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kenyonestate

Kenyon Estate is a new private gated estate just south of the Napa Valley, in the hills between Vallejo and American Canyon.
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testimonials

"My husband and I were married in July and Jason was our wedding planner. We live all the way across the country and I truly could not have done it without him! The day turned out to be absolutely perfect, the decor was beautiful, and everything ran smoothly! Jason and Gladys' help during the planning process, their connections within the industry, and their professionalism on the day itself was priceless. I really was able to depend on them and enjoy the most wonderful day of my life... and it was!"
— Jennifer Messih Ockers, Palm Event Center, Pleasanton California

“Using Jason’s services for my wedding planning is by far the best decision that I have made during the process. Throughout the planning I have never felt stressed or anxious about my upcoming event. Jason’s creative ideas and his ability to take initiative have allowed me to ENJOY my engagement. The entire Bay Area Entertainment personnel are extraordinary in the time and effort they have put in to create the wedding of my dreams. I highly recommend Bay Area Entertainment for any of your future event planning needs.”
— Chelsea Taber Bowman, Claremont Resort, Berkeley California

“Jason's work with Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has been great - he's got the best contacts around and knows how to work with our team. Plus, he brings great energy and that is a plus when it comes to serving our guests.”
— Nancy Chan, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo California

"Our wedding was held in Napa, CA about 4yrs ago and it was a beautiful day. A large part of why that day ran so smooth was becuase of Jason. The reception was help at the Napa Valley Country Club and Jason ran the whole show just perfect. We were pleased with the whole night. We sat down with Jason a couple of days before and went over what we wanted, the music we wanted played and our dream of how we wanted the reception to go. He went above and beyond. Everything happend exactly the way we wanted it to. We are forever grateful for Jason. THANK YOU!!"
— Mele Kamauu DeMille, Napa Valley Country Club, Napa California

“Dear Jason, Without any reservations, we would highly, highly recommend Jason for any special event. In our wedding decision-making process, we met or traded emails with three DJs in order to make our best decision. We felt a DJ was a very important element to our wedding and we chose Jason because of his past work, his wonderful personality, his attention to detail and the servies he offers to the wedding couple. He GETS it - really GETS it. He makes the wedding couple feel special with every service he provides - plus brings laughter, professionalism and creativity to the table that makes you feel comfortable from the very first meeting. Jason is fun-loving, yet very professional. He offered to do the day-of-event wedding coordination for us and we quickly took him up on his offer. Jason is quick to plan and then direct the activities of the day to make sure everyone knows their part and the wedding day goes off without a hitch. And it did! The day flew by but Jason was there directing at the wedding venue and was responsible for the tiny details that let the bride and groom enjoy their day. However, the best part of hiring Jason is ... Jason himself. We can't say enough about him to articulate how much he added to our wedding and how much we appreciate him being there to coordinate and entertain on our special day. It was obvious Jason put in many hours to plan the wedding day schedule, book the extra band, lay out the music, author our introduction to the reception and plan the "newlywed game", which was a huge hit! After the wedding, we had many of our guests tell us how much they enjoyed our wedding - the music was great and the newlywed game was something they had never seen before. That's Jason. We were so pleased with Jason and cannot say enough to fully express our happiness in finding him for our special day. Our wedding day flew by and Jason was the epitome of professionalism. We never had to do anything to direct him - only answer his questions about details he would take care of on the wedding day. He worked many hours before the wedding too - it's obvious he loves his job and is good at it. He arrived at the wedding venue early and stayed until the last guest left - which was many hours of work. Overall, Jason was a huge key to our wedding "success". His services weren't the cheapest, but what we got was priceless. There are far more expensive DJs that offer much less service - and we still feel like we got the "Cadillac". The amount of time he spends with you and the quality of his work is worth every single penny - but you also get Jason with the package and he is the biggest bonus of all. We were blessed to have found him and we are very, very happy to recommend him very, very highly. Thank you so much, Jason! We wish you continued success! Harry & Laura Brown October, 2006”
— Harry Brown, Jefferson Street Mansion, Benicia California

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YOUR WEDDING ON SALE

Tough economic times have affected pretty much everything in our daily lives, including the cost of weddings. People are a little more frugal in their spending and the wedding industry has recognized this. As a result the cost of wedding related services have come down for the first time in over a decade. Just a couple years ago budget was just ONE of the factors couples based their decisions on. In 2009 budget was THE factor couples based their decisions on.

I have been telling our clients for two years now that everything they need for their wedding is on sale. Recently I began working on a wedding at a popular Bay Area resort where the cost is now half of what it was just two years ago, a sure sign that the event industry is feeling the pain and just about everyone is trying to be more competitive.

Although wedding budgets have dropped across the board, the number of weddings continue to increase year after year. According to The Wedding Report the number of weddings in California for 2008 were estimated to be 224,090, in 2009 there were 226,195 weddings and in 2010 California is expected to have approximately 227,599 couples tying the knot.

If you are planning to get married in the near future, don’t delay, there are many indications that the sale may end soon. The Wedding Report tracks all wedding related statistics for local and national markets. For example, in Benicia, California the average wedding in 2008 was reported to be $43,628. Reported spending on the average wedding in 2009 was $39,554. Projections for 2010 are up slightly at $41,186, however, still below 2008 spending levels. Projections for 2012 are up to $44,449 for the average wedding.

SAVE MONEY WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY
There are many ways to take advantage of the exceptionally low wedding costs (for modern standards that is) before it is too late.

IF YOU DON’T ASK YOU DON’T GET
The first rule is, do not be afraid to ask! My rule has always been “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” You might be surprised, just by asking for a better price you could save 25% off their fee.

BOOK SOON
If you are considering a wedding in 2011, you may want to consider setting your date before the peak wedding season begins in April. I suspect by May 2011 rates will be back above 2008 levels.

OFF-PEAK
Saturdays are the most popular day of the week, they are also the most expensive, followed by Sundays, then Fridays. Mid-week rates are even lower! If you are flexible you can rack up tremendous saving for a Friday or mid-week wedding without cutting back on any of your dreams. Most wedding sites will have a minimum price for Saturday weddings. Some venues may have a minimum for Sunday weddings, but very few venues will have a minimum for a wedding Monday thru Friday.

BREAKFAST OR LUNCH RECEPTIONS
Morning or afternoon receptions are another way to stretch your budget. In my 18 years of weddings, I have done breakfast and lunch wedding receptions that were a blast. The truth is, what  really makes your wedding reception fun is the people you surround yourself with. If you have fun people at your wedding your wedding will be fun. A breakfast or lunch wedding can save you over 50%.

BYO FOOD AND BEVERAGE
The site is a major factor in your budget. Consider a wedding site that will allow you to choose your own caterer and bring in your own beverages. For the average wedding Food, Beverage and Site fee will account for about 50% of your overall wedding budget. It may take more effort on your part to arrange food and beverage on your own, but you will enjoy massive savings by doing so, not to mention you will have the ability to choose exactly what you want rather than being locked in to whatever the venue offers.

PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE
These days working with a professional wedding consultant can easily save you more money than they cost. It was once believed that a wedding consultant was a luxury only the wealthy could afford, that is no longer true. Professional wedding consultants make it their business to save their clients money, time and relieve stress in the process. They know how to set a realistic budget and keep you to it. They have relationships with the venues and vendors that will meet your expectations within your budget. Check with the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) for local certified Bridal Consultants www.BridalAssn.com.

Keep in mind that your wedding reception is simply a celebration of your marriage. The marriage should always be placed at the center of your wedding celebration and don’t lose sight of what is really important. There is no need to spend a fortune to have a great wedding.

Jason Diavatis is a Certified Wedding Consultant at Bay Area Entertainment and sits on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE). Bay Area Entertainment, based in Benicia California, has been providing Wedding Planning, Day of Coordination and professional DJ and Live Entertainment in the San Francisco Bay Area and Napa Valley Wine Country since 1993.

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