 LOVE is in the air at a wedding ceremony at Ponte Winery San Diego and Southern California provides such a wonderful and diverse amount of different locations and feels for wedding ceremonies and celebrations. From the beaches and luxury high rise hotels of the city, a short drive up to Temecula provides beautiful wine country rustic wedding ceremony venues, like Ponte Winery where we played earlier this month.  Beautiful blue skies and rolling hills provide an amazing backdrop for this Temecula wedding ceremony. Wedding Ceremony Music Options
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Our string & harp trio headed to Mission Bay to play for a beautiful outdoor wedding at the Paradise Point Resort yesterday. The weather was perfect, overcast but still bright out, not hot but not cold, and all of the guests were happy to be there (so were we!) Our day started off checking out the reception site where we played after the ceremony, and setting up our string trio for the processional. The clients requested a harp/violin/cello trio, which is a beautiful option and provides many options for wedding ceremony music.  Wedding Ceremony site setup complete!  The Trio is Ready to Go! This past weekend was beautiful for outdoor occasions, with cool breezes, mild coastal weather, and clear blue ocean water. The Martin Johnson House, part of UCSD and Scripps Institute of Oceanography, sits atop the beautiful cliffs of La Jolla and looks south toward the Cove and La Jolla Village. The views are perfect for San Diego outdoor weddings, and the grounds are reminiscent of a small cabin in the woods, with really endless possibilities of decorating.  Our couple hired our string duet, which is a great ensemble for this intimate location. The strings are easily heard over a gathering of 50 family and friends, and provided pre-ceremony and processional & recessional music for the bride and her new groom.
We had the opportunity to return to the beautiful Morgan Run Club and Resort over the weekend, and are always impressed by this Rancho Santa Fe / Del Mar area wedding venue. Beyond the views and welcoming spaces, the staff at Morgan Run are incredibly friendly, outgoing, and helpful- so you really feel like you're part of the family here and that is why it is such a special place.  Morgan Run is, primarily, a golf and tennis club- and they have the facilities to prove it! Gorgeous greens go on for miles, and the courts are top notch. On site, their aquatic and gym facilities leave nothing behind either, and they even offer a kids day camp for wedding parties which is quite reasonable!
When people picture La Jolla, it is typically the quaint downtown with boutique shops, waterfront parks, and gorgeous historic buildings. The Estancia Hotel fits in perfectly with the ideals and natural beauty of the area, but is an absolutely unique property that should be considered on anyone's list of wedding venues in the La Jolla area.
The history of the hotel and gardens is a unique story unto itself. Originally a horse stable, the property has been developed into an urban oasis, filled with stunning succulents and open spaces, and a small campus of historic buildings with rooms of varying sizes for any number of events.  I am by no means a wedding photographer! That being said, I had the opportunity to tour the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay with a group of other great wedding professionals on a gorgeous January afternoon, and wanted to share my experience with soon-to-be brides and grooms or others looking for an amazing space for an all-encompassing event with true San Diego bayside class.  Secluded garden perfect for cocktail hour or other meetings. The Hyatt Regency in Mission Bay is a distinct landmark, with a tall tower of hotel rooms and a sprawling front row seat to the bay. But the hotel resort has many hidden gems that might not be obvious just by driving by.  The Hyatt Regency hotel tower, with boat dock in the foreground.  Wedding Set-up at the San Diego Botanic Gardens Weddings in the Botanic Gardens of Encinitas: The San Diego Botanic Gardens are an oasis in the middle of Encinitas, a cute coastal town about 15 minutes north of San Diego. The gardens have a rich history, having been developed since the early 1900s on land overlooking the Pacific Ocean and incorporating a wide variety of different spaces. While you could consider this a museum for plant species, the gardens have evolved and become a spectacular event space, perfect for weddings, parties, engagements, photo shoots, and other happenings.  The Left Coast Trio under some shade providing acoustic ambiance. When you live in San Diego, the outdoors provides year round beautiful wedding settings. This was the case this past Friday in Chula Vista, at the Otay Lakes area in a park called Mountain Hawk. Rolling hills, a pristine lake, and a beautiful outdoor amphitheater made this December wedding one to write about. There aren't many places in the US that you can do an outdoor wedding like this at the end of the year.  Left Coast String Trio at Mountain Hawk Park Live Music at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar Many people might not know about the hidden gem in Del Mar called the Fairmont Grand. It's somewhat secluded, not on any major roadway, but the resort is an absolutely spectacular site, perfect for weddings, holiday parties, and other events.  Main Entrance to the Fairmont Grand Our wind trio has had the opportunity to perform here a few times for different events, and we were just honored to play for a company holiday party in their Elizabeth Capella, a wood adorned chapel with amazing acoustics.
 Prince William and Princess Kate's Wedding Ceremony Bringing Royal Customs to Your San Diego Wedding With the recent announcement of the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, we thought it would be fun to focus on tips for making your wedding royal-inspired! British royal weddings have always caused quite a stir with brides from all over the world looking for inspiration on how they can bring a bit of the custom and class into their own ceremonies.
Balboa Park is the heart of this city. The sprawling gardens and parkscapes surrounded by urban San Diego provide some incredibly scenic and unique backdrops for weddings and other fun events. The shear size of the park itself has so many different interesting spaces, buildings, and gardens that anyone can easily find their perfect wedding spot, on any budget, with any dream in mind. Here are a few location ideas in the park, but of course we aren't covering everything. If you have questions about San Diego wedding venues or just want some general tips, we are happy to provide our expertise!  The Prado - Upscale Weddings in Balboa Park Located in the heart of Balboa Park, the classy and upscale Prado restaurant hosts many weddings and events every month. They have many options for both ceremony and receptions sites, including their grand ballroom, a gorgeous outdoor enclosed patio, garden spaces, and pictured above the patio fountain. Having an all-inclusive upscale Balboa Park wedding ceremony here would be easy, leaving all of the details to the superb event staff and being able to keep guests in one central location.
The Left Coast Quintet has had the privilege of bringing music to a number of different events at the Prado. For more info, check out: Balboa Park - Prado Weddings & Events 1930s & 40s Movie Style in the Heart of Southern CA  Lafayette Grand Entrance We had the opportunity to tour the historic Lafayette Hotel in University Heights recently, and were incredibly impressed by the style, class, and ambiance the hotel offers. Having a wedding at the Lafayette means stepping back in time to the roaring swing era of classic Hollywood, when big bands took the stage and movie stars mingled with the locals.
Cuvier Park Wedding Music
San Diego is full of beautiful places, where the venue itself actually becomes part of the event. Cuvier Park in La Jolla, also known as the Wedding Bowl, is certainly one of those special spots. This semi-secluded spot with some of the most iconic views that San Diego is known for might be difficult to acquire, with various permits from the City and scheduling with other events, but once secured you can be sure that you have one of the best outdoor wedding venues in San Diego!  Cuvier Park, La Jolla's "Wedding Bowl", looking out over the ocean. Booking the Wedding Bowl La Jolla for your Weddings & Events:
San Diego Holiday Party Music & Ideas!  Creepy ghouls and goblins are coming soon, followed quickly by explorers with turkey, and jolly old men in red pajamas being flown by reindeer. Yes, it's holiday season in San Diego, and while the weather here might not provide any white dusting of snow or icicles hanging from awnings, it does mean fun parties, great food, and entertaining music!
Here are some ideas for those of you trying to plan for your office or home holiday party that we have found fun, insightful, or interesting. Remember to book your live music with us as soon as you've set a date, so we can start going over the perfect playlist for your San Diego holiday party. A Key Gaslamp San Diego Wedding Location!  3rd Floor Pool Area The downtown San Diego Gaslamp district is home to many fine restaurants, clubs, activities, and hotels, and one of the newest and finest is The Pendry, recently opened in February 2017. The prime location on J Street between 5th & 6th was developed with class, sophistication, and elegance, and it's no wonder that it is the place to be for many visitors and locals alike.
I should start by mentioning this isn't just a hotel, it's a destination. With multiple restaurants, meeting spaces, event halls, an underground club, bars, swimming club & spa, their visitors could easily just wander around for a few days and enjoy everything the location has to offer. I toured the facility with many other San Diego Wedding professionals, ranging from photographers to event planners to other venue coordinators, and we all really enjoyed the atmosphere and incredible opportunities that The Pendry has to offer. Check out some of the other pictures I took during the tour, and let me know what your favorite wedding venue is in San Diego- maybe I'll visit there next! If you contact the Pendry for an event, please let them know I sent ya!  San Diego has an amazing amount of venues to host weddings- from luxurious downtown hotels to mountain wineries. One of the most iconic wedding locations in Southern California though is right on the sand at the ocean. What better way to celebrate than with the fresh salt air and cool breezes of getting married at one of San Diego's many beachfront locations.
In terms of locations and beach types, there are many places to choose from:
 You've thought about everything else: the dress, the flowers, the shoes, the wedding venue...now what about the music? There are so many options when it comes to picking the entrance music to your wedding ceremony, and it's important to consider:
Whatever you choose, the Left Coast Quintet is here to provide guidance and the best music for your walk down memory lane. Your wedding ceremony music needs to be completely you, and we are at your service.  It is no secret that DJ services easily have the most amount of available music at their fingertips. The last DJ we worked with probably had about 500,000 songs ready to go in an instant, and many of those pieces covered exactly what our live music services do best- wedding ceremony music and reception background entertainment. But instead of looking at DJ services as competition, I tend to think of them as friends and assistants.
There is absolutely no substitute for live music, and every DJ knows that. The class, the eloquence, the unique abilities of live musicians bring the event up a notch in style, yet the music we provide has limits - we certainly don't have a library covering every style of music and every song that clients request. Thus, working partnerships with our electronically powered peers have enabled our ensemble, and many string quartets or solo musicians like us, to increase our offerings to our clients and provide a bit of both the classy aspect and the wide range of music options. To find out more about our preferred DJ list for San Diego Weddings, and the combined discounts that we can offer together, please feel free to send us a message or arrange for a coffee meeting.  You may have noticed a few new pictures up on our website recently. We had an amazing weekend up in Temecula getting to bring beautiful wedding ceremony music to a beautiful couple, Matt & Elizabeth Haupert, and figured we would make some updates to our site with the gorgeous views provided to us.
Temecula is a special place. Located just about an hour north-east of San Diego, in the heart of Southern California wine country, the town is just the perfect get-away from the bustle of Southern California life. Whether coming from LA and the Inland Empire, or driving up from San Diego, the rolling hills, large estates, and numerous wineries will take anyone to a whole new level of relaxation. For Matt & Elizabeth's special day, we found ourselves at the gorgeous Lake Oak Meadows, part of the Vitagliano Winery. Surrounded by fields of green vineyards, the main focal point is a sprawling lake with numerous perfect spots for wedding ceremonies and special moments. Large shade trees keep the temperatures down, while fountains inside of the lake provide a very calming ambiance. Our quintet set up under an amazing shade canopy, keeping the 91 degree weather at bay. We even enjoyed a nice breeze! Our couple requested traditional wedding ceremony music, consisting of Pachelbel's Canon in D, Wagner's Wedding Processional, and Mendelssohn's Wedding March for a recessional. But, we like to have some fun, so while guests were seated prior to the ceremony, we were playing recognizable movie tunes, some older jazz pieces, and summertime favorites to get people in the mood for what became a very personal, heartfelt, and loving ceremony.  My wife and I got married in early January of this year, so talking about wedding planning is still pretty fresh on my mind. It is amazing that even three months later, we still have friends tell us how personal, thoughtful, and special our wedding was. I don't think that many people can say that their weddings went off without a hitch, normally there is some domino that doesn't fall down, or a drunk 'uncle' that wants to make an inappropriate speech, but thankfully our weekend was absolutely amazing, went off hassle free, and besides the venue briefly misplacing our cake topper, really was a magical and special event.
Fairy tales, princesses, castles, and beautiful parties are what we all grew up with watching Disney movies. No matter what part of the world the story took place, Disney inspired us to be classy, formal, and beautiful when planning our special ceremonies.  Aladdin & Jasmin in Wedding Attire A friend of mine, Tiffany Baldwin of Baldwin Bridal, recently coordinated with a great group of vendors to put out a fantastic "Beauty and the Beast" styled wedding shoot. The set up and details are stunning, and it's no surprise to me or really anyone else that the pictures are gaining international acclaim. I'd bet that most brides want to feel like a princess on their wedding day, and the go-to princesses that we all grew up with are the enchanted Disney characters that have graced movies and TV for the past century.
I love wedding season! In San Diego, that's almost year round, but we certainly do get a bit of a break during the later winter months, when there aren't as many destination weddings or the fine sunny weather we're known for. Every year, though, I have to mentally prepare for all of the fun events the Left Coast Quintet and Trio are going to be hired for. San Diego Wedding Musician Calendar So far, we have 6 upcoming weddings, and I'm guessing we'll probably triple that by the end of the summer. We aren't a huge company with multiple weddings each weekend, and we like that. It adds more of a personal touch for the clients we work with, allows us to work on other projects, and be able to be with our families on our time off from the regular weekday jobs most of us have.  Did you know that, as a special request, we can play for your First Dance? Picking a First Dance can be one of the most frustrating and exhausting tasks when it comes to selecting music for your wedding. While some couples have “their song,” as if they were predestined to dance to it, for others, it’s not that easy. So what is it that makes the “perfect” First Dance, and is it even possible to find one? We hope to give insight to some of you lost souls out there:
1. Send A Message- find a song that resonates with you as a couple- will it be about romance… friendship… commitment… or laughter and fun? Express yourself! 2. Don't worry about the lyrics- we are a music group, but we don't sing (well). It'll just be the melody, so imagine no words and just beautiful harmonies. 3. Find A Genre You Both Like- often times a couple has different tastes in music, so be willing to compromise on something you both like, even if it’s not your personal favorite. 4. Practice Before Picking- if you’ve narrowed your choices down to a few songs, practice dancing to them before you decide; this will give you a real feel for what it will be like. 5. Don’t Worry About Length- if a song is too long, or has a long intro you don’t like, no worries- we can customize the length or where we start playing. 6. Be True To Yourselves- though others will be watching & listening to your First Dance, don’t get too caught up in what others think or like- it’s YOUR wedding, after all! There are no set rules when it comes to your First Dance, so have fun and make it about you & your love! And if all else fails, don’t be afraid to choose a song that is “typical” or “traditional,”- there’s a reason why they’re so popular! There’s no doubt that live music makes any event better, even when it's background music. Whether it's enhancing the atmosphere at a casual party, elegant reception, or restaurant/bar, there are all sorts of musical styles that we play that will fit in perfectly. From smooth jazz to movie favorites, many of these gigs are straightforward but there are still a few tips to remember when the time comes.  Background Holiday Party Music Between the end of wedding season (about October) and the beginning of engagement season (typically February), there can be a slow period for many wedding vendors. While event planners, florists, and decorators take a break, musicians are hard at work playing, or trying to find, good holiday gigs! It is a rough and tumble couple of months, sometimes with calendars looking bleak until five different planners call in the same day, asking for live music at the last minute for a dinner party or presentation.
We don't mind, of course. Providing live music for holiday parties and events not only helps us make a living, it is also lively and fun for us. The mood of these events is typically festive and upbeat, and we end up going home afterwards happy and ready for the next event. It typically doesn't matter what we end up playing for various holiday parties, whether it's a mix of Christmas music, jazz, some movie favorites, or more religious pieces, people just love having live musicians there. They enjoy our unique take on some of the classics, like turning Oh Tannenbaum into a funky jazz swing piece, or making melodic harmonies out of the 12 Days of Christmas. Are you planning on hiring some live music for upcoming parties? It's never too late, we can still come play. Keep in mind, along with other gigs we might already be booked for, we also have other seasonal music expectations, like Nutcracker or Messiah performances, church symphony concerts, school presentations, etc. Have a great holiday season and new year, we hope to bring some classy, fun music to you soon! |
