Fashion Week

Celebrity hairstylist DM invited me to see his work during Fashion Week. The Russian Children’s Welfare Society (RCWS), in collaboration with the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in New York, hosted A Night of Fashion — Russian Style Benefit Gala featuring designer Randi Rahm. The event took place at the Ana Tzarev Gallery on 24 West 57 Street.

This model's dress and hair stood out brilliantly in a full house of fashionistas.

Oxana Baiul and Don Johnson were among celebrities in attendance lending their support.

This dress captured the crowd.

The crowd erupted in reaction to this bridal grown.

Montauk Wedding Invitations

The invitation truly set the stage for Mike and Gabrielle's warm and charm filled outdoor wedding. The bride had very specific ideas and Avivit Fisher was asked to design an invitation to communicate this vision to their guests. This was the result:


The couple loved this concept and carried it out beautifully into many of the details of their day, including the favors, table names, menus and more.




Editor's note: The flower post was postponed and will be published at a later date.

Their Montauk: Brilliant Wedding Photography

Robert Wagner and I met less than a year ago and I was instantly impressed by this wedding photography, so of course I was thrilled when Mike and Gabrielle hired him to document their day. Happy to have two hours with the couple before their sunset reception, he captured the newlyweds and their Montauk.

Here are a few images that stood out while Bobby was uploading the photos:





The bride was thrilled to get a glimpse, before departing for their honeymoon. The couple enjoyed being with Bobby, who was very professional. We look forward to seeing more of his pictures in a few weeks.

More from Montauk: Just Coffee NY

Mike and Gabrielle are coffee aficionados, and when it came to planning their wedding at the start of the new day, they always intended to include coffee in the equation.

I remember the day Gabrielle discovered the Just Coffee New York red mobile unit on Montauk Whine and Bicker. She was smitten and quickly set out to the parking lot of IGA just off Montauk Highway where the truck parks, to sample the joe.


Once she saw the truck, enjoyed the coffee and liked the crew, she knew she had to have this at her wedding. She negotiated the situation carefully with e-mail pleas and homemade baked goods. The cool trio finally agreed to be the surprise element of her sunrise ceremony. Java enthusiasts were happy to have great coffee served up next to the bride's signature Kahlúa cake and Raspberry Thumbprint Drop cookies from Tom Cat Bakery in Brooklyn, New York, where the couple resides.

Next, I'll introduce Mike and Gabrielle's fabulous professional photographer, Robert Wagner and share a sneak peek of his photos.

Montauk Wedding- A Sunrise Ceremony

Mike and Gabrielle's wedding in Montauk this past Saturday was creative, thoughtful, original, romantic, beautiful and delicious. I plan to spend this week sharing the details of their magical day.





The couple's relationship shifted in Montauk, you can read their he said, she said version of how they met and why sunrise is significant here on their website. Fighting much resistance, the couple decided to exchange vows at 6:30a.m. at Camp Hero Park with Montauk's signature lighthouse looking on from a distance.

Their former bosses and dear friends are now affectionately referred to as the reverends as they became ordained as ministers to officiate the ceremony. This creative duo splits their time between Montauk and Manhattan. She designs Montoids and he is the chief editor of The End.

The bride's oldest friend and the groom's sister read poems. The couple walked away from the group to exchange their vows privately. Violin music warmed the early morning air and a cookie coaxed the flower girl along.



Tomorrow, I'll share the surprise the couple arranged for their guests after the ceremony.


(Photo Credit: Simone Shlozberg Heffernan)

Getting Married in Montauk

The treasured town of Montauk is located at farthest tip of Long Island. It is a charming weekend away for busy New Yorkers and an excellent alternative to an urban venue or a traditional destination wedding. Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of spending time in Montauk with a special couple planning their September wedding. Surrounded by water and serving up scrumptious seafood, the easy breezy beach town is intoxicating, but hosting a beachfront wedding is ironically not so simple.

While there is no shortage of beautiful, inspiring and sometimes misleading ocean front photography on the internet, setting expectations and filling inspiration boards of alfresco inspired couples, planning that wedding in Montauk can prove challenging.

Location: Always one of the most important decisions when planning a wedding, the location sets the stage and tone for the entire event. Montauk is no exception. In fact this element takes a heightened significance if you are considering a wedding that showcases Montauk’s natural elements. (beaches, cliffs or the lighthouse)

Weather: Check the average forecasts and temperatures for date you are planning to get married. This will help you prepare for heating units, generators and umbrellas if necessary. This will also allow you to inform your guests, so they can dress appropriately and come prepared to be comfortable, enabling them to enjoy your wedding.

Logistics: Note sunrise and sunset times so lighting can be addressed. Unless, you have hired a planner, caterer or a venue that will oversee everything, remember to consider restrooms, electricity and sound systems.

Regulations: Speak to someone locally. There are rules about the volume of amplified music in the evening, serving alcohol on the beach and permits. Permits are necessary for weddings of fifty guests or more. Using a tent? The fire marshal must come and inspect the tent at the property. There is a fee for this. Private beaches or residences are ideal options, but accessing them without a personal relationship or a huge budget is difficult.

Season: Summer is easily Montauk’s peak season, which means the small town will be bustling. Accommodations are in greater demand, minimum night stays will be enforced, negotiating power is weak and traffic is heavy. If you can get married in Montauk before Memorial Day or after Labor Day, you’ll save money and your guests will enjoy the value associated with this fishing town.

There are many things to take into consideration when planning a wedding at “The End”, but with careful planning the effort is worthwhile and you and your guests will thoroughly enjoy your Montauk wedding and the entire experience.

Shakespeare's Garden

He did it again. Christopher Duggan made great photos of last week's wedding in Shakespeare's Garden in Central Park.

The technique of photographing the subject through an item was introduced to me a few months ago, Christopher executes this above beautifully.



Christopher and I had double duty on Thursday. We were Amanda and Phillip's official witnesses and signed their marriage certificate stating such. The London based couple's most intimate exchange of vows was very heartfelt.



So green and lush, one would not know we were in New York City.



Congratulations Amanda and Phillip!

Location: Shakespeare's Garden in Central Park
Photographer: Threshold Visions
Officiant: Witness Circle
Flowers: Flowers by Richard

Get Married in New York was established in 2002 by British born Lorraine Ellis and specializes in arranging weddings for couples in the United Kingdom who want to get married in New York. I am so happy to be their New York representative and day-of coordinator.

Thanks to Christopher Duggan for sharing his beautiful photographs.

California

Happy Labor Day!

I hope you are enjoying this long weekend. With two big weddings on the horizon, I am happy to be home this weekend and I have made projects a priority. Meanwhile, many friends have been vacationing in California recently, so I am inspired to share some photos from my trip to California earlier this year.

If I didn't love living in New York, I am sure I'd be content living adjacent to a winery. The gorgeous Orfila Vineyard is a short drive from San Diego.



Imagine being a bride walking down this aisle.


In effort to balance out the vineyard photos, here are few of the animals at the San Diego Zoo.





Thanks to my dear friend and trusted travel companion Cheri for her love of maps and excellent navigation skills. She got us everywhere we wanted to go and then some!

Zagats

I would not dream of traveling without consulting Zagats.com. My online subscription is one of my most valuable tools. I love being able to find the best restaurant based on food, value, decor. You can also do an advance search and indicate what neighborhood you want to dine in and what type of cuisine you prefer.

Sip and Sail

Tasting wine on a sailboat at sunset in the city, it does not get much better.

Author and wine expert, Felicia Sherbert introduced us to a variety of Argentinian wines from the refined wine cellars of Frederick Wildman and Sons, the oldest wine importer in America.

I thoroughly recommend this activity, information is available here.

Angel Food Cake

I love to entertain and that is truly why I started planning events professionally. Ironically, as business gets busier, the less I entertain. Tonight was the exception. We celebrated a friend's belated birthday. It was a small, but significant crowd. Taking inspiration from Julie and Julia (bought the soundtrack today) and too many hours of Top Chef, I had fun creating a menu tailored to the birthday girl. Our guest of honor's favorite cake is Angel Food. I borrowed a recipe from this blog. I made a few changes, was excited to use the vanilla a friend brought me back from Mexico, and I certainly recommend this recipe. It was very good, but should not be made while on the telephone.

The Best Angel Food Cake

adapted slightly from The Best Recipe

1 1/2 cups egg whites (10-12 large), room temperature
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and the cake flour. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until frothy, the add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until fully incorporated then begin to add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When sugar has been added, beat egg whites to soft peaks. You will know when you have soft peaks because the egg whites will look like soft waves and when you lift the beaters, the peaks will droop back down into the batter. If your batter is falling in ribbons, it is not quite down. Don’t be afraid to slow down the mixer and check a few times as you get close. Do not beat all the way to stiff peaks. Once you have soft peaks, add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat for a few seconds to evenly distribute.

Sift the flour/sugar mixture over the egg whites in 6-8 additions (depending on your proficiency with folding flour into egg whites) and gently fold it in after each addition. It is better to take your time and do it gently than to rush and deflate the egg whites.

Spoon batter into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan on the counter once or twice to ensure that there are no large bubbles lurking beneath the surface.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Mine took 55 minutes.

Remove from oven an invert pan over a bottle. Allow to cool completely or overnight.

Gently run a thin knife around the sides, then around the bottom, of the pan to release the cake when you are ready to serve it.

I topped with whipped cream and served fresh strawberry slices in a sweet sauce on the side.