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An Affair To Remember

Weekend weddings allow for memorable experiences and quality time with guests

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To plan their August nuptials, Patricia Kost and Brian Ratner turned to Burger for some unique ideas. They will have a small wedding on the beach at Del Mar, and since this is the second marriage for both, their top priority is to spend quality time with their adult children and each other. Their weekend itinerary will begin the night before the wedding with dinner and live music at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. The day after, they have booked a behindthe- scenes VIP tour of the Wild Animal Park. “I think we did a pretty good job of incorporating our love of music, the beach, dancing and, most importantly, spending time with our children,” says Kost.

Kristin Garuba, wedding consultant and president of Pink Papaya Creative Events, has helped couples plan weddings that last as long as four days, with events ranging from golf and spa outings to sunset cruises to winetastings. According to Garuba, even a day at the beach is a terrific activity for couples getting married in San Diego. It can be as causal or formal as you wish, and can incorporate catered food, games and beach bags filled with favors or gifts. What’s more, a day at the beach can serve as a pre- or post-wedding event, and it can be an easy way to welcome guests. One of Garuba’s clients held a casual beach party immediately after their wedding reception. This was the perfect way for guests to literally kick off their shoes and enjoy the relaxed setting after the more formal festivities. Everyone sat on straw mats around a fire pit and drank cocktails while being serenaded with live acoustic music. The couple even provided shawls to keep guests from getting cold. “The hardcore guests hung out as late as 3:30 a.m.,” Garuba says. “It was a great way to end the evening.”

Like any great story, a wedding is better with an introduction and a conclusion. Bringing guests together before the wedding day provides ample time for introductions and catching up, so everyone— especially you—will be more relaxed on the big day. And having an event to look forward to after the wedding means you can cherish the special moment longer and delay the goodbyes. But the most important thing to remember when planning your weekend wedding is that the events, activities and locations you choose should be a reflection of the things you love as a couple. Not only is this your chance to show guests a slice of your life together, but it’s likely that they will enjoy what you enjoy. And when guests are happy, relaxed and having fun, they are in the perfect state to fully enjoy the celebration you’ve worked so hard to create.

SIDE BAR

Designing Your Weekend Wedding

When planning an extended wedding, it’s a good idea to send out a Wedding Weekend Itinerary after the invitations have been delivered, says Kristin Garuba of Pink Papaya Creative Events. “By acknowledging that many guests are making a vacation out of your wedding, we try to make it exciting, fun and something they don’t want to miss. If we’re able, we always include transportation information to and from the airport and to and from events—including the wedding ceremony, reception, rehearsal dinner, brunch, etc.,” she says. “It’s amazing how many guests are excited to receive such detail and organization. It puts them at ease that they’ll be taken care of on arrival.”

The more information you can convey to guests ahead of time, the less you’ll have to worry about communicating details upon their arrival. “Of course, we’re always careful to leave free time so those guests that haven’t been to our fine city can enjoy it to the fullest extent,” says Garuba. For times when there are no structured activities planned, she suggests providing a “Things to Do” list to help them plan. It may include restaurant referrals and activities such as the San Diego Zoo and museums.

There are many creative ways to design an itinerary, from one that reflects the style of the invitation to a design that’s more casual. If you’re relatively techsavvy, you may even consider hosting a Web site or blog, which makes it easy to include links to tourism boards or other useful Web sites, and to continually update it with information as you generate new ideas.

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