Create A Special Memory ... “One of the most interesting ways to personalize your wedding is to create a special ‘parting gift’ or ‘end-of-the-event experience’ for your guests,” says Sarah Pease of Brilliant Event Planning. “The idea is to give your guests one last moment from your wedding that they'll always remember, sort of like that last hug or last wave goodbye.”

One of her wedding couples, Mark and Molly, dreamed of having a vintage city wedding and wanted to make sure their guests, who came from as far away as England and Iowa, loved their city experience. “For their parting gift, they had a gourmet hot dog stand for guests as they left the reception.” Complete with a cart, umbrella, and all the fixings, the hot dog stand was a huge hit. The hot dogs were even served in specially designed parchment wrappings which matched the look of the wedding.

For this city-themed wedding, Sarah and her team also created a special welcome box. “It was bursting with classic New York City treats for their guests, including a booklet with the bride and groom’s favorite places and restaurants, a list of things to do that weekend, and a subway map.”

Breakfast In Bed ... For another couple, Nick and Kate, weekend brunch is a must. “Whether it's the famous food of Norma’s or the diner down the block, some of their favorite conversations were over cups of hot coffee and pancakes. Nick even proposed to Kate over breakfast in bed!”

Sarah and her team considered several ways to bring this tradition into their wedding day, from the expected day-after brunch, to giving each guest a specially-designed box filled with bagels, cream cheese, and lox as they exited the reception, to presenting each person with a custom coupon for a good-morning breakfast at the nearest coffee shop.

“But many of their guests had early-morning flights the day after, so the bride and groom decided to surprise their guests by ordering breakfast in bed for each of them! Their stationery designer created a lovely card that attached to the room service menu, and the hotel delivered the cards and menus to their rooms while the wedding reception was in full swing.

“It was the perfect way for Nick and Kate to share their brunch tradition with all their guests, but to still accommodate everyone’s schedule.”

The Morning Papers ... When Sarah first met the literary-minded bride Katie and her sports-fanatic groom Mike, she learned that one of their favorite traditions was reading the paper together. “Mike always pulled out the sports section and Katie would try her hand at the crossword puzzles.” Sarah also learned that the couple wanted their wedding to clearly express how much they loved and appreciated their family and friends.

"So we honored their wish to thank their guests by incorporating this intimate ritual of theirs into a special newspaper.” Sarah and her team arranged with the hotel to set aside morning editions of The New York Times for each guest on the day after the wedding. “We had a graphic designer create a customized front page with the headline proclaiming ‘We’re Married!’ Different ‘articles’ included tidbits about how they met, how Mike proposed, and a heartfelt thank-you letter to all their guests for attending their wedding.

“Not only was it a true representation of Katie and Mike’s unique personalities, it was also a great way for the couple to express their sincere thanks to each guest.”

A Musical Background ... Years ago, Sarah played the violin in a string quartet. “I learned how ceremonies worked and how the wedding day came together. Several years later, I was working in the corporate world, but I remembered how much I enjoyed planning weddings for friends and neighbors and the sense of joy I got being a part of such an important day. So I started Brilliant Event Planning.

“For me, the most exciting moment is when the bride and groom are reciting their vows. It’s so emotional. I always get tears in my eyes. It’s how I know I was meant to be a wedding planner!”

Brilliant Event Planning
917.974.4729, www.brillianteventplanning.com

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