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Prior to starting my business back in 2002, I worked in the hotel industry. The last hotel I worked at was a little French Chateau looking property in the East Bay called The Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa. Last week, the Fab 5 was invited to LPH for a wedding industry luncheon, so of course I jumped at the chance to go back for a visit. It was lovely.
The Lafayette Park Hotel is described by some to be a mini Ritz Carlton in the East Bay. It is such a charming property with so many fine details. From the collection of books in the library that guests are welcome to take home with them to the apples in the lobby, to the fireplace by the pool, there are so many wonderful qualities about this hotel.
The Fountain Courtyard is a gorgeous setting for a wedding ceremony and the newly redone Independence ballroom is a perfect size for dinner and dancing.
The Hotel also has another smaller Wishing Well Courtyard which is perfect for more intimate sized ceremonies, rehearsal dinners, etc.
Oh, and can we say Fabulous Spa!?? When I was working at LPH, they built the spa and during the start-up process, the massage therapists had to complete so many hours of massage before the spa could open to the public. Needless to say, I had many a La Stone Therapy there. The spa is beautifully done and so soothing.
I asked Becky Aramayo who is the Social Catering Manager at LPH to tell me her 5 favorite things about the hotel and here they are:
1. Charming outdoor patios complete with fountain and wishing well
2. French Chateau architecture
3. Award Winning Restaurant – The Duck Club
4. Poolside setting next to the Spa
5. Tasteful guest room décor
In closing, I have to say that The Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa has it all and is a very quaint and unique place to hold a wedding or any other type of even for that matter. Even a weekend getaway would be great there. It’s quite a romantic setting.
Thank you so much to Becky K. Aramayo, Social Catering Manager & Peter Dyckes Director of Sales and Events and all the rest of the wonderful staff at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa for hosting such a lovely event.
Michelle D. Martinez (aka: Mama Michelle)
Our good friend, Kathy Goodman with Well Rehearsed, is hosting a fashion event just for moms! This event is specifically for Mothers-of-the-Bride & Groom to help them in selecting their rehearsal dinner & wedding day attire. We sometimes find that moms have a difficult time finding the perfect attire, so we're glad Kathy created a special event just for them.
With style and finesse, we began with a marvelous effervescence of an Old Cuban Cocktail lusciously concocted with White Rum & Prosecco, garnished with Fresh Mint, offered from a champagne flute.
Savoir faire catering that enchants the palate and soothes the soul. We tip our hats off to Betty Zlatchin Catering for a delectable dining delight that’s certain to arouse your taste buds.
Every couple of months, the FAB 5 gets together (over a great meal, of course!) to discuss the latest and the greatest such as sharing the latest trends, ideas, exchanging referrals and inquiries, what’s hot & what’s not, vendor issues (quite of these), and naturally the juiciest gossip (quite a lot these). And today we missed having Nicole (Lisanne) join us - we missed you girl!!!
choices awaits guests at Pres a Vi, all reflecting executive Chef Degala's commitment to global cuisine. Chef Degala infuses each dish he creates with flavors and tastes from around the world, which includes Spanish, Filipino, French, Italian and Latin American influences. Chef Kelly Degala’s small plates ($9-$19 each, three recommended per person) include lots of cool and hot meat, fish and seafood options with Asian and European accents. For Brunch offerings, among the tantalizing examples you should indulge in is their Eggs Benedict - robust in flavor with Kurobuta Ham, Chive Hollandaise, English Muffin and Country Style Potatoes ($12) for a warm start on a Sunday morning. This “paradise of gastronomy” continues with a Salmon Omelette with Pecorino Romano Cheese ($12) …….. mmmm, just leaving you to beg for more.
kes with Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing, Rich Chocolate with Espresso Cream on top and Buttery Pound Cake with Mixed Berry Icing ($8). And to tease and tickle your sugar palate are their Profiteroles – Cream Puffs filled with Vanilla Custard Cream, topped with Warm Bittersweet Chocolate and Caramel Sauces ($8). Pair these off with a refreshing glass of Mimosa or even fresh squeezed Lemonade, and your Sunday's set!
On Monday, three of the fab five got treated to a lovely lunch and site tour by Lauren Cherry at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco in Union Square. What a nice venue, with so many options to have wedding receptions as well as ceremonies on site. We saw that they can accomodate anywhere from 20-500 guests, and some of their event spaces have stunning views of San Francisco.
Dear Fabbbb Brides with no gown,
In preparation for our big move to our new storefont in downtown Campbell, Gabi of Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier is throwing a sample sale May 29th and 30th at their Los Gatos location located at 104 University Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95030!!!
Gowns will be 50-70% off!!! This is your chance to have a designer gown for less!!!
Call or e-mail us to make an appointment at 408-399-9393 or appointment@gabriellesbridal.com
Happy shopping ladies!
Love,
Nicole (aka #5)
Last month we were invited by Elaine Herman of La Bonne Cuisine to come into their Berkeley kitchen for a tasting and of course we couldn't pass on such an offer, being that we all love food.
Buy My Wedding?
I recently came across a website that really got me thinking. www.youbuymywedding.com is a website that couples can sign up for which allows their guests to basically donate money to their wedding. It’s an interesting idea. Of course, proper etiquette would shun this idea, but it is a service that seems to really speak to the times we are living in with the current state of our economy.
How is the economy affecting weddings? I can say that from a wedding business owner’s prospective, it is a totally different world. I met with a bride not too long ago whose fiancé is a professional athlete and scored one of the biggest multi-million dollar contracts in history. She was concerned about her $100K wedding budget for 300 guests. I was stunned! 2 years ago, people were throwing money at weddings without blinking an eye. Today, it’s a whole new ball game.
As Wedding Consultants, part of our job is to ensure that we are getting the most for our client’s money. This does not mean discounts; this means that we are ensuring that the client is paying fair market value for what they are getting. There has never been a more important time than now to hire a Wedding Consultant. We know how much things cost for weddings. We know if a client is being taken advantage of. We are the Bride & Groom’s advocate and we follow a strict ethic to always be loyal and look out for our client’s best interests, especially when it comes to spending money on their weddings.
We would love to hear from you. Comment back to us. If you are a someone planning your wedding, what is your wedding budget and how many guests are expecting? Has the economy effected your wedding budget at all? If you are a vendor, how has this economy changed the way you run your business now? Are you more inclined to stick to your rates, or have you made any adjustments?
Thanks for reading!
All My Best,
Michelle D. Martinez, CWC
The Fab Five
Some of the Fab Five were able to attend the vendor mixer at the Hotel Vitale in San Francisco last week. It was a wonderful evening for an event on the terraces at the Hotel Vitale, as the temperature reading was about 92 that day. The event staff at the Hotel Vitale made us feel so welcome, and were showing us some of the newer spaces they have available for smaller events. The food was amazing and so was the company! It is always nice to see and catch up with other vendors in our industry. Here are a few photos Duncan took of the evening:
Sunna from Hotel Vitale and Amber from Hartmann Studios
Kathryn and Duncan
Carmelized Onion Pizzetta
The Steel Drum Band 
Janae Shields from Janae Shields Photography & Kathryn
Hotel Vitale is a great location for a wedding under about 125 guests, and is located in one of the most beuatiful locations in San Francisco. Even if a wedding isn't a possibility there, the suites and terraces are great to have a welcome cocktail party, rehearsal dinner or day after brunch. Many couples stay there even if their wedding is off-site and get ready with the bridal party in one of their gorgeous suites overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Plus, the terraces are wonderful photo ops for pre-wedding photos! Check them out for more information!
Cheers!
kathryn aka special k
The Fab Five
MB getting beautiful 
Then, we hopped in the car and drove about two blocks (ha!) to La Bonne Cuisine Fine French Catering where a delicious meal awaited us. I want to say there were six courses plus appetizers, but I lost count! Either way, it was absolutely wonderful, and we really got a sense of their style and food presentations. Check out our next post for the full story about La Bonnne and photos from our tasting.
We then went back to Michelle's where the funny and charming Andrew Weeks was waiting for us to take our photos. We wanted to have fun with this shoot, and he was the perfect man for the job! He made us all feel at ease, and also made sure we looked our best. We made the set look like we were designing a table top (with rentals so graciously donated from Classic Party Rentals, Burlingame). We will definitely post those once they are ready.
It was a long day, but as always, we discussed wedding industry issues and personal struggles. It's always nice to have the other four to bounce ideas or problems off of, and gain more from each time we're together.
Cheers,
The Fab Five
