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Valentine's Day Heart(burn) Crossing over briefly to the dark side, we're
allowing ourselves license What is it with Valentine's Day in California? During
our years on Lana'i & Maui, publishing CAKE's predecessor - The Maui Wedding Times
- we attended as
many as 7 Weddings every February
14th! (The only day to trump 2/14 during |
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Yet upon returning to the Mainland, it was achingly clear Valentine's
Day in the Wine Country was on life support! A South Coast
Winery wedding on February 14, 2007 was the 1st Valentine's Day
wedding we'd attended in the Wine Country!
Fixing the blame is easy enough: Weather. Winter. Marketing. But what of fixing the problem? Off-season rates (venues & vendors)? More heat lamps? Marketing? This state of affairs bodes ill for all concerned: Brides, Grooms, venues & vendors. Venues gain no edge sitting empty on Valentine's Day. And where's the benefit of vendors sitting home watching the game? Why should Hawaii have all the fun? Come on!
We appeal to those smarter than we are (the majority of our readers) to hazard a guess how to juice demand for Valentine's Day Weddings. Co-operatively marketing 2 /14 in the Wine Country? Venues & vendors banding together to promote "Valentines in the Vineyards"? This is an opportunity to be seized! If alpha-influencers can be enticed into the Wine Country to be married on Valentine's Day, others will follow suit, a tradition will be established and we'll all marvel at our brilliance! Valentine's Day - February 14, 2009
- falls on a Saturday. [end of rant] Please e-mail your thoughts, opinions & wit for the
saving of Valentine's Day. Photograph Of The Month
Warning: please view responsibly! These aren't your Mother's Wedding
photographs! angela's 1950's-chic wedding Canon EOS 1D MK II camera, 70-200 L2.8 lens, 1/60 shutter, f/4.0
aperture, 200mm focal length, Photographers are encouraged to e-mail
out-of-the-ordinary 2008'S "SAVE THE DATES" Fridays: 1/11, 2/22,
4/4, 6/6, 8/8/08(!), 10/10 & 12/12. Saturday: 2/14/09 (Valentine's Day).
[» THIS JUST IN «] Karon's 1st Time In October 2007, the Rice Canyon fire blew through Fallbrook. When the mandatory evacuation ended, our own Karon & Michael Cartwright returned home to resume their lives. This included an October 26th Wedding at Ponte Winery. Karon heads the Wedding department at Ponte and Michael was to conduct the Ceremony. The best laid plans . . . When Michael left home for the Wedding that afternoon, it soon became clear the authorities were only allowing traffic one way in & out of Fallbrook. After being underway for 45 minutes, he was still in Fallbrook. A phone call to Ponte explained the situation to Karon. [Back Story: Years earlier, when Karon owned The Maui Wedding Company, she anticipated a similar situation arising and arranged to be ordained as a Wedding officiant, in case the day ever arrived a Minister was unable to preside at one of her Weddings]. [Back to the future]: After hearing Michael's plight, Karon sat her Bride down in the Ponte's Bridal Cottage and offered three options: 1). Wait another hour for Michael's arrival. 2). Begin the cocktail hour and then return later for the Ceremony. 3). Have Karon perform the Ceremony. The Bride didn't hesitate: "Let's do it! I'm ready to get married!" And so Karon officiated at her first Wedding! (A special thank you to a very mellow & understanding Christa & Stephen!).
Over at Wilson Creek Winery, two Wine Country comrades are on tap to coordinate the Winery's Weddings: Diana Ross of Celebrations by Diana, and Jennifer Molloy of Amore Events. WCW's policy is for all their Weddings to have a Coordinator and believe-you-me Brides, you'll praise their foresight! The presence of Diana & Jennifer portends well for your Special Day. They're walking the walk, while you're living the Dream! The new Marketing Committee of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association gathered at South Coast Winery in January for their first meeting. In attendance were Tomi Arbogast of the Winegrowers Association, Bill Wilson of Wilson Creek Winery, Ray Falkner of Falkner Winery, Karon Cartwright & Ragan Erickson of Ponte Family Estate, Suzanne Schaffner of Wiens Family Cellars, Crystal Magon of South Coast Winery, Cathy Lyle of Keyways Winery, Krista Chaich of Callaway Winery, Dorian Linkogle of Briar Rose Winery, Patrick Bartlett, Executive Director of Temecula Valley Winery Management, a subsidiary company of Leonesse Cellars, and representatives of Thornton Winery & Mira Monte Winery. Here's a big fat CAKE "Atta Boy!" More Wine Country marketing can only result in more Wine Country Weddings! "Getting Juiced At Wine Tastings" And finally, from special CAKE-pal - Julie Reeder - publisher of the Village News: "2008
Temecula Valley Wine Country" Venues & Vendors: if you have Wedding-related
news you'd like |
VENUES & VENDORS
of the Temecula Valley Wine Country
and Fallbrook area
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Inn At Churon Winery When it comes to Weddings in the Wine Country, its a small world after all. We were thrilled to recently learn that Inn at Churon Winery has appointed long time CAKE-pal, Cindy Bailey, as their Special Events Manager. (CAKE-speak: Wedding Coordinator). Cindy has to be one of the friendliest, most optimistic chums ever to cross our path. When Brides envision their Special Day from their earliest years, and the |
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coordinator who will point the way as they navigate the complexities of Wedding planning, Cindy is the new-best-friend they always had in mind. As for this wonderful facility, Churon Winery remains that rare Wine Country commodity: a Wedding venue with lodging! With 22 bed & breakfast rooms at hand, the Inn can accommodate the Bride & Groom, their families, and the Wedding party for the entire weekend. At the Ceremony site, the gazebo sits on a hillside overlooking the Valley below. The setting gives a sense of simultaneously being above it all and away from it all! The location is further enhanced by a flowing stream blending into the surrounding vineyards. Let's see, Wedding gazebo overlooking the Valley, reception cuisine to-die-for, guest rooms, tasting room, more wineries to the right, more wineries to the left. Sweet mercy, we've died and gone to heaven! Turn on the cell, text Cindy Bailey and begin planning the best day of your life. Ever! INN AT CHURON WINERY |
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KEYWAYS VINEYARD & WINERY If there's any justice, Brides this month are Googling us using the keywords: "long time CAKE-pal!" 'Cause here we go again. Last summer we heard from Cathy Lyle, another chum from the "old days," and were pleasantly surprised to learn she'd landed at Keyways Vineyard & Winery as their Wedding Coordinator. Keyways is located on the Wine Country's "back road" - De Portola Road. CAKE prevails upon all wine lovers: |
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get-thee-there! The two main avenues of the Wine Country - Rancho California Road & De Portola Road - are (sorta) the same / not-the-same, mirror images of the Temecula Valley vineyards. De Portola Road, in addition to playing home to the foreseen vineyards, is populated with sweeping equestrian estates and elegant mansions. The scenery just has to be seen to be believed, a tantalizing entrée to arriving at the Wineries! Of Keyways Winery's several claims to fame, one is being the only winery in the Valley to boast of ownership by a woman - Terri Pebley. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Terri runs the Winery backed by a first-rate management team of women. All Brides & Grooms looking for their Wedding venue are urged to tour Keyways Winery. The lovely grounds are true to the rural-chic of the Valley: you're as likely to see cowboys riding by on horses, as you are ladies in spaghetti-strap Bridesmaid's gowns. KEYWAYS VINEYARD & WINERY |
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REVEREND LAUREN-MICHELE
SEALS Bad CAKE! We have to admit to enjoying sticking a thumb in the eye of the occasional Wedding vendor. It goes something like this: (they hate to hear it, but . . .) only 4 people are necessary at a Wedding - the Bride, the Groom, a witness and (drum roll) the Officiant! [Of course, Weddings wouldn't be as much fun without the rest of you guys around!]. Permit us to introduce special long time CAKE-pal, Rev. Lauren-Michele Seals. Its difficult to know where to begin |
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with this lady, but check out these accomplishments: 1).
Lauren has been with us since the inception of the Fallbrook Wedding
Council 6 years ago, created to promote Fallbrook as a Wedding destination. 2). She generously donates her time as the Officiant for the Fallbrook
Fantasy Wedding, a $25,000 Wedding awarded each year to a lucky couple. 3). In addition, Lauren wrote Wedding newsletter
articles for CAKE's predecessor, The Fallbrook Wedding Times. 4).
And as if that wasn't enough, Lauren also serves San Diego County
as a Deputy Commissioner, marrying couples at the San
Marcos county complex who may
lack the time or resources
for destination Weddings.
Couples are strongly encouraged to contact Lauren about their Special Day. She is caring, fun, has a heart big enough to walk around, and possesses a passion for Brides, Grooms and their Weddings. REV. LAUREN-MICHELE SEALS |
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ELITE MUSIC WORKS It bears repeating, there must be something in the wine the Temecula Valley wedding vendors are drinking! We never fail to be struck by evidence of nice-guy-syndrome we keep stumbling across in the Wine Country. Case in point: Gary Boeldt of Elite Music Works. Gary was one of the first DJ's CAKE had the pleasure of meeting at a winery Wedding. (Falkner Winery, to be precise). He was a gentleman that day and remains one to date. Gary is one of those Wedding vendor magicians who manages to make his |
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work appear effortless. Regardless. Never
mind any occasional "challenges" at a reception, Mr. Boeldt
- with an easy smile on his face - will assure the evening flows
smoothly and the music sounds splendid!
Along with his wife, travel agent Cynthia, part of Gary's DJ package can include arranging the Newlyweds' travel plans, plus hosting the couple's Honeymoon Registry website. On each couples' website, guests can do everything from RSVP'ing before the Big Day, to viewing photographs after. Further, guests can contribute toward the couple's honeymoon. In addition, Elite Music Works is another of the altruistic souls who've rolled up their sleeves to assist CAKE with the Fallbrook Fantasy Wedding. Gary's donation "made her day" for a recent Fantasy Wedding Bride who didn't have the resources for a service of this quality at her reception. |
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ELITE MUSIC WORKS ELITE TRAVEL INC. |
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CAKE is the Wedding newsletter
of the |[caution: please read responsibly. CAKE is not your mother's wedding newsletter!]|
© 2007-2008 CAKE |
