Wedding Blog

Venue
The Clarke Estate [Tamra Wilbur]
Highly Recommended
10211 Pioneer Blvd.
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
562.868.3876
www.santafesprings.org/depts/history/Clark_estate.asp

As soon as I pulled up to this venue, I knew it was perfect for our wedding. The well-kept grounds, the charming courtyard, the splashes of red, all the bamboo, the Modern architecture, and the expansive outdoor areas met our aesthetic criteria.

On the practical side we loved the relatively reasonable rental fee (it’s more of a steal if you are a city resident) that includes use of chairs and tables for up to 300 guests, 10 hour use of the estate (7 hours of which guests can be on the grounds), city-required security, a site coordinator, and ceremony sound equipment. Ample parking is provided a short walk from the main gate of the estate, only one event is held at a time, and the expansiveness and variety of the grounds allows you to hold both ceremony and reception at the same venue, a must on our list, while still varying the feel of each portion of the wedding. There are a few regulations that must be respected due to the historic designation of the estate and its residential neighborhood, but none of the stipulations were deal breakers for us. Their BYO policy for food and alcohol allowed us to save quite a bit on catering costs as well. The estate’s events coordinator, Tamra Wilbur, was professional, pleasant to work with, accommodating of any special requests, and wonderfully organized in her dealings with us, our wedding coordinator, and our caterer.

Coordinator
Events of Love and Splendor [Angel Swanson]
Highly Recommended
angel@loveandsplendor.com
www.loveandsplendor.com

We initially thought our budget did not have room for a coordinator. However, we wanted to insure that things would run smoothly, we did not want to impose too much on guests, and we wanted to be able to enjoy the day ourselves. While I was very happy with all top three coordinators (on my list) I met with, Angel stood above the rest. Her poise, genuine enthusiasm for her clients and weddings, and amazing, current sense of style set her apart. No matter the look and feel you are going for in your wedding, she has an adaptable and keen eye for what will (and will not) contribute to the big picture. She is organized and professional but also has an ideal personality, in my opinion, for a coordinator - sincerely sweet and affectionate toward her clients, diplomatic, and nice but firm + assertive when required.

When my original alcohol vendor flaked out two weeks before the wedding, she went over and beyond her contractual obligations in helping me make sure our guests did not go thirsty. On the day of, she and her assistant, Anna, made sure everything ran smoothly and on time while being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She cued all of the vendors, the bridal party, our families, and us subtly and at appropriate times. Our other vendors commented on what a pleasure she was to work with. Many of our guests commented on what an organized yet fun and laid-back wedding ours was, and that is due in large part to Angel’s work.

Caterer
Elegant Affair Catering [Pete + Julie Ortega]
Recommended
800 N. Main St.
Orange, CA 92868
714.532.0114
www.eacevents.com

I love delicious, beautifully presented food. However, with our modest budget and moderate guest count (145), we had to find a caterer who made solid (if not crazy excellent) food for a decent price. With the help of Elegant Affair, we did it! We got a three-course sit-down dinner, all china/drinkware/flatware/linens rentals, some disposable wares (please feel free to clutch your pearls now), a few miscellaneous rentals (bar height tables for cocktail hour, a bar, etc.), cake cutting service, champagne toast service (which we didn’t use), cold drink station pre-ceremony, coffee station, bar staff to serve our BYO alcohol, and waitstaff for less than $50 a head.

While their food is not the most gourmet, it is definitely tastier than most wedding banquet food I have had. The presentation was sufficient but didn’t wow. However, the food was fresh and tasty, service was excellent, and everything was a really great value.

Cake
For the Love of Sugar [Sarah Witt]
Highly Recommended
sarah@fortheloveofsugar.com
www.fortheloveofsugar.com

Her specialty is cupcakes, but she can do pie, cookie favors, and cake as well. Cake decorating is definitely her forte, but the cakes, fillings, and frostings are all fresh and delicious as well. I gave her an inspiration image, and she took it from there, producing exactly what we wanted. I wanted cream cheese frosting for our outdoor, August wedding, and she agreed as we pushed the delivery back to early evening and promised a shady area for the cake table. While putting together the contract, she threw in fondant over the cream cheese frosting for free, as she wanted to make sure the cake stayed pretty and safe to eat. On top of it all, she is definitely one of the most affordable bakers in the area.

Alcohol Supplier
Wally’s Wine [David Othenin-Girard + Judi Wallace]
Highly Recommended
2107 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310.475.0606
www.wallywine.com

My original alcohol vendor flaked out a little less than a week before the wedding. We wanted someone who could help us calculate quantities of alcohol/mixers/garnishes/ice/etc. to provide a full bar, provide delivery and pickup services, and would also accept returns on unopened bottles. I had frequented Wally’s previously for special occasion bottles of wine, but I never knew they also frequently cater parties. They provided us with a quote very quickly and made placing the order very easy for us. Their prices are comparable to other retailers, but they do offer volume discounts depending on what you need.

DJ
Mixterious Force [Joey Inez]
Highly Recommended
jinez@verizon.net

Due to sound restrictions, we had to use a DJ from the venue’s pre-approved list. After talking to many cheesy DJ’s off the list that were asking for quite a bit fee-wise, Mr. Lime finally found Joey. He was everything we wanted in a DJ/MC and more. He is laid back, organized, and completely respects your specific desires. He went over and beyond in setting up for our three different areas–ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.

As an MC, he was not cheesy at all, only announced the things we asked him to, and made sure he was on the same page as the other vendors involved in each event he announced to insure smooth flow. As a DJ, he stuck to our lists, edited our long lists down very nicely, did a great job mixing (no awkward transitions or silences between songs–a peeve of Mr. Lime’s, who used to spin), and also did a good job of reading the crowd and adjusting as needed. An added bonus was that for some of our more obscure, older hip hop, he was even able to dig records out and actually use them as he has both CD and vinyl turntables. Many guests complimented both his MC and DJ skills, and a fellow wedding-obsessed friend and recent bride in attendance even commented that she was so sad she had not hired him as well. You’ll see the dance floor moves he inspired in my next entry!

Previously blogged reviews:
Zesty Vendors, Part I - Visual Record