Tickle my fancy

I am excited to be working with another fabulous bride and Groom for this fall's already very busy season. Lindsay and her soon to be husband, Rob asked if I could help create a fantasy wedding with my creative and lush flowers as the focal points. I loved pouring through the inspiration photos that I had asked to see at our meeting. While there were many ideas and themes that showed up in the photos, I could see a common thread and I love, love the idea of using feathers for this chic 20's modern wedding. I just had to use, "Tickle my fancy" as the title of this post.

I adore the use of linens as a palette to present the table top. Here you see a collection of shimmer dupionis in several different patterns. I look forward to using them through the reception room along with the three different floral designs that I have presented in my sketch. I hate when things in a room are too matchy matchy. It makes for boring.... boring. I try to give the eye a common denominator and then vary the palette for visual interest. For some nice contrast I will use a dark grey double faced satin ribbon trim with a tiny black gemp detail on the candles and display vases. This will set an over the top, romantic mood.

Along with ostrich feathers used as focal points for the wedding, I love the thought of using Guinea Hen feathers. I will have to call on my sister since she actually raises these fancy chickens. The feathers are a gorgeous strie of grey with white polka dots and will be perfect as accents to the hand done calligraphy on the place cards and on the grooms button hole flowers. I love mapping out all of this gorgeous attention to detail and can hardly wait to see it all come together.

The one detail that I am dying to do is the place card table. The bride presented a very dog eared photo that she had been carrying around as her first inspiration to her wedding. I know that she loved the unique and sumptuous look too judging by the wear on the photo.  In it jewel tone baubles, beads and crystals presented a stunning backdrop to the escort cards. I am going to twist this one up a bit and use smoky, and quartz colored crystals along with a little crystal bling to make this table the realization of her wedding dreams.

 

Indian Summer

 

Any wedding or event at Eastover Farm in Rochester, Massachusetts is a special one. Having spent some time in India, I was totally excited to get a call to host a wedding this past Saturday night for an amazing Indian family that has lived here in Massachusetts for the past twenty five years.

I knew right away that color would be the key. Ladies in Saris were the inspiration and there were so many guests that came to the party in these traditional Indian ladies garments, just stunning. We hosted the guests for cocktails by the pond at the farm. Blackstone Caterer did a superb job with a fresh fruit juice bar and yummy appetizers from watermelon and feta to coconut shrimp.This was followed by a sit down dinner in another tent with a choice of traditional vegetarian or a delicious chicken dish with jasmine rice, thumbs up, way up !

  

Here you see my original design rendering for the event. Bright, bold, Indian color was the cue from the very get go. I just adore seeing these sketches come to life.

The farm is so stunning and with close to seven hundred acres, the choices for how to host your party there are virtually unlimited. We were very lucky that it had rained so much in June. Normally July is a dry and dusty time in any field. This year, the gardens were lush and the fields were long and luckily with all the rain we were able to light the bonfire to welcome the guests to dinner.

 

 

The Indian Goddess of dancing, greeted the guests as they made their way into the dinner tent. So appropriate for a party that was about to rock.

As a special treat to the American guests, I had yards and yards of bright and auspicious yellow garlands made in India and specially flown in for this party. Many hands and thousands of flowers worked overtime to pull off this stunning look. Guests could hardly believe that they were real.

 

 

Because it had been wet this past month, I got lucky and was able to light the fire for the guests. The smell of wood smoke and the purification and balance of water and fire was just so perfect as guests moved and celebrated through out the farm. My absolute favorite part of the night was when the lights went down. The candles, the luminaries and the custom lighting depicting the national bird of India, the Peacock and the good luck lotus were the talk of the night.

Congratulations to the Chowdri family on the marriage of their son Siddhartha to Arati. Cheers!

For more information on hosting your wedding or event at Eastover Farm please click here.

 

Cisco Celebration

 My friends kid around with me that most of my day is spent with coloring pencils and paper "doodling" away. I have been thinking and drawing for as long as I can remember. As I look back over years of work and compare the original sketch to the finished work I am amazed at how they come to life.

I was lucky enough to work on a corporate event for Cisco that was to be held here in Boston this very weekend. Unfortunately, the event was canceled shortly after these renderings were completed. Hey they don't all work out right? The process still was amazing, working with such a huge corporation on this kind of celebration is a dream come true for any event planner and I consider myself lucky to be able to share my vision for their celebration with you.

Elegant Oceanside

Working at the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts is a treat for any wedding planner or designer. This amazing Cape Cod hotel dates back to 1914 and remains a beacon of historic luxury on Cape Cod. It is the quintessential location of choice for a seaside destination wedding.

To work there with a family as nice as the Krants was simply a dream come true. I started the design process with Kelley, the bride, and we had such a good time adjusting our theme and design as the day of the wedding neared. You can see in my original sketch that most of the colors and styles of arrangements and decor were laid out almost a year before the wedding. Kelley had a hand in most of the selections, and Kelley and I, and her mom had numerous conversations to come up with just the right details for all of the guests to enjoy. We decided on vendors together and it was my job to manage them on the big day. While every vendor stepped up to the plate with their A game, our photographers, Person and Killian Photography, simply knocked it out the park.

Both the bride and the groom work on Wall Street, so the weeks leading up to their wedding, with the market melting down, and a wedding coming up, it was no surprise that there was stress. My job is to manage that stress and I had it under control and I just knew that this would be a wedding that would leave the guests talking. Every petal and detail were in place by the time that I saw Kelley for the first time. She was an amazing beauty in her stunning dress trimmed in lace. I stood with tears in my eyes as I gave her the most lush and rich fall bouquet. As she started to walk down the aisle on the arm of her dapper father, I held my breath as the train of her dress flowed over the many candles that lined the aisle, and finally heaved a sigh of relief when she took the hand of her handsome waiting groom.

 

Grace Ormonde Design

The design process for me begins with drawing out what I see in my head. I have worked for years with pen and ink and then finish off the renderings with French, colored pencils that have a wonderful watercolor effect when you take a brush to them. I often draft a few ideas and when I feel that I am ready, will start and finish a sketch in about five hours.

This sketch that you see here is a conceptual rendering for a photo shoot that I worked on for Grace Ormonde's Magazine . While the actual design was miles away from the bold coral and denim blue that you see here, I thought that it would be fun to show.

 

The Balvy Family Bar Mitzvah

 

My creative team had so much fun working with The Balvy family to plan the Bar Mitzvah celebration of their son. The party was planned as a luncheon on Saturday following services at Temple Emanuel in Newton, Massachusetts.

I worked with the family to bring a modern updated to feel to Old Jerusalem. I used lots of fabric and palms to soften the room and to give a tent like feel. Mounds of pale flowers and succulents in antique containers provided the perfect, simple accent to the khaki colored table cloths and white chair covers. Really simple, elegant and chic. Perfect for a 13 year old young man. Mazoltov !

 

Hitched or Ditched Details

It is not often that you get a call to work on a National TV show. The process was the most exciting, thrilling event of my life thus far. The amount of work and drama that went into the process could have been a reality show unto itself. Months of work, negotiations, drawing and preparation went into the one hour show that was aired nationally last night. For me the process began with a concept rendering that I presented to get the job from the producers, from there my team and I toiled away to make this reality show wedding a show stopper with the most amazing flowers and decor.

I wanted to deliver what the network wanted, wedding fashion that would appeal to their young viewers. In the end I worked hard from rendering to the I do's that left me breathless and I am excited to share these Hitched or Ditched details with you here.

Many thanks to the fabulous photography duo Person and Killian who were lucky enough to be cast as the wedding photographers on this juicy reality show.

A very special thanks to the Fairmont Copley Hotel. Their unwavering commitment to excellence will have me singing their praises for years to come. Old school Boston tradition with an updated twist and I love it.

Chatham Bars Inn Weddings, Plum and Chartreuse

 

I am having a great time working with Amy and her family on her fall wedding at the fabulous Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod. Here you see my original rendering for her event. We spoke this morning on the phone and have decided to make a few adjustments to color and style so that it is just perfect for the bride and her guests. That is the design process, after all. I will be sure to post the new rendering just as soon as I hit the sketchpad. I can hardly wait for the wedding. My mouth is watering for the lobster salad served on a brioche roll. Yummy!

 

 

Hall of Fame Wedding

 

 

I have to admit, I had no idea who Jim Rice was. So when his daughter Carissa called and said that she was impressed with me answering my own phone and wanted to hire me to do her wedding, I smiled and planned a meeting with her mom and dad to get things under way. I had no idea that her dad was totally famous, especially here in Boston, and that he was about to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I am always impressed with great achievements but to be honest, I am way more excited about gorgeous diva gals and planning their weddings than I will ever be about baseball. I think that Carissa and her parents appreciate that.

We are having a great time planning the details for her summer 2010 wedding and have chosen the oh, so chic Liberty Hotel, one of the leading hotels of the world and a former Boston's jail house as the venue for the wedding.

Carissa and Andrew's ceremony will have the aisle defined by gorgeous mounds of rich summer color and lots of candles. They will be married against a display of mango-gold calla lilies which will look amazing displayed against a modern hedge of hydrangea and South American roses.

My team and I will turn the room over while the bride and groom enjoy cocktails with their guests. This is never an easy task, but with my "A" team and the nimble hands of the Liberty staff, I have every confidence that we will be able to turn Carissa's reception into the modern, sophisticated and chic event that she hopes it will be.

 

 

 

"The ultimate union of historic influence and contemporary design, this luxury hotel in Boston is inspired by a sophisticated interior decor that integrates with the architecture’s beautiful simplicity. Echoing the stone facade, reception desks are punctuated with a panel of granite warmed by a surrounding concentric panel of mahogany woods. Throughout the public areas, American colonial prints, enlarged and rendered in historic colors such as maroon, gray and purple, provide a fresh take on a traditional look, while bold geometric carpets in rich hues of purple and yellow are reminiscent of New England window panes and the friezes of traditional doors. Captivating in every sense of the word, The Liberty Hotel promises an unforgettable guest experience in a unique setting second to none. "

 

 

I have brought in Boston's best to help me with this event. I am so happy that I will have the incredible photography duo of Person and Killian Photography there to capture every amazing detail from behind their lens.

 

I am totally excited about creating a lounge around the dance floor. Some guests will be able to chill out, while others shake their booty on the dance floor. I will use sleek benches in deep red leather along with wooden cocktail tables to create a totally cozy, hip and romantic vibe.

 

We will be having both the ceremony and the reception in the main ballroom of the hotel. The carpet defines the color in this room as it does through out the rest of the hotel. It would be such a design mistake to move away from the historically bold color and pattern, so instead I have taken it to new levels in my design for Carissa's big day. We will be challenged to turn this room over while the bride and groom enjoy cocktails from the lofty perch high above the hotel lobby. With my "A" team on hand, I am sure that we will hit it right out of the park.

There are so many incredible details to the hotel, done in such an incredible way, that it is almost easy to be inspired. Every detail, every service standard has exceeded my expectations. My absolute favorite, to die for detail is the "Solitary Confinement" notes with keys that are left on the door when one wants to be alone. They take jail house and architectural detail and marry the two to perfection. If the hotel finds one of these missing, it will be framed in my office as a reminder of this awesome couple's wedding and a truly fantastic hotel.

If their standard is for me to "be captivated", then I am. We are in for a wedding that Boston will not soon forget. Congratulations Carissa and Andrew, I can hardly wait for your big day.

Boogy on down to P-Town

 

I am excited to be working with Dottie and Julie on their disco-licious June wedding. I love hip, new style and I love Provincetown- big surprise, right? I think the whole idea of disco done in a modern, hip and fun way is a perfect backdrop for getting down and celebrating the love of these two, totally cool women. (singing) CELEBRATION, come on !

They set the trend and color in their Save the Date, which I love. It was totally easy for me to come up with a sketch to show off their style using the pattern and color which is so hip and fresh and perfect for the deck of The Crown and Anchor in June. Now we are on to dresses. I love the idea of Halston inspired looks, long clean lines, hoop earrings and updated hairstyles that draw inspiration from that oh, so, groovy time in American History.


We are having a ball running through all of the details. I am sure that it will all come together and be the celebration of their lives. Congratulations! Dottie and Julie and thank you for having me as part of your wedding.

Fall floral style

I am excited to have all the details together for an amazing fall wedding to be held at The Acoaxet Club in lovely Westport. My bride Kristen is a European beauty and her family is from Portugal, so it is no surprise that she has chosen to wear a dress by glamorous Spanish visionary San Patrick on her wedding day. She introduced me to the designer, and I can hardly wait to see her walk down the aisle in her amazing gown and beaded jacket, holding the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

I would so love to show off her gown, but of course it is bad luck to see the bride's dress before the big day. I have had a chance to flip through the website of this oh so chic designer, and I am totally in love with each and every gown. They are all so unique, I cannot imagine having to choose just one. Is it bad for me to imagine my self whirling around in these dresses? What an amazing site!


Of course, I can hardly wait to surround this beautiful bride with flowers on her special day. She will look stunning in her gown against a backdrop of sumptuous, rich flowers in pale ivories with hints of deep burnt orange and Nantucket red. I think that this little touch of fall color will be just right.