Capturing your wedding story on film: CREATIVE VIDEO EDITING

If you are looking for a videographer for your upcoming wedding in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or Pennsylvania, definitely take a look at Creative Video Editing. Their films capture the purest emotions from your wedding day and I have to admit, the one from the wedding in Brooklyn on their website even made me a little teary eyed (I am such a softie!).

Michael and Michelle DiChiaro are the amazing team at Creative Video Editing and have been running this family business for the past ten years, based in Westfield, N.J. They are absolutely lovely and very talented. Their passion for what they do comes through with each of their artistic wedding films. In fact, they were recently honored as the Best Videographer in South Jersey.

Their films reveal the joy and happiness of a couple's wedding day. Michael and Michelle have a very special ability that allows them to design and edit their footage so that it tells a couple's story. You can learn about the couple from the words of the bride and groom spoken in the voice over. You can see the love in their faces, hear their humor, learn whether their style is more traditional or avant garde, and get to know them as a union.

The unique beauty of each couple's story unfolds throughout the films to reveal their love, their history and the enchanting wonder of the present day, all interlaced with their hopes for the future.

I always find that in selecting a vendor, talent is obviously the top priority but I believe that chemistry is important as well. If you don't like or trust the people you are working with, then it takes the fun out of planning your wedding and just adds stress to what is meant to be one of the happiest times of your life. Michael and Michelle are such nice people so working with them would be something to be looked forward to as they capture your beautiful day with your loved ones so that you can treasure your memories on film for years to come.

For more information on Creative Video Editing, please go to: http://www.creativevideoediting.com/

You can contact Creative Video Editing directly by calling 732.768.8207 or emailing them at info@creativevideoediting.com

An intimate celebration in a European café in NYC: MAE MAE

If you are looking for the perfect spot for your engagement party or rehearsal dinner and love the feeling of old European cafes that you might find in Krakow or Prague or a tapas bar in Barcelona, look no further than the Mae Mae Cafe.

Located in Hudson Square in Manhattan, Mae Mae is a café and wine bar. The ambiance there is absolutely charming – warm and cozy with sounds of jazz in the air.

With Great Performances as their caterer, you have wonderful menus to choose from for your event whether you are looking for a cocktail party or a sit down dinner.

I was at Mae Mae just last week and I absolutely adored the setting. In fact, I am looking forward to going back soon as they have live jazz that plays every Wednesday evening.

The Mae Mae Café is available for private events and parties. They can fit thirty people for a seated dinner and sixty guests for a cocktail party.

If you are interested in planning one of your pre-wedding celebrations at Mae Mae, email Liz Vigil at liz.vigil@greatperformances.com for more information or call 212-924-5109.

The Mae Mae Café is located at:
68 Vandam Street
New York, NY 10013

Brooklyn Based Wedding Fair: WEDDING CRASHERS, January 9th

When: Saturday, January 9th from 10:30am - 5:00pm

Where: The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, New York
718.643.6510

What: A Brooklyn Based Wedding Fair

Brooklyn Based is a website of all things Brooklyn. Come to their inaugural wedding fair on January 9, 2010 at the Bell House and meet the designers, caterers, photographers, bands and DJs who they have cherry picked to make your day.

Brooklyn Based has selected 30+ original, Brooklyn-centric vendors to help you plan your wedding locally, or take a piece of Brooklyn with you wherever you tie the knot.

Top caterers including Naturally Delicious, The Cleaver Company, Red Table Catering, AVEnts and Frankies Spuntino will be passing delicious hors d’oeuvres. One Girl Cookies and Nine Cakes will display and serve confections and cake. Brooklyn Brewery will be pouring its Belgian-style ales, Local 1 and 2.

Wedding bands Michael Arenella & his Dreamland Orchestra, The Lascivious Biddies and The Engagements will perform along with DJ Small Change, popshop! DJs and DJ Lady J.

Other wedding vendors on the guest list include floral designers Root Stock & Quade, Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design and Denise Fasanello, jewelry designer Blanca Monrós Gómez, Bario-Neal Jewelry, Sesame Letterpress, Lion in the Sun custom invitations, calligrapher Paperfinger, Mélangerie Inc. custom paperie and gifts, Shootbooth photobooth, Hello Super 8 and Seth David Cohen videographers and photographers Daniel Krieger, Radhika Chalasani and 3 Photographers, Jesse Hendrich, M.Div., Small World Terrariums, Heights Chateau Fine Wines & Spirits, Added Value Farm, Real Honeymoons and Gap Adventures.

Amidst the vendors, models will showcase the work of headpiece and dress designers like The White Gown.

You’ll also get advice from experts on topics like DIY Ceremonies and Incredible Honeymoons, which the winner of our Honeymoon Gift Package will put to good use. One lucky bride will take home a $250 J.Crew gift card and private shopping party for her and her bridesmaids, a $500 travel voucher at Gap Adventures, a free TabletPlus membership at TabletHotels.com, and a gift subscription to Budget Travel magazine.

Tickets (on sale now) are $40 for the entire day, or $20 in advance for each three-hour session. In that window of time, guests will meet over 30 one-of-a-kind vendors and speakers who will propose wonderful things for their day. Flutes of sparkling wine with entrance, and the first 50 guests at each session receive free “To Have and to Hold” gift-filled bags and free entry in the Honeymoon Gift Package.

Here are the details for the sessions:

Session One (10:30-1:30)*
10:45 am: DIY Ceremonies with Officiant Jesse Hendrich, M.Div.

11:15 am: Signed, Sealed + Delivered: Every Invite Question Answered with Melinda Morris of Lion in the Sun

12:00pm : Best. Honeymoon. Ever. with Nina Willdorf, Editor in Chief of Budget Travel magazine, Dorothy McGivney, Editor of jauntsetter.com, and Gap Adventures

12:45 pm: Catering on a Budget with Ally Lipton of AVEnts and Meguire Campbell of Vine Wine Caterers: Naturally Delicious, Red Table Catering, and AVEnts


Session Two (2-5pm)*
2:15 pm: Picking Original, Seasonal Decor with Kerry Quade of Root Stock & Quade

3:00 pm: 10 Things to Look for In a Wedding Photographer with Daniel Krieger

3:45 pm: How to Avoid a Cookie-Cutter Wedding with Vané Broussard of Brooklyn Bride and Anne Chertoff of From I Will to I Do and Editor of AisleDash.com

4:30 pm: Pairing Food and Wine with Matthew LaSorsa of Heights Chateau and Loren Michelle of Naturally Delicious. Caterers: Frankies Spuntino, The Cleaver Company, and Red Table Catering

*Please note: All vendors, including bands, will be present and perform at both sessions. The only variation in each session is among caterers and speakers.

Spring 2010 Bridal Trunk Shows at Saks in NYC

Happy New Year to all!

Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City will be having the following bridal trunk shows from January til June 2010:


Christos
January 14 - January 16

Elizabeth Fillmore
January 21 - January 23

Reem Acra
January 28 - January 30

Oscar de la Renta
February 4 - 6

Melissa Sweet, Priscilla of Boston and Platinum
February 11 - 13

Amsale
February 18 - 20

Edgardo Bonilla
February 25 - 27

Kenneth Pool
March 4 - 6

Junko Yoshioka
March 11 - 13

Anna Maier~Ulla-Maija
March 18 - 20

Jenny Packham
March 25 - 27

Marchesa
April 8 - 10

Vera Wang
April 15 - 17

Monique Lhuillier
April 22 - 24 and July 15 - 17

Selia Yang
April 29 - May 1

Douglas Hannant
May 6 - 8

Angel Sanchez
May 13 - 15

Anne Bowen
May 20 - 22

Carolina Herrera
June 17 - 19

To make an appointment to attend any of these trunk shows or for more information, please call 1.212.940.2269

Saks Fifth Avenue is located at:
611 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10022

The trunk shows will take place on the 5th Floor in the department for Contemporary and Bridal Collections.

Happy dress hunting in the New Year!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Dear all Stellina Events blog readers,

I just want to take the time to wish you a very happy holidays.

Enjoy this time with your friends and family.

Love them, cherish them and have a great time planning your upcoming wedding!

Best wishes this holiday season,
Amanda
xoxo

ASK THE EXPERT: Kissable Holiday Lips

So you want to try red for the first time at the next holiday soiree?

Or perhaps you're already a red lipstick junkie but want to prevent it from bleeding and smudging to keep it looking fresh...

VIVA GLAM 1 and Russian Red by M-A-C are so versatile that they can work on skin tones from fair to deep.

If you desire a retro matte look reminiscent of Jackie O, Marilyn, or Gwen Stefani: try Ruby Woo or Lady Danger lipstick with Cherry lip pencil by M-A-C Cosmetics.

A classic red lip that stops traffic, like a starlet in a classic movie is well worth the extra steps. Layering products helps your lipstick from wearing off unevenly without worrying about touch ups all night.

How to apply:

• Start by moisturizing with Kheils lip balm and then blot to remove excess emollients
• Using a sponge, gently apply a thin layer of M-A-C blot powder all over your lips, above and outside the lip line
• Apply a few coats of your favorite color, then finish with a lip brush (the retractable kind is super handy - you can throw it in a clutch or your pocket with your lip product).

Tips:

• For a more dramatic defined look, choose a pencil that contrasts a bit with the focus color. Blend with your brush, blot and dab lipstick one last time.
• To prevent bleeding use concealer around the edges of your lip all around the lip line.

If you need a touch up from kissing your guests or sipping on martinis, all you have to do is pucker, and dab the color in the center.

Happy Holidays,
LP

P.S. Don't forget to drink though a straw all night!

How to offset the environmental impact of your wedding: ZERO CARBON WEDDINGS

Today, while doing my daily search on the web for news and anything interesting that might inspire me, I happened upon an organization called Carbonfund.org.


At Carbonfund.org they have a trademarked tool called ZeroCarbon Weddings that they developed in partnership with WeddingWire.

It is a calculator that is easy-to-use and allows you to calculate the approximate carbon footprint of your wedding and then find out what it will take to offset it. How great is that?


For more information on this tool or to try it for yourself, go to: http://www.carbonfund.org/weddings