Nyssa & Chris at the Mandarin

from the first minute i met Nyssa and her mother, i knew they had fabulous tastes and that they would be a pleasure to work with and i was right on both accounts. i worked with Nyssa and Chris (Chris, i met a bit later and thought what a great couple he & Nyssa made!) to create the decor for their rehearsal dinner and wedding. they were open to different ideas and in the end we created the perfect decor for their wedding.

Nyssa wanted to focus on pink and purple for the color palette and after a few revisions we decided to use pinks & purple blooms for the rehearsal dinner at Astra restaurant while we would focus mostly on varying shades of pinks for the wedding reception at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

the design was simple and slightly more contemporary; a combination of short and tall centerpieces created the perfect look. we used a crushed shimmer linen that changed depending on how the light hit it. clear glass candle holders and amber mercury glass votive candles completed the look.

so, as much as i try, taking pictures at any of my events is where i fall short. i try, i really, really try. but there is always something left to be done, candles yet to be lit and final touches that have to made. and well, then there is the issue of lighting, focus and a steady hand...none of which i have learned to control very well. so that's why i happily leave that to the professionals.

in this case, Carlos Andres Varela of Cava Weddings captured the details and i can't wait to see the results. and since he is the professional and he is producing works of art...we have to wait, just a bit, to see the images.

so in the meantime, here are some images that i did capture leading up to the wedding and some of tables in the process of being completely set.

shopping for pink hydrangea

verena rose hydrangea

captain romance calla lilies (from Holland)

low centerpieces while still at studio

a view of the Grand Ballroom...still in progress

a close-up...ahhh, love those phals!

low centerpieces bathed in a different light

so...i promise, you will see the real deal once i get my hands on some professional shots!!

A chat with Sylvia Weinstock

i've always admired the beauty, detail and awe inspiring designs of Sylvia Weinstock's cakes. they are a thing of beauty and the woman behind the cakes is equally as fabulous. i had the pleasure of meeting Sylvia last saturday at Nyssa and Chris' wedding at the Mandarin. yes, that's right, she was there, she accompanied the delivery of the cake. i found this so amazing...she's an icon in the business and her cakes are sought after by many couples yet she still finds it important enough to be on site with the delivery of one of her cakes. of course she can't go with every delivery since they have numerous cakes going out at any given time. i introduced myself and told her how admirable i thought it was that she would be on site for the delivery and i learned a great lesson from her, no matter how successful you are, every client deserves the same attention. you are your business and the most successful person will be the one who remembers that you are there to provide a service to your clients. each client is as important as the next - you never know where your next referral will come from and what it may lead to. i appreciated the few minutes we chatted and will keep her words of wisdom in mind as i continue to grow and shape my business.

now for the eye candy...
more to come on Nyssa & Chris' wedding...and the outcome of the phaleonopsis!!

Phaleonopsis Orchids

since i'm knee deep in phaleonopsis orchids today as i prepare for the wedding this weekend, i had them on the brain, so i thought i would share. the variety that i'm using is called "happy valentina", could easily be "happy valentine" which would be so appropriate for a romantic and love filled wedding day.

there is endless information to be found online about phaleonopsis, much more than i would be able to cover here. there are experts and enthusiasts who cultivate these orchids and i wouldn't insult them by pretending to know a lot about the plants, there are soooo many species and hybrids.

here are 5 things i do know...

1 - i love them.
2 - they are simply beautiful.
3 - they are unlike any other.
4 - they are feminine, romantic, simple and elegant.
5 - oh wait, did i tell you that i love them?

a single stem can create the greatest impact while a large quantity is beyond stunning. cut phaleonopsis stems can be difficult to come by since most plants are grown to be sold as plants and not many growers want to cut the stems. a design with cut phals can be a bit more expensive but the final outcome is well worth the cost.

here are some designs using phaleonopsis that i've created in the past.






i will be sure to post some from this weekend once i have them.
you may not hear from me until then, as i wade my way through the sea of beautiful phals over the next few days...jealous?
you should be!

Susan & Peter at the Puck Building

the weather this past saturday couldn't have been better...especially following the miserable humidity we had for the days leading up to the wedding!!
susan and peter were the best kind of client, they had an idea of what they wanted to do but were open to suggestions and as a result we came up with a simple but beautiful design for their ceremony and reception at the puck building.
these pictures are just a glimpse of the decor - professional pics will follow soon and are bound to be spectacular having been shot by anja hitzenberger photography.

pre-ceremony shot - simplicity at its best, after sundown with the candles lit this created the perfect romantic backdrop for susan and peter's heartfelt and intimate exchange of vows.

the simple white linens and white chairs looked great against the white of the space. using chartruese green santini and spider mums these simple cocktail arrangements popped against the white backdrop.

an assortment of pillar, floating and taper candlelight added to the romantic, yet clean design of the room. against a chartruese green bengaline linen and accented with lime green cymbidium orchids the table was a main focal point as guests picked up their place cards.

following the ceremony guests enjoyed cocktails while the space was transformed for dinner. long rectangular tables were used (which i love! and it's a myth that they do not allow for as much conversation - i think it creates a warm more intimate atmosphere for conversation). black linens and green runners covered the tables while a series of small arrangements and candlelight ran down the table. lush succulents and orchids were used near the candlelight. each vase had a single type of flower, we used tulips, hydrangea, stock, roses and orchids.

the entire look was perfect and complimented the space beautifully. the wedding was planned by richard of atelier weddings and catering provided by thomas preti catering