Olive Branches + Modern Touches

My clients looked all over the globe for their wedding location before ultimately realizing there was no place more perfect for them than Napa Valley. They chose my newest exclusive property Z Modern Estate in St. Helena for its sweeping views and clean modern lines.

The bride loved a look that was simple and elegant, so we selected Napa's second most popular plant, the olive tree, to carry as a theme throughout the wedding. Upon a fresh palette of white, Kathleen Deery Design incorporated delicate olive branches and green succulents into the arrangements. I brainstormed with Kathleen and Illusions Lighting to devise a unique lighting fixture for their dinner under the stars. Illusions erected long white poles and draped beautiful string lights wrapped in garlands of olive branches. As the sun went down, the glow from the dinner area was simply magical.

Guests danced the night away to the Durell Coleman Band before moving into a late night after party tent where DJ Dojah spun the groom's favorite music. 

Photography by Meg Smith. Catering by Paula LeDuc Fine Catering. Cake by Perfect Endings. Tabletop and tenting by Classic Party Rentals.

SF Happenings: Gump's Bridal Event

San Francisco brides simply must stop by Gump's on Sunday February 12th for their annual bridal event.  Gump's is one of my favorites for bridal registries - guests feel like they're buying something truly special that the couple will treasure for a lifetime. I'll be there, along with the lovely and talented Kathleen Deery. Sip sparkling wine and enjoy a continental brunch by Taste Catering as you take in all the beautiful tabletop items. Hope to see you then!

Q + A with Jim Avila + Darlene Carlson

A couple weeks ago, Huffington Post Weddings featured an article I wrote about wedding day beauty. I hope it proved to be an educational read for brides-to-be and their wedding parties.

The article shares advice from two of my highly recommended Bay Area wedding stylists, Jim Avila and Darlene Carlson. I had an enjoyable time interviewing them for the story, and wanted to share their full Q + A for even more tips on how to achieve a peaceful, beautiful wedding day.


What do you think makes a beautiful bride?

DC: Inner peace and calm reflects your true beauty,and gives you the chance to enjoy the love and happiness of your wedding day.


What is the best thing a bride can do beauty-wise to prepare for the wedding day?

DC: Arrange to have your hair and makeup done professionally on site. You won’t have to fight traffic and possible delays going to a salon. Instead spend your

time enjoying family and friends. You will have a fun and relaxing start to your wedding day.


On a wedding day, what are some of your secrets for a successful flow to getting ready?

JA: Work with a wedding planner or designer whom you know and trust. Do your homework before hiring them, then let them make decisions on the day so all you have to do is be calm and beautiful.

Have a trial with your hair and makeup artist before the big day, you don't want any surprises. Eat and drink your favorite things, but not too much. Brides tend not to eat and that can lead to you passing out.


What are your tips for jewelry on the wedding day for the bride and bridal party?

JA:  Don't wear too much! I don't recommending wearing a headpiece, necklace AND earrings - two pieces are good, three is too much. If you have on too much bling, people look at that and not you.  Your engagement and wedding rings are the most important pieces you will wear that day.

If you have family heirloom pieces, sometimes they work well with the bride's look and sometimes they do not. If it's important to your family that you wear them, consider wearing them only down the aisle or perhaps only at the reception, but not all day.

For bridesmaids, my advice is don't give each one the same thing. They are individuals, so it's nice to give each of these special people in your life something special too.

What are common mistakes brides make with regards to wedding day hair and makeup?

JA: Too much, too big, too overdone. You should look like you did the best job ever on yourself. You do not want to look like you were beat up at a make-up counter and tortured at the hair salon.  Think about how he likes to see you. 

My goal is to make each bride look elegant, chic, sophisticated and a little sexy. Remember this -- women get married, girls don't.

DC: Don’t date your wedding day by picking a trendy style for your hair or makeup. You don’t want to shudder when you see photographs years later.

Any other advice for brides?

JA: In the weeks leading up to the wedding, wear sunscreen on all parts of your body. exposed to the sun. The last things you want are tan lines and sunburns in your photos. If your groom is going to play sports to relieve stress, make sure he wears sunscreen too.

And speaking of grooms, don't let them groom get a haircut on the wedding day. In the week before, yes. But the day of, NO.

Photography by: Elizabeth Messina, kissthegroom.com

As Seen In: San Francisco Brides

I'm excited and honored to be included in the beautiful new edition of San Francisco Brides magazine - such a fun start to the new year.

San Francisco Brides features one of my favorite couples Noelle and Ken, and their elegant winter wedding at City Hall. Creating their creamy white and silver wonderland look was such a pleasure, and I'm excited to get to share it with readers.

The magazine also interviewed celebrity chef Tyler Florence about our wedding partnership. Tyler shares some wonderful insights about his philosophies for a spectacular wedding meal, not to mention a mouth-watering sample menu for a Spring affair.

Be sure to pick it up on newsstands, or flip through the online version as well.

Words of Wisdom: Unique Holiday Shopping in Mill Valley

{vintage cookbook wreath from Tyler Florence Shop, Mill Valley}

Holiday shopping can seem a little stressful and daunting for some, especially if it evokes images of crowded malls and busy parking lots. I wanted to share my recommendations for a perfectly delightful day of gift-buying, one that will leave you with a smile on your face and charming little trinkets to present to your family and friends. 

For fun and unique items discovered off-the-beaten path, I highly recommend heading to one of my favorite little Bay Area towns, Mill Valley. The downtown area is filled with wonderful small businesses, and I always love supporting local purveyors this time of year. Street parking is easy (and it's free for the holiday season!).  Take in the fresh air and enjoy the holiday decorations as you stroll the streets and peruse the quant shops in the area. Here are some of my must-stops:

Summer House & Summer House 57 

{Summer House ~ 27 Throckmorton Avenue.
Summer House 57, the newer furniture shop ~ 57 Throckmorton} 

Great eclectic things for the home including unique antiques, cozy linens, scarfs from Europe, great furniture and pottery from Soule Studio in Petaluma (that I happen to use every day and love it).

Moss & Daughters 

{Two El Paseo Lane} 

Opening this week, Moss and Daughters looks to be the perfect stop for a hostess gift this holiday season. The shop carries an assortment of house plants, orchids, wreaths, as well as charming antiques.

Moss & Moss

{One El Paseo Lane}   

This little antique shop has wonderful gifts, statement pieces, books, and home & garden items...and on Friday nights proprietor Larry Moss treats shoppers to wine and live piano music on the shop's baby grand.

Tyler Florence Shop 

{59 Throckmorton}
One of the best kitchen stores out there, this shop goes way beyond the typical. For food lovers in your life, a stop here is a MUST. They have some of the most beautiful and creative gift baskets I've ever seen - throw in some of Tyler's own products like cookbooks, cutlery, tasty sauces and spice rubs.

Maison Reve

{108 Throckmorton Avenue}
Lovely home and garden shop with French roots, the owner Yasmine fills the shop with treasures and fun things for gifts of all ages.









Once you've collected all your treasures, pop into the bar at El Paseo for a bottle of champagne and the restaurant's new caviar service...after all, you deserve a little treat yourself.

Weekly Inspiration: Fall Flowers

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to share how to capture the essence of fall without using the ubiquitous color palette of red, orange and brown. My long-time colleague Kathleen Deery created these beautiful autumn-inspired flower arrangements for a recent event of mine. Instead of going the traditional route, Kathleen choose pale pink flowers mixed with yellowy green and crimson leaves, and little touches of acorns here and there. Perfectly autumnal, but a fresh and innovative approach.

{photography by Kathleen Harrison}

Sita + Colburn's Halloween Engagement Party

This fall, I had the unique pleasure of planning an engagement party for one of my wedding couples, Sita and Colburn. On Halloween weekend, we turned the bride's family home into a haunted house, complete with cobwebs, misty fog and ghostly creatures lurking in the corners. In fact, my staff and I got into the 'spirit' of the holiday by dressing as zombie maids and a butler to great guests as they arrived at the party.

Daniel Ripley Catering put together an amazing menu of passed hors d'oeuvres, small bites and desserts, including be-deviled eggs, witch hat grilled cheeses and broken finger cookies. This show-stopping engagement cake is by Perfect Endings. Inspired by PS Paper's custom invitations, the three-tiered red velvet cake was a huge hit with guests and a marvelous surprise for the bride and groom at the end of the night.

We've been having a lot of fun at recent events with Smilebooth, a state of the art photo booth camera with lots of custom backdrops to choose from. Guests had so much fun posing in their costumes...just look at some of these fun pictures from the night (including the LASE team, trying our best to look spooky for the camera).