Ann welcomes every opportunity to be creative. The former interior designer cannot hide her love of art. Her background includes floral work and store design. A three-day destination wedding at Lake Tahoe demanded all of her talents: The rustic estate had to be prepared for the wedding guests, furniture needed to be stored and other pieces rented, and the local event professionals had to be coordinated. She even found a bagpiper, who played right on cue as the groom arrived by boat at the ceremony site.

"It doesn't always have to be expensive," Ann told me as she showed me an attractive table decoration for a Halloween wedding, consisting of miniature pumpkins and hand-painted votive candles. For a French-American wedding she incorporated the customs of both countries into the celebration. The favor boxes were filled with scrabble letters (the favorite game of both families), old stamps of both countries, and sections of French and American maps, as well as custom chocolates and French almond dragées. Ann used to coordinate parties for KQED.

After her children left home, Ann wanted to change direction and realized that wedding and event planning would be the perfect choice. She could combine her desire to help others with her passion for the artistic. She took courses from ACPWC (Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants) and continues her membership as she attends continuing education classes.

References reported that they love working with her. "I don't know where to start," one former bride told me. "She was so good at working with our not-too-big budget, yet she still gave me many options. She has excellent taste; the favors she designed were a work of art. She was very sensitive, and stepped in and out of the planning as needed." Another bride had this to say: "I absolutely loved working with her. She gave me the wedding I wanted: an outdoor wedding mixed with elegance."