Smart Destination Planning Advice

I was delighted to help my friend Anita Henry come up with 30 Ways to Stretch Your Wedding Budget for Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, a wedding magazine go-to for weddings outside your home town. Click here for the full article. You'll get tips on everything from choosing the right destination to picking a planner.

And I love artist Susy Pilgrim Waters' illustrations, too! In the May/June issue of
Destination Weddings & Honeymoons

Big Apple, Big Week

Besides a celebrity wedding last weekend and our opening party on Monday I had the pleasure of attending the ISES (International Special Events Society) Awards Dinner for New York's Big Apple Awards this week. My friends Bentley Meeker and Jes Gordon were inducted as Legends and both proved that being incredibly cool and superbly professional and talented are not mutually exclusive. Congratulations!

I was also happy to be nominated for awards in three categories: Best Design Decor, Best Planner and Best Table Top Design.
I was delighted to win a crystal apple for Best Design for a project you can see in the upcoming WellWed magazine -- a sophisticated picnic in Tuxedo Park, New York.
More images from the shoot can be seen on Martha Stewart Wedding's blog, The Bride's Guide. Many thanks to Mel Barlow for her amazing ability to capture and enhance my work with pictures.

Oh yes, now's the time...

Email ido@theweddinglibrary.com now -- appointments are filling up!

Wedding Library Opening Party

I was thrilled when my friend Darcy Miller at Martha Stewart Weddings offered to host a "housewarming" party for my new salon and office in NYC. I also appreciated that it created a renovation deadline to get our place ship-shape for the over 200 industry guests who arrived to check out our new digs. Our wonderful new neighbors at Rouge Tomate were the most amazing hosts of our cocktail party with delicious hors d'oeuvres, specialty cocktails and sweets for the discerning crowd -- and wowed everyone with their chic concoctions.

Our friends at Smock designed this fresh invitation, perfect for our start-of-summer soiree.

Read more about the event on the Martha Stewart Bride's Guide Blog.

A surprise visit from Martha Stewart was a highlight. She stayed to tour the salon, listen to music, sip cocktails and shop for jewelry!

Darcy and I are flanked by friends and guests.

The party space at Rouge Tomate was packed -- everyone had fun in the photo booth and catching up with old friends.

The calm before the storm -- the freshly painted office is party-ready.

Our new bridesmaids salon has room for more changing rooms and the 300+ samples we carry from 12 designers. We definitely need the extra space!
We offer fine and costume jewelry from Dana Michele, the perfect bridesmaid's gift (or gift to yourself...)

Our friend Sandy Patangay at HennaStudio bejeweled guests all evening with her amazing henna tattoos. A great idea for a bridal shower or bachelorette!

Special thanks to Darcy Miller, Malia Stevens of Rouge Tomate, Smock, The Blooming Quill, Sugar Flower Cake Shop, HennaStudio, Bella Cupcake Couture, Elan Artists, NYC Photobooth, Eduardo Patino, Carlos A. Varela and all of our industry friends for making this a night to remember!

Brookyn Winery

I can't think of a better way to discover a new venue than by being invited to have dinner there with 30 friends. And it seems I just can't stay away from Williamsburg -- did you know that it's only 7 minutes from Manhattan (my GPS told me)? Anyway, the currently zen Josh Friedman of Elan Artists invited us to check out the Brooklyn Winery. Even though their own first wine press won't be ready for a few weeks, we delighted in the space, the music, the food, the atmosphere and the company. And I loved experiencing some new vendors whom I am delighted to share with you!

I couldn't have loved the floral designer Kathleen (Kat) Hyppolite more. I wanted to take her arrangements home but decided not to be one of those guests....

The mismatched and charming plates are from Props for Today, the favor was a bottle of delicious ginger syrup to make our own specialty cocktail at home. Sweet!

Our newest Wedding Librarian, Victoria Kasten, sips a specialty drink.

The details. The super-lovely waitresses were in theme, and that kind of discreet detail makes a party stand out. Perfect!

Told you I love floral designer Kat. We both polished off our delish desserts.

One of the many precious vignettes created by Kat and designer Jillian of 100 Layer Cake. Brava!

Faces behind the art. Jillian of 100 Layer Cake, wonderful Mel of Mel & Co. photography and Josh Friedman, impresario and leader of Elan Artists.

Some of the stylish musicians that Josh arranged. He brought in the Hot Sardines, Ambient Dulcimer (I'm crazily obsessed with Max), and the Freak Owls. Cool music, love the band names.

Ah, and the food. The ladies of Radish created a springtime feast that we loved. Family-style and beautifully presented, food that's fresh, simple and lovely beats fussy and over-prepared ever time. Thank you Laura and Amy!

Allan Zepeda, who has shot many events for me and shoots for Mel & Co., captured the evening perfectly. He makes every event more festive just by being there.

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.

Get Wed Well!

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.

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!

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.

We've Moved!

Big News!

We are delighted to announce that the Wedding Library Has Moved!

Our new address is:

14 East 60th Street, Suite 606
(between 5th and Madison Avenues)
New York, New York 10022

Same phone: 212.327.0100
Same email: ido@theweddinglibrary.com

But the bad news is, our phones are not yet connected. In the meantime, email us! Stay tuned and we'll let you know when Verizon decides to visit us...

Luxury OnLine Expo, Martha Stewart

So I just participated in my first "Online" Expo for Martha Stewart Weddings. I answered questions with fellow Contributing Editors and the wonderful (and knowledgeable) editorial staff at the magazine. I learned so much, and was impressed by the many questions from brides across the country.

Tomorrow I will be answering questions about planning, and hope you'll register so you can ask me questions, too! Click on the image below for registration information. My session is from 11:30-12:00pm. See you there!

Our NEW Address

Big News! We're moving to an amazing new location. We've packed up the townhouse and we're ready to go. You'll love it. It's on the 6th floor of a beautiful old 1905 hotel. We are thrilled that it's modern, shiny and new. And we're excited because it also marks the start of an unveiling of new products, services and alliances that we're eager to share with you. Stay tuned!

14 East 60th Street
Suite 606
New York, New York 10022

Same phone, same email.
212.327.0100
ido@theweddinglibrary.com

See you there!
(new location as of March 15, 2011)

Michelle Rahn Trunk Show!

Lounge in luxury as you browse the modern vintage inspired collection of gorgeous gowns and jaw dropping accessories including the latest styles hot off the runway. Plus indulge in the opportunity to meet with the designer as she helps personalize your bridal style while adding custom design touches for a look all your own!

Enjoy 10% towards your purchase during this exclusive trunk show!

WHEN: February 24-27 , by appointment

Thursday – Saturday: 10am – 7pm

Sunday: 11am – 3pm

Email Michelle at info@michellerahn.com for an appointment now!