Bridal Spotlight! Raymond and Leila Raquipiso

  Raymond and Leila Raquipiso

Wedding Date:   May  19, 2012

Ceremony Site:  Star of the Sea Catholic Church

Reception Site:  Virginia Beach Convention Center

Photographer:  Marco DiFlorio

DJ:  Phillip Andrada

What first drew you to the VBCC? 

Knowing it would accommodate a dance floor the size that we've always imagined.  The space in just one of the ballrooms is grand and the height of the ceiling makes it feel majestic.  We've heard great things about the ballrooms from our friends and families who've attending previous wedding receptions and other events there. 

What made you decide to book? 

We'd have to say the atmosphere presented to us by each individual we met at the VBCC.  Everyone we dealt with (Cassie, Tina, James and Chris) were enormously helpful, friendly and absolutely made us feel comfortable with our decision to commit to the VBCC Ballroom. 

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding? 

Everything was falling together with the church and the VBCC coordinating the schedule of events... the best thing, the most awesome feeling about planning the wedding was knowing that our two families and groups of friends would be gathering at one location (well two) especially for Lei and me. 

What was the most challenging part of planning your wedding? 

This was an absolute tie.  First there were all the requirements from our church in order to have a Catholic wedding.  When we thought we had fulfilled all of these requirements, it seemed another "need" would come up.  Everyone at the church, especially Father Steve gave us the guidance we needed to complete everything on time.  Secondly, the seating arrangement and "nesting" those familiar with each other at the same table or near one another.  But that was certainly alleviated after dinner once everyone mingled and got up to dance. 

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Groom)? 

 We started of our First Dance just slowly swaying to our song "You and Me" by Lifehouse.  We practiced and practiced our routine... and at about 55 seconds into the song, it hits a certain note where it picks up the beat.  We slowly took our pose and went into a Waltz frame.  The second we took our first Waltz step, the crowd roared and cheered for us. 

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Bride)?  

During the wedding ceremony when I was saying my  vows. 

What was your favorite thing you ate at your wedding reception? 

Dinner entrees were absolutely delicious.  Everyone we've had a chance to talk to said they really loved their plate. 

 What is your favorite photo from your wedding day?

What is your favorite part of being married (Groom)? 

 Knowing I'm in a loving, trusting and committed relationship with my best friend. 

 What is your favorite part of being married (Bride)?

 From Leila:  "Being with you, spending time with the one you love, acting and making decisions as one" 

 Anything else you want to share? 

We would like to thank everyone at the VBCC for helping us make our day wonderful

We here at the VBCC loved working with such a fun and laid back couple! Thank you for sharing your day with us- best wishes!

Bridal Spotlight! Chris and Cynthia Tenney

Name:  Chris and Cynthia Tenney

 

  Wedding Date:  May 12, 2012

Ceremony Site: Indian River Plantations

Reception Site: Virginia Beach Convention Center Ballroom

Photographer: Jennifer Warthan Photography

DJ: I had a band! Fine SWISS Cheese!! Amazing!!

What first drew you to the VBCC?

The people and the spacious atmosphere that provided a comfortable place to celebrate with our friends and family

What made you decide to book?

The Room and the details they had to offer. The employees are all so sweet and helpful, How could I not?

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding?  

My favorite part was actually having my now husband wanting to be apart of everything. He wanted to go to all the meetings with the vendors. He never just said “you do it all and I’ll love it” No, he actually made the time to show up to things with me and place his input. It was a wonderful bonding experience for us. :)

What was the most challenging part of planning your wedding? 

The most challenging I would have to say would be “the LIST”. It was so hard to pick who to invite.  We at one time had 400 people listed. I know, crazy! It was just so hard to pick between all of our family members, friends, acquaintances, etc.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Bride)?

The first dance!!! Chris actually picked out the song! I was shocked by his choosing because he hates country, so when he picked it I was so excited and shocked at the same time. The song truly describes us. It was called “when you have a good thing” by Lady Antebellum.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Groom)?

When I first saw her walk over the bridge to me and being able to see her in her dress. “She looked beautiful”

What was your favorite thing you ate at your wedding reception? Definitely the Fajita station!!

What is your favorite photo from your wedding day?  

What is your favorite part of being married (Bride)?

It feels good to say “Yes!! I am Married!”  and to be able to say I have a husband and having someone to care for other than myself. Just walking hand and hand together doing every day things as husband and wife is my all time favorite.

What is your favorite part of being married (Groom)?

Just being more connected to the most beautiful woman in the world has taken the cake for me. It was the most great feeling to tie the knot and to know that this is the one person I will love and will love me unconditionally forever.

Thank you Chris and Cynthia for sharing your amazing day with us at the VBCC! We loved having you and we wish you the very best!

Bridal Spotlight: Anselmo and Jennifer Cantu

Name: Jennifer Dionisio and Anselmo Cantu (Mr. and Mrs. Cantu!)

Wedding Date: May 26, 2012

Ceremony Site: International Christian Church

 

Reception Site:  Virginia Beach Convention Center

Photographer: Erin Lundy

DJ: Emer Lunasin

What first drew you to the VBCC?

I went to a friend's wedding several years ago and loved loved the food and the ceiling lights. I went to many weddings before but did not remember the food except VBCC. I wasn't even dating Anselmo then but I remember telling my mom "I want my wedding reception here!"

What made you decide to book?

For me, the two things that are important at a wedding reception is number one the FOOD and two if people had fun.The Virginia Beach Convention Center was the first venue that came to my mind when I got engaged because I loved the food  so much and the ambiance of the ballroom.  Plus it was the only venue available for May 26, so I figured it was meant to be!

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding? By far the taste testing at the VBCC. I love to eat and I enjoyed trying all the delicious food.

What was the most challenging part of planning your wedding ? To be honest the hardest part about wedding planning was choosing the flowers. There are so many beautiful flowers to choose from and I wanted to make sure I chose the right flowers to fill the ballroom (since the room was so large)

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Groom)?

When my beautiful bride walked down the aisle.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Bride)?

So many moments to choose from, but I believe it was when I walked into the ceremony for the first time and  looked into Anselmo's eyes while he waited for me at the alter. At the moment everything sunk in and realized this is it, I'm getting married! I felt like I was in a fairy tale.

 

What was your favorite thing you ate at your wedding reception?

I didn't get a chance to eat dinner because we were so busy greeting our guests, but the cocktail food was delicious!  I had like 5 pieces of crabcake! But everything was so good from the coconut shrimp to the breaded scallops to the pan seared salmon and walnut chicken. We received so many compliments on the food from our guests!

What is your favorite photo from your wedding day?

What is your favorite part of being married (Groom)?

Its a wonderful feeling being able to look back (planning, stressing out, decision-making) and know that God was in control the whole time. My favorite part is that our marriage is God-centered and being able to share a lifetime together.

What is your favorite part of being married (Bride)?

It's awesome to wake up next to your best friend and know God brought us together. I look forward to building memories and growing old with Anselmo. It's a blessing to be married to your best friend and being a team.

Anything else you want to share?

Thank you VBCC -Cassie and Darcy especially for making our day so memorable. Your team did an awesome job. It was more than I imagined and I would certainly recommend anyone to have their wedding reception at VBCC!

Thank you Jennifer and Anselmo for sharing your special day with us!! Best wishes for many happy years together!

Follow us on Pinterest!

The Virginia Beach Convention Center has created some Pinterest Boards to share great event ideas and some fabulous wedding inspiration! Follow us to see all of the great stuff!

A Wedding Thank You...

Check out this amazing VBCC Family Portrait we received as a thank you from a recent wedding...

James (VBCC Sales Manager), Tina (VBCC Event Manager), Cassie (DG Catering Sales Manager), Chris (Whitlock AV Coordinator)

Signature Drinks!

In the world of weddings there are so many ways to personalize the reception from color to decor to little surprising touches here and there.

Why not take that one step further and add a signature drink to your event?  Our Exclusive Caterer, Distinctive Gourmet offers a variety of signature drinks that are popular among any crowd.

Some examples:

Blue Paradise Martini  

Vodka, Sweet and Sour mix, Blue Curacao, and Pineapple Juice

Crystal Raspberry Fizz

Vodka, Cranberry Juice Cocktail, and Raspberry Liqueur, Topped with Champagne

Peach Bellini

Peach Puree and Champagne

Cranberry Slash

Vodka, Lime Juice and  Cranberry,

Watermelon Martini  

Vodka, Watermelon Pucker (Pink or Green) and a Splash of lime

The Zahara

Malibu Coconut Rum, Pineapple, and Sierra Mist with a Grenadine floater.

The Green Island

Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila, Melon Liqueur, Sour Mix and Sierra Mist

ALSO AVAILABLE:

THE CRUSH BAR (a really unique focal point for your cocktail hour)

Crushed Ice with Guest Choice of Orange, Grapefruit or Strawberry

Orange is served with Vodka, Triple Sec and Orange juice topped with Sierra Mist

Grapefruit is served with Vodka and Grapefruit with a splash of Cranberry

Strawberry is served with Rum and Sour with a splash of Cranberry and Raspberry Liqueur, then topped with Sierra Mist

Already have a signature drink that you and friends and family love?  Give us the recipe and we will make it for you! We can do almost anything!

Want a fabulous signature drink and want to keep it non-alcoholic??  We can so do that too!  Chat with your catering sales manager and we can set you up!

Want some other ideas? Click on the photo below.

Another Happy Couple!

We got a sweet note from the mother of the bride for a wedding we had on March 31, 2012 and we just couldn't help but share.

"I just want to thank you so much for everything you did to make my daughter’s reception  magnificent. Words just can’t express how I felt Saturday. Everybody is talking about how they enjoyed themselves, how it was just beautiful and how the food was great. The staff was awesome and  of course you were awesome also. The food OMG even the tea J was superb. There is NOT one thing I would have done different. That’s how great everything was. There was NOT one thing that I could complain about. THE EVENT WAS FLAWLESS. The cocktail hour when I got there, I could see how people were enjoying that and were just so laid back like they were homeJ. People were telling me it seems as if they had traveled far away couldn’t believe that it was right in VA. People were so amazed with what they saw and they bragged about that food. People were saying they had never been to anything like this. That was my goal to have something that no one had seen or been to. You made that dream come true for me and of course my daughter but especially me J. I was a teen mother and she is my only daughter. I wanted to do something that people and she will always remember and you did just that. Oh the lighting was excellent. The lightning made it feel so romantic in there. Everything was magnificent!!!!!! When I think about it, I get teary-eyed. It was AWESOME!!!

Thank you again for everything!

Amy Carver"

The Bride and Groom  (photo taken by Sabrina Rinaldo)

Thank you to the new Mr. and Mrs. Watson for choosing the VBCC and sharing your wedding day with us!

We wish you the very best for a happy life together!

Menu Cards Inspiration

A trend we have been seeing with our weddings (especially those that do a custom spread) are Menu Cards!  They not only provide your guests with useful information (What's for dinner??) but also can add style and color to your table. Menu cards can add that little something extra to an otherwise tranditional table setting.

Here are some of our favorite ideas:

Photo: Courtesy of Sarah Drake Designs

Photo: Courtesy of Wedding Paper Divas

Photo: Courtesy of The Dandelion Patch

Photo: Courtesy of Invitations by Dawn

Cards can be specialy ordered or printed yourself at home so they can be a reality for any budget.

For more information check out what Martha Stewart has to say here!