Tag Archives: elliston vineyards

RW: Michelle and Jon’s Elliston Vineyards Wedding

We were honored to be a part of Michelle and Jon’s wedding and we couldn’t wait to share some photos from their special day! Elliston Vineyards was the perfect backdrop for their romantic celebration and we love how everything turned out!

fantasy sound lighting

Elliston Vineyards

Many thanks to Lori Rittinger Photography for sharing these fun shots with us! A very happy congratulations to Michelle and Jon – we wish you all the best!

Proudly serving Bay Area Weddings for over twenty years, Fantasy Sound aims to be engaged couples’ first stop- offering Disc Jockey, Videography, Event Lighting Décor and Wedding Planning services. They are fueled by great ideas paired with strong coffee, and will never turn down a piece of red velvet wedding cake.

Elliston Vineyards

Meet Madeline Simmons of Elliston Vineyards

This is a part of our Creative Collaboration series, where we introduce you to our creative partners from all around the Bay Area. Today, we’re introducing you to Madeline Simmons from Elliston Vineyards!

Elliston Vineyards

Courtesy of Madeline Simmons

Join us in welcoming Madeline Simmons to our blog today – she will be telling us a bit about herself and her role at Elliston Vineyards! Founded in 1890, Elliston is a boutique winery located in the hills of Sunol that has specialized in weddings and special events since 1982. Their other specialty is, of course, wine! With over 125 years of winemaking, it’s no wonder that their hand-crafted wines are now a tradition rooted in history. Home to a winery and tasting room, Elliston’s mission is to provide excellent, unique and ready-to-drink wines with flavor and approachable pricing.

Madeline has been an event planner at Elliston for four years, but her love for the events industry developed in college as she earned her Hospitality major – in fact, her internship requirement is what brought her to Elliston during her senior year and she loved it so much, she never left!

Madeline was kind enough to share a “worst case scenario” moment she faced and how she and her team overcame it:

I coordinated a wedding last year, where they had a family friend make the wedding cake, they showed me photos and it was a beautiful three tired cake. The day-of the wedding, the baker didn’t have the proper set up to transport the cake here, and on the way here, the cake fell over in the car! Of course, she was very upset when she arrived, as an entire side of the cake had all of the frosting taken off and smudged. Luckily, the florist had some extra flowers, so we smoothed out the icing the best we could, and added some extra flowers to the cake to hide the mess. When all was said and done, I turned the cake so that the smudged side wasn’t visible, and no one ever knew!

However, as with most event planners, it’s not about fixing mishaps. Madeline’s love for the wedding industry is defined by her love of being a part of a couples’ big day, from start to finish. “There is so much work that goes into a wedding, and usually the whole family gets involved in the planning,” she shared. “Seeing everything come together the day-of is so satisfying, and there’s nothing better than having a happy bride and groom!”

Proudly serving Bay Area Weddings for over twenty years, Fantasy Sound aims to be engaged couples’ first stop- offering Disc Jockey, Videography, Event Lighting Décor and Wedding Planning services. They are fueled by great ideas paired with strong coffee, and will never turn down a piece of red velvet wedding cake.

Kirsten Mendoza

Meet Kirsten Mendoza of Elliston Vineyards!

This is a part of our Creative Collaboration series, where we introduce you to our creative partners from all around the Bay Area. Today, we’re introducing you to Kirsten Mendoza from Elliston Vineyards!

Kirsten Mendoza

Courtesy of Kirsten Mendoza

After getting her start in the food and beverage industry, Kirsten Mendoza found herself calculating how to make events more efficient. It was during an internship at a local winery and event center that she fell in love with the wedding industry and she never looked back. She is now an event coordinator at Elliston Vineyards, a beautiful, historic estate nestled in the hills of Sunol that hosts weddings, special events, and corporate events.

For Kirsten, it’s all about the raw emotion that comes from sending a bride down the aisle. She loves being the one who eases them into the process and gets them ready for the biggest day of their life. She also loves being able to see two families coming together as one – the toasts are the best time to get to know everyone’s personalities!

Kirsten shares some of her top advice for engaged couples with us…

“Budget, budget, budget!!! Couples will pay for the venue, food, and, beverages but then forget about all the little things. The favors, all the rentals, presents for your bridal party, etc. There is just so much that adds up that you really need to take into account how much you’re going to spend. You don’t want to start a marriage already in debt.

Also please don’t hire your friends as your vendors! There is a reason there are professional photographers and DJ’s. We understand everyone wants to cut costs, however this is not the best way. Time and time again we see someone hire their friend to DJ. Granted this person may have DJ’d before; however, this person may not be knowledgeable on timing, reading a crowd, or being a personable emcee.”

As for Kirsten’s hobbies – she loves to travel and explore new cultures. She hopes that Santorini, Greece is the next stamp in her passport. In addition to the appealing white architecture, she’s quite the foodie and craves some authentic Greek cuisine!

Proudly serving Bay Area Weddings for over twenty years, Fantasy Sound aims to be engaged couples’ first stop- offering Disc Jockey, Videography, Event Lighting Décor and Wedding Planning services. They are fueled by great ideas paired with strong coffee, and will never turn down a piece of red velvet wedding cake.

Nataly and Derek’s Sweet Vineyard Wedding

Today, we’re excited to share Nataly and Derek’s special day with you! These two were just wonderful to work with and we loved all of the creative details they brought to their wedding. Nella Terra Cellars was quite a sight on their big day and Steve had such a blast bringing the tunes – he was impressed by all of the dancing! Don’t miss the lovely feature on Wedding Woof!

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Kudos to Matthias Geiger Photography for capturing their love so beautifully!

Proudly serving Bay Area Weddings for over twenty years, Fantasy Sound aims to be engaged couples’ first stop- offering Disc Jockey, Videography, Event Lighting Décor and Wedding Planning services. They are fueled by great ideas paired with strong coffee, and will never turn down a piece of red velvet wedding cake.