Monday, June 27, 2011

Real Wedding Inspiration: Evan & Naomi's Romantic Wedding

We've been so busy at Porter Valley with weddings & private events almost every day that I haven't been able to keep up with updating you on all our amazing past events. But finally, here is another wonderful wedding that I've been meaning to share with you all!

Evan & Naomi were a great couple to work with and their romantic burnt red, black & ivory colored wedding last November turned out perfectly! They couldn't have been a nicer couple and we felt very fortunate to be chosen for their wedding location.

This wonderful large framed engagement photo was placed in the foyer for guests to sign as they walked in and several smaller framed photos of the couple were displayed on the reception table, along with the guests' seating cards, to add a personal touch.
 The wedding arbor was beautifully adorned with rich, burnt red floral arrangements. The guests enjoyed a breathtaking view of the lake and our gorgeous fountain as the couple said their vows.
 I don't usually post pictures of our brides & grooms, but Evan & Naomi were kind enough to share these with me. They were taken by their photographer, Christian Mejia, and I think they captivated this loving couple's special day really well.

Here the boys line up infront of the golf course for a fun photo op'.
(The little ringer bearers were so adorable!)
 The cake was designed by one of our preferred bakeries, Jaqki's, and looked so elegant with burnt red flowers to go with the rest of their decor.
 This was one of my favorite shots of the sweet couple. They were really enjoying their moment (and the strawberries)!
 Congratulations to Evan & Naomi!
Also, a special update for you all, they recently welcomed a beautiful baby boy to their family!

We are so happy for them and we wish them all the best!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Knot Best of Weddings 2011 Results Are In! Porter Valley Voted a Best Wedding Venue!

Best Of Weddings

Check out all of this year's winners!

*Also available on newsstands now in the Fall/Winter 2011 edition of The Knot Southern California!

Thank you to all our lovely brides & grooms who voted for us again this year. We couldn't have done it without you! Porter Valley is proud that we have made your wedding dreams come true. We look forward to helping other newly engaged couples celebrate their happily ever after at our Club.

Congratulations to the rest of the Porter Valley Private Events Team, Banquet Staff, Catering Department, & Kitchen Staff and a big thank you for your outstanding work this year!

Warmly,
Ana & Julie

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Real Event Inspiration: Porter Valley Prom

Summer is approaching & Prom Season is here!
Porter Valley had it's first of the year yesterday with a great school that chose a regal maroon & champagne gold color scheme.

Here's a sneak peek at their Prom's set up...


The check-in table which was later staffed by a group of friendly chaperones


What's for dinner? An amazing buffet of course! They dined on everything from Prime Rib to garlic mashed potatoes to a cascading fresh fruit display

The room looked very classy with their choice of upgraded maroon colored underlays & champagne organza overlays

The terrace was glammed up with cabana draping by our designer of choice, Flowers on Mars, that looked even more dramatic at night


The cupcakes for dessert from Delicious Bakery were customized to go with the colors & style of the Prom. I think they looked too good to eat!

The dance floor, before it was packed with excited Seniors, had a custom gobo light that projected a design on the dance floor (by Flowers on Mars) as well as warm red toned uplights adding color to the walls of the room
All in all, this was a night that many of these young men & women won't soon forget & we were happy to be a part of making it special for them.

Congrats to the graduating class of 2011! Best of luck!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Real Wedding Inspiration: Veronica & Brian's Romantic Lavender Wedding

While eggplant purple was a popular color last Fall, the more subtle, lavender, tone this charming couple chose suited them very well & gave their wedding a nice, soft, elegant look.

This neat little box with inserts for photos of the couple was the perfect card box.

Also at the reception table, guests found their place cards which were delicately decorated with gem stones to add sparkle.


 For their glamorous ceremony, the couple also upgraded their aisle decor with these pedestals & sheer draped white fabric, designed by one of our preferred floral vendors, Pure Elegance. The flowers on top of the pedestal were later moved inside during cocktail hour for 6 of the tables as was the center spray on the arbor, which doubled as the sweetheart table arrangement. 
Insider tip: to save money, make your ceremony flowers do double duty! Ask your florist & venue for help in making the most out of your floral budget by helping you move pieces from the ceremony setup inside while you mingle with your guests after the ceremony.


The room looked very pretty when it was all set before the guests came in from cocktail hour. They chose lavender overlays & white napkins to incorporate their color scheme.


The head table with the center spray from the arbor was fit for a king & his queen.


As their favors, the couple chose mini customized bottles of olive oil & balsamic vinegar. I really appreciate when you get something at a wedding that you can actually use, or in this case eat!


And of course, the cake! This gorgeous one was designed by my personal favorite preferred bakery, La Creme, which means it also tasted great!
Insider tip: Remember when you go on your cake tasting appointment, that the taste of the cake really does matter. It'll be the last impression you leave on your guests & though a fondant & diamond decorated cake might look great for pictures, there's nothing like a tough, dry tasting cake to spoil the evening.
But obviously, this gorgeous, moist, buttercream frosted La Creme creation was to die for!


Congratulations again to our fun loving couple Veronica & Brian!
We hope you enjoyed your day & continue to celebrate your milestone moments with us.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Real Wedding Inspiration: Jenny & Rene's Sunny On a Rainy Day Wedding

With how unpredictable the weather has been lately, I thought it fitting to post this recap of a wedding we had at our Club this past November where the weather turned sour, but the wedding stayed sunny. This goes to show that just because the weather forecast calls for storms, doesn't mean you have to let your wedding turn gloomy!

For this wedding, we fit the entire ceremony under the terrace and pulled down the clear plastic partitions to keep out the rain, but still allowed for the guests to admire the view. Plus with heaters under the terrace keeping the guests toasty and the sunshine yellow color scheme the bride picked out, you almost forgot that it was pouring outside!

The weather turned out nice for this couple and the rain stopped just in time for the ceremony, so they were very blessed with a bright, beautiful wedding after all!

These were the stylish programs they had made that also acted as fans (though today it didn't end up being hot, it's a very pretty presentation). We had people handing them out as they walked in and just before the ceremony I had a small table placed near the door and put a few spare rose petals on the table so late guests could pick one up as they walked in.

Speaking of walking in, this was the reception table that guests were greeted with as they arrived. The couple chose not to have it covered with linen to show the natural wood grain of the table that went well with their theme.

I thought this fingerprint tree was a nice idea for them to have as a keepsake. They asked their guests to stamp their fingerprint on the canvas. They didn't have anywhere to put the trash from the wipes they thoughtfully provided their guests to clean their fingers off from the paint, so I brought out this small basket that worked perfectly.

Also in lieu of a traditional guest book, the couple chose to have their guests sign this decorative plate and leave them a message that they could appreciate for years to come.

Instead of seating cards waiting at the front for guests to find out what table they were at, they went with one of my preferred ways to do it, having the names listed alphabetically by last name on a seating chart board. They decorated it according to their theme and it looked really nice, plus I think it's faster than searching through cards for your name and makes everything much more organized and streamlined.

They did have seating cards though, which were placed at the individuals' tables for them to find once they came in from the ceremony. They handmade their seating cards with cute yellow paper owls & a swirly tree branch. Also in this photo below you can see the fun table number signs they made and the favors, which coincidentally I used to love eating when I was younger-Pocky sticks! They bought the dipped cookie sticks in two flavors (only the best, chocolate and strawberry!) which I made sure to place on the tables alternating each color so that everyone had a different flavor by their place setting (in case they wanted to trade and it looked nicer).

Another special request for the bride, we set up a small table near the front so they could place their bingo game that they planned to play during the reception. This was a first for us, but your wish is our command!

Also in the room, the couple rented a photo booth which normally would be out on the terrace but due to the weather we thought it worked best inside. Since it was white, it actually blended in well with the decor of the room and would be used more than if it were outside and it started to get cold.

These were the beautiful tall yellow and white centerpieces that they chose for their wedding which made the room look really bright and sunny.

The sweetheart table also looked lovely with the additional flowers that were brought in from the arbor after the ceremony was over. It was definitely still bright inside and out as you can see despite the earlier threat of rain.

Finally, my favorite aspect of any great wedding. The cake! I loved how it was decorated with yellow orchids and we added the flowers around the table from the ceremony arbor as well to make it look spectacular. Our Club also added a chocolate dipped strawberry to each plate, so the guest got an extra special treat!
We hope you are enjoying your happily ever after Jenny & Rene- Congrats again on a gorgeous wedding & best wishes for your life together!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Event Inspiration: Porter Valley's Winter 2011 Wedding & Private Events Showcase Recap

Thank you to everyone who attended our Wedding & Private Events Showcase including our wonderful brides & grooms who came for more inspiration to help them plan their weddings at our Club as well as potential clients who are still shopping around & stopped in to see what we have to offer. We hope you found it informative & enjoyable. 

If you didn't make it, we missed you, but here is a photo tour of all the highlights so you can get some ideas yourself. Enjoy!

We set up four demo tables for our couples to see different color combinations with several upgraded linen, chiavari chairs, centerpieces, & sashes so they could visualize what a few extra rentals can do to the look of your room decor...

My favorite for a Spring or Summer event, the Peacock inspired table

Runner up, the Royal Wedding inspired silver table


Red Hot Love inspired wedding with linen & chair covers included in our package with two sash rental options

Tuscan Villa Honeymoon Getaway inspired wedding

A glamorous Sweetheart Table with dramatic rented King & Queen chairs.
Chris, our fantastic Banquet Captain is at your service awaiting the royal couple

Next, our ceremony set up facing the golf course & lake...


The white arbor included in your package & chairs. Our evening Inclusive package also includes a center spray of flowers on the middle of the arbor (shown on the Sweetheart Table where we usually move it after the ceremony)

Another upgrade option, sheer white curtains draped cabana style on the terrace to create a romantic mood by our preferred lighting & design company, Flowers on Mars
Looking in on your private ceremony & cocktail hour locations

Now take a tour inside the banquet room, including a to die for lounge area setup, & meet our preferred vendors...

Our friendly bartender ready to pour you a drink at a modern bar we rented for the evening

This lounge furniture was newly designed by our preferred rental company with color changing LED lights inside to give your party a night club vibe. They also lended us the manzanilla trees with uplights to make a dramatic change to the classic look of the room

You can't go wrong with a vegetable or cheese & cracker display at your wedding during cocktail hour (though we found most of our guests preferred the less healthy, sweet choices we filled the room with)

Exhibit A. Who would choose vegis over an ice cream cookie sandwich? Our Chef baked up these delicious treats & put out lots of fun toppings so you can customize your dessert
Next, just to tempt you further, we brought in the cappuccino bar available from our preferred vendor. What better way to send your guests home than with a little caffeine buzz?
And what goes perfectly with coffee? A chocolate fountain of course! Take a dip & see if you want to offer this for your wedding guests. Their sweet tooths will thank you!

Of course, our favorite bakery ladies from La Creme were at the show to meet our brides & grooms & hand out samples of their delicious cakes. They are always so helpful & professional, we love working with them

La Creme also brought by some cute engagement ring topped cupcakes to put our guests on a further sugar high
We dressed up the cake table with specialty linen & displayed one of La Creme's designs in style

As if there wasn't enough food, we also had hand passed hors d'oeuvres throughout the evening with some included & upgraded hors d'oeuvre options to further tempt your palette

Meet one of our favorite florists, Elizabeth, from Van Nuys Flowers who made all the lovely centerpieces for our Showcase & always takes care of our brides & grooms


So many beautiful arrangements by Van Nuys Flowers. I don't envy the bride who has to choose from all these designs!

Mary & Xavier from Vito Esposito Salon in Beverly Hills came by to offer their bridal beauty packages to help transform you into a Hollywood goddess for your big day

Live musicians always are a great addition to help set the mood for an upscale party

Need a photographer? Ann Rotsten is a true professional & offers our couples the best deal in town
Our preferred videographer, Terry, has been working with us for years & will make sure to capture every moment of your wedding

Lastly, another popular add on, the photo booth, will keep your guests entertained all night long!


Our Banquet Room with elegant chandeliers, large wood dance floor, & floor to ceiling windows offering a dramatic view of the golf course & lake is the perfect place to celebrate your wedding
The Private Events Department, Ana (myself) & Julie enjoyed meeting & mingling with you all. Thanks for stopping by!
If you have any questions about any of the upgrades or design ideas in this post, feel free to send me a message at ana.vick@ourclub.com so I can help you coordinate your wedding details.

If you are still deciding on a wedding venue, come by any time for a tour & let us help you put together your dream wedding.

Congratulations!