Lori and Tim had a fabulous wedding at Fortino Winery.  Weather could not be any better. What was a treat was with the shade installed on the grounds it was not hot for the ceremony and reception. Fortino Wineries has to be one of the best outside venues in the area since it has a lot of space and a good shelter from the sun. They had a nice ceremony in the grass area by the Officiant Frances. She did a fine job. They incorporated a Japanese tradition of planting a grape wine together. 

Grand Entrance consisted  of the bride and groom and mother of the bride with best man and maid of honor. 

Cocktail hour was only 30 minutes and the great food was served. Dinner had a good r&b vibe during the meal. 

A few toasts were made and one was made via recording that was very touching. The first dance was a special one. It started off as a country song then it turned into C + C Music Factory song with the lyrics Everybody Dance Now Looped 4 times. Folks were able to join the couple with their first dance. Right after dinner it started to get dark. So we arranged to get some uplights to add some color around the venue. Venue is already pretty but the uplights add accents. They were lined up with the trees and bushes. Uplights always add a nice touch. They are a classy touch and it gives the area a new vibe. 

Music was very diverse. It was a lot of old school throwbacks. It was a mix of 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s.

Matt and Stefanie had a beautiful micro wedding at a Monte Serrano Residence. It was decorated beautifully that you would not think it was a residence but an actual venue. They had around 7 long tables wrapped around the house. We had enough volume for everyone to hear the toasts but we did not go too loud for the neighbors to call for loudness. 

They were married elsewhere and brought the party to Monte Serrano. 

 They kept their wedding events to the minimum so they can really focus on the toasts and the dancing. There was no bouquet or garter toss. I do notice of late a lot of couples are opting to not include all the wedding events. They can decide what to keep and what to drop. Bride and groom came in with the Chicago Bulls theme song. Knowing the Bulls dynasty, it’s a very epic intro song. 

The caterers were from Irvine. I know why these folks came up North for this wedding because their food was outstanding. I overheard one wedding guests say she had been to many weddings but never had food this good. I agree it was top notch food. 

The toasts were good ones while the best man, matrons of honor, and the dads of the bride and groom spoke. I truly enjoy listening to toasts since you able learn more about the bride and groom. 

We had plenty of dancing. A lot of the songs were fun throwback songs. The song of the night was Chumbawamba. I can honestly say I never played that live anywhere but this night and it was a hit. 

2021 weddings have been picking up and with 2022 coming in then it will be really busy. I typically do 1 to 2 weddings a month. Prepping for a wedding takes a whole lot more time than prepping for a birthday party or corporate event. 

When prepping for a meeting, one has to meet with the couple and get their vision for their big day. Once you get it then the bride and groom fill out their song lists and most of the songs I do have but with ones I don’t, I make sure I have the right version of it. Then before the wedding we meet again and go over everything in case anyting was added or changed. 

The Bay Area has to be one of the best places to have a wedding due to the weather. In the 8 days of the 3 weddings, the temperature could not be beat. And if it is hot then an umbrella would help out. One reception started at 2 with the other 2 started at 5. The one that started earlier was a little hot to start off but it was bearable. With the 5’oclock start receptions the temperature was perfect.

What I noticed about these weddings:

Only one of the three did a boquet toss and not one did a garter toss.

People were aching to get to the dancefloor

One wedding had a guest singer which added a nice touch.

The only way to make sure we did the events planned was with the wedding coordination sheet. Since the weddings were so close to each other the coordination sheet ensured nothing was forgotten.