Vendor Spotlight: Lela New York | The Couture Invitations & Stationery Experts
I had the great pleasure of working on a recent editorial project with Maria Cerff, Creative Director of Lela New York . She created an incredible art deco inspired invitation suite for us and I just had to share a bit more about her and her company to our readers! Lela New York is a luxury invitations and stationery studio specializing in creating one-of-a-kind works of art for the discerning client. Their work is sought after by distinct wedding planners, designers and savvy brides worldwide for their couture designs and awe-inspiring creations. Lela New York will help match your special event with a couture invitation equally as special. From hand-drawn illustrations and water color paintings to silk box invitations and unique embellishments every suite is designed to be truly unique. Lela New York is available by appointment for consultations serving clients in NYC and worldwide. Maria’s work has been featured in BRIDES Magazine, The Knot Magazine, Style Me Pretty, and the NY Post! Her portfolio is a variety of engaging pieces ranging from the most formal of social occasions to birth announcements and personal stationary. I love her luxe, opulent design style.
Be sure to visit her website to see an in depth look at her work. For a look into the hottest trends and what’s fabulous, be sure to visit her blog too!
Vendor Spotlight: Beneath the Gown
On Sunday I attended a great party put on by White Dress by the Shore and several vendors who’ve moved into wedding row. One of my absolute favorites is Beneath the Gown, a fabulous company developed by master seamstress of White Dress by the Shore, Josie. Beneath the Gown is a bridal lingerie boutique presenting an exquisite collection of exclusive designer lingerie labels featuring french European couture fine laces and hand-made silks perfect for honeymoon, special events or everyday. Josie’s services include complimentary, professional bra fittings and in-house custom design service where we can customize or custom create bustiers, night gowns, and wedding gowns.
I have to admit — I was doing a lot of window shopping for myself while I was in Josie’s beautiful shop. She had some of the most delicate and stunning pieces of lingerie I’ve ever seen. I love the custom aspect too. In our chat we talked about how we can take a piece of my wedding gown and incorporate it into a custom piece of lingerie. Amazing!! I would love to be able to slip into something special that has elements of my wedding gown.
Visit Beneath the Gown on the web to learn more about scheduling an appointment. They are located in Clinton, Connecticut at The White Dress by the Shore. Be sure to tell Josie we sent you!!
xoxo
Vendor Spotlight: Maihar Designs
I’m collaborating on a project with Maihar Designs next week and I just LOVE Melanie and Ashleigh’s designs. Their Texas born sisters who came up with the concept of their custom ring bearer pillows, flower wands, and hair petals. When you see their amazing work, you’ll swoon too!
Vintage French Inspired Photoshoot with Carla Ten Eyck, Part I
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with a lot of my absolute favorite people on a photoshoot with Carla Ten Eyck for her September Ten Eyck Tuesday. I collaborated with Elisabeth of BLUSH floral design and Beth Chapman of White Dress by the Shore to come up with a unique and fun color story in teals and pinks. All the hair and makeup was done by the talented and super amazing Dana Bartone & Co., who are responsible for making almost ALL of my brides gorgeous on their wedding day (me included)!! My studio roomie Thomas Morlock of Vantage Point Films also shot the entire event from his viewfinder. Plus, he drank all the champagne.
For those of you who don’t know, Carla runs an amazing workshop for photographers once a month where she spends an entire day shooting, educating, and discussing her artform. I’ve attended two Ten Eyck Tuesdays and Carla is amazing!! If you are a photographer in the area (you should travel here if your not!) I highly recommend Carla’s workshop. They are so thorough and detailed. Plus, Carla puts the sass in sass-a-frass.
The location for the shoot was really awesome. The building is an interior designer’s dream, full of lots of shops from furniture to lighting. We took over a blank industrial space with nothing except a few sheets of unused drywall laid up against the wall.
This gorgeousness is all courtesy of Carla and Beth Chapman of White Dress by the Shore who dressed and styled our gorgeous models. Don’t you just LOVE this short wedding gown and feather hair fascinator? It was so delicate and pretty in person! I could have played dress up for hours with all the amazing accessories Beth brought.
That gorgeous, vintage pink bouquet is by the equally talented Elisabeth of BLUSH floral design. I love Dan’s peacock feathered boutonniere. Can you see the peacock feathers tucked into Mandie’s bouquet? Check the neck collage of images!
Pretty gorgeous, right? The furniture is from my FAVORITE rental company, Signature Event Rentals, who are responsible for most of the awesomeness you see. That gorgeous white couch? The clear-backed and hot pink dining chairs?! The leather tufted wall panels?!?! The WHITE dinning table?!?!?! Yeah, they pretty much rule. They’re the best, hands down, and we LOVED having their furniture at the shoot!
Elisabeth created a bed of tightly arranged hot pink carnations for our escort cards, which were pennant flags that I made and hand wrote in gold ink. Antonia from Flower upon Flour blew us away with her tasty little gold petit fours with the hot pink fleur de lis… but the pièce de résistance was definitely her INSANE cake!!
Antonia and I had discussed the color story and inspiration behind the shoot… and when she showed up with this…. we were like… seriously?! A teal cake with a gold birdcage on top and hot pink feathers?!
…. up next, our table and some other fun stuff!
xoxo
Vendor Spotlight: Eric Langlois of raw photo design
It’s been WAY too long since I did a vendor spotlight on some cool Connecticut talent. I figured I’d start back up our series with one of my favorite photographers (and studio roomie) Eric Langlois of raw photo design. Eric’s style truly lives up to his business tagline — a fusion of art and atmosphere. Eric did my pre-wedding trash the dress so I have some first hand knowledge on how awesome he really is!
Eric isn’t only a wedding photographer but is also well known for his boudoir portraits. Right now he is running an awesome promo for ladies (and couples):
Here are some of my favorite images of Eric from this current season…
Oh, did I also mention that Eric has a super hot wife, Amber (pictured below), who also helps him run the business?
This post just wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t make a debut 
To learn more about Eric visit his website and blog at rawphotodesign.com. The best part? Eric is global and shoots all over!
Vendor Spotlight: Paloma’s Nest
I love the work of Caroline Colom Vasquez and knew one of her ring bowls would be a perfect detail in our wedding (shown above). Caroline is a native of Connecticut (now residing in Austin, Texas) and has created her incredible product (and business) from her own studio. Her work has been featured in Martha Stewart, House Beautiful, Italian Elle, New York Magazine Weddings Issue, Good Morning America, Better Homes & Gardens Magazine, Brides Magazine regional editions and several other publications, including some very stylish online blogs and magazines. I love the idea of your ring bearer carrying one of Caroline’s ring bowls, personalized with a message that reflects the spirit of your day. Our wedding didn’t have a ring bearer, so our best man carried our rings and handed them over to our officiant during our vows.
She also creates beautiful bouquet charms.
A vintage hankie from Brass Paper Clip
The other day I was cruising etsy.com to be inspired or find something we might need for our wedding. I love etsy because it supports local and national small businesses, artists, and craftsman and in my book, those are the best businesses to buy from!
I realized that I didn’t have a hankie to carry with me down the aisle. Neither of my grandmothers had hankies to loan and my mother didn’t have anything either, so I decided to purchase my own heirloom. I came across this really beautiful hankie from Brass Paper Clip which specialized in vintage items for brides. They have so many cute vintage purses, gloves, hankies, flowers…. heaven! I purchased a beautiful Schiffli Lace hankie and received it yesterday. The one thing that I absolutely love about most etsy.com’s shops is how personable and detail-minded the owners are — just look at how she packaged the hankie that I bought!
Vendor Spotlight: Paisely Quill
I received a really lovely email from Molly Myers, one of the two owners designers at Paisley Quill, a custom wedding invitation and stationery studio. Once I saw her work I knew she’d be a great fit for our brides! Here is a sample of their most recent work…. can you say swooning over this pretty pink invitations? So feminine and romantic!
And these gorgeous fuchsia and navy invitations? Love! It is such a hot color combination and I love the regal feel of these.
Thanks to Molly and Megan for sharing their fabulous work with us! Visit their website and portfolio to see more of their work and learn how they can create a couture invitation suite for your next event. They also have a super awesome blog too that is a must read and in our RSS feed!
Aisle Runners by Wedding Runways from Branford, Connecticut
I was so excited to be contacted by Jahna of Wedding Runways in Branford, Connecticut. I love that Connecticut has such a talented and amazing couture aisle runner designer. We love to support local small businesses! Wedding Runways’ mantra is they want to “bring red carpet style to your wedding aisle.”
Their selection is truly custom and versatile, offering widths available in 36” or 50” and lengths are available in increments of 25’ up to 150’. They use commercial grade snag-proof material (so important!), non-slip heavy poly scrim and “self-healing” capabilities. Plus, their color calibration system can match your color swatches exactly! They also create matching table runners and soon to come, your very own “step & repeat” backdrop for photo opportunities.
They are currently offering a complimentary, over sized thank you card with your order. You can be photographed holding it and that photo can then be turned into a thank you card to send to their guests. So fun!
Vendor Spotlight: Swirl
I met the brains and brawn behind Swirl, a New York based in-house wine tasting company, at BizBash. I was immediately drawn to their booth, for both my love of wine and their unique entertaining service. I enjoyed talking with them the most out of any vendor at BizBash — I just love their business concept, personality, and approach to wine tasting.
Swirl offers customized, private in-home and corporate wine tastings with a fresh, hip spin on things. Where else are you going to compare the wines you taste to your favorite celebs? Is that Sauvignon Blanc you’re drinking a Nicole Kidman (elegant and austere) or a Britney Spears (starts off great, but ends in disaster)?
Their team of savvy “Swirl-ettes” provide an easy and elegant way to get friends together for a bridal shower or bachelorette party. I think it would be a fabulous addition to any dinner or cocktail party as well! A Swirl wine tasting includes everything from hand-selected wines, perfectly paired cheeses and chocolates, to an enthusiastic Swirl expert who guides your guests through the experience.
I love that they are approaching wine tasting without any pretense. Visit their website to learn more about how you can have Swirl at your next party — and also read their blog! I just subscribed to it myself and I am looking forward to reading it!
Vendor Spotlight: Lilah Paper
I love everything about Kansas City’s Lilah Paper. I found Kalyn through Style Me Pretty’s little black book many months ago and we have become e-friends rather quickly. Her style is very fresh with a bit of vintage. I really think it is uniquely her own! She recently designed these gorgeous invitations for a destination event in Vail, Colorado and I asked her to share them with our readers.
The wedding is in February so the icy metallic blue on chocolate brown perfectly sets the tone for this winter wedding! The bride is having a weekend full of events, from an Aprés Ski Party to Drinks and Dessert and a Brunch on Sunday. So, needless to say, the bride had a bunch of information to be included with the invitation. To keep it clean and neatly kept together, I designed a belly band which holds a 2-sided, accordion fold booklet. Within the booklet is a schedule of events, map, wedding website for more information and a reply postcard that perforates off and is ready to stick in the mail! The graphics are a wonderful reflection of their vintage wedding in the mountains and perfectly reflect the bride and groom’s playful and outdoorsy nature.
Are they not gorgeous? I love the booklet idea. It is a refreshing difference verses the pocket fold invitation which has become so popular. I have a fun interview with Kalyn to post later next week with a peak into her Holiday line and a new addition to her wedding invitation line, so check back soon!
Vendor Spotlight: Teardrop Weddings
I had the great pleasure of meeting a few insanely talented people at the Wedding Salon in Manhattan last week. My favorite of the day was Holly from Teardrop weddings. I’ve admired her work for as long as I’ve been subscribed to her blog – a long time! It was a great pleasure to meet her in person and see her beautiful creations up close.
I love Teardrop’s style and especially love that everything is hand illustrated and custom designed for each couple. Take a look at some of the photographs of her work below to see for yourself how amazing her work is! Be sure to visit her blog too. She has become a bride herself and posts tons of inspirational and thoughtful posts as she plans her own wedding.
Vendor Spotlight: Adorn Bride
On Wednesday I attended The Wedding Salon in Manhattan and while there, I met the lovely ladies behind Adorn Brides. I hadn’t heard of the company before our meet and greet, but the concept behind the company has been around for awhile. Adorn Brides lends fabulous jewels to brides for their wedding day and they are the only company I know of that deals exclusively in wedding jewelry rental. Their collection is gorgeous and I got to try on one of their $20,000 vintage diamond bracelets! The representatives of Adorn also mentioned that they do buy specialty pieces for brides and are not limited to their current inventory. Isn’t that fabulous? They do carry a wide variety of styles but I love that they will purchase jewelry on a brides behalf.
There has been so much press and buzz surrounding them, too. They’ve been in Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style Magazine, InStyle Weddings, Inside Weddings, and on The View!
They offer a generous program for Jubilee brides where they can receive very special promotional offers.
Ceremony/Reception Vendor Spotlight: Tyrone Farm
A few days ago I had the opportunity to visit Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, Connecticut for one of my clients. As I drove up to the picturesque property it easily became one of my top ten must see wedding venues. The property is, in one word, spectacular. The mountain views are amazing and must be killer right now overlook the foliage. I spent my time talking with Ian, the properties site manager and wedding coordinator. He told me about the farms history and how it had been in his family for quite some time. It was very interesting to talk with him about their unique story and learn how they came to offer the farm for weddings and other events.
I love Tyrone Farm for a number of reasons – one being their commitment to being eco-friendly. First, they’ve invested in solar technology, which supplies most of the properties’ energy. How amazing is that? They also grow and tend a number of beautiful pesticide free flower gardens, which eliminates the need for some to purchase flower arrangements. Their flower gardens really are beautiful, too. So much so that I inquired if Ian’s brother, who works on the gardens, was a landscape architect (which he isn’t – just naturally talented!). Ian also mentioned that they are looking into growing their own herbs which they might offer to event caterers to use in their dishes. On the property they also have an eco-friendly guest cottage which was developed and built in a factory in Denmark. The guest cottage is great feature because you can get ready there, have out of town guests stay there, or in a worst case scenario, someone who has had one too many can crash safely for the night.
Tyrone Farm also supports local businesses and artisans. For those who know me, you know that I am a huge proponent of using local vendors, businesses, and talented people for my events. I admire when venues appreciate the importance of supporting the local community in every event they do.
During my visit I took a tour of the property and admired all the details and little touches that Tyrone Farm has to offer. They have several spaces that are ideal for ceremony locations with beautiful focal points and, of course, gorgeous gardens. Their reception locations are also unique because they offer the best of both worlds. They have a gorgeous horse barn that many couples use as their dining and dancing area. They also have a blue stone terrace off the main house that overlooks the horse trails and beautiful mountains of Connecticut (although it could be Massachusetts or Rhode Island – I’m not sure which direction you’re pointed in!) The best part? The patio is already tented and stays covered during wedding season, so there is no need to bring in tent rentals and deal with the added cost. I don’t have the exact specifications on the tents size, but I am almost sure it will seat 150 comfortably for dinner.
All these different spaces are like different rooms that you can use to create a unique atmosphere for your guests. A wedding that has several different locations on one property, like Tyrone Farm, just works better in my opinion. You can have cocktail hour amongst the gardens, dinner on the blue stone terrace, and an after hours lounge with dancing in the barn.
I’m looking forward to coordinating and designing a wedding at Tyrone Farm and urge our readers who are looking for all of the above to give them a call and schedule a tour! I love their commitment to the environment, their support of the local community, and how they’ve kept the integrity of their families farm. I’ll leave you with some pictures that I lifted from their website.
Vendor Spotlight: Le Viette
I love when talented and creative people contact me about their products! Kaitlyn from Le Viette emailed me earlier last week to introduce the beautiful works of art she and her team create. Le Viette is creating a wave of new trends in gift-giving and event decorations with elegantly designed towel sets that resemble real desserts. But wait until you see them! They look good enough to eat.
Are they not amazing? I think they would be spectacular for a desert themed bridal shower (stay tuned because we are planning a great post detailing some ideas for one!), desert themed dinner party, and of course, wedding favors! I would love to be greeted, as a guest, by one of these on my plate. I think they also make a great hostess gift!
Le Viette also paid attention to detail, and put the same amount of artistry in the packaging of these beautiful faux deserts – they are elegantly gift-wrapped with satin ribbon bows, custom-made gift boxes, mini insert-cards, flower lace papers, and much more. Le Viette products cost between $6.99 and $7.99.
Vendor Spotlight: The White Dress by the Shore & Chic by the Shore
Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit down with Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore and tour her exquisite boutique. It’s located in downtown Clinton in a historic and beautiful old home (I think she said it was over two hundred years old!). The boutique is so inviting and beautifully designed; it is, in every sense of the word, the essence of what a bridal boutique should be. I was so impressed by every element of White Dress – from the beautiful décor, to the unbelievable inventory of gowns by Anne Barge, Priscilla of Boston, Judd Waddell, and so many more. Beth also introduced me to a line of gowns by a very up-and-coming Connecticut designer, (more…)
Ceremony & Reception Venue Spotlight: The Old State House
I had the opportunity to tour the Old State House in Hartford this past Saturday afternoon. Elisabeth from Blush Floral tipped me off to this special location a few weeks ago. It is an absolutely amazing venue that should be on your list of unique and interesting places for your wedding ceremony or reception. It is right smack dab in the middle of downtown on Main Street, only a stone’s throw away from some very popular Hartford wedding spots (a.k.a. the Goodwin Hotel, Wadsworth Museum, and Gershon Fox Room to name a few). They offer both indoor and outdoor ceremony options and you can rent out the state house for the reception!
For indoor ceremonies the wedding would take place in the luminous court room on the main floor. Words cannot describe how beautiful this room is – and the light that floods the antique hardwood floors and white columns in truly amazing. The windows are two stories high and look out onto our beautiful capitol city. I love the acoustics in the room too – they are very pronounced and dramatic. Plus, look at that chandelier! It is four times bigger than it looks in person!
Outdoor ceremonies take place on the front lawn, overlooking the beautiful architecture of the state house. There is also an option for a tented reception on this beautiful lawn, which is enclosed by an antique wrought iron fence and gate. I especially loved the spiral staircase outside, which I unfortunately have no pictures of. But the staircase makes for beautiful bridal portraits and photographs.
The state house also has a few empty rooms that are on a smaller scale than the court room, but are equally beautiful. The front lobby would make for a beautiful cocktail area and I loved the dramatic staircases leading up to the second story and the checkered marble floors. The rooms to the left would be great for an afterhours lounge or photobooth. The court room is turned over after the ceremony for the reception. I believe it can seat 85 persons comfortably for a sit down dinner with 120 for a standing cocktail reception. What I love best is the historical significance that the Old State House provides to your wedding ceremony.
Many thanks to Carla for letting me use the beautiful photographs she took at a recent wedding at The Old State House!
Vendor Spotlight: Sandals For Events!
Click an image to enlarge!
Last week I received a lovely email from Julia Bornstein from Sandals 4 Events, introducing her company and product to me. I visited their website and was immediately impressed with the quality of leather sandal that they custom create for any event. Julia shipped one right over to me and it arrived Tuesday! It came in a darling black, white, and pink shoe box and inside, wrapped in tissue, was one of their custom sandals and a satin draw-string carrying bag. Of course I was thrilled that she sent me the hot pink, but they do come in a variety of colors! I slipped it on my food and it was very comfortable. These are a super chic favor idea for a bridal beacheon (or luncheon) and to give to guests as favors for your beach wedding. I also love them personalized for your bridal party to wear on the day-of and as a thank you gift.
Julia was also kind enough to extend a little something special to Jubilee’s brides who purchase sandals from her company. Thank you Julia!
A Day at the Carnival
I met with Rob and Kathleen of Robert & Kathleen Photography earlier this week and I have been an avid blog stalker of their work for at least a year. They are both so incredibly talented and I can’t wait for the opportunity when we can work together! On Sunday, Rob posted some breathtaking pictures of a wedding he had done the day before for a beautiful couple named Allison & Bryan. I don’t normally post weddings that are not our own, but the images are too spectacular for me not to share.
The elated couple had a gorgeous church wedding with their reception at the picturesque Candlewood Inn. On the way to the church, Rob & Kathleen drove by a local carnival and thought it would make for some interesting photographs. The bride and groom thought so too. The result? Some of the most beautiful and unexpected photographs I’ve ever seen. All brides hope that their photographer is able to capture that unforeseen moment on their wedding day and translate it onto film… Rob & Kathleen captured that special moment (and they always do) for this special couple.
I know, I know! You want to see the images.. be sure to click the thumbnails to take in the full version. Also check out more beautiful pictures from this event (and feel free to add them to your “blog stalk” list): http://www.robertandkathleen.com. Lastly, Congratulations to Allision & Bryan!
Vendor Spotlight: Wonderful Graffiti
Click the image to view the larger version!
As an event and wedding planner, you often have the opportunity to “test drive” a lot of products that vendor’s market to brides. We enjoy this process and find it helpful when recommending quality products and vendors to our brides. One company, Wonderful Graffiti, recently sent us sample swatches of their product and we instantly fell in love! What is Graffiti? From the experts themselves. . .
Wonderful Graffiti is very thin pieces of matte vinyl that look “printed” when applied to most smooth surfaces. Your entire wedding Graffiti design arrives on one sheet of transfer paper. Just tape the transfer paper into place, burnish it down and peel it away. Only the individual letters and graphic elements remain. Wonderful Graffiti removes quickly, and won’t harm underlying surfaces.
The possibilities for using Wonderful Graffiti are endless, truly. Since it is nontoxic, easily removable, and doesn’t leave a residue, you can use it anywhere. On the doors of the church, your dance floor, reception walls, or even your “get-away” car.
Personally, I love the element of using typeface and words as a design element in your wedding. With the right font, monogram, poem, and design, you can add a unique piece of art which will act as a focal point to your wedding! Its totally original and something you can customize to suit your style, personality, and individual love story.
Browse their website to view real weddings that used their product. They have hundreds of examples, prefabricated items, and the ability to customize your wedding graffiti into your personal monogram, favorite verse or poem. Wonderful Graffiti can also be used to decorate your home, office, or add an additional element of decor to the next event you throw (we especially liked the Americana themed graffiti in light of Independence Day!).
