Sep
17
Did I promise dancing? Or did I promise dancing?
When Heather met up with us for her planning meeting, we talked about all sorts of details regarding timing and portraits for her wedding at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. But what she was most excited about was the dancing. She couldn’t wait for the party. She wanted to see all of her friends and family having a good time. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint. But before we get to the dancing party, a few formalities, with a less formal air.
Early on in the dinner reception, Heather’s dad welcomed guests and toasted the bride and groom and their future together.
His words and thoughts definitely connected with Heather.
Throughout dinner, the guests relaxed and got to know each other. Many were meeting each other for the first time. The long tables were perfect not only for the physical space of the ICA’s theater, but also for encouraging interactions. Conversations never lulled.
Being a theater, dramatic lighting was a must. The reception had an elegant chic feel to it.
Christian took a spin around to visit with his friends and family who had traveled from Italy to celebrate with he and Heather. There was much joy and merriment.
After the sun set, Dave stepped outside to take in the whole scene. On the left the theater’s long expansive window allowing a view into the dinner reception, and to the right Boston’s beautiful waterfront skyline.
And now for the party….
One of my fave’s of the night. I love the feeling Dave captured in this image- the intenisty, the connectedness, the energy….
From the abstract to the literal. These two were crazy fun on the dance floor; they had some serious moves.
Feeling the music.
A little showmanship and all about the fun.
I have to close with my favorite image from the night. For me, this one image tells Heather and Christian’s story. Actually watching them dance together, I got to see so much about how they work together- the give, the take- each completely in tune with the other. And so clearly enjoying being together. I can’t help smiling.
Everyone had a great time dancing under the stars. All in all a truly amazing evening.
And now my chance to say thank you to a truly fabulous team of professionals who created and assisted in making this vision a reality:
I absolutely have to thank Kim Stone and Billy Evers of Rafanelli Events and their amazing colleagues. What a night! Heather and Christian didn’t have a thing to worry about with you guys on the job. The whole event went perfectly. And the look of it all, the feel of it all…. Well, don’t worry, I will go on in another blog post, but for now I just have to say I loved the way you mixed a modern aesthetic with classic elements. You guys throw one hell of a party!
Also thank you to:
The ICA Staff, who took care of all aspects of the location including lighting
The crew from Wolfgang Puck for their amazing food and service
Cakes to Remember for the beautiful wedding cake
The look of the evening would not have been complete without the talent and assistance of:
Winston Floral
Be Our Guest
Signature Event Rentals
Party by Design
Peterson’s Party Center
The entertainment for the evening was out of this world. Huge kudos to DJ Kupah an DJ Kaz from Upside Entertainment.
And a special thank you to Matt Teuten of Matt Teuten Photography for the photo booth. What a hit!
A few final thank yous for helping the get the day started on the right foot:
Westin Waterfront Hotel
Vera Wang for Heather’s gorgeous white dress
Luis from Luz Beauty for the hair and make-up
Congrats again Heather and Christian! You guys make an amazing couple; it was such a joy documenting your celebration.
If you would like to see more from Heather and Christian’s Soiree, check out their sneak preview and their slideshow.
Aug
28
Heather and Christian were married earlier this year in Italy. But Heather knew that she wanted to have a fabulous bash with all of her friends and family when she and Christian made it to the States. She enlisted the help of the talented crew at Rafanelli Events to make her dream party come true. Working with them while living abroad in Lebanon was a challenge she was up to and the end result turned out magnificent.
I began the day with Heather as she and her mom were getting ready at the Westin Boston Waterfront.
A little pampering and some fabulous music courtesy of Luiz (Luz Beauty) and his ipod got the party started on the right foot. Let me just say Heather was definitively the most easy-going bride. She was totally calm and relaxed during what can sometimes be a little bit of an anxious time. She sat back and assessed and enjoyed everything as it was happening. That said, this prep time was a lot of fun and we all wanted to start dancing right then and there. Okay so maybe some of us actually did.
Love the silhouette as Luiz plays with Heather’s hair.
Mom, who had finished just as I arrived, enjoyed the view as Heather finished up.
Then we all headed over the Institute of Contemporary Art, where the real festivities were set to take place.
And there we met up with Heather’s husband, Christian. I love how his face lights up when he looks at Heather.
Dave and I took a few portraits with our gorgeous couple in and around the ICA. The view of the Boston Harbor is so beautiful and we had a truly lovely evening.
And then the celebration really got underway. The cocktail hour was held outside on the back deck of the ICA.
The Rafanelli team put together some really fabulous touches for Heather and Christian, including their own personalized Italian sodas (appropriate given that Christian is from Italy, they met in Italy and were married in Italy) and photos in acrylic frames from their wedding ceremony.
And a quick peak of what’s to come. The dinner reception was in the ICA’s theater. Love the fabulous view and the setting sun. The colors of the sky perfectly matched the lighting, floral and linens for the event. Stunning work!
Check back soon for more from the Heather and Christian’s elegant and modern soiree. There will definitely be loads of details to share from the rest of the evening and you are not going to believe the dancing at this event. It was non-stop amazing fun.
Aug
20
Since we moved to Boston, we have had a the distinct pleasure of getting to know many fabulous wedding professionals. One of those just happens to be Tasha Bracken, Cape Cod and Boston event planner extraordinaire and the woman behind SD Events. She has so many great ideas and the ingenuity to make them happen. A recent favorite would be chalk board tables for a fabulous mitzvah celebration. Plus, she is great to be around. I would totally want her at my event, if not working, then as a guest.
So when Tasha told us that she and Bill were celebrating their anniversary, I knew we had to do something special. They hadn’t had professional portraits taken since the wedding; we immediately thought, “portraits would be a great way to celebrate!” We met up with them at their home in Newton.
It was our first time meeting Bill, and let me just say, he is great! I think he and Dave could have hung out all day talking about the Red Sox. Such boys! And even more importantly, he is clearly still so sweet on his beautiful wife.
Here’s a few of the happy couple.
Breaking out with some totally fun goofiness….
Hanging out on the back porch.
Now into a section of "Favorite Things", aka the best parts of life, or that which Tasha and Bill love.
First off, Mariah, she totally posed for the camera. What a beauty!
And Elton, definitely more camera shy, glad Tasha was able to catch him. He’s so handsome.
His and hers cocktails; getting snuggly in the background.
Note the Red Sox attire. The couple that cheers together, stays together. 
Since it was an anniversary session and Tasha looks fabulous, we coaxed her into doing a few in her wedding gown. No surprise, it fit perfectly. Besides, what girl doesn’t want a chance to put on that beautiful white dress just one more time?!
Mariah came back for a repeat performance.
And one parting image… I love the juxtaposition of Bill in his Red Sox shirt with Tasha all gussied up in her wedding gown! Makes me smile.
We are so thankful to Tasha and Bill for inviting us into their home. We had a really great time with you both!
If you would like to see more, check out their slideshow.
Aug
09
When I walked into the Boston Mandarin Oriental, the gentleman at the door greeted me with, "Welcome home!" and boy, oh, boy had I come home. The Mandarin is a lovely modern hotel with amenities like you wouldn’t believe. To start, their standard rooms are larger than most older hotel’s junior suites. This brand is known for quality, luxury, excellence- all with an Asian flare. You will discover that they go the extra mile with all of their events as well.
Located in the heart of the Back Bay, the hotel is perfect for the cosmopolitan bride and groom who want an urban feel and access to some of the traditionally beautiful architecture of Boston. It is an easy ride over to Commonwealth Ave‘s tree-lined pedestrian way, and perfect for guests staying at the hotel to enjoy great restaurants and shopping when they are not partying it up at your celebration.
The first thing you notice, after the greeting, is the Mandarin‘s modern architecture and decor- clean lines and exquisite materials. Even the floral arrangements in the lobby speak to the aesthetic.
The entrance….
The complete view…
I can’t help gushing about the event spaces and staff. Once again, you will be wowed with service and style. All of the rooms have beautiful furniture and artwork on the walls. It feels like you are in a place where people might live. Very welcoming.
And the details of each space are lovely. My favorites are the light fixtures…
And the fabric walls. A really nice touch.
And then there is the service. I met up with Rachel, who is the Catering and Conference Services Manager responsible for weddings and social events. She is fabulous; she and her staff will totally take care of all your needs. Even the needs you didn’t know you had. For instance, the staff brings out Japanese slippers before dancing so that ladies can wear something a little more comfortable for that portion of the evening. Also they bring warm scented towels between dinner courses and cool towels during dancing. Amazing!
And for the bride and groom who want to make the space extraordinary, Rachel’s team will take care of it. They can change the lights on the panels in the back of the ballroom (pictured below in yellow) to be almost any color. There are also spotlights that they direct on the tables. They can change the color of these as well as put gobos (which create shadow patterns) in them. All of this is included! I was floored.
Another awesome bonus- there’s a great salon (Mizu) in the hotel. Super convenient!
But I save the very best part for last. This is brand new, hot-off-the-presses information- the Mandarin has secured the rights to have weddings outdoors in the space behind the hotel. So now you can have your fabulous outdoor ceremony and your super-chic reception all in one location. To top it off, check out the view. The John Hancock Building and Boston skyline are totally within reach.
If you are looking for a Boston wedding site with understated elegance and service that will knock your socks off, you have to got to check out the Mandarin.
