Melissa and Evan

It is always such a testament when our clients refer us to their friends. Upon the personal recommendation of one of our delightful June 2010 brides, Melissa and Evan contacted us in July as they were finalizing their vendors for their August 2009 wedding. With finance and entertainment backgrounds, their ideal mix of flair and attention to detail transpired into visions of a vintage garden setting, an impressionable menu and soft specialty lighting to transform their venue’s ballroom. Upon hearing their ideas for their event, we were more than thrilled to make it happen and honored to be specifically chosen for their day.

All photos courtesy of Dave Robbins photography.

Saturday, August 29, 2009 began bright and early for Melissa and her ladies in waiting. After hair at the Richard Scott Salon in Mount Kisco, NY, they gathered at Melissa’s parents home for make-up by a Laura Mercier artist from Bergorfs. Melissa wore a gorgeous Amsale gown, which you may recognize as the featured dress in this year’s smash hit, The Hangover, which served as the inspiration for her stationery suite. Darling J. Crew peeps were the cherry on top.



The ceremony and reception took place at Temple Shaaray Tefila of Bedford Corners, New York, an exceptionally regal exterior amidst beautiful gardens, which served as the ideal location for the couple’s first sighting.

I adore first sightings. Almost all of our couples have done them this year. The anticipation takes my breath away and the first private and un-obscured moments captured are priceless.



The maids wore eggplant dresses by Amsale in various styles, while the men wore their own black suits and yellow ties. The bridal party primarily consisted of family and life-long friends, and the history and geniality of them together was apparent.



Marcy of Dragonfly Event, who also assisted me that day, did an incredible job creating a yellow and purple vintage garden accompaniment. The bridal party arrangements were huge, beautiful and a gorgeous juxtaposition against the purples of the maids dresses.



Following, it was time for Melissa to put on her veil and for the signing of the ketubah, then to be removed by Evan.


The ceremony took place inside the chapel. Jewish ceremonies to me are particularly touching, especially when the bride circles the groom. The simple chuppah was decorated with green garland and the pews were adorned with hydrangea. Melissa and Evan chose modern music for their procession, including "Here Comes the Sun" and "The Luckiest."


Followed by a grand scale cocktail hour! It was chock fully of yummies including a grilled quesadilia station, sliders station complete with mac n' cheese and a pasta station. Jean-Jacques' Culinary Creations caterered the event and did a bang up job.

Cocktail hour was held in the magestic gardens of the venue, decorated with gothic style lanterns, while inside guests were able to pluck their cards surrounding Marcy's lovely urn arrangement from the first ballroom.


The main ballroom was decorated classically with ivory linens and a variety of centerpieces. Marcy always brings in extra little touches and her incorporation of fruit and eclectic containers added a particular interest. Amiant uplighting and ceiling wash provided by Shindig gave the room a warm rosy glow and really completed the look. We love lighting!



Music was provided by "Encore Band" of Hank Lane Music and they did not dissapoint. It was one rockin' party and the hora definitely got it off to a great start.

Melissa and Evan, it was a wonderful experience planning your whirlwind wedding! Witnessing the happiness in your faces as you wed your true love and then celebrated with family and friends is what makes my job so worthwhile. I eagerly await catching up with you both at Victoria and Jack's wedding this June.

xoxo,
Lindsay

Marnie and David

We first spoke with Marnie and David in a phone consultation just 4 short months before their wedding. With so much planned and detailed, but still so many things to arrange, they sought out a wedding planner to ensure their long distance, cross country planning was being taken care of locally. From that initial call, we couldn't have been more excited to work with Marnie and David. You could feel the love and the warmth coming right through the phone. They are down to earth, real people, who wanted a wedding which would truly reflect their love for each other, their artistic style, their whimsically inspired details and their desire to have their wedding be a celebration of bringing family and close friends together.

When I met the happy couple for the very first time on the eve of their wedding at the ceremony rehearsal, it was like we had known each other forever. Marnie was glowing, just so happy this weekend had finally arrived. David was quite the busy bee that day. He and his groomsmen had spent the afternoon decorating the trees, hanging string lights and lanterns and curtains in the gardens. David does this sort of work for a living, so there was no way he would forgo these pretties which would make Marnie so happy for his own wedding!

On the morning of the wedding, Marnie and her lovely ladies all head out to the Steve Mancini Salon to have their hair and make-up done. They all looked beautiful and were able to relax sip mimosas and have girl time before the wedding festivities began.



Afterward, the girls made their way to the Burr Homestead to get their dresses and final accessories on. The Burr was the perfect venue for Marnie and David. It is cute and quaint, shabby and chic, well loved and worn in and the gardens are beautiful. Everything about it fit their styles.

Marnie and her maids left the Sixpence Staff with about 25 boxes of various items for set ups. Marnie was a DIY Diva, and fortunately very organized, as we were able to quickly move about the space, everything going in just the right spots. When Marnie made her way down the stairs, she was overcome with emotion. From a planner's perspective, it doesn't get much better than this.





Marnie's attention to detail did not go unnoticed by her friends and her family. And luckily for us, not by her photographer either! Southern California based Marlin Munoz and his super sweet wife, Marlene, did an incredible job capturing Marnie and David's wedding and we credit him for all of the stunning images in this blog post!

Marnie and David were married under a beautiful sprawling tree, with draped fabric backdrop and a twinkling light canopy. The ceremony was joint officiated by a dear friend of the couple and Local Justice of the Peace Amy Bien.



The details were so personalized throughout the day. Marnie gave each bridesmaid a pashmina with a ribbon tie and antiqued key, symbolizing the key to her heart, the key to their friendship. An additional basket were set out during the pre ceremony mingling for guests to warm their chilled shoulders too! During cocktail hour, guests wrote words of advice and love notes which hung in the trees and blew in the breeze.



It is clear how much Marnie and David loved their bridal party, the friendships were very tight, they were such a great group to be around for the day!



The details continued into the reception. The touches of nature and butterflies played off their shabby chic and rustic, enchanted garden theme. Guests found their table assignments in a mini tree forest, each escort card was delicately wound twine, with a paper "leaf" and a butterfly accent. Favors were individually wrapped spiced apple doughnut holes and cinnamon sticks, perfect for the fall wedding! The cake by Everything Lulu was stunning. A shimmering three tiered confection with an iced coating and silver beading stood beautifully in the corner. Of course, I can't help but try all of our client's cakes, it was scrumptious too!



As we gathered guests into the Sunroom of the Homestead, Marnie and David waited for their grand entrance. Dan and Sean, the DJs from DJ NYC announced the newlyweds into the room to incredible fan fare. They shared a first dance, as if time stopped and they were the only ones there. It was magical.





Following the first dance, all guests made their way to the various dining rooms before we began the station style dinner provided by Cranberries Catering They put on an fantastic display. The menu was full of fall harvest style appeal with touches of home style comfort foods. Guests loved it all!

While the party continued inside, Marlin took Marnie and David outside to have a few portraits under the string light chandelier under which they were married. I just love these photos!





At the end of the evening, after the final dance was danced, the last toast was applauded, and the celebration was coming to closure, all of the guests gathered outside to cheer on the couple in a sparkler send-off. It was magical. Just like the entire day and evening.



Marnie and David, we were honored to be a part of your journey to the aisle, to see your wedding unfold and to share your joy as you were married. We wish you years of continued love and happiness, the same love and happiness you both glowed with all day long on the day of your October nuptials.

Cheers,
Talia, Lindsay and Hattie

A Look Back - 2009 in Review

2009 was another spectacular year for Sixpence For Your Shoe. We had so many wonderful clients, worked with so many incredibly talented industry professionals and of course, had so much fun. Lindsay and I want to offer congratulations once more to all of our 2009 clients on their marriages and beautiful wedding days. We feel so honored to have shared such a special part of your journey to happily ever after. Wishing you all the happiness in love, in life, in marriage together!

May
Marjan and Matthew, Eolia Mansion at Harkness State Park, photography by The Becker

June
Michelle and Ryan, Private Estate (The Fox Run Farm), photography by Troy Photography
Shelby and Ryan, Westover School, photography by Eileen Broderick Photography
Kara and Andrew, Guilford Yacht Club, photography by Vicki Souza Photography
Liz and Geoff, Seamen's Inn, photography by Robert and Kathleen Photographers
Meghan and Charlie, Wachusett Village Inn, photography by Michael J Charles Photography

August
Jen and Charles, Hartford Marriott, photography by Stelcar Photography
Cindy and Jared, The Waterview, photography by Erin Keirnan
Melissa and Evan, Temple Shaaray Tefila, photography by Dave Robbins Photography

September
Amanda and Kyle, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, photography by Creative Image Collections
Liz and Garry, The Quinnipiak Club, photography by Alissa Dinneen

October
Marnie and David, The Burr Homestead, photography by Marlin Munoz Photography
Amie and Tyler, The Guilford Yacht Club, photography by Troy Photography

December
Christine and Matthew, Trumbull Kitchen, photography by Leslie Dumke

Thank you all for making 2009 so wonderful! We are looking forward to another great year in 2010!

Marjan and Matthew

This post has been a long time coming for our fabulous clients Marjan and Matthew who wedded back in May at the stunning waterfront Eolia Mansion. We posted their "New England Clambake" welcome bbq earlier in the season and now we are finally ready to share all of the glorious details from their wedding day. We are so excited to finally blog this wedding, as it is also a featured "Love Story" in the 2010 issue of La Bella Bride Magazine!

We pulled together an amazing team of vendors to accomplish the complete design and event production. With this team we were able to give the coin phrased couple "M&M" the wedding they have always envisioned.

I want to send a huge thank you to Becker for all of the incredible wedding and BBQ images. From the first moments of our initial consultation with Becker, we knew he was the one who would capture M&M's digital memories. In addition to having Becker photograph the wedding, Wes Jones was on board to provide both digital and Super 8 Film.

To step back a minute, I wanted to share an an excerpt I posted as part of their initial blog entry for their BBQ recap:

The last weekend in May, the Sixpence team started the wedding season with a bang! I am not quite sure how to adequately explain how wonderful Marjan and Matthew are, and how thrilled we were to hold such a special part of their planning journey and wedding weekend. They are the type of people that draw others to them, people who push you to be better yourself and people who make you feel genuinely cared for, whenever you are around them.

Marjan's smile and laughter are infectious, Matthew's inquisitive nature was a breath of fresh air and made you stop and wonder too. Their love of all things mid-century modern, Vienna Succession design, and a desire to incorporate their families heritages, all in conjunction with throwing an incredible wedding that would delight their guests and leave them with with unforgettable memories of a fun time shared by family and friends was a wedding planner's dream. They pushed us to be more creative and more imaginative, to truly design the finest of details with the big picture in mind, and to ensure their vision took shape, even when it may have been hard to visualize. Marjan and Matthew are the type of clients who remind us that doing our jobs are living our career dreams.

Onto the details of M&M's wedding day!

The day started with Marjan and her ladies beautifying at the Red Door Salon at the Mystic Marriott for their hair appointments and the artist DD nickel providing the flawless Make-Up. One of the amazing things about our job is that you get to glimpse into the lives of couples and families with little and special details you may otherwise never know. Take the below image of Matthew for example. Marjan told Becker and I all about how Matthew makes this adorable monkey face when putting the finishing touches on his hair. How great is it that this image is now forever captured on one of the most memorable days of their lives? I absolutely love it! And on the right, I pin Marjan's totally funky and fun veil on right before the soon to be marrieds have a pre-ceremony "first sighting"!

Matthew donned his own tux, by Hugo Boss, and Marjan dazzled in a stunning and structured Carolina Herrera purchased from the lovely Alison at the The Plumed Serpent Bridal in Westport, CT. Marjan had been eying this dress from the very beginning, I am so happy for her that she not only found it, but glowed in it on her wedding day. And of course, for a bride with both super chic style and a totally practical side, these sweet kitten heels to polish off her look.

While Marjan and Matthew were getting ready, we readied the grounds for the guests' arrival. The ceremony was to take place on the sprawling lawn behind the mansion. You can't ask for a better view, not to mention better weather! The mansion isn't too shabby either!

Look at the excitement on Marjan's face as she approached Matthew for their first sighting. The two of them were in awe of each other, the images that Becker got during this time are incredible.

The kids in this wedding were absolutely adorable. So much spunk and personality in those little bodies! The little girls wore these cutesy numbers from Etsy Seller, Sweet Plume who we have featured before in our blog. They carried fairy wants to polish off the look. The little boys went with a bit of spunk with their black suspenders and silver bow ties. We matched their bouts to the girls.

Marjan and Matthew were married in a combined Iranian and Hebrew ceremony, jointly officiated by a local Mystic Justice of the Peace, and Matthew's father David. It was so incredible to witness all of the different Iranian aspects Marjan incorporated with the help of her mother and her aunts co-mingled with the traditional Jewish elements. Guests were given the opportunity to participate in the ceremony, as all females were welcomed to sprinkle sugar over the couple's heads. Smashing Cards provided the beautiful programs for the ceremony, which incorporated Marjan and Matthew's design sense as well as detailed explanation of the ceremony components.

Following the ceremony, guests were greeted by the totally fabu staff from A Thyme To Cook with passed wine and champagne, as they made their way into the gardens and pergola area for cocktail hour. During this time, we ensured that the finishing touches were all in place inside the mansion. It was important to Marjan and Matthew that the colors were bold and vibrant, all tying into Marjan's Iranian heritage with the various shades of purples, oranges and pops of hot pink. All of the stunning florals were created (almost all of them done on site), by Tony and Kat at Datura, A Modern Garden . We couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome. The flowers were everything Marjan and Matthew wanted.

Surrounding the trio of tall pillars with birds of paradise and floating candles, the escort cards were fanned in a large circle. The different color cards indicated which room guests were seated in, and the little pictures of vintage cameras - an interest of Matthew's indicated the exact table. The calligraphy was done by Debi at Blooming Quill .

The guest tables featured eggplant lamour linens, custom created runners in a bold black and white pattern, and monocromatic floral arrangements which differed by room.

After dinner, we brought guests into the tented patio area where The Rhythm Shop was ready to go. Marjan and Matthew were introduced to "Hot for Teacher" a surprise to Matthew from Marjan in honor of Matthew's profession as a Professor. They followed with a beautifully choreographed first dance. Family and friends came forward to toast the couple with a bit of moving, serious, light hearted, funny and loving words. Before you know it, the dancing started and it was intense! We love this band, and so did the crowd! In the background, the lighting from Big Wave Events created nice ambiance. Inside the mansion was a natural light amber glow, and the tent and lounge space had a deep purple color.

For guests wishing to rest their tired feet, the lounge area, adjacent to the patio tent was the perfect place to do so. Marjan's brother gave Marjan and Matthew a Hookah as their wedding gift, which was used with passion fruit tobacco during the reception. It gave off a nice and sweet smell. In addition to the lounge space, guests also enjoyed the photobooth from Photobooth Planet It was a total riot to see all of the guests with the fun mustaches, boas, oversized sunglasses and more! A Thyme to Cook displayed a variety of sweets for dessert along with slices of wedding cake provided by Toria Dolce. An espresso bar was well received on a slightly chilly May evening.

Marjan and Matthew, we had an amazing time planning your wedding with you. We wish you years of happiness together and fond memories for you and your guests of your incredible wedding day! Cheers,

Talia and Lindsay (and Lorrie and Rachel too)

Today is Christine and Matthew's Wedding!

We are so excited to be a part of Christine and Matthew's intimate winter wedding today. With a ceremony at the Old State House and reception at Trumbull Kitchen, it's going to be supah swanky.

Thanks so much to Leslie Dumke for the fabulous engagement photo above!

xoxo,
Lindsay

Stay Tuned!

We can't wait to share the totally awesome details from this stunning Eolia Mansion wedding with you! Just another couple of weeks!