Show-Stopping Rehearsals


	Email Print Feed Subscribe to Exquisite Weddings : Exquisite Weddings Print Show-Stopping Rehearsals By Carol Cujec (page 2 of 3) OF COURSE, you can buck tradition entirely and plan a stylish party instead of a dinner. Garuba has designed rehearsal “dinners” that are actually cocktail or dessert parties. You could have a wine and cheese tasting, for example, and include your guests in ranking the wine, revealing the winner at the end of the night. San Diego Wine Company will gladly offer advice on selections, says Garuba. The Natural History Museum in Balboa Park has a lovely rooftop area perfect for mingling and moon gazing; or reserve the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla for something sleek and contemporary. Rooftop bars downtown such as Altitude Sky Bar atop the Marriott Gaslamp Quarter or Hotel Solamar’s elegant Jbar offer a chic setting for a party and views of downtown San Diego. If you’re not serving a full dinner, Garuba recommends indicating so on the invitation and scheduling it before or after dinner hours. How about an event where food is only secondary, says Garuba, like a Hollywood premiere-themed party? The “preview” could be a home movie of the bride and groom followed by a favorite movie or a love story. “In Carlsbad they have a beautiful airport and Premier Jet rents out their hangar for private parties,” she says. “It’s an all-white interior so you can project a movie onto one side of the hangar.” Add a few red-carpet touches to your affair by bringing in posh lounge furniture, ice sculptures with martini luges and setting up a Hollywood-themed backdrop for people to take pictures of themselves with a vintage camera. A romantic sunset yacht cruise on San Diego Bay in the stunning America yacht would make for another unforgettable event, says Garuba. “Begin with tray-passed champagne, include a jazz quartet or classical guitarist and hire a fine caterer to create elegant canapés,” she says. Then soak in the beauty of the twilight sky as the sun sinks below the ocean. In our Food Channel-obsessed culture, your guests may also enjoy a hands-on culinary event. Chef Joey Nerenberg of Infusion Culinary does rehearsal dinners as customized cooking adventures. “We supply all the equipment and ingredients—everything from the knives to the pots and pans to the whisks. The only thing we need is space.” His goal is to take people slightly out of their comfort zone so that they gravitate toward each other for support. “The point of a rehearsal dinner is for people to get to know each other because they’re going to spend a lot of time together in the next few days,” he explains. “The best way to do that is to create something together.” YOU CAN ALSO get creative when choosing the menu. At the very least, planners agree that your menu should complement the cuisine of the wedding, not copy it. According to Rinehart, “If the meal the next day is going to be seafood, choose beef.” Or the choice may be based on compromise—good practice for the soon-to-be wedded couple. Rinehart says TK&A has catered weddings with food that was strictly vegetarian at the bride’s request. The rehearsal dinner, however, might be an upscale Kansas City barbecue as a way of connecting with the groom’s roots. Garuba begins by asking clients what their favorite foods are. These might include comfort foods you grew up with. How about a first course of mini grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup? Or perhaps mini hamburgers and cones of French fries with fresh rosemary? Guests might also enjoy mashed potato martinis: serve potatoes in a martini glass and let your guests top it with the condiments of their choice. As Garuba describes, whimsical choices like these help you escape the same old lump of chicken. For breaking the ice, TK&A does what it calls “family melding,” a way to get everyone introduced with a minimum of awkwardness. At each table, a friend or family member will be stationed as a “key player.” It is this person’s job to make sure introductions are made. “It’s up to the bride and groom to combine the guests,” says Rinehart. “It’s then up to the key player to make sure everyone at the table is introduced to each other.” Garuba sometimes has guests wear lanyards with a pocket for their name and a picture of the bride and groom—baby pictures or funny pictures. “It’s something silly to get everybody talking,” she says. She might also put witty family quotations and pictures on the tables as conversation starters. Family members can take this a step further by creating a slide show or video history of the bride and groom as a way to introduce the families. Follow this with an invitation for family and friends to tell amusing (nonembarrassing) stories and toast the happy couple. “That’s usually what a rehearsal dinner is about,” says Rinehart. “It’s about breaking the tension because everybody, especially the bride and groom, is intensely stressed. The parties that are most successful are the ones that crack through the veneer of stress and bring out the joy of the occasion.” Memorable San Diego Venues Restaurants Bertrand at Mr. A’s Perched atop a downtown high-rise, the motto of Mr. A’s presents a tempting question: “Why settle for an ocean view when you can see the entire city?” Guests can drink in the sunset on the balcony with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres before entering a private dining room to enjoy the restaurant’s fine American-Mediterranean cuisine—everything from Kobe beef to sea bass to gourmet macaroni and cheese with black truffles. Contact the group coordinator at 619.239.1377. www.bertrandatmisteras.com George’s at the Cove This landmark La Jolla Village restaurant offers California regional cuisine made from the freshest local ingredients. Groups can choose from three different levels of dining. The newly renovated California Modern restaurant on the first floor (with several private rooms) offers a gourmet menu. The Pacific Bar on the second floor offers a bistro menu. And the stunning outdoor Ocean Terrace on the top floor can be rented out for groups of up to 130 people. Contact Kristine Sauer at 858.454.4244 ext. 129. www.georgesatthecove.com Marine Room There’s no bad seat at this renowned ocean-side establishment in La Jolla Shores, where guests look out floor-to-ceiling windows at the pounding surf just feet away. Though no private rooms are available, the restaurant hosts rehearsal dinners in its dining room and can even provide a reception area for champagne and tray-passed hors d’oeuvres before your meal. General Manager Dennis Rush describes the cuisine as global—a blend of fresh ingredients and preparations from around the world. Contact the catering coordinator at 858.964.1977. www.marineroom.com Addison Located within The Grand Del Mar, North County’s newest luxury resort, Addison offers sweeping views of the golf course fairways. The restaurant is named after Addison Mizner, the architect who launched the 1920s Florida Renaissance and set the style for Palm Beach and Boca Raton. Mizner’s style—influenced by the artisans of Spain, Portugal, Venice and Morocco—is found throughout Addison. The Private Dining Room can host up to 48 guests. The patio is a wonderful place to start with wines chosen from Addison’s exquisite cellar. Limestone fireplaces and a vaulted ceiling create an evening of intimate elegance. Contact Laleh Yaghoubi at 858.314.1901. www.addisondelmar.com JRDN Surrounded by views of the ocean and Crystal Pier from the dining patio right on the Pacific Beach boardwalk, JRDN at Tower 23 is one of the hottest spots on the San Diego restaurant scene. All the ingredients in Executive Chef Victor Jimenez’s fresh and contemporary dishes come from local suppliers. The neomodern private dining room features a glass-enclosed, 1,200-bottle wine cellar and a private patio for enjoying a perfect San Diego sunset. Up to 60 guests can be seated and up to 80 can be accommodated for a cocktail party. Contact Stacy Long, director of Sales and Catering at 858.490.3131. www.t23hotel.com For Sports Fans San Diego Padres Game at Petco Park Reserve a picnic terrace above the Padres bullpen or a suite in the historic Western Metal Supply Company building. Choose from a traditional ballpark menu or order a special menu from the park’s caterer—anything from sushi to sirloin. Outdoor seating as well as a Sony digital TV means your guests won’t miss a minute of the action. Most of the suites host up to 20 people, but suites can be combined for larger groups. Just be sure to book early as these suites are very popular. Call a ticket sales account executive at 619.795.5500. www.padres.com The 15th-Floor Ultimate Skybox in the DiamondView Tower For more intimate, upscale baseball viewing, the new DiamondView Tower rents its penthouse for private parties. Overlooking Petco Park and the Pacific Ocean, guests can get a view of the game in a lovely contemporary setting adorned with flat-screen televisions, hardwood floors and an immense patio with lounge furniture and a fireplace. It accommodates up to 160 people. Contact Creative Affairs by Amanda at 619.993.0710. www.creativeaffairsbyamanda.com Museums Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla Offering spectacular ocean views and sleek architectural design, MCASD La Jolla provides a stylish space for private parties. Axline Court, the museum’s grand enclosed exhibition space, is ideal for elegant dinners, while the Coast Room and Miles Terrace boast magnificent ocean views. A list of approved caterers lets you set the culinary tone. For an additional fee, you can gain access to the museum’s exhibits. Contact the Events and Visitor Services department at 858.454.3541 ext. 143. www.mcasd.org Natural History Museum The museum’s rooftop terrace, which presents a stunning view of Balboa Park and beyond, can accommodate 100 for a sit-down dinner and up to 200 for cocktails. Guests are welcome to explore the museum’s galleries full of fossils and artifacts that showcase the science and beauty of nature. One 2008 exhibit will feature artifacts from the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Contact Special Event Planning at 619.255.0182. www.sdnhm.org Museum of Photographic Arts Situated on the Prado in Balboa Park, this museum can host smaller parties of 30 people or larger groups of up to 150 people. MoPA’s impressive exhibition galleries showcase the history of photography, from Mathew Brady to Dorothea Lange to Ansel Adams. A wonderful upcoming exhibit may make a nice backdrop for your nuptials: “Picturing Eden,” a look at the changing concept of Paradise. Contact the director of Special Events at 619.238.7559 ext. 208. www.mopa.org Historic Venues The Thursday Club Located above Sunset Cliffs in beautiful Point Loma, this San Diego landmark built in 1928 boasts beautifully maintained gardens, Spanish architecture and panoramic ocean views from adjoining terraces. The Clubhouse has stained glass windows and a large fireplace. Up to 175 guests can be hosted for a seated dinner. Contact resident managers Tom and Cookie Adamitis at 619.224.5264. www.thethursdayclub.org La Jolla Woman’s Club Designed by celebrated architect Irving Gill and built in 1914, the clubhouse is located in the heart of historic La Jolla Village, just one block from the ocean. The auditorium seats up to 300 people, and the building is surrounded by gardens bursting with colorful flowers and walls draped with bougainvillea. Call 858.454.2354. www.lajollawomansclub.com Darlington House Once the seasonal home of Sybil Darlington, Darlington House in La Jolla harks back to an era of elegant living. Dinners are held in the lovely rose garden, which can accommodate small or large parties of up to 200. Guests also have access to the first floor of the house with its cozy library, living room and Spanish and Egyptian patios. Call 858.454.7625. www.darlingtonhouse.com « Previous 1 2 3 Next » Do you like what you read? Purchase Exquisite Weddings Magazine »