Mamma Mia Muzzarelli!
Whenever I have a client tell me that they live in New York City, I know that the expectations have been raised to a new level. Such was the case with my beautiful bride Angela Muzzarelli and husband-to-be Dustin Floyd. And the end result was Mucho Bella!
When I talk to friends of mine who are Event Planners in Manhattan, they always tell me how lucky I am to have so much space and options. Really, there are not all that many places in New York to have your reception. Imagine the parking issues…TAXI! I do realize that my wardrobe choices would multiple by 50 but even on my off days, I’m midwest fabulous. We are very lucky in St. Louis to have so much ease, convenience and choices.
Since we began our experience with Angela living in New York, I spent much of my time working with Ray and Carol – parents of the bride. Planning anything long distance is never easy and a wedding is challenging enough. Carol did an amazing job relaying Angela’s information to me and choosing vendors. One of the most endearing things about Carol is how she always listened. That itself is an art. Thank you!
Angela wanted a reception that was right out of The Plaza and we all did our best to make it so. Her custom designed Vera Wang gown was stunning and accented her tiny waist. She kept her beautiful long hair down and she looked, well…like Angela. Bridesmaids were in long strapless sheaths with a beautiful godet built into the skirt. The color was so unusual under the lights that I am still trying to pinpoint it. It was sort of taupe and nude…almost coffee with cream with a touch of gold. Enchanting was the effect!
It also didn’t hurt that Ardell drenched the ballroom in giant balls of various pink tone roses. Tall silver candelabras were on every other table and the Ballroom just glowed. Beautifully packaged candy favors in the theme colors graced evey place setting and The Fabulous Motown Revue had guests dancing all night long. I had the privilege of decorating the wedding cake with flowers. The wedding cake that Patrick created was breathtaking on its own but Angela wanted a sweep of roses to start at the top and curl around the cake. Ardell provided me with gorgeous hand size roses and hydrangea and I carefully applied them to the massive tiers. I am pretty proud of myself because it looked magical.
The Priest did talk a little longer than expected and because of pictures, the bridal party missed most of the cocktail period. Actually, I was sweating harder than Whitney Houston going through customs at a quarter till. I just hate it when that happens, but the family realized that it might happen and arrived in the nick of time. I had to eat a leftover candy favor to keep me calm and I just started my no sugar, no carb diet. I tried on this black and white sweater in Nordstroms the other day and it was like a scene from Free Willy.
My best advice to all the brides who are planning a wedding long distance is to have a main contact in St. Louis. Find a facility where you have a personal relationship with your Planner and feel comfortable calling him or her with any questions. Listen to advice from people with years of experience and very early on, decide exactly what you want and communicate that to all your vendors. And maybe most important, realize that New York is not St. Louis and vice-versa. Be flexible.
Angela, I thank you for all your kind words. There is no greater compliment than having a bride tell me that we exceeded every expectation. That night as I gazed across the Ballroom at the feasting and merriment, I wondered how the wedding reception at the Plaza in New York was going.
No comparison.
Rob
