Month: July 2010

real weddings :: chris and sarah

images courtesy of theorie

When Sarah and Chris decided to do a home wedding at Sarah’s parents’ San Diego estate, everyone couldn’t have been more thrilled! The couple wanted to do an outdoor wedding and hired wedding planner and San Diego Weddings of Distinction member, Cynthia Zatkin of Cynthia Zatkin Events, to help them create their dream. The family cleared a lower area on their property for the ceremony and decided to have the cocktail hour on a grassy lawn and the dinner and dancing in the pool area. Sarah and Chris said they wanted a fun event and they wanted a band. By CZ Events’ recommendation, they put the stage and dance floor over the pool and created a lounge type atmosphere with lounge furniture and cocktail tables instead of traditional round tables and assigned seats. This set-up allowed the guests to mix and mingle and created an energetic atmosphere. Guests feasted on dinner stations created by fellow San Diego Weddings of Distinction member, wedding caterer Continental Catering, and lounged anywhere they pleased! For the wedding décor, the bride chose yellow, orange, and pink with green accents. Bright flowers sat on top of orange and yellow linens and looked gorgeous against the estate’s grassy lawn. As the sun set, lanterns came alive flickering in the trees while candles floating in the open part of the pool created an amazing ambiance. Guests danced until midnight and had fun with the colorful boas, hats, and tambourines provided by the bride and groom! Wedding photographers and fellow San Diego Weddings of Distinction members, Amy and Maurice of Theorie, captured the day with incredible photos. Their colorful and playful style of wedding photography perfectly matched the personalities of the bride and groom. All in all, it was a fantastic affair!

news & press :: free wedding dresses for military

Brides Across America was born on a realization that our country needs to do more to support our troops and their families. Bringing bridal and military together is a marriage made in heaven!  Bridal salons are uniting across America to donate and giving away wedding gowns to qualified military brides.

The wedding industry is making a difference and giving brides to be the opportunity to find the wedding gown of their dreams as well as alleviate some of the financial stress of purchasing a  wedding gown.

Each store will be preparing a select number of gown to give away.  Most of the gowns are samples and overstocks and are worth approximately $500 to $3000.  Dresses range in sizes from 4-22 and will be given away on a first-come, first serve basis as long as you qualify.

Brides Across America is dedicated to make military brides dreams come true while, anxiously waiting the arrival of their loved one from overseas. You too can make a difference by sending in a donation to support Homes For Our Troops.

Please stop by the Bustle bridal salon today or tomorrow to take advantage of this wonderful offer.

July 22 & 23
The Bustle Bridal Salon
1011 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA
858-523-9254

real weddings :: troy and jessica

images courtesy of elle.g photography

Troy and Jessica’s wedding was an explosion of color and vibrance that we have absolutely fallen in love with. The June nuptials were a bright and lively celebration with plenty of good food and good times to go around. Held outdoors at Orfilia Winery, in Escondido, the couple’s main goal for the big day was to throw a kick butt party with friends and family. Weddings of Distinction member, Lisa, of elle.g photography was on hand to capture every heartfelt moment, joyous laughter and wild dancing. Also in attendance from Weddings of Distinction was Continental Catering. They provided the scrumptious food, giving the guests energy enough to dance all night long.

member spotlight :: lois mathews floral designer

Lois Mathews Design is dedicated to creating a unique wedding for each and every bride. Lois’ years of floral and party experience, coupled with your ideas, help create your “dream” wedding. Lois takes a personal interest in each bride and adapts her designs to suit her bride and groom’s personal tastes. Prior to starting her own business, Lois worked at various venues around San Diego, including the legendary Hotel Del Coronado. Lois possesses an intense passion for her work and exemplifies trustworthiness ~ key factors for success. As advice for brides, Lois can adjust her design materials to fit client’s budgets. One way is to buy seasonal products from local markets. Another is to take advantage of equipment and décor items Lois has gathered and stored over the years. To plan for your special day, visit Lois by appointment at her vintage barn and garden studio in Bankers Hill.

Email: lois@loismathews.com
Phone: 619.255.9144

news :: wow the prado at balboa park shines!!

images by elle.g photography

Weddings of Distinction paid a visit to fellow group member The Prado at Balboa Park this June for their monthly luncheon and…in a word…WOW! Hats off to Catering Sales Manager Andrea Pena and her crew for greeting us in the Terrace Garden with champagne and sparkling cider and dazzling us with an incredible meal prepared by their fantastic new chefs. Seared scallops, a duet of steak and slipper lobster tail with a salad splash and a lemon cake dessert left no one wanting. Even our attending member caterers offered glowing praise.

To start our luncheon/meeting, Mary Noriega from Humphrey Florist was honored by the group in a touching farewell ceremony celebrating her 16 years of loyalty and support of Weddings of Distinction. An original group member, all of us will miss you Mary!

Showcasing members on the day were florist Lois Mathews and flamenco guitarist Anthony Garcia. Both gave impressive updates on their respective businesses and shown brightly with samples of their craft. A big thank you goes out to Lois for her beautiful centerpieces and to Anthony for entertaining us with his wonderful music as we did our meet & greet and during the luncheon.

Our beautiful day was embellished with loads of networking, sunshine, referrals shared and excellent camaraderie amongst San Diego wedding professionals. The Prado at Balboa Park provided quite the display and is an awesome venue option for wedding ceremonies and receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate parties and family functions.

Board business was shared. New members officiant Patricia Coleman and invitation specialist Tiffany Lord Arnaldo with Cali Cards were welcomed into the group. Birthdays were acknowledged. Raffle prizes were awarded. A warm, beautiful day in Balboa Park was enjoyed by all!

The Weddings of Distinction 2010 Board:

President, Bob Brichmann, DJ & Emcee from Artistic Productions; Vice-President, Ann Strobel, Coordinator from Ann’s Plans; Treasurer, Merrylin Brichmann, DJ & Emcee from Artistic Productions; Founding President, Susan Ashley from Romantic Honeymoons; Membership, Andrea Pena from The Prado at Balboa Park; Secretary, Diane Wilson from Silverwood Music Ensemble; Marketing, Lisa Gisczinski, Elle G Photography. Committee Members: Shannon Henry, photographer from Studio Carre.

Weddings of Distinction is a non-profit networking group specializing in weddings and special events. They meet monthly at various San Diego County hotels, resorts and special event facilities. The group’s goal is building professional relationships and networking to give clients the best advice and services to choose from.

member spotlight :: disc go round

Andy has owned and operated Disc Go Round for over 15 years. He grew up in Minnesota and moved to San Diego in 1999 where he met and married his wife Amy. They have two beautiful children and Andy loves the fact that his profession allows him to spend so much time with his kids. Andy has an excellent skill for motivating people and entertaining crowds without being obnoxious or acting like the “Cheesy DJ” many people associate mobile disc jockeys as being. Andy believes that being himself and blending in, rather than trying to put on an act and be the star of the show, is one of the secrets to his success. The music knowledge, experience, and people skills that Andy has, makes him easily the perfect choice for your next event. He is very trustworthy and reliable, and you will feel like you have hired a friend when you choose to work with Andy. Check out his website here: http://www.discgorounddj.com….or by phone (760) 721-2427.

real weddings :: alex and kelly

images courtsey of theorie

Kelly and Alex got married at the Mission Bay Yacht Club on a beautiful spring San Diego day. The day’s events were captured by San Diego Weddings of Distinction artists Amy and Maurice Wright of Theorie. Fellow San Diego Weddings of Distinction member and coordinator extraordinaire, Cynthia Zatkins of CZ Events orchestrated the day to perfection, ensuring that both bride and groom and their wedding party, as well as the guests had a fabulous fun time. And the amazing floral design was created by San Diego Weddings of Distinction floral designer Paula Rae of Rae Florae. The bright and colorful orange tulips, multi-colored gerber daisies, pretty little white camomile baby blossoms, orange pincushins, green spider mums and white scabiosa brought a sense of fun and eclectic freshness to the day. Attended by family and friends from all over the country, the love for this couple was endless. The wedding had elements of the couple all over it. From highlighting their love for sailing to the music that was played at the reception, there was no doubt that you got a sense of what this couple was about and the love they had for each other. The bride and her attendants arrived at the wedding in a fun little water vessel. They enjoyed a champagne toast before debarking at the dock where the groomsmen ushered the bridesmaids into the ceremony and the bride’s father walker the bride up the aisle. Their ceremony, held on the yacht club’s outside deck, provided an amazing view of Mission Bay for out of town guests to enjoy. Two words to describe their reception: 80s fabulousness. The tables were named after popular 80s songs like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “867-5309” and were also adorned with brightly colored flowers arranged in mason jars that matched the margaritas that were served. To add to the 80s awesomeness, they even had the San Diego 80’s cover band, Freeze Frame, play all their favorite rockin’ 80s songs all night long. The guests were even treated to fireworks courtesy of Sea World late in the evening.f