The Sweetest Occasion.

In light of my complete neglect of Sweet Things over here in the last month, I wanted to belatedly announce a temporary (and hopefully short) blogging hiatus on the Sweet Things front. The move and relocation have pulled a few fast ones on us and I am just now getting back to tackling things on the Sweet Occasions pursuit. I hope to have lots of updates soon!

In the meantime, you can always reach me via email at sweetoccasionsevents @ gmail . com with any professional or wedding-related inquiries and additionally you can follow my personal wedding planning progress at The Sweetest Occasion. Thanks!

xoxo

C

Image of the Day.

I promise to share more details from Michelle's wedding in the next few days, but in the meantime I had to share this incredible photo I found today. Taken by the incredible talent Michelle Moore and featured on The Wedding Photography Project, it takes my breath away every time I look at it....which has been quite often today.

And, seriously, is not that dress absolutely amazing?

Michelle & Michael [13 September 2008]

This weekend was an absolutely outstanding experience, finally having the opportunity to serve as Michelle's Day of Coordinator after months of correspondence. Michelle and I are a bit of kindred spirits - we love things to be straight, clean-lined, exact and orderly. We also share a huge love of candles and the romantic ambience of candlelight, which we worked into the day in abundance. I intend to share further details in an upcoming post later this week, but for now wanted to share a few highlights and a big heartfelt congratulations to the newlyweds!

A couple of obligatory "before" shots of the reception venue.

The vendors we were fortunate enough to work with came together seamlessly in order to carry out Michelle's vision for her wedding day. Chuck Kendall of the gorgeous Logan Ridge Estates was an absolute gem and was there with us for much of the day in order to ensure we had everything we needed for the day. In fact, Chuck was still there with us when we were packing up to leave at 1 o'clock in the morning! The sensational food was provided by Deb Whiting and her incredible staff from Red Newt Bistro and while I could go on for hours about the quality of the food and the professional and friendly nature of her staff, I will leave it simply described as delicious and exquisite.

Pulling it all together with ivory linens, wine-colored cloth napkins, Michelle's DIY projects [more on those in the next post], and the amazing centerpieces.

Marcia Horn of Vine Garden Designscame in at nearly the last minute to save the day when Michelle unexpectedly found it beneficial to change florists. Marcia and Michelle actually never met in person, communicating solely by phone and email, and Marcia came through with exactly everything Michelle had been looking for in way of centerpieces, floral garlands, and multiple hydrangea wreaths. I'm not sure how she did it, but the floral arrangements were intoxicatingly gorgeous in sight and smell and added so much to the ambiance of the event.

The full collection of centerpieces amassed on one table at the end of the evening. Simply gorgeous!

The cake was a four tier fondant confection by Kristi's Kakes featuring, among others, a chocolate kahlua tier and a divine carrot cake layer. The cake was designed to mimic the alternating horizontal bands of lace and satin ribbon along Michelle's dress and the result was a simple, yet highly detailed, white on white design that left the guests wide-eyed. It was absolutely stunning! What's better? Every single flavor of cake was delicious and moist, everything a cake should be and more.

Music was provided by the Clinton String Quartet during the wine tasting and ceremony. Mike and the other guys were friendly, courteous, really fun to work with, and the music was heavenly. During the cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing hours, DJ services were provided by Frank and his assistant Jake of Bobby K Entertainment and they were fantastic. Frank was fun, extremely helpful in aiding me in keeping the evening running alongside the timeline of Deb and her staff in the kitchen, and a great addition to the evening's atmosphere without being obtrusive in any manner.

Last but not least, photographer Megan Dailor was fantastic from start to finish, and by the end of the night we were laughing and joking around like old pals. She already has a handful of amazing photos up on her blog that you must check out. I'm looking forward to working with Megan and all of the other vendors again and have nothing but rave reviews for my entire experience working with Michelle and the vendors she pulled together to execute her day.

We love candles! We put them everywhere, including the guest book table where guests signed quilt squares made by Michelle's mother as seen above.

The evening Michelle and Mike planned was unique and a lot of fun for guests. Commencing at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the groom and groomsmen hosted a lively wine tasting int the downstairs tasting room of Logan Ridge, overlooking Seneca Lake. Due to inclement weather, the original plan for an outdoor ceremony was nixed and guests moved into the room adjacent to the tasting room for the ceremony where we had decorated with dozens of candles and gorgeous fabric Michelle had already purchased. Following their sweet and tear-worthy exchange of vows, guests moved up to the outdoor patio off the room where dinner was to be held before finally moving in for dinner. The different events and locations throughout the evening kept everyone entertained and mingling for hours. The dancing fired up right in between courses and went well into the night. All around, despite some lack of cooperation on Mother Nature's part, it was an unforgettable evening.

Congratulations, Michelle and Mike!

Michelle and her dad, Dennis, about to head down the aisle.

All photo credits belonging to yours truly.

C

Current ipod Obsessions.

Decor8 is one of my favorite blogs, featuring snippets of inspiration from a variety of sources that make me smile. As it turns out, no, I am not the only person out there who is absolutely in love with all things design, blogging, reading blogs, chasing dreams, making smiles, and cherishing moments with loved ones. Holly wrote a great post today about her music picks of the moment, encouraging others to blog about their musical loves of the day. How could I resist? Anyone who knows me well knows that one of the [many many] things I love best about my VW Rabbit is the [amazing] integrated ipod adapter in the center console.

Because I could list for hours, if not days, I will stick to my top 5 picks of the week....some of which have been in heavy rotation for months now.

• A Fine Frenzy, One Cell In the Sea
• Ingrid Michaelson, Girls and Boys and Giving Up from the forthcoming Be Ok
• Sara Bareilles, Little Voice
• Michael Bublé, Call Me Irresponsible
• Britney Spears, Blackout

You probably thought you had me all figured out until I tossed out that Britney Spears, didn't ya? I admit. I am a complete closet Britney fan and a sucker for a comeback story to boot. I'm rooting for you, Brit! Didn't she look amazing at the VMAs by the way? I can't remember the last time I watched the VMAs, but I'm a People junkie and she looks positively radiant in every photo.

Anyway, just as Holly tagged the other bloggers out there, I in turn tag you. What are your current top picks?

Jennifer & Grant [6 September 2008]

My close friends from college, Jenni and Grant, were married last December in a quiet, intimate ceremony at Grant's family home. Surrounded by only the closest of family and a sprinkling of a few friends, nieces and nephews running about gleefully throughout the brief exchange of vows, it was everything a wedding should be. A quiet, introspective, sincere celebration of love, honor and devotion. This past weekend, they hosted a beautiful reception for 170 family and friends at The Old Library a divine venue that is just that, an old library converted into a fabulous restaurant with delicious food and banquet facilities on the second level.

As a guest, everything about the night was magical. Grant was in the United States Air Force for four years prior to attending college. Since graduating college, Grant has been training to become a pilot with the Air National Guard. His demanding training schedule has taken him across the nation and back several times in the last year and a half. Just the day before the reception, Grant had tested and received his pilot's wings, making the night a double celebration as he was able to rejoice in the accomplishment of a lifelong goal. Friends from across the country, from all the different moments of their lives, came together alongside their families to wish them the best of luck as they continue chasing dreams and building their lives.

Every wedding is special in innumerable ways, but Jenni and Grant's wedding was a true testament as to why weddings are such wonderful occasions in our lives. On that evening, a groom took the microphone, announced to the crowd that he was officially a pilot and in doing so turned the spotlight on his wife, recognizing without her it would never have been possible. "When I met Jenni, he said, "I had finally met someone who was willing to make my dreams her dreams." And isn't that, after all, what love and marriage is really all about? I believe so.

Congratulations, Jenni and Grant!

xoxo

Another photo by yours truly.

C

Gay Weddings by the Knot.

Am I the only one who somehow missed Gay Weddings by the Knot until today? I officially feel as though I've been living under a rock. Or perhaps this mecca of marital equality in the form of brilliant wedding inspiration is, indeed, new to others aside from myself? At any rate, you should skip right over and check it out. Featuring etiquette tips, real weddings, and inspirational ideas, just like The Knot we all know and love, it is not to be missed. My new favorite website!

C

Oh Happy Day!

I am really far too excited about today's post. My new logo for Sweet Occasions is finished and ready for viewing! After much deliberation I opted to work with Sarah McCormick whom I found via an alchemy request on Etsy. If you're in the market for custom logos, invitations or wedding stationary, you should definitely check out her shop The Paper Door. Sarah was an absolute pleasure to work with and I could not be happier with the finished product.

C