New York Nanny Center » wedding

Taking a Break from Wedding Planning

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 13:16:38 +0000

My daughter’s wedding is a month away; most of the planning is complete and we are just waiting on the response cards that are past due. So I felt this was my last chance to escape for a few days before the hustle and bustle of the wedding to hang with friends. Finding a dress for the rehearsal dinner was an objective to complete on my trip, or in layman’s terms, I needed an excuse to go shopping with two shopaholics, also known as my bff and sister-in-law.

We are always trying to find bargains and all have a potpourri of coupons, so it’s always fun to count our savings. We all took dresses in to try on, as everyone had an occasion to buy a cocktail dress, only to decide on the same dress as our favorite. Like triplets, we marched up to the counter and purchased the same dress in three different sizes. Objective complete as long as the ordered dress is delivered and fits!

-Mama Bell

Changing of the Guard

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 13:22:01 +0000

About 4 months ago, my daughter and I decided upon a NYC hotel for her wedding guests. I had spent weeks conversing, emailing and negotiating until the perfect West Village area hotel was chosen. We picked the Sheraton Tribeca for convenience, location , amenities and friendly cooperation. Working with the sales manager we locked in the wedding block price, room selections and costs. All set for August I thought. Not so. I found out last week through a guest that the room selections were down to only kings and there weren’t many rooms available. The invites had just gone out two weeks ago, so you understand my panic. According to plan I was to be notified when numbers were filling up to add more rooms to the block. I was not notified by the hotel. I later found out that there was a changing of the guard at the Sheraton without notification and our conversations were lost in oblivion. After numerous emails, phone calls and frustrations I was awarded additional rooms for the quoted price. I had to fight for what I thought were my rights and, I suggest that anyone in the same boat planning a wedding and securing hotel space get everything in writing should there be a changing of the guard.

-Mama Bell

Say Yes to the Dress

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:09:19 +0000

My oldest daughter is getting married soon and her wish growing up was to someday wear my wedding dress. So she asked me if she could have my dress and make the alterations needed to modernize it in to a shorter version. I said yes to the dress and on my last visit in NYC we had a seamstress appointment with a former co-worker. It surely did my heart good to see her standing in front of me wearing my wedding dress as I had done 35 years ago.

Nowadays it seems on trend to change from your wedding gown in to a more casual version for later at the reception –and this is her plan. Within a few minutes there was a snip snip here, a sash, and tuck there and my wedding gown transformed in to a beautiful cocktail dress. I cant wait to see the final transformation on her wedding day.

Mama Bell of the Bride

Bridesmaid Shopping for the Over 50 Crowd

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 16:45:59 +0000

Many girls are pleasantly surprised when asked to be a bridesmaid; imagine my surprise when my daughter asked me to be her matron of honor. I quickly rebutted,” Why do you want me in that role?” She answered, “Because you are the most special person to me.” Of course this response turned on the waterworks.

Two of my beautiful daughters, the groom-to-be and myself enjoying some quality time

Well now I had business ahead of me which included finding dresses that would fit both beautiful, young women and one 50 something woman. So now it was my job to find the perfect dress. After much shopping, I have rediscovered the culture of the bridesmaid dress. It’s short, mostly strapless and designed for the 20-30 something body type, which I am not. When faced with adversity I move with determination. So onward in my quest of both fitting in with the bridesmaids and fitting in to the bridesmaid dress.

Thank you Lindsay, for always making me feel special.

Mama Bell

Happy New Year

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 19:17:15 +0000

It has been a year of many blessings for our family. First, the birth of our beautiful grandchildren who have really enriched our lives as well as make us feel our age. We have added a wonderful new son-in-law as well as watched our once-upon-a-time-tomboy daughter turn into a gorgeous bride. Another daughter expanded her flourishing business and got herself engaged to a man she adores. He will be another great addition to the Bell clan! Yes, 2013 has been a remarkable year. I hope 2014 touches you with love, health and happiness.

Happy New Year.

Mama Bell

Mama Bell’s Return & The Bellbonic Plague

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 21:38:59 +0000

Looks like my hiatus has ended, being summoned back by the boss. So, to get you all caught up: I finished planning a wedding, had a wedding, then the entire family caught the flu,went to New Jersey for a family Thanksgiving,had the family in for Christmas, my oldest got engaged, started planning that wedding and now getting things together for my second daughter’s 30th birthday party in January.

Let me begin with my daughter’s nightmare wedding. After having a nice warm weekend the wedding weekend was 30 degrees colder with rain. An omen of questionable things to follow, and boy did they. As we drove to the wedding destination, my daughter complained of not feeling well. I brushed it off as anxiety. Later at rehearsal, still not feeling great, she did her best to have a good time. Returning to the hotel room to perform our pre-wedding day traditions, she left to throw up. Not a one time time event as she continued until the wee hours of the morning. Not only was she ill, but also the groom. The wedding went on and no one knew how they felt or that they concealed Gatorade and ginger ale under their chairs on the altar. This was a scene out of a low budget comedy. The next scene was the sickness that affected everyone in our family after the wedding. We affectionately refer to this incident as the Bellbonic plague.

Until next week!
-Mama Bell

Spotlight: Wedding Services

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 20:17:51 +0000

It’s Fall wedding season and LLD is here to help. Lucky Lil’ Darlings offers many high-end childcare solutions for your every day needs and your special occasions. This week we’re spotlighting our services that can help out with weddings!

Let LLD help make that special day even easier and allow you to focus on the wedding without worrying about the lil’ ones. Wedding close to home, in another state, abroad, or even in your own backyard? Not a problem! Lucky Lil’ Darlings can help before during and after the wedding:

Pick up and transport lil’ ones to the wedding, watching during ceremony and reception, and bring home safely
In-room sitter to watch lil’ ones at the wedding or set up and moniter an LLD Kid Zone at the reception
Hire an LLD sitter in another city besides your own hometown
Bring a TravelSitter with you for the weekend to take care of your every need regarding transportation, childcare, and more!
Concierge services to help shop and plan for wedding (extra set of hands)
Event Staff comprised of LLD sitters can help check guests in, set up venue, and help coordinate all volunteers or hired hands

LLD has a variety of services and is willing to help in any way we can to make you or your loved ones’ special day the best it can be. We will work with you personally to find a perfect extra set of hands for your event or children. For more information or to book an LLD sitter for your special day, contact info@luckylildarlings.com!

Shopaholics 101

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 14:09:24 +0000

My husband dropped me off on Saturday at a friend’s house, just like my dad used to do in high school, before continuing on to a nearby bachelor party for our son-in-law. Meanwhile, we had hours of fun filled shopping planned for the day: places I wanted to go, places she wanted to go and places we both wanted to go. With a wedding approaching, I had a list of things I needed to shop for: frames for table numbers, candles, place card holders and gifts for the wedding guests staying at nearby hotels. After one episode of “where did we park our car?” it was clear that our minds were not working well; we needed to refuel after five hours of shopping. Down to the docks on the Maumee Rive we stopped for an early dinner and then it was back on the road again.

To be continued next week….

-Mama Bell

Young at Heart

Alison Gore — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:11:50 +0000

I left some of my loved ones in New Jersey and hooked up with another loved one, daughter #4 in Philadelphia where she lives, for the ride home. So off we went on the yellow brick road (aka 76) to Ohio. She is getting married soon and wanted to work on some wedding necessities for the week. After 7 hours of fast driving on curvy Pennsylvania roads with my constant nagging to slow down we arrived safely. Thank you to the highway god.

Thankful for daughters who keep me busy!

After unpacking three suitcases and trying to organize the house as best I could I thought I was ready for a week of wedding frenzy: bridal registry, invitations to buy and print, shower list to put together, bridal fitting, visit with the priest, check out shower venue, paint sticks for centerpieces,and shopping for shoes and mother of the bride dress. I don’t know when I was more tired, taking care of babies or running wedding errands! It was also both of our birthdays during the week, so we celebrated them in our spare time. Even though life can be exhausting, it’s a good exhausting, and it’s nice to have daughters around to keep me young.

Well, young at heart.

-Mama Bell

Weddings This Spring with Lydia Ross

Lindsay Bell — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:24:00 +0000

LLD knows we’re all hoping for spring to… well “SPRING” into action. February is over and it’s almost time for spring break. What’s on the calendar for spring you ask?? Well we heard weddings weddings and more weddings! For the inside scoop on what to expect this spring, expert Lydia Ross spoke with us about trends in wedding fashion and decor this spring as well as why she felt so inspired to become involved in event planning. For moms who have older kids, and sitters that want to tie the not, keep tuned!

Tell us what is in for this seasons spring wedding?

Brides are stilltaking cues from last year’s Royal Wedding and recent fashion trends andinclude covering up more with long sleeves, cap sleeves, straps, etc. More andmore brides are deciding to take a break from the ubiquitous straplessdress. We’ll likely see bridesincorporating color or patterns in their attire. For décor, I think we’ll see movement in two differentdirections. Recently the rustic wedding has been popular, but I think we’llstart to see a lot more modern, stream-lined décor or weddings inspired by The Artist and the upcoming The Great Gatsby, with retro orgarden-party inspired looks!

What has been your favorite wedding memory so far?

One of myfavorite wedding memories is from an Indian-Western wedding I did a few yearsago. The groom’s father had lentthe bride’s mother his late wife’s jewelry to wear for the traditional Indianceremony. Minutes before departingfor the ceremony, the bride’s mother went to put on the earrings and found thatthe posts were too thick. I waswearing my favorite pair of earrings – an inexpensive set of sparkly,flower-shaped studs from Anthropologie – and they matched her sari perfectly,so without hesitation I handed them over. While the wedding wouldn’t have been ruined had she not had earrings towear, being able to immediately calm those pre-ceremony jitters with such asimple offering – and their thanks for my doing so – reminded me why I do this.Now I wear the earrings to every wedding… just in case!

How did you first get involved in events & weddings?Did you always want to go out on your own?

I have wanted tobe a wedding planner since I was little. Really little. I got myfirst subscription to Brides when Iwas in second grade! But, aftercollege I followed a more traditional career path and became a marketingconsultant. After the crisis of2008 I had a chance to reevaluate what I reallywanted to do with my life, and with a little encouragement from my friendsand family I decided to try wedding planning. I started out as a volunteer at a bridal expo – stuffinggift bags for attendees – and from there I got an unpaid internship with a firmin the city. From there I’veexpanded into social, corporate, and non-profit events. The rest is history!

A few of our sitters are getting married. How can thenewly engaged get more info about you?

Prospectivebrides can check out my website toget more information on my services, view photos of some of my past weddings,and read my blog to see what’s interesting me lately. I’m also always available via email at Lydia@lydiarossevents.com or byphone at 203.243.0035.