Did you know that there are NINE Orange Countys in the USA?   There has been so much interest in the domain name www.orangecountyweddings.com  that we are considering leasing or selling it.    We have been approached by  people from all over the country so I thought I'd throw it out on Facebook and Twitter.  The response has been overwhelming, thank you!

We own two great domain names, www.orangecountyweddings.com (plural) and www.orangecountywedding.com (singular).

If you are an Orange County  hotel/venue owner, magazine publisher, website owner, advertisting agency, caterer, or other wedding vendor interested in buying or leasing the domain, shoot me an email.  Maybe we'll hear from Martha Stewart or our friends at Wedding Compass, Wedding Wire, or The Knot.

We will be considering all offers and hope to make a decision in the next 4 weeks.



There are so many ways to get in touch with us at Cheers To You Events!

                          Be a fan on Facebook

                           Follow us on Twitter

                               Bookmark our Blog

                                    Get Linked In

                                    Connect on Plaxo

                                  or go the old fashioned way,

                                   call us 949.481-KISS (5477)

                              We look forward to hearing from you!

                                                       Romance on the Water…

Dana Point Yacht Club is a don't miss venue if you are looking for a romantic spot with breath taking views of the sailboats in the harbor, the surrounding cliff, and the spectacular sunsets.

The Yacht Club's banquet room has large windows on three sides that provide expansive harbor and ocean views. The banquet room is elegantly appointed with prism chandeliers and high-vaulted ceilings. This unique space can accommodate up to 175 guests.

Elegant weddings, special occasions or business meetings, the Dana Point Yacht Club, with a preferred catering team and personal attention to detail will help you create an occasion to remember.

 It would be Teri's  pleasure to meet with you personally in order to discuss the services and amenities that are offered by the Dana Point Yacht Club.  For your consultation appointment, please call her direct telephone line 949-542-3820 or by email at events@dpyc.org

For todays bridal show, check out the Romance on the Water Facebook Fan page

For information about all of your other wedding planning needs, please email me at marla@cheerstoyouevents.com or visit the Cheers To You Facebook Fan page.

                                                   

Do you have 4 extra hours a month?  Four? If so, please consider becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister

Mia and I just celebrated our 2 year anniversary, and I know she gets so much out of being my Little Sister, but I get even more.  With our busy lives, our jobs, family, friends, we tend to overlook those who don't have as much as we do.  If you have four hours a month to make the difference in the life of a child,

Being a Big Brother or Big Sister is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things you will ever do.  For more information, please visit the Big Brother / Big Sister website.

                                  You can change a young person's life.  I'm so glad I did :)

                               le parti de mardis gras

 In addition to wedding planning and coordinating, we plan a lot of theme parties.  Check out some photos from last weekend's Mardis Gras party that we planned at a private residence in Coto De Caza.

Many thanks to Kathy Taylor at Signature Party Rentals, Rick Burgess from Black Tie Events, Jimmy from Lucisous Jimmy's Catering and Shawni Hartman from Shawn Eden Floral Design. 

Great vendors + party people + amazing costumes + kings cake =  incredible celebration!

  let the good times roll

cheers to you!

Not THAT White House, the amazing, incredible, delectable White House in Anaheim ~ one of my all time favorite restaurants (and favorite restaurant owner).

Check out this over the top wedding deal from Bruno Serato, talk about generous! And thank you Nancy Luna, Fast Food Maven, for the information.

Anaheim restaurant giving free $20,000 wedding reception

Reposted from the OC Register, Nancy Luna:

Anaheim White House owner Bruno Serato is known for his generosity and fun giveaways.

But, here’s one freebie that seems too good to be true:  For Valentine’s Day, the Anaheim dining institution is awarding an engaged couple an all-expense paid wedding reception valued at $20,000.

All you have to do is book a date at the restaurant during the long Valentine’s Day weekend.

The wedding reception would feed up to 100 guests in the restaurant’s newly unveiled West Wing private room. To qualify, you must mention that you wish to enter the contest when you make a dinner reservation anytime between Feb. 12 – 16. The winner will be selected at random.

For more information or to make a reservation, visit the restaurant’s website.

So, go get engaged, go to the White House, and Good luck!!

Yes, that's The Temptation Cookbook in my kitchen, thank you again Bruno, and Cheers To You! for all you do!

Cheers To Friar Tux (again)! 

Just in time for the holidays: Pre register your wedding at friartux.com and receive a $100 gift card from select stores like Crate & Barrel, Victoria's Secret, Target, and more!   Just visit friartux.com and pre-register your wedding using promo code N11337.

If that's not enough, the Groom's tux is FREE if you use promo code N11337.   Below is a copy of the flyer that was given to me If you would like a flyer,  email me (marla@cheerstoyouevents.com)  with your address and wedding date, and I'll send one to you in the mail.

Cheers to a twist on the boring margarita, what a way to bring in the season:

Repost from: http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/4878 

....

To make the margaritas, fill a cocktail shaker with ice; combine the cranberry juice, tequila, Triple Sec and lime juice and shake. Then strain the margarita mixture into some glasses full of ice, and start sipping.

If you’re feeling particularly festive, you can garnish the drink with thinly sliced limes, fresh cranberries or a small ornament threaded with a skewer. To make the sugar rim, just run a wedge of lime around the edge of your glass, and dip it into a saucer of sugar. Because it’s pretty. Because everyone’s healthy.

Cranberry Margaritas

Adapted from Rebecca Rather’s “The Pastry Queen Christmas”

Yield: 4 servings

• Wedge of lime
• Sugar
• Ice cubes for shaking and serving
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail
• 1/2 cup silver or other 100% agave tequila
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur (Grand Marnier, Triple Sec or Citronage)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• Garnishes: thinly sliced limes or fresh cranberries

1. Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and dip the edge in sugar to coat. Fill glasses with ice. Set aside.

2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all the ingredients, and shake like hell.

3. Strain into ice-filled glasses and serve.

Cheers To You!



Cheers To Kristen and Josh

And many thanks to Mike McCaleb  for this awesome video and kind words

Kristin and Josh - Hyatt Huntington Beach from Mission Visual on Vimeo.

 Repost from Mission Visual:

After their beautiful ceremony at the Calvary Refuge Church in Costa Mesa, Kristin and Josh made their way to the HB Hyatt, and took pictures on the bridge before their awesome reception inside. It's always awesome to have a great wedding planner on the job. Makes our job so much easier. Marla Lackey rocked it for the happy couple! It is also always fantastic to have a really TALL second shooter. Instant crane shots from big Joel!

Cheers to the wedding song of 2010, "Because of You, A Wedding Song"  

Monte James wrote the lyrics, music by Stephan Byrum, and beautifully sung by Antonio Carlos.  Listen to Antonio Carlos sing, I'm hearing a little Elvis and a whole lotta love. 

For more info on Antonio Carlos Coimbra, visit his MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/antoniocarloscoimbra     

Enjoy!

Take my hand

My heart too

In God’s name forever

We shall walk together

Just me and you

Just me and you

You touch my soul

Like no one can

A bond, a psalm, a covenant

Is this ring that I shall place

Upon your hand

Upon your hand

And now my life’s an answered prayer

A dream come true this love we share

We’ll build castles in the air

Because of you

Like waves upon the windswept shore

Always there as one before

My love will be forevermore

Because of you

Because of you

Because of you

___________

Satin white as driven snow

I just can’t help but realize

What mirrors in your loving eyes

I love you so

I love you so

Say with me what must be said

Joined together as we gather

On this day before our Father

I thee wed

I thee wed  

Thank you Wedding Channel for this wonderful explanation:

Wedding Planners 101

Despite what you may have heard, did you know that hiring a wedding planner (also called a wedding consultant) can be a huge help and save you money? If you’re planning on hiring a wedding planner, you’ll want to do so as soon as you start planning. They’ll help you search for the perfect venue and find great vendors that will fit within your planning budget. (In fact, a great planner will have relationships with vendors and will often be able to help you negotiate deals you wouldn’t be able to on your own.) Once you’ve booked your vendors, they’ll oversee the relationships with each, and help pull everything together. The best part is, they plan weddings for a living, so there won’t be a problem they haven’t encountered before and they’ll know how to handle even the stickiest of situations, and keep you calm in the process.

Wedding Coordinators 101

A wedding coordinator is a lot like a wedding planner, in that they help you organize and pull together your wedding details, but they may not handle quite as much as the traditional planner would. For example, your planner may sit down with from day one to help you dream up the wedding colors, style, and decor theme and help you negotiate contracts and book vendors, whereas the coordinator may just stick to finalizing all your vendor business after you’ve made the major decisions. They will most likely handle contracted work primarily, but are not always limited to this only. Be sure you’re clear on the extent of the services they’re willing to provide when you interview them to make sure you’re going to receive all the support you’re expecting.

Day-of Coordinators 101

A day-of coordinator helps you get everything done on your actual wedding day, but isn’t really involved before the big day. You meet beforehand to fill them in on who’s who and what’s what and exactly how you’d like the day to play out. They will then be in charge of handling all of your vendors and set-up on the day of your wedding, as well as any type of clean-up or postwedding duties needed, so that you and your family members can just relax and enjoy the day. A bride who plans to be very hands-on in her planning process will love the idea of a day-of coordinator. It allows her to enjoy all the ups and downs of the planning, without having to worry about seeing it all through until the very end.

Cheers To the amazing team at Triple Cord Photography.  I am partnering with them as they continue to work miracles with their talent and spirit.  We need your help to promote our FREE WEDDING benefiting orphans in Africa. Please tell all of your friends about Wedding4Africa and how they (or YOU) can win over $35,000 in prizes and start a legacy on their wedding day. Have them visit http://www.heart4africa.org and click on "Free Wedding".

Be sure to check out our celebrity endorsement, Porscha Coleman's photo shoot at http://www.triplecord.com/news

In addition to being a mom, a wife,  a sister, daughter, neice, aunt, a friend, and a wedding planner,  I am a Big Sister, involved with the Big Brother/Big Sister organization.  Interested in volunteering? Contact me for more info, or visit their website at: www.bigbrooc.org  

Not interested in volunteering, but love good food?  Here's another way you can help:

                                              Cheers To Sarah and Matt!

What a treat to meet and work with Texas based Michelle Squier photographer from McGreevy Squier Photography.

Michelle and her husband Jerry are not only sweet and wonderful, but so very talented, both of them.  They flew out and spent three days taking pictures of the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and of course the Trash the Dress session following the wedding.  I love the bridal shots of Sarah ~ how beautiful of a bride is she! 

Sarah and Matt are a darling couple from Texas, and they chose a Southern California country club for their wedding venue. I was honored to be their wedding planner this past weekend. 

I hope you enjoy this sneak peak of a few of their photos.

If you aren't familiar with Wedding4Africa or Heart4Africa, please take a moment to familiarize yourself. The idea behind Wedding4Africa is the brain storm of Annette Biggers from Triple Cord Photography. Annette is the owner of Triple Cord/ leadphotographer/mother/wife/friend and truly one of the most inspirational people I've been blessed to meet.

The premise behind Heart4Africa and Wedding4Africa is to raise money for children and families in Africa, and in return there will be A FREE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WEDDING for one lucky couple! Yes, brides and grooms, I said FREE.  Generous, heartfelt wedding vendors have donated their time and services for one lucky bride and groom to have a FREE WEDDING on October 23, 2010 ~ yours truly is honored to be the wedding coordinator for this incredible celebration.

Please visit Annette's website to learn more how you can be a part of this wedding, or to be the lucky recipient of the free wedding. 

Yes, my friend, my buddy, my chubby cheeked first boyfriend is back in town!  I couldn't miss an opportunity to stop by the brand new Bobs Big Boy in Orange, CA and say hello (and eat). 

I think I have this same picture of Bob and me from when I was a kid, you know, like 20 years ago...