A Visit to Kathleen Deery Design

This week we were lucky enough to take a little hop over to the Kathleen Deery Design Studio for tea and a little floral demonstration with Kathleen and the lovely ladies she works with. Kathleen, having just returned from a trip abroad, shared with us how to make floral mandalas with all different types of flowers and colors. It was a pretty awesome zen moment for us and I have to say, we were pretty good at it! Anyway, thought you might enjoy a little photo montage of our day and her adorable studio in San Francisco. Enjoy!

xoxo.
a.b.

Valentines Craft Session with Hello!Lucky

To prep for one of our favorite holidays, we took a little visit over to the paper goddesses at Hello!Lucky. With some leftover scraps, super fun scissors, stamps and the coolest double stick tape gun I've ever seen, I'd say we didn't do too bad. Check out the photos courtesy of our iPhones. We're pretty crafty if I may say so myself.

Good hang with the Hello Lucky crew and our awesome photographer friend Allan Zepeda (he's a pretty amazing wedding photographer).

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

Friends of Alison Events

To celebrate the holidays this year, we invited a few of our friends over to Potrero Hill for a good old fashioned game of Sloshball. Yep, that's right. And by friends, we mean all the wonderful vendors we team up with for our Bay Area events throughout the year. The idea was that everyone would come dressed with at least one piece of flair, then we'd play a simple game of kickball with beer. Well, one game quickly turned into two and we learned entirely too much about the competitive nature of all our friends, but it was a blast. Hope the pics are good proof of how much fun we all have on and off the field.

 Oh, and there's a video too. It's probably the best part of this post, so don't forget to check it out. Slosh Ball Video by Tod Owsley

Vendor Spotlight: Hello!Lucky

Hello!Lucky is one of our favorite San Francisco design companies. They do a lot of our paper goods, from save the dates and invitations to menu cards, custom printed napkins and more. Their stock designs are pretty awesome if you're looking to get something out the door quickly, but if you have the opportunity to work with them on a custom basis, their designers are super creative and easy to work with.

Last week, Hello!Lucky launched their new website, which makes online ordering a breeze. The site is also a really helpful tool for brides looking for info about invitation wording and etiquette or just general inspiration. You absolutely have to check out their holiday cards if you haven't already ordered yours.

Oh, and lest we forget to mention, we're currently working on a book with the lovely ladies of Hello!Lucky that will be published by Chronicle Books in 2013. Stay tuned for more info about that!!

Best Wedding Books, Part I

As Alison is now working on writing her second book with Chronicle Books, we've been doing a lot of book reading and checking out books by some of our much respected colleagues in the wedding world. So, we thought it would be fun to share some of these books with you. We'll show you a few others throughout the month, but here are our top five favorites. Enjoy!

Jose Villa's Fine Art Wedding Photography
Peter Callahan's Bite by Bite
Handmade Weddings by the lovely ladies at Hello!Lucky
Print Workshop by Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop
Michelle Rago's Signature Weddings

Vendor Spotlight: Peter Langner

Peter Langner is an amazing gown designer based out of Italy and he does the most gorgeous work. The fits, fabrics, designs, embellishments are all timeless and elegant and to die for. One of our clients who recently got married in Italy actually met Peter at a trunk show in SF, where she bought her wedding gown. She was able to have Peter attend her wedding in Ravello to help her get into her dress and he happily saw her down the aisle (photo above). Peter recently gave Alyssa a little interview and we were dying to share. So, here goes...


AB: Should brides choose their venue before or after the dress?

PL: I think that it's very important to know the location of the wedding, the type of wedding and the timing of it in order to pick out your dress. I would suggest first finding your location then getting the gown and accessories. Nothing is worse than having the wrong dress for your location.

AB: How many fittings do most people go for and how should they be timed?

PL: The number of fittings really depends on the bride's body type and her needs as well as the service that's provided by the store. I would strongly recommend against having too many fittings, as the gown "gets old," as well call it, meaning it can start to look worn before it's big debut. That said, the gown does need to look like it fits you right, so one to three fittings should do the trick. Also take into consideration that each gown design has limitations. Not every pattern can be altered, as it has been designed to look a particular way. Additionally, it's important not to do the fitting too early. Most brides will lose weight prior to their wedding. If that's the case and you did your fittings months prior to the wedding, the dress won't fit the same after your weight loss and you'll have to start all over again. So, I recommend doing the fitting 8-10 weeks prior to the wedding, unless otherwise advised by the store in which you're purchasing your dress, as all stores operate on their own timelines.

AB: How long before the wedding should the dress be purchased?

PL: When you find the right dress of course! Don't think that the more you look, the better it gets. Normally you end up just getting more overwhelmed and confused about what you want. So, trust your instincts.

AB: At the end of the night, a lot of our brides end up with dresses that are dirty, torn, even ripped in places. What's the best way to preserve the dress after the wedding?

PL: There are a few companies that specialize in wedding gown preservation. I highly recommend J. Scheer and they have offices in New York and Los Angeles.

AB: When should the dress be bustled? Should it be done right after the ceremony? Before or after dinner?

PL: I'm based in Italy and over here we rarely bustle the gown. But, you should do your bustle when you feel you need to. There's no specific timing, it just depends on your event and location, the timing of the night, and your comfort level.

PL: As an aside, I would recommend to enjoy your wedding as best as you can and let things happen as they do. You can plan things as best you as you want, but at a certain point you have to let go and go with the flow. As terrible as it might sound to have a glass of merlot spilled on your wedding gown, in good time you'll laugh about it and remember the moment you realized your wedding wasn't just about the gown. So, smile and relax and move on.


Thanks, Peter, for the awesome words of insight and advice!



Photos by Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Vendor Spotlight: Jason Murakawa

As any wedding planner will tell you, the one thing you simply can't sacrifice when planning a wedding is a beautiful tabletop. There's an art to setting a table so that it looks not only picture perfect, but also welcoming and comfortable and warm. A great way to add an element of charm to a table is to mix and match vintage pieces. Jason Murakawa, of Small Masterpiece, does just that. Jason owns a vintage tabletop rental company and has mastered the art of tabletop styling. Jason's crew literally sets the tables at events, ensuring that all of their gorgeous Limoges china, antique silverware and eclectic mix of glassware is handled properly. We recently asked Jason some questions about gathering inspiration for a wedding and thought we'd share some of his great ideas with you. Enjoy!


AE: With all the wedding blogs, web sites and magazines out there, how do you recommend sticking to one specific theme or style?

JM: Start with 4 themes and gather imagery for each. As you start to narrow your different themes, having explored this area extensively will help provide a solid direction to this process. Monitor your excitement and enthusiasm, it will indicate where your heart lies regarding the perfect theme for your wedding.



AE: Can a non-design savvy person still plan a pretty wedding that’s unique?

JM: The designs are already out there in the blogs or magazines. What will make your wedding unique is how you interpret these design ideas and make it your own. Keep your eyes and mind open, you may stumble upon a concept in the most unlikely places! Beauty can be found in the most simple things in our day to day lives.



AE: If a bride is overwhelmed by the beautiful imagery out there in the wedding world, how can she make it work within her budget?

JM: Style and beauty don’t equal great expense. If you design your wedding with purpose and confidence, you can walk down the ailse in a white t-shirt and $4000.00 skirt. Be deliberate about your choices. Sometimes great creativity comes from a limited budget. It makes a person explore more and forces options.



AE: How do you suggest defining a specific color palette?

JM: Let the time of day dictate your color palette. Pastel colors for mornings and pastel or medium level saturated colors for afternoons. Evenings have greater flexiblity to dress “up” pastel colors or go with a stronger color palette. Within the pastels and saturated colors, you have a rainbow of colors to choose from.



AE: What’s a good example of turning inspiration into reality?

JM: When professionals in the wedding business can make the inspiration of a bride’s wish a reality!






Thanks for the insight, Jason! You can view more of his collection on the Small Masterpiece website.

Tabletop photos by Thayer Allyson Gowdy; photo of Jason courtesy of LA Magazine.

Eat Cake + Print

Olivia of Olive-Route and Kelsey of The Whole Cake threw an awesome party at the Olive-Route letterpress studio a few weeks ago. Kelsey is a cake baker and we adore her approach to baking cakes that are playful and modern. Her design sense is really savvy and her cakes are ridiculously delicious, super moist and just sweet enough. Olivia is a rockstar invitation designer. We work with Olivia on a lot of our custom invitations and day-of paper materials. She's a creative genius and a life saver when we're in a pinch. Both of these ladies are talented beyond words, check out the photos below for more solid proof.







These photos were taken by the eye behind the lens at Photo Lab Pet Photography. See that cute pup in the picture above? Perfect example of their fun work.

Vendor Spotlight: Ethan Mantle of Componere Fine Catering

This month's vendor spotlight is on one of our all time favorite chefs, Ethan Mantle, owner of Componere Fine Catering. Ethan reminds us that food can be interesting, playful and still delicious. He's always coming up with new ideas and pushing boundaries that other caterers wouldn't think to push. We recently sat Ethan down for a quickie Q&A to get his thoughts on today's food business. Enjoy!


How did you get started in the catering industry?
Friends started asking me to cater their weddings when I was working in
restaurants. I looked down on catering as being for hacks until I actually
started doing it and realized you didn’t have to take the short cuts commonly
associated with catering.


What’s your favorite type of event to do?
It’s not as much about the type as what the client is like. I love what I do so if
they’re enjoyable to work with and appreciate good food I’m happy to do the
event. That said, I appreciate the “high stakes” of wedding catering. People
care about what happens on their wedding day and are looking for a dining
experience worth remembering.


What's your favorite restaurant in San Francisco? East Bay? NYC?
SF – Benu was probably the best meal I’ve had on the West Coast. Dottie’s
Blue Ribbon Café is awesome for breakfast and I always enjoy eating at
Nopalito and flour+water. The okra at Shalimar is worth an occasional trip to
the Tenderloin. In the East Bay, Commis, Plum, and the Chez Panisse Café are
three of my favorites. I went on an eating trip to NY last year and had good
meals at Momofuko Saam Bar, Eleven Madison Park, Scarpetta and Nextamle.
Four star food is sometimes disappointing but the best meal of my life was at
Daniel in 1998.


When you’re not in the kitchen, what’s your favorite thing to eat?
Really depends on my mood but I love fruit and am always game for a good
taco.


What's your favorite breakfast food?
Multi-grain blueberry pancakes with maple syrup.


Favorite brewer?
Speakeasy


Know of any hot new chefs we should be on the lookout for?
Matt Hegel, my chef de cuisine. That’s why I hired him!


What's your favorite venue in the Bay Area to work at?
I prefer outdoor venues and the load in is brutal but the seriously awesome
kitchen at the Julia Morgan Ballroom might make it my favorite.


What's one food trend you’re sick of seeing?
Tuna tartar in a cone or on a wonton.


Food trend you’ll never get sick of?
Bacon.


You can also check out Ethan's organic garden at Kunde Winery next time you're in Sonoma.

Happy Holidays!

In the spirit of the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to mention some of our favorite wedding invitation designers, who also happen to make really awesome holiday cards. Take a look at this amazing collection of colorful, sweet and modern holiday cards that are guaranteed to make the mantel this year.









The who and where:
1. Rifle Paper Co.
2+3. Yellow Owl Workshop
4. Pancake and Franks
5+6. Mr.Boddington's Studio
7. Austin Press
8. Hello!Lucky

New Press! Martha Stewart Weddings Website

Check out our wedding that was posted on the Martha Stewart Weddings website this morning! This wedding took place in St. Helena, CA and these gorgeous photos were shot by Anna Kuperberg. Let us know what you think!




Nicole and Wolf were lucky enough to have a dear friend offer to host their wedding at her beautiful home in St. Helena, CA. In a stroke of even better luck, gorgeous weather was on their side on the day of their wedding too, so their outdoor ceremony was stunning with the lush, green backdrop of the Sonoma hills.

The property boasts a large antique barn that has been remodeled to fit the owner’s modern aesthetic. When Nicole and Wolf hired Alison Events to plan, design and produce their wedding, they felt it was important to maintain the integrity of the building’s design, utilizing the existing banquette seating, vintage farm tables and gorgeous custom-designed lighting. They loved the idea of serving dinner family style on the large wood tables (made by Zephyr Tents), allowing the food to appear plentiful. So, they hired Sonoma favorite Girl and the Fig to cater.

By bringing in lots of candles and warming up the space with purple hues ranging from lavendar, lilac and plum to ivory and eggshell, the ambiance of the space quickly transformed from bright and stylized to warm and romantic. La Tavola's plum linen runners were topped with lush centerpieces designed by Sharla Flock that trailed down the table, accentuating the natural wood they were set upon and simple paper materials designed by Hello!Lucky completed the table scape elegantly.

We Love What We Do!

We spent our morning having way too much fun at the amazing Magnolia Photo Booth! Magnolia is a completely rad company based out of Kentucky, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Austin. They have these adorable little photo booths that can travel pretty much anywhere with tons of fun props. Lots of our clients hire Magnolia as a fun addition to their wedding. The best thing about them? The photos are digital, so your guests get to keep a copy of their photos, but you get the digital copy so you can see all the whacky, ridiculous things people do behind closed curtains. See below for further clarification of such shenanigans.










xoxo,
the team

Evolution of a Tent

We recently did a wedding in New Buffalo, Michigan with Sperry Tents Great Lakes, an affiliate of Sperry Tents and a vendor we adore. It's pretty neat to see how the process of installing a tent plays out. You'll have to stay tuned to see the final product, but this is about as close as we can take you.



Step 1: Ground is tarped and beams are laid out below the subflooring so as to allow the subfloor to be built a couple of inches off the ground. This allows the grass below the tent to breathe (a.k.a. step one: don't kill the grass) and also keeps the tent in tip top, clean shape.



Step 2: The tent is attached to natural wood perimeter poles, which are in turn held with ratchets and 42” steel stakes which are drove deep into the ground. Interestingly enough, the poles are never dug into the ground, but actually held in place with ropes, ratchets, stakes and tension created by the tent.



Step 3: Raising the peaks of the tent.



Step 4: Reinforcements are made and side walls are attached around the perimeter.



Step 5: Flooring gets whitewashed with 2 coats of white paint. NOTE: This is a different type of tent, called a metal frame tent. The tent shown above is actually made of Sperry cloth, while this one is a simpler version of tent that we like to see draped with fabric to hide its metal beams. Steps 1 through 4 are a bit different for this type of tent, but once the tent is raised, it's neat to see the flooring and fabric draping option, which can apply to any type of tent.



Step 6: Fabric gets draped from the ceiling or to cover sidewalls, depending on the type of tent. In this case, we draped the ceiling of the tent with white fabric and the sidewalls were covered with a black and white timeless ticking stripe drape.

Stay tuned for photos of the final look for these tents... coming soon...