85 degrees, High Humidity, 30 mph winds, and lots of rain here at Winterthur for our wedding this evening. And I think Brie still steels the show!

Brie Scida and Clark Stossel were married tonight. Their hope was to be married at the Reflecting Pool and needless to say we have been rained out - well maybe downpoured out is a better use of words. Rain Plan = Galleries Reception Area.

Guests arrived on shuttle buses from the hotels and were greeted with unsweetened iced tea with mint. After the ceremony our set-up crew stepped in to whisk the chairs away and add some cocktail tables. Signature cocktail this evening was Mojitos…noticing a common thread?

 Clark and Brie emailed me a week ago and asked for some advice on what items they could add to personalize the Visitor Center some. They decided on renting green tea lights for the tables that you can see in all of the pics, these great seat cushions - Scida Chair Cushions, chargers - Scida Chargers, and some linens to spice up under the tent - Scida under tent tables

Beautiful Blooms did the flowers and of course they are stunning. Three different table arrangements - Scida Flowers - Tall, Scida Flowers x 3, Scida Flowers

I think the placecard table looks really cool this evening - Placecard 1, Placecard 2, Placecard 3

And I love what Blooms did with the flowers on the cake - Scida Cake

Rachel and I got a little creative on the front desk which was only possible as Blooms had some extra centerpieces - Scida Desk 1, Scida Desk 2, Scida Desk 3

Dinner this evening was a dual entree of sirloin steak and mahi-mahi that Brie and her mom came up with at the tasting. Scida Dinner. They topped the night off with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream as the final mint idea. Scida Ice Cream

 All in all it was a beautiful evening for a beautiful couple. Hey, Hanna Stossel does have a nice ring to it……..

Ann and Greg were married here at Winterthur this past Saturday right on our Visitors Center Patio, under a tent. Ann made the decision on Tuesday about getting a tent just in case the weather was bad. A bunch of people have made the tent decision and are overall happy they did. It lets them relax and not have to worry about the weather that for the big day!

Ann and Greg had about 120 people attend the wedding so we decided on the smaller tent. It is a 40×40 tent and was able to accommodate the ceremony nicely and the cocktail hour. Tented Ceremony Since we did not get any rain as we were supposed to, we were able to put cocktail tables outside the tent as well to give more space. I really like the tent option, and I know a lot of people think about it but cannot imagine it, so hopefully some of these pictures will help you out! Tent 1, Tent 2, Tent 3 We also have a larger tent that accommodate about 200 people or more for a ceremony and cocktail hour, and that tent takes up more of the Patio.

Ann and Greg had a really cute idea and she told me she found it right online. She had her ceremony programs on fans for her guests. I liked them a lot! Fan Programs, Fans .

And since we like to show as many pictures of the Visitors Center as we can, take a look at their room set up with a rented dance floor. Visitors Center

 I think Ann and Greg had a wonderful evening and it seemed to be a great night.

Night number two of this three day wedding weekend was perfect as well. The weather was wonderful for Lee and Erika’s Tuscan themed wedding. Their ceremony took place at the Reflecting Pool and with a smaller amount of people, their reception was inside the Gallery Reception Area. Just under 80 guests fit well in that space!

I thought everything came together for them as well. They had passed Limoncello Martinis as their signature drink, homemade Limoncello as their favors, and more lemons everywhere. They put their place-card table outside the Gallery which is just beautiful right now with the trees in bloom. Place Cards, Patio at Gallery They opted for a different seating arrangement than we usually do here, along with rental Chivary Chairs, and I think it worked out well. Seating, Seating 2 I also thought there cake looked amazing and exactly what they wanted! Cake

Overall, it was another good night here at Winterthur!

Friday night was absolutely gorgeous here at Winterthur. Man Yee and Samson could have not had better weather for their ceremony and reception here. With the sun shining and a nice breeze it didn’t even feel like August!!

 Man Yee and Samson had a beautiful wedding with some fun added extras. One thing that we have seen a couple people do is provide a sign in the parking lot for their wedding guests. It helps them know where the ceremony and receotion take place. Sign They were so put together and everything matched perfectly. They had everything from a photo booth for their guests to a traditional Lions Dance to an added dessert station of chocolate goodness. They had an Asian theme which works well inside the Visitors Center. Their place-cards were river rocks and fit in well. River Rocks They also has menu cards and tea fortes as their favors which all went together. Table Layout , Favors One of my favorite things was their cake topper. It was custom made and looks exactly like them!! Cake Topper

 It ended up being a really nice night and I think they were really happy with everything!

OK - I know - I am cheating. I was simply too tired on Saturday evening to update you all and write!

 Looking back at the wedding this weekend it was so very Sarah Savini. After working with the Savini family for over a year I feel that I really got to know Sarah really well and her touches were apparent everywhere.

 Beautiful Blooms did the flowers and they were so creative - as always! Savini Flowers, Savini Flowers 2, Savini Sweetheart Table

 The placecards were very zen - Savini Placecards, Savini Placecards 2

And everything was coordinated just so with the help of “Two Paper Dolls” - Savini Menu Cards, Savini Tablecards

 I know I have mentioned before how much I love the idea of using one of the Winterthur Books from the bookstore as a guests book that you can keep on your coffee table - Savini Sign In Book

 Linens are from Special Occasions and I think the room and the tables look great - Savini Set-up,

 We also worked with Sarah to create a lounge after 9pm in the lobby area, complete with a Bellini Bar - Savini Lounge set-up started, Savini Lounge

The cocktail tables on the patio added character - Savini Bug Jars

And how about this cake? - Savini Cake

 Marie Labbancz was their photographer and I am looking forward to sharing some more photos with you when I get a copy of some of the professional ones from Marie!!

Heather and Chris are so extremely happy right now. They ended up with a HOT but beautiful night for their wedding. The forecast at the beginning of the week looked a bit iffy, but it turned into a nice night. Heather did not want to worry about a thing on her wedding day so she decided to get a tent adjacent to the patio for her ceremony and cocktail hour just in case. Although there was no rain, I think the tent helped with the heat as well-it kept the sun out! Tent

They are such a happy couple and had some wonderful ideas! For example, Heather’s Grandfather has a 1931 Sedan that dropped Heather off right in front of the Visitor’s Center. They got some great pictures with the old car. Also, they had a wonderful idea for the lobby as well. They strung pictures from home made flower vases of themselves and family. Take a look and see. Strung Pictures ,  Pictures 2 , Picture 3 Theyhad a beautiful cake with ribbon to tie the whole color theme together. Cake

 It ended up being a wonderful night and another great wedding at Winterthur!

This past Saturday we were supposed to have a wedding ceremony out by the Reflecting Pool. The incliment weather kept us from using the beautiful Pool. The rain plan was to use the Gallery Reception Area for ceremony and cocktail hour. This does not happen too often, but when it does it is best to be prepared. The Gallery is a beautiful place to hold events. There are some pictures below as to how the Gallery can be transformed into a ceremony site and then also used for cocktail hour. A suggestion might be to let your florist know about the back-up plan as well so they have some extra flowers to really dress up the room. We always a plan B in mind just in case, and we want it to be just as memorable for you whether it is rain or shine!!

Gallery Ceremony,  Plan B

Hi Everyone - Beautiful night, beautiful weather, beautiful bride, beautiful Winterthur last Saturday!

 So much I know you will want to take a peak at so let me get started…When I toured Marvin and Christina around the Pool she made this little laugh and Marvin turned to me and said - “she is happy”. Well she laughed a lot on Saturday night and it was all thanks to a top notch team of vendors working together to make her vision come to life. First lets start with the flowers - welcome Beautiful Blooms! What true professionals and great artists. An absolute pleasure to work with and the flowers were stunning - but see for yourself - Blooms 1, Blooms 2, Blooms 3, Blooms 4

 Draping - second week in a row! Christina did not like the folding wooden walls in the Visitor Center and so she worked with Eventions Lighting to light the place up and drape the walls, take a look - Drape 1, Drape 2, Drape 3, Outside view, Lighting, Lit Ceiling,  Drape Cake (didn’t Kimberly do a great job with this design Christina picked out?) Drape Sweetheart and we even rented cloths to drape the entire front desk - Draped Desk

 Christina and Marvin are really into wine and they had some great accents to go along with that theme - Advice 1, Table Names, Pictures/Advice, and they also worked in a cherry blossom motif - Cherry Blossom Cake, Favor, Favor Table

 And I knew I was in capable hands but I was psyched to find out the event planner was such a delight to work with - Beka Nave. Beka has a great disposition and kept everything flowing and everybody calm all night long. She was a delight and so on her toes. Beka is working on more weddings this summer as well as her own - we wish her all the luck and hope to see her more here!

As always if you would like more information please let me know by clicking here.

This weekend we held a beautiful wedding with amazing weather. The ceremony and reception all took place at the Visitors Center, which is not all that common here at Winterthur. Usually, if we have an outdoor ceremony, the majority of people will want to use our Reflecting Pool. Most people do not realize how nice it is to use the Visitors Center. The patio holds a perfect place for up to 300 guests for a ceremony and cocktail hour. Paula and John’s wedding was Memorial Day Sunday and they loved getting married outside in this area. Please look at some of our pictures to see how amazing this space can be.

 Visitors Center, Outside Ceremony

Hi everyone

Tonight we had a great wedding - Emily and Nelson. Great weather out by the pool and the guests were raving about the rhododendrons that are in full bloom. She went with Periwinkle which compliments those so well.

 Two things in particular that I want to tell you about. Flowers by Yukie was here this evening. I love the flowers, the whole room smells like lilacs and I can smell it through my allergies! The flowers are so full of the lilacs, hydrangea, and peonies they are unbelievable - see for your yourself - Dickson Flowers - Tall, Dickson Flowers - Perfect Season, Dickson Flowers - Short. Look how great they went with the Periwinkle silk cloths from Special Occasions Linens - Periwinkle Bar, Periwinkle Placecards

I know some of you really dislike the pillars that are in the VC and Yukie unveiled something tonight to cover them, some white draping. This is her first time using this and it could only work on a smaller wedding right now as this takes up a lot of space. The staff and I feel after looking at them all night that they attract more attention rather then hide the spots but take a look for yourself and let me know your feedback - Pillar Covers, Pillar Covers 2, Pillar Covers 3, Pillar Covers 4, Pillar Covers - Room View

But I would say if you ask anybody that was here what the best part was - they would say FIREWORKS!! We have one vendor that is allowed to do them here on the property - Dennis O’Regan from Fireworks Concepts. I am happy to answer any questions you have about them or to put you in touch with Dennis who is a great guy to work with.

Alright - I am off to get some sleep. We have 2 more weddings next weekend that Rachel and I will put up for you.

Hi Everyone. Great to know everyone is reading the blog.

So this was our busiest weekend so far this year- a rehearsal dinner on Friday, Wedding on Saturday, and Point to Point on Sunday. And the weather was our friend which is always great.

 We had a beautiful rehearsal dinner on Friday. The event was held in the Visitor Center and we used only the front portion. During cocktail hour, guests were able to spread outside as all of the glass doors were open along the front. As the sun went down there was a great breeze and the guests asked us to keep the doors open. It was such a beautiful event with live plants and orange crush clothes and the perfect day as a backdrop.

 Saturday we kicked off with our first wedding at the pool this season. Again - great weather. The pool is blooming early thanks to the warm and dry April and guests were in awe.

Sunday Rachel and I were all over the Point to Point field with multiple hospitality tents, carts, and picnic baskets for our antique car group and the antique carriage parade members. Great weather really makes our lives easier - though Rachel is a little sunburned (and she was under the tents!).

This week does not stop. I am off and running now to a corporate event and we have one every night this week. Wedding this coming Saturday and Mother’s Day on Sunday. Sorry if you are waiting on emails from Rachel and I - we are trying to keep up. More pics next weekend when we can breathe. Talk to you all then!

We had one of our first weddings on the season this past weekend and it turned out to be a perfect day. This was a smaller wedding of only 60 guests and they used the Galleries Reception Area for the Ceremony and the Reception.

 We crossed our fingers all week for good weather, and our wishes came true. The ceremony took place on the back patio of the Gallery. With flowers starting to come up in the flower beds, it made for a beautiful backdrop. Cocktail hour and dinner and dancing took place inside. With the guest-list at 60 everything fit nicely in the room. The bar with cocktail tables were placed in the stair-hall that connected to the open exhibits that guests had the opportunity to wonder through.

Since we were unsure of the weather we decided to add in a coffee station with cordials to warm up the guests. Dinner and dancing took place and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.

 The Galleries Reception Area is a perfect place for a quaint wedding with still all the beauty surrounding it. Take a look at some pictures below to see what a wedding can look like in this area of the Estate!

Ceremony, Galleries Reception Area, Table Set, Wedding Cake

Not only do we have amazing weddings at Winterthur we also have great showers here! Showers can take the form of an afternoon tea, early brunch or a luncheon. Showers are held in a private section of the Visitor Center during business hours with no room rental required. We have held many baby showers for past brides and a lot of bridal showers for brides to be that have found Winterthur already booked on their wedding date. We just had one on March 15th - check out some of the pictures below. This was an afternoon tea with an extended menu for lunch.

 Bridal Shower, Luncheon, Flowers, Tea Sandwiches, Individual Salads, Cake

Both Rachel and I may answer questions that you might have. For more information please feel free to email us.

Hi Again!

I got a call from one of my friends on Sunday night when they were flipping through the TV stations and they saw Winterthur on TV. Last year in March we had a beautiful wedding for Kim and Adam that was filmed for the Learning Channels ‘Whose Wedding is it Anyway”.  It was so much fun to work with the TV crew and to see that “our” show is still playing on national television 11 months later.

I always get asked how Adam and Kim got picked.  If you have not seen the show, there are 2 couples featured for the hour long program. One couple had already been picked and a notice went out looking for a couple getting married on a certain weekend that fit with the filming time of the other show. Kim and Adam were that couple. They interviewed and did a tape for the show and they were an instant hit. They did not get picked for the show until about 6 weeks ahead of time if I remember correctly!

I will tell you that I never noticed that they were late decision makers as the show portrays them. I had worked with Kim and Adam for a few months and they always were on top of giving me everything I needed. Of course it is TV so they have to try to make some drama where there isn’t any!

 Joani was great to work with as well. Joani actually is the owner of VIP Magazine - one of the local magazines in this area that show great places to have your wedding - like us! Since Kim and Adam were so close to the time of their wedding they asked Joani to jump in and pinch hit and I know Adam and Kim were so grateful.

At the end of the show there are the beautiful fireworks being set-off from outside the Visitor Center. I know we are one of the only places, if not the only place, that is capable of having fireworks at our weddings. We work with Fireworks Concepts and they are the ultimate professionals. And talk about a memorable way to end an evening - how many of you can say you have been to a wedding with their own private fireworks display?

One of our favorite vendors to work with is Flowers by Yukie from Wilmington Delaware. Yukie provides so much more then just flowers - including draping tents, coming up with the Asian lantern look that everybody loves so much here at Winterthur, and even doing lounge furniture. They are such professionals to work with and they think of everything. We especially love how punctual they are when setting up and returning that evening to remove everything!

I had the pleasure of sitting with her and her colleague Molly recently to go through my sisters ideas for her wedding. They are so talented at taking every persons ideas and roaming through the store to put something together in front of you on site that works beautifully for everybody. My sister had brought some pictures with her and explained that she was looking for flowers that were different, inspired, modern, and fun. What we have ended up with is everything we could have hoped for. I look forward to sharing some pictures with you once the wedding is over!