Joan Rivers: Celebrity Wedding Planner

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When the world looked at Joan Rivers, they saw a pioneering comedienne.  Me too, but I also saw the woman who pushed me into a career in wedding planning.  How could an insult comic I never met set me on the creative path that’s landed me as a wedding planning, etiquette and fashion authority at the top Palm Springs florist? Here’s how.

In 1998, Melissa Rivers, Joan’s daughter, got married.  Joan swung into action as a celebrity wedding planner, seeking out the services of innovative event designer Preston Bailey to create a glittery snow garden inspired by “Dr. Zhivago” with 30,000 white flowers for the wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Inspired by Dr. Zhivago, Russian opulence permeated the wedding.
Inspired by Dr. Zhivago, Russian opulence permeated the wedding.

 

The magazine photos live in my brain to this day. When a client says “winter theme” that’s what I see.  That extravagant celebration showed me what was possible, what creativity could imagine and what opportunities were there to be a part of such events.

Thank you Joan, for your inspiration towards stylish entertaining – and being entertaining.

Be well and love well.

Dinah

 A lovely post script: Joan officiated at the wedding of Preston Bailey and his partner Theo Bleckmann on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

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Ancient smoking etiquette – we’ve come a long way, baby.

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Love Mad Men? You’ll love this etiquette q & a! It’s amazing to see how things have changed- smoking was so normal there were dos and don’ts! Yikes.

I got my hands recently on an etiquette Q&A compilation from Amy Vanderbilt, columnist and etiquette authority from the 50s-70s.  I will be sharing gems on the blog in the coming months.  Here’s my favorite so far, not wedding related, but too good not to share.

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Amy Vanderbilt’s ad for Lucky Strikes

 Q: Recently, when four of us were dining out- two married couples- one of the husbands left the table for a few minutes. The remaining husband, left with his wife and the wife of the other, lit the cigarette first of his friend’s wife and then of his own.  His wife felt that as her escort, he should have lit her cigarette first. Which is correct?

 A: As one woman was left alone, the husband and wife remaining are, in effect, her host and hostess for the moment.  Therefore it was correct for the remaining husband to light the guest’s cigarette first, then his wife’s.  

There you have it folks, cigarettiquette.

Be well, and love well.  And for goodness sakes.  Don’t smoke!

-Dinah

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Real Weddings: Rod and Jeff part 2- the ceremony

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Rod and Jeff’s beautiful ceremony was held at the Palm Springs Art Museum which makes an elegant background for any celebration – but on this day was particularly stunning. Two words: red roses. Coming Next week- their AMAZING reception!

All photos by the incomparable Chris Miller of Imagine Imagery

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