Venue Spotlight: Hornblower Cruises & Events

Hornblower is perhaps one of the most quintessential and unique venue ideas for a Bay Area wedding. A 30-year-old charter yacht company, Hornblower started with just two small yachts in Berkeley and now have over 30 yachts in seven ports up and down California. Since they have a variety of yachts, they can handle from the most intimate of weddings to the hugest ones. And they take weddings very seriously. From the moment they get a phone call from an excited couple, to the second they step off the vessel at the end of their special day, they ensure that every detail is taken care and every couple remembers their wedding for a lifetime.

Tegan Firth, Corporate Public Relations Manager, tells us that couples can expect personalized coordinating and many options in terms of food, decor, music, etc. They prepare wedding day cuisine on-board that day, so everything you and your guests will eat will be fresh and delicious. Tegan also tells us that their culinary team has created several catering packages ranging in price. We love that, especially in today’s times!

Vendor Spotlight: Pinon Design, Wedding Florist

Jun Pinon began Pinon Design a decade ago from the back of his pick-up truck and has since successfully established a reputable floral and event design business in San Francisco and Los Angeles. One look at Jun’s designs, you can tell that his pieces truly add to any occasion. In fact, that’s what he enjoys about creating pieces for weddings, “Because they can create a powerful ambiance for everyone to enjoy.”

And about his craft and business: “I believe flowers are meant to be shared and I have had the opportunity to showcase my work in many places but my main goal has been to inspire others with my live floral design presentations and hands-on floral design courses for various charities, venues, corporations and exclusive resorts throughout Hawaii and California.”

When you meet and consult with Jun, you won’t only be signing up with a passionate floral expert, but a friend as well. His warm personality is sure to reel you in, along with his gorgeous samples. Take a look at his beautiful designs at http://www.pinondesign.com/

Vendor Spotlight, Fat Bottom Bakery

Vegan wedding desserts, anyone? Well we have a bakery for you. Fat Bottom Bakery was started by friends, Carolynn and Ashley, as an outlet for their love of baking and their combined commitment to veganism and delicious, sustainable foods. All of their treats are vegan, which means they don’t use any dairy, egg or other animal products. They use as many organic ingredients as possible and make every effort to source ingredients locally, making their goods fresher, tastier and ecologically sustainable.

We asked Ashley and Carolynn what they like about baking for weddings: “It’s always lovely to deliver and set up for a wedding, since we often get a little glimpse of the celebration! It’s also a unique situation for us as bakers to have our products play such a starring role at the party. We get the satisfaction of knowing we’ve created exactly what the couple wants as their centerpiece.”

The ladies tell us they’re always working on expanding and changing their menu, on hunt for the very best ingredients. “We’re fans of ‘veganizing’ classic flavors and dishes, which is a fun challenge and can result in some relatively rare and exciting items. We also like to get out there and talk to people about what types of items they’d like to see. There are lots of desserts that are hard to find when you a conscious consumer or one with a food allergy and we hope to fill in some of the gaps.”

Why else should you consider Fat Bottom Bakery? They’re eager to work with couples to find the perfect combination of flavors, colors and textures for your wedding. They're also extremely excited about the repeal of Prop. 8 and are happy to be able to take part in celebrations of love in its many forms. They focus on cupcake displays which afford couples the luxury of picking several different flavors of cake to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. With Fat Bottom Bakery, it's all about taking your needs and desires into account and turning out a totally fun, unique and delicious wedding dessert. Just the way we like it.

Venue Spotlight, Falkirk Cultural Center

Looking for a venue with some history in the Bay Area? the Falkilk Cultural Center may just be your cup a tea. A 19th century country estate listed on the National Historic Register, and owned and operated by the City of San Rafael, this beautiful venue has served the community for more than 35 years in the areas of art, history and gardening.

The 17-room mansion features an outside verandah, rolling grounds, a wedding lawn, multiple gardens and a greenhouse. It sits on 11 acres and rentals include four downstairs rooms, two bathrooms, the verandah, the wedding lawn and gardens, a kitchen, a butler’s pantry and an upstairs dressing room. Bonus? The majority of the rooms are wheelchair accessible. The property fits up to 100 guests in the winter months and up to 125 in the spring and summer. There are tables and chairs for use, as well as a baby grand piano, and the stairway with stained glass windows and the entry stairway outside are favorite places for memorable photos.

When it comes to weddings, Cory Bytof, the Falkirk Culural Center Program Coordinator, tells us: “You’ll find us friendly, affordable and reasonable in accommodating your needs. Falkirk is a charming, elegant facility with small rooms ideal for weddings where a couple wants to have multiple environments for different aspects of the wedding. Our room layout affords guests to enjoy easy access to all areas of the house and gardens, with the ability to mingle in smaller groups closer to or further away from the music and entertainments.”


The Falkirk staff goes out of their way to make you feel comfortable and is equally at home responding to your needs or staying out of your way. And get this: While many of Marin’s finest caterers have worked at Falkirk, they have no restrictions on use of caterers. You can create your wedding as you see fit, using whichever caterer you choose at any level of food service. “It’s like having your wedding in your very own grand Victorian home,” Cory says. We think that sounds divine.

Visit today at http://www.falkirkculturalcenter.org/

Vendor Spotlight: Pat Gibbons, Floral Designer

A true seasoned professional, Pat Gibbons moved to the Bay Area from Cambridge, Mass in 1981 where she’d been working in the Events Department at the Museum of Science in Boston. Floral design was an easy career transition that combined many of her interests: flowers, art and gardening. All you have to do is look at her work to understand why! She’s even been invited to participate in the prestigious Bouquets to Art, held at the De Young Museum in San Francisco for the past 22 years.

“It’s my love of color, texture and bringing interesting elements together that keeps everything fresh,” she tells us. “Every season brings a whole new flower palette. I enjoy meeting people for consultations and hearing about their ideas and find it a fun process to develop innovative designs. Because I limit the number of weddings I do to one per weekend day, I offer personalized and detailed service and great value. On the day of the wedding, I’m always on-site for the delivery and setting up of the flowers.”

While everything starts with service and quality, Pat strives to bring ‘style-design-beauty’ to everything she does. She has a great reputation with both her clients and peers and is known for her artistry, service and the expertise that comes from designing for 29 years. And true to the Bay Area, Pat strives to be a green as possible; recycling, using local vendors and products. We think she’s divine and so will you.

View more of her beautiful work at: http://www.patgibbonsfloral.com/

Vendor Spotlight: Sonoma Caterers

Amber Belshaw of Sonoma Caterers is fascinating. A formally US- and European-trained chef she also has people skills down to a science. It’s probably why Sonoma Caterers is such a success. While Amber serves as Executive Chef, she still insists on meeting every couple face-to-face and minimizes her number of commitments to devote the utmost attention to each event. She prides herself on making sure that she delivers exactly what couples want on the menu for their Big Day. “We are not platinum or over the top, I specialize in real events for real couples,” she says humbly.

Amber tells us that unique venues can help to spark unique experiences. “If I have power and water I am happy,” she says. “It’s not uncommon to be on a dirt road in a vineyard or on a mountain top. I have twice cracked the oil pan in my car on the roads that we cater. Yes, a four course wine dinner with no water, no power and you have to bring in all of the equipment.” Clearly she has to think of the location when creating a menu, as there are some things that cannot be made without an oven. “I can do a great menu on a BBQ and you would never know it” she admits.

So beyond the fact that you will have fantastic, fresh food at your wedding, Sonoma Caterers are friendly and warm. “We are a company with a green-certified and moral conscience; my staff has options for medical, health and retirement. Happy staff to me equals happy guests. When you work with us you will feel that you planned it yourself. We sit down and talk about the guests wants, likes, dislikes and put those in the event. I really listen. Our style is ‘good food done well’. We are in Sonoma County and do business in that style. I am blessed that I get to spend everyday doing what I love.”

Vendor Spotlight: Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

Just hearing the name, Ritz-Carlton, evokes imagery of grand, classic proportions. And the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is nothing short of this. Perhaps the ideal venue for your dream wedding? The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco as we know it today was completed after a four-year renovation in 1991. Since then, this Neo-Classical Nob Hill landmark has been impressing tourists, business travelers, celebrities and couples in their 336 luxury guest room hotel. So what it’s like to plan your wedding here?

Bonnie Crail, President of Crail Communications and press representative for The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, tells us that while they host only about 30 weddings a year, they take weddings very seriously saying, “It’s a seamless service experience”. You will also have your own Ritz-Carlton Wedding Specialist who'll coordinate your every need from floral arrangements, china, chairs and entertainment. Food is catered by their infamous kitchen lead by Chef Patrick Callarec, and you will no doubt receive five-star service in every area from staff to the linens you choose. Sound dreamy? It gets better.

Don’t think just because you’re on a budget or hosting a small, intimate wedding that you can’t host your wedding at a grand place like the Ritz-Carlton. Bonnie details us the many options you have here and we love options:

* The Terrace Courtyard works for up to 250 guests, complete with a white tent and palladium-style windows. And the Terrace Room can host a reception up to 120 with dancing and windows that look out onto its courtyard.

* The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom can host anywhere from 50 to 500. All it takes is the magic that the staff makes to move things around decorate accordingly.

* And for truly smaller, intimate ceremonies and receptions, the Consulate and Colonnade rooms host up to 50 while the Plaza and Diplomat rooms host up to 25.

Still thinking these options will break the bank? They might or they might not. Consider a Thursday, Friday or Sunday affair where pricing can be better negotiated. Bonnie tells us they often do Sunday luncheon weddings or Sunday ceremonies followed by a tea party. Get creative!

Vendor Spotlight: Sift Cupcakery, Wine Country

No doubt, cupcakes are all the rage these days. Sift Cupcakery was born in 2008 after the owners weren’t able to find their dream cupcakes for their Sonoma wedding. Was delicious and whimsical looking too much to ask? With so many weddings planned in wine country, they opened their doors and voila! They now have 3 locations: Cotati, Napa and Santa Rosa.

Jordan, Wedding Coordinator for Sift, tells us that weddings are truly the reason they exist: “There isn’t any celebration we love more. We love working with the couples from start to finish, learning about their ideas to seeing the final product."

As for their creative inspirations, Jordan says Sift just loves to create. New flavors, new themes, custom artwork on cupcakes-you name it, they will create it. They've been inspired by movies, Martha Stewart, magic and more.

What can you expect from Sift? Fun, whimsical flavored cupcakes perfectly made for your special day. They can match any décor, theme or monogram for your wedding. They
deliver, set ‘em up, and will just love being a part of your special day.

Vendor Spotlight: Todd Parsons, Photographer

Todd Parsons tells us about getting his head start to becoming a photographer: “When I was a kid, my family moved around a lot. To make friends, I learned quickly to get a handle on any situation, read people and make them feel relaxed and comfortable. I've studied how to allow people to be themselves my whole life. It was the perfect apprenticeship on the way to becoming a photographer."

When we asked him ‘why weddings?’ he tells us, “I remember when the lightening bolt struck. I was at a friend's wedding, the ‘I want to do this’ moment. The energy, the family, the love. Weddings bring out so many emotions and they are a fascinating experience. I have been behind the camera many times with a tear streaking down; I can't help but sometimes getting wrapped up in it all.”

Todd tells us he looks at work from other photographers whom he respects and admires for inspiration. He loves the outdoors and is equally fascinated with urban landscape. He also stresses that constant education is critical explaining, “Technology is changing so fast, and photographers have to stay ahead of the curve. I attend several workshops a year, sometimes wedding related, but most of the time not. Yet I find applying knowledge learned from photographing landscapes or action sports leads to wonderful wedding images.”

Why Todd? “My clients can expect 100% satisfaction, professionalism and a good-natured human being. Style is important but so is a personal connection with each other. I let my brides know that, ‘Hey, I've got it covered. Of all the things you're going to worry about, photography isn't one of them.’ Grooms? Just buy them a beer and they're good.”
To view more of Todd’s beautiful work, visit:
http://www.toddparsons.net/

Vendor Spotlight: Sarah Lindsay Cakes

Ever since she began baking sugar cookies with her Grandma for Christmas, Sarah's love of baking only grew. After a semester abroad exploring all things culinary and pastry, she attended Tante Marie’s Professional Culinary Program and stayed on to tackle their infamous Professional Baking and Pastry Program. And it was after stints at Restaurant Lulu and Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant, where she honed in on her dessert making skills, that Sarah Lindsay Cakes was born.

About weddings Sarah says, “I enjoy creating whimsical, unusual requests. I have fun exploring ideas with brides and grooms and coming up with sketches. I call it “cakestorming”. I also appreciate the creative aspect of baking; my favorite – carving the cakes.” Her style: elegant and classic cakes, as well as cakes full of imagination.

Her inspiration? “Nature all around me inspires me. I also love reading cake books by such amazing cake artists such as Collette Peters, Debbie Brown, Margaret Braun and Toba Garrett. The zoo and aquariums; and I am an avid snorkeler and aquatic or ocean themed cakes excite me.”

Why Sarah for the cake of your dreams? Besides excellent customer service and attention to detail, Sarah uses only high-quality ingredients: Belgian and Valhrona cocoa, Madagascar vanilla beans, and Swiss fondant. Plus, Sarah will personally bake and design your cake as well as make sure every ounce of butter cream is whipped and smoothed on your cake to perfection.

Contact her at http://www.sarahlindsaycakes.com/

Vendor Spotlight: Paulding & Company

Although Tracy and Terry Paulding of Paulding & Company cater the occasional wedding, their focus is the night before. Terry and her staff do incredible hands-on cooking events for rehearsal dinners. Of her unique business model: “Most of my business is in-house cooking events, including team building, birthday parties, etc., but I hold the rehearsal dinner as a special favorite. The dynamic is lovely as two families get to know each other with their hands involved in a cooperative effort.”

She began working in restaurants during her teen years but ended her restaurant career in the mid ‘70’s to have a family. Years later, the Piedmont Adult School invited her to teach. She taught their Basic Cooking classes and they were always sold out. Eventually she went to CCA and got her degree in ’94. Terry speaks so highly of her teaching experiences and it’s clearly what drives her business today. “As a teacher, I introduced so many people to healthy, flavorful and fresh food, that I began getting requests to cater. So, a dozen years ago, I rented space in a commercial kitchen and started catering. I moved my teaching to that kitchen as well, as there was a dining area.”

Eventually she built a place of her own. Open since January 2004, her Emeryville kitchen is built specially for group work—it’s a fully inspected, 2400-square-foot, large, catering kitchen; and it's set up for teaching and activities with prep stations for large groups. It seats 56 people comfortably for dining, or she can accommodate up to 100 guests next door at Periscope Cellars winery.

So if you’re looking for a truly unique idea for how and where to host your rehearsal dinner, consider calling Terry. Your families and friends will get the chance to mingle while achieving something you can’t quite do any place else: eating a delicious meal that you each had a hand in making. The alchemy of creating food together extends itself in many ways and this is perfect for foodies or families that just love being around a warm, cozy kitchen. This is a great way to bring families together before the craziness to ensue the next day. There is truly magic in Terry’s kitchen: we’ve experienced it and you should, too. Learn more about them at: http://www.pauldingandco.com/

Venue Spotlight: Legion of Honor, San Francisco

Image credit: Flory Photo

Quintessential San Francisco, The Legion of Honor has everything you could possibly want in a venue for your Big Day, should you host a city wedding: romance, fine art and views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Legion was built as a three-quarter representation of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris. There is no other location in the world in which you can have a seated reception among Rodin Sculptures—we can just imagine! And should you choose to have your ceremony on the Balustrade Lawn, your guests will ooh-and-aah at the views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and the Pacific Ocean.

For many years, the Legion of Honor did not allow private, social events such as weddings. But being such a huge part of San Francisco culture, they’re now honored to be able to host private events. Dani Lamas, Events Manager, loves to hear why couples choose the Legion. “Memories of viewing the exhibits with their family, where they met, where they got engaged, we truly become a part of their lives and they want to celebrate their love here with art and culture.” she tells us.

Image Credit Above Right: Anabelle Wedding- Liz Edlund

If you choose the Legion, expect to communicate with one person from beginning to end when it comes to making decisions about your wedding there. Dani will take your first phone call or email and will be present on the day of the wedding. “In the those planning months, we are happy to suggest vendors to fit each client’s wishes and vision of the day,” she explains, as they have built many quality relationships with local wedding vendors.

Image credit: Drew Alitzer for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Because the space is so beautiful and special, Dani tells us about some of the unique events they’ve hosted. “We have been honored to host events for dignitaries, royalty, celebrities and many others. As a nonprofit, our development team plans events to raise funds for our exhibitions and further our museum.” Though she doesn’t forget to mention, the most special of events are when a couple meets at the end of the aisle ready to embark are their new lives together. Now, that is special…!

Image credit: Got Light

Learn more at: http://www.famsf.org/

Vendor Spotlight: Cake Coquette

Gabrielle Feuersinger of Cake Coquette has always been interested in pastry design but it wasn’t until she began designing cakes for Cake Divas in LA that she knew she should be on her own. A native San Franciscan, she brought her talent back three years ago and Cake Coquette was born; the name a nod to her French mother and her love of Marie Antoinette-era design.

One look at her cakes and its evident she adores weddings. She gets just as excited as the couple to see how the cake will turn out, and she explains that often times the cake turns out even better than what she designs in her head and on paper. Though the rumor around town is that she’s known for her buttercream detail piping work, she’s always experimenting with new techniques, her cakes always have that special touch. Tres bonbon!

And check out this awesome Groom's Cake:

To view more of her deliciously beautiful work, visit: http://www.cakecoquette.com/