Skyline in Full Bloom at Top of the Garden

Being in the wedding industry you have the chance to see some great venues and meet some pretty amazing vendors. It's one of my favorite parts of the business. I love to see what's new and different, have the chance to meet some new people and catch up with others I haven't seen in awhile!

My friend and fabulous wedding planner Roey of Roey Mizrahi Events put together some of the best of the best for a great night recently and I was so happy to be a part of it.

I worked with both Roey and the Top of the Garden to design something for each of their tables and created a fall inspired entrance piece. Everyone did a beautiful job displaying what they do best and I've included just a few of my favorites here. The photos are all courtesy of the ever amazing Allan Zepeda. 

 

For the entrance piece I used hollowed out tree trunks for the base, pampas grass, hanging amaranthus and white gomphrena. We used additional branches with hanging phaleonopsis orchids.

 

 

KreatedByK had these super yummy cookies among other amazing sweets!

 Hushed Commotion has beautiful, handmade bridal accessories that you must check out here!

 Roey and I decided on this fun black and white combo for her table. A playful display using an overturned vase and silhouette paper to cover candles.

 The hanging garden we constructed for Top of the Garden's table was my favorite. I love the combination of fern, moss and sedum mat suspended over the table.

Wedding Wednesday: Rain Plan

We hoped for sunny skies for last weekend's wedding in Bridgehampton but unfortunately mother nature didn't cooperate and we were forced to go for "plan B", the often dreaded rain plan.

What I realized is that while moving a beach ceremony indoors isn't ideal, the alternative of being caught in a downpour would be much less desirable. In our case the decision was made by a group of seasoned pros who knew that it was better to have a well thought out indoor plan than a chaotic last minute outdoor ceremony with the threat of rain literally looming overhead. And that's just how it happened. The final decision had been made, the stage had been set and as the bride arrived to take her walk down the aisle the rain began to fall outside.

My advice is to hope for the best but to realize that the alternative is definitely not the worst. A rain plan is just that, a plan. It should be well thought out and understood as a real possibility. The decor should be adaptable and your designer should be able to make a few changes for it to appear seamless. Your guests will never know that changes were made at the last minute and you will be just as happy walking down the aisle...even if it is "plan B".

WEDDING TIPS: When should I book my floral designer?

We have discussed it before but the wedding planning process can be a daunting one. Knowing when to meet with and book your vendors is part of the challenge. Here's my advice and a bit from my friend and NYC wedding and event planner, Roey Mizrahi of Mizrahi Events.

Here are a few questions you may be asking yourself.

• When/how should you choose your floral designer? 
• When should you have your first consultation? 
• How long will it take to receive the first draft of a proposal? 
• How many revisions will be made before the final design? 
• When should you see a sample? 

The time table for choosing wedding vendors can be based largely on how early you begin the planning process but according to Roey, "based on the average year-long engagement, the florist, photographer and band should be researched and interviewed about 8 months before the wedding". I couldn't agree more with Roey as she points out that "interviewing floral designers allows clients to find a designer that no only matches their aesthetic and accommodates their budget but truly honors, and most importantly understands their vision".

A few more tips to on booking your florist:

• Already know of a designer with work that you love? Call them first and schedule a meeting.
• Don't know where to start? Ask around and get referrals. 
• Do some research and choose your top three to schedule a time to meet.

After you have scheduled your meetings gather inspiration so you can share what love, hate and everything in between with your potential designer. You should receive a first draft of a proposal within 7-10 days of your meeting. A follow-up conversation with one or two round of revisions and you should have a well defined creative vision to base your decision on.

Samples and fine tuning of the design will follow. Some designers require a signed proposal before the presentation of samples or will charge for it. In my case, when I charge for a sample (which is rare because I typically have a signed contract before that) I will deduct the cost from the invoice once the contract is signed.

You should be fairly confident that you are going to choose a designer before wanting to see a sample. You want your vendors to be straight forward with you in terms of pricing and delvierables so try not to "shop around" with no intention of choosing that designer. Nothing is worse than presenting a detailed sample to have your ideas taken somewhere else to be produced!

A good designer will present you with a portfolio and initial proposal to give you a true sense of their talent. Choose based on talent, creativity and experience BUT in the end, choose someone you TRUST. All the creativity in the world won't matter on the day of your wedding if you can't be confident that they will deliver on all of their promises.