My husband, Ben, and I got married at Dipsea Gardens last June. Dipsea Gardens is a multi- level primarily outdoor space overlooking Stinson Beach. If you don't know the area, Stinson Beach is in a beautiful and slightly remote location on the ...California coast. We fell in love with the venue immediately but we knew choosing this venue came with a unique set of challenges. Access to the town was limited and choosing an outdoor venue made us susceptible to the often unpredictable California coastal weather. Since we've worked with McCalls previously we knew they could handle this unique site from beginning, middle, and end- they did not disappoint.
Since the town and venue didn't offer much in terms of wedding rentals everything was brought in from San Francisco/ Marin. Given the unique landscape and varying weather we had multiple onsite visits to figure out all possible scenarios that might transpire the week of our wedding. They were prepared, made sure to reserve heaters and tenting in case we needed but also be conscious of our vision and budget.
We had a very specific vision for what we wanted- everything centered around the view of the ocean and an alfresco family-style dining experience. Our wedding planner, Lauren, took copious notes on what we wanted and the experience we envisioned for our guests. Lauren helped us create a perfect menu for the cocktail hour - one that reflected the season our beach venue. We had beautiful and bountiful ceviche & oyster bar along with some delicious passed appetizers of all of our favorite things such as tomatillo chicken tacos, beef filet, and Spiedino caprese.
Nick our Maitre d' and Bar manager/cocktail specialist extraordinaire developed some delicious "his and hers" craft cocktails - for her a ginger mint margarita with a hint of mandarin; and his a rye whiskey with lavender, lemon & honey. Needless to say they were a huge hit with our guests.
For Dinner we wanted a family-style dining experience for our guests. We brought in Pizza Politana, a vendor who specializes in wood fired pizza for our main course. McCalls provided everything else on our dinner menu. Our guests were treated to an amuse-bouche of tomato water (a McCalls specialty), a leafy green salad, prawns 'a la plancha',roasted veggies, and a plethora of petite sweets, pot au crèmes and strawberries.
In addition to helping us create a menu, she kept us organized, and on schedule during our planning process. She was patient with our sometimes indecisiveness and busy schedules and always supportive not only as our planner but as a friend.
On the day of, I threw a lot of curve balls at McCalls regarding my family and personal tasks. I was met with a willingness to do anything and everything to make this lifetime event so memorable. Our event manager Nick & personal butler Felix checked in on us, the wedding party, and immediate family constantly throughout the evening. Numerous friends and family told us how helpful, fun, and thoughtful the entire staff was - referring to everyone by name.
McCalls exceeded our vision for what our perfect wedding could be. My husband and I have received so many compliments on the food, service, and staff. A true testament of the McCalls team dedication to us and their clients.