Brilliant Blog

A Brilliant Wedding: Georgia & Chris

October 17, 2012

Georgia and Chris said their “I do’s” on a lovely Saturday last September. Following a touching ceremony at a local church, their gorgeous reception took place at the Tribeca 360, aptly named for the stunning panoramic views of Manhattan that wedding guests were able to enjoy! In addition to the incredible view, my favorite part of their wedding was the bridesmaids’ bouquets from Blossom & Branch. To celebrate their individuality, Georgia had each bridesmaid carry a bouquet whose floral design was personalized to their taste. I love this idea as  - stay tuned over the next few weeks for a post on this new trend! Later, guests danced to oldies music that was played on records, a retro detail which perfectly suited this fun-loving couple. Congratulations Georgia and Chris!

Photos by Joshua Brown.

Cylinder Vase Veto for Aisle Decor

July 11, 2012

Broken shards of glass, pools of water and a fire hazard are not exactly the hallmarks of a dream wedding day.  Experience has taught us that cylinder vases filled with water and a floating candle lining your ceremony aisle are a disaster waiting to happen.  Chances are that one of your excited wedding guests will knock over one of these vases while finding their seat, fidgeting during the ceremony or while applauding during your recessional.  The mess created is not only hazardous, but could interrupt your ceremony in a very bad way. Just one easy, pretty and safer candlelit alternative? Try lanterns hanging from wrought-iron shepherds hooks!

Image sources one and two.

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.

Beware of Sunsets

March 15, 2012

Every bride and groom dream of a great party at their wedding reception, and in most cases, that dream includes a packed dancefloor.  Keep the dancefloor full by planning your reception start time with sunset in mind – this is especially important in the summer months when the sun doesn’t go down until around 8:30pm.

Think about it: your favorite club doesn’t have fluorescent lightbulbs or natural light streaming in because people prefer to dance in darker, ambient atmospheres.  Too much light makes people self conscious and shy, and your dancefloor will be anemic as a result.  Also, any candlelight you’ve used in your decor won’t have any impact if your reception space is flooded with natural light.  If your venue has any kind of windows, use this sunset calculator to determine when the sun will go down and schedule your reception accordingly.

Photo courtesy of Italian Weddings.

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: 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.

A Brilliant Wedding: Jacob & Dina

December 7, 2011

Jacob hails from Canada and his California bride, Dina, were brave souls selecting their wedding date in February! As luck would have it, the weather held out and it was a snowy, yet clear day.  Their beautiful wedding was held in the library at the New York Academy of Medicine and was the perfect mix of their shared intellectual flair, Jewish Orthodox faith, and their genuine warmth and love for each other, their families and friends.  It was a true pleasure to kick off our 2011 season with these two and an absolute honor to be a part of their big day!

Flowers by Blossom and Branch, Hair by Stacy Pitt, Makeup by Sally Duvall, Venue NYAM, Kosher Catering Esprit Events, Band Simcha All-Stars, Non-Kosher Catering Sterling Affair, Photos by Karin VonVoigtlander.

A Brilliant Wedding: Brenda & Alvin, Reception

November 1, 2010

This chic NYC couple wanted to infuse their wedding with impeccable style, but also with their Chinese & Filipino heritage. The color red symbolizes good fortune and joy in Chinese culture so we incorporated it into the ceremony with little hints on their paperie, and then went all out with when it came to the escort cards and table arrangements. Brenda changed into a stunning traditional qipao for part of the reception. To pay homage to Alvin’s Filipino heritage, the couple performed a traditional money dance where they were showered with bills from well-wishing guests.

So in love and so happy!

Images via Alison Mayfield for Christian Oth Studios.  Flowers by Belle Fleur, Venue Tribeca Rooftop.

A Brilliant Wedding: Lorraine & Dave, Reception

May 7, 2010

Lorraine & Dave’s reception was a dramatic Spring Soiree filled with shades of salmon and green at the Millennium Broadway’s Hudson Theater.  The garden-inspired centerpieces from Rountree Flowers highlighted blush-colored peonies – an ideal bloom for this spring wedding design!  The escort cards were on a show-stopping bed of pave flowers – a mixture of spider mums, hydrangea and roses. Guests enjoyed a caramel apple favor for their “Big Apple” wedding symbolizing a donation to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering foundation made by the couple. The entire stationery suite was designed by the talented Kayleigh Jankowski and printed by Cards and Pockets and included a hand-drawn rendition of the cathedral and NYC skyline.

We still have one more set of amazing images from this special day, stay tuned!

Photos courtesy of Jenny Boyle for Jennifer Davis Photography.

Library Wedding: Part 2 of 3

November 10, 2009

The reception of Molly & Mark’s gorgeous library wedding took place at 91 with delicious catering by the Upper Crust. Custom stationery was created exclusively for the bride & groom by Megan Guerin and appeared on everything from the escort cards to the menus to the drink coasters.  Crystal chandeliers courtesy of Jersey Street Furniture framed the space and created the “family dinner” ambiance that the thoughtful bride & groom envisioned.

A single orchid was placed on each placesetting and the centerpieces were elegant, highly-textured florals by Rountree Flowers.  Cocktail centerpieces were a nod to the vintage aspect of the wedding and were an assortment of letterpress blocks. The linens, chairs and chargers are courtesy of Party Rental Ltd.  

All of these great shots are from Zlatko Batistich, photographer extraordinaire!We have one more set of photos from this marvelous wedding so stay tuned!