This week we’re highlighting some of the spooktacular things to do Halloween weekend in San Diego! With so many activities to choose from there is something for every ghost, goblin and witch!

1. Monster Bash- Party with the undead at the biggest Halloween bash in San Diego, the 10^th Annual Dos Equis XX Monster Bash! The madness begins on Saturday, October 30^th, 2010 from 6:00 PM to Midnight on the outskirts of the Gaslamp at 7^th Avenue between Market and J Street and on Island Avenue between 6^th and 8^th Avenues.

2. The Haunted Trail- Located in Balboa Park, The Haunted Trail is San Diego’s only all-outdoor haunted attraction. It is a stroll through the park, that you will never forget. The horror of fairy tales comes to life at the Haunted Trail, something not even the Brothers Grimm could make up. Experience outdoor terror that is simply too big to house indoors. Runs through Oct. 31, closed Mondays and Tuesdays except Oct. 25 & 26. Open at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays. Tickets are $15. You can purchase tickets online or at the door. Located just east of 6th & Juniper in Balboa Park, one block south of Laurel Street bridge.

3. Brick-or-Treat LEGOLAND- Castle Hill, Land of Adventure and Imagination Zone transform into a not-too-spooky Halloween haven for Brick-or-Treat Party Nights featuring a dance party, costume contests, nighttime trick-or-treating on the Brick-or-Treat Trails, festive music, Spirits of Brick-or-Treat Light Show and the entertaining “Boo Crew”. The fun happens 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Saturdays in October!

4. Bates Nut Farm- Bates grows 15 acres of gargantuan gourds for every October. The farm’s pumpkin patch opens the last weekend of September and is open each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Halloween. Haystacks with dressed-up scarecrows, corn stalks and pumpkins provide great photo-ops for the family. The farm’s zoo features geese, ducks, chickens, pigs, sheep, two llamas, donkeys and goats. A straw maze is believed to be the farm’s most popular activity. Made with 1,600 bales of hay, this maze can entertain visitors of all ages. It takes about 10 minutes to find your way through the maze and costs $2 per person. Families can go on tractor hayrides for $2 each and children can ride a pony for $5.

Trick-or-Treating- Halloween wouldn’t be complete without trick-or-treating. It’s the one night a year, children are allowed to get dressed up and pester their neighbors for free candy. Good news….out of the entire U.S., San Diego is ranked as the 13th best city to trick-or-treat in the Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index. The list sorts San Diego’s neighborhoods based on which suburb has the most candy, the least walking and the safest streets. Be sure to check out the top 5 San Diego neighborhoods so you can maximize your treats this year! 

Happy Halloween!

Time to watch bridal fashion grace the runway for Fall 2011.    Looks like we will be seeing a lot of texture, alternative necklines and mild pops of color.  Thank you to John & Joseph Photography for the pictures and Junebug Weddings for putting them together.

Melissa Sweet

Kevan Hall

Rivini

Priscilla of Boston

One of our favorite blogs, Ruffled, is in the process of reviewing fantastic DIY projects and I just fell in love with this one.  It is an organic wish book made from scratch.  Check out the step by step process below…

What you’ll need:
- 3 sheets of printing paper
- 1 sheet of watercolor paper or heavy stock paper (you can find it here)
- half a handful of cotton wad
- 3 tissues
- 1 tbsp rosemary leaves (you can find it here)
- 1 tbsp lavender flowers (you can find it here)
- 5 cups water
- sisal craft twine (you can find it here)
- food processor
- rolling pin
- hole punch
- scissors
- glue

The amount above is sufficient for 1 A4 sheet of recycled paper, or two 9×5 inch sheets for the wishbook. Depending on the wished quantity of sheets, increase the amounts of ingredients.
Step 1. Tear the paper into 1×1 inch scraps. Pull the cotton wad and tissues into similarly sized pieces. Mix. Add 4 cups of water. Heat the remaining 1 cup and pour over lavender flowers and rosemary leaves. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes to release the scents. Pour over the paper mixture. Let stand for at least one hour, or overnight.
Step 2. Pour the mixture into the food processor. Pulse until well-blended, resembling cooked oatmeal. Spread a 16×16 inch piece of linen. Pour the mixture over. Cover with another 16×16 inch piece of linen, and tap lightly with your hands, to arrange the mixture into a sheet. Roll the rolling pin over the sheet, to reach 0,2 inch thickness. Uncover and leave to dry (for approximately 1 day).
Step 3. During the first several hours, cover the sheet with linen and then with a towel, and roll the rolling pin across, so as to absorb the extra liquid.
Step 4. Once the sheet is almost dry, you can form different textures on it. Apply the wished motif and press (with books or other heavy items).
Step 5. When the sheet is dry, you may cut it into wished shapes and sizes. Sheets for this wishbook were cut into 9×5 inch pieces. When cut, punch two holes on each piece, and pull the twine through. You can use a rosemary sprig to tie the opposite ends of twine to it.

Step 6. For the title, use one of the scraps of paper and write the title on it. Slightly press with the pencil so as to imprint the title. Dab some glue into each of the letters and press the twine into the indentations.

Thank you for submitting this project Sanja!

This week we are Smitten with Concepts Event Design.  Husband and wife, Federico and Haydee own and operate this full service design company.  From fine linens to custom furniture and lighting, Concepts will flawlessly execute your vision with style and professionalism.  Team Concepts is always ready to go above above for their clients and colleagues which is just another reason why we are smitten with them!

What is your favorite part of the industry?

We definitely enjoy the décor aspect of it.  We admire couples that individualize their settings and consider the design aspect of their wedding day.  Seeing the lights against the glimmer of crystal and florals is always amazing.  Federico is always inspired by classic architecture and modern design, and seeing his vision sketched out, built, then implemented is wonderful.

What is one piece of advice you would give a bride?

Hire a designer, coordinator, or other industry professional.  New couples tend to underestimate the hours of work it takes to organize and manage such an event.  Financially, everyone is on a budget, so plan on a smaller intimate wedding if you budget is also small and intimate

What are some of the trends you see for 2011?

We will always strive for innovation.  We would like to see couples challenge their concepts and not be afraid to be too elegant, too modern, too shabby, or too fashion forward.

Materials:
Several sheets of cardstock for the front (preferably white)
Several sheets of cardstock for the backing (a contrasting color)
Glue Stick
Decorative Paper Punch (Martha Stewart Craft Line has many)
Ribbon
Scissors
Xacto Knive or Ribbon Paper Punch

Instructions:

1. Decide on what you would like your sign to say and then head to the computer to print out the individual letters. If you are looking for a more interesting font to use but don’t want to invest a lot of money on a high-price font, check out sites like dafont.com which offer mounds of free fonts.

2. Now is the time to decide how big you would like each of your individual letters to be–depending on where you plan to display them and how far away they need to be read. When cutting out your color backing be sure to make it large enough that when you punch your design into the edges, it still peaks around the sides of your letters.

3. Glue the two pieces of cardstock together.

4. Using an xacto knife or a ribbon paper punch (Martha Stewart Craft Line) — make the slots for your ribbon to pass through

5. Lastly, weave your ribbon through the individual letters and voila!

Thanks Darling Dexter for the adorable idea!

There are some familiar faces in the fall 2010 issue of Destination I Do magazine. Our very first Bride Unveiled, Lindsay and her fiance David! Lindsay and David, along with their fantastic photographer, Parris Whittingham highlighted some wonderful honeymoon hideaways in New York City.  Be sure to pick up the magazine for fantastic ideas on destination weddings. A great big Congrats to Lindsay and David on such a beautiful feature.

Halloween is right around the corner and what better than a themed cocktail?  We tried the Dra-Kahlua last night while carving pumpkins and it really did put us in the halloween spirit!  Don’t forget to add a ghoulish garnish to finish the drink off…

Dra-Kahlua

1 1/2 parts Kahlua

1/2 part Martell V.S. Cognac

1/2 part Hiram Walker Triple Sec

1/4 part fresh lemon juice

1/2 part simple syrup
Blood orange wedge for garnish

Candy Corn Cordial

1/2 cup candy corn

1 1/2 cups vodka

2 ounces orange liqueur

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 large egg white

Candy corn, for garnish

Blood-Red Lime Rickey

6 fresh cherries, pitted

1/2 lime, cut into 3 wedges

2 teaspoons sugar

3 ounces gin

1 cup crushed ice

Sandy and John were married on September 4, 2010 at the historic El Cortez’s Don Room.  We had the opportunity to work with them on the finishing touches.  Sandy may be a San Diegan but John is a true Texan and brought BIG into everything!  Sandy utilized her design background and worked through every intricate detail to create her overall vision for her wedding day.  She essentially tailored her Texan…

Sandy is a dog lover so it was important to include some of our four legged friends in the big day.  These ornate figurines could be found guarding the table numbers.

Starting with the actual structure that Sandy and John were married under, Texas was all around.

Even the meals were Texas size!

Congratulations Sandy and John!!!!

A very special thank you to all of the vendors that made this day possible…

Venue… El Cortez

Photographer… elle.g

Caterer… TK&A

Flowers…  Art Quest Floral

Entertainment… Daniel Peterson

Cake…  VGs Bakery

This week we have picked some of our favorite alternatives to the standard guest book.  If you are going to have guests sign something, make it fun for them and have it be something you will want to go back and look at 1, 5, or 20 years from now.

Friday Five- Guest Signing for the Modern Couple

1. Interactive Photo Booth- This is not a new idea by any means but it does not mean it is not a fantastic one.  Get a chalkboard, whiteboard, large tablet or anything to write on.  Let guests know what they are expected to write and have the photographer shoot away.  Props really make this a hoot of a time.  Especially come the later part of the evening!  You will be left with unforgettable images of your guests and get a feel for the night and how it progressed…

2. Signed Planter- Guests will love signing their name to a piece of art.  In this instance, guests signed a custom made planter before it hit the kiln.  All of the stationery pieces were printed on handmade printable seed paper and the couple planted it in the completed planter.  The finished product was literally grown from well wishes and love.

3. Well Wishing Cards- Give guests a little more direction when signing with these cards.  ”For a long and happy marriage…” “For a healthy heart…”  ”How to keep your hubby happy…” “How to keep your mrs. merry…”  Coordinate the look with some fabulous envelopes and line them if your book.  This will be an interactive keepsake that you will love looking back at.

4. River Rocks- River Rocks can be used in a variety of different ways when it comes to signing.  Use larger rocks and have guests either sign their name or write they wish.  Smaller rocks can be used for guests to make a wish and place them in a special container so that you have collected all of the well wishes together.  After the event, the rocks can adorn your garden or remain in a special place in your home.

5. A Piece or Art- Looking to create a one of a kind piece of art from your wedding day?  All you need is a blank canvas and paint…  Invite guests to paint one or two strokes on the canvas.  Eventually, you will end up with a VERY unique and possible abstract piece of art.  It will definitely be a conversation piece for decades to come.

Have a wonderful weekend!