Planning Your Valentine's Day Wine Country Date
Photo By: Sylvie Gil
Need some inspiration for your Valentine's Day plans? Whether you're looking for a full day of romance or a relaxed and romantic evening, we've got some great options for planning the perfect date in Wine Country!
For the Vintage Enthusiast
Enjoy some vintage romance with your sweetheart aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train for dinner. Watch the sunset over the vineyards while enjoying a lavish meal paired with wine.
Image Via: Napa Valley Wine Train
For the Relaxed Couple
Grab a bottle of bubbles from Iron Horse and set out for a romantic drive down the stunning Sonoma Coast. Stop and enjoy oysters with a view at Drakes Bay.
Image Via: Iron Horse Vineyards
Image Via: Sonoma Coast State Park
For the Romantics
Enjoy a tour and tasting of olive oils and delicious wine at one of our favorites in Napa Valley, Round Pond. Then head north for an afternoon of mud and hot springs in Calistoga, offering a unique spin on the famed Calistoga spa ritual is Spa Solage.
Image Via: Round Pond
Image Via: Spa Solage
For the Lovers of Art
For art, food, and wine lovers- check out Cornerstone Sonoma, a perfect spot to play for the afternoon with your honey. Sip some wine, stay for lunch, explore the arts, and shop.
Image Via: Cornerstone Sonoma
For the Cozy Couple
Spend the afternoon at one of our favorites, Ram's Gate Winery in Southern Sonoma. Tuck into the Sonoma Plaza for a cozy, romantic meal at Cafe La Haye.
Images Via: Ram's Gate Winery
For A Full Day Experience
Stay in Healdsburg at the minimal yet luxurious Modern Cottages where you will be walking distance to the Plaza. Grab breakfast at the Shed, sip wine at Cellars of Sonoma, grab an afternoon treat at Moustache Bakery, and dine at Dry Creek Kitchen.
Image Via: Healdsburg Modern Cottages
Image Via: SHED Cafe
Image Via: Dry Creek Kitchen
New Years Inspiration by L'Relyea Events
While Christmas is our favorite time of year, New Years Eve is like the icing on the cake for the winter holiday season. From delicious cocktails, to dapper attire and festivities galore, everything glitz and glam makes this holiday an occasion to celebrate. We joined forces with Head Over Heels by Melanie and Scott Andrew Studio to design and bring to life vibrant, chic and fun New Years Eve inspiration.
With the help of our creative peers, we came together to create a nod to the traditional black and gold New Years elegance, while adding vibrant pops of teal and romantic elements of white florals. We couldn't help but throw in sparkled and texturized elements, too! What would New Years Eve be without bubbles and sparkles galore?
And of course, it wouldn't feel right if we didn't try to sneak a wedding in the mix, too! Our faux bride & groom surprised their closest friends by throwing a party to announce their recent elopement and celebrate their nuptials along with the New Year. The white florals were a beautiful touch, while the mint and teal pops were a perfect "something blue". Black suit in tow, this vibrant event still proved elegant enough for a wedding.
For more photos and fun information on this photo shoot, check out our feature on Style Me Pretty. (link below)
http://www.stylemepretty.com//living/2012/12/30/new-years-eve-party-inspiration/
Photography: Scott Andrew Studio / Venue: El Dorado Hotel in Sonoma, California / Concept Design and Fashion Styling: Head Over Heels with Melanie / Planning and Event Design: L’Relyea Events / Makeup and Hair Artist: Betten Chaston / Floral Design: EV Floral Design / Paper Goods: Fly Away Design / Cake Design: Sweet On Cake / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Selected Jewelry: Details by Candace Egnew
Fall Wedding Inspiration from L'Relyea Events
With this Indian Summer in high effect, we could not be more excited about the approach of Autumn. With the changing of the leaves from green to shades of red, orange & yellow comes a transition in wedding colors from soft feminine palates to warm, deep colors. There's a lot to love about fall, like pumpkin flavored..... everything, oversized sweaters & classic movies: & there is equally as much to love about fall inspired weddings. We're saying 'I do' to these 13 fall wedding trends for romantic bliss. Check out these hot fall wedding trends and see it's hard NOT to fall in love with them.
FEATHERS
For a more bohemian, eccentric vibe, feathers are a great incorporation to add a unique dimension & theme. Whether it be in the bouquets & boutonnieres, the floral centerpieces, a headpiece, or otherwise, feathers will definitely be a showpiece for your event. Even in a small detail such as a clean and modern white invitation with a pheasant feather tied around the outside is a subtle nod to the season. Here are few ways we incorporated feathers into our "Bohemian Designer's Challenge" photo shoot. We paired it with woodsy elements & tangy florals.
DEEP JEWEL TONES
There’s no denying that blush, champagne, creams – & all airy pastels, for that matter – are having a major moment. But when it gets right down to it, jewel tones are what really send us swooning. From a rich emerald to a royal blue to berry hues of any shade, there’s a million ways to pull off a jewel tone in your wedding and we’re here to show you how. As the seasons turn and cooler weather is afoot, we love a emerald-and-sapphire combination for your fall or winter wedding color palette. These deep, luscious colors compliment beautifully as simple pops throughout a simple ivory wedding to blend the jewel tones with the seasonal colors of fall.
LEATHER & METAL ACCENTS
Gold and silver, step aside—there's a new metallic taking over. Copper details are popping up in creative ways, from glamorous chargers to centerpiece vases and even copper foil on invitations! The best part is, this metal meshes well with any wedding style: Polished copper can look glamorous and elegant, but matte or aged copper accents lend a rustic or vintage feel. There’s no reason that brown leather can’t creep into your wedding styling, too. For table place names you could use leather luggage tags with your guests names. For a luxe and rustic chic look & feel to your leather inspired wedding, I absolutely adore leather-like wedding stationery. Of course, anything with leather fringing is absolutely amazing! The thing about leather is that it can be both masculine and feminine, beautifully boho casual and luxe and lovely. You decide.
SEASONAL FALL FRUITS & VEGETABLES
As we transition from summer to fall, we also gain all that is the wonder of fall fruits & vegetables. From pumpkins & apples, to pears & figs, the deep, rich coloring of these seasonal inspirations can tie into any event appropriately. Marsala & cranberry are romantic & elegant colors that can play cohesively with any simple whites, ivories or creams to add a touch of vibrancy. Same goes for the ironic pumpkin & eggplant palettes that are an appropriate choice for any fall occasion.
Fall is a season of breathtaking displays as the old makes way for the new. This sentiment -- and nature's palette of deep reds and oranges -- makes for a gorgeous wedding. However you decide to accentuate your fall wedding inspiration, take full advantage of the unique elements that are sure to make this event an autumn fantasy. And do not forget to take plenty of photos with the changing leaves & grape vines.
Wedding Planning Tips & Tricks
TIMELINE: The wedding day timeline is so valuable to your team of vendors creating all of your wedding day magic. We like to streamline the process for our couples and give them a snapshot of what to expect for the wedding day, should they be communicating directly with their vendors. Common questions such as, "what time should our photographer arrive?" will be dictated based on the number of hours your hired your photographer for. More often than not, we find that our couples will hire their photographer 3-4 hours prior to the ceremony {to capture special moments of you getting ready before you walk down the aisle} and 4-5 hours following the ceremony {to capture portraits, candids, toasts, and dances}.
PHOTOGRAPHY: So much of your wedding day revolves around your flow of photography. We often hear that our couples don't want to miss out on key elements of their wedding because they are off taking photos {and we don't blame you!}. The way we look at it, you are investing a lot of time & effort (and money) into this momentous event, and you should be able to enjoy it! We have a few tricks with timing that we find balance the timing perfectly to capture the images you want, while still enjoying the festivities. We always work with our couples to prioritize a "shot list" with your photographer prior to your wedding day, this should ensure a quick and fluid procession of photos. Another helpful tip is having someone there who is not involved in the majority of photos but wants to be involved (a siblings significant other or a cousin, for example) can be an efficient way to manage the order of the photos and find Uncle Henry if he's 'M.I.A.' for the family portraits. We also suggest minimizing your list of staged photos as much as possible {you know, the photos you fell in love with on Pinterest and have re-create on your wedding day}.This will give your professional photographer the creativity to play. This is, after all, why you hired a professional wedding photographer - trust them, they are masterful behind the lens!
FIRST LOOK: A "first look" refers to a private moment you and your partner share before the ceremony vs. the more traditional route of seeing one another for the first time on your wedding date at the alter. It is no secret that wedding day jitters can be extremely overwhelming, and we have found the trick to nearly curing this anxiety: simply seeing your loved one in private prior to the ceremony. This allows for you both to have some (rare) alone time on your wedding day and exchange some sweet words & possibly tears and/or laughs in private. Most couples say that once they saw their soon-to-be-mister-or-misses, all of their fear and anxiety diminished. It also makes for some incredible photography if you so choose to invite your photographer to capture this moment. By doing a first look, you are able to tackle almost all of your family and bridal party portraits before the ceremony begins, which means you will not miss any of the fun you have spent so much time and energy planning! It also means that you can transport together with your entire wedding party to the venue, where you can jam out to some music, sip on some champagne, and share in the excitement together. If you opt for the traditional route, fear not, we have a few tips for you too! We suggest having a place to retreat directly following your ceremony to have a moment with your new husband/wife relish in the matrimony. Also, if you have a large family and you are nervous about missing your cocktail hour, extend it 30 minutes so you can enjoy the festivities and not feel rushed.
GUEST ARRIVAL: While we like to believe that an event as monumental and ceremonial as a wedding would be one of few occasions that our closest friends and family would go out of their way to be on time, one thing leads to another and next thing you know you have missed the shuttle and you are risking missing the wedding all together. Things happen, and people run late for one reason or another. With that in mind, we always recommend to our clients is to buffer 30 minutes from guest arrival before you actually start your ceremony. Knowing this, we suggest that your ceremony start time listed on your invitation be the time that you wish your guests to arrive, and prepare to begin the ceremony 30 minutes out from there. In other words, if you wedding invitation states a 4pm start time, you will be walking down the aisle at 4:30pm. Giving your guests that time to enjoy the surroundings, have a refreshing beverage, sets the right tone for the wedding you worked so hard to plan. As your wedding coordinator, we will do routine head counts throughout guest arrival and once we are at 90% of your total guest count, we will begin the procession the aisle.
FAVORS: Guest favors are always such a sweet & creative way to thank your guests for sharing in your love, however, the unfortunate reality that we often find, is that these lovely items get left behind. However, as your wedding mentor, we recommend you find other ways to treat your guests without spending a large chunk of money that will in the end go unreceived by their prospective owner. Some things to keep in mind while considering favors: 'can my guests fly home with this favor?', ' is this something that I would use?' Some ideas for this might be a fun and interactive Photo Booth or a candy and dessert bar. These are sure to go to use! Edibles are another great option- consider a local confectionery shop where you live or where you are holding your nuptials.
FAMILY & FRIENDS: We often find that family and friends have many, many varying opinions about how things should look or feel for YOUR wedding. While we understand that everyones intentions are good, we also understand that, as your wedding advocate, many opinions can mean much confusion and frustration. Consider finding creative ways to ask your friends and family to help by giving them a specific project or task that they are in charge of for the wedding. This could be planning the bridal shower or bachelorette, party favor assembly, registry shopping, to name a few. The bigger a task you give them, the more involved they will feel in your special day, which means some space for you to focus on your own desires and wishes for your big day. Ultimately, they mean well and are excited to support you, but may not know how.
WEDDING PLANNING: Okay, okay. I know this is going to sound ridiculous coming from us, but trust us, we have your very best interest at heart! We have no doubt in our minds that many of you can handle wedding planning on your own. What we find, is that even the most organized and resourceful of people need assistance when it comes to planning a wedding: something that realistically is foreign territory for most. A typical rule of thumb is if you don't have 15 hours a week to fully dedicate to planning your wedding, seek help, it's a full time job in itself {we know!}. So enjoy this time and let us help guide you. Almost every couple we have had the pleasure of working with comes back to us and says "I was so stressed out and overwhelmed before we brought you on to handle the coordinating of our wedding. We could not have survived this process without you!". We understand how incredibly time consuming each element of your wedding requires, and we want to ensure that you fully enjoy and look forward to the end result. If you can take a deep breath and relinquish your planning to us, we promise you will not be disappointed. Every bride and groom deserves a break, and at the end of the day you should not be running around worrying about anything that we have listed above! Instead, you should be drinking refreshing cocktails, laughing with your friends and family, having an engagement party, and enjoying this milestone in your life.
Bachelorette Party in San Francisco
San Francisco is a youthful & hip city full of bars, nightlife, restaurants, shows, shopping and more. Why not take advantage of all that the gorgeous “city by the bay” has to offer and spend a weekend with your ladies for your bachelorette party. It offers all that is Vegas and then some and for those who want to party AND relax or explore, this is the place for you.
Looking for a place to get some nice cocktails and enjoy a view of the city? Here are our top picks!
Sens San Francisco: this Mediterranean restaurant is located across from the Ferry Building and has a lovely patio with a view overlooking the Embarcadero and the Bay.
The View Lounge: Atop the Marriott on Mission Street, the View Lounge is a rooftop cocktail lounge with a 360 degree view of the best sites of the city. For a chic, hip cocktail spot, this is the place to be! Try their Soma Spritzer, it is our favorite for a refreshing evening cool down.
Water Bar: Also located in the Embarcadero, this restaurant and bar has stunning views on the Golden Gate bridge and the water.
Perhaps you are looking for more of a fun night out on the town. From the Castro, to Polk Street and beyond, there are plenty of great choices to entertain you. A few of our favorites include:
Polk Street Bars: Start at Lush and make your way to any of the number of dive bars and cocktail lounges that Polk Street has to offer. The vibe here is lively and youthful, perfect for a bachelorette party.
Ruby Sky: This nightclub would be a perfect spot for you and your ladies to get bottle service and feel like VIP for a night. Get a little more dressed up and dance the night away to live DJ music and good cocktails.
Tiki Lounge: For a more casual, fun experience, go to the Tiki Lounge and share a Volcano beverage and enjoy the live entertainment. You will feel like you are in the heart of Fiji!
Maybe you are ready to wind down and enjoy a relaxing day with your ladies. Here a few things we love to do to enjoy some r&r in the bay area:
Sailing in the bay: Enjoy a day on the water, sipping on champagne with your ladies and enjoying the fresh ocean air as you take in the stunning city views. If you are able to, sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. There are plenty of charters that you can hire to take you sailing from Fisherman’s Wharf if you or your guests are unable to source this on your own.
Sausolito: This quaint town on the water is north of the Golden Gate Bridge and full of character and charm. With lots of local shops and restaurants, you can enjoy a full day exploring the many house boats that line the city and enjoy some Northern California local flavor.
There are also plenty of fun things to explore and do during the day! Here are a few fun ideas:
Giants Game: With AT&T Park located at the end of the Embarcadero and situated right on the bay, this view and the experience is one not to miss. Sometimes you just need some peanuts and beer with your girls!
Bike the bridge: The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most iconic locations in the world, and on a sunny day what better way to experience its beauty than with a bike ride across the bridge! It will take you around 40 minutes and offers incredible city, ocean and Alcatraz views. Plenty of photography spots on either end of the bridge for you to relax after your bike ride and enjoy the view.
Cable Cars: The cable cars are an easy and fun way to see some of the best and most well known spots in the city. The open air transportation allows for people to take pictures along the way and enjoy all that is the city while seeing some of the top tourist destinations! Hint: Look in the window of the cable cars to see which city or country they are gifted from.
And of course, this city is full of incredible eateries and restaurants to satisfy any taste bud. Here are a few of our top picks for the best girls dinners:
Flour & Water: This hip, new age spot in the Mission is famous for their handmade and house made pastas. I promise you, this is the best pasta dishes you will ever have in your life. You can share a bunch of different styles because they offer half orders and their staff is some of the best we have experienced.
Cotogna: This Italian restaurant in downtown SF offers some of the tastiest pizzas and Italian dishes we have ever tried. The location is ideal and the ambiance is fun and vibrant.
Gary Danko:For a more upscale dinner, we recommend Gary Danko. World renound, this restuarnt offers some of the best steaks and American style cuisine. Located in the heart of one of San Francisco’s most desirable residential neighborhoods, this is an experience sure to please all your guests.
No matter what you are looking for, San Francisco has it all. From relaxing days by the bay, to exciting nights in the city, there is something for everyone. Your ladies are sure to have a blast, but make sure you don’t forget to enjoy a bacon wrapped hotdog before you leave, a SF specialty!
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