When Carolyn Jones and Todd McCarty decided to marry, they could have chosen between New York, where McCarty lives, and San Diego County, Jones' home.
New York offered perhaps an infinite number of romantic locations, and locally, the communities of Del Mar, La Jolla and Coronado appear in countless wedding albums. Despite those choices, the couple not only chose to get married in Carlsbad, but right in Jones' neighborhood, old Carlsbad Village.
Jones realized that almost everything she needed was located in the small village area, from where to hold the wedding to where to entertain out-of-town guests. What wasn't right there was only minutes away.
Jones described a voyage of discovery as she planned her wedding day.
"After living in the village for so long, I had no idea there was all this great artistry in the village," she said. She learned that the village is attracting high-caliber professionals, and talent attracts talent.
It's gratifying to hear the city's redevelopment efforts validated this way. The City Council embarked on revitalizing the downtown village through a redevelopment agency in the 1980s, and clearly it has borne fruit. Some residents recall the area's hard times, when it offered none of the shops and services it does today.
The couple uncovered one jewel after another, such as Kristina Chartier, a photographer who moved her business to the village in 2008. Chartier said she was thrilled at Jones' idea to locate the event in her neighborhood.
"You can get amazing pictures in the village," Chartier said. "The beach, the old train station. We did an engagement session there. There are a lot of nooks and crannies in the village."
Jones is a corporate branding consultant and McCarty a senior vice president for human resources at the New York Times, so their wedding list included invitees from both coasts. Jones decided to house here 65 out-of-town guests at the Beach Terrace Inn on Ocean Avenue.
The couple selected St. Michael's By-the-Sea Episcopal Church on Carlsbad Boulevard for the ceremony. The church has a unique location and history. It has two houses of worship, one of which, the chapel, is the oldest church in Carlsbad, dating to 1894. The Pacific Ocean is practically on its doorstep.
"It has a very special sense of place," said the Rev. Doran Stambaugh, the priest in charge of St. Michael's. "To be able to smell the sea breeze and the salt air … there's something to be said for holy ground."
Other Village merchants and professionals Jones used were Mulloys Fine Jewelers on State Street, Studio Be makeup and hair salon on Carlsbad Village Drive and Modern Bouquet on State Street. The reception was hosted at Paon Restaurant and Wine Bar on Roosevelt, which Jones said provided the crowning touch for her celebration.
"Steve Barr (Paon's managing partner) is a complete orchestra conductor," she said. "Everything had an incredible sense of artistry."
"The village is an interesting place," said Barr, who grew up in the village and is a 45-year Carlsbad resident. "The quality of shops, the quality of restaurants, it's changing. It's a little on the slow side, but there are some wonderful places, and the village needs to be one of those places."
Barr said he's proud of his city, and of the village. He plans to open a second restaurant, CATCH, in the old Blockbuster building on Carlsbad Village Drive.
He said he was aware of his role in making the day memorable for the couple and their guests, and wanted everything to go perfectly.
"They were left with a lasting impression of what the village is, what Carlsbad is, and what the North Coast is," he said.
Congratulations to Carolyn and Todd. We were so glad to be part of your special day.
New York offered perhaps an infinite number of romantic locations, and locally, the communities of Del Mar, La Jolla and Coronado appear in countless wedding albums. Despite those choices, the couple not only chose to get married in Carlsbad, but right in Jones' neighborhood, old Carlsbad Village.
Jones realized that almost everything she needed was located in the small village area, from where to hold the wedding to where to entertain out-of-town guests. What wasn't right there was only minutes away.
Jones described a voyage of discovery as she planned her wedding day.
"After living in the village for so long, I had no idea there was all this great artistry in the village," she said. She learned that the village is attracting high-caliber professionals, and talent attracts talent.
It's gratifying to hear the city's redevelopment efforts validated this way. The City Council embarked on revitalizing the downtown village through a redevelopment agency in the 1980s, and clearly it has borne fruit. Some residents recall the area's hard times, when it offered none of the shops and services it does today.
The couple uncovered one jewel after another, such as Kristina Chartier, a photographer who moved her business to the village in 2008. Chartier said she was thrilled at Jones' idea to locate the event in her neighborhood.
"You can get amazing pictures in the village," Chartier said. "The beach, the old train station. We did an engagement session there. There are a lot of nooks and crannies in the village."
Jones is a corporate branding consultant and McCarty a senior vice president for human resources at the New York Times, so their wedding list included invitees from both coasts. Jones decided to house here 65 out-of-town guests at the Beach Terrace Inn on Ocean Avenue.
The couple selected St. Michael's By-the-Sea Episcopal Church on Carlsbad Boulevard for the ceremony. The church has a unique location and history. It has two houses of worship, one of which, the chapel, is the oldest church in Carlsbad, dating to 1894. The Pacific Ocean is practically on its doorstep.
"It has a very special sense of place," said the Rev. Doran Stambaugh, the priest in charge of St. Michael's. "To be able to smell the sea breeze and the salt air … there's something to be said for holy ground."
Other Village merchants and professionals Jones used were Mulloys Fine Jewelers on State Street, Studio Be makeup and hair salon on Carlsbad Village Drive and Modern Bouquet on State Street. The reception was hosted at Paon Restaurant and Wine Bar on Roosevelt, which Jones said provided the crowning touch for her celebration.
"Steve Barr (Paon's managing partner) is a complete orchestra conductor," she said. "Everything had an incredible sense of artistry."
"The village is an interesting place," said Barr, who grew up in the village and is a 45-year Carlsbad resident. "The quality of shops, the quality of restaurants, it's changing. It's a little on the slow side, but there are some wonderful places, and the village needs to be one of those places."
Barr said he's proud of his city, and of the village. He plans to open a second restaurant, CATCH, in the old Blockbuster building on Carlsbad Village Drive.
He said he was aware of his role in making the day memorable for the couple and their guests, and wanted everything to go perfectly.
"They were left with a lasting impression of what the village is, what Carlsbad is, and what the North Coast is," he said.
Congratulations to Carolyn and Todd. We were so glad to be part of your special day.