Sunday, April 7, 2013

Real Wedding - Taryn & Kori!

Taryn and Kori are madly in love.  When the bride's family hired me to plan their wedding, I was so excited to be a part of something so solid and deep.  
The planning started with the bride's unique color palette:  Saffron, teal, grey and white.  They were hoping to find a venue that would feel right with such a strong color story, a setting that was warm and had character and a slight rustic vibe.
We decided on the Skyline Loft at Bridgeport Art Center and here is how the day unfolded...

  The bride dressed at the Sofitel, a hip mod hotel in the heart of the city.

Their first meeting was planned earlier in the day, allowing the couple to join their bridal party for fun photos around the city, before heading to the venue.

The brides' delicious bouquet, created by Floral Goddess Cornelia McNamara, was composed of lush specialty blooms including cattlaya orchids, fragrant garden roses, oriental poppies and ranunculus.  Peeks of velvety dusty miller foliage added texture to the naturally controlled bouquet.  I'd call it as close to perfection as possible!

Guests were transported to the 5th floor ballroom by a massive open-air freight elevator, the perfect clue that Taryn and Kori's wedding would be anything but cookie-cutter!

The touching Jewish ceremony was witnessed by the couples closest friends and family.

During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a gallery wall of vintage photographs of the couples relatives on their wedding days.
Waiters passed a signature cocktail, the Izze Clementine Mojito - a nod to the couples' current home in Colorado.
Postcards, doubling as escort cards, were strung from timber beams and secured with small clothes pins.  Later, guests scribed playful and heartfelt notes to the bride and groom - the postcards were then collected to be mailed to the couple over months following the wedding.

After cocktails, guests were welcomed to an evening of dinner and dancing by the sounds of Ken Arlen Orchestra.  Square and rectangular tables were dressed in deep teal linens, topped by custom grey and white runners.  Some of the tables were highlighted by soaring foliage arrangements on vintage birdbaths.

The tables also featured petite collections of milk glass, subtly metallic vases and trophy urns filled with garden roses, billy balls (the brides' favorite!), parrot tulips and orchids.



A touching surprise - the young brother of the groom hopped up on stage and played the sax alongside Ken Arlen.
Guests enjoyed a huge table layered with heaps of sweet treats - all homemade by friends and family.

The night ended as the photographer snuck the bride and groom to the roof to snap some photos with the weekend's unique 'supermoon' in the backdrop.  

Kori and Taryn had so much fun celebrating their new beginning throughout the evening - an evening that so perfectly suited them.  Oh, how I miss them so....

[image credits]  all wedding photos by Jai Girard Photography

Friday, March 15, 2013

Let's Have a Kiki!

Bliss recently debuted our new darling studio space by hosting a party...for calming all your nerves...
Inspired by the Scissor Sisters song and Sarah Jessica Parker's feature on Glee, we decided our favorite vendors also needed help calming all their nerves...in the form of a Kiki!

Bliss Belles + Beau

 Ashley Condron + Rachel Reiman = Beauty Dream Team (also reponsible for helping EVERYONE with the prerequisite "Kiki Lip" (a fantastic, bold lip, of course)......


 Guests (boys and girls, alike) were encouraged to leave us a Kiki Kiss!

 Kara's favorite cocktail was clearly The Maaaaaavelous:  Rosé with chambord, mint and raspberry.

 The surprise professional dancers hired to act like guests - then break out into the ridiculous Kiki dance...AMAZING.

 People danced so much I thought the floor would give way!

The INSANELY talented team that shares the studio with us:  Bliss Weddings, Studio This Is Photography and Reiman Condron Beauty (missing from the pic, Cheree Berry Paper).

This party was Maaaaaarvelous.

{Image credits}  first image from my crap iPhone, remaining gorge photos by Studio This Is

Monday, February 25, 2013

Fashion Fav's - Oscars 2013

After a weekend packed with festivities and fun, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to snuggle with The Babe and relax as Hollywood's royalty showed us their best at the 2013 Academy Awards.  Here's a quick round-up of my favorite looks of the evening:

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Naomi Watts was very involved in the design process of her striking Armani Prive gown.

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Kerry Washington (I've got a bit of a crush on her at the moment) looked sensational in her bold coral Mui Mui dress.

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I loved the muted tone-on-tone look of Jessica Chastain's Armani Prive dress.  The bold lip was instrumental in keeping the old-hollywood glam look current.

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Halle Berry made up for past offenses in this strong Versace look.

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Oh Man!  The first time my heart skipped a beat for dashing Eddie Redmayne was in My Week With Marilyn - and the mild obsession seems to have continued.  I thought he looked so perfect, as a modern gentleman dressed in Alexander McQueen.  Loved the loafers, too!


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Jane Fonda looked smashing in this gorgeous yellow Versace gown!

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And while cutie Leslie Mann didn't walk the red carpet, I was a in love with her Vanity Fair party look, dressed in Andrew Gn.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Real Wedding: Lindsay and Philip

It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to properly post, let alone share some wedding photos.  I have found myself with a few bonus minutes and felt compelled to share some photos from one of the more romantic weddings of my year.

Lindsay's inspiration was pure romance, a la Romeo and Juliet.  The bride loved lush, gardeny wild flowers and arrangements that were loose with layers of texture and movement.  Jesse Deckard (formerly of Event Creative now of BLISS!) helped us pull it all together with beautiful floral, lighting and fabric treatments.

From inspiration (board) to reality:

The stunning bride dressed in a suite at The Ritz, while the groom spent time at home with some buddies.

This was the private moment where Lindsay and Philip met up for the first time on their wedding day.

The girls wore gauzy barely blush dresses and carried bouquets of garden roses, astilbe, fragrant freesia, dusty miller and lisianthus.

Both the ceremony and reception took place at one of my very favorite venues, The Ivy Room.  The seriously gorgeous weather cooperated for their outdoor ceremony, held in the charming courtyard of the venue.  

Guests moved inside for dinner and dancing where a beautiful restaurant - style meal awaited them, compliments of Entertaining Company.  Soft chiffon curtains were added to frame the beautiful Juliet-style doors.  Taupe linens were paired with rustic farm-chairs.    


Two centerpiece designs adorned the dinner tables.  A single low, lush and gardeny arrangement in worn silver footed bowls graced one half of the tables while brushed silver candelabras and smaller, varied arrangements were displayed on the alternating tables.  Flowers included garden roses, delicate chamomile, privet berries, garden stock, astilbe, lisianthus, andromeda and hydrangea. 

 A single ivory majolica spray rose accented each napkin.


The bride loved daisies and had Sarah's Pastries create the whimsical confection (this was Sarah's last weekend of producing wedding cakes, tear).




The couple and their LOVELY families enjoyed every minute of their féte, dancing the night away to a unique playlist from Front of House packed with loads of salsa and latin-inspired tunes.

Unlike the brides' initial inspiration, this love story has simply one of the happiest of endings.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Kate Spade Steal!


Kate Spade is hosting a surprise sale today and tomorrow and I stumbled across this darling locket.  For a whopping $35(!!), it may be the perfect gift for your bridesmaids or besties, as it's inscription reads: 

partners in crime


Quick!  Pop on over to the Kate Spade website!


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Wedding Weekend

It's my first wedding back after becoming a momma and I couldn't be more excited!  And it's quite clear why:  a gorgeous, fun couple, a truly amazing family and [from what I'm expecting] some of the coolest guests around.  
It'll be a lovely day, a traditional ceremony at Old St. Pat's followed by an evening of celebration at The Ritz.  Beautiful stylings of Jesse [formerly of Event Creative...now...of...BLISS!], one of the best bands around, Larry King Orchestra, custom linens, a delicious restaurant-style meal and heaps of surprises and details awaiting throughout the evening.

I love loved the inspiration for M&T's wedding.  After tossing around a handful of color combinations, we landed on a wintry collection of neutrals including whites, cremes and champagnes paired with the mixed metallic tones silvers, golds and rose golds.  This was the inspiration board I created months ago and I can't wait to share the results!

I will be SO seriously sad to let these clients go!

Xx!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Onto The Next

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With visions of sugar plums a thing of the past, visions of bubbly take over in anticipation of New Years Eve.  
This is the first year that we won't be on vacation with my in-laws and I'm looking forward to an early dinner (have already warned J I'd like to be FANCY) and home in time to snuggle with our little man as we ring in Twenty Thirteen.  

Now...what to wear!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Merrier & Merrier

Well, as if you didn't know...The Holiday Season is upon us.  
Although I have yet to begin Christmas and Hanukkah shopping, haven't picked up our tree or even brought the decorations up from storage, I do feel as though it is time to embrace the charm and get captured by the inspiration that surrounds the season.  So, I've recently dipped my toes in, by lighting my holiday-scented candle during nighttime nursing sessions and, so, I've decided...I'm ready for more!

What gets you inspired for the season? 
(because I guarantee it is NOT the commercials that started to pop up months ago!)

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Is it a favorite wintry beverage?

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A date with girls for cookies and vino?

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Gorgeous ribbons?

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The idea of a cozy night in?

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A welcomed entrance?

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Treats to go?

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A snowy embrace?

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Festive Dress?

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Or the idea of starting new traditions?

Well, whatever gets you jazzed this season - I hope you're off to a good start!

Xx!