Archive for the ‘Wedding Reception Ideas’ Category

The Couple: Margaret and Wen Luu

Wedding Date:  July 17, 2010

Photography by Kris Holland Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  We had been together for more than seven years before we got married. Wen is actually my best friend’s older brother. She and I have been friends since high school, but Wen and I definitely had no interest in each other at that time. We went to the same high school and the same college, but actually didn’t really connect until my junior year of college.

Now, I jokingly refer to him as her creepy older brother, and he said I was just another one of her annoying friends. But I am very grateful that he and I connected and really got to know one another. We have similar senses of humor and always make each other laugh.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  We wrote our own vows and it was really sweet and special because we had the chance to tell each other exactly how we felt (in our own words) in front of all our friends and family.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Wen is Chinese and we also did a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, so we tried to blend a lot of things from his culture in throughout the wedding. The things we loved most about our wedding were the personal, unique touches. My best friend and maid of honor (who also happens to be Wen’s sister) is an artist, and she actually designed our invitations for us. The invitations were English on one side and Chinese on the other side.

Also, Wen’s cousin Steven is a musician and has a beautiful voice — he played the guitar and sang “Better Together” for our first dance, which also meant a lot to both of us.

Ceremony and Reception Venue:  Brookside Country Club

Photographer:  Kris Holland Photography

Videographer:  ES Creation

Wedding Planner:  None (but I wish we had one!)

Cake:  Yolanda’s cakes

Flowers:  Budding Events

Favors:  Chinese rosewood fans and a candy bar with Chinese takeout boxes

Wedding Dress:  David’s Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Hair:  Tiffany Julia at Renew Salon

Makeup:  Tiffany Julia at Renew Salon

Invitations:  Shiu Pei Luu

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Victor & Company Band

Honeymoon location:  Still working on it!

First Dance Song:  “Better Together” by Jack Johnson (sung by Steven Chan)

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Have fun — during planning don’t listen to anyone but yourself and your partner-to-be. No matter what you do or what you choose, the people who come to your wedding will have a great time because they’re coming for you. Also, try to take the time to make your wedding unique by personalizing things as much as you can. Those are the things we ended up loving the most at the end of the day and I wish we had taken the time to do more of those personal touches.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  We had several mishaps occur that are (sort of) fun to laugh about now that it’s much after the fact. For instance, it was a very full day because we did a traditional Chinese tea ceremony in the early afternoon and then the Western ceremony at Brookside in the evening. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, my bridesmaids wore their dresses all day and the dresses were beyond wrinkled (another tip for people planning their wedding, don’t forget an iron or pick chiffon for your bridesmaids’ dresses!). Also, my husband’s parents were 40 minutes late for the ceremony, my maid of honor forgot the ring, and two cell phones went off during our vows. I had wanted a simple guitar song to be playing when I walked down the aisle and we asked a family member to play, unfortunately he forgot his amp so no one could hear the music…

So yes, safe to say I would have done a few things differently if I had the chance to go back. After the wedding I wanted a redo! But at the end of the day I married my best friend and the love of my life so I can’t complain. If things are to go wrong, he’s the person I want at my side while it’s all happening. We still had a wonderful day together and loved sharing it with our friends and family.

Photos courtesy of Kris Holland Photography.

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The Couple:  April and Matthew Fetch

Wedding Date:  October 23, 2010. This date was very special to us. It has both of our favorite numbers, it’s right in the middle of fall (our favorite season), and it was a full moon, which is supposed to mean good luck in love!

Photography by Christopher Kight Photographers

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  My husband and I met when we were 19 years old. We both worked at the same restaurant. We dated for a long time before our engagement. We both felt strongly about finishing school and establishing our careers before getting married. When he did propose to me, we were traveling through Europe. He managed to make it to the top of the Eiffel Tower (which is huge for him, he’s terrified of heights!) before he got down on bended knee and popped the question. He even managed to get someone to videotape it! It was a sweet surprise, and it’s fun to go back and watch the tape!

What was the most amazing part of your day?  The most amazing part of our day was being surrounded by our friends and family. It was so great to visit with those I hadn’t seen in awhile. We danced the night away with our loved ones, and it was a blast!

What else would you like to share about your big day?  We tried to personalize it to us as much as possible. For example, he is a police officer, and I am a teacher, so our tables were given names such as “the teacher’s lounge” or “the jailhouse” rather than numbers. Also, our DJ helped up come up with the most hysterical bios to introduce our bridal party. Our guests were cracking up and our bridal party was so surprised.

Ceremony Site:  SS. Peter and Paul in Rocklin

Reception Venue:  Sun City Roseville’s Timber Creek Ballroom

Photographer:  Christopher Kight Photographers

Videographer:  Dan Comins (a personal friend)

Cake:  Freeport Bakery

Flowers:  The Party Concierge

Favors:  We made them ourselves, they were little boxes filled with candy. We got a lot of our supplies from Michaels and The Dollar Tree!

Wedding Dress:  Alfred Angelo

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Alfred Angelo

Hair:  Jessica Edwards (personal friend and manager of Images Salon in Sacramento)

Makeup:  Ann Wagner (personal friend and manager of Estee Lauder in Roseville)

Invitations:  Invitations by Dawn

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Matt Brys from Extreme Productions Entertainment (He’s the best!)

Honeymoon location:  Jamaica! It was completely last minute, too. We found a really good deal, so we went for it!

First Dance Song:  “Making Memories of Us” by Keith Urban.  That song was written for us. It described us and our situation perfectly.

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  I am the kind of girl who wants everything to be perfect. I told myself that if I went into my wedding day with that attitude, I was going to have a miserable day. Through all of the stress, I constantly reminded myself that the ONLY important thing was that me and my husband both show up and say ‘I do.’ Everything else is just a bonus.

Was my day perfect? Of course not! It was the ONE rainy Saturday in October so I didn’t get any of the beautiful, sunny outdoor pictures I had been dreaming about, I had a blemish right in the middle of my forehead, we ran late getting ready, and so on. But, I had prepared myself to not sweat the small stuff. And because of that, my wedding day was a BLAST. My advice to you is the advice my husband gives me: the only thing that will ruin a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan. So just roll with the punches and enjoy the day! It’s your day and you’ve worked so hard for it!

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  We thought it was important to get a hotel room for our wedding night. Looking back, I would have much rather spent it at my home, where it is comfortable and ours. We would have saved money, and not had to go through the hassle of having to pack, deal with check in/out, etc. So don’t do things just because you feel like you’re supposed to, do what works for you.

Photos courtesy of Christopher Kight Photographers.

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

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The Couple:  Cheri and Dave Chichizola

Wedding Date:  October 15, 2010

Photography by Andrea’s Images Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Dave and I first met back in high school and dated for several years. We even attended my Junior and Senior proms together, and the photos were displayed at our wedding. After being apart for 14 years, we were reconnected by the same friend, Andrea, who set us up back in high school. Then on October 15, 2010, 17 years after Dave and I first met, I married my high school sweetheart! Today, it seems like we were never apart!

What was the most amazing part of your day?  The most amazing part of the day was seeing my groom waiting for me at the end of the aisle. Then, of course, saying our vows and being introduced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Chichizola!

What else would you like to share about your big day?  We had a lot of special and sentimental details included in our big day. My favorite was having my mother-in-law embroider the names of the family members from both my family and my husband’s family who had passed away. It was a great way to have them included in our special day!

Ceremony Site:  Scribner Bend Vineyards

Reception Venue:  Scribner Bend Vineyards

Photographer:  Andrea’s Images Photography

Caterer:  Rayna’s Gourmet Catering

Cake:  Carina’s Creations

Flowers:  Bella Bloom

Favors:  Etched Wine Glasses from Wine Concepts

Wedding Dress:  Trudys Brides & Special Occasions

Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Hair:  Bride’s Hair by Jen Schug-Tozi.  Bridesmaids by Michelle Jordan and sisters.

Makeup:  Michelle Jordan

Invitations:  Papyrus

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Mr. DJ Service

Honeymoon location:  Kauai

First Dance Song:  “I Cross My Heart” by George Strait

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  The best advice I received was a few weeks before the wedding. A friend told me that no matter what, the day would be beautiful and if everything didn’t go as planned that most likely no one else would know. It was true….some details fell through the cracks, but none of our guests even realized it.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  I would have reserved more time for photos with my groom and family.

Photos courtesy of Andrea’s Images Photography.

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

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The Couple:  Natalie and Ryan King

Wedding Date:  October 1, 2010

Photography by The Memory Journalists

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Ryan and I both went to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo for college and were assigned to be senior project partners. With Ryan’s great sense of humor and my love for laughing, we became good friends immediately.

We were both in long distance relationships at the time, but stayed friends even after graduation when Ryan moved back to Sacramento. Two years later I moved to Davis to attend graduate school. We were both single at the time and started dating.

It didn’t take long for us to fall madly in love and a year later Ryan completely surprised me with his proposal. We went to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House on a random Monday night and were seated near a window overlooking the patio which had Christmas lights on all the trees. Ryan ordered an appetizer and a bottle of wine and before I knew it, the waiter had brought a bottle of wine with a custom-label on it. It had a picture of us, the date, and said “Will You Marry Me?, In love and looking forward to a beautiful life with you. Love, Ryan.” Ryan was down on one knee, hands shaking and we both had tears in our eyes. It was perfect!

We are now living in Sacramento, working at civil engineering firms, and love to do anything to bring a smile to the other’s face.

What was the most amazing part of your day?   Ryan says, “The most amazing part of my day was standing at the end of the church aisle, anxiously waiting for my soon-to-be wife standing behind the big doors. When the doors opened, I saw the most beautiful bride begin to walk towards me to start our new life together. I was filled with emotions, but realized I was the luckiest man alive being able to marry my best friend. It was amazing to have so many wonderful family and friends together joining us on our marriage celebration. The whole wedding was one amazing sacrament.”

What else would you like to share about your big day?  We had lots of family traveling from out of town, so we planned a casual BBQ at a local park the day after our wedding. We had it catered so no one had to worry about anything, and everyone could just visit and have a great time. This was a great opportunity for us to spend time with family and friends that we didn’t get to visit with at the wedding.

Ceremony Site:  St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sacramento. Ryan’s parents were married there so it held a special place in our hearts.

Reception Venue:  Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg. We LOVED this venue and John Carvalho and Marnie Stiles are amazing!

Photographer:  The Memory Journalists. We cannot believe how many compliments we received from our family and guests about how great our photographers were. We absolutely love the entire team at The Memory Journalists and could not be happier with our photos.

Videographer:  The Memory Journalists

Wedding Planner:  Danielle Massari at A Petite Affair. I wasn’t going to hire a wedding planner, but I am SO happy we hired Danielle because she is fabulous throughout all of the planning and the day of the wedding. She is so incredibly creative, detail-oriented, and just made the entire process so enjoyable and fun. And everything was absolutely perfect on our day.

Caterer:  Asante Catering. The food was delicious and they were awesome to work with.

Cake: We had a very small cake to cut into, but our main dessert was frozen yogurt and toppings from Yogurtagogo.

Flowers:  Galeazi’s Floral Designs. I absolutely LOVED my flowers and all of the creative details that Stefanie included.

Favors:  We had purchased a barrel of wine from Carvalho Family Winery and bottled it for our guests.

Wedding Dress:  House of Fashion

Bridesmaid Dresses:  J Crew. I chose the color and fabric and let my bridesmaids choose a style that they each loved.

Hair:  Kim Kirtlan at Strands Salon. Although now she works at Michael Mason Salon.  She was great! I started off wanting an up-do, but after 2 trials I realized that since I never wear my hair up (unless I’m running). I didn’t want it up for my wedding…it just wasn’t “me.” So we started from scratch with my hair down…and I loved it!

Makeup: Tessa Matsis at Strands Salon. I could not have been happier with my makeup!  I wanted something natural and that I wouldn’t have to worry about for the entire day… Tessa did a great job.

Invitations:  Costco. We designed and printed the invitation inserts (maps, registry/hotel info, etc) and all other stationery (ceremony programs, placecards, etc) at Paper Garden Boutique.

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Music on the Move DJs. Doug kept the crowd entertained with games and great music…we could not have made a better choice!

Honeymoon Location:  Sandals St. Lucia resort (We would definitely recommend an all-inclusive resort!)

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?:  I think we got them all up there. They were all so patient with us, gave us great ideas and did an amazing job…we would highly recommend all of them!

First Dance Song:  “Then” by Brad Paisley. Ryan surprised me with a single red rose at the beginning of the song. It was such a special moment for us…nothing else mattered except the two of us at that moment.

Any advice you’d give our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Make every aspect of your wedding personal to you, your fiancé and your families. Don’t do something that doesn’t have a special meaning to the both of you. Ryan’s piece of advice: Finish all your wedding planning at least one week prior to your big day. As a groom, it was extremely nice being completely done a week before and not having a stressed out bride before the wedding.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  There is not a single thing we would have done differently. We had a large guest list (we both have large families), so the budget was more than we had hoped. But being able to have our dream wedding, great vendors, and all of our family and friends there to celebrate meant so much to the both of us….we would not have changed a thing.

And remember: When things are getting stressful or you’re starting to worry if everything will go as planned on your wedding day, just remember all that matters is the two of you getting married…the rest is just celebrating that moment. So if you’re married at the end of the day, everything went just right.

Photos courtesy of The Memory Journalists.

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

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The Couple:   Jenny and Eric

Wedding Date:  November 20, 2010

Photography by D. Elaine Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Eric and I live in Sacramento, California. We met about three years ago on the Internet! We love the outdoors and visit Mendocino often. We love the outdoors so much we decided to have our wedding on the coast in Mendocino. It seemed very appropriate for our personalities. We found having a small wedding on the coast was more reasonable and more magical than anything we could plan locally.

What was the most amazing part of your day?   The most amazing part of our day was getting married by one of our close friends, outdoor, overlooking the ocean in front of our closest friends and family, even if it was in the rain! It is a dream come true and could not have been more perfect. Eric and I were able to spend time together prior to the wedding which helped put my nerves at ease. The food in Mendocino was fantastic, as was the view in every direction. Our room at the Brewery Gulch Inn was lovely to get ready for the ceremony and to take pre-photographs. Our photographer Diana was amazing!

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Our guests seemed to get a huge kick out of us getting married on the beach in the rain in a cypress, grove away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Everyone treated it as an adventure and had a wonderful time. Eric and I were so happy to have a small ceremony with our closest family and friends. We were really happy to be able to provide them with a mini vacation. In doing so, it made our wedding perfect!

Ceremony Site:  Cypress Grove near Mendocino Village

Reception Venue:  955 Ukiah Street Restaurant. The reception was perfect. We closed down a gorgeous little restaurant just for our party. Peggy and Jamie were awesome, and we look forward to visiting every time we are in Mendocino for many years to come.

Photographer:   D. Elaine Photography. Diana is a wonderful person will a lovely spirit and gorgeous soul. Her photographs are artistic, and she makes you feel like family. She managed to make all of the photos look gorgeous even if they were in the rain!

Caterer:  955 Ukiah Street Restaurant

Cake:  Sharon Robinson

Flowers:  My good friend Leena Brown

Favors: We bought wine keys for everyone and had personalized chap sticks including our names and wedding date!

Wedding Dress:  Diamond Bridal Gallery

Bridesmaid Dresses:  We decided against having a wedding party. We encouraged our friends and family to wear whatever made them comfortable and happy.

Hair:  Mendocino Beauty

Makeup:Amy Wall with Mendocino Beauty

Invitations:  Wedding Paper Divas

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  My trusty iPod. (I chose a mix of music Eric and I love and listen to often. I also mixed in some favorite songs of my friends and family to personalize the music experience for my guests.) Even the catering staff was rocking out to our eclectic mix of music while cooking in the back!

Photo Booth:  D. Elaine Photography

Honeymoon location:  Mendocino was practically a honeymoon location! We have a trip to France and Spain scheduled for later in the year! We can’t wait.

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out? Cafe Beaujolais was the location for our pre-wedding dinner the night before. The staff was wonderful and the food was amazing.

The Hill House Inn in Mendocino Village is where we reserved rooms for all of our guests. The staff could not have been more accommodating.

First Dance Song:  We ended up not having a first dance and are just choosing to dance through life instead.

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  I could not recommend Mendocino any higher as a wedding location. It was a wonderful and magical place to get married full of nice people, phenomenally beautiful spots everywhere you look, and fantastic high qualify food. It was a wonderful destination wedding that did not feel far away. It was effortless to plan, even remotely. Eric and I chose to have a short engagement which meant an abbreviated planning period which was stressful at times. However, I would not have done it differently. We were able to make decisions quickly and move forward with planning. It was perfect for us and the planning was fun.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  I would have bribed Mother Nature into holding off the rain!

Photos courtesy of D. Elaine Photography.

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

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