Counting down.... 5, 4, 3, 2....

This time between Christmas and New Year's Eve is, I think, a universally great week, regardless of what holidays you celebrate. Time off from work, time to be with family, vacationing somewhere warm or maybe on the slopes, a few extra dinners out with a few extra glasses of something to keep the holiday spirit going... And I do love this time for all of those reasons, however, I have a major confession to make - my absolute FAVORITE thing about this week is the release of every possible configuration of a "best of" or "countdown" list reliving the highlights from the past year.

I could watch the top 10 music videos of the year on VH1 on repeat, having not seen even one of those videos the entire year - nor even knowing what channel on which to find VH1. I made my family wait an extra twenty minutes for me on December 26th as I perused CNN's top 100 images of the 2013 - one of them was a horse itching his back on a gravel path (???) but I was, nonetheless, glued to my screen. And don't even get me started on the top 25 celebrity breakups... at least 10 of which I had to Google since, evidently, being a step-child of a Housewife makes you a celebrity. Top 100 songs, 10 best political bloopers... you name it, I love it!

So, since I'm a forever sucker for every countdown list known to man, I figured I'd give it a try and make one of my very own. This was an amazing year for LLE, so it is hard to choose, but take a look at the Lindsay Landman Events' 2013 Top 10 Moments of "Wow!"

Click on the photos to enlarge

10. Rainbow Soda Station for Milo's Bar Mitzvah

Milo was sweet and shy and had few requests... but a soda bar of some sort was one of them, so we created this eye-catcher that kids and adults loved just the same!

photo by Sharon Schuster

9. Custom Aisle Runner for Soumya and Aditya's wedding

Soumya sent me a Pinterest board loaded with images of Meenakshi Temples from the South of India that had simple stone structures and then the most stunningly colorful and elaborate chakra patterns all over the ceilings... so we recreated the look on the aisle runner to incorporate a touch of her culture. 

photo by Gustavo Campos

8. Alissa and Josh's Escort Card Display

The American Museum of Natural History was the inspiration for this unique display. As this sat in the shadows of the giant and iconic T-Rex skeletons, the bride specifically requested these dark manzanita branches to mimic the dark bones of the dinos. The table itself, like all of the tables in the cocktail hour, "displayed" flowers on the inside just as museum cases display artifacts. 

photo by Gustavo Campos

7. "Drive Thru" Food Station at Aaron's Bar Mitzvah

For a skater-kid having a Bar Mitzvah at a luxury car dealership, what else can we say but, "Roll With It?" We incorporated wheel installations and graffiti art in the bars and buffets, but the highlight was definitely this "drive thru" where kids could roll up, check out the menu [backdrop] and get their take out box for dinner. 

6. {Just} Fab Flowers for Hannah and Tim's Wedding

2013 marked the year that we began offering straightforward floral design for a select number of engagements per year and this lovely wedding at Studio 450 was a perfect way to kick it off! 

photo by Silk Studios

5. Escort Card Display Sculpture for Soumya and Aditya

Who knew PVC pipes could look this good? I had a fantasy that involved building a one-of-a-kind sculpture to set this escort display apart, so my team of wedding elves helped me to cut, paint and assemble 100 sections of PVC pipe and adorn the sculpture with fresh fall blooms. Just in case it wasn't funky enough, we set it on a copper sequined linen for good measure!

photo by Gustavo Campos

4. Compound Foundation East Hampton Gala

This is the view of the spectacular tent from behind the hosts, Ne-Yo (left) and Kevin Hart. The night sky effect on the ceiling of the tent brought the outside in, but with a major dose of glitz and glam.

photo by DJ D-Nice

3. Alex and Yaniv's Horah

This Brooklyn Museum wedding was amazing in a million ways with gorgeous details and a truly stunning couple, but this moment took the cake for me. This was an insanely busy and stressful setup (not so unlike any of the others!) and the bride wasn't feeling well (ack!) and by the time the ballroom opened for dinner, I was sweatin' the small stuff... but just for a second, I looked to the dance floor and caught a glimpse of two truly happy people completely and totally enjoying their wedding day, and I felt their joy to the bottom of my soul. And there's no better "wow" than that.

photo by Cava Weddings

2. Dining Under the Sea at Alissa and Josh's Wedding

There is nothing that isn't cool about having a dinner of any kind in the Hall of Ocean Life in the Museum of Natural History. But, to make sure sure wedding guests got the full effect, we brought in a white dance floor and lit it like the sparking ocean on a crystal clear night.

photo by Gustavo Campos

1. Shanique and Frantz's Oceanside Wedding Dinner

After some daunting summer rain on the island of Anguilla, the skies cleared just in time to set the warm, glowing dinner tables on the patio of a private villa set on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. Need I say more?

photo by Allan Zepeda

There really is no greater honor than to be invited to share in the intimate details of someone's special event. Whether it is a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah or a gala celebration, I am touched and excited each and every time I am tapped to make it happen and make it beautiful. After more than twelve years, you would think it gets old, but I assure you it does not. I extend my most sincere thanks to all of the families this year and in years past who have shared their celebrations with me and who have helped to make my dream job a reality - and a career. 

Wishing you a new year filled with joy and goodness and many, many reasons to celebrate!