Decor: Linens

D E C O R : L I N E N S

We are often asked by our brides to come up with creative ideas to enhance décor. One of the first things we recommend is for them to pay careful attention to their selection of linen. Let's face it, your guests are going to be sitting at their tables for a good part of the event, eating dinner and conversing with other guests, and the linen laying on their tables will not go unnoticed.

From our experience planning weddings over the years, we have seen that many brides do not know much about the different types of linen available and often overlook this important decision.

Here is a quick guide on the types of linen that you can choose from. Remember that the right selection of linen should not only incorporate your personal tastes but should also complement all of the other facets of your overall décor.

***Lamour--- This is a glamorous linen that looks very rich on the table. It has a high shine value and reflects light very well. There are normally no texture elements to this linen- It is smooth.

***Polycotton ---This is the basic type of linen that most venues will offer you. It has a flat finish. This linen is great because it is inexpensive to rent and comes in a plethora of colors. You can even use the crisp white that most venues offer and add a polycotton napkin of your favorite color to give your table a simple yet elegant appeal.

***Sparkle Organza---This linen is used mostly as an overlay. It is thin and see-through but as its name suggests, it has lots of sparkle. It works great on top of a polycotton linen to add pazzaz. You can even pin it to create a ripple affect going down the table. This linen should not be used directly on top of a table as it is too sheer.

*** Regal Stripe Sheer ---This linen consists of an alternating pattern of solid and sheer fabric. The strips are generally in a uniform color theme such as red to create an elegant striped look.

***Crushed Shimmer---This linen has a high shine quality but unlike the smooth Lamour, it is a crushed linen that gives your table a dark and light look. The 'crush' causes the linen to be uneven and reflect light.

***Pintuck---This one is my personal favorite. I love using Pintuck as it is a thick, shiny linen that has a raised criss-cross pattern caused by the stitching into the linen. This linen is stunning as it reflects light but also adds a lot of texture.

***These are just a few of the types of linens that a bride can choose from. As brides consider the type of linen that is right for them, they of course will be concerned with how much it is going to cost. Our suggestion is to go for a colored polycotton linen if you are looking for a magnificent look on a lower budget and to go for a pintuck or a lamour linen for a rich, smooth or textured look and are willing to spend a little bit more.

So the next time you are flipping through a bridal magazine, pay attention to the look of tables and the linen. You may notice a particular look that is exactly what you have in mind and this will ultimately help you decide which linen is right for you.

Feb 16, 2008 at Oheka Castle in Long Island

Today I am in Long Island meeting one of our couples that is getting married in September, Sapna and Rahul. I am meeting Sapna's mom for the first time. It is always exciting meeting parents as we work so much with the couples and of course, the parents want to be involved as it is their big day as well. Indian Weddings are so much about famiy that we realize that some things in wedding planning will be done with the couple and some things with the parents.

We had a great visit to Oheka Castle (http://www.oheka.com/). I love the French -style Chateau feeling you get when you enter Oheka. It has such a rich history with the Estate and the lovely gardens. When you are there, you don't even feel like you are in Long Island, NY. It feels like you are somewhere in the middle of France. The Estate is on the Small Luxury Hotels of the World list and on The National Register of Historical Places (Build in 1919).

This is the place where Sapna and Rahul will be getting married. They wanted a Chateau in the woods type feel and we recommended this location.

Today we did a walk through of the location, we planned everything from the baraat route to greeting the groom location, location of mandap, cocktail hour look and feel and of course the design of the reception room. Both Sapna and Rahul live in NYC so we know we have to keep everything almost French Modern with a blend of Indian. Later on, we came back into the city to go meet with a florsit and to discuss lighting, flowers and the overall floral look of the event.

It was great to have the venue so clear in our minds when we did this. Now, on to the menus in the next few weeks to come.

My trip to Richmond, VA

I went to Richmond for a day last week. It was an early morning train ride (see, me on the train). I saw the most beautiful sunrise out of the train. It is a pretty ride down there.

I met Nishma and her family. She is getting married in May. I went to Emporia, VA for the first time ever. That is the fun part of this business.. going to so many different places for the first time. They are a very nice family planning their first wedding in the family. She is getting married at the Marriott in Downtown Richmond, VA. The staff there is very helpful.

Sunitha and her Dress Fitting/ Tasting

Today was a day that I spent with our bride, Sunitha. She lives in San Francisco but she is getting married in Upstate New York, at the Turning Stone Casino over July 4th Weekend.
Her parents live in that area so we are planning the event there.

She flew in this morning and her mom and dad and I are all meeting at Sheetal in Edison, NJ.
She is doing her dress fitting and I decided to join them to see all her outfit colors to help us plan the decor/color scheme. She has some beautiful outfits and it was great to see her try all her outfits on.

Some of our brides opt to go to India to go outfit shopping and some decide to come to NJ. I love only two stores in Edison.... Sheetal and Khubsorrat http://www.khubsooratcollection.com/
Both are great and always deliver on their promises. That is so important when you are getting things here in the U.S.

After her dress fitting, we went to her tasting at Aangan Restaurant & Caterers. They are a great little restaurant in Freehold, NJ. Excellent food and great service. All went well but we ate soooo much.. that's the fun part of the tasting.

I have to get ready to go to Richmond, VA tomorrow early morning (gotta love those 4:30am train rides).

Seema & her Milwaukee Wedding

What a cold, cold day to go to Milwaukee!! So, here I am on my trip to Milwaukee to see Seema and Ryan. It is about -4 degrees outside... what made me plan a trip here in Jan, I don't know.

Seema and Ryan are getting married over Memorial Day Weekend here in Milwaukee. They live in Philadelphia which is so nice since they are close to me. We had to come here this weekend to go over a list of things: Cake Tasting, seeing her garba hall, layout of the Art Museum space (her wedding and reception venue), going over her To Do list, seeing all her flowers (my favorite part)

We are almost done with her wedding since we started working with Seema and Ryan last October. We have gotten a lot done and it is only January.

I love her venue- The Milwaukee Art Museum (http://www.mam.org/) This is such a great space and so modern. It is like having a blank, white canvas that you are given freedom to paint on. It is much like the empty loft spaces we have in Manhattan where we have to start from scratch.

This is going to be a fun wedding blending two cultures (Seema is Gujarti Jain and Ryan is Italian).
I am sure the whole baraat will be so interesting for Ryan and his family, who I finally met last week when they came to Edison, NJ.

Well.. off to another meeting.... the cake!