Brilliant Blog

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: Marina & Tony

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!

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.

A Brilliant Wedding: Denise & Adam, the Reception

January 21, 2011

A gorgeous winery just outside of Manhattan was the idyllic setting for Denise & Adam’s reception. Laurita Winery was the perfect combination of rustic and elegant, built of reclaimed pieces from all over the Northeast. This lucky couple had their logo designed by a close friend of the groom’s – a play on their initials and the double helix of DNA, and Kayleigh Jankowski helped to incorporate it into their wedding day stationery.

The head table was a farm table with legs made from reclaimed church pews.

Using the logo as inspiration, and with florals from Rountree Flowers, we designed a tablescape featuring shades of purple with green accents.

An intimate moment in the vineyards.

Thank you, Denise & Adam, for letting us be part of your spectacular day. It was truly an honor!

All photos courtesy of the fantastic Jeff Tisman.

Multi-Purpose Program

December 21, 2010

How about this wonderful multi-purpose program idea that we discovered on Brides? A great way to give your guests a little snack and share the information about your ceremony. We can see this concept being used for all sorts of different foods or even as escort cards instead of programs!

Photos courtesy of Jeremy Lawson Photography.

Candy Bar Alternative

December 3, 2010

Don’t get us wrong, we love a good candy display at any event.  But, we also love the colors and creativity of this Old Fashioned Soda Bar that our friends at Project Wedding came up with! The color and unique design of each bottle really makes for a real eye-catcher and will transport your guests back to when they were kids. Perfect for a large event like a wedding to a smaller, more intimate baby or bridal shower!

We think this would be an amazing idea for escort cards! What guest wouldn’t want to sit at the Orange Crush table or the Dad’s Cream Soda table?

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.

PlaceCard Holders Get Glam

April 8, 2010

The creative ladies at 100 Layer Cake have really outdone themselves with using vintage earrings as placecard stands.  If my name were Theodore, Camille or Madeline, I’d feel very lucky to sit here.  What a glam way to bring in a little mix-and-match sparkle to any tables – bridal shower, baby shower, wedding or dinner party!

Photos by Jose Villa for 100 Layer Cake.