by Lindsay Longacre

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 was a very special day for the ABC-OC coordinator group who had the privilege of being wowed and inspired by some of the top wedding professionals at the beautiful Franciscan Gardens.   Stepping into the space you were immediately drawn in by the vibrant color palette designed by the very talented and innovative Inviting Occasion.   Sayeh Studios hand written paper accessories along Wildflower Linens were the perfect compliment to the overall design.

As guests arrived they were greeted by bite size gruyere grill cheese sandwiches with a shot of french onion soup provided by 24 Carrots Catering. It could not have been a more perfect fit for the breezy start to the afternoon.  Guests were able to enjoy the sounds of C Squared Events while they were mingling.

The highlight of our luncheon was our lovely guest speaker Summer Watkins, creator and writer for Grey Likes Weddings. Summer filled the audience with great insight on wedding trends for 2011 and was a true fresh of breath air.

After lunch guests were also invited to try the ever so amazing sweets provided by Itty Bitty Sweets which were displayed on Raise the Cake’s custom cupcake stand.  On the way out guests were handed another dose of sugar from The Cookie Chew who provides custom truffle stuffed cookie favors.

The afternoon was perfectly captured by Studio EMP and Godfather Films which you can preview below.