December 14, 2010

In Case You Missed It: Amy Nichols Interview

Dear readers,

In case you missed it yesterday, I had the good fortune to make a cameo on Amy Nichols' Special Events blog. Amy, a celebrated event and wedding planner based in San Francisco, contacted me a few weeks ago about doing a quick interview for her 5 Quick Tips series -- wedding-related advice and suggestions from people in the industry. And I am honored to be both the 15th interviewee and the first to offer the male perspective. 

Find the groom edition of 5 Quick Tips @ Five Quick Tips from The Groom Says Blog

Also, please check out Amy's work on her website @ AmyNichols.com

December 13, 2010

The vendors who saved our asses: my big day

When 2E's and I stepped into our vintage taxi cab as our wedding was coming to a close, we found a small basket in the backseat, the contents of which included a handwritten note, two slender glasses and a chilled bottle of champagne. The basket was a congratulatory gift from Elif Aksoy, Lisa Friesel and Erica Greenblatt -- the ladies of My Big Day Planning.

I begin at the end to prove just how dedicated these ladies were to ensuring that our wedding was as enjoyable and carefree and perfect as it could be ... and to illustrate what it truly means to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Like our videographer, we never intended to hire a coordinator. What can they do that we can't do ourselves? What does coordinating even mean? How difficult could it possibly be to get through the wedding without the roof of the reception venue caving in on us?

Oh, silly us.

In the months prior, 2E's and I would Skype with Elif and walk through both the larger and smaller elements of the wedding. She asked us all the right questions and reminded us of all those picky little details that brides and grooms tend to forget in planning. She volunteered to research guest transportation options and costs, taught us about traditional wedding etiquette and gave us some amazing suggestions when we were at a total loss. At our rehearsal, Elif and company helped us push through our agenda and organize our wedding party. And when things got hairy with our ceremony venue contact, MBDP stepped in and handled all correspondence from then on. 

Elif and 2E's en route to the ceremony


What we found most comforting about MBDP was how willing Elif and Lisa and Erica were to take things off of our plate, work around our schedules, and set and coordinate all of our meetings. In the days leading up to our wedding, they were always on call, ready to tackle any unexpected obstacles that we might encounter. And on the day-of, they didn't let us do an ounce of work. Having all of the ladies present (with their combined expertise and enthusiasm) as opposed to just one coordinator was a true blessing, and all three of them were aware of the sequence of events and all things that needed to be done.

In planning, you'll continually ask yourself, Boy, who's going to do that tiny, thankless job at the wedding? Well, whether it was their responsibility or not, Elif and her team were pleased to do all of them. The ladies even gathered our gifts, belongings and leftovers at the end of the evening and delivered them to our hotel in the wee hours of the morning. It was no surprise to find an email from Elif in our inbox at 10am the next morning with a few updates and reminders and pending issues.

It's strange now to think that Elif and I met over Twitter; she and 2E's didn't meet in person until the week of our wedding. And I suppose those details make their contribution that much more heartening. I'd call them a triumvirate if it did them justice. Instead, I'll call them our respirators ... helping us breathe just a little bit easier.


December 6, 2010

The movie that is playing nonstop in our home

Amazing to think that six months ago (and almost twelve months into wedding planning) we had no intention of having a videographer. As we play and replay the video, finding new details and new moments and new faces with each click, it's bewildering to me that we had no desire to have a record of our wedding and the events surrounding it on film. We assured ourselves that the photos would be enough. "The photos will be enough." It was practically our motto. "Photos will be enough."

Clearly the photos weren't enough.

We're so thankful that we came to our senses, and we're so fortunate that Picotte Weddings was there to document the experience -- so that we and our doting parents are able to sit and click and watch ourselves do it all over again. And over again. And over again. And over again.

It's like nothing we ever could have imagined.


Joanna + Brian . Brooklyn, NY from Picotte Weddings on Vimeo.


Please check out the full post and a selection of gorgeous photographs on the Picotte Weddings blog @ photo + cinema . a brooklyn, ny wedding in dumbo.