Bellini Events

Venue Spotlight: The U. S. Grant

Alicia — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:52:52 +0000

Courtesy of The U. S. Grant

I had the great fortune of planning a holiday party held last week at The U. S. Grant Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp District! It was a fantastic evening and the staff of the U. S. Grant made it even better.

During the planning process the Catering Manager, Rita Moore, was so delightful and helpful. We explained what our theme was and how we wanted a menu that tied to our theme. After discussing things with the chef, Rita came back with some fantastic ideas! And the tasting delivered on how delicious the dishes sounded!

The U. S. Grant Lobby

We ultimately decided on a Pumpkin Ravioli with Spinach paired with a lovely sauce. And this was just the appetizer! The main course was a Short Rib and Sea Bass combination with purple Peruvian Potatoes and market fresh veggies. The combination was perfect! The entire dinner was a definite people pleaser!

The night of the event, the entire staff was on point! They delivered on customer service and they were always there for us. From the valets who helped us unload our vehicles to the wait staff who were on top of the service, it was a treat to experience the professionalism everyone had.

One of the awesome perks about the U. S. Grant are the Event Planner Suites! They are an additional charge, but it was worth it to have a “go to” room for storing the favors and centerpieces until we were ready for them. And also, it was awesome having a room to get ready in which was just across the hall from the ballroom. It was also a secure place that only a couple of people had access to, so we could leave valuables there and not worry about them!

If you are looking for exceptional customer service, professionalism, an elegant venue and great food then you must consider The U. S. Grant!

Fab Find: Cuvée M Red

Alicia — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:09 +0000

During my trip to Napa last month our first stop was Mumm Napa. Now if you haven’t already figured out that I have a fondness for bubbly then you may need to read the “What we believe…” portion of the About Us page.

So needless to say I was quite content with the idea of starting my wine weekend with a bit of bubbly.

Mumm Napa Cuvée M Red

First let me say how impressed I was with Mumm Napa’s wine tasting experience! A tasting room simply will not do for them. Mumm has a patio with tables and chairs (complete with umbrellas and misters!) at which you are free to sit, be served, and enjoy the view. It was probably one of the most lovely wine tasting “rooms” I had been to.

On the menu that day was a tasting flight titled “Red, White and Blue.” I was initially intrigued at what the “Blue” would be, as my partner in crime had already explained that the “Red” truly was a red sparking wine. Well all thoughts of the “Blue” wine flew out the door as soon as I sipped the “Red”. . . Cuvée M Red to be exact! Smooth, velvety, with just the slightest hint of bubbles. . . it instantly became one of my new favorite Sparkling Wines! Delicious and divine, this bottle of bubbly has the slightest hint of berries which rounds it out quite nicely. And it looks so lovely in a champagne flute too! I can just imagine a table set in creams and whites with a glass of Cuvée M Red at each setting.

Had I realized that its availability outside the winery was so limited I would have picked up a few bottles! But I guess that just means I’ll have to make time to for another trip to Napa. . . tragedy!

Real Wedding :: Mike and Roxanne :: May 2009 :: Part 4

Alicia — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:31:00 +0000

A final glimpse at more of my favorite photos!

Photography by David Crane Photography

All the best to the bride and groom and their lovely new family!

The Vendors

Venue: Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa - Debra Ayala
Photography: David Crane Photography - David Crane
Florist: Flowers Forever - Paula
Cake: Heide Rogers
Guitarist: Classical Guitar featuring Miles Monyier
DJ: Smith Sounds - Jeremy Smith
Favors: The Cookie Chew - Liz Chou
Coordinator: Bellini Events - Alicia Garcia

Real Wedding :: Mike and Roxanne :: May 2009 :: Part 3

Alicia — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:00:55 +0000

Time for the party! Mike and Roxanne’s friends and family really knew how to have a good time! Here are some glimpses of the decor elements of the reception. For their table assignments, they used album covers instead of table numbers!

Photography by David Crane Photography

Weddings are a celebration and these folks celebrated like champs! I love the photo of Mike and Roxanne dancing (her feet are off the ground)…SO cute! And I especially love the photo of the little girl standing at the doorway…. unbelievably adorable and a great shot by David Crane Photography.

Photography by David Crane Photography

Tomorrow I will post a collection of other fave photos from the wedding!

The Vendors

Real Wedding :: Mike and Roxanne :: May 2009 :: Part 2

Alicia — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:10:14 +0000

Mike and Roxanne had a very lovely story. They were great friends throughout high school, but afterwards they had gone their separate ways. Then one day, they managed to find their way back to each other (thanks to the power of the internet). To hear Mike talk about Roxanne and their kids is something special.

Photography by David Crane Photography

Not only did Mike have his vows for his lovely bride, but he also prepared “vows” for the two kids. This had to have been one of the most touching moments I’ve ever seen. I don’t think there was a dry eye to be found.

Photography by David Crane Photography

More to come tomorrow!

The Vendors

Real Wedding :: Mike and Roxanne :: May 2009 :: Part 1

Alicia — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:15:31 +0000

I had the joy of helping Mike and Roxanne realize their wedding dreams at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort back in May of this year. This was a really special wedding for me because I work with Mike on a regular basis for my corporate events. So being able to help him and his lovely bride was truly an honor. And after hearing all the great stories about him and Roxanne (and the way he sweetly talks about her) I couldn’t wait for the big day!

After going through all the wonderful photos from David Crane Photography, I had too many that I loved! So there will be multiple posts of this wedding!

Today, we start with details prior to the ceremony!

His

Mike and Roxanne’s son is perhaps the cutest Best Man I have ever seen! And had it not been for the lovely bride, we would have stolen the show!

Photography by David Crane Photography

Hers

Seeing a bride on her wedding day as excited as Roxanne was, is always refreshing! She was exuberant, happy and such a joy to work with!

Photography by David Crane Photography

The Vendors

From Our Travels - étoile at Domaine Chandon Napa, CA

Alicia — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:27:04 +0000

étoile Restaurant named one of the Top Ten Romantic Restaurants in the USA – ForbesTraveler.com, February 3, 2009

étoile Restaurant recommended in the 2009 Michelin Guide for the third straight year.

“Domaine Chandon was the first Napa Valley winery to offer upscale dining…and remains the Valley’s only upscale winery-based restaurant” - Wine Enthusiast Magazine, May 2007

I COMPLETELY agree with all of the above! I was lucky enough to have dinner here one evening during a trip to Napa. Hands down, one of the BEST meals I have ever had! At étoile they know food and service very well. But we’ll just chat about the food!

Courtesy of Chandon.com

Starter Course
Poached Lobster and Galia Melon green apple · ginger · estate basil
Domaine Chandon Carneros Unoaked Chardonnay 2007

Absolute PERFECTION! The combination of flavors was ever so delicious and perfectly complimented the lobster. Everything was in perfect balance.

Main Course
Liberty Farms Duck Breast bing cherries · garden arugula · almond sauce
Domaine Chandon Carneros Pinot Noir 2006

It takes extremely talent to cook a duck medium rare with the skin just perfectly crispy. If you can do that then call me over for dinner cause I would love to find out how its done! Again, every element of the dish was in perfect harmony with the others and every bite was more delicious than the last.

Dessert
Strawberries and Cream
Creme Brulee with sliced strawberries served with a strawberry sorbet

This actually is not listed on the their menu, but I was lucky enough that they were serving it that night because it was SOOO good. I {heart} creme brulee and this is one of the best I have ever had!

When I was done with the meal I wanted to do it all over again! The portions are perfectly sized to leave you feeling utterly satisfied but not so much that you feel like you’re ready for a nap….because to leave one bite on your plate of any of these dishes would be a sin! Added bonus: the wines paired with the dishes were compliments of the chef!

étoile at Domaine Chandon is a MUST if you find yourself in Napa and in need of a completely fantastic meal!

A DIY Wedding: Candy Box Favors

Alicia — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:33:58 +0000

For the Bridal Bazaar one of our budget concsious ideas was to have a DIY wedding favor. Here’s what I came up with!

After surveying countless options I decided to go with the Martha Stewart Candy Boxes, which I purchased at Michaels. But I only decided to use that option after I found the perfect chocolates from Cost Plus World Market!

The Martha Stewart set comes with the box, the oval label and foam spacers for between the label and box.

To have the boxes match the decor of the table setup, I purchased a sheer gold ribbon as well as a green ribbon and orange ribbon. My plan was to have half the boxes accented in the green and the other half accented with the orange. Both the accent colors were a bit bold so I actually layered the gold ribbon over the accent ribbon…I think it looked great!

The very first thing I did was print the labels. This was time consuming because I wanted all of them to be identical and centered. Martha’s folks thought ahead and included test sheets that you can print until you get the formatting just right! However, their printing utilities are not all that great. The online version was difficult and the Microsoft Word download needed a lot of tweaking! I got it just right though! You can download my template here! You may need to make adjustments for your own printer.

After the printing was done, I forged ahead and made my boxes!

I used the double sided tape to secure the ribbons and label as I layered them. I placed a square of tape on the box, then put the accent ribbon down and wrapped it around until the ends of the ribbon met. I made sure the piece of tape was big enough for both end of the ribbon to stick to it.

I placed another piece of tape over the ribbon ends, then layered the gold ribbon over in the same manner.

I then put a few pieces of tape on the back of the oval (only in the center though) and then placed that on the box…voila! I chose not to use the spacers they included, but you can if you want.

Here is what the boxes would cost if you decided to do them for your wedding…click here to download the PDF. I make no guarantees about how much this project will actually cost you, but I figured I could at least share what it would have cost me!

San Diego Bridal Bazaar Recap

Alicia — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:12:40 +0000

I worked the booth for the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants this past Sunday, and it was great! So many San Diego brides and grooms came out to see what the San Diego Wedding Community has to offer. I chatted with so many happy couples, their friends and their parents and I wish every one of you the best as you make your plans and say your I-Dos!

Here’s a peek at what our booth setup had to offer!

We had some budget friendly ideas in mind as we designed this lovely table. I think one of the biggest concepts was to really talk to the florist you want to hire. Tell them what you can spend, what your colors are and then have faith in your florist to deliver a beautiful product! The florist we used was able to deliver this centerpiece to us for only $25.00 using that exact idea! She had carte blanche to pick the flowers that were in season and lovely but not terribly expensive.

I was so excited about how great everything turned out! And stay tuned for details on the favors!! They are a DIY project and I’ll have all the details here!

Bridal Bazaar - July 19, 2009 at San Diego Convention Center

Alicia — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:03:16 +0000

Tomorrow is the Bridal Bazaar at the San Diego Convention Center, and is a great opportunity to see all things bridal!
If you’re just starting on your wedding plans, this is a great time to get new ideas and discover what you may still need to polish off your wedding plans! Caterers will be present giving samples of their delicious food, bakeries will be there will cake samples, and florists with brilliant ideas will have samples on display. Bring your camera to capture what inspires you!

Fashion Shows will be 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:45pm.

Go to the Bridal Bazaar website to purchase your tickets or download a coupon.

Concession stands will be open selling soft drinks and snacks, but if you prefer to stroll through the booths with a glass of champagne then cruise over to the fashion show stage. There is typically a bar setup there selling bubbly!

Bridal Bazaar
San Diego Convention Center, Hall H
111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA

I will be helping out at the Association of Bridal Consultants Booth (#908). Stop by and say hi!