Rain Plan!

With all this rain here in Maine, I thought it would be apropos to discuss the concept of a rain plan.  I know it is a touchy subject for brides planning an outdoor wedding, or any wedding at all.  Brides cling to the farmer's almanac, pray to the rain gods, and even beg their planners to "make" it not rain.  As the day gets closer, brides stalk the weather channel and check the ten day, then five day forecast for minute by minute updates.  Save yourself the stress and prepare a rain plan that you love "almost" as much as the original.   Here are some simple tips on making a sound rain plan that will give you peace of mind....

• I always plan as if it is going to rain, then you can be pleasantly surprised when it doesn't.  That means, have an indoor location that fits ALL your guests comfortably. This doesn't mean that everyone needs to sit, just be comfortable.
• If you are determined on being outside, put a tent on hold, and you can decide up to three days before your event, whether or not you want it to go up.  Remember,  you still need to pay for the tent even if you do not use it.
• Buy umbrellas for all your guests to use.  This is a fun and cute way to kindly ask your guests to sit in the rain.  Umbrellas come in many colors and fabrics, to add a fun touch, you can also have them personalized with your names, monogram or graphic that fits your theme. 
• Have a rain plan ceremony.  If you are going to ask your guests to sit outside have a "rain plan" ceremony, shorten it so no one gets soaked or too cold.
• If as the day gets closer and there is nothing but rain in the forecast, buy your bridesmaids fun Wellies  so they will be more comfortable and their heels won't sink into the ground.  
• Embrace the change in plans.  Have pictures with your new rainy day props- remember guests take their cues from the bride.  If you are having fun and enjoying your day, they will as well.  
• Remember Alanis Morissette said that it's ironic to have it rain on your wedding day, but in Hindu tradition it is good luck to have rain on your wedding day... I think the Hindus have it right...

The Maine Troop Greeters welcomes over one million Soliders

The Bangor troop greeters are men and women who send hours day and night at the Bangor International Airport.  Their mission is to welcome the men and women returning home from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.  They are a non profit organization that goal is to never let every soldier know that their service is appreciated and honored.  Today they welcomed home the one millionth solider!

The Bangor Troop Greeters are the subject of the award winning documentary The Way We Get By.  I was honored to see the film at Maine Premier in 2009.  It was there that I fell in love with the greeters as well as the Director, Aron Gaudet, and the producer Gita Pullapilly.  It was this incredible film that started a great journey that ended in an Amazing Wedding to showcase not only this film but the amazing talent of Maine Luxury Vendors.  This wedding was showcased in the New York Times as well as Style Me Pretty.  

I am so proud of the men and woman of our armed services and the greeters who honor them....He are some of the greeters all dressed up "in penguin suits" (Jerry Mundy).... Congrats Bill, Jerry, and Joan.  I am so honored to have gotten to know you....

Above : Gita dancing with Jerry Mundy, Director Aron Gaudet with his Mother Joan, Jerry heading to the ceremony site, Bill Knight, founder of the Maine Troop Greeters and WWII Veteran

Photo Credit, Audra Photography, David Murray, Michelle Turner, Stacey Kane

Happy St. Patty's Day~ Being Green

Top Green Wedding Tips

1. Watch the numbers
   No matter what other choices you make, the biggest factor in the ecological and financial impact of your wedding will be its size. The cold hard fact is that each person you invite means more miles traveled, more food consumed, a bigger venue, and more waste when it's all over. 
2. Source locally
   Almost anything can be found locally, but some things are more important than others. Food and drinks are a great place to start. If there's a good micro-brewery down the road, why use up the earth’s precious resources trucking in a keg of your favorite organic ale? 
3. Source green
   Everything you buy or rent for your wedding will have an environmental and social impact, so keep this notion high on the list when planning. Can you encourage caterers to use organic produce?  Can you buy your flowers locally?   
4. Pick your venue
   Choosing a location that is as close to as many of your guests as possible will reduce your wedding’s impact in a big way. But once you’ve done that, you might also want to consider what type of venue you will be using. If you are not tied to a particular church, synagogue, mosque, or rammed-earth eco-dome, why not consider supporting your local community garden, farmer?
5. Green your transportation
   So, you’ve picked the venue, now how will you and your guests get there? Try to provide as much information on transport options as possible. Let them know that you’d really appreciate it if they arrived by train, bus, bike, or at least by carpool.  If you are a little ways out of town, why not provide shuttle buses—that way you don’t have to worry about drunk driving either. 
6. Gifts of conscience-  Can you give the guest a "green" gift, such as  a plant or bulb to take home and plant in their own garden.  
   
   
7. Communicate
   Whatever you do to green your wedding, make sure you tell people about it. Tell them about yourselves and about what is important to you. If you can create a wonderful, magical celebration that treads a little lighter on the planet, then people will remember it. Too many folks still believe environmentalism is all doom and gloom--this is the perfect opportunity to prove them wrong!

An event for Penobscot Theatre, Beer and Brats, A Celebration of Hedwig And The Angry Inch

  As a lover of the arts, I am so thankful and proud on my local professional theatre, Penobscot Theatre Company.  This year they ask me to help design and plan some events to celebrate shows that will be playing.  The next big event is the rock opera, Hedwig And The Angry Inch. The play is about  a transexual punk rock girl from East Berlin.  She tours the US with her rock band as she tells her life story and follows the ex-boyfriend/bandmate who stole her songs.  


To Celebrate the coming of this play Scott Rc Levy, the producing artistic director of the Penobscot Theatre, wanted a Beer and Brats party.... HILARIOUS!!!  




After throwing around design concepts for a couple of weeks we decided on a traditional Oktoberfest beer and brats celebration.  Therefore I am going for real German Festival feel.  Tables will have black, yellow and, red linens, just like the German flags.  The back wall will be covered with butcher paper and transformed into the Berlin wall, with graffiti and uplighting.  The ceiling will be draped with triangular flags in German colors along with shields of German clans.  I am also hanging large bulb lights to give the festival street look.  Of course the staff will be wearing tradition lederhosen, and Maine Photo Booth will be bringing a photo booth for guest to use and remember the great event.  


For cuisine, we are doing a brat table, with all the fixings, beer and of course, soft pretzels.  We will make each station have a festival look, with flags and decor.   The Party will be taking place right after the Saturday show.  For show times and tickets please go to www.penobscottheatre.org or call 207.942.3333.   It should be a great event.   Grab your stein and meet me there!!

What is a Groom's Cake? Is it worth the investment?

A groom's cake is a wedding tradition that originates with the South. The history of a groom's cake goes like this. The groom's cake was not to be served to the guests while at the wedding reception, but it was to be sliced up, and given to them as favors when they departed. Single women at the wedding were said to take their pieces of cake home and sleep with it under their pillows in hopes of dreaming of their future husbands. This tradition has changed, THANKFULLY, and the groom's cake is more to celebrate the groom's hobbies or personality, while at the same time incorporating new cake flavors and textures. Most traditional wedding cake is white and groom's cake are chocolate. However, the trends in wedding cakes have changed. Wedding cakes are often several layers, of many different flavors, not just vanilla and chocolate. The shapes are and colors vary with every bride's taste and design. That being said, the groom's cake tradition has not only continued but grown in popularity. The groom's cake can be served along with the wedding cake or at the rehearsal dinner. Whether or not it is worth the investment is a personal issue. I always believes that guests notice the little things and who doesn't enjoy cake??!!! Besides, what a fun way to get to show off your personality, as a couple or as individuals.

Here are a few fun Groom's cakes. The top one was at one of my weddings. It celebrated the couple's love of the outdoors. It was a huge hit. It was a surprise to the couple and they, along with the guests, loved it.

.....if you love cakes and laughs, I suggest you check out cake wrecks. It is hilarous, as Marie Antoinette said, "let them eat cake."

Bat Mitzvah with a night club feel! Mia's Pink, Orange Polka Dot Bash!

According to Jewish law, when Jewish children reach the age of 13 years for boys and 12 for girls they become responsible for their actions, and "become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah" (English: Son (Bar) or Daughter (Bat) of the commandments). In many Conservative and Reform synagogues, girls celebrate their Bat Mitzvahs at age 13, along with boys. Prior to this, the child's parents hold the responsibility for the child's adherence to Jewish law and tradition and, after this age, children bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics and are privileged to participate in all areas of Jewish community life.
Here is Mia's Inspiration/Design Board: The major inspiration is an Izze Soda Label...

When Mia and her family discussed the special day they knew that they wanted it to take place at the camp that Mia's family owns and runs on a lake in Maine. They wanted to make it a weekend event ending with a dinner in the Camp's dining hall. When asked what she wanted for her special night, she said she wanted a nightclub feeling. When I think of a thirteen year old's dream nightclub, I envision lots of lounge seating and lighting. I pick a color palette of bright pinks and oranges, and polka dots. My inspiration was my Izze Soda Label. I am bringing in a lighting designer to cover the ceiling with pink and orange paper lanterns, and have Mia's initials in gobo lighting on the dance floor. There will be lots of lounge seating accented with polka dot pillows. The round tables will be covered with bright linens and the centerpieces will be cakes with polka dot themes. Escort cards will be Izze drinks in pink and orange. The Menu is being created by my favorite guys at Course Catering. We are going for a traditional tapas meal with a few unique and fun dessert stations. One station to celebrate "camp" with S'mores, a celebration of Florida, where Mia and her family live "off season", with a sundae station and a secret station to celebrate the Night club Feel...

L-Factor Hair Show~ Results....AMAZING

All Photo Credit to Audra Photography & Sandra Hrasdzira

To contact the woman at L-Factor please call 207.989.5515

or email thelfactor@fairpoint.net

Oscar inspired wedding...Sarah Jessica Parker Chanel Dress.

Inspiration can come from everywhere, even the red carpet.

When seeing a fashion icon like Sarah Jessica Parker wearing a grecian inspired Chanel dress, I knew that dress was a inspiration board waiting to happen.

Yellow is making a strong comeback as a primary color in a wedding. It is no longer a "spring only" color , or used with a pastel palette. Yellow makes a bold statement and can still have a modern edge when paired with great neutrals like gold and silver. For a Grecian inspired wedding I would keep modern lines like square reception tables with silver linens, almost mimicking the shape and color of a Chanel #5 perfume bottle.

I would use more ornate decor like Urns for ceremony flowers and to accent the bars and cocktail tables. For flowers I would use yellow and white orchids and calla lilies as the primary flower. I would also use figs and fig leaves to accent decor.

Gold and silver gilding in the decor will really make the grecian theme pop. This gilding can be used in chargers, linens and cake details, as well as jewelry for the wedding party.

Escort Cards could be a fun was to continue the Chanel, Grecian theme. Escort cards could be square with gilded text must like the label on a Chanel #5 bottle. Table number could be written like on Chanel #5, or named after cities in Greece. The escort card table itself, could be square with a large centerpiece made of a ornate urn full of fig tree branches and accented with orchids and figs.

Guest would truly feel they were at a red carpet with all the glitz and glamor that goes with it.

The Secret Garden, L-Factor's Hair Show, 2010

When the Ladies of the L-Factor asked me if I wanted to particapated in their annual hair show, I gave them a quick and sure YES!!! These women are experts at what they do! They come with me to most of my events to do hair and make up. Gina and Jodi, the co-owners are skilled and calm and create a great environment for brides. Gina also makes custom couture hair pieces. The whole staff at the L-Factor are young and totally in tune with fashion. Each year the woman at the L-Factor do a Hair show, in a true New York Style! Over the top, dramatic hair and make up to showcase their incredible abilities. Each year is a different theme, and the woman transform the salon into a runway show. This year the event is the Secret Garden. When designing the after party I wanted it to have a earthy feel. I am having the event at a local posh bar that is full of brick work with copper accents. This will truly accent the Earthy feel. The centerpieces will be moss with rocks and votives with a tall vase with a submerged black calla. The outside will be lined with lumineres that were made in brown bags to keep the earthy feel. I will have moss filled urns on the bar along with tall centerpieces filled with sand, rocks and sticks covered in Moss. The bar is making special martinis and drinks to celebrate the seven deadly sins that were showcased at the show. The lounge area will be black leather to keep the earthy feel. It will be an amazing event. Pictures will be coming so soon. So here is some of their work that truly blows my mind!
Photo Credit to the following Photographers
Audra Photography
David Murray
Michelle Turner
Stacey Kane

Irish and French Inspired Wedding

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Liz called and asked for me to help her design her August wedding. When we discussed her vision, she talked about her and her fiance's heritage. Her soon to be husband is of French decent and will be saying his vows in French. (So sweet!!) Liz is from Irish decent. The color palette chosen was a deep navy blue and Kelly green to represent France and Ireland. My concept is to keep that Ireland vs. France inspiration using the Fleur-Di-Lis and Irish love knot, as well of stone accents. To start the design we will use the palette of navy in the linens and bridesmaid dresses. Then using bright, beautiful green flowers: Green Hydrangeas, green roses, spider mums, poppy seed pods, and (of course) bells of Ireland.

Details will be in the escort cards that will be postcards from Ireland and France, that will be on a grass covered escort card table. Tables will be named of towns in Ireland and France. The Escort Table will be covered in grass with vintage postcards from Ireland and France nestled inside.....a little piece of Ireland and their famous grassy fields. To keep a European feel I will use long reception tables. The linen will be in a Royal Blue....then down the center of the tables different sized vases with green flowers.... to add texture stonework pieces like garden Fleur-Di-Lis and stone vessels fill with green flowers will be added to give the feeling of the French and Irish countryside...Also, the napkin detail will be a twine love knot. Stonework will be used in the ceremony flowers and specialty flowers to give a European feel.

I love when a design is based on a story, a history, a passion. What a beautiful way to celebrate a new life then honoring your heritage and the new future these two histories will create....