Crate and Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest

A Big Day in the Big Easy

November 7th, 2011

Well, what a journey it has been! Hundreds of entries and many votes later and the Big Easy wedding we have all been waiting for has finally come together. What an honor and privilege it was to plan the ultimate wedding for Stephanie and Michael. With New Orleans as the perfect backdrop for this romantic couple, and a lot of help from Crate and Barrel, my team and I set out to create a wedding to remember. To invite guests to the festivities, the couple chose to have Julie Gibson of Studio Grace create their passport inspired wedding invitations complete with a lovely fleur de lis inspired motif. As with all of our destination weddings, we tried to incorporate some local flavor into the wedding to allow the guests to feel a part of their new destination. As an appropriate welcome gift, Stephanie and Michael chose to give guests a box of Beignet mix from local favorite Café Du Monde with a special note from the bride and groom. For the ceremony, the bride and groom chose a most charming church to exchange their vows, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church located in the historic French Quarter. Once the ceremony ended, guests were in for a special treat as a New Orleans second line band led the bride and groom and their guests to the reception through the bustling streets of the French Quarter. What a fantastic spectacle, not to mention electrifying sound.

For our reception, we chose Galvez Restaurant, right at the heart of the French quarter overlooking the Mississippi river. The reception décor: a plethora of candles and candelabras, baby’s breath filled in various vessels, and kumquats to add a special touch. We worked with Ambiance Florals right out of Mandeville, Louisiana. The room was glowing, literally, as were the bride and groom! For a personal touch, the couple chose to toast with Sekt Champagne (the bride and her family’s favorite) specially imported from Germany for the wedding.

We decided to showcase the wedding cake and groom’s cake (I love that southern tradition) on a lovely dessert display made up of some of our favorite Crate and Barrel items. We even used the Crate and Barrel DuBois Mirror as the wedding cake platter. The groom’s cake was made by Courtney Schmidig, the couple’s friend and head pastry chef at the French Laundry in Napa. As for the wedding cake, it was made by local sweet shop and bakery, Sucré. Needless to say, the dessert station was one not to be missed.

After a decadent family style dinner, our guests were invited into the lounge. We tried to stay true to the room and our surroundings, and chose these gorgeous metallic pillows and Raj Candleholders all from our friends at Crate and Barrel and CB2. We had much fun looking through the many beautiful items from Crate and Barrel and figuring out what we would like to use for the wedding, I might compare it to being a little kid in a candy shop.

The various elements of this wedding truly came together magically. And now for the thank your, as a wedding never is a solo project; it takes a truly stellar team to put a wedding together and we were quite privileged. A big thank you goes out to the lovely and talented Laura Kleinhenz from Docuvitae, for capturing the wedding so beautifully through her photos. Thank you to the amazing team at Crate and Barrel who have been great to work with and who supplied us with wonderful décor items. A huge thanks to Stefanie Cove and Ashley Sharf on my team who execute everything flawlessly and worked tirelessly. Another thank you is owed to the wonderful staff at the Galvez Restaurant and the energetic Taboo Band who kept the guests dancing throughout the night. And lastly, a special thank you to the city and incredibly friendly residents of New Orleans who made this a most fantastic experience for all of us.

Congratulations to sweet Stephanie and Michael…. And as they say in NoLa, laissez les bon temps ruler.

The Ultimate Wedding is Right Around the Corner

October 11th, 2011

It's officially October, and Stephanie and Michael’s wedding is just around the corner. The excitement is mounting for the happy couple, and for us, as it's all starting to come together.

The invitations, designed by Julie Gibson at Studio Grace, have been mailed out and guests are beginning to RSVP.  Stephanie and Michael have also chosen a photographer–a major decision and very important part of any wedding day. They have secured the services of Laura Kleinhenz at Docuvitae, a renowned photographer with a knack for capturing the story of the big day. Since photos are the way you'll remember the day forever, spending time to find the right photographer is crucial, and after researching Laura’s work, the couple knew they'd be able to relax and enjoy their celebration knowing every moment would be captured beautifully.

Music is another element that plays a big role as it sets the emotional tone of both the ceremony and reception. And there are so many choices–big brass, piano man, church organ, rock and roll band…don't want to say which, but we've chosen a couple of really great bands that will really bring the party to life.

As far as the ceremony location, it too has been finalized. Stephanie and Michael will be married in the quaint and historic St. Mark's Methodist Church of the Vieux Carré (French Quarter).

While most people spend time talking about the dress, the groom's attire can make a bold statement as well. Michael has chosen a classic and elegant, yet hip and stylish tux from J. Crew. The two of them will be stunning for sure!

We're still working hard on finalizing the décor–including, of course, choosing our fabulous items from Crate and Barrel! Other items still on the agenda include: welcome gifts for the guests, cake flavours, and more paper items like menus, escort cards and programs. We will keep you updated as all the final pieces fall into place.

Yifat

AND WE’RE OFF…

August 25th, 2011

I'm so excited to share the latest update with you all because we have finally chosen a destination for Stephanie and Michael's ultimate wedding...THE BIG EASY! You never really know what the true spirit of a place is until you visit, so true with New Orleans, and Stephanie and Michael really fell in love with the bustle and charm of this big city after the first site visit. New Orleans is a visceral, lively hub of culture and adventure, and I think the guests are going to be blown away. Now the vision is really starting to come together!

Although the ceremony site is still TBD, we've nailed down a site for the reception dinner in the Galvez Restaurant. We're already planning some NoLa style surprises, and a reception feast of family style Spanish cuisine for this fantastic foodie couple.  After indulging with a tasting of Manchego stuffed croquettes, sole with crawfish sauce, rack of lamb, and seafood paella (over a dozen dishes overall!) Stephanie and Michael felt the simple, honest food was going to make for a delicious reception.

As a finale, Sucre of Joel's Catering will be doing the wedding cake.  With the plethora of flavors still tickling our taste buds, (vanilla with almond, chocolate with strawberry, hazelnut with orange, and chocolate with salted caramel) the bride and groom needed a little more time to decide on just one, or two, or three.

Another big find was waiting downtown for us at the local Vera Wang boutique Mimi. Without giving too much away I will tell you that it is an exquisite gown that Stephanie wears well, though after meeting Stephanie, I can tell you she would wear a sack of potatoes well. Now we just need to find a great pair of orange heels!

We also secured accommodations for their guests, which was a feat in itself. Halloween weekend is second only to Mardi Gras with the amount of activity and visitors taking over the city. The Voodoo Music Fest takes place the same weekend, making hotel reservations, particularly for large groups, scarce. We were able to secure blocks at the Omni Royal and Omni Royal Crescent (amazing 360 degree view of the New Orleans skyline and a really great pool and rooftop bar) as well as the Marriott Springhill Suites (who offered us a military discount for the amount of military families in their party, how perfectly lovely.) These will offer guests great choices, both in the French Quarter or just a short walk away, keeping everyone close to the activity.

Now that a lot of the major components are in place, we get to focus on the fun intricacies that will make this an unforgettable weekend for Stephanie, Michael and their friends and family. Stay tuned for more updates as we formulate design and ideas. The fun has just begun.

As they say in New Orleans, Laissez les bon temps rouler….

Yifat

Getting to Know the Happy Couple

July 18th, 2011

A few days ago I had the pleasure of chatting with Stephanie and Michael to begin crafting an idea of their upcoming wedding. Even though they’re halfway around the world (don’t you think a meeting at their home in Beijing is in order?), I got a sense of their understated style and international flair. Here are some highlights of our conversation last week:

Yifat Oren: When would you like to have your wedding? Do you have a particular date in mind?

Stephanie and Michael: Dates are not as important to us as the venue. We’d love a New Year’s Eve wedding, or anything from November through February.

YO: What location do you have in mind?

SM: We’re debating between a destination wedding in Hawaii or California. Hawaii is our first choice, but we’re concerned about the expense for our guests on relatively short notice. Michael is from the Bay Area and we love the idea of a big city San Francisco wedding too. We both have family ties in the South so a blowout in the Big Easy sounds great as well.

YO: What are some of your favorite foods?

S: Michael is a stereotypical Bay Area guy: Hold the salt! Is this local? Is this sustainable? Did Alice Waters approve? Just kidding, he isn’t that bad.

M: Stephanie went to culinary school and loves discovering new flavor combinations. She grew up in Germany and is living in Beijing now so our palette preferences are quite adventurous.

S: Michael and I have talked about our wedding meal – we want it to be unexpected and delicious. We would like to show our guests a real Chinese meal in San Francisco or Polynesian-Asia meal if in Hawaii. I’d love the opportunity to introduce a different kind of wedding meal to our guests. So far living in China some of my favorite dishes are Peking Duck with all its accoutrements, seasoned prawns, pickled cucumbers, dumplings, cold noodles with sesame sauce, Szechuan pepper fish, crunchy green beans, stuffed Japanese eggplant, lotus root chips.

YO: Yum, you are all my kind of eaters!

YO: What kind of music do you guys listen to?

SM: We love all different kinds of music. Isn’t that typical to say? But, it’s true. We have a time and a place for Classic Rock, Alternative, New Age, Spanish guitar, Hip Hop, Dance, Oldies… In the end, the music will be influenced by the venue and the tune of our wedding. More than anything, we want the whole experience to be memorable and everyone have a great time.

More details soon… I love these guys!

Yifat

2011 Ultimate Wedding Contest Winners

June 22nd, 2011

Well what a journey it has been. During the course of my career I have heard my fair share of love stories but I must say, scouring through the entries really made me feel grateful to have chosen this line of work and confident that love is alive and well. I want to congratulate all those who entered the Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest, I wish you all the best and sincerely thank you for sharing your wonderful love stories with me (and the rest of the country).

As for the finalists, your stories were touching, engaging, and memorable (which is a feat in and of itself given how many entries we received). I wish you each the best on your journey through marriage and beyond.

And to my dear winners, Stephanie and Michael, let’s just say I will now think twice before wearing my orange flats out on the town (I am married after all). But in all sincerity, I am thrilled to be orchestrating the wedding of your dreams. Your love story is uniquely different and I intend to make your wedding so as well! Here’s to the winning couple, and most importantly, here’s to love!

Check out the winning couple’s love story here.

Congratulations to the Top 100

May 5th, 2011

Hi Everyone!

The votes are in and 100 couples have been chosen. Congratulations to the top 100! I’m looking forward to the next phase of the contest and along with Crate and Barrel representatives, we will select a winner.

To help you understand the judging criteria and next steps Crate and Barrel uses to help choose a winner, I wanted to give quick reminder of the key criteria below. Keep in mind that your votes count for 20% of the final decision!

Originality of Entrant's love story (0-20 points);
Oh and there are some original ones…that’s for sure!

Originality and creativity of Entrant's dream wedding day (0-20 points);
There are some real dreamers out there.

How well Entrant's description of dream home reflects a Crate and Barrel-inspired lifestyle (0-20 points);
Is there any other way?

How well the uploaded photos reflect the Entrant's three responses (0-20 points);
Pictures do tell a thousand words

Thank you to all who entered and voted. Throughout the next month we will be hard at work going through each and every love story. Look out for the big announcement of our winning couple in June. Once the lucky couple has been chosen, let the planning begin. Can’t wait to meet you!

Yifat

Details, details, details...

March 28th, 2011

There are only a couple more days to enter to win the $100,000 ultimate wedding! The contest entry period ends on March 31st at midnight CT, but you’ll have the rest of the month to rack in the votes to make it to the final round.

With all the fantastic entries coming in, I love reading about your great love stories. I thought I'd do a little sharing myself this week—some of my favorite, and not so favorite, things. After all, we should get to know each other, I may be planning your wedding!

I know many of you have been scouring the aisles of Crate and Barrel checking out the fantastic selections and adding them to your registry. What you may not realize is that there are many treasures in the store of items you may utilize for the wedding itself. I find inspiration each and every time I walk through the store. I will share some of my current favorites, and feel free to write and tell me about some of yours and how you would incorporate them.

The gallon or two-gallon jars are perfect for a refreshing pre-ceremony drink stand at an outdoor summer wedding. I do love to float some fresh berries or herbs (think blueberries or lemon verbena). The small ceramic milk bottles are so sweet--a few on each table with herbs and wildflowers are the perfect combination of rustic and modern and come at a great price point. What’s more, your guests can easily take a little memento home with them.  I am madly loving the bronze terrarium, filled with maiden hair ferns, it is the perfect centerpiece for an escort card table. The globe garden stakes will line any pathway or aisle beautifully and may be embellished with greenery or florals of your choice. A plethora of hurricane candles for every wedding style imaginable makes Crate and Barrel your go-to store for decorating your wedding uniquely and tastefully.

Details, details, details… what takes a wedding from lovely to all around outstanding are the details. Personal touches that only you can dream up. Music that pulls at your heartstrings or makes you just plain happy. For destination weddings, I love custom turndown service including a note from the couple or a favorite poem (for my own wedding we used an e.e. cummings poem). For weddings with valet service, I usually hang a note from the rearview mirror, which is a nice final surprise on the way home. Look to your own favorite things for inspiration and find a way to include them; it's the personal touches that will make your wedding unforgettable for you and your guests.

What don’t I like?  Hmm… almost anything that’s aesthetically pleasing works in the right context. One thing almost never do (forgive me Emily Post), and though it's not super proper, is to set the table with bread and butter plates. With everything else set on the guest tables, it’s just a bit too cluttered for my taste.

Remember, only a few more days to get those love stories submitted!

Yifat

Tips from the Ultimate Wedding Planner

March 18th, 2011

As a taste of things to come for its Ultimate Wedding Contest winner, Crate and Barrel asked wedding planner Yifat Oren to create potential table settings using Crate and Barrel products. Drawing from the store's New York Madison Ave. location, Oren chose settings in two variations, both with a clean, casual meets- classic aesthetic.

One Month Left to Enter

February 28th, 2011

It is raining in LA, a reminder that Spring is just around the corner, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to give some helpful tips to those of you with plans for a Spring wedding. It's the busiest wedding season for a reason -- beautiful weather for outdoor celebrations, your choice of spectacular florals in bloom and Spring Fever making its way into every couple's hearts and minds. What makes a Spring wedding unforgettable? The details -- making your wedding unique and personalized while taking advantage of everything the season has to offer.

Set on an outdoor wedding? There are so many things to consider beyond the venue you choose. First off, think about the weather. Even though it’s Spring, rain and chilly evenings can put a damper on any celebration if you're not prepared for it. Think about a tent if there's a chance of rain, and heat lamps and a basket of shawls for your guests if the evening forecast is chilly. Basically, be sure to have a weather back up plan.  Alternatively, if it's a hot, sunny day, there's nothing worse than the mid-day sun beating down on you and your guests during your ceremony or reception. Consider market umbrellas for shade, or even brightly colored parasols for your guests -- which make for great photo ops!

Spring florals are another bonus for any spring wedding. There are so many great flowers in bloom that you can have your choice of colors and style. Consult with your wedding planner and florist to put together a cohesive look for your tables, bouquets and decor. It's helpful if you sift through wedding magazines to find images that inspire you to show your team. Looking to go in a different direction? Try plants or succulents for your tables that guests can take home and plant afterwards, offering an eco-friendly and beautiful alternative to cut flowers.

What would a wedding reception be without some great food and drinks, right? Think about ways you can incorporate Spring into your menu. Serve your guests a specialty drink like nectarine basil lemonade or blood orange mojitos as they arrive. For your menu, scout local farmers markets to see what's in season and ask your caterer for seasonal recommendations.   Seasonal items always taste best!

So get busy designing your spring celebration, and if you've been procrastinating send in your entry for the Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest ASAP! There’s only one month left to enter for a chance to have the wedding of your dreams!

Yifat

HAPPY HEART DAY TO EVERYONE!

February 14th, 2011

Typically, after valentine's the phones start ringing pretty madly and today is no exception. Whether I will be working with some of these couples, or not, I do love to hear all the engagement stories. I've certainly heard the range over the years, from the very elaborate and precisely orchestrated to sweet and simple. They all have the same sentiment and that is what mostly matters (along with the perfect ring. Ha!). So I will devote this blog entry to some useful tips. You just got engaged, now what? First of all, breathe. Take it easy, if only for a moment. This brief moment in time (the engagement period) will pass quickly and soon enough you will be busy with guest lists, budgets, seating arrangements, and calligraphy samples. Once you're taken a moment to take in your new status, there are some things you will want to consider and discuss with your fiancé and families.

Date – Figure out what time of year works for you and how quickly, or slowly, you would like to move forward with the planning/decision making. Once you have a general idea of the date (and definitely think about the weather in your region when making this decision), choose a couple of dates and run them by the important people in your life, to be sure there are no major conflicts. In actuality, the more flexible you are with the date, the easier it will be to find a location.

Budget – No one usually enjoys this topic, but it is one worth bringing up early on. Seems like so many people I speak with have no idea how much weddings cost, and there really is such a range, depending on what part of the country you are in and what your expectation are. Nonetheless, I believe in clarity and communication with this topic. Speak to all the parties who may be contributing and see what you have to work with. There is no sense in checking out a facility that is out of your price range, or find out the photographer you hired is twice what you should be spending.

Once you have discussed the above, do enlist the help of a professional if you can afford it. Most of the time I find, you can barely afford not to. A seasoned wedding planner can help you make smart choices along the way and avoid what could be costly mistakes. There are many wedding planners out there these days and there is a range in terms of their fees.

Happy Valentines Day and Happy Engagement to all the new brides and grooms out there.

Yifat

PS- I am super excited about this week's appearance for the Crate and Barrel Wedding Party Event at The Grove in LA this Sunday. Coming up with some exciting ideas for my tabletop designs. Maybe I will meet some of you there? Call the store directly to make a reservation 323.297.0370.

Getting Started

February 9th, 2011

Hello!

I am beyond excited to report that we have over 1500 entries after just one week! I couldn't help myself and started reading some of the entries, and I'm thrilled. A little tip as I've been reading the entries thus far. Do tell your story in detail and make it compelling, I love a good love story, and so will everyone who will be voting for you.

Today, I thought I would give some tips to all of you who are knee deep in trying to figure out your wedding plans. You just got engaged, now what? There are obviously a million details to think about but I am going to start you off with the basics.

Where do I start when hired? The first thing I have my clients work on is organize their guest list. After all, if you don't know how many guests you are inviting, you will probably have a hard time figuring out an appropriate budget and you really can't be looking at locations yet, lest the places may be too large and cavernous for your needs, or potentially too small. Once you've gotten your guest list down on paper, so to speak, you can rest assured no matter how much people love you, not everyone will be able to attend, so this is not your final number but certainly a good place to start. Starting to collect everyone's address will be another task you may want to take on sooner rather than later.

Now that you have a guest list together, the next task at hand is budget. You may need to discuss this with both of your families, as well as amongst each other, if you are planning to contribute. Having a budget means you have a guideline. This will help you keep your costs in line. Clearly, a guideline is important, if you commit to a photographer that is too high, you may not be able to have the cake you are dreaming of. Imagine the travesty! There are many applications online that can assist you in putting a budget together.

Once you have your guest list and a budget you are ready to start some serious planning. You are ready to look at locations. When scouting locations, again, be sure the space is neither too cavernous, nor too small for your wedding, as neither is appealing. It's also important to get a thorough cost estimate from the locations you are considering, as to avoid any costly mistakes with your budget.

Gotta run... Have a great week everyone.

Yifat

Welcome!

January 31st, 2011

Great news, I'm excited to provide my weekly updates as the wedding planner for the Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest! Today marks the launch of this year's contest and I can't wait to start reading about the inspired love stories and dream weddings. I think this is an unbelievable contest; can you imagine your dreamy wedding paid for by Crate and Barrel and designed by me? I am so excited to see how the next few months unfold. There will surely be many interesting entries to read, then voting, then finally a winner announced and a wedding to plan.

For anyone not in the loop, the Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest is a chance for one couple to win a $100,000 wedding planned by a fancy wedding planner to the stars (me again). How great is that? Over the years I have planned some pretty spectacular weddings, but I have to say I am super excited about this opportunity. Why, you ask? Well, because Crate and Barrel is a retail brand that I have loved for years. They invent and reinvent how we all decorate our homes and set our tables. Imagine the possibilities of our collaboration.

So, please enter and tell all your friends to enter! I am looking forward to reading the entries and of course helping choose the lucky couple. Do check back and read my blog as I will be posting tips and updates.

Here's to a great contest!

Yifat