Life is a special occasion

Real Wedding : Annie + Wade's Palm Beach Wedding at The Flagler Museum

Just a sneak peak at this recent, and oh so incredible, Lauren Daversa Events wedding captured by Kristen Weaver Photography at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum.  The hugest of huge thank you-s to the army of wedding pros who tirelessly worked above and beyond to ensure Annie & Wade's wedding was a complete success!  


Annie and Wade's Palm Beach Wedding 
 at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum


Be sure and check back for the photography recap of the entire wedding extravaganza courtesy of Kristen Weaver Photography!  Or, keep a look out in your favorite wedding magazine - hint, hint! 

If you want to see the fun shenanigans and happenings behind the scenes at LDE as we continue to plan from Palm Beach to New York, Florence and everywhere that lies in between say hello to us on Instagram - we've set up an account under MsLaurenDaversa.

Real Wedding : Clare + Matthew's Palm Beach Wedding Weekend at The Breakers & Flagler Museum

Wedding season in Palm Beach is coming to an end! And what better way to celebrate this amazing time before we jet off to New York and Florence, than to share the cinematography trailer of one of our favorite weddings of the spring season!

While we are not able to share the formal pictures quite yet, this sneak peak gives a beautiful glimpse into this stunning weekend Lauren Daversa Events planned, along with the A Team of Palm Beach, for one incredible couple and family!

Clare, Matthew, Yoshi, Sanda, Jerry, you already know it, but WE LOVE YOU!!!


Clare and Matthew's Palm Beach Wedding Weekend 
 at The Breakers and Flagler Museum 
captured by Andreo Studio 

A wedding like this ONLY happens with an A Team!  The hugest of huge thank you-s to the small army who tirelessly worked to ensure the weekend was a success!


Be sure and check back for the photography recap of the entire wedding extravaganza courtesy of Jules Bower!  Or, keep a look out in your favorite wedding magazine - hint, hint!

If you want to see the fun shenanigans and happenings behind the scenes at LDE as we continue to plan from Palm Beach to New York, Florence and everywhere that lies in between say hello to us on Instagram - we've set up an account under MsLaurenDaversa.

LDE Press : Lauren Daversa Events Loire Valley Shoot

What happens when a planner dreams? Well, they make their dreams come true!  In this case, one of my dreams took me all the way across the Atlantic to a magical country: France.




Lauren Daversa Makes Magic Happen!!

Honestly, who has not dreamed of planning a destination wedding; I know I have! And while it may appear on the surface the tasks involved with planning a wedding abroad could be a huge undertaking, I hope this shoot showcases a wedding abroad being difficult to plan is merely a myth and could not be any further from the truth!

Okay, it truly helps if you've hired the right team of professionals to provide you with the support
you will need, and deserve!  However, in order to rest assured your wedding will be the most incredible experience of your life, and whether a wedding is in your hometown, or a country you have only dreamed of visiting, you will always need the right team behind you!

And just to illustrate how easy it is to fly away for the destination wedding of your dreams, I collaborated with local vendors to bring to document a destination photoshoot.  In this instance, I dreamed of a Parisian shoot, and then turn it into a reality.  All so couples are able to see having a wedding abroad is a viable option for your special day.

Okay, it takes planning.  And sure, I am a planner.  But I have never been to France (born and raised New Yorker).  I've never driven a manual car. I don't speak French. Yet, I was able to create this over the top, dream of a wedding shoot, shot onsite a gorgeous castle, in the middle of the Loire Valley!



Living Life Like A Fairytale ?  

Here is a little secret: as is with every event, there are always teeny-tiny snafus.  And on the day of the shoot, there was quite a snafu.  Hours before everything was scheduled to start, the model was a no show.  

OH MA GAWD!!!

The middle of the Loire Valley is not exactly epicenter of a plethora of models waiting to work.   



In my line of work, the only time to worry is when a problem arises, and you have hired crappy vendors. Yup, in this case, you're probably SH!T out of luck.  It is one reason why you always hire the best vendors you can. For me, after twenty-three years in the industry, there is absolutely no situation, or problem I cannot find a way to resolve.  And when the news of a no-show model broke, my planner, director, producer, visionary hats came off, and I went into fix it mode. And in this case, fix it meant I was forced into the role of pretending to be a model for the day.

Anyone who knows me personally, will vouch it is a rare day when you will find me in front of the camera - my modeling days ended in the nineties.  And while I was never, ever, EVER supposed to be in front of the camera at my own shoot, this was the only solution. Thanks no show model. 



On the flip side, how wonderful this snafu serves as the perfect example to illustrate something I share with my clients time and time and time and time and time and time again: there is never a problem in the world of wedding planning; there are only situations which need to be tweaked!

And on this day, it came full circle to where I was taking my own advice.  Despite not wanting to, I dug deep, took my own advice, turned to motivation from Richard Dreyfuss and let it ride.  There was no way this amazing photoshoot, in the middle of the Loire valley, with time working against us, was going to go down the toilet!



Twirling in a Princess Dress in front of a Castle

with a Rainbow Beaming In The Sky was Magical!!

Looks easy, twirling around in front of a gorgeous castle - doesn't it!

Getting Stuffed Into The Dress





Well, before the twirls, there was hours of hair and makeup; it took two people to stuff me into a tight, super heavy wedding gown; and my feet were shoved into high heels two sizes too small. Then came the hours of grinning like I meant it, from sunrise to sunset.  We managed to pull off morphing from two strangers into lovey-dovey newlyweds.  Okay, there may have been a never ending supply of champagne popped throughout the day to keep me going! COME ON, we were in France! But for a woman, to rock a gorgeous, yet very, very, very heavy and very, very tight wedding gown; run around in teeny tiny high heels; and balance ten pounds of hair piled high on top of my head; and, end the day smiling - I'd categorize this as a miracle!





Running In Heels!

But look at the result!

Look at this portraits!

In one day, after months of creating and planning, the vision, my dream, bringing to life a modern, romantic Parisian elopement, where the style of Marie Antoinette was infused with the sass of my hometown of NYC, was completely brought to life.

Just Keep Smiling, Just Keep Smiling!!!


A Modern Day Cinderella Moment


We hit the nail on the head with this shoot, and the vision became an even more beautiful reality. The result was better than what I had dreamed up in my own mind, and truly portrayed one possible way for YOU to have your own fairytale wedding!

A Castle Fit For A Princess and Her Prince 











Beautiful Decor Courtesy of the Castle!



It took an army to create the entire shoot a success!  Beauty was provided by Samantha Joline Vandermeyde, and hair by Maude Poilievreu worked for hours to transform me into a decent looking bride; and Jean-Marie Voignier designed the most incredible tablescape, decor, bouquets and boutonnieres!  Event Planning and stationery by Lauren Daversa Events. And you know what, IT WAS WORTH EVERY SECOND AND ALL THE WORK!


24 Hours of Shooting Deserves A Lot of Champs






All together, the shoot lasted almost 24 hour between beauty and wardrobe, location changes and champagne breaks. We shot around the castle's extensive grounds; throughout the surrounding town; even in the local sun flower fields at sunset.

What a gift it is to be able to make a dream become   reality, which I am proudly sharing with you. Any couple would be blessed to call this shoot their wedding.  This may be the most beautiful wedding I will ever have! And these are only a few of the stunning portraits be captured!  Seriously, only a few of them!

So, if you are recently engaged, and considering a romantic and unique destination wedding, remember it is a possibility.  Destination weddings allow you to immerse yourself in the splendors of a new culture; a culture only able to be found in a foreign location, far, far, far away! You will have the chance to escape into a fantasy-esque world with your closest friends and family by your side and all to share in one of the most significant moments in your life! 



Be sure to say hello to Lauren Daversa Events, and let us make your wedding dreams come true! Whether you want to go to Palm Beach, New York, Montauk, Firenze, Hawaii, Paris, or somewhere else in the world, we are ready to to give you the experience of lifetime, which you will never forget!

What are you waiting for!!

Sunset Kisses in a Field of Sunflowers!


Love Was Literally in the Air! 

Current Music: Neil Young: Harvest Moon


Anyone who checks in regularly with LDE knows I work long hours and always have music playing. Wherever I am in the world, I LOVE music, and it must be on at all times.  I mean, I absolutely love, love, love music. And it is no joke, it is always on: it's on when I'm working in the office; it's on when I'm getting up in the AM; when I am getting ready for a meeting or an event; it's on when I'm driving; it's certainly on when I'm traveling; of course, it's on during all of my events; it's on when I'm cleaning the house; it's on when I cook; it's on when I think about exercising; it's even on during the few hours when I do sleep. Point made? Think so.

Today, I have had Harvest Moon on repeat. It happens to be one of my all time favorite songs.

While there are many stories of the meaning behind the song, it's said Neil Young wrote it as tribute to his wife, Pegi. To me, this is a love song describing a love between life long soulmates, sigh.

But besides my lyrical interpretation, Harvest Moon has one of the most beautiful melodies! And when combined with the lyrics - as sung by Neil - then add the musicians quietly embellishing with the soft strung of their guitars, then throw in the light tap-tap-tapping of the drums, and the jazzy harmonica - forget it, gets me every time!

And as music should, I get more than just melodic enjoyment from hearing it.  Harvest Moon actually provides me with a sense of contentment, of hope, it brings me happiness. It reminds me love, romance and that life long love is all possible. Surely, when you are ready to receive it, but it's all there! I see this first hand with my couples, but I feel this first hand when the song has the ability to momentarily wash away my personal fears of giving in to love, and then at the same time, it opens my heart to the excitement of possibly throwing caution to the wind, and if the time comes, letting this deep, intense, beautiful love into my heart and my life!  Music is so powerful!

It has been said, nothing lasts forever. To that I somewhat disagree. Sure, bread, eggs, milk, crappy friendships, jobs, stilettos, mascara - yup, those are things which will all go sour at some point.  But with respect to love, clearly there are cases where love lasts forever. With a parent, a child, a pet, a friend, a partner. I myself have had the joy of experiencing love a few times in different areas of my life! And when / if / should I ever experience this Harvest Moon type of love, well Mazel Tov!

This beautiful song should absolutely be considered for a First Dance - I think I've already made up my mind to use it, and I'm not even planning a wedding!  Hey, what do you expect? I'm a wedding planner. I've got love and marriage on my mind all day, all night, all year long!

Cheers to everyone finding their own Harvest Moon love and romance!
And enjoy this beautiful song!



Lilly Pulitzer Inspired Bachelorette Weekend Featured in Southern Bride's Magazine

The list is a long of the advantages of being a business owner. One is opportunity, and it presents itself in many forms. On a personal level, I have been blessed with the opportunity to follow my passion; to discover I possess the fortitude to handle and surpass setbacks; the energy to survive exhausting hours and the intense amount of effort required to build a business; to achieve the goal many people close to not only tied to dissuade me from pursuing, but to actually revise my dream to and pursue a real job; to come across supportive colleagues who offered guidance, advice, praise and encouragement, all of which helped me to not give up and continue along on my journey; to be empowered when my dream and vision came to fruition; or, the best opportunity I have been blessed, it is the opportunity to ensure my daughter bears first hand witness to the result of what dedication, hard work and follow through leads to when you follow your passion and dreams! 

Incredibly these are merely a few of the amazing opportunities I have been afforded since opening Lauren Daversa Events.  

Another facet in the many sided benefits of opportunity which stem from being a business owner is the opportunity to meet new people! Clearly, part of my business is just that - meet A LOT of people. Many are couples planning their wedding! And surely enough, these meetings lead to couples becoming LDE clients!  However, I am way emotionally invested in my company, and I do not view couples as clients but rather as new members of this unbelievable LDE family I've created over the past decade! 

And it is never the bride and groom who join the LDE family.  Oh no!  It is their family and friends, maybe their children, their pets, neighbors, work colleagues, etc. Honestly, I never know who I will meet, but I do know it's going to be great!  Take for instance a look below at this beauty!


Meet Lara!

Our first meeting started discussing her wedding! Eventually, we officially welcomed her to the LDE family and I found out that not only is she a sweet, sweet person, but she is also a passionate and driven woman who is following her dreams! 

Recently she took the leap of faith all small business owners take, and opened her own company:
She creates the most beautifully curated gifts and accessories for every sort of celebration one can imagine.



Lara of Gala Tuesday
and yes
she is always smiling!










And from there, I was then introduced to the incredibly talented Kirstie, another passionate, driven woman following her dreams!

Like myself, and Lara, Kirstie took the leap and opened her a photography studio:
Kir2BenPhotography

Today, she travels the world and and captures couples in love!

Kirstie 
of Kir2Ben Photography
and yes she always 
has her camera with her!









So what happens when you combine the creative talents of these ladies and a bachelorette weekend?  Just keep scrolling and feast your eyes on this Lilly Pulitzer Inspired Bachelorette Weekend, shot all over Charleston throughout Labor Day weekend.

Masterfully styled by Gala Tuesday, captured by Kir2Ben Photography ... well see for yourself!


Lilly Pulitzer Inspired Bachelorette Weekend Featured in Southern Bride's Magazine

The Bridal Squad
arriving to Charleston on Labor Day weekend
to explore the the South Carolina coast
on their weekend in “Laradise”



And now, marvel at all Lara's work on creating the fixins' for her bridesmaids
for this southern inspired soirée!


The Welcome Bags
Yup, her girls arrived to Charleston and were greeted with these beauties!
COMEON, when you're a professional celebration curator 
how else do you kick off the weekend?



 Bags included champagne, matching Lilly tunics and flamingo drink floats
lovingly placed inside a tote by Sixpence Press



Just another shot of the girls with their incredible welcome bags
and how happy they are to receive such a thoughtful gift!

And how ecstatic the girls were to receive such a thoughtful gift!
 However, Lara's gifting did not stop with her goodie bags!  


She gifted the girls matching Lilly Pulitzer Flagler Tunics ...






...and custom, hand painted beach hats
for them to all on their day at Folly Beach!


Clearly these girls have a strong bond, and a super love for their friend and bride-to-be, Lara!
And the idea of a bachelorette weekend is major trend happening in the wedding world.  
Seriously, what a great trend, and certainly one I see growing! After all, these are experiences 
that do not happen all the time.  

Just as bridesmaids will put a tremendous amount of effort into the wedding,
it's wonderful to be the bride who puts a tremendous amount of thought and effort
into celebrating their commitment, along with the reason why these ladies 
are an important part of the wedding!  

And being sure to have a professional photographer with you is a must
- how else will you forever have professional pictures of these priceless memories
... like the ones you're loving in this post!


This is pure happiness!
Job well done, Lara & Kirstie!


Though these are only are a few of the details Gala Tuesday created, and Kir2Ben captured, they were more than enough to showcase how fabulous this Lilly Pulitzer Bachelorette Weekend was to Southern Bride's Magazine - so much featured the entire extravaganza! You can check out the full post by clicking here!

WHO MADE IT HAPPEN
Also be sure to check back for LDE's full wedding recap of Lara & Louis' Palm Beach wedding: ceremony at St. Ann Catholic Church, and reception at The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum! And as always, for up to the minute LDE posts, head on over to our Instagram account! I'm a great Instagram poster, and love to share the fun shenanigans and happenings going on at LDE as we continue to plan from Palm Beach to New York, Florence and everywhere in between!  

Oh and cliff hanger, Gala TuesdayKir2Ben Photography and Lauren Daversa Events have something up our sleeves!  It's fun, fabulous, and we are totally pumped to share - when the time is right!  

In the mean time, check these ladies out for all your own celebrations!!!!


LDE Press: Carats & Cake Features Lauren Daversa Events New York City Wedding


Always a planner, never a blogger. Yup, this pretty much sums me up lately as I have been one-hundred percent guilty of sharing recent weddings and press Lauren Daversa Events has been receiving. 

Being there is no time like the present, I am excited to post a recent LDE wedding Carats & Cake featured on their amazing blog: Elizabeth & Brian's classic New York City wedding! The wedding took place at the iconic the Lotte New York Palace and was captured by Ambrosio Photography.  Check out the full post by clicking here, and be sure to check back for our full wedding recap! 

And as always, for up to the minute posts, head on over to my Instagram account. I'm a great Instagram poster, and love to share the fun shenanigans and happenings going on at LDE, as we continue to plan from Palm Beach to New York, Florence and everywhere that lies in between!

Real Wedding : Noikha + Shelby's Palm Beach Wedding at Royal Poinciana Chapel & Flagler Museum


Noikha & Shelby's Flagler Museum Wedding
on behalf of Lauren Daversa Events


Key Moment Films wrote it best: rain would not put a damper on Noikha and Shelby's wedding day. They were married in Palm Beach at the Royal Poinciana Chapel, followed by dinner and dancing at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. Not only was this a beautiful wedding, but it was a wedding where everyone could feel the love among the couple, their families and friends!

 

A huge thank you to the team who worked so hard to make the day such a success!



Be sure and check back for the full recap of Thompson Photography Group's wedding pictures of our Henry Morrison Flagler Museum wedding extravaganza! And of course, always check in to see the shenanigans and happenings at LDE, as we continue to plan from Palm Beach to New York, Florence and all that lies in between!