On November 13, 2011, 4 months of long distance planning, then 6 months of not-so-long-distance planning came to life for the beautiful wedding of Lauren & Jordan.  Held at one of my favorite locations, The Franklin Institute, Lauren and Jordan missed no details in having a beautiful ceremony and reception.

I ‘met’ Lauren and Jordan over a phone call.  They were living in Dallas at the time, but were planning on moving to the Philadelphia area in the summer, so had booked the Franklin Institute for their big day.  They wanted someone to schedule planning days for the weekends that they would be in town prior to their move, so they could get things locked in.  I was more than happy to do so!

It was so good to finally meet them their first weekend in – we had spoken so much over email and the phone that I felt like I was meeting old friends.  And they were SUCH troopers!  We met with photographers, bands, bakers and florists, one right after the other, but they kept their energy up and were engaged in each appointment.  We did two walk throughs of the venue, making sure the lighting was perfect throughout the night and the ceremony set up was exactly as they wanted it.  They wanted an elegant but still fun wedding, and that is exactly what we created.

When the day finally arrived, the excitement was palatable.  Lauren’s bridesmaids were wonderful (one being her friend Jessica, who I had sent down the aisle just two weeks before!) and everybody was so helpful and cooperative.  Lauren has the most flawless skin I have ever seen, and her make-up artist was wonderful – she slippedon her gown and looked absolutely breathtaking.  When we arrived at the Franklin Institute for the first see moment, Jordan was there waiting for her, and was so excited to get this day under way.  Looking dashing in his tux, we put him into place for their first see on the rooftop (thank you Mother Nature for the clear day you gave us…and it wasn’t even that cold!).  Their first see was wonderful – emotional, excited, disbelief that the day was finally here.  I’m tearing up just writing about it!  Then their party joined them – the bridesmaids in their gorgeous and fun short black dresses, groomsmen in their formal but not stuff tuxes, and the energy started going!  This crew was ready to get the vow said, and get the party going!

Their ceremony was gorgeous.  It was held in the planetarium, which can worry me because it can be a bit dark (difficult for photos) but we fixed that by uplighting the gorgeous chuppah.  Under candlelight and a gorgeous crystal chuppah Lauren’s dress sparkled, their moving ceremony brought many to tears, and after a kiss, broken glass, and Mazel Tov!, they walked back down the aisle husband and wife.

Their first dance was fantastic!  They surprised their guests with a beautifully choreographed dance to “You’re Just Too Good To Be True” complete with twirls and dips.  After dining on a fabulous meal, Lauren and Jordan had their honor dances with their parents to “Sweet Child of Mine” (sung by one of Philadelphia’s finest singers, Lauren Lark), and were then put into chairs for the traditional Hora!  After cutting and enjoying their amazing cake, Lauren and Jordan made their exit to streamers, ready to take on the world as husband and wife (without a break!  Jordan went back to work and Lauren headed back to her Masters program that Tuesday!).  Thank you to all of the vendors who made the wedding day spectacular – BG Productions for the amazing photos and video, Bredenbeck’s for the DELICIOUS cake, Robertsons for the breathtaking chuppah and florals, and Rabbi Berris, for a beautiful ketubah and ceremony.

Lauren and Jordan, thank you for allowing me to be part of your wedding day.  I loved our planning days and getting to be a part of so many details.  I got to know you both so well that by the time of the wedding, it truly felt like I was watching two friends get married.  It was amazing.  Please take good care of each other, don’t work too hard, and keep in touch. 

On October 29th, 2012, I had the pleasure of witnessing the wedding ceremony of Jessica and John, and watching 7 months of planning…well…get completely redone, due to a very out of season snow storm!

I met Jessica and John through Lauren, a bride I was working with who was the maid of honor for Jessica.  They had already made some plans when we met – they had booked the gorgeous estate grounds of the Brantwyn Mansion in Delaware.  We arranged everything for a beautiful garden ceremony, followed by cocktails on the patio, dinner in the mansion, and dancing in the parlor.  However, Mother Nature threw us a wrench so plans were reconstructed; and the wedding was still as gorgeous and fun as we knew it would be!

Jessica was such a great bride.  Completely calm and unrattled by the weather, she noted how cool it was to wake up to a world covered in crystals on her wedding day.  I quickly worked with the wonderful staff at Brantwyn to rearrange the layout of the space, so as to make an indoor ceremony room and cocktail area.  Eric from Robertsons Florist was WONDERFUL – thank you again for the amazing ceremony arrangements, and for sticking around to help flip the ceremony room into a gorgeous dinner space with your breathtaking arrangements!

Their ceremony was presided over by Jessica’s uncle, which made it so personal and special.  John was a dashing groom, and the look on his face when he saw his bride coming down the aisle was so touching – they were both so excited to be surrounded by their loved ones while they took their vows.  They incorporated a wine box ritual into their ceremony, which I loved.  They placed a bottle of wine in a box, along with letters to each other, and on their 30th wedding anniversary they will open this box, share the bottle of wine, and read the letters. 

The evening was so much fun!  After the party was announced into the room (complete with pirate eye patches, as they initially thought about having a pirate themed wedding!) and touching toasts were given by their fathers and honor attendants, they shared a wonderful first dance, and then dove into an amazing meal, complete with flaming baked alaska at the end.  This crew was ready to party too – the dance floor was full all night (thank you Mike at Synergetic Sounds!).  Felix Chea photography did a wonderful job catching all the special moments, preserving all the memories.

Jessica and John – thank you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day.  The day was simply wonderful, and I enjoyed all the planning (and replanning!) time I had with you (thanks for letting me be a part of the tasting – that was fantastic!!)  You are a wonderful couple and I wish you all the joy that life can bring.  Take good care of each other, and keep in touch.

On October 22, 2011, Griselle and Dan became husband and wife in a gorgeous ceremony at St. Maria’s.  There is so much to say about this wedding, I don’t know where to start!

Griselle and I met in early August 2011, when she called asking if I would be able to help put some details together for her upcoming wedding.  I’ll be honest, when she said her wedding date was October 22nd, I thought she was talking about October 2012!  To hear that her wedding was scheduled for just over two months away had me a little anxious, as we had some fairly big vendors to still find (she had locked in her church and reception site, but we still needed a florist, photographer and entertainment).  However, I knew that if I worked quickly, we could do it. 

Griselle had specific ideas about things she wanted for her wedding day, and this made things easier to locate and book.  And, she was an absolute sweetheart to work with – which made it a ton of fun!  She had many family traditions she wanted to incorporate into her wedding, which anybody who knows me knows I love – it makes the wedding so personal and special.  She had specific music needs, and knew that she was going to want a lot of family photos, as she and Dan had family traveling in from far distances whom they did not get to see often. 

I went to work finding the necessary vendors, and things could not have gone more smoothly!  An independent DJ I knew was available, and Mike Morby Photography (www.morbyphotography.com) was available as well (his only open day in October!).  Griselle met with Lansdale Florist, who brought her vision to life beautifully AND in budget.  She had her final fittings and Dan got his tux, and we were ready to go!

The wedding day was perfect.  We were given a day of gorgeous fall weather, with a slight breeze and just a small chill.  Griselle was a stunning and completely calm bride, and her mother and attendant were so sweet – calming and attentive to every need.  Dan was a very handsome groom, and was greeting everybody at the church door, so excited to be surrounded by friends and family.  Their ceremony was beautiful, and the family was so excited to see them get married.  After the ceremony there were many family photos to be taken, and I was a bit concerned that I was not going to be able to help as much as I normally do.  Griselle’s family speaks Spanish, and I do not, so I knew coordinating this could take some time.  However, Mike Morby surprised me by speaking Spanish to everybody, and was able to communicate and get all photos taken! (I do believe there was some divine intervention here – to get his last open October Saturday AND he speaks Spanish, for the ONE wedding I had that had Spanish speaking needs?  Don’t think it’s just coincidence!).

Their reception was at Parc Bistro in Skippack, one of my favorite locations.  This venue is completely unique, rustic and elegant, with a touch of country charm, and the food is amazing.  The staff is attentive and completely efficient – I have had several events here, and each one has followed the timeline to perfection.  Griselle and Dan and all of their guests, after enjoying two heartfelt toasts, dined on amazing food and danced the night away to music provided by DJ Helcat (Thanks Brad!). 

Griselle and Dan – thank you for trusting me with your wedding day.  You were an absolute pleasure to work with and I loved every minute of it - I miss our Starbucks meetings before you had to head into work!  May you be blessed with a life full of health and happiness and all things that you desire.  Please take good care of each other, and keep in touch.

On October 1, 2011, a LOT of long distance plans came to life!  I had been working with Kristen and Enoch for about a year, however when they hired me, Kristen lived in Texas and Enoch lived in San Francisco.  The wedding was taking place in Narberth, as this is where the groom had grown up.  As you can imagine, long distance wedding planning can be a challenge, so they hired me to put the pieces together here.  My goal was to get everything together for them, so they could show up to their wedding, and enjoy!

Enoch’s parents had booked the reception site, Golden City Restaurant, in Colmar.  This restaurant serves some of the most authentic and delicious chinese food anywhere!  I booked the linens and rentals, met with the florist to coordinate bouquets, met with the photographers, and even went to the cake tasting for them, which I was more than happy to do!  Kristen was actually supposed to come in that weekend so we could plan together, but Hurricane Irene had different ideas.  Kristen – thank you for allowing me to move forward with things and get the last decisions made without you.

The wedding day was gorgeous.  It was a truly beautiful fall day, and the church was a beautiful old stone church in Narberth.  Kristen was stunning in an all lace gown (in the photos, her skin IS that gorgeous – no editing took place!), and Enoch was very handsome groom.  Their bridal party was fantastic!  So helpful, and so excited for the newlyweds – many of them flew in from very far distances (furthest was Japan) for this wonderful occasion.

After the ceremony, we were off to Golden City to enjoy a traditional 10 course meal.  The room looked beautiful – complete with a traditional Ikebana floral arrangement, an Asian tradition, created for special occasions.  Every single bite was delicious!  To top it off, Kristen’s mother had arranged for a cookie buffet, so after indulging in dinner, guests were treated to over a dozen different varieties of cookies, along with chocolate framboisier cake (which the bride and groom opted for, instead of a traditional wedding cake.  It was a good choice – it was fantastic!).  My favorite part of the night was the slide show that their bridal party had put together.  It told the story of how Enoch and Kristen met, their courtship, engagement, and all of the planning up to this day.  It was so nice to get to know everything about them, as I had not had the chance to hear their story before that. 

I want to give special thanks to Mostardi Photography for capturing the day so beautifully – it was a pleasure to work with you!  Thank you to Golden City Restaurant for allowing me to take over your space the night before and decorate until my heart was content, and thank you to Karen, my assistant, for being my right hand through the wedding day!

Kristen and Enoch – a huge thank you to you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day, and trusting me so much with it.  I enjoyed every minute of the planning, and was so glad to be a resource for you when you needed it.   I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!  Take good care of each other, and keep in touch.

Your wedding photos are more than just photos, they are snapshots of the day you became man and wife, and with today’s photography methods, they truly are more pieces of art than just photos.  So, want to display them in a more artistic way?  Check out Easy CanvasPrints ( http://www.easycanvasprints.com) and see how easy it can be to change a simple photo into WOW.

I love this idea because it’s a unique way to display your favorite photo, AND it’s a great gift idea for any of your bridal party or parents.  They come in all different sizes and color options, so you can customize your order to your own taste and needs.  If you want to learn more click on the link, and check out all the options.  You can contact customer service through an email or the phone number on the screen. 

My parents 45th wedding anniversary is this year…I know what I am getting them!

On August 6th, Claudia and Michael Cerino were wed in a gorgeous ceremony in one of the prettiest churches I have ever seen.  The ornate altar, the stunning stained glass windows, and a simply breathtaking bride, escorted down the aisle by her grandfather, adorned in a stunning lace gown with chapel train, made me feel like I was watching a fairytale.   Surrounded by their family and friends, they said their I Do’s and became man and wife…andafter taking fun photos at a nearby park and playground, they set out to truly celebrate!

I had been looking forward to this wedding since the day I met Claudia and Michael (thank you to Michael Magro for passing my name along to them – and I am getting so excited for your and Francesca’s big day in November!!).  They are two of the hardest workers ever (both in residency and working many overnight shifts, along with still completing their studies) and with schedules like theirs, planning was going to be difficult.  I was honored they asked me for help.  They new what they wanted; a charming space for their reception, not far from their Bala Cynwyd church, that served great food and had room for their guests to enjoy themselves and party the night away.  I knew the place right away – William Penn Inn it was! 

After booking the space, we secured the other vendors we needed and got to wait for the big day.  Claudia and Michael told me their friends could party, and they were right!  As soon as dinner was over (after two touching toasts given by their honor attendants) the dance floor filled…and never emptied (thank you Kevin Welde for reading the crowd perfectly and choosing fantastic music!).  Nobody even sat down to eat cake – they were having too much fun on the dance floor!  That is the vision that sticks with me from this day – Claudia and Michael in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by their family and friends, all dancing and sharing their excitement as Claudia and Michael start out this adventure as husband and wife.  It was so much fun!

Guests did not leave empty handed!  Michaels family spent hours making traditional Italian cookies and had favor boxes full of them for guests to take (I snuck one out with me too…THEY. WERE. AMAZING).  A perfect way to end a perfect night.

Thank you to Lisa Marie Photography for capturing all the photos, Stellar Hair and Make-up for the hair and make-up that perfect on all night (even in muggy weather, and dancing that caused some serious heat!), and William Penn Inn for the fantastic service.

Claudia and Michael, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day.  The love you have for each other is evident just by seeing you together, and I wish  you a lifetime of love, happiness, and all of life’s blessings.  Take good care of each other, and keep in touch.

On Friday July 29th, Lisa and Dayne were married in a beautiful pond side ceremony at The Stone Barn in Kennett Square, Pa.  For those of you unfamiliar with the location, it is simply beautiful.  Several ponds, a working water wheel, and property that is full of blooms, along with a rustic hall/ballroom to have dinner and dancing in.  I love this location, and had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Lisa was referred to me by her bridesmaid Molly – I had coordinated Molly’s wedding last year (can’t believe it has already been a YEAR Molly & Doug!) and was flattered that Molly had passed my name along.  Lisa had already put a lot of the day together, but she wanted somebody there to handle all of the details.  She was creating a lot of the decorating items herself, so she wanted somebody to explain her vision to and execute it on the wedding day, so she could enjoy herself.  I was happy to do so!

I have never met a harder worker than Lisa – she created EVERYTHING for this day!  Hand carved wooden table number holders, painted mason jars for candles, twine pomander balls to hang on shephards hooks to line the aisle…the list went on and on!  I loved what she did for centerpieces – she gathered family photos as well as photos of her and Dayne, and grouped them on the center of the tables.  We surrounded these with candles and rose petals, and it was beautiful.  She made sure that guests would be seated at tables where photos that meant something to them were placed, and you could see the joy in her guests faces as they saw the photo and relived the memory.  It was priceless.

Dayne opted for a suit instead of a tux, which is a good idea in July heat!  The girls were beautiful in a tea length celadon gown, and her flowers were stunning (thank you Matlack Florist!).  Lisa was absolutely beautiful in a blush tone strapless gown, with lace embellishment and chapel train, complemented by an elbow length veil.  The ceremony was presided over by a friend of the couple who is also a pastor, and included dedications from both Lisa and Dayne’s parents, which made it so touching.  After the ceremony guests dined on delicious appetizers and a fantastic meal, begun with two beautiful toasts from the honor attendants and a lovely blessing by their pastor and friend. 

After an evening of toasting, talking, laughing and dancing, Lisa and Dayne changed clothes and exited The Stone Barn to a sea of sparklers, hopped in their car and drove off, ready to face their life together…and fly off to their tropical honeymoon!!

Special thanks to The Stone Barn for the accommodations and setting up both ceremony sites, (just in case rain decided to make an appearance), Mike Morby of Morby Photography for the wonderful photos, and Moore Music for the fabulous music. 

Lisa and Dayne, thank you for allowing me to be part of your wedding day.  You are a wonderful special couple, and I know you will have a wonderful marriage, making it through hard times and celebrating the good times.  Take good care of each other, and keep in touch.

On June 24th, Jocelyn & Phil were married in a beautiful ceremony in Philadelphia.  They had a FANTASTIC reception to follow, full of fun details, because if there is one word that describes Jocelyn & Phil, it’s FUN!!

I first met with Jocelyn a year ago, and she told me she was looking for a beautiful but unique setting for her wedding.  She checked out a lot of places, but while she wanted something beautiful, she wanted something off-beat and original at the same time.  When she saw the Carousel House at the Please Touch Museum, she knew she had found her space!  It’s gorgeous – windows all around creating a beautiful view of the city, and has a full sized, working Carousel in the middle of the room.  It’s charming, beautiful, and utterly unique.

Jocelyn and Phil held their ceremony in the front vestibule of the museum, which has a fantastic high ceiling, and is full of architectural details.  We decorated it with just enough floral details to make an impact, but allowed Jocelyn & Phil to truly be the center of attention at the ceremony.  Jocelyn was a truly stunning bride – she looked like absolute royalty, shining in a lush satin wedding gown, with a smile that lit up the room.  The second Phil saw her he couldn’t stop smiling.  The ceremony was perfect – touching and sentimental.

After taking photos in all of the fun places the Please Touch Museum offers (the Alice and Wonderland tea party table, the mini-car, SOO many places!) the guests moved into the Carousel House, which was beautifully decorated with hot pink flowers and touches of navy blue, Jocelyn’s colors.  After enjoying a delicious meal, they truly danced the night away!!  Phil and Jocelyn can party, and so could all of their guests - I felt guilty getting them off the floor to cut their cake!  But the energy picked right back up, and the floor was full all night (except for when guests were taking photos in the photobooth!).  Phil is a country music fan, (Jocelyn’s gift to Phil was a FABULOUS cowboy hat, which he wore during the reception!), and being a country girl at heart, this was right up my alley! 

There were so many fun and unique touches to this day -  the guests riding the carousel, Jocelyn & Phil playing the floor-piano, the personal toasts given by the honor attendants and Jocelyn’s parents.   It was truly one of a kind, fitting of their fun sparkling personalities, and the excitement they were feeling to be getting married (get a glimpse of it here – http://vimeo.com/25699836).  I am so glad I got to be a part of it.  Big thanks go out to BG Productions for capturing the photos and video, to Synergetic Sounds for keeping the dance floor packed, and Cheryl Ann Floral Design for the beautiful florals. 

Jocelyn and Phil – thank you for trusting me with your day.  I enjoyed every single minute of planning with you, and was honored to get to be a part of the day you became husband and wife.  You are such a wonderful couple - please take good care of each other, and keep in touch.

June has been so busy, I haven’t had time to blog about my May weddings!  I’ll start with the wedding of Dawn and Christian, which took place on May 14th, at the beautiful Philadelphia Country Club.

Dawn and Christian met while studying law at Villanova, and are two of the nicest people as well as the hardest workers I have ever met.  While planning their wedding, they were also planning a move to Los Angeles, which would happen almost immediately after their honeymoon.  When they called me for assistance they had most of the planning done, (which included a lot of details, and several surprises for me to keep…) so they were looking for someone to run the day to make sure everything went smoothly.  I was more than happy to do this.

Dawn and Christian wanted to enjoy every minute of their reception with their guests, so they had pictures together prior to the ceremony.  We arranged for a ‘first sight’ moment, and Christian’s face was priceless.  Dawn truly was a stunning bride, and she was so calm!  So excited to see her groom, get the day started, and become husband and wife.  The two of them lit up when they saw each other, and the smiles stayed on their faces the rest of the day.  Their bridal party was fantastic too – tons of fun, excited for Dawn and Christian, and so cooperative!  Truly a wedding coordinators dream

While we had planned for an outdoor ceremony, the weather was not cooperating, so we moved everything inside, which was just as pretty (thank you to Uncommon Events Floral Design for the gorgeous arrangements!).  Their ceremony was made complete by their two ring dogs, Hank and Sophie, the couples dogs who are so important to them (and were thankfully very well behaved – HUGE thanks to my assistant Karen for keeping them occupied all day!).  Their friend and ordained minister presided over the ceremony, which made it very personal and touching. 

Once the rings were on and the ceremony was over, it was time to party!  The reception did not disappoint.  The bridal party was ready to dance, and did from the moment the announcements started (it helped that Dawn chose such fantastic dresses for her bridal party – completely classic and beautiful, and in a cut that allowed them to move and have fun).   After sharing their first dance to Brad Paisley’s “I Thought I Loved You Then,” Dawn and their guests were shown a slideshow created by Christian, which included photos of Dawn and Christian as children, as well as them together in adulthood, showing their journey as a couple.  It was beautiful.  When it came to cake cutting time, we wheeled out a surprise from Dawn for Christian, a groom’s cake in the shape of Kentucky, honoring his alma mater – it was FANTASTIC!!  A total surprise, and an amazing cake! 

So many things made this day unique – the surprises, the packed dance floor, the child guest that sang “Hey Soul Sister” along with the band (Thanks EBE!), and the special toasts given by their loved ones – but the thing I will remember best is the way Dawn and Christian were together.  They were so intent to make this a wonderful day for each other, and were so excited to be getting married, moving to Los Angeles, and starting their adventure as husband and wife.  

To Dawn and Christian, thank you for trusting me with your day.  I had such a good time working with you and getting to know you both.  I hope LA is fantastic, and that your life is filled with love, happiness, and all of life’s blessings.  Take good care of each other.

If you want to learn more about Dawn and Christian, their wedding was featured in the New York Times! http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/fashion/weddings/dawn-meyer-christian-keeney-weddings.html

On April 9th I had the honor of executing John & Julie’s Wedding, a day one year in the making.  To say this day had details is an understatement.  There were so many special touches, ceremonies, and additions, I was so looking forward to making them all come together.

John and Julie are both doctors, in their last year of residency.  They are two of the hardest workers I know.  I was so excited to be a part of their wedding planning, and take the stress of planning and coordinating the day off of their shoulders.  We had days of appointments with florists, photographers, DJ’s and stationery designers, and had an AMAZING day of tastings at Normandy Farms (which I blogged about earlier – it was SO GOOD!!).  And on April 9th, all details came together…

Julie’s mother made her wedding gown by hand – a gorgeous creation of lace and silk, completed with a caffe colored sash.  She created a pattern on her own, from a photo of a gown Julie liked.  It was STUNNING, and Julie looked amazing in it; truly like something out of a magazine.  Julie and John saw each other beforehand and got formal photos taken care of, so as to maximize their time with their guests at their reception.  They wanted some typical photos, and some not so typical! (see BG Productions photos…) 

Their ceremony was so special.  John has Indian heritage, so his mother had a saree handmade for the ceremony.  I have never seen such gorgeous silk fabric, hand beaded in the most intricate and gorgeous pattern – it was one of my favorite parts of their wedding ceremony.

Once the ceremony was over and they were married, the party got started!!  John and Julie knew they had a partying crowd coming, so they extended their reception to 6 hours to have ample dancing time (I even went to pick up pizza toward the end of the night, since we knew they would get hungry again!!).  Halfway through Julie changed out of the gown her mother made for her, and into a traditional Indian saree that John’s mother had made for her, another breathtaking garment.  The colors were so vibrant, the detailing stunning, and she looked, again, beautiful. 

What I will remember from this night is how much fun John and Julie were having.  Surrounded by their loved ones, they were so excited to be married, partying with their closest friends and family, ready to take on life together.  Every time I turned around they were smiling, laughing, and just enjoying the night and each other.   It was perfect.  Thank you to Stellar Hair & Make-up for your gorgeous styling that morning (that held all day!), Normandy Farm Floral Design for the gorgeous flowers, BG Productions for the photo and video coverage, and Roots and Groove for keeping the dance floor packed all night!!

John and Julie, thank you for trusting me with your day (and for hiring me to plan your friends wedding!  Being hired a second time is the highest compliment!).  I enjoyed every minute of the planning with you, and wish you all of life’s happiness.  The two of you are such hard workers – be sure to take time to take care of yourselves and each other.  Keep in touch!