Helping to plan a party for 800 is fun, especially when it's filled with your favorite people! Here are some great pics from the Martha Stewart annual Bridal Market event, enjoy...
Editorial Director Darcy Miller, me, Martha Stewart and Jennifer
The whole Wedding Library crew with Darcy Miller. I love this shot! The party in full swing
The mercury glass bowls that I borrowed from the Martha Stewart prop room
Cute signs for the Smilebooth photobooth. One of the gorgeous MSW cakes from the test kitchen The Glitter Bar set the tone
It's magic when a party room transforms with great lighting and guests. Thanks Levy Lighting!
As always, Taylor Creative's furniture set the mood... ...but the people make the party!
Us with the wonderfully creative Katie Berry and Peter Callahan
Ah, we separated the Badgley from the Mischka! Mark Ingram joined us after a long day at Bridal Market Our Kristen Carnie steals a moment with Amsale Aberra Josh Friedman representing Elan Artists provided photography and live music Our new Stationery Department Director, Lauren, chatting with party guests The cool interactive projection by Levy LightingAnd here's Ira Levy and dessert designer Amy Atlas All photography thanks to Elan Artists, and Shane Carpenter
Jennifer and I had a lot of fun planning the Martha Stewart Bridal Market party with the MS Weddings team this year. Still recovering from last night where guests got to experience delights to the senses: great food, drink, eye candy, sweets, a photobooth, great music and our own mini lavender gifts. Here are only a few shots of the outcome.
The Wedding Library team taking a break from hosting the Hamptons' Popcorn station, our own table, glitter dusting guests and being fabulous hostesses!
Our sweet sachets (500 disappeared in a few hours!) with lovely tags by Spark Stationery.
More of our table.
An Essie manicure line, love it!
Jennifer in the theme of "glitter -- gold, silver and all that shines" with Matthew Robbins.
Wander by the Wedding Library and you'll see something new in our window. Livia and Jo, the ladies behind The Green Vase, have invited summer back to us with their charming installation. And expect it to last. All flowers are hand made and hand dyed with tissue and crepe paper. Each bloom is individually created and no two flowers are alike. I envision their work as an amazing ceremony site backdrop, or a perfect solution for having spring or summer blooms out of season. Come by and see what they've created for yourself!
The Green Vase display items can be made in any color or style. Be inspired!
This gorgeous swag would look great as an aisle ribbon, or in an arch around the bride and groom.
For pricing, please email Jo@thegreenvase.com
So sweet, love the ribbon treatment, too.
And of course they go well with our bridesmaid dresses!
Buzz Bonus: Livia Cetti, The Green Vase's founder, is also a Contributing Editor to Martha Stewart Weddings and the creative genius behind some amazing floral and prop styling, events and crafts. But you'll have to check out the site for that kind of inspiration! Photos courtesy of Gemma Comas at photo@gemmacomas.com
We are delighted, excited, thrilled, that our styled shoot at Aquamare, Virgin Gorda, has hit the newstands in the new Brides Magazine (October). Six beautiful pages -- please pick it up and enjoy!
We've never done a wedding at an all-inclusive resort, and didn't know what to expect. But when Darcy Miller of Martha Stewart Weddings invites you with your family -- how can you refuse? And when I told my boys about the resort the water slides were all they could talk about for a month!
It started out well when we were greeted at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa, with cookies, treats and beverages. It got better when we were shown to our ocean front suite, complete with bunk beds for the boys. The rooms are impeccable, beds comfy and amenities great. Perfect for a family wedding.
But by far the biggest and most pleasant surprise is the "all-inclusive". Breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, cotton candy and gratuities are all covered by the room rate -- no worrying about even signing a check to your room. From the simplest to the finest dining, even the great California wine we had was covered. What a relief and I think perfect for the family footing the bill!
What was not a surprise was the Martha Stewart wedding packages. So pretty, straight out of the magazine. We were treated to a sample of one of the settings and you'll see it is perfection. To have the degree of detail, care and taste applied to your wedding by the Martha Stewart Weddings team seems like a dream.
One of my favorite settings -- the tables look exactly like the photos!
Although it's a big resort, we never felt crowded or that it wasn't private enough.
Here's our actual table setting, pretty and so fitting for the beach.
I love this touch and the "stones" are actually chocolate!
I appreciate that orchids are hardy in the heat, and the exotic fruit looks great.
The overall effect is lovely -- the linens, table settings and colors are pure MSW.Granted, a Martha Stewart staff member set up the candy bar....
Jennifer and handsome Special Projects Editor, Anthony Luscia, take a moment on the beach.
Darcy and me with some of our brood. Kids will love this wedding destination -- so much to do they won't even mind dressing up!
The ocean was crystal clear. We managed to go snorkeling and parasailing with the kids -- our fish count included manta rays, dolphins, turtles and plenty of fish!
The Beaches catamaran is a great wedding weekend excursion...
A Martha Stewart staffer and guest finally get a break!
I was asked by New York Times reporter Eric Copage to name the most significant trend in weddings and I immediately thought about how bridal bloggers have changed the face of our industry over the last couple of years. After a few interviews and passing on a few great bloggers, Eric captured the spirit of this trend in the Style Section this Sunday. Read the full article here!
We've been following the brand new e-magazine of our stationery Ceci Johnson and are delighted that this week's is all about the Mandell School and the party we planned for them. My partner Jennifer orchestrated the event with a team of our amazing vendors. Olivier Cheng produced the Hudson Valley region menu, Stone Kelly opted for potted plant centerpieces with the decoupage pots decorated by the school children, and Elan Artists provided the keepsake photography.
Here's a hint of what you'll see in Ceci's new weekly style letter.
The invitation doubled as a hand crafted work of art and an invitation. With our great team, Jennifer hand delivered each box to ensure the coveted gift would reach each recipient.The school children created the amazing wrapping on recycled paper. Needless to say, the party had a great turn-out! All images courtesy of CeciStyle.
Jennifer and I had the pleasure of hosting a end of summer cocktail party for wedding industry at the Roger Williams a couple of days ago. On a hot August afternoon I came up with the theme of "Dog Days". The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, is responsible for the hot weather due to its close proximity to the sun at this time. We used the theme for the invite and asked our friends at Levy Lighting project the constellation on the hotel's massive limestone walls.
From left to right, me!, Jennifer and our friend Francesca Abbracciamento worked to bring the team (and theme!) of the event to fruition.
From left to right: Co-host/photographer Kathi Littwin took all these great images; co-host Ceci Johnson created the cool invite; me; Shalu Sharma brought the team together from The Roger; and co-host Francesca rallied us all the make it happen.
I love the cool space of the Roger, check out the guest rooms for your next room block; or the roof deck on a sunny day!
Lewis Miller of LMD designed the gorgeous flowers, and co-host Armani provided the Dolci!
See what I mean about dreamy?
Jason Fioto of Generation Events and the happiest DJ alive, spun tunes for us while drinks and bites were served by the Roger.
Levy Lighting provided their cool new interactive bar surface -- you touch the tabletop and roses (or any other image you like) spring up. Wedding Library ladies Michelle and Allie keep track of guests!
Ira Levy with Francesca.
The invite. A great way to kick-off the fall season!
We love 'em. So we asked the ladies at Navy & Lavender to create exclusive, marvelous hotel gift bags just for Wedding Library clients. And they did. And we've got them. We're offering them at a lovely little discount (10%) until September 6. So if you've got a wedding coming up and are looking for the perfect guest gift, look no further. Oh and this yummy cake? It's filled with themed gifts for your next shower or wedding. Think kitchen accessories (bottle stoppers, coasters, etc.) or flavored teas, or trinkets. Every guest receives a custom gift -- how sweet!
One of the most difficult pieces of advice to give is the choice of a band. I feel it's the most subjective part of planning a wedding. It's easy to say a drop-dead view is breathtaking or a stationer does impeccable work. But with bands, everyone seems to have a different opinion. Better videos are helping a lot, but there's nothing like a live showcase so that you can see (and hear) for yourself. Tonight, I can give you my personal opinion that four great bands are performing: Hudson Project, Eric Nicolas, Rhythm Collective and The Elements. So see for yourself!
They'll be at Smash Studios, 307 West 36th Street, starting at 7pm. You can just show up, or call 646.753.2616.
We're proud to announce that we won! The Annual Big Apple Awards, produced by ISES, the (International Special Events Society) honored us with beautiful Simon Pearce crystal apples for Best Overall Design/Decor; Best Social Event and Best Table Top Design for 2010. Fun, fun! We're going to share images from our nominated events soon.
We are proud to announce that Wedding Library Bridesmaids have entered the digital age! We've been busily, painstakingly, putting each of our dresses on line for easy reference and even for purchase! This is huge, because as we've discovered, we're the first to put these collections on line as a cohesive web destination. Little by little they'll all be there, but for now, check out the site. If you decide to purchase via the Internet, we'll even give you a 15% discount as a special gift for trying it out. (Until September 1).
If you want to share the url: it's www.theweddinglibrarystore.com
It all started with an interview for ABC where we were asked to speculate on the cost of putting on a wedding of this scale and magnitude. Time will tell if our estimates are correct!
ABC News Chelsea Clinton Wedding Price Tag: $2 Million Chelsea Clinton, Marc Mezvinsky Wedding Is Unlike Anything Rhinebeck Has Ever Seen By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
July 22, 2010—
It's turning out to be one of the hottest weddings of the season, and probably one of the most expensive.
When Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky tie the knot on July 31 they will be surrounded by friends, family and an A-list of celebrities that is likely to include more than one world leader. Hey, Dad's a former president and Mom's the current Secretary of State, after all.
Details of the wedding are slowly leaking out -- it's presumed to be in the small upstate New York village of Rhinebeck -- and it doesn't appear to disappoint. While nobody but the Clintons knows the exact price, it's shaping up to be a costly affair: the total price tag could easily reach $2 million.
When Jenna Bush got married two years ago at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, planners estimated it only cost $100,000 for the "down-home" celebration.
To get a better sense of exactly how much it will cost, ABC News reached out to one of the nation's top wedding planners, Claudia Hanlin, founder and partner in The Wedding Library. Hanlin, whose firm is the largest in New York, is the person the CEOs of major companies and the heads of hedge funds call when they get married.
She also happens to know Bryan Rafanelli, the head of Rafanelli Events and Clinton's wedding planner -- though friendships only go so far and Hanlin swears not to have any inside information about this top-secret event.
"My assumption is that what they want is going to be a lovely, traditional wedding," Hanlin said. That will actually keep the cost down, a bit. Don't expect exotic animals flown in or fireworks here as a grand finale.
Vendors may discount their services because of all the free publicity they will get from this event, but that is doubtful given the extra stress and work involved in this complicated wedding.
"Having to do everything in secrecy is a lot harder," Hanlin said. "Not telling your staff what time to show up but having them on call, that adds a lot of stress and difficulty to the event."
Chelsea Clinton, Marc Mezvinsky Wedding
So without further delay, here is a breakdown of what it costs to put on a wedding for a former president's only child.
Reception Space: $125,000 to $200,000 -- Clinton and Mezvinsky are reported to be getting married at the Astor Courts, a sprawling mansion designed by Stanford White in 1902 for John Jacob Astor IV. It's a private home owned by Clinton donors Kathleen Hammer and Arthur Seelbinder. It also happens to be on the market for $12 million.
Hanlin said the owners will need to do post-wedding cleaning and repairs, and had to take the house off the market for at least three days but probably a week or more. That doesn't come cheap. Then again, having the Clinton wedding at your home might add a bit to the value. And since the owners are already big donors, why not let the family use the house for free?
Catering: $750,000 -- The wedding is said to being catered by Blue Ribbon Restaurants, St. Regis and Olivier Cheng Catering and Events. One might be doing the cocktail hour, one the main meal and another late night snacks. Hanlin said each would charge around $500 per person, given that they will have to share a kitchen and coordinate with two other caters. Plus, there is the remote nature of the location. With 500 rumored guests at $1,500 each, that's one expensive meal.
Flowers: $250,000 -- Hanlin knows one of the vendors who worked on the engagement party for the Clintons.
"My sort of insider information from her is that they're not extravagant as a family," she said. "They're not wanting a lavish, over-the-top floral design."
That's good news for the accountants. Jeff Leatham, artistic director of the Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris, is said to be doing the arrangements. Hanlin said $175,000 to $500,000 could easily be spent on flowers for a wedding like this. Her guess: closer to $250,000 given the family's tastes.
Planning a Presidential Wedding
Music: $40,000 -- Jimmy Vali is said to be handling the music. Hanlin works with him frequently and said Vali would normally charge $28,000 for a wedding like this. But he might be pulling out all the stops for the Clintons.
"Maybe Bill will get up there and play the sax," she said.
That's going to require extra rehearsals. The size of the affair will also call for more elaborate staging.
Wedding Dress: $15,000 -- The dress could be anywhere from $5,000 up to $25,000. Hamlin pegs Clinton in the $15,000 range.
Photography: $35,000 -- The Clintons need to hire somebody who "will be ironclad and discrete," Hanlin said. Nobody wants embarrassing shots sold to the tabloids.
"They need to feel that everything is going to be private," she said.
Such photographers cost $25,000 plus $10,000 for a second person, which becomes necessary when you have more than 200 guests.
Video: $25,000 -- For a woman who has grown up in the national spotlight, it's probably a given that her wedding will also be captured on video. This is not a family that has shied away from the cameras.
Lighting: $75,000 to $100,000 -- The perimeter of the estate needs to be illuminated along with each of the estimated 50 tables inside for the guests.
Hair and Makeup: $20,000 -- The members of the bridal party need to look their best.
Invitations: $40,000 to $50,000 --"I would guess that they would go with a very nice, classic invitation," Hanlin said. That means $40,000 to $50,000 for the invitation, menu card, details about security, calligraphy, programs and postage.
Clinton Wedding Takes Over Rhinebeck
Party Planner: $175,000 -- Hanlin said she didn't know how much Rafanelli would charge for this event. Hanlin would charge $75,000 to $125,000 for a normal, upscale wedding. For something like the Clinton wedding, with its massive issues of privacy and security she said the price would be between $125,000 and $225,000, probably right at the $175,000 mark.
"When you have an A-list guest list of people from around the world who all have different needs, as the planner you need to know what they want," Hanlin said. "A guest list where every single guest is a VIP in their own right is a challenge."
Rehearsal Dinner: $250,000 -- Owner Josh Kroner, owner of the local Terrapin Restaurant is said to be catering the rehearsal dinner at the Grasmere farm estate on the edge of town. Hanlin said it could cost $1,000 a head for each of the 200 guests to cater the meal, and probably another $50,000 for simple flowers and decor.
Security: $30,000 -- This is a tricky one. The Secret Service will be providing its normal protection for the Clintons and yes, you the taxpayers will be covering that but there might be additional private security needed for the A-list guests. (President Obama, if he comes, will presumably also be bringing his own taxpayer-covered security detail.) Hanlin said private security for a typical celebrity wedding runs about $30,000.
Miscellaneous: $50,000 Add another $10,000 for valet parking, $8,000 to $10,000 for the wedding cake, $5,000 for welcome gifts, another $17,500 for favors at the end of the night and a few extra thousand for those unexpected last-second items that you never thought about.
Editorial Director Darcy Miller, me, Martha Stewart and Jennifer
The whole Wedding Library crew with Darcy Miller. I love this shot!
The party in full swing
The mercury glass bowls that I borrowed from the Martha Stewart prop room
Cute signs for the Smilebooth photobooth.
One of the gorgeous MSW cakes from the test kitchen
The Glitter Bar set the tone
Ah, we separated the Badgley from the Mischka!
Mark Ingram joined us after a long day at Bridal Market
Our Kristen Carnie steals a moment with Amsale Aberra
Josh Friedman representing Elan Artists provided photography and live music
Our new Stationery Department Director, Lauren, chatting with party guests
The cool interactive projection by Levy Lighting
And here's Ira Levy and dessert designer Amy Atlas
Posts
