Aarti and Sarin: Indian Wedding at Oheka Castle

A gorgeous bride, a gorgeous day, a gorgeous venue... there is so much goodness to share with this wedding, I hardly know where to begin!

Look at this bride.... Aarti absolutely glowed in her perfectly ornate sari and spectacular jewelry.  I loved how she put aside her simple day-to-day style and really went for it on her wedding day - like every bride should!

As is tradition for many Indian weddings, Sarin, the groom, approached the bride's family riding on a very well-dressed white horse as friends and family cheered him on and danced to the music of traditional hand drums.  When he invited his adorable nephew to ride with him on the horse... well, let's say that Aarti's heart was not the only one melting!

Aarti approached the mandap (Indian ceremonial wedding canopy) on a throne carried by her dear friends and family members.  She played it cool as a cucumber even though some of the men were fairly anxious about a potential misstep!

The bride and groom exchanged vows in a Hindu ceremony under the mandap decorated with flowing purple and white fabric along with white floral garlands and strands of sparkling crystals.  Behind the mandap are the breathtaking formal gardens of Oheka Castle. 

After the ceremony, a private stroll amongst the trees.

There are so many beautiful spots to decorate throughout the Oheka mansion - this is just one of several entry experiences for the guests. 

The huge ballroom showcased three centerpiece styles: tall white cherry blossoms, lower purple and white floral collections and tall manzanita branch arrangements detailed with a floral base and cascading phaelonopsis orchids.  I love how the bride wanted to step away from the traditional palette of an Indian wedding and embrace her favorite colors and styles.

After guests were seated, the bride, groom and bridal party wowed the crowd with a Bollywood inspired choreographed dance.  So, so fun and so, so good! And look at that well-branded white dance floor we snuck in there for good measure!

When the dance floor cleared, Aarti and Sarin also shared a beautiful first dance moment with friends and family looking on. 

And one last surprise... the bride's father and I conspired for months to surprise EVERYONE (yup - even the bride and mother of the bride!) with some of the best fireworks ever! It started to rain just before we were to invite guests outside for this final wow factor, but the wedding gods cut me a break and the rain cleared seconds before this big moment. 

So much goodness, right?  Thanks to the magnificent Susan Stripling for these beautiful photos. 

To really get a feel for this wedding, take a look at the breathtaking video captured by Unique Visions Studio. 

:-) Lindsay

CPC 50th Anniversary Gala

This past November, we had the honor of producing the Chinese-American Planning Council’s 50^th Anniversary Gala at Capitale in Manhattan.

Nearly 500 people were in attendance for this special evening honoring trailblazers of the Chinese-American community in New York City. 

As with many corporate and non-profit events, it was important to CPC that we were loyal to their brand identity. So, of course, the event was designed with tons of red and gold details with both event and organizational branding woven in wherever possible.  

From the menus, to the programs, to the favors - the CPC message resonated clearly with every guest.

The floral centerpieces were accented with pomegranates which are associated with prosperity in the Chinese culture - their integration amongst the lush red orchids, calla lilies, roses, rose hips and protea in each of the three centerpiece styles was a great conversation starter!

 

When a stage is a focal point for an event, it is amazing to be able to add a memorable floral component - this stage was fronted by an 18' floral hedge that guests could appreciate while watching the program and performances. 

Congratulations CPC on 50 years of People Helping People. We are grateful to have been a part of this amazing event.

~ Spenser ~

Happy new year!

I know we all say this every year at this time... The year went so fast! Where did the time go? But, like always, that is how I feel as I sit here {trying to find an outfit to wear for NYE!} in awe that another year has flown by.

2015 was a year of amazing change and growth for Lindsay Landman Events. We settled into our new studio, welcomed an amazing, new full-time team, relaunched our website and rebranded. Amidst all that, we even produced some pretty amazing parties! In addition to beautiful weddings, of course, we also produced a record number of corporate and non-profit events along with birthday parties, baby showers and Bar Mitzvahs. I think this may have been our most diverse year yet!

As I look ahead to a 2016 calendar that is already dotted with events of every type and weddings in varied locations on the map, I am reminded how lucky I am, not only to work in this amazing business that carries me from celebration to celebration, but that I can always be truly in anticipation of what exciting professional adventures await.  I know that when I write my year-end post a year from today, it will be filled with recollections of parties and places I have yet to imagine and people I have yet to encounter.  For that I am grateful beyond measure. 

2016 will also mark a number of milestones in my life and career.  A big birthday, a big wedding anniversary... and the celebration of 15 years of Lindsay Landman Events!  So, at this moment, I resolve to make this year worthy of these benchmarks and to revel in the journey - hopefully with all of you by my side. 

Wishing you a happy and healthy new year full of reasons to celebrate!

xo,

Lindsay

photo by Abby Jiu

Sons of Anarchy 40th Birthday

I had never seen the show Sons of Anarchy, so when my client wanted to throw her husband a "Sons" themed 40th birthday party, I had a lot of homework to do! It took a little bit of thinking to figure out how to bring such a raw, gritty theme into a remarkably beautiful home, but with a few tweaks, we pulled it off!

Guests entered into the dramatic two-story foyer and found a collection of black and gold ombre painted wine and liquor bottles with custom labels serving as candle holders amidst funky floral arrangements detailed with pockets chains and leather cords. And speaking of leather... that is indeed a black leather tablecloth!

The cocktail napkins were the perfect canvas for our Sons inspired catchphrase for the evening "Fear the Eich" (using the birthday-boy's nickname) and for a classic quote from the show's main character.

The Anarchy symbol was incorporated in the number 40 throughout the party, including on these custom barrel matches which accessorized the cigar and scotch cart. 

Marcia Selden Catering did an amazing job with the food and this over-the-top cake!

Thanks to Robert Wagner for the fab photos!

:-) Lindsay

Beautiful Bouquets

One of the most intimate details of a wedding design is the bridal bouquet.  I really think of it as a fashion accessory for the bride, and since brides tend take their dresses pretty seriously, I take the task of creating the perfect accompaniment to their fashion statement to heart as well.  I think about the color, size, shape and seasonality as well as how we will accessorize the handle so that it is the ultimate finishing touch.

I have had many, many favorites over the years, but I wanted to share some recent beauties that have made me {and the bride!} a happy girl!

This huge, elegant cascade included standard and garden roses, calla lilies, phaelonopsis orchids and hanging amaranths. It was a major statement piece for this bride, but she will agree that a bouquet like this is quite heavy! If you want to carry a large bouquet, you better tone those arms before your big day!

*photo by Roey Yohai Photography

This was a delicate and petite bouquet made only of calla lilies and french tulips.  The bride's gown was quite slim, so the bouquet echoed the silhouette.  We tied the handle with powder blue ribbon to coordinate with the ceremony decor accents. 

*photo by Roey Yohai Photography

Peonies are amongst the most requested wedding flowers, but their availability can be quite limited. Since this bride's one and only bouquet request for her November wedding was peonies, we crossed our fingers and toes, praying for availability at the very early point of the winter peony season.  Good thing we got lucky because this round, lush bouquet is made solely of pale pink peonies. 

*photo by Allan Zepeda Photography

This gorgeous bride had a penchant for succulents, so the design of her bouquet began with those unusual blooms.  We added a variety of peach flowers including garden roses, calla lilies and dahlias for seasonality and tied the bouquet with fabric from the bride's gown as well as a sentimental locket showcasing a photo of her beloved grandfather. 

*photo by Brian Dorsey Studios

For this spring wedding, we featured white anemones along with peach garden roses and added white lisianthus to create an airy, whimsical feel.  The handle of this bouquet was covered with fabric from the bride's mother's wedding headpiece and was tied with a piece of blue velvet ribbon for her "something blue."

*photo by Christian Oth Studio

Even with all of these bouquets in a similar color palette, it is easy to see the amazing variety of styles and personalities you can create with just a small bunch of blooms.  

:-) Lindsay

Dancing the Night Away

Whew! My first "wedding season" with Lindsay Landman Events is complete! And our final wedding of the summer certainly did not disappoint. Well, how could a wedding at the Rainbow Room be anything but spectacular?

This bride and groom had a very unique back-story. And to make a very long story very short- they were partners in ballroom dance class when they were young, but fell out of touch and randomly met again years and years later at a bus stop! So as you can imagine, this story and their connection in dance was going to be a constant theme throughout their wedding.

It began with their save the date, which told their story to all of their guests.

Their invitations then had amazing custom artwork covering all 8 (!!!) spaces on this huge gate fold invitation, further detailing the story.

And of course, their first dance, accompanied by the Kevin Osborn Band, had to be very special… and it was!

The bride’s mom even surprised the bride and groom later in the night with Julie's favorite ballroom dancing pair, Riccardo and Yulia. Julie was totally shocked and thrilled!

Thank you to Brian Dorsey Studios for these incredible pictures. What a special and festive evening it was!

~ Spenser ~

A Trip to the Berkshires

This November, I had the pleasure of being a part of the Berkshire Wedding Tour. Located just 2.5 hours outside of New York City, the Berkshires offers incredible opportunities for arts, vacationing and most importantly events!

Here are our top five reasons to consider the Berkshires for your destination wedding!

1.     Guest Rooms at The Kemble Inn

For our first evening in The Berkshires, we attended a welcome dinner at the super chic Kemble Inn in Lenox. Massachusetts. The in-house restaurant Table Six, prepared a delicious and decadent (6) course meal. While the food was unbelievable, my favorite part of the inn was the guest rooms. Each of the (12) rooms were uniquely decorated and designed in an unexpectedly modern way as compared to the more typical Berkshire vibe. It’s fun to surprise your guests with something unexpected, yet beautiful and luxurious!

Photo taken by Christopher Duggan | christopherduggan.com

2.     Ceremony Location at Jacob’s Pillow

Jacob’s Pillow is a very well known dance school and performance center located in Becket, Massachusetts. The grounds are truly lovely, but the real stand out was the outdoor performance space with the most incredible views. Just image a wedding ceremony taking place on this stage- breathtaking!

Photo taken by Parris Whittingham | fromparriswithlove.com

3.     Blooming Gardens at The Mount

The Mount, also located in Lenox, Massachusetts, was the home of author Edith Wharton. This venue is a very popular location for weddings and there is a reason why- the gardens are spectacular! The best part about these gardens is there is essentially built in décor when the flowers are in bloom. Not only are they beautiful, but they require little additional décor- allowing a designer to allot more of the budget to other aspects of the wedding!

Photo from The Mount website

4.     Historical Element at Chesterwood

Chesterwood was the home and studio belonging to Daniel Chester French, who most notably sculpted the Lincoln Memorial. The huge lawns allow for a tent of up to 500 guests. Chesterwood is unique in The Berkshires in its ability to accommodate such large parties. And the most special part of it all is that there is real history in this place- very cool.

Photo taken by Parris Whittingham | fromparriswithlove.com 

5.     Ice Cream at SoCo Creamery

I really love ice cream and have tried a whole lot of it. I have to say that SoCo Creamery may be the best I have ever had! For local events, SoCo can cater in their ice cream to make your event that much sweeter. While their shop is located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, I was so excited to find out that many of New York City’s grocery stores carry their products! Taste it for yourselves- you will not be sorry.

Photo from SoCo Creamery website

There are many other amazing venues and caterers located in The Berkshires and I highly recommend checking them out! Thank you to The Berkshire Wedding Collective for having me and to all of the incredible sponsors of the 2015 Berkshire Wedding Tour. It was an amazing experience! 

~Spenser~