Happy Friday blog friends o’mine!
What’s on tap for you this weekend? We’re going to be doing some nesting projects on this end. This past week we had an accent wall painted for Sawyer’s room and also got all the carpets cleaned. So tonight we are going to pick up a futon for his room:
And tomorrow we’ll be picking up the crib and putting it together –oh boy!
Let me say thank you for the wonderful dialogue on yesterday’s post about pregnancy impressions. What is important that we all remember (pregnant or otherwise) that this is our own life and our own unique experience and that’s what makes it beautiful!!!
About a week ago, I shared with you my background as a wedding planner and now I want to show you a bit of how the wedding went at the SF Zoo held on September 24th 
Alison was a fabulous client to work with because she’s highly organized, super energetic, and beyond creative. Working with her was – in a word – fun!
It was Alison’s intent for me to act as a “Day of” coordinator, which really means you are the main POC during the entire wedding day directing, orchestrating, fighting fires, adhering to the timeline, working with vendors etc. This means that Alison essentially chose the “Ballet Flats” package with some modifications. My duties included:
This is a pretty basic package, but definitely meets the needs of the bride and groom.
This is what I wore for the Rehearsal and Wedding:
Part of my duties at the Rehearsal was to ogranize the wedding party for the processional/recessional by marking spots, orders, etc. Sometimes the priest or officiant will do this, but in this case, the officiant was a newly ordained friend.
On the day of the wedding, I arrived at 2p and immediately began making sure everything was in order, which included laying out all the name cards, table settings, cake, and directing the event staff per Alison’s desires.
Check out the cake toppers – Alison molded them herself the day before her wedding out of clay. Talk about talent! The cake was more ceremonial because the real ‘dessert’ were custom ice-cream sandwiches via an ice-cream truck. So cool!
After the bride and groom’s special reveal, they were off to take photos at various locations around the zoo. Though I desperately wanted to witness much of it, I was dealing with some not-so-fun shuttle issues. (And happily crisis was averted!)
Here are a couple of shots I did manage to get of pre-ceremony and at the ceremony (where zebras were galloping in the background 
):
AFter the ceremony most guests went to the carousel area for cocktails and appetizers while also having animal encounter with 5 zoo friends (like an armadillo). I had my asssistant take care of this aspect, while I followed the bride and groom to the giraffe feeding. Let me tell you, this has to be one of the most unique and amazing things I’ve ever seen incorporated into a wedding. It was a huge hit among the guests.
Truly the entire day went without a hitch (well 99.9% of it did). We were almost to-the-minute with the timeline and adjusted as need be.
When it came time to dance, the floor was alive and the bride and groom were grinning ear-to-ear. By the way, after their announcement into the reception, they did a flash dance! Again, amazing. I have no words to describe what a playful, personalized, fabulous wedding was.
Congrats to Alison and Eli!
What is the most unique thing you’ve saw or done at a wedding?
Tell me a faboosh plan you have for the weekend? 
Yaay wedding recap! I am so impressed that you fit this in as a side gig, so cool! Really amazing. A wedding at the zoo is definitely creative!
As for your nursery, I can’t wait to see pictures! Do you read the blog the Daily Garnish? In case you don’t, here’s a link for inspiration, her new nursery is so stinkin’ cute, I love that alphabet tree decal. http://www.dailygarnish.com/2011/09/ready-for-baby-the-nursery-tour.html
I do read Daily Garnish and I think she did a GREAT job with her nursery — we rent so we’re limited as to what we can do, but we’re still going to try to make it look cute
Love the wedding – Planning can be so stressful (even on us planners) but we’re good at it so it’s enjoyable! Very creative idea for the Zoo! Did you know them or did they find you?
What’s the nursery going to look like!?
It can totally be stressful, but it’s a fun/energizing kind of stress.
Our nursery will be pretty mellow — but there will be monkeys
I love the idea of a zoo wedding…so unique and yet so entertaining. It’s hard to find that combination!
You look fabulous, as always! Great job on the wedding too!
Thanks Ameena
Yeah I loved the ‘built in’ entertainment aspect!
Wow that giraffe feeding is awesome!! And to have wild animals roaming around in the background of the ceremony is so amazing…great job Shanna! You’re a rockstar doing all this on top of your full-time job and being pregnant, amazing girl
And yay for nesting and the nursery coming together, what fun!
My “faboosh” plan for this weekend is tomorrow we’ll be on the Hornblower Cruise for the Blue Angels event, should be fun!
I can’t wait to hear about the cruise tomorrow and how amazing that you get to go on Fleet Week weekend. That just plain rocks! Have blast hon!
Thanks love!! I’ll be sure to take lots of pics
I love wedding pics. They’re always so pretty, and you can always tell when a lot of work went into the event.
I had my hubby’s groom’s cake shaped and decorated like a barrel of beer on ice. That was definitely unique.
That sounds like a super rad groom’s cake!
We had a Mexican fiesta for our reception complete with margaritas and a mariachi band! We have no Mexican heritage, but just love the people, country and of course the food! : ) I thought this was pretty unique, especially considering we had a traditionaly Catholic wedding in a huge old Basilica for our ceremony! It was an amazing day!
I’m excited to see your nursery furniture! We still haven’t ordered ours, but I found a set I love at Resotration Hardware Baby and Child. I’m waiting for a sale to happen so we can save some money on it since it is more than we initially wanted to spend.
I remember seeing pics of your Mexi buffet and I just love that idea particularly since Mexi food rocks!
Oh RH furniture is soooo cute! Pricey, but adorable. I’ll have to show pics as we make progress
Oh my god. I want to have my wedding at the zoo. That is super cool. How gorgeous.
I could totally see you doing this Hollie!
Zoo wedding – beyond cool! Your schedule of duties sounds super fun to me. I am a plan freak so I used to think I wanted to be an event planner. Who knows maybe I could still find my way down that path!
I know right! Planning is a big part of the job, but it’s super fun. I say go for it!
Looks very beautiful and personalized!
I absolutely LOVE the zoo reception idea! So unique and fun! I *so* want to do “animal interactions” at my future reception! haha
And flash dances at weddings are the best. One of my good friends did one at hers this past summer and it definitely got everyone going on the dance floor.
When I meet prince charming and get married, will you be my wedding planner?
Love you! xoxo
I’d love to be your planner Sara
I love how the animals are running around behind the ceremony — awesome touch!! It’s going to be rainy and cold all day today so I have plans to rest, snuggle, eat, bake and eat some more
Oh, how fun! The giraffe feeding in particular looks priceless. What a creative, memorable wedding!!
What a neat wedding idea!! I would have never thought of someone having it at a zoo…super cool!!
I got married on the beach and I thought that was pretty cool. I would do it all over again the same way
I can’t get over that live giraffe, what an awesome wedding!