Tag: silverwood music

news + press :: “spooktacular” october meeting

October Meeting - WOD

Photos Courtesy of Studio Carre’ Photographie

Weddings of Distinction‘s October meeting was non-traditional, and in the spirit of Halloween, we would not have had it any other way.  With the help of San Diego Events Lighting, the studios of Hartworks Floral Design + Pink Star Design were transformed into a dark, yet vibrant space for a casual networking party.  Complete with fluttering bats on the wall, a spooky-faced tree, and a plethora of candy/treats that would make a dentist mad, October’s WOD meeting put the fun into this function.

The French Gourmet provided delicious comfort food, ranging from fall soups, to nachos and cheese, and the collection of local wine and champagne kept the mood light.  Many vendors came in costume, and if you are Jenn from Pink Star Design, you came in your child’s!  Bag-lady, Batman, Cat-woman, 50’s woman, Maurice from Betwixt Studio: all the costumes were great!

Special thanks to ABI Photography for providing the photo-booth!  Everyone in attendance had the chance to play with props and be goofy for the camera!  It was a perfect addition to the Halloween festivities!

 

news + press :: september luncheon at AFR Furniture Rental

September has come and gone, and Weddings of Distinction members congregated at AFR Furniture Rental for the monthly meeting.  What is normally a drab warehouse was turned into a chic dining space, complete with decorative furnishings and chairs (special thanks to David Wright and Kristen Spooner for the hospitality)!  San Diego Paella cooked up some delicious lunch, and Joes on the Nose brewed some refreshing teas that held off the September heat.

The meeting was pretty casual, but all relevant and important business was attended to and all new members were introduced to the group.  Friendly conversation ended the afternoon.  All in all, it was a great, yet hot, afternoon!

news + press :: san diego style weddings magazine – fall 2012

UPDATE: The  San Diego Style Weddings magazine launch party was last night at La Costa Resort & Spa!  It was a lovely time!  We’re please to announce that our very own, Merrylin Brichmann, of Artistic Productions, spoke at the event, sharing stories of her relationship with SDSW over the years.  It truly was a great evening, and many Weddings of Distinction members celebrated the special event!

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

2012 is a big year for San Diego Style Weddings magazine; it is celebrating 25 years of helping brides plan their weddings!  In the latest magazine release, available to the public today, Weddings of Distinction is mentioned in a “Wedding Service Group” feature!

Get your copy today for helpful tips and tricks for planning a wedding in Southern California!

news + press :: august luncheon at the dana on mission bay

Photos courtesy of Betwixt Studio.

The Dana Resort on Mission Bay hosted Weddings of Distinction’s August luncheon.   While August is typically a very busy time for wedding vendors in San Diego, this month’s meeting had a great turnout, with over 20 in attendance.  The round-table discussion, while informal, gave those present the opportunity to share stories with the group and offer one another tips and tricks for managing the end-of-summer bustle.   A special thanks is due to the catering staff at The Dana, specifically Keith and Kaylee, for not only sharing their space with the group for this meeting, but for the great meal and the tours of the property afterwards.

news + press :: may’s meeting at continental catering

photos courtesy of ABI Photography

Weddings of Distinction paid a visit to fellow member Continental Catering‘s facility in La Mesa for the most recent WoD meeting/luncheon. Decor, service, food, beverage… they rocked it! Kristie Emmons & company took great care of us. Their kitchen remodel is fantastic. Officiant Patricia Coleman showcased and shared some of her talents and stories with us, as well. Many guest wedding vendors attended to check out our offerings as one of San Diego’s oldest & most successful wedding networking groups (17 years). Welcome to our newest members ~ Darla Mercer and Humphrey’s on the Bay and the collection of The US Grant, Westin Gaslamp Quarter & W San Diego, represented by Kimberley Winninger. Good networking was had by all!

news + press :: april’s meeting at the prado

photos courtesy of Kristina Chartier Photography and Janine Whittaker for Studio Carré Photographie

The Prado at Balboa Park was our location for April’s all-industry networking event…and it was a hit! This month we opened the doors to everyone to have lunch and all around great networking. Live entertainment was provided by arguably one of the more versatile and talented bands on the West Coast ~ Sensation Show Band with their array of music from 80’s pop, jazz, rock, and disco…which kept the crowd lively and chatty. This was our first open door meet & greet and we were excited about the turn out and hope to do it again! Kudos to all of the members who worked hard to put this huge event together. Thank you to all of the fabulous area industry peeps for turning out.

news :: april’s meeting at the mission valley marriott

Photos courtesy of ABI Photo

The networking at our April meeting was impressive.  We were hosted by the Mission Valley Marriott with our Event Manager Kim Tourtellott.   We welcomed our guest Johann Cazorla, intern for Carmin Design Events.  We enjoyed learning about the Mission Valley Marriott and its variety of ballrooms and events.

Our first showcaser Tiffany from CaliCards started her business in 2005.  Her invitations are all custom, one of a kind, unique and fabulous.  Her prices include packaging and addressing. Her philosophy is to be creative and make the invitation a glorious window to each event.

Our second showcaser was Diane from Silverwood.  We were greeted to the sounds of Silverwood during our mingling time.  Delightful and catchy tunes from Diane, Gary’s son Joel and Jason Coleman, vocalist.  Extremely talented and devoted to their craft, it’s always a joy to listen to their music and variety of songs.

After a delicious lunch, our President, Ann from Ann’s Plans, discussed next month’s Open Forum topic “Presenting Yourself as a Vendor of Distinction”.  Our new brochures were passed out ~ thank you Lola, Shannon and Tiffany.  The brochures are dynamite, classy and fabulous!   Raffle prizes were given away to Merrylin, Elaine and Susan.

We were reminded of the Celebration of Life for Peggi Walker at the Bali Hai that evening.  An evening of food, dance and song ~ Kimmy, from Sensation Show Band, will be rockin’ the attendees and creating a festive, joyous atmosphere. Many WoD members are involved in this event, donating food to décor.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, May 24 at The Abbey.  We appreciate the Marriott for their food, service and hospitality.  We thank Paula Rae for the centerpieces and décor and Dennis Way for taking our photos.

After the hotel tour, we left happy, anticipating the start of another wonderful month of referring our WOD members!

news :: inaugural bridal forum ~ a huge success!

images courtesy of kristina chartier photography

Our October luncheon meeting was little short of magnificent!  In the pleasant surroundings of the lovely Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club (858-756-1554; office@rsfgardenclub.org), we enjoyed a superb meal, attractively and cleverly presented, by Continental Catering.  Frankie Hartwell provided flowers from Hartworks Floral.  Photographer Kristina Chartier shot lots of photos. Andy Hagenah from DiscGoRound DJ & Video provided sound and mics.

A special bridal forum took place with five recent brides sharing their planning, shopping and event experiences very candidly. They fielded questions for nearly an hour from our moderator, DJ/Emcee Merrylin Brichmann from Artistic Productions and several of our members. A special shout out to the brides ~ Elaine, Sara, Kimberly, Tammy and Dawn for participating and really opening up with us. It was very insightful and informative!

A special thank you to Vice-President Ann Strobel from Ann’s Plans for organizing our special bridal forum and for all her hard work throughout the year planning all of the logistics and scheduling for our monthly luncheons. Ann ~ you’re an unsung hero for the group!

Everyone enjoyed networking and great food. It was super meeting the Board from The Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club and viewing their facility. We’ll see everyone on Nov. 23rd as two of our members take great care of us. Haydee Alderete’s Concepts Event Design facility hosts our November luncheon. Authentic Flavors Catering tantalizes us with a pre-Thanksgiving lunch.

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. Committee Members: Marketing, 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.

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; 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.

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