I knew as soon as I met with Sheri & Tom that their Yosemite wedding would be gorgeous and full of special details.   Their ceremony was held at the Yosemite Chapel and the reception was at the Ahwahnee Hotel.  With lots of phone calls and emails we were able to fine tune every aspect of their big day.  I had to do some creative scheduling; since both of them were getting ready in the same room at the Ahwahnee.  The kicker is, that they didn’t want to see each other until that magical walk down the aisle.  With the help of their photographer Patrick Pike, they didn’t even get a glimpse of each other before the ceremony .

I enjoyed working with Patrick so much!  If there was a spare moment, Patrick would show me some of the images he had just captured.  ”Wow”, was all I could say, even on a small  2 inch screen, they were breath taking!  See for yourself….

We had amazing vendors, like Kristy Rice of Momental Designs who created the invitations, place cards, and beautiful cones for the pews in the Yosemite Chapel.

Sheri found her personalized nesting bowl (which holds the rings) at Palomas Nest.

It was an enchanted day filled with love and friendship.  Congratulations Tom & Sheri!  Thank You for allowing us to be apart of your Amazing Day!

Planning: AddyRose / Photography: Patrick Pike/ Invitations: Momental Designs / Floral & Decor: AddyRose / Hair & Makeup: Dandre Design /Musicians: Sierra Entertainment / Others: Palomas Nest

~Roshel~

This is the last post in this series. This post is for those of you that are, or are thinking of, having your ceremony at a different location then your reception.

For instance:  Your ceremony will be held at the Yosemite Chapel and then your reception will be at the Ahwahnee Hotel.  Timing in Yosemite is very important for your wedding day. The schedules are strictly kept not only by the Hotels but also the Chapel. This means that you will not only need to schedule enough time for set up but also travel time, to and from each location.

Example 1: Ceremony at the Yosemite Chapel & Reception at the Ahwahnee.
If you are staying at the Ahwahnee Hotel or any of the other locations in Yosemite Valley it will take you any where from 20-30+ minutes to get to the Chapel (We touched on this last post).
The Chapel has a very strict time schedule:
you have 30min before ceremony for set up. (Yep that’s all 30min to get everything set)
You have 1hr & 30min from the start time of your ceremony to the time you need to be out and all items cleaned up.

The travel from the Chapel to the Ahwahnee isn’t to bad on average about 5-10min but again it all depends on traffic.(As of 4/30/2010 they have road work going on and it will take you an average of 20-25+min to get from the Chapel to the Ahwahnee)

You can see with the above examples that timing is everything for Your Yosemite Wedding. Having a coordinator & a photographer that knows Yosemite helps ease the stress of these details. If you are planning to do it yourself please allow extra time, it is much better to sit and wait then to be late and panicking.  Happy Planning!

~Roshel~

As a child we dream of our special day our wedding. We envision our theme, our look from head to toe. We spend thousands of dollars on what we will wear; the dress, the shoes, lingerie, veil, and, tiara. After all everyone will be looking at you! Lets face the facts; all eyes are on the Bride! Why is it that the hair and make up artist are the last person we think about?

We all know that if our hair and make up look fabulous it can make any plain outfit look fabulous. Why not apply those rules to your wedding day? You are worth it!!

You just spent $150 plus on your hair color, over $150 on your veil or tiara. Hundreds or thousands on your dress, not to mention what you have spent on everything to make your day the best that it can be, PERFECT!

Lets look at the facts objectively why would you look for the least expensive price for hair and make up? It just doesn’t make sense.

!! Don’t look for the best deal- look for the best work!!

Here are some words of wisdom: Make sure the portfolio you are looking at is the work of the stylist you are hiring. Many stylists gain the rights to use clip art from a famous platform artist simply by taking a class! The stylist pays the $300 takes a 3-hour class and magically receives the rights to use the work of this artist. Not right! Just because a person takes a class and can use a mouse to clip and paste it doesn’t mean they can duplicate a hairstyle. I see it all the time the same pictures parading around as different stylists work! How do you get past this? ASK QUESTIONS!! Meet the stylist. Make an appointment for a consultation. If you are a destination bride and this is not possible ask for examples of the stylists work. Read the testimonials and reviews. Ask for references and a list of referrals.

Remember the way you look is very important! It is one of the most important things next to your vows. All eyes are on you, The Bride! Don’t let the cost of one dinner out make or break your decision to choose a professional hair and make up artist!

When you look at your pictures in the years to come do you want to remember how classic and beautiful you looked…. Or will you have that small regret that you did not look quite as beautiful as you could have!!!….

Make sure you secure your stylist early in the planning…. Great Artists get booked early!

Written by Carol Cardinale-Ruiz