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1)      Plan some unexpected entertainment:  Guests are accustomed to seeing the usual things, like the money dance and other wedding favorites; but why not surprise your guests with unique entertainment?  One bride and groom wowed their guests with a fully choreographed tango dance, while another had a live band karaoke at their reception.  One unique option is renting The Abbey’s one of a kind photo booth, full with silly props it can be a big hit at your reception. It is always a great hit among guests and can really jazz up your party.

2)      Add a lounge to your reception:  Sometimes guests get restless sitting at the dining tables and don’t really feel the need to shake their booty, so why not create a nice lounge space for guests to escape to?  Renting a few couches or small pieces of furniture with some pillows in an area lit by candlelight really would add a level of class to your reception while maintaining a fun atmosphere.  The Abbey Catering can help, we have great lounge pieces for any occasion.

3)      Music, music, music:  Whether you hire a band or one of The Abbey’s preferred DJs for entertainment, make sure you see eye to eye on the type of music they play.  Songs like “The Macarena” and “The Chicken Dance” should really be outlawed.  And bands normally take a break or two during the reception, so make sure they have something to play as backup during those times.

4)      Kids are people too:  It’s inevitable that children will be attending the wedding, so have a game plan to keep them entertained while the adults can have some quality time together.  Hire a babysitter to watch over the kids while they enjoy a movie in a separate room or have other games and activities to keep them occupied.

5)      Keep the toasts to under 2 minutes each:  Simple and heartfelt toasts are the way to go and help maintain the flow of a good party.  Too many toasts and those that are awkward or long-winded from the cousin-you-never-talk-to can really dampen the mood.

6)      Have fun and fresh food:  The Abbey has amazing menus to appease any palate, so take advantage of what we have to offer and customize it by your tastes!  For a more casual style, order stations of Mexican tacos or a slider bar for guests to enjoy.  If a buffet-style or plated dinner isn’t your cup of tea; have heavy hors d’oeuvres or a simple yet elegant display.

7)      Hire a day-of wedding coordinator:  After all of the time and planning, nothing is worse than being stressed out on your wedding day.  So look into using one of The Abbey’s veteran day-of wedding coordinators to take care of all the little details and to ensure your day is as special and as worry-free as can be!

Tell us your ideas, share with us and we will share even more ideas with you, the two of us will make a great team…..

No Comments | Tags: floral, fun, party, photographer, venue, wedding

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

 

It was a beautiful day in Coronado, as Heather and Kurt arrived at The Coronado Community Center. The weather was perfect for the Twilight Ceremony on Coronado Beach.

As we were began setup, the power went out in the building. Power outages when the weather is warm is common. When we were told how large of an area was without power, we acted on the areas that we had control over. The remaining problems were met with creative solutions. One of which was the Center getting the generators. I was very impressed at how quickly The Coronado Community Center responded to this crisis. They were able to rent two portable generators from the City of Coronado and had them on-site within 45 minutes which allowed us to setup temporary lighting for both the banquet room and for the kitchen and have enough power for the DJ. Everything had been accomplished prior to the ceremony even ending. As the guests arrived for the reception, they entered an oasis of Music and Light while the rest of Southern California sat in darkness.
The reception area has beautiful views of Glorietta Bay and the San Diego Skyline.

As guests arrived, they were welcomed by the Abbey Staff passing trays of Ahi Poke served on a Wonton and Filet Wellington. The open bar, fresh fruit floral display and gourmet cheese and cracker display was also a popular area of the patio.

Uncontrollable obstacles happen all the time, its how you handle those obstacles that make all the difference, come see how we do it…

No Comments | Tags: All-Inclusive Wedding Package, coronado community center, san diego blackout, wedding

If you’re on the look out for a bay front wedding at an easily affordable price, look no further, The Marina Village is on the southwestern tip of beautiful Mission Bay.

Marina Village – with all its charm and attraction, can accommodate small intimate affairs of 60 guests or grand weddings of 350. For Saturday receptions, rental rates start at $600.00 for the “Nautical Room”, which holds 60 seated guests and the Saturday price is still low at $2600.00 for the “Baja Room”, a room which holds an amazing 350 guests.  Rental of a suite includes a 5 hour period to hold your event, and you can setup and breakdown, at any time of the day, the dance floor or complimentary tables and chairs.  Each room is only rented out once per diem, so you can come in to decorate as early as 9:00am and even rarer for San Diego event venues – your event does not have to end until midnight!  Still another bonus is a costless and vast parking space available for you and anyone you are so inclined to invite.

Consider having your wedding ceremony in a beautifully landscaped lawn, the birds humming perfectly pitched tunes, the wind blowing soft curls through your hair and all for $600.00, renting a prime locale on the best day of the week – Saturday, for only six benjamins the beauty of this experience could be yours to remember.  The $600 covers a liberating 3 hours, an arch and a hundred white wood chairs. If you book the ceremony and reception through The Marina Village, you can look forward to a $100 discount.

If any of the above intrigued you, The Marina Village is located on 1936 Quivira Way and stays open 7 days a week.  Feel free to check out their website to find some wonderful pictures and an array of information at their website or you could pick up a phone to schedule a visit by dialing (619) 222-1620.

We have always enjoyed working with The Marina Village and if you also require culinary expertise our phones and doors are always open – we offer cash saving specials on catering and event design with this beautiful venue.

Do you dream of spicing up this magnificent venue? What details can we help arrange for the celebration of your special day…

No Comments | Tags: Marina Village, San Diego, venue

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

We want to thank all the amazing people we have met over the years designing and creating events, we are gracious for the opportunity to work with all of you and highly appreciate all your kind words. We think such wonderful emotions should be shared for all to enjoy and wish to dedicate this blog to all our new clients of 2012.

 

From Lisa and Ned Harbour:
“WOW! Words can seriously not say enough about The Abbey. My husband and I got married in July this year and had our wedding at the Cuvier Club, catered by The Abbey. We worked specifically with Zapher Dajani, the president and founder. We also worked with Derick and Warren. May I say that these men made my dreams come true. My husband and I are from Phoenix, AZ so our wedding was a destination wedding in La Jolla. Our families are also from Tennessee, so this was a celebration of our marriage, but also a vacation for many. Our family and friends had nothing but incredible things to say about the staff, the food, and our wedding as a whole.

Destination weddings can tend to be stressful as a bride because you are not always there, you can’t see things in person all the time nor speak with people face to face. Zapher and the Abbey made me feel as though I wasn’t even having a destination wedding. He was always available by phone or email at all times, and if he wasn’t going to be, he would let my husband and I know and he would put us in contact with Derick. I never once felt a sense of discomfort or stress that I wasn’t able to be in La Jolla to plan my wedding. It was true peace of mind. The whole team coordinated with my florist and my bakery. We used the DJ recommended by The Abbey and he was incredible!

The staff at the Abbey is so talented. The chefs are amazing, I have been to many weddings where the food is good, but nothing that I will remember forever. The Abbey surpassed any food I have ever had! Our guests are still talking about our food today. Anytime we talk to someone that attended our wedding, they comment about how they want to eat our wedding dinner all over again. The wait staff that serves the food is wonderful as well. My father had made a slide show to be shown during dinner, I was concerned about this because I thought the wait staff might get in the way when changing from salads to dinner. This worry was most definitely a silly one with The Abbey. My guest said that they never saw the wait staff even clear plates or bring out the dinner, the staff was so smooth with this transition. The guests said they were watching the slide show and next thing they knew they looked down and dinner was there! Simply incredible.

The Abbey Catering and Event Design is truly full of multitalented people. They took a vision that I had and sent it soaring above and beyond my wildest dreams. Zapher has a true gift and has staff that shares this gift. They all work so incredibly hard… and they LOVE what they do. They live and breath The Abbey and I can guarantee that they will never do an event with less that 100% passion and heart. Their passion and talent is the reason they make dreams and visions come true every day.

One last note, people have always said to me “Don’t sweat the small details of the wedding, if they don’t go right, no one is going to notice.” I took this quote into great consideration and can honestly that NOT ONE single small detail of our wedding went wrong. Everything was perfect, it was a dream come true with The Abbey.

Thank you!
Leah and Matt Harbour”

From Alicia Urban:
Alicia Urban’s Voicemail Testimonial
   Just click on the link above to listen.

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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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You know, with most of your time spent planning your perfect day, we know it can be quite hectic.  Though using your favored resources i.e… help from family, friends, and the team here at The Abbey, can help make all the difference.  We would like to recommend a little checklist to make things go easier, because little things matter and the details are in the details.  How about this:

• The perfect venue – check
• #1 caterer in San Diego – check
• Wedding vendors & coordinator – to fill in all those minor details – check
• Ceremony and reception preparation – check

Now if anything, I know you’d want your guest to be impressed by the setting and ambiance of a love filled day labored with comfort and anticipation. So, that brings us to the last check on your list above, and I would have to say one of the quickest ways to dress your ceremony and reception is your chair selection. Chairs can bring elegance, clarity, and comfort to both the feel of the space and to guests, of who are made to feel a little like royalty.

A little detail goes a long way, especially with the old style classical feel of chiavari chairs if that is your vision. It’s important to source the right chair for your day and the team can help you. Depending on the decor that you have set your heart upon, there are many options in the way of chairs to help you. The same chair can be used at both ceremony and reception, but if you are having a beach ceremony I think you would probably emphasize your floral decor, the arch and the surroundings to bring out a romantic oceanic feel as the waves crash upon the shore blessing your union, I recommend a simple white wooden folding chair. They’re padded for your guests comfort and can be attained for about $2.50 each. Next, do you transfer those chairs to your reception or go another route. What does your venue say to you? Is it a hall, garden, historic building, or more contemporary? Fort the three former, I like to see a chiavari chair. You can select from a variety of colors for your chair & pad. Prices vary pending your color and availability but expect to spend approximately 4 times the standard wooden chair. There are also clear lucite chairs to dress your day should you be in a more contemporary venue or museum. There are a variety of styles to suit your every need. Contact your event consultant today to discuss the right direction for your day.

If you would love to have the use of our trade secret resources contact us for your next event…

 

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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

Of course you know the bride to be is pampered and prepped to look her best on one of the most memorable days of her life when she is wedded to the man of her dreams….but, what about the guys?
Often there’s only the bachelor party then the wedding and Bam!…the honeymoon. But now the Abbey is proud to the let the men know that we have something special in store for you too! It’s called Project M, and it’s a featured project for men, to groom you to your finest. Featuring everything from hair-cuts, photo preparation and blemish cover up; which is so subtle that even you will not be able to tell the difference. You will look your best for your pics, and get pampered….GQ style. Their motto is “Let us Man-You-Up for your special events!

They don’t just groom you for weddings either….whether its a night on the town, or a photo shoot, they come to you in the privacy of your own home and they even do spray tanning, which drys instantly, doesn’t smell, changes the topical layer of your skin so you actually tan underneath…It goes on easy, sets in 15 minutes, and last 6-12 days. And it actually feels good during the process….what can you say to that guys? But don’t worry gents, they can also do woman too. Its 100% confidential, and in a totally comfortable atmosphere. And ladies if your reading this, now he has no reason to not look his best, as PROJECT – M grooms his physique and relaxes both mind and spirit making sure you both look your best for your pictures.
Last but not least, and this is the best part, you can get all your grooms and brides-maids done too!

Project M has different packages to cater to all your needs, and it’s part of The Abbey’s All Inclusive Package.

 

 

 

Contact us here to find out more about The Abbey’s All Inclusive Package options.

14 Comments | Tags: abbey, All-Inclusive Wedding Package, bride, event, photographer, San Diego, vendors, venue