Click here for the FULL rehearsal dinner!

From Lydia FitzGerald of Charmed Places… This event is near and dear to my heart. It was a labor of love to plan and execute and both my clients, their guests and I were extremely happy with the outcome. The dinner took place at Grasmere Farm in Rhinebeck, New York, which is not yet known as an event venue. The last private event to be held at Grasmere prior to this rehearsal dinner was the rehearsal dinner for Chelsea Clinton the summer before. With that level of event preceding ours, I knew I had to work with my clients and vendors to create an event that honored this occurrence, as well as the space itself and of course, my client’s wishes — one of which was not to upstage the wedding the following day. Yikes! Hard to do when working with such a naturally beautiful and grand location. The barn at Grasmere is a raw space with no power or running water. Among other things, I had the space power washed and a load of gravel delivered and raked to ensure that the beautiful lounge setting on the massive gravel courtyard in front of the stone barn would make a statement to guests as they arrived.

On the day of the event, guests were directed to an unmarked entrance to the property. A long and winding drive lined with lanterns that we installed that took them past massive fields, a large pond and up to entrance to the courtyard and barns. After several consecutive days of rain we were fortunate to have a beautiful and sunny day. Guests spent cocktail hour in the courtyard sipping on champagne and a specialty cocktail of marinated blackberries, fresh mint, vodka and seltzer, listening to spanish guitar melodies provided by a live musician. With one entire side of the 7,000 sq ft barn exposed, we made sure that guests were moved inside the barn for dinner before sunset so they could take in the view of rolling lawns, haystacks and blue sky before night came. Dinner was festive but intimate, with the lighting design of the barn’s interior becoming more apparent as day became night. With September being the start of harvest season in the Hudson Valley, guests sampled local produce in an heirloom tomato salad with champagne vinaigrette and grass-fed Hudson Valley beef with local chanterelle mushrooms. Many toasts were given, and a lovely and sweet video montage of the couple was played for guests. When it was time to leave, no one wanted to go! At the end of the evening the bride ran up to me, grabbed me and exclaimed, “Thank you for making this evening so special!” Mission accomplished!

Event Planning: Lydia FitzGerald of Charmed Places / Venue: Grasmere Farm in Rhinebeck, New York / Photography: Randy Ahart of Photo Pink / Event Design + Florals: Lisa Riso of The Greenhouse at Rhinebeck / Lighting Design: Salvin Design / Catering: Main Course Catering

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Post tags: Charmed Places, Grasmere Farm, Hudson Valley, Lisa Riso, Lydia FitzGerald, Main Course Catering, New York, Photo Pink, Purple, Randy Ahart, Rehearsal Dinner, Rhinebeck, Salvin Design, The Greenhouse at Rhinebeck
Post categories: Hudson Valley Weddings, New York Weddings

Click here for the FULL wedding!

See this gorgeous wedding come to life thanks to the talents at Vantage Point Films:

From the bride… I know every wedding is unique. Too many details go into them to not be and too many wedding magazines told me so. But I loved the decision we made for our officiants – our dads! – and knew just how unique it was when not one person (town clerk, venue contact, wedding planner, all guests) had heard of a (non-clergy member) dual-dad ceremony. Aside from marrying Jeff (and wearing flats), it was the best decision made that day. Though Jeff and I are both Jewish, neither of us approaches the religion from anything more than a customary perspective. On this day of ‘us’ it didn’t make sense to bring in someone to forever bind us using Hebrew that we didn’t understand and quoting beliefs that simply didn’t mean anything to us. What did mean something to us: both of our parents were still successfully married and incredibly in love. They had nearly eight decades of combined marital experience under their belts. They were both married the second weekend of June. We wanted our ceremony to be about love, about finding soul mates, and about learning what makes this work. We also opted not to break a good tradition and get married ourselves the second weekend of June.

We asked my dad first. I think my mom may have tipped him off to this as I made the mistake of mentioning it to her first. He was humbled, honored, and accepted the role, while quickly adding “But if you realize that this is as crazy as it is and want to back out, I won’t take offense.” Typical advice from my dad, who’s always been keen on making sure I knew to never feel pigeonholed growing up – with his most famous line being (when I was too young to even think of marriage): “If we’re at your wedding and about to walk down the aisle, and you feel that any part of this is off — I don’t care what’s been paid for, I don’t care how many people came in to town for you — we will turn right around, no questions asked, and figure it all out. Don’t feel pressured.” As a side note, I was lucky enough to pull him aside right before I DID actually walk down the aisle to let him know I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Jeff’s parents had a slightly different response. After sitting them both down, we told them there was something important we wanted to talk to them about. This set off an endless round of guesses. “No, we’re not having a baby,” and “No, we didn’t run off and get married already.” So by the time we got around to asking, they were totally caught off guard and a bit dumbfounded. “But … is it legal?!” This is a question Gary asked us up until our wedding day. We assured him it was, and the two dads took to the internet to become ordained Universal Life Ministers. An official card and a bumper sticker stating his new title helped to abate Gary’s fears.

We opted not to hear it ahead of time as we wanted to be in the moment and LISTEN to what they were sharing with us, rather than go through the motions of a ceremony we were all too familiar with. All four parents had endless conference calls in which my mom read my lines, Jeff’s mom read Jeff’s lines, and the dads turned their emotions into a perfect script. They had one rule: they both had to agree to what was incorporated, and if one didn’t feel it was right, it was dropped, not brought to trial. The result was magical, memorable and something that the town clerk, our wedding planner, and our guests had never witnessed before … a marriage by the dads. After Jeff was walked down the aisle by both his parents, Gary stood under the chuppah (a nod to tradition and the one concession we made to my mom who jokingly – kind of — said “But you’re both Jewish, of course you need it!”). After the bridal party made their way to the front, both my parents walked my down the aisle. My dad joined Gary, the moms brought black choir robes to their respective husbands (a touch the dads insisted upon to clearly separate their roles of ‘officiant’ and ‘dad’) and it began. The whole ceremony, every page of which I loved, was timed to 28 minutes and was nearly 40 pages long. We have a signed copy by the dads in our living room, and leaf through it often to remind ourselves of the lessons learned and that moment the four of us shared.

Wedding Photography: Emily Dryden of Photo Pink / Second Photographer: Leigh Anna Thompson / Event Planning + Coordination: Lydia FitzGerald of Charmed Places / Event Design + Florals: Linda Baldwin Flowers and Decor / Wedding Venue + Catering: Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts / Cinematography: Vantage Point Films / Cupcakes: Barrington Bites / Music: Soulsystem Orchestras / Wedding Invitations: The Village Invites / Wedding Dress: Gustavo Cadile / After-Party Venue: Mepal Manor

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Post tags: Barrington Bites, Black, Charmed Places, Emily Dryden, Gedney Farm, Gustavo Cadile, Linda Baldwin Flowers and Decor, Lydia FitzGerald, Massachusetts, New Marlborough, Photo Pink, Soulsystem Orchestras, The Berkshires, The Village Invites, Vantage Point Films, White
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Massachusetts Weddings, The Berkshires Weddings

Tamara’s simply perfect wedding gown was designed by Elizabeth Fillmore and Adam’s suit is from Ermenegildo Zegna. Quite the stylish couple!

Karen tells us …Tamara and Adam were married in August 2009 in Fort Tryon Park.  The reception was at The New Leaf Restaurant & Bar.

When asked about their decision to keep the wedding small, this is what Tamara had to say …

We wanted the wedding itself to be a very intimate and casual experience – immediate family and a couple of close friends only. I have been to so many weddings where the bride spent the whole night going from table to table, and had no chance to really enjoy her own wedding. I wanted to really experience every moment – and with a small group, we kept our numbers below 40, I could do that.

However, our families really wanted the opportunity to invite all of their friends so that they could celebrate with them as well. As a result – we had a very large engagement party in Toronto (where I am from), that my parents threw for us, and then my husband’s parents threw the post wedding party for their friends at their home upstate. It worked out really well actually – I did all the wedding planning, and enjoyed every moment of my wedding, but didn’t plan a thing for either of the other events, so although they were much bigger, I was able to enjoy myself as well because I was not stressing the details!

Why the New Leaf Cafe?  The New Leaf was, I believe, the last place we saw. We had seen at least 30 places at that point, and were very stressed by the whole process. I really wanted a city view – and Adam really wanted an outdoor ceremony. Finding those two things, together with a space that was not overwhelming in size for our small group was tough. The New Leaf fit nearly all of our criteria – I had some city view, but that was made up by the gorgeous outdoor space. The prices were very reasonable, the size perfect, the food amazing, and to top it all off, it was a non-profit that had a goal we loved supporting.

And from the post-wedding party …

Congratulations Tamara & Adam!

You can see LOTS more of their wedding and reception in our SMP photo gallery as well as on Karen’s blog …

Tamara & Adam’s Manhattan Wedding

Tamara & Adam’s Upstate NY Reception

Karen also has another wedding that she just posted on her blog that’s bright and bold and positively stunning!! {Jackie & Aaron At The Foundry}

Dress: Elizabeth Fillmore,  Shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Headpieces: Lilliput (Toronto, On), Flowers: Blade Floral Design, Make-up/Hair: Fresh Face Forward, Day of Planner: The Boutique Group, Cake: Silk Cakes, Groom’s Suit: Ermenegildo Zegna, Upstate Reception/Coordinator:  Tammy Baldwin of Charmed Places, Makeup: Fresh Face Forward

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blade Floral Design, Charmed Places, Elizabeth Fillmore, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fort Tryon Park, Karen Wise Photography, Lilliput Hats, Manolo Blahnik, Silk Cakes, The Boutique Group
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography

Carla Ten Eyck is just that … amazing …

When you hire a photographer for your wedding, you’re not just hiring a picture-taker. You’re gaining a friend. You’re hiring someone who will be by your side on one of THE most important days of your life. That person will bring out the sheer beauty, the raw emotion … the awe in you. That’s what you get with Carla Ten Eyck.

Carla Ten Eyck captured Samar and Shane’s exquisite multi-cultural wedding that spanned three glorious days.  There is no way that we can do this incredible celebration justice. We simply want to show you, brag to you, how great Carla and her incredible team are.

Samar and Shane’s wedding weekend …

The wedding took place in Hudson, NY. It was a three day Pakistani and Irish wedding celebration. Friday night the family held a Mehndi ceremony in the beautiful barn at Oak Hill Estate in the Hudson River Valley. These celebrations are traditionally women only, but Shane and Samar invited the men to participate as well. During the ceremony they sat together in a swing while guests came up to offer them blessings. After the blessings there were traditional dances upstairs in the barn. Saturday was the formal wedding ceremony. Samar’s father officiated the ceremony, and the bridesmaids carried wooden bowls full of rose petals instead of bouquets. Floral decor was by Little Black Book member, Linda Baldwin Flowers.

Shane and Samar’s incredible celebration proves without a doubt that if you are lucky enough to have Carla and her team ~ Mike Romano, Katie Slater and Graham Scobey ~ you will have memories … and a friend who will last a lifetime!

Congratulations Samar & Shane on an absolutely phenomenal wedding! And Carla, well as we’ve said before … sheer beauty!!

For the rest of Samar & Shane’s story, take a trip to Carla Ten Eyck’s blog site. It … she … is totally awesome.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Barn, Carla Ten Eyck, Charmed Places, Graham Scobey, Hindu, Hudson River Valley, Hudson Valley, Katie Slater, Lily Of The Valley, Linda Baldwin Flowers, Mehndi, Mike Romano, New York Weddings, Pakistani, Rose Petals, Traditions
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography