We live in San Diego and have some of the best beaches in Southern California.  Its only natural that people would want to get married at the beach!  There are some things to consider though:

Courtesy of HereComestheGuide.com

• Permits: You have to get permits to reserve any of the public spaces in San Diego.  That grassy knoll at the Embarcadero south of Seaport Village…permit required.  La Jolla Cove Park…permit required.  Beaches surrounding Mission Bay…permit required.  Do your homework.  Permits are not that costly, but if you don’t have one, then someone can rain on your parade the day of your wedding.
• Parking: Living in San Diego, we all know how difficult parking at the beach can be.  Make sure you’ve picked an are where you can reserve a parking lot.  Your guests will appreciate it!
• Setup: Are you going to have chairs on the sand?  If so, make sure you discuss this with your rental company.  Walking in sand can be difficult and then having to haul chairs on top of that can be even more so.  Some rental companies will charge extra for the setup simply because of the extra manpower needed.
• Music: Live Acoustic is the easiest way to go.  Why?  Because a DJ or amplified group of musicians will need speakers and power.  And you’re not likely to find an electrical outlet in the sand.  So if you decide to go with a DJ or amplified group, then make sure they know the setup and how much extension cord they will need.  There is a possibility you will need a generator if there is no power source nearby.
• Sand: It will get everywhere!  So make sure your guests know about the ceremony in the sand.  You can even supply sandals for anyone that may have forgotten!  Put them in a beach bucket and you’re set!
• Wind: It may be windy.  Very windy!  If you intend to have programs for your guests, don’t put them on the chairs or a table.  Have someone handing them out to guests as they arrive.  And if you DO place them on individual chairs, then use shells or river rocks to weigh them down.
• Bathrooms: Our fine city does the best they can with maintaining the public restrooms along the beach.  And while your beach-side wedding ceremony may only last 20 minutes, your guests will probably be there around an hour.  Do you really intend to have your Great Aunt Susie use the public potty?  If you have children, older adults, or a large party then you may want to see what your options are for a portable restroom.  I don’t mean the plastic Andy Gumps that don’t flush!  Portable restrooms can be as nice as your own home bathroom.  Its worth looking into if only to make your friends and family feel more comfortable.
• The Bride’s entrance: It is meant to be a climactic moment.  In theory, the doors swing open and there’s the bride!  Stunning, radiant and beautiful!  The crowd oohs, aahs and sighs and the groom tears up.  It becomes anti-climactic when the bride has to walk in plain sight for 3 minutes before she reaches the aisle.  Consider creating space.  Talk to your rental company about what options you have for pipe and drape or sections of trellis.  You may not literally have doors to enter from, but you can still create an environment that will allow you to make an entrance!

There are venues around San Diego that have beach areas for your wedding, the Hotel del Coronado comes to mind.  But for those of you thinking outside the box, these are definitely things you want to keep in mind as you plan your day!

Using manzanita trees to hang escort cards has been an extremely popular trend the last few years.  It looks so lovely and cool in photos that if you’re already using trees in your decor, its hard to pass up.
BUT, it does pose some challenges.  First, its not immediately clear to your guests that they’re supposed to take the cards.  Hanging on the trees, they look so much like decor that your guests don’t necessarily know that these cards are vital to your seating arrangements.
Also, your guests may not be able to find their names.  The pure simple beauty of cards displayed alphabetically on a table is that your guests immediately know what to do and how to look for their name.  That does not always translate to a tree.  There is no way to simply and easily arrange cards on a tree so that your guests merely have to skim through to find their name.  If just doesn’t work that way, nor can it.  Invevitably, they will be looking card by card until they find their own (if they find their own).
So then what do you do if you’re tied to the idea of using these lovely branches to arrange your escort cards?  Well…

• You can use the branches to ACCENT the table on which the cards will be displayed.
• You can label the trees to help your guests narrow their search.
• You can use small wire hooks to create more lateral space on the tree branches, thus making it easier to hang and remove escort cards.
• You can create a seating chart, break it up into multiple sections, and hang each section on the tree….labeled of course!  So instead of one huge 3′ x 4′ foam board you would have multiple 1′ x 6″ sections!

Just remember, when it comes to seating your guests it really must be functional.  Otherwise, your guests will be confused, have to be re-directed and a seating period that should have taken no more than 30 minutes will end up pushing 60!

Happy Planning!

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!

The date is the thing when planning any type of event.  Before you can move forward with booking anyone or anything you need to have a date set.  But not all dates are created equal!  New Year’s Eve, Fourth of July, basically any holiday weekend is at a premium.  And not just for you, the person hosting the event, but also for your guests.  If you are inviting anyone from out of town that would require a hotel room, then they will also be paying a premium for their stay if your event is in a tourist city.  Don’t get me wrong…you’re free to choose whatever date you like to host your wedding, birthday party, anniversary party, or whatever event it may be.  But you will likely be paying a higher price because of the date.  And the increased cost of airfare/hotel/car rental for your traveling guests may prohibit them from attending.  However, the payout may be worth it!

San Diego Skyline

I have been speaking with a bride who is getting married on July 4th along the San Diego Bay, and one of her deciding factors was the free fireworks display that she and her guests will enjoy during the evening.
The holiday weekend also means people have time off work.  So if they were planning a vacation or trip then they may just make the city of your event their vacation destination!
If your decor fits the holiday, then the amount of decorating you have to do will decrease.  I had a bride get married at the Prado in Balboa Park just before Christmas, and she choose to fit her color scheme to the holiday decor.  Her bridesmaids wore lovely light gold dresses and she kept the flowers simple using whites with a hint of red.  The Prado already had a decorated Christmas tree setup and some garland which just added to the scheme!

So just remember to look at the BIG picture when picking a date for your event.  It will save you from being surprised down the road!

Happy Planning!

I love home weddings!  Whether the home belongs to the Bride & Groom, the parents, an aunt and uncle or a very close family friend; home weddings strike an emotional chord that a wedding at another location sometimes cannot.  You are really and truly entering the role of host and hostess because you are literally inviting people into your home (or your aunt’s home).

There are challenges to planning a backyard wedding though.  The biggest hurdle is the fact that you have to bring in everything!  But I actually see that as a blessing.  When you bring in everything from the caterer to the linen company, you are really able to customize your wedding to your specifications.  You have the caterer of your choice, the linens of your choice, whatever alcohol you choose and whatever quantity you choose.  It really opens the doors to planning a day that suits not only your taste and style but also your budget.

However, because there are so many details involved with a backyard wedding that is where it can become critical to hire someone to help you at least manage the day, if not the last few months.  If you’re having a small party of 50 people then you may not be blindsided with a heap of last minute details.  But if you’re having a party of 100  or more you better make sure the details are covered…like that you have enough bathrooms and toilet paper!  Simple things like that can often be overlooked because we take for granted that those points are automatically covered at a typical wedding location (I don’t believe I have ever seen a hotel advertise free use of their bathrooms as part of their wedding package even though it is included).

The other big plus for a backyard wedding is that you are not tied to a set amount of hours, but depending on your city you may have to abide by sound restrictions (unless your neighbors are totally understanding or you have no neighbors).  Having worked in Los Angeles, I frequented Malibu homes on several occasions for events, but you have to cut the music off at 10pm because of noise ordinances.  Now that I’m in San Diego I have learned that San Diego County and Temecula have similar restrictions.  So making sure you educate yourself on fine points like that and going out of your way to be respectful of the neighbors can really save you a headache that day…because do you really want the police knocking at the door asking for you to shut down the party?

The other potential drawback of a backyard wedding is the clean up.  The clean up can be the most painful part of the evening if its not properly planned for.  So make sure your vendors (especially the caterer) are true professionals because their hard work and professionalism will save you time and energy at the end of the night.

Happy Planning!

Have a question on planning a backyard wedding?  Leave a comment and I’ll post a response!