When the bride is a vendor. . .

Elyse and Steven chose the rustic but elegant setting of Annadel Estate Winery for their very intimate wedding of 60 (mostly family).   Elyse is a floral designer and prepared all the flowers for her wedding herself.

We helped her set it up, following her hand-drawn schematics, on the day, so she could be the bride!

Got Light, Paula Le Duc Fine Catering, Pick Pocket Ensemble, and DJ Nik, and photographer Ingrid Nelson of Myrtle & Marjoram did their small part to make this a perfect wedding.  Even threat of rain did not deter.

Both moms made the Wedding cake and the grooms sister did the hair & makeup!  Even Mike Bandaof Golden State Portables (also a relative) contributed extra clean fancy portables!!

Every family should be so talented!

Visit Elyse’s new floral website :  willowfloraldesign.com

This wedding was also featured on Style Me Pretty.  See the post here !

Classic & Chic in San Francisco

This wedding quite possibly captured some of the best that San Francisco has to offer. . . the classic beauty of the Flood Mansion in Pacific Heights for the ceremony, and the chic contemporary yet historic background of the Ferry Building for the reception.  Thanks to Lisa Leftkowitz for the gorgeous photos!

Preppy at Beaulieu Garden

Thanks to Lori Paladino for the beautiful images from the bright and cheery event !

Lucky!

This has been an amazing year for MAP Events and we feel particularly lucky to have had the opportunities we have had this year. We will be sharing the photos as we get them.
This past April, I felt very fortunate to have had a wedding on a stunning property, with a sophisticated couple, agreeable weather, amazing vendors, and perfect timing.
I met the stylish Bettina and followed her up Sage Canyon Rd to her then fiance’s property in St Helena. I must admit, I silently said to myself…”This is going to be tricky!” She wanted an April wedding, on a hillside and slanted cement road outside a beautiful stone wine cave with an amazing view of their vineyard and Lake  Hennessey. . .   and she didn’t like the looks of tents! I promptly called Classic Party Rents for a wood-framed, 3-sided, clear top tent, and prepared the property manager (with his skeptical raised eyebrows) for “Road Closure” and days of property disturbance!
Luckily, the next door neighbors are the Chappellets who offered their beautifully manicured Meadow for the ceremony. I crossed my fingers for good mid-April weather!
Luckily, Bettina is artistically inclined and got very involved in the design aspects with amazing engraved invitations and menus cards (art pieces themselves). Michele Papineau put her amazing calligraphy touches on top.
Luckily, we worked with Radeff Design Studios to create a classic, yet soft, environment with flowers, furniture, and drape
Luckily, Durell Coleman was available and flew up with his band to light up the dance floor with R&B tunes
Luckily, Paula Le Duc exists as a catering company and Sound on Stage exists as a sound company! “Perfect IS just fine!”
Luckily, all the guests arrived promptly on shuttles for ceremony and cocktails in the Meadow and just as the weather dropped below 70, it was time to head for the winery, a short wine tour, and second cocktail in the wine cave before entering the dinner tent!
Luckily, it didn’t rain as was forecast earlier in the week and we could keep the side of the tent open to the vineyard –with glowing up-light in the vineyards below.
Luckily, the Bryant Family wine doesn’t suck – ha!

Luckily, Meg Smith shot the wedding and we have these great photos to remind and inspire…

Beautiful San Francisco

Although they are rare, a couple times a year we here in San Francisco enjoy a spectacular spring weekend.  It seems like the whole city comes alive as San Franciscans venture from their apartments and revel in their amazing city.  As we are looking forward to a great weather forecast for this weekend I am reminded of a wedding that hit the jackpot in April with another one of those golden San Francisco weekends.  Although the Bride now lives oversees she always held a place in her heart for San Francisco – and it looks like for her loyalty the weather gods blessed her with a perfect San Francisco Day. Hope you enjoy a sneak peak of some amazing pictures from the lovely and talented Liz Banfield.   This wedding was also featured in Brides Magazine, check out the spread here on our Facebook Page :

Laura & Scott’s Wedding

I stumbled across some photos on Michelle Pattee’s blog – and some great photos from an event Melissa coordinated last year at the gorgeous Beaulieu Gardens in Napa. Besides being a beautiful event – it was a rocking party.  Below is one of my favorite picture from the day – I was glad to see that the event decor actually came in handy for this wedding guest. . .

You can find more pictures and some descriptions about the event here :

http://www.mavenmichelle.com/2009/01/laura-todd-and-scott-androns-wedding-at.html

Annadel Estate Winery

Sometimes when I am hearing a couple explain the vision for their wedding day, I immediately get a sense of their personalities.  This was the case with Maggie & Will, and every step of the way it was a joy to see them realize their vision. They really had fun with their wedding planning, and kept the focus on food, family and treating their guests to a fun and casual day.  And there was no other better place then Annadel Estate Winery for such an event.

Annadel is one of those stunningly rustic venues that seemed to have jumped straight  out of a magazine. Located in the heart of Sonoma County’s Valley of the Moon, it is the type of secluded private property you might never find out about unless you were “in the know”.  Occupying 40 acres of vineyards, heirloom rose fields and woodlands, it was originally built in 1880.  This venue is booked through Paula Le Duc Fine Catering (www.paulaleduc.com) – and this is what they have to say about it :

” The center of Annadel’s event space is the courtyard surrounded by rough stone walls several feet thick and over twelve feet hight.  Roses, grapevines and other flowers cover the walls to make a lush and romantic setting for a wedding ceremony or the perfect place to dance the night away . . .  Beautifully manicures lawns stretch to the edge of acres of garden roses that scent the al fresco dining area.  The property also features a rustic barn which may be incorporated as part of your event”.

But don’t take their word for it – look at the amazing way that Meg Smith (www.megsmith.com) captured the sweetness and fun that was Maggie & Will’s wedding.  They used the open air ruins for their ceremony, then while guests dinned on the lawn that they covered with a Zephyr tent, the crackerjack team at PLD swapped the space and turned it into an amazing after-dinner lounge, complete with a variety of desserts and an espresso bar.