anns plans | San Diego Weddings Of Distinction

Real Wedding :: Andaz Hotel Wedding

Hunt and Gary tied the knot at the Andaz Hotel in February 2017. There was so much love in the room and not a dry eye in the house for two guys that are clearly loved by their friends and family… Love this couple, love the team who made the day and evening unforgettable.

Coordinator – Ann Strobel of Ann’s Plans

Officiant – Mitch Darnell

Photographer – Joan Cusack

Lighting – San Diego Events Lighting

DJ – Perfectly Entertaining/Tim English

Flowers – Embellishmint/Anthony Griffin

Candy Man – Luke Jacobs/Innovation Entertainment

Venue – Andaz Hotel

Catering and Dessert – STK San Diego

real wedding:: david + julia

San Diego boasts some of the finest wedding venues out there, but for certain couples, the intimacy of a private residence, for example, is more appropriate than a hotel for their “I Dos.”

The wedding of David and Julia was just that, an intimate affair on a private residence in beautiful La Jolla, CA. The wedding was simple, yet screamed elegant. The lighting, provided by WoD vendor, San Diego Events Lighting Co., was romantic, yet simple. The accents of market string lighting lit their outdoor reception area perfectly. The food was catered by one of San Diego’a best wedding caterers, Crown Point Catering, another WoD vendor, offered top-of-the-line wedding food and hors d’oeuvres.

In addition, three other Weddings of Distinction vendors took part in the nuptials: wedding music provided by DJ Daniel Peterson, wedding coordination by Ann’s Plans (wedding planning), and photography by Studio Carre Photographie.

Photos courtesy of Studio Carre Photographie

real wedding :: wendy + john

When you meet that special someone, you just know. And, for Wendy and John, even though they lived across the country when they met, their love could not be broken by distance. This super sweet couple met at a barbecue, and for the first few years of their relationship, they managed long distance, with John in New Hampshire and Wendy in San Diego!!

Yet the distance would not be forever. The couple married at the gorgeous La Jolla Woman’s Club this spring and their bright, yellow sunshine-themed wedding perfectly complimented the happiness that this couple represents. With the help of wedding coordinator and WOD vendor, Ann’s Plans, Wendy got a lot of her ideas for decor from Pinterest. Wendy loved the Billy Balls in her bouquet and that inspired a lot of the designs.

The food was provided by another WOD vendor, Personal Touch Dining.

Wendy and John’s happy ending?… after the wedding, Wendy and her Mom moved to New Hampshire to be with John and his work!

Photos courtesy of McGuire Photography

Networking Downtown….May’s Meeting at the Westin Hotel

Memorial Day took place earlier this year, so for May’s meeting we were all about networking and celebrating the start of summer! This month’s meeting space offered the perfect backdrop to do just that! The Westin Gaslamp Quarter hosted our monthly networking luncheon, and the outdoor space on the patio offered each of us a healthy dose of Vitamin D.

Lunch was exquisite, distinctive in fact, and the combination of appetizers, entree options and dessert complimented the hot weather quite perfectly. Our speakers were Deborah Young, one of the newer wedding officiants to the group, and Ann Strobel, of Ann’s Plans, wedding coordination.

We ate; we mingled; we shared ideas and offered referrals, and then we all went on our way. It was warm, but the Westin offered our group the perfect platform to connect before the hustle and bustle of the San Diego wedding season!

artist love :: color + vibrancy for your wedding

Deciding on a color palette for your wedding? What if you used them all!?

Recently, many of our fabulous San Diego wedding vendors (and Weddings of Distinction members) collaborated for a styled shoot + tablescape design shoot that combined lots of vivid colors.

The shoot, called “Artist Love”, was envisioned by the talented wedding coordinator, Ann Strobel, of Ann’s Plans, and with the help of Hartworks Floral Design (floral arrangements), Sweet Cheeks Baking Company (delicious cupcakes), Pink Star Design (artsy stationary), Sandra Nicole Designs (bridal styling), D’Angelo Couture (wedding dresses), Concept Event Design (decor + linens), Meleah (hair and makeup), + Kristina Chartier Photography (photography), the vision turned into a colorful reality!

Set at The Bohannan Estate, this entire shoot evoked everyone’s artistic side. It was playful; it was colorful; any wedding would be fortunate to have such a unique design concept!

For more great (pinnable) photos from this shoot, visit Concepts Event Design’s BLOG POST!

steampunk wedding :: a WOD collaboration

When you combine steam-powered machinery, with the fashion of late 19th century Victorian era, the result is an edgy, fashionable look at history. That style is known as ‘steampunk.’

Steampunk incorporates elements of fantasy, historical fiction, as well as elements of speculation. It is dark, bold, and it happens to be trending lately. Steampunk is a theme that many couples are incorporating into their weddings!

So, recently, many San Diego wedding vendors came together to assemble their own scene(s) for an amazing photo shoot that captured the best elements of this fascinating genre. What took a lot of planning and creativity, the shoot came together perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that Ceremony Magazine’s Blog featured the shoot in a recent post!

It started, though, like all good things, as an idea, an idea fabricated by Shannon Henry (Studio Carré), Ann Strobel (Ann’s Plans) and Dawn Stone (Embellishmint Floral + Event Design). They were intrigued by the elements of Steampunk, and they were noticing the growing trend among couples to incorporate Steampunk elements into their weddings. So, the seed was planted. They talked; they coordinated; they collaborated and invited others to join.

The result: an amazingly creative collection of images. Everyone worked together and each contributed his or her specific element of specialty; no detail was left unturned.

Set on location at the historic Mt. Woodson Castle, in Ramona, CA, the castle’s rustic design elements fit perfectly for the shoot that takes you back in time. The models, thanks to hair and makeup artists, Beauti on the Go, had big, dramatic hair and were embellished with hats and headpieces by Sandra Nicole Designs. The clothing and dresses from Provence Bride by Allyson Simone were vintage-style and had black accents. From the antique furniture, to the blackboard design, to the detail of the glasses, florals and ceremony site, every design element coordinated perfectly.

Vendors Involved:

Photography – Studio Carré

Design + Prop Accessory/Vignette Rentals – Ann’s Plans

Floral + Accessory Design – Embellishmint Floral + Event Design

Hair + Makeup – Beauti on the Go

Head Pieces and Accessories – Sandra Nicole Designs + Ann’s Plans

Bridal Gowns – Provence Bride by Allyson Simone

Furniture Rental – Rashae Taylor

Chalkboard Design – Lucky to be in Love

Cake – Sweet Cheeks Baking Co.

Custom Bar – Snake Oil Cocktail Company

Buffet Breakfast + Lunch – Personal Touch Dining

Venue – Mt. Woodson Castle

:: style + inspiration at the US Grant’s ‘swoon 4’ bridal show

Spring is a season of new beginnings. It’a a time when people begin to get out more, and enjoy the outdoors. Well, for those in the wedding industry (and for those getting married), spring is the unofficial start of wedding planning season!

At the beginning of March, the US Grant hotel hosted its annual “Swoon 4 Bridal Event“, and in true fashion, they truly outdid themselves. Many of Weddings of Distinction’s vendors (the US Grant included) took part in this special day, and in doing so, claimed themselves among the finest San Diego wedding vendors.

The day-long bridal event spanned three floors and three ballrooms with loads of inspiration for couples. Whether one is getting married in the fall, or in the winter, the event had special rooms dedicated to inspire the fall or winter brides! Whites and silvers adorned the “Winter” room; vibrant colors and outdoorsy furniture decorated the “Spring/Summer” room. There was a room specifically for groom’s, and there were others for the brides and even the ceremony itself! Food and drink was plentiful, so couples were able to enjoy specialty cuisine from local San Diego wedding caterers. Also, thanks to the donations from local wedding boutiques, brides were able to visualize different bridal looks during the fashion show finale!

There was so much to see and touch and experience; no stone was left unturned. One could have spent the entire afternoon, and many did just that!

So, if you’re getting married in San Diego, there are many reputable San Diego wedding vendors to choose from. Weddings of Distinction is likely to have many of the as a part of our group!

WoD vendors represented: Lois Mathews Design, San Diego Events Lighting, Sweet Cheeks Baking Company, Concepts Event Design, Ann’s Plans, Hartworks Floral, Artistic Productions, Bryan Miller Photography, Pink Star Design, Stone Brewery, and of course, the US Grant Hotel!

Photos courtesy of Kristina Chartier Photography

For more pictures of the event, please visit the US Grant’s Facebook page!

news + press :: bowling to the classics at the december “meeting”

The holidays are for celebrating, celebrating with family and friends and just having a good time. So, that is exactly what we did for Weddings of Distinction ‘s December “meeting”: we celebrated the holidays with friends and loved ones, but we also added the Parkway Bowing Alley into the mix!

Attendance was a record-high for this festive night, and most everyone came decked out in “ugly” Christmas/Hanukkah sweaters! An award, at the end of the night, went out to the ugliest of them all, and the husband of Sweet Cheeks Baking Co.’s owner took home the prize.

A gift exchange allowed guests to open, swap and/or keep small presents, and many went home with random trinkets along with bellies full of “tasty bowling food.” It’s OK, though. We had the chance to work off the holiday treats by playing multiple games and dancing in between turns. Many of our vendor have some impressive moves, that’s all I can say!

At the end of the night, we all had a blast. We also realized that many of our vendors are much better at bowling than they led us to believe! It’s good to have options.

news + press :: november meeting at humphreys half moon inn

Photos courtesy of ABI Photography

Wedding of Distinction’s November meeting took place at Humphreys Half Moon Inn + Suites. Taking place just after the Thanksgiving holiday, November’s meeting was was our traditional sit-down meet and eat. We heard speeches by Sandra of Sandra Nicole, we met some new faces and potential new-members, and we enjoyed a delicious meal and dessert. All that, and we had an amazing view of the pier and boats on Shelter Island.

Humphreys Half Moon Inn + Suites is known for their fantastic concerts by the bay, and with its ample outdoor space and views of the “colorful marina,” if you haven’t been there yet, we highly recommend a trip there!

a wedding is just one kind of party

The holiday season is in full swing, and as November draws to a close and December rapidly approaches, many people start thinking party celebrations and holiday shindigs. Why not? The six weeks from Thanksgiving to New Years are a joyous time, and joyous times should be celebrated!

Weddings of Distinction is group made up of amazing vendors. Yes, as the name of our group suggests, we all may focus on weddings, but that does not mean the services of a DJ, a florist, a photographer, etc. could not be used for other occasions. After all, aren’t weddings just one kind of party? We love parties! So whether you’re getting married, or you want to add a special touch to a holiday get-together of your closest friends, one or more of the Weddings of Distinction vendors could help turn your ideas into a reality!

Want festive invitations? ………. We’ve got vendors for that!

Need family holiday photos? Or, want a sexy gift for your special someone? ………. We’ve got photographers for that!

Want a top-rated holiday party venue, as rated by Cvent? ………. The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is ready for action!

I think you see the point. Together, we make up Weddings of Distinction, but at the end of the day, the group is made up of individual companies that offer amazing work and/or services, both in the wedding industry and BEYOND!