Meleah does more than just make people look good. “My goal is to help you look and feel your very best inside and out. I absolutely love what I do! What could be more fun than creating beauty and health every day?”
Hair & Make-up by Meleah
Photos by Sage Justice
Our first meeting of 2017 started off with chill meditation as we focused on all things good and positive, thank you officiant Deborah Young . The new board was recognized and birthdays were celebrated.
The Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter was a great venue for our first meeting of the year and is the ultimate backdrop for San Diego weddings. This modern and sophisticated hotel is located adjacent to the Horton Plaza Shopping & Entertainment mall making it a great location for San Diego weddings. Thank you Eddie Garcia of E3 Photography for the photos!
It was a wedding fit for the ages… timeless, elegant, and very much San Diego. The wedding of Lauren and Eric was just that! The wedding ceremony took place at the gorgeous Immaculata Church on the USD campus, the wedding began as a traditional celebration of family and friends. Yet, the couple, Lauren and Eric, added modern twists with vibrant colors/shades of pink, gold and black.
The reception followed at the Marriott Marquis, located on the San Diego Marina. The colors extended into the reception venue, and with colors in all shades on pink and white, the tented outdoor space turned into magical place where wedding guests could not only enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather, but could enjoy intimacy that the tent offered. Custom lighting, furniture, and decor were supplied by Concepts Event Design, and all the details, from the gold/black sequins tablecloths, to the gold table and chairs, perfectly paired with the couple’s vibrant, yet regal theme.
The wedding coordination was handled by another Weddings of Distinction vendor, First Comes Love Weddings & Events, and lets just say, we love when our vendors work together! And, when they work together perfectly, as Concepts Event Design and First Comes Love did, the result is a wedding so beautiful and so fun!
Photos Courtesy of True Photography
Located in the heart of Balboa Park, The Prado Restaurant is one of San Diego’s historic dining experiences. Featuring stunning indoor and outdoor seating, The Prado offers guests a first-class dining experience, coupled with the history and charm that defines San Diego’s Balboa Park.
We are so fortunate to have this historic restaurant in our group, and when the opportunity presented itself to host our September meeting there, let’s just say it was a ‘slam dunk.’ It was an intimate setting, perfect for our select-group. The vibrancy of teal colors and exposed wood beams captured the charm that San Diego/Balboa Park are known for! Edible Arrangements catered the “appetizers” of delicious fruit, and we heard from a local agent who spoke to the group about the importance of planning for life’s ups and downs, especially for small business.
All in all, it was great to get back to The Prado. The restaurant is an icon in San Diego, and especially so for a San Diego wedding. There is nothing more quintessential San Diego!
Photos courtesy of Laura Christin Photography
photos courtesy of Laura Christin Photography
Stone Brewing Co. is one of San Diego’s finest beer breweries, yet many do not realize that at the brewery’s main location in Escondido, CA, there is ample indoor and outdoor space for weddings and events! So, for June’s Weddings of Distinction meeting, the group traveled to North County San Diego and enjoyed a spectacular buffet lunch and beer pairing in one of the brewery’s main meeting rooms. Not bad for a Tuesday afternoon!
Upon arriving in the space, guests were welcomed by the vocals the group’s newest vocalist, Celeste Barbier. She is an amazing Jazz/Blues/Retro-style singer and performer. Her voice is soothing, and her style was the perfect accompaniment to the meeting’s “cocktail” and networking hour!
After some time to talk and tour the grounds, lunch was served, buffet-style. Pairings and tasters were available to those that wanted to day-drink, and for those that had to go back to work, non-alcholic options were available! We had a guest who spoke to the group about managing money for small business, so besides being social, we also learned something to take with us on our ways.
It was a great afternoon. We ate; we drank; we networked. We are thrilled to have Stone Brewing Co. as a member of our group! Not only does Stone offer delicious craft beer, but for those beer enthusiasts getting married, a wedding at Stone Brewery, whether in Escondido or one of their other San Diego locations, may just be the perfect fit!
Photos courtesy of McGuire Photography
It was a first for Weddings of Distinction as a group to visit Tom Hams Lighthouse, and while some of us have worked at this beautiful coastal wedding location (and restaurant) with our respective businesses, for many of us it was our first time!
With a seaside theme, entitled “Let’s Fla-mingle,” all decor and florals were provided by wedding florist extraordinaire, Embellishmint Floral & Event Design. Everything from the flowers, to the tablecloths, to even the desserts, united the theme in shades of pinks, plus golds and creams! Speaking of desserts, our after-lunch treats were supplied by no other than Sweet Cheeks Baking Co., one of San Diego’s finest dessert and cake bakeries!
These two special wedding vendors not only supplied our networking meeting with decor and desserts, but the two companies took the opportunity to present to the group, elaborating on the scope of their work and sharing some details and info that many of us do not already know!
The day really was great, and despite the “May Gray” typical to San Diego this time of year, every detail came together perfectly. From service, to location, to decor, to company, we felt pampered at this spectacular bay-front property. The staff there did a phenomenal job! And, a little bit a trivia: Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, to this day, is still a functioning lighthouse! Share that with your friends, or better yet, go visit yourself!
Photos Courtesy of Laura Christin Photography
What a beautiful day, in a beautiful resort, all in America’s Finest City. For April’s Wedding of Distinction luncheon we visited the newly remodeled Kona Kai Resort, a beachfront property boasting not only a private marina and beach, but also views of San Diego’s city skyline.
Our networking luncheon was served outside, in one of the Resort’s open spaces just by the marina and pool. The day was hot, but it was so nice to be outside, in the sun, getting our Vitamin D. We were all blown away with the level of class and sophistication of the Resort’s decor, and the reason being that it was only recent that the hotel has recently undergone a major overhaul and renovation. Before we actually sat to lunch, we got a tour of the grounds, inside and out, so we were really able to gather the extensive level of renovation. It is such a beautiful transformation!
During our meal, we heard from Lois Mathews, of Lois Mathews Design, wedding florist extraordinaire. She told us of her start with wedding flowers, and interestingly, she stumbled into her special niche. We also heard from Carmin Cermak, known in our group as a wedding coordinator, but what many do not know is that Carmin also has experience designing wedding flowers and arrangements. It was not until her speech that many in the group learned that part of her business!
All in all, the day was perfect. The meal was delicious. And the company was enjoyable. It was great to see just how much this resort has transformed, and with it, the grounds have become the perfect: modern, yet beachy…truly perfect for any San Diego wedding!
Photos courtesy of Eddie Garcia | E3 Photography
It was a the perfect fall day, but in San Diego, it always feels like summer. The outdoor wedding of Stephanie and Matthew took place at the beautiful Hilton San Diego Bayfront, in one of the hotel’s outdoor gardens. The colors were blush , ivory and white, and against the backdrop of San Diego’s vibrant Bay, the ceremony was romantic as it was elegant.
The reception followed, not at the Hilton, but at the Westgate Hotel in the nearby Gaslamp District. The couple, in true fairy-tale fashion, made the few mile trek to the reception location via no other than, a horse carriage! Thanks to Always & Forever Carriage Company, Stephanie and Matthew kept the romantic spirit of their ceremony alive, and arrived to their reception to party the night away.
Thanks to the coordinating efforts of Carmin Cermak, all the details of the multi-location wedding had to be timed perfectly. And, of course, it was! Carmin also worked to coordinate the florals, which in line with the bride’s colors of blush, ivory and white, were soft and romantic.
The wedding cake was provided by Sweet Cheeks Baking Company. The cake was a classic, 4-tiered masterpiece, and just like this beautiful couple, it has elements that were romantic and whimsical.
Photos Courtesy of Dan Rice Photography
San Diego is one of California’s best wedding locations, but just an hour away is the harbor of Dana Point that is also pretty spectacular. For two of Weddings of Distinction members, making the trip up north to Orange County was well-worth.
The wedding of Vicky and Brett took place this past fall, and with the backdrop of the water and the boats, the wedding was scenic as much as it was special. Both the ceremony and reception took place at Cannons Restaurant in Dana point. Guests were able to enjoy outdoor patio space, complete with cliff-side views of the water and the haze of the marine-front.
The wedding colors were neutral tones, combined with lilacs and other shades of purple. Carmin Cermak, one of WoD’s wedding coordinators, served in this case, as the wedding florist. Carmin is unique in that she can, and often does, serve multiple roles for the weddings she is a part of. In addition to Carmin, Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. provided the couple with their wedding cake, and working closely with Carmin, they decorated the cake and dessert table with florals in multiple shades of purple.
It truly was a special day. Its always exciting to see wedding vendors working together, and its even more so when they are two of our vendors! To make the trip up north just goes to show that our people are committed to providing the best possible service to their couples!
Photos Courtesy of Dan Rice Photography
Just when we think our meetings can’t get any better, we go to a winery, the Bernardo Winery to be exact, and we completely out-do ourselves! To sum March’s meeting up: outdoor luncheon, historic charm, and of course, wine!!
While admittedly it was hard to focus (:)), there were two, very informative speakers this month: the first, Marc Lehman from Emotion Picture Studio. His company has transformed into so much more than just videotaping weddings. Emotion Picture Studio works with a couples’ budget, and they not only offer professionally-manned coverage, but they’ve developed a service that sends cameras to a couple for them to distribute and use on their own, and then once returned, the Studio edits and creates the final memories. Convenient and innovative, for sure!
Following Marc, we heard from Shannon Henry & Janine Abdallah (who manage marketing for the Weddings of Distinction) about Facebook Targeted Ads. Albeit a brief synopsis, they offered the group a lot of information, that in turn, can be used to promote individual businesses.
When it came to lunch, it was a pretty warm, sunny day, s0 lunch was served in one of the vineyard’s outdoor pavilions. The combination of the shade of the gazebo, the view of the vineyards, and the old-world charm that transports you back to the 1800s, made this afternoon one of our more memorable lunches! After all presentations were presented, lunch was served, the group was escorted through the Winery. We learned about it’s history (many of us didn’t know that Bernardo Winery is Southern California’s oldest operating winery); we toured the grounds, and, of course, had a tasting! It’s a tough job; someone has to do it! 😉
Photos courtesy of Maryanne McGuire Photography
