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Look for some great new changes to our Blog in early 2009, we are very excited about the new direction our blog is taking and think you will be to.

Cheers!
Traci

Christos Bridal Gowns are coming to Visit

Our 2009 Christos Collection is scheduled to arrive over the next few months but a few of the pieces are going to be visiting the first two weeks in January. To schedule a sneak preview , ring a stylist | 203.354.9791

Holiday Desserts for The Young + Young at Heart

Entertaining over the holidays? What a great surprise for your guests. I would fill a round glass container with all red m+m's or jelly beans and then place the sticks in for easy serving and a clean presentation.

From one of my favorite baking blogs... Bakerella.

Christmas Trees Around The World

I received an email today that had the most beautiful photographs of Christmas trees from around the world and I wanted to share some of my favorites...

My absolute favorite by far, this is a tiny chapel in Germany 's Karwendel mountains

Prague's Old Town Square

This is the largest Tree in Europe and is located in Lisbon , Portugal

Madrid. On Dec. 22, a lucky citizen
will win El Gordo (the fat one), the world's biggest lottery.

"The world's largest Christmas tree display rises up the slopes
of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy 's Umbria region.
Composed of about 500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire,
the 'tree' is a modern marvel for an ancient city"

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Warm wishes to all for a meaningful and joyous New Year!

Simply Chic Nicole Miller Dress Wins

Our fantastic double layer chiffon dress was most popular with our readers last week. It is now featured in our Holiday Window Display.

Thank you for assisting us in styling our window- we love and appreciate all of your feedback.

Style our Window!

Assist us in selecting the next wedding dress to be featured in our Salon's Window Display. Vote for your favorite by leaving a comment below.

Dress #1
by Rosa Clara

Dress #2
by Rosa Clara

Dress #3
by Nicole Miller

Dress #4
by Nicole Miller

Enjoy! and thank you for sharing your favorite with us.

April Reed's Modernist Gingerbread House

Congratulations to our friend and very talented colleague April Reed!

The New York Times recently featured April's gingerbread version of Mies van der Rohe's mid-century masterpiece, The Farnsworth House:

The Farnsworth recently sustained major flood damage - 15% of proceeds will
be donated to their restoration effort. To order, contact April Reed.

Ceci New York Holiday Shopping

CECI HOLIDAY SHOPPING PARTY

Experience an exclusive opportunity to shop the newly launched Ceci Stationery collections.
Featuring over 48 new designs!

The unique packaging, fresh designs and luxurious quality make the perfect holiday present... Each box is only $39.95

Bonus: Personalized hand calligraphed gift tags with every purchase!

Tuesday - December 9th
6:00pm - 9:00 pm

130 West 23rd Street
Second Floor
New York, New York 10011

Please respond to rsvp@cecinewyork.com. Everyone is welcome!

Tegani Bridal Jewelry Featured on Cover of OPRAH

I just read about this fabulous news on The Wedding Style Report , published by Luxurious Wedding. Many congratulations to Tejani Bridal Jewelry ! These earrings are amazing and look stunning on Oprah.

Cheers to Cindy and Colin

Congratulations to Cindy and Colin who were married in Old Lyme, Connecticut

Gorgeous Detailing on the Men's Boutonnières . All Floral Design by KD+J Botanica


Katherine designed these Cones out of Luxurious Silk Dupioni to line the church walls - amazing!

The Bride and Groom say I DO!


What better way to Travel ?

The Bride and Bridal party , who looked stunning, were dressed by Allison at
The Plumed Serpent

This is why every Bride should wear a Veil.

Sand and Sky were the predominate colors of our design concept . I love the intertwined C's [ for Cindy and Colin] adorning the top of this menu. We styled the menu and table numbers with the talented ladies at Wiley Valentine

Sky Blue Cushions pop on the White Washed Reception Chairs

Billowy White and Blue Hydrangea complete the Styling of the Room

The Reception featured Indoor and Outdoor Dining.
I love these inlaid Mother of Pearl Chargers.

Any Senior TRE Blog Readers recognize these guests? We assisted them with their wedding last summer in Old Lyme . As a matter of fact, KD+J Botanica and
M Benedicte Verley also were part of the team at their wedding.
Looking fabulous are Emily and Matt [ still newlyweds]. It was great to work with Katherine and Benedicte again. Benedicte shot all of the amazing photographs above.

Design Inspriation

Want to know an odd source of inspiration for me? Tom + Jerry. Stay with me .... If you think about it, Tom + Jerry provide scene after scene of physical comedy without ever saying a word, yet there is a full storyline [ though some would argue this point ]. With the help of musical accompaniment and sound effects there is a production.


In a reception atmosphere - we can not stand on a table and say " this is connecticut chic " the ambiance and decor selections must speak for themselves . The surrounding must project our concept for us, which is why it is so important that each design element speak in harmony. Out of place design items, musical selections or poor attire choices provide a visual interruption that block our message.

Have you ever heard someone come home from a reception and say it was so beautiful but " the flowers blocked my view " or " the band was to loud" or " we waited to long to eat". These are interruptions that could have easily been avoided.

Great design is not about individual elements it is about creating an environment for entertaining.

Tom will always chase Jerry that is expected , as much as a bride and groom will always marry and then host a reception - but the true excitement lies in how it happens.

Watch a great movie, read a page turning book, see a broadway show - as each chapter unfolds it tells more of the story and leaves you wanting more! Isn't that also what you want in a fabulous party?

The Business of Being in Business

As small business owners it can be easy to overlook the importance of consistently educating ourselves and our team. Seminars, classes and conferences are extremely important to our success. Business owners should look to industry specific education opportunities as well as key business tool classes and coaching sessions often offered by local SCORE chapters.

In October I blogged about attending a dynamic symposium offered by Industry greats Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce from Engaging Concepts. Rebecca also writes a wedding business blog/journal for industry professionals that you can find here.

Engage! 08 the encore which is the second in what I hope is a very long series of interactive seminars was probably the most beneficial thing I have done for my company since opening our new studio. I found it fascinating , motivating ,thought provoking and very rewarding. I loved hearing about how the Knot started , struggles they overcame and about the success they now enjoy.

I appreciated every speakers honesty about their business and was especially grateful to Preston Bailey who exercised no restriction on Sean Low's ability to share his obstacles and financial challenges in his business .

The symposium was attended by more than 80 people from across the globe who were there to recommit to their business vision if not refine that vision even more. I got to meet so many people who I have either read about , blogged about or only heard about.

I left with much clarity about my own personal and professional future which was redefined even more yesterday with a coaching session from Simon T. Bailey. Simon not only spoke at Engage! 08 but also gave everyone a copy of his book " Release your Brilliance" which is a MUST read.

Thank you to Rebecca and Katherine for creating a learning , " no-judgment here" environment that allowed participants to charge past their fears and reach for excellence!

Cheers to the ladies @ Southern Weddings Magazine

The ladies over at the divine Southern Wedding Magazine just updated their online presence with an amazing blogsite !

The blog envy goes without saying -- but I am most impressed with their "voice" the way they are able to tell their personal and professional stories while educating us on all things weddings. I love the Real Weddings and Details -- this is an amazing resource for brides and wedding industry professionals alike.

Many Congratulations and I can't wait for the next post!

Studio Construction!

We are under a bit of construction --- which means I have been a very bad blogger on our new "Style our Window "Feature.... The Construction should be complete for our Big Trunk Show this weekend. I am told the wall will be done - dressing rooms are another story :)

I want to thank everyone who voted on the blog and who also sent in emails - I loved the feedback. I will post the winning dress and window photo next week and then resume the weekly feature!

Stay Tuned....

Badgley Mischka Bridesmaid Trunk Show

Friday November 7th and Saturday November 8th enjoy 10% savings on all Badgley Mischka Bridesmaid Dresses. Ring the studio for your personal appointment | 203.354.9791

THREAD Trunk Show

Don't miss out on this great event. All day Friday and Saturday 10/31-11/1 We are offering 15% off on all Thread Bridesmaid Dresses. We will have their entire past collections PLUS the yet to be unveiled 2009 collection [ pictured above ] courtesy of Brides.com

The new collection features new fabrics, new styles and new price points!!! Ring us today to schedule your weekend appointment: 203.354.9791

Real Wedding Alex + Nazz

Congratulations to Alex and Nazz who were married on September 20th, and celebrated their wedding reception at The Stamford Yacht Club. They were such a wonderful couple to work with and Alex was amazing with all of the wedding details - she would be a fantastic wedding planner!




Alex and Nazz arrived at The Yacht Club by Boat and were greeted by their guests on the dock.

The Bridal Party arrived right after them, dressed in their Vera Wang Bridesmaid Dresses and Blue Tux Shoes.

One of the flower girls enjoying the view.

Cocktail Hour on the Back Lawn

The Bridal Party traveled in this great Trolley all day and night! So much fun. As I was driving to Alex's house in the morning I passed the Trolley on " the connector" mapping out his route before picking anyone up -- imagine a driver who takes the time to get the directions right before his contracted time. Fabulous service.

Reception Decor..... Pale Blue Irish Linen with Stark White Overlays , Tinted Green Flutes and Gorgeous Hydrangea Centerpieces provided by Jessica's Country Flowers.

The top three photographs and last image were taken by Jon Videler.

Catch Up

What an amazing past two weeks I have had.....so very many things to catch up on. What's on tap: Trip to Orlando at Engage 08 Recap , NYC Bridal Market Review, Our Window Contest Winner , and so many events happening in the Salon this month.

Stay Tuned!

SAMPLE SALE | November 15th, 50% off ALL DAY

TRE will be hosting a sample sale on November 15th from 10am-6pm. No appointments are necessary. All dresses including : Cymbeline, Amy Michelson, Amy Kuschel, Simone Carvalli, Thread , Badgley Mischka, Jane Wang and more are included. We are also including our Accessories in this Sale so even if you have a dress already, stop by to find the perfect accessories to complete you wedding day wardrobe.

Preview Cocktail Party | Friday , November 14th from 5-7pm . Join us to preview these *almost new* dresses, share a glass of wine and meet other brides and industry professionals in a casual and fun setting. Kindly ring us to let us know if you will be stopping by on Friday -203.354.9791

Guest Count Commitments

A quick tip to consider as you are selecting your reception site this year..... We have recently seen a greater decrease in guest counts at our weddings. It has always been the norm to expect a 15% drop off from your original guest list but that number is now fluctuating.

With so many families and friends that are based around the globe it may be more financially difficult for them to travel this year. Of course we hope this is not the case for you- but realistically it would be prudent to make sure that your guest commitments are on the lower side to avoid paying more than you need to with your venue [ you can always increase your guest count later].

Food for thought!

Style our Window !

Welcome to a new weekly segment on the TRE blog. Each week we will feature Three Wedding Dresses and ask you our wonderful readers to pick the dress that will be featured in our storefront window for that week.

We want to hear from everyone: our brides, wedding parties, planners, designers, photographers, other bloggers etc...

Be sure to check back later in the week to view a photo of the winning dress in our Studio Window!

Window Options for our Premiere Week

Dress #1 - Agadir by Cymbeline Paris

A Stunning Lace Dress with a Mermaid Silhouette and a Gorgeous Sweep Train


Dress # 2 Kitty by Amy Kuschel



A Fabulous English Laser Cut Fit to Flair Silhouette with Covered Buttons down the entire back of the Dress


Dress # 3 Darling by Amy Michelson

A Breathtaking Silk Organza with Organza Rosebud Detailing

Please comment on the Dress you want to see featured. Voting will end on Sunday, October 17th and the Dress will be in our featured window until the following Sunday.

Thank you for helping to Style our Windows!!!!