A couple of weeks ago, I posted pictures from Malda and Greg’s amazing rehearsal dinner BBQ including Hot Air Balloon, but I never had the chance to share with you the pictures from their gorgeous wedding day.  The amazing thing about Locusts on Hudson is that the property is like a world unto itself, so while the house has a majestic, mansion feeling, the rest of the property is fantastically rustic.

For Malda and Greg’s interfaith wedding (Greg is Jewish and Malda is Muslim), the bride’s uncle officiated a gorgeous ceremony that included readings from the koran and breaking of the glass.  The guests then made their way around the property to the gorgeous barn that was the perfect rustic setting for an amazing dance party.  Thanks to Roey Yohai for these gorgeous photos (the rest will be up on our website very soon) and thanks to  Nicolette Camille for the beautiful flowers.

I don’t know that there is anything more exciting than when you first start dating someone and they remember little things that you may have said or mentioned a few dates, or months down the line.    It’s that warm and fuzzy moment when you are like “OMG, I can’t believe you remembered that I like that!!”  (Sigh.)  I sometimes take it to far and am practically squeal when my date remembers my favorite cocktail… Anyway, get ready to have that moment oh, about a million disgusting times over when you look at these amazing pictures by Roey Yohai from Malda and Greg’s gorgeous wedding that Always a Bridesmaid worked on this past summer at Locusts on Hudson.  I always say that Mayra can make anything happen for our clients (that’s why she’s the director of Making Things Happen!) and when I saw these photos I was even more in awe of her ability to pull off the craziest stuff and make it look easy and effortless.

Malda and Greg rented this gorgeous estate for the weekend and while the “main event” was happening on Saturday, Friday night they figured it was as good a night as any for a poolside Hoe Down equipped with BBQ, “Branded” Cowboy Hats and bandanas for all the cowboys, checkered linens and string lights and a blue grass band.  However, the real surprise for the guests AND the bride came in the form of a much BIGGER detail!

A few weeks before the big event Greg gave Mayra a call.  It seems that when they first started dating Malda flippantly told Greg that her childhood fantasy was to be whisked away by the guy she loves in a hot air balloon.  Could they make this happen during the wedding weekend and could it be a surprise?  What better way to kick off a completely dreamy wedding weekend than by making a dream come true?  I hope this gets everyone’s brains going about the big and little ways your wedding weekend could get even more dreamy.

After the big surprise, there was eating, dancing, Pinata bashing and more, but I highly doubt that anything could top being whisked away on a gorgeous hot air balloon, do you?

As you may or may not know, I’m part Italian. Oh, you didn’t guess that? Xochitl Gonzalez didn’t strike you as Italian? LOL.   Statistically, it probably only accounts for about 1/4 of my makeup, but culturally there are about 50 Lubrano descendants in Brooklyn and beyond who I have shared a wealth of Sunday dinners with involving boatloads of pasta and somebody’s homemade wine.  So, today, while simultaneously preparing my Sausage and Pepper run to the San Gennaro Feast  and reading the paper, I was particularly intrigued when I saw this story about Italian Americans dealing with discrimination in the CUNY (City University of New York).  Anyway, I realized that we have written about wedding traditions from all over the world, but we really haven’t ever written much about  Italian wedding traditions.  I think these are some fabulous small details that, if you are Italian-American, or marrying an Italian, are wonderful to incorporate into your wedding day.  They are subtle, lovely nods to culture that extends beyond cuisine.  Many of these traditions have died out over the years, but I think they are delightful, symbolic touches to add to your day.

1.  Green at your rehearsal dinner.  Wearing green the night before your wedding is considered the ultimate in good luck charms, so plan your outfit accordingly.

2. This one CLEARLY dates back to the “old country”, where the groom should “pick the bride up” at her house and walk to the church with her.  Barring that from reality, the groom should actually wait outside of the church (or in modern day, ceremony site) for his intended and have their first greeting BEFORE the ceremony.

3.  DECORATING THE CHURCH.  An old, longstanding tradition is to tie the doors to the ceremony location with a large ribbon symbolizing the uniting of the couple… obviously, this presents a few challenges when it’s actually time to go inside!

3. FAVORS.  I can’t COUNT how many times on this blog (and to our clients) I have spoken against favors.  HOWEVER, they are in fact a long standing Italian tradition… Though, it didn’t involve ugly knick knacks, just “confetti” (those sugar covered almonds) which are meant to represent good luck.

4.  CALLING FOR KISSING.  Funny how what I thought was just something annoying that my family did at wedding receptions is actually a VERY long standing tradition- guests SHOULD feel welcome to call out for the couple to kiss.  Sometimes in the past we have actually gotten bells to place on tables to avoid the screaming of “Kiss, Kiss”, but, now that I know it’s a time honored tradition, I’ll be more patient. And of course, toasting with “100 years!” or “Per Cent’anni” is a must!

and finally… (and this one was a mystery to me!)

5. BREAKING A GLASS.  Not during the ceremony, but during the reception.  The number of pieces is supposed to represent the number of fabulous years together!

Image by Roey Yohai

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!

We were absolutely delighted a couple of weeks ago when we received a stunning, letterpress invitation from the ladies at Marcey Brownstein Catering to attend an intimate dinner party in honor of one of New York’s most stunning seasons, Fall. The list was comprised of some of the most delightful ladies and gentleman in the events industry and, the invitation, designed by Press New York immediately got us all excited for what was sure to be an elegant night out.

I have written about 620 Loft and Garden before and go to sleep some nights dreaming of doing a wedding there (or having my own wedding there :-).  Alas, neither of things things has  happened….. yet.  The space is situated in Rockefeller Center, with a fantasy like Garden the overlooks my two favorite holy places in New York: St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Saks Fifth Avenue.  The interior space is a clean, crisp loft with amazing views onto Rockefeller Plaza and the ability to go modern and fun or warm and cozy with a bit of lighting and the right ambiance.  It’s ideal for a bustling cocktail soiree or, in this case, an intimate gathering of about 50 or so.

This being a party by Marcey Brownstein, Leslie Russell of COURSE came up with some pretty nifty cocktails, including a Saffron Infused Vodka (yummy!) and a Mole Martini.  My own local wine shop, Gnarly Vines provided the wines (and some very informative wine information during our dinner) and made the compelling case for me to move my personal wine business away from The Greene Grape. (we shall see).  Elan Artists provided some excellent music, with the stand out being this trio of stunning electric violinists who played during cocktails.  Matthew Robbins of Artfool provided the Decor and wins the award for most delightful use of weather vanes.

The dinner was a long table with randomly assigned seating.  The food was yummy and I was particularly delighted by the first item:  a juniper flan with house smoked sweet ham lamb bacon – served in a little egg!!!!!! It was SO cute. Roey Yohai Sent over these amazing photos of the decor and the celebration itself, which I’m sharing with you here.

Ideas to steal (not that you should steal girls, but still): use Ball’s jelly jars for your votive candles for a homespun look. They are dirt cheap at the Hardware store (I use them in my house for holding cotton balls, etc- so cute!). Don’t be afraid to put non-floral items on the table.  And try this for your rehearsal dinner: Number the chairs and before dinner have everyone randomly select a paper with a number on it… You won’t have to worry about seating do’s and don’ts and it will force people to mingle! Finally:  DO hire a caterer with presentation skills. Look how delightful this was!

It was a totally fun dinner and we got to seat swap and talk shop with other planners.   I got lucky enough to get to sit next to my stalk-ee (meaning, I’m the stalker) Marcy Blum both times… though while fun for us, I don’t know that it was fun for our neighbors (I love this photo- this poor woman looks like I just told her a crude joke!). Below, see our lovely hostesses afront of St. Patricks and the delightful atmosphere that was assembled for us!

I have to say Roey took a few amazing pics of Mayra and I, but I’m going to wait and show them to you a bit later….. we’re updating our website and I’d like you guys to weigh in on our headshots!  Anyway, I hope that this provided you with some fall inspiration!

UPDATE: The gentleman photographer Carlos Varela shot some of these photos this evening!  Carlos’ work can be seen here.

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.