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Sky's the Limit

Katherine Los & Shane Randall October 11, 2008

Not everyone gets saluted by the Blue Angels just minutes after becoming engaged. For Shane Randall and Katherine Los, a smoke-carved heart high above them in the San Francisco sky was the icing on a well-timed cake. Not that the spot Shane chose needed any more romance. During a trip to the city—which also happened to be Fleet Week—he dropped to one knee on a stone patio at Jack Early Park, overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

“Afterward, I signaled a couple of the Blue Angels—thanks guys!—using the sun’s reflection off my watch to ask them in Morse code to fly over us and create a 180-foot-tall smoke heart with an arrow through it,” Shane says. “Then they tipped their wings as I saluted them from the street thousands of feet below…Timing is everything.”   
After a proposal like that, the couple began their quest to plan a “classic and timeless” wedding with beautiful ambiance. Since they would have friends and family flying in from as far as Spain, Poland and Australia, their venue would also have to serve as a vacation destination.

“I wanted to look at our photos 10 years from now, be able to show our daughter and even our granddaughter when they are planning their own weddings, and have them see the beauty in it regardless of when it had taken place, says Katherine, an account executive at Berkman Communications, a downtown public relations/marketing communications firm. “There are so many trends out there, some great and others not. I didn’t want to look at photos and say ‘Wow, I really wish I hadn’t chosen an entirely hot-pink wedding.’”

To start, she and Shane chose to have their ceremony and reception at Loews Coronado Bay Resort.
“The first time we walked into Loews Coronado we immediately felt like we were on vacation,” Katherine says. “It’s so calm and beautiful, and it embodied all those things we were looking for. Plus the quality of the food was really important to us and Loews had an excellent reputation for delicious cuisine. Being just miles from downtown Coronado and at the end of Silver Strand Beach, it was also the perfect resort getaway for our family and friends to enjoy. And they did! Almost everyone stayed there—even our San Diego friends stayed for a night or two and spent time at the pool and the spa. Waking up the next morning in our bayside bungalow was perfect; the water came up right to the balcony. It was a beautiful and serene setting to relax in after a year of planning and a weekend of wedding activities.”

The resort stayed true to their culinary reputation as well. For their menu, Shane and Katherine selected Seared Scallops with Lemongrass and Citrus Coulis; Mesclun Green Salad with Baked Goat Cheese in Phyllo and Maple Sherry Vinaigrette; and dual entrées of Pistachio-Crusted Halibut with a Lemongrass Burre Blanc and Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with Fingerling Potatoes and a Selection of Farmer’s Market Roasted Vegetables. Their cake was a beautiful concoction by The French Gourmet.

Standing amidst lush landscaping and beautiful bay views, the wedding party was gorgeous in plum. Katherine had chosen an accent color of plum, which she used for her bridesmaid dresses, napkins, and invitation ribbons. She completed the palette with copper, gold and bronze, and chose an all-white scheme for florals.

“Texture was also important to me,” she says. “I feel like it adds depth to the room, so the table cloths were a different fabric and color than the napkins; the dance floor was smooth and white; and the sheer drapery behind the stage added yet another layer of texture.”

Having moved to San Diego from Chicago, with family and friends still there, the bride searched for a wedding dress even during her trips back to the Windy City. “It took lots of lots of trips to several bridal boutiques in several cities before finding the right dress,” she says. “I remember being home in Chicago for Thanksgiving and trekking through the streets of downtown on ‘Black Friday,’ literally pushing through so many shoppers, trying to go from boutique to boutique. On another trip, I endured 20-mile-an-hour winds at below-freezing temperatures! I liked a lot of dresses that I tried on, but nothing really jumped out at me as being ‘the one’ until I finally found my dress at Isis Bridal. It was hanging on display and it just looked fun and different, like a Spanish flamenco skirt. I tried it on, and before I could even react to it, my mom Urszula, sister Ania who was my maid of honor, and the bridal attendant all gasped in unison, so that kind of decided it for me.”

You could say Shane had a similar reaction.

“The most memorable moment of the wedding for me was during the ceremony, standing in front of my gorgeous wife to be,” he says. “As we stood there listening to our minister with many friends and family around us, I could tell that all she wanted to do was kiss me, which is just what I wanted to do to her. Watching her creep closer to me squirming with excitement with a smile on her face really showed me that she was ready and excited to officially be my wife and soul mate, but it also solidified and enhanced what I already knew, that she was truly and undoubtedly in love with me.” 

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VENDORS
Coordinator and Florist: Stacie Barba, A Day of Elegance
Photography: Heather Moreau, Vallentyne Photography… Our absolute favorite vendor and one I recommend ALL the time to brides. She is so talented and her approach is calm and confident.
Band: The Heroes
Cake: French Gourmet
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas
Programs, Menus, Table Numbers, Place Cards: Katherine and Shane
Officiant: James Rury
Hair & Make-up: Sola Salons, La Jolla, can’t remember her name but am getting it today
Custom Made Jewelry: Boutique Victoria, Chicago
Dress: Isis Bridal, San Patrick Designs
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Videographer: Side by Side Video
Chiavari Chairs: Steven Sun                                   
Photo Booth: Capital Photo Booth
Lighting: Brandon Peterson
Linens/Décor: Concept Party Rentals                                                                      
Dance floor: Barker Décor                                                                           
Lounge furniture: Elegant Events Party Rentals    

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