Shout out to Atlas PyroVision Productions

If you are looking to add a little something extra to your wedding, we suggest getting in touch with Atlas PyroVision Productions. Fireworks can be a very exciting treat for you and your guests and they will even custom design a fireworks display to the music of your choice! KM

Atlas PyroVision Productions
Phone: 603.532.8324
Website: www.atlaspyro.com
Email: matt@atlaspyro.com
myKPW State and Budget: $80k+ in NH, ME, VT, MA, CT and RI

Atlas PyroVision Productions is a member of my Kate Parker Wedding, a new online wedding resource guide launching in January 2010 geared toward directing brides to quality vendors based on their price range and state.

Introducing New Members to the myKPW Family!

We are so happy to welcome these six new members to the myKPW family!


Parrott Design Studio
Website: www.parrottdesignstudio.com
myKPW State and Budget: RI $25k-$50k

Cookies Direct
Website: www.cookiesdirect.net
myKPW State and Budget: $25k-$50k in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT and NYC/Westchester County

Photo Booth Planet
Website: www.photoboothplanet.com
myKPW State and Budget: MA $25k-$50k, RI $25K-$50K and CT $25k-$50k

Custom Ceramics by Traci
Website: www.customceramicsbytraci.com

myKPW State and Budget: <$25k in CT, ME, NH, MA, RI, VT and NYC/Westchester County

Dutch Bloemen Winkel
Website: new website coming soon, so stay tuned!
myKPW State and Budget: NH <$25k and $25k-$50k

Silver Toad

Website: www.silvertoad.com

myKPW State and Budget: VT $25k-$50k and $50k-$80k

Shout out to the Events Center at the Oaks

The Events Center at the Oaks is a beautiful location for your wedding ceremony and reception located in Somersworth, NH.

Check out some images from their website:

The Events Center at the Oaks
Phone: (603) 692-6257
Website:www.weddingsattheoaks.com
Email: jthompson@theoaksgolflinks.com
myKPW State and Budget: NH <$25k

The Events Center at the Oaks is a member of my Kate Parker Wedding, a new online wedding resource guide launching in January 2010 geared toward directing brides to quality vendors based on their price range and state.

Introducing New Members to myKPW!

We are always excited to announce new myKPW members as we have four vendors joining us and they are:


Birch Blaze Photography
Website: www.nhweddingphotographer.com
Blog: www.birchblazephotography.com
myKPW State and Budget: ME <$25k, MA <$25k, and VT <$25k

Beyond the Lens Photography
Website: www.beyondthelensphotography.com
Blog: www.beyondthelensphotographyblog.com
myKPW State and Budget: CT $25-50k

Cuzin Richard Entertainment
Website: www.cuzinrichard.com
myKPW State and Budget: ME and NH, $25-50k (Reception Music)

Lasso'd Moon Designs
Website: www.lassodmoondesigns.com
Blog: www.lassodmoon.blogspot.com
myKPW State and Budget: CT, MA, MA, NH, RI, VT, NYC-Westchester County, each $25-50k

my Kate Parker Wedding is a new online wedding resource guide launching in January 2010 geared toward directing brides to quality vendors based on their price range and state.

Vendor Advice and Trends - Diana from Diana Ma Weddings & Events on Planning

Diana from Diana Ma Weddings & Events shares with brides some helpful advice when working with a planner and some ways to help you achieve that dream wedding.

1. Please be as specific and detailed as possible. Planners want to give brides and grooms what they want. We try to anticipate our clients' needs, but we are planners not mind-readers :-)

2. Always ask. I try to keep the doors of communication open with all of my clients. I never want anyone to think they are imposing... it's a really monumental rite of passage we are planning together. It's better to get your concerns out in the open than to stew on them!

3. Determine what your top 3 most important, can't live without items are for your wedding and arrange your budget around those 3 things. Are you artistic and want to splurge on photography/videography? Then cut back on something that is less important to you. Too many times I have heard clients come to me for sophisticated photographers but they've only allowed $1,500 in their budget to book one. It's always best to evaluate your priorities first. You want to be able to spend on items that are near and dear to both you and your fiance.

4. Planners have your best interest in mind. Even if a client suggests something that may logically be un-doable for the event, planners will often exhaust resources to try and make it happen for them. However, try to keep an open mind if the request cannot be executed as imagined. Often times there are alternative solutions that may achieve the desired effect better.

5. Make sure it is clear up front, what you expect from your planner - as far as what they are managing and tracking. Miscommunications are easily avoided when both parties clear the air at the time of booking. Also, make sure you tell your planner what additional items they are responsible for - i.e. showers & other pre-parties, after parties, honeymoon bookings, etc.

6. Trust your intuition. Do not hire a planner even if she/he comes highly recommended if you do not feel an instant connection. This is your day! You will be seeing a lot of each other throughout the process and she/he will become your partner in crime. If the chemistry is not there, don't be afraid to tell the planner up front. The most professional planners will recommend you to another one of their colleagues whom they admire and respect.

7. Look for planners that have access to support staff. The day of the event is adrenaline filled for brides, grooms, families and vendors. There should always be a planner by side your side as you get ready as well as one on site to make sure there are no glitches in set-up.

8. Planners are the calm in a storm of nerves. Make sure your planner has a positive, calm demeanor about him/her. It is best to stay away from visually high-strung people... it's an emotional time! You don't want to be keyed up more than you already will be.

9. Keep your sense of humor. Come on, life is funny! How great the day turns out is 90% attitude. If the unexpected happens, roll with it. You are celebrating with the love of your life! Keep your eye on the prize for a beautiful life together and you are golden!

10. Allow yourself to enjoy the day. It can take more than a year's time to plan and execute an event. The actual wedding goes by in a flash. Stay calm, stay happy and relish every single moment of it! It's equivalent to crossing the finish line to an intense marathon, after months and months of training.


Diana also says that brides are getting a little "bolder" with the use of colors...

I've seen a big trend toward big bold colors which I personally love! My last wedding had bridesmaids in dark blue dresses with lemon verbena pumps! I think the rules have become blurred lately and brides & grooms are stepping outside the box to make sure their guests are having a great time and their personal touches are incorporated throughout. It’s almost as if there are no “rules”. As long as you can remain positive, have fun and do all you can to make your guests feel welcome, there is simply no wrong way to get married!

image by Elizabeth Bradford Photography

image by Rodeo & Co. Photography

images above (4) by Justin Munroe Photography




Diana Ma Weddings & Events
Wedding Planner and Designer: Diana Ma
Phone: 617.529.2512
Website: www.dianamaweddings.com
myKPW State and Budget: NH <$25k and $25-50k

Diana Ma Weddings & Events is a member of my Kate Parker Wedding, a new online wedding resource guide launching in January 2010 geared toward directing brides to quality vendors based on their price range and state.

Shout Out to Night Rhythm

If you are searching for a band for your wedding, we highly suggest Night Rhythm, an amazing band based out of Boston, MA. Take a look at their website and listen to some of their samples, you won't be disappointed! KM

Night Rhythm
Phone: 978.256.1400
Website: www.nightrhythm.com
Email: daniel@nightrhythm.com
myKPW State and Budget: MA $50k-80k

Night Rhythm is a member of my Kate Parker Wedding, a new online wedding resource guide launching in January 2010 geared toward directing brides to quality vendors based on their price range and state.

A summer KPW wedding on Squam Lake

Megan was one of our favorite clients this summer and I think you'll understand why after you look at these photos. We usually work with brides who want a fairly simple and subdued design but Megan was the exact opposite. She came to our studio with Pucci fabric and sapphire blue bridesmaids dresses in mind and we were in love! We wanted to keep the wow factor somewhat of a surprise throughout the ceremony decor and cocktail hour, but as soon as you entered the ballroom at Church Landing in Meredith, NH you were shocked with deep sapphire blue dupioni silk table cloths and Pucci-inspired toppers on each dining table. Hope you enjoy the images! Plus, could Megan and Josh have had better weather for their entire wedding weekend... I don't think so! KP

The people who made this wedding happen:

Wedding Planning and Floral and Event Design, Welcome baskets, Paper Products: KPW studio

Photography: Emilie Inc. (myKPW member)

Welcome Party, Pre-launch Reception, and Sunday Brunch catering: The White Apron, Dover, NH (myKPW member)

Tent for Murphy Residence: Sperry Tents Seacoast, Portsmouth, NH (myKPW member)

Restroom Trailers for Murphy Residence: Dave's Septic, Bedford, NH

Ceremony Music: Woodwind quartet for the ceremony through Cuzin Richard Entertainment, Portsmouth, NH (myKPW member)

Cocktail Hour and Reception: Holy Cow! Band

Rentals: Custom linens provided by Indigo Moon, New Rochelle, NY

All other rentals: Be Our Guest Party Rentals, Boston, MA

Ceremony Location: Chocorua Island Chapel, Church Island, Squam Lake

Ceremony Transportation: Wolfeboro Trolley, Squam Lake Natural Science Center- pontoon boats, Puffin III 1928 Fay and Bowen

Reception Location: Church Landing, Meredith, NH

Cake: Something Sweet by Michelle, Worcester, MA (myKPW member)

Hair: Hair that Moves, Berwick, ME (myKPW member)

Makeup: Joya beauty, Dover, NH (myKPW member)



All of the fabulous images are from Emilie Sommer of Emilie Inc. Photography.



We started the wedding weekend Friday night at the Murphy's home on Squam Lake- where the famous On Golden Pond movie was filmed. We created a casual and fun cookout with a fantastic Sperry tent that we figured we should reuse for the pre-launch reception for the ceremony on Church Island. This might be the most beautiful lake in NH, what do you think?



These are Megan and Josh's welcome bags we put together for them... notice the hints of blue throughout but without overwhelming the guests... wait until you see the reception photos!



We love reusing flowers when we can so Friday nights flowers were all sunflowers and we changed a few containers and the layout of the tent for Saturday's pre-launch reception.



Had to post this.... Megan's younger brother was in charge of shuttling some of the VIP guests and some vendors to the ceremony island and he couldn't stop himself from feeling like James Bond- how often do you drive a speed boat in a formal tux? :)



I told you Squam Lake was beautiful...



Sometimes weddings are all about logistics... Megan and Josh's wedding was no exception... having almost 200 guests coming from all over the country, all driving or being shuttled to a private home in Center Harbor, NH to get on two different fleets of pontoon boats to make it to a 4:00 pm ceremony.... ahhhh! In order to make this run smoothly, Megan's mother Lauren suggested we give everyone tickets to differentiate between the first and second boat runs... To make everything match, we found tickets that were blue and purple which we thought made the perfect statement!



Because we had two pontoon boat runs scheduled, and because the trip took almost 15 minutes each way, the first group of guests were left on the island for a bit of time. Megan's mom suggested we give these folks something to do so we made copies of one of the recent NY Times crossword puzzles, bought some golf pencils, copied the history of Church Island, and brought lots of bottled waters for their enjoyment as they passed the time.



Megan arrived at Church Island in a classic 1928 Fay and Bowen Lake antique boat which we will show you in a bit... The hard part is getting to the island without wrecking your hair style... Megan embraced a bit of old Hollywood and wore a pashmina to cover her hair.. love it!



Now on to the ceremony... this was an interfaith ceremony so we had a pastor who happened to be a family friend of the Murphy's and rabbi present and we enjoyed the service so very much! Here are a few images of the aisle adornments and the huppah, which we adorned with the bridal veil of Megan's grandmother and Josh's grandfather's Tallis. We love adding these personal touches to a ceremony!







Here are the ladies as they prepare to walk down the aisle! Such a beautiful royal blue bridesmaid dress color, right? We wanted Megan to have all the color in her bouquet so we reversed the palate and gave the ladies all white flowers.



Another close up of the personal flowers.





Right after the ceremony, we had Megan and Josh sneak off in the Puffin III for a few minutes of alone time... Here they are returning to the island for their photos.



After the ceremony, Emilie and J gathered all the VIP guests for formal and informal photos on Church Island while the guests left for the reception.



Now onto the details of the reception and to reveal the color scheme we've been talking about.. The first place we revealed the infamous Pucci-inspired print was right on Megan's bouquet...



Here's the place card table that turned into the favor table at the end of the night... here are images of the table with the favors adorning it.





We must make mention that the favor's were hand made by Megan and her family as she is famous for making the best fudge in town!





We LOVED this deep sapphire blue dupioni silk... it catches the light so beautifully.



Here's a close up of the Pucci-inspired table toppers.



In addition to sapphire blue, Megan loved yellow so we added these callas to each of the napkins for a bit of color emphasis.



We always like to bring something special in for the bride and groom's place setting so we had two custom chair sashes made for their chivari chairs.





To complete the modern transformation to the ballroom, we brought in our white lounge furniture and replayed Megan and Josh's video montage from their welcome reception on a large plasma tv.

So last but not least I thought I would finish this post with my favorite shot of the entire wedding... this is why you want to hire a photographer who makes you feel completely comfortable and relaxed like Emilie... could Megan have looked more happy and peaceful?



Seriously....

Thanks for reading! KP