May 30, 2012
Gone are the days when a bouquet of white roses was the only choice for a bride. Brides are foregoing traditional floral bouquets in favor of bouquets made out of brooches, vegetables, and even…doorknobs! If a traditional floral bouquet isn’t your thing, check out these alternatives.
Colorful brooch bouquet by Jasmine Photography, Gold brooch bouquet, Doorknob bouquet, Artichoke bouquet.
April 25, 2012
John and Lauren were married on a very hot July day at the incredible Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and were one of the most fun, laid-back and in-love couples I’ve ever worked with. Not to be thrown off by the warm weather, Lauren was absolutely stunning in her Vera Wang gown and throughout the day, I could see they were so in tune with each other, just genuinely happy to be together. Their outdoor ceremony was simple and refreshingly sweet, with the bride walking down the aisle to Tango from Scent of a Woman.
When it came to the reception, their fun-loving personalities came out – a bourbon bar with spiced nuts showcased John’s love for a great bottle of whiskey and their introduction song of Big Pimpin by Jay-Z showcased their lighter side. A great dance party followed as the new Mr. and Mrs. partied the night away under the glasshouse atrium. Congratulations to John & Lauren, it was such an honor to be part of your day!
Photos courtesy of Daniel Krieger.
Posted in — BEP Weddings, brooklyn botanic garden wedding, brooklyn wedding, ceremony, cocktail hour, colors, decor, details, event design, favors, feature table, flowers, food, garden wedding, groom attire, jewelry, music, new york city wedding planner, nyc wedding, outdoor wedding, photography, reception, wedding, wedding new york, wedding style
April 11, 2012
There are so many things that I loved about Laura & Bryan’s wedding day. From the contemporary reception setting of The Glasshouses, to the juxtaposition of the romantic florals by Blossom & Branch, their choice of chameleon chairs, the tiny but meaningful details that appeared at every turn throughout the day – everything came together to be perfectly ‘them.’
My favorite part was their choice of cocktail hour music. Laura & Bryan decided on an acoustic set by their band, The Benjamins. Tunes from the early 90s were the musical backdrop – music that the bride and groom actually listened to when they met in college and still have on their iPods to this day. It created an environment that was relaxed but elegant, approachable yet refined – just like the lovely bride and groom.
I’m also proud to share that their wedding was recently a feature on Style Me Pretty! Thank you to this wonderful couple for letting me be part of their day, it was truly an honor.
Photos by Four Eyes Photography.
March 29, 2012
Ange wanted to propose to his princess, Laurie. I drew inspiration from the famed Rockefeller Family, the closest thing to American royalty. As legend has it, one of the most elaborate Rockefeller parties involved each guest receiving a small silver trowel upon arrival. At the center of the dinner table was a long, low vase shaped like a trough, filled with sand. Each guest used their trowel to dig into the sand and find their gift – a perfectly cut ruby, emerald or diamond.
We began Laurie’s princess marriage proposal with a shopping spree at Bergdorf’s. Upon returning to their suite, Laurie was surprised by a professional hair & makeup artist – all with the decoy of it being part of their preparation for a fancy evening out. They made their way up to the penthouse and and saw a glass trough filled with crystals: inside she discovered a tiara, Queen Mary Louboutin heels and finally, her ring! Tears of joy accompanied Laurie’s “Yes!” and an incredible dinner at Le Cirque followed. Thanks to Maggie Harkov for the incredible photos.
Posted in — alternative engagement idea, alternative marriage proposal idea, ask the expert, BEP Proposals, central park proposal, decor, details, engagement advice, engagement expert, engagement ideas, engagement planner, engagement ring, engagements, flowers, food, manhattan proposal, marriage proposal, marriage proposal advice, marriage proposal expert, marriage proposal idea, marriage proposal planner, marriage proposal skyline view, new york city proposal ideas, new york proposal, nyc proposal, photography, proposal ideas, proposal planner, proposals, the proposal planner ™, valentines day
March 7, 2012
It’s not every day that you get an email from a prospective client asking for help planning their entire wedding in six weeks. But, Annie did just that and through lots of decisiveness and hard work, we pulled it off! The challenges for their wedding didn’t end with the short planning timeline. Annie is a Texas sweetheart based out of London and her husband, Dan is a Jersey boy turned military commander and professional triathlete who was stationed in Afghanistan. Despite all this, they were married on a perfect summer day on one of NYC’s best rooftops.
Annie allowed me to take some chances with design (most brides immediately shy away when the words “turquoise table linens” come out of my mouth) and I have to admit, their wedding design turned out to be a personal favorite of mine. Thank you to Mariann from Blue Daisy for these drop-dead gorgeous photos and for capturing Annie & Dan’s vivacious and fun approach to life, love and their wedding.
Posted in — BEP Weddings, ceremony, colors, decor, details, escort cards, event design, favors, feature table, flowers, lighting, linens, manhattan wedding, new york city wedding planner, nyc wedding, outdoor wedding, photography, place cards, reception, rooftop wedding, wedding new york, wedding style
February 22, 2012
Marina & Tony got married on Memorial Day weekend of 2011 and truly lucked out with the best possible weather! It was sunny and downright warm, perfect May weather for this genuinely happy, light-hearted couple. They exchanged “I Do’s” during a gorgeous Greek Orthodox ceremony, complete with all of the special traditions of the faith – including my favorite, the crowns. Food, dancing and a fabulous party followed at the Mandarin Oriental, with Columbus Circle and the Central Park skyline as their backdrop. Their guests enjoyed a delectable cake from Kakes and dined among lush arrangements from Ariston Floral with lighting by JB Lighting. Thanks to Karin Von Voigtlander for the lovely photos.
Since their amazing wedding, they’ve both graduated with Masters degrees and moved to far-away Texas, but these two lovebirds were nothing but an absolute dream to work with and I’m so proud to have been part of their special day!
February 8, 2012
I remember when Vanessa & Nicole sent me their list of formal photos…it included a note that said “We’d like photos of us laughing, we do that a lot.” As you can tell by these fantastic photos, they were certainly right. These two lovebirds met as roommates and tried to remain only friends but alas, love got the better of them and they fell head-over-heels for each other. Their intimate, spring wedding was filled with smiles, merriment, hugs, kisses …and, you guessed it, a ton of laughter. They encouraged their guests to “Remember to Live” and enjoyed every last bit of their big day. I’m pleased to announce that their photos were recently featured on Style Me Pretty. I was privileged to be part of their amazing day and am so grateful to have met them.
Lovely photos courtesy of Kate Triano Photography.
Posted in — BEP Weddings, brooklyn wedding, ceremony, colors, decor, details, escort cards, event design, favors, flowers, garden wedding, gay marriage, gay wedding, new york city wedding planner, nyc wedding, outdoor wedding, photography, place cards, reception, same sex marriage, same sex wedding, wedding, wedding style
January 26, 2012
It’s not every day that you move halfway across the country, only to meet and fall in love with someone who went to the same college! Ashley & Lee did just that. These two wanted to combine their southern hospitality with their cosmopolitan life here in NYC so I designed their wedding in hues of purple with magenta and gold accents. The ballroom at the brand new Eventi Hotel proved to be the ideal space with its expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and chic lounge furniture.
Their centerpieces from Starbright Floral reflected the young, fresh vibe of their wedding – three distinct arrangements, each with a different flower choice created a pop against the plum textured tablecloth. A black lacquer dance floor and white calligraphy on their escort cards rounded out this beautiful May wedding. Congratulations to this happy couple – I was so honored to be part of your big day!
Lovely photos courtesy of Moss Creation.
January 3, 2012
Enjoy the video from Matt & Missy’s engagement that I designed and planned as The Proposal Planner. Video courtesy of our friends at Pap the Question. Check out all the photos from their amazing day here. Want a marriage proposal like this? Call us at 917.974.4729 or email at sarah@brillianteventplanning.com.
Posted in — BEP Proposals, christmas engagement idea, christmas proposal idea, decor, details, engagement advice, engagement expert, engagement ideas, engagement planner, engagement ring, engagements, event design, flowers, manhattan proposal, marriage proposal, marriage proposal advice, marriage proposal expert, marriage proposal idea, marriage proposal planner, music, new york city proposal ideas, new york proposal, non-traditional engagement idea, non-traditional marriage proposal idea, nyc proposal, proposal ideas, proposal planner, proposals, the proposal planner ™, videography
December 29, 2011
Matt wanted to propose to Missy, who loves everything vintage and French so I designed their marriage proposal to reflect her taste for le francais but also their future together. We shut down a local french bistro and filled it with singers posing as regular patrons. Our friends from Pap the Question took paparazzi-style photos while the couple enjoyed a cup of tea. They were transported back to 1920′s France – a large iron structure decorated the private room with crystal chandeliers and fresh florals. Tiny hang tags from each corner of the structure had a reason why Matt loves Missy.
Underneath the structure was a 5-tier cake by Elegantly Iced and a custom-crafted wooden wine box with their names. Inside was a bottle of 2008 Pinot Noir – a vintage from the year they met. They plan to use the box as a time capsule and open it on their 10 year anniversary. Missy said YES and the vintage fun continued with a 1920′s limousine chauffering them to a private dinner at one of NYC’s best restaurants. Their proposal was featured in the New York Times and in USA Today. Special thanks to Pap the Question for the amazing photo & video. Congratulations to Matt & Missy and stay tuned for the video…coming soon!
Posted in — BEP Proposals, christmas engagement idea, christmas proposal idea, decor, details, engagement advice, engagement expert, engagement ideas, engagement planner, engagement ring, engagements, event design, flowers, manhattan proposal, marriage proposal, marriage proposal advice, marriage proposal expert, marriage proposal idea, marriage proposal planner, new york city proposal ideas, new york proposal, proposal ideas, proposal planner, proposals, the proposal planner ™, times square proposal