Brilliant Blog

A Brilliant Marriage Proposal: Matt & Missy

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!

A Christmas Marriage Proposal

December 16, 2011

For the girl who loves Christmas, what a creative way to pop the question!

Want a proposal idea like this? Call us at 917.974.4729 or email sarah@brillianteventplanning.com to design a custom engagement idea.

Via CNN.

Featured in the Chicago Tribune

December 8, 2011

I was honored to be interviewed by the Chicago Tribune for an article on marriage proposal planning, check out the article here.

Sex and the City Marriage Proposal

October 26, 2011

Hayden asked me to plan a dream marriage proposal for his vivacious girlfriend, Julie. Her day was inspired by her favorite show, Sex and the City. It all started with a knock on the front door.  She had expected to go to the Hamptons for the day for Hayden’s work party but instead, she was greeted with a velvet box containing her first clue, and photo of a gold name necklace. Just like Carrie in Sex and the City, she would find her true love when she found her gold name necklace.

We whisked her off to Barneys where a personal stylist had pre-selected 10 different shoes for her to choose from.  The next clue, “Sexy for Sexy,” brought us to La Perla Lingerie.  The entire second floor was reserved just for Julie and she had her pick of the entire store.  The next stop was a suite at the renowned Standard Hotel.

With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson River, she was pampered with hair & makeup in anticipation of a photo shoot. She snacked on Magnolia cupcakes and bubbly and then hopped back into her car.  Before blindfolding her, she read her last clue “Ever thine, ever mine, ever ours.”  The car pulled away and we drove a winding route through the city.

Upon arriving at her final destination, Julie – still blindfolded – walked right through a major photoshoot and a barrage of paparazzi-style tourists.  When Hayden removed her blindfold, they were within the oak walls of Pierre Cartier’s private office at Cartier’s Fifth Avenue Salon.  Surrounded by white rose petals, Hayden proposed and Julie said “Yes.”  Later that evening, during dinner at Daniel, he handed her the gold name necklace – she found her true love.

Congratulations to Julie & Hayden! Spectacular photos by Mariann of Blue Daisy.

A Brilliant Proposal: Vince & Sooah, The Video

August 23, 2011

Now that you’ve seen the pictures from Vince & Sooah’s NYC engagement story, check out the video – courtesy of 15 Minutes of Frame!

sooah + vince (proposal) from 15 Minutes of Frame on Vimeo.

A Brilliant Proposal: Vince & Sooah

August 23, 2011

Vince came to me at the very last moment. He wanted an amazing proposal for his fashion-loving, NYC girl but didn’t know how to pull it off.  With the city and fashion as my inspiration, I found the super-exclusive penthouse the Mondrian SoHo for their backdrop. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a wrap-around patio, it was the chic and sophisticated city location Vince had been looking for.

For personalized elements, I designed a shim with the iconic I Heart NY t-shirts in Sooah’s favorite color, pink and added a contrasting white t-shirt customized to say I Heart Sooah. Three ice sculptures of the most recognizeable structures in New York City on a spread of the day’s New York Times newspapers and shades of pink ribbon created a subway map art piece using their pictures as stops along the way. A personalized classic yellow taxi cab and an MTA Train Status key were created just for Vince & Sooah’s big moment.

When Vince got down on one knee, Sooah said “Yes!” Next stop on their train?  A wedding! Click here to watch their video.

Photos courtesy of Sofia Negron.

Engagement Ideas with Hearts On Fire

August 19, 2011

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining forces with Hearts On Fire, the folks who produce the world’s most perfectly cut diamond, to provide engagement advice next week via a Facebook Live Chat! Log onto the Hearts on Fire facebook page at 3pm EST on Wednesday, August 24th and I’ll give you no-holds-barred answers to all of your engagement and marriage proposal questions. Can’t wait to see you there!

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A Brilliant Proposal: Rodrigo & Gabriela

August 17, 2011

When Rodrigo contacted me from Brazil, he wanted a simple, rooftop marriage proposal with a view of the most iconic building in NYC: the Empire State Building. Not an easy task to find on short notice! His romantic and elegant proposal to Gabriela was a huge hit and she said YES (make that “Sim!” in Portuguese).  Thanks to Chef Ashton Keefe for their delectable dinner, Juan Villanueva for flowers and Sofia Negron for the fantastic photos!

ABC News Feature!

June 14, 2011

If you missed me on ABC Nightline, here’s the clip! And, check out my Marriage Proposal Do’s and Don’ts here!  Thanks very much to all of the fantastic vendors who helped make this happen, including The Surrey Hotel, Blossom & Branch Floral Design, Lolly Love, Jean Papa and the photographers who shared their past proposal work Blue Daisy Weddings, Zlatko Batistich and Jennifer Davis Photography.

Click here to watch the video.

Tune in to ABC Tonight & Tomorrow!

June 13, 2011

I’ll be featured on ABC Nightline tonight at 11:30pm EST and again tomorrow morning on Good Morning America for a segment all about proposal planning. The best part? You’ll get to see the proposal of one of our clients from start-to-finish, including the YES!

Not sure which channel is ABC?  Click here.

Not sure when Nightline airs in  your area?  Click here.

Missed the show? Check back tomorrow and we’ll post the video!