I haven’t written to you in a very long time and I have a great excuse! Have you heard? I got MARRIED last weekend!

Although Michael and I have been in a very long relationship, there is nothing as sacred and confirming to that relationship as tying the knot!

The wedding was truly one of the high moments of my life.

I thought I’d share with you some of what goes on when a professional Event Planner plans her own wedding in just one month!! Crazy, I know! Ok, so how did I do it???

Location, Location!

Originally we thought we would have a small wedding in our home, but we quickly realized that we wanted to invite more people than we could accommodate. Since this was not a first marriage, we really wanted to throw a party to celebrate with fabulous food, good music, and dancing,  rather than a more formal sit-down affair. With one month to go until the big day, we started looking at other venues. Luckily, the Metropolitan Club on Fifth Avenue and special event planner at the Club, Robert Howley, came to our rescue!! The minute I saw the room I knew it was perfect, especially the large terrace overlooking Central Park. It was light and airy and not too formal.. perfect for 130 guests and dancing.

 

Find your Theme

My wedding dress was the first thing I accomplished on my to-do list so I was able to set my color scheme around it. My friend, Katerina Frangenberg owns a by-appointment only, high-end clothing boutique, and I went to see her way back in February. She pulled out a gorgeous Blumarine-gold sequined gown that even had a small train, and said she thought it would be perfect for me to wear to my wedding… and it was!! Gold felt like the right color for a second wedding.. radiant and goddesslike, glamorous and very fun to wear! Based on the dress I decided on a gold and white theme throughout. Next I needed a piece of glamorous jewelry to compliment so I chose de Grisogono Tubetto earrings in gold and diamond. They were the perfect touch.

 

Find Your Team!

My friend Polly Onet was instrumental in helping me find the best vendors on such short notice. I feel so lucky that I live in New York City where there are fabulous artisans practicing their craft.  There are many choices for the bride- to- be.  The hardest part is making the decision.

Flowers

I found my florist first: Jessica Wolvek at Fleursnyc.  Since it was only a month away, I was lucky to find such a wonderful floral company.  Jessica was a dream to work with, and she also helped with my linens and co-ordinating everything with the venue.

Officiants

We were so lucky that Cantor Angela Buchdahl officiated our ceremony. I have listened to her angelic voice during services at Central Synagogue, and when I found out she was available to officiate I felt so blessed to have her be an important part of our special day.

Food, Glorious Food!

Since we are such foodies, the menu and the food was key at this event! We went with heavy hors d’oeuvres and grazing stations rather than a  formal seated dinner. I worked closely with talented Chef Denis Fitzgerald at the Metropolitan Club and the food was excellent.  We also added sushi and sashimi stations, a peking duck station, and a sliced sirloin station.

David Burke is a good friend of mine, so I thought it would be so much fun to supplement the Club’s hors d’oeuvres with his unique creations; tuna tartare tacos, maple-pepper bacon skewers, pastrami salmon sticks, lobster dumplings, and angry shrimp on a bed of nails. I’m so glad I did, they were a delicious special addition.

CAKE!

The cake! I went on so many cake tastings before I finally decided on Lauri Detunno at Cake Alchemy. I was bent on having a coconut cake, and I also liked the idea of several different cakes with different flavors instead of one traditional wedding cake. My friend Polly overheard someone talking about Cake Alchemy and how delicious their cakes tasted. I had a tasting myself, and I was sold!  We also had the chef create a dessert buffet along with our cakes with chocolate mousse, berries, whip cream and other decadent cookies and chocolates.

Hair and Makeup

Of course hair and make-up are an important part of every bride’s preparation. I was thrilled to have Irena Kripnik and Marco Maranghello from the John Barrett Salon help me look my best. I recommend having a trial run of hair and make-up before your wedding. These might be the most important people you hire,  Its crucial to feel comfortable in the way you look.

 

Organization is Key

Having an organized timeline was so important, so that everything flowed and all the vendors knew the components of the evening.  Special thanks to all of my other vendors who worked together seamlessly to create a magical evening for Michael and me..and most of all thank you to our friends and family who traveled near and far to celebrate with us and share in our love.