Photo by Steph

in love.

Pamela was so beautiful in her diamond encrusted wedding gown with a tiara nestled in her lovely curls that it’s no wonder Erik couldn’t stop gazing at her in adoration.  Vivian captured the romance between them perfectly in the garden engagement photos displayed on the guest book table…next to giant diamond rings and tinier jewels.  Passionate pink and bling ruled the night!

THE DETAILS:  Pink linens on the tables and beautiful pedestal floral arrangements of pink hydrangeas, red mini roses and white snap dragons in vases filled with diamonds.  The guests received scented reed diffusers in bags with pink and white diamonds.  The bridesmaids wore pink and white dresses, and even the guys wore pink ties.

Thanks to a little strategic planning on Pamela and Erik’s part, Erik’s brother and Best Man Kurt and his girlfriend ended up c

Photo by Steph

atching the garter and bouquet.  Hint: we highly recommend the setup for the bouquet and garter toss if you decide to do it, especially if you have a “game” couple; the results can be very entertaining!

These guys were non-stop partiers!  They hit the dance floor after dinner and didn’t leave until the last song of the night, when Eric ended up on the shoulders of his groomsmen singing along with, “New York, New York.”

It was a wedding filled with laughter, dancing and romance.  Thanks for having us, guys!

Christos

Photos by Vivian Photography

The couple was introduced to “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles; then Jeff slowly faded into their first dance song, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol.

The transcendant light cascaded into the ballroom as the couple danced in silhouette, heads close, leaning into each other.  Eric placed a tender kiss on his new wife’s forehead.

THE DETAILS:  The couple chose a subtle chess theme (befitting Eric’s career as a toy designer and Melissa’s background as an illustrator) a chess board and game pieces in a glass decorating the tables beside stargazer lilies.  The bridesmaids wore pomegranate dresses, the Matron of Honor in pale brown mauve.  The girls carried long-stemmed calla lily bouquets and Melissa’s flowers were varigated plum calla lilies matching those on the top of the beautiful wedding cake.

Melissa and Eric were gracious and sweet, with their guests and with each other, throughout their night.  Whether on the dance floor or off, they graced the room with serene elegance.

The Grandview outdid themselves with a decadent, five station buffet experience from which guests sampled Italian, Asian, Southwestern and American cuisines.  Guests were treated to the Grandview’s French Dessert Table, a dessert buffet actually spilling over onto three tables filled with cookies, pastries and gourmet coffees.

We danced through the end of the evening, including a song dedicated to Melissa from her friends, “I’ve Had the Time Of My Life.”

What a pleasure to wish this sweet couple a wonderful marriage…and an amazing Mediterranean honeymoon!

Grandview

Photos by Vivian Photography

Our final wedding of the weekend found us at the Grandview for the warm, sunny wedding of Rachel and Jeremy.

CEREMONY DETAILS:  Soft pink rose petals for the guests to shower on the newlyweds after the ceremony.  The programs included a brief bio of each member of the bridal party and how they met Rachel and Jeremy.  It was a lovely personal touch!

Rachel and Jeremy were married by Rabbi Ross on the patio overlooking the river view.  The rabbi did a wonderful job integrating the Jewish and Christian traditions into an engaging ceremony highlighting their similarities.  The bridesmaids wore mauve pink gowns.

One word comes to mind when I think of this couple: ADORABLE!  Rachel was just adorable in her diamond encrusted vintage-style visor veil with a flower in her curly hair.  Vivian (our photographer friend) was as enamoured with Rachel’s look as I was and she’s shared these great photos…

Just as adorable was the way Rachel and Jeremy looked at each other, the way they coached each other through their choreographed first dance to “Better Together” by Jack Johnson.  And the story the Maid of Honor shared about how Jeremy was such a thoughtful guy that he remembered to bring along Rachel’s inhaler when he proposed!

COOL PARENT DANCE SONG:  Jeremy chose the song, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” performed by Sheryl Crowe for his dance with is mother.  A very cool choice if you love rock and roll, but with slightly less edge than the Guns ‘N Roses original.

We gave Jeremy and his friends a good Bon Jovi fix: “Livin’ On a Prayer” and “It’s My Life” before ending the night with the sing-along “American Pie” by Don MacLean, the song that ended each dance at Rachel’s summer school.

Oh, and the photobooth!  The guests loved it.  So did Jeff and I…

The Grandview

Photos by Vivian Photography

Best Wedding Ever Workshop:

How To Make Your Wedding Totally You and Enjoy Every Minute Of It!

WHEN: Thursday May 28^th 6:30-9pm

WHERE: Space Studio in Highland

SPEAKERS: Jen Cassaro of Masterpiece Video, Stephanie Padovani of The DJ Solution and Vivian Lanzarone of Vivian Photography

The three of us wedding gals will put our expertise to work for Hudson Valley brides with an evening of wedding insights, inspiration and FUN. And we’re giving out over $100 in door prizes!

Here’s just a sampling of what you’ll learn:

• The secret that makes your wedding day a unique experience that is totally you…and how to pull it off without spending one dime extra!
  
  
• How to avoid a cookie-cutter wedding with these 3 accessory details of color, design and texture to blend elegance, personality and meaning into a wedding you and your guests will never forget.
  
  
• The 4 common mistakes most brides make that lead to stress, wedding day “drama,” and unnatural photos.

• 7 inexpensive or free ways to “Wow” your wedding guests.
  
  
• How to pick the unique touches that perfectly fit your personality and wedding in only 5 minutes.
  
  
• Timing tips that guarantee a relaxed, stress free wedding day…so you won’t be one of those brides who says, “It all just went too FAST!”
  
  
• The often overlooked wedding essentials you need to enjoy every minute of your wedding day and stay gorgeous for your photos.
  
  
• Why the wrong color choices can ruin your day…and the easy way to pick the palette that’s perfect for you.

Don’t worry…we’re NOT going to bore you with a stuffy lecture.  This workshop will be fun, upbeat and interactive.  Come prepared to have fun, check out the coolest new accessories and dresses on real models, and meet other awesome Hudson Valley brides to get inspired about your wedding.

The cost is $20 per person or $15 if you bring a friend. Snacks and beverages will be provided. We’re so excited about what we’ve got in store that we’re offering an Unconditional Money Back Guarantee: if you don’t have fun or you’re not satisfied for ANY reason…you get all your money back!

Seating is very limited so RSVP immediately to reserve your spot.

Call Stephanie at 845-473-1086 or Vivian at 845-691-4680 for more information and to make your reservation.

P.S. We’ve only got room for 20 brides and it’s first come, first served. Reserve your seat right now by clicking on my email address below.

We rocked!  If I do say so myself.  You can check out videos of the performances posted in my previous Guitar Parlor post here.

Our final total donations made to Hospice was $1,150!

Here I am plucking the heart strings (and purse strings) of our generous guests, about to introduce my all-time favorite singer songwriter, Jeff Padovani.

Jeff and Mike Murphy from Hospice.  Gee, I wish Jeff smiled at me like that…

Handsome Jeffrey opening up for Guitar Parlor V.

Here’s a rare photo of the camera-shy Kyle Davidson in action.  It’s been said that Kyle is a musician who transcends his instrument.  Ethereal, bittersweet, spiritually transformative music.

And finally, Lawrence accompanying Gary Levitt of Setting Sun.  Gary’s music is a quirky, provocative addition to the Hudson Valley indie  music scene, performing here with Lawrence as his “soul.”  You can see how much Jeff is diggin’ it.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…it is such a pleasure to support talented Hudson Valley music and local charities.  Music for a cause, baby!

(Thanks for the awesome pics, Viv.)

Hospice services focus on comfort and quality of life for terminally ill patients.  Whereas hospitals are driven to provide treatment and prolong life…even when these efforts only make things worse…Hospice allows patients the peace and comfort they need at the end of life.

My grandmother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an extremely deadly and virulent form of cancer, in 1998.  She was a vital, active sixty-six year old woman who played tennis twice a week and was an EMT volunteer for the Beacon Ambulance Corp.  Only four months after diagnosis, she was lying in a hospital bed on a respirator.

My grandmother died in that cold hospital room.  And though she was surrounded by her family, if we had known about Hospice she could have spent her last days in the comfort of her own home.

I am so proud of our Guitar Parlor patrons for helping us raise money for such a worthy cause.  Thank you so much!

On a lighter note, the performances were awesome.  I recorded some clips on our new Flip Mino HD camera so that you can enjoy them, too.

A HUGE thanks to Vivian Lanzarone who did a fantastic job hosting our Guitar Parlor at her studio, Space, in Highland.

And thanks to our talented performers and video clips of the performances below…

Jeff Padovani (or “Handsome Jeffrey,” as I like to call him)

Kyle Davidson

Gary Levitt of Setting Sun

Lawrence (who filled in last minute with an outstanding set of covers from The Smiths to the Carter Family…I don’t even know his last name!)

What do you think?  Watch the videos and leave me a comment.

Michael Polito Photography

Jeff and I are preparing for our fifth semi-annual Guitar Parlor cocktail party fundraiser this Thursday night at Vivian Lanzarone’s gorgeous studio, Space, in Highland.

So what is the Guitar Parlor?

We throw a party, invite all our friends, ask the coolest local musicians to perform, and collect money for a Hudson Valley charity.

This year we’re raising money for the music therapy program at Hospice of Dutchess and Ulster County.  In case you’re not familiar with Hospice, they provide medical care and treatment for terminally ill patients.  It hits close to home for me after watching my grandmother languish and die in a cold, ugly hospital room…instead of in her home surrounded by her family and friends.

Why Are We Doing This? We love any excuse to throw a party.  And live music ROCKS!  We get to support Hudson Valley music and charities at the same time.

How Does It Work? You show up as a guest, have fun listening to music and hanging with some of the coolest people around, and donate a little or a lot to a local charity.

Are You Interested? Send me an email for more details.

Not Able To Attend? You can still donate to Hospice in the Guitar Parlor’s name.

Our talented Hudson Valley musician performers are:

Jeff Padovani

Stephen Johnson & Friends

Setting Sun

Here’s a picture from one of our past Guitar Parlors held in our living room.  Jeff is performing with his son, Luke.  Let me tell you, there’s nothing like the feeling of having live music in your living room and partying with your closest friends!

Jeff and I are co-hosting this fundraising event with our photographer friend Vivian Lanzarone at her beautiful studio/living room, Space, in Highland, NY.

What is the Guitar Parlor, you ask?

We host a cocktail party, invite talented Hudson Valley musicians to perform, and collect money for a local Hudson Valley charity.

It’s music for a cause!  It also happens to be a really good excuse to throw a party while feeling good about making a difference.

This Guitar Parlor’s beneficiary is Hospice of Dutchess County.  They’ve got a severely underfunded music program that provides musical inspiration for hospice residents.  100% of our proceeds will go to the charity.

Our talented Hudson Valley musician performers will include:

Jeff Padovani (Of course!)

Stephen Johnson & Friends – Woodstock resident originally from Staffordshire, England with a haunting and uplifting guitar and vocal performance, Stephen has played with Peter Gabriel among others throughout his musical career.

Others TBD

How can you help?

If you’d like to attend our Guitar Parlor, send me an email and I’ll add you to the invite list.  If you’d like to contribute, email and I’ll send you the details.

In addition, SPREAD THE WORD.  Get inspired to use your love of music to make a difference in our community.

Leave a comment with your thoughts about our Guitar Parlor project.

Jeff and I started the Guitar Parlor over three years ago.  It began as one of Jeff’s crazy, spontaneous ideas.  We were planning a party and it went sort of like this…

Steph:  Let’s have a cocktail party and invite all our Hudson Valley wedding peeps.

Jeff:  If we’re having a party, we should have some live music.  Wouldn’t it be cool to have musicians jamming out in our living room?

Steph:  Uh, sure.  But where are we going to put them?

Jeff:  There’s plenty of room.  Hey, I’ve got an idea.  Since we’re gonna have live music, why don’t we make it a fundraiser?  Like, music for a cause…

And the Guitar Parlor was born.

It’s a cocktail party/fundraiser to raise money for a local charity.  Jeff invites his talented local musician buddies to perform in our living room, and while guests munch on hors d’ouevres and sip good wine, we collect donations for charity.  Over the years we’ve collected hundreds of dollars for Adopt-a-Family, the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, and the Community Foundation of Dutchess County.

It’s all about supporting local music and charities serving our Hudson Valley community.

Up until now, we’ve kept it small, usually only 30-50 guests invited to our home.  But our vision has been slowly growing…

Next month, Jeff is collaborating with Vivian Lanzarone to host our best Guitar Parlor yet at Space in Highland.  We’ll be taking donations to support the music program of a local hospice that’s desperately in need of funds.

Jeff will perform his original songs (I know I’m biased, but he’s really good!)  Stay tuned to learn more about our chosen charity and the musical acts who’ll be performing.

It’s one of the most exciting and rewarding things we do every year.  We get to hang out with all our friends while we are entertained by some of the best local musicians, and we get to make a difference.  What could be cooler than that?

Thursday February 19th is the date.  Interested in attending or helping out?  Leave a comment or shoot me an email.

Let’s use MUSIC to make a difference!

Where will you get ready on your wedding day?

With all the hours you’ll spend planning the tiniest details of your wedding…from the colors and flowers to the soles of your shoes and the polish on your nails…this is one question that often doesn’t get the consideration it deserves.

Why is it so important to think about where you’ll get ready on your wedding day?

Well, according to my photographer friend, Vivian Lanzarone, the environment you get ready in sets the tone for your entire wedding day.  Start out calm and serene–you’ll be glowing and relaxed the whole day.  But if you start out agitated and stressed, that negative energy can hang over you like a cloud.

Think about this scenario:

You decide to get ready at your house.  You wake up feeling excited and maybe a little nervous about your day.  You get up…and your bridesmaids arrive.  They immediately start rummaging through the house looking for hair spray and bobby pins and coffee…yelling out questions every five minutes.  Meanwhile, your makeup artist and hair stylist show up and start getting you ready, but you keep getting interrupted because you have to play hostess to their needs.

On top of that, your visiting family pops in for breakfast.  Then your photographer shows up to take photos of you getting ready.  The girls have dumped their stuff all over the place, the house is a cluttered mess, and you’re going crazy.

Seeing this chaotic wedding day scenario play out again and again inspired Vivian to create Space, a studio/living room/bistro designed with a bride in mind.  It’s the perfect place for you and your bridal party to escape the craziness as you get ready for one of the most important days of your life.

As you can see from these photos, Space has lots of natural light, neutral colors, and simple decor…necessities for great pictures.  Vivian urges you to create a peaceful, quiet environment to get ready in so that you can start your day out right.

Space is an ideal environment for getting ready on your wedding day.  I wish I was getting married again, just so that I could hang out there!  It’s relaxing, peaceful, and really romantic for a photo shoot.

But even if you aren’t getting ready in Space, here are some tips to make your wedding day stress-free.

1) Choose the place you’ll get ready in carefully.  Ideally, it should be a quiet space outside your home (to avoid distraction) with lots of natural light, neutral colors, and simple decor.

2) Choose the brightest room in that location to get ready in.  Natural light and muted colors will complement and accentuate your gown in the photographs.

3) Clean and de-clutter the space BEFORE your wedding day, so that you can relax and be pampered on the day of the wedding.

4) Ask your photographer’s opinion beforehand if you aren’t sure whether your home has enough light or the right decor for great photographs.

Here is space at night in cool uplighting.  Jeff and I will be hosting our Guitar Parlor fundraiser here next month.  I can’t wait!

(All photos courtesy of Vivian Photography.)