Events of Distinction recently teamed up with Borrowed and Blue, a locally-focused online wedding resource, to give couples everything they need to know about our event planning services.
Here’s our Q&A with Borrowed & Blue:
1. If you could possibly narrow it down, what would be your favorite moment of a wedding day?
My favorite moment of the wedding is when all the talented wedding professionals arrive at the venue to begin the installation and setup of the wedding. The wedding couple secures the services of these professionals, and like a perfectly oiled machine, we magically transform an empty canvas into a wedding work of art. We take the vision and dreams of our wedding couples, and together, the perfect team executes a wedding beyond the imagination of our clients. It’s so rewarding to be of service to our wedding couples on one of the most important days of their lives.
2. Describe your event aesthetic in three words.
Euphoric, Experiential, Epic.
3. The first thing you ask when you sit down with a couple?
I always ask these questions:
- What would you like your guests to say about your wedding?
- What does that experience feel like?
- What don’t you want to see or experience at your wedding?
4. Top three pieces of advice for couples who just got engaged?
My advice is to first just revel in your engagement…quietly. Don’t tell everyone until you have had time to take it all in and discuss the details between the two people who matter the most, yourselves. It’s time for you to simply savor the moment and celebrate your engagement quietly together.
Second, there is nothing more important in your initial steps of wedding planning than getting a grip on your guest list. The number of guests you decide to invite will greatly affect the cost of your wedding, as well as many decisions that you will need to make. For instance, you wouldn’t want to select a site for your reception without first knowing how many people you expect to have there on your big day. Create a guest list with the correct spelling of first and last names and correct addresses.
Since I am a wedding designer and planner, I willing acknowledge that I may not be totally unbiased about the subject of securing the services of a wedding planner. With a myriad of wedding details that can be all time-consuming to plan, most busy engaged couples are enlisting the services of a wedding planner. While you can certainly plan a wedding yourself, it will not have the same outcome if planned professionally. And the more complex the details of your wedding are, the greater the level of skill is required for your professional wedding planner. Therefore, my third piece of advice for couples is to weigh the pros and cons, especially if you want a fabulous you-don’t-have-to-worry-about-a-thing day!
5. Most important detail of wedding decor?
You want your wedding to reflect your personal style and elicit an emotional response from guests as the day unfolds. My advice is to start and finish with a flourish and utilize the five senses. Incorporate your style / design concept into the first communication about your wedding, such as your Save the Date card or invitation. When choosing a style/design concept, make sure it can be communicated through not only the invitation, but your decor, music, food, beverage, tabletops and vignettes. Continue to thread elements of your style/design concept throughout the wedding, from the start of the ceremony to your last dance or final getaway.
Tamara & Damon’s Save the Date and Grand Get-away
6. Your thoughts on DIY weddings?
I’ll repeat it again, and quote myself this time from my book Countdown to Your Perfect Wedding: “While you can certainly plan a wedding yourself arguably, it will not have the same outcome if planned professionally.” Ever try doing your own highlights on your hair, give yourself a manicure or cook a gourmet dinner for 100? It’s worth the time and money to pay a professional to do these things, not to mention relieving yourself from the aggravation and stress.
7. What would your ideal tablescape look like?
Rather than focusing on one individual tablescape, I prefer to design with the entire dining area in mind. When guests first transition into the dining area, I don’t want them to see a sea of sameness. Instead, I try to create a sense of excitement and interest through a variety of tabletop designs that complement each other.
A good example is Marissa and Matt’s wedding, where we had a combination of nine 54” square tables from Classic Party Rentals with “Williamsburg Celery” linens from La Tavola, four kings banquet tables with Rico Jungle Green linens, and two long farm tables. Each type of table had its own sensational tablescape.
For the 54” squares, arrangements of plum, raspberry and fig flowers were placed into large clear square glass vases with added green accents. On the banquet tables, low rectangular ceramic containers each had their own monochromatic arrangements. And for the two dramatic rows of farm tables, vessels of various shapes and sizes created a chic and modern look. Eclectic place settings featured a Green Swirl charger on the natural wood farm tables and a white square charger on the squares and kings banquet. Each charger was layered with the Sophia dinner plate and a Camelot Kiwi folded napkin, which showcased the custom menu.
Photos: Arrowood Photography
8. Your favorite of all the San Francisco wedding venues?
As a native San Franciscan, I love the iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the James Leary Flood Mansion in Pacific Heights. Known as the Convent of the Sacred Heart by day, this private all-girls’ school turns into a fabulous wedding venue for special events on weekends and evenings.
The Flood Mansion is a symphony of classical styles—Italian Renaissance, Rococo, Tudor and Georgian—featuring a “Grand Hall” with marble floors and great views of the Bay. There is also a lovely enclosed courtyard off of the Grand Hall available for outdoor ceremonies and receptions. The Flood Mansion is definitely a venue to show off the City by the Bay!
Photo: Grace Image
9. What about Lake Tahoe wedding venues?
Just south of Tahoe’s most spectacular beach, Sand Harbor, the Thunderbird Lodge is the premier place to get married in the Lake Tahoe area. An historic stone house and lush grounds by the shoreline, together with the azure Lake and surrounding mountains, provide an unparalleled backdrop for a sensational celebration.
10. The most important part of wedding planning?
The most important part of wedding planning is learning the ability to be able to make a decision together. The wedding planning process is the beginning of your many decisions you will make together as a married couple. Where will we go on a honeymoon? Where will we buy our first house? Who will do the cooking, cleaning and take out the garbage? Will we have children? How you make decisions and communicate with each other will affect every day of your married lives. Your wedding is a day, but your marriage is a lifetime.