Brilliant Blog

The Proposal Planner: Ange & Laurie

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.

Non-Traditional Engagement Rings

February 29, 2012

Getting engaged to a truly unique woman?  Think outside the traditional engagement ring box and consider the other types of incredible rings.  I recently planned a dream marriage proposal inspired by a non-traditional engagement ring, the Orchid Ring from Cartier.  Whether it’s a ruby stunner like this one from Van Cleef & Arpels or the “Toi & Moi” ring from Chopard, be sure that your engagement ring choice reflects the unique personality of your lucky lady.

Featured in the UK Daily Mail!

January 17, 2012

I am thrilled to be featured in an article about proposal planning in one of the UK’s biggest papers, the Daily Mail! For the complete article, please click here.

A Brilliant Marriage Proposal: Matt & Missy’s Video

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.

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!

Featured in the New York Times!

December 27, 2011

I’m so honored to be featured in the Christmas Day Sunday Styles section of the New York Times! Stay tuned for more photos, video and details from Matt & Missy’s engagement and click here to read the article.

History of Engagement Rings

November 21, 2011

With marriage proposal season right around the corner, check out these fun facts about the history of engagement rings courtesy of Gemvara.

Brought to you by Gemvara.com the online jewelry store to buy Gemstone Engagement Rings

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.