E&K - backyard wedding in St. Helena

Ellen and Kevin got married this past weekend at Kevin's family property in St. Helena. The forecast was supposed to be in the 90's, but thankfully there was quite a breeze blowing through the valley. There were so many fun and unique things about this wedding - guests were transported to the property by a school bus, the couple's friend brewed all of the beer, and Kevin's dad made a special toast while people sipped on wine grown from grapes on the property. And pictures in front of the Triumph? So fun!

I wish these 2 only the best! Can't wait to see all of the images from the day.

Thanks Rik Keller Photography for the preview shots!

J. Jasper featured on Bridesmaid.com!

Thanks to my friend Jenny for pointing out that J. Jasper's florals were featured on this Bridesmaid.com post back in April! Aren't they lovely?

photo by Arnau Dubois Photography

Check out the full wedding here! (Wasn't it lovely?!)

R+K - Moon Mountain Retreat, Sonoma

R+K were married at the beautiful Moon Mountain Retreat in Sonoma this past weekend. Moon Mountain is a beautiful home with gorgeous views of the Sonoma valley. The intimate ceremony was held on the grass below the house, and guests were treated to a yummy dinner from Alex's Catering (one of my favorite vendors!) Can't wait to see the official pics from this one - congrats R and K!

the drive up to Moon Mountain

Ceremony site with an amazing view!

teaser from Hayley Anne Photography

M+A - Piedmont Community Hall

J. Jasper Events is back in action!

M+A got married at the Piedmont Community Hall this past weekend. Their beautiful ceremony was in the amphitheater, while their cocktail hour was held in the Japanese tea garden (which is so cute!) It so happened that they had traveled to Japan, so they also did a little sake tasting in the garden as well. The reception was held in the courtyard, and everyone danced the night away inside the hall. This venue has become one of my favorites! It's intimate and beautiful, and has various nooks and crannies to get lost in.

Congrats to M and A! Can't wait to see the official photos!

She's here!

Introducing Norah Marie Boling. Born March 22, 2014 weighing 9lbs 6oz and 20 inches long. Mama and Papa are in love!

Maternity photos!

Okay, so this may not be wedding related, but I wanted to share with you our beautiful maternity photos (captured by Allison Andres Photography - hire her!) I'll be "officially" on maternity leave throughout March and April, though I'll be trying to blog occasionally while prepping for the birth/enjoying our new baby!

Happy Valentine's Day

...from Coco and lambchop. Hope you're spending it with the ones you love!

Moon Mountain Retreat visit

I'm so excited for another wedding here at Moon Mountain Retreat in Sonoma! In October of 2012, I was lucky enough to help Liam and Linda with their beautiful, intimate wedding...

....here's what it looks like today (no, the trees aren't filled out yet...but the view is still lovely!)

DIY Wedding printables!

If you're like me, you might be a crafty person but might not know your way around photoshop. Enter the wedding printable - (mostly) free, fun printable items that someone else has already designed and you can customize (no photoshop skills required!) Offbeat Bride did a fantastic roundup of over 80 of the cutest printables, from invites and photobooth signs to escort cards and favors. Go check it out here!

One of my favorites from Love Vs. Design...

New Year's Resolution

How can it be that I haven't blogged in 6 months?? That is crazy talk! My 2014 New Years Resolution is to blog more, so without further adieu...

2013 was a fantastic year for J. Jasper Events. In all, I helped plan/coordinate 16 weddings between May and December! This was my first season on my own (i.e. without a 40 hr/week "real" job), and it was pretty surreal - at every wedding I would stand there and think, "this is my 'real' job - how lucky am I?" 2014 promises to bring even more experience and adventure. Though most of my weddings will be in the bay area/wine country, I do have 2 that will take me to Santa Cruz and Big Sur (both locations have a special place in my heart). 2014 will bring the added joy/challenge of being a wedding planner and a new mom (in case you haven't heard, I'm due in March!) I have such a great support system of fellow vendors, family, and assistants, that I'm ready for the challenge.

I hope you all had a great holiday season, and look forward to the fun 2014 brings to us all!

xoxo,
Shannon

Melissa Morelli Photography

Ahava Studios

Hayley Anne Photography

Christina Richards Photography

Allison Andres Photography

Allison Andres Photography

Eric James Photography

Molly and Kelly - Sneak Peak!

The talented Allison (of Allison Andres Photography) released a sneak peak of Molly and Kelly's gorgeous (and super fun!) Buck Mansion wedding. I was so lucky to coordinate this one - Molly and Kelly are good people (and you know how I love good people) - it makes my job FUN!

Check out the rest of the photos here!!

Marie and Gregg - Sneak Peak!

Briarcombe in Bolinas is this lovely piece of property with 3 houses, a beautiful lawn, and fun nooks and crannies (and gardens!). Christina Richards captured Marie and Gregg's wedding here so wonderfully, and I'm so happy to share some of the photos from their day (check out Christina's full blog post here). Congrats Marie and Gregg!

June Newsletter!

Check out J. Jasper Events' June newsletter with awesome updates...including a link to Caroline and Brian's wedding that was recently featured on 7X7!

all photos by the lovely Allison Andres Photography

Pantone Fall Colors

Right now I'm working with a client that's getting married in October in SF. They're getting married in a park setting, so it'll be very green and full of natural life. I've put together a small inspiration board based on what they're thinking/wanting for decor/colors. I used Pantone's Fall Color Swatch for inspiration (and the possible teal bridesmaids dresses). I don't think that just because it's fall you have to use dark colors - use darker shades of pretty colors (i.e. orange, green, red) and stay away from pastels and "springy" colors. However, a fall wedding doesn't need to look like Halloween!

click to see it bigger!

Birthday Link Love

Today is my birthday, wahoo! I thought I'd share some links that made me happy this week :)

• Not just for grandma: fun ways to spruce up your wedding with embroidery (via Emmaline Bride)

• This wedding speaks to my heart - they met on a whitewater rafting trip! (for those that may not know, I was a whitewater rafting guide for many years!) via Green Wedding Shoes

• Having a Cinco de Mayo party? Check out these free printables! (via Tomkat Studio)

• This cocktail (using my favorite St. Germain liquor) looks amazing for any occasion! (via Style Me Pretty)

• Some pretty inspiration using one of my favorite suppliers - Luna Bazaar! (via The Sweetest Occasion)

Thrifty photoshoot preview

The amazing Allison (of Allison Andres Photography) and I spent a few days up at Red Tail Ranch enjoying the spring weather and admiring the views. While we were there, we did a little photo shoot with items we had collected from thrift stores. Here's a quick preview of some of the shots - look for a full report next week!

 

 

Thrift Store finds

Today I was running my normal monthly errands (Costco, the feed store), and thought I'd pop into my favorite thrift store here in Vallejo. On seemingly random days they have 50% off sales, so it's always worth a shot to stop if I'm on that side of town. Today was 30% off which is pretty good. I found some pretty cute things that can totally be used for styling a wedding (for about $10!):

(motorola radio with khaki leather case, 2 gold-ish mini goblets, Brideshead Revisited, and A Child's History of California) - okay, the air plant is mine!

Now I've found a lot of great things at this particular store (so has my friend Allison, who recently purchased a dozen silver goblets for me for $15!) We actually did a photo shoot a few weeks ago, which showcased a lot of stuff we've collected from thrift stores. I'll be posting it soon, but in the meantime - what's the coolest thing you've gotten from a thrift store?

Venue recap - BR Cohn

Last week I was lucky to spend an early afternoon doing a site visit at the lovely B.R. Cohn Winery. I have to admit, I haven't ever been to this venue before (though I've passed by it many times!) The winery is known for it's beautiful grounds, its amphitheater (which hosts a charity concert every year), and it's wine of course! The site visit went well, and I'm so excited for Ju Youn and Wes (who are getting married there next month). If you're in the area, please stop by and check this place out. The staff are friendly and the property is beautiful!

An iconic oak - in this case, the ceremony location

Weekend Update

J. Jasper Events has had a busy spring meeting clients and doing venue visits in preparation for the upcoming wedding season. This weekend I met with four of my 2013 couples across the Bay Area (if you follow me on instagram you're probably already seen these photos). From the hills of Berkeley to the Bolinas coast, here are a few of my favorite shots from the road...

Berkeley stop - I came bearing wedding books and doughnuts from my favorite shop!

Country road in Marin 

Briarcombe - 2 houses and a cottage on a beautiful piece of property near Bolinas. This place would be great for a family reunion or get-away weekend as well!

The slough between Stinson Beach and Bolinas

My last stop - StrEatfood Park in SF. Had the best reuben sandwich from this truck!

Venue spotlight - Hacienda de las Flores

Have you heard of Hacienda de las Flores? I hadn't until recently, and I stumbled upon it while researching (almost) every Bay Area wedding venue for one of my clients. It's a hidden jewel in the East Bay that has beautiful grounds and would be perfect for an outdoor, casual wedding. The property is small but it's gorgeous, and quite peaceful. Though it does have some restrictions (i.e. no hard booze, and music off at 9pm), I still think it would be a great venue to get married at. Check out some of the pictures I took this week:

entrance to the building

Panorama shot looking at the building/grass

another building shot

Fountain now filled with flowers (and construction workers on the 2nd floor!)