FOREIGN CINEMA + SAN FRANCISCO UNIQUE WEDDING

Lisa and Martin are an adventurous jet-setting couple with great style and a love of old movies, architecture, great food and rock-n-roll. It is no surprise they picked the European charm of the Foreign Cinema to host their wedding day.

 The beautiful day started off by the cheerful bride getting ready at the lovely Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel. Once the bride & groom had first look photos, they then joined family for some additional pictures in the Nob Hill area. The simple but intimate setting in the outdoor courtyard at the Foreign Cinema hosted the ceremony. Guest moved into the lovely Modernism West Art Gallery for cocktails before being escorted to take their seats to personally order from a stunning menu of gourmet food selections. During dinner guest enjoyed the fun and whimsical Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie “Amelie” of one of the bride’s favorite films playing against the white wash brick wall.(one of the fun perks of hosting your event here)

 San Francisco venues are always a photographer’s dream gig, and photographer Lindsay Ferraris captures this wedding in the unique setting of the Foreign Cinema with its nearby graffiti and brick walls beautiful strung bistro lighting all to expose distinctive portraits. It is as if you are transformed to a side café street in Europe immersed into amazing food husband & wife Chef’s Clark& Pirie prepare on the menu per individual ordering. How awesome is that? Everything is freshly cooked to suit each guest perfectly (they had nearly 100 guest in attendance).

 After the fantastic dinner the guest retreated back into the art gallery for dancing & vivacity. The newlywed couple enjoys good ole rock and roll and DJ Tommy kept the party going with all the best songs to keep everyone on their feet.

Simply Events handled the preparations and décor the bride had selected and worked closely with the restaurant to ensure everyone was satisfied with the delicious food. Even the photographer, her assistant, the DJ and myself were all pleasantly surprised by having our meal at the Director’s Table (a private room upstairs) with the same grace as the guest. We hail to call it one of the best meals ever to have enjoyed (from the vendors stand point).

This extraordinary evening soon had to come to end, with guest jumping in taxis to be swept off to nearby hotels. Lisa & Martin still had ear to ear grins as they drove off into the night.

-Linda Van Kassel ~Simply Events

WINE BOTTLES - A GREAT ECO-FRIENDLY DECOR ITEM FOR ALL EVENTS & WEDDINGS

Great Ideas for Recycled Décor -Wine Bottles

You can find wine bottles in different colors (clear, greens, browns) and different sizes and can really enhance your wedding décor easily and inexpensively.  Wine bottles are a great recycled décor item (for those DIY’er that want to be eco-friendly) and most of us have them on hand too. There are many uses for complimenting your wedding design with wine bottles. You can use for table numbers, vases, favors, and you can even use recycled wine corks for guest to sign and place in a bowl, as name card holders and more.

So drink up and get designing!!!   Wine is good!

Inscribing your Wedding Rings - making it truly personal.

If you want a truly personal, lasting declaration of your love, think about inscribing it on your ring. Lovers have been writing messages on jewelry for over fifteen hundred years. In fact, inscriptions of words and symbols meaning “lover” have been found in relics dating as far back as AD 520.  Of course, you could take a page from the old ones’ book and write “lover” inside your beloved’s ring. But why not make your inscription truly personal?

Think about inscribing:

Names or initials – A traditional and timeless choice.

Dates – A way of marking your special day forever. 

The place you met or fell in love – Whether it was in San Diego or on Bus #45, you’ll never forget the first time you saw each other.

Pet names – Why not make your inscription really personal? Only you and your  boo will see what you inscribe in your ring.

Part of your vow – Commemorate your wedding day or anniversary with the words that mean the most, like “From this day forward,” or “To Have and To Hold.” 

A title (or line) from a favorite song – Think “True Companion,”  “I want to hold your hand,” or “Someone to watch over me.” 

A line from a favorite film – Perhaps “You had me at hello,” or, “To infinity and beyond!”

A piece of a poem – Love poetry says it all: “I carry your heart with me,” (e.e. cummings), “If ever two were one, then surely we,” (Anne Bradstreet),  “Never doubt I love” (Shakespeare).

A quote that spans two rings – If you’re engraving two wedding rings, your quote can join them together. Try poetry, like: “Come grow, old with me” (ring 1), “The best is yet to be” (ring 2);  or  “Give me a thousand kisses” (ring 1), “And then a thousand more” (ring 2). Or break up any quote you like: “To Have”
(ring 1), “To Hold” (ring 2).

A Bible verse –You could use the verse itself: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (from the Song of Solomon) or  “Love Never Fails” (from I Corinthians); or simply inscribe where the verse comes from: “I Corinthians 13.”

A wish or promise – What do you hope for? Write it on your ring: “A Million More Sunsets.”  Or pledge your devotion: “More than yesterday, Less than tomorrow” (this quote could span two rings).

Symbols – The infinity symbol (∞) and the cross are popular inscriptions.

Quotes in other languages – Consider ”Ani L’dodi V’ dodi Li,” (Hebrew for “I am My Beloved’s and My Beloved is Mine”); “Tusa is tusa amhain,” (modern Irish Gaelic for “you and only you”); or “Por Tous Jours”
(French for “forever,” literally translated as “For All Days”).

Historic quotes –”Amor Vincit Omnia” (Latin for “Love Conquers All”) was featured in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The verse “vila mon coeur gardi li mo”
(French for “here is my heart, guard it well”) graced rings as long ago as the 14^th century. And an 18^th century ring in The British Museum was inscribed, “Many are the stars I see but in my eye no star like thee.”

Or simply: “My beloved.”

Though wedding rings are most commonly inscribed, you could also enhance anniversary, engagement, or “mother rings” with a quote. Any type of ring can be inscribed, from simple gold bands to ones sparkling with diamonds, as long as the band is reasonably wide.

There are as many choices for inscriptions as stars in the sky. Choose a quote that means something to you and the one you give it to. And choose carefully. Your loving thoughts, once inscribed on a ring, will last a long, long, time.

About Raz Asulin

Raz Asulin is the owner of Diamond Treasures, a custom jeweler in Dallas, TX

How Green is Your Wedding going to be? Eco-friendly ideas & suggestions.

How green is your wedding?

No, we are not talking about a green color scheme.
What sort of an impact is your wedding having on the environment?
Couples nowadays are trying to find ways to be eco-friendly when planning their wedding. Here are a few suggestions as to how you can do your bit for the environment by making your wedding a little bit more eco-friendly. 

Just think if every couple included 1 or 2 eco- friendly options into their wedding, it will go a long way towards helping out our environment.

Eco friendly wedding tips: 

Venue:

Find a venue that has a good recycling program and that sources local suppliers.

Discover a venue that is close to home, that way you will be cutting down on the distance that you and your guests will need to travel to get to the venue and thereby reducing your carbon footprint.

Even better yet, have your ceremony & reception at the same location.

Have the wedding early in the day to avoid have to use extra electricity for lighting.

Caterers:

Choose a caterer that sources seasonal, local ingredients from local growers, that way you are supporting producers and again reducing your carbon footprint.

Ensure that fish and other protein are not on any endangered lists.

Choose local and or organic wines and beers.

Find ones that practice Eco-friendly production process. (Recycled bottles etc…)

Package and have guest take home leftovers. Don't waste!

Flowers:

Ensure your flowers are in season and are grown locally.

Use native plants, flowers and greenery.

Use home grown flowers or potted plants as centerpieces.

Add the bouquets into the centerpieces and also use any ceremony flowers in the reception.

Replace a flower boutonniere with an alternative, such as feathers or fabric flower.

Have guest take home any flowers or bring to a hospital for others to continue to enjoy.

Cake:

Choose a baker that supports local suppliers and uses organic ingredients.

Rent the cake stand or borrow one from family or friend.

Pick a bakery that has the LEED designation or practices eco-friendly methods.

Transport:

Encourage guests to car-pool to your wedding.

Hire a bus to transport guests to the wedding - great idea if your venue is out of town.

If possible, encourage your guests to use public transport to your

If you do hire cars to take you and your bridal party to the wedding, choose hybrid options. 

Photographer:

    Choose a photographer who uses rechargeable batteries.

    Choose a photographer who has albums printed locally or better yet upload all photos         for a digital wedding album.  

Stationery:

Email invitations to your guests instead of posting out invitations.

If you send out invitation, ask for an email R.S.V.P.

Choose recycled paper to print your invitations and thank-you notes on.

"Save the Date" invitations can be & emailed to guests.

Favors:

Give guests a native plant or seedlings which they can plant at home.

In lieu of favors, make a donation to your preferred charity.

Decor:

By using a party rental company you are effectively re-using - this can include tables, chairs, tablecloths, signage, etc. While many of these products are imported, they are being used again and again and therefore reducing further imports.

Reuse decor items from other brides (great finds on-line such as craigslist)

Bridal gowns & bridesmaid dresses:

Opt for a pre-loved wedding dress or bridesmaid dresses.

If you are using a local dressmaker, check whether material can be locally sourced.

Find antique jewelry or rings and you can always have them redesigned.

Search for items at your local thrift shops, you are re-using and supporting a local charity.

Suits:

The groom and groomsmen can rent their suits, this way they are being re-used.

If you are buying a suit, source a local manufacturer.

Ties or other items can be rented or found at local thrift shops for the guys too.

Borrow ones from fathers, uncles, family and friends.

Gift Registry:

You can nominate a charity of your choice and ask guests to make a donation to that charity, instead of giving you a wedding gift.

Let guest know that their presence to your wedding is a gift in itself; especially if they come from out of town.

Other green wedding ideas:

Plant a tree as part of your wedding ceremony - to symbolize the putting down of roots and the care and attention a sapling requires, just like a marriage, before it can grow and flourish. Resell or donate items that are left over from your wedding to other brides or charity shops.

And by all means, tell your guests about the eco friendly initiatives you have included in your wedding to raise awareness.

Hornblower San Francisco Dinner Dance Cruise

This was a fun & festive night date night. My husband & I are the last ones, kissing at the end (and a few other spots in the video).

Awesome Wedding Blogs

Some of my favorite on-line wedding blogs are listing here:
 Check them out for inspiration for your wedding day!

http://www.weddingblogs100.com/

Indian Infused Wedding in Silicon Valley

A lovely place to get married in the South Bay Area is Hayes Mansion! The outdoor ceremony space offers a lush green lawn surrounded with the backdrop of the White Historic Mansion. The mansion can be a wonderful place to host a long weekend of events for guest coming to your wedding to enjoy the splendor the bay area has to offer.
Reena and Thomas were extremely down to earth and chill couple to work with planning their wedding. After being handed over a list of 20 plus vendors to pull of this Indian wedding I was up for the challenge. The night before they hosted the Sangeet at family friends private residence in the hills of San Jose. The warm summer night air made a perfect backdrop to the dancing, singing and entertainment of the night. After the Sangeet dwindled down into the wee hours of the night myself and all the vendors have a few hours of rest before we were up early to start the preparations for the wedding which went from noon to midnight. Keeping the guest busy with a traditional ceremony and onto a long and awaited reception. In the coolness of the Grand Ballroom. (It was a 100 degree day but the bride & groom didn't show a drop of sweat during the 2 hour ceremony). During the reception the groom played a documentary about their trip to India where he proposed to Reena. The Groom Thomas, is also a photographer and filmmaker and he shot and edited the documentary. We were blown away of how he told an amazing story with mostly the use of a gopro. Reena’s dad provided the still photos for the piece and it was definitely one of the highlights of the reception.
The colors at this wedding were amazing. So many wonderful shots, this one is quite long but I know you will enjoy it!



http://weddingdocumentary.com/weddingphotos/reena-thomas-san-jose-hayes-mansion-indian-wedding-photographs/