Fireplace

Inspiration Board | Winter Part 1

My office today consisted of a desk in front of floor to ceiling windows overlooking Squaw Valley Ski Resort. Whenever I needed a break, I looked up to see skiers and riders carving turns down the mountain - not bad! As I was watching over the joys of winter, I decided to put my view to work and create a Winter Inspiration Board. For whatever reason I feel winter weddings tend to have a much more intimate feel. Perhaps it's the frost on the windows paired with a warm fireplace, or the rich warm colors, or even the comfort foods that are common of a winter wedding. Whatever it maybe, here are a few ideas and images that inspired me today!

Photo Momentum

Winter Inspiration

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The Julia Morgan Ballroom | San Francisco

The Julia Morgan Ballroom

I love this venue! The staff - personable and friendly without losing an ounce of professionalism; the aesthetics - stunning and unparalleled; the wow factor - huge!

Named after the famous architect of the Hearst Castle, this recently renovated ballroom is stunning. Yet, describing the Julia Morgan Ballroom as simply stunning is a vast understatement. It is an architectural gem tucked into the upper floor of the Merchant Exchange Building. It is chic, classy, and booming with style.

The Lobby

The lobby, which is often used for ceremonies, features gold leaf, polished marble walls, and a vaulted-barrel ceiling.  It has a very fresh and graceful feel, which allows for a variety of styles and colors for décor. Couple's are invited to personalize their wedding by displaying interchanging pictures of themselves on the LCD screens, which are located at the entrance to the ceremony. The tall ceilings and gleaming marble provide an exquisite backdrop for a romantic event.

The Lobby

The reception space has quite a different feel, yet is equally as grandeur. As guests arrive, they walk into a warm and inviting foyer. It feels as though you are walking into the living room of an affluent friend's home. Leading from the lounge is the Daniel Burnham Bar and the Ballroom. Deep mahogany wraps around the perimeter of the ballroom, arching floor to ceiling windows reveal the city's sites, and the honeycomb ceiling creates an unprecedented romance.

Dinner in the ballroom

When I first walked into the ballroom I fell in love! It is simply breathtaking and unlike any other venue I have come across. The dark browns and deep golds create a rustic, yet classic feel.

To top it all off, owner Clint Reilly has recently opened Credo, a Northern Italian restaurant just down the street from The Julia Morgan Ballroom. After completing such a work of art, it would be uncanny to open a standard restaurant. As expected, the restaurant and private dining room are booming with style and eye catching accents. The wall is covered with inspiring quotes from historical figures and celebrities. Each quote begins with "I believe," which is Credo in Latin. The Chef is Mario Maggi, who also oversees catering at the Julia Morgan Ballroom. His Italian upbringing compliments the urban trattoria perfectly.

The Ritz Carlton Highlands | Northstar, Lake Tahoe

The Ritz-Carlton Highlands The Ritz-Carlton Highlands has most recently become Lake Tahoe's premiere luxury hotel. Nestled amongst the Sierras and situated on the mid-mountain of Northstar at Tahoe, this stunning property provides comfort with sophistication, service with first class staff, and design with contemporary mountain-home elegance. The fine attention to detail and architectural design throughout the hotel is phenomenal.

Ski-in, ski-out access, a downhill mountain bike park, hiking trails, a swimming pool, full service spa and salon, and an exquisite restaurant provide endless possibilities for guests and visitors.

The LobbyI could write at length about the ever-impressive features throughout the lobby, living room, hotel, and restaurant, but my main objective here is to tell you about the event space. However, I will tell you this - the designers have done an incredible job of implementing all things Tahoe throughout the hotel. Corporate hotel chains tend to instigate the oh so familiar, plain, and lack of personality connotation, but the Ritz-Carlton Highlands has pushed that aside with a unique, stylish, and unparalleled resort that all guests will thoroughly enjoy.

ManzanitaManzanita, the resorts on-site restaurant is a culinary delight! Reclaimed wood beams straddle the ceiling, various muted shades and textures of leather adorn the overstuffed booths, and an open kitchen stretches along the restaurant showcasing the chef's at work. The San Francisco renowned chef, Traci Des Jardins, sources an organic and sustainable cuisine with entrees for $30 or less.  Private dining space is available for parties up to 25ppl and a semi-private space is available for parties of 40 or less. In the summer, the outdoor patio is also available for dining and cocktail receptions. Fabulous furniture, atmosphere, and food will make for a perfect rehearsal or welcome dinner!Manzanita Chef's Table

The fine attention to detail doesn't stop there - the banquet space has been carefully designed and structured allowing for ample storage, a large banquet kitchen, prep-space, an array of setup arrangements, and loud music! Everything a customer, event planner, and banquet team longs for to provide a perfect evening of dining, wining, and entertaining!

The Ritz-CarltonIndoors, the two ballrooms (The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom and the Pines Ballroom) offer floor to ceiling windows, fruitwood chivari chairs, lounge furniture, cocktail tables, round and rectangle dining tables, staging, and up-scale linens. The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom is 6600 square feet, comfortably seating up to 300 people with a dance floor; the Pines Ballroom is 3000 square feet, comfortably seating 120 guests with a dance floor. Both ballrooms can be partitioned off for more intricate planning options, as well as to create a smaller space for fewer guests. In addition, both ballrooms offer separate outdoor patio space with panoramic views of the Sierras. The banquet space was strategically built on the opposite side of the hotel from the lodging rooms to prevent noise complaints and allow groups to rent the space until 2am!

To compliment Lake Tahoe's outdoors, The Ritz also offers two outdoor ceremony locations: the Meadows, accommodating up to 300 people; and the Woods, accommodating up to 120ppl. Both spaces have hard ground, a path accessing the location, handicap access, and furniture for your ceremony.

It is possible for the sales staff to book two weddings in one day; however, both the indoor and outdoor event spaces are completely separate from one another. Rest assured, you will feel like the one and only bride on your wedding day!

Weddings at The Ritz-Carlton Highlands aspire to be complete, hassle-free, elegant, and seamless. The staff is dedicated to providing you with the utmost professional service.

Inspiration Board | Lakefront Sneak Peak

Here is a sneak peak of a wedding I am currently working on. The following displays our inspiration photos. I am super excited to see how this wedding unfolds. It will be beautiful! Bellissima Floral, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings

This couple is looking for a non-traditional wedding with sass, fun, and lots of surprise elements for their guests. Although I don't want to reveal too much, here are a few tid bits and links!

Decor ~ We will decorate the outdoors with lanterns and lights to create a romantic ambiance. The inside will have a candle-lit fireplace, chandeliers hanging from the tall ceilings, and low floral arrangements decorating the long tables. To honor the bride's Chinese culture, we will have accents of red, which symbolizes good luck!

Flowers ~ The very talented Bellissima Floral is creating a unique place card holder made out of tall reeds and floating candles and flowers. The bride's bouquet will be elegant with subtle creams and peaches.

Food and Beverage ~ Instead of a formal plated dinner, guests will be served a BBQ cuisine "family style" in large dishes by Blue Onion Catering. To emphasize the unique theme, guests will be served beverages in mason jars and greeted with a self-serve infused water and juice station.