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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Laurie Arons Wedding Planner Masterclass Part I

It’s no secret that we’re pretty fond of planning genius Laurie Arons Special Events and constantly in awe her incredible ability to turn any event into a truly beautiful gathering. Not to mention, her care goes beyond attention to detail and touches every person she meets with an unparalleled kindness. So when Laurie launched her first Masterclass last year alongside a handful of creatives at The Ranch At Rock Creek, we knew the result would be a complete planning experience at it’s finest. Take a peek at Part I of all the beauty captured by Jose Villa, and get the scoop for the 2016 Masterclass below!

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From Laurie Arons Special Events… I’ve heard from so many up and coming wedding planners over the years seeking advice on starting and growing their businesses. After having the pleasure of working with Jose Villa on his invaluable photography workshops, I was inspired to do something similar for the planning world. I wanted this experience to be extremely special – a chance for planners to be inspired creatively and motivated professionally.

The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana provided just the right venue for the first Wedding Planner Masterclass. This five-star resort was luxurious, beautiful and an escape from the daily lives of planners around the country. The team of outstanding industry professionals that helped me produce the Masterclass are truly the best of the best. These guest speakers hosted seminars, lectures and styling workshops to students on best practices in wedding planning. They also helped design and execute our special dinners, welcome gifts, and wedding photo shoots. Select speakers also met with attendees in one-on-one sessions, to provide additional customized help to each student.

Attendees were greeted upon arrival with bespoke welcome gifts – personalized leather tags from Glaser Designs, a laser-cut wood agenda for the week, and Aigle rain boots complete with equestrian-style stirrups. A fresh bunch of wildflowers from Mindy Rice Design helped make the rooms feel inviting.

Working with Mindy Rice Design and Amber Moon of Pitbulls & Posies, the outdoor welcome dinner focused on a rustic design. Mindy found vintage wood chairs, beautiful red candelabras, wool placemats and tin chargers for the table top. Amber Moon created spectacular leather table menus, which tied in with the Western leather bracelets, used as napkin rings at each place setting.

The styled wedding ceremony and dinner table brought out the feminine side of the west. Casa de Perrin’s lace china, pewter flatware & cut crystal were dreamy on the smocked table linen sourced by Mindy Rice. Mindy also foraged for abandoned bird nests on property, and filled them with speckled quail eggs. Amber Moon Design created beautiful printed materials, which featured flourished calligraphy by Samantha Martin at Curlicue Design. We wrapped the table menu in textured paper, and tied on a blush leather tag with twine and fly-fishing flies. We couldn’t resist that little nod to the Montana countryside.

Our photo shoots with our bride and groom model are some of my favorite images from the week. Geraldine Magazine editor Daniel Tran styled our models, with Kenney Duy of Fellini Salon providing the hair and makeup. Jose Villa shot them in the horse pasture, along the creek and in the ceremony location that Mindy Rice built from salvaged wood found in the Ranch’s ‘bone yard’. Jose Villa’s photos of the Masterclass and styled photoshoots can be found in print in Issue no. 3 of Geraldine Magazine.

I’m so grateful to the Ranch and all the industry professionals who helped produce the first Masterclass. But I’m also eternally grateful to the attendees, who brought incredible questions, fresh perspectives and endless enthusiasm to this special week. Meeting each of them and watching their businesses develop over the last year is exactly the reason I created the Masterclass. I look forward to 2016’s Masterclass to be held on February 28th – March 3rd at the Ranch at Rock Creek!

2016 Wedding Planner Masterclass by Laurie Arons

Dates: February 28th–March 3rd, 2016
Location: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Click here for more details and to reserve your spot!

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The 2016 Collection from Hushed Commotion + A Giveaway!

Let’s talk about bridal accessories for a moment, shall we? The seriously stunning bridal accessories from Hushed Commotion, to be exact. Think crazy beautiful veils, headpieces and belts perfect for the modern day bride with just a touch of boho elegance and a nod to vintage craftsmanship that will make your hearts melt. Adding a little bling to your wedding day attire never looked so good.

Based in the ever-fabulous Brooklyn and crafted locally in New York City, each stunning piece from Hushed Commotion is designed by Thea Bloch-Neal, founder and genius of all things pretty. From her spectacular use of beautiful gold details to her intricate + unique beading, Thea’s Hushed Commotion designs evoke a vintage aesthetic that is all kinds of breathtaking. Not to mention that each year Hushed Commotion releases a new special collection… and in 2016 it’s a lineup of totally gorgeous + totally fun + totally non-fussy Wedding Day Garters. We love.

Visit Hushed Commotion today to learn more about their amazing accessories and begin planning your seriously breathtaking wedding day look.

What: Hushed Commotion is giving away the perfect “Wedding Party Set” to one lucky SMP reader! The set includes: 1 Marlow Comb, 1 Cora Garter and 2 sets of the Renee Earrings for your bridesmaids! (Value $530)

How: Simply visit the Hushed Commotion website and leave a comment below telling us which accessory style is your favorite! (Ex: “I adore the Lana Veil!”)

Who: One lucky SMP reader, chosen completely at random, will be announced right here on SMP on Friday, December 18th, 2015. For terms and conditions, click here. Good luck, lovelies! xo

Blogger Bride: Margs + Maids with Dressed By Jess

Hello SMP brides! It’s Jess from Dressed By Jess and I’m so excited to share the very special story of how I asked my bridesmaids to be a part of my big day. I really wanted to create a memorable moment for the girls to enjoy. There are so many ways to pop the question, but I ultimately decided to surprise them with a fiesta-inspired lunch themed, Margs and Maids. The keyword: surprise.

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When I first started planning the lunch I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to coordinate schedules for six girls. Not to mention, all of them live in different states. Thankfully, I was able to nail down a date that worked for all of them. The hardest part was keeping it a secret between all six of them. Before I started planning the lunch, I engaged with my wedding photographer Jessa of Love & Light Photographs. It was important to me to have her there to capture all the details, and of course the priceless reaction on each of their faces. I honestly felt so lucky to have her join in on the fun. She was a huge part of the planning process as well!

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Once I decided on a theme it was time to get to work. I started shopping for decorations and reaching out to some of my favorite wedding vendors to help me bring my vision to life. Originally, I planned to host the lunch on the beach, but here in New Jersey the weather is always uncertain so I decided to switch gears and bring it indoors. My future mother-in-law was kind enough to let me use her dining room (which is so stunning) for the occasion. Both her and my mom helped cook and run errands leading up to the lunch. I am so thankful for both of them. It’s not easy to plan and execute a party by yourself!

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I began handwriting letters to each bridesmaid about a month prior to the lunch. Before officially asking them to be a part of the wedding, I wanted them to know how important their friendship is to me. It took me hours to write the notes. Have you ever tried to sum up your love for a friend in a few paragraphs? It’s really hard, but I’m a hopeless romantic so I enjoyed pulling at their heartstrings. The morning of the lunch was complete chaos as I anticipated. There was so much to set up and so little time. With the help of my mom, future mother-in-law, and Jessa, I was quickly able to transform the dining room into the Margs and Maids fiesta that I dreamed of.

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After organizing each place setting with the handwritten notes and mini piñatas, I adorned each chair with custom tote bags from Alyssa Thiel, Owner of Parris Chic Boutique. I met Alyssa at one of her calligraphy workshops in the beginning of the year. She is extremely talented and her hand lettering is so beautiful. She created the most gorgeous sign on watercolor paper to tie the theme together. In my opinion, she had one of the most important roles, writing the words “will you be my bridesmaid” on handmade paper that I later buried inside the piñatas as the final surprise for the girls. They came out delicate, beautiful, and exactly what I was looking for. I couldn’t have been happier with the results. It’s also worth mentioning that Alyssa was traveling at the time of my request and she was able to turn around my order in 24 hours. For that, I am forever grateful for!

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At the stroke of noon, the girls started to arrive and one-by-one they entered the house totally confused. They thought we were going to brunch and then shopping in Red Bank. We all sat down in the dining room and after I gave a quick speech, I told them we weren’t going shopping after all, as I had other plans in store for them. I directed them to open the letter in front of them, which led them to the mini piñata. Stuffed inside each piñata was a tiny insert which read, “will you be my bridesmaid?” The room was teary-eyed and at that moment I felt so completely whole. I couldn’t believe I pulled off the surprise without any of them finding out, with the exception of my fiancé’s sister, Lindsay. She later told me she started catching on the week of the lunch! At least I had her fooled for a few weeks. It was all in good fun. The whole day went by in the blink of an eye. After weeks of planning, it was so nice to relax, sip on margaritas, and catch up with the girls. It was such a special day.