Mindy Weiss

I was recently at a great party that was coordinated and designed by renowned party planner, Mindy Weiss.

With star studded clients such as, Heidi Klum, Gwen Stefani, Neil Diamond and Jessica Simpson, Mindy is known for over-the-top design and anything but cookie-cutter. Her parties are extraordinary events in which the food, flowers and decorations will blow you away.  She plans every detail and never fails to surprise guests with her creativity.

I admire the work of party planners because, in a sense, it is interior design on steroids.  They work at such a fast pace and have to set up and break down  in a matter of hours.  A very short window of time is given to ensure that every thing planned happens on time and perfectly.

My hat is off to Mindy Weiss.  The girl is good!  Love her work.

http://mindyweiss.com

RED WHITE AND BLUE

The Fourth of July is here upon us.  Have some fun and get creative decorating your picnic or dinner party.  Fun ribbon and pretty little flags will create the mood and get everyone in a festive mood.

Here are some insprirational photos that will inspire you up for decorating your party. 

Hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Beautiful rare Orchids

Are you into beautiful rare orchids?

I have friends who have gone trekking in the jungles of Malaysia and Vietnam to find rare orchids and I have others who have special orchid gardeners to take care of their flowering plants.  People who love orchids are fanatic about their exotic breeds.

If you are an orchid fan you might enjoy the annual event at the Singapore the Marina Bay Sands Expo Center, November 14 th - 20th where you will be able to view over 50,000 breeds!  Last year Sir Elton John was honored and received a special award.  He was bestowed a white-and-pink orchid named in his honor. 

Such a pretty flower.

DAVID BEAHM

New York event planner and florist David Beahm's love of flowers began when he worked in his godfather’s floral shop as a boy.  He eventually pursued a career as an opera singer, immersing himself in the world of theatrical visual display.  The combination of the grand theatrical décor and his fondness for floral art were a segue into the world of event planning. 

In 2001, the “Wedding of the Century’’ or the marriage of Catherine Zeta-Jones to Michael Douglas, catapulted David Beahm’s career into the stratosphere.  Forever in search of perfection, David is now widely known for his stunning, imaginative and over the top events.  With innovative florals and impeccable details, each is truly unique from the other.  In addition to countless brides, his client roster includes; Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Cartier, Victoria’s Secret and he has been featured on shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Martha Stewart as the go to guy for events.  

For years David has been trekking all over the globe.  He has now started “David Beahm’s Destinations”, a group of over three dozen hotels that he has personally inspected, and deemed worthy of the exquisite weddings and parties he is known for. Working with a team of travel planners and utilizing the unique partnerships he has created at these hotels, not a detail is missed, and his clients get to live experiences of a lifetime at this collection of some of the world's most incredible getaways.

Wouldn't you like him to plan your next event?

http://www.davidbeahm.com/customevents/

 

 

Florist - LEWIS MILLER

I am a huge admirer of NY florist Lewis Miller.

After studying horticulture and landscape design and working in the field of floral arts, Lewis Miller created Lewis Miller Design in New York.  Today his talents can be seen through his amazing floral designs at  Chanel, Gucci, Juicy Couture, Bergdorf Goodman, CFDA, the Whitney Museum and L'Oreal.   He also shares his  passion with the public through his blog and  by teaching "flower school" and lending his expertise on tv to hosts such as Martha Stewart.

Lewis had a vision of bringing the country alive in the city.  He uses simple flowers and combines them with  everyday materials in the utmost quality.  He prefers to use seasonal flowers such as Peonies  in the spring, Dahlias  in the fall and Anemonies and ranunculus in winter. His florals ooze creativity and elegance. You feel the lightheartedness and delight he has for flowers when you see his work. It's a blend of modern and old-world.  A richer, darker approach to classic.

No wonder he is considered one of the best florist in NYC!

http://lmdfloral.com/

 

The best British Florist?

I am a flower girl!  Love artistic and creative florals. 

So when a friend told me about "the best UK florist"  I took note.  Shane Connolly. He is and has been for decades, the  British Royal family florist. He recently completed the big royal wedding among many other projects, most of his work extremely private and elaborate. His style is new traditionalist, reinventing   traditional  with an updated twist.  He believes in using seasonal local flowers vs. flying in exotic flowers that may be out of season.

Shane has written several books on flowers, including:  The Language of Flowers, Wedding Flowers and The Secret Language of Flowers.  His books contain beautiful pictures, and also share Shane’s wealth of information on a vast variety of flowers.  

So for your next super fab London event you know know who to call.  

http://www.shaneconnolly.co.uk/

 

the queen of cakes - SYLVIA WEINSTOCK

The queen of cakes?  Without a doubt it has to be Sylvia Weinstock.

From the beginning, Sylvia’s cakes have always drawn attention.  Her career took of when a chef took notice of one of her  cakes in a restaurant window and the rest is history.  Sylvia’s famous masterpieces have now graced events for the last thirty years.  Her fans range from celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones, Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey to women that save all their lives to have a Sylvia Weinstock cake on their wedding day.  Her designs range from Tiffany Boxes, to custom designed animals or my favorite, her florals.  At 80 years old she is still going strong, attending bridal shows  dancing the night away at parties and events.

Sylvia, will you make my birthday cake?

 http://sylviaweinstock.com/index_fl4.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the amazing flowers of PRESTON BAILEY

You die when you see the florals of Preston Bailey. They are spectacular.  

Preston is this incredibly talented New York floral artist who is known for his impeccable execution of extremely detailed and original florals for large events. No matter what celebrity attends a party he throws, his florals still steal the show and become the main attraction. I love his over the top ideas and his ability to continually come up with impressive and unique arrangements.  One of my favorite photos of his work shows  white trees dripping with flowers which was used as a pass through for guest as they walk to their seats at a wedding.  

His client list is ridiculous! Joan Rivers, Oprah, Donald Trump, Donna Karan, Uma Thurman... and on and on.  I want to get married again, just so I can hire him!

http://www.prestonbaileydesign.com/

 

BOUQUETS DE ART

What do you get when flowers and art date?  Bouquets to Art exhibition at the DeYoung fine art museum in San Francisco. 

A cool and unique fundraiser  that showcases art with over the top interpretive floral arrangements. Local florists use creative, unusual and  avant gard methods to make floral sculptures that they feel interpret and represent the pieces of art in their permanent collection. It has  become one of the top floral events in the country.  The event has raised over $5 million toward art acquisitions, exhibitions and education programs at the museum.

In the past, the Bouquets to Art events have been inspired by people like William Morris, Frank Lloyd Wright and even Marie Antoinette.  This year it had a Spanish theme in honor of their current exhibition featuring Cristobal Balengiaga’s couture fashions influenced by Spain.  

I love art and flowers. Great combo!

http://bouquetstoart.famsf.org/

BLOOMING CHERRY BLOSSOMS

I love Japan.  But I have never been there to see the blooming of the Cherry Blossoms. Depending on the weather, the Sakura Cherry Blossoms begin to bloom across Japan early in the year through May. 

These huge, gorgeous, weeping trees bloom to simulate fluffy pink clouds.  Sometimes the trees are lit up from the bottom at night, creating a romantic backdrop. They have inspired many artists.  In Japan the cherry blossom is a symbol of good fortune, love and affection coming to life in the form of delicate fragrant flowers!

Dreaming of Kyoto today! 

 

ROB VAN HELDEN FLORALS

Want to know who did the florals for the Valentino 45^th Anniversary in Fashion gala?

The over the top affair was created by by London based celebrity florist Rob Van Helden.  His lavish floral arrangements have embellished extravagant celeb parties across the globe and his clients include:  Elton John, the Beckhams, Nelson Mandela, Pierce Brosnan and Claudia Schiffer. It’s rumored that he will be chosen as the florist for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s up and coming wedding. 

The self proclaimed perfectionist sticks to a fairly simple philosophy.  He works with one mound of the same type of blooms at a time, mimicking how they grow in the wild, and meticulously shapes them into elegant and gorgeous confections.  Van Helden continues to wow his star studded clientele not only with his breathtaking work, but also doting on each client with the utmost personalized attention. 

 If I could, I would hire him for my next event!

 http://www.rvhfloraldesign.com/