Ashley and Mike | Fall wedding at The Chatham Bars Inn | Sherbert and Sky Colorway

 

There is an art to planning a wedding. We want to make sure that we review and design every detail. They must coordinate, have a conversation with one another. But not match. That is just too easy. I remember one of the first weddings that I ever went to. There were tons and tons of flowers, however, each arrangement that I saw as a guest was exactly the same as the one that I just saw. Bouquets, the church, cocktails and the reception. All just the same. Boring.

Each element of the wedding day should allow expression of the bride, groom and their families. It is this understanding that allows to work with our clients, often over the course of years to plan some of the most extraordinary events both here on the east coast but often in far away places such as Las Vegas, Washington D. C. or even as most recent Bermuda.

It is so important the details not only reflect the bride and her family but look appropriate to the setting that they are in. Big city flashy looks odd along the sand dunes of The Chatham Bars Inn and vice versa. I never get sick of that hotel, how could you. (high voice) FAAAAAbulous!!

I am lucky again to be working with Ashley and her family to plan her fall wedding. Most brides want to be married on the great south lawn of the property. But at this time of the year the leaves start to turn and the cool of the season sets in. So, we decided to create an intimate setting within a separate building on the property's sprawling grounds. The bride, who I (high voice) AAAAdore!! and I have chosen a soft white, cream, green and soft apricot color way for the ceremony decor. From there, deep greens and rich apricots will look (high voice) AMMMMaaazing in the South Lounge of the resort's main building.

For dinner, we take it to the next level with soft linens in shades of Ocean Steel. The linens and decorative elements to the dinner tables will provide a neutral and sophisticated palete to the exhuberent displays of seasonal flowers highlighting luxurious orchids as a final touch.

Each time I meet with Ashley, her groom Mike and their family. We have a blast. Ashley's mom and I share a special bond since we, together first shared a glimpse of Ashley's amazing, couture wedding day look. I know there will be tears on the wedding day, they are brimming already as I write this story. I think Ashley's dad looks at me like I am Frunk from " Father of the bride". I can also tell he knows that he, his daughter and their guests are in very good hands with me. I always enjoy seeing them all.

We are kicking butt and taking names in the planning process. AND my bride passed the bar, YEAH!!!! We are set to check off the rest. I will keep you filled in, you know I will.

Congratulations Ashley and Mike.

 

Bermuda Destination Weddings | The Fairmont South Hampton

It seems as though the minutes are ticking by, counting the moments until Tess and Erik's wedding at The lovely Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda. We have been in the best of hands with Wendy Rustalsis, the wedding specialist of the resort. It probably would have been better to install a watts line between our two offices. My last meeting with my bride brought a wonderful moment that comes in the course of planning a wedding, to be stumped looking for more questions to be answered. We are there, we know the details, we know who is coming when, and who is leaving when. We are on it !

Now that the bride and groom have approved the flowers and the look of their wedding, we can get to work sending these very photos that you see here to our partners that we will work with in Bermuda. One of my absolute favorite florists is Flowers by GiMi, located in Hamilton, will work with me to produce a lovely collection of flowers for both the ceremony and the reception. If I could pack these precious little flower arrangements filled with roses, tulips and sweet pea, I certainly would. I have to trust, oh and I do, that GiMi will do an amazing job interpreting these flowers for the wedding. I will be in town early and of course, I will make the jaunt across the harbor to check things out at their studio prior to the wedding.

As I look and try to find something to edit in the look of this wedding it is oh so very hard. One of my partners, Kelli at à deux deserves a special little Bermuda round of applause. Her work on the print material is a quintessential facet to this whimsical and colorful wedding design.

Two weeks and I will have my little french painted toes in the pink sand of Bermuda again.

State Room Weddings | Boston Wedding Flowers and Decor

The view from the State Room at 60 State Street in Boston is without question one of the very best, if not THE best in the city. This wonderful wedding venue is sleek, slick and sophisticated and is the perfect place for my bride Erika and her groom and their families to celebrate the big day. I had a chance to have Erika and her fiance to my studio this past Saturday for a sneek peek at their wedding decor. We had long planned to do flowers for the wedding, but in the weeks leading up to the big day we decided to add some other fun design elements such as chargers and place setting decor along with a MUST, lighting. 

The demo day also allows me to make changes and adjustments according to the brides wishes. I want the process to be custom, so when the bride asked for a touch of eggplant paper and trim on the menus and if they could be done as ovals or perhaps round, I knew my print partners would be able to take my inspiration and create the perfect detail at the place setting. We also discussed adding some hints of color through the flowers in deep pinks and purples and the bride specifically asked for the flowers on the cake to be bright and bold. These are fun and easy requests and of course I am happy to make my bride happy.

Once we have the room filled with gorgeous mounds of summer white flowers including Hydrangea, Roses, Casablanca Lillies, mini callas and the star of the show, Phaleonopsis orchids, me and my team will lay out floating candles and votive candles  trimmed in crisp white and ivory and then shine spot lights on to each one of the arrangements to give them a special glowing presence within the room. The stunned smile on the bride and grooms face told the whole story. If they were a bit overwhelmed by the beauty of a single table top, I do believe that they might just freak out when they see the State Room dressed to the nines.

I can hardly wait to post the photography from Person + Killian !!!

Chatham Bars Inn Weddings | Laura and Bob | The Tasting

What a whirlwind of a weekend, every minute marked by the best weather of the year yet. Today I met up with Lauren from Person and Killian Photography for a fun filled day of wedding activities with my bride, her mom and charming fiance. Lauren took the couple out for their engagement photography. She had an incredible day at the Cape's very best five star hotel, The Chatham Bars Inn. I sent Lauren and my bride and groom out to have fun while I worked with the staff of the hotel to give our client an experience in the process of planning her wedding, that she would never forget.

First, I felt ultra special to have the entire grand ballroom of the hotel and a special table (the same exact table where my husband and I celebrate our anniversary every year) as a private getaway tasting lunch at this my favorite of all hotels in the world. How can you not fall in love with the charming and devoted staff and the timeless elegance and class of this tony hotel and resort? The table and presentation sideboard laid with an eclectic and controlled mix of glass, crystal and antique silver trays was the perfect backdrop to the THREE tasting cakes that the pastry chef of the hotel specially prepared for the day. My bride wants to skip the cake, but I beg, please, please the raspberry cake is DIVINE. Bobby and I hold a majority now, and I think I might just be able to sway my lovely lunch date, the boss and mother of the bride. Of course, we must serve the highlight of my lunch the lemon doughnuts with sage sugar and blue berry  coulis. Every morsel, every presentation, every sip of wine was thoughtful and perfectly presented and prepared. Even I am totally and completely impressed. Chatham Bars Inn job well done!!

We ended our tasting and Bob and I escorted our dates across the beach and to the south lawn of the property and discussed many other details for the wedding. Champagne glasses in hand and a warm glow of the day capped off for me, a new level in five star wedding planning. 

A very special thank you to my friend Lauren Killian of Person and Killian Photography for capturing these elegant details. I love keeping my camera in it's case and anxiously awaiting to see your glorious perspective. Of course you never disappoint and continue to amaze and inspire me with your photography. To Rentals Unlimited for their continued commitment to my work and their undying support in the course of this journey that I am on. To my husband for getting up a four this morning to get me the exact flowers I wanted, to my friend and personal assistant for the day, Missy who was delighted with the bride's invitation to share in the day as an official cake and champagne taster. She deserved it after getting her hustle on all day long.

I look forward to working toward an absolute perfect day for my bride and her family.

 

Wedding Planning | The Liberty Hotel | The Tasting

I will never forget the day that my bride Carissa called into my office to discuss her wedding. From that moment close to two years ago, each and every time that I have been with her, or talked to her on the phone, we have grown a little closer. Each time we have expanded on our own personal jokes and sense of humor. She and I nearly died of laughter when our very first morsel graciously served by the Liberty was tuna tartar. It sparked a funny memory that came up in the course of our planning and set the tone to a very relaxed and exciting day.

I adore both she and her fiance and her whole family for that matter. It is hard not to, they love humor as I do and they trust me completely to do the work that I know I am meant to do. They have all been more than effusive in their praise of my work and involvement in the wedding. For that, I want to take a minute to personally thank them.

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with my bride and her family to discuss her wedding at The Liberty hotel, the decor details and of course the amazing menu that I worked on with Carissa's mom, Corine. She was the voice of reason at the table as Carissa, her handsome brother Chauncy and I gossiped and chatted like school girls at the table over the planned details to the wedding mixing in banter over all of our lost dreams of great tennis careers. In our heads, I think that Carissa and I saw ourselves as a pseudo Sampras, Williams match up. Our effusive chatter was made a little easier with our serving as the official libation taste testers. We loved the blueberry, pineapple, golden signature cocktail.

Over our SUPERB lunch I recalled the story to Carissa's father, of how I had no idea who he was in the world of sports. I know my die hard Red Sox fans are reeling right now. I have a lot of respect for great accomplishments in life but to be honest,  I am much happier to have met the charming and dapper Jim Rice as a proud father of the bride and doting grandfather.

The details to the wedding continue to evolve, I promised my bride Carissa and her mom and my friend Corine that I would deliver a once in a lifetime celebration. With the help of The Liberty Hotel, Ten 31 Productions, Person and Killian Photography, Rentals Unlimited, Praez Occasions and the many talented hands that make up the chad michael peters team, we will deliver the height of this Summer's fashionable weddings.

 

 

Chinese New Year Floral Display | The Bellagio Hotel | Las Vegas

It is hard to imagine or describe what it feels like to walk into the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. To work there took my breath away, inspired me and left a feeling in my heart that there would be many times that I would return to the city of lights. I have and I continue to crave the heat of the desert and the heat of the strip 24 7. I could literally go on with my Vegas stories for three or four blog entries, but I won't I will stick to the Bellagio experience.

I stay at Caesars Palace when I am in town on business. It all started with our honeymoon, so it is like home for me. I know the layout like the back of my hand and can wander through it with out a problem up to 12 beers. I have literally danced with the stars, sat at the same bar as an Olympic pot head swimmer, sat pool side and watched America's Top Model (have watched every season) being filmed in a Grecian style complete with the models wearing crowns of gold leaves, attended a wedding as a guest, swam with six topless women (dream for most of you guys, just a perk of being gay)and had the time of my life at Caesars.

Of course it is over the TOP in every detail, but in a true Vegas sense UP upscale style. I love to stay in the one of the suites there......hmmm Pratesi sheets, Hermes amenities, his and his bathrooms, mirrors and have been luck enough to do so. But most of the time to be honest I take advantage of a 99 a night classic room deal that I have through one of the hotels in house programs. Sleek cool room, pared down, view of roofs where I hope to at least see a mattress or a sun burned, hung over bachelor, but often only see the massive workings of the machines that keep in cool and try to suck out the cigar and cigarette smoke that looms EVERY where in Las Vegas.

After taking in my favorite buffet breakfast and donning one of my favorite pairs of Ray Ban Sunglasses, I head out of Caesars into the glaring light and heat that is the desert. Weird, because most of the time in Las Vegas you are inside or pool side......drifting to thoughts of the Venus pool......what a freakin place, if you get the chance and have the balls do it, you will not regret it. Ok the heat hits me and I make my way along the most elegant over pass to the the Bellagio Hotel.  It was Steve Wynn's first of the strip and it is magnificent to say the very least. Through French style revolving doors you enter a world that few if ever will see. Take it in, I do.

There is a galley of shopping that over looks the famed water display at the hotel. I say shops like you see these labels every day. This is like Rodeo Drive meets Las Vegas. So cool. Chanel, Valentino, Bally, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton (drooling), a fashionista's dream. I am a fashionista, but as a guy, and I am all guy (94%), I prefer classic clothing in luxe materials. I prefer to have one good than three so, so. The models and the uber cool mannequins peer out to you from the windows and them WHOMP!

You realize that the details go on and on. The theme of the hotels flowers is carried out to the luxe shopping gallery giving you every idea of what time of year it is. The photos that you see through this gallery where taken on a site visit while planning a destination wedding there and the theme was Chinese New Years. Side note, totally coincidental, Bride and her family Chinese. Good luck. Yes. From the ceiling of the shopping gallery, massive umbrellas, clustered and falling like rain over the space. HUGE display, stunning. Planters filled (stuffed) with massive displays of plants and flowers dot the gallery. The smell of world class food (Todd English, Go Boston), fills the air. AND you have not even entered the holy realm of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino itself.

Through the casino iteself you realize that you are in someones passionate fantasy, realized. The tables, the uniforms(costumes), the finishes, the fabrics, the details.....the details. I simply can not describe this setting. If you get a chance, Watch Ocean's Twelve, Terry Benedict's casino IS the Bellagio. Such a cool movie, such a gorgeous hotel! Then, finally, you get the lobby. Now mind you, if you came in through the front of the hotel this next experience would hit you dead on.

Fantasy meets orgasm. World class artists take massive liberties in expression and do it with exuberance and GOBS of money. Dave Chuliuly, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, dominates the lobby space with a ceiling installation of glass plates and petals in the boldest of orange and red. Blown glass, MASSIVE and then hung in scale. The final look is organic, artistic and brilliant. The front desk greets you in a huge form too. This is after all THE Bellagio where thousands of Vegas's best rooms await the HIGH rollers. Flowers? Just the twenty, eight foot tall flowers of the front desk area give me chills and then, oh yes, you enter floral Mecca. HOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM.

The floral gallery at the hotel is in a class of it's own. The meticulas attention to detail can only be described as true couturier level of work. The theme, changes several times a year. The first thing that I do when I get to Vegas is to visit and to see what the artisans at this hotel have done. The photography I took tells the story of floral Chinese New Year at the Bellagio better than I can write it. I look back over these photos and love most of all that I got to see this with my sister Rebecca. She came with me and helped with the huge amount of actual work that we did while I was out there. It was nice to have a family member with me and pricless to have memories of this trip that include my sweet sister Rebecca. AND how cool that this is my job?

 

 

Cafe Nuevo Fall Demo

 

I love when we do demo days here in my studio. Of course, the brides love when we bring their sketch to life using some of the freshest flowers from around the world. It gives me and my staff an opportunity to create a formula for the big days of production which lay ahead with the wedding.

Here you see my rich inspired sunset colored flowers for the wedding of Renee and Ken to be held at the oh so chic restaurant, Cafe Nuevo in Providence, Rhode Island. The rotunda of the building is covered in head to toe apricot and chocolate marble. I think that these flowers on chocolate embroidered ribbon linens will look amazing with the soft lighting washing the marble and highlighting these gorgeous arrangements on the tables.

Fall Couture Floral at The Chatham Bars Inn

 

It has been such an amazing experience working with my bride Amy on her fall wedding at The Chatham Bar's Inn. We have both worked very hard to have our mutual  visions come to life. Today we did the demo for her floral details. It is such an amazing experience to see my sketch and all the gorgeous flowers that we have talked about for months, come to life. The flowers in this colorway are so seasonal, fresh and bold and not at all cliche for her October wedding. For me it is so important that every detail be finished to perfection, this is the difference between off the rack and couture. I put this crazy attention to detail in everything that I do....right down to the candles. I adore the fresh flower button detail on the olive velvet ribbon.

I was also so completely shocked to see the finished invitations. Amy had asked me to do a sketch of a rosette so it could be used in the print material. I think that it looks so nice and I can hardly wait to get the finished envelopes back from the calligrapher. Even the stamps are custom.....so to die for.

I learned today that one of my absolute favorites, men in uniform will make their way into Amy's wedding. Marrying a Navy man is often marked with a walk through raised swords and a pat on the behind to welcome a new bride into the Navy tradition. I can hardly wait to see this gorgeous bride her handsome groom decked in military finery against the stunning backdrop of  The Chatham Bar's Inn. Amy your moms tears said it all, we are in for a stunner of a wedding.