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Wedding Planner
JANUARY 23, 2009
Keep that wedding budget under control MICHELLE NGUYEN
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or many newly engaged couples, wedding planning can bring a lot of surprises,
especially when it comes to cost. The economic downturn will hit some wedding budgets hard, but that doesn’t mean a couple must abandon their dreams of a wonderful wedding.
The pictures
Photo by Mike Gellerman
Couples looking to economize might consider booking fewer hours of their photographer’s time. Photographer Mike Gellerman believes that four hours ought to be enough for a professional to put together a memorable record of important and touching moments, such as the one shared by Josh and Laura Moore, above.
Gorgeous photos are a must for any wedding. Wedding photographer Mike Gellerman studied photography in college and has a background in journalism. He began shooting weddings out of school for friends 25 years ago and pursued it as a successful side business. Originally from Southern California, Gellerman moved to Brentwood three years ago. Here he has continued his photography business with his wife, who assists him as his second
photographer. He describes his style as photojournalistic with a touch of ďŹ ne art. “My favorites are the non-posed shots, the reaction shots,â€? says Gellerman. For the couple desiring great photography at a moderate price, Gellerman suggests booking less time with the photographer. His minimum is four hours, which is ample time to capture the important moments of the big day. Another suggestion for cash-strapped couples is to look at alternatives to traditional photo prints and books. Some couples are happy simply receiving digital copies of their photos on DVD rather than buying prints.
The flowers
No wedding would be complete without owers, whether adorning the bride’s bouquet or the ceremony and reception. Geraldine Stanton of Flowers by Gerry in Brentwood has more than 35 years of experience in providing owers for weddings. She breaks down wedding see Budget page 5B
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The Wedding Pavilion, which overlooks our lovely gardens and scenic golf course, is the perfect site for a romantic sunset ceremony. The award-winning culinary team at Brentwood Golf Club is fully prepared to create a custom menu for you. We take pride in creating an exceptional experience at a reasonable price for our guests. Ask about our complimentary site fee!
925.516.3400
NinesatBrentwood.com Located at Brentwood Golf Club
Wedding Planner
JANUARY 23, 2009
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Weddings at Brownstone Gardens in Oakley are set in an environment permeated with the sights, scents and sounds of a tropical paradise.
Photo courtesy of Brownstone Gardens
Nuptials next door MICHELLE NGUYEN
C
hoosing a venue to hold a wedding and reception is one of the first and most important
decisions an engaged couple will make during the wedding-planning process. Many couples search far and wide for the perfect venue but aren’t aware of
Nines
Situated right on the Brentwood Golf Course, Nines offers a gorgeous venue for both wedding ceremony and reception. Event planner Lisa Quinn has been with Nines since it opened 10 years ago. “You don’t just stay some place 10 years because you feel like it,” said Quinn about her job. “You do it because you love your work and believe in what you’re doing.”
the attractive ceremony and reception see Next door page 4B
venues here in East County.
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Wedding Planner
JANUARY 23, 2009
Lone Tree Event Center in Antioch can offer a sylvan glade as a backdrop for your special day, as it did for Tanisha and Rockie Young, above.
Photo by Mike Gellerman
Next door from page 3B Quinn and her staff help coordinate all the events at the Nines, handling all the setup and breakdown of the reception and ceremony, although the couple must provide their own flowers, décor and music. Nines offers outdoor ceremonies on its Pavilion, which overlooks the 18th green. The beautifully landscaped patio is bordered by greenery and accented with a fountain. It offers wonderful views of the course and Mt. Diablo. “We get great views of the CornFest fireworks,” said Quinn, adding that there have been brides that have booked their weddings for CornFest weekend to enjoy the display. The banquet area at Nines offers seated dining for 180 guests, though the Pavilion area may also be used during the reception for couples who desire an indoor/outdoor event. Nines offers a variety of menu options, and
Quinn was proud to note that Nines makes use of local, seasonal fresh produce in all of its menus.
Lone Tree
Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center in Antioch is a well-known venue for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The event center can accommodate an impressive 400 guests, making it one of the largest venues in East County. “Our strength lies in our experience,” said General Manager Dave Van Fossen. Fossen, Executive Chef Jonathan Hork and Catering Director Julie Morrow make the most of their many years of experience in some of the nation’s best hotels and private country clubs. Ceremonies are often held outdoors on see Next door page 10B
Wedding Planner
JANUARY 23, 2009
Budget from page 2B flowers into different categories: personal flowers, ceremony flowers, reception flowers and cake table flowers. When choosing which flowers to use, Stanton urges couples to choose something that has
meaning to them, such as a flower given to the bride by the groom while they were dating or a special flower from the bride’s childhood. Stanton urges couples to hire a professional for their floral needs. “A professional knows how to take into consideration the flower, texture, color and ensure that the choice complements rather than overwhelms.” When it comes to saving money, Stanton urges using seasonal flowers and prioritizing where to spend your flower money. “Give the bride whatever she wants for her day,” said Stanton, emphasizing that the bride’s flowers “should be the most beautiful of all.”
The wedding cake
Wedding cakes are a sweet symbol of the beginning of a new life. Tena Parish has been baking cakes for over 29 years. She opened up TLCakes (Tena Loves Cakes) in Brentwood in 2007 and currently shares downtown space with A Fine Time for Tea. The majority of cakes done by see Budget page 8B
Tux of Class in Antioch carries a full line of the latest styles for the groom tailored to a slim budget. Photo by Kevin Bartram
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Ask about our Wedding Specials
Connie Leal Photography (925) 550-8506
conniephotography@sbcglobal.net
www.ConnieLealPhotography.com
JANUARY 23, 2009
Budget from page 5B TLCakes are for weddings. Parish says that June and July are usually her busiest months for wedding cakes. She notes that she can usually accommodate cake orders with notice as short as two weeks, but that many couples order their cakes months in advance. The new trend in wedding cakes is to stack the tiers directly on top of each other rather than hold them with supports. Using supports “makes construction more difficult so that’s why they’re a bit more expensive,” explained Parish. For the bride on a budget, Parish suggests going with a less elaborate, tiered wedding cake. Another option is to go with a simple,
small wedding cake for the cake cutting, and serving guests slices from a layer cake in the same flavor.
The tuxedos
Though the bride’s gown is often the focus of the day and the budget, the groom and his groomsmen must also look their best. Tux of Class in Antioch just celebrated its 25th anniversary of selling and renting formal wear. Run by Judi Mori, the name Tux of Class was her daughter Gina Mori-Zbacnic’s idea. Mori-Zbacnic began working in the shop as a teenager and then returned as the buyer after see Budget page 11B
Dance At Your Wedding! Surprise Relatives and Guests Bride & Groom First Dance Father & Daughter Dance as well as the Bridal Party Private Instruction with “Cozette Hileman” Certified Instructor, 19 years experience
Cozette’s Dance Studio Brentwood
Ballroom Dancing by Cozette
925-240-9847 “Direct Line” 650-537-1487 Cell www.brentwooddancelessons.com
The Ideal Setting for Your Special Day!
D
iscovery Bay Country Club offers an exquisitely landscaped property that is filled with trees, ponds, and vibrant flower gardens. Whether your affair is an intimate gathering or a reception for as many as 200 guests, they can be comfortably accommodated in Discovery Bay Country Club’s elegant dining room that boasts breathtaking views of their lush, picturesque golf course.
T
o ensure your celebration is truly unique, the Executive Chef, culinary team and event director at the property will work with you to plan and carry out every detail of your celebration to ensure that your once-in-a-lifetime day is both magical and memorable.
Discovery Bay Country Club 1475 Club House Drive | 634.0700 | www.dbgcc.com
JANUARY 23, 2009
Wedding Planner
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Local Doctor Exposes Weight Loss Industry And Saves You Big Money On Your New Years Resolution… Brentwood Doctor gives you the “skinny” on the tactics used by the diet and weight loss industry to help separate you from your hard earned dollars while selling you a pipe dream and tips on how you can lose weight without wasting money on gym memberships, outrageous diets or dangerous pills. Brentwood, Ca – Dr. James Martin D.C. has had it with the diet and weight loss industry and is indeed exposing the diet and weight loss industry and helping guide you to the most direct, fastest, effective and SAFE ways to lose the extra 5, 10, 45 or even 100 lbs. you’ve put on over the last few months or years. This local doctor has had so many of his patients doing everything under the sun to try and lose weight and failing miserably or succeeding at losing the weight only to have it return and then some, that he has just tired of seeing people victimized by these money sucking vampires that prey on innocent consumers at their weakest point. Yeah, they are waiting and salivating for YOU to make your oh so predictable and SHORT LIVED…. you know….NEW YEARS RESOLUTION!! Some of you say it every year. This year I will lose the weight. Or for some of you it’s your first year to start the never-ending year after year HOPE that you will succeed at losing the unwanted and unsightly fat hanging around your belly or cottage cheese thighs. For some of you, you really want to lose the weight for the health benefit to avoid diabetes and heart disease associated with being overweight. Whatever your case may be, There is FINALLY HOPE! Dr. Martin isn’t going to be making any friends by giving you the following information, but he is sick and tired of watching people devastated or even depressed by their weight gain and helpless feelings of despair when they fail time and time again. So here goes…. IF you are reading this and you have tried it ALL already, and you really would like to lose the weight and succeed, then pay close attention. If you have tried counting points only to throw your calculator out the window, If you have embarrassed yourself enough with public and humiliating “weigh-ins”, If you are tired of mail order, microwaved and probably unhealthy food, If you are tired of
silly “Hollywood” type diets, If you are sick of taking dangerous stimulant diet pills (yes, they are dangerous), If you are tired of starving yourself, If you have succeeded at losing the weight with any of these, BUT gained it ALL back with a few extra pounds you are in for the biggest breakthrough in weight loss Dr. Martin has ever seen. Dr. Martin believes the TRUE CAUSE of “Weight Loss Resistance Syndrome” is NOT in your mouth! It IS in your head!! My name is Dr. James Martin and No I’m not trying to be funny. Let me explain. This amazing discovery hit me like a ton of bricks and I wasn’t even looking! A while back, I was invited by a world famous doctor (now a good friend) who specialized in a non surgical, non invasive brain based behavioral repatterning treatment to help patients quickly and effectively lose weight, to bring my office staff to spend three days with him at his estate and he would train me and my staff on how to do this treatment. This world famous doctor did share with me that he had operated up to 38 weight loss centers at one time and had people losing up to HALF THEIR BODYWEIGHT and kept it off for years after receiving treatment at his centers. He showed me the before and after pictures and their stories….Dozens and dozens of them!! I was astounded!! I was so impressed that I had to try this new technology and treatment on my own patients to see if it really worked. I immediately started treatment on what I call the ULTIMATE COUCH POTATO! My mother in law had been through five back surgeries, can’t walk more than 3 houses on her block, can’t stand more than 10 minutes, can’t really do much of anything! She tried EVERYTHING! Popular weight loss centers that do public weigh-ins, mail order microwave foods, starvation, all kinds of diets, dangerous pills, you name it. And NO lasting results! She could NOT lose weight! She was severely
depressed to the point of depression medication. I called her to come into my office as I had what I called a breakthrough treatment to help her actually lose weight. She got a little excited as she could see how excited I was as I explained the treatment and she agreed to be my test subject. Well, she lost 36 pounds over 6 months doing NO EXERCISE, NO REAL ACTIVITY, NOT EVEN WALKING!! She can’t due to severe debilitating back and leg pain! I was SOLD! I watched a colleague lose over 100 pounds over 12 months! It was amazing. So, great news for you. I am now releasing this new Doctor supervised weight loss program for the first time ever in Brentwood. Imagine the feeling you get when you look good again, feel attractive, feel good about yourself. Imagine melting off the pounds quickly and easily without the hype and short lived results! I am so convinced that this program will work for you that I am offering an unheard of Satisfaction Guarantee In Writing! Yes! A real old fashioned guarantee. But there are a small number of people out there this may not work for. So, I am offering for a limited time…
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Wedding Planner
THEPRESS.NET
JANUARY 23, 2009
Next door from page 3B
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the event center’s patio, overlooking the 18th tee. Wedding ceremonies may also be held on the golf course, at the first tee. Following the ceremony, the happy couple can be driven via golf cart to a spot on the green perfect for beautiful wedding photos. Weddings are also held inside the event center. The ceiling-to-floor windows in the banquet rooms offer a panoramic view of Mt. Diablo as well as the 18th tee and neighboring reservoir. Lone Tree caters all events held at the event center and offers offsite catering as well. Couples may choose from a variety of menus, including buffet or plated service and passed hors d’oeuvres.
Brownstone Gardens For the couple looking for a beautiful garden wedding, Brownstone Gardens in Oakley is an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception venue capable of hosting events up to 300. The site is comprised of three areas: The Willow Grove, The Grand Court and Bridal Falls. Brownstone Gardens is the labor of love of the Wiemholdt family. For his 25th wedding anniversary, Bob Wiemholt built a beautiful pond and gazebo for the outdoor celebration. His guests were awed by the area that eventually became The Willow Grove. Through the years, the Wiemholt family continued to build see Next door page 11B
Weddings Receptions Private Events THE HISTORIC
Taylor Ranch
Southern Charm, Timeless Elegance, Service Second to None
For facility information and availability, please call
(925) 634-4519
www.taylorranch.org Taylorranchweds@aol.com
LARGE Banquet Facilities AVAILABLE • Birthdays • Sporting Events • Rehearsal Dinners • Meetings • Catering Available
“We love supporting our community and local schools. Call Mike or Jimmy with your fundraising ideas.”
Make it a
BEARY SPECIAL VALENTINE’S and spend it at Black Bear Diner!
3201 Main St., Oakley 625-3555 Hours: Sun.-Thur. 6am - 9pm • Fri. & Sat. 6am - 10pm
www.blackbeardiner.com MON - FRI SPECIALS
$5.99 Breakfasts $6.99 Steak & Eggs 6-10am
$6.99 Lunches $9.99 Dinners
Wedding Planner
JANUARY 23, 2009
Budget from page 8B graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. In addition to offering its namesake tuxedos, the shop also carries dresses – although not bridal gowns or bridesmaid dresses. “We do a lot of mother-of-thebride dresses,” said Mori, adding that the shop carries special-occasion and prom dresses. For the budget conscious, Mori points out that Tux of Class products are the best quality at affordable prices. Tuxedos start at $49.95, and the shop always offers a respectable selection from its reduced rack.
Next door from page 10B on the garden paradise. Brownstone Gardens opened to the public in 2003. Kay-Kay Hines is wedding coordinator at Brownstone Gardens and daughter of Bob and Karen Wiemholt. Like her sisters, Hines was married in her family home before it officially became Brownstone Gardens and takes a great deal of pride in her family business. “I love working with people on the most important day of their lives,” she said. She works so closely with couples while planning their wedding that by the time the big day comes, “I feel like they’re one of my friends.” Brownstone Gardens offers “hasslefree” wedding packages. A couple booking a wedding at the Brownstone Gardens may book many of the important vendors that same day, including officiant, photographers,
The Go-To Guys
♦ Mike Gellerman Photography 925-597-2134 www.mikegellermanphotography.com ♦ Flowers by Gerry 4601 Orwood Road, Brentwood 925-634-1593 www.flowersbygerry.com ♦ TLCakes 655 First St., Brentwood 925-628-5509 www.tlcakes.com ♦ Tux of Class 43 E. 18th St., Antioch 925-757-5020
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Diabetic Drugs May Be Dangerous To Your Health New guide sheds light on the dangers of diabetic drugs and why doctors prescribe them anyway. A new free guide has just been released that reveals why current therapy may make your condition worse. If you are frustrated that your blood sugars don’t budge or continue to rise despite all of your medications then this guide may be the answer. To receive your free guide entitled “Type II Diabetes: The Untold Truth Behind Current Treatment” call 24 hour recorded message toll free 1-800-791-5833 James Martin, D.C. –Advertisement
caterers and florist. “Everything but the cake,” said Hines.
East County wedding venues ♦ Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center 4800 Golf Course Road, Antioch 925-706-4220 www.lonetreegolfcourse.com ♦ Nines at Brentwood Golf Club 100 Summerset Drive, Brentwood 925-516-3400 www.trilogygolfclub.com/brentwood_ weddings/index.asp ♦ Brownstone Gardens 91 Brownstone Road, Oakley 925-550-6094 www.brownstonegardens.com
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