Jessica + Dave | Aldous Photography | Martin Johnson House

Modern Twist on Traditional

 

Jessica and Dave had a modern take on a traditional Filipino wedding ceremony and reception at the quietly stunning Martin Johnson House.

 

 

Jessica and her Bridesmaids all glowed!

The gorgeous rose gold dresses, styles customized to fit each individual’s personality, were such a complimentary color to the bright pops of purple.

 

 

To shake things up a bit, Dave had two Groomswomen!

He and the rest of the Groomsmen wore more traditional Filipino outfits, breezy formal and transparent button-down shirts.

 

 

Once the Bridal Party was all together, they painted a beautiful picture of rose gold, creams, plums, and lavenders.

 

 

The ceremony was out on the front lawn overlooking the sea and the day couldn’t have been more beautiful!

 

 

A traditional Filipino wedding ceremony is often conducted in a Catholic Church, but they incorporated many aspects of that traditional ceremony to theirs so as to bring forth the traditional values into their marriage.

 

 

 

 

In the black and white picture below, we see the Bride and groom wearing a garland of flowers.

This garland was woven into a circle and placed over their heads in an infinity symbol to represent their lasting promise to each other.

 

After the ceremony, the happy couple was able to escape to take some quiet time for themselves where Aldous Photography worked their magic and caught some priceless moments.

 

 

 

 

The Martin Johnson House has access to some of the most breathtaking spots to look out over the ocean.

 

 

Jessica and Dave chose to go with a rustic, vintage motif for their decor and we love all these tiny details!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The many custom doorknobs and lace were such a delicate and thoughtful touch!

 

Thankfully for Jessica and Dave, they had a brilliant Coordinator, Jenna Carino,  to help them achieve their vision!

 

 

 

After dinner, instead of cake, Dave and Jessica wanted to further celebrate the Filipino culture

by having us serve their guests with a colorful mix of desserts!

 

 

 

We provided an ice cream sundae station with coconut ice cream and a mountain of exciting toppings for each guest to serve themselves.

 

 

Dave’s family also brought traditional home-made Filipino desserts!

 

Everything was lovely and we felt so honored to be chosen to help spend this special day with Jessica and Dave!

 

 

We wish them all the best!

 

Featured in Bridal Musings!! | Let’s Frolic Together | San Diego Catering

Andrew and Jenna had a stunning Ceremony and Reception at the gorgeous Leo Carrillo Ranch, and we love all the amazing pictures that Let’s Frolic Together took!

Colorful Boho Palm Springs Jewish Wedding – Lets Frolic Together 30

 

Everything about their big day was so unique and colorful!

Definitely one of our favorites so far.

 

Colorful Boho Palm Springs Jewish Wedding – Lets Frolic Together 34

Check out the full gallery and article from Bridal Musings HERE!

Huge thanks to all the amazing vendors for all of their dedication and awesome work!

 


DJ: Bill Calhoun

Photobooth: Can Ham Photo Booth

Shout out from SD Style Weddings! | San Diego Catering

San Diego Style Weddings mentioned us in one of their Real Wedding articles!

Aaron and Erin had a gorgeous wedding reception at The Ultimate Skybox in Diamond View Towers, and we couldn’t have been more honored to be a part of their big day.

Photographer: Petula Pea Photography

From the Lion Dancers to the unique tablescape and decorations, it was pure magic.

Check out the article and other pictures by clicking here! 

Food Feature! | San Diego Catering

Warning: Enticing food ahead!

Excessive drooling or “Hangry” symptoms may occur while reading this post!

 

Hors d’ Oeuvres:

With an option to choose three from our extensive and ever-evolving menu of small bites, these gourmet tray-passed hors d’ oeuvres will start the night off right for your hungry guests! We offer a little bit of everything and are always able to customize to best suit your pallet or dietary needs.

 

Bacon, Caramelized Onion, and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Mushroom Caps.

 

Chicken and Waffel Bites with Maple Syrup.

 

Left Most: Tomato Basil Bisque Shooters Served with a Grilled Cheese Point. Back: Mini Beef Sliders with Crisp Bacon & Creamed Bleu Cheese. 

 

Baked Brie with Warm Apricot Sauce.

 

Greens:

Our salads are always crisp, colorful, and creative! Whether on a buffet or plated individually by our skilled chefs, each salad has the freshest ingredients and is artfully paired with the highest quality dressings.

 

Watermelon Caprese Stack Salad (Fresh Watermelon, Honeyed Goat Cheese, Spring Mix & Balsamic Reduction.)

 

Tender Baby Greens Salad (Candied Pecans, Bleu Cheese Crumbles, Shaved Red Onions & Orange Sesame Dressing Presented in a Cucumber Ring.)

 

Roasted Beet & Mandarin Salad (Roasted Beets, Mandarin Oranges, Goat Cheese, Grape Tomatoes, Toasted Almonds & Champagne Vinaigrette.)

Entrees:

No matter the dining style, (Buffet, Seated, or Small Plate), or entrees are paired with Fresh, In-Season Vegetables & your choice of another side! With countless combinations, each customizable according to your preference, our menu is sure to impress you and your guests!

 

 

Filet Mignon or Top Sirloin Steak Certified Angus Beef Char-Grilled & Served Medium.

 

Pistachio and Herb Panko Crusted Mahi Mahi Presented with Coconut Curry Sauce.

 

Roasted Garlic & Thyme Crusted Chicken with Chianti Reduction.

 

Miso Glazed Salmon Garnished with our fresh Mango Chutney.

 

For more information, contact us and ask to explore our full menu!

 

 

6 Stunning Wedding Bar Décor Ideas for San Diegans

Bottles lined up at San Diego wedding bar
When planning a wedding, most people imagine the stunning venue, the breathtaking centerpieces, and the delicious food. But the importance of the bar décor cannot be overlooked. As a professional San Diego Party Catering company, we take into consideration each detail and decoration in order to make your wedding day as beautiful and stress-free as possible. Here are a few of our creative wedding bar décor ideas, specifically tailored for people living in the San Diego area.

Elegant Champagne Bar

If you’re looking to add a touch of elegance to your wedding, a champagne bar is the perfect solution. With flutes of champagne lining the perimeter of the bar, you can ensure that the toasts and the dancing will last all night. Additionally, the light gold color of the champagne will complement almost any color scheme, offering timeless sophistication. By choosing Personal Touch Dining, the champagne doesn’t have to stop with the toast; it can be the focal point of your next celebration.

Personalized Signature Drinks

The best way to show your personality on your wedding day is to create a unique, signature drink. This drink, displayed in the center of the bar, can serve as the focal point, adding the perfect pop of color. Just imagine a ceremony with white and silver linens, fresh flowers, and twinkling lights, all accented by the green mint leaves and fresh lime of your signature drink, the mojito. With the help of a professional San Diego Party Catering company, your drink can even be customized with His and Hers drink options for the bride and the groom. A light pink French Martini paired with a deep brown Old Fashioned would surely impress any guest.

bright pink drink with lime and mint at San Diego wedding bar

Consider the Glassware

When searching for the perfect wedding bar décor, it’s important to consider the type of glassware you will use. For an indoor reception with towering centerpieces and glittering lights, you might want to opt for more elegant glassware, such as champagne flutes or martini glasses. For an outdoor reception under the warm San Diego sun, you might want a more relaxed, rustic feel. Mason jars with customized straws can offer the perfect solution, adding that flawless vintage touch to your wedding.

It’s All About the Garnish

When it comes to creating and displaying the perfect drink on your wedding day, the garnish may be as important as the drink itself! As a San Diego Party Catering company with years of experience, we understand the difference that the small details make. Therefore, when you’re looking to decorate your bar, you can add a long twist of citrus peel for your Mai Tais, a frosted salt rim for your Margaritas, or a few fresh blueberries stacked on a stir stick for your fruity cocktails.

Even further, you can use the ice cubes to your advantage. Perfect for those warm California days, simply freeze your desired garnish in an ice cube tray to add that beautiful, personalized touch. Edible flowers, such as orchids and pansies, along with fruit or herbs, work best to elevate the taste and appearance of your drinks, which ultimately helps create a truly stunning bar.

group of similar cocktails at san diego wedding bar

Stop and Smell the Roses

Flowers are a staple at almost any wedding, as they can be found in hundreds of shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties. Why not use flowers to add a touch of elegance to your wedding bar as well? You can use the same flowers from your centerpieces to create a cohesive look, or you can be daring and choose a variety of exotic, brightly colored flowers to spice things up. It’s all about you and your personal preference. With our years of experience and expertise, we will make your vision a reality.

Mimosas and Sangria

Depending on the time of day, why not create a signature drink to match? A large batch of a specialty drink will pair perfectly with your theme, especially when it is tailored to the hour of your reception. If you have an early morning ceremony, pitchers of light orange mimosas at lunch would work perfectly. For a nighttime celebration, bowls of deep red sangria with large pieces of fresh orange, peach, strawberry, and apple can help create a luxurious look. Even further, you can layer your shelving and glasses around your choice of drink to create unique geometric design that is pleasing to the eye.

Best Practices for Corporate Event Planning

Best practices for your san diego corporate event planning
In the corporate world, it’s all about the big picture. However, in event planning, the details make all the difference. So, when planning your next corporate event, the following list of practices are important to keep in mind. They will help your event run smoothly, alleviate stress, and ensure that your guests have the most enjoyable experience possible. Here are a few of the best practices that should be followed by both yourself and your professional San Diego Party Catering company.

Know the Purpose of Your Event

In order to successfully plan a corporate event, the first step is to know the purpose. Will your event be an Open House, a Grand Opening, an Award Dinner, or a Customer Appreciation Celebration? What types of menu options will you need to make your event a success? By choosing a respected and professional San Diego Party Catering company, you can be confident that your event, regardless of the purpose, will be handled with the highest level of care and expertise.

Stay Organized

Organization is key – especially in corporate event planning. It can be useful to keep a folder of all relevant documents, such as receipts, floor plans, and invitations. This way, all of your important papers and contracts are always easily accessible. Even further, the importance of a detailed, customized to-do list should not be overlooked. This list should include long-term tasks, daily errands, and one master calendar of meetings related solely to the event. The folder and list will allow you to double and triple check that everything is place on the day of the event, ensuring that your entire event runs seamlessly.

Delegate Responsibilities

While you may have confidence in your abilities, planning a corporate event is a massive undertaking. It might prove beneficial to delegate some of the planning responsibilities to other coworkers. This way, you will not feel too overwhelmed! You will also have more time to focus on your corporate responsibilities. Even further, delegating responsibilities across different departments allows for increased communication and the sharing of ideas. People specializing in different disciplines have different skill sets. Why not ask a coworker in the marketing department to create and distribute the invitations? Or perhaps a friend in the finance department could draft a budget. You might meet new people at your company and form new relationships.

Create a Budget

Before any concrete decisions can be made, a budget should be created. You must know how much money your company has allotted for this event in order to avoid overspending. Once you have a budget in place, you can begin choosing your venue, caterer, and entertainment options. By choosing a San Diego Party Catering company with years of experience to help with your corporate event, you are guaranteed to be working with professionals in the field who know how to accommodate all types of budgets.

Personalize Your Event

When you use a well-respected Party Catering company such as Personal Touch Dining, your next corporate event will be completely customized to your company. Only the most highly experienced catering companies will offer a variety of menus and bar services to match any event you can imagine. By choosing the right vendors, the personalization of your event will take many forms, including your choice of menu, drinks, and entertainment, such as a speaker or a DJ. It’s important to book your vendors and entertainment well in advance to ensure you have the highest level of talent.

Promote Your Event

After you have decided on your event purpose, organized accordingly, created a  budget, and personalized the event to your company’s specific needs, you’re ready to promote your event. Start by creating a list of people in your company to invite. Then, decide how you will encourage attendance and participation. For example, how will you let guests know about the upcoming event? Will you send  physical invitations, or rely on an email platform? If you are sending an email, keep in mind that there are many providers to choose from, such as Punchbowl, Paperless Post, and GreenVelope. Each of these has their own features, limitations, and inn some cases associated costs.

For physical invitations, you will want to plan further ahead. For example, you will need time to select the type of stationary, the font, and the quantity of invitations to send. It is also important to have a list of physical addresses for all attendees. For electronic invitations, much less advanced planning is necessary, but it is still important to give guests some advance notice of the event so that they can plan their schedules accordingly.

Featured Venue: Scripps Seaside Forum! | San Diego Event Venues

 

Breezy, Beautiful Ocean-Front Venue of Your Dreams

 

We just recently did a post about a spectacular wedding at this venue and thought we’d set the spotlight on the venue itself!

Thanks to True Photography who took all of these amazing shots, this venue takes our breath away!

 

 

If you haven’t noticed from these pictures, the views at Scripps Seaside Forum are phenomenal!

San Diego has some of the best beaches in California, but the waters in La Jolla are especially clear

and being there for a ceremony is like being on your own private island retreat.

 

 

Outside, there are multiple location options for a ceremony, cocktail hour, and general lounging spaces.

Each provides unique and priceless photos with incredible backdrops.

 

Inside, the dining and reception area can be separated by sliding wall panels, in case you want the dining area to be a surprise for your guests!

 

 

The room exudes warmth and artistry unique to the Scripps Main Hall and can be modified with drapes to your liking.

 

 

Here we can see the upper mezzanine level delicately shrouded by the elegant wall drapes.

It is an option that can add a more formal atmosphere to the theatre-like space.

 

 

We absolutely adore working at Scripps Seaside Forum and wanted to thank

all of the wonderful venue staff who are there at a moments notice if needed.

The events we’ve worked there in the past have been some of our absolute favorites!

 

 

Phoebe + John | Alyssa Boynton Photography | Scripps Seaside Forum

 

A Beach Wedding to set 2019 Standards!

 

Phoebe and John had the perfect weather for their water-front ceremony and reception at Scripps Seaside Forum.

 

Their invitations and Paperie were done by Minted and we are so impressed with this gorgeous watercolor work that flowed throughout their event!

Phoebe was shining in her gorgeous lace gown!

Phoebe’s dress was from Badgley Mischka Bridal.

John and his groomsmen were outfitted through Hugo Boss.

 

 

 

These two were so perfectly matched with their surroundings:

 

 

Relaxed, Bright, and Beautiful!

 

The Bridal Party looked so polished in their soft gray and slate attire.

 

Bridesmaids dresses from Show Me Your Mumu.

 

The stunning floral arrangements and ceremony Chuppah were products of the masterful craftsmanship of  Joel Garlejo.

We can’t help but be transfixed by Phoebe’s bouquet with all of its eye-catching unique blooms!

 

 

Twiggs Bakery Cafe delivered this casual yet clean looking nearly naked cake, perfectly fitting the wedding’s motif,

and had all the guests raving about the look and amazing flavors!

 

 

The ceremony area was breathtaking with the ocean so close

and the Chuppah draped gracefully with garlands of fresh eucalyptus.

 

Chuppah from Cedar and Pine Events.

 

It’s the tiny details, such as these hanging geometric ornaments,

that put that otherworldly touch of magic and romance onto a setting.

 

 

The ceremony was hypnotic and all attention was captivated

by the waves of genuine love cascading from John and Phoebe.

 

Ceremony officiated by Joann from Ceremonies De Vie.

 

It all came down to this magic moment…

 

…skillfully captured by the photographers Alyssa Boynton and Ashley Strong.

After the nuptials, cocktail hour commenced where our staff whipped up some tasty treats and drinks for the guests!

 

The tables were awash with royal blue goblets and marine napkins

to match Minted’s aquatic table numbers and escort cards.

 

Goblets and napkins by Hostess Haven.

Tables and chairs from Cedar and Pine Events.

 

After dinner, the dancing erupted in a flourish of fast spinning circles and

of course

the Hora!

 

To finish off the night, the cake was cut and promptly accompanied

by tiny flan tasters for each guest!

 

 

Huge thanks go out to John and Phoebe for including us in their special day!

We’re so appreciative of Rachel from Tres Chic Affairs for Coordinating all us vendors and working so hard!

Finally, one more shoutout to Alyssa Boynton Photography and

Ashley Strong Photography for these incredible pictures!

 

 

Featured Venue: The Thursday Club | San Diego Catering

We Love The Thursday Club!

 

Photographer: True Photography

 

With its elegant historic charm and spacious entertainment areas, it’s completely won our hearts!

 

Chris Erikson, the Venue Manager of The Thursday Club, is always eager to help and has years of experience managing this venue,

making him a knowledgable and priceless asset to event planning here.

 

Photographer: Unveiled Wedding Photography

Known for the beautiful ambiance and stunning views, this location is a jewel in the hills of Sunset Cliffs area out in Point Loma.

 

When not in use entertaining events, the venue is a clubhouse for members of The Thursday Club,

a philanthropic organization dedicated to giving back to San Diego.

 

According to The Thursday Club’s official website, “The Thursday Club was formed in 1921 when four young women proposed the beginnings of a club that would combine social activities with worthwhile civic and benevolent projects.”

In carrying on with the tradition and founding members’ vision, “The Thursday Club continues to participate in fundraising activities as well as service projects, both large and small. Certainly the most well-known is the Annual Rummage Sale held in Balboa Park every spring…”

Offering half of the proceeds from this rummage sale to several different organizations within Balboa Park, the rest are granted to San Diego community philanthropies!

Click here for more historic facts and to check out pictures of the original clubhouse!

 

 

So if Chris and the views aren’t enough to sell you on booking here, who can say no to partying towards a purpose?

 

Photographer: True Photography

 

Recently, The Thursday Club hosted its first Event Open House!

Organized by Chris from The Thursday Club and the fabulous Courtney from Breezy Day Weddings and Florals,

the event was captured by Katherine Beth Photography.

 

Photographer: Katherine Beth Photography

We offered small plates of our Argentinian Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri, Grilled Zucchini, and Whipped Purple Peruvian Potatoes.

Check out our instagram to see the green of the Chimichurri and the purple potatoes pop!

We so appreciated collaborating with such talented vendors and had a blast meeting with all the excited couples interested in our food!

 

Photographer: Katherine Beth Photography

 

Since first making the preferred vendor list in 1998,

we have made countless wonderful lasting memories and friendships with The Thursday Club

and look forward to many more years of collaboration ahead!

 

Thanks to all the awesome photographers tagged above for making this post possible!

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