When I was getting married I knew I’d have my dress custom made. I had the person who would do it, the idea of the dress in my head and so when it came time I just went to Jose Manuel at Victorian Bridals in Astoria, NY and he made my masterpiece. I’ve never regretted that decision.
I did, though, regret that I never got to partake in the whole bridal gown shopping experience. I’ve heard the stories, lived vicariously through Say Yes to the Dress, got a taste of it when modeling for wedding gown designer Karin Yngvesdotter and even contemplated the idea that I should just go out one day and play a bride to be shopping for a gown even though I’ve been married for almost 8 years. So when we provided the music for the the Budget Wedding Planning Event & Sample Gown Sale at Exquisite Bride in Millburn, I got my first and only real taste at the wedding gown shopping experience. No, I did not try on any dresses, but I did get to watch brides to be experience this. What was best was that 2 of them were clients of mine. It was a very personal look into what they would look like when I see them on their wedding day and it made me downright giddy.
So although I was there to tout the fabulousness that I think Colorblind Productions is, I could not help but peek into fittings, give ideas on bustling, fawn over fabrics and designs and explain the importance of such variables for the day of. I mean I’m the queen of making bustles when they fall at events and wrote a blog post about recommendations for them so I had plenty of advice to impart on dress functionality at the reception. And I am nothing but honest and will give my opinion when asked. And I ended up being asked by ladies that weren’t even my clients. It was so much fun! Rob, of course, laughed at me. He joked that maybe I should consider bridal gown sales. Honestly, I’d probably enjoy it!
What this experience also afforded me was to observe Exquisite Bride from a client perspective. I’ve been in bridal salons before (as a bridesmaid) and have had different experiences at them. I have to say the aesthetic of Exquisite Bridal instantaneously makes you feel at ease. It is a beautifully designed facility with a great color combination, comfortable accommodations and so open and airy that it leaves you feeling as if, you’re in a spa of sorts. It just feels very Zen. Veronica Castro, Remy Quinones and the staff are nothing short of amazing, with their warm smiles, calm demeanor and stress free attitudes. They’re bilingual too! The comfort level they afford their clients is something that I value and appreciate. Yes, its wedding gown sales but it doesn’t leave you with a feeling of being sold. They seem to subscribe to a similar ideal as we do, let the product make the sale and reinforce it. They do an amazing job at that. They have a great bridesmaid, lingerie and accessories line too. I look forward to participating in more of their events.
Trying on wedding dresses at Exquisite Bride in Millburn, NJ
Colorblind Productions on TV again - Cake Boss
Yet another wedding reality show has featured one of our clients. You might recall we were on an episode of Whose Wedding is it Anyway
Where you all got to hear me {Dianne} as M.C. welcome our brides into the room and not see anything further of us.
Flash forward to the latest reality TV installment where we're present and unseen and ironically another same sex wedding. We were the DJ's at Bryant & Derek's wedding and they're featured on a recent episode of CakeBoss as the 2 grooms who received the wrong cake.
In this segment you get to see our van parked just ahead of cake deliver SUV and in the background our Plasma screens. They deserve a blog post in and of itself (soon, I promise) as their wedding was at the Magnificent Loews Theater in Jersey City.
Winter Wonderland Wedding at the Madison Hotel
I love the Madison Hotel. I've worked there several times and it boasts one of the most beautiful all glass rooms which gives you such a sense of being outdoors while being inside. It is a stunning venue. And I thoroughly enjoy working with one of my favorite maitre d' Carlos. He's not only on top of his game but very client focused which is always such an important trait, and he's also a lover of music and a guy I'd actually really love to hang out with. Rob certainly kept him as well as the Bride and Groom and their guests happy by throwing down a wedding where the music varied from Salsa and Merengue to House and Classic early 80's music that even I haven't heard in a while. It's always so refreshing to hear music you haven't heard in a while. I can tell you honestly that being at an event most every weekend, some songs just end up getting played out. And I'm not even talking about the Cha Cha Slides of music which I sometimes wish I could never hear again, but good songs that you just get tired of.
In any case - the ceremony and reception were both held in this beautiful room that just was enveloped in a plethora of holiday cheer. Holiday themed weddings are so joyous.
The aisle was candle lit
Place cards were attached to adorable ornament holders
Decor was festive
And bells rang for kisses
Home is where the wedding is - Fall Outdoor Beauty
What happens when a visual display manager for a large department store gets married? She surrounds herself with visually dramatic and aesthetically beautiful items that highlight the most simple of spaces.
An outdoor wedding in early October on the grounds of the brides' childhood home in Freehold was the perfect venue for a most perfect day. I had the pleasure of being the coordinator while Rob DJ'd for the day. As the coordinator I was introduced to a first for me! Transporting the cake from the bakery to the home, a distance of about 10 miles. Driving slow and turning even slower was my mantra through out. The cake was fully assembled and boxed and arrived successfully without issue.
But the fact is that the venue, its decoration and all those attending embodied Mike and Liz and their individual persona. Having helped hang the mum-balls that were personally made by Liz and candles from the trees, alongside my assistant Maggie, set up the ceremony chairs and then dismantled the space and moved the chairs under the tent to the reception, decorated the tree with laminated pictures, stacked the monogrammed pumpkins and ensured that all these fabulous details came together I saw first hand the kind of thought and initiative made in every detail of this wedding. It was beautiful, personal and fabulous. The graphic design of a flower was seen throughout, the invitations, the wish cards, the pumpkin carvings.
The day could not have been more beautiful.
Beachside wedding at The Stateroom in Long Beach Island
For some odd reason today, although it is autumn, mother nature seems to be beckoning the winter. It is cold. And what way to warm myself up then to think of the warmth of the beach. We were lucky to DJ this wedding at the lovely Stateroom on Long Beach Island. That piece of road from the Garden State Parkway to LBI on route 72 is dabbled with beautiful wedding locations. We waved at the Bonnett Island Estate as we drove by. Rob worked there not to long ago and that site is stunning. A few steps away is the new Mallard Island Yacht Club that I’m sure will be host to many a wedding as it is slated to open shortly. Then we come upon the Stateroom. Elegant and modern with the feel of the beach without the casual air that it sometimes dictates.
Subtlety is at its core here. And our bride and groom that day had the affinity to pick the design that would really embrace that ideology. An elegant beach theme without being kitschy.
My favorite detail was the vintage ride they decided on
The color scheme reflected the blue of water. The details evoked the whimsy of sand and shells
And or course – what would a beach wedding be without the opportunity to save our female guest feet from the pain of their heels by providing flip flops in neutral tones to match their respective outfits. Especially when the salsa & merengue got underway and Rob had them out in true Colorblind Productions style.
I can not fail to mention the beautiful sunset guests have a view of
This is also the wedding that I had the infamous in the mens room incident. This reminds me, I still didn’t get a picture of that!
Sometimes, something so perfect comes around and you have to tell the world
I was lucky enough to coordinate a wedding this past weekend at a venue I was familiar with but never had the pleasure to actually work in. The Bernards Inn in Bernardsville.
Generally, after working every weekend at banquet facilities, I am rather difficult to impress when it comes to locations. I'm critical of the ambiance, the food and the general service. But the exemplary customer service both Lauren and Tracey (the events staff) exhibited, the quality of their food and their bartenders (nobody speaks enough about the fact that having a knowledgeable bartender to make good drinks is important), the impeccable and beautiful decor of the guest rooms and the event spaces and the mastery of their cake art (because it is an art form) has made me a cheerleader for the inn. Although this is the first time I have worked there I hope that I and my team at Colorblind Productions will get to work there more often in the future.
The staff genuinely enjoys working there. That always speaks volumes to me. Because I'm a vendor, not so much a guest, I have the opportunity of seeing the behind the scenes and I will say that I'm impressed. I liked it so much that on Monday I came back with Rob to have our 6 year anniversary lunch there. I can both vouch for the food at weddings and the restaurant, which is particularly amazing. I cannot say enough about this place.
Special acknowledgment goes to Tracey Mancini and Lauren Montemarano. These two ladies go far above and beyond to ensure the comfort level of the guests and especially the guests of honor. It was an extreme pleasure to have worked alongside them both. Those who choose the Bernards Inn for their events are lucky to have both of them ensure that their event is perfection.
I'll have more pictures to follow of the wedding there as well as all my weddings from the insanely popular Columbus Day wedding weekend to come but had to take this time to really give credit where credit is due.
Cultural Display - Chinese Double Happiness and Colombian Alegria comes to NJ from CA
Imagine planning your wedding from one coast while the event happens on an entirely other coast. Imagine on top of this personalizing everything to such detail that even the littlest of things reflect you personally.
No need to imagine it. Yeimy & Ronald, two scientists who reside in California brought friends and family from around the U.S. and as far as Colombia to celebrate their union in her home state of New Jersey at the Tides Estate in North Haledon. With a streamlined color and theme, and such personal touches including one of the groomsmen serving as officiant, their wedding was personal, beautiful and above all joyous!
I was lucky enough to coordinate this amazing wedding and ensure that the details they worked so hard on came together to be just what they wanted them to be while Rob dj'd it. I also have pictures of me in action which is a rarity!
You can read the fabulous review Yeimy gave us as well as the reviews of all her other vendors here!
