May 27, 2008

• Zesty Vendors, Part II – Party Pieces

  
  Venue
  The Clarke Estate [Tamra Wilbur]
  Highly Recommended
  10211 Pioneer Blvd.
  Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
  562.868.3876
  www.santafesprings.org/depts/history/Clark_estate.asp

  
  As soon as I pulled up to this venue, I knew it was
  perfect for our wedding. The well-kept grounds, the
  charming courtyard, the splashes of red, all the bamboo,
  the Modern architecture, and the expansive outdoor areas
  met our aesthetic criteria. On the practical side we
  loved the relatively reasonable rental fee (it’s more
  of a steal if you are a city resident) that includes
  use of chairs and tables for up to 300 guests, 10 hour
  use of the estate (7 hours of which guests can be on
  the grounds), city-required security, a site coordinator,
  and ceremony sound equipment. ample parking is provided
  a short walk from the main gate of the estate, only
  one event is held at a time, and the expansiveness and
  variety of the grounds allows you to hold both ceremony
  and reception at the same venue, a must on our list,
  while still varying the feel of each portion of the
  wedding. There are a few regulations that must be respected
  due to the historic designation of the estate and its
  residential neighborhood, but none of the stipulations
  were deal breakers for us. Their BYO policy for food
  and alcohol allowed us to save quite a bit on catering
  costs as well. The estate’s events coordinator, Tamra Wilbur, was professional, pleasant to work with, accommodating
  of any special requests, and wonderfully organized in
  her dealings with us, our wedding coordinator, and our
  caterer. 

  

  Coordinator
  Events of Love and Splendor [Angel Swanson]
  Highly Recommended
  
  angel@loveandsplendor.com
  www.loveandsplendor.com

  We initially thought our budget did not have room for
  a coordinator. However, we wanted to insure that things
  would run smoothly, we did not want to impose too much
  on guests, and we wanted to be able to enjoy the day
  ourselves. While I was very happy with all top three
  coordinators (on my list) I met with, Angel stood above the rest. Her poise, genuine enthusiasm for her clients and weddings,
  and amazing, current sense of style set her apart. No
  matter the look and feel you are going for in your wedding,
  she has an adaptable and keen eye for what will (and
  will not) contribute to the big picture. She is organized
  and professional but also has an ideal personality,
  in my opinion, for a coordinator – sincerely sweet and
  affectionate toward her clients, diplomatic, and nice
  but firm + assertive when required.

  When my original alcohol vendor flaked out two weeks
  before the wedding, she went over and beyond her contractual
  obligations in helping me make sure our guests did not
  go thirsty. On the day of, she and her assistant, Anna,
  made sure everything ran smoothly and on time while
  being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She cued
  all of the vendors, the bridal party, our families,
  and us subtly and at appropriate times. Our other vendors
  commented on what a pleasure she was to work with. many
  of our guests commented on what an organized yet fun
  and laid-back wedding ours was, and that is due in large
  part to Angel’s work.

  
  Caterer
  
  Elegant Affair Catering [Pete + Julie Ortega]
  Recommended
  800 N. Main St.
  Orange, CA 92868
  714.532.0114
  www.eacevents.com

  I love delicious, beautifully presented food. However,
  with our modest budget and moderate guest count (145), O had to find a caterer who made solid (if not crazy
  excellent) food for a decent price. With the help of Elegant Affair, we did it! we got a three-course sit-down
  dinner, all china/drinkware/flatware/linens rentals,
  some disposable wares (please feel free to clutch your
  pearls now), a few miscellaneous rentals (bar height
  tables for cocktail hour, a bar, etc.), cake cutting service,
  champagne toast service (which we didn’t use), cold
  drink station pre-ceremony, coffee station, bar staff
  to serve our BYO alcohol, and waitstaff for less than
  $50 a head.

  While their food is not the most gourmet, it is definitely
  tastier than most wedding banquet food I have had. The
  presentation was sufficient but didn’t wow. However,
  the food was fresh and tasty, service was excellent,
  and everything was a really great value.

  
  Cake
  
  For the Love of Sugar [Sarah Witt]
  Highly Recommended
  sarah@fortheloveofsugar.com
  www.fortheloveofsugar.com
  

  Her specialty is cupcakes, but she can do pie, cookie
  favors, and cake as well. Cake decorating is definitely
  her forte, but the cakes, fillings, and frostings are
  all fresh and delicious as well. I gave her an inspiration
  image, and she took it from there, producing exactly
  what we wanted. I wanted cream cheese frosting for my
  outdoor, August wedding, and she agreed as we pushed
  the delivery back to early evening and promised a shady
  area for the cake table. While putting together the
  contract, she threw in fondant over the cream cheese
  frosting for free, as she wanted to make sure the cake
  stayed pretty and safe to eat. On top of it all, she
  is definitely one of the most affordable bakers in the
  area.  

  
  Alcohol Supplier
  Wally’s Wine [David Othenin-Girard + Judi Wallace]
  Highly Recommended
  2107 Westwood Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA 90025
  310.475.0606
  www.wallywine.com

  My original alcohol vendor flaked out a little less
  than a week before the wedding. We wanted someone who
  could help us calculate quantities of alcohol/mixers/garnishes/ice/etc.
  to provide a full bar, provide delivery and pickup services,
  and would also accept returns on unopened bottles. I had frequented Wally’s previously for special occasion
  bottles of wine, but I never knew they also frequently
  cater parties. They provided us with a quote very quickly
  and made placing the order very easy for us. Their prices
  are comparable to other retailers, but they do offer
  volume discounts depending on what you need.

  
  DJ
  
  Mixterious Force [Joey Inez]
  Highly Recommended
  jinez@verizon.net

  Due to sound restrictions, we had to use a DJ from
  the venue’s pre-approved list. After talking to many
  cheesy DJ’s off the list that were asking for quite a bit fee-wise,
  my husband finally found Joey. He was everything we
  wanted in a DJ/MC and more. He is laid back, organized,
  and completely respects your specific desires. He went
  over and beyond in setting up for our three different
  areas–ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. As an MC, he was not cheesy at all, only announced the things
  we asked him to, and made sure he was on the same page
  as the other vendors involved in each event he announced
  to insure smooth flow. As a DJ, he stuck to our lists,
  edited our long lists down very nicely, did a great
  job mixing (no awkward transitions or silences between
  songs–a peeve of my husband’s, who used to spin),
  and also did a good job of reading the crowd and adjusting
  as needed. An added bonus was that for some of our more
  obscure, older hip hop, he was even able to dig records
  out and actually use them as he has both CD and vinyl
  turntables. Many guests complimented both his MC and DJ skills, and a fellow wedding-obsessed friend and recent bride in attendance
  even commented that she was so sad she had not hired him as well. You’ll see the dance floor moves he inspired in my next entry!

  Previously blogged reviews:
  Zesty Vendors, Part I – Visual Record
  
  

  • 3:51 pm
  • 1 Comment