Rae Florae featured on the cover of San Diego Style Weddings!

We are so excited that one of our own floral vendors is featured on the cover of SDSW magazine for the months of Feb/March!!


CONGRATULATIONS to Paula of RAE FLORAE!
www.raeflorae.com






If you are interested in viewing her most recent floral arrangements, please visit her blog

click HERE

Featured Vendor ~ Plush Lounge

images courtesy of Elle G Photography, www.ellegphotography.com



Plush Lounge furniture rental provides a chic seating environment for the
infamous 'grey area' between the dance floor and traditional round table
formal seating. Today's weddings have shifted towards a more modern look
with a nightclub style reception to bring guests together, in comparison to
more formal dining layouts that isolated family from friends unless they
were on the dance floor. Plush Lounge offers luxury, high quality seating
to help transform any event by providing intimate socializing away from the
dinner table and closer to the center of the event. Lounge furniture helps
provide the ideal seating environment for elderly guests to be involved in
the action of the event, and also serve as a resting area for those adamant
to dance every possible tune played. Plush Lounge, a full service company,
includes design assistance to both event coordinators and clients to help
provide experienced consultation for what furniture might work best for the
reception part of the event. Plush Lounge firmly believes that their outstanding
customer service in conjunction with their custom furniture pieces will
provide a décor and seating environment that will enhance any wedding, big
or small!

Featured Vendor ~ Anthony Garcia

Images courtesy of Elle G Photography, www.ellegphotography.com

If you are a bride-to-be and are in the market for Spanish music during your wedding, there is no better than Anthony Garcia. Anthony is a Flamenco guitarist here in Southern California. Flamenco music blends traditional flamenco song forms with contemporary sounds, creating a warm, rich ambience that evokes an old world feel. Flamenco guitar is challenging to learn but Anthony has perfected the art and created a unique niche for himself. You can check out his website and listen to a sample HERE. If you'd like to listen to his music in person, he will be performing regularly with San Diego Harbor Excursion. For more information, click here.

The Special Event show

Images courtesy of Shannon Henry of True Photography, www.truephotography.com
and Lisa of Elle G Photography, www.ellegphotography.com

The Special Event Show was a collage of colors, styles, characters and creative energies all bundled under one huge convention center roof! One could not help but be impressed by the vast amount of décor ideas flowing as soon as you entered the hall.

Stacks of fancy chairs were positioned like something out of Disney cartoon float with incredibly beautiful covers and sashes. Artisans displayed their eye for detail with ornately decorated table setting inspirations. Buxom beauties bared scrumptious, custom designed bon-bons for all to enjoy. Party pumping exploding confetti cannons demo’d at will. Background tapestries, linens, draping and gorgeous floral displays flowed like leaves in the wind throughout the hall.

Hundreds of vendors displayed up and coming décor and special event related trends and ideas for industry professionals to consider adding to their repertoire. Some concepts were new, cool and innovative - some were tried and true. One could search for industry insurance, talent representation or internet marketing ideas and, in the same aisle, view creative art, catering concepts and new and exciting technology. It was truly a smorgasbord for those in the special event industry.

We’ll see how many of these ideas we can bring to our San Diego wedding and special event clients!

San Diego wedding officiant Reverend Michael Johnston

Michael Johnston was our presenter for our January Weddings of Distinction meeting.

California Wedding Services was born in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in October of 1998 when Rev. Michael Johnston performed his first wedding.

Since then, he has performed over 150 beautiful weddings in places such as the Rose Garden of the State Capitol, the edge of a Lake Tahoe waterfall and a Napa Valley vineyard. A fog-shrouded San Francisco Bay pier and luxury yachts on the San Diego Bay have provided stunning settings, as well.

Reverend Johnston works both privately and with top wedding professionals. His business has flourished with referrals from many happy couples, guests and wedding experts alike who are impressed with his presentation, his personal touch and his first-class service.

Experience in professional speaking, training and event planning have given Reverend Johnston a polished edge as a religious and civil practitioner. This, along with his creative writing and "radio quality" voice, ensure an unforgettable ceremony for you.

Book Rev. Michael today!!!!!

San Diego Weddings of Distinction ~ Hilton Del Mar

photos courtesy of elle g photography


Weddings of Distinction
General Meeting
January 27, 2009
Hilton Del Mar

Hello Weddings of Distinction!

Our first meeting of 2009 was hosted by the Del Mar Hilton, www.sandiegodelmarhilton.com. They are one of our newest members of Weddings of Distinction; Meredith Warfel, Catering Manager is their representative!

Director of Catering, Brittany Lee welcomed our group and spoke about their venue. The Del Mar Hilton boasts a variety of rooms to accommodate different guest list sizes from 25 to 400. The rooms’ names are reflective of their neighbor: The Del Mar Fairgrounds. The room we had our meeting in was the Derby room (originally a night club in the 1980’s). The Derby can seat approximately 80 for a set up of rounds of 10. The Del Mar Ballroom can seat up to 400 guests in a round of 10 set up. Also, the Ballroom can be divided into smaller sections. A Courtyard is the location for ceremonies with a capacity of 400. And of course, there are ample sleeping rooms for clients to book. The Del Mar Hilton is a one-stop shop for brides & grooms!

To reacquaint ourselves and to have a bit of fun, Weddings of Distinction President, Bob Brichmann of Artistic Productions, www.artistic-productions.com, led the group in an ice breaker. Each Weddings of Distinction member introduced themselves and the company they represent. Then Bob asked the member a quirky question to get to know each other on a more personal level.

This month’s Member Showcase Presenter was Wedding Officiant Michael Johnston, California Wedding Services, www.calwedservices.com.

Michael has been officiating ceremonies for over 11 years and he is a co-founder of the South Lake Tahoe Wedding Foundation. Michael offers a traditional style of officiating. He begins with a complimentary consolation with his clients to see if they and he are a fit. After that initial meeting, he will send the bride a groom home with homework to get them thinking about the ceremony and their vows. Next, he will have a (1) hour planning session with the couple. Michael will prepare a copy of the service to the bride and groom for their final approval. He will also be on hand for the rehearsal ceremony. Another service Michael offers includes renewal of vows. Also, he is writing a book of his experiences as being an officiant!

Question to Michael: Do you provide the marriage license?
• No
• However, Michael provides a worksheet to the clients with a check list (including the marriage license) that the couple is responsible for

Question to Michael: Does one need permission to get married on the beach?
• Yes; procure one through the city’s park & recreation department
• However, if it is a small wedding party with a short & sweet ceremony, he will quickly go to the location and perform the ceremony

Question to Michael: Do you provide you own sound system?
• No
• Michael prefers not to use amplification but he will if the couple requests him to or if the ceremony is being recorded for a video

The 2009 Weddings of Distinction Board was introduced.

Vice President, Ann Strobel, Ann’s Plans, www.annsplans.com announced our next meeting. It will be held on February 24th at the Paradise Point Resort, www.paradisepoint.com, on the deck and in the Dockside Room.

Membership Chairperson, Carrie Esparza, St. Tropez Bistro, introduced our newest member Susan Khania, Director of Catering at Maderas Golf Club, www.maderasgolf.com.

Treasurer, Merrylin Brichmann, Artistic Productions, www.artistic-productions.com, thanked members for dues paid

Marketing Co-Chairs, Shannon Henry, True Photography, www.truephotography.com and Lisa Gisczinski, Elle G Photography, www.ellegphotography.com reviewed in detail the WoD Marketing Goals for 2009.

Secretary, Andrea Peña, The Prado at Balboa Park, www.pradobalboa.com, announced new formatting for meeting minutes.

WoD President, Bob Brichmann, Artistic Productions, www.artistic-productions.com, announced (5) new etiquette articles have been added to the WoD web site, www.weddingdistinction.com. Bob encouraged members to submit ideas for additional articles as web sites are driven by content with regard to search engines.

Cheryl Haynes, Haynes Antique Car Chauffeuring, www.lancedurant.com, announced new business: Sightseeing in Antique Cars. Clients are shown the sights of San Diego in classic cars.

The Special Event, a leading industry trade show is in San Diego this year! The function hosts national vendors and offers educational seminars. It is held from January 28th through the 30th at the San Diego Convention Center. Many of our members, Ann Strobel, Merrylin Brichmann and Karen Kluchonic, strongly encouraged other members to attend! It is a chance to promote San Diego as an event destination to the international attendees.

A warm welcome to our guests:
• Tim English, DiscGo Round, www.discGoRounDJ.com
• Andrea Resnichek, Cynthia Zatkin Events, www.czevents.com


A very happy birthday to:
• Karen, Plush Lounge, www.loungefurniturerental.com
• Dennis, ASI Photography, www.ABIPhoto.com
• Meleah, First Dance Instruction, www.meleah.com

Congratulations to this month’s raffle winners:
• Lance & Cheryl, www.lancedurant.com, Border’s $25.00 gift certificate donated by Michael, www.calwedservices.com
• Dennis www.ABIPhoto.com, complimentary luncheon at the Hilton Del Mar donated by Meredith www.hilton.com

WOD at William D. Evans Sternwheeler

Photos courtesy of Shannon at True Photography (www.truephotography.com)

Hello Weddings of Distinction!

This month, we all were in for a treat when we boarded the 100 foot long, William D Evans paddlewheel boat (www.sternwheelers.com) at the Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Bay (www.bahiahotel.com). Catering Sales Manager Kelly Instone greeted us all and shared a little about the boat that we had the pleasure of having lunch on. The William D. Evans is the pride and joy of the Evans family, who not only own the Bahia Resort Hotel, but the Bahia Belle, Lodge @ Torrey Pines, The Garage and the Catamaran Resort Hotel (www.catamaranresort.com) just down the street. With packages starting at $8,000.00 for 100 guests, this venue sure is worth every penny! But if you wanted to keep your feet on dry land, the Bahia Resort Hotel offers not just one, but four ballrooms expanding throughout the property!

The group welcomed the following guests to this month’s meeting:
• Liz Beck: www.lizbeckevents.com
• Michael Blomgren: www.anewtwist4u.com

And let’s not forget a couple of happy birthdays!
• Lois Mathews: www.loismathews.com
• Andrea Pena: www.balboaparkweddings.com
• Paula Anderson www.raeflorae.com

Our first show caser for the afternoon was Ann Strobel of Ann’s Plans (www.annsplans.com). Ann has been coordinating weddings since 1988 (yes, 20 years and counting) and has owned her own business since 2000. Ann shared the most common question from brides - “what do you do/perform”? Her answer is simple, Ann’s job is to orchestrate a flawless, and more importantly, stress free event. Ann has every aspect of your special day covered, from seating arrangements to those who forgot to RSVP. Be sure to contact Ann to ensure your upcoming event is a stress free success!

Lance and Cheryl Haynes, of Haynes Antique Car Chauffeuring (www.lancedurant.com) were next up in line to showcase at this month’s meeting. Lance and his beautiful bride specialize in their highly restored 1920’s cars (valued at over $70,000.00 each). Celebrating the Durant’s 100th birthday, the Haynes do not impose a minimum usage fee on any of their services. Seat belt or not and they’re licensed in the state of California. Their cars are sure to add the extra touch to your wedding day! But do not just consider the Haynes vehicles for your wedding, many sightseeing packages are also available and can be found by visiting their website!

President Bob Brichmann, of Artistic Productions (www.artistic-productions.com), reminded the group to RSVP for each meeting that you would like to attend. This is especially important to insure that everyone will receive a meal and a common courtesy for the hotel and chef hosting us.

Membership chairlady, Merrylin Brichmann, of Artistic Productions (www.artistic-productions.com), officially welcomed our new representative for the Napa Valley Grille - Crissy Riddle and presented her with her WoD book..

If you wish to run for a 2009 board position, please email Bob as soon as possible. Founding President, Susan Ashley-Howell of Romantic Honeymoons and Holiday Travel (www.romantichoneymoonsbysusan.com) will be sending out the ballot the week of December 01, 2008. The winners will be announced at the Christmas Party!

Speaking of the Christmas Party…be sure to put on your cutest outfit and join us on Tuesday, December 09, 2008, starting at 6:00pm at Continental Catering’s newly remodeled venue in La Mesa (www.continentalcateringsd.com). If you wish to participate in the Chinese gift exchange, be sure to bring a wrapped gift valued at $20.00 or more (it is not mandatory to participate).

Our Marketing wonder, Shannon Henry of True Photography (www.truephotography.com), will be sending out the next email campaign blast shortly. Each month, every member should be receiving the email, if not, please be sure to contact Shannon. Big Kudos’ to Lisa Gisczinski, Elle G Photography (www.ellegphotography.com), for stepping up to help Shannon this coming year!

Winners of the many raffle prizes are:
• Lois Mathews (www.loismathews.com) – 4 passes on the Bahia Belle
• Dennis Way (www.abiphoto.com) - $200.00 gift certificate: Haynes Antique Car Chauffeuring
• Cynthia Zatkin (www.czevents.com) – floral piece provided by Special Event Productions (www.pacificevents.com)
• Elaine Ardizzone (www.sweetcheeksbaking.com) – floral piece provided by Special Event Productions (www.pacificevents.com)
• Joy Richards (www.lajollacove.com) – floral piece provided by Special Event Productions (www.pacificevents.com)


I would like to take a minute out to thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to be your Secretary. It was an honor to aide in making decisions for the group, and a joy (no pun intended ;p) to be of service to those who called throughout the year with questions. This group has so many qualities that a lot of other organizations do not have and I am proud to a member of this group. May next year be just as wonderful, or even better, than 2008!

Joy A. Richards
Senior Sales Associate
La Jolla Cove Suites
www.lajollacove.com