Backyard Weddings

Photo Credit: Project Wedding

Recently one of my BFF’s got engaged and I’m super excited of course. Naturally she reached out to me for some planning advice. She had a great idea to have her wedding in her soon to be MIL’s backyard because she assumed it would cheaper and easier. This is a big misconception; cheaper maybe but definitely not easier. When planning a wedding at home here are things to consider:
Space
You need to know if you have enough space to accommodate your guests. Weddings at home are usually smaller. Having more than 100 guests is highly unlikely unless you live on a ranch, farm of have acres of land. If you are having your ceremony at home as well, you need to make sure you have the room to accommodate both.

Weather
If you are planning a wedding at home, is probably during the summer which means a lot of sun and there’s always a chance of showers. I highly recommend a tent if it rains or not. Sitting in the sun for hours isn’t exactly the most comfortable situation for you or your guests. Also if it rains, you already have your Plan B in place.
Rentals
You will have to rent everything including a bathroom!! Chairs, tables, linens, glasses, flatware, and anything else you don’t have at home will need to be rented. This can add up faster than you think. You will also have to a dance floor installed and lighting. This can be handled by the same company you rent your tent from.

The Grounds
You need to prepare the grounds way before the wedding. This includes maintaining the lawn and planting flowers. You have to plant flowers early so they can be in full bloom by the time your wedding day arrives. Seek the help of a professional landscaper at least 6 months before your wedding so they can advise you on what flowers to plant and how to care for your garden throughout the year.
Vendors
Have your vendors of choice meet with you at your home so they can access the grounds and be well prepared. They need to know what they need in order to serve you. Before you sign on the dotted line make sure this is a situation they are familiar with or at the very least can deliver exactly what you are asking fo
Seek Help
Having a wedding at home doesn’t mean home made. You will need the professional help of a wedding planner throughout the wedding planning process and for the day of your wedding. There are many details that go into planning a wedding and a wedding at home is no different. If anything, you will need more help than the average wedding. You don’t want to miss any of these details and a wedding planner will think of things you may have not considered.
Having a wedding at home is very personal and intimate. It can be done and executed beautifully if planned correctly. So don’t be discourage, just make sure your home of choice can accommodate your wedding vision.

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph

DJoseph@weddedluxe.com
http://www.weddedluxe.com/
http://twitter.com/Wedded_Luxe
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718.938.4713

Inspiration Board – Yellow, White and Gray

I believe that almost allcolors can used during any season, as long as you choose the right shade.  Yellow works well for Spring, Summer and a darker yellow for Fall weddings.  I would not suggest yellow for a Winter Wedding in NYC.  I've yet to see that really work but I'm always open to new experiences. 

This inspiration board was inspired by the Summer Season since the first day of summer was Monday.  I thought I'd celebrate my favorite season with this happy color.  I hope you like it!!

Colors: Yellow: White and Slate Gray
Inspiration: An Elegant Summer Soirée

Photo Credits: 1) TheKnot, 2) StyleMePretty, 3) TheKnot, 4) MarthaStewartWeddings, 5) TheKnot, 6) SouthernWeddingMagazine

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
DJoseph@weddedluxe.com
http://www.weddedluxe.com/
http://twitter.com/Wedded_Luxe
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wedded-Luxe/164768235325?ref=ts
718.938.4713

Wedding Favor Alternatives

Lately I’ve come in contact with many brides that don’t want to have favors for their wedding. The most common comments I hear is “There isn’t anything out there that I like”, “there’s nothing original” or “the choices are not something they feel their guests won't like”. I must confess I completely understand. My rule of thumb is something edible or useable. I lean towards edible, preferably a dessert but enough about me. Here are my suggestions to the anti favor brides.

Venetian Hour
Many venues and/or caterers offer a Venetian hour after dinner. It’s a display of delicious deserts of all kinds for your guests to indulge in. Cookies, cakes, sundae bars, you name it, it’s there. You can also ask you favorite bakery to create some miniature desserts.  These can be decorated to coordinate with your wedding colors.  You can use this extra special surprise and make it even better my providing your guests with take home containers so they can enjoy their desserts when they get home.

Photo Credits: The Sweetest Occasion

Photo Booths
Photo Booths have become a big hit in the last couple of years. Photographers have stepped it up by providing backdrops and fun props for your guests to take pictures with. Your guests can get a little silly and take some memorable shots they will have as a great memory of day they attended your wedding.

Photo Credt: TheKnot

Photo Credit: ShootBooth

The best part of both these ideas is it gets your guests involved. It’s not just a pretty box they take home; it becomes an experience they will talk about long after the wedding is over.

Happy Planning,


Deniesha Joseph
DJoseph@weddedluxe.com
http://www.weddedluxe.com/
http://twitter.com/Wedded_Luxe
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wedded-Luxe/164768235325?ref=ts
718.938.4713

Ceremony Traditions from Dominican Republic and Columbia

My last clients were from Hispanic backgrounds (Dominican and Columbian) and it inspired me to write about wedding traditions from both countries. Today I’ll focus on ceremony traditions. Most Hispanic countries have Christian faith. Most wedding ceremonies take place in the couples’ house of worship. Here in NYC, many couples are choosing to have their ceremony and reception in the same location. Just because your ceremony doesn’t take place in your house of worship, doesn’t mean you can’t have the traditions that are important to you.


Dominican Wedding Ceremony
Every Dominican bride becomes the recipient of 13 coins, ceremoniously passed to her on a silver tray. A child starts the hand-off, transferring the tray to the priest, the groom and then the bride to symbolize their commitment to care for each other and share equally.  You can find these coins online.  Here is a treasure chest with the coins included.  To personalize it, have it engraved with your monogram and wedding date.

                                Photo Courtesy: J McKinley                                       

Columbian Wedding Ceremony
There is a traditional custom in Colombian Christian weddings. After the ring ceremony, the groom and the bride each has to light a candle. Each lighted candle represents the life of each one. After that, they light another candle together and put out the first candle of each one, leaving only the one that they lit as a couple. This bright candle means that now they are the same body and they are going to share every moment of their lives. This is also known as the unity candle ceremony and there are many options out there today so you can customize your candles.

Photo Courtesy: Etsy

Tip:
To ensure you have the right space and setup to perform your ceremony traditions, consultant with the venue manager, your officiant and if you have a wedding planner/coordinator ask their opinion as well. The venue manager will be able to tell you how much space you need at the altar and what the best setup will be for the altar you need. They should know best what the venue can accommodate. You officiant can run you through the all the steps of your ceremony so you know what to expect and how to prepare for it. Last but not least, your wedding planner/coordinator will be there for rehearsal and to ensure your ceremony is setup the correct way.

Real Wedding - Shirley & William Salsa Love

For the past 18 months I’ve been working with a fantastic couple Shirley and William. I was contacted by the groom in September 2008. I was very surprised by the email came from the groom but now that I know the happy couple better, I completely understand. This couple worked together throughout the entire wedding process. William and I had our first conversation via telephone. He gave some background information about them. He let me know that they live in Boston but they want to get married here in NYC. We met and the rest is history!

The Couple
Shirley and William are the most interesting couple I’ve ever worked with. What makes them so interesting is their range of interest. William is an engineer and he’s currently finishing his PhD at MIT. Shirley is a Harvard graduate and will be attending Harvard business school in August. Nerds you say, absolutely not, ok just a little. But these two intellectuals love snowboarding, rock climbing, traveling and William is a professional salsa dancer! You have to love it. I told every vendor we selected about this because it really is a big part of their lives. And I wanted to brag a little, I thought it was so cool. These two are such a sweet couple and they work well together throughout the wedding process. William was cool and laid back but he was there for support whenever needed. Shirley was very hands on and detailed throughout the wedding process. She told me what she wanted and she let me be the planner and find it for her.

The Vision
From the very beginning they knew the type of wedding they wanted. It had to fun, modern, simple, elegant and colorful. Shirley showed me a picture that Colon Cowie did in South Africa for his niece and that was the source of inspiration for the wedding. She loved the colors, the tablescape and the overall theme fit what she wanted exactly. So from there we made it all about Shirley and William. One of the most important elements of the wedding was finding the perfect venue.  They wanted a modern loft that they can make their own with a great view of NYC.  Studio450 was a no brainer.  They fell in love with the space immediately. What was also important part of their vision is their background. Shirley’s family is Columbian and William’s family is Dominican. We incorporated their cultures with the menu, the cake, music and they said their wedding vows in Spanish. Didn’t understand a word but I was moved!! Shirley took on her own stationary suite and she rocked it out! The invitations, programs, escort cards and favors came out amazing!!

The Wedding Day
The ceremony was set in pink and white. My favorite was the clear Lucite pedestals to set the altar. It added the modern feel that the couple wanted for their wedding. After the ceremony the guests enjoyed cocktails and passed hor’douevers on the roof top terrace while a guitarist serenaded them. While they enjoyed the gorgeous view, my staff and I were transforming the room for the reception. The table linens were raspberry with mango dinner napkins. We used orange and pink roses in a row of frosted vases of different heights and sizes along the middle of the table. Then as the sun set, the lighting changed from amber, to orange to pink. For the first dance, the guests were treated to a choreographed salsa dance by the happy couple. Shirley change in to a short and sassy dress and the groom change into his pink kicks to get the party started.

My Favorite Moments
One of my favorite parts of the wedding was the ceremony. The natural light of the sun, the Spanish guitarist, the violinist, and the pink and white colors made the space feel so romantic. It fit the energy of the couples’ relationship completely. The couples’ first dance was absolutely spectacular! They chose to do something that fit their personality instead of a traditional love song. The choreographed sance was great. Shirley’s second dress was amazing, William’s pink sneakers were super funky and they looked great out there on the dance floor. I cued the lighting team to change the lights during the dance and it was perfect. It added to the excitement.

William & Shirley, it was an absolute pleasure to work with you. You are an amazing couple and I wish you a long lasting loving marriage!!

Vendors
No wedding is complete without a great vendor team.  Thank you to you all for your hard work and support through out the planning process and on the wedding day!
 
Venue: Studio450
Caterer: Con Sazon
Cake: Renita Prince
DJ: Hernan Choque
Hair & Makeup: Stylista
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Lighting: C & C Lighting and Special Events Productions
Ceremony Music: Classical Guitar Ceremonies

Happy Planning,


Deniesha Joseph
DJoseph@weddedluxe.com
http://www.weddedluxe.com/
http://twitter.com/Wedded_Luxe
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wedded-Luxe/164768235325?ref=ts
718.938.4713

Allow Me To Re-Introduce Myself!!

So sorry for the absence I have taken from blogging. I had to take some time to regroup and recharge my batteries. During this time away, I’ve come to realize some things. Here is how it all started.


As my faithful followers all know, I’ve changed the name of company and redesigned everything. This was a huge undertaking and I was very excited to do it. However, it didn’t all go as I imagined. I thought with the new name, website, blog and logo, things would change dramatically for me. Instead what happen was things stayed the same. It put me in a serious slump but I kept pushing through. Then I went to a great conference back in April called Eventology. I totally got my mojo back but only for a moment. I learned so much and I met so many wonderful people but then I slightly lost the mojo again.

So while trying to find my mojo I did a lot of thinking and research and I’ve found it once again. So like the title reads, allow me to reintroduce myself:

I am Deniesha Joseph, the planner and designer of Wedded Luxe. I love planning and designing weddings for couples. All couples yes but every couple may not be for me. The couple that works best with me usually is just like me. First or second generation of immigrant family that now lives in NYC. The couple loves their culture but they grew up here so they love being a New Yorker. That is me! First generation of a Caribbean Family but I am a New York to the core. My roots are very important to me but being born and raised in New York is a big part of who I am.

Now I love working with an array of couples but I think the best results will always come from a planner that really understands their clients and can relate to their clients’ needs. Without trying, almost all of my clients had the same common factor. Whether they were from the same background as me or totally different, we could relate and the result was a wedding day they will never forget, nor have I!!

Now I know you may be wondering what does this have to do with weddings. Well it is simple, if I don’t know who I am then I don’t know who my clients are and I can’t be the best I can be for my clients. Being the best for I can be for each client, every blog post or floral arrangement is the most important thing to me. Providing luxury service to my clients without the luxury price tag is what I stand for. If I’m not my best then I’m not providing luxury service.

Deniesha Joseph,
Wedded Luxe - Luxury Wedding Planning & Couture Designs
DJoseph@weddedluxe.com
http://www.weddedluxe.com/
http://twitter.com/Wedded_Luxe
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wedded-Luxe/164768235325?ref=ts
718.938.4713