Manka's Rehearsal Dinner on Snippet & Ink

Many thanks to the lovely Kathryn of Snippet & Ink for featuring one of our all time favorite events, a Rehearsal dinner at Manka's Boathouse. Erin and David are the sweetest, most down to earth couple. We planned an amazing wedding in Inverness for them at David's grandparents property. Nearby Manka's Boathouse, on the shore of Tomales Bay seemed like a perfect spot to host the rehearsal dinner, especially since Mr. Manka, the previous owner of the Manka's Inverness Lodge actually attended David's parents' wedding 30 years earlier. Erin and David really wanted everything to seem natural and complementary to the setting. Kristen Loken captured all the gorgeous details.

Guests began the evening on the deck taking in the beauty of the Tomales Bay.

Manka's passed hors d'oeuvres of their delicious cuisine lovingly prepared by Chef Daniel DeLong & Proprietor Margaret Grade. Every bite was absolute perfection: Wee Burgers of Lamb, Crisped Oysters, Ceviche of Local Halibut, a Puff of Cheese filled with scrambled Inverness Duck egg.

At sunset, guests took their seats in the cozy boathouse

and were greeted by absolutely gorgeous decor by Nicole Sillapere with gorgeous letterpressed menus and placecards penned by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls. (Check out Kathryn's Snippet & Ink post for more on the cleverly written menu).

Guests dined the delicious preparations of Chef DeLong and enjoyed Piano by well known Jazz Pianist Mike Lipscomb. It really was the perfect beginning to what turned out to be an extraordinary weekend.

Location, Location, Location! Casa Bella Blanca

I admit I've been a little slack when it comes to posting, but my visit to Casa Bella Blanca was just the thing to kick start me back into action. Entire Productions hosted a wonderful party for event professionals at this private event venue last night on Divisadero near Turk.



I was too busy yacking to take any shots of the actual party, but the decor by Neil Adams of Blueprint Studio Collection was beautiful and chic, Cuban performer Fito Reinoso delivered a wonderful eclectic mix of Latin music, JP Buongiorno was inside on Flamenco guitar and there were two different DJs... DJ Juan Data and DJ Imani... all available through Entire Productions. Barbara Llewellyn Catering & Events made sure that no detail was overlooked, that the the mojitos and sangria were flowing and passed delicious culinary bites... what more could you want?

Check out this great space...



When first I saw the photos I wondered if it would feel crowded for a special event, but it was wonderfully open and spacious. There were 200-300 people there and it didn't feel overly crowded at all.





The home has wonderful classic elements mixed with a modern San Francisco vibe...a gorgeous open kitchen, beautiful upstairs and a wonderful yard with an upper deck and hot tub and a lower patio which was a great event area.



The patio was a spacious concrete space that was covered with clear tenting and kept cozy with heaters. It opened onto a garage of sorts (almost seemed to chic to be categorized as a garage) with a comfortable lounge and bar with urban chic vibe.



Anyway, if you want to check it out, give me a call and I'd be happy to take you over there.

The Lovely Workshop on Style Me Pretty!

So happy to share with you a taste of "A Lovely Workshop", Elizabeth Messina's workshop for wedding photographers at the beautiful Kenwood Inn & Spa in Sonoma ... I had the pleasure of being the event planner on the team. I've been giddy about this for weeks... it was so much fun and such an awe-inspiring day. And it is the icing on the cake to be featured on Style Me Pretty.

To say that I'm honored to be part of this wonderful event and team of amazingly talented vendors is truly an understatement. Here are just a few shots to wet your appetite. You can see more here on today's Style Me Pretty and I will surely share more in the near future.



All Images by Elizabeth Messina

Below is a list of the wonderful team of collaborators... I seriously can't say enough great things about every last one of these fabulous talents. They are truly a dream team of artisans!

Photographer and Queen Bee - Elizabeth Messina
Event Planning - Rosemary Hattenbach
Design and Florals - Eden of End Design
Concepts and Printed Design - Viola of Chewing the Cud
Location & The Loveliest Feast - Kenwood Inn & Spa
Hand Lettered Calligraphy - Xandra of XYX Ink
Wedding Cake - Gabrielle at Cake Coquette
Mouthwatering Chocolates - Coco Delice Fine Chocolates
Hair - Elise at Primped Napa Valley 707.254.5050
Make Up - Darcy at Primped Napa Valley 707.815.9097
Cinematography - Kristen* at Bliss Video
Assisting Elizabeth - Kristen Loken
Gorgeous Head Pieces - Twigs & Honey
Wedding Gowns - Kirstie Kelly




Aren't you dying to see more?? Be sure to check out all 4 posts featuring this wonderful event on Style Me Pretty today and check back soon for more shots and a posting from yours truly!

Signature Details: Rosemary Garden Markers

My friend Viola from Chewing the Cud called this to my attention.... they were featured on Design Sponge yesterday. So clever and very cute. You can buy them on Etsy at this shop.

I guess you can probably imagine why I would love these... I am always on the lookout for cute little pieces with my signature... Of course I'm fortunate to have a name like Rosemary in a profession such as planning weddings... and these little rustic details really speak to my style.

Adding signature details to your wedding is a must for creating a cohesive and well-thought out event that exudes your personality and style. What do you love and what details are you using to sign your name on your event?

"Elemental" by Waterlily Pond Studioat Bouquets to Art

Back in mid-March, I went to the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park for a little floral inspiration at the Bouquets to Art. The Bouquets to Art is an annual celebration of floral design where noted floral designers are invited to create a floral art piece inspired by a particular work of art within the museum. The floral works are displayed next to their inspired art works.

I haven't been before, but I had been looking forward to it since I heard from my friend Natasha Lisitsa of Waterlily Pond Studio that she had been chosen to create the feature installation in Wilsey Court. At that point, she was waiting for that "lightbulb moment" and hadn't completed the final design. She must have had one bright shining moment because her extraordinary installation, "Elemental", a 20 ft x 15 ft, 800 lb masterpiece made of Manzanita Branches, Forsythia, Curly Willow and Anthuriums made my jaw drop as I entered the Wilsey Court... just absolutely breathtaking.

Natasha is a fabulous floral and event designer, a true artist and a lovely person! She has a very interesting background... she originally came to this country to work as an engineer and during the Dot.com bust, found a new direction in life... design. I am completely in awe of her creativity and so happy for her and all the attention she's getting for this creation.

The most exciting part? You can hire her to create your wedding florals or to design your entire event. Check out these photos of her installation below. They were taken by the talented Erin Beach, a wedding documentary style wedding photographer from San Francisco.




Here's the official description from the de Young.

Elemental, by Waterlily Pond Studio
Natasha Lisitsa, Daniel Schultz, Carla D’Agostino

Materials Used:
500 blossoming branches of Forsythia
30 Manzanita trees
200 trunks of Curly Willow
500 stems of Anthuriums
100 feet of copper tubing, inspired by the De Young architecture

Dedicated to the Grand Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Bouquets to Art.

Suspended within the austere, angular space of the Wilsey Court, a vibrant infusion of color and dynamic form initiates a celebration of life and all things Elemental. A radiant central composition of yellow forsythia and red Manzanita branches alludes to the sun and earth, the combined vital energy common to us all. Orbiting this form is an ascending spiral, which presents allusions to the building blocks of nature: the earth orbiting the sun, the atom, DNA, and to the continuous path of life along which we travel.