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Testimonials to The Abbey

Imagine yourself in a dream….you are on an island nestled away in a lagoon tucked in beautiful lush marshes that meanders out to the ocean.  Breath taking views scents of the glistening ocean, and the sounds of seagulls above whisk you away to Nantucket while you are in beautiful Southern California, Carlsbad.  This estate’s venue of Contemporary Modern meets the romantic getaway is the perfect location to have a beautiful and elegant wedding.

Chris and Sara are such a beautiful couple in mind and spirit that being such an important part of their wedding made it so much more than work, but as if I was part of the experience.  Every once in a while, you come across, such a joyful couple, that have such wonderful friends and family that once the wedding is over it feels like you were there during the whole journey.

From the minute I met the lovely couple I was brought in with open arms and was welcomed into their world of a new partnership.  Sara came in with a vision and a dream and I and my team from The Abbey were able to make her fairytale come true under the twinkling lights in the patio nestled among the trees.  We created such an intimate setting lit by candle votives, beautiful flowers, and sumptuous food that no one could resist or forget.  We set off the evening by having beautiful red cabbage bowls as our vessel for our most delicious Abbey salad.  This beautiful presentation was pre-set on the tables that all you saw were splashes of reds, greens, and purples.  These artful presentations were in place of party favors.  Dressing up the table with nature’s vibrant colors against the beautiful centerpieces gave the table such vibrancy of color and allure, and not to mention great taste.

The food, need I mention, was so delicious.  The presented buffet boasted such a beautiful romantic scene that came right of a romance novel.  The candles, gems, and silver adorned branches, glistening colors of purples, reds, and blues from the flowers from the arch from the ceremony, was presented on the buffet station where our chefs served the guests.  They were presented with a duo of succulent slow braised short ribs and a beautiful Jidori chicken drizzled with an herb white wine sauce.  Accompanying this outstanding entrée were delicious sides of our famous truffle cream cheese mashed potatoes and ever so fresh blanched broccoli from our local farmer’s.

The second half of the evening, where the party let loose and everyone talked about the young couple after watching their amazing slideshow out under the twinkling trees is how the rest of the evening took place.  The main room was light by beautiful lights, candles everywhere, and the Dj pumping out their favorite tunes.  It felt liked you were plucked out of the Limelight in New York where it was one of the premier night clubs of NY’s past.  Everyone participated in the union of 2 loving people.  Smiles filled the room, conversations of memories of the couple, and traditions of the couple’s ancestry were shared amongst each other.  Congratulations Sara and Chris from The Abbey staff and me.

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NO WIGS FOR SALE HERE.

For those of you that didn’t notice, we’ve been hacked. Our blog, Facebook, and Twitter feeds have been advertising throughout the night, doing their best to sell you all hair extensions, wigs, and a variety of other useless stuff.

We’re sorry about that.

 

We’ve cleaned up the mess, and have stopped it from happening again. Thanks for excusing us and being patient while we handled the problem.

 

Thanks.

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Dear Abbey,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your generous support of the Rob Benzon Foundation during the 2011 calendar year.  We are very grateful to be able to count on you as a member of our extended family.

Our records reflect that you donated goods and services between January 1 and December 31, 2011 in the amount of $8,448.80.

Our mission at the Rob Benzon Foundation is to grant funds to individuals with urgent needs in response to an unforeseen or catastrophic event and to established charitable organizations in our community.  The guiding concept of the Rob Benzon Foundation is that a substantial difference in the life of someone in need.  Thank you for being such an important part of that vision.

Once again, we thank you for your generosity and support of the Rob Benzon Foundation and hope you will consider us for future donations.  By pulling together, we continue to assist those most in need in our community.

Very truly yours,

John Cashman, Chief Financial Officer

Do you have a fundraiser or foundation celebration coming up in the future? We’ve seasoned professionals who can give you their great ideas for free.

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The San Diego Botanical Garden located in Encinitas is a choice spot to have a wedding and with the perfect weather that frequents San Diego an outdoor reception is paradise waiting.  The Huyhn party chose this spot for its beauty and seclusion, they wished to have a nice intimate gathering of family to witness this special day for their exchanging of vows.  Surrounded by blossoming flowers, stunning clear blue skies overhead and exotic smells wafting throughout the gardens.

Fifty guests sat in the “Walled Garden” and watched while the officiant began the exchange of vows.  Gathered together under a wood grove of trees and green fern, shaded from the sun and birds flying all about, the ceremony commenced.

After the two “I do!”‘s, the guests move to the reception area. The Victorian Gazebo Lawn is a space where you can seat up to 250 people for dinner and dessert.  Their dinner was set using  buffet stations, a martini salad shaker station, a main entree station and the favorite, a doughnut station, where there was a selection of doughnut pastries and hot chocolate. The perfect invitation to treat one’s self to after dinner. The buffet station was perfect for this environment, guests could get up for second helpings if they wished and eat at their own pace.

The sun finally set and lamp lights began to come on.  The the gazebo where the cake was being set up lit up in brilliant blues to cast an enchanting hue over the guests as they finished dinner and prepared for the cutting of the cake.  The day was a total success and the guests and staff watched as the newly wed couple whisked away to begin their honeymoon.

We would like to thank our vendor-partner Julie Buchta Davis Photography & Associates for providing the amazing photographs that you see here.

Thinking of an outdoor wedding? Where have you considered or would you like us to assist in finding you an outdoor venue location…

No Comments | Tags: photographer, San Diego Botanical Garden, wedding

Last Thursday Southern California was blanketed in one of the largest blackouts in US History. You wouldn’t necessarily think it’s a big deal even in wedding season and especially on a Thursday. Guess what? We had two couples, eagerly awaiting their weddings on 9-8-2011. Just as the lights went out, the Abbey Team went into action. Ocean View Villas suffered a brief outage until our emergency generator arrived and kicked in. It was able to power the DJ and provide enough juice to get the lights going.

Abbey one, Outage zero!

On to the Coronado Community Center, at reception time it was lights out for millions in San Diego and Coronado Island was not exempt. Fortunately, the Community Center & Abbey Team worked in concert with one another to ensure back-up generators powered the Reception.

Abbey Two, Outage Nothing.

When a situation seems beyond all our control it could have easily been a time when people stood by and just accepted the state of affairs. Brides & Grooms may have been understanding but when you secure the best, expectations must be exceeded.

Congratulations to our Happy Couples & Go Team!

No Comments | Tags: All-Inclusive Wedding Package, catering, ceremony, san diego blackout, wedding

July 25, 2011

The Abbey Catering & Event Design Company

On behalf of all of us on the Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your continued — and very generous — support of the Rob Benzon Foundation.  When we came together over twelve years ago in an effort to make a positive impact out of the tragedy of Rob’s passing, we had no idea how his loving and giving spirit would engage our community as it has,  Your contribution serves to remind us that the spirit of caring and giving is well alive in our community.

We are blessed and grateful to have underwriters such as The Abbey Catering and Event Design Company supporting our efforts.  Your generosity at this summer’s Launch Party will allow us to continue our mission of helping worthy organizations in our community, as well as making much-needed grants to individuals with urgent needs.  Over the past six month, we have provided grants totaling almost $14,000.  The proceeds of this summer’s fundraiser, will allow us to continue to sustain these grant levels for the coming year.

Thank you so much for making the 2011 Launch Party such a huge success!  It was my pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with you on this event and look forward to working again with you in the future.

Very Truly Yours

The Board of Directors of the Rob Benzon Foundation.

 

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is there a community organization that you are involved in?

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The postcard experience of Ocean View Villas was the perfect setting for this lazy, hazy, fun-filled wedding. With the dramatic views atop the sunset cliffs, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the excited couple said “I do” among overjoyed family and friends.

The couple envisioned an all-white classic wedding with a few flattering quirks. The tablescapes were mesmerizing, gowned in crisp white linens, dazzling with crystal stemware, adorned with simple white wooden folding chairs, and united by an original floral centerpiece designed by our friends at Artquest flowers.

Once the ceremony was over guests were welcomed into the cocktail area, where servers weaved in and out with mouth watering treats – specific morsels of the bride and groom – while playful family and friends shared laughter over the snapshots at the photo booth and the bartenders kept the drinks flowing.

The couple opted for a traditional seated dinner, a fine dining experience complimented by the Abbey’s signature salad and a dual entree finale; so each guest had the chance to try both awe-inspiring main course.

As the sun set, the warm glow of evening turned to the cool dark of night and guests danced with the stars – infused by the hip beats of DJ Randy – who mixed in the prime requests while reading the crowd with a psychic pertinence, persuading the crowd to move in tune to the ever evolving mood.

It was a true pleasure for us to experience this special day. Lydia and Qihai chose one of the Abbey’s spectacular wedding packages – which including all the rest – beheld the Maui Penthouse! Their union was feverishly fantastic and begot an event that will not be forgot.

Days to nights like these are common with the Abbey Catering – providing fresh ideas and prime locales, we build great moments from the ground up. Feel free to find out how your visionary day-dreams of a bold gathering – wedding day wonder or anything else under the sun can become a simple matter of experience – both ours’ and yours’.

 

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Picking out your wedding dress was the first thing you did and now you’re in the middle of planning your ceremony, but don’t forget about your cocktail hour which comes before your reception.  You will need music of course, because a cocktail hour with music is like a birthday cake without birthday candles.

There are so many options available from which you can choose, to make life a little less confusing I will give you a short list of traditional and contemporary selections:

 

• Traditional – have your reception DJ to bring in some ambient mellow background melodies.
• Modern – use a jazz trio or quartet to spice up the evening, a local singer/songwriter to regale your guests with some masterful guitar pieces.
• Trendy – have a solo cellist or harpist charm your guests and keep family and friends moving smoothly to their silky beat
• Themed – hire a tin drummer bringing sounds that emanate the oceanic beach themes.

The main key to make your event and your music selection uniquely yours during your cocktail hour is to add your own personal touch, be creative, create your own vision.

 
If you would like to have some help we have plenty of great ideas of our own, just ask one of our specialists….
 

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If you are anything like the team at the Abbey, we know you like to have fun, either acting goofy with your friends and family or making lasting memories in which you can look back on and laugh about later.  So, guess what?  We decided to get a fully functional, state of the art photo booth, with  video capture and access to upload your photos to facebook almost instantly!

You can imagine your surprise as your friends, family and guests take candid shots of which they can share on their facebook instantly or you can have as we conveniently store all the videos and photos onto a usb flash drive, while they get to have the proofs.  This is a great way to entertain everyone as you have some genuine fun making goofy faces, and recording special messages for a seasonal party, wedding, or corporate event, and it makes a great ice breaker as you share the photos you have taken over food, drinks, and a great all around time. You can even come in and check it out for yourself. Oh! And did i mention that the themes can be fully customized for any event, and its mobile, meaning it can be brought to any events catered by the Abbey…now how’s that sound for a little added fun?

 

The Abbey has plenty of ideas to help add more excitement to your event day and we value your thoughts on how we can make it better. Click here and share your ideas…

 

 

No Comments | Tags: abbey, All-Inclusive Wedding Package, art, Corporate Events, event, event design, la jolla, party, photographer, reception, San Diego, venue

A theme is all it takes to turn your party from average to adventurous and fun. The Weiner family wanted to take their daughter’s bat mitsvah one step further than just a party. “Which house would you choose Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin?”  The fun movie theme of Harry Potter was perfect for this kind of celebration.  The main dining area was set up similiar to the Hogwarts School dining area with the house name banners and then a side dining area with tables labeled for places within the movie like the Whomping Willow and King’s Cross Station.  You could almost feel the magic.  Hiring the Abbey Catering and Event Design Co along with their event coordinator made this party flow with ease.  From set up to clean up, everything was taken care of –  from keeping the guests appetites fulfilled to being kept busy with a photo shoot where you could dress up as your favorite character from the movie.  Normal parties are things of the past, now themed parties have become more popular and the thing to do.From birthday parties to even weddings it is no longer just a party but an event the host family wants their guests to remember.  Celebrating in style now means having fun while you do it. So…..

 

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? Come make memories, we can help you host….

No Comments | Tags: abbey, catering, design, event, photographer, venue