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Things We Love |
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SANTA BARBARA has been called the American Riviera, and it only takes one drive through this stunning intimate city nestled between gentle cascading hills and the deep blue Pacific...
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Orange County, California has a great array of choices when it comes to wedding venues and romantic, ocean-view experiences. Your Southern Californian wedding is bound to be wrapped in beauty and attentive service.
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Ruby Red Crystal Chandelier – Hand-cut and
polished, 100% crystal with 7 light’s each resting in a bobache,
Exclusively available for event design and personal home décor, Rrivreworks.com
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Eau de Parfum by Vera Wang
An exotic fruity, floral bouquet teased with vanilla and an unexpected
twist of pink guava. The gold crown cap contains a hidden treasure: a
keepsake gold band studded with tiny amethyst-colored crystals. $42 -
$68 verawang.com
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Your northern California wedding has some distinct offerings: Golden Gate’s proud city surrounded by beautiful wine countryside – Napa Valley. Cindy Danbom of Bella Notte Events knows the city well, and gave us these ideas:
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Any diamond will carry a romantic message to a beloved bride, but only one will set her heart on fire. A diamond that is so perfectly cut that it has all the classic elements of a diamond’s beauty—brilliance, dispersion and scintillation. A diamond that sparkles like a red-hot fire. A Hearts On Fire diamond.
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Destination Lake Las Vegas |
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With the combination of Mediterranean architecture, cobble-stone streets, a warm, dry climate and cobalt-blue skies, your Lake Las Vegas wedding already has some major element in its favor:
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Web: Ritzcarlton.com
Phone: (702) 567-4700
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Accommodations: The Ritz-Carlton,
Lake Las Vegas
Where the desert gives way to a sparkling lake and gleaming white beach just 17 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas combines the best of the desert with lush grounds and a romantic, Tuscan-inspired setting. With 349 rooms and suites, this AAA Five Diamond luxury resort offers the ideal stay for the entire bridal party. There is an array of amenities for your guests including year-round golf, water sports and outdoor recreation, shopping, dining, events and entertainment. There’s also easy access to McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip.
Ahh...Spa Time: The Ritz-Carlton Spa
Imagine a world where personal well-being is the only thing that matters. The Ritz-Carlton Spa®, Lake Las Vegas is a sanctuary of serenity, peace and tranquility where a guest’s well-being is the highest priority. Desert and Tuscan-inspired treatments address the effects of the high desert sun, or any dry climate, while their Las Vegas day spa’s refreshing Healing Waters, including whirlpools, cool plunge pools, saunas and steam rooms, pamper and rejuvenate.
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Shopping While Having Fun:
MonteLago Village Resort
MonteLago Village Resort echoes Mediterranean towns. Wander down a cobblestone street, visit Tutti Gelati and enjoy a mouth-watering Italian ice-cream. Find the ideal gifts, nearby are hand-blown glass vases in an exciting new gallery, Alexander Perfumes and Cosmetics carries beautiful decanters for fragrances. Da Mincci Jewelers has a selection of elegant watches, while La Havana Cigar Bar offers premium cigars and accessories. There’s an elegant wine bar and boutique. At MonteLago Village Resort you can browse for the latest fashions, or curl up with a cappuccino and compare your latest round of golf scores. The one-of-a-kind shops and galleries offer the finest in goods and personalized service.
Web: Montelagovillage.com
Phone:(702) 564-4700 or (866) 564-4799
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Rehearsal Dinner: Como’s Restaurant
In the heart of MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas Resort is the vibrantly sophisticated Como’s Restaurant, where the innovative menu is dished up with cosmopolitan flair. Choose to dine outside on the patio amidst the bustling vitality of the Village, or inside where the rich colors and whimsical artwork dance in the soft candlelight. At Como’s, your palette is dazzled by the finest selection of Angus certified beef, aged steaks, chops, and fresh seafood, artfully prepared to highlight texture and flavor. Discover the electrifying bar, shaking up specialty martinis with one part attitude and one part style. Orchestrated by renowned Chef Joseph Keller, this unique eatery will leave behind some excellent Rehearsal Dinner memories.
Phone: (702) 567-9950
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Ceremony: Chapel Fiorenza
Drawing from the vision of Florence, Chapel Fiorenza brings age-old traditions and romance onto the bridge, inspired by the city’s famed Pontevecchio. Spanning crystal blue waters, the magnificent bridge provides the uniquely romantic setting adorned with timeless grace in every authentic detail, from the chapel’s rich wood beamed ceilings with dramatic hanging wrought iron chandeliers and sconces, to the rustic stone floors. Dramatic arched picture windows look out to the serene water, as guests sit along antique wooden pews. Steps from the chapel, cobblestone promenades wind through the charming MonteLago Village, as gondolas glide from the waterfront marina. Accommodates up to 225 guests.
Chapel Fiorenza’s Wedding Director,
Katherine Kidd: (702) 566-9797
Web: chapelfiorenza.com
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Ceremony: La Contessa Yacht
“La Contessa” is coast-guard-certified for up to 140 guests and is ideally suited for weddings. How about saying “I do” in front of family and friends while enjoying a relaxing yacht cruise along a 10-mile stretch of shoreline with luxury homes, world-renowned resorts, and the desert as your back-drop? The lower deck is climate-controlled, and the main salon is enclosed by picture windows and full galley. The upper deck is a fully-enclosed admiral’s cabin with an elegant bar and an adjacent convertible deck.
Web: Lakelasvegasyachts.com
Phone: (866) 303-0078
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For the reception, Jemie changed into a Chinese Chi Pao dress which, in keeping with the ocean theme, was custom-made by Helen’s Chi Pao in blue instead of the traditional red...
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“Hindu weddings have rituals that have evolved since early times,” Monica says, “and they differ in many ways from the modern Western wedding ceremony.”...
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After a yacht ride across San Francisco Bay and dinner with Alvin’s parents, they wound up alone on the top floor of the St. Francis Hotel...
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On the eve of her birthday, Maria was with friends at the Spotted Pig restaurant in New York, standing alone at the bar waiting for her drink....
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Tips |
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# 6 RECIPES FOR FAVORS
Gather together the favorite recipes that you remember as a child. They could be special family recipes, holiday menus, etc. Have them bound in small books, affix a wedding label on the front with your monogram and date that you were married. And there you have it, a unique favor that your guests will use again and again. Also, it is a wonderful way to acknowledge grandmothers and mothers.
Melissa Lee, Events of Santa Barbara
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# 1 - LOUNGING ANYWHERE
Wonder what to do to a resort ballroom to make it more interesting and intimate? You can create individual lounge areas by renting tents of sheer flowing fabric and adding sofas and coffee tables with lots of candlelight in them. You’ve suddenly created that romantic lounge atmosphere in a standard ballroom and given it more intimacy. Your guests can move to different “rooms” during the cocktails hour or or they can dance the night away. Jill La Fleur, The Wedding Planner
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#11 QUICK FIX
Traveling with an emergency kit is like the American Express campaign, “Don’t leave home without it.” It should have everything from panty hose and nail glue to smelling salts and Tums, but the most commonly used item is SAFETY PINS! Although you should have a needle and thread, I have resorted to using safety pins for fixing hems on tuxedos, bustling the brides gown, pinning broken bra straps and creating a veil or headpiece out of tulle when the bride’s was left at home. Safety pins are great for a “quick fix.”
Toby Kay Applebay & Associates
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