Feb
10
This past September, I had the pleasure of working with Mimosa on a table top design they created for Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine. I arrived early to help determine the best spot for the table with regards to lighting. So I was able to watch Teresa Fung and her talented team work. Oh my! What a treat. They are such artists, only instead of painting with oils or watercolors, they paint in three dimentions with flowers and plants, with linens and tableware. As they were working, I observed and I documented; I was captivated.
Our story starts at Mistral Restaurant, the location for our shoot. Their very chic private events space and wine room was the backdrop for the table.
Teresa had already prepped some of the floral before she arrived. In particular, the very time intensive work of attaching orchids to willow branches.
Some pieces had to be assembled on site. I was fascinated by these clear gelatinous balls that are nearly clear when you add water.
They allowed plants, such as these succulents, to appear as if they were floating in a glass vase.
So creative, this design used glass candelabras as containers for floral.
Teresa is very hands-on. She would look at the design from every angle and make adjustments to the flowers or the linens or the glassware, seeking perfection.
Even the tiniest details were thought of. These miniature flowers were strung around tall vases.
Pinks of all shades.
Love the burgundy calla lily on the square plate. (Idea for Valentine’s Day?)
Gorgeous. Gorgeous flowers.
Even the linens had a floral feel. And Teresa had two options so that she could see how the whole look came together- one lavender and one this deeper fuchsia color.
Another look as the pieces are coming together.
Sometimes it just takes four hands to get the flowers to cooperate.
And finally, everything is complete. Simply magical. Love the arch and how it frames the candles and softens the wall in the background.
Romantic glassware.
The vision. I couldn’t get over how beautiful this was. I know I would feel immensely special eating a meal at such a beautiful table.
And ultimately published in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine. Congrats to Teresa and the whole Mimosa team. Such an absolutely beautiful work of art!
Many professionals contributed products and services to bring this look together. Special thanks to all those involved:
Venue: Mistral, Boston, MA
Table and Floral Design, Glassware: Mimosa Fresh Flower Design, Boston, MA
Linens: Wildflower Linen, Buena Park, CA
China, Flatware and Chairs: Rentals Unlimited, Stoughton, MA
Vases: Tommy Wholesale, Boston, MA
Thank you to all of our colleagues!
Mar
11
The sparkles and sounds of Amber and Tyler’s wedding fit together perfectly with the taste and scents from the food and floral. From top to bottom and with all five senses, Amber created a feeling of city elegance.
Tyler chose Amber’s engagement ring with help from Amber’s mom, who also happens to be a jeweler. When they were ready to select their wedding bands, her mom was happy to help the couple find a perfect match.
Amber’s complete look- from head to toe- in style. Earrings, veil, hair, wedding dress, bouquet and rings… Beautiful.
A closer look at her birdcage veil, styled with jewels and feathers, and her teardrop diamond earrings.
After the ceremony, the veil was removed, but the feathered and jeweled comb for her hair stayed to add a sense of whimsy. Also check out Tyler’s distinguised black-tie tux with the singular white rose boutonniere.
The sounds that filled the air that evening can only be attributed to Keith Johnson and the AM Radio. They kept the dancing going and the guests entertained.
Actually Tyler also helped with the entertainment. He sang one special song just for Amber.
Though he knew the song, he wasn’t taking any chances.
I can’t think of anything more romantic. He even had a single red rose for his new wife. She rewarded him with a sweet kiss.
With the nerves set aside, it was time to party. Dancing to the great band was no problem for our groom!
And that completes the details from Amber and Tyler’s stunning wedding. If you would like to see the more from their wedding, I would recommend checking out their slideshow.
The pros involved in this wedding were amazing. Another round of thanks to:
Ceremony Venue: Borgia Room at The Westin St. Francis
Reception Venue: Alexandra’s at The Westin St. Francis
Hair: Antonio Cabral
Make-up: Aida Morano from Aida’s Custom Cosmetics
Gown Designer: Romona Keveza
Bridesmaid dresses: Siri
Groom’s tux: Canali
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Selix Rentals
Cake: Shinmin from I Dream of Cake
Floral Design: Jeffrey from J Floral Art
Band: Keith Johnson and AM Radio
Ceremony Musician: Amber’s stepfather, Carl Weimer
Invitations: William Arthur
Feb
16
Your wedding invitation is the first glimpse that your guests will get into the style, theme, vision you have for your wedding. It’s also a great opportunity to personalize their experience.
For our wedding, Dave and I actually created our own invitation (way too much work and we totally should have worked with someone else to make them), but we were really happy with the way they turned out despite (or perhaps because of) all our effort. They included our wedding branding (a double happines with the hebrew for "I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine") as well as a photo we had taken at our reception venue. It was very much our style and totally spoke to what our wedding would be- a marriage of two cultures as well as two people, set in a beautiful natural space.
At the most recent Baystate Bridal Show and the Great Bridal Expo, I had the opportunity to meet a few different stationers (Cordially Yours Invitations & Calligraphy, Emerald Invitations, and Goosefish Press) all of whom offered exquisite invitations. I love the creativity and unique qualities. Goosefish Press creates amazingly sophisticated one of a kind letter press invitations. Cordially Yours and Emerald Invitations offer a wide range of styles and colors to chose from.
They also offer other ideas such as programs and thank you cards.
And perhaps my favorite invitation of all- perfect for a Bachelorette Party!
Dec
28
Dave and I had the opportunity to visit Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich and all I can say is WOW!!! One of my friends had gotten married there a few years ago and was telling me about the venue, I was so excited to see it as he had nothing but positive reviews. But honestly it is even better than he described.
First of all there are multiple fabulous options for an outdoor wedding. I know it is hard to think about that right now with the first serious snow just melting and more on the way, but that was always the way I pictured my wedding. I am pretty sure I am not alone on that one. So if you are like me and felt an outdoor wedding was your first choice, you have 3 great options: on the lawn facing the beach, on the lawn facing down the hill towards ocean views, and in the Italian Garden.
A few photos of option 2:
A few from option 3 (I think this is what I would do- I love the feeling of this secluded garden space- feels like ancient ruins)
Laura Daly and her team are great. They will also have a perfect back up plan, in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. We got a peek at the indoor option and it truly is lovely.
The best spot for cocktail hour, in my opinion, is on the back patio. I love this location because you get to enjoy the sweeping views of the water and have the gorgeous architecture as a back drop. Plus if you wanted to do a group photo it’s an excellent location for that.
Side note, awesome story, these two griffin statues were given to the Crane family as a gift from their servants. They had the sculptures custom made to protect the house. All I have to say is that the Crane’s must have been amazing employers to generate that kind of love from their staff.
Then you have two options for your reception as well. You can host the party indoors- the spaces are grand and elegant. Or outdoors on another patio. You could even tent the outdoor space.
And I just had to share a few of my favorite details from the site.
Dave and I enjoying the view.
I almost missed these bas relief sculptures of the cranes. Very cool and very appropriate.
All in all, I was amazed by the beauty of this wedding venue and the thoughtful consideration of their events team. I also really appreciate that they are making efforts to be green and provide environmentally beneficial resources, plus when you have a wedding at a historic site like this, your rental fee contributes to the greater good. Not a bad way to celebrate, in my opinion.
Jul
15
Lisa and Scott really did a fabulous job pulling together so many details for their Boston wedding. They wanted to celebrate and honor their family traditions- both Jewish and Chinese- as well as add their personality to the day.
They were both really excited about the argyle socks for the boys. Note the purple diamond in the mix, one of their colors.
Check out Lisa’s dress- sparkly gorgeousness. Lisa fell in love with the dress for its own merits, but also enjoyed the fact that it was designed by the Project Runway winner Kenneth Pool because she loves the show.
Lisa and Scott poured their heart and souls into the paper products. They did a great job creating a consistant feel using their colors of aubergine, eggplant and fuchsia.
The program…
The reception table seating cards…
The labels for the candy take-away boxes…
The labels for the gift bags for guests staying at the hotel…
Her invitation suite was purchased through Cartier. Love the simple elegance of it.
Lisa and Scott had seen our engagement sign-in album when we first met them at the bridal show. They later selected to have us create their guest book from their New York City engagement session. The images were great; I am glad they chose to use them in this way.
One of the most exciting details of the wedding was all of the music. Jazz musicians of CZONE performed during the cocktail hour and during the reception.
And the lion dancers of Gund Kwok kicked off the reception with pomp and circumstance.
If you would like to see more details from Lisa and Scott’s wedding at the Boston Hyatt, check out their flowers and food.
And still want more? Check out their engagement session, sneak peak, the scoop, and their slideshow.
Jul
12
Fabulous news! We had four full-page photos published in Gala Weddings Magazine. We received the proof and the magazine, and it looks great!
The magazine focuses on the New England region and the brides and grooms who get married in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Most of our images are from Becky and Danny’s wedding last summer. They were married at the Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport.
Here’s Danny looking over his vows before he walks down the aisle…
And here’s Becky with her Dad walking towards the ceremony on the lawn.
The used this one from their portrait session as the lead image for their RI section.
And this one is from Ariana and Jesse’s wedding, used for their lead photo in the VT section.
Then they sprinkled a few more smaller images throughout. The bouquets and table arrangements in this spread are both ours from Becky and Danny’s Newport wedding.
And the mooncake is ours in this inspiration spread of citrus colors; it’s from Krista and Andy’s wedding.
If you want to see more from Becky and Danny’s RI wedding, check out their sneak peak, the scoop, their CT bbq, the details, and the slideshow.
If you want to see more from Ariana and Jesse’s Tilden Park wedding, check out their sneak peak, scoop, and slideshow.
If you want to see more from Krista and Andy’s Hakone Gardens and Decathlon Club wedding, check out their scoop part 1, scoop part 2, details, and slideshow.
Jul
09
You’ve read the stories from Lisa and Scott’s wedding and you’ve seen Mimosa‘s amazing floral design. Now it’s time to talk food. Makes my mouth water just thinking about all the delights cooked up by the catering staff at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Boston along with a little help from Montilio’s and Lisa and Scott’s DIY candy bar.
First there was the cocktail hour, complete with sushi, a saute station and carving station. Guests were wowed by all the delicious offerings, especially the ones prepared right before their eyes.
Once the guests were seated. They received this gorgeous shrimp cocktail.
Then a beautiful salad.
The dinner concluded with a succulent Surf and Turf of lobster tail and steak.
But dessert was not far behind. The cake cutting soon followed.
And then the staff rolled out the candy bar. Guests had a blast filling up their gift boxes with all sorts of yummies.
All this talk of candy and chocolate and sweets, oh my! I need to go find a snack.
Jul
02
Lisa and Scott spent nearly two years planning their wedding at the Boston Hyatt Regency downtown, so they had tons of amazing details to share. I wanted to make sure I gave them all due consideration; I am going to be posting them in 3 different sections: flowers, food, and everything else, from the dress to the lion dancers to all of their amazing paper products.
First the flowers. Lisa selected Teresa from Mimosa to create her floral design. From the very first moment, it was clear that Lisa had chosen the right professional for her wedding. Her bouquet (above) and all of the personal flowers arrived in a gorgeous box. And each piece was beautifully crafted. I love the soft pinks and whites of peonies and orchids.
The groom’s boutonniere.
The ceremony site was decorated with beautiful tall arrangements of willow and orchid branches. The colors were soft pinks and greens.
A close up of one arrangement.
The flowers for the reception were equally stunning. Centerpieces included willow branches with orchids attached or at the base. In vibrant hues of pink and purple, the room was magical.
A close up of one arrangement.
One table.
Variation on a theme.
Still more variation at another table. (Side note- Lisa and Scott created the table number displays and aren’t they amazing? I love the look of the lace in the shadowbox frame.)
For the cocktail reception, a similar style with a focus on the greens….
Beautiful touches at every corner! Thank you to Teresa and her team for giving us this floral art to photograph. Stunning work, Teresa.
Jun
27
Just two weeks after photographing our David Tutera wedding at The Plaza, Dave popped back down to New York to photograph the decor of this fabulous wedding at Gotham Hall. It was all blossoms and sparkles and simply amazing details. And the food looked to die for.
When the guests first arrived, they were greeted by a security detail and serenaded by violinists.
They entered the Grand Ballroom of Gotham Hall to find their escort cards laid out on this beautiful table. Then took their seats for the ceremony behind it.
At the top of the entry, you see the full view of the ceremony space. The aisle lined with elegant floral arrangements on pedestals. But the Chuppah was simply out of this world. I love the view from the inside looking out. This is one canopy I would gladly start the rest of my life under, and for that matter spend the rest of my life under (assuming the flowers wouldn’t die).
And a close up…
And you can get the full awesomeness of the scene, as the bride takes her first steps done the aisle…
Another amazing aspect of this wedding was the food- the presentation was simply a work of art. The champagne was chilled in ice sculptures.
An array of sushi in every shape, size and color.
The bride and groom were Russian Jews so the food also needed to pay homage to their roots. Each guest received a rainbow of caviar at his seat.
And the piece d’resistance, the stunning cake designed by Sylvia Weinstock. The craftsmanship, technique and attention to detail that goes into her cakes are exemplary.
During the cocktail hour, the David Tutera team transformed the space from the ceremony arrangement you saw above to the reception arrangement below. I think they had just over an hour to get it all done.
They turned the Chuppah into a canopy for the sweetheart table. This is the bride and groom’s view (looking to the right) during the reception.
And another view (straight ahead), where they can see the dance floor.
Some of the tables were arranged in a criss-cross patern. In the center was this tall arrangement with roses, willow branches, and all kinds of flowers pouring out of the urn and the pedestal.
These displays of calla lillies, roses, and crystals were placed throughout the hall and reached way into the sky.
The whole look was stunning. A huge thank you to David Tutera and his team. We are so thrilled that we could be a part of this beautiful design and capture these images for you.
Want to see more? Check out the slideshow.
May
27
Our studio opening celebrations were so much fun. We had a great mix of friends, clients and peers celebrate with us in our new space over the course of a couple of weeks. We were thrilled to have everyone over and just as excited to have completed hanging photographs in the main gallery.
For one of the parties, Abby Brennan of Peaches by Plums provided these amazing flowers.
I could not believe how beautiful they were and the aroma that filled the space was so sweet and inviting. I met Abby while visiting the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, where she works in the catering department. But floral and event design is her dream and passion. It certainly shows.
In order to make the event even more special, we decided to include a showing of our favorite images from the getting ready portion of the wedding day. The show was called "Anticipation." We plan on keeping it up for through the season. All of the photographes were black and white photojournalistic images; we used museum standard matting and simple black frames.
Through the rest of the gallery, we have hung our permanent collection. Some of our favorite photographs from weddings and portrait sessions. Below you see several canvas prints as well as a self-portrait metallic print.
I always love hosting a party because I really enjoy watching the people from different parts of my life intermingle.
Max missed out on all the partying, but he still gets to enjoy the space on a regular basis.
Our new space is between Watertown Square and Newton Corner, about 15 minutes from downtown Boston. Not only do we love the great space, but the location is absolutely perfect for us. We have found it relatively easy to get to Boston as well as points West, North and South. Hooray for convenience!
If you weren’t able to make it and would like to stop by, let us know. We would be happy to show you around.
