I Do Monday Morning

The Talking Photo-Booth

I was at a meeting for WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association) last night and discovered the ePod Talking Photo-booth! Photo-booths have been all the rage this past year or so but this one is different as it talks to you. How it works is that the attendant is outside and can view the guests in the booth on his computer. Based on what they are doing, the attendant will activate the sound bite to be played in the booth. Some examples are: "you have some food in your teeth" and "is it possible to be that good looking?" Guests are surprised with the voices and their reactions definitely make for some great candid photos. 

Because the attendant is controlling the sound bites depending on what the guests are doing, it's very interactive and is tailored to the crowd. The action/reaction aspect seems similar to that of music via DJ vs. an ipod play list. 


Christian Shimer, (pictured above) one one of the partners in the Carlsbad-based company said it was a family collaboration to build the booths themselves to incorporating the sound and photography into it. It was built with the thought that the styling of the booth could fit in any venue from a casual outdoor event to an elegant wedding at the swankiest of resorts.

There is one all-inclusive price of $1,495 which includes 4 hours of unlimited photos with attendant, double photo strips (one for the guest, one for the host's memory book), a DVD with all the photos from the event and a customized music video montage on DVD and also in a web ready format to share. There is potential for customizing the exterior of the ePod for an additional charge. (888) 337-3763 or info@epodevents.com.

Se San Diego

I recently had a site tour of the new Se San Diego hotel Downtown, next to the House of Blues.  The hotel was designed to stimulate all your senses, so you are encouraged to touch everything and all the walls and artwork were designed accordingly.

We first went to Suite and Tender, the hotel's signature restaurant made to be an experience you can mold, depending on what you order. There's a small private dining room for 10 and several nooks in the restaurant, making it a good location for say a larger rehearsal dinner.

A cool relief map of San Diego in the restaurant

Here's the sinks at the unisex (yep, also the only) bathroom off the restaurant.

The bathroom stalls are along this wall; look carefully, you can see some of the fixtures where the doors are 

The hotel has different banquet room options for receptions with lots of natural light.  There is a also a spa on property that has some really cool all-in-one treatment rooms that would make for a very intimate spa experience for two.

We looked at the rooms which have great views of the city.  Some of the suites would be perfect for a bunch of ladies to gather before a night on the town bachelorette party.

From one of the rooms we could see the pool area which is still under construction.  The plan is that the covering the pool would be a possible option for a ceremony site.

I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot more about this new downtown property.  There are no signs outside the property, so look for the big custom-designed door and the valets out front!

Wow Your Guests With a Modern Wedding - The Ultimate Skybox

I recently met with Amanda McPhail of Creative Affairs by Amanda at The Ultimate Skybox which is in the Diamond View Tower on 10th & J Street in Downtown San Diego.  I walked in & was amazed at how gorgeous it was!  In addition to her top-notch wedding coordination business, Amanda handles all the events at this urban venue.

Even if you're not a big Padres fan, how can you not love that view?  Photo by IVP Studios

When you rent the space, you may use the beautiful existing furniture or pay a small fee to have it removed to bring in your own tables & chairs.

There are various rates for the space starting at $2,950 for a mid-week, low-season, non-game day. Prices are slightly higher for weddings than rehearsal or engagement dinners.  A great thing about this space is that there are no food & beverage minimums.  The space fits about 150 guests; you select a caterer off of The Ultimate Skybox's list then bring in the beverages, rentals, and everything else.  If wine & spirits are important to you, you can save a ton of money by bringing in your own product. Generally at hotels or restaurants, the items with the highest markup are beverages.  In addition to trying to increase their profit margin, venues need to pay for the liquor license, training of bartenders and servers and proper insurance.

 

There is a spa on the first floor of the building where the bride can get her hair and make up done while the groom gets a massage.  

To find out more about The Ultimate Skybox, call Amanda at 619-993-0710.

Anthology in Little Italy

I had heard a lot about Anthology but never had the opportunity to go.  I was fortunate this past week to check out this prime, 3-story venue in Little Italy along with other wedding professionals.  The place really has a modern, urban vibe that seems much more Vegas or LA than San Diego.  We were there on a Tuesday night and it was busy!  Anthology is closed on Sundays or Mondays but there is a possibility of a buy-out on those days.

This is the main floor of the venue with a stage for the entertainment.  Anthology has live entertainment nightly with a wide range of acts.  See their calendar for more detailed information.

This is the Taylor Guitar Room on the 3rd floor, perfect for intimate dinners!

With three floors of various sized rooms and patios, there are so many possibilities with this space from bachelor or bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners or the entire venue for an very non-traditional wedding.  

 

Some of the guests had already left, but I snapped this picture right at the end.

From l to r: Amanda McPhail of Creative Affairs by Amanda, Katherine Farley of KLF Floral, Irene Montez Gonzales of A Perfect Table, Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings, Rachel Peniche of Plan It San Diego, Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings and Marsha Berkson, Emily Goldman and Mary Hager of Anthology.