Friday, September 10, 2010

Thank yous

We just received another wonderfully sweet note from one of our happy brides & grooms that brightened our day & we wanted to share it with all of you. We love getting your feedback & hearing we are succeeding at our goal of making magic moments for couples that are married at Porter Valley.

If you had your wedding or event here, please post your review on http://www.theknot.com/http://www.herecomestheguide.com/ or  http://www.weddingwire.com/ to share your experience with other soon-to-be brides. And thank you for celebrating with us!

Dear Julie,
We can't thank you and your staff enough for making our wedding day everything we could have wanted! We had so much fun and have so many great memories because of your hard work.
Gratefully,
Nico & Christina Marinelli


Don't you just love custom stationary? No better way to announce your new last name than with a classy thank you note like this!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Real Wedding Inspiration: Kyoko & Patrick's Detailed Japanese & Greek Culture Infused Wedding

The last wedding we had in August this year was definitely worthy of the beautiful weather we had that day. Kyoko & Patrick's Wedding Reception at Porter Valley Country Club was one to rival the best this Club has seen. They took a great deal of pride & care in planning every aspect of their wedding & it showed. Check out the highlights below!

The escort table welcomed guests reflecting Kyoko's Japanese heritage with a gorgeous Asian purple paper umbrella (in the couple's color scheme) & wooden frames with photos of the couple to add a personal touch.
The escort cards were perfectly in theme with tiny origami paper cranes that Kyoko made herself perched on each card. Paper cranes are a symbol of peace & it is said whoever folds a thousand paper cranes will have their heart's desire. Perfect for her to start on that quest with this happy occasion!
Next the guests were escorted out to our terrace to enjoy wine, champagne, & a multitude of hors d'oeuvres selected by this gracious couple for their family & friends to enjoy.
After going outside for refreshments & appetizers, guests began moving in to the lounge that Patrick & Kyoko designed in our Homestead Room which incorporated their wedding colors with purple throw pillows & white modern lounge furniture. Plus some extra tables for seating were set up for those who wanted to mingle inside.
Guests were then welcomed in to our grand banquet room to be seated for a lovely dinner. The couple decided to go the extra step to make the room look customized & upscale by renting natural wood chivari chairs. The usual white chair covers with colored sashes look very nice too, but the chivari chairs change the whole look of the room & make it much more complimentary to the Asian Zen feel they wanted.

No details were overlooked in this wedding, even the linen was upgraded to this gorgeous textured ivory linen rented for a minimal cost. (insider tip: Ask your rental company or venue to find out how much they would charge for an upgraded linen with a texture or pattern that compliments your decor style. Prices can range from $10 and up to the hundreds for custom made linen, so the sky is the limit of what you can create depending on your budget. The overall effect of this upgrade makes a wedding look so much more luxurious, it is certainly worth the extra amount to get this result for your wedding.)

The couple's table setting with special coordinating ivory napkin linen for the bride & groom
At each place setting guests found a menu card designed by Kyoko along with the traditional Greek favor, Jordan Almonds, that are usually given in an odd number which are as indivisible as the new married couple should be
The table numbers were also chosen by the couple & looked adorable resting on their small easels with an added bow with pearl detail that matched the menus perfectly.

The sweetheart table was given the royal treatment with speciality linen & swagging across the front to create a dramatic effect. Also the three floral arrangements & purple votive candles brought in the couple's color scheme & made the table look especially romantic. (insider tip: Votive candles are very inexpensive but add such a warm, romantic mood to the room that all couples should consider using them for their evening weddings.) Not to be left out, their chivari chairs were further dressed up with matching upscale sashes tied sweetly with a rose on top of the bows that matched the detail of the table swagging. A table fit for a queen & king!
To satisfy their guests with a sweet tooth, Kyoko & Patrick thoughtfully picked out their favorite sweets from both of their cultures. Not only were they delicious, but also the mini sized treats made for a beautiful display...
The mouth watering close-ups...
Yummy Greek Baklava!
Photo credit: Allen King
Another Greek fav, Kourabiedes (sugar cookies) were amazing as well.
Photo credit: Allen King
Japanese wafers called Monaka with intricate flower designs looked perfectly elegant.
Photo credit: Patrick Martin
Next, the cake table! This time I was thrilled because it was so fancied up, I could faint! I love the extra effort they put in to make it special with the upscale linen & lace billowing over the cake stand like a cloud of fluffy gorgeousness! Ah! Love!
Ok I am calming down a bit now, but wait! I almost left out the bride's beautiful bouquet! Van Nuy's florist, which is one of our recommended vendors, did a lovely job on all the flowers for this wedding & I think this delicate all white bouquet was the perfect choice for the bride's glamorous, princess like gown.
The dinner was marvelous, the dessert table with yummy Japanese imported & Greek desserts was the perfect cultural addition, & of course the whole party was fantastic! Now that this wedding is over, I truly am sad to say good bye to the new Mr. & Mrs. They were so involved with the wedding planning from day one & visited us often to make sure it was perfect. They were a pleasure to work with & we wish them all the best in their picture perfect life together.

Congratulations Kyoko & Partick!