About Us
I Do Venues blog was founded by wedding planners Gloria Atherstone (of I Do Wedding Management) and Alicia Falango (of Alicia K. Designs) in January 2010. Their premise for the blog was to share their knowledge of wedding venues in California, and use their expertise to help brides searching for the perfect location to say “I Do!”
I Do Venues’ daily blog posts feature the hottest wedding venues in California with inspiring photo galleries by the best wedding photographers. The posts provide informative editorial with regular “Ask the Experts” segments; that cover venue-specific subjects and design ideas to help the bride visualize the venue with different themes and color palettes. In addition to photographers, planners and the brides themselves sharing their wedding tips and offering their DIY advice.
The blog has grown into the ultimate wedding venue resource for brides wanting to find the ideal location in California, by expanding into different fields using new technology and social media platforms.
I Do Venues offers:
- Daily blog posts of Real Weddings at California Venues
- An easy-to-use Wedding Venues Directory
- An interactive Rehearsal Dinner Directory
- I Do Venues iPhone app for brides-on-the-go
- Our I Do Venues E-mag is under development to launch in the first half of 2013!
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At I Do Venues, we believe in being inspired by your wedding venue! Choosing a location is the starting point in the process of planning your dream wedding. That’s why we are here, to help you choose the perfect California venue that suits all your wants and needs.
Our daily blog features gorgeous photography from real weddings alongside expert advice. Giving brides the opportunity to see the hottest west coast venues showcased in a variety of color palettes, themes and design styles (from chic and modern, to soft and romantic).
Today’s tech savvy bride spends over 80% of her wedding planning hours browsing the Internet, social media sites and apps when planning her ultimate wedding. We understand how important it is to use a reliable source. All the facilities featured on our blog (as well as our I Do Venues app) are prescreened allowing us to recommend them to our clients.
Our goal is to help connect brides with the best California wedding venues and vendors through the use of our blog, app and forth-coming e-Mag. Now, time to get inspired!
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We would love to hear from you! To contact someone from the I Do Venues team, please use our contact forms to help direct your inquiry.
Tel: (510) 236-3600
Address: 1160 Brickyard Cove Suite 102 Point Richmond, CA 94801
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Gloria Atherstone | Owner & Creative Director
Director of Business Development, Gloria Atherstone, has extensive experience in wedding catering and coordination. Gloria organically branched out to provide wedding coordination and design for her clients, after founding her catering company. The evolution from catering guru and foodie, to planner and designer, seemed perfect paired with her business degree and background in marketing and people management. Then came I Do Venues. As a wedding planner, Gloria quickly became aware that few brides could vision what their wedding venue will look like on their wedding day. It is overwhelming to enter a blank, vanilla building and imagine it filled with color, flowers and all things wedding. With this thought Gloria co-founded I Do Venues to help inspire brides as they enter into the challenging pursuit of choosing the perfect wedding venue.
Sophie Davies | PR, Marketing & Social Media
Sophie Davies is in charge of PR, Marketing and Social Media activities for I Do Venues. Sophie works with wedding related companies to strategically create campaigns, initiatives and special projects with I Do Venues. She also sources and writes our “Save The Trend” posts that features fun and useful events, workshops and wedding related activities happening throughout California . Sophie has extensive experience in Public Relations and Event Management with an international portfolio of clients in the fashion industry including Lacoste, Calvin Klein, Benetton, Hugo Boss, Sienna Miller etc . Sophie has planned and implemented various scaled events from intimate niche product launches to international runway shows.
Rachel Shapiro | Editorial Director
Rachel Shapiro serves as I Do Venues Editorial Director and is in charge of Editorial Content and Photography Submissions. Rachel received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Psychology. Her experience includes writing and reporting for a variety of entertainment and lifestyle websites, including The Hollywood Reporter in Beverley Hills. Rachel is passionate about feature pieces and fun stories. She has worked for American Idol and served as an entertainment reporter for start-up websites in Southern California. In writing for I Do Venues, Rachel swipes her “pretty pen” over each article making IDV a fun, informative and interactive place for everyone, especially brides.
Karyn Selby Miller | Account Manager of Venue Sales
Karyn Selby Miller is I Do Venues‘ Account Manager. After years of working in Real Estate, she handles Venues Subscriptions and Membership. She loves working with all the spectacular California wedding venues and their marketing teams in exposing their properties and defining what makes each venue special and unique. After many successful years in sales and marketing, as both a Realtor and entrepreneur, Karyn enjoys creating relationships with venues and building I Do Venues growing Membership. She believes that “nothing beats touring stunning wineries and fantastic locations to help our Brides find the perfect venue for their special day.”
Photos by Kelly Boitano Photography
