Ask the Expert Time!

ASK CATRINA IS HERE!!

Often times we wonder how the experts view certain trends or traditions that relate to weddings. Many of you have requested to have Catrina weigh in on her thoughts and ideas. If you have a questions that you would like for her to answer, please submit to nicole@catrinamaria.com.

First question of the year!

What would you like to see new and different for 2012 weddings?

I am already seeing new and different things for 2012 that excite me as much as any other wedding trends.  I can‘t categorize the new trends yet, but I am seeing more variety, more lushness, and more attention to developing each space used for the party.  These are all great trends that are taking form right now. 

I would like to see more personalization for 2012 weddings overall though.  Not just tying in your story, your life before ‘we,’ but looking at your joint loves in life and bringing this to life through décor, use of space, creative food presentation and more that express you as a couple.  We all have specific things we love and that make us tick as people, so why not share these pieces of ourselves by allowing our guests to experience this through our eyes? Maybe you have traveled to Greece together and you want to bring the beach, island feel into your reception. Introduce your guests to your experience, but take it further than naming the tables after Greek islands! Maybe you two love the wine country and wine tasting, but choosing a winery wedding doesn’t tell the whole story.  Introduce your guests to what you love about it.  It’s possible that many of them have never been wine tasting.  Bring this idea into your cocktail hour.  It’s possible they have never experienced a true wine pairing dinner. Try wine tasting stations to get your guests enjoying the property and the variety of wines instead of offering a few varietals at the bar where they will most likely stick with their comfortable Chardonnay!

Dare to share yourselves through the experience you plan for your guests!

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San Diego Beach Wedding

If you’ve noticed that we’ve been on a little blogging hiatus the past week, it’s not because we’re lazy (promise).  Actually, we’ve been living it up in SoCal and celebrating the wedding of our brother Liam to his gorgeous girlfriend Caro!  Liam and Caro have an incredible story – he was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida with the Navy and she was living in Montreal, Canada as a mountie, and the two happened to meet in Rome.  It was love at first sight for these two and after returning from Rome they started a long distance relationship.  After five years together, Liam and Caro recently moved to San Diego and decided to tie the knot!!

Their wedding was completely unique; instead of going with a traditional venue, the two rented a fabulous beach house for the reception and held the ceremony on the sand in front of the house.  Friends and family came from all over the US and Canada to participate their celebration, which was intimate, laid-back, and chic.  We all had an amazing time and are so happy to welcome a new sister to the family!!  Who knows…maybe we will become a Four-Sister Team?! 😉

For now, check out some pics from Liam and Caro’s absolutely magical wedding weekend…

The beach ceremony site

The downstairs bar and dancefloor

Dinner was held on the house's second floor

Love the unique turquoise, red, and white color scheme. And the tables were named after important dates in their relationship - such a good idea!

The beautiful bride making her way down the aisle! There's also a great view of the house in the background.

The three of us girls with our brothers...not too shabby, huh?

The bridesmaid's looked great in their navy dresses with bright red flowers, and Caro's dress was one-of-a-kind and completely stunning. Plus, how cute are her red shoes?!

Congratulations to our brother Liam and our new sister Caro, it couldn’t have been a more beautiful wedding!!

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