Interview on ET

I was interviewed on ET to discuss the process of event planning, and planning Ivanka's wedding. Check out the video below.

More About Ivanka's Wedding

It's finally Friday, and as promised I have more details (and pictures!) to share about Ivanka's wedding. It was held in New Jersey at the Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, NJ. The wedding was designed in all white, and I have to say, of all the events I have designed and planned, this was definitely one of the most exquisite.

I definitely owe that to Ivanka's exceptional taste and appreciation for classic beauty. She was very decisive in choosing what should and shouldn't be a part of her wedding, and it was reflected in the final beauty of the product.

Here is a picture of the beautiful monogrammed napkins that were at every place setting.

Ivanka and Jared were great to work with. He was present for a couple of meetings and was so sweet in telling Ivanka that she had carte blanch for the décor and feel.

Ivanka has such great taste and it came through in everything. She called for a ceremony under a chuppa so we filled an oversized one with all types of flowers, including roses and hydrangea. She wanted everything to feel airy, so we translated that into this beautiful chuppa.  

Reminiscing...

The luncheon on Tuesday triggered so many great memories. I wanted to share one special one with you all today. First, here’s more pictures from the luncheon:

The beautiful Annette Lauer and Me

Vivia and me with the lovely Nina Garcia

Natalia and me

I designed Natalia’s wedding a few years back. It was held in Columbia where we focused on tradition and authenticity for her church ceremony. We used a lot of vibrant colors in shades of red and pink flowers for the reception. She can’t stop thinking of the event and I can’t stop thinking of her dress!

We truly had a delightful time working together. So naturally, she came to me for her baby’s Christening, as many of my new brides and moms-to-be do, and we had fun! She confessed that she took the big red monkey (pictured below) home. It had been placed in the center of the room at Le Circ where she hosted the event.

And here’s a picture of the gorgeous bride from that day:

Here’s a shot from the reception:

I really enjoyed being able to catch up with old friends and see that everyone is still doing spectacular. Thank you all for such a delightful afternoon.

Celebrations Luncheon

I had such a wonderful time at the intimate luncheon hosted by my dear friend Mrs. Riggo for my book launch of Celebrations at the always luxurious St. Regis. It was the first of many parties (I'll be hosting a big blow-out event in January).  Many of the guests of the luncheon included people who were featured in Celebrations, so it was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and reminisce about their events.

The menu was amazing and I had my first bite of an autumn risotto with butternut squash. There were a couple of beautiful toasts and we wrapped up with a sparkling rose and petit fours. Can’t wait for the book launch gala in January….stay tuned.

Quick Post About Ivanka Trump's Wedding

Ivanka's wedding on Sunday was spectacular. We'll talk about more details later, but I just wanted to share this wonderful picture of the happy couple and me from their special day. It's only been two days since the party, but I'm still recovering!

Speaking At the Learning Annex

I wanted to let everyone know that I'll be speaking at the Learning Annex next Wednesday November 4th at 7:00pm. The class is called How to Create One-of-a-Kind Events and I'll be talking about how to plan and execute your own events. We'll also talk about my design process, how to choose a theme for your event and how I built my business. My new book Celebrations will also be available for sale and I'll be signing copies.

To register for the class click here. I hope to see you all there!

Window Display

Just wanted to write a quick post to share this picture of the window display at Rizzoli for my new book Celebrations. It was so exciting to see.

A Little Bit of Jazz

Last night, I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Theo Bleckmann play at the Neue Galerie. The performance was sold out and even though he's my partner, I gave up my seat and joined the standing room. I know I may be a little biased, but he is one of the best jazz vocalists around. Even now, when I see him perform, his amazing voice still brings me to tears.

The crowd definitely loved him too. They kept asking for more encores. It was a terrific night, and if you happen to be in New York City, you should check out his solo show coming up. It will be on November 19 at Roulette: 20 Greene Street in Soho. Check out his website for more details.

Photos courtesy of John Spiral and Amanda Stockwell. Thank you.

Stress Relief

Like I mentioned yesterday, it's a hectic week! One way I use to de-stress is through exercise. I'm currently training for a triathlon. We run, bike, and swim in a group. It's a great way to find some balance and clear my mind. It's definitely exhausting but I feel a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. We'll talk more about this later, and I'll also have some pictures to share next time.

How do you de-stress? Let me know.

Busy Week

It's been a busy week and it's only Wednesday. I'm in the midst of planning last minute details for Ivanka's wedding. It's been such a joy working with her. She is decisive, has great taste, and makes smart, well thought out decisions for her wedding.

Well, last week I took a break from work to attend Ivanka's book signing for her new book The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life. She signed a copy just for me, and I ended up staying up until 2 am reading her book. To read Ivanka's blog, click here.
 

Transforming An Empty Space Into An Art Gallery

Last week, I had the privilege of transforming an empty floor of my building into an art gallery space for one of my favorite photographers Peter Azrak. One of the biggest inspirations I use for my work is Nature, and Peter captures its essence beautifully in his artwork. The opening for his new show was last Friday October 16th, and it was a wonderful night. A great chance to look at art and meet new friends while spending time catching up with old ones.

Here is a before and after picture of how I transformed the space:

The next day, we had a chance to attend a meditation in the new gallery space. The space was once again transformed to be a place of peace—a tiny moment of calm and meditation hidden in a building on a busy New York street.

To see Peter's photographs, check out his portfolio.

Re-designed Website

Oh, and if you clicked on that last link and have visited my site previously, you may have noticed that we re-designed it! It officially launched Wednesday, but it's been so busy around here I haven't had a chance to let you know.

This a screenshot of the homepage, but everything is new. I especially love the new Before & After section. We're going to be adding new things every month, so be sure to keep an eye out for them. Let me know what you think. If there's anything you'd like to see on the website, tell me in the comments.

Decorating for Fall

I went on the Today Show today to discuss affordable DIY options for decorating for fall. Check out the video below. If you'd like to learn how to make your own pieces, click here to visit the How-To's page of my site.

And if you have your own DIY tips, definitely let me know. I'd love to hear about them.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

...And I'm Back

It's been a long time since our last update--so sorry about that. I took a summer hiatus from the blog for work, fun, and a lot of planning. I have some exciting new things coming up. We've been working on a new website, new ideas for this blog, and a lot of ideas for event planning and design inspiration. You'll hear all about them very soon. But first, just a few pictures to reminisce about the summer.