I had the joy of helping Mike and Roxanne realize their wedding dreams at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort back in May of this year.  This was a really special wedding for me because I work with Mike on a regular basis for my corporate events.  So being able to help him and his lovely bride was truly an honor.  And after hearing all the great stories about him and Roxanne (and the way he sweetly talks about her) I couldn’t wait for the big day!

After going through all the wonderful photos from David Crane Photography, I had too many that I loved!  So there will be multiple posts of this wedding!

Today, we start with details prior to the ceremony!

His

Mike and Roxanne’s son is perhaps the cutest Best Man I have ever seen!  And had it not been for the lovely bride, we would have stolen the show!

Photography by David Crane Photography

Hers

Seeing a bride on her wedding day as excited as Roxanne was, is always refreshing!  She was exuberant, happy and such a joy to work with!

Photography by David Crane Photography

The Vendors

Venue: Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa - Debra Ayala
Photography: David Crane Photography - David Crane
Florist: Flowers Forever - Paula
Cake:  Heide Rogers
Guitarist:  Classical Guitar featuring Miles Monyier
DJ:  Smith Sounds - Jeremy Smith
Favors: The Cookie Chew - Liz Chou
Coordinator: Bellini Events - Alicia Garcia

étoile Restaurant named one of the Top Ten Romantic Restaurants in the USA – ForbesTraveler.com, February 3, 2009

étoile Restaurant recommended in the 2009 Michelin Guide for the third straight year.

“Domaine Chandon was the first Napa Valley winery to offer upscale dining…and remains the Valley’s only upscale winery-based restaurant” - Wine Enthusiast Magazine, May 2007

I COMPLETELY agree with all of the above!  I was lucky enough to have dinner here one evening during a trip to Napa.  Hands down, one of the BEST meals I have ever had!  At étoile they know food and service very well.  But we’ll just chat about the food!

Courtesy of Chandon.com

Starter Course
Poached Lobster and Galia Melon green apple · ginger · estate basil
Domaine Chandon Carneros Unoaked Chardonnay 2007

Absolute PERFECTION!  The combination of flavors was ever so delicious and perfectly complimented the lobster.  Everything was in perfect balance.

Main Course
Liberty Farms Duck Breast bing cherries · garden arugula · almond sauce
Domaine Chandon Carneros Pinot Noir 2006

It takes extremely talent to cook a duck medium rare with the skin just perfectly crispy.  If you can do that then call me over for dinner cause I would love to find out how its done!  Again, every element of the dish was in perfect harmony with the others and every bite was more delicious than the last.

Dessert
Strawberries and Cream
Creme Brulee with sliced strawberries served with a strawberry sorbet

This actually is not listed on the their menu, but I was lucky enough that they were serving it that night because it was SOOO good.  I {heart} creme brulee and this is one of the best I have ever had!

When I was done with the meal I wanted to do it all over again!  The portions are perfectly sized to leave you feeling utterly satisfied but not so much that you feel like you’re ready for a nap….because to leave one bite on your plate of any of these dishes would be a sin!  Added bonus: the wines paired with the dishes were compliments of the chef!

étoile at Domaine Chandon is a MUST if you find yourself in Napa and in need of a completely fantastic meal!

For the Bridal Bazaar one of our budget concsious ideas was to have a DIY wedding favor.  Here’s what I came up with!

After surveying countless options I decided to go with the Martha Stewart Candy Boxes, which I purchased at Michaels.  But I only decided to use that option after I found the perfect chocolates from Cost Plus World Market!

The Martha Stewart set comes with the box, the oval label and foam spacers for between the label and box.

To have the boxes match the decor of the table setup, I purchased a sheer gold ribbon as well as a green ribbon and orange ribbon.  My plan was to have half the boxes accented in the green and the other half accented with the orange.  Both the accent colors were a bit bold so I actually layered the gold ribbon over the accent ribbon…I think it looked great!

The very first thing I did was print the labels.  This was time consuming because I wanted all of them to be identical and centered.  Martha’s folks thought ahead and included test sheets that you can print until you get the formatting just right!  However, their printing utilities are not all that great.  The online version was difficult and the Microsoft Word download needed a lot of tweaking!  I got it just right though!  You can download my template here!  You may need to make adjustments for your own printer.

After the printing was done, I forged ahead and made my boxes!

I used the double sided tape to secure the ribbons and label as I layered them.  I placed a square of tape on the box, then put the accent ribbon down and wrapped it around until the ends of the ribbon met.  I made sure the piece of tape was big enough for both end of the ribbon to stick to it.

I placed another piece of tape over the ribbon ends, then layered the gold ribbon over in the same manner.

I then put a few pieces of tape on the back of the oval (only in the center though) and then placed that on the box…voila!  I chose not to use the spacers they included, but you can if you want.

Here is what the boxes would cost if you decided to do them for your wedding…click here to download the PDF. I make no guarantees about how much this project will actually cost you, but I figured I could at least share what it would have cost me!

I worked the booth for the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants this past Sunday, and it was great!  So many San Diego brides and grooms came out to see what the San Diego Wedding Community has to offer.  I chatted with so many happy couples, their friends and their parents and I wish every one of you the best as you make your plans and say your I-Dos!

Here’s a peek at what our booth setup had to offer!

We had some budget friendly ideas in mind as we designed this lovely table.  I think one of the biggest concepts was to really talk to the florist you want to hire.  Tell them what you can spend, what your colors are and then have faith in your florist to deliver a beautiful product!  The florist we used was able to deliver this centerpiece to us for only $25.00 using that exact idea!  She had carte blanche to pick the flowers that were in season and lovely but not terribly expensive.

I was so excited about how great everything turned out!  And stay tuned for details on the favors!!  They are a DIY project and I’ll have all the details here!

Tomorrow is the Bridal Bazaar at the San Diego Convention Center, and is a great opportunity to see all things bridal!
If you’re just starting on your wedding plans, this is a great time to get new ideas and discover what you may still need to polish off your wedding plans!  Caterers will be present giving samples of their delicious food, bakeries will be there will cake samples, and florists with brilliant ideas will have samples on display.  Bring your camera to capture what inspires you!

Fashion Shows will be 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:45pm.

Go to the Bridal Bazaar website to purchase your tickets or download a coupon.

Concession stands will be open selling soft drinks and snacks, but if you prefer to stroll through the booths with a glass of champagne then cruise over to the fashion show stage.  There is typically a bar setup there selling bubbly!

Bridal Bazaar
San Diego Convention Center, Hall H
111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA

I will be helping out at the Association of Bridal Consultants Booth (#908).  Stop by and say hi!