Buzz: Brides New York

As planners in an industry saturated with uber talented musicians, there is no shortage of great bands to recommend. Check out our advice on some awesome bands and musical talent in the new issue of Brides New York on newsstands now!

GUEST BLOGGER: Sarah Jenks

Why Your Scale is Helping you Pack on the Pounds

The walk from your bedroom to the bathroom in the morning can feel like a death march. Not because you need to navigate the shoes strewn across your floor or avoid ramming your calf on the corner of your coffee table in a dark sleepy haze, but at the end of the perilous path, your biggest critic awaits to determine your sense of self-worth for the day – your scale.

As a bride, I know you want to lose weight for your wedding. It’s almost an unavoidable expectation these days that so many of us feel obligated to fulfill. And weighing yourself feels like a necessary evil, a sick obsession to make sure you are on track. But the process can seriously weigh you down…

As you stand in the bathroom, you start removing every article of clothing. You peel off your camisole and shorts, your underwear, even your rings and earrings. Oddly, this is probably the only time of day when you are truly naked. It’s just you and your body. And instead of feeling strong, beautiful and empowered, you feel vulnerable and judged.

But there is something very wrong with this picture, because the scale really doesn’t reveal anything of value.

First, the scale lies. The number can fluctuate a lot in a 24-hour period. Things like what you ate the night before, how much water you drank, where you are in your cycle, if you worked out or not, all effect the number, but have nothing to do with your health. Not even to mention that muscle weighs a lot more than fat (and it’s fit and strong we’re going for here, not an arbitrary number on a scale).

Second, the best judge of how healthy you are is how you feel. Think about it: your scale can’t tell you how you slept last night, how you felt after Chinese take-out, or how clear your skin is. These are all true signs of health. Tune into how you feel while you are eating, working out and living your life- your body will communicate health by your energy, ability to sleep, skin quality, and mood.

Here’s the reality: Have you ever actually been happy with the number on the scale? If you gained weight, you’re a fat loser. If you stayed the same you are lazy. If you lost weight, you could’ve lost more and aren’t trying hard enough.

Getting your daily dose of self-esteem bashing from your scale causes stress, poor body image and really crappy moods. And what happens when women get moody? We eat. Weighing your self is actually making you fat, not thin. And the reality is, we all know when we lose weight. Our jeans feel looser, our skin is tighter, our face is less puffy. It’s not some big mystery. A scale can’t tell you how toned your arms are getting from doing a million triceps curls, or how radiant your eyes look from taking care of yourself.

My advice to you? Take steps to wean yourself off of the scale. The number on it means nothing. It is not an indicator of how you feel or how you look. It tells you nothing of importance. If you weigh yourself everyday – stop. Try instead to weigh yourself just once a week. If you weigh yourself every week, try cutting back to once a month. And if you really want to cultivate health in your life and develop a positive, trusting relationship with your body- just throw it away.

I promise – you will be far better off without it.

In the morning, go through this routine instead: undress, stand in front of your mirror and tell yourself you look beautiful (even if you don’t believe it at first). Admire and adore your body. Picture how you want to look in your wedding dress. Now hop into the shower feeling empowered, sexy and healthy.

Want more of Sarah? Check out her website: http://thebreathtakingbride.com/

Mini of the Month

In case you have not been paying attention, the way to our hearts is through our stomachs... more specifically if you buy us Baked By Melissa cupcakes, we will love you forever.

Just when you think 10 flavors of awesomeness is all you need to be happy in life, Baked By Melissa is introducing their "Mini of the Month!" (We know, it is a dream come true!) Each month, they will introduce a new cupcake which will only be available for that month. The August delight is Sundae Cupcake, made of chocolate cake, hot fudge stuffing, vanilla icing, chocolate sprinkles, with a cherry on top!

So run to the nearest Baked By Melissa store and order some of these yummy treats - you only have until August 31st!

Happy Birthday!

We want to wish a very Happy Birthday to one of our fav interns as he turns a quarter century old!!!

Breathtaking Bride Master Class - Limited Space!

As event planners, we’ve seen it all! But the saddest part is watching our brides struggle to lose weight for their wedding – believe us ladies, we understand your pain!

We are so happy to tell you that Sarah Jenks of the Breathtaking Bride, is now offering a two-hour Breathtaking Bride Master Class: “How to feel centered, confident and drop dead gorgeous in your wedding dress without crash diets, deprivation or turning into bridezilla”. This master class will show you a completely different way of losing weight for your wedding. A way that doesn’t involve starving yourself, counting calories or giving up chocolate.

Held at the gorgeous, Gabriella New York Bridal Salon on on Tuesday, July 27th from 6:30-8:30, this class is limited to TEN BRIDES, which will allow Sarah to give each participant the kind of one-on-one support she, until this point, has reserved for her full-time clients. Sarah’s philosophy is truly a breath of fresh air in this culture of crash dieting. To read more about Sarah and the class, click here.

These ten spots are going to fill up fast, so we recommend that you jump on it!

A Flag That Looks Good Enough to Eat!

With July 4th weekend right around the corner, we thought we would take a break from blogging about flowers and dresses and just focus on deliciousness! We know everyone has been to a BBQ where someone made a pound cake with cool whip, blueberry stars, and strawberry stripes. Let's face it, no one actually likes that cake! Well, we have a remedy for the mundane... check out the July 4th themed cupcakes below from Baked By Melissa. Yum

Have FUN with your Engagement Pictures!

There’s a new trend with engagement shoots: HAVING FUN! Forget about those stiff, staged engagement photos you think you’re supposed to take! We live in the best city in the world so get out there, take advantage and capture the energy of this amazing city, but most importantly HAVE FUN!

Check out how much fun our clients (Annie & Ed) had during their recent engagement shoot:

Photography by Lina Jang of Jang Photography

The Mystery of the Headband - J. Crew Bridal

Who knew a headband could stir up so much chatter! I received so many messages about the headband I wore to the Atelier Aimee event we told you about last week.

The gorgeous headband was purchased at the opening party of the new J. Crew Bridal boutique, located at at 769 Madison Avenue. The boutique is filled with bridal gowns, cocktail dresses, and more beautiful jewelry than even the ladies of DM Events can buy! Our favorite detail? The wall-o-cardigans (Obvi!) Can't you imagine each of your Maids wearing one?

Let me just say that when you are trying on headbands and Darcy Miller says, "Oooo, I like that one on you" YOU BUY IT!

We urge you to schedule an appointment with Kate for a fitting or stop in and buy as many of the adorable accessories as you can carry out!

Bride's Night Out - Atelier Aimee

We were recently asked to host an event at Atelier Aimee (we normally love to host, but it’s wedding season - oh the pressure!) The gorgeous gowns, the flowing champagne – and Grace Ormonde signing copies of her new book – what’s a planner to do? Say yes, of course! We teamed up with some of the best vendors in the industry and had a blast!

Photography: Mel Barlow & Allan Zepeda
Flowers: Poppies & Posies
Food: Crave Catering
Entrainment: Josh Beckerman

Who doesn't love Italian dresses!?!


The storefront at sunset.


Dawn is not engaged but she almost bought the dress on the right because she loved it so much! LOL


DM Events and Grace Ormonde. Beautiful coral peonies from Poppies and Posies.


You really have not had delicious food until you taste a Crave Catering creation!


One of our brides actually found her dress at this event!


Making the evening truly magical, was Josh Beckerman - entertainer, comedian, magician extraordinaire!


Look what Josh was able to do with our business card!!!!!!


Yumm ;)


Dawn always has the best shoes :)


In this industry, it is important to remember to have fun!


A successful night!

A big thank you is owed to Allan and Mel for their amazing photos of the event!

Is Your Wedding Diet Setting You Up To Fail?

We are so excited to introduce you to Sarah Jenks of Breathtaking Bride and are SO inspired about her mission to save brides from crash diets and punishing workouts. (Hey you! Yes you, on the juice diet! We are talking to you!)

Sarah really made us see how important healthy weight loss is when you are trying to get in shape. Let’s be honest, all these crazy diets just leave brides feeling depleted and strung out (and sometimes not any thinner!) on their wedding day. We see so many brides struggle to lose weight for their wedding, and Sarah has shown us that there is a MUCH better way.

We are considering having Sarah follow us around and monitor everything we eat… but for a slightly less toned down idea, you can meet Sarah on Thursday, June 24th at 6pm when she is giving a workshop at Williams-Sonoma Chelsea to discuss the best strategies for weight loss that will help you get ready for the big day! We promise that her methods do NOT involve deprivation, willpower, or torture!

Here’s a sample of what you will learn in the workshop:

• The number one diet trap brides fall into and how to avoid it.
• Why trying to use “will power” is a complete waste of time, and what you can do instead that actually works.
• The best strategy for overcoming cravings that NO ONE has taught you.
• Why most weight-loss programs are actually causing you to gain weight!
• How to choose foods, which are healthy and avoid foods which are not.
• The critical mind-set shift to getting exactly what you want for your wedding day.
• The simple (but critical) skill all brides need to feel grounded, stress-free and in control of their weight as the big day approaches!

Hope to see you there!

You're Invited!

Bow Ties For Charity

There has been a real movement in the last few years to add a charitable component to weddings ranging from donations in lieu of favors to volunteer expeditions rather than honeymoons. So when we see a simple opportunity to give back, we have to share it!

Through its Threads for Threads program, for every tie or bow tie purchased, FIGS will donate a uniform to a child in order for them to attend school. According to FIGS' website, "In many parts of Africa a child may not attend school without a proper uniform. Unfortunately many areas are stricken with poverty and so countless children do not have uniforms, resulting in lack of education quickly becoming a widespread epidemic. The government provides school uniforms where it can, but of course there are not adequate resources available for that to be enough for all children. For every FIGS tie or bow tie you buy, a uniform is given to a child in order for them to attend school."

So what does FIGS mean? Fashion Inspired Global Sophistication! We are inspired to give back on a global scale and we hope you are too!

Maps Galore

If I could have an adorable map for everything in my life, I would love it! Directional maps became a big hit a few years back and as time goes on, more and more vendors are popping up specializing in wedding day maps. I have two words: Love it!

One of our brides recently created the map above herself. We love a DIY bride! There’s tons of tips and advice on the web, but that can become a little overwhelming, so here are our favorites:

For the DIY Bride, visit Wedding Mapper and have fun creating!

For the part-time DIY Bride, visit Distinctive Directions or Snappy Maps and you’re only a few clicks away from a wedding day map all your own!

For the “I only bring my A-game” Bride, contact Bryn of Paperfinger for your one of a kind, hand-drawn design.

Happy Mapping!

Cutesy Convenience

We love anything that makes life easier! And in a city where groceries are delivered to your door and dry cleaning is done within 24 hours, we are guessing you do too!

Sprout Home has brought a little convenience to the wedding world and they have done it in style! Check out these adorable wooden utensil and napkin sets neatly packed in a brown paper pouch. Trust us, your buffet tablescape is not complete without this!

Nine Cakes

As a wedding planner, I’ve had my taste of cakes! Melina and I very rarely turn down the opportunity to tag along with our couples at a tasting, especially a cake tasting!

However, it is a little known fact that by the time your cake makes it’s grand appearance, many of your guests will either be partying like it’s 1999 or too busy throwing back your signature cocktail to focus on the cake. However, when the cake is good, the word spreads fast! Sure, it’s been sitting there all night looking pretty and it’s a little hard to believe that a cake can taste this good! Well, it can! Meet Nine Cakes…they’ve only been in business for a few years but their cakes make you want to line up for a second piece!

Can’t wait till your big day? No worries, they have cakes for every occasion! Here’s some of their signature cakes made fresh to order:


Orange Blossom Passionfruit
A tender vanilla cake with a splash of orange blossom water, and layered with passionfruit buttercream

Chocolate Earl Grey
Valrhona dark chocolate cake paired with Earl Grey infused ganache

Lemon Lavender
Lilting lemon cake with lavender infused buttercream

Chocolate Raspberry Rosewater
Valrhona dark chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream and a hint of rosewater

Almond Strawberry
Tender butter cake flecked with golden almonds, layers of strawberry buttercream

Chocolate Caramel Fleur de Sel
Valrhona dark chocolate cake with layers of caramel buttercream and a sprinkle of fleur de sel

Chocolate Coffee

With the sun shining outside today, it has been hard to focus on work! So while Dawn was on her third Starbucks run of the day, (picking up a tall, non-fat Dark Cherry Mocha for me – in case you were wondering!) I was inspired to search for creative coffee ideas...

Check out this adorable pic from Martha Stewart. Maybe it is the cherry mocha running through my veins but I think guests would love a sweet touch like this with their coffee! Be nice to your caterer and maybe they will consider dipping spoons in chocolate for you :)

Something Blue

Running out of ideas for your Something Blue?

Check out Lapis of Luxury, the new color from Essie (obvi!) Whether it’s on your fingers, toes, or the bottoms of your shoes, this is a great way to accomplish “something blue” in style!

You can thank us later :)

Bridal Brunch

In a city where excess is king, we think that hosting an intimate affair has become a bit of a lost art. So if a wedding of excess is not your style, why not have a brunch instead!

Brunch, the official meal of NYC, is a great way to gather together and celebrate with close friends and family. The added bonus is that brunch is a less expensive meal than dinner and liquor bills tend to be a bit lower (unless your crowd is the"It's 5'oclock somewhere" type!) Check out these adorable bridal brunch pics from Martha Stewart.

Treat Yourself!

We’re not usually in the market for spoiling ourselves – that’s usually for our brides! But recently, we attended a weekend of R&R for wedding industry vendors in the Hudson Valley. It was hosted by one of our Elan Artists (could we love them anymore?!), and was held at one of our new favorite venues, Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa.

Buttermilk Falls is located in Ulster County – don’t worry, we didn’t know where that was either – it is about 90 minutes outside of the NYC. It was renovated a couple of years ago to combine modern day luxury and country charm. The result is perfection!

How did we get there, you ask… Go Brilliant of course! You never heard of it? Well, listen up… they are officially the most fabulous mode of transportation we know. How many times have you seen a bride try to stuff herself into a limo without creasing her dress or messing up her hair!? None of these issues apply with Go Brilliant since you can actually stand in their vehicles! Once you get in and seat down, you are really in the lap of luxury with satellite TV and radio available at the press of a button!

We were treated to dinner by Cobblestone Catering, who traveled up for the occasion. Cobblestone is located in Brooklyn and while they cater all over the area, they also have a shop, Cobblestone Foods. In fact, as soon as you are done reading this, you should head over there and order a Carrot Cake Doozie – they are seriously awesome!

We were entertained by the truly enchanting, modern day sirens of Elan Artists: La Femme Classique, La Vida Con Fuego and Loukoum. We have all heard too many typical wedding bands and these ladies are a breath of fresh air with a sound that is all their own!

We are hope that you are inspired by photos below. They were taken by Mel Barlow, Carlos Andres Varela, and Allan Zepeda – they are truly amazing photographers with unparalleled talent. We are always telling clients that if there is one place to spend money it is on photography – your photos are the only thing you take with you when the big day is over!

Whether you’re scouting for a small wedding or a quick getaway with your friends, Buttermilk Falls is the Hudson Valley’s best kept secret!

Check out all the vendors who helped to make our weekend special!

Photography
www.elandocumentary.com
www.melbarlow.com
www.cavaweddings.com
www.allanzepeda.com

Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa

Cobblestone Catering

Go Brilliant

Musicians

Memory Keeping In Style

Saying “I Do” is a life decision, not a design decision so if decorating with formal wedding portraits is not really your style, why not think outside the box! Yes, you will still have your favorite wedding photo hung in the bedroom and another strategically placed on his desk where his secretary is sure to see it, but Martha Stewart has some other ways to commemorate the big day…

Bouquet - There is, of course, a sentimental attachment to your bouquet – not to mention the fact that it may be the most expensive floral arrangement you ever hold in your hand. Many of our brides are convinced by family and friends (usually an aging aunt!) to dry their favorite bloom from the bouquet - but once the bloom is dry, they have no idea what to do with it! With a little creativity, you can create a series of framed art pieces using the petals of multiple flowers in your bouquet. Lay the cut blossoms between newsprint, and put between the pages of a heavy book (phone books work perfectly!) for 10-12 days. Use tweezers to transfer the flowers to card stock and arrange! Secure the flowers with a drop of glue on the underside.

Photos - We can not stress how important photography is – we also can not stress how FUN a photobooth is! The pictures that result from the photobooth are always our favorite because they are not staged or forced – they are glimpses into the joy shared by family and friends on your special day. Many couples will put the strips in scrapbooks that will sit on the shelf for years – why not frame them so you can have a visual reminder of the fun and excitement of the day. Arrange strips and secure with double-stick tape.

With both projects, you have an opportunity to show your creative side and express the fun and whimsy that went into your amazing day!

Paper XOXO

It’s always a treat to stumble upon a great new find! This weekend, as we were walking to a site visit with our client, we passed Paper Love. From across the street, it looked like an ordinary cutesy stationery store, but up close it was a little piece of letterpress heaven! Paper Love, located in Park Slope, opened its doors in November 2008 and not only provides stationery and invitations but beautiful letterpress albums. Yet another reason to love Brooklyn!

Goodbye Cookie-Cutter Wedding, Hello Fun!

Clients always tell us that they want their weddings to be fun… we really can not think of anything more fun that inviting StudioBooth to the big day! StudioBooth is the brainchild of photographers Dan Eckstein and Dustin Ross who decided that life was to short to be serious all the time – especially on your wedding day!

StudioBooth is a mobile photo studio that lets your event photograph itself! Similar to a photo booth, but expandable for groups of any size. Guests trigger the camera with a wireless remote and the images are then instantly projected for all to see! (No worries, a professional photographer is also on hand to trigger the camera if your guests prefer.) A slideshow of the photos runs throughout the event and afterward all of the images are uploaded to an online gallery for your guests to view, print and share. Each StudioBooth installation is custom tailored and can be personalized with various props and backgrounds (our fav part!) So put a smile on your face and make mom happy by posing for some family photos, then grab your friends and take some pictures that actually make you smile!

If you haven’t already fallen in love with StudioBooth from their photos above, check out their website for more pics and info.

Cobblestone Catering - There Goes Your Diet!

Summer is around the corner and just about everyone we know is on a diet. If you are one of the many trying to lose a few pounds, then we caution you to steer clear of Cobblestone Catering because their food is irresistible!

Jeremy and Meghan are passionate about working with clients to create a menu that reflects personal style and taste. We had the pleasure of tasting their delicious creations at last night’s Urban Wed event and can not stop raving about the Vegetarian Summer Rolls (Soba, Pickled Vegetables, Mint, Cilantro, Sweet Chili Sauce) and the Maine Lobster Beggar's Purse (Tarragon, Crème Fraiche, Fresh Crepe.) We were unable to resist eating just 1 (or even 2!) servings of their hors d'oeuvres… ok fine, we admit it, we made a dinner out of it! Just taste the food, you will understand! Check them out:

199 Court Street

Brooklyn NY, 11201

Tel: 718.222.1661

info@cobblestonefoods.com

We solemnly swear that the food is as good as it looks in the pictures!

How Sweet It Is!

It is official! We have fallen in love with Panna Dolce, a new confections company that specializes in French macaroons and ships them around the country (which is important since these NYC girls do not intend to fly to Chicago for dessert no matter how tasty it is!)

It took the baking duo behind these treats five years to perfect the recipe! But it was worth the wait, they are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, and most importantly, they come in amazing flavors ranging from raspberry chocolate ganache to almond butter and strawberry jelly and even Key lime!

Best of all, they let you customize the flavors and even the packaging! We love when companies understand the importance of letting our brides customize anything and everything!

What are you waiting for? Place an order!

Trunk Shows - Don't Miss Out!

It is the most important dress you will ever wear... No pressure, but you better pick a good one! Why not consult the professionals? And since this is NYC, the professionals will be converging on Saks Fifth Avenue for the Trunk Shows, where bridal specialists will assist you in choosing the perfect dress for the big day! Each event will showcase the designer's entire collection. The trunk show schedule is below, for more information or to schedule a private appointment, contact the Bridal Salon at Saks at 212.940.2269.

JUNKO YOSHIOKA - March 11-13

ANNA MAIER~ULLA-MAIJA - March 18-20

JENNY PACKHAM - March 25-27

MARCHESA - April 8-10

ANNE BOWEN - April 15-17

MONIQUE LHUILLIER - April 22-24 and July 15-17

SELIA YANG - April 29-May 1

DOUGLAS HANNANT - May 6-8
ANGEL SANCHEZ - May 13-15

VERA WANG - May 20-22

CAROLINA HERRERA - June 17-19

Casual Chic

Whoever said that chic weddings were expensive, clearly never knew about Bulk Party Supplies! For just a few dollars (seriously!) and a DYI attitude, you can glam up your wedding in no time.

Like any theme, it only works if you incorporate small accents throughout the event. Paper ornaments on your cake might seem like an odd touch if they are not complimented by a paper garland wall or tissue ball chandeliers. So take a risk, start a trend, and don't eliminate your local party supply store as a source for wedding decor!

Pronovias - One Day Only Sale!

Who doesn’t love a fabulous new cocktail dress? Did I mention that fabulous new cocktail dress may be 75% off? Yes, it’s true! And with a sale this wonderful – we think two dresses is better than one!

Save the date – March 11, 2010

Book an appointment now!

Happy shopping!

Shoulda Put a "Pin" on It!

In a city where vintage is king, we are surprised that this craze did not hit earlier! Amanda Heer of Brooch Bouquets, a California-based florist, has been dazzling brides with her brooch bouquet creations. All you have to do is scour vintage shops - or grandma's jewelry box - to collect brooches, earrings, pendants, watches, and cuff links. (We confess to being partial to this idea only if the bouquet is made of vintage pieces from family and friends.) Once you have about 50 pieces, send them to Amanda, who will add in a few of her own to create a bouquet that is truly a work of art. You can even point out your favorite pieces and she will ensure that they are prominently displayed!

All you need is one week and $350, and you can have achieve the ultimate NYC bridal goal - to have something unique and original.