Many Thanks To Leila Jacue Of L&L Style Photography

For Posting my Flowers At Her blog!

http://blog.llstylephoto.com/post/16877170303/the-wedding-library-event-at-the-palace-hotel

Five Great Photographers You Should Know About

It was a pleasure working with these wonderful  photographers.

Don Jagoe of  newportimage.com

http://newyorkhortcouture.blogspot.com/search/label/WEDDING%20Castle%20Hill%20%20Newport%20RI

Jill Johnson  jilljohnsonphotography.net

http://newyorkhortcouture.blogspot.com/search/label/WEDDING%20Southampton%20Historical%20Museum

Barnaby Draper  barnabydraperstudios.com

http://newyorkhortcouture.blogspot.com/search/label/WEDDING%20Angel%20Orensanz%232

Alex Z   Alexzphotgraphy.com

http://newyorkhortcouture.blogspot.com/2011/07/flowers-of-week-earthy-woodland.html

Christian Oth christianothstudio.com

http://newportweddings.blogspot.com/2008/06/chower-fest-is-here.html

As seen in New York  Weddings Magazine Summer 2012

The New York Brides Guide To Everything 

Many Thanks to Sweet Bliss Weddings!

Many Thanks to  Sweet Bliss Weddings for posting my
McQueen Flowers !

http://www.sweetblissweddings.ca/wedding-planning-edmonton-blog/index.php/tag/decor-ideas/

Platinum Weddings Magazine will showcases My Castle Hill Wedding

I'm so looking forward to seeing the article.

www.platinumweddingsmagazine.com


Thanks Gina!

 It's Visual Cornucopia .... 

I Just Love it!

http://pinterest.com/nancyswiezy/

It's  by Invitation only.

So please ask me to Invite if you if would like to join.

                                                      Best!  Nancy

Merci Beaucoup -To The Blog Merci New York

For showcasing my work!
So kind of you.
Merci Beaucoup
http://mercinewyork.blogspot.com/2012/02/2012-wedding-party-event-recep-part-i.html#

The BizBash Big B Award

Well I didn't win Best Non for Profit Concept  at the Bizbash Awards yesterday.

At the end of the day the parents of St. Luke's raised over $100,000 and that what really matters.

But here is my acceptance speech...Just for fun!



I would like to thank Martha Meier and Marcy Blum were I learned the craft of floral design and the protocol of  New York Society Weddings.

To Richard Aaron and David Adler of Bizbash... if you don't brag about your work now one else will.

To Christopher Trump for including me in on the most wonderful family event at Marble House in Newport R.I.

And to Mark Murphy's catering team at Benchmark Events for the introduction to the wonderful parents at St. Luke's School

And Yes their is no place like home... New York City!

A Very Special Understated Chuppah !

My Bride and Groom's  Chuppah Made Special Event Magazine!


http://specialevents.com/photogallery/who-did-the-chuppah-a-gallery-of-wonderful-wedding-chuppahs/index29.html

Orange you glad you came? Creative Place Card holder In Special Events

KNOW YOUR PLACE CARD: CREATIVE PLACE CARDS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS

Orange you glad you came? 
An orange serves as place card holder thanks toNancy Swiezy Events.

From

http://specialevents.com/photogallery/know-your-place-creative-place-cards-for-special-events/index17.html

Check Me out on WomenWorking.com!

From Martha Stewart Weddings

From Martha Stewart Weddings
" Lovely - those blues are so vibrant!"

Nancy Swiezy Events At The Astaire Awards After Party In Broadway World

As a past member of Actors Equity this was a unexpected treat!

http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Stroman-Osnes-et-al-at-Astaire-Awards-After-Party-20110516

Design News In New York Magazine... Centerpieces on Steroids

The Horticultural Society of New York is letting the public preview its annual New York Flower Show Dinner Dance this year, parading its famously ornate floral arrangements before anyone who buys a $10 admission. Among the twenty-odd table displays are an eight-foot design by Nancy Swiezy adorned with three feet of feathers and a nearly ten-foot-tall interpretation of Diana Vreeland’s living room by Janet Simon and Jerry Rose (583 Park, nr. 63rd St.; 212-757-0915; 4/12. 3–5 p.m.; $10).

http://nymag.com/homedesign/features/design-news-2011-4-6/?mid=373549&rid=422511125

Economy takes bite out of East End parties

The economy may not be raining hard enough to stop the East End party parade. But it may be making it a little bit less boisterous.
Fewer companies are holding parties, people are spending less on weddings and conspicuous consumption isn’t quite as in style on the East End as a few years ago. Christopher Robbins of Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs summed it up, saying the “2009 focus is not on beluga caviar and foie gras.” Part of it is economics and part is esthetics and ethics.
“You’re scaling back on the things you’re requesting to eat,” Robbins said. “That makes sense financially. It’s also how you’re perceived.”
Nancy Swiezy, owner of Manhattan-based Nancy Swiezy Events, said in an uncertain economy people are waiting longer before deciding where to hold wedding celebrations.
“The timing’s shorter,” she said, noting that sometimes leads to better prices. “They’re planning three months out instead of a year.”
Even weddings booked a year in advance are scaling back. Two out of five weddings Robbins is helping organize this summer eliminated sushi bars or raw bars, which often cost $25 to $30 a person.
Swiezy said she’s seeing more people book weddings on off nights, such as Sunday and Friday.
And she’s seeing wine and beer at rehearsal dinners instead of open bars, and barbecues and clam bakes instead of sit-down rehearsal dinners. Wedding food more often includes stations rather than plated dinners.
“They’re getting married, but the head count is down,” Swiezy said. “The guest list is sometimes smaller by half. Instead of 200 guests, we’re looking at 100.”

by Claude Solnik
www.LIBN.com

Retying The Knot .....From Special Event

Many young girls dream of fairy tale weddings complete with big gowns, a bevy of bridesmaids and bouquets tossed over the shoulder. But what happens when a bride's attitude is “Been there, done that”? For the growing population of adults who have divorced and then found love again, “They don't want that 20-something wedding,” says Kendall Brown, owner and president of Media, Pa.-based Eclatante Event Design. In fact, while Brown feels the traditional wedding has its place, she has found a niche producing “subsequent” or “last weddings,” as she calls them. The market remains, perhaps strangely, untapped; Brown notes that many couples wonder if subsequent weddings are appropriate to celebrate. Yet, her research reveals more than 50 percent of the U.S. population is on its “second or third or fourth marriage,” she says. And a growing group of these brides and grooms want to celebrate, albeit in a completely different manner from their first wedding. But as Brown puts it, “Why wouldn't you want to celebrate your last wedding?” Read on to discover how these wedding experts help couples do just that.

OLDER, WISER
Planners agree — second-time brides typically are easier to work with than first-timers. As wedding coordinator and co-owner of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based An Elegant Affair Heidi Caldwell says, “Second-time brides are more organized and prepared, so there is less guesswork.” Wedding and event planner Nancy Swiezy of A Newport Affaire in New York adds that these brides, often busy professionals, don't have time “to waste on fantasy.”

Yet what these brides lack in time, they make up in resources. “They certainly seem to assert their own priorities the second time around,” says Yifat Oren, president of Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based Yifat Oren & Associates, “mostly because they are usually older and, second, because they usually pay for it themselves.” She notes, too, these brides seem to enjoy the process of planning their weddings more as well.
Brown offers one more reason for the ease of working with these brides: “Their mothers aren't involved.”

HERE COMES THE BILL
Second weddings tend to be smaller, the experts say. “Fewer guests, less pomp and more relaxation,” as Caldwell puts it. But that doesn't necessarily make the budget any smaller. Tara Guerard — owner and lead designer of Soiree by Tara Guerard in Charleston, S.C. — puts it bluntly, “They're spending the money!” One wedding she produced — the second for the groom, the first for the bride — had a guest count of only 80. But Guerard notes, “They spent, budget-wise, the same as my bigger weddings. And with age comes wisdom. “Money seems to be used more wisely,” Caldwell notes. This can be seen in the choice of venue: “They aren't hotel brides,” as Brown puts it. And a striking venue requires less decor, “which is less money than if you have to create a unique feel in an empty hotel ballroom,” Caldwell explains. Another difference she has noticed in second-time brides: They're more likely to forgo expensive flowers in favor of atmospheric candles.

TRADITIONS BANISHED
Heeding tradition is of little concern to the encore bride. Instead, Brown notes, subsequent wedding couples focus on “the traditions that {they} have built throughout their lives, individually and together.”
To that end, “Out is the mandatory sister-in-law bridesmaid,” Caldwell says, “out is the $5,000 gown they'll never see again, out is the 100 extra guests who are friends of their families.” And mature brides show no interest in removing and tossing the garter. As Brown puts it, “Nobody is taking any clothes off.” She adds, “Half don't even carry flowers,” much less toss the bouquet. Instead, the bride may hold a meaningful heirloom.
Another tradition these brides and grooms show little interest in is the cake-cutting ceremony. Instead of doing the “typical big cake-cutting” at one wedding, Guerard and her team had “individual cakes for each person at a seated dinner because it felt a little bit different,” she explains. The favors, too, were nontraditional: a green box hung on the back of a chair with the guest's name written on an attached tag — the box served as a leftover cake to-go box, favor and dinner place card.
Traditions that seem sweet for a 20-something bride are less suited to a mature bride. The first dance between the bride and her father is often not considered an option. And as one woman put it when speaking to Brown, “If you have to be given away at 50, that's a problem.”

TIES THAT BIND
Children, too, often play a larger role in second weddings. The most common way to include younger children from a previous marriage is as flower girls or ring bearers; older children are typically the best man or the maid of honor, with no other attendants. “I've seen sons give away their mothers,” Oren says, and Brown recalls seeing one groom “given away” by his two daughters. She adds, “I have a couple who is planning to make promises to the children as part of the vows.”
Caldwell has also seen “children say vows of their own or have a special piece of jewelry — bracelet, ring, necklace — to exchange at the time the bride and groom do.” One potential problem An Elegant Affair was able to head off involved a former husband in attendance with his and his former wife's daughter, who served as the flower girl at the wedding. The new husband was “somewhat unnerved,” Caldwell says, at seeing the former husband during picture-taking of the bridal party. Yet this was easily remedied. “We arranged for someone else to look after the daughter and gave the father an errand to run to have him out of the way while the couple were having their shots done,” she says.

SECOND TIME AROUND
Everyone learns from mistakes, brides included. “A lot of brides want to fix what they felt wasn't right in their first ceremony,” Caldwell notes. Often they want “a better photographer, better venue and definitely a coordinator to make sure everything runs smoothly,” she adds. Guerard cites an example of a beautiful venue that couldn't have been used for a larger wedding but was perfect for an intimate party of 80: the back garden of the Gibbs Art Museum in Charleston.
Often, too, encore brides and grooms skip the traditional church ceremony and reception and instead marry and enjoy their honeymoon, throwing a big party after they return. Swiezy notes a sophisticated bash that took place in a New York loft for a second marriage; the hip venue needed only candles and dance music to create a party atmosphere. Because the honeymoon took place in Italy, the couple opted for antipasto platters at the party to keep with the Italian theme.

THIS TIME IT'S PERSONAL
While all brides like to add personal touches to their weddings, second-time brides take this practice to the hilt. One couple Brown is working with vacations at wineries around the world and wants to infuse their wedding with their shared passion for wine. Their wedding will include long wood tables, Italian ceramics and “bottles of wine from everywhere. The food is going to be served family-style, and there is no head table — people just sit down.” She jokes, “I tried to talk them into stomping grapes for fun, but that was apparently a little over the top.”
One wedding An Elegant Affair produced was the opposite of the bride's first wedding: “The bride {previously} had the traditional large church wedding, complete with the cathedral-length train and 300-plus guests — all conducted by her mother-in-law,” Caldwell says. This time, the bride and groom — both outdoorsy types — opted for a destination beach wedding in Hawaii. “The entire event was flanked by flaming torches, incense, and with the waves not more than 15 feet away,” Caldwell says. “They were married at sunset and said their vows under a full moon.” Afterwards, islanders treated the party to a surprise private fire-dancing performance.
Some couples opt for personalized versions of pre-wedding celebrations. Brown notes, “I have a couple where the bride and groom are not into the whole bridal shower, bachelor party, etc., thing. So instead, they're all learning Israeli folk dances, which will be performed by the guests at the wedding. So fun.”

BY CHRISTINE LANDRY for http://www.specialevents.com

10 Reasons to Get Married in ... Newport, RI - AisleDash

I wrote this article for Anne Chertoff of www.aisledash.com Thanks Anne!



1. The Views
Newport is located at the southern end of Aquidneck Island, so the town is surrounded by stunning water views. There are 11 venues with waterfront views.

2. The Location
It's just 3 1/2 hours from New York City, 1 1/2 hours from Boston and 45 minutes from Providence, making Newport an easy-to-get-to destination. The closest airport is Providence's T.F. Green International.

3. The Venues
Couples can choose from a wide range of venues, including chic tented garden affairs in Rhode Island State Parks, historic Victorian mansions, hotel ballrooms and modern loft-like banquet facilities. There really is something for everyone!

4. Fun Things to Do
There are a variety of activities for guests to enjoy. Water lovers can go sailing, boating and fishing. Ocean Drive is great for biking. At one of the area's many beaches you can fly a kite or go for a run. Everyone loves the two-seat Scoot Coupes and check out Go Newport for the concert and festival schedule.

5. Places to Stay
One can splurge on grand luxury at Forty 1 North or Castle Hill. There are two major chain hotels in town and mid-level hotels are located in the residing Middletown. Do try out the charming inns and B&Bs. My favorite picks are the Admiral Fitzroy Inn, Hilltop Inn and the Ivy Lodge.

6. Dining
Seafood rules in this town. Family-friendly fare can be found at the Red Parrot and the Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant. Hip and trendy restaurants such as Christie's and Asterisk are great for private dining as well as rehearsal dinners. Newport's sailors can always be found drinking Dark and Stormies at the Clarke Cooke House or Cafe Zelda. And seafood lovers can be found at the Black Pearl, The Moorings or Flo's Clam Shack. For the best cheap eats in town, we locals favor Salvation and @The Deck.

7. Wedding Photographers
There as so many talented photographers in Newport, couples can choose their wedding photographer based on the style they are looking for:
The Romantics: Cheryl Richards, Genevieve de Manio Photography and Lori DeSantis Photography.
Fresh and modern: Brian Phillips Photography, Sara Zarrella Photography and Kim Bova Photography.
Traditional: Alexandria Mauck Photographic Designs, David Dadekian Photography and Robert Hagan Photography.

8. Night Life
Looking for a place for your wedding afterparty? Dance at the Boom Boom Room or the Sky Bar (do come dressed: no shorts or Tees allowed) or enjoy some music at the Newport Blues Cafe.

9. Spectator Sports
Looking for activities for your out-of-town guests? Newport offers a variety of sporting activities to watch and play: rugby, polo, baseball, tennis and, of course, sailing.

10. Wedding Florists
Some of the top wedding vendors in New England are based in Newport, including these florists:
For a traditional and romantic wedding look, try Golden Gate Studios, Check the Florist (in Providence), and Broadway Florist Designs.
For a modern wedding style I recommend Ray's Flower Shop.
For a country look and feel, visit Of the Earth Floral Design.

Nancy Swiezy Events Out and About in Hamptons.com

Scully & Scully Hosts A 30th Birthday Party For The Fund For Park Avenue

McLaughlin said "This anniversary is an important milestone and an opportunity to recognize the extraordinary generosity of the many people who have supported our efforts over the years."

In addition to music by Alex Donner, the celebration featured four spring table settings. Each centerpiece was inspired by the Park Avenue malls: Eleni's New York provided tulip-topped cupcakes for a children's party hosted by Evie Brown and Blair Clarke. Will Ryman lent models of his work that will decorate the malls this January to a table for members of The Fund's Sculpture Advisory Committee. Eugenie Niven Goodman's dinner for famous horticulturalists featured a classic mall by Ron Wendt Design in boxwood and tulips. Event designer Nancy Swiezy hosted a table, in which she envisioned a Buddha visiting a mall.

See the story here:

http://www.hamptons.com/Gallery/Out-And-About/1256/Scully-Scully-Hosts-A-30th-Birthday-Party.html

Nancy Swiezy Events In the Huffington Post Entertaining Secrets: Park Avenue Tulips Inspire A Spring Setting

Who knew that a tulip bulb could be like a light bulb and energize an urban landscape?




Thirty years ago, the late New York philanthropist Mary Lasker, an early advocate of city beautification, helped fund a charity to plant tulips on Park Avenue as well as luminous cherry trees and colorful begonias in the summer. To celebrate this milestone, Scully & Scully, New York's fine home furnishings store, asked the Fund For Park Avenue committee members to design table settings inspired by spring tulips.

Because of the Fund for Park Avenue's success, not only has New York City planted over three million tulips but over eight million bulbs all over New York. "It's basically a flower for every New Yorker," said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "This is a program that has been imitated but not duplicated in many cities." In fact, flowers have a calming protective power. "I've never heard of a fist fight in front of tulips," he quipped.


Why not use spring's tulips as inspiration to set a table at your own home, As poet Silvana Krculic wrote, "If I was a tulip, And you were wind's wings, I would not count my broken dreams, But bless the coming spring."

Hopefully this will inspire you to have this floral theme at your own dinner table to mark the new season. Tip-toe through these tulip designs and see the ways celebrated designers and hostesses mixed and matched dinner plates, florals and objet d'art to create pleasing presentations.















Anyone who has a tray can use it to start a display. New York's Nancy Swiezy, who runs an events and floral company, loved this Buddha and put it on the tray. She then placed green floral oasis easily purchased at any garden store and then added the white tulips and sprinkled them around the Buddha. She bookended this major feature with floral urns on trays surrounded by dog and cat objects d'art. You can use trays and line them up to create a personal statement.


To create a jolt of color, find jewel toned glasses and add them to the table. While wine glasses can be crystal, designer Nancy Swiezy used Varga copper glasses as water goblets which blended with the "Chinese Bouquet" Herend orange and white plates. Notice how she placed three glasses in a triangle shape. This is obviously for a more formal dinner that includes various drinks.

Salad Plates: Meisen "Ming Dragon"
Chargers: Hermes "Jardin Des Orchidees"
Colored Glasses: Varga
Dog, Cat & Buddha figurines: Herend
www.scullyandscully.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jill-brooke/entertaining-secrets-park_b_545872.html
BY Jill Brooks
All photos from Laurie Lambrecht for Scully & Scully

A Day of Wedding Dress Shopping at Housing Works Brides on a Budget3

Yesterday I helped Housing Works with the Brides on a Budget3 Event.The Brides,Staff and all the volunteers were just wonderful to work with. So many brides found the dress of their dreams. One even found two! Such a joyful day for all.

Here's part of Dan's very thoughtful Thank You note !

It was a day full of spontaneous applause (and even some misty eyes) that ran smooth as silk (appropriately) thanks to all who supported our good pal BOB and his wish to make bridal dreams come true while helping a little to make the housing works dream of providing life saving services to those homeless and low income fighting HIV and AIDS come true.
Thank you everyone. The fact that we were able to run this event with one staff member and the support of 12 incredible volunteers tells me that maybe we have finally come up with the low impact formula to make our little bridal event worth while and successful.

The scale of the event and the one on one attention and exceptional customer service that we were able to provide to the brides was the magic this time. We saw 39 brides in all yesterday and have a strong focused email list of 60 customers who want to participate in this new by appointment only adventure

A very special thanks to three individuals that really turned it out both the day of set up and during the event.

Nancy Swiezy, Mary O’Conner, and Phillip Montana whose help the day of set up and the day of the event really allowed me to work on this event with almost no impact on regular day to day store activity. Not only am I grateful but the staff certainly is as well.

Nancy and Mary held those brides hands all day and SOLD dresses…having their insight, experience and professionalism at our disposal was unprecedented.
Phillip was so helpful putting up all the partitions, moving the furniture and adding his stylistic touch that I almost didn’t have to get my hands dirty.

It was an honor and sincere pleasure to meet and work with the three of you. Housing Works is so incredibly lucky to have the support of volunteers with your caliber.
Thank you all again.

Sincerely,

Daniel J. Moore
Manager Housing Works Gramercy Thrift Shop
www.housingworks.org

Wedding Planners Develop New Strategies to Handle Price-shopping Brides

Last week, Eventline looked at the challenge wedding planners face from cost-conscious brides—armed with data from Web sites and other sources—who push hard to drive down prices. (For more, click here.)

To fight against bargaining brides and the sour economy, many wedding planners have developed new ways to package their talents. Some examples:


"I have lowered my fees because the time I am working with my brides has changed—three months versus a year. I'm charging a monthly rate—even though it's the same amount of work."--Nancy Swiezy, A Newport Affaire, Newport, R.I., and New York

"We've gotten creative about how we present our services to clients. Instead of the old school packages, we give them an à la carte list of every service we can provide and they 'go shopping.' This helps them to see that every service has a value. If the total cost is over their budget, it is clear that removing some items from their 'shopping cart' will bring the price down, but we aren't asked to give them the whole list but for a smaller fee. We don't discount."—Tanya Posavatz, CSEP, CLINK, Austin, Texas

"While I have kept my fees constant, I have implemented a few 'levels of services' that a bride can choose from--for a flat fee, with the option to work with us on an hourly fee should they decide to engage with us for service not provided for by their contracted level. This was my way of giving the brides some flexibility in how they chose to work with us at the price point/ level of their choosing. This has worked fairly well for us, and for the most part, brides and their families have been receptive. It was the solution I came up with that felt like a 'win-win.'"--Cynthia Basker, Celebrated Events, South Bend, Ind.

"We offer full event design alongside coordination, which sets us apart from some of the other local event planners, but also can cause our price points to be slightly higher. We welcome negotiating the price if it means removing services, but we won't sacrifice the company's self-worth just to meet the brides' demands."--Tara Wilson, Tara Wilson Events, Fort Worth, Texas

"I spend a lot more time discussing exactly what the bride really needs from me and create a service package that addresses just those needs and price it accordingly. In the past I had three levels of service each with its own price range; now, it is completely custom. If she just wants a blueprint for her wedding, I create that for her, she pays me and is on her way, and my involvement ends there. Or she may want me to coach her through the planning process; she does the work, I keep her on the right track, or I do everything for her. It is very difficult to limit what I do, but in order to be profitable I have to be very disciplined in laying out exactly what I can do for the amount she is willing and in many cases able to pay."--Gwen Helbush, Where to Start Wedding and Event Management, Newark, Calif.

"We are pleased to be presenting our clients with destination wedding packages, which have just launched with The Royal Hawaiian in Oahu, with several other luxury properties are soon to join in the roster. The preliminary response from our clientele has been a very excited one, as a destination event is often times substantially more affordable than a big city wedding."--David Beahm, David Beahm Destinations, New York

"I have adjusted prices, 25 percent less that what I usually charge from November till mid-January since November and December are traditionally the slowest booking window. I am back to charging regular prices, and things are picking up! Also, more short-term/day-of service business than before."--Mary Dann, Mary Dann Wedding and Party Coordinators, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Photo by iStockphoto.com/ © Kateryna Govorushchenko

Re Print from http://specialevents.com