Heart-Centered Destination Elopement Featuring a Santa Barbara Photo Safari Experience
Blog, Real Weddings / 12.20.20160 comments
Lauren and Boyd’s wedding was not about the fluffy, over-the-top decor that is the stuff national wedding magazines and blogs are made of. Nor was it anything traditional. But what it was was the quintessential essence of what love, marriage and family is about, something that no magazine or advertorial could possibly convey with photos alone. From the two tragic losses this couple endured just weeks prior to the wedding to the style in which they chose to celebrate their vows, this wedding was exceptional and perhaps one of my favorites of all time.
Lauren and Boyd loved all of Santa Barbara’s picture -perfect wedding locations. They also knew they could only choose one location to say their vows. So what does one do when you want the best of all Santa Barbara has to offer? Enjoy it all! They wanted a personal wedding experience and wanted to focus on the number one most important thing to them: family, friends and…good food and wine. When one has their priorities straight, it is easy on the planning, especially for their destination wedding elopement, which included just them and about 35 of their closest family and friends. They decided on a simple ceremony at
Read More >>When A Wedding Planner Weds: Part II | Our Secret Destination Elopement Story: A “RoadMoon”
Blog, Real Weddings / 11.13.20162 comments
Downtown Santa Fe Historic Plaza by Palace of Governors and Indian Market. Photo by Melanie West.
Part Two of Two of “When a Wedding Planner Weds” (see Part One ) : I got married and changed my last name to “Doehr” in a destination, secret elopement to Santa Fe, New Mexico with 5 family members present. Why? The focus for us was on the sacred intimacy of our vows, each other … and wanting to leave room for serendipity and magic. We did not want just one day of back-to-back neck-breaking schedules and many years of paying back the funds it took for one day’s event to take place. Honestly, we also wanted to stretch it out. To enjoy some travel and then come home and celebrate with family and friends- perhaps even multiple celebrations.
You see, there is this myth that if you don’t do a wedding a certain way, or include all the “required” traditions, that you will regret it or that somehow psychologically, it does not count. I’m here to say that even if you believe that, with an elopement, you can still do your wedding “traditions” and “non-negotiables” later – any way you want – and as many times as you want when you get home or over the years. Knowing you have the luxury of time is a gift I cannot describe, and makes looking forward to the future even more fun.
Read More >>Rustic Ranch Romance at the Historic Old Adobe at Alisal Ranch | Cassity & Matt
Blog, Real Weddings / 11.08.20160 comments
There are plenty of private ranches on which to celebrate nuptials on the Central Coast. But when one requires elite privacy as well as an extraordinary experience for all their guests in a historical setting with world-class service from a seasoned hospitality venue, there is no other choice than Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort.
Nestled in the heart of Santa Barbara’s wine country, the Santa Ynez Valley, Alisal Ranch has been excelling in hospitality and making memories for guests since the 1940s, when the first generations of today’s loyal clientele first started arriving. Most likely many did not know at that time that their descendants would continue to make Alisal a family tradition for many generations to come.
Read More >>When A Wedding Planner Weds | Part I : The Single Most Important Event Partner For Our Wedding
Blog, Event Planning Advice, Real Weddings / 09.04.20162 comments
Kiss in front of St. Francis Cathedral | Photo: Melanie West
I recently got married. Everything that my wedding planning clients go through, I got to experience first-hand myself.
After producing over 600 weddings in my career, I decided I wanted to do something different for my own wedding. I’m a bit of a rebel at heart and knew that I wanted to make everything fresh, different, perhaps a bit unorthodox, and above all – it had to represent an aspect of my soul, and that of my husband-to-be, Darrel. I’m a vintage girl at heart and I’ve always been fascinated by the courthouse-style weddings that took place in the 1940’s and 1950’s and think they are incredibly romantic. This is Part One of two blogs I have coming up under “When A Wedding Planner Weds“ on planning my own secret destination wedding elopement.
We planned a secret destination wedding to one of my favorite locations on earth: Santa Fe, New Mexico. I will share more about the decision behind this in Part Two of this series. But for now, I want to share the single most important event partner for our wedding and how I went about choosing her.
Since our wedding was a top secret and in an incredibly beautiful destination, I knew I wanted memories to look back on that would last a lifetime. I also knew that we would want to share these images with those back home when we returned.
Read More >>Our Commitment to Professional Conduct & Its Relation of Core Value to Our Services
Event Planning Advice / 05.29.20160 comments
Photo Credit: MiBelle Photography
When one interviews potential wedding and event supply partners, checks out their credentials, referrals and work and finally “clicks” with them and is ready to hire them, there is one final gauntlet I suggest the interviewee complete. I suggest that you have a conversation about the event supplier’s belief structure in professional conduct the day of the wedding or event. This includes the individual you are hiring as well as their volunteers and staff. These particular items are rarely – if ever – included in service contracts and yet, they are paramount to being at the core center of the caliber of service you are contracting and should expect. Here are some items for discussion, followed by our own Code of Conduct to all Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events clientele:
- What will you and your staff be wearing the day of my event?
- How many breaks do you take and when?
- Where do you take your breaks and meals?
- What is your philosophy on vendors taking their meals – should they go before guests or after?
- Where do you or your staff smoke?
- What do you do if you see another event service provider dining or smoking in front of guests?
- How do you handle conflict with guests , should drama arise?
- Do you or your staff feel it is alright to partake in the bar or alcohol while working – or on breaks during your contracted time?
- How do you communicate with your fellow staff members during an event? (example: do you use two way radios, text, ear piece two way radios, etc.)
The Reality of “Day-of” Coordination | Why I Won’t Be Your “Day-of” Coordinator
Event Planning Advice / 05.26.20160 comments
With Santa Barbara going from about 5 or 6 leading professional wedding planners a few years ago to about 52 now (last count), couples getting married in this area who are either required by their venue to have a professional event coordinator or simply those knowing the invaluable investment a professional provides, find themselves in a quandary with the overwhelming amount of choices listed for them now in our area.
The individual wedding coordinators who make up that (approximate) 52 count range from long-time, well-established professionals who are educated, experienced, work continually and are referred by venues and event partners alike, to those who moonlight on the side as a hobby to those who are simply in love with the idea of being a wedding planner (perhaps they planned their own wedding or a friend’s) and think it’s either about pointing people around day-of and/or just hiring vendors who do “pretty” things and services.
Read More >>
One of my favorite images: Mother of the Bride Hannah-Beth glowing as her daughter makes her approach to the altar with her father.
When Jennie approached me about being her Wedding Coordinator and I discovered that she considered herself like the character Charlotte from the popular series “Sex and The City” and that she was every bit a charming as the lovely Charlotte and had smarts to go with it, I knew this would be a wonderful working relationship. I later found out that the Father of the Bride is a beloved Judge in our community and that the Mother of the Bride, Hannah Beth Jackson (now a California State Senator) has been a respected prosecutor and actively involved in our local and state-wide community for years. This was a very loving, involved and connected family and it was an honor to have been chosen as their Wedding Coordinator.
Read More >>Country Ranch Wedding At The Historic Old Adobe at Alisal Guest Ranch
Real Weddings / 04.30.20160 comments
Photo Credit: Lover of Weddings
Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort boasts some incredible backdrops for weddings and receptions. From the popular Alisal River Terrace (no overnight accommodations are needed to book this beautiful space) to the main ranch property Creekside, Oval Lawn, Sycamore Room, lakeside, or the incredible Historic Adobe.
The Historic Adobe is another 20 minute ride via hay truck from the main ranch and the scenery on the drive is spectacular. While there are many more complications involved with events at the Historic Old Adobe, it can be one of the most distinct wedding experiences ever, in a truly unique setting.
While many of my couples choose to have their wedding ceremonies
Read More >>When Your Caterer, DJ or Venue Manager Says They Will “Coordinate” | Defining “Coordination”
Event Planning Advice / 04.29.20160 comments
Photo Credit: Emily Merrill
Something new has been emerging in the event and hospitality industry these last several years and it is confusing wedding and event clientele, as well as fellow event supply partners and worst of all: causing communication breakdowns in event execution and expectations. In the end, the event client is paying the price for a substandard quality event because of it. Let’s address this once and for all, head on: it is the misuse of the term “event coordinator“.
Below, we take the three most common industry positions who misuse this term (some perhaps unintentionally), or have decided that they are going to gain additional revenue stream and figure they can do what a professional coordinator does and help save the client some money. What many “day of” professional coordinators charge (around $1200-$3K), they will charge a nominal $500 or so. To an inexperienced first-time bride, this monetary difference is extremely attractive. But in the end, one truly gets what they pay for.
Below is a job description that fits 99.999% of the services who say that they do “Coordination” and what that really translates to:
Read More >>Top Planning Secrets to Know When Booking A Santa Ynez Valley Outdoor Event
Event Planning Advice / 04.18.20160 comments
A wind-proof idea: Escort “cards” -river rocks with guest’s names & table numbers on a bed of moss.
Chances are you’ve put a lot of thought into your special event or wedding. From inspiration boards on Pinterest, bridal shows, magazines and much more. So, when you found your dream location and booked it, it was like finding “the one” you would marry. It just clicked. Santa Barbara’s own wine country, The Santa Ynez Valley (made up of five towns: Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez and Ballard) are filled with epic outdoor event gorgeousness and charming rustic chic glamour. No wonder so many decide to get married in our wine country. That said, there are some items that , if known in advance, will not only help you manage your spending plan (budget), but contribute to a seamless event and help ensure the details that you put into all your planning and special touches is actually realized and that your guests are having a great time. Here are our top highlights of the most common items clients are not told or are overlooked when booking an outdoor special event venue in the Santa Ynez Valley.
“Gone With The Wind”
Pretty much without exception, the wind kicks up in Santa Ynez Valley around 2pm each day and continues until about 7pm. Whether it’s a hot or cold day, the valley is almost always dusty and it is windy – religiously. How does this translate to your event?
Read More >>About Me
I am an Innovator. Inspirer. Story-teller. Believer in the magic of life and humanity.
