LOVE NOTES

2/1/2023

Honoring our newlyweds and families
who celebrated L O V E in many wondrous ways in 2022!

Photo Credit: Anne Day Photography

Many sentiments will be shared this month between the endless loves and lovers in the world. Who doesn’t love to be uplifted by LOVE?
We feel blessed to be able to celebrate and experience many moments of love throughout the year, thanks to the work we do as event planners.

LOVE is truly at the core of our efforts! We literally LOVE all that it takes to guide a client through the planning process to arrive on their celebratory day focused on each other, their families, their guests and not all the logistical to-dos swirling in their orbits. We also LOVE our couples and their families. When we meet, we literally know nothing about them until “their” love story starts to unfold in our conversations and as we begin to understand their vision in creating their perfect day. In this getting-to-know warmup and the adventure that we are now contracted in together, we soon have a snapshot of their bigger story…their families who have supported them to this day, their best friends who will toast (and perhaps roast) them and often that special person in their lives that will be honored to marry them. All the loves in their lives come to the surface to complete their story. It’s “their” circle of love that truly becomes our focus as it not only defines who they are as individuals and as a family but also so much of their decision making as they create a day with their loved ones in mind. It’s not always about them (although it is) but more often than not, their concerns lie in making it feel special for each and every one of their guests. This extension and expressions of love are yet another testament to how incredible it is to work when LOVE is at the core of it all.

Photo Credit: Luke Wayne Photography

Love notes reveal themselves throughout our process and in our role as planners, creators, problem solvers, cheerleaders, coaches, and fairy godmothers (as I have been coined, on occasion).
We are so proud to have these roles in support of love. We are also so proud of our most recent love stories and the couples whose stories became our stories and love notes in 2022.

Photo Credit: L.C. Allison Photography

Our extraordinary 2022 couples took time
to return love notes to us after their celebrations.

We received many personal thank you notes that we cherish and keep in a special place in a studio bin. Lovely emails also popped up in our inbox with heart emojis the week after. Our couples also took time to share their experience with Your Event and to write a multitude of reviews that earned us both The Knot "The Best of Wedding 2023 Award" and Wedding Wire "Couples’ Choice 2023 Award" last month. We are forever grateful to them for completing our love stories with 5 stars reviews and so many personal notations describing their happiness and how they were able to enjoy their day to the fullest because of our caring efforts, attention, and hard work.

In this month of love, I’d like to share some of my personal love notes
about each of our couples and event families
and the mark that they each left on my heart.

Photo Credit: Joshua Brown Photography and Videography

Nicole + Kwame | 5.21.22

At our first meeting, our walk through the property at Gather Greene focused keenly on deciding where you would say your vows. That was more important to you than floor plans and a million other details. And so I understood you both from that moment forward. Watching you as you imagined that moment...priceless! “Will it be the woods or will it be on the ridge?” We walked back and forth. You took your time on this decision (your answer came weeks/months later). Yet it did not truly seem to matter where you stood and pondered this moment to be, you never stopped beaming at each other as if you were already there, saying “I do!”

Photo Credit: Elaina Mortali Photography

Brittany + Kyle | 7.17.22

We were all together for the first time for your rehearsal ceremony. It was immediate when I witnessed your connection that you balanced each other perfectly. 24 hours later, it was even clearer. Your energy, Brittany, whirled you throughout the rooms with your guests, dancing and celebrating, with such spontaneity and in each joy-filled moment. Kyle, your calm and easy breezy energy, stood steady but a smile never left your face, even when you stood alone for that moment that Brittany was footloose and fancy free. At one point you said to me, “Where is my wife, I can’t find her, AGAIN?” And you smiled even wider. Then in a flash, off you both went to jump into the pool for your personal big splash, full dressed. Your fun and folly were contagious…what a life ahead you will have!

Credit: Anne Day Photography

Mackenzie + Will | 8.20.22

Being at Fairfield Farm was truly where you shined so brightly. I could see that this special place was an extension
of your lives and homes, representing not only natural beauty and but sheer comfort. You fit like a puzzle piece on that land, and it was very apparent that your loving and supportive family, and community completed your landscape puzzle in the most perfect way as they surrounded and celebrated you in a place that held such special meaning to all.
Beautiful day, beautiful couple, beautiful love story of two families meant to be one!

Photo Credit: Hudson River Photographer

Noa + Noah | 9.9.22

Standing in the wild field imaging your day was literally like starting a landscape painting on a canvas that had a light wash of sage green laid in waiting for the next strokes to be added. There was a creative energy from the first uttering of “What do you think about this…., Paula?” You felt it long before we could see it and then you blossomed there. Dancing in celebration, and as comfortable throughout your day as if you were on an afternoon hike in the wilderness. It was so evident how deeply in love you were with the company that shared this day of creation with you.

Photo Credit: Christopher Duggan Photography

Ran + Jon | 9.10.22

Your quiet nature and fierce determination to make decisions was delightful to work alongside. But you sparkled and lightened the minute you walked onto the property at Hancock Shaker Village (and when you talked about hiking!).
We entered the Round Barn on that very frigid winter day greeted by two braying mini donkeys, a small calf and several sheep, all looking up at us to say “Party, what party?”. And you said, “I hope they will be at the wedding!” We were equally charmed by their antics and not bothered at all by their smell. I knew from that moment that you both would make the most of your wedding day embracing all the wonders that this treasured place held and that
we were meant to make it happen together.

Credits: Eichar Photography

Kate + Chris | 10.14.22

The “always-beginning” and never-ending love story...ours! From the first call with you Kate, I got your heart. We talked for a very long time but most of the conversation was about how excited you both were to be bringing your families together for this union and celebration. Every decision from that point on was about them, not you. When I met you Chris, I could see that you too were all heart, all giving. You waited for what felt like forever for this cherished day and as in most cases, you now know so well, the best things are worth waiting for. Our time together had a few replay buttons, but it was a great song indeed, and one that I will always reflect on with gratitude and joy. You, my dears, will always be so dear to me.

Credit: L.C. Allison Photography

Tanya + Arin | 10.15.22

When you joined me in the studio for our first meeting, and we talked about the many ways that you would personalize your day, I knew you were about creating an environment that reflected not only your style but your heart.
You curated each moment of the weekend with such love and intention. Details abounded, spreadsheets filled, boxes stacked, pumpkins rolled and yet on your day, it all fell into exact order…your order. I could see throughout the process of collecting treasures from your finds here in the Hudson Valley and in the city, that you had started building your life just as you would continue to as husband and wife—a beautiful life, a treasured life, a life that brought
so much joy because you were sharing it with the people in your life that you treasured above all else.
Your sentimental ways won my heart from the first hello and your first happy tear when we hugged.

Amy Julia Becker Book Signing Cocktail | 4.24.22

A book brought us together and when I read it, I knew it was intended, “To Be Made Well”. Your husband reached out to talk to me about making a special moment for your book release and reading, one that was beautiful, one that would delight you and require you to do nothing at all but appear and share your story with the community. Talk about love!
We met that afternoon for the first time, moments before your fan club appeared. I listened, I paused, and I reflected.
Forever grateful for your wisdom, spiritual reminders and for personally being present with you and your blessed family.

Credits: YM Visuals

Mika's Bat Mitzvah Into the Wilderness

Meeting you and your family to discuss what “your” vision and theme would be for your Bat Mitzvah was beyond refreshing. We had three things in common from the get-go…our love for the wilderness, flowers and graphic design.
Our adventure was inspiring and wonderful from Day 1. I loved that you conceptualized your logo, we had joined as creative minds and provided a final drawing that I could produce for “your” branded day. I loved that you understood color. I loved that you got what a tablescape could be with imagination and wanted yours to be magical and incorporate details that mattered to you. When Mother Nature delivered the perfect weather day to shine light on all that we created on your land, and all that your land had to offer, it was truly a gift to watch and be grateful for. You are quite the remarkable and talented person, Mika! I can only imagine the adventures you will create in your life.

Photo Credit: K. Edlund Photography

Natalie’s 1st Birthday | 8.27.22

Even beyond the Mai Tais, our love of bright color, family-focused, being moms and creating togetherness,
we had a lot in common—we worked efficiently, effectively and with intention. The focus on creating fun for little ones
was as important for the big ones. Making sure that in our exuberance of party planning, decisions were kept in check for
a day that felt real and not excessive or pretentious. Seeing Natalie in her little white grass skirt dancing in the kitchen as she grasped the cabinet handles to stand upright was “the best” last look at the close of day before I headed home.

Karianna + Reuben Engagement Party | 9.24.22

I loved our time together creating a clear-as-crystal vision of your engagement. You knew “exactly” how you wanted this kick-off to your life together to feel and you picked the perfect setting for “you”. It was so easy for me to step in, guide and manage this intimate night of celebration with those closest to you. Knowing you already from our professional work together made this a special honor for me. It was so wonderful to be with you both at the very beginning of your love story. I can only imagine the how the rest of it will unfold.

Max’s Bar Mitzvah

Supporting you through Max’s special day was an honor. Your vision of a more casual, intimate yet gorgeously well-appointed afternoon on your property was heavenly. I could see on that perfect sunny afternoon that welcoming guests
to your home to enjoy all its wonders gave you as much joy as it did the kids running and playing freely,
without any orchestration, just being.

Washington Montessori Graduation Celebration

Joining in this communal collaboration was so heartwarming. As a parent and former PA President and volunteer mom, I can truly appreciate the saying that “it takes a village” and your village was a delight to be a part of. You at the helm with the other parents onboard, set the stage as if laying out all the ingredients of a recipe on the counter, measured and ready for me. I simply had to step in, combine, stir, bake and plate. Such fun and so heartwarming to see the graduates and families under one tent, no masks and celebrating a proud and well-earned milestone together.

'Everything But Water' Corporate Retreat

Working with you to welcome your colleagues to the Hudson Valley was hospitality-focused at it’s best. What’s not to love about where we live, right? Sharing it, all the better! Yet your vision of packaging experiences, really made for the warmest of welcomes. It was an honor to manage the itinerary and make sure it all went according to plan so you too could enjoy the fruits of your labor and being with your team.

Megan + Jesse

What a lovely surprise and honor it was to step in to support a fellow planner and colleague (and now friend) in running your wedding day. Unlike most couples, we had far less time together, but it was immediate to me when we sat and shared coffee and bagels on our first meeting, that you complemented each other perfectly. Your day was a magical one created in a setting that capturing all the warmth of home and all the beauty that your life would be from Day 1.

Cheers to making LOVE a continued focus throughout the year and for having so many wonderful clients (past, present & future) to celebrate it with!
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TAKE NOTE OF THE LOVE IN 2023 + SPEND TIME DOING WHAT YOU LOVE WITH THOSE YOU LOVE!