Amy's Wedding & Events :: San Francisco Bay Area and Destination Wedding Planner :: Blog

The Romantic First Look

amys — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:14 +0000

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What’s your ideal first look plan when you see your bride or groom for the very first time with full dressed up?

I think Becky and Steve set a really good example of how the first look should be…romantic, sweet, meaningful, and intimate. I love love their reaction to each other!! It really gives the private moment feel of the two of them, appreciating what each other put together for this special day of celebrating the beginning of their lives together.

They gave me the feel of “Love is in the Air”, and I hope you feel the same too. =)

Thank you Orbie from Orbie Pullen Photography for capturing the details of this special moment!

xoxo,
Amy

Wedding Venue: Pacific Oaks Vineyard Estate
Makeup and Hair: Joey from Jbeautique

TO HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER….OR NOT…?? THAT IS THE QUESTION

amys — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:38 +0000

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Read the below blog post recently from another wedding planner, Wink Weddings, about why it is important to hire a professional wedding planner. It is worth a few minutes for you, the bride and groom-to-be, or if you know someone who are recently engaged to read and learn more about hiring a professional wedding planner. And YES, I’ve heard it all…time and time again!

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TO HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER….OR NOT…?? THAT IS THE QUESTION
I’ve heard it all…time and time again…

I’m super organized and love DIY. I don’t need a coordinator.

I know you spend hours on Pinterest and reading wedding blogs and bridal magazines and you have a ton of fun doing it and that’s wonderful. It’s even better that you’re so organized! Wedding planners are not there to take away your fun, your vision or your creativity. A planner will however, ensure that your thoughts and ideas are executed the way that you want.

The DIY bride has such a specific vision and has spent so much time creating all of those special touches that represent you as a couple. You need someone who will take your vision and execute as you would. The DIY bride needs a coordinator more than any other type of bride. But why? Because the expertise that goes into creating another person’s precise vision is not something you want to put on a friend (because there is no way you can do it that day and not hate life — and all friends and family that day). It’s too much to expect. Wedding planners live for this stuff!

At some point, you will get stressed and overwhelmed and you’ll need professional advice, a professional eye and/or professional connections. A coordinator is there to provide these things.

We have a friend/family member who LOVES planning weddings/events/parties and she offered to help with our wedding.

This is an extremely generous offer, but most likely this person is not a professional in the wedding industry. This can lead to even more stress because of your relationship. If you’re not happy with the way your friend is doing things, will you be able to complain or ask for something different without offending them? Do they have insurance, do they know the logistics of managing vendors? Don’t put a relationship in jeopardy in an attempt to save money. We’ve all heard that you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. Your wedding is NOT the time to break that rule. With family and friends, everyone has an opinion and that’s sweet but you need an unbiased opinion to step in and solve the problems.

We’re on a really tight budget and simply can’t afford a wedding coordinator.

You shell out thousands of dollars on wedding vendors so that they can have the wedding of their dreams. Sadly, a coordinator is often an afterthought. Many people feel that a planner is a luxury as opposed to a necessity. The vendor relationships and connections in the wedding world that a planner possesses is a resource that will save you time and money. Most likely, you will end up saving money by hiring a professional wedding planner.

The venue and/or catering company already offers a coordinator, so no need to hire another wedding planner.

This is one of the worst misconceptions. Your venue has hired this coordinator as a manager for the venue staff. Venue coordinators are wonderful and a necessary addition to your team, but NOT a replacement for you wedding coordination. The venue coordinator is not going to execute your vision and manage those wonderful vendors you’ve hired. What happens when the linens arrive in blue instead of teal or the limo goes to the wrong church? Who is going to get your guests seated and line up your bridal party and cue the DJ? These problems are going to be solved by your professional wedding planner, not the venue coordinator.

I’ve never once heard someone say, “I didn’t need that wedding planner I hired”.

No amount of planning can guarantee a perfect day. There will always be something that doesn’t go as planned. Thankfully, if you’ve hired a professional wedding planner you can rest assured that she is going to manage any problem that arises so that you, your family and/or your friends don’t have to. The job of a coordinator is the most intricate of all the vendors you will hire. From the extremely detailed timeline to the heavy communication between vendors, this is definitely a job for a professional.

If you’re interested in enjoying not only your wedding day but, the entire planning process, a wedding planner should be the FIRST vendor you hire. This will give you peace of mind knowing that you have a professional that is there for you each step of the way. This is an invaluable resource.

A wedding coordinator is your friend, your therapist, your problem solver, a specialist in the wedding industry who is familiar with the wedding world and who works with other professionals in your area. Let us help you!

By Erica from Wink Weddings
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Hope this will help you on your planning process. =)

Happy Planning!
Amy

Happy 6th Anniversary to Amy’s Wedding & Events!

amys — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:00:11 +0000

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We are so happy that we have marked our 6th year of serving numbers of happy couples recently! It’s a big milestone for AWE, and we are proud to have such an amazing team who helped created a lot of wonderful and beautiful weddings for each of our clients. Last but not least, THANK YOU SO MUCH to all our lovely clients. Without you, Amy’s Wedding & Events won’t be where we are today! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! Love you all!! <3 We are looking forward to continue providing our best to many more happy couples.

And…we are so happy to celebrate and share the anniversary with our first couple:
{Lauren and Brad from Boston}
Wedding at the Berkeley City Club in Berkeley, CA
Photo by Augie Chang from Augie Chang Photography

Another happy couple on the same date but the year of 2012 (which was our 5th year anniversary)
{Adriana and Jasen from San Francisco}
Wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco, CA
Photo by Albert Law from Pork Belly Studio

Happy Anniversary <3

Ruffle cake for your wedding?

amys — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:00:28 +0000

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Happy Monday!! Saw this from my dear dessert vendor, Venus Wei from La Vie Douce Design, posting from a recent wedding she did, and what a sweet treat to start the day. Ruffle cake (aka Frills cake) is becoming more popular nowadays (vs. the traditional cake) and that you can be very creative on mixing colors to fit your wedding or event.Photo Credit: La Vie Douce Design

Have a sweet week ahead!

xoxo,
Amy

Pearl + Simon :: The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay Wedding

amys — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:00:56 +0000

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Complete wedding planning and design {Amy’s Wedding & Events}

Bride and girls accommodation {The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay}

Groom and guys accommodation {Oceano Hotel, Half Moon Bay}

Guests Accommodation {Sofitel Hotel, Redwood City}

Wedding Ceremony {The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay}

Wedding Reception {Koi Palace, Daly City}

Photographer {W Photography} Thank you for all the beautiful captures of the above photos!!

Florist {Tanjeeryn Designs}

Videographer {Ocean Blue Videography}

DJ {Big Fun DJ}

Cake {Jen’s Cakes}

Officiant {Wedding by Steve}

Bride’s Makeup and Hair Artist {Jbeautique}

Bridesmaids’ Makeup and Hair Artist {WOWPretty}

Transportation {LeGrande Affaire}

Lighting, Linens and Chair Covers Rental {Especially Yours Chair Covers}

Dance Floor Rental {Classic Party Rental}

Rehearsal Dinner {Sam’s Chowder House}

Mints Design crossover La Vie Douce Design

amys — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:00:01 +0000

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The sweetest day of the year is almost here! My good floral friend – Mints Design, and my go-to desserts fairy – La Vie Douce Design, are offering assorted macarons and beautiful floral arrangements inspired by what is “Love”~

Along with the box set, you have an option of sending your sweet heart a small arrangement by the awesome Mints Design. 3 arrangements to choose from. $25 each.

Available in limited quantity only. The order must be received by Friday 2/8 (or until it sold out) and it will be ready for pick-up on delivery on 2/13 ~ 2/14.

$25 for 12pcs box – 3 of each following flavors:
- pasilla chile chocolate dipped in chocolate and garnish with cocoa nibs & dragées (spicy love)
- sweet rose with Turkish rose delight (sweet love)
- Meiji matcha (bittersweet love)
- Meyer lemon with lemon pâtes de fruits (puppy love)

$25 for macarons only or $50 for macs & flowers

To place your order, please send an email to —> order.laviedoucedesign@gmail.com with “V-Day macarons” as the subject.

Photo by La Vie Douce Design

Happy Valentine’s Day <3

Sweet Words

amys — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:00:03 +0000

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It’s always great to hear from clients after their wedding; especially learning that they had an wonderful experience working with AWE team. =)

Sarah + Chad’s Wedding Featured in San Diego Ceremony Magazine

amys — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:00:49 +0000

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I’m very excited to share with you that one of our 2012 weddings got featured in the newest edition of the San Diego Ceremony Magazine!! I’ve been waiting patiently and wanting to share the images of this beautiful wedding for Sarah and Chad at the Carmel Valley Ranch in Carmel. But I have to keep quiet until it gets published. Stay tuned for more details about this wedding!!

All beautiful images are captured by the talented Sarah Zimmer Photography

Amy’s Wedding & Events Promo :: Pacific Oaks Vineyard Estate Wedding

amys — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 09:00:10 +0000

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We are super excited to announce that our new promo is here!!

A lot of people always wonder what wedding planners do or how they put together an event from start to finish. With this video (see below) will show you how a wedding is created from start to finish. As a wedding planner, our job is to create a plan according to your vision and needs, and provide realistic suggestions to make your wedding vision come to life. With all the planning behind, our goal is to make sure everything run smoothly as planned, and seeing everyone enjoy this special occasion with a great big smile throughout the day. We hope you enjoy the video, as much as we do =)

*please allow the video to load for awhile if you experience any delay

Click here to watch our other promo to learn more about us and what we do =)

Once again, a BIG THANK YOU to our friend and a talented videographer, Wing from Wing Hon Films | Filmography, for capturing the beautiful day at the Pacific Oaks Vineyard Estate in Aptos!

Welcome Vera Wang to San Francisco

amys — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:00:09 +0000

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If you didn’t know already, Vera Wang is here in San Francisco!! The boutique today. Yes, Today!! If you are newly engaged and looking for a stunning wedding gown. It is a must to go check it out.

VERA WANG BRIDE
180 Geary Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA

And here are Vera’s 2013 wedding gown collection~

*All photos from Vera Wang

Happy Shopping!

{Amy}