Alison Events

Wedding Feature: Louise & Tyler

susie — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:54 +0000

We are ecstatic to be featured on Martha Stewart Weddings today, showcasing Louise & Tyler’s gorgeous Northeast Harbor, Maine wedding. From the pizza-pants for the groomsmen to the rainbow stacked cake, this wedding had so many fun little details, you’ll have to check out the full feature to see it all!

Behind the scenes: Event Space Consulting

susie — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:44:28 +0000

Event Space Consulting (our sister company) is excited to be working with one of our favorite venues in Wyoming called Brush Creek Ranch on the styling of the wait staff for the 2103 season. We recently visited Small Trade Company who has designed uniforms for the Paula Le Duc Catering team as well as Blue Bottle Coffee. They also custom make great bags and shirts and other amazing accessories for my two favorite SF stores; Mill Mercantile and Union Made . We fell in love with the denim aprons with leather waist ties and the attention to detail is amazing. Perfect for the ranch staff. If only we had the budget to do their indigo dyed shirts! Next year…

Check out some of the inspiration….and check back soon for the final looks. ESC is headed out to Wyoming to photograph everything in June.

The workshop.

Reversible denim aprons with leather tie!

Shirt inspiration for the men…with options to have the shirts made in plaid.

Matt Dick the founder/owner and Alison

Working away on these hand woven bags made of denim remnants!

Wheat linen aprons for breakfast & lunch staff with dark denim jeans, brown suede clarks and a crisp white or navy v-neck t-shirt. The idea is at night they add a vest and wear their cowboy boots and the look is still consistent but has a more western feel. The apron is also reversible!

Daily Inspirations: Vol. 2

susie — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:56 +0000

This past month has been nothing but inspiring and jammed back! We spent the better half of March traveling up and down Northern California and just got our crew on a plane to Mexico! Here are a round up of the teams favorite shots from the last month or so…

1. Alison and Michelle has a successful walk through at the Bently Reserve with La Cocina

2. Sunna and Michelle travels to Pescadero to show our newest couple the possibilities at Costanoa Lodge

3. Susie, Sunna, and Michelle has the best time checking out the behind the scenes at the La Tavola party

4. We totally have something in mind for this new Casablanca pattern!

5. The Little River Inn served as a nice spot to rest our head between site tours in Mendocino

6. Michelle never gets tired of “window shopping” at Antropologie!

7. Being greeted by the steers at Santa Lucia Preserve

8. Had a blast checking out all the different styled rooms at the Hartmann Studios showcase event. May the odds be ever in your favor!

9. Mendocino Coast line

10. Goodies at Spring Ranch, CAN’T WAIT!

11. Welcome bags with all the essentials to an AWESOME wedding in Tulum

12. AE Team about to enter the jungle at Mama Muu, Tulum – Mexico

AE Destination Wedding: Jodi + Michael

susie — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:00:16 +0000

Last month one of our all time favorite weddings, Jodi + Michael was featured on Brides.com and we couldn’t wait to share more! This awesome couple planned the adventure of a lifetime for 60 of their closest friends and family at the incredible Escenia boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. No detail was left without a personal touch! Thank you Jodi + Michael for letting us be apart of your special day!

Dream team:

Photography: Thayer Allyson Gowdy Weddings

Floral and Event Design: Brown Paper Design

Stationery: Olive Route Design & Letterpress

Entertainment: DJ Blue

Our favs!

susie — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:48 +0000

Tips from Elizabeth Messina + Cupcake’s Dream Wedding Contest & Giveaway!

susie — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 04:00:27 +0000

We have about another month or so with the Cupcake’s Dream Wedding Contest! Couldn’t be more excited about this…make sure you let anyone you know (engaged or soon to be) about the contest. Check out our Cupcake Dream Wedding pinterest board for some inspiration and start pinning!

We also wanted to take the time to sit down with Elizabeth Messina and talk about the importance of picking the right photographer for the special day. From engagement shoots to the flow on the actual day, not all of us were born camera ready…however, Elizabeth calms our nerves with her sound advice.

1. hair & makeup

I often get asked for my input about hair & makeup for engagement

portraits and/or wedding day photographs. I think it is very important

to be as natural as possible. Of course most girls love a little blush and

lip gloss, but i suggest not doing something wildly different. Think

going out to dinner makeup, fresh and natural. The more you feel like

“yourself”, the more natural and flattering you images will be.

2. a perfect smile

A perfect smile is usually hidden somewhere in the middle of a giggle.

I often encourage my clients to do just that, “giggle”. I find laughter even if

it is a bit forced, will lead to genuine laughter. A real laugh is much more

beautiful than a stiff smile. So if you are feeling a bit uncomfortable, just

“giggle” you will be surprised how much it helps you relax and reveals

your genuinely beautiful smile.

3. light & composition

Trust your photographer. You may have a certain spot in mind for photos,

but if the light is not good, your photos will not be either. It is important to let

you photographer suggest the best spot for group shots. A professional

photographer will be taking many things into consideration when making

such a decision. We want to please you, please allow us the freedom to

place you in the most flattering light.

4. show your love

One of my favorite parts of any wedding day, is capturing affection

between a couple in love. Be sure to make some time to be alone with

your photographer on your wedding day. Hug and kiss your mate a lot.

It is these tender and real moments that you will treasure for a lifetime.

Love is beautiful, show your love.

5. breathe

This is the simplest tip in the world. Often if you feel nervous about

having your photo taken you may hold your breath without realizing it.

Be sure to purposefully take deep slow breaths. It will help release any

tension you may be holding in your jar. Plus, anyone who has ever

taken yoga knows how important good deep breaths are. So breathe in,

exhale, and then kiss the one you love….again

You can find more stunning imagery and tips in Elizabeth’s new book, The Luminous Portrait. We are giving away a book pack (ours & hers!) to a lucky readers! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post with your email address and we will select the winner on Friday, 3/29 by 5:00pm PST.

John & Noel Engagement shoot with Jesse Leake!

susie — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:00:13 +0000

Probably just the cutest couple ever! We are so happy to share these beautiful engagement photos of our couple John & Noel done by the amazing Jesse Leake. The couple met in 2009 in Los Angeles after running into each other on the Hermosa Beach Pier. John was visiting a friend and Noel was taking a stroll on her bike. John was smart enough to strike up a conversation with Noel and invite her to a farewell BBQ later in the week. Clearly, he made a lasting impression because after six months of seeing each other long distance and many, many trips between LA and SF…John asked Noel to move to SF…and she did!

We are all counting down the days until the nuptials in Yosemite!

Tastemaker Alison Hotchkiss for Mark and Graham

susie — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 04:00:59 +0000

We were delighted to be chosen as one of Mark and Graham’s bridal experts and asked to pick some of our favorite pieces for the website. They really do a great job not mixing typography and design that turn everyday pieces into one of a kind gifts and custom wedding pieces. They have a little of everything from bold and trendy jewelry to subtle and refined runners and handkerchiefs.

Here are a few of our favorite things for any occasion:

This Typographer’s Linen Table Runner is the perfect piece for a wedding brunch and could be used time and time again. It’s 100% linen and totally customizable. It’s even machine washable. They have tons of different colors but the white is just so fresh, clear, and sophisticated.

These Bartender Aprons are the perfect groomsmen gift idea. These are great because they can totally be personalized with nicknames or initials. They are of thick, tightly woven turkish cotton and should last a lifetime. So fun.

For the bride to be and her bridesmaids…the perfect Everyday Leather Tote! They have so many great color choices and I envision the Bride-to-be with a chic white tote while her friends have their pick of gray, porcelain blue, or camel…depending on their style. So Clean, classic, and refined. Love!

Check out my fellow Tastemakers Top Picks!

Caitlin + Brian Engagement shoot with Jesse Leake

susie — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 04:00:40 +0000

We were floored when we saw these gorgeous shots of one of our favorite couples, Caitlin & Brian shot by Jesse Leake! Caitlin & Brian have known each other since they were toddlers when they got set up on a play date…flash forward all these years later and we are lucky enough to planning their nuptials this spring at Meadowood in Mountain View, California.

Here is a little bit from the couple about this engagement shoot in Squaw Valley, California.

“Brian and I both grew up with a love of skiing and a particular love of Squaw Valley (Brian spent winters skiing there and my Dad was on the National Ski Patrol and I was on the Squaw Valley Ski Team through high school). When we saw an engagement photo shoot that Jesse did at Squaw we were blown away and wanted to honor our love of the sport but also thought the shoot would provide a nice juxtaposition to our summer wedding in Napa. Little did we know what a contrast it would be! While we were expecting a nice sunny photo shoot, Squaw Valley and the surrounding area was hit with 6.5 feet of snow within six days. What is normally a 3 hour car ride took us about five hours but we arrived to a winter wonderland on December 22nd (exactly 6 months from our June wedding date). Although gusting conditions on the mountain prohibited us from having an on-the-hill shoot, Jesse was patient and creative about options. We started by taking pictures in and around the Squaw Creek Resort and meadow, then ventured out of Squaw and around Lake Tahoe for some additional photo spots. Despite the freezing conditions and gusting winds, Jesse kept us smiling and laughing and we think the pictures represent that.”

Classic Party Rentals and Got Light Showcase Event

susie — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 04:00:32 +0000

This last week we attended the Classic Party Rental and Got Light Showcase event at Pier 48, such a good time! They really out did themselves this year. The turnout was well over a thousand event industry professionals and covered 120,000 square feet of event space. We got to check out some of Classic’s new inventory, sipped on great cocktails, enjoyed bites from some of the best caterers, and got to reconnect with some familiar faces.

We loved the new chandeliers, farm communal tables, and these beautiful arrangements by Sharla Flock Design and others!