Labor Day Special!

Fashion Friday: Deep-V Back Gowns

Deep-V backs on bridal gowns are absolutely gorgeous and exceptionally elegant - not to mention they are all over the runways. Below, some of our favorite picks that incorporate this trend in a variety of styles, from top bridal designers Ines Di Santo, Anne Barge, Rivini, Junko Yoshioka, Sarah Janks, Cocoe Voci, St. Pucchi, and Val Stefani.

Ines Di Santo Spring Summer 2014 Collection

Anne Barge Spring Summer 2014 Collection

Rivini Spring Summer 2014 Collection

Junko Yoshioka Spring Summer 2014 Collection

Sarah Janks 2013

Cocoe Voci Fall 2013 Collection

Left, Sposa by St. Pucchi Spring Summer 2013; Right, Val Stefani Fall 2013

Rivini Spring Summer 2014 Collection

Sarah Janks 2013

Junko Yoshioka Spring Summer 2014 Collection

The Wedding Party Bridal Show - Just a month away!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for one of San Diego's biggest bridal shows. The Wedding Party's 30th Bridal Show is this September 29th at The Hyatt Regency La Jolla! Click here for tickets and more information regarding the show.

Freshly Rebranded Festivities Catering & Special Events

From San Diego Style Wedding's Freshly Rebranded Festivities Catering & Special Events

Brides, we understand that you are on the receiving end of a TON of information. It seems like you have option after option when it comes to planning your wedding day and celebration, but it's important you remember one thing: you're definitely not alone. Do not be afraid!

Now, for who we are: we're Festivities Catering & Special Events - formerly known to the San Diego wedding world as TK&A - and we recently combined our memorable wedding brand with our successful corporate, social, and gala divisions.

Just in time for the wedding planning season, this San Diego Style Weddings featured caterer and planner has rebranded, refreshed and redesigned its entire website - and we couldn't wait to share it with you. Why? Because you're planning a wedding, and we've built some helpful tools to encourage creativity and relieve some of the stress you're feeling about planning the big day.

When you visit www.festivitiescatering.com, you can browse through tons of photo galleries of weddings, receptions, and ceremonies each with unique appetizers, bar services, signature cocktails, dinners, cakes, desserts, and more on our popular featured weddings section. The photos on these pages paint a beautiful picture of the three romantic wedding days, each with the couple's own tastes and preferences shining brightly through the screen.

The pages take you through each of the three special days, beginning with the bride and grooms' visions and ending with a gallery of the final outcome. It is our hope that the love stories of these three couples will empower you to pick up a phone, open up your email, or send a live chat message to your caterer or event planner to talk through some big decisions based on the visions you have for your wedding day. After all, your caterer and planner should be constantly available to communicate with you, and the more ways to stay in contact, the better (like the cool new live chat communication tool).

In addition to announcing our transformation and new website resources, we'd like to leave you with even more: a few of our most favorite wedding photos posted right here! See how some San Diego couples said "I do" the way they always envisioned.

For even more great wedding and event photos, tips, and ideas, check out our new website. Take a peek, and then let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter.

Wedding Wednesday: Kori & Joe Martin

Kori and Joe met while they were both working at New Balance. Joe made it easy when he popped the question on a pair of custom New Balance 574 classics. They were orange, so they were able to display them at the wedding since they fit into the color scheme. Joe even custom designed some shoes for his groomsmen with the words "Grooms Men" and "Best Man" on the back. Their wedding was at Ace in Palm Springs, with a Latin flare.  Kori & Joe incorporated the fall season with navy blue, a soft burnt orange, ivory, and metallic gold, which fit seamlessly with the colors at the venue.  This remarkably beautiful wedding was captured by Cean One Photography, who went above and beyond, making this a one-of-a-kind and very special day!

 Ingredients

Venue Ace Hotel & Swim Club
Officiant Bo Gutzwiller, Father of the Bride
Photographer Cean One Photography
Entertainment DJ Clay, Backspin Media
Mariachi Band Mariachi Juvenil Xalisco
Florist Louellen Pigott, Elegant Designs in Bloom
Catering & Cake Ace Hotel & Swim Club
Stationery Kori Martin
Cocktail Napkins Etsy
Hair & Makeup Tiffany, Tantrum Salon Covina, CA
Dress Bellasposa
Jewelry J. Crew
Mens Formalwear Jos. A. Bank
Shoes Bride & Groom's: Nordstrom; Groomsmen: New Balance

Vendor Spotlight: House of Blues San Diego

Venue: House of Blues - San Diego
Location: 1055 Fifth Avenue, San Diego
Website: specialevents.livenation.com

How would you describe the atmosphere at House of Blues in three words?
Unique, lively, eclectic

What makes House of Blues San Diego stand out as a wedding venue?
As San Diego's premier restaurant and live entertainment mecca, brides and grooms celebrate their love in a non-traditional and fun way! From an elegantly catered affair to a ragin' good time, your exclusive logistics planner will help to create a celebration that reflects your own personal style!

What spaces are available for ceremonies/ receptions? How many people can you accommodate?
The Whole House: 1500 people
The Grand Music Hall: 800* / 200 for seated dinner
The Private Delta Room: 200* / 80 for seated dinner
The Crossroads Restaurant and Patio: 200* / 120 for seated dinner
The Crossroads Restaurant, Salvation Alley, and Patio (entire upstairs): 350* / 175 for seated dinner

Is there in-house catering?
Yes, there is no outside food and/ or beverage permitted

Is there a day-of-coordinator?
Yes, in fact there is an in-house coordinator that works with clients from the day of booking until the day of the event on planning the menu, set-up, floor plans, and overall operations.

How would you describe the House of Blues San Diego experience?
Great hospitality where everyone is treated like family and the food options are endless with over 25 pages of menu items to customize your meals! House of Blues is definitely an outrageously creative and fun spot for an out-of-the-box wedding couple!

What is one important piece of advice you would like to share with couples in choosing a wedding venue?
Pick what feels right, not what you think everyone else attending the wedding would like or want.

Mangia Monday: Pinwheel Sandwiches

Pinwheel sandwiches are a great appetizer for many different style occasions. Just change up what's inside and how it's made, and you have yourself a very elegant-looking finger food that is just as tasty! Pinwheels work great as sandwiches for guests at a bridal shower, a rehearsal dinner, or even as an appetizer during cocktail hour at your wedding! David Santos Photography captured these images which gave us some inspiration for Pinwheel appetizers.  Using crescent rolls, you can bake these yummy foods and serve them warm adding things like bacon (found on Food Network) or spinach (Keeley McGuire); or if you like, serve a more traditional pinwheel with tortillas like these delicious recipes we found on Simple Nourished Living and Lynda's Recipe Box.

Photo Credits: David Santos Photography

Fashion Friday: The Short Story

St. Pucchi dedicated an entire collection for a fresh take on the traditional wedding gown: cocktail-length dresses.  This trend may seem a little shocking at first, but the textures, silhouettes, and exquisite details on the dresses will convince you otherwise. These wedding gowns are absolutely perfect for the dog days of summer, without taking away from any of the glamour of being a bride! These shorter-hemmed dresses remain luxurious and jaw-dropping - in the best way. These gowns are perfect for a simple and casual bride, or even the trendy and edgy bride who wants to make a statement. Either way, we are a fan and we're crossing our fingers that this lovely trend is here to stay. 

(Train is removable)