Stonebridge Manor

2011 ideas............ 2012 inspiration

2012-01-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

Choreographed dances!

Unique lighting!

Here at Stonebridge, we encourage our brides to be creative with their BIG day! We love to see new ideas as wedding trends change and evolve. We are very excited to see what 2012 brings, but for now, here are some fun things we saw in 2011.........

Hand Passed Hors d'oeuvres Sign

cupcakes or cake pops as alternatives to cake

dessert tables

photobooth fun

alternative ideas to unity candle/sand ceremonies

vintage and retro-styles became popular

Whatever your dream is, let us know what we can do to help you realize it! Bring your new ideas and be ready to make them happen. 2012 is going to be great!

Allie :)

2011-12-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

There is nothing merrier and more festive than having your wedding take place during the holiday season. And, since this is probably the only time of year that the family will all be in the same place at the same time, it is certainly practical. A Christmastime or New Year's Eve wedding can be truly unforgettable and joyous. Use your memories and feelings for Christmas and the holiday season to plan a warm and inviting wedding ceremony and reception with your close friends and family. Here are some tips for making your holiday wedding merry:

Bring color into your wedding. If you love red or white pointsettias, make them your wedding flower. You could also have your wedding party wear crimson accents, think shawls for the girls and bow ties for the guys. Decorate using holly, wreaths, garland, seasonal flowers, and of course red and green decor.
Ring the bells and bring in the music of the holidays. Think Mozart or beautiful opera or choral music for your ceremony; holiday themed tunes for the reception.
Inhale the scents of the season and warm the soul: evergreen, cinnamon, or juniper scented candles can warm your ceremony or reception space and create a wonderful atmosphere.
Wedding favors can include holiday ornaments, CDs of your favorite Christmas songs, mini pumpkin pies, or personalized tins of hot cocoa or cookies.
Consider incorporating a hot chocolate bar where people can be creative and hands on in creating their own tasty concoction.

Happy Holidays from Stonebridge Manor

2011-09-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

If you are still searching for the perfect detail to make your wedding stand out to friends and family, look no further than an old classic: a photo booth. A photo booth is ideal because it is fun and unforgettable. You can use the photos as favors for your guests as well as fill an album for you to take home at the end of the evening. Your guests can take pictures by simply pressing a button. The instant four-pose photo creates a unique and treasured favor. You can customize the pictures by adding your event logo with a phrase, image or date for your guests to remember your event by.

Photo booths capture hilarious, touching and off-the-wall photos as guests enjoy the spontaneity of posing for pictures and revealing their true personalities behind the curtain with friends, relatives and co-workers. You can add a photo booth to your current package at Stonebridge Manor (ask us for details!!).

Fall @ Stonebridge Manor

2011-09-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

Fall is coming!!! Finally :) We are so excited to have cooler weather back! With cooler weather comes fall decorations, inspirations, and ideas. Here is just one example of how you can decorate your venue at Stonebridge Manor. You can add lanterns to either venue in any color as well as coordinate your centerpieces to match. There are many different ideas and options available to you. Let's get creative!!!!

OPEN HOUSE

2011-08-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Experience the nighttime ambiance of Stonebridge Manor. Tour the property and visit with our Event Directors. We are available to answer questions, explain the difference between packages, check date availability or place your date on hold. Call for questions 480.641.3131.

If a daytime tour would work better for your schedule, we always invite you to schedule a free tour and private consultation. Call 480.641.3131

Love

2011-08-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

"Where there is love, there is life." ~Mahatma Ghandi

Wedding Websites

2011-08-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Have you looked into using a wedding website for your guests?

A wedding website can be simple, containing only one page or as complex as you would like it to be. The dream of every bride or groom is to have a special and unique wedding. This dream can be achieved by making everything in the wedding unique, and the wedding website is certainly no exception when it comes to creativity. You can include customized photos and theme colors on your site as well as specially designed font styles to match your wedding theme.

With a website, you give your guests a chance to take part in your wedding plans. For example, you may create a poll and have your guests help you in deciding what kind of flowers you will have at the party or where they think you should go for your honeymoon. To have many people visit the website, you should consider including such features as wedding stories, videos and photos. This may be your own story, for example, of how you met your spouse. Include stories of your engagement and future plans as husband and wife. If you have a lot of out of town guests, a good idea would be to include activites in the area, great restaurants to try, and hotel accomodations close by.

Building your website allows you to share more than just your ceremony. You can keep your site running long after the ceremony to share your honeymoon and newlywed memories with those you love. Everyone can share these timeless memories with you.

NEW Market Lights on the Manor Courtyard

2011-07-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

We are always looking into ways to improve the property and offer new services to brides here at Stonebridge Manor. We've done just that by adding new market lights to our Manor Courtyard venue. The market lights bring an ambiance to the courtyard giving guests perfect lighting to mingle, dine, and dance all night. Add japanese lanterns in your colors for an additional special touch to your BIG day!!!

Candy Buffet

2011-06-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Candy buffets add fun and color to any wedding. All it takes is a table with some old fashioned glass candy jars, scoops, and bulk candy to coordinate with your color scheme. What more could a guest ask for in a wedding favor? Here are some tips to design your own.

Use a color scheme that matches your wedding palette
Create depth and height in your display
Consider the table: where will it be located? Will there be a nice backdrop or wall behind it for pictures? Or will it be open so people can access it from all sides? Will it even have sides, or will it be round? These are all good questions to ask yourself before deciding on a set-up design.
Not just candy: if you’re open to treats in other forms, consider mini cookies, kettle corn, or spiced nuts as sweet additions. Placing the wedding cake or groom's cake on the same table can add visual diversity.
Be creative: Use different types of containers in relation to the theme of your wedding.
Individual containers: if your table is set up as a DIY favor station, little bags or mini boxes can be great take-homes. Dress them up with a little label and ribbon and your guests have a tasty treat for later.

Royal Wedding Trends 2011

2011-05-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

With all the hype surrounding the Royal Wedding, it’s only natural that it will start to influence the style of weddings around the world and here at Stonebridge Manor. Some of the elements that William and Kate incorporated are ones that many brides have been doing for years, but will now gain exponential popularity after millions of people viewed the Royal Wedding. Check out the Royal Wedding trends that we think will become popular moving forward:

Elegance In Lace… Kate looked simply stunning in her gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The scalloped neckline and lace covered bodice will surely be an influence in all bridal design houses. A sophisticated, elegance is something we will be seeing in brides.

Bridesmaids in White… Although this is very common in British weddings, we don’t see in the US too often. While we don’t think it will necessarily become a popular trend, we will see it more often now, or at least a variation of it with bridesmaids in pale, pale shades of champagne, yellow or pink.

Fairy Tale Horse Drawn Carriage… What says "fairy tale wedding" more than a horse drawn carriage? You don't have to be royalty to enjoy this luxury! A horse drawn carriage ride is a memorable way to add a touch of charm and elegance to your wedding day.

Charity Registry… William and Kate requested donations to their favorite charitable organizations in lieu of wedding gifts. This is a trend that's becoming more and more popular, especially since today's brides and grooms marry later in life and often already have all the home goods they need. Even if you'd still like to register at your favorite department store, you can start a charity registration as an option for your guests. Choose a cause (or two!) that is significant to the both of you.

Two cakes!!… William and Kate had a traditional 8-tier wedding cake but also offered a second cake that was a Royal family recipe, a favorite of Prince Will’s since childhood. Incorporating a second cake that ties into family traditions or cultures will be a trend to look out for.

Whether you are looking for a modern, elegant, and sophisticated wedding like The Royal Couple or something bold, beautiful and untraditional; Stonebridge Manor is here to make your BIG day special and true to you.

Stonebridge Manor Horse and Carriage

Stonebridge Manor among the best in the wedding industry!

2011-02-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Mesa, Arizona – February 2, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Stonebridge Manor has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Wedding & Reception Venues!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Stonebridge Manor stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Stonebridge Manor for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Stonebridge Manor is among the very best Wedding & Reception Venues within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

Showered In Love

2011-01-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

It is a funny thing to worry about rain on your wedding in the dry state of Arizona but we get several brides that do. There are two very important things to remember about rain:

1. Rain on your wedding day is very good luck!

AND................

2. It makes for some beautiful wedding pictures!!!!!!

Cutest Ring Bearer

2010-11-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Jane touched on this photo in her last post but I just had to follow up with a few more pictures of the cutest ring bearer ever! Yes, I am a dog person so I have a soft spot for this little guy but he was so well behaved through the whole ceremony.

We have had maybe 1 or 2 other wedding with furry friends involved and it is such a cute way to bring in the "family". There are a few things to think about ahead of time though:
1. Make sure the little guy has someone to watch him when he arrives (usually no earlier than 15 minutes before the ceremony)
2. Make sure he is leashed at all times and remains outside only
3. Make sure someone is there to clean up after him ( we all know what that means!!)
4. Make sure someone is delegated to take him back to his warm and comfy bed at home when the ceremony is over. He'll be exhausted from looking so cute infront of all of your guests.

So cute!

Jen Sherwood

AS YEARS GO BY

2010-11-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

When Stonebridge Manor hosted her very first event in the summer of 1998, the beauty and special emotions of that evening were indelibly impressed upon my mind and heart.

There have been many events since then and I must say, as years go by, they continue to be beautiful and special.

The wonderful thing about each event is that individual people come together to create these special experiences, together. It is the combined energy of hearts and hands amidst this amazingly beautiful place that molds memories. Not just for me, but for all who have gathered, during whatever event there was to be.

All different cultures, faiths and needs have been served.
We've had weddings with just a bride, groom and officiant (Michael and I were the witnesses), high school proms, charity events, holiday parties, memorial services, anniversary dinners, engagement dinners, rehearsal dinners, large weddings, receptions, open house receptions, come and go receptions, business receptions, magazine ad photo shoots, TV commercial shoots, drug prevention dramatizations, oh my gosh, the list is endless. I'm sure the staff here could names so many others.
Yet, as years go by, I come back to the same thing that started this vision in the beginning.
Memories!
Memories that, as years go by, will never fade and never die.

So thanks Stonebridge Manor for the memories!
Jane

Assigned Seating

2010-10-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Assigned seating for your reception can be a very daunting task, especially when all of those pesky RSVP cards are just staring you in the face and you have to figure out where each person is going to fit. Some brides opt out of this process by reserving a few tables up front by the bridal party for their immediate families and then open seating for the rest of their guests. This is by far less stressful for the happy couple but sometimes on the day of the wedding it can be a little chaotic for your guests when they all want to sit together but know there might not be enough seats at one table for all of them to fit.

A few recent couples did a very cute take on assigned seating by assigning their guests to a specific table but not a specific chair at that table ( which works out much better because then your guests aren't wandering around aimlessly trying to find their name at any given table)

Here are a two examples:

This bride used TV shows that corresponded with how she knew her guests

Obviously her friends were at the "FRIENDS" table

The bride and grooms' table was "The Honeymooners"
And here is the poster board with all the different shows. "Law and Order" and "Boston Legal" had all of their law school friends, "All in the family" was her family members and "The office" was filled with co-workers.

Such a cute idea!

Another one we really liked around here was the bride and groom that took pictures with the all of the numbers and had these sitting at the tables

Isn't that so adorable?!?! I love it! Keep thinking creative girls, we love to see what's next.

Jen Sherwood

Dresses

2010-10-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at home the other day flipping through a J.Crew magazine when I came across their bridal section. I knew they started offereing bridal dresses a few years back but I had no idea of their selection. I couldn't believe all of the cute wedding dresses in the magazine but they also pictured beautiful bridemaids dresses in an array of styles. We see alot of gorgeous bridesmaids dresses around here but most of them are quite formal. Formal is great for standing next to the bride in a wedding but it would be hard to find another occasion to wear such a long, flowy gown again (cut to the scene in 27 Dresses where Katherine Heigel's character is drowning in an entire closet stuffed with dresses she will never wear again, No Thank You!)
J.Crew offers a fun twist that your bridesmaids would be able to wear time and time again.

Here are just a few options for a spring or summer wedding here in Arizona:

What about these for a winter wedding? Just add a cute cardigan to keep warm:

And here are a few of my favorites:

These all come in an array of colors and sizes and would perfect for all your girls. Just imagine how much they would love you for having them wear something cute and stylish.
Happy shopping ladies!

Jennifer Sherwood
Stonebridge Manor

Wedding cake

2010-09-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

The ideal wedding cake should taste just as good as it looks right? From my many years of wedding experience I have found that is not always the case. There are absolutely stunning cakes that taste far too dry; too frozen; or just plain icky.

Fortunately for us, we use Piece of Cake as our cake vendor in our Full & Limited Service Packages. I can say without a doubt that they have never let us down. Their cakes truly are visually stunning and deliciously scrumptious!! I like to think of their cakes as a little taste of heaven each time I take a bite.....I am lucky enough to get many such bites, sometimes more than once a week (perks of being a wedding coordinator).

I wanted to show you some of my favorite cakes from last wedding season:

Gorgeous & Elegant

Can you even stop your mouth from watering?

These chocolate covered strawberries were unreal!

Timeless beauty

Cupcake towers are always a hit, so chic!

I have to share my favorite flavors and fillings that Piece of Cake has to offer; these are just a few of my favorites:

Cake Fillings
Almond Cream Cheese
Banana Cream
Bavarian Cream
Caramel Buttercream
Chocolate Bavarian Cream
Chocolate Buttercream
Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate Mint Cookies & Cream
Cream Cheese Frosting
Lemon Buttercream
Lemon Raspberry
Strawberry Compote

Cake Flavors
Vanilla (White)
Devil's Food (Chocolate)
Carrot
Marble
Red Velvet
Lemon Infusion
White Almond Infusion

If you aren't ready for a slice of cake now - - I certainly am! Glad I'll be enjoying some this evening.

Camille Johnson

Full Service Coordinator

Live Webcast

2010-08-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

How do you like the idea of having Aunt Susie in Nebraska or your college roommate in Paris or your 437 Facebook friend's experiencing your wedding without having to leave the comfort of their home? Unbelievable? Maybe a year ago, but modern technology has graced the wedding business once again! We now offer a LIVE webcast of your precious nuptials.

Myfriendswedding.com has given you the opportunity to have everyone in your life be a part of the most important day (without you having to pay for a meal for them!). Not only can your loved ones see you say,"I DO!" but they can leave a message for you and even buy you a gift right then and there!

This is a live webcast we were honored to have at Stonebridge. Congratulations Julie & Herrold!:

There is no better time to get married then now with so many amazing enhancements to an already magical day! Sign your contract at Stonebridge Manor before September 30, 2010 to receive $200 off a $495 broadcast!

Lia Joy

Wedding Themes

2010-06-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

We have seen so many beautiful weddings take place here but my absolute favorite thing is to see a new idea or design carried out to perfection. Picking out colors, for instance, can be a difficult task for some brides. There are so many combinations to choose from that it becomes difficult to narrow it down. Every once in a while we get brides that take color schemes to the next level and go all out on a theme. These are few and far between but we have seen some amazing weddings in the last few months where these themes were carried out beautifully!

Just a few weeks ago we had a very sweet bride who decided to go with a "citrus" theme. The pavilion looked absolutely adorable in oranges and yellows.

A cupcake tower with orange and lemon flavored cupcakes. Such a cute idea!

Her citrus candy buffet was topped off with everything sweet and sugary. Isn't that bouquet just gorgeous?? Everyone and everything was perfectly color coordinated.
Even the most adorable lanterns that lined the aisle were yellow.

It was such a beautiful evening. She even carried her theme into her menu with salad including a Lemon Vinagarette, bread and butter with a lemon zest, Fresh Salmon finished with Lemon citrus and even mashed potatoes fixed with fresh lemon water.
She topped it off with a signature peach sangria for the bar. What great ideas!

The next theme I just loved was a "Roaring 20's" theme. This theme was spectactacular and was mostly carried out in the outfits of the bridal party.

Here is the handsome groom

The groom with the groomsmen. I just love their hats and zoot suits.
The groom and his mom had worked very hard on a choreographed Mother/Son dance and did an amazing job! Such a fun thing to see. I love her flapper dress.
That was such a fun night!

Last but certainly not least was a "Hollywood" theme and they did such a spectacular job. Here is the sign in table with the reception seating. I love how the names are listed under"casting call".

These were the wedding programs that were handed out.
Here are the centerpieces. Each guest received the cutest popcorn bucket filled with candy and other treats. They even had 2 girls going around "selling" popcorn and cotton candy.
We just love when we get to be apart of these fabulous weddings and can't wait to see what will be next!

Jennifer Sherwood

Pictures courtesy of Flint Rogers - fotosbyflint.com

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES

2010-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES

In all the years that I have been involved with events at Stonebridge Manor, I have to say, that the Gilbert Public Schools Special Education Prom was the BEST.

The joy, energy, excitement and positive attitudes that radiated from these student was amazing!

Jennifer and I were in tears as we witnessed the generosity, compassion and fun that was demonstrated in every member of the teaching staff right down to the students that came as assistants.

This was an event to be remembered and Stonebridge Manor was made even better for it.

I have to say, I'm a little prejudice about this beautiful place but I also know that what makes it so beautiful is the people and special events that take place here. That's why I say Stonebridge was made even better.

Thank you ,Gilbert Public Schools, for allowing this Prom to happen.

A Special thank you to the fantastic students who showed us all what it was to live pure joy.

Jane Jones

Lovely Lanterns

2010-05-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

We are privileged to host 200+ events on our property a year. Weddings now-a-days are filled with personality and charm. There isn't as much emphasis on "tradition" as there is on making the day your own. One way to show your flare (figuratively!) is to incorporate lanterns. Below you'll see three very different weddings all using lanterns. We can get any color under the sun and enhance any theme you have. Our current lantern package is $250 for 24 lanterns in the pavilion. Such a beautiful and striking detail!

While preparing for this post I came across the coolest idea ever! Now that I have your attention........this is not an option at Stonebridge (literally)!!! We can't be starting any forest fires here in the desert!

They are called Sky Lanterns. I'll let Wikipedia tell you more: "Sky lanterns, also known as Kongming Lantern are airborne paper lanterns traditionally found in some Asian cultures. They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise into the air. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame stays alight, after which the lantern floats back to the ground. The local folk in Asia believe that as the Sky Lantern rises, it takes away their troubles and brings them good luck and fortune in the future. It is a promise of a good year ahead."

Check this out!

How amazing is that?! I'm no Sky Lantern expert but I would guess that if Arizona doesn't love Sparklers and Fireworks to honor our country....they probably won't love hundreds of mini hot-air balloons filling the sky in celebration of a wedding! Needless to say, if you are not getting married in the Valley of the Sun, you should do this!!

Until next time,
Lia Joy

Hoops of Hope

2010-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Stonebridge Manor has recently had the privilege of working with Hoops of Hope for their first annual fundraising event in Arizona to assist in its efforts in building a medical clinic in Zambia, hope centers in Swaziland and dorms for a school Hoops of Hope helped build.

Hoops of Hope was founded in 2004 by then 9 year old Austin Gutwein. The first fundraising effort by Austin raised $3000. To date, Hoops has raised more than $1.8million to benefit orphaned children in Africa.

At Hoops' recent event at Stonebridge Manor, I was humbled and inspired by the speech given by the now 15 year old Austin. Too frequently, we wonder if our efforts can make a positive impact. My hat is off to Austin for following his vision and creating an organization that has had a profound impact on the lives of many children in Africa.

The Hoops of Hope event was a huge success with ethnic music, silent and live auctions as well as updates to the contributors on the progress of building schools, medical clinics and dormitories. Congratulations Austin and all the Hoops of Hope volunteers! www.hoopsofhope.org

- Ann Clark

Wedding Shoes

2010-03-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

A new trend that we have been seeing this season is flirty and fun bride shoes. Gone are the days that you have to wear a basic boring white or ivory pump. This season we have seen flip-flops, sneakers, red stilettos, colored pumps, ballet slippers and more. The perfect shoe can give a bride that extra flare of uniqueness to her look. We have some of our favorites pictured here!

The perfect shoe may be hard to find, but there are some wonderful sites online that have an array of selections from popular vendors, such as Zappos, Endless.com, Bellissima Bridal, and Shoebuy.com.

You will certainly want to try your shoes on with your dress before making your final selection; the shoes really can make or break a gorgeous gown.

Happy shoe shopping!

Wedding Party Favors

2010-03-25T12:02:00.001-07:00

Many brides want to provide party favors for their guests, but they don’t know what to give. Obviously, no one wants to spend money, time and energy making something that will not be taken home or enjoyed. My first recommendation is to always give something edible; people love something sweet! Whether it’s a small box of Hershey kisses wrapped in a delicate bow, fancy chocolate dipped pretzels, or simply a bag of M&M’s, the guests always devour the sugary delights.

We have had a few brides who have created a candy table as a party favor for their guests to enjoy. Just a few weeks ago a bride created the candy table pictured here. It was not only stunning visually, but it was delicious to bout! On each place setting the bride put a hot pink Chinese type to go box and then the guests came up to this incredible table and indulged in wonderful treats: kisses, taffy, M&M’s, sour gummies, chocolate pretzels, succors, jelly beans . . . unbelievably delicious and fun!

What made this table so memorable were the different shapes of jars; the incorporation of her wedding colors in each candy selection; the combination of candies in each jar, and finally the pink tulle at the base - -reminiscent of cotton candy. She even displayed a sign saying Love is Sweet next to the table, just the perfect touch!

Before the end of the night the entire candy station was depleted and each guest had a lovely container of candy to enjoy for the next few days… well, maybe only for the rest of the evening. It was definitely a success!

Camille Johnson
Stonebridge Full Service Coordinator

Wedding Wire Award

2010-02-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

We've received the Bride's Choice Award from Wedding Wire for the second year in a row! Thank you all for leaving such kinds reviews about your experience. I also need to highlight a few of our vendors who were also chosen to receive this award:

Creative Hands Cuisine

Foto's By Flint

Jan Dekker

Piece of Cake Desserts

Arizona Ministers (Phil Waring)

Mancini Entertainment (formerly Music Doctors)

Good job everyone! You have always made us proud and we love referring you year after year!

Hello World!

2010-01-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks as yet another wedding season followed with the holidays has taken me away from the "Blogging World".

I hope all of you brides are still doing your yoga and other stress mechanisms to help you cope with planning a wedding...unless you're one of our brides then you're sitting back relaxing :)! With January being our busiest marketing month (thanks to all the lucky girls who's men popped the question during the holidays) we are busy!! We had a great time at the bridal show (boy isn't that a crazy experience!) and are finally doing events in our new Ballroom. What a simply stunning space! There are a few details to be finished, my favorite being 2 gas fireplaces. I'll share pictures soon.

Here are a few pictures from this past season. After being in this business for almost 12 years, my favorite things are hearing the engagement stories:

Seeing the dress:

Seeing the flowers:

And the look the Newlywed's have as they walk down the aisle for the first time as Husband and Wife:

Congratulations to those who have started the journey of "Spouse" and good luck to those who are just taking the first steps of "Fiance"!

Lia Joy

Lunch Time!

2009-09-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Chives Eatery is open again and ready to make hungry bellies happy! Please come enjoy a great, very afforadable meal in a beautiful setting at Stonebridge Manor. Chives is open Monday thru Friday from 11am-1:30pm (no reservations necessary). We would love to give you a personal tour and then send you down to enjoy delicious food prepared by our Executive Chef, Doug Brochu, with Creative Hands Cusine. I've been with Stonebridge for over 5 years and if I still get excited to eat their food, you know it's good!!

Click the link below to see the menu and prices (CASH ONLY):

http://creativehandscuisine.com/pages.php?pageID=chives#

One of our Amazing Brides!!

2009-08-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Per choose Stonebridge to start their new life together on Saturday July 11 of this year. Although it was a bit warm :) they had an amazing wedding. Amanda's mom, was kind enough to share her experience:

"To the amazing staff of Stonebridge Manor, The Yontz family wants to thank you for the most wonderful wedding experience. From the very moment my husband, Paul and I set foot on your beautiful property we were dazzled. I know magic would happen and it did. Our first encounter was with the lovely Jennifer. She was kind, warm, welcoming and full of knowledge. She calmly and cheerfully answered my bombardment of questions and with a smile to boot! Paul and I ventured out a few more times to Stonebridge Manor before the wedding to visit and plan. All along the way we met delightful people involved with Stonebridge. Lia was another lovely lady who was gracious, welcoming and also answered every question with patience and a smile. We will miss seeing these incredible young women. Chef Doug must be mentioned as well for his exceptional culinary skills and great charm. Everyone loved the food. The DJ (Mike with Mancini Entertainment) was fantastic and everyone wanted to continue dancing the night away! Every step of the way the staff made our path towards the wedding easy, stress free and full of excitement and joy. As I had said once before - next to Disneyland this is the happiest place on earth! We are delighted to say that we can easily refer your Stonebridge Manor to anyone and everyone we know. We've no doubts that they too, would experience the same professionalism, integrity and friendly attitude that we did. On top of that they can enjoy the most gorgeous setting imaginable. I think movies should be made at Stonebridge Manor! We can never thank you enough for creating the most remarkable memory for Amanda and Per and the rest of our families to last a lifetime. All the work and caring your pour into all that you do was not lost on us and we greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you, thank you! Most sincerely, Leslie and Paul Yontz PS. We hope you enjoy our token of appreciation coming your way."

We will truly miss this wonderful family and felt privileged to have them. They were so nice to send our staff some delicious cookies that were definitely enjoyed by all!

In our business we have a close relationship at an exciting and stressful time for sometimes a year and half and once the wedding is over we don't get to see them anymore! We have such amazing brides and become so excited for their big day. After hundreds of weddings, I still feel elated when I fluff a train into the air and it perfectly lands as the bride, my friend, starts her walk down the aisle.

Summer Weddings

2009-06-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

Summer Weddings!!

These are some great pictures from weddings that we have had this summer. Some people hear "Summer wedding in Arizona" and have a panic attack! But you can see from these beautiful brides that they had amazing weddings!
My sister, who lives in Philadelphia, was recently here and said that 104 degrees in Arizona is so much better than 85 degrees in Philly because of the humidity. I will give you that it can be hotter than should be allowed! But, we have the advantage of being able to cool down our space with fan, evap coolers, and air conditioning!
One of my favorite things about Summer weddings are the fun colors. There are no rules when it comes to what colors go with other colors! I love the top picture of the girls in fuschia! They had sunflowers in their bouquet and it is so cute! The summer goes by so fast but I will always remember these absolutely amazing weddings. Now, go the pool, work on your tan, and start planning the spunky, fun wedding you could have next summer!

Weddings In May

2009-06-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Look how relaxed Virginia & Zach look! I love that Flint got creative and took our setee out to the North lawn.

May was such a great month full of easy and wonderful brides. Considering that May in Arizona can be warm, we had pretty good weather. We started using the air conditioning and fans toward the end of the month but were still able to have gorgeous events outside. I can't believe it is already June! Hasn't this year gone by so fast?

We are going into a slower season in comparison to March or October but we actually have quite a few events this June and July! It's so nice that we have the air-conditioned pavilion (it gets so cold in there!) and the inside of the mansion for those summer weddings. I love when brides provide cold bottled water to their guests before the ceremony and chinese fans as a favor for the ceremony. I've seen some really cute candid pictures of guests holding their fans. It's so fun to see bright colors, tea-length bridesmaid dresses, gelato stations and excited guests in the summer!

Pretty In Pink!

2009-05-23T15:28:00.001-07:00

How great is the weather this weekend? Who would have thought the end of May would be in the 80's?! We had two beautiful weddings last night. Can you guess the theme?

Danielle's favors were so cute! They were ceramic peas that said "Two Peas in a Pod".

Prom Season

2009-05-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Stonebridge Manor!

It's a surprisingly quiet Saturday in the middle of May and we are getting ready for Coronado High School's prom. Lucky ducks, huh? This is the ultimate place for prom and the kids love it! We have had 3 proms here this year: Mountain View, Red Mountain and now Coronado. People always ask me if we dread having hundreds of teenagers exploring the grounds, but I always look forward to prom season. These kids are so good and very respectful of the beautiful setting. It's so fun to see what the trends are for dresses and hair do's!

We're gearing up for a busy week with 6 weddings. Good thing we know what we're doing! :)

~Lia

Here is a picture from one of our weddings last Friday from Flint's blog:

And here is a picture from last Saturday (congratulations everyone!):

Stonebridge Manor

2011 ideas............ 2012 inspiration

Fall @ Stonebridge Manor

OPEN HOUSE

Love

Wedding Websites

*NEW* Market Lights on the Manor Courtyard

Candy Buffet

Royal Wedding Trends 2011

Stonebridge Manor among the best in the wedding industry!

Showered In Love

Cutest Ring Bearer

AS YEARS GO BY

Assigned Seating

Dresses

Wedding cake

Live Webcast

Wedding Themes

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES

Lovely Lanterns

Hoops of Hope

Wedding Shoes

Wedding Party Favors

Wedding Wire Award

Hello World!

Lunch Time!

One of our Amazing Brides!!

Summer Weddings

Weddings In May

Pretty In Pink!

Prom Season

NEW Market Lights on the Manor Courtyard