A year ago, we enjoyed a most magical wedding at a place we now consider a home away from home: the Cedar House. As we remember this day with a full heart, we are so thankful to all the people who made it possible!
Visiting the Cedar House, we were inspired by the beautiful grounds and stunning architecture. In meeting Patty Baird for the first time, she was diligently working on a project deadline. However, she took the time to meet us, shake our hands, and genuinely connect with us. Our first impression of the Cedar House’s atmosphere and Patty is what brought us back to plan the most important day of our lives. We came to the table with an intricate rough draft of our ceremony and reception. Patty and the chefs took copious notes and listened to every aspect of our vision. We wanted to create a Hobbit-themed wedding as well as weave in cultural rituals into both the ceremony and feast. Even though we did not ask, she took it upon herself to coordinate our off-site ceremony because she couldn't bear to risk our happiness on that day. She knew the challenge of what we were asking, but she recognized how important it was for us to keep the integrity of our vision. Patty took the intricate components and orchestrated them so seamlessly that we play the wedding over in our minds until this day! We remember how a ceremony with many moving parts and numerous family member participants seemed effortless thanks to Patty’s expert design consultation. Back at the reception, she transformed the Cedar House into a Hobbit hole, greeting us with a master-crafted Hobbit door that opened into the magical warmth of a rustic pantry kitchen.
Dining at Stella at Cedar House, we experienced a caliber of creativity and decadence that invoked savory tastes of comfort. It was then we knew we wanted Cedar House to prepare our sacred wedding meal. Sure enough our Hobbit-inspired wedding dinner was “a night to remember” for us and our family! Ben, Alex, and Lupe were able to craft dishes straight from our imagination of what homemade Hobbit food would be like. They were also able to create authentic dishes from the mixture of our Nordic, Filipino, and Creole heritages. As we walked through the door, Eric’s warm and enthusiastic hosting spirit made us all feel we were at home.
We want to thank the Cedar House for executing a day that will always be remembered. A grateful thank you to the kitchen and wait staff. People still talk about the amazing meal that Alex and Ben created, and wish they could taste once again the decadent desserts Lupe spent all morning baking. Thank you to the hospitable front desk -- especially Stephanie whose presence is elegant, professional and down-to-earth. Thank you to all the hard-working hands who cleaned our rooms and turned down the sheets. The fresh cleanliness of our comfy rooms made us all sleep like babies. Thank you to Martha and Rob for working with Patty on the floral arrangements and Hobbit door. A special thank you to Jeff Baird for his hands-on set-up at our ceremonial site, and for the extra mile he went in taking care of our cousin Oscar who required extra support. As soon as we all arrived at Cedar House, every one of us felt treated like family and made to feel at home. Since the wedding, our family has been fortunate enough to visit the Cedar House, and we are always greeted with hugs as though we were returning home.
We are profoundly happy whenever our family brings up memories of their best time at our wedding. None of those memories would have been created without the personal involvement of everyone at the Cedar House. Thank you for putting your hearts into our special day, for it lives now in our hearts forever.
With love and gratitude,
Brooke and Christian