This spectacular venue is probably the one place where I have done the most of my weddings in the last decade – and for good reason! I keep recommending Fogarty for its endless views, from San Francisco to Silicon Valley; for its romantic setting amidst lush vineyards, and for its polished event spaces and accommodating staff. In short – the perfect combination for a garden-themed, summery, mostly outdoor wedding!
My Fogarty weddings have ranged from intimate gatherings to 200 people; were anywhere from rustic to elegant, and came in a rainbow of accent colors.
Here is my personal inspiration – how I want to see it! Fresh citrus colors …
… combined with natural materials like wood and rattan, candlelight and metallic gold accents.
This would complement the spectacular views from the ceremony lawn (actually using the ceremony chairs from the venue inventory)…
… and rattan lounge furniture, potted shrubs and fluffy pillows would be perfect for Cocktail Hour on the open deck.
For dinner in the Pavilion, I am envisioning suspended florals (after all, the Pavilion was constructed with exactly such decor in mind – the struts can carry the load!)…
… and the new venue dining chairs would look great with this design.
The place settings combine elegance, natural materials and – with pretty menu cards – a touch of formality.
And, of course, the Sweetheart Table gets special treatment!
Cake cutting would happen in the Hill House…
… the basketweave design of the cake matching the “natural materials” theme of the decor, and the rustic bare wooden dessert table playing along with desserts in citrus colors.
This is the first installment in what will hopefully become a real series – starting with one of my all-time favorite wedding venues in the Bay Area. Kohl Mansion is a historic landmark in classic Tudor architecture, set in beautiful, lush formal gardens, with a melange of dark wood paneling and double-height spaces (the Great Hall) and light-filled nearly playful rooms – e.g. the Morning Room with its black-and-white checkerboard floor and the Green Room, the original dining room of the mansion, painted a very light shade of pastel green. Then there is the elegant library with its Persian rugs, the formal entrance foyer, the photogenic grand staircase … I could go on and on. This mansion is high elegance personified – perfect for high-end weddings!
My idea to complement the architectural beauty with a nod to wedding events: Chinese-pattern blue-and-white china and pink roses and peonies…
… starting with invitations and wedding day stationery.
This is what the ceremony could look like:
… followed by cocktails in the Courtyard…
… and dinner in the Great Hall.
This is how I would envision the place settings:
… and Cake Cutting in the Morning Room.
We’d also have a dessert buffet right there…
… and a comfortable lounge area for quiet conversations…
… while others are dancing in the Green Room.
And here is the whole design concept at a glance – I hope you like it!
Having trouble with your wedding Thank-You’s? When, Who, How?
It’s actually easy.
When: no later than 2 weeks after receiving the gift (before the wedding) or no later than 2 weeks after your wedding.
Whom do you need to send a Thank You note?
Everyone!
Guests that have attended your wedding, whether they gave you a gift or not
Guests that were invited, did not come, but sent a gift
People who were not even invited but gave you a gift
Your vendors
How should you write these notes?
Hand-write. Absolutely hand-write. Preferably on stationery matching your invitations, but if you don’t have that, either use a card with a wedding photo or even a generic nice Thank You card. And use a good pen or, even better, fountain pen.
Here is the template:
“Dear” (recipient’s name or names)
“Thank you for” (the item they gave you as a gift, also cash gift)
How you intend to use the item or how you’ve used it so far
Then say how much you loved celebrating alongside them at your wedding (or how how much you are looking forward to celebrate with them, if you’re sending this note before the big day)
When this couple approached my company, A Day Like No Other, for help with planning their wedding, they had already done a lot of venue search and identified a number of constraints. No wedding in Fall, out in nature, preferably under towering Redwood trees, with sufficient shade against the California sun, a polished event venue, close-by accommodations for their numerous out-of-town guests, not too far away from Silicon valley… and if that wasn’t tricky enough, their respective parents had overlapping date conflicts. In short, this was not easy! Until… enter River House, a fairly new event venue in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It checked most of the couple’s requirements, AND it had suitable event dates still available. BOOKED!
With just under nine months to go (and demanding work schedules for both bride and groom), we had our work cut out for us. The wedding planner provided by the venue helped with local connections and vendors. After a whirlwind of sourcing, comparing and booking vendors, food and cake tastings, showroom visits and lounge furniture selection, organizing a Tea Ceremony preceding the Western festivities and an afterparty close to the wedding venue…. the Big Day had finally arrived!
Given the mid-morning Tea Ceremony to start the day, the bride and her bridesmaids and the mothers had to get up VERY early to have their hair and makeup done (DesignHerImage).
The traditional Tea Ceremony was held at the Hilton Scotts Valley hotel which served as the “home base” for the couple, their family members and many of their guests.
After that, the Western part of their wedding day started… with transit to River House, the local wedding planner taking over and bride and groom getting into Western wedding attire.
Beautiful romantic bouquets in pastel Spring colors (Laurel Canyon Farms) were waiting for the bride (and her bridesmaids…)
… who were themselves wearing assorted pastel Spring colors.
The groom and groomsmen were dressed up for the celebration as well:
Ready for their First Look – all captured by the One Love photo team and Curio videographers.
Always such an emotional moment…
This should be their official wedding photo, don’t you think?!
… for her romantic wedding ceremony in the outdoor pavilion, serenaded by Innocenti Strings.
Just married!
YESSSS!!
And while guests got to enjoy not only the usual cocktails and hors d’oeuvres (by Love Creek Catering), but also ice cream and a veritable British High Tea (!), lounging on vintage furniture pieces by White Rabbit Event Rentals, the newlyweds went off to take even more photos.
Isn’t that pretty?! Guests were then invited to dinner in the lavishly decorated Barn with tables, chairs and tabletop items from Alexis Party Rental...
… where they also had their choreographed First Dance to tunes by Santa Cruz DJ …
Andrea and Alexander had found their absolute dream venue – the historic Kohl Mansion in Burlingame – and then they realized that a lot more had to be done to actually host their wedding there… so they turned to my company, A Day Like No Other, to help them fill in all the myriad details that, in the end, come together to a great wedding celebration.
We had eight months to make it happen – and this time went by very quickly. On a breezy, sunny Friday in April, the Big Day had finally come!
For bride Andrea and her bridesmaids, it began with hair and makeup services (Beauty by Cherie); then, with the help from her bridesmaids, she stepped into her elegant wedding dress… and look how radiant she is!
What’s missing? Her bridal bouquet, of course! (All flowers by Narose).
Now she’s ready for her First Look…
… on the main staircase of the Mansion.
Every single time, this is such a special, intimate moment between bride and groom. Truly priceless.
And now, it’s couple’s portrait time! Having fun …
Peekaboo!
On to more official wedding photos…
… like this…
… or this…
… or that one!
Soon enough, guests were arriving (all 200 of them!!)…
… and the ceremony began in the elegant Green Room of Kohl Mansion, with a friend of the couple officiating.
The Kohl Mansion staff under the leadership of Events Director Denise Severi had done the complete setup – not only for the ceremony, but for cocktails and dinner as well, florist Narose had prepared impressive altar arrangements, and our DJ/MC Paul Burchfield of Big Fun Disc Jockeys provided beautiful music – while photographer Frank Lee and videographer Martin Meyer of martinFILMS captured it all.
Meanwhile, Lucia’s Bar Company had set up the bar in the Courtyard, ready to serve guests right after the ceremony, and Ginger Cafe Catering was ready to serve hors d’oeuvres.
The newlyweds had, of course, even more photos to take:
Time for dinner in the double-height Great Hall at Kohl Mansion!
The dinner table centerpieces by florist Narose were literally glowing in fresh Spring colors, and the Sweetheart Table got special treatment.
What’s happening after dinner? Cake Cutting! The cake and an impressive dessert buffet had been provided by Always Your Bakery Cafe – look, how pretty!
There was one more highlight of the celebration, of course: dancing – and for those who’d take a break, a photobooth.
One thing’s for sure: Andrea and Alexander GOT their dream wedding! Congratulations!
Catherine’s and Jacob’s one-of-a-kind wedding at Kohl Mansion
A bagpipe band for the processional? Check.
A Scottish Highland dance performance to entertain the guests? Check.
Authentic Scottish-only flowers for all bouquets? Check.
All the gentlemen in kilts? Of course!
And so on, and so forth. This wedding was “one for the ages!” Bride Catherine, of Scottish-Danish heritage, and an accomplished professional Scottish Highland dance instructor, pulled all the stops for her authentic, traditional nuptials – and historic Kohl Mansion in Burlingame, with its double-height Great Room and dark wood paneling, was the perfect setting for her vision. And Jacob, her groom, was fully onboard with this vision from Day One!
So we (at A Day Like No Other) got started, with nine months to go. Selecting authentic Scottish Highland flowers took intense, deep research (by Laurel & Vine) – sourcing these flowers (or their closest substitutes) in California was yet another story… Bride Catherine took responsibility for all other things Scottish, especially the gentlemen’s traditional attire (kilts in the bride’s family tartan!), a bagpipe band (complete with kettledrums!), a Scottish Highland dance performance … AND a traditional Danish wedding cake (to honor the “other side” of her cultural heritage). Suffice it to say that planning this wedding was very intense and involved, and we just made it to the finish line!
Finally, the big day had arrived, and Catherine began the day with hair and makeup services by Tiffany Chiang of Design HER Image, then getting into her classic, very feminine wedding dress.
Here she is, at Kohl Mansion, in timeless beauty – and poise:
She could easily be royalty, don’t you think? Time for a very emotional First Look with her Dad…
… followed by a First Look with her groom, Jacob.
Had you told me that this was the wedding of a Scottish duchess at her castle – I would have believed it!
Of course, there were also photos of the bridal party…
… and of the radiant bride with her flowers!
Soon enough, guests were about to arrive, and they were greeted in style by the Macintosh Pipe band:
… something definitely so far unheard-of at this venue! As the wedding fell in the colder season in California, Catherine and Jacob held their wedding ceremony indoors, again accompanied by bagpipe tunes.
“With this ring, I thee wed…”
The mandatory signing of the marriage license literally “sealed the deal…”
… and the newlyweds had more photos to take…
… while their guests enjoyed Cocktail Hour outdoors, protected by a tent (from Hensley Event Resources)…
… and entertained by more bagpipe music!
All the while, dinner preparations were underway behind the scenes – fast and furious! The team of Continental Caterers had the dining room set up (with beautiful rental items from Hensley Event Resources) and the kitchen going; florist Marie of Laurel & Vine set the long rows of dining tables with green garlands and a profusion of candlelight; DJ Paul of Big Fun Disc Jockeys was setting up sound and light both for speeches over dinner and then, of course, for dancing; and my production team of A Day Like No Other orchestrated it all.
It was a feast of epic proportions, hearkening back to times long past… and utterly romantic!
But the highlights of the celebration just kept coming – the next one being the authentic Danish wedding cake, a “kransekage” (from Copenhagen Bakery) – a delicious tower of marzipan-like layers, topped with a heart-shaped cookie for the newlyweds.
Having cut and shared this gorgeous cake, the newlyweds went on to what they love most: dancing.
Of course, their First Dance was a highly choreographed routine (by the bride – who else?!), and the same held true for the Father-Daughter Dance.
Guests were invited to join in the fun with a traditional ceilidh…
… and they left the dance floor ONLY to help themselves from the huge dessert buffet (also from Copenhagen Bakery)!
The rest of the night was spent just dancing, dancing, dancing – and celebrating!
So – one thing is for sure: this was unforgettable. Keep dancing, Catherine and Jacob, and celebrating your happiness for many, many years to come!
Fashion repeats itself cyclically – don’t we all know that? The same holds true for wedding cake trends, and so many, many of my past couples’ cakes are “of the moment” again! Here’s a walk down wedding memory lane – and at the same time, a preview of next year’s hottest trends!
Nostalgia and kitsch
YES!! The kitschy cake topper is back… (if it was ever really gone!)
Cake by Studio Cake; Nathan Worden Photography
Artistic pleats and sculptural decor
There is renewed appreciation for technically complicated, highly artistic cakes – we’ve had quite a few of those over the years, spectacular ones!
Cake by La Vie Douce Designs; Danny Dong Photography
Cake by Avocado Catering; Sandra Fazzino Photography
Fruit decor
A perennial classic!
Cake by Krumbs Cakes; Frank J. Lee Photography
Huge, towering cakes
This one certainly “takes the cake!”
Cake by Cake Expressions; Toanven Photography
Unusual shapes
These are really fun cakes – from vintage suitcases to ladies’ slippers…
Cake by Cake Coquette; Maria Hedengren Photography
Cakes and Petit Fours by Morgane Ric; Vicens Forns Photography
Floral decor – from edible flowers to sugar confections
Needless to say – the more elaborate the decor, e.g. a whole cascade of handmade sugar flowers, the higher the price tag…
Cake by Krumbs Cakes; Megan Reeves Photography
Cake by Cake Coquette; Tuan B Photography
And “all that glitters:” metallic accents!
Sheer gold never fails to impress…
Cake by Ritz-Carlton SF Patissier; Usman B Photography
And now YOU have the very difficult task to decide which one YOU want!!
For a while it looked as if printed wedding invitations might become a thing of the past – with an increasing number of couples going “fully digital.” But – the tide is turning, and for an elegant wedding, beautifully designed printed invitations are still the gold standard.
We asked our all-time favorite wedding stationer – Jacques Oskanian of Hyegraph in San Francisco – which trends to expect for next year. In-house designer extraordinaire Munnie Tran breaks it down for us.
Sculpted Embossing
Texture and tactile impression is everything these days, and sculpted embossing has emerged as a luxurious touch to add to custom wedding invitations. While standard embossing creates a raised impression, sculpted embossing adds another dimension with even more depth and detail. From delicate flower petals to intricate monograms, the results of sculpted embossing are quite literally like a sculpture. Every fine detail appears hand-carved and is crisply defined on heavyweight paper stock.
Vellum
Vellum is a lightweight material that is semi-translucent. It is very versatile and is frequently used to embellish wedding invitations, whether by adding a belly band, gate fold wrap, or a folder. Thinking beyond the invitation suite, it can also be used for the wedding day of stationery, on items such as menus, programs, place cards, and more. Its sheer appearance adds a touch of softness and romance to any style, and the possibilities are endless as you can print any design or color on it.
Unique materials
Traditional paper invitations are both timeless and classic; you can’t go wrong! However, if you are looking for something that is sure to wow your guests and stand out amongst the crowd, consider utilizing unique materials. Some examples include acrylic, wood, velvet, suede, handmade paper, and so much more. Keep the traditional paper invitation, but use these special materials in other areas, such as envelope liners, belly bands, pocket folder, or enclosure cards.
Die Cut Shapes
When you think of a wedding invitation, you may picture a 5” x 7” rectangle, as it is pretty standard. However, you can definitely think outside of the box and do all sorts of unique sizes and shapes. Whether it’s a simple geometric hexagon, or detailed shapes of states, animals, and more, this is a great way to add character and dimension to your wedding invitation suite.
Well – what’s your favorite? Are you even able to choose? At least you’ve gotten a LOT of inspiration for your own totally unique invitation design!
In short: corsets (sometimes with dropped waistline); everything that glitters; bold textures (from 3D appliques to feathers) and the return of the tulle skirt – plus the eternal lace!
Corsets:
Every collection had at least one – open or hidden, giving the upper body a sculpted silhouette. Examples below from the new brand Wiederhoeft, from KYHA and WONÁ Concept.
Wiederhoeft
Drop waist/basque waist:
A U- or V-shaped dip at the waistline for a sculpted, nipped-in look thanks to the curve of the fabric. Enaura showed it with finely beaded styles and Galia Lahav with lace-covered gowns. Rime Arodaky incorporated the silhouette in fabrics like duchess satin for a softer, yet still sculpted look.
Shorter or asymmetrical hemlines are good for “all-wedding” but especially for dancing – look up Elie Saab; lingerie-inspired designs e.g. by Milla Nova and shimmering disco looks by KYHA.
