Natalie and Russ at The Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club

Have you ever been to a wedding that served wedding pie instead of wedding cake? We hadn’t either until our bride, Natalie told us she and her fiancé Russ were much more interested in eating pie on their wedding day rather than the traditional wedding cake! Guests clearly agreed, for after Natalie and Russ sliced their wedding pie, adorned with their own personalized “pie toppers”, the All Seasons catering staff dished out Kozlowki’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pumpkin and Apple Raspberry pies as fast as they could!

  Everything about Natalie and Russ’ October 29^th wedding at the Outdoor Art Club in downtown Mill Valley teetered beyond traditional. From their poetic “roast” style vows and ceremony, to a family-style sit down dinner for 142 guests, IDO! was there to help make sure Natalie and Russ’ day was more unique and individual than a lot of what is seen today! With the help of the bride and her creative family as well as a few incredible vendors, we were able to put on one of the most fabulous weddings in the history of IDO! and thanks to Laura Grier of Beautiful Day Photography, we already have some AMAZING shots!

With a dress exclusively designed by Jin Wang herself, Natalie’s look came together with the help of the extremely talented make-up artist Patricia Igbodipe and hairdresser, Katie Nash, who even helped craft the hairpiece Natalie wore on her big day J

As if the bride and venue alone didn’t make your mouth drop, Loop Event’s Anna Hoffman’s simply beautiful floral arrangements complemented the bride’s choice of colors, as well as the couple’s love for succulents! In each arrangement, Anna made sure to individually insert the succulents so guests could take them out and plant them in their garden when they got home. “I wanted to make sure that the plants used in Natalie’s centerpieces could be used more than once,” Hoffman said. When dropping off the arrangements, she made sure to provide plastic containers for the centerpieces so guests could leave with them. “It’s sad how we use these amazing arrangements once but rarely do we get to enjoy them after the wedding is over, so I wanted to find a way for people to do more with them.” 

With any wedding, it’s the subtle details that really adds to the décor and style, and with the help of Kelly Burns-Gaoiran and Melanie Leinweber from Hartmann Studios, we were able to find linens and pillows that complemented both the grey and yellow color scheme as well as the wooded venue; everything from the linens and pillows, to the specialty champagne glasses used for toasting were exclusively provided by Hartmann Studios.

Stan and Gay with All Seasons Catering provided a meal fit for royalty with everything from Roasted Blue Nose Seabass, Grilled Hanger Steak and grilled vegtables to Israeli couscous and Irish mashed potatoes; guests were scooping more than just second helpings onto their already crowded plates! The professional and courteous All Seasons staff made sure every guest was comfortable, satisfied and most importantly, never without a drink! With two specialty cocktails, Cameron Hughes Wine and three different brews of beer provided by the bride and groom’s close friend, Jamie Deitenhofer of Figeroa Mountain Brewery, guests had plenty of drink options to choose from.

Nothing beats a wedding like a live band and Keith Johnson and his All-Stars rocked the house until close to midnight. Playing everything from old-school funk to new-age pop, Keith and his All-Stars made sure everyone at the wedding heard their favorite song at least once! 

All in all, this wedding turned out perfect! It was so nice to get to work with so many great people and at such a magnificent venue, and it was extra special for IDO!'s Production Manager, Molly, since her parents were married here in October over 25 years ago! 

Cheers to Dr. and Mrs. Russell Cole!

For more photos, click here!

TURKEY!!!!

We had the amazing opportunity to visit lovely Istanbul and Cappadocia Turkey! The past few weeks and had to share all of the beauty of the country, culture and the amazingly sweet people living there…Not to mention their beautiful jewels and delicious food. 

The land is mysterious, beautiful, enchanting and extremely sophisticated. Many of the people do not speak English, which makes the land seemed untouched and pure. Plus, it was fun using hand signals and we got to learn a few Turkish words.

We went to the Haghia Sophia, a church build in 537 and converted into a mosque in 1437. This particular mosque was breathtaking for me simply because it bordered the Bosphorus Sea. It was also very neat that we could simply take a boat to the other side and be in Asia. We did that several times J

Two of my favorite stops were the Grand Bazaar, which has over 4,000 stores and the Spice Bazaar. The Spice Bazaar was the most amazing experience of sights and smells that we had ever encountered. While we are clearly did not fit in there, we were treated with great respect and felt completely at ease navigating through the crowds by ourselves without guides. We felt completely safe and enjoyed bargaining for jewels, pottery and trying food vendor stands.

We tried the restaurant Vogue. It had the most gorgeous interiors and overlooks the Bosphorous Sea. The Chef (insert name) served us an amazing menu selection of Turkey’s best cuisine and decor.  Everything we ate was a “Turkish Delight.” We were overwhelmed by all of the Morano glass chandeliers and think they could even rival Italy in that department.

We are thrilled to have had the chance to visit such an amazing place with such rich    culture and sophisticated taste!

-The I DO! Wedding & Event Design Team

www.idoevent.com

www.julienunneventdesign.com

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TwentyFive Lusk

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of dining at TwentFive Lusk, located off of Townsend Street between 3rd and 4th street. The night started off with an amazing introduction to Nikki, the private dining manager. Her background is so unique and colorful. She has traveled with the 3 Tenors, mainly Pavarotti who convinced her to attend Culinary school and when he fell ill, she did just that! After working at the Rubicon and several other SF hot spots, she landed at TwentyFive  Lusk and we couldn't be happier.

The restaurant space was something out of a Kardashian episode (Both LA/NY). Especially the private dining  room. Think old rustic (beams on ceiling) matched with swanky, shiny hot spot decor.

The menu sampling was to die for! Below is a sample of our menu from that night:

 And for the nights you want to just relax have a drink and enjoy great company...there a partioned areas that use to be the smoke house sections from the old meatpacking plant.

We hope you get a chance to dine at this truly unique restuarant!
Thanks,
-The I DO! Wedding & Event Design Team
www.idoevent.com
www.julienunneventdesign.com
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Crumbs Bake Shop!

A few days ago I was pleasantly surprised when one of my friends brought over a HUGE cupcake like dessert for us. I immediately asked her where she found this amazing treat and was told Crumbs Bake Shop on west Madison. (303 W. Madison) The cupcake, I don't know if I can even call it that, was amazing! It was so filling and beautifully crafted, it resembled a mini cake. I would say it had the size of a muffin but the icing of a cake....AMAZING!

Half n Half Cupcake 

This particular cupcake was their Half n Half. White butter cream, topped with half vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with chocolate chip crumbs and half chocolate fudge mixed with brownie pieces.



There is a lot of baked goods competition in Chicago and people need to know what sets the is bakery apart from Sprinkles, Bliss or Phoebe's cupcakes. I can honestly say, I have not had a cupcake like this. It tastes great on its on (and I know this, because I have left overs from the one I bought Tuesday) but it also is fabulous with ice cream- like a birthday cake. I have had tried Sprinkles and all the little cupcake boutiques in Chicago and really have found a hidden gem with Crumbs.

They offer several options: mix and match, a six pack, catering and more... Below are some of my favorite cupcakes and a few pictures of their "Colossal Cakes."

Key Lime

Try their cupcake of the month: Key Lime. Its a perfect vanilla cake filled vanilla butter cream frosted with a tart key lime cream cheese, decorated with white sprinkles around the edge! One of my personal favorites!

Red Velvet

They have the now common Red Velvet cupcake, which even tastes brand new and overwhelming in size (but in a good way!). That is the one that is in my fridge at the moment ;)


They offer a quick and easy solution to online ordering and I have taken a liking to it. Use their iPhone app to make small or large orders!

Their colossal cupcake looks like something a 1 year old would LOVE for that special birthday or even a unique sweetheart table centerpiece.

Chocolate Sundae Colossal 

Squiggle

And for what I am going back for today...the Squiggle! Its not your average chocolate cake...I have passed it twice and now know it needs be tried and its fine because its research...right?

While I can't condone eating them as much as I have since Monday, I can say the next time you are craving a sweet sin...Crumbs Bake Shop NEEDS to be at the top of your list!

If any of you try their cupcakes and love them as much as I DO! please let us know and spread the word!

Thanks again!
-I DO! Wedding & Event Design Team  
www.idoevent.com www.julienunneventdesign.com**follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook**

Sutter Street Garage

We were passing by a street florist on the way out of the Sutter street garage in San Francisco and were inspired by the alliums that they had to share! A modern, elegant, white angular furniture filled room with silver and lavender lighting came to mind.  **tiny versions of the flowers as boutineers would be incredible! 



Allium flowers grow from a bulb and make globe-shaped groups of flowers in lilac, light green, blue, white and pink. They are part of the lily family and the common names for the plant are garlic, flowering onion and onion. ***They can last from five to ten days in a vase.****


The use of this flower is endless and they can be used in the minimalist sense or in a romantic, decorative arrangement. They can range in size from smaller than an inch to the size of a pineapple and can be as small as a few inches to four feet. 

All flowers are known to symbolize something. This flower symbolizes unity, humility and patience. (according to "Brides Magazine: Flower Finder"). 

***Warning for pet owners and animal lovers!!!***

Any plants from the allium family can be toxic to cats and dogs, according to the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association).

Thanks again and we hope these lovely flowers have inspired you. 






The I DO! Wedding & Event Design Team www.idoevent.com www.julienunneventdesign.com
**follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook**

Just say I DO! and WE"LL do the rest!

You’re all set and ready for your wedding day. The only thing to worry about now should be the upcoming celebrations leading up to your big day. But sometimes, as we well know, things do not go as planned.




v  The programs haven’t been mailed in or worse, they are incorrectly spelled…
v  The band forgets the first dance song…
v  A vendor gets their delivery time wrong…and then gets lost…
v  The catering manager leaves when their shift is over (10:00pm)  … your wedding ends at 12:00am.

v  You get your wedding album and you there a no shots of you and your mom with your dress on…
v  The wedding was beautiful and now you and your husband are a tad inebriated and want to go back to your honeymoon suite…you arrive to the room exactly how it was when you left…A MESS!

These are just a few things that have happened at weddings without some type of guidance. Your wedding day and all the days leading up to it should be stress and worry free. Yes, there will be obstacles that may arise; but knowing how to avoid or amend them is how you can ensure a seamless wedding day. The last month will be the most hectic time of all and our job is to make sure you never have to know why!

I DO! Wedding & Event Design offers a unique Month of Package for brides who didn’t need help in procuring vendors, venue and design assistance, but do need help in the final stretch. Services include but are not limited to: seating chart advice, preparation of wedding day timeline and on-site coordination on the day of the event.

While it is not recommend for a bride to think of every possible thing that can go wrong, it is important for her to be prepared. Hiring any type of planner is recommended for the day of your wedding- simply to keep a steady flow for the evening, to deflect any last minute drama that can arise and to communicate with all the vendors before, after and during your wedding. Having a planner that has been with you for the last month will make it easier for you, knowing you have someone who is fully capable of handling any and all problems that come up and also for the planner and vendors you have chosen, so they know who they will be directing their questions to that evening.

Below are testimonials from brides who have used our Month of Package and our overall services. 


Kristine and Steve at Auberge du Soleil…Napa Valley, California "Words cannot express our gratitude for the wonderful job you did with Kristine and Steve’s wedding. It was amazing, beautiful and delicious. Every detail was perfect and couldn’t have been better. Thank you so much!"
Love, Bill and Brenda

Tricia and Jonathan at Maycamas… Ranch, Calistoga
“Words can’t express how thankful we are to you. You have made such a crazy experience enjoyable & easy! I don’t know what Jonathan and I would do without you. We will miss our get-togethers. Thanks for making my special day perfect.”

Carol & Shawn at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel…Los Angeles
“You are truly a saint and the world's best wedding planner. You have made my life so beautiful and I know our wedding will be an event to remember! Thank you for everything–I am so blessed to have you in my life."   

Some more fabulous pictures of our couples and their guests!

Thanks again for reading and we hope this has helped any future brides! After reading this we hope you can sit back, relax and enjoy every moment of your wedding.









- The I DO! Wedding & Event Design Team

www.idoevent.com

www.julienunneventdesign.com

**follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook**