There is nothing more moving than a beautifully choreographed first dance. Watching a couple sway together in perfect harmony is always a wedding favorite.  Perhaps I’m particularly partial to this wedding standard as I started taking ballroom dance lessons while in college at U.C. Davis, which was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Me showing off my ballroom skills at my sorority's formal

I feel that learning to dance with your fiancée, bridal party or special someone allows you to develop a deeper relationship as you must work together in sync to create a graceful and memorable dance; moving as one to the same rhythm just as you would in your marriage.  Many couples are opting to take dance lessons to help them feel more confident and prepared for their special day. These lessons are often a fun break from your wedding planning and can allow for you to spend some quality time with your fiancée.

Arthur Murray Dance Studio offers many special dance programs to help you tap into your inner Ginger Rogers or Fred Astaire. With personalized dance programs, Arthur Murray Dance Studio will help even those with two left feet (because ladies hate having their toes stepped on and guys fear heels) learn social dances to enjoy at your wedding, reception and date nights to come!

Here is a short video detailing some of the many benefits of Arthur Murray dance lessons:

Does the refined waltz, the sexy cha cha and tango or the fun hustle and quickstep make you want to develop twinkle-toes? If so contact Arthur Murray at 951-506-7600 or visit their website www.temeculadance.com to schedule a wedding dance consultation so you can get your groove on!

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*Dedicated to my first dance instructors Gwen and Donelle who taught me all the ballroom basics and made me feel right at home on the dance floor and all the wonderful gentlemen with twinkle-toes who were so patient leading me on the dance floor*

There’s nothing more satisfying than a hot fresh sugary sweet donut….so why not have Mom’s Mini Donuts at your wedding or special event? Ever wonder how donuts are made? Mom’s Mini Donuts donut machine can make over 1200 donuts an hour and allows guests to view the baking process. Served in small boxes, goodie bags, or self serve platters these donuts are customizable with many different toppings from powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar and an assortment of glazes. That’s not all: they also offer hand dipped ice cream bars, frozen bananas, sundaes, frozen lemonade and many other yummy treats! With over 20 years of experience, Mom’s Mini Donuts strives to deliver quality desserts and excellent service for your wedding or event.  These treats are sure to be a hit with guests of all ages and would be perfectly paired with a coffee bar as donuts and coffee are the perfect marriage of sweet and savory.

Contact Mom’s Mini Donuts at momsminidonuts@yahoo.com or 909-275-5067

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From medieval times to the modern day, every girl dreams of meeting her prince charming and (despite what they may say) every boy wishes to find his princess. When these two meet and fall in love  we call it a fairy tale ending. But what happens if trouble starts brewing and your knight in shining armor is not around to rescue you from “dragons”, “wicked witches” and “evil spells”? Not to fear ladies, Damsel in Defense has you covered. No need to lug around a sword and shield: with stun guns shaped like cute pink cell-phones and pepper spray disguised as lip stick, you’ll like feel like 007! Damsel in defense also offers personal protection parties perfect for bachelorette parties! Damsel in Defense is all about equipping women with a cute, discreet and affordable line of products to give you peace of mind whether you’re at home or on the go.

Visit http://www.damselpower.com and you’ll no longer be a damsel in distress….but a damsel in defense!

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(Mel Myers, Owner of Three Hearts Bake Shop)

I had the pleasure of meeting Mel Myers of Three Hearts Bake Shop at one of our recent weddings here at Lake Oak Meadows and I can attest that her petite cookies and pastries are a heavenly treat whether you’re a “dessert person” or not. Artfully displayed on white porcelain trays and bejeweled crystal tiers, these treats are not what you’d find at your school yard bake sale and are perfect for dessert tables or guest favors paired with personalized goodie bags at weddings, fundraisers and parties.

After sampling over 35 of her delectable desserts from classic strawberry cheesecakes to the unusual and unique chocolate chip maple bacon cookie sandwich with maple bacon butter-cream filling (this bride had a sweet tooth to rival mine!) my personal favorites are the butter-tarts, snickerdoodle blondies and the Hazelnut cookie sandwich with nutella filling.

Clearly, I’m not the only one who is raving about Three Hearts Bake Shop as they are the only bakery in Southern California with a perfect 5-Star review on the online guide Yelp that allows you to view and write reviews on businesses and services.

To view Three Hearts Bake Show desserts visit their website www.threeheartsbakeshop.com, Facebook page and Etsy and Pinterest profiles.

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The Cigar Guy’s are the perfect interactive experience for any event including bachelor parties and weddings. Founder’s Alex Lukoff and Tony Wilson offer many different exciting packages from a cigar bar with a variety of custom pre-rolled cigars of various strengths and flavors (vanilla, cherry, etc.) to a fun and interactive program taught by a master roller that allows guest to learn how to roll, cut, light and smoke a cigar. If that’s not enough, they offer a Cigars 101 class geared to teach participants about all the steps that take place from the tobacco seed to the finished product. The Cigar guests provide a great experience for you and your guests as well as quality products. If you are interested in The Cigar Guy’s coming to your event, you can visit them on their website www.thecigarguys.net or email them at info@thecigarguys.net

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Temecula Dove. Hulse Photography

The release of white doves, universally recognized as symbols of love, peace and purity, is a classic wedding tradition that embodies the love and devotion of a newlywed couple. The two doves flying off into the blue horizon so poignantly represents the young couples love taking flight as they begin their new life together.

Bryan Hanna of Temecula Dove has raised and trained these graceful birds since the young age of ten and along side his wife Debbie carry on this lovely wedding ritual. This video captures the beauty of a dove release from Temecula Dove:

If you would like to incorporate a dove release at your wedding ceremony or special event contact Temecula Dove at 951.695.2318 or visit their website at www.temeculadove.com for more information

-Abbrarose Link

Hulse Photography

If you’re reading this, you probably know all about our A Night Under The Stars Open House on April 15th from 4:00-7:30 (and have hopefully RSVP’d/ordered dinner via Pay Pal). If not, go back to our home page and click on the banner for information before reading on. All caught up? Great!

We’re so excited about this event as there will be excellent food, amazing vendors and a the chance to see Lake Oak Meadows in it’s evening splendor. To get you excited too, over the next couple weeks we’ll be featuring some of the many vendors that will be participating in this years event, so please keep checking our blog for more updates!

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