Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Survival Tips for Trunk Shows

Trunk shows provide a wonderful opportunity to score big savings on the bridal gown of your dreams, or to simply feel like a princess for a day. After all, how often can you try on a $50,000 piece of meticulously hand-beaded couture?

Keep in mind, however, that trunk shows provide for savings because they are one-time events. You will likely be expected to commit to purchasing your gown on the spot in exchange for that 10-15 percent discount or those free alterations. So before you go to your appointment, make sure to:
  1. Do your due diligence. Visit several bridal salons before your trunk show appointment to get a sense of the other available designers and styles. You can always go back to these boutiques if you don't find the dress of your dreams at the trunk show. But you can't go back in time and take advantage of the trunk show discounts when you don't find gowns elsewhere, after the fact.
  2. Circle the wagons. Make sure you have any and all of your "principals" with you at your trunk show appointment: mom, future mother-in-law, maid/matron of honor, and any other VIPs whose opinion you seek or require before purchasing your gown. It may be hard to convince your mom over the phone that she should pay for the designer gown you've just fallen in love with, sight unseen, especially if she had her heart set on being with you when you found "the one."
  3. Stand your ground. Surrounded by the glow of the designer exquisiteness at a trunk show it may be VERY hard for you to walk away from the dress of your dreams once you've put it on, even if you know you can't afford it (I speak from personal experience). It may be particularly difficult if the salon is serving champagne and the bubbly is now coursing through your veins (again, personal experience!). Set your gown budget ahead of time and stick to it. Keep in mind that your wedding day look--including gown, alterations, shoes, undergarments, veil, jewelry--should be no more than 10 percent of your overall wedding budget. Keep also in mind that you'll likely be trying on these gowns very early in the planning process, and that there are MANY other wedding-related expenses to come. Go in to the trunk show prepared with a predetermined range of what you're willing to spend on your gown, and don't try on anything with a price tag beyond the outer limits of this range. As a fail safe, give your principals full authority to drag you out of the salon door kicking and screaming the minute you start rationalizing an extravagant gown purchase by noting you can refinance your home or sell your car to afford it.
  4. Be prepared. Be emotionally and financially prepared to put down your deposit or purchase the dress outright if you find something you absolutely love at the show. It's unlikely that the salon or designer will be willing to offer you a discount after the event date, or even after your scheduled appointment. Bring major credit cards like MasterCard and Visa, as some smaller boutiques may not accept American Express. Be also prepared to write a check. Though unlikely, the host salon or the designer may not accept credit cards.
  5. Be conscious of time. Note that most if not all couture (i.e., sewn by hand) gowns take several months to craft, and another couple of months to alter. Don't even think of tempting yourself at a trunk show unless you have at least 6-8 months of lead time before your big day.

With these tips in mind, one of my favorite bridal salons, Hitched in Georgetown, is now accepting appointments for fall designer trunk shows:

  • Modern Trousseau Trunk Show (Bridal and Mother of the Occasion)
    Friday and Saturday, September 19 & 20

  • Oscar de la Renta Trunk Show
    **my personal favorite and shown above. Sigh!**
    Friday and Saturday, October 24 & October 25

  • Judd Waddell Trunk Show
    Friday and Saturday, November 7 & 8

  • Anna Maier/Ulla-Maija Trunk Show
    Friday and Saturday, November 21 & 22

  • Augusta Jones Trunk Show
    Friday and Saturday, December 5 & 6
Reserve a covetted spot now by contacting info@hitchedsalon.com or call 202-333-6162.


Friday, August 29, 2008

Isabel & Avi Married!

In August I had the privilege of coordinating Isabel and Avi's traditional Jewish ceremony, complete with Tisch (a toast for the groom, shown below), Kabbalat Panim (a pre-wedding reception where guests greet the bride as she "holds court,"also show below), Badeken (veiling ceremony and plate breaking to symbolize commitment), Kiddushin (betrothal ceremony, chuppah show below), Nuissin (the seven blessings and the breaking of the glass), and Seudat Mitzvah...the wedding feast, including the longest and liveliest Hora I have ever witnessed!






























I love the uniqueness of their tables. The jewel-toned flowers were arranged in antique silver urns and paired with coordinating votives. Instead of conventional table numbers, Isabel and Avi's table numbers had special significance to their relationship. Table "11.5"below represented their first date: November 5, 2006. They also included maracas and tambourines to get the dance party started, and keep it going late into the night. These were a HUGE hit, particularly during the conga line!
















































This picture, snapped by the bride's best friend, perfectly captures the joy and exuberance of the evening. Mazel Tov Isabel and Avi! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day.




















My thanks to:

-Stacy, Michael, and the rest of the Jerry Ross Band
-Meyer Cohen and the staff of Sperber's Kosher Catering
-Rabbi Steven Rubenstein and the Congregation Beth Ahm


Friday, August 15, 2008

I'm Official! EHE Brand Launch


Special thanks to my good friend, Ina Herrera for her amazing talent, creativity, and patience in designing my company's new brand.

I told Ina I was looking for something clean, contemporary, and classic. Even with such obscure direction from me, Ina nailed it. From the shield logo and the monogram stamp, to the polka dots and the color scheme, I love everything about it. Thank you so much, Ina!

In addition to brand and logo development, Ina is available for custom stationary. Nothing says "wow" like a one-of-a-kind invitation designed especially for you by a talented graphic designer and painter (yes, she does water color invitations too!). For more information, contact Ina at inabnherrera@hotmail.com

Now on to the next step: incorporating Ina's gorgeous designs into an elegant new Web site. Stay tuned!

While I prepare for Isabel and Avi's wedding in Detroit next weekend, this will be my last post for a while. Wish me luck...

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Queen Bee Goes Bridal

My colleague, who's getting married in November, asked me for ideas on where to find unique wedding jewelry. She's looking for large, chunky, estate style earings (but not "too granny") to go with her Chantilly lace gown. Designer consignment boutiques like Secondi and Annie Creamcheese immediately came to mind, and then I started to Google.

Imagine my surprise and joy to find that my favorite local jewelry designer, Allison Brooks of Queen Bee Designs is now making custom bridal jewelry for brides, bridesmaids, MOBs and MOGs. A custom necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings is a unique and thoughtful gift for those who will stand by you on your wedding day.

Even better, a Queen Bee one-of-a-kind is a wonderful "something new" for yourself! The "Eleanor" would be simply stunning paired with a wedding gown, particularly if you dared to wear more than one. If memory serves, I believe First Lady Laura Bush wore two strands of this rock quartz beauty at the Press Corps dinner several years ago. Queen Bee is also now available for private shows; what better way to liven up a bridal shower or bachelorette party than with jewelry shopping on demand?

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Holiday Brunch 2007: It's All in the Details

In my experience hosting, attending, and now planning events, a memorable fete requires four ingredients: great food, plenty of booze, lively people, and unforgettable details. For my parties, my best friend Tara Novotny always plans an amazing menu, and the liquor always flows freely; though I admit I usually underestimate how much my friends can actually drink (luckily there's a mini mart across the street with a great beer and wine selection, so a mid-party liquor run by my husband Carl usually goes unnoticed!).

For our third annual Holiday Brunch, "It's a Celebration," Tara and I wanted to "take it to the next level" by playing up the details. First, we identified our theme--a modern spin on winter wonderland, featuring polka dots and snowflakes in silver sage, olive, white, and silver--because as with weddings, a consistent and cohesive theme is crucial to setting the tone of the event. All of our linens, ribbons, candles, and accents corresponded with this color scheme, including the amazing cupcakes created by JoAnna Hiatt. Her cupcakes showcased shimmering handmade snowflakes and silver sage holly leaves and silver berries (show below).


Next, Tara went to work on the menu ("deconstructed" brunch favorites like chili rellenos, cucumbers filled with salmon mousse, grapes rolled in blue cheese and pistachios, mushroom turnovers, etc.). And I turned to my "go to" spot for personal touches: My Own Labels. They offer adorable designs on coasters, labels, and tags, great customer service, and fantastic ideas for out-of-town welcome bags, favors, and bridal party gifts. For Holiday Brunch 2007, Tara and I purchased coasters, labels, and tags in a design that coordinated with our theme. Coasters read "eat, drink, and be merry...it's a celebration!" Labels, which we stuck on candle votives and favors said simply, "enjoy!" Hang tags, which we tied around our favors with polka dotted ribbon read, "happy holidays! tara and emily."

For the favors, I headed straight to my one-stop-shop for the most wonderful products, packaging, and gift dressings: Beau Coup. As with My Own Labels, I first used Beau Coup for my own wedding, purchasing travel candles and mini tins (to fill with M&Ms) for my out-of-town welcome bags. For Holiday Brunch 2007, Tara and I filled mini spice jars with shelled pistachios and dried cranberries (shown above). With the labels and tags from My Own Labels, the result was adorable. And a huge hit with our guests!

Expected at weddings, these details will be an unexpected but welcomed surprise at a house party. For relatively little cost, they will delight your guests and make them feel honored that you went above and beyond for their benefit. More importantly, it gets them excited for your next special event!

Details and Decor, Emily H Events; Photography and photo collages, Jessica Del Vecchio ; Menu, Tara Novotny; Cupcakes, Joanna Hiatt.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Making My Own Vision, Reality. Personally and Profesionally

While I've been hosting my own parties for many years, and people have always told me I should give up health wonkdom to be a "party planner," I wasn't sure I was cut out for it until I planned my own wedding. Apparently I am not an anomaly. Many young, female professionals, tired of working harder for less money than their male counterparts, are quitting their jobs to plan their own weddings and/or pursue new careers in event entrepreneurship.

Never being one shy away from trends, I jumped on the event planning bandwagon with the hopes of making my own professional vision a reality: giving up my day job to plan full time. And though planning events for clients presents its own unique challenges and requires greater adeptness in diplomacy, accountability, and patience, I love that planning allows me to relive the moments of my own special occasions and feel the "hostess buzz" of pride that comes from executing the perfect soiree.


Below are some pictures of details from my own wedding day, captured by who else but my favorite photographer, Jessica Del Vecchio. Carl and I were blessed with a perfect October day on Cape Cod. Special thanks to Tammy at Casa Blanca Florals, Jimmy at Woods Hole Golf Club, Meredith at Meredith's Bridal Boutique, Lisa at Delicious Desserts, and Kelley at New Wave Printing and Design for their help in creating the ultimate Cape Cod wedding.

My bouquet: Ivory and sage hydrangea with stephanotis and brown hypericum berries.

The gorgeous flowers above the entrance to St. Thomas the Apostle Chapel.


These baskets were hung on the door to the chapel. You can't get married on Cape Cod without Nantucket Baskets somewhere!
I couldn't stop staring at the altar arrangements during the ceremony!


Programs...

For cocktail hour in the golf club lounge, Tammy put hydrangea blossoms in martini glasses to spruce up the cocktail tables.

Our menu: New England clam chowdah, tossed green salad, and filet mignon with baked stuffed shrimp. Delicious!

And of course, wedding cake! I admit, I don't think I ate any of it (less the bite I was required to eat for photo op!)

The centerpieces were my absolute favorite. A riot nearly broke out when people started scrambling to take one home at the end of the night!

For favors, we put seating cards in small silver picture frames, and Jess provided business cards with photos from our engagement session that had information on where to download our wedding photographs. They fit perfectly in the frames for a nice keepsake.

Finally, some of my favorite images of Carl and I...

Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Belle of the Ball: Tips for Hosting Large Events

On Monday June 9, I hosted my first fundraiser, which raised over $60,000 for my day job--the Coalition for Health Services Research. Two hundred guests attended the cocktail reception, including agency heads, Members of Congress, and other Beltway insiders. Much to my surprise, a fun time was had by all. The open bar helped...

It all went off without a hitch, but I underestimated just how difficult and exhausting it is to host a large party. I was the "it" girl everyone wanted to see. And thank. And ask questions. And introduce to so-and-so. And spend quality time.

It reinforced my decision to keep my own wedding a small-ish affair of 75. It also got me thinking about just "how to" be the consummate hostess of a large event, be it a wedding with those you know and love or a black tie gala with those you mean to impress and network. Here are some tips:

1. Set realistic expectations: If you have over 150 guests, it's unlikely your event timeline will allow you to have a meaningful conversation with everyone. If you get stuck in 15 minute conversations at the beginning of the night, you'll suddenly find it's last call and you've only talked to 10 people! So don't set yourself up for failure. Be mindful of the time and keep it brief. Luckily, at a large event your guests recognize that you've got to make the rounds.

2. Greet every guest: While you won't be able to converse in-depth with everyone, you MUST at least welcome every guest individually and thank them for coming. This is hostess 101. A receiving line at a wedding--either as guests depart the ceremony or arrive at the reception--easily provides you the opportunity to hug and thank everyone who attends. You may also wish to visit every table if you're hosting a seated dinner service. Just make sure you take time to eat!

At my recent fundraiser, I greeted guests at the registration table and helped them find their name badges. This afforded me the chance to shake hands, hug, let them know which of their friends and colleagues had already arrived, and get them situated in the ballroom. Once a critical mass of guests had arrived, I then proceeded into the reception to mingle with those who slipped by me when they arrived.

3. Divide and conquer: If you're hosting a very large event, say 250+, and a receiving line is not an option for logistical reasons (after all, you don't want to stand there all night!), you might designate others to act as your proxies throughout the event. For a wedding, your spouse is an obvious co-host. You can also engage your parents, your in-laws, and even your bridal party to spend more quality time with guests, facilitate introductions, help people to their seats, and generally make people feel welcome.

At the fundraiser, my CEO and Board Officers worked the room to make sure all the guests felt like VIPs.

4. Don't play favorites: This is a trap in which even the best hostesses are ensnared. It's human nature to gravitate toward those with whom we're most comfortable. So at special events, we tend to monopolize time with our friends and ignore the rest of the guests, because, well, we have more fun with our friends. But it's important at an event, and particularly a wedding, to spend special time with the guests you rarely see--your uncle who flew across country, your long-lost cousin who you won't see for another 15 years--because who knows when you'll see them again. Make plans for a late night after-party to decompress with your best buds!

5. Have an exit strategy: The hardest part of hosting is leaving a conversation gracefully. One strategy is to use "cut-ins" to your advantage. When a guest "cuts-in" on your time with another guest, introduce the two, get them talking, and then excuse yourself from their conversation. In a similar vein, you can grab the closest person to you, ask them to join you, facilitate introductions, get them talking, and then slip away. It's likely that your guests are escorted by a date or at least know others at the party. But don't ever leave a person alone to fend for themselves! As a guest, there's nothing worse than standing by yourself in a room full of people and not knowing how to break into a conversation. Particularly if they're strangers.

If you follow these rules, you guarantee your guests will leave feeling special and appreciated. And that's what hosting is all about!

Special thanks to my favorite photographer, Jessica Del Vecchio, for photographing this event. I'll post some images soon!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wedding details...




Photographer and friend Jessica Del Vecchio was kind enough to pull together shots of the details from Ben and Michelle's wedding. Michelle chose soft, romantic colors of peach and ivory to reflect the serenity and reverence of the traditional Jewish ceremony. For the reception, Michelle kicked it up a notch color-wise to accentuate the festive, flamboyent atmosphere: raspberry, orange, and gold with a punch of electric blue. The orchids, arranged by Flowers and Fancies were simply extraordinary--particularly the four foot orchid and willow branch arrangements that flanked the "S" shaped buffet table!




Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Taking the Plunge

After nearly a decade as a lobbyist and health policy wonk in Washington, DC--and just as long planning my own parties for fun--I'm finally setting out to pursue my true passion: bringing people's dreams to life through events. If my time as a "Beltway insider" has taught me anything, it's that attention to detail and follow through are critical in building trusting relationships and making things happen. And that's how I will approach each special event I plan.

I had the opportunity to coordinate my second wedding May 4 for Michelle and Ben in Baltimore, Maryland. My dear friend Jessica Del Vecchio was the photographer, and she captured these amazing moments on film: http://jessicadelvecchio.blogspot.com/ She is brilliantly talented. And more importantly, trustworthy and fun to work with.

As Michelle and Ben's "day of" coordinator, I was responsible for running the rehearsal, executing Michelle's vision, keeping everything on schedule (that is, "herding squirrels"), coordinating last minute details and changes with the vendors, and troubleshooting issues for 165 guests (like tracking down wedding cards--with checks enclosed--that a guest accidently set down on a bus tray of dirty dishes). I was so lucky to work with such kind and wonderful families...and vendors: Ed Hoffman of Hoffman & Co. Caterers, "Escapade" Band, and videographer, Steven Fox.

I'm just getting started and still sorting out rates, but figured I'd get my blog up and running. So if you need help with your wedding, or just don't feel like dealing with the plans for your parents' 50th wedding anniversary dinner...shoot me an e-mail and we can work it out!