Nov
09
And color too.
Last night, Alyssa and Slava came by for their wedding premiere. We had such a great time sharing their photos with them and hearing more of the stories behind their wedding day- stories like how the color palette of blue and yellow reflected Alyssa’s favorite colors and how their friend Tex enjoyed their wedding so much he suggested they have a wedding every week. It also became clear that these two look great from every angle and in every style. And so I am excited to share the photos from their ceremony and reception. Dave and Brian did such a fabulous day capturing the joy and spirit of the day.
The ketubah signing is the Jewish marriage contract and there’s a special ceremony for this that occurs before the chuppah ceremony. Alyssa and Slava were surrounded by their families and a couple of friends.
I am completely enamored with their ceremony. There was so much laughter and joy in it.
Check out the full view. A beautiful chuppah decorated with orchids and a runner with flower petals along the sides.
So sweet the way Slava holds her hand.
These two are so much fun. Honestly we were laughing non-stop last night. And you totally get that in this photo as they leave the ceremony for the reception. It’s play time.
Oh me, oh my. These gentlemen lifted Alyssa way up in the air during the hora. She almost fell off, but amazingly held onto the chair for a bit longer.
The feeling of joy when reaching the ground again, safely.
The Hotpockets (Alyssa and her two girlfriends sang together in high school and that’s the name of their group) dancing and singing their hearts out. Now if only they had taken the stage with Powerhouse….
Everyone took a break for a few toasts. Alyssa’s sister sharing her thoughts.
Which were highly amusing to Alyssa and Slava.
And then more partying. Actually to hear Dave tell it, the dancing was crazy fun. And to see the photos, I have to agree. These people know how to celebrate.
The groomsmen dancing up a storm.
The bridesmaids dancing up a storm.
The guests dancing up a storm.
The bride and groom dancing up a storm.
So much fun and you can absolutely feel all of the joyous energy.
During the slow songs, our associate Brian captured the next two beautiful images. And I love the way they tell a story when I look at them side by side.
The present.
What the future holds.
One last super sweet image. Dave took Alyssa and Slava aside during the reception so he could capture a portrait of them at night, and so they could enjoy a quiet, private moment to take it all in. Here they are amidst their ceremony site.
Special thanks to all of the pros who made their wedding so beautiful:
Wedding gown: Priscilla of Boston
Bridesmaids dresses: L’Elite
Groom’s suit: Saks Fifth Avenue
Hair: Kristy’s Hair Studio
Officiant: Rabbi David Meyer of Temple Emanu-el
Floral design: William Mizuta
Caterer: Toby Karlyn from Celebrations Gourmet
Cake: Ellen Bartlett of Cakes to Remember
DJ/Band: Alan James from Powerhouse
Invitations: Heleene Fink from Special Occassions
And huge thanks to their hosts for sharing this amazing location.
Last, but definitely not least, much gratitude to Alyssa, Slava and your wonderful families for sharing your wedding day with us.
If you would like to see more from Alyssa and Slava’s waterfront wedding, check out their engagement session, sneak peek and their slideshow.
Mar
26
Huge congrats to our friend and colleague David Tutera for being featured in Vogue: Japan. And we are so excited that they chose one of our photos to highlight his amazing work. That’s right, we were recently published in Vogue Japan. International and chic, no?!
I’ll be honest I can’t tell you all about the article our work is part of, because, as you would expect, it’s in Japanese, but what I can gather is that they were highlighting several vendors celebrated in the international wedding industry. They focused on florists and event planners, in particular. And David Tutera, whom we have worked with on several occassions, was number one on their list. It’s no surprise as his work is astounding- it completely captivates all of my senses.
Our image was taken during a wedding at The Fairmont’s Plaza Hotel in New York City. The whole concept was based around crystals and they were everywhere. The ballroom sparkled.
If you want to see more of David‘s work, definitely check out:
David Tutera’s Metropolitan Club Wedding
Tutera’s Gotham Hall Wedding
Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Inspiration
More of David’s designs still to come from a fall episode of My Fair Wedding.
Jan
27
So very excited to share the news that we have been published in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of grace ormonde WeddingStyle. Absolutely love this wedding magazine- chic, elegant, fashion forward designs and style aplenty. If you are planning a wedding, you should definitely check out their current national and New England issues. Tons of great stories, real weddings and inspiring ideas.
We submitted images from this fabulous Plaza Hotel wedding in New York City. It was designed by the trend-setter David Tutera and his talented team. With his table decor, he not only defines the space around a table, but creates a feeling like you have been transported to whole other world. All of your senses are enticed. It’s an amazing experience. We are thrilled that we could share one of his signature designs with Grace Ormonde readers.
If you would like to see more from this wedding, definitely check out our story from the wedding.
And if you would like to see other David Tutera wedding designs and ideas, check out these posts- NY Metropolitan Club Wedding, NY Gotham Hall Wedding, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Inspiration. More of David’s designs still to come from an episode of My Fair Wedding.
Cover image by Jade Studio Productions.
Oct
03
When last I wrote about Erin and Darren’s fabulous Boston wedding, I shared their story up to the ceremony. Picking up where I left off… the ceremony was held in the Wharf Room at the Boston Harbor Hotel, with views of the waterfront as the back drop.
Having spent their courtship in London, it was only fitting that they import their rabbi, a former Bostonian himself who now lives in England, to perform the ceremony. Their close friendship with their officiant made for a very special and meaningful ceremony under the chuppah, with lots of personal stories and lots of smiles.
This picture totally makes me laugh. All eyes are on Darren, except for Erin’s mom, who can’t take her eyes off her daughter.
Fortunately, Darren said the right thing. He stomped on the glass and sealed the deal with a kiss. And Erin and Darren exited with absolute joy.
We then ventured upstairs to the Rotunda, my absolute favorite part of the hotel, for cocktail hour. Some guests enjoyed the views on the patio outdoors. Others mixed and mingled indoors. Many hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Family members reminisced and passed around old photos.
All were ushered downstairs for the reception to get underway in the Wharf Room. Erin and Darren kicked off the party with their first dance and guests soon followed suit.
As Erin danced with her father, her mom looked on.
Erin and Darren listened as toasts were given by their closest friends and Darren’s brother.
Fun, fun, fun. Following some of the formalities, a little Irish dancing. Which as it turns out is a lot like Jewish dancing only with different music. It is just as fun and crazy and enthusiastic. And for these two, it melted into the hora, which culminated in this men’s group dancing in a wild circle.
Our final photos of the evening were a few that Dave imagined and created. Focusing on their connection to Paris, we brought the Eiffel Tower into the mix.
With that, I have a few thank you’s and kudo’s.
First, special thanks to all of the professionals who made Erin and Darren’s day amazing:
Michael and his team at the Boston Harbor Hotel, the beautiful venue with the amazing staff
Teresa and her talented crew from Mimosa Style for their floral creations
DJ John Dudley for the reception entertainment
Lisa Husseni for the ceremony music
Vows and Anahit Alterations for helping Erin find and perfect her dress
David’s Bridal for the bridesmaids gowns
Jean Yves for the groom and groomsmen attire
Judy at Four Season’s Hair
Make-up by Caitlin Murphy
Erin and Darren, you two have been absolutely wonderful to work with through and through. I was going to title this entry Beauty and the Beast, as I thought "Beauty" aptly described Erin and "Beast" alluded to Darren’s life as a wrestler, but I couldn’t do it, because there really isn’t anything beast-like about either of you. Thank you so much for welcoming us into your day!
For anyone who would like to see more, you should definitely check out their slideshow.
Sep
15
Yelena and Rob, aka Roberto, aka Rob-meister, aka the Groom, aka…. you get the picture. Rob is a man of many names (according to his Best Man/Brother) and although I made a few of these up, I still find it extraordinarily appropriate because he is also a man of many faces. My personal favorite, though is the special look he reserves for Yelena. When he looks her way, it is clear that nothing else exists. And Yelena gazes right back at him with warmth and love. These two are magic.
My first post took us through the ceremony and the start of the portraits, so here I bring you up to speed with the rest of the evening. After a few family, bridal party and couple’s portraits inside the Copley Plaza Hotel. We took a quick spin outside to capture views of Boston by daylight.
Then back inside to the Oval Room for their fabulous party. We kicked it off with their first dance.
See how he smiles while he snuggles up to her…
Once the dance floor was open by our bride and groom, the guests took over and danced all night long.
Yelena and her dad enjoyed a few moments during their father-daughter dance.
And then the wildness of the horah. I LOVE the horah. I love being right in the middle of it. I love the movement and excitement and the joy and thrill of it. I love that first moment when our bride and groom get lifted up …
and all of the emotions they have while they up in the chairs…
and then the relief when they are back on the ground. It is like a lifetime in a few quick moments. Fabulous!
Rob and Yelena were a blast while up in the chairs and just as much fun when on their feet again.
The party atmosphere continued. Rob got down with his mom.
Towards the end of the evening, we stole a few moments with Yelena and Rob to take some photos outside on Copley Square with the city lights around them. First one with the Boston Public Library in the background and cars streaming by.
And then one amidst the square’s beautiful flowers with the Trinity Church, the John Hancock Tower and the Copley Plaza in the background.
Finally a quintessential Copley Plaza shot.
Really, there are simply tons more to share. In fact, we went a little overboard on their slideshow because Yelena and Rob’s wedding was really just too beautiful. We couldn’t help ourselves. So definitely check it out.
And now a chance to thank all of the wonderful people who helped make Yelena and Rob’s wedding day amazing.
First, Lindsay Picciano and the crew at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. Many kudos to you!
And the rest of the fabulous folks involved in their day:
Hair and Make-up by Svetlana Stavtsev
Gown by Vera Wang
Bridesmaids dresses from Flair Bridesmaids designed by Anna Elyse
Groom and Groomsmen’s tuxes by Classic Tuxedo
Cake by Cakes to Remember
Floral Design by Stapleton Floral
DJ Mark Dixon
Maxim Lubarksy and Band for live music
Invitations and Save the Dates by bridesmaid Laura Parrish
And last, but certainly not least, thank you so much to Yelena and Rob and to both your families for including us in your extraordinary day. We are so glad we could be a part of it!
Stay tuned for some great photos from their rehearsal dinner aboard the Odyssey.
Jan
07
While having a multi-generation mini-family like Karen and Willy‘s is so much fun, we also love our smaller mini-families. We have tons of these. Today I wanted to send a shout out to a bunch of the two generation mini-fams.
First mini-fam:
Sepi and Homan traveled from New York to get married at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. They had an amazing Persian wedding ceremony followed by great food and endless dancing. We definitely wanted to capture their city sensibilities during the portrait session.
Read More»
Dec
17
Last month I went down to The Plaza Hotel in NYC to photograph a wedding for David Tutera, celebrity party planner extraordinaire. To say that the wedding was unbelievably fabulous would be an understatement. David designed ceremony and reception spaces that were truly jaw dropping in their beauty and creativity. Here are some highlights, beginnng with the ballroom which David was most excited about.
The Plaza Ballroom already magnificent, became truly magical.
In the center was this incredible floral creation, simply a work of art, hanging from the ceiling like crystal chandeliers.
Speaking of chandeliers, each centerpiece had three of them surrounded by flowers and draped in crystals.
You can really appreciate the scale of the centerpieces. Here’s a photo of a David Tutera team member putting on the finishing touches. Note he had to stand on a ladder to reach the spot he was working on.
A closeup of the base of the centerpieces, wrapped in Swarovski crystals.
Check out this five foot tall wedding cake. At first, I thought it was covered in real flowers, but on closer inspection, I realized each petal was created out of sugar.
The custom-built head table was covered with silver leaf and trimmed with Swarovski crystals… see a theme here?
The bride wanted crystals and then more cyrstals. Crystals everywhere.
The ceremony took place in the Terrace Room under this extraodinary chuppah.
Finally, my favorite piece designed for the cocktail reception.
The whole design came together beautifully- the flowers, the lighting, the crystals- everything looked perfect.
A huge thank you to the whole David Tutera team, the caterers and their crew from Great Performances, and everyone at The Plaza. What a truly stunning event! We can’t wait to see what David and his team have planned when we work with them at The Plaza next May.
Oct
08
Party time!
I am thrilled to share the reception portion of Jesse and Ariana’s wedding day. As you may recall, they held their ketubah and bedeken ceremonies in the Berkeley Botanic Garden and then celebrated their huppah ceremony on the Brazilian Room patio, all in Tilden Park. The reception continued immediately following the ceremony. Because we took the formal portraits down in the Botanic Gardens, Ariana and Jesse were able to kick-back and enjoy the cocktail hour.
Read More»
Jul
21
We wanted to share a quick taste of what’s to come for Jon and Shosh. They had an absolutely amazing wedding. Their ceremony was at the Fourth Street Summit Center (run by the Fairmont) and the reception was at the new San Jose City Hall. We had so much fun with this crew and we can’t wait to share all the details.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak. This was during the end of the Horah. They stole this kiss while all their guests danced around them.
You can also check out their engagement photos on our blog here and the slideshow here.
