I did not honestly expect to be caught up in feelings of, well, EUPHORIA! 

However, as soon as I set foot in the Fire Garden property, I sensed the night would be a special one, filled with whimsical surprises & adventures…”

READ MORE about EUPHORIA and view the enticing PHOTO BLOG here: http://treatyourselfsandiego.com/2012/07/30/euphoria-dining-event-at-the-fire-garden-in-bonsall/  

“If you have a special event coming up, I highly recommend The Fire Garden as the locale. As we explored the grounds, we kept discovering more and more unique & incredible finds tucked away throughout the property. You should have seen my face as we stumbled upon serene meditation hide-outs, vintage pianos standing tall a midst the wildlife, a free-standing canopy bed straight out of a fairy tale and fully lit chandeliers hanging from the tree tops! Amazing!”

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRE GARDEN AND OPPORTUNITIES TO HOST YOUR EVENT ON OUR DECADENT PROPERTY VISIT US HERE: www.firegardenevents.com

He makes fire sculptures and metal furniture. Some of the Fire Sculptures are powered by propane, often from almost invisible fuel lines that make the visitor search for a source of the fuel. Some are wood burning fire pits.

He brings his passion to life in The Fire Garden, his property located in Bonsall where he has his metal shop and hosts about a dozen weddings a year.

D’Aula has had the property for about twelve years. When it was first acquired, it was an overgrown hillside that had been a soy and corn farm in the past. He graded it and planted a variety of native trees to add to the existing pomegranate trees, palms and pine trees, and he transformed it into a special place.

D’Aula bought and developed the property to be a place for him to do his art. But, quite by accident, it also developed into a really special place to host weddings and other special events.

READ MORE about the history of The Fire Garden and the artwork of Tony D’Aula…

The first wedding he hosted was for some friends.

He thought that most wedding venues were too expensive and so has made an effort to make his venue affordable as well as unique.  “For two thousand dollars, guests may use the property all day, from noon until midnight,” he says.  “That gives them enough time to do it right. Four hours is just not long enough to spend quality time with family and friends. This lets you enjoy the day into the night.”

He adds, “When someone wants to have a wedding, it’s really personal for me. Everything here is handmade. The property is personally landscaped, decorated and maintained, and I take great pride in making sure everything is perfect. People remember where they get married. My personal attention to the details makes for a most memorable event.” The property can accommodate upward of 250 guests.

The scenes that are created at night by D’Aula’s Fire Sculptures, many of them hanging from the trees, are phenomenal, harkening back to an earlier time and place.

“The venue is flexible and suits many themes from tropical to renaissance style. If they want to keep it simple, they can. If they want to add their own creative elements, they can do that, too.”

The property offers decorative effects such as Fire Sculptures, Bliss lights (laser lights which create a magical effect among plants and trees), and beautiful accent lighting.  Comfortable outdoor lounge spaces provide shade and small, intimate gathering places.

Tony D’Aula is a native of Queens, New York. He started doing metal work when he was in the U.S. Navy as a ship’s welder.

“When I got out of the Navy, I worked in heavy equipment. I saw pieces of scrap metal lying around and started to create a line of garden art. I began creating furniture and sculptures,” he says. Some of his work began to appear in area galleries.

But, today he doesn’t really need galleries, because clients learn of his work when they attend events at The Fire Garden. “When I have events at the property, guests have requested to purchase some of my artwork,” he says.
People love the antique Spanish Chandeliers that he transforms to burn propane. “The scenes they create at night cannot be equaled,” he says.
A child who was attending one of his events come over to him and declared, “Tony, it looks like what I saw in The Lord of the Rings!”

D’Aula has always loved the effect of fire. “It’s the most perfect light for a romantic evening and photos by firelight are gorgeous,” he says.
He spends 30-40 hours a week in his workshop and the rest of his time in his garden.

“I love it!” he says. “I can’t imagine living any other way.”

D’Aula has a couple of large, mellow tan dogs, Rocket and Mel, who accompany him wherever he goes on the property.

“I’m blessed to have the land and space and nature for my dogs to be dogs,” he says happily. “What gives me the greatest joy is watching the dogs play and providing them with a safe place.”

He sees himself leaving behind a legacy of art. He works with a variety of metals, some recycled and some new, including copper and brass. “I like working with steel, because long after I’m gone, it will be handed down from generation after generation.”

To discuss further details such as available dates and times at The Fire Garden, or to make an appointment for a venue visit, contact  Tony D’Aula  at 760-631-0883, www.firegardenevents.com.

Read the original article here: http://www.theboulevardonline.com/archives/2012/0412.htm#7