WNA Holiday Awards Dinner at the San Jose Hilton!

I am a member of an incredible and inspiring women's group called the Women's Networking Alliance (WNA) It was founded by Debbie Quintana about 4 years ago, in her living room with a group of women business owners looking for camaraderie. Now the WNA is going national with 12 chapters already started and being formed. For more information go to the WNA website.

On Thursday , December 3rd, the Women's Netowrking Alliance founding chapter had their annual awards dinner at the San Jose Hilton. I jumped at the opportunity to coordinate this event so that my fellow WNA members could enjoy a beautiful and relaxing evening.

Here are some photos of the ladies and some of the details that I had fun dreaming up!

Thanks so much to all the professionals that helped me put all of this together to create a fab event :)

Venue/Catering

San Jose Hilton

Menu Cards/Table cards/Invitations

Cara Laine of Sleepy Hedgehog Press

Lighting

Natti Pierce-Thomson of North American Theatre Technology

Music

Above The Law

Favors

Provided by Gourmet Gifts

Flowers

Kellye Clifford of Precious & Blooming

Caricature Artist

Jon Casey

Event Coordinator

Amy Frugoli of Twitterpated Weddings

Cake

Sharon Garza

Continue reading "WNA Holiday Awards Dinner at the San Jose Hilton!" »

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Wedding consultants vs On site coordinators

Weddings are constantly evolving and changing. There are more options, details, designs, and styles every day. A lot of couples desire original concepts and personal touches incorporated into their ceremony and reception.

Besides ceremonies and receptions, couples are making full weekends out of their wedding celebrations including elaborate rehearsal dinners, after parties, and a day after wedding breakfast or brunch.

With all these new options, it is getting harder and harder for couples to keep each wedding professional and task in order, thus, the use of a wedding coordinator is become less of a luxury and is quickly becoming a necessity.

The biggest question that couples seem to have is “What is the difference between an onsite wedding consultant (the person working at the venue) and contracted/hired (third party) wedding consultant?”

The truth is, we both have very different jobs. What you have to remember is that the onsite coordinator works for the VENUE (hotel, hall, park, etc) and third party consultants work for the COUPLE. Although onsite coordinators almost always go above and beyond to help make the couple's day perfect, they do have limitations. They have their own crew to oversee and their own job to do. Here is a great summary of some of the differences that I received from the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay when I went to tour the facility earlier this year.
This is a great example of what to expect from each.

What does a Ritz-Carlton Wedding Specialist handle?
· Provide a list of special event professionals
· Act as a menu consultant for food and beverage selections
· Detail your banquet order and wedding resume outlining your entire event
· Create an estimate of charges outlining your financial commitment and payment schedule
· Create a floor plan of your function space to provide seating arrangements
· Oversee the details of the bride and groom’s room reservations (If applicable)
· Oversee the ceremony and reception room(s) set up, food preparations and other hotel operations
· Be the on-site liaison between your wedding consultant and hotel operations staff
· Ensure a seamless transition to the hotel’s banquet captain once the grand entrance has occurred.
· Review your banquet checks for accuracy prior to the completion of the final bill.
As you can see, the onsite coordinator handles a lot, but it all has to do with the hotel operations, staff and charges. This is true with almost every wedding venue. They have a business to run, and although they undoubtedly care very much about you and your event, their number one priority is their employer.

What does a contracted wedding coordinator/consultant handle?
· Assist with etiquette and protocol for invitations, family matters, ceremony and toasts.
· Create a timeline for your entire wedding day including the ceremony and reception.
· Work with you to organize and coordinate your ceremony rehearsal; remind bridal party of all pertinent “call times” and “don’t forgets” on your wedding day.
· Be the liaison with your family, bridal party, band/DJ, florist, photographer and other vendors to create a seamless operation.
· Assist the bride and bridal party with dressing.
· Ensure the ladies have corsages and bouquets and the pinning the boutonnieres.
· Deliver and arrange ceremony programs, escort cards, place cards, favors and any personal items.
· Coordinate the ceremony; line up bridal party, assist bride with dress, etc.
· Coordinate your reception; grand entrance, first dance, toasts, cake cutting, etc.
· Collect any personal items you may have brought at the conclusion of the reception.
· Assist you with full service coordinating from engagement to your honeymoon if needed.

The important thing is that both coordinators are team players who work together to create a seamless event. The combination of a great on-site coordinator with a professionally trained wedding consultant means you won’t have to worry about a thing!

Posted by Amy Frugoli at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2010 San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway!

The 2010 San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway is more than just a wedding contest. Over forty premier Bay Area wedding and hospitality vendors are collaborating to make this once in a lifetime dream come true. They’ll work together as a team for almost a year, planning, coordinating and designing the most unforgettable Wedding of the Year, for one very lucky couple in love. By implementing exquisite details and top notch products and services, this amazing wedding will definitely be worthy of platinum status. The contest officially opens on August 4, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. PST.

Here is the article describing my part in the giveaway:

Amy Frugoli, owner of Twitterpated Weddings joins the Dream Team with a very important important role. Amy will serve as the “wedding coordinator” for the 2010 San Francisco Dream Wedding, acting as the event manager.
Amy will be working closely with wedding planner and contest producer, Liz Guthrie of San Jose Wedding Consultants, and wedding designer, Kathryn Kalabokes of Dream A Little Dream Events.
Why 3 wedding consultants for this one wedding, one may ask? Well, The 2010 San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway is not just “any wedding”, and it requires a well-oiled team to produce an event of this status and caliber. Each wedding consultant will be dealing with three entirely different aspects of the wedding planning process. This will ensure the lucky winners who get married on May 14, 2010 receive unparalleled attention to detail and experience what it means to be the stars of what is being dubbed the “wedding of the year“.
Amy will be working with the bride and groom, as well as the entire Dream Team, providing event management services. She’ll be there for the bride and groom throughout the planning process to answer their question sand guide them along. Another big part of Amy’s job will be to coordinate with over 40 vendors who are donating their goods and services, managing the logistics of the wedding day.
She’ll also be constructing the very detailed time line for the wedding, by incorporating information based on all the relevant vendors’ jobs, as well as all aspects of the wedding ceremony and reception.
She’ll keep track of the bridal party and immediate family. She’ll manage the wedding rehearsal and the wedding itself, keeping the events running according to schedule.
The value of Amy’s donation is $3,000.00.
Why Amy is Excited to Participate in the Giveaway
Amy says, “I consistently strive to give back to my community, as well as globally, in any way I can. I believe that even small gestures make a difference in people’s lives. This contest allows me the honor of giving back something incredible for someone deserving.”.
How Twitterpated Weddings was Born
Amy was working as a bridal consultant and Fine Tabletop and Giftware manager when she found herself spending hours chatting with bridal couples about their wedding plans. She had always been interested in wedding planning, but once she realized how many couples really DID need some guidance, the decision to open her own wedding consulting business was born.

What is unique about Twitterpated Weddings?
As a wedding planner, Amy helps her clients plan their dream weddings all over the San Francisco Bay Area. Amy says, “I believe in keeping it real. What you see is what you get.”. She started this business to make each couple’s journey fun, easy and stress free so that’s her goal with each wedding. Amy also serves on the board of the prestigious ACPWC.

Posted by Amy Frugoli at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

~Alice and William~

June 20th 2009

This was such a special and sentimental wedding. Alice and William wed under the tree that Alice played under as a little girl and the reception was on the very property where Alice and William initially felt that "spark".

There were so many personal elements in this wedding, that it truely was a perfect day mixing all the people and things that mean so much to both of them.

From the groom's artwork on the banners carried by the bridal party, the officiant who is a long-time family friend, the traditional dessert of Angel Food Cake (served at all family functions) and so many more unique elements, this wedding was one of the coolest to witness and help coordinate.

Photographer Matt Kim took great photos as the event unfolded and caught the authenticity of the love and joy witnessed at this wedding.

Alice and her mom behind her veil, such an incredible shot.

Photo by Matt Kim Photography

I took this one and was able to catch a bit of photog, Matt Kim.

The groom raising a bottle.

Photo by Matt Kim Photography

The recessional

Photo by me :)

Private moment

Photo by Matt Kim Photography

I caught Alice "floating" as she was walking to the buffet :)

Photo by me :)

There was dancing...

...oh there was some great dancing!

Photos by Matt Kim Photography

One of the bridesmaids MADE these puppets designed to look like the bride and groom...right down to the details on the outfits!

Photo by Matt Kim Photography

I took a chance to snap a pic with the bride and groom (and snag the grooms snazzy hat )

Congratulations Alice and William!

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Maria and Luis ~ May 24th, 2009

Maria and Luis got married at Willow Heights Mansion on Sunday, May 24th. The mansion and the surrounding grounds set the perfect dramatic tone for their old Hollywood themed wedding. Some highlights included the bride's arrival in a Rolls Royce and a groom's cake with his favorite video game as the decor!

Guests were treated to a fun night of glamour and music. There was a delicious buffet dinner and yummy Pina Coladas and Sangria at the bar.

It seemed as if the party could have easily lasted until the wee hours of the night, but as I always say at weddings, it's better to leave them wanting a little more :) They definately did and everyone was all smiles as they were leaving saying how much fun they had.

Maria, Luis and their families were wonderful to work with. Their wedding day was one of joy and celebration!

Congratulations Maria and Luis!

Of course the day wouldn't have been so wonderful without a great team of wedding pros. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it look so easy :)

Ceremony/Reception site: Willow Heights Mansion

Photography: Stagi Imagery

(To see more photos of this wedding, visit this site by Stagi Imagery)

Flowers/design: Chic Designs and Florals

Bakery: Jen's Cakes

Officiant: Kiss the Bride

Transportation: Elegant Journey Limosuine

Wedding Coordination: Twitterpated Weddings

Here are a few photos I snapped throughout the day...

Classic limo + snazzy couple + natural background

Black and white

Lights...cameras...action!

Continue reading "Maria and Luis ~ May 24th, 2009" »

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"Meet the Planners" event at The Grand Cafe

On Monday, June 8th, I was honored to be one of the featured wedding consultants for a "Live Wedding Guide" event.

Samara Brown of 29 And Holding Event Services, Amy Frugoli of Twitterpated Weddings, Nelle Donaldson of ZahZoom Weddings & Parties, Joyce Scardina Becker of Events of Distinction and Birds Of A Feather Queer Wedding Planning

The idea of the evening was to connect wedding consultants with wedding professionals in a beautiful venue. That venue happened to be Grand Cafe located inside of Hotel Monaco. Set in a dramatic, carefully restored turn-of-the-century ballroom with soaring ceilings, the cafe recalls the grandeur of old Europe, as if you've stepped into Paris in the early twentieth century. It's a memorable setting for an unforgettable experience. Grand Cafe is located at 501 Geary (at Taylor Street) San Francisco, California 94102

There were 5 wedding consultants (Events of Distinction, ZahZoom Weddings & Parties, 29 And Holding Event Services, Twitterpated Weddings, Birds Of A Feather Queer Wedding Planning) and 20 wedding professionals. Each wedding professional had 3 minutes to "pitch" their business to each consultant , much like speed dating. It was fast paced and exciting with some interesting people and companies. There was a large range of wedding pros ranging from DJs, transportation, favors, and so many more. Here is a list of the fab participants:

Dark Garden

Divalicious Productions

Entire Productions

Swing Fever Entertainment

Angelica Limousines

Reverend Ed

The Presidio Trust

Bayleaf

Fire and Icing

Viansa Winery & Marketplace

Full Service DJ

Creative Lighting Design

The Memory Journalists

Art & Clarity Photography

Mark West Lodge & Hummingbird Gardens

Custom Crystal Designs

Ben Janken Fine Photography

Talk about leaving you wanting more - 3 minutes was a tease and gave me just enough insight as to what they were all about. I definately look forward to connecting with these vendors at a later time..hopefully for more than 3 minutes! After the event we were treated to a delicious treat...a piece of one of the best tasting (and most intricate looking) cakes from Fire and Icing. Viansa Winery provided the wine for the evening as well. Thank you for sharing!

Dante of Fire and Icing Bakery

Live Wedding Guide is a new project of MyQueerWedding.com. Celebrating weddings of all kinds, Live Wedding Guide is committed to connecting wedding businesses with engaged couples (same-sex and opposite-sex) through live events. A special thanks to Sarah Lenz, Susannah Layton and Helen Gallagher of My Queer Wedding for putting together this great event.

For more information:
(510) 541-4279 office
(510) 550-2652 fax
info@liveweddingguide.com

Posted by Amy Frugoli at 02:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Bella Intima at Allied Arts Guild ~ 4.18.09

Yesterday, I attended the Bella Intima Bridal Charity Event at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park with my good friend and fellow ACPWC wedding consultant, Nicole Lisanne. It was a bit warm, but it was great to see such a wonderful turnout for such a worthy cause and a beautiful and intimate event. Here is a list of the featured vendors...

Vendors

...and several photos of random coolness I came across....

how refeshing does this cool blue and strawberry themed table look?

These chairs were so elegant and unique

What's black and white and yellow all over?

When life hands you lemons....make some cool lemon placecards!

Pure romance...sigh :)

The rustic colors in these displays were incredible. Square was the recurring theme from the square floral displays, the square paper lanterns, and wooden frames hanging on the aisle chairs.

Blanca Samano talking about chair covers....

...speaking of her chair covers :)

The very "flirty" and incredible Stacie Tamaki

The beautiful and talented photographer, Tanja Lippert. Laughing and smiling is what she does best after taking photos :)

LOVED the photo displays from photographer Ingrid Nelson of Myrtle & Marjoram Photography! They were blowing and spinning in the breeze so gracefully.

Studio Cake...incredible to look at, even better to taste :)

Nicole doing the chocolate fountain thing with California Chocolate Fountains

La Patisserie goodies looked like works of art.

Here comes the bride (model)...

Beautiful!

Nicole Lisanne, Megan Woods (Enhanced Lighting) and me!

Sabine Scherer (Sabine Scherer Photography) and me!

Posted by Amy Frugoli at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Illusions of Grandeur ~ Experience the Extraordinary

ACPWC director, Deborah Moody, and I took a trip to Sand City, CA to view an open house for Illusions of Grandeur Design.

This red carpet event featured their decorated warehouse with a spectacular tent showcasing wedding and event designs, creative hors d'oeuvres, musical and specialty entertainment, local wineries and much more!

What an INCREDIBLE showcase! There was great music, food, desserts and all the usual open house activities, but the difference was that they had transformed their storage warehouse/offices into an attractive and interesting mecca of creative ideas. Think haunted house without the haunt.

There were rooms and halls and spaces sectioned off with fabric and lighting. There were vendors throughout the "maze" each offering samples off their work that were incredibly friendly and just plain happy to be there.

Nothing was off limits as we were able to take a peek at working offices, storage rooms and prep areas. The staff all had (real) smiles on their faces and there were (non-professional)photographs randomly pinned up all over the warehouse displaying the staff and their antics while at work. These were not put up for the show, these were photos simply showing the passion and fun the staff has together. I thought it was one of the coolest parts, personally ;)

Illusions of Grandeur is your one stop shop for rentals, props, production and more. As I was speaking with local vendors, they had nothing but great things to say about the staff and the company. Hmm..Passionate, talented, professional and NICE?? Defintaly worth checking out!

They are at:

479 Elder Avenue, Sand City, CA

This band was REALLY good! Money Band

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San Francisco Coastal Tour with ACPWC

On March 11th members of the ACPWC (Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants), took a tour of some venues along the coastline from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay.

It was a perfectly clear day so we were able to enjoy the sights without any fog hindering the spectacular view that each venue provided Each location had its own unique qualities and was equally breath taking. Our hosts at each stop were hospitible and gracious as we toured their facilities and were offered several treats and samplings.

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