Saturday, April 30, 2011

Your Own Royal Wedding

The perfection of Kate and William's wedding will surely influence trends for years to come. But since most of us won't have thousands of guests and a national holiday declared for our wedding day, how do we interpret the perfect elegance of a royal wedding? Well first, get married at a castle. In Ireland. Last week I visited just such a magical place, fit for a princess.

Adare Manor, a 19th Century mansion, located just a half hour from Shannon Airport, is a quick 7 hours direct flight from NYC. And as you arrive, you're truly transported.
As you approach the manor, this is your view. The emerald green lawn is perfect for an outdoor wedding ceremony.
The three-hundred year old cedar tree marks a great photo spot.
The lawn, ceremony-ready. In the background is the famed Adare Manor Golf Club, voted the number one Golf Resort in Ireland and the UK by Conde Nast Traveller. Not bad.
The formal gardens at Easter, an ever-changing floral backdrop.
I was lucky enough to meet with all of Adare Manor's preferred vendors, from planners to floral designers -- and they are guaranteed to make your planning process easy and unique.
The Manor's walled gardens are a perfect setting for an outdoor wedding, ideal for a marquee.
Another view of the walled gardens, I picture a Sunday brunch with mimosas in hand, or a Friday barbecue complete with pig roast. There is so much to choose -- ranging from the Tavern for a late-night after-party to the Gallery fit for a king.
A weekend event has to include a little fly-fishing -- right outside the Manor the river is stocked with salmon and trout. A guide is on-hand with fishing poles and instructions.
The nearby Adare Village local church is lovingly restored, a mixture of vibrant painting and 700 year-old architecture. There are both Protestant and Catholic churches nearby, and the ruins of an abbey for a perfectly breathtaking backdrop a few hundred yards away off the property.
The nearby village of Adare boasts charming shops with thatch roofs, cozy pubs and additional accommodations for wedding guests at all price points. My favorite stops were at the local antique stores, packed with great finds.

All-in-all I had a fabulous experience at Adare, and have many great ideas and inspirations from the trip. Explore it yourself on their web site, or give me a call for additional first-hand tips on hosting your own royal wedding.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Get Wed Well!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Dinner with the Artists

One of the lucky things about working in an industry with insanely creative people is reaping the benefits of their creativity.

I got to do just that when I was invited to a dinner at the Foundry, an ethereal wedding and party venue in Long Island City. I've started to describe the evening to friends several times, but decided that the photos speak 1,000 words in this case.
The ladies from Poppies & Posies created the amazing florals and even cut out this fabric runner by hand!
Bryn from Paperfinger, who hand lettered the window signage at our pop-up store in Williamsburg a while back, lettered the menus, invitations and signage.
Something Different Party Rentals provided the large wooden farm table and many unique products for the event.
Thanks to Les Loups for the musical entertainment. The lovely meal and servers were hosted by Michael Stuart. I loved attending a dinner party he catered as I'm working with him soon for the first time at Angel Orensanz -- a harbinger of good things to come!
Paperfinger designed these rubber stamps for each guest as favors. I adore mine. It also gave me advance notice that I was seated next to my friend Maria McBride, an enormously talented creative from Bride's.
And if you are wondering who took these luscious pictures, they are all thanks to Jen Huang. I lifted all images from a marvelous posting on Design Sponge, where there's a lot more eye candy.

Friday, April 8, 2011

We're In The Bride's Guide, Martha Stewart Weddings Blog

I am so pleased that a new series of blogs from a shoot I styled in St. Lucia have started posting on The Bride's Guide. The inspiration on this volcanic island was everywhere. Photographer Mel Barlow and I worked for three days to create the rustic and unique looks you'll see on the blog; I think the results were beautiful.
The most amazing part was that I managed to stuff all the props needed into one giant suitcase. The trick to this destination shoot was finding compact items with big impact (parasols, cocktail napkins, paper pom poms, garland, linens), or to source items on-island. Ladera's General Manager scouted the property for me in advance, taking digital pictures of everything from the in-house china to the landscape. We managed to score incredible local pottery, exotic centerpieces from the gardens and found whimsy in the colorful mosaic floors and items from the gift shop. Stay tuned each week for the next 5 weeks for inspiration from the shoot!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Destination Weddings, Hamptons

I am delighted to be included in WellWed's StyleFile for the current Hamptons edition. It reminds me that Spring will eventually be here! Pick up a free copy at the Wedding Library or check it out on-line.