2011 Deserving Couple Weddings

By: Jessica Robinson

As many of you know, each year our company gives back by a "Deserving Couple" wedding.  We network with some pretty fabulous wedding professionals (many industry leaders) to design an over the top wedding for a very lucky couple.  We felt we had been so very fortunate in life, in business and were blessed with family and healthy children.  It is our way of giving back and best using our talents.

                          (last season's deserving couple wedding @ The Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, New York) 
                                                                                       Justin Marantz Photography

For 2011 wedding season we're designing THREE deserving couple weddings!  (so we are NOT accepting applications for this season, but feel free to apply for 2012 wedding)  In 2012, we're opening up the contest BEYOND New England.  We'll go anywhere in the United States.  However, we'll only be selecting ONE couple!

Deserving wedding #1: Karri & Chris
their vendors:
Sarah Porter Memorial Hall
Emily's Catering Group
Sixpence For Your Shoe
Ryan Designs
Steve Depino Photography
Paper Olive
Cookie Creatives
Sandra Downie Beauty
The Plumed Serpent
Lovely Cakes
Dancing Pen Calligraphy
(No Eye Has Seen Photography will be capturing all of their rehearsal dinner images)

Deserving wedding #2: Anna & Justin
their vendors:
The Webb Barn
Emily's Catering Group
Ryan Designs
Sixpence For Your Shoe
Justin & Mary Marantz Photography
Stonington Paperie
Cookie Creatives
The White Dress by the Shore
Sandra Downie Beauty
Dancing Pen Calligraphy
(No Eye Has Seen Photography will be capturing all of their rehearsal dinner images)

Deserving wedding #3: Christina & Dustin
their vendors:
La Cupola Ristorante & Inn
Chandelier Events
Kelly's Sweet Rewards
AriaDress
Averill Farms
The Litchfield Inn
Stacey Ilyse Photography
The Spa at Litchfield Hills
Lamothe's Sugar House
Bindi Desserts
Sara Faella
Fizz Paperie

We're honored that so many top wedding industry leaders donate their time, products and services!  Without them, we couldn't design such incredible deserving couple weddings!

Sending images off for my books

By: Jessica Robinson

I started writing a wedding book a few years back.  All of our clients kept saying "Jessica, you are so knowledgeable on weddings and you need to write a book!"  So I started writing notes and every single thought I had down on paper.  I'm sending images off to my agent now so editors can preview my work.  Writing a book hasn't been easy.  In fact quit a daunting task.  It's been really fun, but also like riding a roller coaster ride.  Up and down, an emotional roller coaster, crying one minute and smiling from cheek to cheek the next. 

But, I know that the first time I can walk into Border's and see my book on shelves...the one I wrote, it will be amazing!  It has been such an amazing experience and I'm looking forward to seeing both of my books published soon.

We've been so fortunate that our designs have graced the pages of so many magazines! (to mention just a few: Wedding Style New England, Southern New England Weddings, Bride & Bloom, Florists' Review, Boston Weddings, La Bella Bride magazine and Brides' Connecticut)  I'm so honored every year that some of those magazines call us each year to design creative table settings and bouquets for their magazines.

The fun part of getting to design new ideas for magazines is we have to think outside the box.  They want fresh material to share with their readers.  New color trends, new ideas to revitalize weddings and making weddings different.  Every client we work with wants something different from the next.  Which keeps our job fun.  I get to design with garden flowers one week and orchids the next.  So fun!

Lots of neat weddings this year and many cool photo shoots.  Hopefully they'll inspire you!

Styled photo shoots

By: Jessica Robinson

My days have been so crazy!  Between finishing up the new studio and wrapping up details on my second book.  Add to that all of the snow days we've had... they've really slowed everything.  We've had an enormous amount of new inquiries for weddings.  Which is so wonderful because each is at a different venue and each client's style is so very different.  It really keeps us on our toes when we have to think outside the box.

 
                                                                           Photo by: Jamie Collins Photography

We're working on a few styled shoots this season.  With each shoot, we'll offer couples unique venues and very different styles with designs.  One will be at the La Tourelle Resort and Spa, in Ithaca, New York.  This absolutely stunning resort offers gorgeous and relaxing suites, some with real fireplaces and all completely luxurious!  My husband and I will be taking a weekend getaway at the resort (along with my sketch pad) so we can gather ideas, look at all the spaces and come up with some fabulous design concepts.  It's so important as a designer, that we physically see the space and absorb it. 

Another with Beth Ann Sweeney Events at the Osborn Castle in New York.   She has so many ideas for this shoot and we're looking forward to working with her!

The other shoot will be at the Lace Factory, in Deep River, Connecticut. This wonderful space is raw, with exposed ceilings and.  So many great factories are being renovated and revitalized creating very unique spaces to hold your wedding.  I love that the space is so raw.  Which means that we can create, basically any look you wanted since you start with a blank palette.  With exposed beams in the ceiling, that gives us capability of hanging luminaries, lanterns and even creating suspended centerpieces.  Big windows add lots of natural light to the space.

We'll also be working on a Farm to Table photo shoot.  I'm still searching for the perfect venue for this shoot. I'm thinking one of the farms my parents sell product to.  Possibly Rose's Berry Farm.  This concept is so neat!  Think about where your food comes from.  We'll be utilizing foods grown in this area as well as locally grown flowers (some from our farm and other farms).

I'll keep you up to date on which incredible wedding professionals are helping create these shoots!