Archive for the ‘Stephanie J Designs’ Category

The Couple:  Parmis and Kevin Freels

Wedding Date:  June 11, 2011

Photography by Sharpe Photographers

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Kevin and Parmis first met in May of 2005 at her 29th birthday party. Kevin, enamored with Parmis, contacted her within days of the party under the guise of meeting to discuss a potential real estate project. Throughout their meetings Kevin struggled with a way to convey his true intentions. Unbeknown to him, his true purpose had already become apparent to Parmis. Fortunately for Kevin, the feeling was mutual.

Over the coming weeks and then months, the initial spark between them began to grow into a flame. Kevin and Parmis found that they shared many of the same values, interests, loves and joys. First and foremost, they shared a love and deep dedication to their family and friends. They also found that they shared a love of new experiences, new people, places and especially food. A fundamentally deep appreciation of the value and joy of life!

After two years of dating, Kevin and Parmis took a vacation to the beautiful country of Greece. It was there, on the island of Santorini, with a glorious sunset as a backdrop, in one of the most spectacular places on Earth, Kevin proposed to Parmis. Kevin recalls that the sunset seemed to last forever as he waited to hear the big “YES,” but instead heard the words “OF COURSE.” He remained, on bended knee, until he asked, “Does “OF COURSE” mean YES???” To the cheers of the entire restaurant, Parmis spoke the word Kevin had been waiting to hear, “YES.” Thank goodness because Kevin’s knee was really starting to hurt.

Upon their return, Parmis and Kevin decided to build their dream home together. After years of work, which included demolition, construction, design and finishes, they finally moved into their beautiful home in 2010. When discussing their plans for marriage, they concluded that there would be no better place to hold their most cherished day than at the home they had worked so hard to build together. Kevin and Parmis are looking forward to an exciting future together, filled with love, joy, adventure, and friends and family for many years to come. Oh, and the addition of some little ones (likely curly-headed…), to raise and share in the joys of life.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Having my dad walk me down the aisle and having my loved ones all together.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Everything turned out above and beyond our expectations in our home that we had just built.

Ceremony & Reception Site:  Our newly built home, over our pool in the backyard

Photographer:  Sharpe Photographers

Videographer:  Phillip Alan Films

Wedding Planner:  Fearon May Events

Caterer & Cake & Favors:  Beth Sogaard Catering. Our cake was three towers of cheese!!! We love cheese! Our favors were custom boxes made to take home sweets from Beth Sogaard’s dessert bar.

Flowers:  Scarlett & Grace

Linens:  Mimi & Co.

Wedding Dress:  Ines Di Santo in San Diego

Hair:  Adreanna Cross

Makeup:  Melissa Smith

Invitations:  Honey Paperie (formerly Stephanie J Designs)

Honeymoon location:  One month in Eastern Europe (Croatia, Hungry, Czech republic, Austria)

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Lighting and stage over pool from Stage 1, Inc.

First Dance Song:  ”Making Memories of us” by Keith Urban

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Get started early and enjoy the whole process. It goes by quick so make sure you have a photographer and videographer to capture your special day.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Ignoring the pre-wedding rule (bride/groom not seeing each-other before the wedding). We needed more time to take pictures and if I could do it over again I would take more pictures ahead of time (together) so that we had more time with our guests.

Photos courtesy of Sharpe Photographers.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

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Congratulations to two of our Real Weddings  Brides who recently won some cool bridal loot from us! 

 
Pictured above is Marisa Macias, winner of a $150 Paul Martin’s American Bistro gift certificate! 

 
Pictured above is Vanessa Ysmael, winner of a $1oo Vitality Medical Laser & Skin Clinic gift certificate! 

And, check out the super cool stuff we’re giving away in our May/June contests! If you’re a real Sacramento bride, log on to our Real Weddings Magazine contest page and enter!

The WED BOX by Caroline Long — this unique wedding planning kit has everything to help keep you on track as you plan for your big day. The stylish and sophisticated kit includes: The WED box with satin ribbon closure, 20 designer folders, 16-month customizable calendar, reminder stickers, budget planner, guest list work sheet, attendant work sheet, gift journal and so much more. Value: $75. Prize Sponsor:  Caroline Long

$100 Gift Certificate from Laser Esthetica– get your skin in shape for the big day with a little help from the team at Laser Esthetica in Roseville. Certificate can be used toward any service. Prize Sponsor:  Laser Esthetica

Personalized Will You Be In My Bridal Party Notecards– There’s nothing like gorgeous stationery…and bespoke paperie from Stephanie J Designs is no exception. Treat your bridal party with a special keepsake with these personalized notecards. Value $75.Prize Sponsor:  Stephanie J Designs

$100 Gift Certificate — Enjoy the delicious New American cuisine with an Asian flare and the exquisite wine list. Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, and for special events including rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and intimate weddings. Gift certificate cannot be used for gratuity, and no cash back if full value isn’t fulfilled.Prize Sponsor:  Sienna New American Grill

$100 Gift Certificate — Advantage Bridal is your one-stop shop for wedding accessories!  Bridal accessories, check. Favors, check. Bridal jewelry, check. Flowergirl dress, check. Bridal party gifts, check…and so much more! Visit their Web site to see all of their fabulous goodies!!Prize Sponsor: AdvantageBridal.com

Engagement Session and Signature Guest Book — Session includes one photographer shooting couple for one hour on location in the Greater Sacramento area (within 30 miles of downtown Sacramento) and an 8 x 12 Coffee Table Signature Guest Book. Please note that the session must be midweek late afternoon/evening session only. Value $200.Prize Sponsor:  The Studio

Blog post by Editor/Publisher Wendy Sipple.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Welcome back to our blog series on Lavish & Fabulous! 

This uber-cool event, presented by Fearon May Events and Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa in association with Real Weddings Magazine, is designed to showcase some of the best wedding professionals in the area through themed vignette rooms with sumptuous table top designs and decor, all to inspire the lavish and fabulous in you! And, the event certainly lived up to its name…we’ve got the pictures to prove it! 

This week, in our fourth of seven series, we present Heavy Metal! 

Vignette: Heavy Metal

Creative Designer: Fearon May Events

Place Setting: Tableaux Event Rentals

Drapery: Studio B Event Designs

Lighting and Cake Display: Extreme Production Entertainment

Linens: Mimi & Co.

Invitation and Place Cards:  Stephanie J Designs

Florist:  Botanica Floral Designs

Metal Products:  O’Hara Metal Products

Catering: Lounge on 20

Cake: Village Cake Shoppe

Designer Gown:  Miosa Couture

Hair and Make-up: Salon Cabochon

Get Flipped!:  San Francisco Photo Booth

Photographed by: XSiGHT Photography & Video

Inspired by what you see Real Weddings brides? Mark your calendars for the 2011 Lavish & Fabulous event happening on November 10, 2011. Stay tuned for more details to come! 

Photo courtesy of XSiGHT Photography & Video.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Welcome back to our blog series on Lavish & Fabulous! 

This uber-cool event, presented by Fearon May Events and Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa in association with Real Weddings Magazine, is designed to showcase some of the best wedding professionals in the area through themed vignette rooms with sumptuous table top designs and decor, all to inspire the lavish and fabulous in you! And, the event certainly lived up to its name…we’ve got the pictures to prove it! 

This week, in our third of seven series, we present Moulin Rouge! 

Vignette: Moulin Rouge

 
Participating Vendors:  

Creative Designer: Fearon May Events

Place Setting and Furniture: Tableaux Event Rentals

Drapery: Studio B Event Designs

Linen:  Mimi & Co. 

Invitation and Place cards: Stephanie J Designs  

Lighting: BP Productions 

Cake:  Shelton’s Wedding Cake Designs 

Floral:  Bella Bloom 

Designer Gown:  Miosa Bride 

Hair and Makeup: Salon Cabochon 

Beverage: Ketel One Vodka 

Photographed by: Sharpe Photographers 

Inspired by what you see Real Weddings brides? Mark your calendars for the 2011 Lavish & Fabulous event happening on November 10, 2011. Stay tuned for more details to come! 

Photos courtesy of Sharpe Photographers/Lavish & Fabulous.  

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Welcome back to another installment of Real Weddings Magazine’s Partner Profiles!

Today, we highlight the delightfully wonderful Carissa Jones from Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts. Frankly, the word YUM just doesn’t quite cover it with Carissa’s creations — they’re just aren’t enough superlatives available to use to accurately reflect the tastiness of her desserts. From wedding cakes to dessert bars, Carissa’s desserts are delish!

Take it away Carissa!

Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts

Tell us a little about your company?  Dessert is the last, best, and frequently most talked about part of the meal, why not make it a WOW!? We love making dessert bars that work as a centerpiece for events ranging from weddings to corporate. We not only design a beautiful display that coordinates with your event, but we also make everything from scratch and based on the flavors and desserts that YOU like… no menu here, just lots of creativity and flexibility!

When did you establish your business?  We started out extremely slowly, in 2005, and after a couple of mis-starts we started picking up steam in 2008 with the creation of our Web site. (Keep an eye on us… we’ve got all sorts of excitement on the horizon!)

What sets you apart from your competition?  Yes, we make cakes (wedding, birthday, sculpted and otherwise), but what we REALLY LOVE to make are all things mini. That is a huge differentiating factor, but another one is that our founder Carissa Jones didn’t start as a cake decorator (even though she’s amazing with the frosting!), she started out as a pastry chef. Everything is about the flavor… and not necessarily her favorites, it’s all about YOU and YOUR favorites!

Where do you find inspiration?  EVERYWHERE! We know, everyone says this, but we always ask our clients to bring in paint swatches, pictures of their venue, invitations, logos or other details that can help provide inspiration. We also find it’s important to talk to our clients. You never know where inspiration may come from and we’ve had some fun results based on a off hand comment. (A perfect example is a client who loves sorbet and all things from their childhood. One of the desserts we’ll be serving at their wedding will be lemon-blueberry push-up pops. How cool is that!)

When you opened shop, what was your promise to your customers?  … and it still is! “Desserts as unique and special as you and your event.”

Do you have any hidden talents?  hmmm, I’m a wiz at research. Any topic!

Photo by True Love Photo.

What trend do you see more and more of? ummm, dessert bars! (of course!) In all seriousness, my clients are just discovering that they don’t have to have a cake to make their event amazing. Trends in cakes, fondant is out. Buttercream is queen! Fondant decorations are still being used, but more as accents.

Do you regularly blog? What’s your blog site?  You betcha! Blogging is like an ongoing conversation with our clients. We’re able to update the blog so much more than the site, and it’s a more comfortable, and at times, more personal view into the business. Find our blog through our Web site: SugarAndSpice.me.

Photo by StellaSweet Photography.

What’s your favorite local restaurant?  Sequoia in Placerville. The wine selection is great and the food is solid with crazy (dramatic!) old school menu options like Steak Dianne!

What’s your favorite local charity?  Jr. Chef Central

What is your favorite fun thing to do locally?  Kayaking on Lake Natoma, wine tasting with my husband… El Dorado Foothills, Amador, Napa, Santa Barbara… we love it all

Do you have secret vice or indulgence? What is it?  ooohhh, sigh, cheese. Heaven on earth is made of gone off milk and bugs. I love it, cow, goat, sheep, water buffalo, it’s all good… even when it’s bad, it’s still good. Runny, bleu, hard… mmmmm, give me a good French loaf and a bottle of wine and don’t ask to share.

What are you most grateful for in life?  My family (and this absolutely includes my husband!). I work long hours, nights, weekends and holidays and not only do the just roll with it, but they are always supportive and encouraging. Actually, my Dad and husband can’t wait to quit their day jobs and come work for me! (Can you say delivery driver, counter help and dishwasher?)

If you were to plan your own wedding, or re-do your wedding, what elements would be most important to you?  I was an “encore” bride just a couple of years agoand for us (and we’d do it again!) it was all about the food and wine. That being said, I did an event last year with Anna Hernandez of Whitebird Ceremonial Dove Releases and I SOOOO wish we’d incorporated the doves into our ceremony. It was so moving I almost cried… that hasn’t happened since the last amazing piece of cheese I ate!

What advice would you can give to brides and grooms getting married today?  Sort out your priorities and pare down your guest list. You can do amazing, crazy details when you have 50 guests that just are out of the question when you have 150.

Anything else you’d like to share with Real Weddings Magazine’s brides?  A new trend that I’m seeing that is helpful in keeping your vision on track (and defining your style) is to create an inspiration board. It’s a great way to have pictures of what you like in one place so your vendors can get an immediate feel for your vision and aesthetic.

Above photos by Sarah Maren Photography. Dessert signs by Stephanie J Designs .

Find out more about Carissa on her Web site: SugarAndSpice.me. Call her at 916-952-5253.

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