Happy Holidays

As the year comes to an end, I would like to take this time to say thank you to all of my former clients, new clients, colleagues and everyone that has supported Couture Events by D in 2008. It was a great year and it couldn’t have happen without the love and support from all of you.

I would like to give a special thank you to my fabulous staff, Misti, Renee, Alliesha and Sheldon. No event is successful without your help. I wish you all a happy and healthy 2009.

Happy Holidays and I will be back in the New Year with more tips, advice and wedding inspiration!!

Please Be Seated!!

I found these lovely place card holders at http://www.beau-coup.com/ . These will work great for a holiday or a winter wedding. The silver sphere will add a great holiday touch to a Christmas theme wedding because of they resemble ornaments but without looking too much like Christmas. They also work well for winter weddings. The silver adds an icy winter feeling to a winter wonderland wedding.

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Wedding Coordinator Vs. Wedding Planner

I just read a very helpful blog on the difference between a wedding coordintor and a wedding planner on www.weddingbeepro.com and I thought I would share with all the brides out there who are looking for a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator. This blog helps distinguish the difference between the two and helps you get a better idea on deciding what you need for your wedding day.

I consider myself to be a wedding planner and designer. My services provide guidance and support through out the wedding planning process. I advise my clients on every aspect of their wedding. From choosing the right location to the perfect shade of purple!! I am a designer for two reason; 1) I have a backround in floral design and I've created all my past clients floral designs for their wedding and 2) Designing a wedding is not just about flowers, it's about taking a vision in bringing it to life by including all of the elements of a wedding. You have to consider color palettes, location, attire and stationary. All of these elements tie into the design aspect of wedding planning.

So brides as you search for a wedding planner or coordinator, this blog will help you make the choice that's best for your wedding plans. Take a look at the article from here:

http://www.weddingbeepro.com/2008/12/17/wedding-coordinator-vs-wedding-planner/

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Red Inspiration Board

The color red is a great color palette for a winter wedding. It works well with an array of accent colors. If you are getting married during the winter months, adding silver and black will make for an elegant winter wedding. For a Valentine’s Day inspired wedding, red is a beautiful display of the color of love. Flowers come in many shades of red. Using these different shades will add depth and texture to a simple floral arrangement. You’ll be surprised how elegant a cluster of red carnations can look!!

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

(photos courtesy of www.theknot.com)

6,000 Wedding!!

On the same day I received a question from a bride on a budget, I also read an article on www.essence.com about a couple who spent $6,000 on a wedding!! UNBIEVALABLE!! Judging from the pictures, the wedding turned out to be pretty nice. Here are some of the pictures from the wedding and for more on how she did it all for $6,000 go to http://www.essence.com/relationships/advice/articles/budgetbride?xid=120808-ENews-Friday-BudgetImage

For all my brides out there, please keep in mind this woman lives in Atlanta so this may not be possible depending on where you live. What she accomplished was remarkable and kudos to that bride but please keep in mind it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of time and research to accomplish what she did.

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Ask The Planner

Q: Hi Deniesha, My finance and I come from huge families, do you think it's possible to have an elegant wedding with 200 guests on a budget of 15k. Please let me know if you think I'm daydreaming.

Thanks a bunch!

A: I tell all my clients anything is possible depending on the choices you make. Like most brides, I'm sure you want a wedding that you and your guest will remember forever. My honest opinion is you will more than likely have to increase your budget by at least another 10k. But I do have some tips on how to save.

1) Choose an off day for your wedding date. The most expensive day to get married is a Saturday night. Fridays and Sundays are usually cheaper at most venues. Even consider a weekday if possible. An early Sunday afternoon wedding is the cheapest and most convenient option.

2) Keep your menu and bar selection simple. Instead of serving 3 choices for your main course (chicken, beef or fish) just serve chicken. Most people eat chicken and if you have some guest with special dietary needs, like vegetarians, you can ask your caterer or venue to have those meals prepared as well. There is usually no extra cost for this. If you are getting married in a venue where you can bring in your own caterer, have a buffet instead of a sitdown dinner.

3) Be a DIY!! If you are a crafty person, take on some of the wedding day projects yourself, like invitations, programs or favors. There are many DIY kits out there that are fabulous.

4) Look out for sales! When shopping for items like your wedding day attire, look out for sample sales and trunk shows. You can get a beautiful dress at a great price.

5) Shop around and be creative. When you are searching for vendors, like photographers, videographers, or DJ's look around for vendors that may be starting out in the wedding industry. They are willing to offer their services at a discount or sometimes free in exchange for exposure, a recommendation and the opportunity to increase their portfolio. Be sure to make an appointment to view their portfolio and if possible read some reviews from former clients.

6) Track your spending. Keeping track of your spending will help you stay on top of your budget at all times. So when making your selections you will always know how much money you can spend on that particular item. I strongly recommend this because as time goes on you book vendors, you buy things and before you know it, you are way over budget.

Many brides on a budget think they cannot afford a wedding planner but that is not that case. Hiring a planner will save you time and money. A good wedding planner will help you find vendors that suit your budget and give you guidance along the way. I've worked with array of budgets so I know exactly what you are going through.

I hope I was able to help and feel free to contact me if you ever have any more planning dilemmas.

Happy Planning,
Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by DDesigned by me,
Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Holiday Save The Dates

I’m a big fan of getting double use out of one item for weddings. This helps save a couple of dollars and these days every single penny counts!! So this year when you send out your holiday cards, have them double as save the date cards as well. You’ll spread holiday cheer while getting the word out about your wedding. I found these holiday cards at www.weddingpaperdivas.com

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

What Shall She Wear?!

Ok this is not wedding related but I love everything fabulous. The Inauguration of President Elect Obama is expected to have the largest crowd in history. While I am extremely excited and proud of our first African American President, secretly I am waiting at the edge of my seat to see what the ever so stylish First Lady Michelle Obama will be wearing to the Inauguration Ball. I know it’s not wedding related but I’m sure we can get inspired by the color or style choice of her gown. Here are some my favorite sketches of her possible choices. She really can’t go wrong with any of these. Photos courtesy of http://www.wwd.com/

Peter Som

Oscar de la Renta

Michael Kors

Diane von Furstenberg

Nicole Miller

Carolina Herrara

Monique Lhuillier

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Kleinfeld Trunk Show

Hello Brides, I received an email from Kleinfeld about an upcoming trunk show.

Hope you can take advantage of this opportunity!!

Douglas Hannant, successful woman’s wear designer popular on the socialite set, showed his first bridal collection in October and this new collection will debut December 5 – 7 at Kleinfeld. Kleinfeld co-owner and buyer, Mara Urshel, was impressed with his fresh bridal designs and we look forward to seeing the bride’s reactions next weekend at the trunk show. By appointment only.

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Warm up with Haute Chocolate!!

Being a hot cocoa lover myself, I had to share this favor idea with all my winter brides out there. “Haut Chocolate” is gourmet hot chocolate packaged in a lovely monogram packet. You can find these wonderful favors on http://www.blissweddingmarket.com/ and there are 10 designs and several color choices to choose from. There is nothing like a hot cup of cocoa to warm you up during the winter nights. Your guest will definitely thank you when they enjoy their cup of cocoa. You can also find monogrammed, coffee, cappuccino and tea bags.

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

The Queen of Wedding Cakes – Sylvia Weinstock!!

I had the honor and pleasure to interview the queen of cakes, Sylvia Weinstock of Sylvia Weinstock Cakes. I’ve been a fan of hers for a very long time so the having the opportunity to meet her was like a teenager meeting the cast of High School Musical.

I was invited to her office where she does all of her baking and decorating. It’s a quaint brick building and as soon as you step in the elevator, you can smell the aroma of cake and sugar. When you see Sylvia the first thing you see is her inviting smile and her trademark glasses. The office was in full swing at 10:00 am. She was on the phone making arrangements for a cake that was being delivered to The Middle East and working with Mr. Fabulous himself, Preston Bailey!! What a way to start the day but it seems liked the norm in this office. I wanted to stay all day but it was clear they were busy so a settled for a little conversation and a picture of Mrs. Weinstock!


After 20 years in the business, she is still involved on a daily basis and works almost 7 days a week. I guess you would have to when your cakes travel all across the world. I always wondered how all of her cakes were so beautiful and so unique from the other. When I asked her what inspired her, she simply stated “everything”. She doesn’t follow any trends; she said to me the bride is the trend. Whatever the bride is inspired by then she uses that for her inspiration. Mrs. Weinstock did offer brides some words of wisdom. “Be sure to use a reputable and a board of health certified baker. Be sure to get a sample and confirm all arrangements”. Words of wisdom from the best in the business so take key brides!

Sylvia Weinstock also has a book out called Sylvia Weinstock’s Sensational Cakes. It’s filled with beautiful pictures, recipes and back stories straight from Sylvia.
Thank you Mrs. Sylvia Weinstock for taking the time to chat with me!! You made a dream come true!!

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize!!

I've been in fashion mode this week so I thought I'd end it with accessories. Adding the right accessorize will complete your wedding day attire. Whenever I work with a bride, I always insist they don’t let their wedding day attire slip through the planning cracks. You will take more pictures that day than you have ever taken in your life and when you look back at them 20 years from now you should love the way you looked. Here are some fabulous accessories I found and I hope that inspire to add something special to your wedding day look.

perfectdetails.com
perfectdetails.com
perfectdetails.com

perfectdetails.com

tigerlilly.com

perfectdetails.com

perfectdetails.com

perfectdetails.com

perfectdetails.com

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Kleinfeld – It’s not just a store, it’s an Experience!! Part II

I couldn’t blog about the world famous bridal salon without showing some of their beautiful gowns!!


Pnina Tornai is an Israeli designer and her gowns are exclusively sold at Kleinfeld. For many fans of the hit show “Say Yes to the Dress”, you may have seen her consulting with brides offering her words of wisdom. Her gowns are exquisite and her eye for detail shows with each gown.

Kristy Kelly for Disney gowns are designed for plus size brides.
Her collection can also be found at Kleinfeld.

Here are some of my favorite gowns also found exclusively at Kleinfeld.

White Chocolate Label by Scott Corridan

Michelle Roth

Jenny Lee

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Kleinfeld – It’s not just a store, it’s an Experience!!

I had the honor to receive an exclusive tour of the world famous Kleinfeld Bridal Salon last Friday. I met the President and owner, Mara Urshell and the wonderful staff as well. From the moment I walked in, I can feel the excitement. There were several brides there with their friends and family to share in the great experience of the dress hunt. Occasionally I could hear a spontaneous round of applause and brides saying, I said “Yes to the Dress”!! It was a wonderful experience to witness.

On this particular day, I was also able to be a part of the Lazaro trunk show. The designer himself was on hand to help brides choose their dress and give his expert advice.

The staff was also preparing for the taping of another episode of the hit show “Say Yes to the Dress”. I was like a kid in a candy store. My wonderful tour guide, Michelle (Mara Urshell’s assistant) took me around to every department. There is the consultation/dressing room where the brides discuss their vision with their personal bridal consultant and try on dresses. My favorite feature of the consultation/dressing room area is the webcam. If you have a family mem

ber that cannot be there for your dress shopping experience, they can go online and be a join the fun. How cool is that!!

Then there is the famous stock room (for lack of a better term) It’s really a bride’s dream!! There are over 1,600 samples on hand. There are rows and rows of dresses categorized by designer, silhouette and price. There is even a category specifically for destination brides.

Then there is the fitting department for after a bride has received her dress, she comes in to meet with a seamstress to ensure her dress fits like a glove. There is a department for alterations, beading and the custom veils. This is where a dress may receive something a simple as hem to additional beading. No matter the request Kleinfeld team will work with the brides to ensure each bride’s dress is exactly what she wants.

Then it’s off to the packaging department where the dress is pressed, stuffed and packaged with special care.

There is a lot of hard work that goes into each dress but it’s all worth it because the bride is happy.

There is not a bride in the world that cannot find a dress at Kleinfeld. There are dresses priced from $1,000 and up but the average cost of a gow

n is about $4,000.00. The sizes range from 2 to 22. Kleinfeld goes the extra mile to meet the needs of all brides. They offer a wide variety of designers with different prices and styles. Kleinfeld also has samples sales during the year; this is a great opportunity for a bride to find a dress a great price. The next sample sale will take place on December 2nd so mark your calendars!! You can also purchase shoes, accessories and undergarments directly from Kleinfeld.

There is also an evening gown department where mother of the brides can say yes to dress as well. Rose Taft evening wear for mothers of the bride was also having a trunk show during my tour as well. Here is my favorite mother of the bride dress by Rose Taft.

I also had the pleasure to meet with Jenette Kruska (Assitant Director of Marketing) and Laura Scotto (Director of Marketing) for an inside look at what’s new for 2009. Some of the biggest trends they have been seeing are textures, dimensions, pleating, bold embellishments, the one shoulder gown, short dresses, the convertible dress, layers and my personal favorite, dresses with pockets. Although new trends may arise, their advice is to find the dress that is best for you.

Finding your wedding dress is a magical moment. You try it on, you look in the mirror and this feeling comes over you. Right at that moment, you know it’s the one!! Whether it’s the 1st dress or the 20th dress, when it’s the one you know it. There is nothing like when a bride finds the perfect dress, it’s a magical moment which I’m always ecstatic to be a part of. I get just as excited as the bride. To help you find that special dress, Kleinfeld is the place to turn to!! The selection is outstanding and the customer service is top notch!! There is no place like Kleinfeld.

I would like to say a special thank you to Mara Urshel, Jenette Kruska, Laura Scotto and my wonderful tour guide Michelle. I had the best time and I will always remember my day at Kleinfeld!!

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

An Ode to Bridesmaids!!

This week I watched one of my favorite movies “27 Dresses”. It inspired me to pay tribute to the bridesmaids. Out of everyone in the bridal party (besides the couple) they have a lot of responsibilities. They plan your bridal shower, the bachelorette party, they are there for you when you freak out and they have all the additional expenses that come with the title. The list goes on for them but as your friend, she’s there for you through every step of the way. She helps you pick out the dress and then help you hold up when you make your trip to the ladies room. For all the dedicated bridesmaids out there, this is for you!! Your efforts have not been over looked. Your friend may be going crazy right now but she does appreciate all that you are doing for her during this important time in her life. As I planner, I appreciate you as well!!

Giving your bridesmaids a great gift for all their work is always a great way to say thanks. Here are some great gift ideas.

Every girl loves a robe!! You can personalize these at myweddingfavors.com

Every Diva needs to check her lipstick!! This personalized compact from mybridesmaidgift.com is great for every bridesmaid.

For your corporate diva bridesmaids here’s a savvy and chic personalized business cardholder from beau-coup.com

If you want to step it up a notch, you can help with some of the expenses your bridesmaids will accumulate. The extra cost for the makeup artist, accessories or having a fun day of manis and pedis will knock off about $50.00 from the wedding day cost.

If you have a DIY project you need to complete, make a night of it. Have a fun filled dinner party while you work. This is a great incentive and a fun filled day with your girls. Just serve the drinks after the glue fun comes out. Here’s a great recipe for sangria that I love to serve at my dinner parties or a Tuesday, whatever the occasion may be.

Red Sangria
1 bottle red wine – a Spanish wine will be best
2 tablespoons of sugar
A shot of brandy (2 if you like it stronger)
1 Lime
1 Orange
2 cups ginger ale
Fruits of your choice

Instructions:
Pour wine in a container
Squeeze juices from the oranges and lemon into the wine
Add sugar and brandy
Cut and add the fruits of your choice (apples, oranges, grapes, peaches or pineapples)
Let mixture chill for an hour
Add ginger ale before serving

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713

Wedding Graffiti

Wedding Graffiti has become the new trend in wedding personalization. It’s a simple way to make a huge statement at your wedding. One of my favorite ways to implement wedding graffiti is by displaying your monograms or a design on the dance floor. This is an economic alternative to hiring a lighting company to display your monogram on the dance floor of your reception.

Wonderful Wedding Graffiti also has many great ideas to personalize your wedding day. Here are some of my favorites!!

These wine wraps add a personal and elegant touch to the ever popular wine bottle favor.

I love this idea of the menu on the wall. It’s the perfect backdrop for a buffet style reception with different food stations.

There are so many I can’t choose but just one more!! These delightful table top signs are a great way to invite your guest to a favor and say thank you on their way out.

Happy Planning,

Deniesha Joseph
Couture Events by D
Designed by me, Just for you
http://www.coutureventsbyd.com/
718.938.4713