And the Award for Birthday Party of the Year Goes To...

 Photo: Matthew Richmond

 Photo: Matthew Richmond

  Photo: Matthew Richmond

 Photo: Matthew Richmond

 

  Photo: Matthew Richmond

  Photo: Matthew Richmond

  Photo: Matthew Richmond

We have to admit we have some insanely-talented friends. This birthday-party-to-end-all-birthday-parties was planned and "produced" by Lori and Matthew Richmond, a Brooklyn-based mom-and-dad dynamic duo who spend their days as creative types, and moonlight as party planning ingenues for their two sons, Cooper and Holden.


It being Oscar Night, the cuteness and downright genius in the party they pulled off for Holden's first birthday deserves a standing ovation. No doubt, you will agree.


So, how did Lori & Matthew pull this altogether? Here's what she had to dish:  


THEIR INSPIRATION. . .


"Holden has always been a ladies man and super-flirty baby, the kind of kid that literally charms women wherever he goes. His Nonna (my mother) has also called him her 'Hollywood Hunk' from the day he was born! So naturally we thought of Hollywood leading men, and went with the movie star theme. Also, since his birthday is at Oscar time made perfect sense. . .Who else does this kind of thing besides crazy designer parents? Rather than sleeping at night when our kids were sleeping, we do stuff like this!!!"


HER CAST. . .
Cake: Betty Bakery in Brooklyn. She has done cakes for us in the past. We gave her the art we created for the Evite and discussed the design with her prior to them making it.

Decor: We got some stuff from Party City but Matthew and I created the movie posters ourselves. We photoshopped for a few nights, and used an online digital printer to do the actual printing - they were big - 24x36". 


Catering:  My mom provided all the food since the venue was her house :-)

. . .Want an movie-themed party for your next birthday, milestone, bar/bat mitzvah, corporate event?  Email Lori & Matthew at us@loriandmatthew.com with inquiries!


As for us, we're chilling watching Hollywood's biggest party of the year...oh, and we're wearing a Splendid Cardigan, tank and skinny jeans--thanks for asking, Ryan Seacrest!

Chandelier Loves You! Our (Etsy) Valentine's Day Gift Guide

                                                                                Vintage-Inspired Locket: $24 (Buy one get one free)

Hey Lovers!

Since we spend much of our year helping couples find just the right way to express their love, it's only natural that Valentine's Day is one of our favorite days of the year. After all, that's when we get to celebrate with our own honeybuns. And like you, we find ourselves bored with the basics and on a budget. We're totally in love with the idea of unique gifts that don't put the kibosh on your gifting stash for the year. It's only February, after all!  

So, we whipped up a list of our top gifts from where-else, Etsy.com, because, well, we love it--and we love you, too! 

Hand-painted Dictonary Print: ($11.00)

Vintage Love Book Wreathe ($11.50)

Hollowed Out V-Day Book ($30.00)

 Boyfriend in a Bottle ($10.99)

Vixen Earrings ($14.00-SALE)

Vintage Bulova Watch Movement Steampunk Cufflinks ($65)

Bloomingdales: SMOCK Trunk Show

Hey ladies!

Listen up! Valentine's Day is your time to shine...companies are courting brides everywhere this time of year. We just talked to our friends at Bloomingdales (the mothership of style in Manhattan, as far as we're concerned) about this cool event featuring two of our favorite wedding invite design collections--SMOCK and their sister company, Bella Figura and goodies by Baked by Melissa (have you had one of their insane cupcake treats?...totally worth falling off the wedding diet wagon).

Here's the scoop:

Judy Paulen Designs, located on the 6th floor of Bloomingdale's 59th st. in NYC will be hosting a special Valentine's trunk show with Smock on Tuesday, February 8th from 4pm-8:30pm. Brides get to meet with Smock design experts (who will be flying in especially for this event!) and create their own custom invitation. Also! Attendees will have the opportunity to receive 25 FREE Invitation Suites with a purchase of 75 or more - a significant savings exclusively available through Judy Paulen Designs at Bloomingdale's!

Along with the opportunity to create your own invitation, the fun filled evening will also feature -


·       First 25 to attend will received fabulous gift bags loaded with swag from Smock and other special goodies

·       Champagne and scrumptious mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa will be served!                

·       FIRST LOOK at the Bella Figura Wedding Collection, Smock's sister company.

Cheers! 

Anthropologie Launches BHLDN: Bohemian Brides Rejoice!

At last! Anthropologie says "yes to the dress!"

It is no surprise that my inbox filled up today with forwards from our super-chic brides, who were bursting with glee upon reading their email today.  Like we do at Chandelier, many of our girls lust after the delicate bohemian details and one-of-a-kind accessories and styles at this retail favorite. In fact, we have had more than one bride hand us the latest Anthropologie catalogue as a representation of their style when we're creating the style plan for their wedding.

So, it was delightful to see the news that the long-awaited bridal line BHLDN (first announced last year to the industry) is finally being unveiled this Valentine's Day. That's certainly something sweet!

Stay tuned for more on this seemingly-stunning vintage-inspired collection! Like you, we cannot wait to get a peek.

 

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!