Pam & Gene at Paradise Ridge

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Pam and Gene are just the sweetest couple imaginable.  I worked together with them for nearly a year planning their wedding at Paradise Ridge Winery.  Pam’s dress was an ultra, figure-flattering delight of matte satin that laced up the back and ended in a luscious chapel-length train. Her bouquet, designed by Daisy Rose Flowers, was filled with eye-popping colours of orange, yellow, lavender and gold with deep purple highlights. And you have to love, love, LOVE those fuchsia shoes!

There’s a little story about a ring bearer who kept growling all the way down the aisle because he thought his mom had said she wanted him to be the ring “bear.”  That’s why this little guy is carrying his ring “bear” instead of the traditional pillow as seen in this photo by Laver Photography. Friends of the couple played for their ceremony officiated by Kimberly Thompson.

Afterwards, Pam and Gene spent some time for photographs in the sculpture gardens returning to Paradise Ridge for a seated dinner of macadamia-nut crusted sea bass or juniper roasted filet with a cabernet reduction sauce from Park Avenue Catering. Then they danced the night away with their friends with music by AMS (with just a short intermission for cake cutting and amazing cupcakes by Sift bakery Yum, yum!)

www.prwinery.com

www.daisyroseflowers.com

www.abeautifulceremonynapavalley.com

www.laverphoto.com

www.parkavecater.com

www.amswinecountry.com

www.siftcupcakes.com

8 April 2013
Wedding Reviews

Wedding Reviews

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My husband and I feel very lucky to have worked with Denise Kramer. We both live overseas and felt like we were in excellent hands with Denise for our Sonoma wedding reception. Denise really went above and beyond our expectations. She’s an excellent communicator and really knows this business in and out. I can honestly say that my wedding day was amazing and I am so thankful to Denise and her assistant for ensuring smooth flow, paying attention to the details and just all around professionalism and that special “je ne sais quoi” in making our wedding special.

Destination Wedding – Hong Kong Client

I highly recommend Denise!

Kunde Estate Winery

Denise is awesome. She went above and beyond to ensure we had the wedding of our dreams.

My wife and I hired Denise as our wedding coordinator over a year in advance of the wedding. Over that period, she gave us advice on pretty much everything to ensure that we could find everything we needed and hire the right people to make the day a success. She also saved us a ton of money by extending us her vendor discounts and pointing us to good values.

We exchanged well over a hundred emails and she met us in person about a half dozen times including a few trips to Wine Country Rentals and a full walkthrough the weekend before the wedding. She almost always responded to emails in less than a few hours no matter when we sent them, and her responses were always helpful and professional.

I’d highly recommend Denise to anyone looking for a wedding coordinator.

Home Wedding

LOOK NO FURTHER! Denise Kramer is THE wedding coordinator you want to relieve your stress, maintain your budget, and help create your perfect wedding!! I should know, I unfortunately had to fire two other coordinators before I found her! The first one outright lied to me, saying that we couldn’t get site visits from rental companies on the dates I’d set aside, when in reality, the rental companies had never heard from her. They were able to see me when I needed them, she just hadn’t bothered to book the appointments, so told me they couldn’t see me on those days. The second coordinator presented me with a rental budget that was almost double the number I had given her for our entire wedding budget. She became rude and condescending when I told her her rental costs were too high, and then she sent me a second budget which I discovered was extensively padded (charging $1200 for a $700 porta potty, etc). SO, how lucky was I to find the most honest, experienced, hard working, honest, budget conscious, creative wedding coordinator in Sonoma County?! Denise is the consummate professional. Unflappable under pressure, she truly understands the pressure the bride and groom are under and goes the extra mileage needed to alleviate it. She has great contacts as well. The staff, caterers Aja & Lynn, that she hired on our behalf were phenomenal and, in my opinion, underpriced, as is Denise! Her assistant Tani was also fabulous. They were exceptional interacting with our guests, all of whom were completely impressed. This is truly FIVE STAR service for pricing that cannot be beat. I just cannot say enough good things about Denise. Our wedding was even more fun than we imagined it would be and that is because, thanks to Denise, we did not have to think about one thing once the pre-planning was complete.

Services Used: Wedding Planning

Vintner’s Inn

Denise was wonderful, and our wedding was fabulous. She is very responsive and gives guidance all along the way. I think she’s great!

Richard’s Grove & Saralee’s Vineyard

Wonderful denise, the wedding could not have been more perfect — we deeply appreciate everything you did (including, i’m sure, plenty of details that you tended to without our even knowing)!

I don’t know where to start with my thanks. the perfect venue? the rocking band? the gorgeous Chuppah and flowers? these vendors were all recommendations from you, and each one was simply ideal! or perhaps I should start earlier in the weekend — even though you weren’t there on Friday and Saturday, we really appreciated your putting us in touch with Dana at Seghesio.  she was fabulous! or perhaps the perfectly executed timeline and the ‘easy’ feel of the whole event? or the beautiful vintage handcherchief that you slipped me at just the right moment?

I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed ourselves — words don’t sufffice to convey how very much we appreciated it all! thank you for everything you did to make our weekend so wonderful.

Will you let us know if there’s any small thing we can do in return? it goes without saying that we’d love to be a reference, write a review, or help out in any other way.

With much love and all our very best,

Muriel & Brett

 

22 February 2013
Gallery

Gallery

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21 February 2013
Wedding Site Locator

Wedding Site Locator

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You’re getting married! You’ve told your family and closest friends and now the planning begins. The first question is “Where?” All other parts of the wedding depend on that. You know you want the simple beauty of Wine Country, but there are so many other factors involved.” I’m on a budget, is there anything under $5,000?”  “I have 250 guests, and I’m not finding anything big enough,” “My mother’s worried about it being outside. Is there a place with both indoor and outdoor options,” “I’m Catholic. Is there a site I can get married that’s recognized by the Church?” “My father simply can’t imagine a wedding without his favourite Scotch and soda” . . . and the list goes on and on.  Is there a site that can meet all, or at least the most important, parts of your dream wedding?

Let me put my expertise to work for you. I’m happy to help match your needs with the perfect site. Having worked in Wine Country for nearly two decades, I can tell you which sites will work for you, and which won’t. This will save you countless hours of poring through site descriptions and making a bazillion phone calls.

And my fee? It’s free! Just let the site know I recommended them and, if you do need a coordinator, I hope you’ll think of me! Please fill out the form below and I will respond to you promptly.

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21 February 2013
Contact

Contact

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20 February 2013
Elopement Package

Elopement Package

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For the couple who would like to be married in Wine Country, either by themselves or with a few close friends, an elopement package may be just perfect! The package is available Monday-Thursdays, May through October. It is available all week long during off-season, based upon site and vendor availability. I work together with five lovely wineries, a Wine Country Inn, a bed and breakfast or a magnificent villa to provide you the ultimate in a luxurious elopement. The two hour package includes everything you need:

 1.  Complete coordination from one hour before start time through end of event. I am also happy to work with you ahead of time to find out your details so we can personalize your special day.

 2. Live Music: Ninety minutes of beautiful music by Musical Heart Strings Duo, Kerry Borgen and Gretchen Egen, violin and cello, with an extensive choice of melodies from their online repertoire.

 3. A choice of three lovely ceremony packages including a thirty-minute pre-ceremony consultation, from Reverend Lisa Joslen of Ceremonies of the Heart. Reverend Joslen will walk you through getting your license quickly and easily.

 4. A professional photography session of 90 minutes with Deb Laver Photography. High resolution image files: includes editing, color corrections and artistic enhancements.  Retouching is not included but is available for an extra charge. Files are delivered on cd approximately two weeks after the wedding day.

5. Fabulous seasonal bridal bouquet and boutonniere from Tori Patocchi, Rivertown Flowers, one of Wine Country’s premier professional florists.

6. A personal-sized cake (serves six) and gift bottle of Sonoma County sparkling wine. Use of engraved, silver-plate cake stand, cake cutting set, vintage plates, silver-plate dessert forks for two and elegant sparkling wine flutes for photographs.

Total package is available for only $3,850, not including site fee (as this varies upon location).

Possible Upgrades:

Professional Hair & Makeup: My professional will come to you two and a half hours prior to ceremony start time to provide picture-perfect hair and makeup. $395

Additional photography available at $500 per hour

Gorgeous tiered wedding cake from  Michele’s Corner Cakes, prices start at $250. 

My husband & I decided to surprise our children with a private & intimate ceremony in Sonoma, Ca. over the holidays. Denise was absolutely amazing & pulled it off in less than 2 weeks. We were married at Nicholson Ranch Winery in a gorgeous rustic chapel overlooking the valley. Denise was organized, creative, reassuring, and available to me & my family to the very end. She spent countless hours working with the Chef & winery on the perfect details. All of this on a budget! What meant the most to us…….She listened & knew what we wanted for our perfect wedding. We loved her so much, we may beg her to plan our large family wedding in Italy! YES, she’s that good!

20 February 2013
Planning Packages

Planning Packages

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Getting Started

This basic package is for the couple just starting out who is unsure of where to even start or if they need a Planner.  The “getting started” package will provide you with a basic timeline, help you find a location, and direct you to local, dependable vendors. 

Month of Planning Packages

While in communication with the client throughout the planning process, this package really pops into gear about six weeks before the wedding.

Typically Month Of Planning will include the following:

  1. Choreography of the ceremony, including processional and recessional and any seating arrangements.
  2. Creation of a day-of timeline for ceremony and reception.
  3. Speaking with the officiant (minister) to discuss any special needs.
  4. Checking in with vendors the week of, or prior to, the wedding to make sure everyone is all on the same page.
  5. Attending and coordinating the rehearsal at a mutually-agreed upon time.
  6. Supervising vendor delivery, setup and pickup times.
  7. Drawing the reception area layout if necessary.
  8. Setting up any favors, toasting glasses, guest book, place cards, etc.
  9. Assisting with corsages, boutonnieres and bouquets.
  10. Be the contact person for vendors the day of the ceremony.
  11. Help insure that all portions of the event stay on timeline as closely as possible.
  12. Making sure gifts and special items are packed up and the site inspected for final clean up.
  13. Other responsibilities may include instructing ushers in the seating of the family and guests, and supervising the bride, groom and bridal party down the aisle.

Remove the burden that might typically be placed on family or friends and include a “Month-Of” Planner in your plans. That way everyone can enjoy your wedding day (including you!).

Mid-Range Planning Packages

My most popular package, Mid-Range or Partial Planning is for the couple who needs a slightly higher level of service. It includes everything from the basic “Month-of” package and adds assistance with catering and patisserie appointments. As an added bonus, any necessary rental items may be ordered without a handling fee. You also receive help with room blocks and transportation, recommending suitable vendors for all portions of the wedding and booking any other necessary vendor appointments so you make the most of your limited time. 

Full-Service Coordination

Perfect for those planning a destination wedding, this package includes everything from both the basic and mid-range packages. Each Full-Service package is customized, so you can get help in the areas you need it, whether it be layout design, finding the best calligrapher, or that perfect one-of-a-kind rental item. 

All planning rates depend upon date of wedding and number of guests. Please call for a complimentary consultation and quote.

20 February 2013
Eight Steps to the Perfect Wedding

Eight Steps to the Perfect Wedding

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Having a wedding in Wine Country, actually having a wedding anywhere, can be a daunting experience.  Gone are the days when a couple got married in the sanctuary, had cake and punch in the church hall, then settled down to a “Happily Ever After.”  Today’s weddings are much more complex, involving unknown variables, and dozens of vendors.

What are the eight major things you need to put your wedding on the right track?

  1. Planner
  2. Site
  3. Caterer
  4. Officiant (Minister)
  5. Florist
  6. Photographer
  7. Music (DJ/Band)
  8. Cake/Alternative Dessert

As an industry professional, I have over fifteen years in the event industry, and have been involved in hundreds of weddings. Talk with me for helpful tips for your big day. For basic information to calm your fears, get you on the right track, and help you with an outline of what you need to do first, email or call me for the “getting started” package.  This will provide you with a basic timeline, help you find a location, and direct you to local, dependable vendors. There are other, more intimate, details that you will want to do on your own.  But this is some solid, common-sense information that will help you get started and save you countless hours of research.   If you decide to go with one of my more inclusive packages, the consultation fee will be credited towards the new package.

20 February 2013
About

About

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0080WEBAfter working with hundreds of brides and coordinating countless weddings, Denise Kramer Weddings came into being in 2007.  My background in the Food and Wine Industry coupled with event planning and wedding coordination gives me a unique ability to lend expert advice to the Wine Country Bride.  I know what it really takes to make the wedding work. I can tell you what you should be able to expect from your site and your caterer, and am hands-on throughout. I am there at each wedding to oversee things, not relying on assistants to carry out those intimate details that you and I have personally spoken about.

I’ve also developed wonderful relationships with the highest-quality, dependable local vendors and am proud to recommend some of the finest sites, photographers, videographers, patisseries, officiants, ministers and florists in Wine Country. Please visit the venues page to see a sampling of wedding locations.

20 February 2013
Wedding Venues

Wedding Venues

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I moved to Sonoma County seventeen years ago because I fell in love with Wine Country.  Four years were spent directly in the Wine Industry working at wineries.  Another nine years were invested in the Food and Wine with an emphasis in wedding planning. I noticed that weddings with a coordinator made the difference between a wedding to remember and one you’d rather forget! The last several years have been devoted, full-time, to helping brides have beautiful, stress-free weddings. Whether you are looking for simple advice to help you get started, or would like me to be hands on throughout the entire process, I’ll be there for you.

I have personally worked or am intimately familiar with the following locations:

Several beautiful private estates are also available who prefer to be accessed only through a coordinator.

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