Brilliant Blog

A Brilliant Wedding: Natasha and Harvard

November 21, 2012

On October 1, 2011, we had the pleasure of watching Natasha and Harvard get married in a beautiful chapel within the Church of Heavenly Rest on the Upper East Side.

These two lovebirds wanted a simple celebration, with the emphasis on family and friends. So, following their intimate ceremony, everyone headed to Amaranth Restaurant for some good food and fun!

Unlike most weddings, they allowed the speeches to be open to all, giving the reception a cheery, family-feel. As a final touch, each guest received an adorable box of macarons at their place. Congratulations Natasha and Harvard!

Photos courtesy of Laurie Rhodes Photography 

A Brilliant Wedding: Gemma & Scott

September 5, 2012

Gemma and Scott originally hail from England and Australia, but wanted a New York wedding to show their out-of-town family and friends what the Big Apple is all about. They exchanged their vows at Calvary-St. George’s Church before hopping into a vintage taxi that took them to meet their closest friends and family at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Upon entering the terrace, guests stepped into an enchanted garden. Beneath the romantic lights and greenery, pastel blooms were dispersed along the tables. But, even in this dream-like setting, the city was ever present. Traditional table numbers were replaced by pictures of places in NYC that were special to Gemma and Scott and guests soon danced to classic NY songs, as boas and beads were brought to the dance floor. Even the top tier of their cake was elegantly decorated with the city skyline!

Despite all the big city details, Gemma and Scott did not forget where they came from. Their wedding color, violet, was chosen to honor a grandmother who couldn’t make the journey to New York, while the roses in Gemma’s bouquet honored another grandparent. The British and Australian flags on the front of their taxi were yet another cute way to remember their roots.

At the end of the night, guests took home violet boxes of chocolate from Vosges, the couples’ favorite SoHo chocolate shop. Gemma and Scott’s wedding so perfectly used cute details to blend past and present, that we can’t help but love it. Congratulations Gemma and Scott!

Beautiful photos courtesy of Maggie Harkov.

Alternative Centerpieces: Vegetables

August 29, 2012

Does your vision for your wedding include non-floral centerpieces? Vegetables have been receiving a lot of attention lately as a unique alternative to floral centerpieces.

Stumped about where to start? Artichokes are the most versatile. They work well as candleholders, but when ripe, their deep purple color compliments floral centerpieces beautifully. Longer stemmed vegetables can be used to create unique vases for a fresh spin on bouquets. Even simple baskets of ripe vegetables make eye-catching centerpieces. Check out the photos below for inspiration!

Photo credit: 1. Better Homes and Gardens, 2. Better Homes and Gardens, 3. Weddings by Lilly and 1. Jonathan Kantor via Martha Stewart, 2. Better Homes and Gardens, 3. Martha Stewart.

A Brilliant Wedding: Bill & Christine

June 13, 2012

Christine and Bill got married on a warm, sunny day in September. Their fun and lighthearted nature was present in nearly every aspect of their wedding. They exchanged vows in a Catholic ceremony and Christine stole the show in her intricately designed Monique Lhuillier gown and a lace bolero handmade by her mother.

Upon exiting the church, Christine and Bill were greeted by a sea of bubbles and headed to capture some carefree photos on the beach, while guests headed to Giorgio’s to start the festivities.  They kicked off the party with their first dance “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis and continued the party late into the evening. It was an absolute joy to be a part of their big day! Special thanks to the super-talented Roberto Falck for perfectly capturing the spirit of these two lovebirds.

A Brilliant Wedding: John & Lauren

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.

Wedding Ceremony Exit Tips

April 19, 2012

We’ve all seen those incredible photos of couples exiting their ceremony or reception with sparklers, bubbles, confetti or rice.  What you may not know is that those moments have usually been carefully orchestrated behind-the-scenes!  Here are a few tips:

• -Before you order anything, make sure your venue allows it.  Many venues restrict confetti or sparklers for clean-up reasons or fire hazard reasons.
• -If you’re tossing something outside, make sure it’s environmentally friendly.  Rice can be very hazardous to birds.  A better alternative is bird seed or a special type of rice that crushes underfoot and dissolves in water.
• -Recruit some “ringers” to start the trend of the bubbles/confetti/etc. Otherwise you’ll be down the aisle before anyone has tossed their confetti!
• -Check everything beforehand and unwrap it or open up any seals.  Many times bubbles come with a silver seal that will impede timely bubble-making as you head down the aisle.

Photos courtesy of  Snippet & Ink, ZLynn, Violet & Earnest.

A Brilliant Wedding: Laura & Bryan

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.

A Brilliant Wedding: Annie & Dan

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.

A Brilliant Wedding: Vanessa & Nicole

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.

A Brilliant Wedding: Ashley & Lee

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.