Nestldown Wedding | S + M married

Wedding Consultant: Amy's Wedding & Events
Wedding Venue: The private estate - Nestldown
Caterer: Le Papllion
Photographer: Harry Who Photography
Videographer: Ocean Blue Videography (Also provided the beautiful video below)
Florist: Poppy's Petalworks
DJ: Big Fun DJ
Cake: Jen's Cakes
Transportation: The Santa Cruz Experience

Every time when I see my clients' wedding video, it brings back all the good memories and all the happy moments from during the wedding planning, as well on their wedding day. Today, I would like to share with you all, my beloved and special client from last month. They are not only my client. Sarah (the bride) is also my friend back from high school. It is my honored to be the wedding consultant for my friend and also seeing them starting a happy journey in their life.

Congratulations once again to Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Sarah Yu!

It wasn't a sunny, bright weather on the wedding day; however, the rain actually made it more romantic and intimate for their special celebration with their beloved family and friends. Some people may think plan B wouldn't be the most perfect plan, but it proved in this case, with a well plan and team effort, the imperfect can be perfect. =)

Enjoy the video~

A Touching Wedding - Dalena + Norman

This is one of our favorite weddings this year and to be part of Dalena and Norman's special day. I remembered when I first met Dalena, it was beginning of this year in Hong Kong when I was visiting my family. At our consultation, we chatted about 3 hours with not only wedding but everything in life. Since then we became friends. We share wedding ideas and a lot more throughout the journey of the planning process. Most of the time we chatted over LONG emails just to share all the fun ideas and everything that happened around them nights and days. They both grew up here in the Bay Area, but not located in Hong Kong. Since most of their family and friends are here in the Bay Area, it didn't take them a long time to decide for the wedding location whether to do it in Hong Kong or here. What so special about this wedding to me is that I know Dalena and Norman work so hard to put this wedding together, oversea. A celebrate between the two of them, beloved family, and friends. Nothing over done, no big grand ballroom with lots of lighting and decoration. But everything is well planned from dresses to flowers, location and decoration that gave all guests a warm welcome feeling, simple and clean style just like the personalities of the two.

All the best to my beloved couple with the new journey and new living environment.

Enjoy the highlight video from the talented videographer Alex Kon from IQ Videography

Our New Promo Video

Always curious of what wedding planner do? We have the answer for you. =)



Special Thanks to our videographer from Wing Hon Films to capture all the beautiful setting from our recent wedding at the gorgeous Private Estate in Los Gatos - Nestldown

Healthy Eating at Wedding...continued

So after food...of course we have to talk about drinks and wedding cake!

Wait?? You can go Eco-friend on beverages too? Yes, you can!




If you are non-alcohol drinker like me, this is a good news to you! You don't have to serve alcohol at your wedding! I had clients that serve special fruit punch as their signature drink and guests love it. Try to mix with organic fruit juice. If you want to add some elegant touch of the drink even water, have sparkling water as one of the options that guests can choose. If you do like serving alcohol, how about some good organic wines and beer? Look around for your local brewery that can provide you beverage right from their keg.

What about cake or dessert?



Ask your bakery or find a baker that can accommodate you with your organic theme by using organic ingredients. They can use locally harvested eggs and milk to save the cost of transportation. Or if you are doing dessert, how about some mini fruit tart with the in-season fruit from the local orchard.

Eat Healthy...Be Pretty...Happy Planning!

Source: The Knot - Green Wedding, 101 Eco Green Wedding Tips
1st Photo: The Knot
2nd Photo: This is IT Photography, Jen's Cake

Eat Healthy and Be Green!

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend with the beautiful sun we have.

Let's get back to our something green section, shall we? Last week we talked about how to find your Eco-friendly gown and venue, how about some food discussion today? At wedding, brides and grooms always choose the BEST to serve their guests. Not only the presentation of the food itself needs to be good, taste is very important. So is there any ways that you can be green on your food portion? Of course!



Go organic and be healthy! However, organic foods tend to cost more. If you did not accounted that into your budget, they might not be the best fit. You can also go with a vegan meal, which means no dairy products, no eggs and, obviously, no meat.

Another way is to go local! When you are looking for a caterer, check and see if they use locally grown food. If bought directly from growers, food needs less time in the fridge and less packaging to stay fresh. This means...you will create less trash and less electricity has to do with it. And since the food is coming from a shorter distance, less fuel is needed to transport.

You can also choose the foods that are in-season produce. Out-of-season fruits and veggies are grown in heated greenhouses. If you are having a winter wedding, don't serve summer favorites, like eggplant and zucchini, that must be grown in a greenhouse. Opt for winter squash, like acorn or butternut, and Brussels sprouts instead.

Last, but not least, if you decide not to take the left-over by the end of your wedding reception, make sure your caterer donate any left-over food to the local food rescue programs. You can check out more information from: America's Second Harvest . With this, you are not only making the world green but also saving someone's from hunger.

Be healthy, be pretty! Happy Planning!

Resource: The Knot - Green Weddings
Photo: This is iT Photography
In the photo: Greenfish Catering

Pick your Eco-Friendly wedding venue

I guess this is 'THE MOST' important topic that brides and grooms will jump right into when they first start planning their wedding! (only if not choosing your wedding gown or photographer.) Yes, choosing the wedding venue that you like is major as it set the stage of how you would like your wedding style and theme to be. The most popular or traditional wedding sites that come to people's mind would be hotel ballrooms, halls, or fancy resorts that tend to use loads of electricity, water and other typically not-so-earth-friendly products in order to put on these ultra-glamorous affairs. So is there a way that you can go Eco-friendly on choosing your wedding venue? YES! and here's how...

Choose a location that is as close to as many of your guests as possible can reduce your wedding's impact in a big way. Also, picking the venue where you can do ceremony and reception at one place would save you and your guests from traveling from one place to the other. If you are choosing somewhere in your local area, you may want to do some research on the local community garden, farmer, or LEED certified building.

Having your wedding outdoor is also a great choice and popular nowadays especially during late Spring all the way to late Fall time. You and your guests get to enjoy the sunlight all the way to pretty much 7pm, 8pm, or even early 9pm depends on where you located. Have the outdoor wedding no matter it rain or shine. Look for a farm or in a meadow and skip the electricity or running water. Somewhere like beautiful botanical gardens, hilltops, farms, and wineries that offer modern conveniences, like sinks and toilets, so you don't have to sacrifice these comforts. This way, you are still helping the earth because you are letting the sun provide all the lighting!

However, if you still prefer having an indoor wedding, like if you pick to get married during late Fall to early Spring while the sun is not as strong, you can still work it out and be Eco-friendly. Like mentioned above, have your ceremony and reception at the same location. Or choose the venue that gets plenty of sunlight and host a luncheon wedding. This will not only save on energy, it will save on your wedding as well since most of the wedding venues do provide a better price offer for a daytime/luncheon wedding. If hotel is still on your mind, check out GreenHotels.com for hotels that recycle and use energy efficient appliances and biodegradable products.

Happy Planning!

Sources: The Knot - Green Weddings, Top Green Wedding Tips
Photo by: W Photography

Happy Earth Day!!

Have you noticed the weather is super weird this year? There are still storms in the middle of April, temperature drops from an 80F one day to 55F the next day. Huge difference on the weather that is surrounding us! Today, is the 40th anniversary of the Earth Day so let's do something green! Yup, this coming week entries will be about green wedding to help YOU and our earth to feel better and look great! Starting from today and the following week, we will have different topics and tips to show you how to go green on your wedding. Ready? Our first topic for today is for all brides to be!

It is to choose your Eco-friendly wedding gown!



The wedding gown, for 100% that is the one of the most important items when planning a wedding for most brides (well sometime grooms too...because they want their wife to be look stunning and beautiful on their big day as well!). But you may think, well, wedding gowns are always expensive! Not only talking about rather it is on-sale or not, if you just walk in a bridal salon with hundreds of top wedding gown designers dresses, there you go, an easy $1K+ to pay and add on to your wedding day! And when you hear the word "Eco-friendly", is it going to be more pricey?? Well, there are ways that you can get your Eco-friendly gown and save!

How about asking your mom and see if she preserved her wedding dress or not. If she does, maybe there is a reason why. =) Take a look at the dress! If it's not quite your style, work with a seamstress to make it into your style!

Or how about visit the vintage clothing shops for pre-worn dresses? This would be the most easiest and most Eco-friendly you can do. This is a great way to be environmentally friendly and save! You can also purchase a once-worn or sample gown from Brides Against Breast Cancer which donates the proceeds to help women with breast cancer. There are also online sources that you can found a pre-worn wedding gowns like Ebay or The Dress Market. You can also go to Encore Bridal that sells preowned couture wedding dresses and bridal accessories. "Re-using" wedding gowns reduces environmental waste. Also, Encore Bridal is committed to use green business practices (ex. use of recycled paper for stationary, use of recycled and biodegradable shipping products, fuel efficient transportation)

However, if you prefer to wear a brand-new dress, try to find a designer who uses sustainable fabrics created by nature -- and not a factory -- like organic cotton, silk or hemp. Check out Adele Wechsler's Eco Couture line. Consider letting the bridal party wear clothes they already own. Offer a few guidelines, like a color or dress length. They'll love that they can show off their style. Or check out the options for wedding gowns in natural and eco friendly fabrics at: Conscious Clothing orThreadhead Creations. For a casual wedding, check out Rawganique.

So what about of your big day is over?? You may consider donating your wedding gown to a charitable organization-the ultimate in recycling. Brides Against Breast Cancer sells once-worn gowns and uses the proceeds to grant wishes to breast cancer patients nationwide. The I Do Foundation will donate 20% of the proceeds from the sale of your dress to the charity of your choice, and use the remaining funds to support the I Do Foundation's ongoing work to encourage charitable giving at weddings. In addition, you receive a tax write-off from the I Do Foundation for the full value of the dress. Ask your bridesmaids to give their gowns to the Glass Slipper Project , a program that distributes formal dresses to high-school students unable to afford prom attire.

There are ways to get your Eco-friendly wedding gown and go green! Is this something you are considering? =)

Happy Earth Day and Happy Planning!

Sources from: The Knot Green Weddings, Eco Friendly Weddings
Photo from: Pretty Chicky

Get Inspired!

For brides and grooms to be, if you are currently starting to plan your wedding or stuck in the middle of your wedding planning, I have a great site for you to visit and to look for beautiful weddings and ideas!!

If you haven't check out a blog called "Style Me Pretty", you surely want to bookmark it after your first visit! Check out their blog entries everyday to get inspired. And just today, they announced a new partnership with one of the world most famous wedding and event planners - Michelle Rago to get brides and grooms more inspirational ideas! Not only that, they are having a giveaway to one lucky bride and groom who sign up at their new launch project Style Boards and enter your wedding details today. You maybe the lucky one to receive a $450 worth Style Studio package from Michelle Rago. For more information click on the following link:

Style Me Pretty's Style Studio with Michell Rago

The Style Boards

They will announce the winner today at 9pm EST!
Good luck and happy planning!

Time to Plan Your Honeymoon? (Or a Getaway)

While you are busy planning your wedding, will planning a honeymoon be part of it?

At today's economy, I'm sure a lot of people are looking for the best deal, especially if you are planning your wedding at the same time.

I was ready this article from Yahoo Travel about the "Best Affordable Beach Resorts", and are listing beautiful seaside resorts around the world for $250 per day or less. Maybe this can help you a little bit on ideas of where to go for your honeymoon and save. Even if you just want a mini vacation to getaway. It's always good to know!





This really makes me missed my last year trip to Bali... Enjoy~

Charming Older Couple

I love this video!!

Love is really a life long lesson where we are all learning everyday. May everyone stay sweet and happy with their loved ones, and the love grows more and more everyday.

An elderly couple walked into the lobby of the Mayo Clinic for a checkup and spotted a piano. They've been married for 62 years and he'll be 90 this year. Check out this impromptu performance. We are only as old as we feel, it's all attitude. Enjoy! They certainly do!

We are on YWD Blog!!

Good things have been happening in this new year!!

We are thrilled and proud to announce that one of our gorgeous clients' wedding, Yan and Essam, has been featured on YWD - Your Wedding Day Magazine Blog!!





Thank you for the great work from the team that work together at this beautiful wedding, and especially our fabulous photographer, Claudia Akers Photography, to capture the unforgettable moment of life time!

Please come and read more about this blog post!!

We are very excited and looking forward to help more brides and grooms to create a fabulous wedding of their dream!

Dorothy & Wilson's Wedding Teaser

Wedding located at the gorgeous site: Carmel Valley Ranch
Photographer: Anna Kuperberg Photography

More photos to come!

Why Hire a Wedding Planner? OR Would You Do Your Own Surgery?

Photo: W Photography, Jolie and Tate's Wedding

Often time we are questioned..."Why do I need a wedding planner?" Not that many people understand what a wedding planner do. Hopefully after reading this article, it will help you answer some of your questions.

Why Hire a Wedding Planner? OR Would You Do Your Own Surgery? by Michael S. Willms

Very true from the article:
"Along with all of what I’ve just shared, imagine the bride being a consummate hostess with a smile plus having to handle the RSVP management, wedding rehearsal execution, guest list management, guest's umpteen million questions that roll in all day long, transportation organization, amenity distribution.... I’d say that a mad woman would be an easier role for a bride left alone! But when you have someone you can trust working on your behalf, available to call, text and email like a maniac to get what needs to get done done, you have the comfort to actually relax, and enjoy your wedding day."

Happy 2010!!