Lake Tahoe Wedding Inspiration | Sweet Treats

Boy, have we come a long way since the days of multi-tier white weddings cakes draped with artificial flowers. Today's brides tend to favor designer cakes draped in fondant or covered in lacy, sugary flowers or tables and trays teeming with treats that beckon guests to indulge themselves. Whether your tastes lean more towards a traditional cake or a farm-table full of goodies, here are some ideas to inspire your sweet tooth.

Left: My Wedding, Middle: Jen Williams Photography via The Sweetest Occassion| Advantage Bridal, Right: Martha Stewart Weddings

First Row: Portraits by Lucinda & My Sweet Saucy both via Elizabeth Anne Designs Second Row: Flowertoss Photography via Snippet & Ink | 100 Layer Cake

Lake Tahoe Wedding Inspiration Board | A Pop of Color

We are just back from Sonoma, where we planned the most gorgeous wedding at the CornerStone Gardens! Everything about this wedding was perfect - the cute couple, vintage decorative accents, flowers, entertainment, and the venue! Plus, the sun was shining - we haven't seen much of the sun lately in Tahoe, so we were loving the UV rays kissing the vineyards! As we return to the office with a little sunburn and feeling very inspired by the flowers and greenery in Sonoma, we thought we'd inspire you with some color trends! Unexpected pops of color are one of the top wedding trends for 2011 and how easy yet impactful it is. Regardless of whether you prefer pinks or greens, blues or yellows, vivid flowers will quickly brighten up your bridesmaid's look and lively linens will be the perfect finishing touch for reception tables. We've pulled some ideas using our favorite hues to inspire you to add a little zest to your wedding palette.

Stella Alesi Photography | Martha Stewart Weddings | Meg Smith Photography via Wedding Cabaret

First Row: Jerry Yoon Photographers | Swayspace Second Row: Occasions Magazine | Perez Photography via The Knot | Snippet & Ink | Martha Stewart Weddings

Left : Beaux Arts via Snippet & Ink | Project Wedding | Jamie Hammond Photography via Amorology

Inspiration Board | Winter Part II

For part II of our Winter Inspiration Board, I decided to focus on the dinner table. More specifically, three different types of Modern - Classic Modern, Rustic Modern, and Modern Glam. Everything shown below represents a different style, yet still captures the warm, inviting, romantic feel.

Classic Modern - the pure and subtle color palette combined with dark wood and candle light creates a soft and romantic feel.

Rustic Modern - incorporating elements of the outdoors while dressing them up with color and sass.

Modern Glam - multi-colored and textured linens, dramatic decor, vivid lighting, and a touch of Hollywood!

Inspiration Board | Lakefront Sneak Peak

Here is a sneak peak of a wedding I am currently working on. The following displays our inspiration photos. I am super excited to see how this wedding unfolds. It will be beautiful!

This couple is looking for a non-traditional wedding with sass, fun, and lots of surprise elements for their guests. Although I don't want to reveal too much, here are a few tid bits and links!

Decor ~ We will decorate the outdoors with lanterns and lights to create a romantic ambiance. The inside will have a candle-lit fireplace, chandeliers hanging from the tall ceilings, and low floral arrangements decorating the long tables. To honor the bride's Chinese culture, we will have accents of red, which symbolizes good luck!

Flowers ~ The very talented Bellissima Floral is creating a unique place card holder made out of tall reeds and floating candles and flowers. The bride's bouquet will be elegant with subtle creams and peaches.

Food and Beverage ~ Instead of a formal plated dinner, guests will be served a BBQ cuisine "family style" in large dishes by Blue Onion Catering. To emphasize the unique theme, guests will be served beverages in mason jars and greeted with a self-serve infused water and juice station.

UC Berkeley's Forest Fantasy | The Knot's Pick of Best Outdoor Site

The Knot's pick of best outdoor sites features the Redwood Grove at the UC Botanical Gardens. This place is beautiful ~ the tall redwood trees create a very magical and romantic setting while the amphitheater creates an atypical but intimate ceremony site. We coordinated Christine and Tom's wedding here last August. Everything from the floral arrangements to the voluptuous redwoods was stunning and caught the guests by surprise.

The service started with the bridesmaids and groomsmen entering from behind the guests as tradition states, but the bride and her father walked through the trees down a winding path in front of the amphitheater, allowing the guests to sneak a peak of the bride in between the tree trunks and the greenery.  During the service, Christine's brother joined the musicians by playing the violin. It was romantic, peaceful, and perfect!

Ceremony Venue  ·  UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens

Reception Venue  ·  The Berkeley City Club

Florist  ·  Grandi Flora

Photographer  ·  Darcy Padilla

Videographer  ·  Martin Meyer

DJ  ·  Denon & Doyle

Ceremony Musicians  ·  The Sterling Trio

Bring the Church Outside

Bring part of the Church outside by renting pews from an event renal company. It creates a unique and beautiful setting - something different from the traditional white folding chairs. 

James Randall Restaurant

This past weekend I enjoyed a lovely dinner at James Randall Restaurant in Los Gatos, CA. It is a small restaurant located in the heart of downtown Los Gatos. The outdoor dining tables are eloquently placed in romantic settings; one of which is stooped on a patio with beautiful lighting hanging from above.  The interior is glowing with deep reds and silvers. Stain glass lamps and glass candles light the restaurant creating a cherry glow, while peacock feathers and a black fireplace complete the ensemble. I absolutely loved the design. My experience with dark reds and blacks has been overly gothic and drab, but James Randall's play on silver, red, and black was perfectly applied. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a tasty bite in a romantic setting, as well as those looking for modern, unique decor ideas for their event.