Tag: cynthia zatkin events

tips from the pros :: planning a small wedding

San Diego Weddings of Distinction member Cynthia Zatkin Blase of Cynthia Zatkin Events helps brides and grooms coordinate their intimate and personal day. She shares her tips on how you can create the ultimate small wedding.

Find your critical mass: Figure out how many people you need to have in attendance to feel as if your wedding is an “event.” For some brides, 20 people are enough, but others need 50 or 60 to feel like they have created a party. Find that number you need and then, to account for negative responses, invite 20 percent more than that number.

Invite your essentials: Come up with a list of the people who mean the most to you. This, in itself, will create intimacy.

Find a distinctive venue: With a smaller group, you can select an untraditional space. Consider using your favorite restaurant or the quaint inn you and your spouse-to-be love.

Find a venue that fits the size of your group perfectly: Try not to have the room be too small or too large. If the room is a bit large, use more tables and seat fewer guests at each table.

Do more than just the standard toasts: Have childhood friends or your college roommate tell stories. Just make sure these are all prepared speeches and not inebriated ramblings!

Personalize your wedding: Because only your closest friends and family will be in attendance, include photos or mementos that truly showcase your personalities.

Specialize your menu: Consider polling your guests for their favorite kind of food or upgrading the alcohol to reflect their preferences.

Be grand! Small weddings don’t need to be small events. Feel free to create large, dramatic centerpieces, display a magnificent cake and have a full band.

Upgrade the item that is most important to you: Because smaller weddings are generally less expensive, spend the money you are saving on that item you really want. Whether it’s the perfect dress, a specific photographer or gorgeous linens, upgrade on whatever it is that you’ll remember most.

written by the union tribune http://sports.uniontrib.com/uniontrib/20080120/news_1c20wedtipm.html

real weddings :: brad and ann

Anne and Brad chose to have a San Diego wedding, though their families reside in the Midwest and the South. The couple met while studying in San Diego and thought it would be the perfect location for a destination wedding. The couple chose to hold their event at a San Diego hotel along the bay because it’s sand and boardwalk created a quintessential San Diego feel. Anne and Brad hired wedding planner Cynthia, of Cynthia Zatkin Events, to coordinate every aspect of their day, from start to finish. Anne decided on a very simple motif of black, white, and light pink and the result was stunning. Her inspiration came from a black and white flower pattern piece of paper she found and she worked with Cynthia to design an elegant affair in that motif. The bridesmaids wore black cocktail dresses and carried light pink flowers. The reception combined black and white linens with pink flowers. The programs and menus, in black and white, picked up the floral motif from the inspiration piece of paper. To cap it all off, musicians Silverwood serenaded the guests throughout the ceremony and cocktail hour. The look and music created a serene and intimate affair.

san diego weddings of distinction :: real weddings