NICOLE + ROSS | Blue Hill Stone Barns | Tarrytown, New York | October 2017

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This wedding was a joy to plan. During the planning process, Nicole and her mother had somewhat different tastes in aesthetics. However, it was their combined love for the beautiful venue at Stone Barns coupled with our own ability to be not only diplomatic but also showcase ideas that they would both love which, in the end, set them up for success.

One element of their design that was different than most of our weddings is that they both favored paper that had considerable detail. They both moved forward with intricately designed invitations and save the dates a bit on their own and had good renderings early so the over all design fit into the paper details.

Being cohesive was super important to them both and, in particular, the Mother of the Bride. The family entertains enough at home and had learned from past experience that they love consistency. There are many details you cannot see in their photography. Details such as the ribbon and name tags on the flip flops and blankets. Other details like their specialty coffee and hot cocoa station, their enormous and cool outdoor lounge with plenty of games for those less inclined to dance.

You never know what is going to stick after a wedding. The couple’s adorable and memorable first dance, well rehearsed after months of classes, made the whole room tear up. Then the best man speech had so much love you wanted to hug your neighbor. The surprise, albeit less emotional, was the guest’s love for their linens and napkins. Multiple guests asked the Mother of the Bride where their beautiful La Tavola linens came from and they also asked about the dinner napkins, which also came from La Tavola. In fact, two ladies called us separately asking where to purchase their velvet ecru linen lined napkin!

We anxiously await July of 2019 when we will be back at the one-and-only charming Blue Hill at Stone Barns for another buyout!

Happy venue shopping and congratulations again to Nicole + Ross.

Photography by Craig Warga Weddings

Planning + Design | Ashley Douglass Events

Venue | Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Band | FAZE 4 Orchesteras LTD “Scott Yunney Band”

Photographer | Craig Warga Weddings

Videographer | 15 Minutes of Frame

Florist | Blade NYC

Photobooth | New England Selfie

Lighting | Pegasus Productions

Hair | Indulge Salon

Make Up | Hope Landry

Bridal Attire | A Little Something White

Rental Company | Nuage Designs

Rental Company II | Party Rental LTD

Rental Company III | La Tavola


AILEEN + SHAI | The Liberty Warehouse | Red Hook, Brooklyn | January 2018

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Aileen and Shai had a ton going on during the time of their engagement and wedding planning process. For one, they were pregnant! The couple was super happy and over the moon. On top of this, they were already renovating Shai’s loft for Aileen to move in and had to incorporate a new design into the renovation to accommodate their baby. If any of you have renovated any place of your own you know that renovations alone can be like giving birth to a baby with joy and pains along the way. All on top of renovations, preparing for a baby and careers of their own, the couple was still eager to plan a beautiful wedding.

Aileen is very feminine and did not imagine that one day she would get married in a place with any sort of industrial feel. However, in the end the Liberty Warehouse was a perfect fit! The couple did not have a long time to search out a venue so it was a good thing they came to a planning before signing. As their wedding was close to the holidays they were competing very much with holiday parties and events that venues had already booked and were still booking. We started, I think, in early November and this wedding took place in January! Aileen loved how the industrial details in the space were highlighted by the twinkle lights and chandeliers that were provided by Pegasus Lighting.

This wedding is a great example of an end result that is JUST what the clients dreamed of, which always makes our job worthwhile. We have the imagination and experience to put ourselves not just emotionally but visually into the shoes of our clients and we happily do so. Variety is what makes our role more fun! I can appreciate that this wedding was beautiful and we did a good job balancing the different elements that were needed to make Aileen and Shai’s dream come true!

Happy bees they all are now with a beautiful, happy baby boy! Mazel Tov to Aileen and Shai and their new family!

XO

Ashley + Team

Photography by Forged in the North

Planning + Design | Ashley Douglass Events

Florals + Design | Fleurs NYC

Photography | Forged in the North

Venue | Liberty Warehouse

Band | Hank Lane Productions, “ Pete Saunders Band”

Cake | Betty Bakery

Lighting | Pegasus Productions

Hair | Betsy Elisa

Makeup | Every Hue Makeup

Dress | Monique Lhuillier

Stationary | Katie Fischer Design

Rentals | BBJ Rentals

Rentals II | Party Rental LTD

Gather Greene | Catskill Mountains

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Thank you for your patience as we refocus our attention on blogging! It is not as high on our list as doing the actual work of planning a fabulous event is! One thing we do LOVE is to share new venues. Discovering a new venue is such an exciting thing for a planner. Working at a venue we have never worked at before is like being given a blank canvas and a brand new palette of paint.

There are so many wonderful venues in New York City, old and new, that the list would be too long and the blog endless, so we have decided to focus more on those great venues outside of the city. We are going to share a few new venues over the coming weeks in New York State, at least two in Connecticut and perhaps a few more in Newport or Vermont, as well as a new destination location. It can be hard for couples to find the time to visit every venue, so it is great that we as planners can give an overview so that you do not have to take time off from work to travel around here and there only to potentially strike out! There are many details about a venue that effect both your wedding experience as well as your budget. It can be hard for a client to discern all these details if you have not been doing this for forever and a day.

For now, we set our thoughts and starry eyes on Gather Greene, a stunning venue located at the start of the Catskill Mountains. The passionate and smart friends Amna and Jackie began rounding out their vision of an organic resort where nature was the primary decor starting a good four years ago, maybe more. Before officially owning the land, they reached out to ADE about wedding and event planning in general and particularly in the New York State area. Questions were addressed like ‘what features do couples and planners look for most’ and ‘what are the drawbacks that prevent someone from booking a venue they love.’

Many clients are looking for that weekend away experience where everyone can spend quality time together away from their everyday grind. A weekend wedding is not just more intimate but it is also more memorable, with guests departing feeling more connected than when they arrived. There is something magical about a special event being hosted away from it all. Similar to the theater, when people arrive to a location that they have never been before their attention immediately peeks. This really does set the tone for a weekend of little to no distraction.

Amna and Jackie’s venue site is modern and organic in design. The accommodations are dressed with the conveniences of every day life. The outside comes inside, with floor to ceiling window views of the mountains, and sunsets, for each guest to enjoy while getting cozy in bed with a book.

Another problem they have solved is that this beautiful venue has upwards of 17 cabins. It is not often that a weekend long wedding site can house both the immediate family and the bridal party. Additionally, with the town of Hudson New York so close by, there are many extra options for accommodations. From the standard chain hotels, to The Wick and The Rivertown Lodge in the heart of Hudson, and more. Not to mention the plethora of Air B & Bs in the Hudson and Columbia County area.

The Pavilion is where you will most likely host your main event or multiple events at Gather Greene. Again, the outside is brought inside, while maintaining sophistication. The structure is beautiful all on its own without too much adornment yet built with the potential to become more creative. The cement wall at one end of the pavilion is perfect to dress with floral, anything hanging or even a pattern to be projected. The beams above, modern and smart in feel, can also be used to hang decor. Weatherizing options for the sides of the pavilion are in development and the venue is fully prepared to accommodate any off-site caterer in their kitchen. No cook tent needed at Gather Greene, nor restroom trailers.

We have been so excited about this venue from day one and cannot be more excited for these two ladies and the opportunity to work at this one of a kind spot.

The first photo below was taken by a staff cell phone and the succeeding photos were taken by Kelsey Ann Rose.

IMG_6953 Gather Green.jpg
Photo by kelsey ann rose

Photo by kelsey ann rose

PHOTO BY KELSEY ANN ROSE

PHOTO BY KELSEY ANN ROSE

Photo by kelsey ann rose

Photo by kelsey ann rose

Venues | NY State

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As we place last minute clients in venues for 2018 and new clients for 2019, we are happy to share our updated list of venues. Some we have worked at, some we have just visited, other locations clients have hosted accommodations or smaller events and some venues are still being renovated or built. We will update these lists as time moves on soon. 

VENUES - HUDSON VALLEY + CATSKILLS

Apple Barn Weddings 

Ashokan Dreams B&B

The Barn at Libery Farms 

Bascobel 

Basilica Hudson 

Bear Mountain Inn

Blenheim Farm 

Blooming Hill Farm

Brown Barn Farms

Buttermilk Falls Inn

The Carey Institute for Global Good

The Catamount

The Catskill Mountain House

Clermont State Historical Site 

Crested Hen Farms

Emerson Resort and Spa 

Floating Farmhouse 

FoxFire Mountain House

Full Moon Resort

The Garrison 

Gather Greene

Glenmere Mansion

Glynwood Estate 

Grasmere Farm - awaiting it’s reopening date

Handsome Hollow

Hasbrouck House 

Hayfield Catskills 

The Highlands Country Club 

Weddings at The Hill 

Hilsinki Hudson 

Historic Barns of Nipmoose   

The Kaaterskill  

Kirby Hill Farm

Lambs hill 

Liberty View Farm

The Linden House

Locusts on Hudson 

M + D Farm 

Mohonk Mountain House 

Mount Tremper Arts

Oak Hill

Onteora Mountain House

Owls Hoot Farm

Oz Farm

Pioneer Farm

Preston Barn

Red Maple Vineyard 

Roundhouse at Beacon

Roxbury Barn and Estate

Shakesspeare on the Hudson 

Showdow Lawn NY 

Southwood Property 

Spillian

Storm King Art Center

The Tin Ballroom 

Willow Ridge Farm

 

KATERINA + BRIAN | Country Club of Fairfield | Southport, Connecticut | October 2017

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This wedding was featured on the ever popular Over The Moon (OTM) blog in April of 2018. This wedding will also soon appear, in print, in the pages of Fairfield Living Magazine.

This wedding was a long time coming. While we were hired just about a year out from their wedding date, the parents of the bride took Ashley out to dinner to discuss their daughters FUTURE wedding almost four years ago. We had been in business four years at that time and they did not know when exactly this young man, this future son-in-law of theirs, was going to finally propose! NO JOKE! Flash forward three years, they are engaged. Phew! 

The newlyweds met at college their Freshman Year at St. Lawrence University. That is pretty impressive when it comes to commitment if you ask me. They both really are a pair, immediately seem meant to be, like their pulses are on the same wave length and they can read one another's thoughts. Calm, cool and collected they both were on their wedding day, a site you do not see everyday. 

The Bride Katerina is nothing if not tasteful and understated. Her mother Donna is a frequent party planner herself, spending decades assisting and planning charity events, as well as, her own social events at home. Surprising people with decor choices and other details was important to her as she really knew a good portion of their wedding attendees. Katerina on the other hand did not have those same experiences under her belt and cared very much about not appearing to try top hard or try too hard period. The day will be enough as it is - let's just hope for good weather. We did get fantastically perfect weather! 

We brought on Katherine from KDJ Botanica out of Westport, CT. Katerine and I totally speak the same language, truly finishing one another's sentence and knowing what the other is thinking before we say anything, when talking about decor that is! It is a treat to work with a talented florist that has the same aesthetic sensibilities. Chemistry is everything in life and she and I have it! 

What we love and what spoke to both Katerina and her mom Donna, was making sure color did not seem like a theme or too deliberate. Romantic and creative to an extent was necessary for them both to be pleased but also white and green alone was not enough. It would have been an easy choice given Katerina's own aesthetic but we worked hard to get the right balance or romantic color that seemed naturally occurring and also in muted tones. We did not want people to look at a picture and say something like oh they had a pink and tangerine wedding or a pink and yellow wedding...just a romantic wedding, fitting enough for the date and setting, with color blending well. 

The setting of this wedding was perfect. As CT wedding vendors know, The Greenfield Hill Church is a staple for weddings in Fairfield County, CT. It seemed to have been built for weddings! Ironically and so sweet, both the Bride's grandparents and parents had been married in the same church years ago! How remarkable is that! Also, this is such an open and welcoming church - no matter what your religion, you may want to visit on Sunday's after planning a few weddings here. The nicest people in the world run this congregation, on top of a cute picturesque hill in Fairfield, CT.

Then the wedding guests made their way down to one of the most stunning waterfront sections in the state of Connecticut. Country Club of Fairfield sits on a pristine portion of the Long Island Sound, with sunsets to die for - they will make you want to learn golf, if you can find a friend at this small club to sponsor you in order to go play! They also have really good shoe string french fries at the beach pavilion but I have gotten off track....

Having a Sperry Tent from Greenwich Tent Co. directly on the sand, waterfront, is a treat that planner's do not come across very often. 

Thank you to Glen Allsop of Christian Oth studio who we love. You captured the romance and twilight of the setting so well in your photos and thank you to The Light Mill for also capturing the mood so well in their wedding video. Cannot wait for the world to see these images in both the Over the Moon Blog (OTM) and in print in the pages of Fairfield Living Magazine. This will be our first Over the Moon Blog! We cannot wait to be featured on this gorgeous and discerning site. Many thanks to all people involved with making this happen! 

Enjoy! XO

Planning + Design | Ashley Douglass Events

Florals + Design | KDJ Botanical

Photography | Glen Allsop of Christian Oth Studio

Venue | Country Club of Fairfield

Band | 45 Riots

Cake | Lovely Cakes

Cinematographer | The Light Mill 

Lighting | Social Event Decor

Hair | Lachers: Hair by Demand

Make up | Emily Roznick

Tent | The Greenwich Tent Co.

Invitations | Sarah Parsons Invitation

Donut Station | Festivities

Cigar Rollers | Martinez Cigars

Piper | Jonathan Henken

Lounge Rentals | Gather and Lounge

Rentals | Nuage Designs

Rentals II | Party Rental LTD

Rentals III | True North Event Rentals

Rentals IV | Reserve Modern