Orange and Platinum Inspiration Board

From the Top Left:

Blank Card with Damask - Found on Etsy
Gray Bridesmaids Dresses - Found on InStyle
Framed Pattern Wedding Invitation - Found on Etsy
Persimmon Napkins by BBJ Linen
Citrine and Sterling Silver Necklace by Tiffany & Co.
Platinum Napkins by BBJ Linen
Tangerine Dream Tags Perfect for Placecards - Found on Etsy
Clementine IZZE Drinks - Image Courtesy of foozoodesign.com
Light Gray Men’s Suit - Image Courtesy of asuitthatfits.com
Orange Bouquet Found on Martha Stewart Weddings
Manolo Blahnik Patent d’Orsay Orange Found on NeimanMarcus.com
Orange Chandelier Found on thevintagehomecollection.com

Analogy time!

About two years ago I bought a designer handbag from Target. (You all know Target gets some pretty good designers these days and for less!) Anyways, I’ve casually used the bag on and off since the purchase. Recently, it became my go to bag. I was using it on a regular basis because it suited my needs. And one day while I was out running errands…the braided leather handle broke. NOT a happy camper. But it was my go to bag of the moment so I took it be repaired. The handbag doctor fixed it up and I thought it was as good as new! Yeah. Not quite. Spent the day in wine country two weeks ago. The other handle broke. It was at that point that I realized I was not sporting a designer handbag for less…I was sporting less than a designer handbag. The bag was worth exactly what I paid for it and not a penny more.  However, my beautiful French leather bag that I spent several hundred dollars on has taken a beating in the year that I’ve had…no problems whatsoever! Its a handbag that on some days looks like my luggage because its so jam packed with stuff…but not a single stitch is out of place.   Worth every penny and then some!

“Worth every penny and then some” is how you should feel about your Wedding Planner / Coordinator. Its not about how cheap or inexpensive they are, but what they are offering you. Did they plan their own wedding and decide to “go in to business” or spend years in the industry developing their skills before taking on the most important day in your life? Have they only ever “planned” or have they spent time in the caterer’s/photographer’s/florist’s shoes? Do they crack under pressure and stress or thrive in those situations? I know with finances being what they are these days, its tempting to scoop up the “deal” but the deal may not be worth it in the end.

So you can use the “broken handle” Wedding Planner because they are offering you a good deal, but remember the deal comes with trade-offs. Or you can use the “not a single stitch out of place” Wedding Planner that offers you exceptionally high quality service, won’t fall apart on you when you need them the most, and leaves you feeling like it was the best money you ever spent. The choice is entirely up to you.

And when all else fails and you don’t know what to do… ask questions! Nothing is more valuable than being as informed about your decision as you possibly can be.

Happy Planning!

Very few Downtown San Diego locations are as hip and modern as the Hard Rock Hotel.  A complete event venue, the Hard Rock offers guests rooms (obviously), event space,  dining, and nightlife!
The guest rooms are sleek & sexy with flat screen TVs, snake-skin headboards, fun & funky furniture all of which just beckons you to have a fabulous time!

Image Courtesy of HardRockHotelSD.com

The event space is the killer part!  Most of the rooms have huge windows which allows for natural light to come streaming through.  And if you have ever spent an entire day in a meeting room with no windows…you know what a treat that is.  Legends ballroom can accommodate up to 500 guests and sports high ceilings which compensates for being the room without windows.  But, again, the high ceilings eliminate any sense of claustrophobia.  And the staff delivers great service!  For those who missed the visual recap of The Special Event Wedding Lunch, nearly 500 event planners flooded the Hard Rock Hotel.  The service was great and the food was delicious!

Mary Jane’s Coffee Shop is one of the dining options at the Hard Rock Hotel and has the retro vibe without being a time-warp to the ’50s.  The Hard Rock also features Nobu San Diego…need I say more!   Sweetwater Saloon and Moonstone Lounge are also part of the Hard Rock nightlife.  And all this put together means your guests are guaranteed a good time!  And we haven’t event left the hotel yet!

Image Courtesy of HardRockHotelSD.com

In the heart of the Gaslamp District, the Hard Rock Hotel is centrally located to nearly anything your guests would want to do or see in San Diego.
For whatever event you may be planning, the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego should definitely be on your list of places to check out!

When it comes to what wine you’re supposed to drink with different types of entrees, people tend to get a bit unnerved.  The fear of serving the wrong wine with the wrong entree is actually pretty prevalent for wine newbies.  I myself am more of a “drink what you like” person unless I’m at a really fantastic restaurant…then I ask the sommelier…that’s what he’s there for!

But if you would like to effectively pair your wines with a meal then let’s walk through what that means.
Now the rules of white wine with chicken and red wine with beef are a bit too loose.  For example, chicken with a marsala wine sauce is actually best served with a red wine (pinot noir or merlot) rather than a white wine.  And if you are having BBQ Beef and want a glass of wine, then a White Zinfandel is your best bet.  To properly pair wine you really have to pay attention to how the entree is seasoned and what the flavors of the sauce are.  Remember, wine and food pairing is about finding flavors that compliment each other.

You will find that spicy foods tend to pair better with white wines.  White wines are served chilled which helps cut the spicyness, but also the fruitful flavors help balance spicy dishes and help your poor tongue taste the flavors and not just that spicy kick!

Dishes with a tomato based sauce tend to naturally have more developed flavors, so you need a wine that can hold its own!  That’s why red wines typically pair best with tomato sauces; red wines have more going on that white wines so the complexity of a red will help balance a rich sauce.

If you’re getting ready for a dinner party and are stuck as to what you should offer, then check out the following website:
E&J Gallo Winery Wine Pairing
It has  a great interactive chart to help you find the best red and best white for whatever you may be serving!

Last week thousands of event industry folks descended upon Downtown San Diego for The Special Event 2009 industry conference.  This led me to take up the duty of finding a restaurant for several of my fellow event planners and I to have dinner and catch up.  I was looking for something that seemed very “San Diego” but that also served great food and was centrally located for everyone.  I happily came upon JSix during my decision making process and could not have been more pleased!

JSix is a restaurant on J Street and Sixth in the Gaslamp District of Downtown San Diego.  They serve up a California Cuisine that is terribly hard to resist!  I dined on the Duck Confit and the Lobster & Crab Cakes that evening.  The duck was so deliciously cooked it simply fell off the bone and had the perfect hint of pink to it.  It was served a perfectly paired sauce (the name of which escapes me) and a meyer lemon risotto that I could have eaten all evening!  And let’s not forget the Crab Cakes!  I typically have issue with crab cakes because they can be a bit too greasy or oily for me…not these!  They were crispy and delicious…end of story!

Between the eight of us that were there that evening we tried a good portion of the menu and we were all not only pleased with the food but delighted at how good it was!

JSix prides themselves on serving not only quality tasting food, but also with quality ingredients.  They make several trips to local farmer’s markets to get the freshest foods they can find.

And I have not even touched upon the restaurant itself!  Sleek and modern but with fantastic lighting, the restaurant invites you to stay and linger for a while.  Cozy up to the bar and have a cocktail while you wait, observe the action in the kitchen which is a nice open layout for the patrons to view, or sneak upstairs to the JSix Rooftop Bar for a decidedly different atmosphere but with the same great food and drinks.  And while you’re there don’t forget to have a Pear Flower Lemonade!

JSix is a great location for a smaller sized rehearsal dinner of maybe 15 people.  If you have a larger group or want a private room you can enjoy the quality food from the Hotel Solamar which is immediately adjacent to JSix.   And let’s not forget the JSix Rooftop Bar which can host private events as well.

I’m a sucker for great food and great ambiance and JSix certainly makes the cut!

JSix Restaurant
616 J Street (At the corner of 6th Avenue)
San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: 619.531.8744