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

When my parent’s got married, more than 50% of all couples had a luncheon. Weddings were held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As I look back at old wedding photos, I am speechless of how beautiful receptions were at that time.

What happened?

I hear the frustration of many brides today because they wait too late to book a church, a facility or a vendor. The best vendors in the industry book Saturdays 1 to 2 years out.

And why the cause of so much fuss and frustration? Because people are dead set on a Saturday Night Reception with Bar. Saturday Nights book up quickly and since this is prime time for all of us in the industry, prices tend to be higher. There are so many brides out there that could have such a beautiful and magical experience on a budget if they would just think outside the box. Can’t afford the Saturday night minimums at most places, then have a luncheon or brunch! Are your guests local? Is your guest count small? Get creative!
As Rob always says, have the best money can buy with the budget you have. If all you can afford is cake and punch, have the best cake and punch in the midwest and be proud of it. If you can have a beautiful Sunday Luncheon with iced tea and lemonade, then do it. Wedding receptions have evolved from very special celebrations to rowdy parties. And you are kidding yourself and doing a disservice to your guests if you think that “they won’t notice the cheap meal” as long as you keep the liquor flowing at some dark, dingy place.
I think it is such a shame and a waste that so many beautiful Friday nights and Sunday days go wasted because people refuse to be flexible. With the money you save, you could have a breathtaking luncheon wedding with specialty linens, gorgeous flowers and the very best vendors in St. Louis at your side. Wine and champagne could easily accompany lunch as well. A small band or quartet could easily play during the entire experience. And the couple could change and have a beautiful send off for their honeymoon.

Friday Nights are NOT just for rehearsal dinners. A beautiful Tuscan Supper or Spanish style Dinner with Tapas would be magical and memorable. Current style magazines are full of gorgeous looks that can be implemented at a smaller reception. I want all the brides of St. Louis to have the most amazing receptions possible regardless of where they have them. Think beyond Saturday Night and think beyond the Open Bar!

I have never followed the herd my entire life and have always tried to find the possibilities for any party. Call me the Lone Bull. Now granted, I can’t be at all your special receptions but every fairytale has room for modifications.
Be an Original. I am.
Rob

“La Cage au Follies”

 I never really thought about who or how a birdcage is made.  And then I met Katie and Mike, a pair of artists who design, manufacture and supervise service to some of the most beautiful birdcages in the world.  I mean the sculpted iron, bent wood, polly-wanna-hot tub cages.

And the first thing they told me was that they wanted no bird cage or bird themes at their ceremony or reception…they wanted an elegant, intimate experience for all their guests.  I immediately cancelled the 200 white doves that I had ordered.

So instead of “plucking” the budget, Katie and Mike spoiled and pampered their guests like prize winning parakeets.

First they had a beautiful, intimate ceremony in the South Ballroom with capuccino chair covers sashed in champagne crushed silk.  Gabriel the harpist played so sweetly that there was not a dry eye was in the house.  He literally soaked the room in musical joy.

Delectable passed hors d’oeuvres and melon martinis soon followed with an extravagant sushi station.  Guests dined on tea smoked salmon salad.  Missouri watermelon sorbet garnished with a frosty pink slice served as intermezzo and a mixed grill of beef filet and sugar cane skewered shrimp was the entree of choice.

And the Italian Elegance Wedding cake stole the show with it’s meringue center and almond paste.  I just about passed out when I ate it.  Chef Patrick is destroying my waist line a little everyday.  There are pictures of him filled with darts at every Jenny Craig across America.  And of course, a lavish dessert station followed this with chocolate fondue and every kind of accompaniment known to the culinary world was nibbled on the rest of the evening.  Katie and I shared a chocolate fondue moment and we bowed our heads in silence to the chocolate Gods for all their blessings.

I could go on and on about their gorgeous peach tone french damask linens, monogramed ice sculpture, designer flowers and me…but I won’t.  Katie and Mike realized that the greatest gift on their wedding day is sharing the “moment” with their closest family and friends.  They in turn, pampered their guests with culinary and visual offerings that were the best money can buy.

I will miss their friendship and their generous nature.  I will keep in touch  with them as I plan on marrying well this year and may need a custom birdcage for my new mega mansion.

Birds of a feather flock together…and I look great in feathers.

Rob 

 

“Men grow cold.  As girls grow old.  And we all lose our charms in the end.  But square-cut or pear shaped, these rocks won’t lose their shape.  Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”

Deidra Greene was a testament to thinking outside the box.  Miss Deidra lives in Atlanta and I realized after our initial meeting that she would be my southern belle bride of the summer.  I also realized we were a perfect team after I recovered from the momentary blindness caused by the rock on her finger.  It was a Helen Keller moment and I swooned in true southern style.

Being a jewelry maverick myself, I showed her the rock on my finger.  As Rob always says, tell men to keep the chocolates and roses and give gifts with resale value.  My good jewelry will take care of me in my golden years.

Deidra chose bold colors with a contemporary design…Tangerine Orange and Fushia Pink.  The bridesmaid dresses were the cutest I have seen all summer and were strapless, tea-length gowns with contrasting sashes.  If the dress was Fushia, the sash was Orange and vice-versa.  Adorable.

I could go on and on about this amazing evening.  Joy Greene was simply gorgeous in a delicious shade of pink.  The pan roasted duck breast with blueberry pepper chutney was superb.  However, it was the choice of wedding favor that impressed me the most…

I am often asked my opinion about wedding favors.  And I am not a fan.  I would rather spend my money towards the culinary or visual experience for my guests than on a favor.  However, if a favor is something very personal to the couple or directly related to the theme of the event, I like them.  Deidra’s handsome new husband Kurtis and family has a rich Trinidad heritage.  In Trinidad, it is the custom to have a rum soaked cake called a “black cake” served at the wedding reception.  Deidra and Kurtis presented their guests with a mini boxed “black cake” to enjoy at home.  What a beautiful tie in to the Richards family!  I have been given more votive candles, candy, almonds, mints, seeds and other goop to last a lifetime.  And since I get to see the event clean up, often favors are left behind and thrown away.

Deidra, you did good!  And at 1:00 am that little cake tasted mightly good while I reflected on your reception and put away my jewelry.

Diamonds are a girl’s (and Rob’s) best friend.

Rob

 

It was such a shame that I was unable to attend the wedding of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban.  It is wedding season and I had to stay here and take care of my brides.  I am sure that Nicole and Keith understand.  We can get together the next time I am in Nashville.

I think the one thing about their wedding that really made an impact on me is that out of all the places in the world to go, and with unlimited resources, Nicole chose to go home.

With all the hype about “Destination Weddings” right now, isn’t it nice to see someone go back to their roots.  I hear so many complaints about the whole “Destination Wedding”.  I personally find it insulting to be asked to buy an expensive plane ticket, hotel room, meals and gift so that my friends can stand on the hot beach and tie the knot.  And then there is always the, “We are going to have a big party when we get back” story.  Call me crazy, but isn’t the point to have your friends and family witness your vows and share in this very special and sacred moment.  Has the “Destination Wedding” really become an excuse to bend tradition and have a longer honeymoon?  And what is sacred?

I shudder when I hear the new age “Wedding Planner” inform the client to buck tradition.  After 19 years in this business, I can tell you that a Rob Reception is full of personal touches and twists but the focus is about FAMILY and FELLOWSHIP.  As a single man who still believes that my fairy-tale ending will come true, I cannot put a value on what it will be like to commit my life in partnership to another human being.  There are no words to describe how sacred that moment will be…how sacred having our families and friends around us will mean.  Not all of my friends and family could be with me if I went to some far off place.  I know that my sweet grandmother “Nanny” could not be with me.  And this would break my heart.  Home is sacred and St. Louis is my home.

When I think about my future daughter and my expectations for her wedding day, I hope she wakes up rested and allows me fix her pancakes with smiley faces.  I hope she allows me to put on her veil.  I hope her wedding is here in this wonderful city with everyone in attendance and that we laugh during the drive to the church.  I hope I have taught her to have a spiritual side, a loving side and that we cry in the vestibule but have time to repair any makeup damage before we go down the aisle!  I hope I look into the eyes of a young man who will treasure her as best friend and partner and I feel no regrets.  And I hope they appreciate how sacred this moment is.

I try to carve out a little time each day to have my “sacred space”.  It is generally in the car on the way to work as I ponder the day and sip my hazelnut coffee.  It is a time to commune with Prime Creator and give thanks.  As I think about my clients, I ask God to work through my hands…to flow through me…so that all I touch is beautiful for them.  And he does.

The Coronado Ballroom is my destination.  Steve, Kathy, John, Ashley, Alan and Patrick are my destination.  Judy, Sue and Staff are my destination.

St. Louis is my home.

Rob

 

I think I will call this my “Soap Opera” Wedding of the year. This week on “Days of my Brides”…

 I should have rented a red carpet because the bride (Carrie) and groom (Grant) are so GORGEOUS.  I know what you are thinking, “Carrie Grant”…LOL. 

 Yep.  It suits them.

The first thing that Miss Carrie did was pick out a bridesmaid dress in deep Mango.  It was not for the faint of heart.  However, the color was luscious and was striking under the candlelight.  It was the color for a starlet if there ever was one!  And our bride was beyond beautiful.  There are moments that you can never forget and I will never forget the way that Carrie Hagnauer looked when she walked into the ballroom.  She has the kind of beautiful that inspire men to paint masterpieces.  And Grant…well…hubba…hubba.

It didn’t even bother me that he took the spotlight away from my natural glamour.

Sheer panels of gold drenched every table and illuminated centerpieces of mango, pink and frosty white gave everything a dream-like quality.  Guests nibbled everything from Rabbit Potstickers to Lobster Stuffed Filet.  More than one Mango Martini and glass of Champagne were consumed.  Arvelle rocked the house and nobody wanted to leave!  It was a perfect night.

Julie and Ted Hagnauer (Parents of the Bride) were an absolute delight to work with and with Julie’s extensive catering background, I always felt as if I was talking to an understanding friend.  The Hagnauer Family had the right approach to planning a wedding.  Hire the best people possible and let them do their job.  Julie and I talked but she didn’t call everyday.  Often we e-mailed each other as last minute changes occured, but they trusted our staff to do a great job and we did.  I will miss them but I am sure they will invite me down to their vacation home in Florida soon.  I’ve been working on my tan and quite frankly, look great.  It will be fun to sit in the sun on their deck, drinking iced tea and talking about the wedding.

And Grant…well…hubba…hubba.

Rob

 

Sometimes there are clients who you bond with immediately and that was the case when I met Joe and Kathy Beilein, parents of the bride.  Kathy said from day one that they wanted something unique and everything was.  Early in the year, Jill (bride) and Kathy came in and we decided on specialty linens and chairs.  We all agreed that the ice blue damask table linen with the mahogany brown chivari chairs was the direction to go in.  We paired this with deep bronze raw silk overlays on all the specialty tables and flowers in shades of Ivory, White and Champagne.  It was resplendent!

Kathy went out of her way to make every detail special and stay away from all the cliche additions that you often see at events.  I swear we laughed everytime we talked and I seriously thought about adopting them as my second family and moving into Jill’s old room.  I am sure they are still considering this idea and planning on redecorating my room soon.

The day turned out to be a warm one and Jill and Nick arrived from the outdoor photos in need of a refreshment and some cool down time.  The antique Rolls they rode in did not have air conditioning.  I turned over my arsenal of grooming products to Nick so he could freshen up and Jill had a suitcase full of beauty products and we all got gorgeous together.  It was just like a Hallmark commercial.

I showed the couple the Ballroom and Kathy and Joe arrived looking like they stepped out of Town and Country Magazine!  Kathy was stunning in a deep bronze 2 piece dress which matched the raw silk overlays perfectly.

My favorite memory of the night had to be the popularity of the Wedding Cake.  The staff came to me after cake was served and told me that guests were asking for second helpings.  I was delighted to hear this and we had plenty of cake.  Then the staff came back to me and told me that a lot of guests wanted a third piece of cake and we had no more except for the giant cake top…hmmmmm.  Chef Patrick is going to have to stop making cakes taste so good.  I went to Jill and told her that her guests wanted a third piece of cake and could we cut up the cake top.  I explained that no matter how carefully you seal the cake top, it will still taste like cardboard on her anniversary.  I suggested we save a small piece for her anniversary and let the guests and family enjoy it!  She agreed and so her uncle, who shall remain nameless, who informed me that he WAS going to have a third or even fourth piece of cake, got it.  I admit that it was really delicious cake…Lemon Chibouste  was the flavor.  It also didn’t hurt that it was a 4-tier fantasy creation with pale blue fondant bands around each layer and amazing ivory buttercream confetti on each band.  So from the blue “Azartini” to the the blue damask linen to the blue fondant wedding cake, I am feeling a little blue missing the wonderful Beilein Family. 

Rob

I remember waking up the morning of the wedding reception and smiling because I knew it was going to be a beautiful day.   Two of the nicest people I have ever worked with were getting married today!

When I first met Doug and Kristin, I knew that they were an ideal match… they were best friends.  Kristin has an eye for beauty and created her own line of wedding stationary for the event which was gorgeous.  She also loves flowers so that scored big with me.  I understand that she has beautiful flower beds around their home.  I promise to compliment them a great deal when they fix me bar-b-que on that big grill they got as a gift!  (Remember, I like my pork steaks grilled but without a lot of sauce)  I know they are delighted that I live in the neighborhood.

Tasting time came around and the family picked out their wedding menu.  Kristin told me that her favorite color was orange.  I showed her a deep Tangerine crushed satin linen shot with gold threads and that set the tone for the rest of the event.  She used 3 sizes of stone garden urns for her centerpieces filled with tangerine roses, pink french tulips and apple green orchids spilling onto the tables.  Individual rosemary plants were the favor at each placesetting. 

Deep champagne chair covers with crushed ivory sashes complimented the tones in her amazing wedding gown.  Her golden hair cascaded down her back with yards of tuille veiling flowing behind her.  Apple green orchids secured the veiling to her hair in a tiara effect and she stole the show with a basketball size bouquet of orange and pink tone roses and orchids.  When I stepped outside to see her on the Party Bus, she took my breath away. 

Mr. Doug was dashing in his black tuxedo and they made a striking couple throughout the night.  The bridesmaids were stunning in rosey pink raw silk sheaths with smaller, matching bouquets.  Mrs. Schneider wore classic navy and Mrs. Fesler wore a beautiful shade of turquoise.

Since they chose not to take me on their honeymoon, I am content to look at photos of St. Lucia.  I have been there before and hiked the rainforest and I must admit that it is pretty romantic.  Of course, it was in St. Lucia that I got lost in the rain forest and met a witch doctor…but that is another blog. 

Rob