Place to Buy Jewelry

Bryant & Sons, Ltd.

812 State St., 966-9187; 1482 E. Valley Rd., Ste. 37, Montecito,
565-4411

Rules and protocols of love demand
certain iconography — hearts, candies, flowers, and when it’s
serious, jewels and the diamond you marry her with. There are even
more expensive rings that say, “Whoops, you caught me.” And don’t
forget bling, which in certain professional circles is a must.
Bryant & Sons has always prided itself on covering the whole
range with beauty and great versatility. You can get it here.

Finalist Fibula Daniel Gibbings Jewelry

Bridal Shop

Santa Barbara Bridal

15 W. Figueroa St., 730-7300

Kielle Lindsey is overjoyed to
have made the readers’ list at all, seeing as they’ve only been
open for a year. But it’s not like the fourth-generation Santa
Barbaran is new to the business — she was general manager of the
recently closed Rumours, a store that routinely took top honors in
this category for the last decade. “I’m super excited to win this
award,” said Lindsey, whose store specializes in the highest end
(Vera Wang) bridal couture, but also has something for every price
consideration. “This is such an honor. Santa Barbara is such a
great place to start a business, and everybody has been so
supportive.”

Finalist Ana-Maria-Bridal Boutique

Place for a Wedding Reception; Kid’s Summer
Camp

Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens

500 Niños Dr., 962-5339

The camp has been running every summer for 31 years. “So now we
have a lot of fun; we have a second generation of people coming out
to the camp — their parents went and now they’re going. The best
part I think is how we’ve kept this focal point on the camp. We
work on the experience of each age group that goes through, so
we’re constantly refining it,” said Director Rich Block, whose
gorgeous zoological gardens are on the property once known as the
Child’s Estate, snuggled in by the bird refuge and East Beach.
Using the zoo as a wedding site has been very popular throughout
the years, too, with parties ranging from small (about 50) to huge.
Block is very proud that Food Network’s super-babe Giada De
Laurentiis recently came to the place and filmed an upcoming
episode of Behind the Bash. “We have about 45 weddings here every
year, which is almost one a week,” he said. “We’re very honored
that Santa Barbara loves to come here.”

Finalists Place for a Wedding Reception: Bacara
Resort & Spa; Kid’s Summer Camp: YMCA

Bed & Breakfast

Upham Hotel

1404 De la Vina St., 962-0058

They are celebrating the Upham’s 135th birthday this year. “The
funny thing is that we were around back before the Arlington Hotel
and the Potter were built,” said Upham General Manager Jan Martin
Winn, who thinks it’s ironic that those long-gone hotels are the
ones people talk about when the historic Upham, where George
Clooney stayed recently, doesn’t get so much historic attention.
The Upham was there before Stearns Wharf, when the building’s
cupola could be used to espy tourists boating in to the beach. But
is the venerable Upham a bed and breakfast? “Maybe it’s a little
big for a B&B, but it certainly has all the charm,” said Winn,
laughing. “It’s whatever people want it to be.”

Finalist Simpson House Inn

Limo Service; Cab Service

Rock Star Taxi & Limousine

217 W. Gutierrez, 882-9191

“We’re definitely thrilled,” said Rock Star owner James
“RockStar” Houseman. “We have a nice little following based on our
musical theme,” he said, referring to the iPods blasting music in
their limos and cabs. And though the cab service has been growing
steadily for four years, this is the first year they’ve done limos
and it’s been stellar. “I never would’ve guessed we’d be winning
this prize this year,” he said. “Thanks for everybody who voted for
us, making us number one.”

Finalists Limo Service: Spencer’s Limousine
& Tours; Cab Service: Blue Dolphin Cab

Romantic Restaurant

El Encanto Hotel & Villas

1900 Lasuen Rd., 687-5000

Of course it’s one of the stars of the moonlit, heart-beating
dining experiences where the sighs may have less to do with the
cuisine than with the company. The food was pretty great, though.
But the point is, it’s gone. The restaurant, part of the hotel as
well as a nice place to meet anyone for anything at anytime of day
has been torn down, to rebuild, the owners say, the exact same
thing — only with newer materials. Owned by the people who send the
Orient Express shuttling from Paris to Istanbul with a four-star
dining car, the new place has the advantage of location no matter
what they build. Ironic that they won now that they’re gone, but
let’s hope they win again after the reconstruction.

Finalist Cold Spring Tavern

Place to Buy Intimate Apparel

Victoria’s Secret

651 Paseo Nuevo, 962-1023; 130 S. Hope Ave., Ste. 17-A,
569-7111

Well it wasn’t going to be Sears. From a male perspective, this
is one of those shopping trials you tend to judge with deep
ambivalence. Sure it’s fun to go in with or without a woman friend.
But, on the other hand, there seem to be many unwritten laws about
where your eyes should travel and how the expression should
register. Cool appraisal seems best, and when making a purchase,
just remember the clerks have heard every dumb joke you are about
to tell. But the best thing about shopping here, whether you are a
boy or a girl, is how easy the clerks make those unmentionables
buyable.

Finalist Tropical Affair Lingerie &
Bikinis

Tuxedo Rental

King Tux Formal Wear

22 W. Calle Laureles, 682-8888

It’s been in the Petrini’s district since 1974, according to
owner Brian Kaylor. Their secret to success is a huge inventory
ever ready for your emergency formal wear situations. “We have low
prices and a lot of stock,” said Kaylor. “And we’re particularly
good at last-minute stuff; we’ll definitely find you
something.”

Finalist Mission Tuxedos

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