We all yearn for the most fundamental need of human beings - to love and be loved. We can claim it as a right of every one of us on earth. Sadly, some of us have chosen to violate that right - through actions that strip away an individual's self-worth, self-esteem, and self-identity.

In this staggeringly challenging time, we all hope to bring peace to our global communities where human rights violations are rampant, to speak out against tragedies as a result of the historical and ongoing legacy of racial injustice and gender-based violence in the United States, to dismantle broken systems and rebuild a more enlightened society, to make a difference. Making a difference means each of us can be a point of light, a beacon for change. Some do it on a personal level - from conversations with your children during dinner to rising up as a charismatic voice for the people. Others may choose to use their businesses as a forum to effect change. Giant, billion dollar corporations such as Amazon can do it on a massive scale, where their message can be heard by a multitude of people.

Can a small, minority-owned business such as ours make an impact? Absolutely! 

When we got married 26 years ago, we felt blessed for the warmth and openness we received from our families - it was about love, no matter our different faiths or color of our skin. Since then, as owners of Tan Weddings & Events, we have been committed to serving “all faiths, all cultures, and all partnerships” - our humble way of making an impact.   Through our service as officiants and planners of weddings, we are proponents of unity, equality, and diversity. We are in a position to bring people of all color and cultures together in a joyful experience to celebrate and uphold the most fundamental of human needs - to love and be loved.

To love and be loved. It is so simple, so Zen, so poetic even. For a wedding business, it seems crystal clear to us, and we believe if all 7.6 billion people on earth followed this Golden Rule, all our problems would be solved, truly.  Unfortunately, we all have alienated ourselves from each other with layers of broken systems, biases, prejudices, racial injustice, mistrust, delusions of superiority, hate. With all that to cut throught, a mantra of "love and be loved" seems awfully empty and idealistic. We want to challenge you to believe we can cut through those layers and heal.​

Change takes time, learning and growing takes time. We are continually, day to day, reflecting inward and assessing our thoughts, words, and deeds, striving to become better people. If we all acknowledge that we have a lot of work to do, and that we have to do it with the core values of peace and unity, we can begin to heal. 

Our Pledge to Unity is our humble way as a wedding business to be a beacon for change. We will continue to model equality and unity in our professional setting as well as foster these values in our personal lives. We will continue to revise our pledge and to implement a plan of action that is thoughtful. We hope for a world that fully, wholly, and joyfully celebrates our differences and sameness. Love and be loved - it’s our right.

In our ongoing commitment to uphold unity, equality, diversity, and peace, we pledge the following:

• To Engage in Learning | We listen to our clients and concerned citizens, engage in thoughtful dialog,  and share educational and developmental platforms for staff, clients, vendors, and community, so we may support one another in raising our awareness and understading about equality, racial justice, and inclusivity. 
• To Cultivate a Safe Sanctuary | We cultivate a company culture that embraces people of all color, faiths, gender, partnerships, experiences, and capacities, where we foster a kind and caring environment that is safe, judgement-free, and protected, holding ourselves responsible for honoring all as unique individuals. 
• To Advocate for Diversity | We embody our core principles of diversity and inclusion by actively collaborating with BIPOC-owned small businesses, embracing a clientele of all faiths, all cultures, and all partnerships, empowering our Inclusion Specialist to expand our knowledge, and allocating resources for promoting diversity.  
• To Be Accountable | We are vigilant in analyzing our processes, examining our content, imagery, words, and actions to be aligned with our core principles. We are taking accountability for our business and calling ourselves out if we are not following our own commitment to be a beacon for change. 

Rick and Jennifer Tan
co-owners, Tan Weddings & Events
​Photo Credit | Jodee Debes Photography

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Elopements are dreamy, magical, romantic, and stress-free! During this pandemic time, Tan Weddings & Events is excited to offer officiating, harp, and all-inclusive packages for couple to elope in a variety of locations throughout California.

Stephanie & Tim's goal was to be married on 6/6/20 in Napa. When they realized that they would need to move their date to 2021, they decided to elope on 6/6/20 to keep their original anniversary date.

Surrounded by pristine redwoods and a peaceful creek, the couple shared vows and enjoyed spending time with their amazing photographer. They loved the whole experience and plan to come back to visit more of the beautiful arboretum.

We can't wait for their wedding day in 2021, and we are so grateful to have been a part of their special elopement on their original date.

Like many couple right now, Rachel and Jason had one type of wedding in mind, and then due to circumstances, needed to change their date and scope of the event. We loved working with this couple over time to craft the perfect wedding day to meet their needs.

The couple knew that Fairmont Sonoma was the perfect location for them. Hailing from Los Angeles, Rachel and Jason wanted a true get-away -- a wedding and honeymoon all in one! Fairmont offered beautiful accommodations, delicious food options, a pretty ceremony spot, and spa services, all on the same site.

In the end, the couple elected to do a romantic elopement with harp music, followed by dinner at the restaurant on site, Sante. They stayed a few days at Fairmont and spent time exploring the coast on their way home. A custom watercolor announcement was created by Rick on our team to commemorate the day.

Hosting an event at a private estate in a "real barn" can present some interesting challenges! Maddy and Danny envisioned their elegant ranch wedding at their friend's gorgeous property in Arbuckle, and the families immediately began planning how to bring electricity, water and other important details to life on site.

Tan Weddings & Events came in to assist with the overal design flow o the space, selection of rentals, and hiring of vendors. The bride's mother is one of our good friends and wedding vendors (rentals!), and she ensured that every last detail was designed to perfection.

The wedding party got ready at the bride's farm nearby, spending time together and taking photos before arriving to the venue. Maddy and Danny's ceremony featured a vintage truck, and an exquisite floral arch beneath a majestic oak tree. 

Customized draping and lighting made the reception space come to life, along with velvet napkins, taper candles and lush florals. The couple and their guests danced the night away after indulging in the most amazing cake and dessert display. 

We are excited for this couple who is currently expecting baby #2!

Lavender farm bliss!!!
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Ed is a wedding photographer, and Maggie loves lavender -- they met us early on and envisioned the perfect day for their guests to share.

Ed's mother crafted special florals, and incorporated lavender into the flowers and loose lavender sachets as favors for the guests. Maggie's maiden name is Snyder, so Snyder pretzels following the ceremony was a given!

Hues of sage green, lavender, champage, ivory and mettalic copper were woven throughout the event, matching the look of the beautiful Cache Creek Lavender Farm.

By far, Maggie & Ed's wedding day was one of the sweetest ceremonies and nicest group of guests we have ever seen!

How we love this couple and the bride's mom! Coco's mom called us and asked about planning an event within a few months at one of our favorite venues. We were beyond excited to help them bring their vision to life!

Fabulous Kim from the Pollen Mill sourced local flowers, including taking a trek to Half Moon Bay to find just the right shade of orchid for this wedding day. Pops of cobalt blue were seen in the beautiful floral vases and the bride's pretty shoes. Blues and oranges were paired to create some vibrance within the  reception space.

If you have not visited Gundlach Bundschu before, you are in for a treat! With a gorgeous tasting area, super-long wine cave, incredible outlook view of the vineyards and pond, their iconic old truck, and sweet barn -- there are many spots to explore on site. The wine is delicious, too!

Coco and Jake fell in love with the barn when they first saw it. The historical building is just steps away from a perfect view of the vines, so the couple decided to have their ceremony with the vineyard as the backdrop. Getting ready in beautiful Mary's House is quite an experience, in itself, and ended up being perfect for photos.

We wish this couple and their new baby all the best! 

If you haven't already figured it out, The Maples in Woodland is one of our favorite venues in Northern California. With picturesque views, multiple options for ceremony, cocktail and reception spaces, the most exquisite bridal suite and awesome groom's den, and the best venue staff, you can't go wrong with a wedding at The Maples.

Our styled shoot's theme was Spring! Featuring ceremony by the magnificent Chinese Pistache tree, cocktail hour by the Stable, and reception in the Arena, our incredibly gifted team of vendors had a wonderful time figuring out ways to feature some of the different spaces available on site.

A visit from Sugarland Horse Park horses made our day complete! And honestly, our models giggled and vendors had fun, the whole day.

Check out a couple of photos below of the gorgeous honeymoon suite, too! Thank you to this incredible vendor team (including the florist's sweet daughter/flower girl!) for making this day absolute wedding perfection.