DCA Meadowlands

Last week I was very happy to attend the networking event at The Darien Community Center hosted by Roe and Bill of Festivities Catering. Festivities is the exclusive caterer at The DCA. Over 300 people attended. It was fabulous to see so many dear friends but to meet new colleagues as well. A big congratulations to the team at Festivities for a very successful event.

I snapped a few photo's with my blackberry but must admit I did not get very many great shots. I will post the professional images when they are available.

Justin Marantz and Christopher [ I loved the Hat!! ]

Cole Slaw from The Fish and Chips Station


Jennifer Braga, Jerome Braga , Megan Dey and Robert Norman [ The Photog. Crew ]

Lindsey from Fresh Lime Events, DD Nickel - Beauty Queen, Lindsey from Sixpence and Jennifer Braga- photographer

Bosco and Roe thanking everyone for attending

This was a "must show" for me. DD Nickel was sporting this great vintage bag. It had a loop on the back of it that she wore on her wrist. I was dying over it !!

Alison from The Plumed Serpent, Jamie from Jamie Collins Photography and Your Truly - Special Votive lighting provided by Jerome Braga.

A Tasting Event to Benefit The Food Bank

Join some of our favorite Connecticut Caterers and Restaurants: including [ Watson's Catering , DaPietro, Ginger Man, Sweet Lisa's, and many more ...] as they support this great event!

Thursday, June 18
6-9 pm
Hilton Stamford Hotel
Stamford, Connecticut

Tickets and more information are available on the Lower Fairfield County Food Bank Site

The Plumed Serpent Bridal Sample Sale

We are pleased to announce that The Plumed Serpent is hosting
a Bridal Gown Sample Sale
Wednesday May 6th-Sunday May 10th


Bridal Gowns are featured at 30-80% off of retail pricing

featuring : Anne Barge, Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Rosa Clara,
Rivini and many more!


Ring a Stylist for your Personal Appointment| 203.226.9868
All Brides are entered into a drawing to win a complimentary veil and headpiece!


The Plumed Serpent
295 Post Road East
Westport , Connecticut

Philanthropist, Friend, Wine Enthusiast, Restauranteur | Jeff Benjamin

Last month I blogged about a past ARAMARK colleague and friend Chris Santos who now is Executive Chef and Owner of Stanton Social on the lower east side in NYC.

Today I want to introduce you to another colleague who worked with us at ARAMARK and is also a graduate of the same Hospitality School I attended ; The University of Massachusetts, at Amherst.

Jeff Benjamin

Jeff has always stood out in my mind as a consummate professional with a refined taste and passion for fine service, food and wine. He also devotes a great deal of time and energy towards philanthropic pursuits.

 I once organized a holiday celebration for impoverished children in Brooklyn, NY and Jeff was one of the first people who said he would attend and assist in this effort. Our Brooklyn event was more than 10 years ago and I will never forget Jeff's generosity. I will also never forget him introducing me to "Jack on Ice", which I still enjoy today [wink].

Jeff pictured above at an Alex's Lemonade Stand event which he generously supports

Jeff enjoyed a successful career at ARAMARK and has continued to excel since leaving . He is now  co-owner of two of the best restaurants in Philadelphia. Vetri and Osteria

Vetri

" Probably the best Italian Restaurant in America" 

-Alan Richman, Bon Appetit 2005

When visiting Vetri make sure to try the Spinach Gnocchi , which are like little pillows of spinach and ricotta in brown butter.  Vetri is an intimate restaurant that offers the Chef's Grand Tasting on weekends.  Venture for a fabulous bottle of wine - there are more than 5,000 bottles in their wine cellar .  A great choice for a romantic dinner or intimate gathering of friends and family.

Osteria

James Beard Nominated BEST NEW RESTAURANT 2008

The Wood Burning Stove is the stand out at Osteria.  I will be visiting Osteria the first weekend in May and can not wait to try the Classic Margherita Pizza. They are also known for their Wood Grilled Octopus, which I am hoping my girlfriends will enjoy.  All of the Pasta is of course homemade and with enough notice you can request a seat at the Kitchen table which seats 14 for a special Private Dining Experience.

Congratulations on all of your success Jeff - Cheers!

For Reservations and Catering Inquiries

Vetri  | 1312 Spruce Street | 215.732.3478

Osteria | 640 North Broad Street |215.763.0920

Banchet Flowers

Julie , Alex and I were thrilled to attend a recent Soiree at Banchet Flowers in New York City. It was a great night that highlighted many of our favorite wedding professionals including Ron Ben-Israel, Shiraz Catering, and Something Different Party Rental.

Banchet Jaigla is not only an extremely talented floral designer in the city but she also has an amazing space to host events. With over 18,000 square feet of modular space it is ideal for : fashion shows, weddings, photo shoots, private parties and so much more.

Erik Ekroth, from Erik Ekroth Photography captured the highlights of the event and was kind enough to share the photographs included in this blog. Erik is a new friend to TRE having just met this past Fall at a Bridal Fashion Show he was shooting in the city. We look forward to working with Erik in the future.

It was a great party, thank you for inviting us!

Jennifer Skog | The Couture Couple Contest

In honor of Valentine's Day, Maria Chang and Jennifer Skog have planned an amazing GIVE AWAY ......a Couture Couple Shoot to one fabulous couple! Here are the details:

What is a Couture Couple Shoot | A full day stylized shoot with Jennifer Skog and hair and make-up design by Maria Chang of PMA. The shoot includes up to 3 different looks and an opportunity for a Couple Boudoir in the bedroom.

The Contest | In about 1000 words share your love story with us. The most romantic story will be chosen among a panel of colleagues and the winner will be announced Friday, February 20th. To keep it fair, Jennifer and Maria will not actually be picking the winner. CONTEST DEADLINE : VALENTINE'S DAY at MIDNIGHT

Who can enter | Everyone! This contest is not limited to California - Maria and Jennifer will come to wherever you are to do the shoot!

How to enter | Email submissions to: seduction@jenniferskog.com Please include 1 or 2 of your favorite photos together (1000px max) as well as your name, city, state and email address.

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!

KDJ Botanica

What can I say about Katherine Daught Jacobs at KDJ Botanica? In a word she is " Inspirational".

Her flowers stole the show this weekend in Newport at the La Bella Bride Wedding Showcase. Grazier Photography and Traci Romano Events each had her flowers on our table designs and the comments just kept coming in -

The best way to reach out to Katherine is to call her KDJ Botanica Studio in Westport , CT
at: 203.226.0202. Her website is : www.kdjbotanica.com

The photographs above are from a wedding we collaborated on this summer and were photographed by Justin Marantz.

..... Lot's more to come on all of the fun we had at the La Bella Wedding Showcase

Bridal Show at Belle Mer in Newport, Rhode Island

On Sunday, January 6th - La Bella Bride magazine will be hosting a bridal show at Belle Mer and the Hotel Viking in Newport.

Traci Romano Events and Grazier Photography will be collaborating with an amazing design team to create a fabulous lounge for brides and grooms to relax in while viewing some of the latest trends in weddings.

A sneak peek into who's in our lounge:

Bridesmaids fashion from THREAD. Beauty provided by Once Upon a Bride. Floral Design by Katherine Daught Jacobs . All of these talents are part of our vendor research gallery in Connecticut- which is always FREE to use.

I am so thrilled to be working with Grazier Photography on the design and concept of this lounge. What most likely started as a sketch on a cocktail napkin [ as all best ideas do!] our collaboration has taken on a life of its own and I can't wait to share the space with engaged couples throughout New England and beyond.

If you are in the Newport neighborhood - please stop in to relax in our lounge, meet our design team, and feel free to ask us any questions you may have on your upcoming nuptials
[ style, fashion, planning , etiquette, beauty, photography ..... we are here to help!].

More detailed information to come as the date gets closer..stay tuned!

New Studio... New Look... New Name.... New Website

April 1st is right around the corner. I am thrilled about the new space and can't wait to share it with everyone. In addition to the new studio we are also changing our name. We will no longer be known as THE ROMANO GROUP. Our new name is TRACI ROMANO EVENTS. To go along with the new name and new studio we have also created a new website and new brand design.
The new website address is: www.TraciRomano.com The site is still under construction but will be up and running fully in about a week.



As you might imagine it takes a village to put all of this together. Much of the thanks to the re-design goes to Dawn Viola of Anna Bella Stationery. She is a true visionery and I am thrilled to not only have collaborated with her on the project but also consider her a dear friend. www.annabellastationery.com Dawn's stationery designs can all be seen at our studio.