Karen and David | Cape Cod Destination Weddings at The Chatham Bars Inn | Tuesday Wedding

Karen and Dave are in love, there is no doubt about that. When they decided to run away and be married, they decided to fulfill a dream and headed to the Cape from their Midwestern homes. The perfect choice to celebrate their destination wedding for two was The Chatham Bars Inn. I am lucky that I get to work there so much. It seems my love of the sea, elegant settings and impeccable service go hand it hand with this grand old dame of the Cape. I have to say that I have never done a wedding for just two people. It was like my own private editorial shoot, Karen and Dave letting me lead the way through their incredible day, a Tuesday no less. Every time I told someone I was working on a wedding on Tuesday they would say "A Tuesday Wedding?", yes a Tuesday wedding.

I got down to Chatham a little early and had a chance to sit in the main dining room of the hotel and eat a little breakfast from their incredible breakfast buffet. I always have the same thing, fruit and bacon, coffee and juice. The view quickly relaxed me and got me excited to be with my bride and the groom. I headed over to their SPA Suite at The Inn a little early, because I was going to do the bride's make-up. Me? Are you kidding? Girl, I have been playing with make-up since I was a little boy. I love how colors and shading bring a face to youthful life. I think of it as painting, just different paints and brushes.  I rarely if ever do make-up for my clients, but I do love that she trusted me to create a fresh and flirty natural look. As a wedding planner and designer I see all aspects of a wedding as fashion. I have my hand in everything and over the years I have learned either to do it myself or hire the very best.

She gasped when I first walked into the room with the simple flowers that we had planned in our phone consultations. Her bouquet was a lush mix of seasonal flowers done in an unexpected and bold color way. The tiny asters with their yellow center were happy addition to the bouquet. They seemed to be smiling all day, just like the bride. It was a great honor to be with them during their intimate catholic ceremony, just the two of them with two ladies from the church serving as witnesses. I sat with these ladies and they knew the bride and groom as much as I did, yet we all cried as the groom choked up during his vows. This was a wedding after all, the love and romance was in the air.

Following the ceremony, I got to take the bride and groom around the grounds of The Chatham Bars Inn for their wedding photography. It was like we had the place to ourselves and they trusted me and let go, just being in love, letting me capture them against stunning backdrop after stunning backdrop. They roared with laughter as did I when I had them scoot into the huge chair on the second floor of the hotel. It brings to mind Lily Tomlin and I love it!! After our photoshoot, I led them to the grand porch and arranged to have champagne brought to them. Meanwhile, I headed over to their SPA Suite where they would enjoy an in room dinner, couples massages and enjoying each other as newly married husband and wife. I rearranged the furniture and of course brought in flowers, candles and petals to dress up the lovely table that the hotel had set in front of the fireplace.

I got back to my bride and groom as they sipped on champagne and had some snacks. I knew that it was time for me to go, I was sad in a way, because we so clicked and laughed the whole day. But in the end, so happy for them. Congratulations Karen and Dave !!! Many thanks to my friends at The Chatham Bars Inn, you make my job easy.

 

Amy & Gregg | Chatham Bars Inn Weddings | Plum and Platinum

Wedding Planning and Design : Chad Michael Peters

Photography seen here : Chad Michael Peters

Official Photographer : Bryce Vickmark, work will be showcased in seperate CMP style blog story

Venue: The Chatham Bars Inn

Hair and Make-Up : Jacki Norri, Wedding Tresses

Floral : Chad Michael Peters

Stationery and Print Material : Praez Occasions

Linens and Decorative Rentals : Chad Michael Peters

Entertainment: The Manhattan Touch

Historic Interior Design Inspiration | Village Homes, Marion, MA

For those of you who know me really well, you will know that this is the house that Kevin and I were married in. It is the home of my dear friend and soul mate, Sally Hunsdorfer. I see myself in her and I know that she sees herself in me.

We have travelled across the globe together. From sharing a sleeping bag on the floor in New Delhi to climbing to 12,000 feet of the Tengboche plateau, I have roared with laughter, shared in deep thoughts, reflected and have shared moments that are not done justice in a few lines of writing. She and her impeccable sense of style and grace have inspired me from the time I was 15 years old and I first met her. From then until now, there has not been hardly a moment in each of our lives that has not been shared with joy.

It is always a pleasure to be in Sally's house. She and her husband Peter have spent many years restoring and decorating this home which once was the school house for the village of Marion. Filled with collections and more collections and trimmed in subtle fabrics, this home always has something new and beautiful to look at. It is my pleasure to share it with you from behind the lens of my camera.

Many thanks to you Sally. Not only for your friendship, which I can call nothing short of divine, to letting my camera and readers into your fabulous home.

ORR Class of 1990 Reunion | Black, White and Red Fun Party Details

It is so hard to believe that it has been twenty years since I graduated from High School. Judging by the grey that has crept into my beard, I guess that it is true. When my class president, Christine called to ask me to sit on the reuion comittee it was an easy decision to say yes. My besties from high school were sitting with me, so I knew that there would be many meetings filled with laughter, chatter, wine and yes perhaps a bit of discussion on the party that we were in charge of throwing for our class of 1990 from Old Rochester Regional High School, GO BULLDOGS!!

As all of us southcoasters know there are not a lot of venues to throw a party here. There has been a bit of a renissance in New Bedford with many new restaraunts and hotels opening along our famed waterfront. The perfect choice for us was the Waterfront Grille. There is a private room upstairs which was perfect for the 70 or so guests that we were expecting. The view is fantastic, the working waterfront of New Bedford filled with many boats all bobbing back and forth.

We all had our tasks of course, but my best friend Tena and I got to work on the creative details. Her craftiness was evident in the favors that were prepared for the partygoers and our fellow classmates. She culled a collection of the top ten hits from the year that we graduated. She then packaged them into glittery grey CD cases, stamped with a modern 20 and then trimmed them with the perfect ORR red ribbon. I am still jamming to the tunes in my car.........ICE, ICE, Baby, by Vanilla being one of my personal favorites, tied with both Mariah Carey numbers that make their appearance on this very cool party favor.

My challenge in the decor was how do you make red and white look cool? Of course, my signature black snuck its way right into the party. From my company's collection of linens, I chose a fantastic black and white swirl and paisley design in satin. It was the perfect POP to the party and made all of the red accents look so chic. I filled the party with red light from my lighting collection which set the mood. It always so much easier to drink wine when you have lots of candles and mood lighting right?

I thought that my friend Gerry was crazy to drive all the way to Mashpee, Mass to get the cupcakes that we were going to serve at the party. Cupcake Charlies, she exclaimed were the very best. Old school design, but made with the best ingredients. We just had to have them. I admit I was totally sceptical. When I took my first bite, I knew that I was going to eat crow, and many more of these totally DELISH, treats. If you are throwing a party, I suggest you make your way there, totally worth it!!

The absolute highlight to the party was the magnificent old school candy bar that we made for the party. Tena and I hit it hard, culling and culling to make sure that each of our choices for the display met not only our yummy standards but fit into the color way of the party. The candy bar lay still for the first couple of hours to the party. Then when the happy buzz of wine set in, our classmates hit that candy like locusts. I was happy that they were. I knew that every Swedish fish in their bags would be one less that I would eat after the party.

The evening was perfect. We paid tribute to the classmates that we have lost with elegant black and white photos along with flowers and candles on the mantle. They looked down on us all night as we laughed, chatted and reminisced about the twenty years that had passed since we were last together. I got a message from a friend the next morning that pretty much summed it up for all of us. "We shined last night, like we always did as the class of 1990"

Musuem of the Shenendoah Valley Weddings | Melissa and Jeremy | Shades of Berry

I have known Melissa, the bride for a long, long time. When she was just out of college and driving the world's smallest car, she worked as a teacher with my husband. She and he quickly became friends and of course, I was totally charmed and fell in love with her.  too! Over the years,  Kevin and I  have remained great friends with her entire family. To get the call that Meilissa was engaged to Jeremy made my heart skip a beat. I was thrilled in her happiness and excited for Jeremy, whom I had yet to meet. His bride's family could not be nicer!! An amazing family.

I was totally flattered, as I always am, to be asked to design and help plan her wedding which was held at The Museum of the Shenendoah Valley in Virginia. Over the course of our time working together, I was amazed at the effusive response of the design work from the ENTIRE family. I knew that if they liked the print material that I worked on with Praez Occasions, then they were going to be blown away with the floral display, linens and decor and other surprises that I had up my sleeve.

My team drove overnight from the south coast of Massachusetts, 13 hours south and finally arrived in beautiful Virginia on the Friday before the wedding. We were just in time to run through the rehearsal. I stepped up to the plate and made sure that all of the details came together  and were executed in an elegant and timely manner. I used to think that all the things that are important to me....shoulders back, smile gently, flowers at the waist, look ahead, were common understanding. They are not, so it was great to get a wink from Frank, Melissa's father indicating that he was happy that I was there as the wedding planner. I was delighted to sit with Melissa and Jeremy at the head table during the quaint rehersal dinner. We caught up and shared in the amazing excitement that was brewing over what was sure to be a delightful wedding for the two of them the next day.

I woke early, anxious to get to work on the finishing touches of the florals. We have done this so many times, that we were able to set up the remote studio and I got to work. Furiously, I worked to arrange thousands of flowers, create bouquets that were fit for a princess and to make sure that they were all ready to go for the afternoon ceremony. One of the tricks that I use from up my creative sleeve is to put the reception flowers on display at the ceremony. Because the guests were to enjoy a lingering cocktail hour +, my team and I would have the time to move the flowers to different displays, so they could make their final statement within the reception tent.

All the details were ready, the string quartet softly played in the alcove at the end of the stunning garden cathedral lined with majestic trees, trained to gracefully bow. I knew that it was "time" for me to go and get the bride. She and her mother, my dear Pat, cried when they took their bouquets. I too was more than emotional to see one of my best friends in her stunning gown. I adored the fact that he something borrowed was her identical sister's veil from her wedding last year. I made the cues and sent the bridal party down the aisle, knowing that my last cue would be to the princess bride, Melissa on the arm of my good friend Frank, her dashing dad.

The photo of the two of them making their way down the aisle is perhaps one of the best bridal photos that I have ever taken. I will cherish that moment of perfection. Their beaming smiles with the sun streaming through the trees to gave a spiritual and almost devine feeling as we tearily watched the couple exchange their heartfelt vows. Following the ceremony we were going to be on a strict timeline so I made the best use of time and caught up with the bride and their bridal party to get the great wedding photography that you see here.

My team and I moved all of the flowers from the ceremony to the reception tent on another part of the Museum's property. We were ready as a company to have an incredible reception. My work as a designer was over and I could finally have a cocktail and mingle with the guests. I was asked to give the first toast of the night, a great honor. It was a thrill to recap our friendship with humor and to meet and embrace Jeremy and his family. I did not party too hard, I couldn't, the minute that the reception ended, I knew that we would have to pack it up and hit the road overnight to Boston to continue my work.

I think about Melissa, Jeremy and their family often. They are part of ours and I look forward to the "next" moment of joy and celebration. They know that I love them and wish them nothing but the best. I will always look back at these photos filled with shades of bright berry and think of my princess bride and our priceless friendship.

Congratulations Jeremy and Melissa !!! Love always, CMP

 

 

Kat & Ben | Bohemian Beachfront | Chequassett Club Weddings

When the phone in my office rang and there were two people on the other line, Kat and Ben, I knew that we were at the beginning of a wonderful relationship planning their beach front wedding down on the Cape. Kat and Ben have a west coast vibe about them. So of course their wedding would have to take on a bit of bohemian flair to reflect them. Kat and I had many conversations about the flowers and design for her wedding. She is artsy and has great taste so it was easy and fun for her to shop and source all of the pretty things that she would want to use for flowers and candles at her wedding. As we planned and designed the wedding, I got to take a sneek peek early on at the driftwood arbor that was being constructed for the ceremony. It was already amazing lying in state in the back yard. When it came to life on the beach, the day of the wedding, It was amazing. The tide receded for what looked to be miles, leaving sand an subtle pools of water that reflected the brilliant blue sky. I thought that the photo of the arch here on my style blog, shot by the grooms brother Jeremy, was inspired by the painter Dali and remains one of my all time favorite ceremony scenes. Thank you so much Jeremy for letting me use this image.

She spent a ton of time collecting trios of Indian brassware and gorgeous ruby red, violet and plum colored glass. I think one of her coolest finds were the hanging lanterns that we hung around the outside tent. So pretty, but of course, I had to be the one to a., bump my head on them and b., get wax all over my navy blazer. Totally worth the hit to the head.

Kat and I agreed that she would get the "stuff" and I would be responsible to put it all together with fresh flowers. So I am assuming that Kat also spent a lot of time on one of my newest favorite sites, Luna Bazaar. If you do not know this place, it is a fabulous resource for lanterns, accessories, lighting, candles and just about anything else decorative. We, as a company use them as a resource all of the time. I loved the Mexican cut paper banners that added a totally bohemian festive feel to the sail loft at The Chequassett Club on the Cape.

The day was fast paced as a wedding day always is. Everything came together and the bride made her way to the ceremony carrying a lush bouquet of English garden roses and her favorite, camomile. On the arm of her dapper father she gracefully made her way down many stairs to the beach, where her brimming eyed groom stood proudly for his stunning bohemian bride.

Venue: The Chequassett Club

Wedding Planning and Design : Chad Michael Peters

Flowers: Chad Michael Peters

Wedding Decor : Luna Bazaar

Officiant : Rev. Kathleen Geagan

Wedding Gown : Vintage

Catering: Terra Luna

Photography seen here : Chad Michael Peters

Offical Event Photographer: Julia Cumes

Lucy & Greg | Fairmont Copley Plaza Weddings

Their wedding was only three days ago, and I miss Lucy and Greg already. There is always a time of reflection for me as I look out on to the dance floor at the bride swirling in a sea of fun. I know that our time together is coming to an end, in this capacity anyway. I have made hundreds of friends with my brides over the years. And oh yes, I have made many BFF's  with my merry bridal parties that I get to know too!

This past Saturday night at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston was AMAZING! First let me start with a white gloved high five to all of the staff at the hotel. I am getting a little misty guys thinking of the high a level of gracious service that was given to the bride and groom's guests. The food, ba da bing! Forget about it, of the charts yummy. I was most impressed when a selection of entrees was prepared for me, not only to eat, but to double check the plate designs that were to be presented to the guests. Who does stuff like that? The Fairmont Copley Plaza does and I love it !

I have worked with Lucy and Greg over the past year or so in planning not only her wedding but her over the top bridal shower. She and I get each other and we worked so well going over all the details to her amazing bridal bling wedding. I too,  got to know the entire family and when I say entire, I mean ENTIRE. There were brothers and cousins and sister in- laws and nieces and uncles that all came to bits and pieces of the bridal planning process. It was always a laugh as we worked through the endless list of pretty details that go into a wedding as you see in the photos.

The family is Italian many of them speak English but many don't, including the feisty Mama de la brida, I love her. Old School, enough said. She was always very sweet to me and funny. I give her a lot of props for the life that she has lived and to be such a glamorous moment. I adored her broken English comment to me when she said, " I don't just want to dance with you Shad, I want to dance with you twice." In that moment we very well could have been Sophia Lauren and Omar Sharif. She wouldn't give it out then, but I will continue to haunt her for the recipe of La Torta de La Nona Piazza, a delicious home made lemon, melt in your mouth, covered in powdered sugar, piece of heaven that was served to the guests after their six course dinner, and espresso and an amazing Candy Bar. Those Italians put the E in eat. Yummy!

The wedding was a sea of amazing details from a to z. The highlights being the thousands of hand opened south American roses in five shades of Ivory, gloriously mounded into crystal vases. The calla lilies, served as the focal point to the cocktail portion of the party. The groom liked Callas, the bride Roses, hence our design. The calla for me also gave a poetic nod to the over the top wedding that I worked on for the National Production of "Hitched or Ditched", a saucy reality show that was shot about a year ago. Lucy, the bride saw this wedding, saw me, and called. The life of a wedding designer and planner, full circle.

I know that the next time I see Lucy and Greg it will be in the mist of some family joy and I look forward to it wholeheartedly. In weddings such as this, there is always a little piece of me left behind in the memories and the pictures. I can assure you Lucy and Greg that there is assuredly a bit of both of you in my heart. Kisses on both cheeks, three times to both of you. My love and Congratulations, Always, CMP

P.S. Please don't post pictures of me doing the Soul Train Dance, ah go ahead, it was a party. CIAO! Bona Sera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whitney & Stephen | Boston Harbor and Renaissance Hotel Weddings

 

For those of you who know Whitney, you know that she is always smiling, always happy, and lights up the room upon her entrance. Last night, as a bride, she sparkled like the water and was radiant in her couture gown, flowing blond locks and on the arm of her beaming husband. I have known Whitney since I was 14 when I worked at her parents grocery, The Marion General Store in Marion, Massachusetts. Her mother Betty and I hit it off right away and she and I spent many years decorating the windows of the General Store with whimsical and lovely seasonal vignettes. I think of her every time I drive through the village, especially at Christmas when I see the wooden nutcrackers standing guard of the tree decorated with glittering bagels.Whitney and her sister, Amy of course were always in the store, helping out and sometimes raising a bit of hell in the back aisles while Jack was busy in the butcher shop. It is hard to believe that so many years have passed and such a rich history is shared between all of us.

When Whit called to ask me about helping with her wedding, I was flattered and emotional to be working with this family that I am honored to call friends. She and I spent coutless hours chatting away about the details that would be done in the cool shades of the ocean, with pops of bright orange.

The day of the wedding was filled with lots of things to do and I was happy to receive a special invitation to chill with the ladies in the Presidential Suite of the Renaissance Hotel, where Whitney and Stephen along with their guests would later celebrate the marriage. I loved seeing the make-up artist, Dianna Quagenti Scapicchio working on Whitney with her airbrush make-up technique to give Whitney a flawless glow. The final fluttering make up detail, Whit's faux lashes, made her dazzling blue eyes twinkle like sapphires.

When she walked into the pavilion at The Boston Harbor Hotel on the arm of her father, I could not hold back the tears as she radiantly made her way down the aisle. The string quartet played, The Prayer, by Andrea Boccell for the entrance of the bridesmaids and the cutest flower girl carried by her mom, Amy, The maid of honor and the bride' sister. As a special tribute to her Mother Whitney walked into "Wishing you were some how here again" from Andrew Llyod Weber's, Phantom of the Opera. Whit carried a lush bouquet of gardenia, hydrangea and of course, white roses. I could feel Betty, Whitney's mom with us, smiling down on her family, beaming that her youngest daughter was marrying the man of her dreams. The ceremony was filled with romantic touches that moved all of us. I cried again when my friend, Drew sang "True Companion" a capella style for the guests. Charming as he always is, he made eye contact with his wife, seated among the guests and smiled and winked at her in just the right moments of the song.

I shagged a ride to and from the Renaissance hotel with my bride and groom and good friends Sarah and Ryan who I worked with last summer on their Kittanset Club Wedding in Marion, MA. We had a lot of fun catching up with friends over signature cocktails and yummy appetizers at the hotel. My personal fav, the vegetable crudite with ranch dressing served in shot glasses. YUMMY and it coordinated with the wedding decor. My hubbie came with me to the wedding, something that he rarely if ever does. I had to beg to get him there, but once he was, he had a great time chatting with all Steve's work friends over dinner. Just as the cake was being served my Favorite band, The Manhattan Touch, hit the stage and took the party to the next level.

I stood with Whitney's father and we watched her swirl around the dance floor, beaming. He was so proud  that it gets me choked up again just thinking about it. He always did love his girls. In this family of blue eyed beauties, it is hard not too. Thank you my darling Whitney for having me help you with your wedding. To you and Steve, best wishes and lots of love, ALWAYS.

Christie and Brad | Samoset Inn Weddings | CMP for Elegance and Grace Weddings

I met Andy Delucia, of Elegance and Grace Weddings over the phone. In that first phone call, I knew that she and I would hit it off and that working together to design the wedding that she was planning for our bride, Christie would be challenging, fun and would result in an incredible day. It was just that.

We worked together for almost a year to design floral details and decor that would perfectly match the vision that our bride had for her once in a lifetime day. We went back and forth with regard to color and how to best showcase the setting in an upscale and sophisticated way. I am happy that as part of my design process with the client includes both sketching and setting up a demo day so the bride has a chance to get as much of a real vision as possible as to what her day will look like. The tone on tone, pale taupey grey linens were a perfect showcase to the overblown blooms arranged in silver mint julip cups and mercury glass. Some of the tables had one style of arrangement and others had clusters of vases and candles sweetly arranged. The pale butter ivory roses, blown open by hand to look as if their petals are opening up in the sun of a garden, were stunning mixed in with the other pale flowers and luscisous blue hydrangea.

The days leading into the wedding were almost a round the clock production as so many details to a wedding have to get done the week of it. We headed out from my studio at five in the morning on the day of the wedding with our van jam packed with pretty. We arrived an hour earlier than we had planned, which gave us a rare treat of extra time to unload and arrange to prepare to execute this lovely wedding design.

Andy, of Elegance and Grace weddings had things well under control on the grounds of The Samoset Inn. Having had the tents set up the day before.  The lovely tent from Sperry was incomparable in it's details. The hand hewn poles varnished to a gleaming Mahogany and billowing flags high atop its architectural peaks, provided an impeccable palette of protection and taste to host this wedding.

We finished everything and then some laying out floral details, candles, lighting details and helping to futz and putz with linens and placement to make sure we got rave reviews from our guests. I knew that magic was in the making, when the mother of the bride came to visit us under the tent after spending the early afternoon entertaining guests around the sparkling pool of the resort. She choked up right away when she saw our plan coming to fruition. She smiled and wiped away a tear and told us that the bride was sure to be overwhelmed with the work that we had done.

And then there was that moment of perfection, when the candles are lit and I look around and even I find it hard to believe that this is all real. Just too pretty, just too perfect. Andy came back to the tent, pretty as a picture in her own change of outfit for the evening. I was too happy at that point to turn over the reigns of this party to her. I could picture how gorgeous the bride would be be in her Vera Wang gown against the picturesque backdrop of The Samoset Inn.

I purposely did not publish a picture of the bride and her groom wanting to give an opportunity to the official photographer to do her thing. She knows that I love to get a glimpse of the photos early so I can share them with you. In the days to come, I so look forward to showcasing her work and showing off this gorgeous bride and her family. Until then, enjoy the details of this lovely wedding. The bride, trust me, is worth the wait.

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 !!!