'Two-thousand and eighteen was another stellar year of heartfelt abundant love.  I was fortunate to have been a part of so many newlywed couples' Big Day, contracted as either an officiant or wedding coordinator.  

Last year found me in some wonderful venues again, among them, San Francisco City Hall, Boundary Oak Country Club, Concannon Winery, Casa Real at Ruby Hill, Wente Vineyards, Ravenswood Historic Site, Dunsmuir Estates, Elliston Vineyards and south to Saratoga Springs just to name a few.

I also had the opportunity to work in a few venues I wasn't familiar with previously like the Wild Oak Saddle Club in Santa Rosa, Hiddenbrooke in Vallejo and Chouinard Vineyards in Castro Valley.  

As I read the responses to the questionnaire I have all couples complete, love sparked between couples who met in college, some as far back as high school, a few met at work yet the majority continue to make that love connection online.  

Some of my clients have stayed in touch from prior years, sharing photos of a newborn or an adopted puppy; I appreciated receiving holiday cards, email updates or being friended on Facebook.

I'm thankful to be a part of such an important milestone in this journey of love and life.

​Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
--Saundra

​T stands for Transportation

As a planner and coordinator, I find that many couples overlook the importance of transportation on their wedding planning task list.  It is actually a practical matter; you both don't want to drive to the ceremony and deal with two cars at evening's end.  The fun part is deciding what kind of car best suits your style and the theme of your Big Day! 

When considering transportation for your wedding party and out of town guests you can consider everything from a cable car to a luxury coach.  One of my Bay Area group transportation favorites?  Black Tie Transportation in Pleasanton.  A great team of professionals--customer service agents who you'll work with to establish service and their drivers of course! 

Whether ordering a limo or "coach" or a trolley car through Classic Cable Cars, either company will ask you for the estimated number of passengers you'll need to transport, as well as, the pick-up and drop-off locations.  You'll want to ensure you know the minimum contract hours--most are 4 hours.   When you get the contract you'll see a section titled PAX, that's transportation lingo for the number of passengers.  Luxury vehicles, including vintage ones, can often be rented for a 2-hour minimum, SF Bay Area couples might consider utilizing DriveVinty, they have a good selection of chauffeur driven vintage car choices.  

Have a favorite vehicle, but don't want to spend money to rent one?  Be inspired by the photo below, certainly do-able for the DIY couple.   

Yes, despite all the commercial and residential building that continues in the Bay Area, you can still get horse drawn carriages too.  This one  for a wedding I coordinated at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.

Are you thinking of eloping during the summer or early Fall months?  Then I'd highly recommend you consider a yacht charter through Passage Nautical.  You can arrange embarkation points at either Jack London Square or Point Richmond.

I hope this post has left you feeling inspired.  
​--S

My three favorite wedding related words that begin with the letter "S" are:

STATIONERY
I love stationery;  I could spend hours looking for just the right message, the feel of the card stock, not just the front of the card, but the back too.  You could say I'm a stationery geek.    Enough about me.  You have lots of choices--a digital invitation sent by email, traditional 'send in the mail' invites both with an awesome array of designs from whimsical to opulent.
Minted.com has a "all-in-one" design; the RSVP detaches from the invite which makes for a less bulky invite and likely no extra postage needed.    GoldenMomentDesign Co. an Etsy featured company, is the place to find acrylic invitations, perfect for family members as a keepsake from your special day.

SONGS
Some couples think they need to stick to the traditional wedding procession songs to have a nice wedding by their guests standards.  I caution against that kind of thinking; don't allow yourselves to be limited.   Here in the Bay Area many couples take advantage of all the wonderful outdoor locations in which to be married.  Whether it's Faith Hill's "Breathe" or Billy Joel's, "Just the Way You Are" or this Elvis classic, "Can't Help Falling in Love", by either Andrea Bocelli or Haley Reinhart.    Love the melody of a particular song, but don't want the lyrics for your Big Day?  You might enjoy the Piano Guys, this one a piano/cello cover, but Piano Guys has a great variety from which to choose.  So many musical choices!!  Don't forget you'll want a Recession song too!  I highly recommend something up beat as you celebrate your union.

SEATING CHARTS:
Every smart planner knows the importance of a seating template.  If you are hosting a buffet-style or plated meal during your wedding reception you'll want to utilize a seating template in figuring out where your guests will be seated.  To master that tedious task easily visit Etsy for a variety of choices in both design and of course printed size.

Public Marriage License - In California, a Public Marriage License is required to be legally married and allows for your ceremony to take place anywhere in the State of California, requires at least one witness who is present at the ceremony and the record of marriage is made publicly available.  

A confidential marriage license differs in the following elements:  Parties to the marriage must be living together already, there are NO witnesses required, your wedding officiant is NOT considered a witness; and the record of marriage is ONLY available to the named parties on the marriage license. Celebrities typically obtain confidential marriage licenses, but anyone may request one.

Marriage Licenses can be obtained at any California County Clerk's Office.

NOTE:  I reference California requirements because this is the state in which I reside and am most familiar with the regulations.

Plated meal - you wedding reception guests are served by wait staff vs a serve themselves style buffet.

​

Procession - The entrance of the Bridal Party and ultimately Bridal Couple, which is the official start of your wedding ceremony.  You'll want to think about the music you want to accompany this important aspect of your wedding--something traditional or modern or a sentimental favorite.​

We'll start at the beginning!

Arbor or Arch:  is used to create a focal point where vows will be exchanged during a wedding ceremony.  In the Jewish faith, the arbor/canopy is known as a Huppah; in Hindu weddings, it's known as a Mandap.  DIYers, visit this site for arbor and arch ideas and craft instructions.

Congratulations! If this topic interests you, I'd imagine you are newly engaged. After putting together your spending plan, you'll next begin the process of gathering information to find and book your ideal venue. The Internet will allow you to get the first level of your choices narrowed down, those that fit within your spending plan and those that do not. Keep in mind that if you're planning your wedding in the San Francisco Bay Area during the months of May, June, September and October you'll pay premium pricing because these months are considered peak wedding months--venues and professional service providers are most in demand and simple economics come into play! December can also be expensive only because you may also be competing with companies who are also booking venues for their holiday parties. Which day of the week you book your wedding is also a factor that affects your pricing. Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Sundays are second in expense to Fridays and Saturdays. If most of your wedding guests are local, you might want to consider a week-day evening wedding, with daylight savings time, a summer mid-week wedding may be ideal for you. Wedding 'high' season will likely be very different if your thinking about exchanging your "I Do's" in the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera or other international destination. Need an experienced thought partner as you start this process? Contact me, I'm happy to help. I Do X Two - Wedding Planning/Coordination/Officiant Services.

It's no surprise that the San Francisco Bay Area remains a top "Destination Wedding" locale.  Though California does not require you to be a U.S. Citizen to grant you a marriage license, you will need to check with your country marriage officials/registers to determine if the marital paperwork we provide you will be sufficient, or if an Apostille is needed.

What's an Apostille?  It's a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961.  

I've officiated ceremonies for a few couples who are UK residents, and happily arranged to get the requisite Apostille document up at our state capital.  How can I be of service to you?