Morning everyone. For those of you trying to reach me you will notice I was not in the office much this past weekend. we had Point to Point yesterday in the rain and we had a wedding on Saturday and we had one of our first grand tent events on Friday -the friends of Elwyn Gala with 518 people.

We have opened up some great new spaces on the estate for opssible events - weddings, galas, corporate events - etc. Friday night we had an amazing night at Winterthur - 70 degrees, clear skies, and tents from the Gallery to along Clenny Run. It was really magical. Elwyn had a great night and I am hoping they made a record amount of money. Here are some of my pics of the tents so you can see the really cool options that are now available…

East Side Gallery Tent

Inside tent view #1

Inside Tent View #2

Good evening everyone. If you have not been to Winterthur lately -this is a great week to do it - the daffodils along the front hills are popping up, the trees are flowering - Spring is Here!

And so are some new options for you. Now you may have your name in lights, er, flat screens. Winterthur has come up with various slides, colors, and fonts that you can choose from and the evening of your wedding they will appear on the flat screens to enhance your experience. The charge is a flat rate of $250. Check out the slides and let me know your thoughts.

08452-digital-wedding-signage

Coming soon - slide show options that you create with your family and friends photos and we post on the screens for you!

Flowers by Yukie did a great natural spring job and lovely huppa which frames out the gardens so nicely.

Ceremony

Something new we tested out this evening - our Phantom I Rolls Royce. We had it parked right off from the Visitor Center and guests were able to take a look, ask questions, and have their picture taken with it as well. Isn’t it beautful. It is such a great enhancement for only $500 for the evening - and th pictures in there are mesmerizing.

Rolls Royce

So we are off and running. May is very busy for us and we have some really different and unique weddings coming up that I can not wait to share with you. I won’t be posting next week as I am walking in a charity walk for my favorite charity, the Delaware Humane Association. But don’t worry - I will have plenty to share with you in just a few weeks.

Hi everyone - sorry for the late post on this blog - I got a new camera and the pictures are too large. So now that I have re-sized them, here you go…. 

 OK well maybe not Erin (go bragh) but Patricia and Kevin sure had a great time. Some great Irish touches - like the amazing Irish guitarist - Tricia - write in and tell everybody who that was that played at cocktail hour - and like these little favors Tricia made -

Gannon Favors

And then there was the green beer! The linens were great in shades of green with black accents.

The cake was intended to make people chuckle -

Gannon Cake

A lot of you have asked me lately for pics of the lobby set-up as a reception space so here you go -

Gannon Bar

And another shot of more of the lobby -

Gannon Lobby

And with that the 2009 wedding season is off to a great start.

Hi everyone - I just got some great pics back from this event. Look at the great food Jason did and the amazing display by Brian and his team at Evantine Design. And did I mention that our pod was picked as the favorite for the evening from attendees and from our peers? what a boost!!

Sample Table Setting

Sample Table Setting

Food Display Table

Dream Cocktail Hour

Wouldn't you love to have this at your party?

Signature Cocktail

Food

Mini Cubans

Food

and more food!

Hi gang! 1st wedding of the season this evening - we are officially kicking off the 2009 wedding season. I will blog later this week with some pics from tonight’s wedding - right now I want to let you know about this great event we are participating in on the 25th - Fresh 2009.

Fresh is the premier catering and design showcase in our area every year! Everyone who is anyone in the events industry is there. It is a great way to share ideas, see the upcoming trends, and get inspired for the new season. I always leave feeling so filled with ideas that I can’t way to implement.

This year they are opening the doors to the public - with the target of brides to be - for the first time ever. You will get to the latest and greatest in design and decor - taste some of our new menu items, and hopefully get inspired or grab some ideas for those last minute things you don’t have settled yet. For more information visit their website at http://www.isesphila.com/displayconvention.cfm?conventionnbr=6418

Good afternoon everyone! There is some exciting news on the Winterthur estate today - the museum has received the amazing gift of this car from the Beals estate. This Rolls-Royce adds a new dimension to our visitor’s experience as we interpret this era of Winterthur as an American country estate. It truly represents the luxury vehicles that the guests of Henry Francis and Ruth Wales duPont traveled in when visiting Winterthur in the early 1930’s. Other owners of a Phantom I Rolls-Royce include such names as JP Morgan, Vanderbilt, Goodyear, Rockefeller, and of course, various duPonts!

Want to know why I am letting you know all of this information?

I am trying to find out from all of you how many of you would be interested in having the Rolls-Royce outside of your wedding venue here at Winterthur to enhance your day? Imagine your guests pulling up and seeing the Rolls-Royce in front of the Visitor Center or outside of the Reflecting Pool or Gallery. It is such the perfect addition to the ambiance of your wedding. And think about what the pictures next to it and inside of it could look like!

The car would be moved from its designated location by one of our specially trained drivers and would be positioned next to your ceremony or reception area before and after (weather and light dependant). We are thinking the charge would be approximately $500 for this service. What do you think ? Respond to me and let me know your thoughts and ideas and help me with this fantastic new feature we are so lucky to have!

Good morning everyone - Happy President’s Day!

It seems even the wedding mags have jumped on the economy trend this month as all of our favorites mention money saving tips on their covers. It seems everybody is looking for a way to get more for less or save to some extra money.

I volunteer with a charity that is near and dear to my heart - the Delaware Humane Association - and we have been talking economic strategy there as we start to worry about the waning donations being made - especially on the lower level (which all really add up - trust me!).

Rachel and I have always believed that the best favor you can give your wedding guests is the gift of a donation. Reading the magazines and working first hand with a charity - it seems this make even more sense right now. Favors can run you anywhere from $1.00 per person to $10.00 per person - of course dependant on what you choose. Rachel and I see so many favors left behind every single weekend - and in the end - they are thrown out. How about taking that $60 - $250 dollars and making a donation to a local charity or one that is special to you. Get a nice large 8 x 10 or 11 x 14 frame (that you can recycle for your wedding photos afterwards) and print up a letter explaining what you have done and to whom you made the donation and why it is special to you. Your guests will feel better about not having to take home one votive candle and you can feel great knowing your money is going right to work and that every dollar is needed right now.

Ideas for charities that you support? Let us know so we can share them with other brides and grooms and shed some more light on your favorite charities!

Evening everyone - how great is this mild weather - I am so ready for Spring - how about you?

I am so excited to let everyone know that we are unveiling a “new’ space - the Period Room Suite or the Wing Rooms. This is a collection of rooms in the main museum including Charleston Dining Room, Bowers Parlor, and the Queen Anne Parlor and each room represents architecture from the East Coast. You and your guests would take a shuttle from the Visitor Center and enter through the gran McIntyre Entrance. This space adds the wow factor for your next event.

What else is great is there are no time restrictions on this space so you can use it for an intimate wedding, bridal shower, anniversary brunch, etc and you have the place all to yourselves.

We had a photographer here in November - we just sent some pictures over the Archer Group to post on our website so that you may get an idea of just how amazing this site really is. Look for them in a day or so! And if you think you have the perfect event for the space - call or email us - we would love to here from you!

Yes - this Blog!!

By popular request we have just added a response section to our blog. Got ideas - respond to the blog and we can read it and share with everybody. I am so excited that we can now connect you with each other as well as with Rachel and I. Try it out and let us know your thoughts as well as any ideas on items you would like to blog about.