Mendocino Weddings & Events » Vendors

The evolution of a wedding tent

Sonya — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:32:37 +0000

Strike the tent, there’s nothing to it….. wrong!!

I just marvel over the production that goes into striking a tent for an event! Living here on the beautiful Mendocino coast we often (almost every weekend!) are setting up a tent to allow our clients to explore the great wide open, or lean directly atop the ocean bluff to host their wedding celebrations. The crew that assembles the tent has such finesse, they often make it look like they are constructing a pixie stick house for a child to play, however when I get the wild hair to suggest to “not use so many tie downs” they all look at me with crazy eyes and say all at once “no way – you cannot remove that tie down, it is the main thing holding the entire tent up,” so I have to giggle and thank the stars that they know what they are doing and well!

These tents are like an event hall equipped with heaters, flooring, and whatever you desire your look to be, can be created in this space. I look at a tent as a painter’s blank canvas allowing you to paint whatever picture you see for your day’s events. From a oval canvas top tent, to a round style circus tent, or even the coolest of all with a clear top tent (but be careful and make sure you have a tree coverage or this tent is hot, hot, hot inside) can all be used to allow the elements that surround your event to be brought inside with coverage from the weather if it is cool,windy, rainy or hot.

Mendocino weddings can take care of all of your rental needs….

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I do, I do, I do.

Sonya — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:48:13 +0000

Oh… my while writing, I realize how many details Wendy and Jason had in their wedding. What a fun way to take over the village!

The Mendocino Hotel was home for the weekend to all of Jason and Wendy’s closest friends and family, their rehearsal dinner was a beach barbecue on Friday night planned by Mendocino Weddings that included local caterer Karina’s catering, and the amazing band Kevin & the coconuts played the steel drums where Wendy surprised Jason with a song she had learned. It was so fun!)

On Saturday guests were picked up by a trolley, and transported to the Cypress grove where they were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine, handed a “YAY” flag, and listened to Mambo This while waiting for the anticipated celebration to begin. Once the Wendy arrived she surprised her guy Jason with the song “Halo” which was sang by a local singer Sally Wells. As the ceremony was taking place, local artist John Hewitt hand painted the scene with water colors for the couple to take home as a remembrance of their special day. Details in the ceremony were plenty. There was a rose ceremony presented to their mothers, the couple’s rings were passed to each guest for a blessing, their mothers wrapped the couple with colorful, beautiful beads, a reading of love was spoken, and under each 117 chairs lay a river rock brought from the couple’s property where each guest was invited to come up for a blessing and placed the rocks around the couple, forming a love circle. Once the ceremony was complete the guests returned to the circle, picked up their rock and through it over the cliff with a loud cheer. Once the guests had arrived back to the Mendocino Hotel they enjoyed yummy cocktails and appetizers in the main lobby before being seated in the dining room on 3 large godfather style tables where they enjoyed a meal prepared by Mendocino Hotel. Some fun games were played, speeches were spoken, the cake was cut (with a large machete!) and then everyone moved into the garden room that was transformed into a 1940s speakeasy setting. Some guests were even dressed in period clothing!

Wendy had a friend perform a joyous belly dance before the bride and groom swayed to their first dance and to everyone’s surprise ( even mine!) the bridal party pulled off an amazing choreographed dance piece that was sooooo fun! Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rRyKKzHPTQ

Ahhh… the party was fun.

Pablo had his photo booth set up in the corner and at 10:30pm we surprised everyone with 3 beautiful cigarette girls passing treats and cigar shaped savory foods, as well as opened up the hot fudge sundae bar which was a hit too.

So here is the synopsis of Jason and Wendy’s awesome wedding day. Thank you for sharing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg6sCjoYVJo

Check out this slideshow of Jason and Wendy’s amazingly saturated day with details, details, details!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBhEFzfcv_Q&feature=channel_video_title

Slide by: Kindyl Houston

Check out all of these vendors!

Saturday August 28, 2010

Ceremony: Cypress Grove

Reception: Mendocino Hotel

Transportation: Mendocino Trolley

Bride and Groom: Red Burks Hudson

Ceremony music: Mambo this

Beyoncé “Halo” was sung by local Sally Wells as the bride walked

John Hewitt local Artist painted the ceremony as it was happening

Scharffenberger was served at the ceremony

Photographer: Cassandra Young

Food: Mendocino Hotel

Cake: Sharon Garner

Floral: Mendocino Floral Design

Hair: Kali from unforgettable

Make up: Mendocino Beauty

DJ: Aykut events from SF

Videographer: James Burkart SF

Photo Booth: Pablo Abuliak

Lighting and Draping: Matt Rowland Events

Super sweet words from the bride and groom:

“Being a couple with very high standards for all of our personally-planned social events, my husband-to-be and I had quite the elaborate vision for our Big Day. Given that Mendocino is several hours away from where we live, we knew we had a tricky process ahead of us. Quickly coming to the conclusion that it would be impossible to accomplish this vision by ourselves, we looked very carefully for a seasoned wedding coordinator who could make our dream day a reality. After briefly considering a few coordinators outside of Mendocino, we found Sonya at Mendocino Weddings…perhaps it wasn’t so much that we casually “found” her as much as, while inquiring for wedding services, everyone in and around Mendocino and many former out-of-area clients and vendors she’d worked with just raved about the work of Mendocino Weddings. As soon as we met Sonya, we knew – this was definitely our Wedding Coordinator. Throughout the planning process, Sonya was consistently in touch with us, keeping us up-to-date on the planning progress, carefully taking note of our ideas & even building on our vision with inspiration she shared. It seems like every week we left a conversation with Sonya saying- “We love it!”. Her local connections and thorough knowledge of the area made planning not only a breeze, but a fun & exciting experience that Jason & I got to enjoy together. How Sonya & Mendocino Weddings kept so many details together from such a detail-oriented, yet somewhat disorganized pair we were, is beyond me- but that’s exactly what they did. On the day of our wedding, Mendocino Weddings completely brought our wedding vision to life. I’m partially convinced that Sonya has a twin because this amazing woman was everywhere! She successfully went to every effort to make sure everything was in place and that we were blissfully happy. It made me giggle to find that, although I knew what we we’d asked for in our day, I found myself constantly gasping in delight seeing just how impeccably our vision had become a reality. Jason & I had the most incredible day filled completely with love & celebration with absolutely not a care in the world regarding how the details of the day unfolded; we knew it was in the best hands. All Jason & I had to do was focus on one another and share our joy with those we dearly love – it truly can’t get any better than that. Many thanks, Sonya & Mendocino Weddings!”
Wendy & Jason Osburn

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What a wonderful world

Sonya — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:13:27 +0000

Trees of green, red dahlias too, we watch them bloom, and I think to myself, what a wonderful day September 25, 2010 was for Jose and Sara’s wedding day!!

The day began in the ever so encrusted dahlia gardens that were further embellished with many more flowers that were either hung on shepherd’s poles to line the ceremony’s aisle, small intricate vases that hung in the wind, and magnificently lining the wooden arbor. Guests were served Middle Eastern lemon juice and Veuve Clicquot before heading to the amazing Glendeven Inn where they were greeted with signature cocktails in the garden, fabulous appetizers, and local Sergei strung his guitar cascading Spanish melodies in the wind.The guests were invited for a spectacular meal in the courtyard that held hundreds of Moroccan lanterns strung throughout the trees and overhead. The dinner was prepared by Brian and Shennen Morris and their ever so kind and professional staff. Dancing topped off the night in the contemporary wine bar lightly lit in amber orange to set a hip, lounge feeling. Fun was had by all!!!

What a fun wedding for the amazing Mendocino Floral Design. Not often do you get to embellish the dahlia saturated gardens with so many more blooms. Great job!

Photos: Cassandra Young Photography
Food: Morris Catering
Floral: Mendocino Floral Design
Cake: Melinda Ellis cakes
DJ: Modern Music Sound
Ceremony music: Sergei Bassehes
Make up: Mendocino Beauty
Hair: Kali at unforgettable
Equipment: Wine Country Party
Lighting: Matt Rowland Events

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Happy day!!

Sonya — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:14:50 +0000

Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Brown

Today is such an exciting day for many couples to either take the time to enjoy a savory dinner together, go on a stroll through the meadows, or even propose to be married for a lifetime. Oh… so exciting for us all!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Mendocino is such a beautiful back drop for a wedding!

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Toes in the sand!

Sonya — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 01:42:01 +0000

This was such a great wedding. Phil and Brianna were truly the description of total sweetness!

Brianna had a vision of her toes in the sand on the Mendocino Coast and a rustic, elegant, romantic reception following and that is exactly what she got. The wedding was on the beach and the reception was walking distance in an old rustic wooden lodge. With her spring green color palette, hundreds of candles, and all of the little details that they had posing against the old grain wood made this wedding so Mendocino. Phil and Brianna were such a treat and Phil we all loved the fedora hat!

They also were the couple that won our wedding giveaway in the spring which included an amazing private dinner at the Cliff House located at the Botanical Gardens.

Food: Mendo Bistro
Floral: LR Farm
Photo: Amanda Archer
Cake & cupcakes: Sharon Garner

DJ: Modern music sound

Ceremony music: Joel Andrews harp

Equipment: Matt Rowland Events

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Shaadi Mubarak ho aur dher sari badhaiyan

Sonya — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 02:56:14 +0000

”Shaadi Mubarak ho aur dher sari badhaiyan” means Happy wedding to you and lots of happiness!

Albert & Sonia: Sunday August 1 2010. Albion California.

I am in love with this Hindu wedding and the people that I met along the way!!!
Sonia and Albie were the most amazing couple. Both recent graduates with their masters at Stanford University the month prior, having a wedding in Mendocino on August 1, and moving all of their guests that had traveled from India, New Zealand and every place in between to Chicago for a second wedding on August 7 was only the beginning of this enriched couple.Every detail was amazing and to this day the mandap that the ceremony took place is the most beautiful structure that I have ever seen. I had the privilege to assist the officiate during the ceremony that lasted many hours atop this gorgeous platform and it is a memory that I will keep dear to my heart forever. From the fruit, nuts, herbs, milk, honey, yogurt and fire that all symbolize the true value of marriage, purity, fruitation, and sweetness!

Words from the couple: Sonya Houston is the best wedding planner we could imagine. We actually held events in Mendocino and Chicago, so we got to compare two different wedding planners. That made us realize how lucky we were to find Sonya in Mendocino.

Sonya seems to know everyone in the area. She showed us locations we would never have found by ourselves. She found creative solutions to every problem.

Through the entire process she was an absolute pleasure to work with, always listening to us, and going the extra mile. On the day, we didn’t have to worry about a thing. Everything exceeded our expectations.

Mendocino is a wonderful place to have a wedding, and Sonya Houston is a wonderful wedding planner.

Photos: Charlie Gesell
Floral: Mendocino Floral Design
Cake: Franny’s cup & Saucer
Food: Mendo Bistro
Equipment: Wine County Party
Lighting & Draping: Matt Rowland events
DJ: Aykut
Musician: Gene Parsons

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Oh….blog, blog, and more blogging!!!

Sonya — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:55:15 +0000

Ok… I must admit that I like to perform the tasks of planning, researching and executing all the tiny details that it takes to create each seamless event that we are part of at Mendocino weddings. When it is time to write about the wonderous day,savory foods,abundance in floral design,or whether it was elegant, whimsicle, or a vintage affair, I am really negligant at the upkeep, however I would like to weave the readers through what an amazing year that we have had for 2010!

My hope is to begin with a few part series of the weddings that we have done, adding some detail and description of the fun days that we will remember for a lifetime

Guy and Sarah: Saturday June 26 2010 . Booneville California

This was such an amazing wedding!
Their inspiration was to have an outdoor country fair at a vineyard. There were food stations throughout that ranged from an oyster bar, outdoor pizza oven, Paco’s taco, bbq with smoked ribs and traditional mac & cheese, cheese station, yes even a candy table for guests to have a sweet treat.

Local wines were served, and yes they even had a mechanical bull!

Guy and Sarah, as well as their families were such a pleasure to work with and fun was had by all!!!

Brides kind words: Sonya, you made it all happen. You are just amazing.

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Planner vs coordinator

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 03:02:09 +0000

Pablo Abulaik Photography

I often get asked the question:

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WEDDING PLANNER, WEDDING COORDINATOR, AND DAY-OF PLANNER?

Professionals in the wedding business all have the same intention of providing you with a seamless, stressfree day, however it is important to know the difference between the roles when researching assistance.
All wedding planners are coordinators. Not all coordinators are wedding planners.

Wedding Planners
Despite what you may have heard, did you know that hiring a wedding planner (also called a wedding consultant) can be a huge help and save you money? If you’re planning on hiring a wedding planner, you’ll want to do so as soon as you start planning. They’ll help you search for the perfect venue and find great vendors that will fit within your planning budget. (In fact, a great planner will have relationships with vendors and will often be able to introduce you to professionals that maybe you could not find on your own.) Once you’ve booked your vendors, they’ll oversee the relationships with each, and help pull everything together. The wedding planner generally steps you through every process ranging from invitations, bridal gowns, tuxedo rentals to guest accommodations, welcome gifts, and total design of the event.

Wedding Coordinators
A wedding coordinator is a lot like a wedding planner, in that they help you organize and pull together your wedding details, but they may not handle quite as much as the traditional planner would. For example, your planner will sit down from day one to help you dream up the wedding colors, style, and decor theme and help you negotiate contracts and book vendors, whereas the coordinator may just stick to finalizing all your vendor business after you’ve made the major decisions. They will most likely handle contracted work primarily, but are not always limited to this only. Be sure you’re clear on the extent of the services they’re willing to provide when you interview them to make sure you’re going to receive all the support you’re expecting.

Day-of Coordinators
A day-of coordinator helps you get everything done on your actual wedding day, but isn’t really involved before the big day. You meet beforehand to fill them in on who’s who and what’s what and exactly how you’d like the day to play out. They will then be in charge of handling all of your vendors and set-up on the day of your wedding, as well as any type of clean-up or post wedding duties needed, so that you and your family members can just relax and enjoy the day. A bride who plans to be very hands-on in her planning process will love the idea of a day-of coordinator. It allows her to enjoy all the ups and downs of the planning, without having to worry about seeing it all through until the very end.

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Sweet Moments

Sonya — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:14:21 +0000

Perlman photography

We have drawn the winners to our Romantic Getaway. Congratulations Phil and Brianna!

This super sweet couple will be spending an amazing weekend packed full of exciting adventures including:

An engagement shoot offered by J Perlman photography http://jperlmanphotography.com/ ,

A make- up session with Amy before the shoot that is sure to make Brianna sparkle http://www.mendocinobeauty.com

An exclusive dinner for 2 in the cliff house with a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean at the botanical gardens http://www.gardenbythesea.org/

A savory meal prepared by Karina’s catering http://www.karinascatering.com/

The décor of the cliff house will be provided by Matt Rowland Events http://mattrowlandevents.com/ along with the floral arrangements provided by Mendocino Floral Design http://www.mendocinofloraldesign.com .They finish off the feel of this private, romantic evening for Phil and Brianna.

And after a fun filled, romantic day, they will tuck into the Glendeven inn http://www.glendeven.com/ to rest up for their upcoming wedding on July 10 2010. How exciting!

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Enter to win a Romantic Mendocino Getaway Package

Sonya — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:07:58 +0000

Mendocino Weddings specializes in weddings that you will remember for a lifetime.

Enter to win a Romantic Getaway package valued at $1500.

Book a Mendocino Weddings site tour and you will have a chance to win a Romantic Getaway package valued at $1500.

• Candlelight dinner for 2 in the Botanical Gardens Cliff House including live music, beautiful flowers by Mendocino Floral Design and a fantastic meal by Karina’s Catering at sunset.

• Engagement shoot by J.Perlman R.Lutge Photography.

• Complimentary make-up by Mendocino Beauty for the engagement shoot.

• One free night stay at the Glenedeven Inn.

• Sponsored by Mendocino Weddings and Events.

Mendocino Weddings specializes in weddings that you will remember for a lifetime.

Rules.

To be eligible to win, the client must book a $150.00 site tour with Mendocino Weddings by February 28, 2010. The site tour takes about 3 hours and you will tour 8-12 sites. These sites are secluded and private and range from the rocky coastline, magestic forests, scenic vineyards and many places beyond. The drawing for the package will be March 1, 2010 and the package must be used no later than by March 31, 2010.

Contact: Mendocino Weddings & Events | 707.937.3109 | email@mendocinoweddings.coMendocino Weddings specializes in weddings that you will remember for a lifetime.

Enter to win a Romantic Getaway package valued at $1500.

Book a Mendocino Weddings site tour and you will have a chance to win a Romantic Getaway package valued at $1500.

Candlelight dinner for 2 in the Botanical Gardens Cliff House including live music, beautiful flowers by Mendocino Floral Design and a fantastic meal by Karina’s Catering at sunset.
Engagement shoot by J.Perlman R.Lutge Photography.
Complimentary make-up by Mendocino Beauty for the engagement shoot.
One free night stay at the Glendeven Inn.
Sponsored by Mendocino Weddings and Events.
Mendocino Weddings specializes in weddings that you will remember for a lifetime.

Rules.

To be eligible to win, the client must book a $150.00 site tour with Mendocino Weddings by February 28, 2010. The site tour takes about 3 hours and you will tour 8-12 sites. These sites are secluded and private and range from the rocky coastline, majestic forests, scenic vineyards and many places beyond. The drawing for the package will be March 1, 2010 and the package must be used no later than by March 31, 2010.

Contact: Mendocino Weddings & Events | 707.937.3109 | email@mendocinoweddings.com

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