How was your 2021?
It has been an interesting time navigating all the changes that we have gone through as a society. Covid certainly has not been kind. Some might even say it was a dumpster fire. Sitting here, at my kitchen table, with the new normal, whatever that means, I can’t help but reflect on this past year…
The Roundhouse Beacon
Venue Spotlight Roundhouse Beacon 2 E Main St Beacon, NY 12508 845-765-8369 The Roundhouse Beacon is a former textile mill and factory nestled in the heart of Beacon, NY. Beacon has gone through a revival of sorts, it reminds me a lot of Williamsburg, minus the nightclubs and big hotels. Boasting galleries, boutiques and a…
Proud of our Pride
A wedding is the celebration of the union of two people with their friends and families. Each wedding is as unique as the couple saying “I do” and although tradition does play a role, it doesn’t have to dictate every part of your big day. I love seeing LGBTQ+ couples redefine traditions or do away…
A very private, public disclosure about my life long battle with depression
Pictures are a great window to the past and like with journaling, they allow you to reflect and be grateful for your progress and realize life wasn’t so bad as you thought it was. You weren’t as fat as you thought you were, you weren’t as old as you thought, sometimes there are questionable fashion…
Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa
Venue Spotlight Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa – History, Fun and Farms One of the biggest pleasures that I have, other than working with awesome couples, is visiting new places. I love places that have been layered over time. Each element living on its own. Buttermilk Falls in Milton, NY is a place like that. …
Canvas Weddings
Vendor Spotlight Corrine Van Arsdale – Planning with Peace and Kindness Often wedding planners are depicted as excitable, high strung, people with over the top personalities who are always telling couples what they “should” do, even if they don’t want to. Think about Father of the Bride, with a harried Steve Martin and spastic Martin…
Weddings in the Catskills
Regional Spotlight The Catskills I have always been fascinated with the Catskills. It was a go to destination for many first and second generation immigrants who wanted to escape the heat in the summer and who were shut out of more established get away spots like the Hamptons. Assessable mainly by car the, Catskills offered…
Purslane Catering
Vendor Spotlight Purslane Catering A Pioneer for Sustainable, Trash Free, Carbon-Neutral Catering * Anyone who works in events and promotions will tell you that it can be wasteful industry. Catering in particular can be extremely wasteful. Dishes and cutlery, food scraps, cups, napkins, and yes straws, add up to a lot of waste. The average…
The Revelry Cooperative
Vendor Spotlight The Revelry Cooperative The Revelry Cooperative is a venue’s secret weapon. Founded by Jules Miller in 2017, The Revelry Cooperative was created to help venues better service the needs of clients and to connect clients and planners to off the beaten path venues and help them manage their events. I first met Jules…
Hudson Highlands Weddings
Hudson Highlands A great place for a Wedding Cold Spring, NY and Surrounding Areas My family absolutely adores the Hudson Highlands, specifically Cold Spring. It is situated about 50 miles north of New York City. It is a small, historic village tucked in the mountains and spills down to the shores of…
Onteora The Mountain House
Onteora Mountain House A Catskills Wedding Venue Growing up, I was a big fan of Trixie Belden books. She was a scrappy counterpart to perfect, Nancy Drew. She lived in a middle class family that always seemed to have just enough money and never more, and often got into trouble. She had curly hair that…
Hudson Hotel
Hudson Hotel - September Wedding Flowers - Brian Dorsey Studio The Hudson Hotel Brian Dorsey Studio September Wedding Flowers I love working at the Hudson Hotel. It is a wonderful venue and a wedding there is like renting a country estate in the middle of Manhattan and is one of my favorite venues. Designed by…
Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo
Spotlight on Vendors - Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo WCS The Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo Spotlight on Vendors Supporting Companies who Do the Right Thing Weddings and Corporate Events Recent changes in political policies have caused me to re-think our mission and why we do what we do. When opened…
Start with the Why
The Why of Weddings I love reading business books. I like the strategy and the stories of how people built their business. One of my favorite topics is WHY. Weddings fascinate me. It is a life event that brings families and friends together to witness a major life event, marriage. It’s not about the flowers,…
The Roundhouse Beacon
Roundhouse at Beacon Industrial Chic in a Artist’s Town Venue Spotlight I have always enjoyed destination weddings, it was a great excuse to travel to someplace different and force yourself to get away for a weekend. I remember the first time I went to Beacon, it was at a friend’s wedding a few years before…
India House
India House Bohemian Chic meets Historic Venue Fall Wedding Clean Plate Pictures One of the challenges of being a designer is communicating design intent while still maintaining the freedom to design. A lot of our work depends on chance, the unique finds, textures and materials and movement of natural things in ways that really can’t…
Dobbin St- Khaki Bedford Photography
Dobbin St Brooklyn Industrial Venue Spring Wedding Khaki Bedford Studio Photography I love weddings, I truly do, more importantly, I love the personal connections and being a part of a special day. This past spring we had the pleasure of working in a new venue in Brooklyn called Dobbin St. It was at the height…
Venue Spotlight – The Brooklyn Winery
The Brooklyn Winery Venue Spotlight Brooklyn Winery Rustic Industrial Williamsburg, Brooklyn 213 N 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 events@bkwinery.com 347-763-1506 bkwinery.com The Brooklyn Winery is one of my favorite places for weddings and events. Situated in the middle of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Winery offers the charm of a winery in a convenient spot…
Hudson Valley Wedding Venues
Hudson Valley Wedding Venues The Other New York I once read that when you graduate from New York City, you move to the Hudson Valley. I fell in love with the Hudson Valley the first time we met. Part of the things that attracted me to New York City, also attracted me to…
Pampering on Purpose
Pampering on Purpose Why Treating yourself is Healthy, Not Frivolous By: Gwen Lewis It’s no secret that life gets busy, pulling us in a variety of directions on a daily basis. There are only 24 hours in a day and when we focus time and attention on ourselves we feel, well, selfish. Unfortunately, these feelings…
Fall Wedding – My Moon – Max Flatow Photography
Fall Wedding - My Moon - Max Flatow Photography My Moon Fall Wedding Celebrating Pride Month LBGTQ Weddings June is Pride month celebrating differences and support of the LBGTQ community. October Weddings Stephanie and Breezy were such a lovely couple. They had their wedding at My Moon in Williamsburg Brooklyn last October. October…
Engle-Heart Weddings
Engle-Heart Interfaith Ministers Vendor’s We Love Mary-Rose Engle Engle-Heart Interfaith Ministers Sometimes while we are putting the finishing touches on ceremony decor, we will get the opportunity to meet the officiants. I enjoy talking with them about the ceremony and the rituals and make sure that everything is set-up properly for them to conduct the…
Earth Day Immersive Event
Floral Design - Scent Blending - Wine Tasting - Light Bites Hosted by Rose Red & Lavender @ Industry City Featuring, Playlist by Jasmine Solano, Fig & Pig Catering, Moore Brother’s Wine, Soap & Paper Factory and Rose Red & Lavender Celebrate 4/20 in Style! Floral Design, Wine, Fragrance Blending - Class Reconnecting People with…
Indian Weddings
Indian Weddings Multi Cultural Traditions Today is the first day of spring and Holi, the Hindu Festival of Color just happened. This has gotten me thinking about Indian Weddings and some of the wonderful crossovers we have seen and all of the beautiful traditions. Bollywood Movies When I was a little girl I was OBSESSED with…
Plants – Our Verdant Companions
Plants and the Importance They Play In Our Lives; Spiritually, Physically, and Mentally Plants Plants and the Importance They Play In Our Lives; Spiritually, Physically, and Mentally Why Plants are Important The Victorian Love Affair with Plants Plants That Clean the Air in your Office and Home Beautiful, Romantic Venues That Feature Plants Why Plants…
Wedding Inspiration – Russian Folk Tale Photography
Wedding Inspiration Russian Folk Tales A Color Riot Land of the Firebird All this talk about Russians and the election has had me thinking about Russia again. I am obsessed with Russian fashion and history and contemporary art. When I was in college I took a course called Russian for Chemists. I majored in…
The Truth About Wine
The Truth About Wine Moore Brothers Wine The Truth About Wines Lesson on Choosing Wine for Your Wedding Last year has been a transformative year for me. I learned to embrace who I am and to surround myself with people who shared the same laws of life that I have. I don’t call them values,…
Morningside Castle October Wedding
Morningside Castle Wedding Carney Dilemma Photography October Wedding in New York City Morningside Castle is a beautiful venue that is situated in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Fall is a wonderful time of year to get married and the weather is usually pretty nice that time of year. Loreto Caceres Photography did a wonderful…
Event Professionals We Love – Katie Fischer Design
Event Professionals We Love Katie Fischer Design A Manhattan Based Studio for Discerning Clients Corporate and Social Invitations, Branding and Event Collateral Working in the event and wedding industry allows you to be with other professionals who help people celebrate. We are always trying to create something new that hasn't been created before and in…
The Truth About Flowers
Why Flowers are Important to me I remember the first time that I became interested in becoming a florist. I was at a venture capital conference in San Francisco representing the company that I worked for. It was a tech company that produced floating 3D images that you can see without any glasses. There was…
Wedding Show – Martha Stewart – Mainstream Media
Wedding Shows I attended the Martha Stewart Wedding Party yesterday at Gotham Hall. Martha Stewart wedding party, photography by From Parris with Love Gotham Hall is a wonderful venue that was once a bank. It has a soaring domed ceiling and beautiful details. It can comfortably fit 250 to 500 guests so it…
Flowers and Mindfulness
Mindfullness is what everyone is talking about these days. Being present. Being grounded, appreciating the now. Hundreds of books and websites are dedicated to this practice. You can spend thousands on retreated to learn the practice Schoolchildren are being taught how to be in the now so they don't flip out in the classroom and…
The Only Thing That is Constant is Change
It seems fitting that the beginning of the year should be about change. Mark Twain 2016 was a pivotal year in so many ways. With the inauguration coming up, there is a lot to think about. The hows, whys and whats and changes to come. Living in New York City, particularly in North Brooklyn…
Permission To Be Yourself
2016 has been a year of change for Rose Red & Lavender. We closed our retail location, moved twice and opened another retail location. We have shed a chrysalis. I started my business in 2008 after the birth of my daughter, Lavender. Prior to that I designed and built window displays, museum exhibits and provided…