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New York’s Mark Rose Flowers & Events – Stunning Wedding Floral Arrangements

We love looking over the websites of our many talented luxury wedding resources. New York’s Wedding Floral & Event Designer Mark Rose has some gorgeous new photographs. Lots of oh’s and ah’s from us as we looked through his galleries. Here are just a few that we found that are not part of his StrictlyWeddings.com page.

Mark Rose was raised in New England where his fascination with nature and love of flowers began at an early age. His education in architecture, design and horticulture combined with his extensive international travel continually provide his inspiration. Mark’s professional career began in Washington, DC where he designed events at The National Gallery of Art, The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian and The Washington Opera, establishing himself in his field.

Mark moved to New York to work with event designers Robert Isabell and Preston Bailey, and soon after was offered the position to oversee the public flowers and in-house events at The Plaza and The Pierre Hotel for Atlas, where he worked for almost a decade.

These grand hotels and other prominent venues throughout New York have been ideal locations to showcase Mark’s style, where he has designed spectacular wedding receptions, corporate galas, and charity balls in the celebrated spaces.

Photo credits:

www.rydocumentary.com
www.fredmarcus.com
www.ksacher.com

Featured Wedding in Santa Barbara: A Chance Meeting of Old Friends

Chance meetings can change your life. It did with this couple who knew each other throughout high school, yet it wasn’t until years later that a chance meeting at a hang out in Austin, Texas, where they both attended the University of Texas, reconnected them; this time forever.

Torri and Andy’s first date, a week later, was at Cedar Street, where they listened to the Spazmatics, the same band who, four years later, would be hired to play at their wedding! The proposal came on a Memorial Day weekend at the Chateau du Sureau outside Yosemite National Park with a beautiful, bended-knee proposal amid tea lights in the forest.

Torri’s wedding dress was a Lazaro, Spanish-inspired gown, with a Monique Lhuillier veil. She found the dress in Scottsdale, Arizona where her father lives, on a special trip with her mother. Final approval came after her Dad visited many bridal boutiques with Torri and helped her make the final decision – now that’s a special dad!

Torri and Andy chose Santa Barbara as their wedding location due to Andy’s father who was in Seminary at Old Mission Santa Barbara. The full choir performed throughout the ceremony.

Montecito Confections created two beautiful cakes for the event. The bridal cake was a 4-tier cake with Tiramisu, coconut and the traditional Southern Red Velvet Cake flavors. Persimmon colored Plumerias trailed down the edge of the white fondant cake. The groom’s cake was in the shape of a panda (the bride’s nickname for the groom) and was a bittersweet chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse filling.

The reception was an alfresco, family-style celebration held in traditional Italian style to honor the bride’s family, at a private estate, Terra Bella, in Hope Ranch overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Guests dined on antipasto with bowls of risotto and penne a la puttanesca passed around family style. For the main course, guests enjoyed filet mignon, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. Along with the cake, guests were treated to a gelato bar.

The reception began with Music from the local band, Luna Gitana. The reception continued well into the night with music by the Spazmatics.

Trolleys were on-hand to transport guests from the Mission to the estate and to take guests back to their respective hotels at the end of the evening with gifts of pashminas, Torrone Italian candy and jordan almonds wishing everyone, Buona Sera.

Our thanks to StrictlyWeddings.com Dallas photographer, Thisbe Grace, who as always, brought her own grace and style to these wonderful wedding photos.

Bride and Groom: Torri Hansen and Andy Ainsa
Date: September 25, 2010
Photographer: Thisbe Grace Photography
Bridal Gown: Lazaro
Cake: Montecito Confections
Wedding Ceremony: Old Mission Santa Barbara

Wedding Linens To Be Treasured: Wildflower Linen

So many of our StrictlyWeddings.com wedding planners have reached out to Wildflower Linen, a premier resource for linen rentals, when looking for something uniquely different for their clients.

Wildflower Linen is a designer table linen and chair cover rental company that has dressed the tables of Hollywood and our nation’s hottest parties and most elegant wedding banquets (and even the White House on numerous occasions). Youngsong Martin, the president and founder of Wildflower Linen and a former fashion designer, has infused her linens with rich colors, textures and patterns. Since Wildflower Linen’s inception, Youngsong has redefined the rental linen field with her company’s couture quality and attention to customer care. (Note: All photos are copyrighted and only to be used with written permission from Wildflower Linen) (more…)

Wedding Accessory Shopping Tips

1. Never be over influenced by other people.  As nice as it is to get other opinions, make sure that you are happy with your own choice. Take their advice of course, but always go with what YOU feel most comfortable on and what reflects YOUR personal style.
2. Give yourself plenty of time to chose and order your jewelry, headpiece, veil and shoes. Don’t fall into the trap of panic purchasing. Also, order and choose in advance.  Do not necessarily go by your wedding date, but when you want everything in your hands or for your fitting!
3. Wear a white or ivory camisole when wedding accessory shopping to help you visualize your look and always have a photo of your dress with you.
4. Try to decide on your hairstyle prior to selecting a headpiece. By coordinating a look your selection process will be made far easier.
5. Take your headpiece with you when you see your hairstylist. Please make sure the stylist does not spray with hair products as discoloration may occur.
6. Keep an open mind when shopping for a veil. It’s the one time in your life you get to wear a veil and having one, whether it’s a blusher, flyaway, bird cage, or cathedral will look beautiful on any bride from walking down the aisle to photographs galore. It’s more than just a piece of tulle. And please don’t iron your veil yourself. Veiling shrivels under a hot iron. Hang it up in a hot steamy bathroom or blow-dry it with a hair dryer to remove any creases.
7. Women love shoes, so often finding the perfect wedding shoe can be a task. Comfort is key. Choose a shoe you’ll feel confident in walking down the aisle and dancing all night in.  Or, you may have a pair for the wedding and a pair for your reception (so you can dance all night). You’ll need your shoes for your fittings, so plan ahead. Start shoe shopping as soon as you select your dress.

And a note about colored shoes…if you’re thinking about wearing colored wedding shoes, keep in mind that colored wedding shoes create a drastic contrast again your gown and will negate that lovely long, elegant line. It’s definitely trendy, so if you’re worried about looking back on photos in the years ahead and think you may cringe when you see them, opt for a lovely silk white or ivory wedding shoe instead.

Source: Everything But The Dress

Wedding Planning – Love Reigns with this Dallas Wedding Planner

Love Reigns with Dallas Wedding Planner Paige Chenault. Whether she’s traveling to a destination wedding or in her own backyard, Paige and her team create a wedding day that is beautiful, memorable and uniquely you.

Paige Chenault Events manage the entire planning process for you…from selecting a location, designing the perfect invitation and choosing a florist to managing the budget, coordinating the timeline and being on site until the last good-bye. Or, if you prefer, they are happy to simply assist you with weekend coordination. Either way, they are committed to doing everything they can to create a fun, relaxing, unforgettable day for you and your guests. (more…)

Happy Easter!

This beautiful bride, smiling amidst a background of flowers, is a perfect one for Easter – reminding us of the beauty of life and the joie de vie found in love. Wishing all our StrictlyWeddings.com a blessed holiday weekend. Be safe and we look forward to bringing you more wedding ideas and features next week.

Photo courtesy of Thisbe Grace

A Honeymoon in Venice, Italy Touches All The Senses

Since one of our New York Partners is Cipriani, we thought we would let you experience Venice from the lens of our StrictlyWeddings.com friend, Italian Photographer Rochelle Cheever. She rang me up and asked me what I loved about Venice. I gave her my list and off she went. These photos are so wonderful and beautifully capture the romance of Venice – a perfect Honeymoon destination. Strolling the city, it is all so inviting. It’s a glorious, theatrical experience that touches all the senses.

And if Venice is a theatre, the Hotel Cipriani is the Royal Box. Four minutes by private launch from San Marco, on the tip of Giudecca Island, this iconic Orient-Express hotel commands unrivaled views of the lagoon and Doge’s Palace. Steeped in Venetian style, it is known for interiors decorated in exquisite local artifacts, classic cuisine with an innovative twist and the most fabulous swimming pool in the city. Then, of course, there’s Harry’s Bar and you know what they are known for – The Bellini – a must when in Venice.

When there, don’t miss the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. These can be covered in one outing using the public vaporetto (water bus). The vaporetto ride on Venice’s waterways is always fun, plus you’ll love the glass products and lace found on Murano and Burano.

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European Country Charm Shines At This New York Wedding Venue

We received this fab wedding from our New York StrictlyWeddings.com partner Gruber Photographers that showcased this very cool venue in the heart of New York City - 632onHudson. Originally built in 1847 as a townhouse for the family of a sashmaker, 632 Hudson Street was converted to a general store and produce market late in the 19th century by Hugh King, whose name appears on the pediment. Purchased by the Esteve family in the 1930’s, the building became home to an import export business and chorizo sausage factory, which it remained until 1992. In that year the present owner acquired the building, restoring and renovating it with a grand theatrical gesture that spans both space and time, and leading to its present incarnation as 632onHudson – a premier space for receptions and events in New York’s far West Village.

The wedding was inspired.  With details that spoke from the heart, right down to her bouquet separating into three smaller bouquets—one piece for his mother and one for hers as a thank you for bringing them to that moment in their lives. The presentation was made during the ceremony. Her dress was a light-as-air silk chiffon Reem Acra evening gown. (more…)

Wedding Themes – Royal Wedding Inspiration

In less than two weeks all eyes will be glued to any and all coverage on the Royal Wedding. You can’t read (or watch) any media outlet without some tidbit on Prince William and Catherine Middleton (we even read one story saying that one will no longer be able to refer to the bride-to-be as “Kate” but rather “Catherine” due to her new Royal title!).

At StrictlyWeddings.com, we just wish the happy couple much joy and longevity.

So, what do we think a Royal bride should look like? Recently, we put together this photo shoot with just that in mind.

Photography – Thisbe Grace Photography
Flowers & Planning – Jordan Payne
Location – Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Jewelry – deBoulle
Bridal Gowns – Warren Barron Bridal
Hair – Sonia Trevino
Make up – Myra Rams-Sanabria/My Fabulous Faces
Model – Megahn Moll

Wedding Ideas – Tips on the Post-Wedding Brunch

A post-wedding brunch is a delightful way to get family and good friends together, and to provide a warm send-off for the bride and groom, who may be honeymoon-bound later in the day. Brunch is usually held the morning after the wedding, and it tends to be an intimate affair, often including only family members, the wedding party, and out-of-town guests who are especially close to the bride and groom. Guests can mingle in a more relaxed atmosphere than the wedding day provides, renewing old friendships and touching base with people they don’t often see. Here are a few ideas and tips for hosting the perfect post-wedding brunch:

Who pays?
One of the first things to do is to decide who will assume the cost for the brunch. There are no formal rules about this, but usually the bride or groom’s family pays. Or, the brunch can be hosted by a good friend or family member.

Tip: If you find that your wedding budget just won’t stretch for another get-together, you can invite guests to a “no-host” brunch in a restaurant where you’ve reserved space for everyone to eat together.

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