Unparalleled service, experience and expertise.  This makes New York City-based Christian Oth Studio one of the best wedding photography studios in the world – hands down.  Each of the Studio’s eight photographers are true artists and share Christian’s philosophy that a photojournalistic, yet fashion forward approach is the ultimate way to tell a timeless story.

One of the things I love most is how Christian has truly though through what would give clients the best experience.  The way the studio is structure ensures that you are working with an expert every step of the way.  Your photographer captures the images on your wedding day.   A designer designs your album.  An editor edits each of your images.  And the booking coordinator manages the day-to-day activities and logisitics.  You have a true team working to make your wedding photography experience flawless.  It may seem like a lot, but each of these people specialize in what they do.  A photographer might be great at capturing images artistically, but they might not be so strong at editing or designing your album.

We’ll let the images do the rest of the talking.  Check out these fabulous shots below.

Read the Studio’s blog and contact that Studio to book your consultation:

Christian Oth Studio
307 Seventh Avenue, 19^th Floor
NYC 10001
212.634.7949

Over Memorial Day, I was lucky enough to have been invited out to experience The Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain near Tuscon, Arizona by the amazing Melinda Easley, who is their fabulous Catering & Sales Manager.  And let me say, my experience was nothing less than amazing, and I know that you would have an even better time if your wedding was there.

When resorts or hotels say they’re “nestled into the side of X mountain” they usually just have a great view and can get there relatively easily.  The Ritz at Dove Mountain is NOT joking.  You can seriously walk out the doors of the hotel and in 30 seconds you’re hiking in the Tortolita Mountains.  Each of the public spaces have a breath-taking view of the mountains and the event spaces are no exception.

From an intimate ceremony green next to the Petroglyphs to a larger green on the other side of the resort, the property can accommodate weddings of all sorts of sizes.  There are three wedding ceremony greens outside and each has a view of the mountains and are quite private.  There ceremony greens can also be used for cocktail hour or for your reception, as the space is flexible.

For your reception, there are a couple of different ballrooms, if you want an inside space.  The good thing about each of the ballrooms is that there are outside patios with fire pits.  The Tortolita Ballroom holds about 200 guests comfortably and has the best option for an “indoor-outdoor” feel, as the floor to ceiling doors can be opened leading to a terrace with a large fire pit – of course if looks on to the mountains.

Or, with certain minimums, you can buy out CORE, the resort’s most delicious restaurant, which has a great vibe, walls that open up to a great outside space, and spectacular views.  CORE’s Chef de Cuisine, Joel Harrington, is not only an amazing Chef, he’s is great to chat with.  I highly recommend sitting at the Chef’s bar for your meal.  Grab seats right in front of Joel and he’ll chat you up all night, and you might even get a special course prepared just for you by Joel.

If you’re worried about what guests can do, there’s plenty on property.  The hotel offers guided group hikes each morning, which lasts about an hour.  You’ll learn a lot and get in a little exercise.  After the hike, hop on over to the gorgeous Spa.  After getting ready, your therapist will pick you up and lead you to the treatment rooms, which are a located around a long courtyard, or just go hit the pool at the Spa if you’re really after peace and quiet.  If not, there are two pools at The Ritz, one includes a large waterslide for kids and adults alike.  My favorite part was the Cabana we rented each day.  For $125, it’s well worth it to have a little piece to call your own to get out of the heat.  Be sure to call in advance to make your reservation.  They certainly go fast!  And if there are golfers, the Ritz has a world-class golf course perfect for the groomsmen to have an outing before the big day.  Make sure the guys check out the lockers before they head out, though.  The Accenture tournament has been held here for the past two years, and all of the pros have their name plates on their lockers.  It’s pretty cool.  Wind down your day with a cocktail around 6 pm at Ignite and you’ll be greeted by the music of a Flautist of the Hohokam people, native to the area.

For more on the Tucson area, check out our Destination Wedding Guide!

Just a little squeeze of LiME…

Our first guide is a big one – Bangkok, Thailand.  I had the amazing opportunity to live in Bangkok back in the early 2000’s, where I taught English after having graduated from college.  Living and traveling around Southeast Asia was an experience I’ll never forget, so I thought I’d share a few tidbits on Bangkok for you to enjoy.

Tourist Hot Spot:

The Grand Palace

If there’s one thing you have to do when you visit Bangkok, it’s spend some time at The Grand Palace.  It’s a massive piece of property in the middle of Bangkok, so set aside a few hours to really do it justice.  The Palace was originally built back in the 1700s as the official residence of the King.  Today the Palace is open to visitors, but the current monarchy still uses the Grand Palace for ceremonies and rituals throughout the year.   While there’s always a crowd, definitely be sure to make your way over to the building that houses The Emerald Buddha.  It’s absolutely gorgeous, but be aware that there are strict clothing requirements (this applies to all temples in Thailand, really).  No shorts or tank tops are allowed.  This goes for women, too.  Shoulders must be covered.

Off the Beaten Path:

Chatuchak Market

One of the great things about Southeast Asia is shopping, and by shopping, I mean negotiating.  It’s a way of life, particularly for farangs (the Thai word for Westerns).  Chatuchak is the biggest market in Bangkok, and is open only on the weekends.  It’s a little bit out of the way, but once you’re there you are surrounded by what feels like miles and miles of vendors and their products.

Best Local Food:

The Night Markets

Originally I was afraid to eat anything out of the carts or stalls on the side of the street, but they’re a way of life.  One of my favorite things to do during the day when it was boiling hot was to get a fresh banana shake.  At night the streets come alive with the night markets.  Don’t let the fact that it’s coming from a street cart scare you.  It’s delicious.  I loved getting spring rolls with the sweet and spicy sauce.  It’s something I still think about today.

Western Fix:

Starbucks

You can’t get anything more Western than Starbucks, so when you’re really in need of something really familiar, even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you can still find a couple of Starbucks locations in Bangkok.  There’s one right in the middle of Bangkok in an area called Silom.  Good shopping there, too.

Best Splurge Hotel and Wedding Reception:

Royal Meridien Plaza Athenee

There are many fabulous hotels in Bangkok, but there’s something a little special about the Plaza Athenee Bangkok Hotel. Having been designed by a Thai architect, the property luxurious and serene at the same time, despite being downtown and close to shopping and the commercial hub.  The ballroom can fit up to 1,000 guests, so there’s no shortage of space, but I’m drawn to the pool area if you’d prefer an outside space with a very Thai flavor.

Bang-for-your-Buck Hotel:

Dream Bangkok

A 4-star hotel for $77 a night and it has a full fitness center, a full-service spa and many more amenities?  That’s right.  Dream Bangkok is also centrally located to many attractions, and it’s very clean and modern.  Traveling in Thailand is affordable, and for this rate you’re getting a great hotel.

Best Way to Get Around:

Motorbike Taxis

Terrifying at first, but getting on a motorbike taxi is the fastest way to get around the city, particularly when traffic is at its worst!  Many Thais don’t speak English, so be sure to have the address and/or cross-streets of your destination written down.  I recommend having it written down in both Western letters and in Thai.  Ask your hotel to help you with this.

Marriage Requirements:

To have a legal marriage ceremony in Bangkok, there are a few steps you’ll have to take.  Here’s a general guide:

• You and your fiancé will have to register with the local Thai Civil Registry Office.  Bring your passports.
• At the US Embassy you’ll have to complete an affidavit for the wedding, which you can also download online here (http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/marriage_affidavit.pdf)  This will have to be notarized and translated in Thai, so ask the Embassy who they would recommend.
• Once you have the affidavit translated, take it to the Amphur (also ask the Embassy) in the area.  You’ll need your passports, any divorce decrees or death certificates if you’ve been married before, and if you’re 20 years of age or under, written permission from your parents.  I know, 20 seems old to us, but it’s the way the Thais do it.

Know Before you Go:

There were plenty of things I read about before I went to Bangkok, and they were true.  So I’m passing these tidbits along to you:

• Thais consider the bottoms of your feet the dirtiest part of your body, and it’s therefore, considered rude to show the bottom of your feet to people.  If you have your legs crossed, be conscious of the position of your feet.
• You will see many Buddhist monks walking around.  Ladies, it’s not allowed to have a female give something to a monk or so speak with them, generally.  If you want to pass something to a monk, hand it to a male first.

There has been a lot happening this week and weekend at Fresh LiME Events, but we are extremely excited to announce the launch of our new exclusive Destination Wedding Guides.

I’ve been really lucky to have been able to live on three separate continents and travel to more than 23 countries.  I’m an adventurer.  I soak in foreign languages.  I thrive on different cultures.  In fact, I’ve had three passports already and I get a little bummed when I have to get a new one because it gets full.  It’s my own personal badge of honor.  We all love to travel here at Fresh LiME Events.

That’s why we’re thrilled to offer our new Destination Wedding Guides to help you and your fiance plan your destination wedding or honeymoon.  Each Guide will be designed to give you a little insight into what’s hot, what to eat, where to have your reception and what the marriage requirements are, plus more.  We’ll also weave in our own stories and pictures as we go.

Our first Destination Wedding Guide is on Bangkok, Thailand, where I spent time teaching English at a Thai university after I graduated from college.  Each week we’ll feature a new destination, so we want to know…where do you want to go?

Just a little squeeze of LiME….

(Image from Martha Stewart Weddings)

Check out this gorgeous short, organza ruffle wedding dress from Monique Lhuillier!  The details are simply stunning.  It was shown during the Fall Bridal Market back in April.  I can’t get over how fantastic this would look on a daringly chic bride.  It could also be a great wedding dress to change into for your wedding reception or as you leave for your honeymoon.

I love this! Would you ever wear a short wedding dress?

Just a little squeeze of LiME….

Happy Friday everyone!

Several weeks ago we announced that Fresh LiME Events was going to exclusively carry the Ceci New York White Label wedding invitations collection.  We’re excited to announced that we’ve finally received these gorgeous invitation albums and can’t wait to show them to you.  If you’re looking for Ceci New York’s couture styling and design, you must see these albums.  There are four albums and each offer something different — Botanical, Classic, Destination and Ornate.  We’re showing our favorite from each album below.  To schedule your private appointment to order your Save-the-Dates, Wedding Invitations, Ceremony Programs, Escort Cards or other wedding stationery pieces, call or email us today.

Vineyard Suite from the Botanical Album

Bellini Suite from the Classic Album

Jet Set Suite from the Destination Album

Grand Palais from the Ornate Album

While each of the albums carries ready-to-order designs, each of the suites are customizable, so if you don’t like the font, we can change it.  Aren’t keen that the design covers most of the invitation, we can scale that back too.  It’s a fabulous way to have fabulously chic invitations that are of the best quality.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Just a little squeeze of LiME….

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On Tuesday night I was lucky enough to have been invited to the industry launch party for the new J.Crew Bridal Boutique on Madison Avenue in NYC.  The boutique is beautiful.  It’s two floors of wedding dress, party / cocktail dresses, bridesmaids dresses, shoes and accessories — and all in the classic J.Crew style.  Thanks so much to Darcy Miller of Martha Stewart Weddings for hosting and to Jenna Lyons, of J.Crew, for designing such beautiful pieces.  For those of you who couldn’t make the launch party last night for brides, check out a few images below.

(Images: From Aisle Dash via Ritzy Bee)

And one of my favorites…. a little sassy!

Just a little squeeze of LiME….

To keep up with our wedding blog, subscribe here!

J.Crew is opening their first ever J.Crew Bridal Boutique in New York City and they’re having a launch party for all brides tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2nd!

Just a little squeeze of LiME….

To keep up with our wedding blog, subscribe here!

Brides!  We all love the style of J.Crew and for a few years now you’ve been able to purchase chic wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses for you and your bridal party.  Now J.Crew is opening their first ever J.Crew Bridal Boutique in New York City, so let’s celebrate.

Join Darcy Miller, the editor of Martha Stewart Weddings, at the launch party for the new J.Crew Bridal Boutique on Wednesday, June 2nd at 769 Madison Avenue in NYC.  You’ll be able to take a look at all of the bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses and accessories that J.Crew has to offer.  RSVP to Kate@JCrew.com and tell all your friends.

Just a little squeeze of LiME….

To keep up with our wedding blog, subscribe here!

(Image via Kenneth Pool)

While I was looking through different wedding gowns over the weekend, I came across this gorgeous Kenneth Pool “Fashionista” design.  What really struck me about the beauty of this strapless mermaid gown was the drop waist and all of the ruffles and layers of the skirt.  I love anything with ruffles and this just stole my heart.  I know not everyone is a fan of sweetheart necklines, but this wasn’t isn’t so deep.  Just enough to finish off the look of the gown.

If you’re in New York City, you can find Kenneth Pool at Kleinfeld, Amsale Flagship Salon, Saks and Bergdorf Goodman or in Connecticut at Mariella’s.

Anyone wearing a Kenneth Pool on their wedding day?  Or have ruffles?  What do you think of this wedding dress?

Just a little squeeze of LiME….