Off To The Races – Equestrian Inspired Wedding Ideas!

Image via Society Bride

In anticipation for this weekend’s Belmont Stakes & possibly seeing California Chrome take the Grand Prix (!), we give you our list of must-haves for any derby/equestrian/rustic wedding!

Horses & horse-themed decor. Nothing says derby better than horses! Known as adventurous and high energy creatures, this theme suits beautifully for the couple that is full of life, vitality and free spirits! Horses are commonly integrated into many religious ceremonies but also serve as a beautiful sidekick for non-secular wedding ceremonies. Outside of the mammal itself, incorporating horse images and/horseshoes is a common wedding theme – including the wedding invitations, place card holders, coaster or centerpieces!

 

Barn and/or other rustic details. Horses need a place to stay. So does a beautiful wedding! Barns are a great way to create ‘understated beauty’ for a wedding reception.. It could be as minimalist or elaborate as one couple prefers, but we find a barn-type wedding makes for some of the most beautiful wedding photos! The ideas are endless: draping fabric along the barn roof, candelabras, mason jars and/or wooden/nature oriented centerpieces, sparse lighting by hanging floating lamps from the ceiling or buying mini LED lights and wiring them around the outer perimeter of the barn!

 

Hats. One cannot forget the hats. The hat plays an integral role in derby fashion, but can also be a fun addition to the derby-inspired wedding! Brides and bridesmaids – take note! Here’s your perfect bridal shower theme! Incorporate the hats into a fun shower game or have a photo booth with funky hats that people can wear in the photos. Also, get creative with the shower table centerpieces and desserts by adding a sugar hat on top!

 

More ideas? How about using TROPHIES for table decor/centerpieces to hold the floral arrangements! What about chalkboards to direct people through the venue or use mini chalkboards to write the table seating! For more visual inspiration, check out our Derby Wedding & Rustic Wedding Chic Pinterest boards!

 

PHOTO CREDITS

Photo 1; Photo 2; Photo 3; Photo 4; Photo 5; Photo 6; Photo 7; Photo 8; Photo 9

 

tanaRi events weddings: Phil & Fara

We had the pleasure of helping the beautiful couple Fara & Phil make their wedding a day they’d never forget!

On July 7, 2012, Phil & Fara exchanged their vows in a beautiful multi-cultural wedding that incorporated elements of both Indian and Jewish traditions. There was a garland exchange during the ceremony and Fara wore a beautiful plum bridal saree for the reception.  In addition, there was the traditional breaking of the glass at the end of the ceremony and Phil and Fara braved the crowd with the hora dance and being lifted in chairs together. What gave the wedding an extra touch was having their dog as the ring bearer!

Everything about Phil & Fara’s wedding was elegant and classy – from the understated white decor and beautiful purple floral arrangements, it made the room shine on a beautiful spring day.

We want to give a special thanks to everyone who helped make their wedding such an amazing day! The team at Maritime Parc for making the venue look absolutely stunning, Laura Clare Designs and their amazing floral arrangements, Damali NYC, and Karen Wise Photography for capturing the highlights of the day in such a poignant way.

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Wedding Weather Extremes — Tips & Solutions!

For many brides, a “worst case scenario” is when you unexpectedly struggle with severe weather changes on the day of your wedding. (This can include scorching heat & humidity and/or rain & other wet weather.) We’re here to tell you that THIS IS NOT THE WORST THING! While it can become a hiccup in the process of altering some of the arrangements for the ceremony/reception and can delay events of the day, there’s no reason why it still can’t be the best day of your life!

Here are some of tanaRi events helpful tips & tricks for these extreme weather situations during the summertime:

• Location/venue: once you’ve commit to your spot, be sure to discuss with the venue planner(s) all options for spots on site that can accommodate for any unexpected weather conditions (especially for outdoor weddings in summer & winter seasons.)
• Travel arrangements:  it is important to provide guests with several recommendations of transportation to & from the venue (particularly for destination weddings.) Also, it doesn’t hurt to throw an umbrella and/or poncho (rain), scarves (cool weather) and extra pair of shoes (any weather).
• Umbrellas: keep an assortment on site should there be sudden changes in weather. 
• Tent: putting up a tent for the reception could help with very mild weather (ie. heavy winds, snow, light drizzle, etc.) 
• Refreshments: guests will be happy if you provide cool beverages before and/or after the ceremony (especially in hot weather)
• Dress attire: stick to light color/material dresses (women) and thinner texture/layers (men) 
• Food: avoid delicate creams/ingredients that can melt and/or spoil in warm weather (ie. cheese-based desserts, mayonnaise, ice cream) 
• Hair/make-up: simple is best to avoid discomfort, unraveling & discoloration of makeup on the skin
• Wedding gifts: this is a great opportunity to be personal & creative with DIY items that can help guests. For example, offer some fans, mini water bottles with custom wrapping or visors.

Are you planning an upcoming wedding and need more questions answered? Contact us and we’ll be happy to speak with you further!

In addition, check out this great weather.com article that provides other excellent suggestions on other topics that can be affected with weather (ie. flower arrangements, reception chairs)

Photo credits: Location/venue photo; Travel arrangements photo; Umbrella photo; Tent photo; Refreshment photo; Dress attire photo; Food photo; Hairstyle photo; Wedding gifts photo

Exploring South Asian Cuisine at the Varli Food Festival!

tanaRi events got an inside look at the 2nd annual Varli Food Festival in Manhattan! More than 2000 people showed up to this event which was hosted by none other than Padma Lakshmi and Sanjeev Kapoor!  The event showed guests that Indian food can be more than chicken tikka and rice!  Many booths showed off an eclectic array of smells and spices coming from various regions in India.  All the dishes were unique and colorful, with something for everyone’s taste buds!

Here are some great pics of some cake ideas!

Look at all this scrumptious food!

Here’s a snap of Vikas Khanna doing a food demo!

And our fave Sanjeev Kapoor!

Had an amazing time sampling all the delicious food and meeting Padma Laxmi, Sanjeev Kapoor, and Vikas Khanna!

Personal Preferences, Your Location, Time & Weather – Picksie 2.0

Back in June we spoke to you about Picksie – which is a recommendation engine with a push mechanism.  For us it was really exciting to be back as take part in the launch of Picksie’s 2.0 this past November.   tanaRi events’ helped put together a fabulous private event at the Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes.  We handled majority of the event design, planning & production, along with day-of-coordination.

Picksie made its name as “a New Yorker’s best friend” with its new and much-improved interface, speed, and functionality. And the best part for everyone out there? It’s free.  For us, it was great to be part of sharing this product with a discerning audience who love technology and also enjoy exploring the city.

The party space was set-up to be modern & very tech savvy.  As the brand color is green, the Picksie green was the chosen theme color.  The color was brilliantly incorporated into the room and the different elements in the event space.  The neon bright kiosks manned by Picksie experts, and the video displays on TV screens demonstrated the various unique features of Picksie 2.0.

The launch party began at 7pm and we were excited that the space filled very quickly with techies, and Picksie supporters.  As soon as guests entered, there was a red carpet entrance with Picksie 2.0 step & repeat where guests posed for their photos.  Few minutes into this, our special celebrity guest, Avril Lavigne arrived with Brody Jenner.  After the red carpet photo session, Avril came straight to use Picksie’s all new 2.0 application and had very nice compliments for the special features of the latest version.

The food and drinks at the event were a perfect blend to the theme and audience tastes.  Appetizers were served with green custom made napkins and the drink favorite emerged to be event special “Picksitini.”  I personally loved the flashy green swizzle sticks in the drinks that light up and were in the theme color.

During a night of drinks, food, music, and fun, attendees were able to test out Picksie 2.0 on iPhones, demonstrated by Picksie team, and learned about the exploring New York City with Picksie’s help.  They had a great time meeting Avril and had fun along with her, who bowled a few games with Brody by her side.  It was great to see Avril and Brody really enjoying their game.

There was a live DJ playing great music and a fabulous emcee who did some stand-up comedy along with the event announcements throughout the evening!

Prizes were raffled away to some of the biggest fans of Avril, which included an iPhone 4s and autographed photos by Avril herself! A few other lucky attendees won wonderful prizes to nights out, fine dining, and movies. The guests also received Picksie t-shirts and other memorabilia which were very well received.

The planning time was short and, as in most event planning, there were lot of moving parts to the event, but tanaRi events is so glad that everything came together perfectly at the launch.  Avril was highly pleased with the event and the product, and every guest left happier and more informed about the Big Apple that we could not have anything more.

Thank you to Picksie for allowing us to plan your event and special thanks to all the guests who shared great feedback!  Enjoy Picksie 2.0.

Special Holiday Giveaway! Will you be the winner?

We at tanaRi events’ believe that holiday season is about giving!  We want to share our tips and advice with many more readers and have great news for you – our special holiday giveaway.

Starting Dec 20th to Dec 31st, we have an amazing prize for a friend of tanaRi events, who brings in most number of new fans to our Facebook page.

How does it work? ->
1) You share tanaRi events Facebook page with your network and ask them to ‘like’ this page.
2) When your contact joins, ask them to post a comment on tanaRi events FB wall with your name Or you could send us a list of friends who joined due to your recommendation.
3) The person who brings in most people to tanaRi events will be the winner of a really awesome prize. (totally worth your time!!)

Viola!  That is it!  Exciting stuff! 🙂

Our tips and advice could be of great benefit for anyone planning events and weddings, or if you like entertaining, travelling, fashion and beauty.   So join us in sharing the good news and be rewarded for your effort!  Love ya already!

‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’ – tips, tricks, pictures and more…

Few weeks have gone by since tanaRi events brought together some amazing talents from the South asian wedding industry to the Tie the Knot Bazaar, which took place at Soigne K in November.   Since then we have received many requests to share more details of the event, so here we go…

Tie the Knot Bazaar incorporated many new ideas for brides-to-be and here is a slight refresher for you…

* Décor: Less is more is such a beautiful philosophy.

Sometimes weddings with minimal and simple décor can be the most beautiful weddings.  Taking that inspiration, tanaRi events’s table was decorated with a simple tall centerpiece that complimented tanaRi events’ colors. As part of décor, we also included turquoise cake pops.

Using food and drinks as part of your décor is a great idea that you can use.  Keep the colors & flavors synchronized with your overall theme and you’ve got a winner!

*Desserts: Tiered-cakes are classic and will always ‘in’.  However, these days focus has shifted a bit from elaborate cakes to dessert bars with a mélange of bite-sized delectables, including cupcakes or cake pops.  Bittersweet NYC provided us with perfectly sized and succulent cake pops in our colors, which were much appreciated by the guests as well.

*Entertainment: What will people remember most about your wedding? Along with food, entertainment is one of the most important at a wedding reception.  You could choose a DJ/Band for music or more exotic  choices of entertainment.

At Tie the Knot Bazaar, we had middle eastern dancers, who performed a variety of dance and introduced a range of props, even swords were at play :), which was extremely entertaining.  The best part of the dance, as noted by the guests,  was that they danced to music from different parts of the world, including Bollywood.

*Photobooth: Even though photo booths are not new, Tie the Knot Bazaar took a very unique take on this idea.  We customized it for a South Asian wedding theme.  The booth was lined with saris and the many accessories included a pagdi (a Indian headpiece worn by men), saris, dupattas (silk stoles), hand made mustaches, bindis, eye glasses and the like.  This is definitely a place to be very creative.  Our lovely photographer, KSD Weddings captured many candid shots of the guests.

In addition to this the vendors brought together great tips and tricks for today’s bride.   We are glad to have presented this opportunity for you and truly honored that you enjoyed it!

Just in case you missed it, check out Part One of ‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’ blog – http://wp.me/s1AGiI-success.  If you have feedback from the event, feel free to send us an email to info@tanarievents.com

Photos courtesy: KSD Weddings  Location: Soigne K

Thank you for being a part of ‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’

Beautiful weather, gorgeous location, delicious hors d’oeuvres, mouth-watering desserts, amazing talents from the wedding industry, South Asian inspired photo booth… the list could go on and on about the special features of the first annual ‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’.

In short, we are excited to report that the 250+ guests who attended the event had an excellent time and we had so much fun putting this event together!  In your words  “Tie the Knot Bazaar was a huge success”.  We are overwhelmed by the kind words and thank you so much for your participation, good wishes and support!  tanaRi events’ is happy to have hosted this event and we love you for being a part of ‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’.

tanaRi events’ sends our heartfelt thanks to our vendor partners Chef Hemant Mathur from Tulsi, Reena Vadehra & Jaee Likhite from 3 Bees Paperie, Surbhi Sahni from Bittersweet NYC, Tina Doshi from KSD Weddings, Heidi Evora- Santiago from Damali NYC, Soigne Kothari from Soigne K, and Jayesh Rana from Raaz Entertainment for joining us in this effort to bring the best for our friends.

Sharing a few highlights from the evening… More pics coming soon.

It is here! ‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’ will take place tomorrow, November 8th.

After weeks of preparation, ‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’ is less than 48 hours away and we at tanaRi events’ can’t wait to see everyone!

tanaRi events’ will host the first annual ‘Tie the Knot Bazaar’ at Soigne K in New York City on November 8, 2011.  The event will feature top wedding professionals from the world of fashion & accessories, photography, custom stationery, hair & makeup, fine dining and entertainment in New York City.

The guests will be entertained with dance performances by Eastern Dance Group, delectable appetizers and drinks by Tulsi NYC and desserts from Bittersweet NYC.  They will also have the opportunity to learn how to drape a sari and receive a free makeover by the talented artists from Damali NYC.

We know that most of you have it on your calendar and we love all you organized peeps! 😉 Those who pre-registered will be eligible to win prizes and giveaways.  A few lucky guests will have the opportunity to win a designer shawl from Soigne K or a Chef’s special five-course tasting menu with wine pairing from Tulsi NYC and other prizes.

Event Details:
Name: Tie the Knot Bazaar
Date: November 8, 2011
Location: Soigne K, 717 Madison Avenue, New York, NY
Time: 4:30 pm – 8:30pm

Pre-register for the Tie the Knot Bazaar online by sending an email to rsvp@tanarievents.com and qualify to win prizes.

Thanks to our vendor partners Chef Hemant Mathur from Tulsi, Reena Vadehra & Jaee Likhite from 3 Bees Paperie, Surbhi Sahni from Bittersweet NYC, Tina Doshi from KSD Weddings, Heidi Evora- Santiago from Damali NYC, Soigne Kothari from Soigne K, and Jayesh Rana from Raaz Entertainment for joining us in this effort to bring the best for tanaRi’s friends and supporters.

If you have questions, feel free to contact us at info@tanarievents.com or 917-628-0273.  See you tomorrow!

The allure of Venice, Italy!

Have you dreamt of a wedding in Italy set in a medieval church or castle, and the couple feeling as part of a Renaissance painting?

If you are considering a wedding in Venice or in the dream phase, read on… I will not go into detail about the history and beauty of Venice, its architecture and gondola rides, as I am sure that is clear in your mental image.

I sure felt the charm and magic of the place when I was in Venice earlier this year.  And I will admit I loved my job more than ever, as I spent my day researching the Venetian churches and restaurants.

Sharing some ideas to consider as you shape your dream into a reality of Venice as your wedding destination. There are many beautiful churches in Italy, no doubt, but if you are looking for do a traditional Italian wedding in Venice, Chiesa di San Moisè (or San Moisè Profeta) is definitely worth looking into.

Want that palace wedding tying in art, beauty, magic and romance? Ca’ Sagredo is the place for you. Located on the banks of the Grand Canal, between Ca’ D’Oro and the Rialto Bridge, the 14th century building is a palace, museum, hotel and a luxury wedding location.

For rehearsal dinner or an intimate family gathering, Hotel Gritti Palace is an amazing location.  Located next to the Grand Canal, it overlooks the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute.  With the night lights, the backdrop is stunning. They usually have live music (piano playing) and the service is spot on. Food is delicious and their wine selection ranges from local wines to other Italian wines which would be perfect for the occasion.  

Another great choice for a private party is the rooftop of Hotel Danieli, which is located just steps away from Saint Mark’s square.   Though a bit on the pricier side, the hotel and the restaurant, Terrazza Danieli’s, offers an endless array of food and wine choices, and you are guaranteed exemplary service.

My research came to life when we chanced upon a wedding in Venice.   The gorgeous couple got married at the Chiesa di San Moisé and had a super romantic exit on a gondola, as the gondolier sang to them.   Here are some pictures I shot of them.

– Riri

(Photo Credits – Riri Patel, TravelPod, Hotel Danieli, Ca’ Sagredo & Hotel Gritti Palace websites)