Sheraton Cerritos Weddings and Special Events

I still remember the first day that I met Candace and Arvin!  I gave them a site tour and as any Bride and Groom would be, both were excited to get married to the love of their lives but were also completely nervous with all the details that came with planning a wedding.  As I told them that first day and throughout the months leading to their special day, the most important thing is that the two of them are getting married and celebrating their love for each other.  All the details will fall into place and I would be there every step of the way to help in any way I could.  My Director of Catering Irene and I thought it was a pleasure working with both of them as they prepared for their wedding.

The day had finally arrived on May 5, 2012 and the Cerritos Ballroom looked gorgeous! From the elegant backdrop behind their sweetheart table to the beautiful floral centerpieces in tall, elegant vases to the white chair covers with burgundy satin sashes, our signature grand ballroom was a sight to be seen!  Candace looked stunning and Arvin looked handsome, both wearing white and beaming as they were ready to get the night started and begin their lives together as husband and wife! 

Take a look for yourself at all the special details that Candace and Arvin put together for their celebration, down to the custom seating chart and combination table number and reception itinerary!

Thank you as always to the hardworking wedding vendors below:

WEDDING COORDINATOR: Nicole Virtucio

PHOTOGRAPHER: Photo Kronology

VIDEOGRAPHER: Shaka Video Production

FLORIST: Cerritos Hills Florist

DJ: Joshua Ocampo & Randy Carigma

SPECIALTY LINENS/SEATING CHART: Glow Concepts / Tange Design

PLACECARDS/TABLE NUMBERS: Completely Gail

CHAIR COVERS: Stephanie's Linens

BAKERY: Amazing Cakes

PHOTOBOOTH: Souverazzi

On Sunday, May 6, 2012, the Sheraton Cerritos had our most lively outside catering wedding to date! Jignesh and Roshni held the Groom's Reception portion of their wedding celebration here with us and the sheer number of their friends that came out for the festivities kept the Hotel rocking until the wee hours of the morning. I had the fortune of planning the event with the Sister of the Groom, Dipali, who orchestrated the entire event like a seasoned wedding planner. She even acted as Master of Ceremony for part of the event, and watching her rehearse her speech before the event started was truly inspiring. The Cerritos Ballroom was decorated in deep shades of royal blue and accented with white satin butterfly chaircovers, and the whole effect indeed had a "royal" feel to it!

Congratulations Jignesh and Roshni! We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

Close up of the beautiful stage in purple and royal blue!

Thank you for the following vendors for making Jignesh and Roshni's wedding a success!

Outside Caterer: India Restaurant of Artesia

Florist and Decorator: Manjit's Flower Cottage

Photographer/Videographer: AJ Studios Inc.

Bakery: April's Cakes

DJ: Vik Dee Productions

Also while I was on vacation, Diana and David were married at our Fountain venue and held their reception in the Cerritos Ballroom on April 21, 2012. Lisa was present to coordinate their wedding day in my absence and upon return to the office, I received these lovely thank you notes to myself and Lisa:

"Dearest Cathy, From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank you for all your help and thoughtful words through this whole process. We really wished you could’ve been here to celebrate with us, but we understand. This day wouldn’t have been special without your help and advice. I hope you enjoyed your trip with your family. I hope to see you again. Thank you Cathy! Love, David and Diana"

"Dearest Lisa, We want to thank you for all the help you have assisted us with.  Our day couldn’t have been completed or have gone smoothly as it did without your presence.  From day one, you have been there to make this day special for us, and it was amazing. Thank you so much Lisa! David and Diana"

From the following pictures that Lisa took on the wedding day,  it seemed like a perfect day for Diana and David to exchange vows in front of the Fountain with the Cerritos Performing Arts Center as the backdrop.

The charming and dapper Groom David alongside his glowing and beautiful Bride Diana! What a dress!

Even though I knew David and Diana were in good hands with Lisa, being the control freak of a Catering Manager that I am (!), I couldn't help but wonder how the wedding was coming along on the day of (all the way from China!). Diana took such care with all the details of her wedding day, down to the color sash to match her Bridesmaid's dresses, that I so wanted to be present on the day of the wedding to see her walk down the aisle. In the end, I'm just happy knowing that Diana and David were happy with their wedding celebration here at the Sheraton Cerritos, and these two wonderful people found each other!

Congratulations Diana and David! I had such fun planning your wedding with the two of you and can't wait to touch base with you when you return from your honeymoon to hear all the details.

Thanks to the following vendors for making Diana and David's wedding a success:

Florist: Eden Florist                                                                                                     

Photographer: Jay of Chocolate Photography                                                          

DJ/MC/Lighting: Event Plus                                                                                             

Photobooth: Cheesy Photobooths                                                                                          

Chaircovers/Overlays: Glow Concepts                                                                                        

Bakery: Rossmoor Pastries

Wedding Season has officially started and a big congratulations to Nadia and Omar! While I was on vacation in Shanghai attending a wedding myself, Nadia and Omar held the Bride's Reception of their wedding festivities here with us on April 22, 2012 in our grand Cerritos Ballroom. Since I wasn't able to take photos of the event myself, I wanted to share with you their engagement photos to show you how adorably cute this couple is!

Nadia's Father Zahid was my main contact for the event and he was thorough and detailed to the very end to ensure that his beautiful daughter had just as beautiful of an event. While I was so disappointed I wasn't able to see their event happen, I knew that my colleagues would take good care of them on the day of the wedding! I heard that Nadia was breathtaking on the wedding day and the dress she wore was so intricate with handbeading, it must have weighed 20 pounds!

Below were all the vendors that made Nadia and Omar's event a success:

Day of Wedding Coordinator/DJ/Lighting: Kamal Sandhu

Florist: Abid of Dil Se

Photographer/Videographer: Yusef Keekeebhai of YKKB

Outside Caterer: Shahnawaz Restaurant

Congratulations again Nadia and Omar! I look forward to seeing your wedding photos and sharing them with our blog readers! 

Hi Everyone!

Did you get to meet Lisa and I at The Debut Show this past Friday evening held at The Villa in Westminster? Besides chatting with Brides, Grooms and Vendors, we braved the cold outside in their patio while sipping delicious lychee cocktails and munched on scrumptious Asian Fusion hors d'oeuvres provided by Furiwa Chinese Seafood Restaurant www.furiwa.com. Furiwa invited us to participate in the show as one of their preferred Hotels who partners with them to provide traditional Chinese Banquet Catering for weddings. I can say firsthand that their Chinese food is authentic as they come and their Asian Fusion cuisine gives you the best of both East and West!

Since this bridal show is called "The Debut," it was only fitting that The Sheraton Cerritos debuted our very own logo recyclable bags to Brides and Grooms at the event! These recyclable bags are perfect to use as wedding planning bags as well as for grocery shopping and are environmentally friendly.

Schedule a tour of The Sheraton Cerritos for your wedding and receive your very own logo recyclable bag. Or visit our booth at the Bridal Showplace show which will be held at our Hotel on Sunday, April 22nd from 11:00am to 4:00pm where we will be handing them out as goodies! http://bridalshowplace.net/show.html?show.id=2268

Lisa and I stopped shaking just enough from the cold to take this photo!

It's always a nice feeling of accomplishment when you receive "Thank You" notes from your Clients! Below are two I received from Miriam and Denmark's wedding from the Bride herself and her sister Elizabeth, who helped plan the wedding:

Hi Cathy,

We are really happy with the outcome of the wedding and just happy all the planning and stress is done. Thank you so much for all your help. :)

Dear Cathy,

Time flies so fast, I can't believe that it's been 3 weeks since Miriam and Denmark's wedding. I just wanted to thank you so much for helping make Miriam and Denmark's wedding so memorable! Right from the start I know my sister Miriam was very pleased with your customer service. Your personality really sold us on the Sheraton Cerritos because you were so fun. :D You were a really invaluable part to making their reception run smoothly and it was like a weight off my shoulders because I knew you and your staff would do an awesome job.

From the planning stages all the way until the day of the wedding you were awesome. I mean who else makes awesome table numbers that match the wedding colors, the day of the wedding? I even heard that you were able to save the lumpia from being devoured before it was placed in catering trays, that in itself was an amazing feat.

Thanks again, everyone was impressed with how organized everything was and how pretty the cerritos ballroom turned out. You and your staff were very professional and helpful.

-Elizabeth

Hello Everyone!

Did you get to meet Lisa and I at the Bridal Showplace show this past Sunday at the Hyatt Long Beach? We chatted with prospective Brides and Grooms until our throats were hoarse and passed out some great Spring Wedding Promotions.

If you missed us, don't worry! We'll also be participating at The Debut Show presented by Lifetime Weddings & Events at The Villa in Westminster on Friday, March 30th from 7pm to 11pm. Visit their website at www.thedebutshow.com for more information. We are also hosting a Bridal Showplace show here at the Sheraton Cerritos on Sunday, April 22nd.

Here's Lisa and I at the end of a long show day with our 2 remaining wedding packets left!

Thanks to Glow Concepts www.glowconcepts.com for their beautiful Purple Pearl Sequin Linens. So many Clients asked us about them!

CALLING ALL BRIDES AND GROOMS!

Come visit the Sheraton Cerritos booth at the Bridal Showplace wedding show on Sunday, March 4th from 11:00am to 4:00pm at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach. We will be offering special promotions to attendees who book their wedding celebrations with us!

For more information and to purchase tickets for the show, visit: http://bridalshowplace.net

Lisa and I hope to see you there!

Cathy

This past Saturday, The Sheraton Cerritos had the honor of hosting Miriam and Denmark's wedding reception in our Cerritos Ballroom. Their wedding was a labor of love and a true family affair, as all of their wedding elements were handmade and their siblings and cousins all lent a hand with the day of set up. From their custom invitations, cake pop favors and even the centerpieces, everything was made from scratch. The touching slideshow, featuring interviews with key family members and friends and played at the reception, even brought me to tears! A special shout out goes to Elizabeth, Sister of the Bride and Maid of Honor, who worked hard to help plan this event along with Miriam and endured my endless stream of emails requesting information! More details to follow once I receive the official photos from Harvard Photography but in the meantime, here's a sneak peak from my own camera:

Congratulations Miriam and Denmark! Hope you are enjoying your new life together and we are honored to have been a part of your special day.

I personally lined up all 200+ placecards and yes, they are in perfect order!

The Cerritos Ballroom, decorated in shades of white and lilac.

A last minute change of plans had me creating table numbers for the wedding - of course I had to make sure they matched the theme and color of the event! 

Last night, the Sheraton Cerritos had the honor of hosting the beautiful wedding reception of Shailiana and Karim in our Crystal Ballroom! The Groom's sister, Ashraf, coordinated, planned and hosted the whole event as a gift to her little brother. The Crystal Ballroom looked truly stunning and I joked with Ashraf that she should start a new career as a wedding planner! Besides the gorgeous decor by Manjit's Flower Cottage, the evening featured delicious food by At Watan of Hawthorne and even Bollywood Fusion dancers. I will of course provide a complete list of the vendors once I receive the photos from the professional photographers. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak of the wedding from my own trusty little Canon camera.

Congratulations Shailiana and Karim! We wish you a lifetime of happiness together and thank you for allowing us to celebrate with you.

The Crystal Ballroom in the midst of set up...

The finished product!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

I hope you will be able to spend a portion of the day with the ones you love or at least tell those important to you how much they mean to you today and every day.

Here's a photo below of me and my Valentine on our wedding day. I can't ask for a better one than my husband Curtis! We usually avoid Valentine's Day like the plague but since we really haven't had much free time alone with a baby at home, we are going to take advantage of the Grandparents babysitting and will be celebrating tonight at... The Olive Garden! (Hey, it's close by and who can resist their unlimited breadsticks?!)

Share with me how you spent your Valentine's Day!

Photo Courtesy of Skye Blu Photography  

(P.S. Please do not expect me to look like this in the office - I don't have a hair and makeup team on standby everyday! Haha!)

Sara Holland from At Your Door Events www.atyourdoorevents.com, one of Sheraton Cerritos' Preferred Wedding Planners, sent me the awesome promotion below to share with our Brides and Grooms!

Did you know that Starwood offers honeymoon registries for our hotels and resorts in Hawaii and the Caribbean?

Let your friends and family share in your dream honeymoon! Starwood hotels and resort in Hawaii and the Caribbean, featuring iconic brands like St. Regis, Westin, W Hotels, Luxury Collection and Sheraton, are ideal escapes to begin your life together.

Get all or a portion of your dream honeymoon as wedding gifts after you complete your on-line registry for these dream destinations. In addition, you’ll receive a free wedding website, email announcement cards, a guest message board and more.

It’s a quick 5 step process:

1. REGISTER:

To learn more about the Hawaii registry, visit starwoodhi.honeymoonwishes.com or call 877-699-5884.

To learn more about the Caribbean registry, visit starwoodcaribbean.honeymoonwishes.com or call 877-699-5884.

2. CHOOSE:

Add the items that you want to your registry.

3. TELL FRIENDS AND FAMILY:

Use Starwood’s announcements and emails to inform

friends and family about your registry.

4. WAIT FOR GUESTS TO PURCHASE:

Guests buy items from your registry quickly and easily.

5. ENJOY YOUR HONEYMOON:

Collect your gifts and go on your dream honeymoon.

I want to dedicate this blog entry to la familia Marquez. This family has decided to continue the Quinceañera tradition here with us at the Sheraton Cerritos.

What’s a Quinceañera? Most of us think it is just a fiesta… but I want to share the actual meaning of this special event with you. The Quinceañera tradition dates back to more than 600 years to the Aztec and Mayan cultures who celebrated when a young girl became eligible to marry, have children, and take on the responsibilities of a woman in the community. Eventually, the Spaniards were influenced by this tradition, and a Catholic connection emerged.  

I remember cuando cumpli 15 años, I did not want to have a Quinceañera because I thought I was too cool for that! Now that I am older and wiser (jajaja) I regret it… I don’t have fotos or a memory of that special day. So I definitely encourage young señoritas to celebrate that special day whether it’s in your backyard or at a beautiful hotel… like the Sheraton Cerritos!

Paola, thank you for letting us to be a part of your special day…I hope we made it extra especial para ti y tu familia! Gracias!

Photos Courtesy of Cesar Photography

Executive Chef Rudy Rosales

Chef Rudy is an experienced professional with a combined 15 years of experience in the hospitality culinary industry.  His career includes 9 years as Executive Chef to branded properties such as Wyndham Hotels and Crowne Plaza San Marcos Resort.  Throughout his career he has been responsible for catering to a diverse population of guests and events including corporate events, conferences, weddings, quinceañeras and other special events and celebrations. 

Prior to entering the hospitality industry, Chef Rudy was a Pastry Chef for a local pastry favorite in the city of Montebello where his desire to enter the Culinary field initiated and later resulted in his pursuit of a Culinary degree from the California School of Culinary Arts- Le Cordon Blue in Pasadena, California.

He and his staff are dedicated to making your event memorable by ensuring that your every culinary desire is represented in your events menu.

Wow! Can you believe that we're almost finished with the first month of 2012? January has flown by with an unbelievable amount of inquiries we've received for weddings and other special events. If you are interested in the Sheraton Cerritos for your own celebration, definitely contact myself or Yazmin soon as our 2012 dates are booking up fast. We are already even booking into 2013!

Switching gears, I wanted to share with you a "Real Wedding" that had the distinction of being our last wedding of 2011. Due to our convenient location in the middle of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, as well as being the closest full service Hotel to Little India in Artesia, the Sheraton Cerritos is host to many fabulous multi-ethnic and Indian Weddings. One of the benefits of holding your ethnic celebration here with us is that we permit the use of ethnic outside caterers. Julie and Prasanth came from two different backgrounds but decided to hold an Indian Wedding Reception here with us to celebrate Prasanth’s cultural heritage. Take a look at some of their wedding day images complete with a gorgeous mandap (ceremony altar) and a horse and carriage for the baraat (Groom’s processional).

The Mother of the Groom was also kind enough to send the following thank you note after the wedding:

"Dear Cathy Cheng, Lisa Lifton and All Staff at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel, Thank you for providing finest, friendly & comfortable services for Prasanth and Julie's wedding reception on November 19, 2011. Thank you again for everything."

Photographer: Kristine Marie Ambrose www.ambroseweddings.com

Outside Indian Caterer: Woodlands of Chatsworth www.woodlandsinla.com

Florist and Mandap: Deepti's Floral Designs and Mandaps www.deeptisfloralandmandaps.com

Horse and Carriage: Enchanted Carriages www.yourenchantedcarriage.com

Photos Courtesy of Ambrose Weddings

The Sheraton Cerritos is proud to debut its brand new 2012 Wedding Package, offering an extensive list of inclusions with every wedding such as hors d’oeuvres and appetizer displays, fruit infused lemonade station, champagne toast, gourmet 3 course meal with wedding cake, chaircovers with organza sash and honeymoon suite! For more information on how to begin your wedding bliss at the Sheraton Cerritos, contact Cathy Cheng, Catering Manager at (562) 403-2005 or cathy.cheng@sheratoncerritos.com.

Undoubtedly one of my favorite parts of a wedding or birthday celebration is the cake! Wedding and birthday cakes of today are truly edible works of art. We are lucky to be partners with two awesome cake bakeries here at the Sheraton Cerritos, who create delicious cakes for all our special occasions. They are Rossmoor Pastries of Signal Hill www.rossmoorpastries.com and Amazing Cakes of Anaheim www.amazingcakesofcalifornia.com. Take a look at some of their creations below!

 Photo Krono

 Photo Krono

 Photo Krono

 Photo Krono

 Photo Krono

 Focus Photography

 Harvard Photography

 Studio AR

I am a sucker for lemon and tres leches cakes (hint hint...gift ideas!). Share with me your favorite cake flavors!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Besides actually tasting the scrumptious food we offer here at the Sheraton Cerritos, Menu Tastings are a great way for the Catering Managers to get to know our Clients. You are able to see the food presented the way it will actually be on the day of your event, and customize the preparation, sauce and starches to your personal preference in consultation with our Executive Chef.  I've had two great wedding menu tastings within the last several weeks and wanted to share with you some photos of the items tasted to tempt your palate!

Dry Rubbed Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Demi Glace, Crispy Onions, Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Herb Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Breast of Chicken with Herbs and Lemon Zest, Natural Au Jus Gravy, Garlic Red Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetable Medley

Porcini Crusted Halibut, White Zinfandel Sauce, Garlic Cream Fusilli Pasta, Seasonal Vegetable Medley

Pistachio Crusted Ono Topped with Fresh Vegetable and Garlic Sofrito, Saffron Rice and Asian Vegetable Medley

Heart-Shaped White Chocolate Gelato with a Strawberry Sorbet Center Dipped in Creamy White Chocolate, Raspberry Coulis

Yummy! My Brides and Grooms always ask me why I don't join in tasting the food with them. To be quite honest, I absolutely would, but my budget doesn't allow me to buy new suits with the weight I put on eating our delicious food!

Share with me your favorite Hotel wedding food experience! 

The Sheraton Cerritos is proud to be featured on Here Comes The Guide, The Knot and Wedding Location. Take a look at our new web ads below:

http://www.herecomestheguide.com/southern-california/wedding-venues/sheraton-cerritos-hotel/

http://www.theknot.com/Vendors/SHERATON-CERRITOS/Profile/CAR/084/445526/profile

http://www.weddinglocation.com/location/957/cerritos-wedding-orange-county-wedding.html?src=search

Hello everyone! Yazmin and I are proud to introduce another integral member of our team, Lisa Lifton, Sales and Catering Coordinator. Having worked the last two years in the hospitality industry and at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel, Lisa has earned the respect of our entire Hotel staff as someone they can rely on to ensure all details of a Client’s big day go smoothly and as planned.   Lisa can handle anything that comes her way, whether it is for a wedding, corporate gala dinner, birthday party or overseeing a multi-million dollar real estate conference group. However, her heart does have a special fondness for weddings and social events and is our right hand gal to assist in the planning process and overseeing our events on the day of.

As a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Lisa received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications.  Initially working in public relations and the entertainment industry, she decided to shift directions when she happened upon the opening at the Sheraton Cerritos by chance.  Not only does Lisa have a great work ethic, having been awarded Associate of the Month twice here at the Hotel, but she also is involved in the local community by becoming a Miss Cerritos Princess and establishing great contacts within the city.

In her free time, Lisa loves watching movies, trying new restaurants and of course, traveling, which is great when working in this industry as there are Starwood hotels all throughout the world!

Lisa is eager to see where her career in hospitality leads and knows that each day is a chance to learn something new and to become better at what she loves doing.  She truly enjoys working with people, and especially looks forward to being there on your event day to make sure that day is as special as the Client imagined!

Hi, I’m Yazmin Carreño, the Social Catering Manager at Sheraton Cerritos.

I was born and raised in Mexico City, until I was 15 years old... and I have been living in California since then, so I am definitely a Cali girl and yes I speak Spanglish.

So what’s a Social Catering Manager? People always ask me, do you cook? Pero la respuesta es siempre NO… but I finally got the right answer - my job is to book anything that has a dance floor (besides weddings… that’s Cathy)!

I started working in the hotel industry in 2001 and I can tell you that I don’t see myself doing anything else…Bueno despues de tratar el Front desk, Reservations, Food and Beverage, Revenue and Group sales… I finally found one of my biggest passions (besides shoes)… to help plan life’s most important events.

A quien no le gusta tener un evento... right? Quinceañeras, Sweet Sixteens, Debutantes, Class Reunions… o simplemente una fiesta.  Los eventos son parte of our lives and it is essential to enjoy them from the beginning. I enjoy creating an atmosphere in which people can have a good time without worries or distractions… Needless to say how fun they can be!

I have been quite lucky to work with some of the finest staff and learned under some outstanding management teams such as Holiday Inn, Furama Hotel and most recently the Four Points by Sheraton in Culver City. I believe that I have a wealth of experience and innovative ideas that I have collected during the last 11 years…  I look forward to sharing them with you!

Yazmin

Happy New Year and welcome to the brand new Sheraton Cerritos Weddings and Special Events Blog! I am so excited to be able to share with you the latest and greatest happening here at the Hotel in 2012 via this blog. You will be able to get to know us and learn why the Sheraton Cerritos is such a great venue to hold your own celebratory events.

To kick off my very first post, I thought I would start by introducing myself! As the Catering Manager specializing exclusively in weddings here at the Sheraton Cerritos, I have the pleasure of introducing our lovely property to prospective Brides and Grooms. Once the couple decides to hold their wedding with us, I then have the honor of assisting them throughout the planning process with finalizing the details of their wedding day. Finally, I oversee the wedding day itself along with our amazing Banquet and Kitchen team to ensure all that the carefully planned details come to fruition for the newlyweds!

A wedding is one of the most important days of a person's life, and I felt the same about mine when I was married back on June 2, 2007. However, I actually began my obsession with weddings over a decade ago when a dear friend asked me to assist with her wedding plans. At the time, I was in the entertainment industry as a Distribution Sales Manager for an independent movie production company. But once I entered the magical world of weddings, I changed careers and never looked back!

Prior to joining the Sheraton Cerritos, I was a Meetings and Special Events Manager with The Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena and transitioned to Catering Sales Manager after the property became The Langham, Huntington. During my tenure there, my focus was also on booking and servicing weddings, which routinely exceeded over 100 per year!  

I am a graduate of the University of California, Irvine with a BA in English.  I am also a native of Cerritos, so it's wonderful to be able to return home and work in the City I grew up in and raise my 8 month old baby boy. Besides my family and weddings, the other loves of my life are good food, bestselling novels, movies in general, traveling around the world and, I'm not embarrassed to admit it, reality TV!

Looking forward to sharing more in the coming year with you... Cathy