LAUREN AND STEVE: A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Thanksgiving weekend I did a beautiful wedding in Philadelphia. Lauren and Steve got married in a beautiful old church in University City and then had a fabulous party and PAFA. It's one of my favorite places to work and this wedding was a REAL pleasure- from beginning to end. Lauren and her mom were full of enthusiasm and great ideas. Every detail was well thought out and the result was a gorgeous day and a perfect bride.
The Details:
The centerpieces were all different and free floating or arranged in small vases. The colors were vibrant fuschias, greens and reds. Petals at Gravelly Run was the florist. The girls bouquets were hand tied bunches of Calla Lilies. Lauren is a graphic artist and designed the invitations, the place cards, the favor boxes and the menu cards. I was blown away when I saw the detail of the invitations- with the black and white cityscape and every section of the trifold a different piece. The favor box was the same city scape folded into a little box and tied with a black satin ribbon and finished with the "LOVE" symbol.

The escort cards were placed on tiny easels and every one beautifully scrolled by the bride's design. The gift table and the guest book table were adorned with photos of family weddings through the generations- and with the couple's engagement photo. The guest book was actually a sketch book that guests could draw in or write notes to the couple.





Among the many interesting and fun details of this wedding were the two artists. David Ohlerking set up his easel in one of the galleries adjacent to the main gallery and did caricatures of all the guests. This one is of the bride and groom. It was so much fun to watch him work! What a great alternative to the photo booth. The other artist, Joan Zylkin, set up her easel in the main gallery and set about painting the entire room full of guests in oils. What a talent and what a memory for the couple to have hanging in their home!

www.theartistgroup.comThe guests had a wonderful time dancing- the dance floor was full all night. The Renaissance Orchestra really knew how to keep the party upbeat and fun. The parent dances were so sweet to watch. There's lots of love here in these two families!!

It was a magical and wonderful day for a stunning couple and their families and friends! There were so many photos to choose from that I can't put them all here. Thanks to The Artist Group for all the professional shots here.

It isn't a Philadelphia wedding without the Philadelphia shots! So, here are some of The Artist Group's shots of the couple inside and out. This was a memorable wedding for me and for the couple. I loved working with Lauren and her mom, Anita. It was a pleasure and it was another of my all time favorite weddings. Lauren's city chic vision came to a rousing finish... as does this post. Congrats, Lauren and Steve!

TOO CUTE FOR WORDS

I just discovered another unique stationary company that I have to share with you! Storkie Express is an on line invitation source that has some wonderful collections for all those wedding occasions- from Save The Dates to showers to postage.   For the girlie bride with a flair for fashion, there are these adorable selections.                                                        

  







For the more sophisticated city wedding, why not send this flirty, yet chic invitation to your rehearsal dinner?    And, for the bridesmaids, here is a great shower invitation for that city princess bride
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If you have a more simple and elegant wedding vision, then these  lovely selections are for you.  This pretty little black and white save the date puts me in mind of  a turn of the century mansion with beautiful lawns and gardens.   I also love these lacy invitations for a soirree in the city.   

 

Another simple and urban idea is this exotic floral invitation with just a touch of red for a dramatic effect.   For the more traditional bride, whether all white or with a dramatic color palette, these selections really make a statement.                                           

Finally, for the whimsy in you totally modern and fun brides, a "sweet couple" wedding invitation.  This cookie couple is so cute and fun!   It is one of my favorites.   Please check out these and other wonderful and unique invitations at Storkie.   SO FUN!

WHY ME?

These are a few of the incredible brides that I have helped in the last few years. Every one has been a joy to me and each one has taught me something. Whether it was how to plan a Chinese wedding banquet, or how to don a sari, making a halter gown into a strapless one, or combining cultures and beyond. They have all touched my life in such a special way and I miss every one of them. Now, it is your turn. You are the bride and you are planning that once in a lifetime moment. It would please me to help you to make that dream come true. Unlike other planners, I won't be fluffing flowers on your wedding day- I will be fluffing you. I will help you find that Hawaiian wedding band for your ceremony (yes, I did that for a bride). I will lend a hand when you can't get the bridal shop to produce dresses that fit ( yes, I have had to call a manufacturer to do just that for a bride). I will make sure your seamstress fits your dress perfectly. When you fall apart the week before your wedding, I will come to your house and talk you through all those last minute panicked moments ( yes, been there, done that). There is no job too small or too big for me to tackle. I will be there from the time you sign with me until the last guest leaves the reception. Whether you hire me to help you from the start or you call me 3 months before the wedding, convinced you are going to have a disaster day, I will do whatever it takes to make it all fall into place. There is never an hourly fee, my fees are all based individually on each wedding. There are no "limits" to my services. The more I know about you and your wedding, the better I can see to your big day. I take the time to know the vendors. I interface with everyone along the way. I will answer your questions any time. Every bride is like my own daughter getting married. Even if you hire me for the "day of", be sure that I will be available to you no matter how far off that day is. When you are happy, I am happy. And, when you leave your wedding to start that new life with your new husband and you have had a fabulous day- so have I! So, before you start 
shopping, before you start worrying, before you get in over your head, let's talk about how I can be there for you- all the way.







































































Photo: Courtesy of Kamila Harris













Photo: Courtesy of Anton Frid

HERE COMES THE BRIDE

Happy New Year and Congratulations to all of you new brides out there. What exciting things this year has in store for you, this year, as you plan the most important day of your life! I am here to help. It is a wonderful, but stressful time full of questions and confusion and...SO MANY CHOICES! So, I have decided to set up my blog to be able to help you, personally, with a series of on line consultation services. If you go to the sidebar of my blog and look for the "BUY" button, you will find a selection of services designed to help you with a specific question about your wedding. It is an affordable way to get the help of a planner in a casual and easy way. My hope is, that you will find this service an asset to your planning process and that I will get a chance to help more of you along the path to the aisle. I still offer my regular services to the bride who needs that one on one help all the way from booking the venue to the last guest leaving the reception. That is my passion. But, I feel that this easy and convenient way of answering questions via my blog serves a worthy purpose. I look forward to hearing from you and to helping you, even if in a small way, to plan your dream wedding. Email me and we can get started!

A NEW YEAR, A NEW SEASON FOR MY FAIR WEDDING

A bride knows what she wants for her wedding — the dress, the flowers, even the icing on the cake! But with only three weeks before the big day, wedding planner David Tutera shows up and changes everything. How exactly will he tackle these brides’ outlandish ideas to give them a wedding beyond their imagination? Watch My Fair Wedding, a WETV original series, to find out... you won't want to miss these transformations! Watch the sneak peek.

Tune in tonight at 9PM for the latest in David's wedding magic.

ASK THE EXPERTS!

You're engaged! Now what? Where do you start? How do you start? What are the most important components of planning the perfect wedding? As I planner, I am always trying to find better and more interesting ways of helping my clients. What better way than to read what other professionals in the industry have to say. Here are some of the best answers to your questions.

Claudia Hanlin of The Wedding Library says-
Every bride needs four essentials at her fingertips to stay organized: a checklist, a budget tracker, a guest-list manager, and a floor plan As soon as you have an idea of the size of your guest list, book the venue. By the six-month mark, your dress, florist, band, stationer, and photographer should be finalized. Four months out, it's time for the cake and catering tastings. The last month is all about the little things, like favors and seating charts.

And, when should brides enlist a planner?

Before you've booked anything. That person can help shape your vision and find a venue and vendors that will give you the most bang for your buck. If you wait too long, she may spend too much time getting up to speed -- and not enough of it executing ideas.

Some signs of a good planner?

First and foremost, she should be affordable. Her fee should be no more than 10 percent of your budget. Organization is also key. On your wedding day, you should feel comfortable about leaving everything in her hands. And her portfolio should be full of innovative examples that share your aesthetic.

Any advice for the very first meeting?

You'll be talking budget, so ask a lot of questions and make your expectations clear. About 50 percent of the overall cost goes to the venue, food, and beverages, which means everything else -- flowers, decor, stationery, your dress -- falls into the other half. You've got to verbalize what's most important to you, and then your planner can help you prioritize.

Speaking of budget, what do you say to couples who are trying to cut back?

Keep your favors simple. Give gifts or set up a candy bar -- not both. And don't go overboard on stationery. Spend on your invitations, which make the most impact, but don't overdo it on items like escort and menu cards.

What's worth the splurge?

Lighting. Without it, you've spent time and money on things that people can't even see. Videography is also worthwhile. Pictures are one thing, but a DVD that you can watch on every anniversary is priceless.

Colin Cowie advises-
I love weddings and I enjoy designing, planning and producing them. They are happy occasions celebrating the couple and helping jump start their life together. You'll find that everyone has an opinion including your well-meaning family members and your friends. Not only is planning your wedding the single biggest event you've probably ever planned in your life, it's also the first joint statement of style you and your groom make together. Most importantly, your wedding is all about you and needs to be a
personification of the two of you. I know it's a huge task, loaded with tons of details and logistics so I suggest you hire a professional to help you. Think about it, if you are ill you go to the doctor, something wrong with your taxes you see an accountant…therefore, seek the help of a wedding planner to help you plan your wedding. They'll help find the right vendors, pay the right price and keep track of the entire production while keeping you on track too. Ask your married friends for references, find out who helped them and if they were happy. Don't stop there, anyone you're considering to hire should have a few clients they can connect you with as a reference to give you peace of mind that you have the right person.