On the Dot Event Planning: November 2011

The holiday season has officially ended, and we at On the Dot have participated in our share of holiday parties this season! Holiday season, is of course, engagement season! We hope all of you brides out there got the ring (and the man) of your dreams! ; )

While January is usually a slow month for most folks, it's a busy one for brides who have set their wedding dates for this upcoming spring, summer, and even fall! On the Dot and their clients are occupied with their brides by helping them select anything from their ideal florist to their perfect photographer! In honor of the new year and the start of the upcoming wedding season...On the Dot is offering a limited time offer of 25% off day of services for weddings in January through April. Book us for day of coordination and forget about the stress! : )

For the month of January, I'd like to introduce our first in a series of blogs featuring Kevin, On the Dot's in-house wine consultant. His tips are not only great for hosting your in-home parties, but also fabulous if you are one of the lucky few that have chosen a venue that allows you to bring in your own wine and champagne.
Kevin is a good friend of ours and an amazing wine connoiseur. Our wine expert spends his weekends at the "office" (or rather, any local wine shop) researching his craft...and serving as the leader of a wine club he founded in Orange County. ; ) He's already provided wine pairing recommendations for several weddings, and the demand for his services continually grow. You can read his blog, Bread & Water, at http://nervouskitchen.wordpress.com/. Kevin was nice enough to answer some of our questions.

When did your appreciation for wine start?

I don’t think I really appreciated wine until roughly ten years ago when I enrolled in a "Wines Of the World" extension course at the University of California in Irvine. Our instructor was a lot of fun and his enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. That was when I started to understand wine as an accompaniment or enhancement to a meal, rather than just an alternative to beer or spirits.

What are your favorite wine varietals and why?

That’s a tough question, because there are too many varietals, too many geographic regions growing world class wine and too many good winemakers. Ultimately, I have to look at this subjectively and say in the white category, I love Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Albarino from Spain. They are both very unique white wines. On the red side of things, I really enjoy a Pinot Noir from Oregon, or a Syrah from the Central Coast of California. Also, I love Malbecs from Argentina and Cabernet Sauvignon from NapaValley. I’m excluding favorite wine blends and thus I haven’t really talked about Bordeauxor red wines from Tuscany. As for why I like these, I guess it brings back good memories of a dinner I had or the company I drank the wine with.

For brides that don't know that much about wine, what are your recommendations for a red wine and a white wine that would go with just about everything?

I think you want to have the combination of an elegant, versatile and cost-friendly wine. Elegant, because you want your guests to say “Mmmm. This is good wine!” Versatile, because you want something which will taste good with what you’re serving your guests for lunch or dinner. Cost-friendly, because you really shouldn’t be worried about the wine overly impacting your wedding budget. As a result, I’m always inclined to recommend a Riesling or an unoaked Chardonnay for white wine, because they fit these categories. Pinot Noir, Barbaresco from Italy and a French Gamay from the Beaujolais region of France are also versatile reds.

For brides who are holding weddings that are more ethnic in nature, perhaps a Chinese wedding or Indian wedding, what would you recommend that they pair with their food?

The type of food served offers really fun pairings. Both types of food benefit from a Riesling or Gewurztraminer as far as good white wines. Zinfandel is a robust and slightly spicy red varietal which is very successful with heartier dishes.

What's the difference between Champagne, sparkling wine, and prosecco?

The difference is primarily geographic. Champagne is made in a region of Franceof the same name. Only wines from this region can legally be called “Champagne.” “Prosecco” hales from Italyand is named after the grape from which it is made. “Cava” is a name given to sparkling wines from Spain. “Sparkling wine” is what you name bubbly from places where there is no geographic designation. California and Oregon make world class sparkling wine.

For brides that decide to go the more casual route in cuisine, say a barbeque or comfort food, what would be the best wine to serve with that type of food and what brands would you recommend that would be at a reasonable price?

You definitely don’t want to invest in a complicated, high end wine, because the subtleties in flavors in these bottles will be lost when paired with a burger or with ribs. It’s generally a good idea with casual lunches and dinners to get wines which emphasize fruit. In wine lingo, they’re called “fruit bombs.” It’s difficult to give one or two suggestions, because of the variety of food and wine combinations. One recommendation is to look in the Southern Hemisphere. For example, Argentina produces an amazing white wine varietal called Torrontes which is aromatic and refreshing. Most wines retail for less than $15 a bottle. Australia is well known for producing Semillon, which goes great with vegetables and salad. Again, you can find relatively inexpensive wines. Chilean red wines like Carmenere ar e an even better value. You can find excellent Carmenere which goes exceptionally well with hamburgers at $10 or less.

Thanks for stopping in visiting with us at On the Dot Event Planning! We hope to feature Kevin in future blogs. Please send us your wine related questions to info@onthedoteventplanning.com and we would be happy to help you pick the best wine pairing for your wedding menu!

Cheers!
-Angie

On Saturday, October 29, 2011, Amy and Young celebrated their marriage with a traditional Chinese banquet reception at 888 Seafood Restaurant (a San Gabriel institution). However, the reception was probably the most traditional part of the evening's events, because the 430 guests that were lucky to attend their reception were treated not only to fabulous dinner, but a great show..and no I'm not talking about the entertainment they hired. ; )

I like to begin where they started, which was 13 years ago in a courtyard outside a dormitory at San Jose State University. They started out as friends, but Young always knew a good thing when he saw one. After years of platonic friendship, the pair finally found themselves both in the Southern California area and both needing a roommate...and after getting over some initial fears of losing a great friendship for a chance at a great relationship, Amy and Young fell in love. =)

Of course who would expect any less? Amy is the quintessential low maintenance, go with the flow kind of girl with a great head on her shoulders...a kind of girl that every guy dreams about...and Young? Well, he's determined, kind, and a gentleman through and through. They are in my eyes, a "power couple" or in maybe Young's words, they are "Yamy" (a combination of Young & Amy). ; )

So on the night of October 29, 2011, "Yamy" treated their guests to lobster, duck, and other delights common of a Chinese banquet, and photo booth outfitted with funny costumes (courtesy of Herman Au and his group at Herman Au Photography). Everyone was having a blast eating, drinking, and taking silly photos with their friends. During the reception, the DJ even sang a couple of tunes.

Photo booth complete with costumes (Herman Au Photography)

However, it wasn't the DJ that got the crowd going that evening...

Mother and Father of the Groom:

Members of the wedding party:

Moments after the parents, groomsmen, and bridesmaids, were announced by the DJ during the beginning of the reception, the groom proudly strutted into the reception hall to the song "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns and Roses. Donning a gold championship wrestling belt and a pair of shades, the groom (the ultimate showman) got the crowd going with his gratuitous arm flexing and confident swagger.

Following behind him was his "personal assistant" to help him take off the massive wrestling belt around his waist and to hold it up for the groom so he could check out his reflection before putting on his dinner coat. The cheers that were heard in that room were deafening. We at On the Dot were so surprised by this "grand entrance" we actually forgot to document it on camera! We were in too much awe, and we have Young to thank for that! =)

Bride and Groom:

The rest of the evening was a breeze, from their first dance to "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, to the customary cutting of the cake, tossing of the bouquet, and removal of the garter. The bride looked amazing that evening. Hair and make-up was professionally done for the women in the bridal party by Susie Chhuor and her team of experts, and the flowers were gorgeously arranged by the folks at Commerce Flowers.

First dance:

Sharing some wedding cake:

It was a pleasure witnessing this couple take their next steps into married life!

Here are some shots from their wedding for you to enjoy and hopefully draw some inspiration from.

Wedding cake (Diamond Bakery)