Venue Spotlight:Queens County Farm Museum

The Queens County Farm Museum (QCFM) is not your traditional reception hall, and this is why brides love it! We are very excited that we have the pleasure of coordinating Mitzi & Andrew’s wedding at the QCFM this weekend.

One of the most unique wedding venues in Queens, the QCFM encompasses 47 acre parcel that is the longest continuously farmed site in NY State. While the QFCM is great to take the kids to see and feed animals, visit the gift shop or go for hay rides, the space is now popularly rented for weddings.

The pavilion is a covered area that holds up to 85 people and is commonly used for ceremonies, while the barn accommodates up to 120 people and is used for receptions. You also have the option of renting the orchard and the north lawn to set up tents.

Stay tuned for pictures from Mitzi and Andrew’s wedding.

The Pavilion


The Barn


The Orchard


For more info, visit QUEENS COUNTY FARM MUSEUM

Traditional Ceremony Readings

If you decide to have a religious ceremony, it can be a hard to decide on readings to include in your ceremony. Here are a few traditional and more popular biblical readings that speak of love and marriage:

Song of Solomon 2:10-13
My beloved responded and said to me,
'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
'For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
'The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
'The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!'

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Ruth 1:16-17
But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

"Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."

I Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love

I John 4:7-19
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

We love, because He first loved us.

Once you decide on a reading, you can then give a family member or close friend the responsibility of reading it at the ceremony.

Vendor Spotlight: Hidden Essence (Florist)

I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle of Hidden Essence over one year ago. I was initially drawn to her winning personality then her true talent.
Michelle has been designing floral arrangements for all occasions since 1992. Starting in a small, retail flower shop where she quickly learned many techniques to floral design.

After years of designing, Michelle decided she wanted to venture into the wedding aspect of the floral business and started designing for several wedding companies on Long Island. In doing so, she has perfected many different techniques of her own and in 2006, she followed her dream of owning her own business and founded Hidden Essence.

Michelle is very knowledgeable and would love to design your wedding!

For more information and to see beautiful gallery of previous work go to HIDDENESSENCE.COM

Real Weddings: Leslie and Darrin 6/7/09

I just love when I cover a wedding and the whole family makes me feel so warm and at home. Everyone was nice, especially Leslie’s mom. Leslie and Darrin had their ceremony at Bethel AME in Morristown NJ and reception at The Tides Estate in North Haledon, NJ. Leslie and her mom did a good job at their DIY projects, this is, programs, menus and arrangement for kids table.

The happy couple danced to Adore by Prince for their first dance. An oldie but goodie, its one of those songs you forget about for a minute and then you hear it and go…”what a beautiful song”. The DJ rocked the house and their guest really danced the night away. One of most memorable moments was seeing the bride and some of her girls dance to Beyonce. They really had it “down to a T”.
You could see that they truly had a great time on their wedding day, and that’s the way it should be.

Their vendors:
Reception Hall: The Tides
DJ: Gil & Gil Disc Jockey Service
Florist-J &M Home Garden
Photo/Video-MJS Studios

I will share professional pictures with you as soon as I receive them.

My Trash the Dress Shoot

So I think I realized how much I loved being in front of the cameras just around the time of my engagement shoot. I guess I feel like a superstar in front of the camera. I basically look for every opportunity to dress up and pose.

So a few weeks ago, I went out with Jenn and Efrain of JadoreLove Photography for my trash the dress shoot (TTD). We stayed in downtown NYC, by City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge.
So that Sunday turned out to be a very long day. It started out with me going to the NYC WalkforAutism at 10 am. The walk is only 2 miles, so the family did that then I raced home to drop off hubby and baby and race back to the city to get my make-up done for the shoot. I have to give a big shout out to the make-up artist Erica Patino, she did an awesome job!
The TTD was supposed to be done in Central Park, but that was a bad idea since we forgot that Puerto Rican day parade was the same day. ….So City Hall it was.
There I was walking through the city and everyone congratulating me like I just got married. I didn’t tell them otherwise, I just said thank you and kept it moving. No one wondered where the groom was? I even had 3 people stop me at different points and said they wanted to take a picture of me because they thought I looked so pretty. I was flattered, but a little weird to take a picture of someone you don’t know,huh? Is that how celebrities feel when the paparazzi take their pictures? lol
We were done with the City Hall area and then Efrain said he thought we should get some shots on the Brooklyn Bridge. I have never walked across this bridge before because I hate bridges, but I went ahead by holding on to Jenn the whole time (see from the picture). I was so beat at the end of the day. My feet were hurting and it was just time to take off both shoes and dress. The day was very fun and fabulous and I felt proud that my dress still fit.


I just love black and white pics




Me being a clown


NYC Subways


Watch out now


Hit Me!


Just feeling pretty


Am I getting wet...hmmmmm?


I told you I was scared of bridges-look at me holding on to Jenn


Again, special thanks to Efrain, Jenn of Jadore Love and Erica Patino (NYC Make Up Artist)

Dress Pick of the Week: Alita Graham Style 31508476

We like this. Do you?

Silhouette : A-Line
Neckline : V-Neck
Waistline : Dropped Waist
Straps & Sleeves : Cap Sleeves
Primary Fabric: Satin
Secondary Fabric: Lace
Price : $
Kleinfeld Exclusive: Yes
Plus Sizes: Available






Click on the link to see this and other Kleinfeld Gowns

Shuttle for Guests

If you have out of town guests, it is a nice gesture to provide shuttle service for them especially if the ceremony and reception sites are far apart. Chartering transportation for guests also allow guests to enjoy the reception and not worry about drinking and driving. Here are some guidelines on how to arrange shuttle service:

Convenience-Make sure this shuttle service is convenient for your guests. It should be communicated to the guests, where the shuttle will leave from and at what time. You don’t want any guests to be left behind and you don’t want them confused about where transportation will pick up and drop them off.

Allow enough time for travel-You may have traveled back and forth to your venues a dozen times and think the whole tip will take 20 minutes, but will a shuttle bus take the same route as cars do? Factor in all these scenarios to ensure that guests arrive at your wedding on time.

Get an accurate count- Don’t over or underestimate the guest count. The last thing you want is to not have adequate space for everyone. If the shuttle has to make additional trips, this may also mean more money for you to pay up.

Pay Up- Sort out payment issues preferably before the day of the wedding. However, on the day of don’t forget to tip the driver(s) for a job well done.

Wedding Flowers::Yellow & Green

Green is not just for foliage. There are many flowers available in different shades of greens; emerald, lime, grass and chartreuse. Green is a relative of yellow and signifies a new start. Look at these beautiful green and yellow combination bouquets that we found:










Images taken from THEKNOT

Saying Thank You {Part 2}

Okay, so by now you know how important it is to say thank you. But no matter how much you thank someone in person you must do a written thank you note.
So who do you really give a thank you note to?

Everyone who gave a present
Whether they handed you a present individually or bought a gift as a group you need to send a note. Send notes to anyone that sent a present but couldn’t make it to your affair. Also thank anyone that gave you money.

If you received a note to congratulate or wish you well
If someone sent you an email or a letter wishing you well, be polite and respond to them.

Your attendants
Send you attendants a special note for participating in your wedding and helping to make it as magical as it was.

People who hosted
Send a special thank you to the person(s) who hosted your shower or bachelorette party. You should also thank anyone that hosted or entertained out of town guests.

Vendors
If your vendors went above and beyond you should send them a note of appreciation. They’ll love you for it

Dress Pick of the Week

Would you marry in black? Isnt the back fabulous?

Camille la Vie Style #41790/1043W
Heavy lace mermaid gown with open back and satin belt with frog closure.

Colors Available
Black/Nude
Candlelight





Click the link to see this and other Camille LaVie Gowns

Saying Thank You {Part 1}

To many brides, sitting down to write Thank You notes is seen as an extra task and for this reason thank you notes never get sent after a wedding. If people took the time out to show they care by being present at your event or giving you a gift, they deserve the 2 minutes it will take to write and address a thank you note.

Respond in a timely fashion-If you want to follow etiquette, your thank you notes should really be sent 3 months from the point every gift was received. It may seem like a headache to sit and write 100 thank you notes all at once, but the task can be completed if you do a few each night.

Include your new spouse-share the task with him. Including your spouse will make the task less daunting. Also, make sure the note shows the appreciation from both of you. Sign the card as a couple (not an individual).

Personalize your thank you notes- do not do a generalized thank you note. People want to see that you appreciate their gift. Let Jill know you appreciate the toaster she gave you etc.

Join us for Part 2 tomorrow when we will let you know who really gets thank you notes. Do you send thank you notes to guests who attend but don’t give a gift? Stay tuned!

Boudoir Session

Interested in posing for some sexy pictures?

Dana, of Dana Lee Jones Photography is hosting a Boudoir Marathon on August 1 and 2. Visit her blog for more information on how you can reserve your spot.