Real Wedding {Yaxi & Kai} Holman Ranch, Carmel Valley

Photo by Delbarr Moradi

I began working with Yaxi and Kai in December 2010. I received a phone call from Yaxi after she came across my BLOG on a wedding related search. She was calling from Houston and was looking for a wedding planner in the Bay Area to help her plan a summer wedding. She had stumbled upon my BLOG and loved and connected with a lot of what I wrote about and thought I could be a good fit for her. 

She and Kai had JUST gotten engaged over the Thanksgiving holiday and she was excited to start planning her wedding. Though she and Kai lived in Houston, they both attended the University of California at Berkley and had roots in the Bay Area. After speaking with her for about an hour, the one thing they knew for certain was they definitely wanted to be married in California's wine country. She had a set vision of a warm summer outdoor wedding with a soft color palette, organic elements and the vineyards. She also wanted a venue that was private and naturally beautiful in a location so all her guests could feel like they were experiencing a weekend get-away. 

A big challenge for Yaxi was that she was in her final year of medical school in Houston and wanted to get married before she started her residency. Being that she only had one month in 2012 to get married and enjoy her honeymoon, in true Yaxi fashion (as I would come to know - thoughtful, strategic and very detail-oriented), she started planning her wedding sixteen months in advance so she made sure she got the wedding date of her choice.

One of the biggest concerns for Yaxi was the fact that she was in Houston and planning a wedding in California. It was of the utmost importance that she really liked and trusted her wedding planner to be her eyes and ears, and most of all, allow her to be as hands-on as possible and feel very connected to the entire process.

After signing on as their wedding planner, within the month she and Kai traveled to California for site tours. I took them to four different venues but I already knew in my heart-of-hearts which venue she would settle on, and of course, I saved the best for last. Holman Ranch. Everything that she had envisioned and wanted during our prep calls already indicated that Holman was the perfect fit for her - elegant, yet rustic, private and naturally beautiful, in the wine country and a destination.

As soon as Yaxi and Kai walked the property after I helped them dream of the possibilities, I had them stand on the ceremony veranda overlook together. It was that moment when I saw that they had found "the perfect place". It was one of the sweetest moments for me to see as they both stood there in awe and excitement. Within the week, we booked their wedding date for May 2012 and it was all down hill from there. 

After securing our wonderful team of amazing vendors, we got down to business on creating her event design and color palette. She wanted her wedding to feel elegant yet relaxed, seasonal and understated. She loved neutral tones with pops of pastels and anything soft and feminine. For Kai, it was simple, he wanted to eat really good food and have really good music.

We decided on a color palette of ivory, blush pink, cantaloup orange and lemon yellow. Yaxi really wanted everything to feel cheerful but clean so we only used the floral to lead with pops of color while everything else stayed very soft and neutral. We selected a refined rustic linen in a beautiful eggshell color, used craft paper with whimsical script in white ink for her paper goods, and a mixture of milk glass, silvery metallic mercury glass and birch for her tablescape vessels.

We also started pulling in components of things they loved the most, like dessert! Both Kai and Yaxi LOVE sweets so it was only necessary to do a custom dessert table of all their favorite goodies. When it came down to the design, Yaxi, Kai and I talked about all their favorite things. We all laughed during the design call because we came up with such a large list of items. With an array of this size, it can be tricky to layout a display with balance and a beautiful aesthetic, so it was only fitting to call on one person, my good friend and amazingly talented event stylist, Allison Silber. After our initial design call, she nailed our vision, was super excited about the project and I knew she was going to execute something amazing that Kai and Yaxi were going to love. Not only do I love working with Allison, but she always exceeds my expectations (see photos of our dessert table below), after all, I call her "The Crafty Goodness Goddess".

When the wedding came, it was the most perfect day any one could of asked for - 78 degrees, sunny,  relaxed and full of love and laughter. As I do with each of my couples, I stood and watched their ceremony from beginning to end and thought to myself, "I am really lucky to be part of this amazing experience with two exceptional people."

Congrats Yaxi and Kai. 

 

 

 

Vendor Credits:

Wedding Planning & Event Design: Simone Lennon, Soiree by Simone Lennon
Photography: Delbarr Moradi, Delbarr Moradi Photography

Venue: Holman Ranch, Carmel Valley

Floral: Christine Cater, Christine Cater Floral Design

Catering: Paradise Catering

Wedding Cake: Patisserie Bechler

Confection: Batter Bakery, San Francisco

Dessert Table Design: Allison Silber, Engaged & Inspired

Escort and Placement Cards: Allison Silber, Engaged & Inspired

Chalkboards & Signage: Allison Silber, Engaged & Inspired

DJ & A/V: Marty Satow, Good Vibrations

Invitation Suite: Union Street Papery, San Francisco

Linens: La Tavola Linens

Wedding Attire:
Bride's Jewelry: Fourtane Estates Jewelers, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Ca
Bride's Dress & Shoes: Amsale & Kate Spade

Groom's Attire: J. Crew

What It Takes to Be a Good Wedding Planner

Photo by Delbarr Moradi

I always find it amusing when I meet new people and they ask me what I do for a living. When I reply stating that I'm a wedding planner, they automatically assume my life is about spending large sums of money, attending great parties and being fabulous. The ULTIMATE career, right?. What people don't realize entirely is just how stressful being a wedding planner is. So yes, we can spend an outrageous amount of money, we do attend fabulous parties and we tend to dress fashionably (hopefully). However, what people don't see is what we do behind the scenes. Essentially, we are master project managers (if you are a good planner), designers and accountants. Oh, and depending on the day, throw couple's therapist in there too. We hold the dreams and high expectations of couples and their families on our shoulders and are expected to deliver come rain or shine. We are trouble shooters, task masters, split decision makers, miracle workers and motivators. Being a planner requires the ability to manage a hundred people at once producing various elements concurrently and making sure the high expectations are delivered above par, and most importantly, on time. We are constantly putting out fires that arise and managing many different personality types, which sometimes can cause those fires. All the while, giving the clients the best customer service possible. Also, if anything fails or falls short, no matter who is responsible, it's always the wedding planner's fault. Very few people can or want to handle the level responsibility or pressure that comes with this career, but those who can and do are some of the toughest people in the working world. Not to mention, we do it with a smile, without a drip of sweat and wearing a pair of great stilettos.

When I explain to people all that goes into an event production and how hard it is, they immediately respond with, "why do you do it?". Well, that's simple, because I love it. It's my passion and I wouldn't want to do anything else in this entire world. I am my biggest competition and I'm always trying to up the standard of my work to another level - to make the next event more perfect and more beautiful than the last. I just love it. I'm always striving to be better. I live to inspire and push my planning assistants to be the next best generation of wedding planners and have them share my same passion. I recently told my assistants in our last team meeting, "If you aren't passionate about this business, there is the door."

There is nothing like seeing a dream come through fruition because it's pure magic. There is something so incredible about seeing an empty venue transform into the most romantic and dreamy atmosphere full of music, candles, flowers, food and love - something that began with just a simple thought. There is nothing more powerful than dreaming and then producing that dream into reality.

I also get to guide very in love people through one of the most sacred rites of passage in life - a lifelong commitment. I work with many of my clients for well over a year and can spend hundreds of hours on perfecting their dream wedding. They really stop becoming clients and we become more friends after a certain point, and I truly take to heart all their wishes and desires and have a very big vested interest in making their day everything and more they've ever wanted. It's important to me. I truly feel so special witnessing their vows because I've walked the path with them and I know them on a personal level, and they have trusted me to make it all come together.

At the end of the evening when the event concludes, it's so anti-climactic. The clients always come up to me and say, "Now what? Can we still talk next week? Are we still going to happy hour or lunch or shopping? We are still friends, right?". I always respond with the biggest hug ever and say, "Of course, we are lifelong friends."

That is exactly why I do what I do. It's the best job in the world.

Soiree by Simone Lennon Featured on Style Me Pretty - Cavallo Point {Engagement Shoot} Matthew & Aubrey

I feel super lucky that my job allows me to work with such wonderful and talented vendors in the most beautiful places in all of California and be recognized for it. It's a double dose of that when those vendors happen to be good friends and you have nothing short of a spectacular time with amazing clients. That's exactly what happened last year when I got to team up with Delbarr Moradi of Debarr Moradi Photography and  Kris Bonifas, owner of Fourtane Jewelers.

We all spent an afternoon at Cavallo Point (where Soiree is a preferred vendor) with our clients Matthew & Aubrey (who got married at Holman Ranch this past June) collaborating on their engagements shoot. I handled the shoot design and styling, Kris brought an amazing collection designer jewels, and of course, Delbarr captured it all. 

Style Me Pretty featured our shoot earlier this year.

We had a blast and we hope you love the photos as much as we do.

 

Click here to see the entire Style Me Pretty gallery.

How to Tie a Perfect Bow Tie on Your Wedding Day

I don't know how many times during set-up on a wedding day I hear, "Does anyone know how to tie a bow tie? The groom and his groomsmen are stuck and no one can figure it out. It's kind of an emergency because the groom can't take photos until he's done getting dressed..." over the walkie-talkie. 

So many grooms choose to wear a fantastic bow tie with character to complete their wedding day ensemble, but I would say nine times out of ten, they don't know how to tie it and neither do any of his groomsmen in the room with them.  It's actually somewhat funny to them until it can't get done. That's when I send in one of my planning assistants to help complete the task and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. 

Two photographers captured moments like these already this season with two of our handsome grooms. However, once the ties were wrapped, they both looked quite dashing.

KAI

Photo by Delbarr Moradi

Photo by Delbarr Moradi

Photo by Delbarr Moradi

BOB

Photo by Jerry Yoon

Photo by Jerry Yoon

Photo by Jerry Yoon

In case you don't have my team or another planning team there for your wedding day, below is a step-by-step guide on how to do it. If you haven't done it before, it takes a few solid tries to get both sides of the bow even and neat. Try not get frustrated, you'll get it!

Good luck!

~simone

{Engagement Shoot} Lily & Blake

I first met Lily last October when she called me to inquire about wedding planning services after seeing one of my weddings featured on Style Me Pretty.  She was calling from Houston and was very interested in Holman Ranch as a venue for her 2012 fall wedding. She loved all the photos she'd seen online, loved the style of wedding I had created for Eileen & Stephen, and was looking for a wedding planner to help her throughout her planning process.

After talking for about an hour, we hit it off right away. Lily already had a very clear vision of the feeling, tone and formality of her intimate affair, and I quickly begin to help shape it by knowing which vendors and resources would align perfectly with her taste and style.

Within one week of signing on as her wedding planner, Lily traveled to Carmel Valley for a sight tour at Holman Ranch. As a preferred wedding planner for the property, I started helping her dream through all the possibilities the property could offer for her sized guest list. She was in love with "The Ranch" by the time we finished the tour and all she had to do was convince Blake that, "IT WAS IT". It all aligned perfectly with everything she wanted. By the end of the week, we had her date locked into September, one of the best months of the wedding season in Carmel Valley. During Fall,  it's always warm, the sunset is spectacular, the gardens are lush and vineyards are full and ready for the harvest.

After we toured Holman, we had dinner together down the road at Carmel Valley Ranch - one of my favorite resorts in all of the Carmel, Carmel Valley and Pebble Beach area. It was a warm evening and we sat outside on the terrace overlooking Carmel Valley. Over some great local Chardonnay and fantastic food, we talked about how Blake proposed to her. She beamed throughout the entire story (talking about a Casanova!). I won't go into too much detail as I like to keep very special client moments private, but it did entail breakfast in bed, a love letter, a wax seal and her gorgeous diamond.

Over this past year, Lily, Blake and I, partnered together on creating their dreamy, romantic and high-style affair of everything they loved the most. Their wedding was over-the-top beautiful and their style was woven throughout every detail.

My good friend and super talented photographer, Delbarr Moradi, captured the day perfectly. All throughout their wedding she kept exchanging glances with me saying she couldn't get enough of all the special details.

Only two weeks have passed since their wedding day at Holman Ranch, but I'm still living in Blake and Lily nostalgia. They are that wonderful... 

Below is a selection of Lily and Blake's engagements taken last year by Delbarr  - without a doubt they are in love and roll in style.

Enjoy some seriously lovely photos of two people who I am honored to call my friends.

~simone

 

A Signature Cocktail Inspiration - Champagne Julep

Photo by Katie Stoops

Signature cocktails are a big part of any cocktail hour and selecting the right one entails more than just than picking your favorite liquor. If you are planning your wedding, then you know its all about the details...including your signature cocktail.

When selecting what you want to serve your guests, think about a few things -

1) What time of year is it? If it's in the summer months and weather is hot, try and select something refreshing and easy to drink.

2) What is seasonal and fresh? It's always important to select a cocktail that can incorporate the amazing produce that's available in the surrounding area. It matches both the region you're hosting the wedding in and also adds a delicious and original twist to a common beverage.

3) Presentation. Again, it's all about the details and you want it to look beautiful. Speak with your caterers about the best possible presentation and start looking at crystal stemware, cute mason jars or cocktail glasses that will wow your guests. Also, don't forget how they are served. Many caterers employ bartenders who can show a little showmanship. Also, if it's a fancy affair, pretty vintage or silver trays for passed service will elevate the formality of the presentation.

I fell in love with this Champagne Mint Julep (pictured above) signature cocktail. Nothings says "celebration" like champagne, and with a twist of Gin and some mint in beautiful crystal, it's just superb.

1940's Champagne Julep:
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
2 ounces chilled Champagne
4 torn mint leaves
Dash of Angostura Bitter
Ice cubes and crushed ice 
1 ounce fino sherry
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice  

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add the mint, bitters, sherry, Simple Syrup and lemon juice and shake well. Strain into a flute half-filled with crushed ice and top with the Champagne.

Enjoy!

~ simone

A Taste of What's to Come - Wedding Season 2012

Photo by Delbarr Moradi

Hello wedding season 2012!

What a crazy and busy season it's been so far for the team at Soiree. We've been traveling up a storm all over Northern California planning and executing weddings and watching our client couples tie the knot in style.

Our team has executed seven weddings in the last eleven weeks and we're excited to share some of the beautifully captured moments and decor from each of them.

I'm super guilty for taking such a long hiatus from our BLOG, but the positive side is, we have a TON of content to share - features, engagement shoots, stories, tips, and of course, WEDDINGS!

Stay tuned this week...