Kristin and Grant Holiday-themed Wedding

Holiday-themed Wedding at The Victorian in Santa Monica

Santa Monica is famous for trendy boutiques and bistros, oceanview resorts and powder-sand beaches…it’s probably the last place you would expect to find a historic Victorian home and garden. Yet tucked inside Heritage Square on Santa Monica’s Main Street, a pale yellow shingled mansion lends a turn-of-the-century gentility to the lively seaside town. This unexpected juxtaposition of old-fashioned glamour in a contemporary coastal milieu makes The Victorian a delightfully intriguing venue for formal banquets, family get-togethers and all sorts of parties—bridal couples in particular are drawn to the home’s heirloom look and storied elegance. Originally built near the Hotel Miramar in 1892 as the residence of one the neighborhood’s founding families, the two-story building was moved to its current location in 1973.

The Victorian was the perfect site for Kristin and Grant's holiday-themed wedding last December with Felici Events. The brick path leading to the front door was and lined with candles, twinkle lights, and giant ornaments hanging from the trees. At the entrance, guests were greeted by a polished oak bar, beautiful chandeliers, and the couple's wishing tree where guests could leave notes for them to read while on their honeymoon. The characteristic late 19th century décor throughout—a mixture of fine antique furnishings, classical artwork and candles—was the perfect backdrop for the Christmas decorations. Kristin and Grant exchanged vows upstairs in a lovely room with a built-in bar for champagne toasts and a covered veranda for post-ceremony mingling. The sit-down reception took place downstairs in the intimate main dining room which features an octagonal enclave framed by tall windows at one corner, perfect for the bride and groom’s romantic table. A line of French doors opens to a terrace, where guests sat among trees that seem to grow right up from the wooden floor and through the latticework canopy.

The Victorian boasts an experienced staff that will help you make the most of this unique property. They’ve even put together an inclusive wedding package that covers: meal service by their in-house caterer; beer, wine, champagne and soft bar; rental fee; on-site parking; a spacious dance floor; tables, linens and Chiavari chairs; and setup and breakdown—in other words, an easy and stress-free way to entertain. The quaint home and its tranquil garden are awash in vintage charm, yet the salty tang in the air reminds visitors that the rolling waves are just one block away. With plenty of lodging options close by, your out-of-town guests will be thrilled with the opportunity to explore the local scene. Whether you fancy a cozy gathering or a lavish gala, the hospitality offered by The Victorian will lend your celebration the romantic sophistication of a bygone era.

This is a Ceremony and Reception Venue

Pricing: $56pp-$120pp

Site fee: No Site Fee- Based on Per Person Rate Capacity: 200ppl indoor seated / outdoor 400ppl

Areas: Upstairs, Main Floor, Lawn

Restrooms: 3

Bridal Dressing Room: Yes and Grooms Quarters (can't leave the men out)

Requirements: A $1,500 nonrefundable deposit is required upon booking to secure your date. An additional $1,500 (also nonrefundable) is due 1 month from the initial deposit, 50% of the estimated event total is due 6 months prior and the the remaining 50% is due 2 months prior to the event. Holiday rates apply. Guaranteed guest count is due 14 days prior and final payment is due 10 days prior to the event.

Time Allotments: 6 Hour Event

Catering: Included

Parking: Included

Music: You may bring in DJ or Band. Amplified OK indoors until 2am

Alcohol Policy: B/W/C and Prem. Liquor

What is Provided: Set-up and Breakdown, Tables, Chairs, Linens, Glassware, Flatware, Dishware, Staffing, Venue, Candles, Dancefloor, Parking, 3 Hour Bars, Choice of Sitdown Dinner or Buffet, Personal Venue Coordinator

Decoration: House Candles- Client Provides other decor Insurance: 2Million Dollar Policy ($230.00)

Cancellation Policy: 1 Month after booking full refund

Address: 2640 Main St., Santa Monica, CA

Phone: 310.392.4956

Email:    Info@thevictorian.com

Website:www.thevictorian.com

Maid For You

For obvious reasons, a wedding concentrates on the loving bond between the bride and groom.  The relationship between brides and bridesmaids, however, are an important aspect of the celebration as well.  These are the women who have supported the bride throughout the entire relationship.  They are the women who laughed, cried, and rejoiced with the bride.  Many brides are honoring this friendship with specialized tidbits from asking them to be bridesmaids to the ceremony itself. These bridesmaid cards offer a chance for the bride to include favorite pictures and stories of her and the bridesmaid-to-be.  It's an easy, affordable way to make each bridesmaid see how much the bride cherishes their friendship.

 

photo credit to sei lifestyle blog post

After the bachelorette party, the bride commemorated their night with a hilarious photo session with her and her rowdy bunch.   An awesome way to save these memories forever, this bride made a fun night an even funnier morning.

Click here to see this featured blog

This bride wrote on the bottoms of each of her bridesmaid shoes a note about how special they are to her.  Such an adorable and sweet way to let someone know you care about them!

 

Photo courtesy of The Knot

While weddings are about the bride and groom, the close bond between brides and their bridesmaids can also be recognized through small mementos.

 

A Wedding Style Guide For Males

The focus may be on the bride at a wedding, but that doesn't mean the guys can't show off their dapper looks too! Let's face it: unlike brides most men do not like the idea of spending days, let alone hours, to find the perfect attire to wear at a wedding. This is a quick and simple guide that can help. One style for this winter season includes a classic combination of a black suit and tie. Others go for a more unconventional mismatched look with muted colors like greys, browns, and tans. Whether you attend a wedding or are one of the groomsmen, these looks are great style ideas for any male wedding guest to wear.  

Vests are great for when the weather turns chilly.

 

 

Toms are a popular and comfortable alternative shoe choice!

La Tavola: Quality Linens at a Low Price

It’s easy to see beauty and take it at face value; but not everyone can see that high quality doesn't have to come with a high price. How is La Tavola able to beat the prices of several competing linen rental companies? Well, for starters, everything is done in-house – from the sewing to the washing to assembling of swatches. They actually have a 60,000 square foot warehouse that essentially functions as a magical little village creating fabulous linens. On top of that, the owners have a true passion for incredible fabric and they wanted to share the beauty with as many people as possible by making La Tavola’s linens as affordable as they could.

So, when you see something in the collection that strikes your fancy, let your imagination run wild, especially when you’re designing your event.

Happy linen shopping!

 

 

 

Trend Forecast for 2012: Lace is Everywhere

At Felici Events we make it a priority to follow the latest trends in event planning, and lace is quickly rising to the top of the list. Since her widely-publicized wedding to her sweetheart Prince William, Kate Middleton's long-sleeved lace dress has inspired many brides to incorporate lace into their weddings. Brides are now repeating the pattern from their dress in their invitations and even their desserts! Whether it is seen in the wedding decor or on the bride herself, lace is sure to be a lasting trend for weddings of 2012.  

DIY lace invitations from welovelaughkiss.wordpress.com

 

Cupcake decorations from cupcakesundercover.com

 

 

Your favorite piece of fabric can now be transformed into your wedding decor.

onefabday.com, Image credits: Michael & Anna Costa via My Sweet and Saucy | Artisan Cake Company viaFlickr |Jose Villa Photography  via Style Me Pretty| My Sweet and Saucy 

 

Easy Social Media Lesson in 1 Minute

Sometimes visual aids can teach us much more than a week-long class.

At Felici Events, we think about working smarter, not harder, and then rewarding ourselves with a donut. Part of our corporate events,  product launches,  and nonprofit event-planning packages include social media for the client.

Star of David Inspiration for Bar Mitzvahs

Star of David Inspiration for Bar Mitzvahs

This recurring Star of David motif was a great way to tie in a 'light' theme of one of our recent bar mitzvahs. This modern take on the star was not only featured on the man of the hour's cake, but was repeated in the invitations, dinner menus and table numbers. A theme like this helps an event become more connected and adds fluidity. This subtle symbol is a great way to remind everyone at the gathering what a great time it is for this young man or woman; a time to celebrate the young adult's coming-of age and first of many steps into maturity. Cards and Star of David logo were created by Lazaro Press, who did an amazing job of bringing out the star shape amidst the existing circular pattern.

Christine Dahl of Christine Dahl Pastries paired the offset yellow Star of David with blue fondant on the outer layers of the cake. Between each layer of the three-tiered cake sat a transparent box filled with lights and shimmering sparkles.

Recently Engaged? We are making it easier for you to see what Santa Barbara Offers!

A Brand New Way to Plan Your Wedding

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Congratulations on your engagement!

Join us for Santa Barbara Wedding Experience the weekend of February 24-26, for a brand new way to plan your wedding.  You don’t want to miss this wedding planning weekend full of exciting events, activities, and opportunities which will allow you to discover first hand all that Santa Barbara has to offer!

Escape to Santa Barbara for a weekend getaway, stay in a luxury hotel, relax, and enjoy being inspired for your wedding day.

Beyond the traditional wedding fair, Santa Barbara Wedding Experience is the result of a collaboration amongst an entire community of  Santa Barbara’s top event professionals and venues. We believe that there is no better place on earth to get married and we want to offer you a weekend full of innovative and inspirational Santa Barbara wedding style to prove it! This weekend-long experience will not only offer a great time but it will also allow you to imagine and actually experience what your ideal Santa Barbara Wedding could and should be.

 

Sign up this week for a chance to win a complimentary engagement photo shoot from the talented Cheryl and Tim Halberg of Fotocielo (a $750 value).

santa-barbara-wedding-photographers

To find out more or to make a reservation visit: Santa Barbara Wedding Experience

Brought to you by:

Felici            GavinRoy AKNPR          FotoCielo

5th Annual Vodka Latke Party

A few weeks ago, Felici Events along with Scott Topper Productions helped the Jewish Federation with their 5th annual Vodka Latke fund raiser, raising money  for  The Young Adult Division, which empowers Jewish identity and builds community and leadership among young adults. - Community Action, - Professional Development, - Friendship...

 

Here is a time lapse video of the event.

Mazel Tov!

http://youtu.be/ignD6mpP6fs

Songs of the Heart

Kerri-Anne Leblang is a local singer and songwriter that offers a unique range of services for all types of events. With a team of producers, musicians, and composers, Kerri-Anne creates custom songs for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, ceremonies, and all in between.
She is able to cater to various types of music styles and genres, from acoustic guitar to piano, rock, pop, and even dance. Couples and families have the opportunity to meet with Kerri-Anne to collaborate about lyrics, medium, and genre of their songs in order to capture each individual story. Kerri-Anne and her team are responsible for writing, mixing, recording, and producing the co-created song.

Once the song is completed, hosts can choose to hire Kerri-Anne for a live performance or have the recorded song play during the event. Kerri-Anne also works closely with a team of videographers, who specialize in creating documentaries and montages of events that will feature the custom song on a DVD. The DVD can be accessed online through Facebook, and shared with family and friends.

With several combinations of services, Kerri-Anne works with any type of budget to make each event unique and special. For contact information and samples of her songs, visit Kerri-Anne’s website at giftofsongs.com.

The Flag is Up Farm! A Santa Barbara Venue for events, weddings and parties

The Flag is up Farm is now available for events, weddings and parties.  Here is some tid bits about this unique Santa Ynez Location.
Property Highlights.
  • The 110-acre farm includes green manicured lawns and pastures, wonderful stables and barns, and a 24,000 square foot covered arena.
  • Can accommodate up to 500 guests (200 parking spots).
  • Horse-drawn carriage is a possibility for brides.
  • The main ranch house (personal residence of Monty & Pat Roberts) has been featured in Town and Country Magazine twice as one of the most beautiful homes on the West Coast.
  •  In addition to its beautiful ranch-style architecture, sculptured art and stunning views, the Roberts’ personal residence features Monty’s famous saloon
  • Flag Is Up Farms is the internationally renowned starting point for some of the world’s most successful performance horses and highest earning racehorses. It is also the home of the Monty Roberts Equestrian Academy and equine celebrity Shy Boy.
  • The residence and saloon house a vast array of antiques and memorabilia, each with their own story including six-hundred-year-old church doors, an old gray spool-to-spool Royal typewriter that once belong to John Steinbeck, a framed photograph of Geranimo placed above the Apache chief’s rifle, and personal photographs of Monty with James Dean on the set of East of Eden
Flag Is Up welcomes you to a special celebration with them.

 

Lime Green and Purple Decor - Another Felici Event

How to Create a Theme with Colors

An elegant and fun way to create themes can be done thru color schemes and shapes.

A great example is this REAL FELICI WEDDING for Jennifer and Stephen who used purple and green spheres as their inspiration. To convey the theme to guests right off the bat, their invitations by  Lazaro Press included the lavender and pale green puffs. 

On their reception night at The Canary Hotel, Nico Designs adorned each table with a centerpiece featuring giant green and purple chrysanthemums orbs resting on beds of rock.

Lighting is a dramatic way to convey a color scheme that immediately changes the mood of a room. Bella Vista Designs lit up the evening celebration with lavender lights around the room.

A wedding cake is the culmination and epitome of any wedding’s theme. Instead of creating a polka dotted cake, Montecito Confections used green chrysanthemums trailing up the side of the cake and onto the top adorned with cymbidium orchids.

A huge Thank You to the wonderful Melissa Musgrove for capturing these wonderful images and work of art. 

The Number Two (of four) Ingredients for Planning a Great Party

A few weeks ago I blogged about the number one important ingredient for a successful event.  Here I am to share with you the second most important ingredient to incorporate in order to have a successful event or holiday party.

SUCCESSFUL EVENT TIP NUMBER TWO = WETTING THE WHISTLE, FUN DRINKS

Offer an assortment of beverage options in order to to encompass a myriad of palates, however, not so many that it breaks your budget. A creative signature drink can incorporate your theme, color or details, and will be something guests enjoy and continue to talk about.

 

One of Felici's Favourites is Pomegranate + Sparkling Wine = Pomegranate Mimosa, a refreshing, soft cocktail.

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If you're offering alcoholic beverages, make sure there are a few interesting non-alcoholic options for the non-drinkers and designated drivers at your party.

Felici combines Pink Lemons + Sugar = Pink Lemonade

 

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Old Country meets Wine Country

Cultural traditions and locations both play roles in branding and making a wedding memorable and unique. This Felici Events wine country wedding incorporates elements of the bride's Norwegian background while maintaining a country western theme.

Poppin' for Kid Parties

Finding the appropriate entertainment for children can be fun.  

Here is a recent event idea in which we had a balloon artist.  He was able to create anything from a Super Mario character to a monkey hanging from a palm tree.

Needless to say, the balloon maker was a big hit with the kids.

Another treat for guests is a fully stocked candy bar. This purple candy bar was laid out in glass vases with varying shades of purple candy to match the colors of the reception. Small purple Chinese to-go boxes were also provided so guests (young and old) could take home some treats for the road. One mother was even encouraging her daughters to take home more sweets so she could sneak some for herself on the trip back.  This goes to show that parties are not just for grown ups. There are plenty of inventive ways to ensure that kids can have fun too!

 

Have a Seat Mr. and Mrs.!

Customizing your bride and groom chair signs for your reception is an easy way to showcase your creativity and your wedding theme in a fun and unique manner.  

Mr. and Mrs. chair signage can come in every shape and form- starting from chalkboards to wooden signs to something as easy and DIY as printing “Bride” and “Groom” on your invitation stationary. Mr. and Mrs. chair signs can get as intricate as having words shaped from rosemary or as simple as ribbon and signage.

The wide range of options is part of the beauty of this wedding custom, get inspired from the these pictures to add this cute detail to your wedding!