Chandelier Events: The Knot Best of Weddings "Editors Pick" for 2011

 

Melissa and I are thrilled to announce that Chandelier Events has been named one of the Editors Picks for The Knot Best of Weddings 2011 guide. Not only do we love the girls at The Knot (our alma mater, of sorts!) but we are so excited to be in the company of such wonderful wedding professionals as Ceci New York, Amy Atlas, The Plaza by CPS Events, Styled Creative, and more!

What a way to start off the New Year....

Save the Dates We Love

We're fresh off the prime proposal season (well, actually, still smack in the middle of it with Valentine's Day around the corner), and that means we're SMACK in the middle of major wedding planning for our Fall 2011 clients at Chandelier Events.

That means, we're hot on Save the Dates these days. Ok, if you're getting married, have friends getting married or have planned a wedding over the last few years, you know what Save the Dates are all about. But for those wedding enthusiasts who are newer to the trend--essentially, these mailers can be anything from a postcard, a magnet, a piece of wood -- all with the message to mark out the calendar, book the hotel, and boogie on down to the wedding 8-to-10 months down the road.

With that said, we've rounded up a few of our new favorites!

Embellished by Tiffany

The Social Type via Minted.com

Ink Wells

Wiley Valentine

Doodlelove

Beyond Design

While you're browsing, be sure to check out your hotel room group reservations. Be mindful of the high traffic seasons at your wedding destination (fall wedding during college football season could put a kibosh on your hotel room rates and availability)! And, of course, include your personal URL on the Save the Date so guests can seek out hotel information and book rooms online. Build your webpage now at TheKnot.com, WeddingChannel.com and Nearlyweds.com, our new favorite site that designed webpage templates that coordinate with some of the most popular invite designs (like this one below) from sites like WeddingPaperDivas.com.

Chandelier Event: Winter Wonderland Wedding @ Gotham Hall, New York City

Melissa and I are so thrilled to share a sneak peek of the latest Chandelier Event, with an unbelievable winterscape pulled together by the incredibly-talented Tom Cawley of Tom Cawley Designs.

Our couple tasked us with creating a warm winter wonderland for 220 in one of New York City's most stunning venues, Gotham Hall, smack in the middle of the holiday shopping season in Manhattan. From design to execution, we worked closely with our bride and her mom to ensure guests had the full seasonal experience in New York City. With Tom at the helm, we worked to create a unique solstice event that elegantly reflected the season in a regal way, with just the right elements to warm up the vast venue.  

With the help of Gotham's Allan Kurtz and catering by our friends at Creative Edge Parties featuring Latin and Asian stations at cocktail hour, Short Ribs, Tenderloin and Roast Miso Cod, and handpicked wines, Chandelier worked hard to ensure that the event was a seamless evening filled with fun and love. We had an actual indoor snowfall during the ceremony, non-stop dancing led by a slamming band (Michael Hart of Hank Lane Music), divine food, and special touches throughout created by Bentley Meeker, Dazien Creative Fabrics, Party Rental Ltd and Classic Party Rentals. Below are images captured for Tom Cawley by our friend, the talented Stacey Ilyse. Stay tuned for more stunning images of this event by Braedon Photography in weeks to come!

We Love Winter Weddings: Snowing Inspiration

The final floorplans and timelines are wrapped up and ready for this weekend's winter wonderland wedding -- we are so excited to work with such an A-list team of vendors and share in this special day with our clients.

While putting together our plans, I came across an inspiration board I created for our client at the very beginning of the process (over nine months ago!).  This weekend's event promises to warm guests up on a chilly December NYC evening with 25-foot birch trees, luxe tablescapes glittering with snowy details and tons and tons of candlelight.  On the menu, guests will cozy up to braised short rib or roast miso cod and dessert, well, let's just say Christmas came early this year! And the WINES!

Tonight's post will be short and sweet: Wishing you a very happy holiday season. May your light shine extra brightly this year. Melissa and I are so grateful that we get to celebrate in the special moments of your lives. You inspire us every day.

Save the Date Goes Viral

Now, here's a delicious idea for a save the date for the urbanite set. Lovers of "Nick and Nora's Ultimate Playlist" and "Juno" may dig this cute way to invite their guests by DrawnStories.org, otherwise known as Georg Pedersen, a creative guy with a set of friends named John and Rose who actually met in an ice cream shop. Their improbable courtship was a popular tale with their friends and family, so much so that when they were planning their wedding, they asked Georg to create some kind of illustrated version of their story. The resulting video went over so well that Georg began getting requests for videos from other couples.

 

www.drawnstories.org

 

Georg offers strictly video or corresponding designs for printed companion invites, thank you notes, etc.! For pricing and more info on this entertaining alternative, click here. 

Now, what should I have for dessert?

Chandelier Event: 5th Birthday Tailgate Bash

 

It being Fall, I thought that it may be fun to host a sports-oriented birthday bash this year (I mean, how many Halloween parties can I throw?!). Besides, who isn't ready for some football?! This fun take on a kid-friendly tailgate party happens to be a little shindig I threw for my very spirited little (well, now big boy).

We hosted our bash at Bounce U -- a bounce house warehouse with various locations--that offers a great birthday party package sure to keep any pre-K tike occupied. I highly recommend their parties (Tip: spring for the extra $50 for a DJ to spin some tunes--it makes the jumping more fun for the parents standing around).

 

To take the post-jumping pizza party up a notch, I pulled together some inexpensive, easy-to-replicate DIY details.  The invite I designed boasted a primary color palette, the numbers 05 as an ode to his year and invited guests to join us wearing their favorite jersey. of course, it was signed "hugs & high fives from his biggest fans"....

On the tables, I gathered an assortment of balls and nestled them into flats of grass perched on a football field table cloth. I had the kids drink fruit punch out of a Gatorade cooler in solo cups--doesn't get more tailgate than that. And, pizza sufficed for this bash--but if you want to enhance the cuisine, mini hot dogs, hot pretzels, french fry cones, and mini cotton candy might be just the ticket! 

 

 

The ice cream cake was dressed up with a transposed graphic I designed that matched the invite.

And, as a takeaway, we filled popcorn bags with sports-themed accouterments (babe ruths, mini trophies, whistles, cracker jacks, circus peanuts and more!). Order candy in bulk at www.sweetcitycandy.com, and find lots of these little takeaways at Party City or Oriental Trading. 

 

Got a kid's party to share? We take submissions to Chandelier! Email us at inquiries@chandeliereventsny.com.

Wedding We Love: Monique & Eric (Glen Cove, Long Island)

Photos by Ryan J. of Julie Newman Photography  

Facebook makes the world go round--or at least, makes it a whole lot smaller. I am sure we've all reconnected with many a'friend from our childhood through this social networking phenom. For me, that childhood friend was my very best gal pal in kindergarten (before my family's big move away). She taught me that Madonna was the new Cindy Lauper; that Stephanie from Grease 2 was a cooler pink lady than Grease's Sandy ("I want a rider that's cool...."), and I still remember eating Laughing Cow cheese at her kitchen island watching She Bop. Oh, the days.

Well, lucky for me, when we connected on Facebook, Monique was chin deep in planning her wedding. We had so much to catch up on and so much to talk about. AND, the beauty of the whole deal was that I actually got to instantly see her wedding photos when they popped up online.

Alas, why I wanted to share them with you. Not only is the purple palette divinely chic (from the Lavendar escort cards to her fab! shoes) but the amazing photography of Monique & Eric's pre-wedding jaunt in the lovely Glen Cove Long Island is simply inventive yet classic. I particularly LOVED the moments in the barber shoppe. 

PS: I heard the DJ I recommended rocked the dance floor all night--as always, Eric Visa is a sure bet!

I hope you enjoy her style as much as I enjoyed reconnecting with my childhood friend on Facebook. Here's a download on her details:

DJ - DJ Eric Visa

 

Florist - Spitz & Peck

 

Venue - The Metropolitan (Glen Cove, Long Island)

 

Hair/Makeup - Paragon Salon on Glen Cove Road

 

Shoes - Pour La Victoire

 

Lavender Placecards ... According to Monique she stole the idea from Martha Stewart! Found an old pic online and bought the lavender from Lavender By The Bay (they had a booth at the Farmer's Market in Union Square).

 

Photography - Julia Newman Photography