Sheraton Cerritos Weddings and Special Events

My lovely Bride Crystal who was married on June 9, 2012 just sent me the following heart warming email today:

"Hello Cathy, 

We had the most wonderful experience at the Sheraton Cerritos! All the Hotel staff, particularly Barbara, Christina and Martha, were amazing. I could not have asked for a better staff to overlook the wedding reception. Barbara was the sweetest. She made sure that I was okay the whole night and she even heated my food so I can finish it later that night! I felt so bad for the bartender. I had a group of guys setting up their tent right in front of him. Haha.

And of course, you were the best! My brother told me, "I thought your catering manager was your friend from the way you guys talk to each other!" I knew I chose the Sheraton Cerritos for a reason. When I spoke with other vendors and their catering manager/wedding planner, I did not get a sense of professionalism from them AT ALL. I needed someone who was going to be ON SPOT with me and someone who I can communicate with without waiting for more than 24 hours. Haha.Thank you for making this experience easier for me. God knows Jon didn't help, but the fact that you and the Hotel staff made sure that everything was perfect, made the day a lot less stressful!

I can go on and on about how wonderful our experience was with you guys. But I think you get the point. :) Everything came out so well and the room was beautiful! 

Thank you, Crystal"

Thank YOU Crystal for making my day and for recognizing the staff's dedication in servicing our events!

It's always so crazy on wedding days that I hardly ever have the opportunity to take a photo with my Brides and Grooms. Imagine my surprise when I opened an email from Jennifer today (whose wedding was held with us on May 19, 2012) and saw the photo below and the following note:

"I need to thank you for all your hard work, our wedding and reception could not have gone any smoother without your support and care. We are truly blessed you were our wedding coordinator and I will refer your name and the Cerritos Sheraton to all the couples I know that get engaged.... Miss you a ton. Please keep in touch. Jenn"

This photo just makes me smile! Thanks Jenn! 

I had the pleasure of working with the Parents of the Groom, Santosh and Mahesh, to plan the Groom's portion of Sonu and Shelly's wedding reception on June 2, 2012.

This date was meaningful to me as my husband and I celebrated our own 5 year wedding anniversary that day, so I certainly felt a kinship to Sonu and Shelly as they enjoyed their special day.

As the Bride and Groom were both working out of state, Santosh and Mahesh worked diligently to plan the perfect event for their son. Since they are Cerritos Residents themselves, it was easy for them to stop by and chat regarding their event details instead of calling or emailing. I thoroughly enjoyed our meetings, because you can tell they were so genuinely excited and earnest to cover all the details to ensure their son and future daughter-in-law's happiness.

On the big day, our Crystal Ballroom glowed with twinkle lights on the stage decorated in red and purple uplights around the room. Our burgundy banquet chairs and burgundy napkins complimented the red and pink floral centerpieces. All the female guests wore stunning saris and traditional garb but I couldn't stop admiring Shelly in her pink beaded sari - she was quite the vision!

I received the following kind email from the Father of the Groom after the wedding:

"Hi Cathy,

We greatly appreciate your help in our son's wedding reception on June 2. Our friends and guest were very happy. Banquet Captain Barbara Reeder and other staff  Patty, Juan V., and Carlos did wonderful work. We will recomend our friends to do receptions here. Please forward my message to your General Manager.

Thanks a lot, Mahesh Jain"

Congratulations Santosh and Mahesh on a job well done as well!

Congratulations Sonu and Shelly on your marriage!

Thank you to the following wedding vendors:

Outside Caterer: Tandoor Cuisine of India

DJ/Lighting/Screen & Projector: Sandeep of Dhamaka Productions

Florist: Hollywood Bridal

Photographer/Videographer: Payal Photo and Video

Cake Bakery: Goldilocks

Karren and Adrian were married at our Fountain venue and held their reception in our Garden Terrace Patio and Ballroom on May 26, 2012.

In a unique twist, because the Bride didn't want their guests sitting underneath the sun during the wedding ceremony, we flipped the customary seating at our Fountain venue so the guests were facing the Hotel instead of the Cerritos Performing Arts Center. This section of the Fountain is always shaded in the late afternoon, and allows for a unique walk around the Fountain itself to the altar instead of the traditional walk down the aisle.  

Karren and Adrian are such a sweet couple! Case in point, even though Karren was a little nervous on their big day, Adrian kept making jokes and funny faces throughout the day to ease Karren's nerves and make her laugh. I got to tag along a bit at their photo session to see their couple shots and it warmed my heart to see how playful the Bride and Groom were with one another.

The event itself was very intimate, as only 80 of their closest family and friends joined in their celebration. Family members even flew all the way from the Philippines for Karren and Adrian's wedding! The ever popular purple color scheme decorated the Garden Terrace Ballroom, enhanced by fuschia uplights. Karren even hand made aromatic diffuser favors and custom menu cards to personalize the event for her guests. A slideshow created by the Bride and Groom filled with personal photos was played at the reception and brought tears to many of the guests!

Upon returning to the office after the wedding, Karren and Adrian personally stopped by to say thank you and presented me with the most yummy cake and treats from Porto's and the following card:

"Dear Cathy,

First of all, Adrian, me and my family would like to thank you for all your help during the wedding and all through out the entire wedding preparation. You've been so accommodating and very pleasant since we've met and have always being on top of things and have always an immediate answer to all my questions and concerns. It made the wedding prcoess not as stressful as others would describe it. Thank you for taking care of everything during the wedding. Your personal touch is greatly appreciated. We couldn't thank you enough. God bless and hope our paths will cross again.

Take care, Adrian and Karren Ramos"

A sweet couple indeed! Congratulations Karren and Adrian! I know you will enjoy a lifetime of happiness together, especially with such amazing families supporting both of you.

Here I am trying to emmulate the wedding photographers!

I took the ceremony aisle flowers and reused them to decorate the sweetheart table and cake table!

Thank you to the following wedding vendors:

FLORIST: Casablanca Los Angeles

DJ/LIGHTING/SLIDESHOW: Jun Alcantara

PHOTOGRAPHER: Dawn Lowrey

BAKERY: Rossmoor Pastries

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!

I also received the following thank you note from their wedding coordinator, Nicole, after the wedding:

"Lisa, I just wanted to thank you for all your help with Candace and Arvin’s wedding.  Your quickness in responding to the emails and helping with any questions on the day of the wedding made things run smoothly for the couple.  I look forward to working with you on future events. Thanks! Nicole, Events by NV"

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

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

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

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