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Love my sale on Opensky today and you can have them in time for the holidays! Definitely using the seaside blue for Hanukkah next week and then I'm going to mix the green, red and black for my Holiday Party. I can't wait to have the family over to use these chargers for place cards at my next Sunday night dinner! Use one color or mix them up! They wi...

Love my sale on Opensky today and you can have them in time for the holidays! Definitely using the seaside blue for Hanukkah next week and then I’m going to mix the green, red and black for my Holiday Party. I can’t wait to have the family over to use these chargers for place cards at my next Sunday night dinner! Use one color or mix them up! They will sell out quick for sure!
https://opensky.com/mindyweiss/product/chalkboard-china-charger
Enjoy xox Mindy

The Hotel Lautner in Desert Hot Springs, CA, is luring Merci New York’s readers to indulge in their own mid-century fantasy by owning a private flat designed by the famed architect, John Lautner , for a week or more. The Desert Hideaway Package is designed for those seeking a pied-à-terre in the desert or a chic, quiet retreat from the city {read: a perfect girls’ getaway or post-wedding pit stop – now at a fabulous price}.
The Hotel Lautner exudes desert cool with its subterranean living quarters, remote setting and James Bond-esque charm. Guests of the Hotel Lautner will feel like they’ve been transported to a remote secret hideaway with all the luxury amenities. Vintage modern furnishings, luxury baths, contemporary kitchens, private gardens, a relaxing spa pool, outdoor fire pit lounge with BBQ and exquisite succulent gardens makes the Hotel Lautner a perfect bachelorette escape or post-wedding hideaway in the stunning California desert.
Speaking of hideaways, the hotel’s chic little Desert Hideaway Package may be the perfect incentive for a mid-winter jaunt of of NYC – honeymooning or not. The package features seven nights in a Hotel Lautner luxury unit. The $2,000 / week package includes maid service, car service, and subtle luxuries such as a unique pillow menu, nightly aromatherapy selections, a fully stocked kitchen, a curated selection of James Bond movies {featuring Lautner properties} and my personal favorite… A martini kit, so guests may have theirs, “shaken not stirred.” About the property: Owners and designers Tracy Beckmann and Ryan Towbridge recently introduced their chic reworking of this architectural landmark as Hotel Lautner , a four-suite boutique vacation property located just two hours east of Los Angeles at the North end of the Coachella Valley. Hotel Lautner officially opened its doors to the public September, 2011. It features four distinctly designed interlocking units, replete with vintage modern furnishings and a full host of amenities. It is one of the few, if only, Lautner designs open for public experience today. Hotel Lautner is located at 67710 San Antonio Street Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240.

The Desert Hideaway Package is available December 2011 through August 2012. For reservations and information: www.hotellautner.com or 760-832-5288.

Oooh I’m such a sucker for sixties style. The polish. The panache. The subtle yet coy sexiness of it all… The entire decade was so inspiring, I just love to see couples that adore it as much as I do. All this said, you can imagine how I jumped for joy when Ryan Brenzier shared Megan and Michael’s Mad Men-inspired shoot with Merci New York . I couldn’t wait to let it live on the blog. Not only are the photos absolutely exquisite, but Megan knocked the wardrobe and props out of the park! {Read: that’s an actual Joan Holloway dress from the show, ladies!} Be sure to scroll down for more of Megan’s amazing inspiration – and enjoy!
From the bride-to-be, Megan Duffy: My fiance, Michael, and I have known from the get-go that we want to have a 1960s inspired wedding, but we don’t want it to be too kitschy or feel like a costume party. The engagement shoot was the perfect opportunity for us to get a little more playful. Mad Men is our favorite show and since we love the 60s and we live in NYC, it was a perfect theme for our shoot.
I took a lot of time to make sure that all of our props and outfits were accurate and appropriate. For example, at the beginning of the shoot my fiance and I are both holding vintage magazines that were printed within 4 days of each other. To me, the little details were what made a difference. People who watch the show might recognize that I’m wearing jewel toned outfits and that I placed a brooch on my coat, just like Joan Holloway {or they might even recognize the green dress from the show!} or that Michael is wearing sharkskin suit and a pocket square in the same way that Don Draper does… I studied the clothing that Joan and Don wear in the show and tried my best to emulate them.
The NYC Transit Museum and the Gramercy Park Hotel were perfect locations for our shoot because they really enabled us to step back in time and pose as a couple in the 1960s. Truth be told, though, anyone who works with Ryan Brenzier has an unfair advantage because he has the ability to make anyone and anything look amazing. We are so thrilled to be working with him and cannot wait to see him again at our wedding next September.

Editor’s note: Want more era-inducing inspiration? Be sure to check out these two shoots, styled by Merci New York : A Mad Men Wedding and a Holiday Ride on a 1940s Subway Train .

All photos courtesy of Ryan Brenzier .

Love finding great gifts on OpenSky for under $50.00! Look at this awesome fish-eye compact camera! Great gift but also for capturing your Holiday Party memories.Find it here and hurry the holidays are right around the corner!

xox Mindy...

xox Mindy

ColinCowieWeddings.com is partnering with the Empire State Building for a nationwide contest, “The Wings of Love,” that will identify four romantic couples who will each win a once-in-a-lifetime dream wedding designed by Colin Cowie. Celebrity wedding designer Colin Cowie, known for his glamorous celebrations across the globe will bring his signature wedding style to the Empire State Building when four lucky winners say “I do” at the glittering NYC landmark in an exclusive Valentine’s Day wedding for up to 40 guests. And if that is not enough to make engaged couples want to race to the altar, one Grand Prize couple will win the chance to receive a $100,000 cash prize to kick off their married life in style…
The iconic Empire State Building, full of romance and history, hosts weddings only once a year on Valentine’s Day, and this year ColinCowieWeddings.com takes the 18th annual event to new heights. Couples may enter up to December 16, by submit a short video, two minutes or less, about their unique love story, describing what makes their love soar, and why they should be chosen to be married, or renew their vows, at the Empire State Building. The contest is open to legal residents of all 50 states who are 21 years of age or older and the sponsors encourage all types of couples to enter.
Sixteen semi-finalists will be chosen by a panel of wedding and style experts from ColinCowieWeddings.com, the Empire State Building, Estée Lauder, Kleinfeld, home of TLC’s “Say Yes To The Dress,” and Christian Oth Studio based on their originality, style and connection to the world’s most famous building. The semi-finalists will be announced on December 16, and then the public will vote on the final four winners, which will be announced on January 6, 2012.
As Cowie transforms the 61st floor of the Empire State Building into four luxurious ceremonies and receptions, the details like the brides’ dresses, flowers and cakes will be decided by public voting on Facebook. To enhance the Colin Cowie dream wedding experience, each bride will be outfitted in a designer gown from Kleinfeld , with hair and make-up provided by Esteé Lauder and grooms will be outfitted by Men’s Wearhouse . All couples will be treated in first-class style with a two-night stay in Manhattan’s exclusive Pierre Hotel where they will be primped and pampered with pre-wedding festivities by the ColinCowieWeddings.com team of editors, stylists and photographers in preparation for their magical celebration.
The excitement continues after the “I Dos” when all four wedding albums are posted online the week of February 21, 2012, for one last vote to choose the couple who will get a chance to win $100,000 in cash.

For complete contest rules and details, visit www.colincowieweddings.com . Good luck!!

In my line of work, I'm lucky enough to connect with some really talented people in the wedding industry. Rachel is definitely one of these people. I smile whenever I get an email, a comment, anything from her, really - for this reason, I follow her photography blog pretty closely. Now, I've only "met" Rachel online, but I imagine that she's a lot like this engagement shoot of hers that I'm featuring today - creative, bright and just peachy! :)

Take Rachel and her camera, a bunch of pastel colored balloons, a tandem bicycle and a blanket out into the middle of the nowhere, and you'd never guess that you'd end up with something that is as meaningful as it is random...as romantic as it is offbeat. Oh, and the sunset is UNREAL. Especially in the last two photos!

It would be nearly impossible to forget the featured bride and groom-to be, Brittany and Andrew....they make a super cute couple, don't they? It seems only natural then that they met at summer camp, enjoy the great outdoors and country music, and they are currently working their way through trying all of the Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavors. I actually giggled when I read how Brittany described Andrew here..."We laugh a lot and are weird together...I'm convinced that Andrew is the most patient person in the world and I have literally never seen him legitimately angry..." (my hubby's like that too! =P) Oh, and "[He] makes bomb hot wings," she says. They're both excited to be getting married next August on a ranch down in Southern California.

Whimsical Sunset Engagement Shoot by Rachel Marie Photography

Please note that this is not a sponsored post.

the knotsource beholden source the peppermintpretty source bellethemagazine real bride marisa (her wedding is coming soon) photography by jenni Ireland

source jaggerphotography source barefoot bridalsource fashion tribes

Why go long when you can go short and long? The high low hemline sometimes sometimes called a mullet dress left its mark in 2011. And those high hemlines are a great way to show off those something blue shoes! It is the best of both worlds.

What do you think? Is there a high low hemline in your future?

This gift will "BOWL" you over! Loving these sets of Anthropologie Bowls for Holiday Gifts. They come in 2 different color groups, each set is $30.00. So if you have a little more money to spare why not fill up each bowl with a different candy...now that will be one "sweet" gift!

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This gift will “BOWL” you over! Loving these sets of Anthropologie Bowl s for Holiday Gifts. They come in 2 different color groups, each set is $30.00. So if you have a little more money to spare why not fill up each bowl with a different candy…now that will be one “sweet” gift!

As you may have noticed, I’ve been spreading out our beautiful runway coverage from the Fall 2012 shows, giving readers a few wedding fashion bits each week. While meeting a styling client last week {who is wearing a gorgeous Fall 2012 Reem Acra gown for her city wedding, btw}, I noticed we hadn’t published our photographers’ coverage of the new Reem Acra collection on the Merci New York blog {oh the horror}! Suffice it to say, we’ve inadvertently left some of the very best for last… A highlight of bridal market, Reem Acra’s collection was cohesively drawn together by transparencies – gorgeous layers of trend-right lace and tulle that lent a certain chicness to the line. In her notes, Reem made wonderful fashion-forward statements about the gowns, i.e. “laser cut is the new lace,” statements that kept bridal feeling fresh and reascertained my belief that Reem remains the perfect fit for the style-loving bride… In addition to the absolutely gorgeous gowns, which I’ve already sung my praises for above, I was also totally transfixed by the gorgeous styling down the runway – In fact, I found myself snapping detailed iPhone photos of the headdresses as much as the gowns {all which came out terribly, so luckily our Merci New York photographers’ photos rescued me quite nicely}.
So, I’ll stop my swooning now, because I’m most interested in your thoughts! I would love to know your thoughts on the Fall 2012 Reem Acra collection. Would you wear any of these gowns for your wedding?
xx,

All photos copyright Merci New York

I am so thrilled to share Kate and Charles’ beautiful Manhattan wedding on Merci New York today! Submitted to us by Sarah Tew Photography , it’s the perfect mix of classic New York City goodness, beautiful details, and good old fashion fun. I’m certain you’ll love all gorgeous fashion, decor and details at the couple’s super-fun Housing Works Bookstore reception, but also be sure to scroll down for some awesome insight from Sarah as well!
Vendor List:Hair Stylist: Robert Stuart Salon
Caterer: Housing Works
Floral Designer: Michael Day Studio
Reception Venue: Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
Invitation Designer: Wedding Paper Divas
Dress Designer: Anne Barge
Band: Lapis Luna via Elan Artists
Ceremony Location: Church of the Blessed Sacrament
Shoes: Donald Pliner
Transportation: Gray Line New York Sightseeing
Jewelry: Cartier , Tejani

From the photographer, Sarah Tew Photography :
Kate & Charley have been together since they were students at Carleton College, and they are one of those couples that seem totally relaxed together — you can just tell that they have each other’s back no matter what, it’s such a good fit. My thoughts were confirmed by the toasts we heard at their wedding at Housing Works Bookstore. They wanted to have a mid size yet intimate wedding with friends and family, many of whom came from the Midwest for the occasion, so they arranged a double-decker sightseeing bus to shuttle guests for a quick tour on the way from Blessed Sacrament, on the Upper West Side, down to the reception in Soho.
Michael Day’s florals were perfect dressing for the long dinner tables. Event planning was handled beautifully by Amanda O’Callaghan of The Works Catering. During cocktail hour we were treated to the wonderful and romantic musical stylings of Lapis Luna… After dinner a more danceable playlist helped folks migrate to the dance floor! I was able to steal Kate and Charley for a quick night portrait towards the end of the evening… if I hadn’t needed to take my equipment back to studio I would have been tempted to join this crowd at their well-publicized after party.

All photos courtesy of Sarah Tew Photography

Table numbers or table names are an essential and practical element to your centerpieces. Typically, one table number or name is placed on display at the center of each table; however, I've also come across some weddings that have the table number cleverly placed at each place setting. Hanging from the backs of the chairs, on the napkin rings, attached to the menus or printed on each of the wedding favors...you'll see examples of all of these in my Picks below. The table number or name serves as a way for your guests to navigate your wedding reception area so they know where to sit. Upon arrival, your guests will immediately find the table with the table assignments or escort cards. The escort card will have your (and often times your spouse's) name and your designated table number or table name printed on it. Guests will keep their escort cards, and find their designated tables using, of course, the table numbers displayed on all of the tables. From there, guests can either choose their own seat at the table, or they will look for place cards with their names on them, instructing them on which seat at their assigned table is theirs.

Table numbers are also a great opportunity to personalize your wedding day. Rather than using table numbers, 1-5 as usual, you could choose the number of pets that you have, your first shared address or your lucky number. Or, you may go with table names instead, using your favorite movies, books, authors, songs or travel destinations. Really, as long as your numbering or naming concept can do the job of designating your various reception tables for your guests, nothing is off limits!

For this week's Picks on Paper, I spent a WHOLE LOT of time collecting photo examples of wedding reception table numbers (and sometimes table names). After sorting through nearly a hundred photos, I tried my best to categorize them by wedding style or theme. My table number picks are Desert Modern, School Spirit, Family Harvest, Imperfectly Handmade and Feminine Romance.

Picks on Paper - Table Numbers

Super cool couple: check! Great West Village location: check! Magnolia cupcakes: double check! And a sweet personal note from the Australian bride to be asking to share her super cute photos with Merci New York’s readers? Amazing!
Theresa and Luke are an uber-fab Australian couple who were en route to get married in Vegas. With a quick stopover in NYC, they enlisted in the help of Sam & Gertie Photography to give them the great photos they craved. Needless to say, they certainly delivered. Take a peek and be prepared for a whole lot of cuteness.
From the photographer, Sam & Gertie Photography:
Theresa and Luke live in Perth, Australia. They decided to take a month long trip to the USA to get married! The wedding was in Vegas, but they made a stop in New York so we could take some fun engagement shots. We basically spent the morning wandering around the West Village and a bit of Soho. Aren’t they the sweetest couple?
Of course we had to make a stop at Magnolia Bakery, since it was so close. I’m not sure if I have ever eaten a red velvet cupcake for breakfast before, but I just might have to do it more often.
{As an aside}, LOVE Theresa’s necklace. Oui! It’s perfect for an engagement shoot. Congratulations you two! Hope you had a fantastic Vegas wedding!!