For those of you who weren’t able to join us on Wednesday night at Gabriella’s, I’m so excited to share Carlos Andres Varela’s pictures from the fabulous event. I hope that you are as inspired as we were by these amazing bouquets and stunning gowns. The concept? We invited 12 of our favorite, most inspiring floral designers to create bouquets for one of 12 fabulous gowns at Gabriella’s salon!   I have to say a HUGE thank you to Rebecca here in our office who REALLY worked super hard to pull this event together while I run around like a chicken with no head.  Here are some fabulous images.  I’ve linked each florists image to their website, so you can easily explore more of their work.  Thanks to everyone who participated, especially Gabriella for having us to her salon!  More images of the rest of the bouquets coming later today!

Blossom & Branch's sultry, fun bouquet

Belle Fleur

Fleurs inspired by Matthew Christopher

Gardenia Organic

Stacey from Once Upon a Bride with our co-hostess, Gabriella

DJ JVC kept the tunes flowing

Me, Meredith from Regas, Mayra and Annie from Daughter of Design

Marc Wilson side by side with design from Takashimaya

Close up of Marc's amazing bouquet

We are excited to announce that we are putting together an absolutely FABULOUS soiree with Gabriella Bridal salon!  I just adore the gowns that Gabriella carries and wanted to put together a great event for brides that would show off the gown and showcase one of my favorite elements:  bouquets!  So we invited our favorite florists who we’ve worked with and those who we’ve just admired from afar and paired them each with a gown from Gabriella’s boutique to create a stunning, original bouquet to match. Check out the line-up!  And our friends at Regas New York designed this fantastic invite and will showcase some of their wonderful, fashion inspired work.

Because space is limited, and the event will have a strict guest list at the door, I’m extending an invitation to the first 10 readers who leave a comment on this post!  I hope you’ll join us as we sip some wine and get inspired at one of New York’s trendiest salons.  It’s a fabulous chance to not only check out gorgeous gowns, but to see the work of all these fabulous florists!

I am so excited to share with you the amazing Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine that launched yesterday. It is the very first online bridal magazine dedicated to chic, ecologically friendly weddings and, really, lifestyles.  Because it’s so eco-friendly, it’s of course, an online publication, but don’t confuse that for a blog or even just a wedding site. This has the glamorous layouts, the amazing photography and wonderful editorial that you expect from a traditional magazine.  And you can even flip the pages just like in real life!  Probably the best part- no more running between the sheets of the magazine to your laptop to check out the amazing sites, vendors or ideas in the magazine- in just a click, Eco-Beautiful Weddings will link you to wherever you want to go.  

Brought to you by Katie Martin the owner of Elegance and Simplicity Events is the creator and editor and she has done an outstanding job!  This is a very exciting magazine!  Oh, and…. you might recognize one of their featured planners…. Rebekah and Manuel’s wedding that we designed this summer (with photos by Roey Yohai and flowers and Fleurs) is prominently featured.

I definitely encourage you to check out this amazing magazine!

So, after the ceremony the guests paraded through the park to the ferry landing where an awesome ferry was waiting to shuttle the 380 guests over to Ellis Island.  As it took off we played, what else, New York, New York! The bride’s family was from out of town, so we had the ferry cruise around the Statue of Liberty.  Upon arrival, Jessy and her team from Fleurs rolled out the Pink Carpet (literally). We ordered an extra long hot pink runner from Original Runner Company to welcome guests onto the island.  After they walked through the museum, they headed outside for cocktail hour.

From our part, WHAT A CRAZY DAY!  The amazing team from Evelyn Hill Catering, Fleurs and our staff only had 30 minutes from when the museum closed until cocktail hour began!  I think Jessy had an extra 50 minutes to set up 40 tables!  We chose three different colored linens with contrasting napkins and 3 different table scapes to create some variety in the room. We worked with the catering team to create a multi-course menu that reflected both American and Indian culture.  The lighting team at Bestek did an outstanding job and as you can see, DJ Kucha kept the dancefloor moving. In lieu of toasts, the couples’ friend serendaded them with a song written to the tune of Summer Lovin’.    These are only some of the photos of this just stunning wedding. Thanks again to Robert Wagner for doing such a fabulous job!

Two sneak peaks! The first are the fabulous Robert Wagner’s first images from the wedding we planned on Ellis Island this past weekend!  More coming on his blog! I can’t wait to tell you more about this awesome day. The first pic is the bride and groom in Battery Park after their Ring Exchange ceremony, the second is their Hindu ceremony and the third is what 380 people dancing up a storm at Ellis Island looks like.

Then, I wanted to give you a look at the new Bride’s New York Magazine!

We were so excited that Elisabeth Millay‘s pics of our clients, Max and Mara were chosen as a Real Wedding feature.  We were so excited that we bought, like 5 copies at Duane Reade when we saw it on the stands. And then the girl at the counter said “You realize that these are all the SAME magazine?” and I said “Yes, we’re in it.” and she said “Where?” and then I realized I didn’t have an answer so Mayra picked up our magazines and we left…. Anyway, The issue is an amazing issue with tons of tips on contemporary invitation etiquette, negotiating New York prices and WHY weddings cost so much here.

Early this summer we were able to be a part of Samantha & Andrew’s wedding day. I was so excited when I got a CD of pictures from their wedding day to share! Let me just say this, I love Samantha. She was the sweetest bride, had the greatest color palette (black, white, and hot pink) , and was getting married at one of my favorite venues…Studio 45o! 

Samantha debated for a long time if they would wait until the aisle to see each other for the first time. Their desire for photos won out in the end, and they decided to meet up a little earlier that day, but the first meting was no less emotional. I love these photos! Thank you to Lina Jang for sending us these gorgeous photos.

It made sense that my sunny bride got a great sunny day (which as some of you might remember, was not that common at the start of the summer)! We choose to stick to the white and hot pink for the ceremony and make it a little more bright. Our pop of color was this bright pink custom runner from Original Runner Company with their monogram. We only had two alter pieces, but we made them count! Check out these awesome tree trunk arrangements that Jessy from Fleurs created.

First of all, let me say, I loved this couple. We were totally obsessed with our bride Irene. Even though Baron and Irene were my clients, Xochitl always found a way to be involved in the meetings….that’s how much fun they were! We had such a great time planning the wedding, and even more fun the actual day of the event, and now we are just friends:) So happy to be able to share their photos, shot by 4Eyes Photography.

(XG: I just want to insert that I put this photo of us laughing because I thought it was funny how we were all having a ball, and Baron and his groomsmen were waiting for the Clang Clang!)

The ceremony was held at a Catholic church in their neighborhood, and guests were then taken on a double decker to the reception at the W Hotel. Irene got ready that morning with her bridal party in the eWOW suite at the W Hotel and the room was incredible. The bridal party shots are all taken on the rooftop in the suite!

I loved her flower arrangements, but I especially loved her bouquet. Jessy from Fleurs worked on the flowers, and this bouquet was straight from Jessy’s imagination. No, seriously, aside from the color Irene just told her to make something beautiful..and it was!

What I loved about Irene and Baron was that everything was about family (all of their siblings were in the wedding party and her dad sang at the ceremony), friends, and fun. Every decision that they made was really with their guests in mind. Making sure to take care of every detail, from transportation to hotel gift bags, the couple really wanted to let all of their guests know how much they wanted them all there on their special day. They also wanted everyone to have a good time and create a party vibe, so we decided to eliminate many of the reception formalities to let people just dance. I must admit that even though they told us that their friends would dance, I was not expecting everyone on the dance floor as soon as the reception started! Talk about knowing your crowd!

So, finally, reception pictures!  Roey just absolutely outdid himself with these amazing images!  The inside of the New Leaf Cafe only seats about 40 people, so most people end up tenting the rear of the space.  We opted to do cocktails inside and then used Westside Party Rental for tenting. They are familiar with the space, and they also offered up the best price.  I urged Rebekah to invest in a tent liner- the draping fit the romantic style she was going for AND it acts as a decor element in and of itself, enabling us to do a little less on the tables.  The venue provides plates, flatware, etc, but you do need to provide your own tables, chairs and linens so we went to Classic Party Rental and opted to use white cotton on the long tables, but ordered a pink Toile runner to drape over the tables and to use for the escort card table. This pattern made it feel like there was even more floral than there was- though Fleurs VOLUMINOUSLY long, stunning arrangements really stole the show.  Rather than rent chargers ($7 each) we found some online and Rebekah bought them (6 for $10).

Rebekah and Manuel’s took great care to blend in their love of music and Manuel’s Venezuelan culture.  The Cuban trio traded on and off with a DJ to create an atmosphere that offered something for everyone and this crowd LOVED to dance!  I’ve never seen a group of people hit the dancefloor quite so hard, quite so early in the evening.  Probably because the bride and groom were so into it!  The night was filled with moving and funny toasts and dances- including some of the sweetest parent dance photos.  The rest of the pics can be seen on  Always a Bridesmaid Facebook Fan page.

Best wishes to the wonderful couple!!!

More of Roey Yohai’s AMAZING pictures from our client Rebekah and Manuel’s wedding this past weekend.  The bride was originally from California and she wanted the ceremony to be in a natural setting.  This park fit the bill (though, there were SOME challenges).  While I got the family and wedding party ready to process, Mayra set off to clear out the park area.  Here, her commentary:

Ceremonies are always the most stressful part of the day, mainly because they require precision. A bride has that image of walking down the aisle, and I want to make sure that I do my best to make it perfect. This becomes harder in a public space. Not only do you have to coordinate officiant, bridal party, music, and the bride, but you also have to get a handle on everyone just wandering the space. This park seemed filled with leisurely people, so I thought I would start early. So I set out with my permit to politely ask people if they could please clear the area for the ceremony. I was AMAZED that people seemed completely uninterested in moving. They didn’t care about my permit at all. Since we technically couldn’t force them to move, I tried pleading. It worked for the most part, at least with the people that would be in the way for photos.

However, once the ceremony started I was HORRIFIED to see that people stopped right behind them, came and sat behind the guests, and basically loitered a wee too close to the ceremony. I mean people, would you want a couple standing behind you and staring at you at your wedding? NO! So why do it to someone else? My blood pressure was through the roof and I literally walked around asking people to hush (kind of like a school teacher).

I was glad to see the photos and see that none of these people made it into the shots. Also, you can tell by their faces that they didn’t care how many (rude) people watched:)

Rather than a large wedding party, they decided to have their siblings as their BM and MOH as well as an additional close friend.  Rebekah chose bright pink dresses to contrast with the green of the park and together with Jessy the three of us thought these big statement pieces would be great, as they could be moved to the reception afterwards, and the petals were  a dramatic touch.  Being musicians, they hired a string quartet to set the tone.   After the ceremony the bride and groom lead a procession back to the New Leaf where guests were met with the Rasberry Fizz and the sounds of Nu Guajiro, this awesome Cuban trio that was SO good, I went to see them again last night (and had too much wine, but whatever.)  Reception pics coming soon!

I have been going CRAZY all week with excitement to share these amazing images from Roey Yohai of my client Rebekah’s wedding this past Saturday.  While Salomé was busy a little further downtown with Marti the Opera singer, Mayra and I had our hands full uptown at Fort Tryon Park with the wedding on not just ONE but TWO opera singers… (Three opera singers all married on one day?!  Crazy, hmm?)

Rebekah and Manuel had met years earlier while singing in an Opera together in Italy.  She new that they wanted an intimate wedding of 60-70 guests. Rebekah initially came to us with another venue in mind, and was about to go to contract. After much discussion, I suggested she try out The New Leaf Cafe in Fort Tryon Park which would give her the look she and Manuel wanted for their day, but a little closer to the city and a bit easier on the budget as well.  The bride got ready at the Soho Grand and Jessy of Fleurs provided her floral.  The downtown location meant she and Manuel could get some city shots en route to the location.  They met up near the meatpacking district for some downtown pics and prompted an ovation outside of Pastis!

Afterwards, they got in a car and headed up to the park for formal shots and some family pics in the park.  How awesomely cute are her brothers and the flower girl? Love those pictures! We allowed a TON of time for pics and travel, which was great, because it was a rough day for getting around that day.

Ceremony and Reception pics coming soon, but for now, I’m going to leave you with my FAVORITE pic from the pre-ceremony.