Thursday, September 24, 2009

A special Thank You to A Newport Wedding Planner...

I recently received these thank you notes from Michelle & John's "Platinum Wedding" in Newport, RI...
_____________________


Raina,


How do we thank you?  If you were ever unsure, let me say - You have found your calling!

What a journey this was for us!  I don't know where to begin.  You are truly amazing.  We appreciate every detail.  From the very beginning, how much you cared about Michelle's dress to the very end when you helped me find mine.  


When Michelle and John came to us with the idea of a destination wedding.  Their reasons were clear.  They wanted to bring close family and friends together for more than one evening.  The wanted to give everyone a way to connect or reconnect.  So many elements go into planning a destination wedding.  From the dress, the church and music to the reception and party!  Everything in between includes hotel rooms, travel, transportation and activities that will give your guests an idea of why you chose the destination.

You not only planned the wedding and reception, but everything from  a large clambake welcome party to a small ladies luncheon and everything in between.  You didn't leave out one detail.  Nothing went unnoticed.  From personal touches in the guest rooms to every elegant flower and piece of china at the reception and even making sure that every song was personal and our choice. 

Because of you, Raina, we were truly guests at not only the wedding and reception, but for the entire weekend.  We never had to worry about where to be or how to get there.  You were even prepared for the weather!  Plenty of waters for the heat, umbrellas in case of rain and even bug spray!

The weekend was magical.  The flowers, lighting, linens, china and food.  We told you and you made it happen! I have so much to say and so many thoughts, it seems so hard to put them on paper!  I think you know how much we appreciate you.  YOU ARE THE BEST! 
Gloria

-(Gloria Cassidy, Mother-of-the-Bride & Al Cassidy, Father-of-the-Bride) 

_____________________

Raina,

Where do I begin!!  Our wedding weekend was truly a dream come true, and we have you to thank.  Thanks to you Raina, our wedding was exactly that, yet so much more.  You took the (very vague!) ideas we had, and turned them into a truly magical event.  Down to the last detail, this wedding was not only fabulous, but also so personal and FUN—which was just more than I could have asked for! I am still amazed that before even meeting you in person, you were so quickly able to gauge my taste, understand what we were going for, and then execute it beyond perfection.

I am so thankful we found a planner who gave us everything we hoped for on our wedding day.  However I am even more grateful because I feel like I’ve gained a friend during this process. I have such respect for your strong work ethic; your organization; your honesty.  On top of that you are so sweet, and so much fun to work with.  I really cannot tell you how much I appreciate everything!    

Michelle & John
-Michelle Cassidy Bannon & John Bannon (Bride & Groom)
_____________________

Dear Raina,


Having never been involved, or even on the sidelines, of a wedding this grand, I can see why Michelle, John and Michelle's family, chose you to assist them with their plans.  You were on top of every detail, small or big, and the events of each day ran so smoothly from our perspective.  You may have felt the pressure, but everyone else commented on how beautifully everything ran and, of course, how elegant the wedding was.   
You are certainly a professional in planning, but you also became a part of the family with your warmth and caring personality.  It was a pleasure to meet you and I wish you all the best.
Nancy
- Nancy Bannon (Mother of the Groom)
_____________________


Raina, thank you for all the hard work in making the Cassidy/Bannon wedding the best ever. It was a glorious, opulent, amazing, beautiful, and fabulous weekend.
Our beautiful granddaughter had the wedding she deserved. You did an awesome job. 
It was wonderful meeting you. You are an amazing lady. 
–Linda Tenaglia (Grandmother of the Bride)


_____________________


AMAZING job! I am so in awe of the entire weekend, it was absolutely perfect! Thank you making it the best weekend ever for Michelle and John and all of their guests! And it was so great to meet you! 
–Shanon Loewy (Maid Of Honor)




All I can say is THANK YOU for having me be a part of such a special time in all your lives!!! : )  


Check out Father-of-the-Bride, Al Cassidy & I...  always the jokester ; )




Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Michelle & John's Newport, RI Wedding-Reception Finale

I feel really honored to be the only featured Newport Wedding Planner for the Platinum Wedding's Show!!  Everyone keeps asking, when will it air... stayed tuned next Spring to the WeTV Network & I will be sure to let you know the date it will air and where the screening party will be...so exciting : )!!


Here are the gorgeous pics by Mariah at Snap! of the wedding Reception at OceanCliff in Newport, RI.























































There I am so excited to see Michelle & John : )
entering that gorgeous ballroom with all of their guests!








































I am so thrilled to have planned such a stunning and meaningful affair for such an amazing couple.  They were a dream to work with and most of all it was so beautiful to witness two people so in love and enjoying every moment of the celebration.  They were thrilled with how everything came together and I feel blessed that I left not with great clients, but with great friends!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Michelle & John's Newport, RI Wedding- St. Augustin Catholic Church & OceanCliff/ Ceremony

Michelle & John had their wedding ceremony at St. Augustin Catholic Church.

It is not an easy feat to find a Catholic church in Newport that will marry couples from out of town, but when there is a will there is a way : )   St. Augustin is a very beautiful church and Michelle & John's priest who they brought up from Florida and made it all happen was simply wonderful, along with Nancy from St. Augustin who made my job easy ; )

Here are the gorgeous pics from their ceremony...








I LOVE how happy they are!


How gorgeous is the veil we had made for her...how gorgeous are they I should say!


We then took the bridal party & family to Ocean Drive and Brenton Point for photos...
talk about stunning!!!












The Cassidy's
Parents-of-the-Bride flew to NYC and took advantage of my styling services...
we found Gloria this fabulous Carlos Miele dress & Al his dapper tux- don't they look amazing!




The Bannon's
What a fabulous looking group!!


The Bride & Groom...breathtaking!














How FAB...Mariah from Snap! Photography...you ROCK my friend!


We carefully chose these stunning red Nicole Miller Bridemaids dresses for the girls...
the way they compliment Michelle dress & the color of the red- just perfect : )



Awesome...











I suggested to Michelle we do red flowers for the bridesmaids and white for her & groomsmen.
 Love how it looks in the photos...so classy & the bouquets were beautiful!



Mariah snaped a quick shot of me ; ) off we go head to OceanCliff for the fun!


Check back to see the unbelievable Platinum Wedding Reception...