Lake Tahoe Estate Wedding | Buttercups and Lovebirds

I love looking back at weddings from the recent summer. Kathryn and Christopher are the sweetest couple that just make you fall head over heels in love with love! They were married at the Fitzhaven Estate in August on a somewhat precarious day. The forecast predicted blue skies and high temperatures...we received dark looming clouds, wind, and a few rain drops. You just never know what to expect here in Tahoe, but nothing could damper these lovebird's special day!

The theme was a garden party with pops of bright yellows and navy blues. Blue and white checked linens covered the dinner tables, flower pots that are now planted in their garden were used for centerpieces, yellow and blue pashminas kept the ladies wamr, and yellow parasols were provided to protect the guests from sun... but actually protected them from a few rain drops!

Kathryn and Christopher didn't want a traditional wedding, so we played with the food, entertainment, and setup to provide various levels of excitement. Kathryn's brother offiiciated a profound, beautiful, and emotional service. After the service, guest's quickly wiped their eyes to start enjoying the festivities. Bocce ball, horse shoes, and a photo booth accompanied by various oversized props provided endless entertainment! Dinner was a huge priority for the bride and groom, so to remove the old theory that all wedding food is the same boring steak and fish, we worked with the catering company to serve something totally unique to weddings - A Groumet Burger Bar! A large chalkboard detailed the various options for this yummy meal. Guest's were ecstatic and commented on how perfectly the meal complimented the wedding and the couple's personalities.

After the bride and groom impressed us all with their perfectly choreogrpahed first dance, Chapin from We Ain't Saints kept everyone boogying on the dance floor all night long!

Vendors

Photography | Focus Photo Tahoe

Venue | Fitzhaven Estate

Music | We Ain't Saints

Photo Booth | Reno Photo Booth

Bouquet | Green with Envy | 530.587.7488

Rentals | EventMasters

Bridesmaid dresses...that they'll wear again!

It is time to banish the dreaded "bridesmaid dress" in favor of something that can be worn for more than just one day!  While it is becoming common knowledge that some mainstream retailers such as Jcrew, Anthropologie, and White House Black Market have great options, if not dedicated wedding lines, we'd like to introduce you to a few other stores that provide great alternatives.

Piperlime-

The little sister of Banana Republic, Piperlime offers a collection that ranges from flirty and fun to sophisticated, with styles from familiar labels.

Zara & Mango-

These European imports, Zara and Mango, carry trendy styles that allow you to mix different dresses from within the same collection for a not too matchy look.

Thread & Lela Rose-

While these are indeed bridesmaid dresses, both Thread and Lela Rose offer an amazing level of personalization that will satisfy a variety of styles!

Infinity Dress-

Last but not least, the dress that can be fit to flatter every body-type without the help of a seamstress! Available everywhere from Target to Saks, the infinity dress allows you to have a consistent look while keeping all your bridesmaids happy.

How to Pack for Your Destination Wedding Or Honeymoon!

A few weeks ago, I created this 'how to' post for my Tahoe Unveiled viewers. It was such a big hit, that I thought my One Fine Day viewers would like it to!

Packing a suitcase for any occasion is always a challenge. But, Martha Stewart featured a fabulous article in her destination magazine that I just have to share with all you honeymooners - how to pack efficiently!

Layer One -  Shoes, Jeans, & Jackets

Line the bottom with shoes and tech gear in bags. Fill the center with rolled-up jeans and jacket. Martha stores all of her shoes in felt bags - this could be a great favor idea ladies!

Layer Two - Dresses

Lay dresses and pants lengthwise on top of the first layer, letting the ends hang over the sides of the luggage.

Layer Three - Shirts & Sweaters

Roll shirts and sweaters. Place them on top of the second layer. Cover them with the ends of the dresses and pants from the layer underneath.

Layer Four - Delicates & Toiletries

Fold delicates. Place toiletries and lingerie into separate bags. Set it all on top. Flight 001 "F1 Spacepak Lingerie" bag

One Fine Day Featured on Catherine Hall’s Blog

One Fine Day is featured on Catherine Hall Studios' blog about the issue many brides and grooms have about inviting kids. You can view the post below or go to Catherine's new site:

Kids or no Kids: A Wedding Conundrum

Event planner Stephanie Anderson of One Fine Day and the brand-new wedding site, Tahoe Unveiled, authored a guest post for my blog. Stephanie is a talented professional with a gift for producing off-the-charts events. Today, she addresses a couple's inevitiable wedding conundrum.

Inviting kids to a wedding? A few of my brides have inquired about the difficulties of guests with kids. Although kids are lovely and can be very endearing, you may not want to hear crying and screaming on your wedding day. In addition, it can be pretty tricky to invite your friends and not their kids, especially if travel is involved. To avoid the hassle, the arguments, and any hard feelings, try one of these ideas:

1. Hire a babysitter. Inform your guests that a babysitter will take care of your kids throughout the ceremony and reception. For your slightly paranoid parents, you may want to hire someone with First Aid certification or from an agency. Ask your venue if they have a spare room you can use as the kid's room.

2. Kiddie Corner. Designate one or two tables at the reception to kids only. Garnish the table with GI Joes, coloring books, Pretty Pretty Princess, and Hungry Hippo (clearly my childhood favorites). If you are worried about the kids wandering off, hire a babysitter to sit at the table with them.

3. Hire a magician! Kids are easily distracted, so if games won’t cut it, then hire a clown or a magician to keep them entertained and away from your lime light!

Thank you Catherine for featuring One Fine Day on your blog!

To view Catherine Hall's new website or to learn more about One Fine Day, click on the following: www.catherinehall.net www.onefinedayevents.com

How Important is an Engagement Session?

Not too long ago, I met with Tourine Johnstone of Johnstone Studios to discuss the meaning, purpose, and importance of engagement photo shoots. The final interview was posted on Tahoe Unveiled's blog. Here's a little teaser, to read the entire interview, click here.

What is an engagement session?

An engagement session is an opportunity to receive an informal series of professional images of you two as a couple. The goal being to capture you as a couple: having fun, being yourselves, and capturing a moment in time as you are starting your venture as a new family. It's a relaxed practice run that provides you the experience of being in front of the lens and having professional photos taken.

How is an engagement session beneficial? This is a prime opportunity to critique and assess what you love and don't love about yourself in photos, while anticipating what will come on the wedding day. Working with your photographer ahead of time undoubtedly provides you with confidence in their abilities,professional direction, and an intimate look at yourself through the eye of a photographer.

Part of the beauty of engagement sessions is that they are candid, real time, non- studio events focused on evoking emotion and capturing you in a beautiful setting with flattering light....read more.

Unique Wedding Favors

A little Tahoe Unveiled advice & inspiration for you today - unique wedding favors!

From wearable to edible, these unique wedding favors are some of the fun useful ways to thank your wedding guests!

For a destination wedding:

Help your guests out by providing favors that they may have forgotten such as, flip flops for a beach wedding, shawls for a chilly mountain setting or, hats for a where it is nice and sunny. Another fun idea is to create visitors packages using a cute container like these little red suitcases. Fill them with locally made treats and visitors information or even a candle with a scent that will remind them of the wedding's local.

clockwise: jones sodas - mast brothers chocolate - suitcase gift boxes - flip-flops personalized beer - posh pocket puzzle books - shawls

For a personal touch:

If you want to add a personal touch to your gifts, consider creating your own beer, wine, matchbooks or sodas with your photos as labels. You could even give a classy key shaped bottle opener. Some other favors that can be personalized to your wedding motif include soaps, cookie cutters, or even posh puzzle books that come in a variety of styles.

clockwise: pear cookie cutters - key bottle opener - vintage hats - matchboxes - xo soaps B.R. Cohn olive oil - tatine candle

Style Me Pretty at its Finest!

Ahhh such an exciting day. As I was doing my daily blog perusing, I came across Style Me Pretty's latest and greatest accomplishment - their digital magazine compiling their favorites of all favorite weddings. It is gorgeous, uber chic, and soooo inspiring! To top it off, they feature a 'buyer's guide' for each wedding. So not only can you ooh and ahh over all of the thoughtful accesories, but now you can find out where they all come from! Thanks SMP!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011 Everyone! After a very successful 2010 we decided it was only proper to invite a mascot onto the One Fine Day team! Meet Tessa, our cuddly Bernese Mountain Dog! She is making lots of new friends in our office building and can't wait to meet all of our 2011 brides and grooms!

2010 was filled with many achievements and much excitement. I can't believe the year is already over, but as we look back it sure was a good one! In a nut shell the highlights include: being interviewed on the local news segment of the Today Show, featured on Utterly Engaged's Magazine, producing and coordinating Tahoe Unveiled, and of course planning oodles of  beautiful weddings for our lovely clients.

We are looking forward to planning, designing, and producing many more exciting events this year. Thank you to everyone we worked with, we are so fortunate to have such wonderful clients and vendors!

Lakefront Wedding | Playful Paradise

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. We will be closing our office for the rest of the year and will reopen on January 2nd with lots of exciting new and savvy wedding content! To end the year on a nice note, we have this uber gorgeous wedding from the one and only, Catherine Hall Studios!

The ceremony took place on the private beach. Crux Events & Party Rents built custom wooden benches designed to reflect the shape of a tree trunk on its side. White cushions and gold ribbons adorned the benches to add a little comfort with style!

Angela and Jeremy spend a chunk of their summers traveling to Tahoe with their dog Murphy. So, they felt it only appropriate to celebrate their wedding on the shores of Tahoe. After viewing a few estates, we decided on the perfect private lakefront. Several decks, a small lawn, and a private beach provided the perfect grounds for their circus themed wedding. Angela and Jeremy really didn't want a routine and traditional wedding. They felt it had been done far too many times and it was time to shake it up a bit and provide more than just dinner and dancing. Instead, we offered guests an interactive photo booth, ping-pong, horse shoes, bocce ball, corn hole, dancing, drinks, and soooo much food! From ice cream cones to pancakes, the guests were wined and dined to perfection!

We worked closely with Bellissima Floral to create a design that reflected the modern couple, while complimenting the 100 year old estate. Lanterns in different shapes and sizes hung from the grappling tree branches, lounge furniture provided comfortable seating throughout the venue, and oodles of unexpected elements added to the creative and playful theme.

Vendors

Photography | Catherine Hall Studios

Florist | Bellissima Floral

Music | We Ain't Saints

Linens | La Tavola Fine Linens

Rental Furniture | Crux Events & Party Rents

Transportation | North Tahoe Executive Shuttle

Catering | Blue Onion Catering

Resort at Squaw Creek Wedding | Spring Fling

A few weeks ago I posted a couple sneak peaks of this wedding on our blog...now we have the entire collection ready for you to view! Lots of bright, fresh, and vibrant colors (courtesy of Annie X Photographie and A Bud and Beyond); organic accents, and an amazing band (The Cheeseballs) are just a few of the many highlights!

Sam and Tim were looking for a great party in an atmosphere that reflected the mountains. Guests traveled from all over the US to enjoy a three day celebration including golfing, swimming, eating, drinking....and the World Cup! Sandy’s Pub, the resort’s sports bar, turned out to be the stomping ground for this party – guests were glued to their bar stools watching the game. On the wedding day, the game went into overtime…which happened to be photo time! I pinned the groomsmen’s boutonniere’s as they watched on in anticipation. Fortunately, the game ended right before the ceremony....not so fortunately, the US lost.

We started the day with a beautiful ceremony lead by their family priest at the Squaw Valley Chapel. Fruitwood chivaris and delicate wreaths (designed by A Bud and Beyond) added rustic elegance to the very 70's style chapel. After the ceremony, shuttles transported guests to the cocktail reception, which took place on the balcony at theResort at Squaw Creek. A little bit later, The Cheeseballs knocked the socks off each individual guest! Dancers, singers, and hits from the last 3 decades kept the party going all night. To ease the hangovers and hungry tummies, guests were invited to a lovely brunch the following day on the resort's deck. A perfect way to end a weekend of festivities!

Vendors Photography  |  Annie X Photographie Wedding Coordination | One Fine Day Venue | Resort at Squaw Creek Flowers | A Bud and Beyond Music | The Cheesballs

Inspiration Board | Simply Chic

We recently posted this lovely inspiration board on our sister site, Tahoe Unveiled, and thought it was quite perfect for One Fine Day's blog too! It is a collage of simply chic, pretty, and slightly modern wedding images. I often find that many people think Tahoe weddings have to be rustic and obsessively natural, but they don't. Regardless of how many trees, mountain tops, and pine cones surround your venue, you can still incorporate a more elegant or even modern theme.

One Fine Day & Tahoe Unveiled Featured on Utterly Engaged

As many of you know, I recently produced and coordinated Tahoe Unveiled, a resource and boutique bridal event to reveal the luxury wedding services in Lake Tahoe. It was a huge hit! Today, Tahoe Unveiled and One Fine Day is featured on one of our absolute favorite sites, Utterly Engaged! You can view part of the feature below, or click here to see more!

About a month ago, we highlighted Tahoe Unveiled’s A Day in the Mountains – an event to reveal the luxury of Tahoe’s wedding services. It turned out to be a huge success! They provided brides with inspiration, education, and an incredible group of vendors. Each exhibitor constructed gorgeous displays out of La Tavola linens, Crux rental furniture, and various props from their own collection.

Guests were treated to sumptuous appetizers from PlumpJack, Moody’s, and North Tahoe Catering, while PlumpJack served wine, champagne, and martinis! As guests arrived, they were each given an Uncorked Wine Shop burlap gift bag, complete with treats from our vendors, a Grace Ormonde magazine, and a San Francisco Brides magazine.

One Fine Day created five design rooms (also known as vignettes) and each displayed a very different theme and color palette to give brides an idea of how you can play around with accessories, décor, and style. Each display was a mini wedding scene providing a small dinner table and accent pieces.

Classic :: A soft and subtle color palette giving an overall feeling of pretty, complete, and slightly traditional.This vignette features La Tavola Linens, Diana's Floral Design flower arrangements, Twig & Fig stationary, Crux Events chivari chairs and lounge furniture, & Crate and Barrel dinnerware.

Contemporary :: A bold color combination of black, white, and bright pink. This vignette features La Tavola linens and chair covers, Martha Bernyk Floral Design flower arrangements, Twig & Fig stationary, & Crate and Barrel dinnerware.

Rustic Elegance :: A blend of the natural, rustic outdoor elements with an elegant setting and décor. This vignette features La Tavola linens, Diana's Floral Design flower arrangements, Twig & Fig stationary, Crux Events furniture, & Crate and Barrel dinnerware.

Vintage Shabby Chic :: A take on the ever-so-stylish trend at the moment – repurposing old items in an elegant setting. This vignette features La Tavola linens, Diana's Floral Design flower arrangements, Twig & Fig stationary, Crux Events chairs, & Crate and Barrel dinnerware.

City Chic :: A super modern display pushing 2011’s hot color – purple! This vignette features La Tavola linens, Diana's Floral Design flower arrangements, Twig & Fig stationary, Crux Events chivari chairs and steel tables, & Crate and Barrel dinnerware.

Bellissima Floral Creations designed and constructed a stunning chandelier to flank her exhibit space. The chandelier was made out of birch, metal, candles, and lots of flowers. Bellssima Floral Creations also designed an amazing bar structure that became the main focal piece when you entered the room. Flowers hung from the ceiling and sprouted from each surrounding accent piece and table with candles glowing in the middle.

To see the complete Utterly Engaged post, click here!

One Fine Day & Tahoe Unveiled Featured on Utterly Engaged's site

I love being featured on blogs and in publications, especially ones as well designed as Utterly Engaged. Today AND yesterday they featured our event, Tahoe Unveiled, on the their blog. Take a gander below for more details!

Scott Corridan, In Style’s celebrity wedding planner, is going to take 3 regular ladies and dress them up in the perfect dress, get their hair and makeup styled, and show the audience how to look like a model on your wedding day. We want ladies with different figures – big butts/no butts, athletic, etc. – your normal lady!

Three lucky brides will be chosen to model on the event day, strut their stuff on the runway, and get bedazzled by Swoon Bridal Salon, Kiss and Makeup, and Cortney Knudson Hair Design.

The models will also receive 10% off the following for their wedding day:

- wedding dress purchased from Swoon Bridal Salon

- wedding makeup from Kiss and Makeup

- wedding hair up-do from Cortney Knudson Hair Design

To enter, submit your full profile pics and measurements, along with a description of why you would be a fabulous attribute to Scott Corridan’s Boobs & Butts seminar. Please email submissions to Stephanie Anderson at sa@onefinedayevents.com with the subject line “UE Bride: Boobs & Butts Contest.” Contest ends on Monday, October 11, so hurry and get your entry in!

Tahoe Unveiled | Catherine Hall is a Keynote Speaker

One of the highlights of Tahoe Unveiled's, A Day in the Mountains, is a fabulous presentation by Catherine Hall, a photographer recognized worldwide for her artistic brilliance! Today, Catherine has written noted her upcoming presentation on her blog. You can view a clip below, or go to her site to read the entire article.

In conjunction with One Fine Day, an event planning company, Tahoe Unveiled is hosting a weekend of "splendor, luxury, and education" at the PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn. The occasion--called A Day in the Mountains--offers brides and grooms the opportunity to enjoy a weekend getaway and develop relationships with some of Lake Tahoe's finest photographers, florists, planners, and venue coordinators. I'm pleased and honored to be a keynote speaker for this event, at which I will deliver a talk about how to craft utterly elegant, wholly exquisite pictures of your wedding day.

I invite you to read a description of my talk for A Day in the Mountains: "Did you know that it's a bride's loss to select a standard hotel room for her bridal chamber? Has anybody warned you against sitting in front of a window during your reception? Have you heard about the critical Golden Hour yet? Are you curious to learn how you can look, well, absolutely stunning in your pictures? In her discussion, Catherine reveals an elite photographer's tricks of the trade, which will enable you to make the right decisions before your special day.....read more

Private Estate Wedding | Lakefront Soiree

I am so excited to see the images from Angela and Jeremy's wedding! The fabulous, Catherine Hall has done an unbelievable job of capturing the emotion, the artistic creation, and the story of this wedding. Here's a sneak peak, you can check out Catherine's blog to see a few more images. I'll post the whole wedding soon!

In the Press | One Fine Day Featured on Bridal Guide

One Fine Day is featured on Bridal Guide's site! As I am very aware of how awful wedding fairs can be, I decided to produce, design, and coordinate a spin on a wedding fair called Tahoe Unveiled, A Day in the Mountains with Tahoe's finest vendors. Every detail has been designed to create an enjoyable experience for brides, friends, and moms to soak up the romantic side of wedding planning. Bridal Guide featured my tips on how to prepare and enjoy yourself at Tahoe Unveiled and similar events.You can view part of the article below, or go to Bridal Guide's site for the full article.

To reserve and purchase tickets for Tahoe Unveiled, click here.

Bridal Guide Feature

Thinking of attending a bridal event or expo in your area? Have you already attended a bunch and feel more overwhelmed than ever? Relax and take a deep breath, then take in a few tips from Stephanie Anderson of One Fine Day, an event planning company based in northern California.

1. Know Your Budget. “Determine what your top three priorities are,” Anderson suggests. “For instance, you may have your heart set on a specific venue, amazing photography or an awesome band.” Depending on the cost of your must-haves, break down what you’ll have left to spend on, say, flowers and food.

2. Come Prepared. Before the event, determine what your wedding style is, i.e. modern, shabby chic, vintage, rustic elegance, etc. Create an inspiration file that features your favorite colors, flowers, foods, and more. “When you are meeting with vendors, it’s great to have a picture that you can point to,” Anderson says. This way, you’ll be able to tackle what you’re looking for without sifting through what you’re not.

3. Get Chatting. Talk up the wedding vendors to see if you really click, because after you’ve chosen them, you’ll be dealing with them for the better part of a year. “Ask them who they are, how did they get into the business and what their basic philosophy is,” Anderson advises. “It helps in developing a level of understanding for both the bride and the vendor.” Plus, a good relationship can pave the way for constructive negotiating on prices and services.

4. Have fun!

Brides, Save the Date for Tahoe Unveiled

Hello lovely brides! One of our latest and greatest projects this summer is Tahoe Unveiled, an online resource and an event designed to reveal the luxury side of Lake Tahoe as a wedding destination. We have hand selected fabulous vendors to participate and be featured on our blog and website. Tahoe Unveiled is the place for you to find all things brilliant about Tahoe: how to get here, what to do when you are here, who to book for your wedding, inspiration boards, tips, and beautiful weddings.

On October 16th, 2010 we will transform the walls, ceilings and floors of PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn to display the finest talent available for your wedding. Highlights include wine and champagne, tastings from local catering companies, opportunities to meet with our featured vendors, vignettes of various styles, presentations by Scott Corridan and Catherine Hall, beautiful gift bags, and many more treats. It will be a beautiful, relaxing, and inspiring day in the mountains! To attend, purchase your tickets before the event sells out.

One Fine Day Receives a Perfect 5 on Project Wedding!

I am pretty thrilled to have a Perfect 5 Star rating on Project Wedding! Project Wedding is a resource for brides to find wedding vendors, inspiration, and trends!

See more reviews of One Fine Day Event Planning on Project Wedding.

Thanks to all of my wonderful brides for the testimonials!