Best of Santa Barbara® 2023
by Tyler Hayden | Photos by Ingrid Bostrom
See the rest of our Best of Santa Barbara® 2023 winners here.
Bed & Breakfast/Inn
The Upham Hotel
The Upham possesses that relaxed cheerfulness of a bed and breakfast but operates with all the conveniences of a larger hotel, complete with high-speed Wi-Fi, terrycloth robes, and Louie’s — a restaurant so good that it keeps you on their acre of lush gardens and grounds. Built by banker Amasa Lincoln (a relative of Abraham Lincoln) in 1871 and purchased by Cyrus Upham in 1898, the 50-room hotel is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Southern California. To go all-out on a romantic retreat, book their Penthouse, which has a living room, fireplace, spa tub, waterfall shower, and private terrace with mountain views.
Runner-Up: Simpson House Inn
Caterer
Pure Joy Catering
After the pandemic, “We have spent the last three years rebuilding the company,” said Lynette La Mere, Pure Joy Catering’s founding executive chef and owner. “Onboarding spectacular talent; building exceptional teams; refining procedures, sources, and recipes; and broadening our capacity to create world-class celebrations. We’ve retained our messy, sexy Santa Barbara style, and we’re ready to make next year our best ever! We’re so very grateful for the love and support of our community — we love you right back!”
Runner-Up: Events by Rincon
Event DJ
DJ Darla Bea
It’s pretty simple why DJ Darla Bea has swept this award for eight years and counting: “I love music,” she said. “I love people. I love making people happy through the magic of music!” An SBHS Don and UCSB alum, Bea has a knack for reading the room and picking just the right playlist to keep those bodies moving. She’s opened for acts like Poolside, English Beat, DMC of Run-DMC and the Egyptian Lover, performed ahead of Diana Ross at the Bowl this June, and is a hot ticket on the local wedding and event circuit. Her background is in radio broadcasting, meaning her microphone skills and emcee abilities are also perfectly tuned.
Runner-Up: DJ Zeke
Event Rentals
The Tent Merchant
Yes, The Tent Merchant rents tents. But that’s only a fraction of what they do. The husband-and-wife-owned business offers all the necessary infrastructure needed for weddings, fundraisers, galas, and other large gatherings, including flatware, tables, chairs, rugs, planters, pillows, and the million other things you need to pull off such events in style. “We are so honored!” said Sherine Sobhani-Leenhouwers. “This is the most special award because it is voted on by our local community — and we are such a local company! We adore working with our clients, creating memories that will last forever. Each event is so important to us, and we feel so proud that we get to share these moments with them.”
Runner-Up: Town & Country Event Rentals
Florist
Riley’s Flowers
Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
Riley’s Flowers started out as a little stand at the intersection of State Street and La Cumbre Road in 1976. The stand is gone, but in its place is a beautiful European-style “bucket shop” on Chapala Street full of fresh blooms, including a kaleidoscope of different cut roses. Walk-ins are encouraged, they never use plastic (only wax paper or glass and ceramic), and they offer special arrangements, such as the Mission Canyon, a swoon-inducing mix of stargazer lilies, white snapdragons, and hydrangea, and large red roses in a clear glass vase topped with a French ribbon.
Runner-Up: Kaleidoscope Flowers
Hotel
San Ysidro Ranch
[See Drinking: Restaurant Wine List]
Runner-Up: Rosewood Miramar Beach
Limo Service
Rockstar Transportation
“We’ve always lived by our mission statement,” said Stephanie Chase, operations manager for Rockstar Transportation. “‘It’s not where you go, but how you get there!’” The company ― which runs a literal fleet of limos, shuttles, SUVs, town cars, buses, and trolleys, and is expanding into helicopter tours pretty soon ― always strives to be more than just a means to get from Point A to Point B. “We want our clients to feel like they’re important,” Chase said. “No matter if you’re an A-list celebrity or just an average Joe, all our clients will get the same rock star treatment.”
Runner-Up: Luxe Transportation
Photographer
Kacie Jean Photography
Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
“This was such a treat to win for the fourth year!” said photographer Kacie Jean, whose love for the medium grew in her first few years of college, when she’d ride her bike to Sands Beach to catch the sunset. She later moved across the street from Alice Keck Park, where she’d watch weddings from her balcony, and then went on to graduate from the Brooks Institute of Photography. “I will be celebrating my 20th year of business in six months,” Jean said, “and have so many exciting things in store ― special photo giveaways, a client appreciation celebration, and the release of some online photo courses to help others gain a love of photography!”
Runner-Up: Anna Delores Photography
Restaurant with a View
The Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach
Runner-Up: El Encanto, a Belmond Hotel
Stationery Store
Paper Source
papersource.com/locator/ca-santa-barbara
“We are so excited about winning for Best Stationery Store!” said Jasmin Torres, a manager at Santa Barbara’s Paper Source, which may be a national chain but sure doesn’t feel like one when you’re standing among all their handmade cards and stationery, wrapping paper so pretty it’s a shame to tear, and tables spread with fun and smart gift ideas, especially for kids and crafters. “Our close connections that we make with our customers is what makes us special,” said Torres. “Also, we have a little bit of everything for everyone!”
Runner-Up: Folio Press & Paperie
Wedding Cake Shop
Lilac Pâtisserie
[See Eating: Gluten-Free Options]
Runner-Up: The Little Things Bakery
Wedding Planner
Tyler Speier
Event planner extraordinaire Tyler Speier has loved weddings since he was a little kid, when he watched his parents’ wedding video. His mom’s dress, her cascading bouquet, the look on his dad’s face when she walked down the aisle ― it all moved him, and now he helps make those memories for a living. “I find so much joy being a part of so many important milestones,” Speier said. “I love that events bring people together. Despite our differences, events celebrate the things that make us human: love, connection, family, and community.”
Runner-Up: Dulce Dia Events
Wedding Venue
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
santabarbaraca.com/businesses/santa-barbara-county-courthouse
“Spoiled” is what we are to have a world-class wedding venue so close. “Historic, vintage elegance, with a sprinkle of magic.” That describes the famed structure itself, said Christina Iris Franquet, special events coordinator for Santa Barbara County Parks. “From the elaborate hand-painted murals to the ornate wrought-iron chandeliers and incredible panoramic views of Santa Barbara and beyond, the courthouse continues to impress as one of the country’s most beautiful public buildings.”
Runner-Up: Santa Barbara Historical Museum
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