A Very Special Birthday

It's always great when you get to work with former wedding clients on life's special moments.  A few years ago I had the pleasure of working with Helena and Svet to create their dream wedding at The Pierre Hotel.  Helena and I really hit it off and I had hoped one day we would have the pleasure of working together again.  My wish came true when she called me wanting to throw a first birthday party for her son Dejan (pronounced Day-on).

Helena came to me wanting to do a carnival themed party…But not just any carnival themed party. She wanted something colorful, fun, bright and not too kitschy.  She wanted it to be colorful for the kids and sophisticated for the adults. She also was keen on ensuring everyone (not just the kids) had fun.

With only four months to plan, I took to task and created one of the most colorful parties ever!  The inspiration for the color palette came from the paper we used for the invites which were created by Invitations by Ana.  Ana created a super fun paper lollipop in a box with a logo of Dejan's name.  This set the tone for the entire rest of the party which was held at the Stonehouse at Sterling Ridge.

To keep with the overall feeling of the carnival theme, I thought it would be fun to use popcorn buckets as the vases for flowers that looked just like popcorn and then use colorful candy such as gumballs, lollipops, and other candy that gave the kids a sugar high!

On the Move Entertainment provided the fun carnival booths where both the young and old could win some traditional carnival prizes.

The stilt walker, make-up artist and the balloon "sculptor" were a huge hit!

It was then cake time and Pink Cake Box hit this cake out of the park by mimicking the pattern in the invite, the logo and the bright colors.  Although Dejan wasn't quite sure what to do with the cake, it sure made for some fabulous photo opps  all courtesy of Fifth Avenue Digital.

 
















After the cake cutting it was time for the fabulous kids band to play and even Dejan and I got in on the action with letting everyone know he turned one!

As guests departed they were able to take a lollipop as a thank you for attending the party and I can't thank Helena and Svet enough for allowing me to create a party that was full of color, fun and pure enjoyment for everyone involved.

Until next time cheers! And please remember to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ShawnRabideau and "like" us on FaceBook at Shawn Rabideau Events and Design

What a Birthday Cake!

This past weekend, my team and I planned and designed a 1st birthday party for a beautiful baby boy named Dejan, the son of one of our favorite clients! We all had so much fun and I can't wait to show you all of the photos from special day! In the meantime, I will give you a sneak peak of Dejan's cake, created by The Pink Cake Box who got inspiration from the invitation, theme and decor!

http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/carnival-themed-1st-birthday-cake-2011-07-24.htm

http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/carnival-themed-1st-birthday-cake-2011-07-24.htm

Stay tuned for photos of the full event! Also, be sure to check out The Pink Cake Box's blog to see some other great designs they have created!

Cheers!
Shawn

Wedding of Shayna & Ofer

One of our favorite things to do here at the Shawn Rabideau Events & Design office around this time of year is to look back on all of the events we’ve worked on throughout wedding season. We love receiving all of the photographs of our clients so we can reminisce on the joy the couple shared and how happy we were to take place in creating that special moment for them.

This week we were glad to receive the wedding photos documenting the wedding of Shayna and Ofer, an energetic and fun-loving couple who were married in mid-April. The wedding planning process was anything but ordinary! Having only met a few times, we communicated mostly over Skype as the couple traveled all around the world! 

From their bridal party photos taken in Times Square to their surprise choreographed salsa dance during the reception, this couple kept everyone smiling and partying well into the night.

After having their first look in Times Square, Shayna, Ofer, and their bridal party made their way down to the Highline to capture a few quick shots. This is one of my favorite places for couples to explore during their pre-ceremony photo shoot!

The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers proved to be the perfect venue for this wedding. HUGE shout out to Jeffrey Stillwell, Director of Banquet Services, who did an absolutely incredible job throughout the entire planning process and the day of. I cannot thank him enough for all of his help and professionalism. He was such a delight to work with!

The floor-to-ceiling windows at The Lighthouse revealed breath-taking views of the Hudson River and served as the perfect backdrop for the couple’s traditional chuppa. Ivory fabric was draped over the frame and white and soft pink flowers such as blown open spray roses, roses, tulips, and hydrangea were placed along the top to create an intimate setting for the exchange of the vows. We also placed the bride's grandfathers' tallis along the underside of the chuppa, as an extra personal sentimental touch to their ceremony. 

The simple and classic ivory runner was accented with tall aisle stands that were surrounded by a bed of flowers and topped with an ivory candle and glass hurricane.

One of my favorite moments of the ceremony was when the two ring bearers walked down the aisle holding a sign created by Ana Dolan that read "Happily Ever After Begins Today." I love this non-traditional touch to the traditional ceremony.

The bride carried an all white bouquet that was designed with all white Casablanca lilies, calla lilies and white roses.  Accenting the bouquet were several crystals and the handle was tied with a champagne colored ribbon; however, the handle was not be wrapped entirely as accents of green stems at the bottom were shown.

On the Move Entertainment was present throughout the night to provide the perfect musical compliments to the setting. Guests were able to enjoy a classical musical trio during the ceremony and cocktail hour until the upbeat DJ and synergy band stepped in and set the mood for fun and dancing during the reception.

During the reception, guests were seated around romantic arrangements of white, soft pink, and eggplant. Spray roses, tulips, roses, orchids and hydrangea exploded from tall glass vases dripping with crystal roping. Gold votive candles accented the look with a soft glow.

Ana Dolan of Invitations by Ana helped us to tie every look together with her work. The classic escort cards and modern menu designs helped achieve that modern yet sophisticated look that embodied the couple’s personalities so perfectly.

Also, here is a look at the beautiful invitation set that Ana Dolan created for this wedding.

Shayna and Ofer's cake was created by the ultra-fabulous The Pink Cake Box. Not only was it beautiful, but delicious too!

Other personal touches included cookies for the bridal party from Eleni's cookies, Shayna's personalized handkerchief (which she gave special personalized ones to each of her bridesmaids), suede yarmulkes monogrammed with the bride and grooms name and wedding date, and a hand painted ketubah.

Special thank you to Craig Paulson Photography for sending these photographs over to us. We thoroughly enjoy working with you as always! Be sure to check out their blog for even more fabulous photos!

A huge congratulations to Shayna and Ofer. You were such a pleasure to work with and we wish you all the best!

Cheers!

Shawn

Wedding of Carmine and Carla

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of designing décor for a lovely couple, Carmine and Carla. They were married at the W New York in a beautiful nighttime ceremony amongst friends and family and I was happy to be included in the start of their lives together. I hope you enjoy these photos of their celebration!

The couple said “I Do” underneath an ethereal white fabric arch that was accented by glass pillars containing white cymbidium orchids submerged in water. On either side of the ceremony platform, two tall Lucite pedestals held large stainless steel containers that were bursting with all white flowers such as calla lilies, hydrangea, and orchids.

The Original Runner Company created a beautiful white aisle runner with the couple’s initials and the date of the ceremony. We topped off the design with sprinkles of white and soft pink rose petals. We then lined the aisle with more white orchids submerged in water and placed floating candles in the cylinders.

Robert Stark Lighting did an excellent job with the lighting, creating romance in the ballroom with a soft pink glow.

Holo-Walls brought in an amazing liquid dance floor for the reception, which guests certainly took advantage of!

On the dinner tables we wanted to create a stunning and elegant display of flowers. Sleek bouquets of calla lilies, orchids, lily grass, roses and horsetail bamboo were exploding out of square glass vases of alternating heights. We then accented these centerpieces with square glass vases that contained bamboo, calla lilies, or cymbidium orchids submerged in water. Floating candles in the vases and silver votive candles on the tabletops completed the look.

A huge thank you to 5th Avenue Digital for providing these amazing photographs-the couple was certainly glowing that night!

Congratulations to Carmine and Carla! All of us at Shawn Rabideau Events & Design are wishing you a long and happy life together!

Cheers!

Shawn

Strawberry Bread Recipe

Strawberries, strawberries, strawberries…It's one of my all time favorite movie quotes by Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond!  And I can't help but think of that scene around this time of year when the strawberries are bountiful.  This past weekend I bought too many strawberries; rather than freeze them I remembered a Strawberry Bread recipe that had been handed down to me from a friend.

Most people are quite surprised when I tell them I make Strawberry Bread. The recipe is easy, perfect for summer brunch with friends and perfect to freeze should unexpected weekend guests stop by.

Strawberry Bread - Yields 2 9x5 Loafs

1-1/2 Quarts Fresh Strawberries (Chopped). You can use frozen strawberries, but use 2-10oz bags thawed and drained

4 Eggs

1-1/4 Cups Canola Oil

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Cups Flour

3 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Sugar

Preheat Oven 350 degrees

Grease and flour two 9x5 Loaf Pans

In a mixer mix together eggs, oil and vanilla extract
Fold in the strawberries

In a large bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and sugar

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture until combined

Pour into loaf pans

Bake 1 hour or until cooked through

Remove from oven, when partially cool remove bread from pans to finish cooling.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate

For a little extra "zip" I add a sweet icing drizzle of 1 cup confectioners' sugar mixed with about a tablespoon of milk and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix until it’s the consistency of syrup.  Drizzle on the loaf of Strawberry Bread, slice and serve.

Julie & John's Wedding Video

I had such the honor and privilege to be able to work with this wonderful couple, Julie and John, on the decor for their fabulous wedding at The Hanover Manor in East Hanover, New Jersey last weekend. 

Take a look at their same day edit wedding video by Gabelli Studio Photography & Cinema by clicking here to see their love story. Julie and John were such a pleasure to work with and I wish them a lifetime of happiness!

Cheers!
Shawn

Tammy & Val's Engagement Shoot!

A couple of weeks ago, one of our September couples went all around The Meat Packing District here in NYC for their engagement shoot with Lindsay Flanagan Photography! She did an incredible job as usual, and I hope you check out some of the photos from the shoot on Lindsay Flanagan's blog!

http://www.blog.lindsayflanagan.com/home2/2011/5/31/new-york-city-engagement-photographer-tammy-val.html

Cheers!
Shawn