Every morning, as I drink my coffee and prep the morning weddings to go live, I watch Regis and Kelly. It’s been my forever routine and one that makes me a very happy, very productive blogger. I know that makes no sense, but it’s true. So, when today’s first featured wedding found its way into the SMP inbox, I literally jumped off the couch and did a high kick. OK, not really, but that is exactly what I would have done if my husband wasn’t still in the room. The beautiful bride is THE Lori Schulweis, production coordinator behind “Project Schully,” otherwise known as Regis and Kelly’s “find-Lori-a-man adventure.” Well, Lori not only found herself a man, she also found herself a completely gorgeous wedding and a who’s who list of SMP’s favorite vendors. And the rest…it’s history.
{click here to see the full, gorgeous affair}
I’ve been swooning over Shawn’s photographs for days now. They tell the story to complete perfection. Not in the least surprising seeing that Shawn’s images are some of SMP’s most favorite weddings. And the design, by Matthew at Artfool…ahhh. Here are a few words from the fabulous planner behind the day, Amy at Chandelier Events…
After years of being set up by Regis and her co-workers (even on the show!) Lori decided that, while loving her single life in her 40s, it was not too late to find true love. Through online dating, she met David Buder, a gourmet foods professional from New York City, and they quickly fell in love. David surprised Lori at a birthday dinner she planned for him at Morimoto in Manhattan–unbeknownst to her, her coworkers helped David turn the tables on Lori by orchestrating an on-air proposal where the ring was placed in an oyster shell.
Both food-lovers and avid lovers of the outdoors, Lori and David fell in love with the opportunity to host their wedding in the new Hayloft facilities at the five-star Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Lori’s sister, Julie, had been long-time friends with James Beard-winning chef Dan Barber (the proprietor of Blue Hill), making the chance to give their 200+ guests an organic five-course tasting menu even more personal.
The wedding, October 10, 2009, including Regis & Kelly, and it was a spectacular display of what we like to call, “Luxe on the Farm.” At Chandelier Events, I worked closely with Lori and David for nine months to create an incredible guest experience that reflected their relaxed personalities and professional lives as FOODIES.
The open-air ceremony took place in the courtyard of Stone Barns and featured a chuppah of grapevines and passionfruit vines. Lori walked down the aisle to classical guitars playing “Pure Imagination” from Willa Wonka & the Chocolate Factory…and the recessional was Coldplay’s Vida La Vida. The fruit-wood chairs were capped with linen chair caps and guests stayed warm in the brisk fall air with heaters and pashimas we handed out to guests as they arrived. Following the ceremony, cocktails and signature farm fresh bites including vegetables picked from the Stone Barns farms (all food is grown and raised on the farm premises) were complemented by signature pomengranate cocktails and an open bar.
Each course of the five course tasting menu was designed by Chef Barber and was paired with a wine chosen by the groom. The menu, which started off with a Forono Beet Salad, was followed by Blue Hill’s signature Farm Fresh egg, a lobster course, a lamb course, and beef course…and capped off with petit fors, cake by Sylvia Weinstock and mini-cupcakes from Crumbs Bakery.
The food was complemented by the gorgeous, ecclectic, edible arrangements in colors of beet, fig and sage by Matthew Robbins Design. One-of-a-kind farmers tables were brought in to complement the rounds covered in a flax linen–and each table featured a different design with antique farm accessories like weathervanes, milk jugs, chicken-wire baskets, and more.
So, we enlisted Ceci New York to create our paper details, with included an elaborate seed-pac ket placecard display, menus personalized with bellybands featuring the seedling variety (lettuce, arugula, beet, pumpkin, rhubarb, etc.), and our invitation was branded on birch wood (like a wine-case) and delivered in flax-paper-covered boxes featuring stamps with the farm motif logos (the running rabbit and almanac banner). The save the dates were hand-drawn personalized takes on the farmers almanac–a design that carried over to the hand-drawn ketubah, program, and menu cards.
We enlisted Sylvia Weinstock to create a cake with wood-graining and marzipan fruits to bring it all to a sweet end.
Planning & Event Concept: Amy Shey Jacobs of Chandelier Events / Event Design & Florals: Matthew Robbins Design / Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Lighting: Bentley Meeker / Invitations & Paper: Lisa Ceci Johnson for Ceci New York / Dress: Music: One Love by Elan Artists as well as ceremony musicians / Video: Open Eye Documentary by Anna Davis / Photo: Shawn Connell / Christian Oth Studio / Cake: Sylvia Weinstock / Dress: Vera Wang