To keep it chic, and not sloppy, integrating these loose florals should be done with intention: placing these organic arrangements in high impact areas, juxtaposed against tidy touches. We love the gorgeous garland by Zahlias Floral Design on the sweetheart table, framing elegant branches that are graciously unbalanced.

Likewise, organic-looking bouquets are a lovely contrast, but should have blooms in one color family for a unified look.

How to Build a Photobooth

Say cheese! No matter the occasion, photobooths have become all the rage at special events. Skip the overpriced rental and create a custom booth with a backdrop and props that will fit your party theme.

What You’ll Need:
A digital point & shoot camera (with ample battery life)
Spare camera battery/memory cards
Camera tripod
Backdrop stand
Backdrop
Props
Prop table
Spotlight and/or lighting umbrella
Remote shutter release
Friend or helper willing to work the booth


The Camera Setup:
A basic point and shoot camera will work perfectly for your DIY photobooth! You will need a tripod that is tall enough to extend to eye-level, along with a remote shutter release so that guests could take their own photos. Some remote shutters connect to the camera through a wire, and others connect wirelessly. Go for the wireless remote so that there isn’t a cord in your guests photos!


The Backdrop:
As a general rule of thumb, you want your backdrop to be 9’ wide, and 7’ tall. People often want to take photos in large groups, so you need to be sure your backdrop is at least 9’x7’ so that everyone can fit in the frame. People commonly use printed fabric backdrops, but you can make this detail as creative as you want it to be! The right backdrop will tie your photobooth into your party theme and bring life to your guests photos.


The Props:
Props are a great way to add even more life and fun to your photo booth. Set up a table to display your props next to your photo booth so guests waiting to take photos can have some fun selecting them!

Search “photo booth props” on Etsy for a wide variety of budget-friendly props that are sure to add life to your shots! They feature themed and customizable props that will certainly fit seamlessly into your party theme. A chalkboard or dry-erase board is another option that will allow guests to compose their own message!


The Location & Setup:
It’s important to pick a place for your photo booth that won’t obstruct the flow of your party, but is still visible and easily accessible. Corners and hallways often work well!

Once you’ve found the perfect location, clear all furniture and wall art from the area. If there is a nearby window, you’ll want to cover it up with a dark piece of fabric so that the photo lighting is spot-on! Next, you should set up your backdrop stand and backdrop. Double check that your backdrop is securely attached to the backdrop stand - you don’t want it crashing down on guests mid-photo shoot!

After that, set up your camera and tripod a few feet away from the backdrop. Make sure your camera and extra batteries are fully charged! You should place your lighting umbrella and spotlight next to the camera tripod so that it’s facing your backdrop head-on. Have someone stand in front of the backdrop and take a few test shots to ensure the camera is focused properly.


Use painters tape on the ground to mark the center of the shot, and outer limits where guests can stand for photos. This will avoid people getting cut out of the frame. Set up the remote shutter release and be sure to test it before your party begins.

Lastly, set up your prop table next to the photobooth in an area that won’t disrupt the flow of your party. Display your props in a fun and appealing way that will draw guests in!


The Photos:
After your party, create an online photo album and share it with all guests so they can have all of the photos they took. You may also want to send out a photo to each guest as a thank you note or keepsake favor from your event.

If you follow this guide, you and your guests will have a keepsake to remember your event by for years to come!

Beet Pickled Deviled Egg

• 3 beets, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 dozen hard boiled eggs, peeled
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 oz salmon roe

Place beets, vinegar, shallot, sugar and bay leaf in a medium saucepan and cover with 4 cups of water and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook until beets are tender, about 20 minutes. Strain mixture into a bowl and gently place eggs in liquid. Let sit in the refrigerator for 3 hours (or more if you want a darker shade of pink). Remove eggs from beet mixture and pat dry. Discard the liquid. Split eggs in half and carefully remove yolks and place in a fine mesh strainer. Place strainer on top of a bowl and using a spoon, mash the yolks through. Gently mix in mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and cayenne pepper to the yolks. Whisk mixture until thoroughly combined, season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a Ziploc bag and cut a small hole on one of the bottom corners. Gently squeeze mixture into egg whites and garnish with salmon roe. Serve immediately.

Including a candy bar at your special event adds a touch of creativity and nostalgia to any occasion. Candy bars are trending, becoming a staple in many weddings, baby showers, and mitzvahs. With the right forethought, this interactive addition can be made in advance to ensure your candy bar is a sweet success.

Tip 1: Decide on a theme and colors
Candy bars are a fun alternative to the traditional party favor. Whatever the occasion may be, a theme will help you decide on colors and the way that you’d like to present your candy. A theme, like all vintage candies, or a selective color scheme, like all red candies, can ensure that the finished display looks organized and chic.

Tip 2: Choose candies carefully
The best types to use are bulk loose candy, which is sold by the pound, making it budget-friendly and lends to a more cohesive look. Individually-wrapped candies, especially fun-sized and vintage candies, make for a nicer offer for guests who can nosh on the treats all weekend. You shouldn’t include more than 7-10 types of candy so that you don’t overwhelm your guests (or yourself!) As a benchmark, you will need roughly 6-8 ounces of candy per guest, so order accordingly.

Do not use chocolate! We know chocolate is a favorite for everyone, but when put into a jar it will indefinitely melt together into an unattractive mess!

Tip 3: Organize and order for the display
It’s definitely a good idea to set up your table and containers before ordering your candy so you know just how much space you have to work with. Set up your table into three sections, moving from back of the table to the front, and use height appropriate containers for each section. Be sure to have a candy scoop for each jar so that guests aren’t digging in with their hands!
Back section - Use taller containers or prop your candy jars on photo boxes to elevate them. Be sure the containers are not too tall for guests to scoop candy from - this could cause candy to spill from lower sections while reaching over.
Middle section - Use apothecary jars to display bulk candy in this section. Using these jars will allow you to display a lot of candy here without using up too much table space.
Front section - Use trays or shorter containers to display individually wrapped items. This can include swirl lollipops, cotton candy bags, or ribbon candy.

Tip 4: Don’t forget finishing touches
It’s important for your candy bar to be just as pretty as it is functional! Always include an eye catching tablecloth, backdrop, and centerpiece that give guests the “wow-factor” as soon as they see it! These details should tie into your party theme, and will definitely help pull your candy bar together.

If you follow these steps, your candy bar will be a super-sweet addition to your event!

Offering a 'Fair and Honest Appraisal of Your Appearance', masked performance artists The Bumbys have been spotted in wide ranging venues: the Whitney Museum of Art to the Berklee College of Music to a Brooklyn subway station. Luckily for us (and for often unwitting guests) these artists are available for private events as well, appearing in NYC with hilarious (and often all too true) assessments of the recipient’s appearance and personality based only on the first impression. Equipped with only a table and some typewriters, The Bumbys provide maximum impact with a minimal footprint, but don’t be surprised if they become the stars of the show.

Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Crostini

1 baguette, sliced crosswise, about ¼ inch thick
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups finely grated parmesan cheese
½ cup roughly chopped parsley
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
Salt, to taste
1 cup drained marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 cup drained marinated sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, brush olive oil on bread and bake in oven until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, add cheese, parsley and pulse until just combined. Add the oil, red pepper, black pepper, salt and pulse mixture until it is coarsely chopped.

Spread mixture on crostinis, top with a few pieces of artichoke and sundried tomatoes. Garnish with parsley.

The internationally-acclaimed Maggie Marguerite Studio provides beautiful and heartfelt photography for social events of all kinds. Their expertise in capturing spontaneous moments is thanks to the photographers’ ability to become part of the celebration, travelling through ebbs and flows of the event, shooting both quiet, intimate moments and also framing showstopper fireworks.

A longtime member of New York Magazine’s Weddings ‘Best Of’ list, Maggie Marguerite Studio provides their own approach to the now-classic wedding photobooth with the JOHN WILKES, a refurbished 1895 camera outfitted with digital technology. The result is a romantic and vintage look to immediately available digital images (plus, literally everyone looks better in Black & White). The Maggie Marguerite team is as charming as they come, able to build comradery with almost any guest and, in effect, get the best possible picture of that person. Alternating between touching, hilarious, and simply gorgeous, the fun of the JOHN WILKES ups the ante of traditional photobooths.

Get in touch with Maggie Marguerite Studio >>

Mac and Cheese Bites with Salsa Verde

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups grated American cheese
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 pound cooked elbow pasta

For the Bites:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
• Canola Oil, for frying

For the Salsa Verde: 

• 8-10 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 whole jalapeno, chopped
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado, pitted and diced
• Kosher salt and pepper

First make the cheese sauce. Place a large pan or pot over medium heat until hot. Add the butter and melt. Whisk in the flour to form a paste. Whisk over heat for 30 seconds, add the milk and continue whisking until milk begins to thicken and starts bubbling, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add the American cheese in 3 batches making sure cheese is completely melted before adding the next batch. Stir in parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta and cheese sauce and mix well. Chill until firm—this step is crucial for frying later. The mac and cheese should be completely chilled.

Combine all salsa verde ingredients in a blender and puree until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Fill a large pot over medium-high heat with about 4 inches of oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Lower the heat to maintain the temperature.

Set up your frying station. Place the flour on a plate, the eggs whisked in a bowl and the breadcrumbs in a pie plate, for breading. Using a tablespoon, scoop mac and cheese into flour, rolling each piece in your hands to compress ball. Drop into egg mixture, coating completely and then into the breadcrumbs. Repeat each step until all mac and cheese is breaded. Freeze while finishing all the “bites”.

Carefully place the mac and cheese bites into the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown, about 60 seconds. Using a large slotted spoon, remove mac and cheese bites from the oil and drain quickly on paper towels. Season with salt and dollop a small amount of the salsa verde on top. Serve immediately.

• 2-3 cups canola oil for deep frying
• ½ cup roughly chopped Kalamata olives
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 medium zucchini
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cold beer
• ½ cup carbonated water
• Kosher salt and pepper

Heat a large deep pot over medium high heat with 4 inches of oil until it reaches 375 degrees on a thermometer.

While oil heats, add the olives, mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Cut the zucchini into sticks that measure 3 inches long and ¾ inch wide and remove the seeds.In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the cold beer, add carbonated water or seltzer, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.

In a separate shallow dish, add the cornstarch. Toss zucchini sticks in the cornstarch and transfer to a colander, shaking off the excess cornstarch. Working in batches, dip the zucchini sticks in wet batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with olive aioli.

Donuts, Donuts, Donuts
Executive Chef Jennifer Day

Dessert has always had a special place in landmark celebrations, but for weddings, the dessert is the big finale. In recent years, brides have gone for elaborate or formal desserts like petits fours with ornate icing or a rainbow of Parisian macaron, but recently we’re seeing donuts become more and more popular. They are a crowd-pleaser (who doesn’t love a donut?), but also far more casual and easy to eat for the youngest of wedding guests.

A Strong Sense of Place
Director of Catering Sales Jessica Powers Gilman
We’re seeing a shift away from elaborate tenting or draping and instead brides are selecting venues that come with a strong sense of place already “built-in” with the location’s backdrop coming to the fore. Rather than creating an ambiance from scratch with complicated additions, planners are choosing venues with strong geographical markers: beautiful mountain vistas, city skyline views, or even landmarks like museums.

Color Comeback
Jessica Gilman
One thing I’m really excited about is the incorporation of more color! We’ve had a few years where off-white, blush tones, and dove greys ruled with lots of monochromatic décor, but now weddings are getting a splash of color again. Both Jenn and I are loving this look when its incorporated into the table set: colored stemware, unique napkins, and a rainbow of florals on the tables. It makes the room pop, the food look great, and makes the space more fun. 
 

Tuna Tartare with Whipped Avocado and Micro Greens

• 12 oz sushi grade tuna, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 2 jalapenos, seeded, deveined and minced
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
• ½ cup micro cilantro
• Wonton Chips or tortilla chips

In a medium bowl, combine tuna, jalapenos, shallots and olive oil, mixing gently. Add the lemon zest to the mixture and season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, add avocado and lemon juice and whip until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

In a chilled bowl, place a ring mold in the middle and add tuna. Place avocado whip on top and remove ring mold. Add cilantro on top of avocado and serve with wonton chips.