Meet AnnaMarie Bonura in 20 Questions

Next on our roster in one of our exceptional Associate Planners,  AnnaMarie Bonura.  After the first event she worked with us back in 2008 we new that she had “it”. . . that elusive quality that makes you a great event coordinator.  A mix of smarts, attention to detail, go getter-ness, confidence and a calm, cool + collected demeanor.  She has always been ready to roll with the punches and she’s a big ‘ole softy to boot.  See answer #2 – she’s not exaggerating. .  I’ve seen it !

For all these reasons (and many more) we feel totally confident passing off our meticulously planned weddings for her to produce on-site without losing a wink of sleep over it. (big words from a wedding planner I ensure you !)

Here are AnnaMarie’s answers to our 20 questions !!

1. What sparked you interest in event planning initially ?  I had just graduated college with a degree in Psychology. I wasn’t ready to go into a Master’s program and was trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. Then one day I watched, The Wedding Planner, with Jennifer Lopez. I became obsessed with the idea of being a wedding planner. Hey, inspiration can strike anywhere!
2. Whats your favorite moment from a wedding you have worked on ? My favorite moment, at every wedding I’ve been apart of, is when the bride walks down the aisle. I tear up every single time!
3. What career would you pursue in another life ? Stunt car driver.
4. Mountains or Beach ? My husband taught me to snowboard 2 years ago and now I’m hooked. Mountains!
5. Cook or Bake ? Cooking, it’s my meditation. I find it so much easier to be able to experiment. Baking is a precise science that I just don’t seem to have the knack for.
6. What are your favorite smell ? The smell of my new baby boy, Sebastian.
7. What is your favorite flower ? Ranaculus, the delicate, papery, layered petals and the vibrant colors. LOVE!
8. Do you collect anything ? Just the opposite. I can’t stand clutter so I’m constantly purging the house.
9. What would your superpower be if you could choose one ? Endless energy so I could accomplish all those things on my “Someday” list.
10. Do you like your own handwriting ? Sure do! I’m constantly being complimented on my handwriting… wait until you see it.
11. Whats the best thing you’ve ever eaten ? Where did you have it ? My Amachi’s cooking (grandma). She gave me my passion for cooking and I strive to be as good as her some day.
12. If you had a pet pig what would you name it ? Petunia
13. What visually inspires you ? Pinterest. Enough said.
14. What are your favorite color combinations ? Yellow and grey. It feels modern, sophisticated and fun.
15. Who is your favorite wedding dress designer ? Gonna stick to the tried and true… Vera Wang. I love what she can do with tule.
16. How would you describe your personal style ? I prefer comfort over beauty. Dress, tights, boots and a cardigan!
17. What celebrities style do you admire ? Gwen Stefanie. She looks amazing any time she steps out the door. She clearly knows what works best on her and she exudes.
18. If you could take an all expense paid trip, where would you go and what would you do ? Australia. It’s a childhood dream… snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, Moonlight Kayak Tour of Melbourne, visit Uluru.
19. What is your favorite time of the year ? Fall. No contest.
20. Do you have any hidden talents ?  I’m a pretty good organizer. Give me a messy closet and a few hours… I’m in heaven!

Meet Jesi Diab in 20 Questions

Having been in business for over 11 years we are fortunate to have developed a great team of associates who assist us both on site and in the office.  Their names and faces might not appear on our website, but we certainly couldn’t be the well-oiled machine we are without their support.

In an effort to introduce these exceptional ladies to clients and our vendor partners, I have assembled 20 questions I asked each and will be posting them weekly.  So don’t forget to keep checking back in !

Let me tell you, the answers I have been getting back are pretty eye opening to me!  Who knew you could work next to somebody for years and NOT know they always dreamed of owning a mini pig ?

First up is Jesi Diab, future mini pig parent, and assistant.  She is our go-to gal for running errands around SF, Napa & Sonoma and for hours of tedious research (she swears she loves it).

Here are Jesi’s illuminating answers to my 20 questions !

1. What sparked you interest in event planning initially ?  There was never one isolated facet of the industry that attracted me…  It was more of a slow accumulation of different hobbies along the way—my interest in art, coupled with an interest in organizing social get-togethers—that led me to my “ah-ha!” moment when I realized event planning brought these all together.
2. Whats your favorite moment from a wedding you have worked on ? I will never forget the first day I helped Jennie Janzen at the Beaulieu Vineyard. Driving down the tree-lined entrance, there was something about the sun shining through the leaves and the sound of a beautiful wedding behind me, that I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
3. What career would you pursue in another life ? If Darcy Miller, Editor-In-Chief of Martha Stewart Weddings, ever needed a break from the good life I would fill her shoes in a heartbeat.
4. Mountains or Beach ? North Lake Tahoe!
5. Cook or Bake ? Cook… I love experimenting with new sauces!
6. What are your favorite smell ?  Fresh laundry.
7. What is your favorite flower ? White hydrangea.
8. Do you collect anything ? Martha Stewart Wedding magazines.
9. What would your superpower be if you could choose one ? To pause time.
10. Do you like your own handwriting ? I actually find it relaxing to take notes in cursive.
11. Whats the best thing you’ve ever eaten ? Where did you have it ? Gott’s Roadside Burger in Sonoma after my first day of work!
12. If you had a pet pig what would you name it ? Grandpa Ludo (inspired by Ludo from Labyrinth).
13. What visually inspires you ? Vintage lighting like an old bulb string lights.
14. What are your favorite color combinations ?  Fire-engine red, lavender-grey, and white.
15. Who is your favorite wedding dress designer ? Monique Lhuillier.
16. How would you describe your personal style ? Let’s just say… I can’t remember the last time I didn’t wear a sundress and boots
17. What celebrities style do you admire ? Rachel Bilson.
18. If you could take an all expense paid trip, where would you go and what would you do ? I would go to the Poseidon Underwater Hotel and sleep in a glass-ceiling room and harness my inner Little Mermaid.
19. What is your favorite time of the year ? Fall… You just can’t beat our Indian Summer.
20. Do you have any hidden talents ? Painting and typing at extremely high speeds.

That’s Amore !!

Annadel – that’s Amore!

We love Annadel and were glad to have shared in the celebration with Emine and Dante.  Here are some outstanding photos from Jesse Leake who, I have to say, must think about the inevitable album while he’s shooting the wedding!

 

Thank you to outstanding vendors:  Sage Catering, Got Light, Cherries Flowers, DJ Nik, and Classic Party Rentals

Click here for the individual image gallery

Melissa’s Favorite Design shots from Weddings 2011

Just a few standout pics we wanted to share from a spectacular 2011 wedding season !

Grand Staircase & Lounge in South Cort at Asian Art Museum.  Photos by Lisa Leftkowitz Photography, florals by Hunt Littlefield

Ceremony in the Court of Honor, tented dinner on sculpture garden terrace, lounge in Legion of Honor cafe. Photos by Anna Kuperburg Photography, Florals by Hunt Littlefield

Tent at Meadowood, photos by Lauri Levenfeld, florals by Tracey Radeff Studios, inviations by A Day in May

Legion of Honor, Dining Table in Gallery 10, Lounge in Gallery 12. Photography by Gia Canalli, flowers by Cherries

Same Day Videography Edit

One of the newer trends in wedding videography is the “Same Day Edit”.   At first I was a bit skeptical about the execution of this concept and if it would truly add value to a videography contract.

After seeing this video below played at Midnight at Jenny & Tyler’s wedding I was a skeptic no longer !  There weren’t many dry eyes in the house after this played, and I know the bride enjoyed watching this on loop the day after the wedding.   Who doesn’t love a little bit of instant gratification ?

Here is the video from the uber talented team at Aqua Vivus Productions :

Rainy day in June ?

Every couple of years mother nature throws us all in the wedding industry for a loop.  Late may, early June was a doosie with full days of heavy rain the likes of which the Napa / Sonoma Valleys hadn’t seen in over 30 years.

Although things might not be able to go exactly as planned, there is hope that a beautiful event can still be created if you have talented and dedicated professionals to help you execute a feasible Plan B.

Even with a change of ceremony location and last-minute tent Kendi & Matthew enjoyed a great party with their closest family and friends at Bardessono in Yountville.   They even got a respite in the rain for some canoodling and photos among the vines.

These two might not be lucky in wedding weather, but isn’t lucky in love what we all really want ?!?!

Take a peek at some of the photos of the day by Stephanie Pool for Lisa Leftkowitz.

Praise !

With wedding season revving up we are reminded of the joy we feel when a client is in love with how the big day turned out !  I keep all my thank you notes from years past as a reminder of the satisfaction of a job well done.

Check out this note from Melissa’s client from her wedding last weekend.  Notes like this warms our souls and makes all the hard work worth it !

Melissa,THANK YOU so very much for helping us put the best wedding we’ve attended thus far! Really, I want to see who can beat it! But above all thank you for having such a beautiful personality!! You have no idea what a difference it made throughout the entire process! All went according to plan! I have no complaints at all but praises and applauds for you!! Well, well, way and way well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Big hug!

Marilyn

Off the Beat’n Track

Uber-hip couple, Charissa and Brett, both in the apparel industry cobbled, created, and invented this DIY wedding.  MAP was super excited to help out and set everything up, then staff the front of the house service and bar.  Catering was via the Roli Rotisserie Food truck which rolled in with whole chickens already slow roasting in their travels.

Slide Ranch is located on the rugged Pacific Ocean hillside between Muir and Stinson Beach.  Guests were transported from SF on a Unified School bus.  Upon arrival they were greeted with water and directed past the goat and wild turkey pens down the 1/4 mile trail to the ceremony site on the cliffs.  The Slide Ranch staff was amazing to work with and helped in everyway.  Wheelbarrows came in handy!!

Cocktails, dinner, and dancing all happened back at the Yurt.  Brett and Clarissa enlisted flowers from a friend and purchased all the mason jars, napkins, pillows and butcher paper to decorate the picnic tables.  Guest loved the Mission-made donuts (in lieu of cake) and the flashlights to find their way to the portables and fit pit in the woods.  The DJ was Brett’s friend out of the UK.

Max Wagner did an amazing job with the photography – a total match for the couple!

Enjoy !!

Rustic in Nicasio

Every little girl loves horses, but Rebecca’s love was so infectious that the rest of the Hersh-Boyle family found themselves falling in love with all things equine too, and eventually purchased Edgewood Equestrian Facility in Nicasio. They all spend hours a week exercising and caring for the horses, and the ranch serves as a peaceful retreat from their bustling lives in the city.  And so when Rebecca, a veterinarian student,  got engaged to Steve she set her eyes on the ranch as the spot that she wanted to seal the deal.   Luckily just down the road was an atmospheric Bar & Restaurant called Rancho Nicasio, where they hosted cocktails with grilled oysters and a family style dinner of bbq ribs and organic grilled vegetables on the back lawn. The danced and had a variety of mini-desserts indoors after dark – embracing the rockabilly dance lounge vibe in every way.  Thanks to Sasha Gulish for capturing the day.

Sweet Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club Wedding

One of our favorite things about weddings are when a couple integrates something personal and sentimental into their wedding day.  For Kellie, a talented local artist, it was hand painted details that had everybody cooing.  Her invitations were literally, a work of art – and the sweet painting of birds in wood shadowboxes she used as her table numbers also ended up being special gifts to her bridal party and family at the end of the night.

Handmade details, a sunny June day, a lush garden setting and the GORGEOUS Claire Pettibone wedding dress made for a special day for Kellie & Alex and these amazing photos captured by Gia Canali. These photos are also featured on Once Wed Blog.