Our Event Specialist, Emily, Ties The Knot at Grand Gimeno
Our Event Specialist, Emily, tied the knot at Grand Gimeno in February of this year surrounded by loved ones and friends. We sat down with her to get the inside scoop on all things wedding planning and day of details! Take a look below to read about her special day.
Q: Tell us about the theme or color palette you used for your wedding.
A: We went for a dark and moody vibe, but not goth. Our color palette included ivory, black, dark chocolate/espresso, fern green, and subtle hints of deep burgundy. I love trends as much as the next person, but I really wanted to look back at our photos years from now and still love the choices we made.
Q: What were some things that were most important to you when planning your wedding?
A: It was important that our wedding felt like us - a true reflection of both mine and Harrison’s personalities and interests. While I took the lead on most of the décor, we wanted our guests to get a glimpse into who we are individually & as a couple: EDM music during cocktail hour, country music during dinner, warm chocolate chip cookies (our favorite treat!) for dessert, and cocktail napkins featuring our dog, Scout. It was personal, fun, and perfectly us.
Q: Talk to me about the planning process – The highs and the lows! We want to know it all.
A: To be completely honest, Harrison and I originally didn’t want a big wedding. Our plan was just a small ceremony with family, then a night out with friends - nothing fancy. But once we sat down and wrote out who we’d want there, we realized that wasn’t realistic - we wanted to share our day with our favorite people.
Some might think that working in the wedding industry would make planning easier, since I had so many amazing people and resources at my fingertips. Wrong! That said, the easiest and fastest decision was choosing Jay’s. I looked into a few other venues, but ultimately, I knew I wanted to host at one of our Jay’s locations. Knowing the food and service were in the best hands was such a relief — if all else failed, I knew that by the end of the night we’d be married, and our guests would at least be well-fed and well taken care of.
Choosing a date outside the busiest work season meant planning during the “off-season,” which came with the risk of rain. Luckily, Grand Gimeno has both indoor and outdoor spaces, so I never had to stress about backup plans.
Our guest list started at 75 people… then 100… then 125… and we ended up inviting 165. It happens!
The dress journey was another adventure. I went to seven bridal salons, only to choose the very first dress I tried on at the very first salon. Then had a meltdown that I made the wrong choice months before my wedding.
By the end, decision fatigue was real. There were moments I wanted to say, “I don’t care, whatever works,” but deep down, I did care - about the napkin fold, the number of candles per table, and the cocktail hour playlist as the sun set in the Olive Grove. It might sound crazy, but it all mattered to me. And that’s okay!
Q: What was your wedding menu and why did you choose it?
A: For cocktail hour, we wanted a beef option, a chicken option, and a veggie option. We went with mini beef Wellingtons - absolutely the best, chicken empanadas (my personal favorite), and veggie spring rolls (a hit with everyone, not just the vegetarian guests!).
For dinner, we went with the Grand Menu. Not only do I eat Jay’s food often, but I also consistently hear feedback from clients. I picked some of our personal favorites as well as crowd-pleasers: tri-tip, tequila lime chicken, tortellini with creamy pesto, roasted broccolini, creamy mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, and our signature cheese rolls. While the menu can be seen as classic and traditional, it ensured there was something for every guest. The food ended up being one of the biggest compliments of the night.
Dessert was an easy choice. I honestly wanted a cake for the photos, and it was an added bonus that our cake is absolutely delicious! Our spice cake with cream cheese filling was to die for, and Harrison added a second tier with marble cake and chocolate Bavarian filling. To go along with the cake, I took Harrison to one of our “Taste of Jay’s” events where he tried our kouign-amanns. He insisted we had to have those at the wedding! And picture this: You and your closest friends and family are dancing the night away when the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies starts to fill the air. Freshly baked onsite and tray-passed to guests, these cookies are one of our favorite treats, so of course we had to share them on our big day!
Q: What was something you couldn’t live without during your wedding planning process or on wedding day?
A: Our incredible coordinating team. Truly. They were by my side the entire day making sure I had a drink in my hand, that every photo on my long shot list was taken, and stepping in the moment I started to feel overwhelmed. They executed every detail perfectly so I could actually enjoy the day.
Q: Did you DIY any part of your wedding?
A: Yes, a lot! My father-in-law is an amazing craftsman and built our candle wall backdrop for the reception, our chuppah for the ceremony, and our welcome sign. I had this vision for branded leather signage and couldn’t find anything online that matched what I wanted. So, we bought an engraving laser and made everything ourselves - table numbers, seating chart, name cards, bar signs, and more. It was so time-consuming, but absolutely worth it!
Q: Tell us about your dog being a part of the wedding ceremony.
A: Our sweet Scout is the center of our world, so she had to be part of our big day. She was on her best behavior (shockingly!). We had our dog sitter on-site just in case, but Scout nailed it. I can’t imagine not having her there with us.
Q: What was something you unexpectedly loved on your wedding day?
A: The February weather! As a California native, I was terrified our wedding would be remembered as “cold.” I was so worried. But the day was perfect: 76 degrees, sunshine, and a golden sunset during cocktail hour. We didn’t even need the heaters or blankets we rented. The absolute best surprise!
Q: What was your favorite moment on your wedding day aside from marrying Harrison?
A: My favorite moment on my wedding day, aside from marrying the love of my life, happened right after cocktail hour, just before Harrison and I were getting ready for our grand entrance into the reception. We knew we were going straight into our first dance after the entrance, and we had literally everything else figured out for the day.
Well… time got the better of us. Harrison looked over at me and said, “Um… we never practiced our first dance. We don’t even know where our hands are supposed to go. We are not dancing people.”
There we were, laughing at ourselves and trying to practice our first dance just moments before it was supposed to happen. And in that moment, it really didn’t matter. We laughed it off, looked pretty ridiculous, and honestly, it was the most us thing of the whole night. A perfect reflection of what’s to come: figuring things out together while having the best time laughing, no matter how imperfect it was.
Venue: Grand Gimeno // Catering: Jay's Catering // Photographer: The Justin Jay // Planning: Bring The Bubbly Events // Florist: Dara's Floral Design Studio // Rentals + Dance Floor: Signature Party Rentals
