Casa Das Palmas and Villa de Camino Cielo

July 20th, 2009

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting two more fabulous Santa Barbara Estates, Casa das Palmas in the exclusive neighborhood of Hope Ranch and Villa de Camino Cielo.

Casa das Palmas is a Spanish style hacienda that lives up to it name, nestled at the base of dozens of towering Palm trees. The Palms provide a sense of privacy and seclusion that makes this property a quiet little oasis. It’s available as a vacation rental with its 4 bedrooms that sleep up to 10 guests or as an event venue for weddings, corporate receptions or private parties up to 200 guests. The site for a wedding starts at $8,000. For an amazing weekend long affair or corporate retreat, you can even rent the property for the entire weekend! There is a 10pm curfew for amplified music, but the party can go on until midnight. Bathrooms will need to be brought in and a professional coordinator is required. Following are some photos for you. Enjoy!

Front Entrance of the gorgeous hacienda-style Casa das Palmas

From the air you can see the fabulous tennis courts,

lawns and pool of the Estate

A beautiful pool and patio make as stunning backdrop

Villa de Camino Cielo boasts unparalleled views from its perch above Santa Barbara. The gorgeous property is over 26 acres, providing complete privacy. The property’s exterior is available for weddings, private parties and corporate events for up to 300 guests. The site fee for a wedding starts at $8,000 and includes the use of the pool house for the bridal party to get ready. The Estate can also be rented for the weekend if you would like use of the house. There is a 3 night minimum and it can sleep up to 10 guests comfortably. Bathrooms need to be brought in and a professional coordinator is required. Enjoy the photos and the views!

The Front Entrance of Villa de Camino Cielo

Every area of the sprawling lawn provides amazing views over Santa Barbara

This arch could make a dramatic grand entrance!

The bath house/ cabana available for brides

The stunning infinity pool would be even more amazing with some dramtic lighting, or it could even be covered and lit to make an unforgettable dance floor

Hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for more upcoming Estates. Contact me for more details on Estate events at donna@donnaromanievents.com or 805-286-6505.

New Estate Venue

July 13th, 2009

There is a new Estate venue located in Santa Ynez that is absolutely gorgeous. The Long Meadow Estate has fabulous views and is perfect for a wedding or a corporate retreat or reception. The site fee is $10,000 for a wedding and includes all outdoor areas, plus two rooms for getting ready or lounging. There is kitchen space for a caterer, but bathrooms would need to be brought in. The estate requires shuttle service for guests. There is also a wing of the estate that can be rented for an additional fee and would sleep up to twelve - perfect for the bridal or wedding parties! Contact me for more information donna@donnaromanievents.com.

A private lawn in the back of the Estate, perfect for a ceremony - Gorgeous mountain views!

Cocktails on the lawn by the pool

Great double doors for a dramatic bridal entrance to the back lawn, or for a Grand Entrance into the Reception

The fabulous pole barn can seat up to 200 guests for dinner

Kitchens for the caterer (right) and bathrooms brought in for an event (left)

New Venue, Linens and Chairs - Oh My!

June 8th, 2009

Last week I had the pleasure to attend a trunk show hosted by Wildflower Linens and Chameleon Chairs at the Ojai Valley Inn Resort & Spa. What a beautiful day it turned out to be!

The sun was out and it was quite hot, making the newly renovated Herb Garden Pool extremely inviting. The pool is the latest venue added to the Ojai Valley Inn Resort & Spa. Exclusively for private events, the pool features cabanas and a spa cafe. They did a fabulous job and I can picture many amazing events at this site from weddings, to corporate receptions, etc.

The venue was just one perk of the day, as Wildflower Linens and Chameleon Chairs exhibited several of their latest lines. I’m a big fan of the fruitwood chiavaris as far as chair rentals go, but Chameleon and Wildflower take it two steps further with their custom chair covers and unique designs. These chairs are spectacular and really add the “WOW!” factor to an event. If you don’t have the budget to do 200 chairs, consider doing just the head table … a great way to elevate the look for a modest cost!

GOOD GRACIOUS, HONEY!

May 21st, 2009

On Tuesday, I was invited by Good Gracious! Events to join 14 other event planners at a “Getting to know you Better” party held at the Simpson House Inn here in Santa Barbara. Oh, wow!

Good Gracious! Events is based in Los Angeles and does catering and events all over California and the Central Coast. Charley and Jean did an amazing job and were fabulous hosts, and the food by their head chef Pauline Perry (btw, Check out her cookbook in stores now … SO good!) was out of this world. The event planners came from far and wide (so worth the trip!) … San Francisco, LA, OC, Las Vegas, etc. And sponsors pulled out all of their tricks — including beautiful linens by Wildflower, Oh-so-cool chair covers by Chameleon Chair and spectacular flowers by Mille Fiori and Camilla Svensson Burns.

We arrived Tuesday afternoon and checked into the Simpson House Inn (the only 5 Diamond B&B in the country). What a place! If you are looking for a private venue for an intimate event loaded with charm - this is it. Awaiting in my room was Sandy, a manicurist from Ziba Massage (a mobile spa service - how fun for the morning of!).

We enjoyed cocktails in the garden and decks before moving to the Magnolia Garden for the first of many treats from Good Gracious!

We then moved on to dinner - how gorgeous! - where we enjoyed Pauline’s Asparagus Risotto and Black Cod Miso. Yum!

Finally, we ended up in the lounge for Tarot Card Readings and Smores in a Bag from Epicurean Umbrella - Jennyfer Rodgers is so talented with such fun ideas. We were all kids again (at a very glamorous camp). We stayed up way past my usual bedtime and enjoyed getting to know each other and comparing tales of events we’ve worked on. What fun!

The next morning I woke up expecting a simple breakfast buffet and a “Thanks for coming” from the already generous sponsors. Instead, I found an elaborate tent set up in the garden. Is this not to die for?! I can picture bridal and baby showers or even a fundraiser luncheon in this tent!

The tent is from Rivre Works Design Studio. Rivre is so amazing and one of the most gracious men I’ve met. He is a doll! He also happens to be the son of the Simpson House Inn owners, and actually grew up on the property!

The flowers are Camilla Svensson Burns, of course. Camilla is another one of those people whose talents I am envious of. Her works always look so fresh and original; breathtaking.

Another fabulous meal before hitting the road! Trust me, my real life is not this glamorous … Getting back to reality Wednesday afternoon was difficult! Thank you Good Gracious, and all.

p.s. The invitations and printed materials for this affair were incredibly sweet … Almost as sweet as Rachel herself is. You have to check out Rock Paper Scissors Design! More on her in my next blog.

www.SimpsonHouseInn.com

www.GoodGraciousEvents.com

www.RRivreWorks.com

www.ChameleonChair.com

www.WildflowerLinens.com

www.themillefiore.com

www.CamillaFlowers.com

www.ZibaMassage.com

www.EpicureanUmbrella.com

A WILD NIGHT AT THE SANTA BARBARA ZOO

May 1st, 2009

Last night, the Santa Barbara Zoo celebrated the opening of the new California Trails exhibits - including a very cute Channel Islands Fox, impressive California Condors and more - as well as a new partnership with Rincon Catering. The party was held on the hilltop and hosted members of the media and the hospitality industry (i.e. yours truly). What a great evening of food, friends and animals! Rincon put on an amazing spread underneath a very cool tent they booked through EventRents (that is perfect for the space, just in case you’re planning something there). AMS pumped with great tunes from several of their DJs. The animals were out to party (both human and otherwise)! Congrats guys!

My gorgeous husband goes for the yummy tri-tip and cookies

History & Legacy at San Ysidro Ranch

April 21st, 2009

I had a meeting last week at San Ysidro Ranch and was reminded of why the place is famous for its exclusivity and luxury. The history of the place pours out of every nook and cranny … We all know the Kennedys honeymooned there, but Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier were married there, John Huston wrote African Queen there, Audrey Hepburn, Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby sought peace and tranquility there. The history goes beyond the famous, though. San Ysidro was the patron saint of Madrid and it was originally titled by the King of Spain in 1769 and became a way station for the Franciscan Monks before later becoming a working Citrus Ranch.

Anyway, enough of a history lesson. The Ranch was in full bloom when I was there last week. White roses, miles of lavender and the sweet smell of Jasmine. I’ve never seen it look better. The gardens are in pristine condition for upcoming intimate weddings. Oh, I get wistful writing about it!

Great Spots for a Rehearsal Dinner

April 6th, 2009

A rehearsal dinner is a wonderful opportunity to gather with your family and friends that mean so much to you and have (often) traveled great distances to be there for you. The Wedding Day goes so quickly, so this is your chance to catch up with them and reconnect.

There are countless places in Santa Barbara for a fabulous rehearsal dinner. I recommend choosing one with an intimate and private space that allows you to relax and enjoy your meal and your guests. It can be fancy or casual, but intimate is key.

The Ocean Room at Stella Mare’s is one of my favorites. The restaurant boasts wonderful wine country cuisine in a French shabby chic setting that is so cozy. At night it’s lit up with twinkle lights - very picturesque! Sarah Bixler is a doll to work with and can help you set it up - 805.969.3415 or sarah@stellamares.com

Don't miss the Lemon Cake - YUM!

Another great spot is the University Club. Many people aren’t even aware that it’s available to non-members for rehearsal dinners or intimate gatherings. But, there’s lots of great rooms for a smaller group and there is a fabulous billiards room in the back that is perfect to share great food and swap tales from each other’s childhoods over a few games of pool. And the best part is you’ll never have to leave your quarters on the table for “next!” Chrissy Deferville is amazing and can help you pull it together - 805.966.0853 or chrissy@uclubsb.org.