by admin | Apr 13, 2013 | Cakes, Charity
Let Them Eat Cake is Philadelphia’s Wedding Cake Design competition for professionals, students and those who love to bake to create. Brides-to-be and fondant foodies will converge for the eighth annual competition featuring the best of the best.
The event is hosted by The Merion at their beautiful venue in Cinnaminson, NJ (just over the bridge from Philadelphia). Celebrity chef Ron Ben-Israel will be judging this year’s competition. All proceeds benefit City of Hope’s cancer research.
Soiree Philadelphia member’s Mark Kingsdorf of Queen of Hearts/Eventricity, Victoria DiPietro of Bella Angel Hair & Makeup and Laura Eaton Photography will all be supporting this year’s event.
by admin | Jul 31, 2012 | Bridal Accessories, Planning
Scarlett Alley and Scarlett Bride are just the greatest places to find new, elegant and fun items for the bride-to-be (and for her ‘maids). If you live in the Philadelphia area, you must stop by Liz & Gary’s amazing boutique at 241 Race Street, but you can find all of these fabulous items online (links are listed and each image is clickable below)
Here are a few of our recent favorites:
MR. & MRS. Bridessentials Kit
Say “yes” to no stress with the Bridessentials Kit by Ms. & Mrs.
Tucked in a slim silver case, the Bridessentials Kit is compact enough to tote around for the entire wedding day. And with 25 essentials inside–including a “Something Blue” Heart-Shaped Crystal–this survival kit is comprehensive enough to conquer almost any wedding day calamity. The matching gift tag reads, “Wishing you a wedding that’s wonderful and worry-free.”
Contains 25 must-haves: Folding Hair Brush with Mirror, Hair Spray, Bobby Pins, Earring Backs, Facial Tissues, Blotting Tissues, Emery Board, Clear Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Mending Kit, Scissors, Safety Pins, Double-Sided Tape, Stain Remover, Static Remover, Antacid, Pain Reliever, Breath Freshener, Dental Floss, Deodorant Towelette, Adhesive Bandages, Tampon, Super Glue, “Something Blue” Heart-Shaped Crystal, and Extra Wedding Bands
$24.95
CLASSY BRIDE Love Sequin Ribbed Tank
Such a fantastic tank from Classy Bride!
Silver & Aqua sequins on 100% cotton white or black ribbed tank top.
$31.95
SA SIGNATURE Personalized Slate Cheese Tray 24″ x 12″
J. K. Adams
Full felt backing, natural flaked edge.
Natural Slate
24″ x 12″
Engraving included
J.K. Adams Company has created American made cutting boards since 1944. J.K. Adams continues their New England craftsmanship with wooden cheese trays and personalized slate serving trays.
by admin | May 31, 2012 | Photographers
We are pleased to welcome wedding photojournalist Scott Lewis to the Soiree Philadelphia family!
From Scott’s website:
High-impact and full of energy or slivers of ephemeral connections, moments and stories make are lives worth talking about. My passion is preserving those moments and stories in evocative images whose meaning and impact only deepens over time. Anyone with a camera can snap what’s there, but making images that capture the essence of a moment is truly special.
For more images and information on Scott Lewis, please visit his page, or contact him through his website below.
Scott Lewis Images
Web: www.scottlewisimages.com
Blog: http://blog.scottlewisimages.com
Tel: 610.649.1650
by admin | Apr 11, 2012 | Flowers, Planning
Rebecca Richman (one of Soiree Philadelphia founding members and a recent bride herself) has been a planner for the last four years with Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants and has been quoted & her work has been featured in numerous publications, including The Knot magazine, Philadelphia Weddings magazine, Nouveau Magazine, Baltimore Sun, Huffington Post, MunaLuchi Bridal, and on WHYY. Rebecca is also the co-director of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants and a founding Marketing Board Member of Wish Upon A Wedding Philadelphia.
Floral meetings can be both exciting and daunting for brides. It’s fun to sit down with someone creative to discuss all of the pretty things that you want at your wedding but it can also be daunting as you don’t quite know what to expect or to bring with you and you’re nervous about what that proposal (filled with all of your dream ideas and flowers) is going to cost you. Here are some tips on what to do to prepare before your first trip to the florist.
- As always, research: Make sure you check sites like weddingwire.com and get referrals from friends or your uber fabulous wedding planner. You never want to meet with someone that you know nothing about so make sure you do your research. Feel free to meet with more than one florist too. It’s good to get a variety of ideas and perspectives.
- Bring pictures! Whether you tear them from a magazine, print them from your computer or show a florist your Pinterest board, make sure you show them pictures of the things you like and don’t like. It will help them to understand your style and the look you are going for and make it easier then for the florist to make suggestions and generate ideas.
- Provide the basic info they need: It’s always good to come to the meeting with a document of the basics, ceremony location and time, reception location and time, number of members of the bridal party, # of mother, fathers and grandparents and guest count. They will need this information at some point in the meeting so if you come prepared with it they can get through the logistical stuff and then on to the fun things!
- Know your budget: I know, the not so fun part. Figure out where you want to be budget wise and also think about what that budget includes. Does it include linen? Lighting? Chair upgrades? These are all questions your florist will ask you at your meeting so think about these things in advance.
Dream big but please be realistic. We have all seen those jaw dropping photos of suspended beds of flowers over long tables dripping with roses and orchids and accented with the most intricately detailed linen and chivari chairs and so many candles on every inch of the table that we could roast smores…yea it’s stunning but understand that those things cost money, lots of money. Some of those tables you see on the covers of Grace Ormonde cost upwards of $600, $700, $800… a piece. They contain hundreds of flowers that are flown from all over the world and need to be kept in the most pristine conditions, cared for by talented professionals so that they are fresh and beautiful on your wedding day. All of this takes money, time, labor AND your florist does still need to make a profit so they can live to. It’s important to dream big but also have realistic expectations. Any good florist will be able to look at your dream photos and either provide it for you if it fits in your budget or will be able to find beautiful alternatives if it isn’t.- Don’t worry if you find something that you like better, later…I try not to schedule my bride’s floral meetings too far in advance. I was a bride recently so I know that we read magazines and blogs and pretty soon my vintage, DIYish, mixed china, old suitcase inspired vision I had for my wedding has completely morphed and I need clean lines, glass tabletops and metallic floral vessels for my now modern wedding. That’s okay, most florists need your final counts and decisions about 2 weeks-1 month out from the wedding date so they can order your flowers and purchase any vessels they need. You will have plenty of time to change your mind along the way.
Hope these bits of advice help you plan for your floral meeting!
by admin | Apr 5, 2012 | Events
This fabulous event benefits Wish Upon A Wedding. Soiree Philadelphia is proud to host monthly meetings for the Philadelphia chapter‘s board of directors, and we want everyone to support this upcoming event. 50% of the proceeds will go directly to Wish Upon A Wedding (click here to find out more about what the organization is all about).
From the site:
Philadelphia Wedding is proud to present its first ever bridal couture design contest – where students from five of Philadelphia’s top design schools will create original gowns to be judged by renowned industry experts. One winner will receive the exclusive opportunity to design and launch a new young eveningwear line for the prestigious Bridals by Danielle boutique, as well as the chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of Philadelphia Wedding.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Tickets are available now! Support emerging designers and a great cause all in one fabulous night!
by admin | Apr 5, 2012 | Invitations
We are thrilled to welcome the talents of April Cohen of ALH Designs to the Soiree Philadelphia family! We are so excited to have such a great selection of invitation designers – our well edited selection of professionals allows brides & grooms to focus on finding the right fit for their event, and invitation are such an important part of setting the style & mood for your wedding!
View more of April’s beautiful work on her page: http://soireephiladelphia.com/alh-designs/
Welcome April and all of our new members! More announcements coming soon!
by admin | Apr 5, 2012 | Planning
Soiree Philadelphia hosted our first members-only gathering last night – what a blast! So much talent in one room! Members got a chance to really connect, which is what this is all about!
Pictured (left to right): Alicia Herrenkohl Nathanson, Amy R Reese, Danielle Rogal Redenbaugh, Thérèse Farrow, Aleksandra Ambrozy, David Zaveloff, April Cohen, Mark Kingsdorf, Francesca Staffieri, Colette Pastore, Michael Magro, Laura Eaton & Phil Mantas – photo courtesy of Paul Eaton.
We are already planning the next gathering! We are hoping we can every one of our member’s attend the next event.
More about us: Soiree Philadelphia is the city’s only wedding concierge service – and its complimentary to brides & grooms! Couples can set an appointment and browse through the books & portfolios of all of our talented professionals. This well edited selection of professionals helps you narrow down the field of choice so you can focus on their talent and finding the right connection. You can do all this while enjoying a complimentary glass of wine (think about it – planning your wedding can actually be n ENJOYABLE experience!)
Call us at 609.954.0488 or email: soireephiladelphia@gmail.com to schedule your appointment today!
by admin | Mar 28, 2012 | Handmade, Invitations
Chick Invitations is the newest member of Soiree Philadelphia!
From their site:
They say birds of a feather flock together, right? Well, at Chick Invitations our feather is a common love of exquisite paper, meticulous details and great design. Founders, Ashley Macri and Robyn Platoni met while attending design school in Philadelphia. The duo became great friends and began designing custom invitations when it came time for Ashley’s own wedding. Word spread to family and friends and soon, Chick Invitations was formed to keep up the demands of their growing business. Years later, Chick has grown from wedding invitations to a full service invitation design studio, prepared to add your style to every aspect of your event.
Be sure to keep an eye out for our upcoming “So Inviting…2012” event – we’ll be focusing on all those questions that everyone has about invitations, design, timelines and more! Plus you’ll get to meet all of our great invitation designers at once! More details coming soon…
Welcome again to Chick Invitations! Thrilled to have you as a part of our collective!
by admin | Mar 21, 2012 | Invitations
Well-structured timelines are one of the most important aspects of not only your wedding day, but also the wedding planning process as well. When should you hire your photographer? When should you have your final fitting? And, when exactly should you schedule that all-important cake tasting! Nothing can make your special day become decidedly unspecial than if your musician doesn’t show up on time, or those personalized napkins you ordered aren’t being passed with your hors d’oeuvres at cocktail hour!
Little Woman Design takes timelines very seriously! During our initial consultation with a couple, we will work through a checklist of stationery that a couple wants, and then start developing a timeline based on the number of custom designs needed and the quantity of items desired. While it’s great to dream of having a wedding theme that carries through your entire wedding, you may not be able to realize your dream if you wait until the month before your wedding!
We have outlined a sample timeline that a couple can jump into from both a 12-month mark and a 6-month mark. While we certainly do not want to discourage couples who have less than 6 months until their wedding day, we want to offer a realistic approach to planning your custom designed wedding stationery.
12-months/6-months: Interview and hire your wedding stationer/graphic designer. Do you like a certain illustration style that a particular designer has? Are you hoping to carry certain design elements throughout the entire wedding? It’s important to interview and hire your stationer/graphic designer early so that your designer can develop not only a comprehensive proposal to cover your stationery needs, but also a highly detailed timeline which allows you a chance to comment and request changes on proofs of work given to you.
6-12 months: Send out your save the date. While most books and advice columns will advise sending out save the dates only if you have many out-of-town-guests, we advocate for these items for other reasons as well. Are you getting married on a holiday or a holiday weekend? Or, are you getting married in the middle of the summer, when many people will book their vacations sometimes up to a year in advance? If so, you want to send out a save the date sooner rather than later! Outside of timing reasons, couples may consider sending out a save the date to either set the stage for what the theme of their wedding may be, or to depart from the formality of their wedding invitation suite, and do something fun and whimsical!
4-6 months: Design your wedding invitation set. Would you like letterpress or digital printing? Embossed or engraved? 100% recycled or 100% cotton (also eco-friendly) paper? There are so many options to choose from, and it would be best to start early so that you get exactly what you want in a wedding invitation. As an engaged couple, you should be able to let your designer know what you’d like, and let them present to you the best way in keeping with your budget to accomplish it. Let them show you swatch books of papers and review design concepts based upon your ideas.
4-5 months: Calligraphy. You’ve spent thousands of dollars on your fabulous, custom designed letterpess wedding invitations! You picked out a gorgeous pattern for your envelope liner! With all this in mind, should you really be addressing your invitation’s outer envelopes (unless you are a master at hand-lettering!). Wow your guests from the outset and book calligraphy services as well. Trust us, you will have your fill of addressing envelopes over the course of your wedding planning and celebration. Save yourself the time and hassle, and have a professional calligrapher do it!
2-3 months: Send out invitations. Sending out your invitations 2-3 months in advance is important not only to let your guests know the exact details of your wedding, but also so that you may set a realistic RSVP deadline date. There are quite a few details that will hinge upon this all-important final head count—from the size of your wedding cake to the number of centerpieces you’ll be ordering. The earlier you get this information, the quicker you’ll be able to get it to your vendors, and
2-8 weeks: Miscellaneous customizations. Whether you want custom designed seating cards, or hand lettered table numbers, you won’t be able to have them done until after you get your RSVPs as you will need to know both the names of the guests coming as well as the table number they will be sitting. Or, maybe you want tags for your wedding favors, a custom made footer for your photo booth picture, or your own personalized cocktail napkins. While the designs of these items should have been done weeks before the 3-8 week mark, you should be taking delivery of the majority of these items at least one or two weeks prior to the wedding day.
Designing your wedding stationery will be one of the most rewarding and creative aspects of planning your wedding! Allow yourselves enough time for the designing process and you’ll be able to ensure that your vision comes to life!
For more information about Little Woman Design or to request a free consultation, please visit our website at http://littlewomandesign.com/contact or email us at francesca@littlewomandesign.com.
Little Woman Design is a full member of the Soiree Philadelphia collective. For more information on Soiree Philadelphia, please visit our Contact or About pages.
by admin | Mar 20, 2012 | Beauty
Soiree Philadelphia was delighted to host Aleksandra Ambrozy‘s first makeup class! It was such a success, she has already planned a follow up course & more classes in the coming months.
Images courtesy of Mary Kate of Kate’s Lens Photography.
Aleksandra’s next class will take place on Sunday, April 22nd from 12pm-4pm at the Soiree Philadelphia boutique. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: http://aleksandraambrozymakeupclass.eventbrite.com or email aleksmakeup@gmail.com
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