We Love Boho-Chic Venues: Spotlight on Angel Orensanz

Just this week we signed on fabulous couple throwing a November 2011 wedding at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on the Lower East Side in New York. We are beyond excited to get started--and wanted to share this special place with those of you who haven't had the pleasure or the proximity of knowing about this urban gem.


Smack in the center of the LES (lower east side) renaissance (Norfolk near Essex, Delancey, Rivington & Clinton Streets) this vestige of a time past (when my ancestors were slinging bialys on a street cart), Angel Orensanz has become THE spot for the off-the-beaten path bride. In fact, it was the VERY polar opposite alternative to my own country-club wedding (we came THIIIISSSSS close).  


For our couple, this venue had everything they wanted rolled into one: warmth, history, COLOR, and that irreplicable boho-chic vibe that represents their  vibrant view of the world. It is SO them--and we cannot wait to create their little world in which they'll walk down the aisle.


The Foundation, dedicated to an open forum for artists, writers, thinkers and the world's intellects, prides itself in maintaining the building at 172 Norfolk St., the former Ansche Chesed Synagogue (1849) (0ne of New York City's oldest) in its architectural integrity and in the tradition of the German Reform Movement of the mid 19th century.  It also happens to be the spot where SJP (Sarah Jessica, of course) tied the knot with Matthew Broderick.


For more delicious photos of this drop-dead gorgeous space, click here.


Happy Weekend! 

Dear You, Love Me: Vintage Typewriter Guestbook

So, maybe you two met at the university library. Perhaps you connected over graveyard shifts at the local paper. Or, maybe you wrote love letters throughout your long distance courtship. Whatever the reason, there's gotta be SOME reason to incorporate this trend into your wedding! It's too darn cute and clever not to.

The vintage typewriter guestbook has smart written all over it! What a fun way for guests to record their words of wisdom.  Add colored paper like a peachy-pink or a icy blue to take the retro up a notch. At the end of the night, roll up the scroll and tie it with a ribbon for a lifetime of love notes from those you love most.

  

Not getting married? This idea doubles as a great guestbook for the holiday season. Leave one perched at the front door and ask house guests to leave a note for the new year. I would imagine the messages would get especially saucy (or illegible) when the spiked egg nog and champagne runs out.

Take a Seat: Our Chic Small Wedding Solution

We recently had the honor of planning an intimate affair for our friend Dana (Goodman) Fisher, long-time producer at ABC's The View. 

After months planning a farflung destination wedding at Half Moon Bay Resort in Jamaica, Dana suddenly found herself planning stateside nuptials in New York City when her mother fell too ill to travel. Quickly, we pulled together a chic, low-key, urban-romantic Manhattan-affair-so that her mother would be there to celebrate with friends and family. 

We called a number of fabulous venues with private rooms, and in the end, Dana and Josh 
opted for one of their favorite neighborhood eats, Landmarc at the Time Warner Center. 
With a small list of 50 to host and going for a the more casual vibe Dana desired, we thought going outside of the escort-table box would be ideal. Inspired by all of the chalkboard seating charts we've seen popping up in the wedding blogosphere, we opted for a seating chart with a bit more formality and enlisted the super-talented Two Paper Dolls to create this one.

 The result added style and substance to the Fisher wedding--and a keepsake for their married home. Here are some more shots of this super special event with florals by Diane Wagner/Surrounding Flowers, music by Elan Artists, cake by Lulu's Cake Boutique, all captured by the awesome Allan Zepeda. And the favor? Fresh-baked cookies from Bouchon Bakery (the site of their first date and Landmarc's next door neighbor).