Deleter Neopiko Line 2 Pens from Japan

When I visited Japan last year, I loved browsing around little stationery shops where you could try out more pens and colors than you could ever dream of. I ended up purchasing some Deleter Neopiko Line 2 pens in 0.05 width, and loved them so much that I used them in all of my hand written cards, invitation packaging cards, and wedding client cards for the past two years.

The Neopiko Line 2 pens have acid free pigment ink which is also waterproof. But, my favorite part is that they draw an extremely thin line! They are definitely the thinnest that I have ever seen compared to pens that you can commonly purchase in the US. One downfall of these pens though is that you have to be a little bit delicate when writing with them, because the pen point is very small. One push too hard, and the tip is gone!

My brother-in-law, Paul, and his wife went to Japan earlier this month and I had asked them to get me a couple of Neopiko pens if they happened to see them in their shopping/browsing. When I saw what they had gotten me, I think I let out a little squeal...

They got me five Deleter Neopiko Line 2 pens, in .1, 0.05, and 0.03 sizes. I couldn't believe that there was one that was thinner than what I used before! It was such a nice surprise to get some extras, and I'm so excited to write with them in all of my future cards.

~Emilie

Wellesley College Club Wedding Photos by Khanna Photography

Now that the 2010 wedding season is nearing an end (only two more weddings to go!), I'm finally getting a chance to recap weddings with professional photos, so stay tuned for lots of gorgeous images in the blog in the upcoming weeks!

This past May, I was the day-of coordinator for Helki and Jesse's wedding at the Wellesley College Club. A traditional Jewish ceremony was held on the lawn next to the lake, with the dinner reception inside the club, and dancing out on the patio. Boston Common Band was amazing that night and really had the party going until the very end! I previously posted about all of the details here, and I'm happy to finally show you some of the professional photos from Kyra and Gaurav Khanna of Khanna Photography.

Photos by Khanna Photography
Kyra and Gaurav, thanks for sharing these wonderful photos and for coming up to Boston all the way from Washington D.C.!

~Emilie

ASPIRE 2010 Conference Thank You Cards

I was recently asked to create thank you cards by the chair of the ASPIRE 2010 Asian American Women in Leadership Conference. This conference was held on Saturday, October 16th, at Boston University's Photonics Center and featured keynote speakers, panels, workshops, and interactive discussions. I attended the conference and acted as a moderator for a panel called "The Road Less Taken" which featured an actor, a dancer, a food blogger and community manager at Urban Spoon, and a singer, all of whom are talented and driven Asian American women. Attendees ranged from high school students to working professionals, and the discussion we had was based around how all of the panelists decided to pursue their dreams, and what advice they could give to others who want to follow a non-traditional career path.

I created 26 thank you cards for keynote speakers and panelists, and seven for panel moderators. These were made out of pearlescent white cardstock and mounted onto beet colored cardstock. Matching beet envelopes were paired with the cards, with recipient names written on the front of the envelope in white ink. I also made 11 thank you cards for the conference team, adding an extra flower detail on the front of the envelope in various colors.

ASPIRE is a wonderful Boston-based non-profit organization dedicated to developing career and leadership skills for Asian American girls and women. I volunteered for the organization starting in 2003, and had to take step back after founding Pink Orchid Weddings in 2008, but I always try to help out every now and then with thank you cards or whatever else I can because it's such a meaningful organization that definitely has helped Asian American women find and grow their leadership potential.

~Emilie

Linda and Ryan's Hei La Moon Wedding!

On Saturday, October 23rd, I was the coordinator for Linda and Ryan's wedding day, with their ceremony at the Old South Meeting House and reception later at Hei La Moon.

It was a relaxing morning and early afternoon for both of them. The ladies got their hair styled at a nearby salon, then got dressed at the couple's condo, with the bride’s friend doing the makeup. The men had lunch in Faneuil Hall and then got ready at the Four Seasons Hotel. Linda wore a stunning Melissa Sweet gown, while the bridesmaids were outfitted in grey J. Crew dresses and carried sweet pink bouquets.

The couple met up at the Boston Public Gardens for their "first look" and took portraits with the entire bridal party, taken by Dorie and her assistant from Dorie Lynn Photography. After their pictures, they headed to their historical ceremony venue. The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 (!!) and was the space that held the mass protest meetings that led to the Boston Tea Party, and is currently a museum. Can't wait to see pictures of the place from Dorie! The ceremony was short and sweet, highlighted by ethereal music provided by harpist Emilia Pepen.

Guests were transported between the two venues by two trolleys from Old Town Trolley (they were told to park at Hei La Moon). The newlyweds and the wedding party took portraits in one trolley and arrived in style for the reception. Each table at Hei La Moon was adorned with a beautiful and simple centerpiece created by Orchids N' Blooms, who provided all the flowers for their wedding day. Every other setting had a banquet or a beverage menu on it, so guests would know ahead of time what would be served at dinner and at the bar. There was also a silver box of truffles for each person to take home.

After introductions, the bride quickly changed into her qipao and the newlyweds took part in a brief tea ceremony. Instead of using a traditional tea set, the couple used a contemporary blue-green ceramic set with a cherry blossom motif. They made sure to get multiple matching plates (which were really sushi plates) to use as trays for the many cups that were used by each family member. It was a great idea!

The guests then enjoyed a classic 10-course banquet and later danced to awesome music provided by DJ Shyne. It was great how he incorporated Chinese pop music (in a nod to Linda’s background) throughout the meal and then really got the party going after the head table went around and toasted each table! The bride changed back into her wedding dress for the rest of the reception. Throughout the night, the guests lined up to take pictures in the photobooth provided by Photobooth Favors. Bartenders from Premier Bar Service kept drinks flowing until the end. For dessert, guests helped themselves to delicious cupcakes with different frosting flowers from Party Favors. There was a small cake on top of the cupcake tower that Linda and Ryan used for their cake-cutting ceremony. Yum!

Overall, it was a truly wonderful night! Here are some pictures I took of their wedding day, with professional pictures to come later.

Linda and Ryan, I had a fabulous time working with both of you! I wish you guys all the best in your new married life together =)

~Fiona

Pink Orchid Designs Featured on Invitation Buzz

A little email in my inbox this morning from Heather at Invitation Buzz was a nice start to the day. My hand-glittered chandelier wedding invitations were featured on their blog today!

Invitation Buzz, run by Heather & Emily in Maine, helps customers find designers for various stationery needs, whether it's by location, visual style, or by type, like online vs. local retailer.

~Emilie

Katie and Doug's Wedding at the State Room

On Friday, October 15th, I was the day-of coordinator for Katie and Doug’s wedding. The day started out in a lovely two room suite at the Langham Hotel, with one room for hair stylist Michelle Arruda DeVoe of Demiche Beauty and her assistant, and the other room with makeup artist Katrina Hess and her assistant.

Six bridesmaids wore satin purple Jim Hjelm dresses and carried light green bouquets. The bride wore an elegant cathedral length veil and a bouquet from Winston Flowers made of white calla lilies and wrapped in ivory satin ribbon. Oh, and the dress… wait, let’s try it again. ohhh, and the most fabulous dress EVER. That morning, I walked into the suite and the after saying hello to everyone, it was like my feet couldn’t stop walking towards the corner of the room where the dress was hanging. I kind of wanted to just hug it, it was so pretty. The Kenneth Pool ivory strapless dress was made of royal duchess satin with a chic crumb-catcher neckline and perfectly placed crystal beading in both the front and the back.

Everything was going really smoothly in the morning, and it was about to get better. Let me explain in three words: Lisa Rigby Photography. Simply put, Lisa is one of my favorite photographers ever, and I was so excited to work with her. Lisa came by the bridal suite with second shooter, Li Ward, of Fat Orange Cat Studio and started her photo magic. After getting shots of the both the groomsmen and bridesmaids getting ready, the Katie and Doug met up for a first look and then took a trolley over to the Boston Public Gardens with the entire bridal party and parents for portraits. This is one of Lisa's teaser photos taken at the gardens.

Photo by Lisa Rigby Photography
Three trolleys took guests from the Hilton and Langham Hotel in downtown Boston to St. Mary's Parish in Charlestown for the ceremony. The front steps of the church were decorated with lanterns and white carved pumpkins with the couple's names and Doug's last name initial, L. Two floral wreaths were hung on the front doors, and little bunches of hydrangea and glass tealight holders were tied to each pew along the aisle. After a full Catholic mass, guests then took trolleys over to the State Room for the reception, and the newlyweds rode in a white 1939 antique Cadillac limousine.

Upon arriving at the State Room, guests were greeted with two wishing trees made of white manzanita branches and white orchids created by John LaRoche of blueGuava. Family photos were scattered throughout the branches, and wishes were hung alongside the photos. Cocktail hour was held in the upper level of the Great Room, and before joining guests, the bride switched out her cathedral length veil for a stunning crystal headpiece designed by Maria Elena.

For the reception in the lower level of the Great Room, the tables were covered in bengaline shell linens, with centerpieces created by Custom Floral Design by Karen Street made of hydrangea, calla lilies, and orchids surrounded by candles. The sweetheart table was covered by a damask linen and topped with lots of pillar candles in varying sizes. A small table on the bride's side of the sweetheart table held a photo of Katie as a baby and her late father, along with an arrangement of irises, which were her father's favorite. Pin spot lighting on each table and amber colored uplighting on the walls by High Output added even more drama to an already spectacular room with amazing views of Boston.

The bridal party entered the reception in pairs, and the newlyweds were introduced to the song "Won't Stop" by One Republic (thanks to Katie, this song has been my favorite for the past month!). The song continued on as they went directly into their first dance, and afterwards, guests enjoyed a four course dinner of an endive salad, lemon-thyme sorbet intermezzo, entree choices of braised short ribs, roasted chicken, or balsamic glazed salmon, and a variety of desserts. The four tiered wedding cake from I Dream of Jeanne was decorated with fresh white tulips and a silver monogram topper. The cake was served next to an elaborate dessert bar, which included treats like mini caramel apples, apple walnut crisp, mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches, and apple crème brule.

The band, Men In Black, was amazing and really got the crowd dancing even before the salad course was served. Later on in the night, the uplighting changed to purple, and the dancing continued on until the very end of the evening. On the way out, guests picked up a bag of chocolate pecan turtles from Mrs. Nelson's Candy House as favors. Photos from Lisa Rigby will be coming later, but for now, here are some that I took!

It was a really beautiful wedding, and the staff at the State Room and all of the vendors were really nice to work with. Katie and Doug, thank you so much for allowing me to take part in your special day, and I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon in Hawaii!!

~Emilie