As this new astrological year begins, I thought it would be fun to share the very cool little piece I stumbled on when I was perusing through the latest issue of Food and Wine Magazine.

What a fun way to celebrate a birthday, eh?

When we last talked about the planning of Faye & Matt’s wedding, you were asked to chime in on the difficult choice between two wedding gowns that were beautifully designed and custom created for Faye by Janice Martin Couture. Here is the stunning winner:

Now is your chance to decide between two really beautiful  floral centerpieces created by the incredible team at Beautiful Blooms.   You can vote on Philly.com for either of the two beautiful pieces below.  Faye and Matt love both, so it really is up to you.

By the way, these photos were taken by Kevin York.  Faye and Matt are extremely lucky to have Kevin as their wedding photographer – it’s a certainty that their photos will be AMAZING!

Design#1  (“Organic Chic”) is created from an organic mix of hydrangea, protea, frog’s eye euphorbia, stock, hypericum berries and curly willow.  I just love how the colors compliment each other in the shades of apple green, purply blue and yellow. It will look stunning on the square tables dressed in a great purple pintuck linen with accents of yellow.

Design #2 (“Fishbowl Fashion”) has a more modern feel and was created in a large fishbowl. This arrangement is a combination of plum calla, yellow protea placed on a base of green split peas.   This centerpiece will look equally beautiful on the purple linens.

Hurry.  You only have until Tuesday night to vote for either of these gorgeous pieces.

After the centerpieces are decided, you’ll get to vote for the beautiful wedding rings from Safian & Rudolph.

In Part 1 of Brierley & Andy’s story, we told you about how much we love these guys and how the amazing craft of sailing played a signtificant and beautiful role in their wedding.   The very talented Sarah & Tony DiCicco were absolutely masterful at capturing this beautiful day.

We are now at the stunning ceremony, which took place at the Student Gallery of The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. I LOVE it when a couple decides to have their ceremony there.

After the ceremony, the guests were guided to the magnificent seating card table.  They were thrilled by the origami sailboats the whole family made to serve as seating cards. And just take a look at the gorgeous floral design executed by Beautiful Blooms.   LOVE!

PAFA is a great, GREAT place for photos. Such amazing artwork!

The guests were guided up PAFA's magnificent staircase into the beautiful cocktail area.

I love this photo of Brierley & Andy on that incredible staircase.

After the yummy cocktail hour (where guests were treated to, among other things, a very tasty cheese spread from the couple’s home state of Vermont), the guests were invited into the stunning reception. It was simply gorgeous. Beautiful Blooms did a fabulous job of creating the perfect look right out of Brierley’s head.   Brierley is not an extravagant young woman.   She has a very sleek, but warm style and appreciates details that are organic, rather than manufactured.    We managed to create a look for her tables that was simply lovely, just like Brierley herself!

Their guests had a truly great time.

The food was absolutely incredible.  It was a major priority to Brierely that her guests be served amazing food.   She is an editor at ” Eating Well Magazine” so we classify her as a world-class foodie, and as such, she had very specific, truly unique and wonderful ideas about what and how to serve her guests.   Jimmy Duffy’s was absolutely on board to make all her food wishes come true.  (Little fun fact:   Brierley’s parents used Duffy’s for their rehearsal dinner in the 80’s.)   The guests raved about dinner.   Then dessert arrived and they were totally stunned.    Duffy’s pastry chef created gorgeous red sugar apples and filled them with to-die-for ganache.

And the cake was PERFECT!   Simply and beautifully decorated with perfect red raspberries.

And O.M.G., the dancing!  It went on all night long.  The Sultans of Swing kept this very very happy crowd on that dance floor having the time of their lives.   AMAZING music came pouring out of these guys!!!   They are incredible and we love them!

Finally, there comes a time when we all must just take our shoes off.

As the parting shot, I literally fell in love with this mother-daughter photo.  It is a beautiful photo of this duo who truly love and respect each other.  It was pure joy being around them — we’ll certainly never forget them!

Again, thank you so much, Sarah & Tony.   Your photos really captured the essence of this wedding and we love you for that!

Lucky Faye!   Her wedding gown will be custom-designed and created  by the famous couture dress designer and dressmaker,  Janice Martin. The gown is now down to two stunning designs.   And you get to choose which one Faye will wear on her wedding day!

When we last talked about the planning of Faye & Matt’s wedding, you were asked to vote on the invitation by Two Paper Dolls.   And the winner is:

Now, we’re on the wedding gown, and so far, the voting has been unbelievable.   The dam has opened and votes are pouring in.

At their first meeting, Faye and Janice got to know each other so that Janice could design the dress to not only to suit Faye’s beauty and style, but her personality as well.  Eclatante was there for the fittings of the muslin versions of each evolution of Janice’s designs. We were so impressed by Janice’s compassion and ability to figure out exactly where to begin and how to make Faye feel completely at ease with the process.  By the time Faye’s gown is complete, there is absolutely no doubt that it will be a one-of-kind couture wedding gown that was made to fit and suit Faye absolutely perfectly.

These two drawings depict the two designs by Janice that were created for Faye.

GOWN #1

This is a halter style fitted gown with a layered train. The fabric will be a cotton/silk blend and the gown will have a slight blue cast to it. The train starts higher in the front, lower in the back. The dress may have small covered buttons down back of gown. The train is of layers of chiffon or organza, so that each layer will “flow” or “float” evoking waves. The gown may also have a blue sash at waist to complement the bridesmaids dresses. Blue was chosen for two reasons:  First, Faye’s amazing eyes; and, second,  because the ceremony will take place at  the rotunda that juts out onto the water outside the Independent Seaport Museum.   The effect of this gown is “light and airy”. The halter style gives Faye’s figure support and her shoulders more definition.

Gown #2:

Same silhouette as Gown #1, but is a strapless fitted gown of shirred silk satin. This is a much more “formal” fabric. The train is layered with a “bubble” type effect, so that overall the gown would be more sculptural and elegant.  Both gowns are very “body conscious” so either will show off Faye’s lovely curves. Both gowns will feature blue in the construction to give depth and richness to the gown and flatter Faye’s skin tone and eyes!

So, just like you did with the invitations (thank you!), please log onto Philly.com/weddings to cast your vote for either Gown #1 or Gown #2.   Hurry, though.   Faye is very anxious to find out which gown is hers!!

Next time, you’ll be asked to choose between two amazing centerpieces from Beautiful Blooms.

Brierley & Andy will stay in our hearts forever. We so adored every minute of planning this wedding that sometimes I wish we could go back to when we were talking to this family and this incredible couple all the time. To say we miss them is really an understatement.

One of the most interesting facts about this gorgeous couple is what Andy does for a living — he’s a professional sailboat racer (as in, The America’s Cup and a gold medal in the Pan American Games).   I mean, really — how does that happen?   Well, he comes from a family who loves to sail and it just took hold. He started sailing when he was six and proposed to Brierley on his father’s sailboat, “the “Thistle” (which will re-emerge in Part 2).  And from there, we just had a great time incorporating little sailing elements throughout the wedding.

Brierley’s very cool profession finds it’s way into the reception.   Her life is all about incredible food.   More about that later.

The amazing photography was beautifully accomplished by Sarah DiCicco. I LOVE LOVE LOVE working with her.   Not only does she produce incredible photos, but she is a total dream to be around.

Here are some great shots of Brierley and Andy getting ready

We love the font of their invitations.

Brierley's yummy Monolo Blahniks

These cool wine bags that held the wine Andy gave to his groomsmen were were made from recycled sails.

While the girls were getting ready, Andy took the guys bowling at Lucky Strike.   It really is a completely different thing for guys that day!

Although she wasn’t bowling, Brierley was way cool in her hotel room as things were getting started.

Claudia Seyler’s incredible artistry with hair & makeup and her wonderful, calm persona was the perfect fit for this low-key, but fun-loving crowd. Brierley looked absolutely amazing.

Brierley steps into her stunning Romona Keveza gown, with a beautiful light blue, crystal encrusted sash around the waist.

This is one truly happy bride!

Back from bowling, Andy was relaxed as could be while getting ready.

The gorgeous bouquets from Beautiful Blooms arrived at the hotel and Brierley was ready to see Andy for the first time.

Brierley & Andy wanted to take some photos in some very Philly places – so off they went to the 30th Street Station and of course, they had to stop for the famous Broad Street photo!   Sarah was very accommodating with a few game-day changes.

I love this picture of Brierley and her mom, Lindsay. It's not hard to see where Brierley got her looks, eh?

Stay tuned.   Next up will be the stunning ceremony and reception at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. You will love.

In Part 1, we talked about the tables where your guests are seated.   Now, it’s on to place settings.

Setting a table is a simple matter of logic and symmetry.   You’ll see.

Photo by Marie Labbancz

First, let’s do a rundown of the elements that make up a table setting

PLATES

Charger (or “lay plate” or “service place”)

A charger is optional, but it is usually a terrific addition to the décor and function of service of your dinner– the bottom edge is aligned with the edge of the table.  It allows you to remove and replace salad and entrée plates while leaving an attractive plate at your setting.

Photo by Maggie Wallace Cullen

Dinner plate or luncheon plate

The large entrée plate is placed in the center of the charger.  If there is no charger, then the bottom of this plate should be placed about an inch above the edge of the table.

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Salad plate

This really all depends on whether you’re having a sit down dinner at home or a large reception. and whether you want salad served after guests sit down.  When you serve the salad you can remove the dinner plate and replace it with the salad plate with the salad already placed.

Dessert plate

I’m really not a huge fan of a lot of plates at the table when people sit down.   For dessert.  I think it’s better to remove all of the plates (except for the cup and saucer) and place the dessert plate (and spoon and/or fork) when it’s time for dessert.

Photo by Sarah DiCicco

Cups and saucers

Again, I think these should be left off the table until you’re ready to serve coffee and tea after the entrée (usually with dessert).   Cluttering up a table is never a good idea.

Bread and butter plates

I love these little plates.  I often like to do something unusual with them as an accent to the table.  Usually placed above the dinner fork (the top left of the charger), they are use to separate bread and butter from the other foods on the salad or dinner plate.   I really don’t like having the actual bread and butter sitting at each place setting when your guests arrive in the room.  Although purist North American formal at-home dining etiquette removes the bread completely (way to formalistic for me!), I believe the more lovely way to provide bread and butter to your guests is to have it served once your guests have taken their seats.  This is especially true at a large reception where you have worked so hard to plan a meticulous and beautiful look on your table – without bread and pats of butter (don’t get me started on those shaped patties of butter) impeding your beautiful tablescape.

Photo by Michael Branscom

Photo by Amanda Kraft

GLASSWARE

So, there are a myriad of types of glassware, but, for the sake of yourself and your guests (and to minimize clutter on the table), keep it to these simple three types of glassware:  water, wine and champagne (if serving champagne at the table). Drinking glasses of any kind are placed the top right of the charger or dinner plate, above the knives and spoons.

Photo by Amy Deputy

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Water goblets are the largest glasses (can also be used for ice tea, unless you want to use Tom Collins glasses).  Red wine glasses then white wine glasses follow, and finally, the champagne flutes.   The water goblet  is placed directly above the knives. Smaller glasses are placed in front.  See the diagram below.

Depending upon the kind of party you’re having, you can, of course, use whatever glassware suits your party best.  You can also include a dessert drink glass if you’re serving sherry after the meal, but again, I feel that it is better to place that glassware after the dinner service has been removed.

FLATWARE

Honestly, there’s nothing particularly interesting about flatware — it’s just about placement.

Forks go on the left, knives on the right (and, usually, spoons). After that, logic takes over.  what you use first goes on the outside  – so, the salad fork is to the outside of the dinner fork; the soup spoon goes outside of the dinner knife.   After that, it’s just a matter of symmetry,

I’ve always liked waiting until dessert is served for the dessert spoons to come out, but sometimes, it’s just not practical.   In that case, placing the dessert spoon above the plates is fine.

Oh, and the knife blade faces the plate.

Here’s a diagram for you:

A:  Salad fork

B: Dinner fork

C:  Charger

D:  Napkin (which can go onto the center of the plate or, if you have a salad plate or soup bowl, to the left of the plates

E:  Dinner Plate

F:  Dinner knife (blade facing the plate)

G:  Soup Spoon or teaspoon (If you aren’t serving soup, then for the sake of symmetry, you could place a teaspoon in its place, which could, if you choose, be used for the dessert spoon later.

H:  Butter knife

I:   Bread & butter plate

J:  Dessert spoon (if necessary)

K:  Water Goblet

L:  Red Wine glass

M:  White wine glass

N:  Champagne flute

Trust me when I tell you that none of the rules are unbreakable.   They are much more like guildelines than rules.   Sometimes the reality of what’s happening on the table makes it less attractive or functional to change things around a little.

But always remember the Golden Rule we started out with in Part I –

It’s always about the hospitality.

So whatever you do, don’t confuse your guests with unnecessary pieces.   Keep it simple and lovely and your guests will be thrilled!

There are lots and lots of other things that happen depending upon the types of food you’re serving or the type of food service.   This is just the basics of a formal dinner table.

Now relax and have an amazing time!

There really is an art to throwing a great party — whether it’s a small intimate dinner-thing at your dining room table or a reception for 300 of your closest friends.   So, here’s the next golden rule:

It’s always about hospitality

I do acknowledge that there are far more important things going on in the world than worrying about how to set a table.   I also freely admit that knowing the in’s and out’s of how to throw a great party does not make me a candidate for the next Nobel Peace Prize.

But, honestly, if you’re going to go to all the trouble of getting things together for a dinner party or a reception, don’t you think you should go to the trouble of doing it right?  I’m a huge fan of getting the details right.  It truly is what sets a great party apart from a mediocre one!

photo by Marie Labbancz

Part 1:  The Size of the Dinner Table

One of the biggest (and most annoying) mistakes people make is to place too many people at their tables.  I can’t measure your dining room table, but I can step right up on my soapbox about how many people should be seated at the standard size dinner tables used at receptions.

No matter who tells you otherwise, it is not a good idea to seat 10 people at a 60” table or 12 people at a 72” table.  Why?  Because it’s really uncomfortable and has the personal touch of an annual meeting of an insurance company.  When you’re serving your friends and family, here is your rule of thumb:  about 2’ per person (a little less is okay, but don’t fudge too much).  Most of the time, for receptions, you will be dealing with square or round tables with the following dimensions:

So, for the comfort of your guests, 60” tables should seat only 8 people and 72” tables should seat only 10 guests.  (Don’t worry about the fractions, it’s not an exact science).

Rectangular tables come in lengths from 6′ to 10′ or 12′.   The same 2′ per guest applies.   But the widths of all rectangular tables are not equal — make sure the width of your table is at least 36″ if  you plan to have anything placed down the middle of the table.

Photo by Cliff Mautner

If you need some backup on this, here’s why it works best this way:

Photo by Michael Branscom

Photo by Marie Labbancz

This is how your table should look if your guests are having a great time and they have enough room to move around:

Photo by Sarah DiCicco

photo by Maggie Wallace Cullen

There’s no way this could happen at a cramped dinner table

Photo by Maggie Wallace Cullen

If you’re having a dinner party, be realistic about the number of people who can fit comfortably sit at your table – whether your having food placed on your table or not. It’s easier to bring in tables than it is to serve between crowded guests.

Part 2 will make it easy to set a great table.

Eclatante was honored to be asked by the amazing Sarah Lockard of AroundMainLine.com to design and help plan AML’s annual sensational and sophisticated Valentine’s-themed party.  AroundMainline.com is the SUPER successful and culturally rich online magazine that addresses all things hip around the Philadelphia area, so we were thrilled Sarah thought of us to help her put this great party together!

More importantly, this party will be nothing short of fabulous!   And, although it may very well be be the greatest thing this winter for mingling and having a great time, the best part is that it benefits Philadoptables (philadoptables.org) a wonderful, hardworking charity that addresses the overwhelming needs of Philadelphia Animal Control.  Philadoptables’ goal is to bring awareness and funding for the 34,000 animals a year who are brought to Philadelphia Animal Control.

This is going to be a great party — We really hope to see you!

Here are the specifics:

Place

Spamps Restaurant, Conshohocken, 16 East First Avenue (spampsrestaurant.com)

Date and Time

Thursday, February 4, 2010 from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Yummies

Weyerbacher Brewery is the official craft beer sponsor of Be Mine. Spamps will be offering specials on bottles of Merry Monks’ and Hops Infusion, two of Weyerbacher’s most popular ales. In addition, fun and delicious champagne cocktails will be served with Verdi Spumante sparkling champagne, a major event sponsor

Spamps will be offering a special discounted menu for all guests. A complimentary gourmet cupcake table will be there for you to enjoy courtesy of Cakes & Candies by MaryEllen.

At the Door

RSVP

While not required, your RSVP is certainly encourage.   We’d so love to see you there – shoot a quick email to rsvp@aroundmainline.com.

If you’d like even more information about this great party, please read Sarah’s article.

Oh, by the way — I just ADORE the logo Two Paper Dolls created for this party, don’t you?   Absolutely perfect — as usual!!!

The Golden Rule of Timing a Great Party

Part 2)   An amazing party.

If you read Part 1 of this little series, which included Rules #1 – #3, you know it’s all about the critical, albeit invisible, element of timing.

Rule #4:  Let the opening of the doors to the reception signal the beginning of your great celebration.

After an hour and a half of  mingling with old friends, drinking wonderful beverages and eating scrumptious and creative hors d’oeuvres and short plates, your guests should be feeling the anticipation of the great party in store for them. When you open the doors, they should be stepping into something new —   the music goes up several notches, the lighting moves to a whole different level and the decor gives them all that they’ve been waiting for.   What your guests see and hear should reflect your unique style and vision. Creating this new enthusiasm will inspire your guests to have a great time.

Photo by Mike Kehr

Photo by Sarah DiCicco

Photo by Cliff Mautner

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Rule #5)  Once your guests enter the reception, standing around is not an option.

Recently, we did something very fun.  Instead of introducing the bride and groom in the typical way, the bride and groom were dancing (perfectly lit, of course) when the doors were opened.  All the guests surrounded the dance floor. After a short time, the guests were invited to join the bride and groom at which point, they instantly became part of the party. That’s the goal.  You want to engage your guests into your party as soon as they walk in the door.

To accomplish that, remember this:  If nothing is happening, then your guests will do nothing.  But if there’s something to be paid attention to, they will. Nothing will deflate the enthusiasm for your party like downtime.  If that means you need to line up your wedding party for introductions right away, then make sure your wedding party isn’t hanging out in the bathroom.

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Rule #6)  Do not front load your party with a succession of  toasts and speeches.

Honestly, just don’t do it.   Almost no one is entertaining enough to keep your guests interested for more than three minutes.  ”Leave them wanting more” will never be more true than it is here.  If you must have several toasts, then space them out throughout your party.

Rule #7) Do something fun and different at some point in your party.

This can take on several forms, and should take not up a lot of time (do you see a theme here?).    Here are just a few suggestions.

Photo by Amy Deputy

Photo by Mike Kehr

Photo by Amy Deputy

Rule #8) The bandleader or DJ is not the final word on how your party should flow.

Don’t get me wrong, a good bandleader or DJ will know how to keep your party moving and energized. And will do everything possible to make sure it all happens right.  We know and work with some of the best musicians and DJ’s around, and they will take the flow of your party very seriously.  But there are some things they just don’t know because they’re not you and they’re not your planner (don’t get me started on band agencies that claim to be planners).   Furthermore, it’s perfectly okay to want a different kind of party than what that particular band is used to playing. For instance, most bandleaders don’t know when the photographer has left the room and wouldn’t think to delay the cake cutting until the photographer returns. (And yes, this is an extremely good reason to have a good, experienced planner on board).

Photos by Marie Labbancz

Rule #9) Be flexible.

Sometimes things just happen that are completely unexpected, which may require that things get moved around a little.  Do not let this upset you; some of the best experiences are borne from game day decisions made in the face of some unforeseeable happenstance.

Rule #10)  Leave them wanting more (the Golden Rule).

No more than four hours after the cocktail hour (or so) began, you should be saying your goodbyes.

Okay, that’s it.  Have an EXTRAORDINARY party!!!

The Golden Rule of Timing a Great Party

Part 1)   The Cocktail Hour (or so).

Most large events that include a dinner and/or entertainment start with a cocktail hour (or so) prior to the festivities really getting started.   The purpose of this is several-fold.  First, it’s a time for the guests to mingle amongst themselves, get a bit to eat and start getting the sense of your celebration.   Plus (if your celebration is a wedding), it gives you time to get through photos, then do some mingling of your own.   Because I HATE receiving lines (and I really really do) and I’m not a big fan of contrived table visits, either, I think a great cocktail hour (or so) is the key to a very successful celebration.

A truly great cocktail hour depends on some key ingredients:  1)  food & drink, 2) music and 3) lighting

Photo by Sarah DiCicco

Photo by Matthew Hollerbush

Rule #1:  Have enough food and drink and make sure it’s accessible.

There is really nothing less enjoyable than standing in line for food or at the bar (unless it’s standing in a receiving line — just sayin’).  It’s great to have food stations, but make sure there are passed yummies as well.

Photo by Barnaby Draper

The same goes for the bar.   To avoid a line forming at the bar, have wine, champagne and maybe a signature drink passed.   The number of bars, bartenders and food stations is dependent on the number of guests.

Photo by Michael Branscom

Rule #2:  Your music should not be loud or too hi-energy during the cocktail hour. Remember, the primary purpose of your cocktail hour is for mingling.  I’m all in favor of really interesting, fun music that steps a bit out-of-the-box, but make sure that it doesn’t overwhelm your guests’ conversation with each other and with you!

from lapisluna.com

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Rule #3:   Great lighting creates great atmosphere.

Enough said.

Photo by Cliff Mautner

Photo by Marie Labbancz

If you’re hosting a great cocktail party, then you can stop here (obviously).   Plan to start kissing your guests goodbye after about three hours.  Otherwise, if you’re moving on to the dinner/dance portion, my favorite length of a cocktail hour (or so) is about 1 1/2 hours.   But make sure you don’t run out of anything!

See you for Part 2 soon!

Come visit us at the open house for Max & Me Catering held at the Please Touch Museum on Wednesday, January 20th from 6-8 pm.   The Please Touch Museum is so amazing and unusual, I just don’t know where to start – but let’s got with this:

It has A REAL CAROUSEL you can ride!!!

We’ve been fortunate enough to have planned and designed a few weddings at the Please Touch Museum.  It’s an amazing place to have a wedding!   Check out some photos of some of the other fun things we’ve done there.

If you’re looking for the perfect venue and an amazing caterer for your wedding, you should plan to stop by this Open House next Wednesday.

Please RSVP to Kimberly at 215.578.5188 or kim@MaxandMeCatering.com.

One of our favorite parts of designing events is when we get to scout out great musicians and talented entertainers for our clients’ extraordinary celebrations.   That part of our jobs isn’t anything like work.  We get to sit down and listen to some incredible music.   How hard is that?

You’re welcome to come along on our next venture out to hear some amazing musicians perform.  We’re going to Beat Street in Manyunk  on Sunday (January 10th)  where Elan Artists will be showcasing some of their best musicians.   If you’re looking for some truly sophisticated, fun, great music for your affair (with absolutely no “LET’S PARTAAAYYY” cheese goin’ on),  you’ll find it there.   Trust me on this. Each band performs a cross section of music from classics to contemporary.  Hip, sophisticated, cool – just great, great music that you might just fall in love with.

Sunday January 10^th 2010
Beat Street Station

Prompt Start 5pm

Email info@elanartists.com to RSVP.

Beat Street Station
4401 Cresson Street
Manayunk, PA 19127

888.800.3526 or info@elanartists.com
Admission Free – RSVP Requested

www.dancebandshowcase.com

Preview groups at www.elanartists.com

A while back, The Knot (national) asked Eclatante to design a southern, Gatsby-style table scape using deep blues and greens.   Beautiful Blooms did their usual amazing job with the flowers! After a really great photoshoot in the studio of Antonis Achilleos, a great NYC photographer, The Knot published the fabulous results in their national magazine.

Here’s the article:

We just loved creating this amazing tablescape.   It all came together beautifully!

Look for some of Eclatante weddings in upcoming issues of The Knot.

We love it when Style Me Pretty comes calling.   We’ve really had a great time over the past many months sharing our goings-on with them.   They’re always up for sharing new and fun things with their readers, who, apparently, just drink every drop of Style Me Pretty.  And who can blame them.  They don’t call it the Ultimate Wedding Blog for nothing!

It truly is an honor to be counted among the chosen few of Style Me Pretty!