Tera + Blake

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet - but here are Tera and Blake's beautiful photos from their wedding at Diablo Ranch on top of Mt. Diablo. It was a gorgeous day, and people were up until the wee hours celebrating. Check out the rest of these beauties here (thanks Maurice Ramirez!)

all photos courtesy of Maurice Ramirez Photography.

Salt Dough Ornaments for Weddings

If you are a friend of mine on Facebook or Instagram, you'll know that I've been playing around with salt dough recipes to make ornaments for holiday gifts. As I was perusing the interwebs for recipes, I found tons of photos showcasing the ways in which couples have DIYed salt dough ornaments and used them as wedding favors. I think this is brilliant (and cheap!) Here are some of the best ones I found...

Oleander and Palm

Elizabeth Anne Designs 

Intimate Weddings Blogs

Made by me!

A Practical Wedding Vendor Spotlight

Yipee! J. Jasper has been featured on A Practical Wedding's Vendor Directory Spotlight today! Granted, it's because we are new vendors on APW - but nonetheless, it's great to see J. Jasper out there in the blog-o-sphere. Check out my APW vendor listing here. And send some awesome clients my way while you're at it!

Liam and Linda official photos

Just a few "official" shots from Liam and Linda's intimate wedding at Moon Mountain Retreat in Sonoma. Thanks Ian Chin Photography!

Nepalese Wedding featured on Style Me Pretty

Jessamyn Harris Photography

Devika and Ron's beautiful 2 day wedding in Sonoma County was featured today on Style Me Pretty, and I just can't stop smiling about it! It was a gorgeous day, the flowers (and food!) were amazing, and Jessamyn Harris captured it all. Check out the Style Me Pretty write up for more photos!

Support Small Business Saturday!

In support of small business Saturday, I wanted to pass along a few of my favorite small businesses that I'd love you to support. Most are run by my friends and family, and they are all awesome people! Even if you can't support them today, please support them this holiday season - or if you're ever in need of their local services. If you have a favorite small business, please add to this list!

J. Jasper Events (well, that's my business - if you're ever in need of help with an event/wedding, please let me know!)

Doughnut Dolly (yummy doughnuts in Oakland!)

Red Tail Ranch (Horses, Eggs, and a great place to stay in Groveland!)

Mountain Sage Nursery and Coffee Shop (and music venue in Groveland!)

International Terrazzo and Coatings (Terrazzo done by the best hands in town)

Allison Andres Photography (she's an awesome photographer and is giving 10% off packages for small business Saturday!)

Golden State Sharpening (the best knife sharpener in the East Bay!)

SeaLeague Skates (Roller Derby skates in South Lake Tahoe)

Maria Jensen (the best real estate agent in Solano County and beyond!)

Amber & Dan - photos!

I'm so happy to present to you a few photos from Amber and Dan's wedding at Joaquin Miller Community Center (held back in September). Dkweddings did a fantastic job capturing the event! And I'm so thankful to Amber, who wrote me a glowing review on Yelp. Thanks Amber!! (and you can check out the full gallery here!)

Tim + Ali

I'm really looking forward to Tim and Ali's wedding this weekend at St. Ignatius/the Fairmont in San Francisco. It's definitely a great way for J. Jasper Events to end a very successful wedding season!

photo by Andrei Riskin Photography

photo by Andrei Riskin Photography

Linda + Liam

vows via instagram

Nestled above the hills of Sonoma lies an amazing piece of property called Moon Mountain Retreat. This is where Liam and Linda said their vows in front a small group of friends any family - and it was beautiful! They had a bluegrass duo playing some jams, amazing paella (from Paella del Reyes), and gorgeous views of the sun setting in the valley. I was so lucky to be a part of their special day!

I loved her short dress!

Caroline + Brian

A beautiful day! Photo by the talented Allison Andres

When my friend and former colleague Caroline told me that her and Brian were engaged and wanted me to be their coordinator, I was beyond ecstatic! These two are such a fun and adventurous couple. They chose the South End Rowing Club in San Francisco as their venue (which also happens to be a place Brian hangs out/goes swimming in the icy cold bay!) It's a fun and quirky little space, with old photos of swimmers and rowers and Bay Area nostalgia. The best part (besides the bride and groom?) - the amazing views of the Golden Gate and Alcatraz. It was truly a perfect, clear, San Francisco day. Congrats friends!

photo by Allison Andres

photo by Allison Andres

 

Check out more photos here!

M + D

These 2 beautiful friends of mine got married this weekend in Santa Cruz. The weather gods parted the clouds, the sun was shining bright, and the cool ocean breeze kept everyone happy. It was glorious, if I do say so myself. Can't wait to see the photos! And congrats Mike and Dee!! xoxo

 

 

engagement photos - courtesy of Jamey Thomas

ceremony - courtesy of my instagram :)

Care packages

Don't get me wrong, I love technology - Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Instagram - you name it, I probably use it. However, nothing beats a good old fashioned hand written letter and care package (especially if it comes from a client). Thanks so much Xenia, for brightening my day!!

I'm a nominee!

I'm very excited to share with you all that J. Jasper Events is a nominee for Rory Gordon Photo's first ever Video Scholarship (check out the link here)! She is giving away one free video essay per year to a small business, because she's also a small business owner and has been helped by many folks along the way. If I win, I will get a video essay that is basically a promotional video to be used on my website. As Rory says, "it's a window into a business, more that what the products are." I'm just super excited because I feel that the energy and passion I have for events isn't portrayed online the way I want it to be. I want people to be able to see me in action, problem solving with my clients, directing folks, and having a cheerful smile along the way. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

check it out here!!

Xenia and Lance

The vows

Last weekend I had the pleasure of coordinating Xenia and Lance's wedding, held at the Old Homestead in Crockett. The Old Homestead is this great old house right across the street from the C& H Factory in Crockett, with a huge grass yard and a beautiful deck under the redwoods. It's also right near the train tracks
which allowed for some amazing shots (John + Louise did a fantastic job! - check out their preview here!)

Lance and Xenia are so mellow (and organized!), and I had a great time working with the both of them. Xenia spent a lot of time making the decor, and was able to use a lot of her mom's antique furnishings which made it very unique.

my favorite - the cake table!

Congrats again, Xenia and Lance!

Amber & Dan - Awesome engagement photos

Amber and Dan are such a fun couple - they love beer, games, and hanging out. What's not to love about them? Their engagement photos by dkweddings totally captured their fun spirits. I'm really looking forward to their September wedding at Joaquin Miller Community Center in Oakland. Check out the full post here!

Alice & Dai - a preview

This weekend I was fortunate enough to spend some q-t with Alice, Dai, and their awesome family and friends. This couple is funny, smart, and oh-so humble. Their wedding went seamlessly and was absolutely gorgeous, and the couple was radiating happiness. Congrats to Alice and Dai! And, thanks Allison Andres for these preview pics!

My clients are the bomb.com

On my way home from the Fairmont after meeting some clients

You know what I love doing? Meeting and hanging out with clients. Not to have small talk, but to get to know them, to learn their history (both as a couple and as individuals), and to hear what they want for their wedding. I love their creative ideas - from homemade photo booths and school bus rides, to art installations and cowboys as wedding staff - people blow me away with their creativity! I also love the thoughfulness and careful-ness (is that a word?) they take when planning their special day. Whether that means taking family members' needs into consideration, or making tough budget decisions, my clients seem to really think these things out. And really, that makes my job so much easier!

Happy Friday!

IMG_6018 by Mikaela2005 on Flickr

Happy Friday! I'm off for a week of strategic planning/relaxing and visiting - wahoo!!

Engaged? Listen to this!

Two great, local wedding bloggers* were recently featured on KQED's forum, talking about the wedding industry, what weddings look like today, and what makes them meaningful (click here for the podcast). The highlight of the conversation I thought, was the idea of a "wedding mission statement". What does the couple want from the event/experience (a party? time with family? good food?) How do they want to remember their wedding (it was meaningful? it was well decorated?) Some of it sounds silly, but it's important for couples to keep these ideas in mind when making decisions about venues, budgets, and even the invite list. These are all things that I like to talk with my clients about when we begin the planning process. The most important thing to remember - it's your wedding, do what feels right for the both of you!

*Kathryn Storke, founder and editor of snippetandink.com and Meg Keene, author of "A Practical Wedding: Creative Solutions for Planning a Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful Celebration" and publisher and executive editor of the website apracticalwedding.com

Wedding Brain

Shana at Doomed for Happiness said it best when describing the wedding brain:

Wedding Brain

noun / [ˈwe-diŋ ˈbrān]

: a disorder that effects the the cerebral cortex causing anxiety, stress, procrastination and the inability to stay focused... Ooohh I wonder if Etsy has any vintage brooches from 1950?

 

Anyone else feeling this way about preparations for their upcoming wedding? :)

Alice and Dai

It's (almost) mid-July, and J. Jasper Events in in full summer-wedding mode! Right now I'm so excited to share the engagement photos of Alice and Dai, who are getting married at The Gardens at Heather Farm later this month. These are shot by Allison Andres, an amazing photographer (who is also from Vallejo!) Check out the full post here - aren't these pics beautiful?