I can’t tell you how excited I am to be in the Bay Area. Seriously. Not only do I get to wake up in the gorgeous Lake Merritt neighborhood, just minutes from nature, culture, urban atmosphere, and farm fresh produce, but I also get to work alongside some pretty talented individuals in the wedding and event industry. So, to highlight my love for this area, I’ve decided to start a new series: ‘sf crushing’. First up, some ladies from the wedding planning side of the industry. From my experience, working with some awesome wedding planners in Chicago (you, you, and you!), these ladies have to be multi-faceted. They have to be organizers, time-table enthusiasts, visionaries, designers, stylists. They have to be able to keep everyone on schedule, in line, and most of all, happy. And that’s just their relationships with other vendors. To the clients, the happy bride and groom, they have to be a mentor, friend, sometimes therapist. I take off my bike helmet to the people in this industry that love every single part of it. So many people think that a profession in wedding planning is just fun. These professionals prove that it takes a lot of work, but when done well, and with love, it IS fun.
Stacy McCain Event Planning – http://www.stacymccain.com – San Francisco, CA
– Stacy and her team create timeless landscapes. The whole wedding, from start to finish, is styled with perfection, with the whole event in mind. It’s apparent that she takes the time to get to know what is most important to her clients, without compromising on the other pieces. As a designer, I appreciate how clearly she seems to communicate the vision of her clients. As a person, I appreciated even more how lovely she is in person. She is absolutely someone I would trust to handle the specifics of such a momentous day.
Lovely Little Details – http://www.lovelylittledetails.com – napa, atlanta, new england
Jacin definitely seems like the kind of woman who knows what’s important. She limits the number of weddings she plans to 5 per year, serving couples in the Napa Valley, Atlanta, and my home region New England. I appreciate how much attention to detail she puts into each of the weddings she plans, and adding floral design to the mix just makes me love her more. Plus she seems genuinely enthusiastic about her love for elements both big and small, and having such an exclusive client roster, it’s refreshing to know that she’s willing to go knee-deep into building each and every event.
Esla Events – http://www.eslaevents.com – San Francisco, CA
I first fell in love with Laurel of Esla when scouring design and newly popped up wedding blogs from my cubicle at Random House. She has a dreamy sensibility, and anything romantic with a bit of an edge captures my attention instantly. I also have an interesting soft spot for anyone who’s lived in New York for a period of time – something to do with surviving and thriving there, and then taking that same work ethic wherever you go – and the fact that she’s lived and gleaned inspiration from the various places she’s resided. Whether her events are indoors or outdoors, there always seems to be an element that’s a little unexpected. In my book, that’s the mark of someone I’d definitely want to work with.
Have fun spending the rest of the afternoon pouring over the websites and galleries of these three. And to celebrate my favorite thing about being somewhere warm and sunny (and the faint scent of honeysuckle in the air), the next spotlight in the series will be on florists and floral designers.
And as a reminder! To all west coast couples – I’m offering a 10% discount on all wedding lettering services if you book with me by the end of the month. For more information, send me a note at jilly.ink@gmail.com. Cheers!
jilly ink 