Brilliant Blog

A Brilliant Wedding: Megan and Jorge

January 10, 2013

On a perfect fall day, Megan and Jorge had a gorgeous sunset ceremony at The Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY. Megan’s sister sang a touching song that had both girls in tears.

After these two lovebirds said their “I Do’s,” they proceeded to cocktail hour, where a fun, vintage inspired band provided entertainment. They then led a processional from cocktails to the reception.

Guests were stunned by the decor! From the rustic wooden tables to the elegant centerpieces by Denise Fasanello, to the Edison bulb lights strung from the tent ceiling, each detail was better than the last.

It was a true pleasure to be a part of this wedding. Congratulations Megan and Jorge!

Photography courtesy of Weddings by Two 

Trend Alert: Food Trucks

December 13, 2012

Step aside food stations, there’s a new catering trend in town! Food trucks! This food trend has quickly become a staple of the after party and more recently, of the reception itself. The food truck ups the fun factor and allows guests to put their own spin on dinner. Now, if only every wedding venue had a place to park a truck or two!

Photos courtesy of Figlewicz Photography and MadeULook Photography

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: 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.

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: 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 Destination Wedding: Round Hill Resort

December 15, 2011

There’s really nothing like a little bit of paradise during the holiday season!  I was lucky enough to visit Round Hill Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica earlier this month for a press trip. Nestled on a quiet cove, this tropical destination wedding venue is a great escape to the days of Fred Astaire, Oscar Hammerstein and John & Jackie Kennedy.

For couples searching for a private villa to host their wedding but don’t want to sacrifice platinum service and amenities, Round Hill is the perfect hybrid. They have 27 unique villas (ranging from 2-bedrooms to 6-bedrooms) with dedicated staff plus the pristine oceanfront hotel rooms of the Ralph Lauren-designed Pineapple House.

As the staff will tell you, “everything is possible” when it comes to your wedding. Whether it’s a barefoot beach ceremony, welcome drinks at the infinity pool or an open-air dinner on the oceanfront lawn – the only difficult part of your wedding planning will be choosing just one location for each event.

Dreaming of a wedding like this? Contact us today at 917.974.4729 or sarah@brillianteventplanning.com

Photos courtesy of Round Hill.