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!

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/

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: Osher Marin JCC

Osher Marin JCC
http://www.marinjcc.org/

If you’re looking for a great spot in Marin to host your wedding, consider the Osher Marin JCC. The building features architecturally acclaimed design and a grand staircase of your dreams – right in the heart of beautiful San Rafael. Completed in 1991, this JCC is incredibly modern, spacious and beautiful.

What can you expect: Well, you can book the entire first floor for your guests, the outdoor courtyard is perfect for a ceremony, the Atrium can host your cocktail reception, and your guests can move into the elegant Hoyff Theater for dinner and dancing. And they have a theatrical lighting system in which their designer can focus colors and patterns on the walls to reflect your color or theme. Think soft and romantic for dancing and bright for eating. They even have a mirror ball should it fit your style!

Pam Day, the Event Manager, comes armed with a fantastic vendor list, including many of our Bridebound picks. Pam knows how important finding the perfect venue is and is involved in as much of the process as you require: from caterering to coordinating with your planner. She'll most likely be there on your big day, making sure your ceremony and reception goes off with no snafus. And her on-site staff will continue on through your reception making sure nothing gets overlooked. Sorta like your own private security team. Bridebound approved!

Venue Spotlight: Dogpatch Studios

For those brides and grooms seeking an urban-chic wedding venue, consider Dogpatch Studios. With its anti-hotel approach, Dogpatch Studios gives brides and grooms the space to get uber creative. It’s a venue where a couple can show off who they truly are because of all the potential and creativity the space allows. Past weddings have included traditional dinner seating, lounge seating, photo booths, live entertainment, and even a staged portrait area. The beauty is that it’s primarily a photography studio venue and thus completely adaptable to the party needs. Hosting about five weddings a year, your wedding at Dogpatch Studios will be extremely unique.

Dogpatch Studios loves taking it to the next level. We love how flexible the space is when it comes to the real estate. You can get clever with how big you want your night to unfold. For example, hold the ceremony on the day-lit 3rd Floor studio among friends and city views followed by dining in the barreled-ceiling, open-rafters on the 1st Floor. A minimal event could focus mainly on the tables. Small areas could be draped to hide catering stations and splashes of light in each corner to accent. And how cool is this? "Use the blank walls for a projector to loop a silent movie or slide show," they suggest.

What do Terry and Kasey enjoy about hosting weddings: "We love that every wedding at Dogpatch Studios is different from the next. We've got space and time for whatever you want to create. We have good advice and knowledge based on ideas from events past and we can even line you up with some of the best vendors in the Bay Area." Score. We love a good venue that comes armed with a trusty vendor list.

Check out this amazing venue out at http://www.dogpatchstudios.com//events

Scene & Heard: Bridal Fair at San Geronimo Golf Course

For those of you lovely bride- and grooms-to-be, if you’re vendor or venue hunting and close to Marin County, check out the Grand Open House and Bridal Fair this Saturday, April 24th at the San Geronimo Golf Course. Vendors include Marin and San Geronimo Valley’s local farms, breweries, wineries, artists, photographers, florists, event planners, hotels, rental services, schools and non-profit organizations. Who knows? You could meet a set of fantastic vendors just right for your Big Day.

San Geronimo Golf Course
5800 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
San Geronimo, CA 94963

For everything else you need to know, visit:www.golfsangeronimo.com/upcoming-events

Vendor Spotlight: Temple Nightclub, Venue

Temple Nightclub

http://www.templesf.com/

For those brides and grooms who want a green, urban-chic wedding, Temple could be just the venue for you. Opening in SOMA in September 2007, Temple, from their 89% diversion rate from landfill to their biodegradable cornstarch cups to the recycled bio-fuel oil in their kitchen, is the first green nightclub in the U.S. Dave Peterson, Director of Sales, says, “We pride ourselves in taking care of our environment and those who live in it, keeping in mind we need to leave the planet to our children, their children, and so on.”

Dave truly enjoys hosting weddings and knows all about the stress that goes along wedding planning. For him, the best part about hosting a wedding is, “Making the bride and groom feel comfortable and stress-free. After all, it’s their day and it only comes once.” Dave also likes the challenge of hosting large corporate events - large meaning 1,100 people! Planning for that many people is mind blowing! And he does it with grace, style, and delicious bites to boot.

If you haven’t been to Temple and you’re looking for a unique venue to impress your guests, especially your eco-friendly ones, definitely check it out. It’s visually stunning and Dave couldn’t be more of a pleasure to chit-chat and discuss your wedding ideas with.

Vendor Spotlight: Brix Restaurant, Napa, CA

Brix Restaurant (Napa, CA)
www.brix.com

Brix may be a restaurant, but when it comes to hosting the quintessential Napa wedding, it goes far beyond typical. Matt Guyot of Brix’s Special Events Department shared his story with me: “My predecessors didn’t host a lot of weddings because of the work involved, but while I was the General Manager, I held my wedding here. We have a photo on our end table and it's the first thing I see when I enter our house and the last thing I see when I leave for work. It is a photo of us on the happiest day of our lives with this amazing backdrop at Brix.”

When Matt eventually moved into the Special Events Department, he realized that the amazing backdrop should also be sitting on other lucky couples’ end tables – not just his. So he began offering weddings in 2009 and since then, there are over 50+ houses decorated with lifetime memories of weddings at Brix.

Brix opened in 1996 and sits atop 16 acres of gorgeous property. It is surrounded by 12 acres of Cabernet vineyards from which its owners make the Kelleher Family Estate Wines. Brix also features its own greenhouse and over 30 raised vegetable and herb beds. Their garden is used year-round due to the dreamy climate. And most of all, Brix utilizes the farm-to-table philosophy as Executive Chef, Anne Gingrass-Paik, has created many relationships with local farmers.

Perfect for weddings, rehearsal and welcome dinners, Brix is beyond unique and versatile when it comes to venues. Aside from the gardens and vineyards (great ceremony site), with the wine train that runs along the back of the property, geese and ducks flying into their ponds, and the perfect sunset behind the Mayacaymus Mountains, this venue can’t be beat. Brix also offers a unique Sunday brunch buffet: the perfect way to bid adieu before heading off to SFO for your honeymoon.