Brecknock Hall

Happy Thursday-it's-almost-Friday-eek!!

Time to talk venues.  In my opinion, the venue is the most important piece of the wedding/event equation. Well..maybe it's second to food.  Okay, maybe they're equally important. In any case, once the venue is confirmed, have you noticed that things start to magically fall into place?

Online research can only do so much - I much prefer discovering venues in person.

I had the pleasure of stumbling upon Brecknock Hall out on the North Fork of Long Island a couple of weekends ago when I coordinated the wedding of a very lovely couple - J & M.

The building is a beautifully restored mansion from the mid-1800's, located on the grounds of Peconic Landing.  Both the outdoor and indoor space are wonderfully conducive for different set ups for weddings and events. This particular wedding held the ceremony on the front porch with chairs set up on the front lawn, the cocktail hour throughout the various rooms of the mansion, and the reception in a tented area in the back.

In addition to the space being beautiful, the venue manager is quite pleasant to deal with and was so very helpful in ensuring everything went well.

The front porch and lawn. Courtesy of the Hall's Facebook page!

More photos and vendor recaps for this wedding to come in a separate post!

Hmm...I suppose it's never too EARLY to start looking for the perfect space is it?

Hope-to-be-your-bride-someday,
Your Venue Hunter

Just. Breathe.

To Ye Who Keeps Me Sane:

I saw this in a magazine a while back and wondered why I'd never heard about it before. It's a stress-fix concentrate that uses the science of aromaology to give the chill where it's needed.

It's no secret (perhaps an understatement) that brides and event organizers can get incredibly harried during the planning and executing process. Having this in one's emergency kit may prove to be helpful, and hopefully, soothing.

Purchase one here!

I like to be calm. And I'd very much like to keep my clients calm.

Here's to hoping you're also not a freaker-outer.

Your Stress-Free Bugaboo.

Social Butterfly

Heyyy youuuuu.

I tend to date men who have a lot of friends and like to have fun.  Because I'm sort of the same. I like to go out, meet new people, and keep myself occupied.

For some reason though... I haven't been able to crack the twitterverse.  But now I am determined to. In tandem with growing this little blog. + Pinterest. + Polyvore. + Etc.

I can't believe it's past the midway point of 2012 already. I have to say though, that things are going well.  I'm on my way to getting out of my not-so-great job, coordinating my THIRD wedding next week (more on that later), and romance is looking up! ;)

It's difficult having a day job, plus trying to grow a side job, plus figuring out life in general. Yes I know - totes first world problems.  But as long as you stick to my side, I think I will be able to do anything.  And I hope to positively affect the world one life, one couple, one wedding, one event at a time.

Bottom line?

I'm Ready to Stand Still With You.

G & C

Greetings from what feels like the center of the earth right now.

It's the middle of summer, 80 degrees, and I have no air conditioner! In an effort to cure (or prolong?) this irritating insomnia, I have decided to write about my day.

It was one of firsts for me. First Catholic ceremony, First wedding in Manhattan (!), and first time using separate venues for the ceremony and reception.

The Bride and Groom were exceptionally calm, there weren't too many moving pieces to coordinate, and once we moved from the church to the reception venue, it was pretty smooth sailing. The venue tended to get a bit hot even with all the A/C's running, probably because it was on the 17th floor, but otherwise, I think everyone had a great time.

Highlight: The dessert buffet. Most specifically, the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. Yums.
Low light: Every now and then I just want to ask certain people in the wedding/events industry, "WHY do you work in this business if you don't know how to be nice to people??" I mean, does this make any sense to anyone? I can't stand it when an unsavory attitude is unwarranted. If I say "Thank you", I expect at least a "You're Welcome" or fake smile back, no matter how busy or stressed you are. And even if it WAS warranted, I don't believe in maintaining a sour demeanor when dealing with clients and vendors. Maybe this is why I can't sleep.

Excuse the poor quality of the pictures, but all I have right now is my old iPhone, which I have decided I must upgrade SOON!

St. Francis

Beautiful bouquet 

The Father of the Bride sweetened the deal
by including some cash with the bouquet

In lieu of flowers, a DIY candlelit centerpiece 

Glow stick bracelets for dancing!

Venue: St. Francis of Assisi, Studio Arte

Caterer: Savory and Sweet

DJ: HaHa Events

Photography: Kim Jin Hong Photo Studio

Mellllting in this heat,

Your Trooper

Take Two

Hellooo My Other Half,

I have my second solo coordination gig coming up on Sunday, June 24, and it's going to be interesting and a litttle hectic for a couple reasons:

1. It's the first time I'm working a wedding where the ceremony and reception are at two different locations! They're maybe 10 min walking distance from each other, so hopefully it won't be sweltering that day.

2. We get access to the reception venue just two hours before cocktail hour, and three hours before the dinner! Luckily, there are but 70 guests and no floral details, so it shouldn't be too crazy. Unluckily, I must rush straight from the ceremony while the bridal party takes photos to make sure everything is set up correctly! At least I will burn a lot of calories. :)

Having said all that, I'm beyond excited and grateful to have my first opportunity to coordinate a wedding in Manhattan.  Check out the beautiful event space at Studio Arte!!

Wondering What Kind of Grind You're Up To...
Your Hustla

janemade

After much deliberation with my trusted friends and sister, I think I've found it!

I know I said I wished my name wasn't so generic a couple of weeks ago, but my favorite letterpress friend pointed out that it has its own cute charm to it.  Once she mentioned janemade (JaneMade? Jane-Made? Janemade? So many options!), I couldn't stop thinking about it.

So janemade it is.

Potential logo designs to follow soon!

Consider yourself lucky dude,
Not-so-plain-Jane.

H & R

No, I'm not talking about the company that helps you do your taxes. I'm talking about the amazing couple who let me use their wedding as my first foray into this business. :)

I lead coordinated their wedding on Mother's Day, and let me tell you - it wasn't easy. But the experience was no less than awesome.  I enlisted J, my bestie-for-life, to help me out with this endeavor, and though she did an amazing job, she told me this is "not for her" when I asked her if she had fun. :)  Funny though, because it only further strengthened my desire to work in the industry.

I was lucky that H + R were really on top of their stuff and made things fairly easy for me. They had all their vendors ready, answered all my questions immediately, and were so appreciative, which goes a long, long way.

Here's a sneak peak, and I hope they will let me share more pictures once they have them!

Most original (and cute!) cake toppers I've seen

Only a teeny part of the beautiful flower arrangement by Cress!

Venue: NYIT de Severskey Mansion
Photography - Lilian Haidar Photography
Flowers - Cress Floral Decorators

Hopefully, we will be as chill as they were on their big day.  :)

Feeling accomplished,
Your Detailed Other Half.