Wedding at Villa Montalvo

Alison and Adrian married on a beautiful late September day at Villa Montalvo. The villa is a wonderful estate in Saratoga which has been a mecca for the arts for many years. Alison was surrounded by a festive group of lovely bridesmaids. Adrian chose his grandfather, who had played a large part raising him, to be best man. He was in his 90's - a "showman" and had lots of charm. One of my former assistants is married to Alison's brother. It was a nice surprise seeing her and documenting her two adorable girls. The catering was done by La Bocca Fina. The "smoking" cocktails were particularly intriguing. Flowers by Plan Decor.

Spectacular wedding at City Hall

Here's a preview of a gorgeous wedding I photographed recently at City Hall.

The incomparable Gloria Wong did the design, partnering with Jubilee Lau to do the planning. The scope of the event was unsually large and the two of them made a fantastic team, with Jubilee organizing all the different components with such finesse. It's amazing to hear of a concept from someone very creative, with a incredible vision and then see it come to life. The design included guests entering where carnation elephants flanked a water lily "pond", and an asian inspired bar with delicate "spirit house" details, and a banyan tree with cascading ribbons of seating cards. I loved the way the colors got richer as the event progressed to dancing in a lounge area. Sumptuous velvet upholstered panels and custom designed sofas surrounded the dance floor. An imaginatively enticing array of food was served in specially designed stations, such as a "patisserie".

The event reminded me of what an amazing array of creative event professionals we have in the Bay Area -it's a priviledge working with such talent. Anna Williams of McCalls Catering is a treat to work with - calm, focused, always gracious. I appreciated the attentive but relaxed presence of Andrew of StudioMSV for videography. The spectacular abundance of florals were by Nancy Liu Chin.

WIPA luncheon meeting at the San Franisco St. Regis

Barry Peterson hosted the elegant luncheon at the St. Regis, where Rebecca Grinnals spoke about destination brides. The hotel is fresh and contemporary, with unparalleled service. I love the signature butler service and the modern, sophisticated grace of the architecture. Barry's attention to detail with each event is impressive - the hotel redefines luxury.

Some of my clients who were there as overnight guests, mentioned how fabulous the bedding and linens were in the bedrooms. They figured if they had something just like it at home, they would sleep better. Then one of them said, "Well, it probably had something to do with the service that made them feel so amazing - so unless they had butlers at home, it wouldn't be the same".

Conference at the San Francisco St. Regis

GM meeting - the "un conference" room at the St. Regis. Sumptous, white leather chesterfield sofas - a new luxury experience for a business conference. Exquisite tea display by Tea Leaves.