Santa Cruz Wedding
The Ultimate Santa Cruz Wedding Planning Resource
Susan Helgeson PhotographyWe found Susan online and were immediately struck by her website and beautifully shot, artistic photos. This was exactly the type of photographer we were looking for. We called Susan and booked her for our wedding. The package we ordered included 6 hours of photography, a disk of all of the photos and a $300 credit towards any pictures we choose for print. We met Susan about two months prior to our wedding day. At our appointment with Susan, we discussed the package we were interested in, we went over the wedding day plan, and we looked through her wedding albums.
On the day of our wedding, Susan came with her assistant. Both Susan and her assistant were so kind and so professional.
The pictures came out even better than we thought! The photos are amazing--even better than we'd hoped for! We loved working with Susan and would happily recommend her to anyone in the Santa Cruz area in need of a grade-A photographer.
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A-List MakeupThis review is for Kathy Ly
I choose A-List makeup for my wedding because they have a huge network of talented makeup artist. When I contacted them, Kathy responded to my inquiry right away and provided me with her portfolio. I was amazed with her work and how beautiful she made everyone look. When I scheduled a trail run with Kathy she listened to the type of design and style I wanted my makeup and hair to look like. She duplicated the hairstyle that I showed her from the magazine with ease; like it was her own creation. She also closely matched the makeup color to my skin tone without making me look like a ghost. What amazes me is that she has good memory and remembered the little details that we talked about.
I have a big bridal party of 7 bridesmaid, 2 mothers, a flower girl and an additional guest to get their hair and makeup done. Kathy made the arrangements with 3 other MUAs and ensured that she and her team was at the site on time. What a relief that felt to me! My wedding was in Santa Cruz and they were there promptly at 11am. Kathy and everyone finished on time within 3 hours and made everyone so pretty. Additionally, my bridesmaids were on a tight budget and Kathy worked with us on finding the best MUAs for our budget.
Kathy is an angel! She did an amazing job transforming me into a beautiful bride and was great to work with. I really enjoyed working with Kathy because she is very professional, responsive, efficient, accommodating, and talented. I would definitely recommend Kathy and her team to family and friends. She is someone who I will be keeping in touch for hair and makeup services.
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Ken Kato PhotographyMy cousin got married about four years before us...and Ken was the photographer for their wedding. I knew the minute I saw their wedding album and pictures that I wanted to hire him...and I hoped that it wouldn't take my husband and I too much longer to get married so that we could hire Ken.
We only had about nine months to plan our wedding...the minute Ken e-mailed me back telling me that he was (unbelievably) available on our wedding date, I knew that we were golden. And that we were going to be left with the most amazing photos to remember our wedding by.
While I was sold with my cousin's wedding photos...my husband was sold at the first meeting. We didn't even bother to schedule any other meetings...in fact, my husband pulled out his checkbook right then and there to make the deposit. After that meeting...my then fiancee turned to me and asked me, "After that meeting and his presentation to us...Why would we go anywhere else?" I couldn't find any reason to disagree at all.
Our engagement session was a few months later...we were uncomfortable at first because we just weren't used to the setting and situation and whatnot...but Ken was amazing. He captured our love and story in the two hours that he spent with us perfectly in Santa Cruz...he also made the shoot completely fun for the both of us. (That shoot was over a year ago...and my husband and I still laugh abotu stories from that day.)
I do believe that Ken has the most years of experience out of all of our vendors...and it definitely showed during the days leading up to our wedding. Ken helped us put together our wedding day timeline and told us what was and wasn't going to work...and helped us think about things realistically.
On top of everything...Our wedding portrait sessions were all shot in the least likely of locations...but those photos were nothing short of amazing. Beyond the portrait sessions...he captured our wedding day perfectly. I'll find myself staring at our photos at least once a week...and I'm so thankful that he was a part of our team.
Go to his site...if you're not sold, set up a meeting with him. If his hard working laid back personality doesn't sell you on it...check out the wedding albums in his office. You will see that he truly cares about his clients and the memories he wants them to look back on.
Thank you, Ken, for EVERYTHING!!! I'm trying to make an excuse to work with you again... :)
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Your Affordable Chef - Chef Mark GallagherHighly Recommend Affordable Chef Catering
I would HIGHLY recommend chef Mark and Affordable Chef Catering, who we hired for our parent's 50th anniversary on 9/4/10 at a private home. I was an inexperienced and nervous party planner who wanted everything to be amazing, and I was in great hands with Mark who certainly delivered that. He offered a fantastic menu! and also was very patient and worked with me on everything allowing us to throw the party the way we wanted. Mark's style is more laid back and organic, he was totally on it knowing where to fill in and jump in as needed. Satisfied at the end is an understatement. Mark and his staff were super friendly and all went 100% above and beyond. We had so many compliments on the food, so many people asked who the caterer was, and the passed appetizers added such an elegant touch to the affair. I would hire Affordable Chef in a heartbeat for any of my future events. Not only is Mark a super nice guy, but he more than delivered on his services. Thank you again for everything!!
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Frederick James LuxuriesRick was fantastic! The first time I spoke with him, I knew he was going to be the florist for my wedding. He is personable,outgoing, and creative. He was always easy to get ahold of and responded to all my emails, phone calls, and answered all my questions. I showed him pictures of what I liked and he came up with several great ideas. I planned my Santa Cruz wedding from West Virginia, and when I had a question about decor, the venue (The Chaminade), or just anything he was always there to offer support and answers. He also gave me great prices compared to other local florists. The day of my wedding was like a dream come true and the best day of my life. Thank you Rick, for contributing to our day!
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Anyone getting married or have gotten married at Chaminade in Santa Cruz ?
Let me know your experience. I am thinking of booking them next May.
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wedding is October 1, 2011 @ Monterey. I have been worrying about the weather. They say Sept/Oct is the best times there. is that true?
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okay, so im 5 months away from my weddding and still dont have a dress. (I know, im REALLY late, and VERY stressed about it) Im having a hard time finding a bridal store in/near Los Angeles that carries bigger sizes than a sample 10.
How did you girls decide on a dress? did you order without trying one on?
Also... please post a pic for inspiration!!!
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Anyone getting married or have gotten married at Chaminade in Santa Cruz ?
Let me know your experience. I am thinking of booking them next May.
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I have been hearing this story all day on the news and it just breaks my heart. So sensless. This father of two has brain damage after two men beat him after a Giants game.
CBS News)
Doctors say a San Francisco Giants fan brutally beaten by a pair of fans of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers outside Dodger Stadium after the season's opening game Thursday may have suffered brain damage.A $100,000 reward is being offered for information on the savage attack on Bryan Stow, a 42-year-old paramedic and father of two, from Santa Cruz.
Stow was in a medically-induced coma.And, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy, his family is speaking out for the first time.
Ann Stow, his mother says she "got a call ... that Bryan went to a Dodger game and there was a fight and he's been hurt. And our lives changed."
"Both of (the assailants) pushed Bryan from behind," says Stow's brother-in-law, David Collins. "He never saw them coming. And Bryan fell forward and hit his head on the concrete and was immediately knocked unconscious."But the beating, says Tracy, went on, and police say a crowd of more than 100 watched before paramedics on bicycles came to Stow's rescue. Even before the attack, Stow texted family members that the atmosphere inside the stadium was scary compared to home games in San Francisco.
"The safety is not the same," says John Stow, Bryan's cousin. "It's definitely not the same. We knew that, Bryan knew that going into it, but I don't think he could ever imagined that it would be like this."
The Dodgers have turned over surveillance tapes and are working with police to try to catch the two suspects."Brian was a wonderful father and a great person," an emotional John Stow said, "a man who's dedicated to helping people and saving people's lives."
Bryan's mother, Ann added, "It's hard to see him in bed like that, because he was sooo funny, and now he just lays there." Stow has a long recovery ahead, Tracy observes. Doctors say they removed part of his skull to reduce swelling, but any brain damage may be permanent.
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ok now that I have your attention...... :)
I need Advice, I'd like to plan a little getaway with my DH and son. Where in California is good for vacationing? Family friendly? Maybe beach, theme parks? Great food. DH and I have already been to L.A. while it was nice I'd like to try something new.....
Any and all advice is appreciated! Thanks! :)
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Santa Cruz Wedding Bios
Our wedding will be on October 6, 2007 on Kevin's father's farm in Larkin Valley, Santa Cruz County. It will be semi casual, "farm style". These pictures are taken in the spring when there's green everywhere, by October, it will be a lot more gold/brown.
Ceremony Site in the backyard
Reception on the Knoll
Here's a few pictures of my dress - Ulla Maija Couture Spring07 (purchased w/ Marina Morrison union square SF, they are wonderful to work with, the shop has a gorgeous fitting space that's so relaxing!)
Hair I love! thanks knottie: Chucktgirl
I want to have a fresh look like this
w/ these shoes I scored at Jeremy's
FI's look - We've decided against Tux, going with a suit instead, he desperately wants this from Armani Collezioni
Flowers I Like
I think it's neat to incorporate succulents
Flower for family member
Centerpiece arrangement preview by Nicole Ha (picture taken at her recent bridal show) showing my colors. I love the free form texture.
I absolutely love Knottie Jagnsis's reception decor! The colors I have in mind, maybe a tad bit less pink and more gold/bronze tone...
Still debating whether to have seating cards, if we do, I like this idea from knottie: Sakegirls
I love the style/feel of these aisle and centerpiece arrangements from knottie CaliCayman, but in my colors
I definitely plan to use the aisle decor for centerpiece also, I will have a combination of round and rectangular tables to make this work.
FMIL is making our wedding cake to keep with the "farm style", this is the inspiration for our cake - love the butter cream frosting choppy look:
Enter our fabulous Bridal Party
Flower girls dress
Ok, here's the Bling...
FI knew that I wanted an antique looking ring, and this is what he picked. I had never been able to decide between the looks of a round and a square stone, but now I kind of have both.
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We had a small semi-formal wedding in the Santa Cruz Mtns. (ben lomond) Our wedding was just perfect! We ended up coming in WAY under budget due to my craftiness! I am a big believer in DIY projects, which saved us TONS of money! My dress was practically a steal, and I was just so pleased with how everything turned out! Our candy & dessert buffet was the biggest hit (aside from the dancing)!
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I own a small invitation boutique in Capitola, CA, just outside Santa Cruz.
My work is By
Appointment Only, and I meet with clients in my Capitola office, and also work with brides in other locations via email and phone.
Contact me at info@crescentmoonpaper.com to see the rest of my portfolio, or to talk about designing the invitations
of your dreams!
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Emily & Matt
July 6, 2008
Pleasanton, CA
Matt & I met through church an an Ultimate Frisbee class at a local community college. It was a summer of throwing Frisbees and learning new things, only to head back to school and spend the next 2 and a half years in a long distance relationship! It was hard, but in retrospect it really helped us focus on getting to know each other and building a strong foundation. After being only 10 miles apart for about a year, he proposed to me on Mother's Day, May 13, 2007. We're planning a Livermore Valley Wine Country wedding and can't be more thrilled to start our new life together!
Some shots from our engagement shoot, by Joel Flory (www.joelflory.com):
About Us
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Our Venue: Palm Event Center at the Vineyard
(Picture from Penelope's Loom on Flickr.)
Images from Palm Event Center. Check out their website for more pictures!
The Bling,Baby!
It must take someone pretty perfect to pick out the perfect engagement ring. Matt read my wonky sign language to come up with a ring better than the ones
I'd occasionally search for. Not that I searched...often.
Its sparkle is really quite mesmerizing. It distracts me from work. With each key of the keyboard poked, it glimmers and makes me stop to admire. Even more distracting is thinking
about Matt searching for it and all that it represents. When it first was revealed before me, the idea of getting married was a huge shock–a “someday in the future” fast forwarding to that instant. After only a couple days of
wearing the ring, I’d grown accustomed to it. Well, that is, my pointer and middle finger grew accustomed to it.
The only problem with the ring was that it only came in a size 7 and I’m a size 5. Normally in this instance someone
would just run down to a jeweler to get it resized. Since this band had diamonds set, even if only halfway down, three jewelers were wary of the extreme modification. The fear is that in taking out a large chunk of the ring, maintaining the curve
would mean compromising the settings in the band. And no jeweler wants that looming over their head. Instead they suggest making the manufacturer change it, but with buying from Costco (the most bling for your buck!) that’s not an option.
The woman at Costco’s jewelry counter then led me to JewelSmiths. They specialize in unique ring design and taking on the challenges that has other jewelers shaking in their boots. The staff were very friendly and had vast knowledge of
the industry. We dropped the ring off Saturday and were told it would be ready by Wednesday morning, if not Tuesday night. I was nervous about how much this was all going to cost, but it was significantly lower than what other jewelers’ quotes.
And I had much more confidence in the staff at JewelSmiths.
My Dress &
Veil!
Maggie Sottero, Vienna. I LOVE my dress! FI accidentally saw my dress here, so I had tot ake down the photo! I am thinking of altering it a bit tighter so it will be more mermaid style.
From eBay also! Veilsbylana was a great seller with very nice (and affordable!) merchandise.
Hair & Makeup
Ideas 
Bridesmaids' Dresses
This picture is from Mrs. Caramel on WeddingBee.com. They came back in stock on Nordstrom.com, so I made the ladies order them with a quickness! They're Maggy London, aquamarine.
Save the Dates
We made business card size magnets through VistaPrint.com. We had a good
experience with them and were able to find a coupon online to make them even cheaper. Handwriting all the cards, on the other hand, was ab big pain! I knew I should have spent more time figuring out our printer!
Centerpiece Ideas
Flower Ideas
Garter
From Etsy.com, seller GarterLady
Guestbook
Our guestbook, from Blurb.com.
Stationary
Wow, it's hard to take pictures of the invites! All paper from Paper Source (love them!) and the ribbon from Michaels. We made them ourselves and I think they are awesome! The stamps were embossed, so it really adds a little something extra. If you plan to make your own, please steal my RSVP plan, it helps get rid of those pesky plus ones:
We look forward to celebrating with you!
We have reserved two seats in your honor.
Please reply by THIS DATE.
Name and meal choice (tri-tip, salmon or vegetarian)
M________ Attending?_____ Meal:_____
M________ Attending?_____ Meal:_____
Vendor
Information Comments/Reviews: So far so good. Check it
out at www.PalmEventCenter.com . Comments/Reviews:
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Ceremony & Reception Location - Palm
Event Center, Pleasanton CA
Cake Creator - TBD Comments/Reviews: Florist - Lynn
Comments/Reviews: She's a family friend who has retired from her florist shop. She is so creative and attentive to our budget -- which is very helpful!
Photographer - Joel Flory Comments/Reviews: He and his wife Cara have been very personable and professional. They are also very adamant that our photos be a reflection of us and have
offered some creative ways to help our personalities shine through. Our engagement photos came out great and we can't wait to have them help us on our special day!
Disc Jockey - TBD
Comments/Reviews: Since our friend can't do it, we're scrambling for a DJ now. Eek!
Transportation - Santa Cruz Woodies Comments/Reviews: My dad and his friends will be carting us around in old school style! Woodies are classic cars with wood paneling down the sides. They have become a symbol of
California living!
Invitations -
TBD/DIYComments/Reviews:
Rental Company - Pleasanton Rentals? Comments/Reviews:
Jeweler - Costco & JewelSmiths Comments/Reviews: At Costco, you get the most bling for your buck! They have a great selection in a wide price range. JewelSmiths is a small shop bursting with friendly and knowledgeable employees.
Many jewelers were afraid to resize my diamond-lined band and they did a great job for a great price!
Tuxedos - Men's Wearhouse
Comments/Reviews: I found my dress on eBay! I was so
excited because I was about to give up and fork out the big bucks! I couldn't be happier with the dress and the awesome seller!
Bridesmaid Dresses - Nordstrom
Comments/Reviews: We were able to get the dresses for $128 with free shipping! They came quickly and the girls are actually excited to wear them! (Every bride's dream, right?) Most alterations are free with
Nordy's, so that's a huge plus!
Hair Stylist -
Jen! Comments/Reviews: Girl's got skills when it comes to getting my hair
exactly how I want it. And I'm pretty dang picky!
Makeup Artist - Megan & Sandy! Comments/Reviews: Friends
since kindergarten, the Denver-loving and newly Mrs. twins will make us ladies G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S!
Wedding Coordinator - Provided by Palm.
Comments/Reviews: Honeymoon Destination - HAWAII! Comments/Reviews: Planning to buy packages
through Costco. I'm letting the fiance handle this, because it started to stress me out a bit! I'm sure our visit to Kauai and Maui will be FAB!
Wedding Photos
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Took these during venue shopping! Not real...
Honeymoon Photos
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Hopefully something like this...
For help with your own bio try: www.STLWed.com/help/bio
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