Loretta and Alex set a high standard for my 2009 weddings to come. Both bride and groom live in Chicago, but their entire family is here in New York.  They chose to have their wedding here in New York because family meant so much for them.  Their wedding held on January 3, 2009 went off without a hitch, and we beat the rain and snow!

Ceremony:  St. Francis of Assisi Church RCC

Reception:  Battery Gardens

Hair/Makeup:  Bridal Lounge

Photography & Video:  Lina Jang (Julia Skya / Michael Mulligan)

Florist:  Flowers by Emil

Lighting:  Frost Lighting

Music:  Hank Lane DJ + R&B Singer + Pianist

Cake:  City Sweets

Limos:  Double Diamond

Paper Products:  Exquisite Affairs Productions (Laurie)

Photos by:  Lina Jang

Photo by:  Henry Chan, HenryShoots

HOT OFF THE PRESSES!

Christine’s couple was featured in this Sunday’s New York Times.

READ ALL ABOUT IT:  Noa & John, The Atlantica, 6/27/09

If you’re having trouble accessing the link above, here’s a c/p:

Noa Yemini, John Arias

Published: June 26, 2009
Noa Miriam Yemini and John Paul Arias were married Saturday evening at the Atlantica, an event space in Westhampton Beach, N.Y. Rabbi Renée Feller officiated, and the Rev. Neil O’Connell, a Roman Catholic priest, took part in the ceremony.

Mrs. Arias, 30, is to begin working in August as an assistant marketing manager in New York for the United States unit of L’Oréal Paris. She graduated from Columbia and received an M.B.A. from New York University.

She is the daughter of Shaula A. Yemini of New York and Yechiam Yemini of Alpine, N.J. Her father is a professor of computer science at Columbia. Her parents were the owners of System Management Arts, known as Smarts, a developer of network management software in White Plains; her mother was also the company’s chief executive. The bride is the stepdaughter of Tzippi Hollander-Yemini.

Mr. Arias, also 30, is a systems administrator who manages computer systems at the Tudor Investment Corporation, a hedge fund in Greenwich, Conn. He graduated from Fordham and is in his first year of an M.B.A. program at New York University.

He is a son of Carolyn Arias of Scarsdale, N.Y., and Ricardo Arias of Walden, N.Y. His mother retired as a reading teacher at Yonkers Middle/High School and now teaches adult basic education at Vive School in Yonkers. His father retired as a professor of Spanish language and culture at Fordham. The bridegroom is a stepson of Nancy Kerstein-Arias.

HOT OFF THE PRESSES!

Christine’s couple was featured in this Sunday’s New York Times.

READ ALL ABOUT IT:  Linda & James, The Palm House, 6/19/09

If you’re having trouble accessing the link above, here’s a c/p:

Linda Cho, James Brennan

Linda Hye-Eun Cho and James Joseph Brennan were married Friday at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Kevin E. Kearney, a minister of the Church of Spiritual Humanism, officiated, and Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie of the Federal District Court in Scranton, Pa., took part in the ceremony.

Billy Kim/Tae Photography

Mrs. Brennan, 31, is a litigation associate in the New York office of the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University and received her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the daughter of Sun-Ok Kim of Whitestone, Queens, and Jung-Sun Cho of Seoul. Her mother retired as the owner of Tiffany, a former beauty salon in New York.

Mr. Brennan, 32, is a litigation associate at the New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford and received his law degree from Northwestern. He was a law clerk for Judge Vanaskie from 2005 to 2007.

He is a son of Mary and Hugh Brennan of Potomac, Md. His mother, who is retired, worked in Arlington, Va., as a computer specialist in the information technology department of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. His father retired as the director of procurement and administrative services at the Commerce Department in Washington.

The bridegroom’s grandfather, the late William Joseph Brennan Jr., was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990.

Photo by Duet Photography

Lea and Ivan, in one word:  awesome.  Yes, I know, I forgot to post the details about this fabulous wedding when I posted about Shelley and Evan’s wedding.  Fortunately, Lea reminded me (kindly) that I’d better post about her wedding.  Well, that’s what I’m doing now!

Lea and Ivan were married on November 29, 2008.  We spent almost a year together planning their wedding and we shared love for the same music and CUPCAKES!  Every time we got together we discussed Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige, and of course cupcakes came along for the trip.  Obviously as the date got closer and closer, we had to cut the cupcakes out b/c they were watching their “wedding” figures…so I double up’d!

Their event was a perfect blend of new meets old.  They are traditionalists at heart, but managed to bring out their sassy taste for all things new.  Their old cultures and traditions incorporated modern twists that appealed to all their guests.  The Filipino wedding ceremony traditions of the veil/coins/candles met the new with the bride walking down to an acoustic instrumental version of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.

Their reception was set off with a mix of Salsa/Merengue/Bachata for their first dance which kept everyone on the dance floor for the remainder of the afternoon.  The remainder of the event consisted of Heartfelt toasts by their Maid of Honor and Best Man, a thank you speech by the groom via his iPhone, Cigars and Brandy for the gentlemen on the terrace and a cake (one made by the Groom’s aunt) cutting.  Still, the dance floor remained packed, laughter was heard consistently, and everyone left with smiles from ear to ear.

Want to know how to personalize a wedding so it reflects you?  Just ask Ivan and Lea…because that’s what they did!

Their Amazing Vendors:

Church:  Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Reception:  Crystal Plaza

Photo & Video: Duet Photography & Video

Florist: Flowers by Emil

DJ: Ultimate Sound DJ’s

Makeup:  Fresh Face Forward

Cigar Roller:  La Rosa Cubana Cigars

Transportation:  Double Diamond Limos

Shuttle:  Express Bus Services

Stationery:  Laurie, Exquisite Affairs Productions Inc.

All Photos by Duet Photography

1920’s Hollywood comes to Brooklyn…stay tuned.

Photo by:  Anton Frid

Our EAP Family keeps getting larger and larger, and we absolutely love it!

That’s right y’all, Tara and her husband Michael are expecting a bundle of joy!!!  We cannot be happier for two of the best parents to be.  We plan on spoiling Baby Geremia in blue and brown, or purple and brown (if it’s a girl.)

Congratulations Tara and Michael, we love you!!!

Photo from Anne Geddes

Yes, I’m fully aware that it’s now June and I’m only posting about weddings from six months ago.  Well, it’s been a very busy 2009 and I prefer quality over quantity — don’t you?  That being said, I finished off the 2008 wedding season with a BIG BANG.  Shelley and Evan simply put are all sorts of awesome — inside and out.

We met over some coffee and three hours later I walked out realizing how crazy they are about each other.  Shelley said that Evan was involved in picking the dress with her because “he is her best friend, and what do girls do when they go dress shopping?  They bring their best friend.”  Their wedding was all about them — they spent the entire morning together, he would visit her while her hair and makeup were being done, he bought her some food to settle her stomach, and before she put that dress on, they took a moment alone to reflect what December 20, 2008 was really about — them.

I enjoyed every single minute of their event, and it was thanks to the two of them — their energy levels are what all their guests fed off of…and I took some of that away with me.

Ceremony & Reception:  Garden City Hotel

Catering:  Saffron 59

Hair/Makeup:  Salon Renata at the Garden City Hotel

Photographer:  Bella Pictures

Videographer:  Love in Progress

Cake:  City Sweets

Florist:  Flowers by Brian

Band:  Wayne Holmes Band, Hank Lane

All Photos by Bella Pictures

Photo by:  4Eyes Photography

Photographer:  Gulnara Studio, Gulnara

Hair:  Styles on B, Stacy Pitt

Ceremony & Reception:  The Palm House, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Flowers:  Designs by Rose

Officiant:  Bettina Yiannakourou

Ceremony Music:  The Capriccio Ensemble

DJ:  Popshop, Colleen Crumbcake

Photo by Cly Creation

Baby it’s Cold Outside…but yet they got out there, smiled for the camera, and enjoyed their wedding from beginning to end.

Melissa and Matt had a spectacular wedding on December 13, 2008 at the Central Park Boathouse.  Finally, I’ve updated the blog to include some more images…now leave me alone Danny!

Ceremony:  St. James Church

Reception:  The Central Park Boathouse

Photography:  Danny Weiss Photography

Videography:  Halo Productions

Hair:  Jennifer Brent /Makeup:  Laura Nadeau

Flowers & Decor:  Fleurs de Florissima

Music:  Jerry Kravat Band:  Tribeca Rhythm

Cake:  City Sweets

Paper Products:  Laurie, EAP

All Photos by Danny Weiss

Who doesn’t love a sale?  Well, we puffy heart them and we puffy heart this company:  Shindig Lighting.

Thought you’d love to be on the “great” deal — so contact them NOW and tell them EAP sent ya!

$500 off and a FREE iPod Nano!

I’m sitting here watching the season finale of Gossip Girl…and lo and behold, the venue of their party:  The Metropolitan Building (2nd Floor) in LIC.

Never thought two loves of mine would come together so perfectly.  Goodie!!!!

Here’s a sneak peak from Joyce & Caleb’s wedding on May 9, 2009…can’t wait to share all the details of their AMAZING day!

Photo by Joseph Allen