dogmom's reviews

Pastor Jon Olson is HEP! (He looked like a surfer dude at first appearance.) Since we didn't know Pastor Jon in advance, we needed to get comfortable quickly, or move on. I made the appointment via email and phone calls. Cool...he is internet saavy. Then, we met Pastor Jon. We immediately felt welcome and comfortable. He is a genuinely warm person. Hey, finding the right officiant was probably one of the easiest parts to arranging our wedding! The rest of the planning was a little more painful.
We weren't too sure what we wanted to "happen" in the wedding, and Pastor Jon gave us a list of options. Woo hoo! I didn't have to think to much harder. We wanted a "fun" ceremony with some religious tones (primarily for the parents). We met with Pastor Jon 2 times before the wedding. We described our expectations, and he made them happen. Don't worry, he won't look like a surfer dude at the wedding!

There were a few things during the wedding that were not "traditional", and I panicked a little during the ceremony when "I didn't do it right" . He told me to go with the flow. And because he said it was ok, I felt better. This indicates to me that he is not critical of others.
And I cried at my own wedding. Others were crying too... the whole ceremony was wonderful and touching.
Thanks again Pastor Jon!!

I had my small outdoor wedding here in May at the Old Rose Garden. That venue only allows 30 people. So watch your head count! There are also other venues available that are part of the Botanical Garden that allow larger groups.

We chose the Rose Garden though because of my husband's love for roses.
In May, ALL the roses are in full bloom. From the Old Rose Garden, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge if the sky is clear and there is no fog. So we had photos of the GGB in some of our photographs. The photos are SPECTACULAR.

If you are in a tight budget, the Botanical Gardens can be a wonderful venue. They can provide a reception room, but we did not choose to reserve it. Note that no vehicles are allowed in the Garden. However, they will make exceptions for one vehicle if there are people who have difficulty walking up the trails. Insurance is required. Parking is limited, but they will set up the opportunity for you to purchase parking passes in advance for your wedding if you choose.

I didn't really know what to expect when I ordered my invitations in a "non-traditional" way... like going to specific card stores, and sitting down with big catalogs.
I had to pay for samples, which were refunded if an order is placed... so I figured, this was a smaller company. JUST MY STYLE!!
There were SO many options. The same options that the card companies give! They can build the cards up for you (stacking tissue, card, tissue, envelope, etc...). Or you can do it yourself at a cost savings. My invitations came out beautiful. They did not look like most of the invitations out there. They were fresh and original. And they looked like they cost a fortune!
It's up to you how much you want to spend, and the online mixing and matching lets you know in advance what prices you are looking at, instead of being STUNNED at the end.

Sugar Bowl is well known for their petite brownies and palmiers. But their wedding cakes are divine.
We ended up ordering the raspberry dandy and chocolate fudge. Prices are excellent for those with a tight budget.
I had a specific design that I had seen in a magazine that I wanted duplicated on our wedding cake. So I sent photos of the design via email to Michelle. The cake came out PERFECT!
I had a special topper for the cake, and everything came together beautifully! The bakery is located in a warehouse district, so it's not going to be like visiting a fancy bakery. But free local delivery too!

Louise is WONDERFUL! I bought my dress through a wedding gown outlet, and I wanted sleeves added and the gown shortened because I am ever SO short.
When I brought the dress over, she pointed other items where my dress did not fit correctly. In fact, the seams looked like they had been over stressed, and it wasn't just by my trying on the dress. Oh no!!
I didn't know what style sleeve would look nice. So Louise designed on on the spot. She happened to have matching fabric so she didn't have to purchase any.
She fixed everything. Louise keeps up to date on all the new styles. She can sew wedding gowns from scratch. She can alter outfits with beading and lace that are too long, and make them look perfect, just like they were originally that length. Many of her regular customers have her make their clothes regularly. Just remember that she is BUSY. She's a one person business and if you are in a hurry, she needs to reorganize all of her clients to fit you in. Otherwise, I LOVE LOUISE!.