Stephanie and Tara, two of the W talent, created these fabulous table displays with the help of Be Our Guest and Winston Flowers, showcasing the ways in which the Mez spaces can be transformed.

My favorite table with whites, golds and soft pink calla lilies.

Perfect for a bachelorette party, a 40th birthday party or even a bat mitzvah.

Perfect for a sophisticated, fun adult party.

A few special touches to the lobby at the top of the steps…

And one of the studios.

Oh and then there’s the food at the W. Oh me, oh my, mouthwatering and beautiful.

These fries with truffle oil were out of this world delish!

Food is Art, a specialty at the hotel.

In addition to the event, we photographed a bride throughout the hotel. We wanted to show off how cool the venue is and how many different places there are for portraits. We spent well over 2 hours shooting and didn’t get to do everything we wanted. The possibilities are endless. So check back soon for images for our shoot with Melissa.

Our May meeting took place at the hip new W Hotel in downtown Boston. (By the way, I have heard amazing things about the Jean Georges restaurant on the ground floor- definitely worth checking out.) For our meeting we started in the prefunction lobby and then entered the great room. I love the feel of the lobby; it has floor to ceiling windows with fun funky views of the theater district.

Plus the entrance is decked out with stone textured walls and light art, which bring you into a grand space with drapey lights.

We can’t help but eat well at an event by and for catering executives.

Mingling fun.

The floral design was created by Tangerine Creations. I loved the varied shapes and colors- deep pinks were a great match for the grays of the hotel.

CORT Event Furnishings brought along some fabulous furniture, including a purple lit table and leather couches. Felt like we had entered a swank nightclub.

The program for the evening was a guest panel of some very talented event industry pros.

Joe Toto of Groove Entertainment lead the discusion.

Kupah James of Klass Universal Entertainment shared his story and thoughts on getting the party going. We saw him in action at Heather and Christian‘s wedding; I can’t speak highly enough about him. He was amazing!

Amy Kimball of Amy Kimball Events spoke about how each client inspires her to bring something new to the table when designing an event. I absolutely connected with her on this; her words reflected how I feel about the uniqueness of our clients. How could we get bored or stale when each person we photograph brings us something new and fresh to consider?

John LaRoche of Blue Guava shared how he invites his clients to think outside the box when creating their floral design, offering them flower ideas they may not have considered. He even told us about a Living Table he created for one wedding at Boston’s InterContinental Hotel. Sounded out of this world!

Many thanks to the speakers for sharing their thoughts on our industry and to all of the sponsors who offered their services for this event.

Videography: Generations Cinemastories
Floral Design: Tangerine Creations
Rental furniture: CORT
Furniture sign design: MB Graphics
Music and Entertainment: DJ Raffi
Linens: Table Toppers
Food and event space: Amy Kern from The W Hotel

We started our day with family portraits before her bat mitzvah ceremony in Needham.

After the service, Sammy’s guests had lunch at the synagogue. Everyone reconvened that evening at the Blue Hill Country Club in Canton. A few more portraits before the reception….

The party got underway after a fabulous cocktail hour for the adults and mocktail hour for the kids. Then dancing, dancing and more dancing. Sammy’s brother kicked it all off.

Then Sammy made her grand entrance and did her first dance routine with these two professionals. Her theme for the evening was based on Tiffany and Co, so she surprised all of her guests by popping out of a huge Tiffany’s box. And then going right into the dance. Of course the song she danced to was Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. She looked amazing.

The hora followed. Everyone in the family had a turn in the chair, but Sammy was first.

Sammy and her dad had a special dance all to themselves….

Well, almost. Some of Sammy’s friends busted in about half way through and they kicked it up a notch- this was planned, of course, but a surprise for the guests. Sammy did her second dance number during this portion of the evening.

The end of the evening came faster than anyone could say "Sammy & Company." But it was clear that all of the kids had a great time.

If you would like to see more from Sammy’s amazing day, you can view her mitzvah PicFlick here.

The event got kicked off with a performance by Nuttin But Stringz. This rock violinist duo totally captivated me. I love their music and their performance- they are clearly influenced by world music, classical, rock and hip hop. Check out their sound on their website and check out their moves below.

Then we were treated to a fashion show of David’s new line of wedding gowns. So different sitting in the seats rather than the press area, like we have when we were shooting for Lucire magazine. I could see just enough to develop some strong favorites. The concept behind the gowns is that they are all inspired by red carpet dresses worn by celebrities, refashioned into something glamorous for your wedding day. There is definitely something for everyone in this line, both in terms of style and body type.

My favorites? Let me begin with Eva. This dress starts off full-length with gorgeous tafetta roses directing the eye along a woman’s curves. The lowest part of the skirt can be removed to reveal a short party dress with an assymetrical hemline. A little surprise when the bride returns for the party. A fun, flirty, vivacious dress. I also really liked Charlize and Fergie, another dress that turns into a cocktail dress- totally wearable.

Gwenyth, below, was simply stunning. I loved the color imbued in this dress- champagne, ivory, gold, crystals reflecting the light- along with the lines and the empire shape. Beautiful, simple, elegant.

And another favorite was Olivia. It actually reminded me of something from the movie Titanic. Really soft with antique touches. And you have to love the cap sleeves bejewelled at the edges. So pretty.

They concluded with the grand finale dress- the Platinum Gown. This dress was dripping with 33 carats of diamonds, white keshi pearls and more than 145 carats of aqua marine. The dress was pretty, but honestly I liked the other styles better. I guess that’s a good thing because the Platinum Gown retails for over a half million dollars. Wow!

The last walk…

With David and Faviana- the model in the back is wearing the Platinum Dress…

One more note about the fashion show, Dave and I were totally laughing because we recognized all of the music. I don’t know a lot about music artists and I am not really up on what’s popular, so this is definitely a rare thing for me. (Dave actually does know this stuff- he is way more hip than I am.) But these songs were all the fun songs we hear at weddings. So of course, I knew them and they were totally appropriate.

After the fashion show, David (Tutera) introduced the premiere of Season 2 of My Fair Wedding.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode with Quiana and Michael’s wedding. Quiana is so lovely, offers up surprises at every corner. And you can see how much she appreciated this opportunity. Totally fun moments from the viewing, which unfortunately I am pretty sure won’t happen in your living room, they shot butterfly confetti out at us when David revealed the ceremony space and the reception space to Quiana and Michael. Such fun!

I am so excited to see the episode that Dave photographed, now. It must be really different to watch the event unfold on the day, almost like slow motion, versus the edited version where everything happens in a whirlwind.

Okay and just to give you a sense of what Gotham Hall looked like last night. Love the lighting design.

A few young girls who had to get in on the runway action.

Dave photographed David Tutera’s decor from a wedding at Gotham Hall earlier this year and we always love seeing a space used in different ways. Set up for the fashion show was definitely different.

After diving into the dessert bar upstairs- yum!, we had to see what it felt like to be on the other side of the camera and stand in the lights. Aren’t we glam!

Thank you to David, Liz, Ashley, Nora and Nicole- you guys put together another amazing event- no surprise there- and we had a really great time celebrating with you. Congrats!

We started our evening in the Huntington Room.

The Westin put together an amazing spread. Salmon eggs with passion fruit juice below.

Melon and mint soup/cocktail. Refreshing.

Jeri created some beautiful floral centerpieces. I love the wheat grass at the base of these gerbera daisies.

I had never been in the Huntington Room and it was a great space for this type of cocktail party. Of course, Dave and I loved the natural light from all of the windows (to the right).

Teal from Art of the Event enjoying herself.

Whit Wales captured the video for the event. So we had to capture Whit’s signature bowtie.

Abby of Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Peaches by Plums fame. You may recall that Abby did the flowers for one of our opening celebrations. She is amazingly talented.

Naomi from Generations Cinemastories chats with Ashley of the Fairmont Battery Wharf.

Teresa, left, with her partner in crime, created the amazing floral designs from Lisa and Scott’s wedding (read the floral story). It was great to catch up with the Mimosa team again.

As members, we also have the opportunity to sponsor an event. Dave and I did so for the June event at the Westin in Copley Place. This was a great opportunity to capture what a NACE event is like. And this particular month was focused on green initiatives. A matter near and dear to my heart. So I share with you a few of my favorite images from meeting portion of the event….

Lyndsay from the Fairmont Copley Plaza makes introductions.

We hear a bit from the engineering team of the Westin. They have won all kinds of awards for their green practices.

And then Gayle from Art of the Event shares about green trends in event planning.

When the program is over, we are treated to an absolutely phenomenal chocolate dessert bar. Let’s just say I had more than one.

A special thanks to all of the sponsors who helped make it a wonderful evening:
Venue and Catering: Will Krupp and his crew at the Westin
Flowers: Jeri Solomon Floral Design
Videography: Whit Wales
Entertainment: Ahronian Productions
Table cloths: Festive Occasions
Bar and podium rentals: Art of the Event

If you want to see more, check out the video Whit created.

There were people of all ages, races, styles running. And some with great sense of humor- like this guy- and the guy who wore a hamburger and the girl who had pink bows on her shoes. Anything to keep yourself joyful as you run… And presumably these fun peeps brought joy to all those around them.

Dave and I arrived late- around 4 hours into the run- because I had an appointment. We had hoped to "see" one of our brides who ran the Marathon. Unfortunately we just missed her. She finished in 4 hours! Amazing.

Our wanderings lead us to the 20 mile marker.

This lady has a great smile on her face.

Determination.

The sidelines were probably as interesting as the runners.

These committed volunteers handed out gatorade and water to the athletes. The two in the very front were calling people’s names to get them excited. I can only imagine they were tired from standing and cheering all day long, and I am sure they had water and gatorade thrown on them a few times, as runners rushed to get rid of their cups.

The kids were so cute giving high-5′s to passers-by. And it was always fun to see the runners reach out to one of the kids.

This group of teens was full of energy- cheering on everyone who came by. Love the sign "Happy Thoughts!" I am sure they brought smiles to more than one runner.

This is such a fun sequence. The two ladies in orange- their faces totally lit up when they saw their friend in black.

Then they attacked her with hugs. What must it feel like to be 20 miles done, with 6 still ahead, and see a friendly face?!

Anybody else make it to the Marathon and have fun stories or sightings to share?

If you want to see more, you can check out our photostream on flickr. Or more on Boston.com.

When the brides and grooms-to-be arrived with their families, they were shown to their table, where their personalized tasting menu awaited them.

Each table was decorated with a different theme and all of them were gorgeous.

Love the beach theme with shells and candles for this centerpiece.

I am such a fan of bright colors and especially love tropical flowers. Check out these orchids!

And something a bit more classical, various arrangements including calla lilies, roses, and candles, all in white.

She had her wonderful candy bar all set up, again all whites, a tribute to the winter season.

And the food and service, as always, were amazing. I love the pizzas and the mini-burgers.

Throughout the event, the wedding couples were serenaded with music by either the fabulous string quartet or the rocking band. They toured the grounds and had the opportunity to meet all of their wedding vendors. They could choose to talk with the florist, the fabulous cake designer, the ladies who created custom invitations, a videographer, a jeweler, an officiant, a tux shop, the folks from KISS Spa who will take care of hair and make-up and offer massages, and of course, wedding photographers.

An all around great day!

The Rockin’ Artists:

Jo Kaplan Lee, Tina Parsadanov, Mary Marantz, Krystal Prue, Val McCormick, Nikki Nicole Rinaldi, Carla Ten Eyck, Jane Shauck, Jacklyn Greenberg.

The show continues through Jan. 4. You can check it out most weekends between 11 and 3. The MAC 650 Artspace Gallery is at 650 Main Street, Middletown, CT (about 15 minutes from Hartford).

I had so much fun; I definitely want to do this again. And Dave has been bitten by the bug as well. We hope to put on a show in our Boston studio soon. We will definitely share the details when we figure them out.

Juliet wore a smart skirt and jacket for the ceremony at her synagogue, but she changed into this gorgeous dress for her grand entrance at her party. Huge applause accompanied her walk in.

The DJ and MC from Siagal Productions had the kids entertained from the moment they arrived. One of my favorites was a Hoola-Hoop game that was sort of like Hot Potato; if you ended up with the hoop around you, you had to go in the center for a Hoola battle. These two young ladies were able to slap both hands together (aka give each other 10) while keeping the Hoola-Hoops in motion. Amazing!

Juliet was definitely the belle of the ball. And she granted a dance to her younger brother. So sweet!

The adults enjoyed the festivites as well. Gathering together brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

Juliet’s dad was warm and welcoming as he thanked the guests for joining their family in celebration and for their support of Juliet.

The young guests received all kinds of gifts, including fuzzy hats, sparkly hats, slap bracelets, photos from the photobooth, funky sunglasses, and glow in the dark necklaces. With all that fun stuff, I actually think this young man brought the "God" hat to top off his look.

From my last post, you may recall Juliet’s expression as she went up in the chair during the hora. After Juliet, her brother, sister and cousin also were held up. Sarah captured this image of Juliet’s sister and the crowd celebrating around her.

And one more from Sarah that I love. I think there must be some unwritten rule that boys have to lift each other up at a celebration. And it is clear they were having a mighty good time doing it.

The day really was so much fun. The spirit of the teenagers and the warmth of the adults made everything joyous.

If you would like to see more, you can check out Juliet’s Slideshow, her Sneak Peak, and her Rock Star Portrait Session.