~ A Versailles Christmas in California ~

~ A Christmas Season in Versailles ~

Ho, Ho, Ho Everyone! What a fabulous week it has been as we officially kicked off the Christmas season. We thought we would share the first residence we have done thus far, and yes Virginia, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We have been a busy team decorating a home last week for four days straight! Our client's estate was built with their love and passion for Italy in mind and heavily designed with French influences every step of the way. Truly a French and Italian delight in the greater Northern California region.

Bonjour and enjoy! Only 11 more homes to go this next week!

Warmest wishes and Happy Holidays from our homes to yours!

Debra and the tfep&d team

Our client's formal dining room was once decorated in all red hues for the holiday season, something we as an overall design team, we honestly did not feel worked, nor complimented, their upcoming holiday social events at their estate for the month of December.

After discussing with our clients our thoughts we encouraged them to tap into the rich golds and creams; crushed mercury glass; golden and glittered laden natural pinecones and artichokes; Swarovski crystals and strands; bulb ornaments in golden glass or etched with French influences; gold beaded tassels; and Midori ribbons to compliment their existing decor and really make this room shine for holidays!

And it does indeed do that!!!!

It just took one collective day of shopping; gathering; and some fun craft tasks to pull their formal dining room together the following day. Great job tres fabu team!

Again, Happy Holidays everyone!

~ Debra

~ Le Announcement of Engaged Couples ~

The Design Team at TFEP&D are incredibly honored and excited to announce the latest and greatest clients that have chosen our firm to assist them with their wedding visions that will be taking place within the next year or so. We are so excited and thrilled to be a part of their journey to Mr. and Mrs.!

It has been a crazy few weeks getting everyone in line and in order to start planning

their dream day ~ but here they are ~
our newly crowned Bride and Grooms for the
2009 and 2010 calendars,
thus far respectively are:

___________________________________________________________________

~ Nicole & Vernon ~

New Orleans, Louisiana

Wedding Celebration Location: Cancun, Mexico

~ Bianca & John ~

Stockton, California

Wedding Celebration Location: Carmel by-the-Sea

~ Ashley & Gant ~

Granite Bay, California

Wedding Celebration Location: The Citizen Hotel ~ Downtown Sacramento

~ Lauren & David ~

Irvine, California

Wedding Celebration Location: Private Estate

~ Melissa & Thomas ~

Sacramento, California

Wedding Celebration Location: The Citizen Hotel ~ Downtown Sacramento

~ Michal & Chris ~

Sacramento, California

Wedding Celebration Location: The Citizen Hotel ~ Downtown Sacramento

~ Kristen & Pat ~

Coastal City, Oregon

Wedding Celebration Location: Not decided as of yet!

~ Katie & Adam ~

Orange County, California

Wedding Celebration Location: Either Jacksonville ~ Florida; Nashville ~ Tennessee or SoCal

~ Stephanie & Justin ~
Sacramento, California
Wedding Celebration Location: The Sheraton Grand Sacramento

___________________________________________________________________

Welcome aboard and we look forward to making your dreams nothing short of fun and fabulous!

Warmest wishes and a collective bonjour!

Debra, Kaitlin G., Amanda, Caitlin F., and Sir Isaac

and a long list of the Big Valley's Finest Event Professionals ready to be of service!

~ Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree! ~

Belle's Christmas Spot!

Winter Christmas at North Shore
for Congregation Clients

Corporate Client's Holiday Extravaganza

Corporate Client's Holiday Extravaganza

A Bachelor's Private Condo for Christmas

Private Residence for Christmas

Private Residence for Christmas

Bienvenue and Ho, Ho, Ho Everyone!

It's ALMOST that time of year again ~ and our phones have been ringing off the hook to come back and "Deck the Halls" for the Holidays! Ho! Ho! Ho!

If you have not arranged for us to return ~ do so now ~ for our schedule is getting tight starting next week through the second week of December! A few peeks above of work we have done in the past!

A few thoughts on our Holiday Decor Process:

To add consistency throughout your home with your holiday decor ~ I suggest repeating colors, themes, and decorating elements you adore. If your choice is "red beaded fruit" for example, then use it on your front door wreath, on your stairway garland, on your Christmas tree, and in your centerpiece, and let's not forget the treasured fireplace mantle! I can hear the crackling fire now!

Use this principle of repetition for a color scheme, choice of ribbons, patterns, ornaments, and motifs. Repetition also means that you'll need to make, or purchase, enough of something to really make a statement. Collect elements over the years or make a commitment to buy 10 bolts of the "perfect" ribbons to get the look you want. Proportion - vary the size of the elements used in holiday decor. For example, decorate your tree with a mix of small, medium, and larger ornaments. Or, pair garlands in varying widths for more interest, or even mix light sizes on the tree. Use holiday nosegays to make a statement. One of my personal favorites! If you have not started a collection ~ we can guide you by a series of questions and a personal tour of your home to understand your individual flair, style and grace.

~ The Designers Choice! ~

Let our designers create a special piece that stuns your home with awe and sends an unequivocal message of panache and flair. You select the price and we select from the best of the season to build the most beautiful arrangement or holiday accent piece. We stand ready to assist you with your holiday vision for your home!

Call us or e-mail us today!

God's Blessings to all and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukah and Happy New Years!

Warmest wishes for a grand, joyous and lovely Holiday Season!

Bonjour!

Debra and the 'Tres Fabu' Design Team ~ Kaitlin G., Caitlin F., Amanda, Isaac, Shelley, Helen, Wendy, Rebecca, Robert, Antonia, Pedro and James!

~ Country Chic in Cow Country ~

Country Chic in Cow Country!

Autumnal Greetings to our family, friends and clientele ~

Wow ~ the gorgeous colors of autumn are upon us and in a few short weeks ~ and wonderful winter will soon be here!

So how about we go back to a somewhat warmer time for a few moments?

In September of this year ~ I had the privilege of providing wedding day services for Jenna & Brannon. This couple was full of fun on their wedding day! Besides the venue being a little piece of paradise ~ and right in the middle of farm country ~ they were amazing to work with. They were both laid back, easy going, coupled with a ridiculous amount of fun high octaine energy! And let's talk about a perfect day ~ lovely clear blue skies to compliment the colors under the tent. It had poured the evening before! The bride’s parents redesigned their entire backyard and patio for their daughter's big day. They spent an entire year pulling it together. They planted flowers to compliment their daughter's color palate for her wedding.

Great fun, great people and great vendors! Lombardi's catered the entire wedding affair ~ the flowers were from Vanda's ~ CinZo Artistic Photography captured some amazing images ~ Sheffield Multimedia carried his camera everywhere ~ Pure Energy Productions provided the sound at the church and the ceremony sites ~ and By Invitation Only provided the floral inspired paper.

I also must take a few moments here to thank my incredible event production team for making the drive the day of the event!!! The Dream Team of: Amanda, Isaac and Chris for leaving SacTown around 4:00 in the morning with a pit stop at Starbucks (when they opened) to be under the tent by seven a.m. ~ and Miss Rebecca for driving too and arriving early and working diligently by our sides until we pulled our couples vision together! We left the Santa Rosa area in the early morning hours all arriving back in the valley around 4:00 a.m. It was again, over a 24 Hour Day for the team ~ but as always we live our passion and it's completely worth having tired feet at the end of the day for clients such as these!

Warmest wishes and bonjour!

Debra

"At Last"



~ Lorenzo & Cindi ~

The Newly Mr. and Mrs. Bartone!


also affectionately known as: www.CinZophoto.com

Autumnal greetings to all ~

What an honor and privilege it has been to be a witness to this developing relationship over the last year and half and now their lovely union sealed by the governing laws of the State of California! It's official ladies and gentlemen!


There was not a dry eye in the winery either. The most perfect vows ever written in time! I gasped (and my eyes welled up a bit) when they shared their heartfelt sentiment with me separately a few days before their event took place. I can honestly attest that they are soul mates; best friends first and foremost; and only want the best for each other emotionally and spiritually. They have found what they were looking for and they share the same professional passion ~ event and wedding photography! Now that's a perfect image.


Their day was full of dedicated love, romance, laughter, joy, sentiment and strong foundation of commitment for each other and their future together as Mr. and Mrs. B. And the dancing was not bad either ~ compliments of Matt Brys of Extreme Productions Entertainment, LLC.


The image attached is our newly crowned Mr. and Mrs. walking into the main wine room at the private winery, The Eberle Ranch, in Geyserville (2.5 hours from the Sacramento Valley ~ 1 hour from San Francisco) to view their sixty guest head table adorned with burnished gold candelabras; vintage urns filled with luxurious florals in an autumn color palate and double faced satin ribbon from Shelley McArdle of Floral Artistry; and over two hundred gold votives filled the winery! It was breathtaking and the ambiance was over the top amazing! And let's not forget the Zinfandel wine harvested and bottled by Mr. Johnny ~ owner and winemaker mixxer extraordinaire of the property. We were surrounded by over two hundred acres of his zin grape vines and it provided such a perfect backdrop to their day while they were surrounded by their closest family and nearest and dearest of friends.

Here is a note from one of their close friends who happened to capture the image above:

Oh Cindi, Cindi, Cindi...What a beautiful, heartfelt wedding! I am still on a high. You took my breath away when you walked through the door. Your Lorenzo is drop dead gorgeous (but that is why I noticed him in the first place), and you were the epitome of a gorgeous and elegant woman. Oh! I felt like a voyeur watching this love affair unfold. I had no idea what to expect, but the ambience in that room was magical. And your friends....a tribute to the precious friend that you are! I got to spend time with the precious Isabel, got to know Shelly and her husband. Talked a little to some of the adorable friends you have. They are all delightful and spiritual women. And how lucky you are to have such a fun family. Your sisters are so sweet...and Diane is hilarious! Now let's talk about the gene pool in both your families. Kia has turned into an incredible woman as beautiful as her mother. Lorenzo's daughters are "John Singer Sergent" beautiful, and Ryan, the handsome son that gave such a beautiful blessing. Were you beaming with pride? Not to mention the granddaughters, how cute are they? Little cherubs! So you are truly blessed, my friend, and your dream has come true. The new life that you are embarking is full of hope. The journey ahead is all that you deserve. I wish you nothing but happiness and bliss. I am no wedding photographer, but I did get some fun images. I love you. Deidre

Ahhhhhhh, now that's what I call a rave review! Eat your heart out Variety Magazine!

Thank you to Patty, Johnny, Matt, Shelley, my peeps at Celebrations Elegant Party Rentals and my precious and hard working production team ~ Amanda, Caitlin, Chris, Isaac and Mr. Jaimie! Fabulous Job Tres Fabu Team, Fabulous Job! I love you all ~ and I appreciate everything you brought to the table for this event that was so close to our hearts, our dear friends who happen to be two fellow industry event professionals! No pressure whatsoever. Really.

More images to come when their friend, a Malibu professional photographer, sends me the images from this sweet and senstational event. Edit and upload them soon Bob! Hoping you are well in The Colony and enjoying your time on the beach with your family! You poor thing ~ having to live in Malibu! How do you cope???? ;)

Warmest wishes and bonjour!

Debra

post script:

"When you follow your bliss . . . . doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors." ~ joseph campbell

The image captured below was taken by Lorenzo on one of his infamous sabatical excursions to Italy. He was walking past this door and he froze when he came upon it knowing it was special upon his journey. While our shutterbug was capturing this image years ago ~ I'm sure he never really knew that one day this would be the image, the image of a vintage door, that would launch their love affair and be their inspirational color palatte to their most special day to be shared with one and all.

The ever talented Deb Penrice of By Invitation Only created their wedding invitation based on CinZo's overall vision and one of their favorite quotes above. Cindi and Deb worked together last year on By Invitation Only's magazine advertisement and she has been a fan of Deb's creativity and paperie genius ever since.

Again, enjoy!

~ Nicola & Nicolie ~ Part Deux ~ "The Nics" ~ New Years Eve Extravaganza Clip ~

Summer greetings to all!

Please enjoy a fabulous clip caught on BlueRay High Def film forever by Phill Sheffield of Sheffield Multimedia!

http://sheffieldmultimedia.com/previews/newyears.htm

He is simply a genius!

This small clip is fierce and fabulous of the New Years Eve wedding extravaganza we were all blessed to be a part of. I wish everyone could have been in the actual space itself ~ just to feel the amazing energy our entire dream team of professional vendors created; and for all the effort of physical and spiritual self every vendor team member gave to these clients, 'The Nics'. I even recall Phill and Matt Brys of Extreme Productions, LLC, coming up to me on the dance floor about fifteen minutes before all 333+ guests arrived ~ telling me to absorb as much of the environment that we created on this day, and to absorb as much as I possibly could and fast, for still film and moving film will never capture the essence of that room! So absorb now! Absorb!

However, now relaxed and watching this on my flat screen in my blackened office, it is still amazing to watch and it takes me back so quickly to all the energy, love, positive spirit our entire dream team put into this wedding event. For me, it personally takes your breath away. Perhaps in part, it's because that I know their entire love story and the journey together to create this one moment in time for them. I just know that I love this clip and it is simply a treasure to be treasured! I know, I know, I am a complete romantic ~ but that's what makes me love my job and my industry ~ I live my passion!

I don't know about anyone else on my team, but I'm taking the entire month of December off this year! Just say no! ;) Well unless I hear one hellavu love story that I cannot pass on ~ and yes ~ we are being interviewed this week to pull together an event for New Years Eve for 2008!

Event notation: Phill did incorporate into the beginning of this clip; the multiple words that were used throughout the design of the ceiling; table names and the pillars to create a 'ribbon of words' that the viewer of this clip follows in the introduction that leads to The Nics "Infinity + 1" image that was used a to instill/communicate their commitment together forever.

Genius Phill! Simply genius.

Enjoy everyone the genius, the fun, the enormity of our project, the over the top custom lighting design from Extreme Productions, the art, the fabulous details and most of all, the love! All our love and our clients!

Warmest wishes and bonjour!

Debra

~ Sonia & Randy ~ Their Ceremony

I absolutely love it when couples decide to hold their wedding ceremony at The Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento. The Catholic Cathedral is amazing and one of the oldest in the Northern California community.

Coupled with its bountiful and impressive old world style of art work, from many gifted artisans who were commissioned for their rare talents from across the globe, when the historical remodel undertaking took place a few years ago; it is a magnificent place of worship and a lovely setting for a Catholic wedding ceremony.

Each time I enter a sense of 'ahhhh' becomes me and my soul. Not only am I overwhelmed with it's grandeur and grace and I also am reminded of how much reverence I have for the churches that I do enter on a weekly basis.

Here are a few images from Sonia & Randy's Wedding Ceremony ~ before ~ during and after. It is a place of worship; it is romantic; incredibly mystical; true inspiration founded through two souls committing their lives together with the ever presence of Jesus Christ Lord.

Enjoy!

Debra

~ Sonia & Randy ~

~ Sonia & Randy ~

A colorful day!

Wow! What amazing images from Beth Baugher of True Love Photography ~ capturing the sights (of course!) and the wonderful vibe of downtown Sacramento with our fabulous and fun couple Sonia and Randy Byard!

What an amazing year and half planning this wedding with our bride Sonia, her lovely mother, Martha (who was gone several months at a time in Afghanistan and Iraq) and our financial whiz in all this, her brilliant father, Antonio. One of the lovliest and down-to-earth families we have ever encountered. This wedding was about the union of two families becoming one ~ and their devotion to Sonia & Randy was apparent every step of the way.

It was an elegantly understated affair held at the Sheraton Grand in downtown Sacramento. Beth Baugher took full advantage of some amazing art displays in and around the greater downtown area ~ all the while creating more sparks between them and capturing more of Sonia & Randy's colorful and outgoing personalities on film forever!

Enjoy!

Debra

~ Nicolie & Nicola ~

February greetings to all!

~ There was a woman named Nicolie who fell in love with a man named Nicola ~

and over a period of time ~ my entire event team and my wedding vendors sweetly dubbed them “The Nics.”

The Nics contacted me the day after they attended one of the events that my team and I designed and produced in just five short weeks on November 18, 2006 ~ the wedding celebration of Jennifer & Mark Wilkes held in Granite Bay. They phoned me on the 19th and they met and hired my team and myself on Monday ~ November 20th , which they gave me an ornament and asked me to design their wedding event based on this ornament! It was a treasure of a journey with them this entire year and one I will never forget.

It was a complete honor to be a part of The Nics wedding celebration and New Years Eve Extravaganza this past December. Their vision was based on a Christmas ornament they found at Crate & Barrel; Nicolie’s favorite holiday of the calendar year; and a vision of an "Italian Appalachian Alps Winter Wonderland" filled with white branches everywhere; and words in English and Italian that they were going to base their marriage upon just like their parents and grandparents before them!

The entire event collaboration with our wonderful clients and life long friends "The Nics"; Matt Brys of Extreme Productions Entertainment, LLC, for rocking the house with his custom lighting design and mixing both current American top hip music and authentic selections from Italy that made the guests from across the pond jam to the dance floor; Robyn Lyn Steward of Philosophia Custom Paperie & Invitations for the dual language invitations; escort cards; menu's; table signage and the words highlighted on the ceiling and pillars to reflect all the custom paperie ; Shelley McArdle of Floral Artistry; Gretchen Wacholder of Il Fornaio and my fabulous production team at TFEP&D (Thank you all for your hard work and over the top hours!!! It was a 30 hour day for most of us!!!) it was one amazing experience and one we will hold dear in our hearts for a very long, long time!

TFEP&D should have a pretty fabulous video that Phill Sheffield of Sheffield Multimedia put together to truly encompass this evenings wedding ceremony; authentic Italian dinner reception and complete new years eve celebration extravaganza. A most fierce and fabulous extravaganza it was!

Please enjoy a few images highlighted above from their wonderful celebration caught forever in time by Cindi Kinney and Lorenzo Bartone of Cinzo Photo Artistry; http://www.cinzophoto.com/!

Warmest wishes, bliss and blessings,

Debra