Katie Fischer Design's The Story of Us...

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...is one of those ideas that is so good, I almost want to save it for myself but I was raised to always share, alas I must let you all in on this genius idea. I've been singing Katie's praises since I first saw her work in person, and am happy that her kindness and warmth mirror her creativity and talent. Her illustrations were featured at the Wedding Crashers after party at The Green Building and The Story Of Us might be my very favorite personalized and creative wedding element, ever.

What is The Story of Us? It's an opportunity to share your love story through personalized, handmade, creative drawings. This is a tasteful and artistic way to showcase the funny, the fumbles and the interesting things that have taken place in your relationship from first meeting to happily ever after. The illustrations can be used in details throughout your ceremony and reception, they can mark tables, adorn menus, jazz up programs and personalize other paper elements. Katie can do it all.



I helped Katie design her table at New York Magazine Wedding Show in April and I look forward to seeing Katie again tomorrow at The New York City Gay Wedding Expo at the fabulous Gotham Hall. If you're in the neighborhood tomorrow, stop by to say hello and see her beautiful work in person.



The Story of Us also makes a great anniversary gift, and the concept can be tailored for bar and bat mitzvahs and milestone birthdays. Thanks to Katie's recent partnership with Newlywish couples can now register for their Story of Us.

These beautiful photographs were created by talented wedding photographer Sofia Negron.

Planning a Bar Mitzvah

Thank you to Mitzvah Market for featuring our creative cupcake escort card project on their homepage!

New Year, New Projects

So many excellent projects have come my way lately, I thought I should break my silence and let you in on some of the good things that have been keeping me busy. First of all and most recently The New York City Wedding Boutique has named me their exclusive wedding planner. I am excited about the direction this blog is going in and if you know any amazing New York City wedding vendors who have something to say but haven't taken the time or used the technology to create their own blog, this might be a smart alternative for them.



Suicide Prevention International which from now on I will refer to as SPI is hosting Walk For Life 2011 on May 7, in Riverside Park. The organization has enlisted my services to coordinate this charity event. If you know any survivors of suicide or anyone interested in becoming a team captain, it's a great opportunity to give back and raise money for a really important cause.



My use of facebook and time on twitter are finally paying off, and I shouldn't say finally as I've always found it extremely worthwhile but I will soon have measurable results. FitBrit's founder Paul Greenaway is a celebrity personal trainer. He appeared on the Martha Stewart Show in 2006 (we are still trying to get the clip, Martha, if you're reading this?!) and since then his clients have included David Bowie, Iman Abdulmajid and Lenny Kravitz. A dear friend has been working out with him for only a few months and has lost over 20 pounds already. FitBrit is a great business idea that is nearly ready to launch but fortunately for me he lacks social media skills. We are bartering social media skills for personal training. I am very excited even though after two session, I am quickly realizing how much work there is in workout. It's so not my strong suit but he's great at motivating and instruction. Should you choose to follow him on facebook or read his tweets you are supporting me as well. What is FitBrit? It's his revolutionary way of making personal training accessible and affordable for all demographics. He's created a series of videos tailoring the workout to your sex, age and lifestyle. You will be able to view these videos using your smart phone or iPad.

Paul keeps telling me I'll be skinny by summer which I've adopted as my motto. I created a plan on the subway ride into the gym yesterday which details my monthly goals and rewards. I plan to share my fitness progress publicly but I am still trying to figure out where that should live. Though FitBrit is a great options for brides who want to get in shape before dress shopping or the walk down the aisle, this might not be the place to air my workout woes.

Outside of the actual new brides (and groom) I've talked to and met with already in 2011, my favorite project of the year, thus far is Wedding Crashers. I have proudly partnered with Brooklyn Based to bring Wedding Crashers back to the Bell House for it's second year. Last year they did an excellent job of attracting great talent that was new and interesting. The event was very well received in general with many grooms in attendance. It had that Brooklyn vibe, which for those of you outside of New York, is a very good thing. There is so much new and exciting stuff on tap this year AND after the event guests will be transported (yes, literally) to an after party at The Green Building. I can't believe how many amazing vendors are on board already and we're still well over a month away. This will most certainly not be the last you read about this event, but meanwhile think: fabulous fashion show, amazing food and best DJ in the city.

While Tammy Golson Events has been diversifying, I want to assure you that I have never been more committed or excited about wedding planning. I've welcomed and embraced these new projects wholeheartedly, but what I am most grateful for is that they have allowed me the flexibility to continue doing what I love most, while giving back, getting in shape, staying structured in the off season and connecting with my colleagues. I am so fortunate for these opportunities and grateful to the friends and colleagues who are responsible for helping them come to fruition.

Wow, if you made it this far, you deserve a gold star! Thank you for reading this novel. I appreciate your interest in what I am doing. The diversity has been so interesting, I couldn't be happier.

What's new with you? Have you heard any crazy engagement stories? Will you be at any of the great wedding events coming up in the next few months?

I'd love to hear from you.

While I'll keep blogging as often as possible, you can also keep in touch on facebook or by twitter.

Have a great week!

xx
T

Flower Arranging

New York City event designer, Lindsay Landman had a two event Bat Mitzvah the day before she left for India. She recruited help and I happily volunteered. We spent the afternoon cutting roses and carnations and then made 96 flower balls for the centerpieces. While I design flowers and produce arrangements on a small scale often, I leave the large scale flower productions to the professionals. I refer client to one of the amazing florists I work with. Their role is often underestimated and while flower balls are not difficult to create, there is so much more involved than the actual arranging of the flowers. This project was a excellent reminder of the details involved in successfully executing a large flower design especially for a wedding or luxury event.



Ten things to remember when arranging flowers:

1. Type of flower. Consider the season, cost, budget, availability and sturdiness of the flowers when creating the design.

2. Timing. When you purchase the flowers should be determined by how long the flower will take to open, when they will peak and of course the date and time of your event.

3. Temperature. Flowers require specific temperatures of water and air. Know what is right for the flowers you choose. Holding and storing them properly is essential to their longevity. Research this before you purchase the flowers so that you can store your selections appropriately.

4. Vehicle. What will you be displaying the flowers in? a vase, a glass cylinder, mason jar? How tall? What shape? color? Will you be buying or renting them? How will you transport them to the venue?

5. Longevity. What can you do to maximize the freshness of the flowers? Fertilizer? Know where to purchase the flowers from, ask where the flowers are grown? Be mindful of the weather as it affects availability.

6. Logistics. Think about storage, boxes and refrigeration.

7. Transportation. Once the flowers are arranged and in vases they will be difficult to transport as you won’t be able to stack them. Will you bring the vehicles and arrange the flowers on site. Verify this with venue. In this case, bring buckets for water, garbage bags, cutters, and a broom and dustpan.

8. Size. Bloom, stems, tables and vases all come in various sizes, be specific about what you want and need to improve your end result.

9. Color. Pink Carnations is not specific enough. You must indicate if you want pale pink or hot pink shades so you can create the arrangement you have envisioned.

10. Height. Be sure your guests will be able to see each other across the table, often arrangements make it difficult for people to connect with one another and engage in conversation.

Happy Arranging!

Lindsay specializes in non floral design. She was great to work with and her designs were amazing. See how the flowers brought her designs to life:






The details of this event are described by Lindsay here. The day after the two event Bat Mitvah she left for India. Read about her adventures planning a wedding in India here.

Thanks to Lindsay for allowing me to share the knowledge I took from my day with her.


Photo credit: Sofia Negron

Big thanks to Dianne and Courtney of One Source Worldwide, Inc. for hosting and organizing an excellent day! They arranged tours of great venues in Manhattan for a group of event planners. We started at the new and very swanky Lucky Strikes Lanes and Lounge. This new bowling "alley" is a great destination for a Friday night with friends or perfect for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Next stop: lunch at Etcetera, Etcetera. We were treated to a delicious meal. We sampled roasted Atlantic salmon with a pistachio crust, parma prosciutto and parmigiano stuffed chicken breast and vegetable risotto. The dessert made me to oooooh out loud. The meal was delicious. The service was warm, welcoming and efficient. The private room upstairs was beautiful, it's a pre-theather treasure. I recommend this venue to those hosting rehearsal dinners, bridal luncheons, birthday parties, business functions and more. I look forward to trying their sister property Vice Versa on 51st Street.

Urban Ride chauffeured us around all day in a comfortable van.

Then we went to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum.
This was a first for me, they closed for two years and have now reopened stronger than ever. This is a great family day activity; interesting and educational. It's huge, and they are fully equipped to handle events of any size. I look forward to returning with my next young and curious visitor.

After a quick walk through of the IAC Building, pictured above, and designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry we were welcomed at City Winery. This large, woody but beautiful space marries wine and music. The stage houses bands and since the owner ran the Knitting Factory, the acts on stage will be worth the trip. If by some chance the music sucks, you can drowned your sorrows in one of 300 bottles of wine they hope to offer very soon. They have a partnership with my beloved Murray's Cheese who will move their cheese classes to this new home. Private dinner in a barrel room or where the wine is being made, of course: no problem.
You can also buy a private barrel for $5000, this promises you 250 bottles of wine, the perfect gift for the couple who has everything or or a bride and groom looking to serve something special to their guests at their wedding. After selecting the grapes, the process takes about one year. Clearly, I was impressed with this place and plan to return to this Soho newby again. They opened on New Year's Eve.