own, and then when they find their dream venue, often fall so in love with it that they do whatever it takes to book it and sometimes a site fee alone can eat up almost half (or a good portion) of their spending plan, if they aren’t careful. They then find themselves over-committed financially and sacrificing on the other absolutely-crucial elements necessary for a lovely, memorable event for themselves and their guests. All of this could be avoided with coming into the whole planning experience with an overall spending plan and a professional to guide them up front.
Read More >>“Jump Start Your Wedding Planning” Mobile Wedding Tour For Two
Blog, Industry Shenanigans, Innovations / 03.27.20170 comments
Before “My Big Fat Fake Wedding”, before the “Faux Wedding” there was The Mobile Wedding Planning Experience (also known as The Mobile Bridal Faire), developed and copyrighted by Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events CEO/Founder Kerry Lee (Dickey) Doehr in 2004. This event provided a luxury motorcoach tour to 5 leading Santa Barbara venues, which were all decorated as “real” weddings and receptions (some with model bride & groom as well). This allowed guests to interact with event partners in their element, as well as provided event partners the opportunity to showcase themselves in front of pre-qualified leads (every attendee had to be looking to plan some aspect of their wedding).
Ms. (Dickey) Doehr’s ground-breaking industry concept earned her the attention of upscale luxury national wedding resource Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine, where they created an exclusive category for her as well as The Texas Board of Tourism who contacted her for consultation on how this was done to further their destination wedding revenue stream. There was no doubt that this was a win for event partners and wedding clientele alike and created a whole new business model and concept.
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Certified Wedding Professional and 3rd generation Santa Barbaran Kerry Lee (Dickey) Doehr has continued this concept through the years but customized it on a more intimate level for couples until the next big mass mobile bridal faire is produced (TBA).
Read More >>Fresh & Successful 2016 Season for Party Time with Scott Topper
Industry Shenanigans / 04.11.20160 comments
The amazing Host, Producers and Sponsors for Party Time With Scott Topper 2016 Season on TVSB pose with me
When Scott Topper first asked me if I wanted to co-produce and coordinate for his Party Time with Scott Topper show for 2016, I was honored. He told me straight up that the show was like “community theater” and when he said that, he had my heart and attention. Having a background in musical theater and also loving to support community, I knew the spirit in which the show would be produced and couldn’t wait. Shows like this are all heart. With an audience that reaches approximately three times the amount the Santa Barbara Bowl holds, as well as 5 million homes being able to watch the show on ROKU, this was a great opportunity to showcase some real collaborative talent and have fun.
The first order of business for me was to come up with something fresh for his show for the new year, something that had not been done yet. The sets in the past were gorgeous, and each year only got more beautiful. They were a lovely backdrop for guests to come, sit and be interviewed about their job. And while this is the basis for the show, I wanted the way they were presented to be different. I wanted to focus on a viewer “experience”, and do something different for 2016 that added dimension.
Read More >>Wine With a Wedding Planner’s Seasonal Grand Finale in the Funk Zone: Jump On the Wedding Planning Bus
Blog, Event Industry Businesses & Professionals, Industry Shenanigans / 02.24.20160 comments
“Wine With a Wedding Planner” offers an innovative, community-based, complimentary approach to wedding planning in complete relaxation (and some unconventional fun). On Saturday, March 5th, for our last one of the season, we are offering a “Grand Finale” of sorts: Jump on the Wedding Planning Bus with our partners from Jump on the School Bus in Santa Barbara’s famous FunkZone! There is no charge for the complimentary wedding consultation
Catering Connection Showers Event Profs with Love- and A Guest-Interactive Experience
Blog, Event Industry Businesses & Professionals, Industry Shenanigans / 02.11.20162 comments
I love my job, especially because of events like last night that combine my favorite ingredients of life: amazing food and beverage, great company …and the pièce de résistance: great humor and fun between everyone. As a mom who juggles two event businesses and all that life slings at her, you could literally hear the wheels of my car peeling out when the babysitter showed up and I high-tailed it to Catering Connection’s culinary studios last night. In an industry where our entire focus is taking care of others, it is especially meaningful when someone takes care of us. And Catering Connection, one of Santa Barbara’s leading full-service caterers who just celebrated their 20th Business Anniversary last year offered to do just that. As a thank you to those with whom they work, they decided to do more than just drop off a plate of cookies (not that there’s anything wrong with that- I will never turn down a cookie). They decided to give their event supply partners an evening out- an experience – if you will.
Wine With a Wedding Planner Announces 2016 Winter Appearance Dates
Blog, Event Industry Businesses & Professionals, Event Planning Advice, Industry Shenanigans, Innovations / 01.09.20162 comments
#WineWithAWeddingPlanner | Kerry Lee Dickey
“Wine With a Wedding Planner” offers an innovative, community-based approach to wedding planning in complete relaxation. It combines the expertise of Certified Wedding Professional and CEO/Founder of Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events Kerry Lee Dickey and the beautiful wedding locations Santa Barbara and its wine country have to offer with a fresh approach to a “meet and greet” complimentary communal consultation.
Similar to “Coffee with a Cop”, Ms. Dickey will be meeting with potential clients at various venues in the area during their business hours in a public area. She invites anyone thinking of having a wedding in this area – or simply anyone planning a wedding with need for planning, etiquette , or venue recommendations – to stop by, say hello and engage with her at no charge. At all locations, Wine With a Wedding Planner visitors are
Read More >>SBWCWE Consults With Party Time With Scott Topper TV Show For A Sparkling 2016
Event Industry Businesses & Professionals, Industry Shenanigans / 12.08.20150 comments
Event Professionals in a Moroccan Cabana for Episode 1 of Party Time with Scott Topper 2016
Party Time with Scott Topper has become one of the community’s most beloved local television features. Produced at independent studio TV Santa Barbara, the show’s founder, producer and host Scott Topper, is the first to admit that it’s like “community theater”. So, for someone like me whose background includes the theater arts, the local “feel” of folks putting in their heart and soul into an endeavor with a little quirky touch really appealed to me. When Scott asked me to co-produce and come up with a fresh concept for his 2016 shows, I was thrilled. I have worked with Scott for years professionally working weddings & events and having watched Party Time with Scott Topper, thought it would be a great opportunity to do one of the things that I do best: inspire with fresh
Read More >>When a Workshop Is Held In a Wedding Chapel | Weddings at The Grand Sierra
Blog, Event Industry Businesses & Professionals, Industry Shenanigans, Special Events / 01.28.20150 comments
When NACE Reno/Tahoe asked me to do a workshop on generating immediate revenue for wedding businesses for my other company division, Engaging Inspiration, I was delighted. When I found out that my presentation was going to be in the newly-renovated wedding chapel of The Grand Sierra Resort, I was absolutely tickled. I love originality and creative locations and how could a presenter ask for a more elegant setting for a wedding industry presentation than in a wedding chapel?
In College and Think a Career in Wedding & Event Planning May Be For You?
Blog, Event Industry Businesses & Professionals, Event Planning Advice, Industry Shenanigans, Special Events / 02.27.20140 comments
When I look back on my college experience, it was a time of big dreams and great hope and promise. Junior and Senior year you felt a certain amount of pressure to make “the” job choice of what inspired you for your career post-graduation. There were and are countless resources at colleges and in communities to provide career counseling and opportunities to open doors to your desired field with alumni contacts and more.
As society has evolved, so has the need to choose a single career with which one sticks all their lives. As we grow as humans in our pursuits, development, personality, spirituality and more, often that vision shifts and evolves with our growth. So what’s a student to do with all these choices bearing down hard on them?
Read More >>Announcing Our Sister Division Engaging Inspiration
Blog, Event Industry Businesses & Professionals, Industry Shenanigans / 04.05.20130 comments
After over 15 years of event planning, Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events is pleased to announce its sister division Engaging Inspiration.
Engaging Inspiration is designed exclusively for the wedding and special event venue, wedding and special event professional and wedding business. It targets social media, advertising, marketing and training specifically for the wedding and special events industry.
Read More >>About Me
I am an Innovator. Inspirer. Story-teller. Believer in the magic of life and humanity.
