I Do I Do - Fall Bridal Magazine 2010 Hersam Acorn Newspapers NS Edition

8/8/2019 I Do I Do - Fall Bridal Magazine 2010 Hersam Acorn Newspapers NS Edition

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October 14, 2010

Special Section to: Greenwich Post I The Darien Times I New Canaan Advertiser I The Ridgeeld Press I The Wilton Bulletin I The Redding Pilot I The Weston Forum I The Lewisboro Ledger

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I Do I Do FALL BRIDAL 2010 H E R S A M A C O R N N E W S P AP E R S

Capturing the Moment Art of Not Being Noticed

The Royal Treatmentat The Plumed Serpent

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2 I Do, I Do Fall Bridal Hersam Acorn Newspapers October 14, 2010

I would describe my approach to weddingphotography as candid and cinematic, saysStamford-based Max Aureli. I record theentire event, capturing special, spontaneousmoments that happen as things unfold. I tellmy clients to just relax and forget I am there.They love the results.

Max is a native of Italy who came toAmerican 20 years ago. I got my start infashion photography in Rome, preparingportfolios for models, he says. After com-ing to America I worked for a video produc-tion company in Norwalk, doing work forESPN, Nickelodeon and other networks.But my first love was always photographingpeople, so I decided to go back to that andstarted Max Aureli Photography. Maxs wife,Enza, also a photographer, assists him in hiswork.

Special Moments

Max says he loves interacting with peopleand capturing the moment. Some of hisbest work comes from unscripted eventsthat take place during the course of weddingpreparations, the ceremony itself and thereception afterwards. I cover it all, he says,

arriving at the brides home as she is get-ting ready and following her throughout theday or evening.

He focuses on the bride first because a wed-ding is all about her, Max says. The groomis not left out, however. If the client wants,I will send an assistant over to the groomshouse, too, he says.

Although spontaneity abounds in Maxs pho-tos, he also does the traditional, posed shots,

which are always in demand. The bride andgroom, the wedding party, family members,cutting the cake all of these are traditionalset shots that my clients want and I will pro-vide, he says. I would say that posed shotsmake up about 10 percent of one of my wed-ding portfolios; the rest are candid.

Max feels he has mastered the art of beingunobtrusive as he goes about his work.Once my clients relax, they forget I amthere, he says. My approach is to takecasual shots from start to finish. I am thereat every step of the way. Usually I dont eveneat during the wedding. I dont want to missanything memorable.

Some wedding photographers are toofocused on doing it by the book, hesays. Something thats visually very niceor unusual might be going on, and they willstop the subjects and put them into a setpose. My philosophy is different. Whateverhappens happens, and I am there to captureit.

Facial expressions are very important toMax. You dont get a variety of these in setshots, he says. When people are relaxed

and not posed, you get a totally differentresult, a much more natural feeling.

He will honor special requests from clients if feasible. As long as it is something reason-able, I will do my best, he says.

Plan Ahead

September is the most popular month forweddings, so Max suggests clients con-tact him a year in advance. June and Julyrequire about six months notice, with a bitless for May and August, he says.

Max will work with his clients to provide thewedding portfolio they want at a price theycan afford. In todays economy, people aremore concerned about costs, he says. Ireally love my job and always try to arrive ata financial solution to fit the couples pock-etbook.

In addition to weddings, Max photographsbar and bat mitzvahs, corporate events anda wide range of parties and celebrations.

For more information, 203-569-0896, or visit maxaureli.com.

More traditional or posed shots are also part of the package. Max Aureli

Capturing that memorable moment

THE ART OF NOT BEING NOTICED

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October 14, 2010 I Do, I Do Fall Bridal Hersam Acorn Newspapers 3

From This Day Forward: Looking Back at GreenwichWeddings, a major new exhibition at the GreenwichHistorical Society, opened on Wednesday, Sept.29. The show explores wedding celebrations fromColonial times through the mid-20th Century, usingindividual wedding stories to illuminate the largerhistory of the community. It will examine how wed-ding traditions have changed through the genera-tions, influenced by historical events and trendset-ters alike. The show also delves into the origins of todays elaborate white wedding, which emergedas a result of Queen Victorias choice of nuptialattire in 1840.

Treasures on display will include spectacular wed-ding dresses from different eras (one worn byfive generations of Greenwich women), periodphotographs (including one taken of 87 Greenwichbrides in front of Christ Church for a 1964 Bulovawatch ad), original prints and paintings, invita-tions, albums and announcements all from theGreenwich Historical Society archives and museumand private collections. The exhibition will feature agown from an Italian-American family setting downroots in Cos Cob, as well as wedding items fromthe Binney, Benedict, Mead, Reynolds, Ferris andSeton families.

The historical society is asking residents who werewed in Greenwich to participate in a GreenwichCommunity Wedding Album by submitting per-sonal wedding photos, which will be put on dis-

play in the exhibition gallery, as well as online.Photos will be added to the digital album as theycome in and will be displayed throughout the runof the show at the historical societys StorehouseGallery and on the Fairfield County Look Web site.Digital images of wedding photos may be sent [email protected]. Please identifythe bride and groom and include location and dateof the wedding.

Exhibition-related programs will include a Brunchand Learn lecture, Origins of Wedding Traditions, byAlden OBrien, curator of costume and textiles at theDAR museum, Washington, DC, on Monday, Oct. 4,at 9:30 a.m., and the popular Story Barn, with thetheme of Happily Ever After? on Thursday, Nov.18, at 7. Both will be held at the historical societysVanderbilt Education Center at 39 Strickland Road,Cos Cob. More programs are planned for 2011.

Gallery hours are Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 4,with guided tours at 1, 2 and 3. Admission is $10for adults, $8 for seniors and students and free forhistorical society members. Special group tours arealso available upon request.

The exhibition was made possible by a grant fromthe NewAlliance Foundation, and Fairfield CountyLook is the exhibitions official media sponsor.For more information about the exhibition and allprograms, 203-869-6899 x18, or visit greenwich-history.org. Wedding dresses from different e ras are now on display at the Greenwich Historical Society.

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In the fall of 1992, I had the dubioushonor of serving as a bridesmaid in myfriend Donnas wedding. I say dubiousbecause while I was happy to be part of Donnas special day, all I can really recallabout the experience was the embarrass-ment I suffered at the hands of the bridalshops tactless sales associate, whom Illcall Samantha.

The prospective bride had asked me tomeet her at the store to try on and helpchoose a bridesmaids dress for the wedding.Fortunately, the bride had excellent taste andshe chose a beautiful dress for me and herother attendants.

Unfortunately, each time I went into theshop for a fitting, beginning with the initialvisit, Samantha would pose the same ques-tion, loud enough for everyone in the entirestore to hear: Are you gonna lose someweight before the wedding?

Having battled my weight since I was 10,its always been a sensitive subject, butI never expected to be embarrassed andhumiliated in public, and I wasnt quitesure how to respond. Sure, I needed tolose some weight, but really, what was

Samantha thinking? Actually, Samantha,Im planning to gain 20 pounds before thewedding, so you should probably order thatbridesmaids dress a few sizes larger ... andmaybe you can throw in an elastic waist,too! is what I should have said.

Not surprisingly, I came to dread the dressfittings, with Samantha and the entire store,and Id find myself nervous and sweating

before each visit: Was Samantha going to askme that question today? As soon as the lasthem was stitched and the final wrinkle wassmoothed, I literally ran out the door, vowingnever to return.

An Affair To Remember

With my own wedding, scheduled eightmonths before Donnas, I knew from my

bridal-gown shopping that Samantha wasthe exception, rather than the rule, and thatthe majority of bridal-shop sales associatesemploy a lot more tact.

I wondered, recently, if the bridal-gown shop-ping experience had changed much since1992. During a discussion with Alison HetrickFischer, owner of the Plumed Serpent BridalSalon at 295 Post Road East in Westport, Ilearned that while the shopping experiencehas not changed that much, the bride, andthe wedding, has.

Couples used to get married with little fan-fare on a Saturday afternoon, recalls Alison,who purchased the shop from its originalowner in 2000 (and bought her prom dressthere when she was in high school), butnow its a three-day event, including weddingrehearsals, pre- and post-wedding parties,spa treatments for the bridal party, outingsfor the guests ... its a much more involvedaffair today. Often the bride is choosing asecond dress, as well, to wear after the cer-emony or reception for the after-party.

Brides today want a sophisticated, elegantenvironment a grand showroom wherethe gowns are displayed out in the open

The royal treatment AT THE PLUMED SERPENT

by G. Lisa Sullivan

At the Plumed Serpent, a welcoming, knowledgeable staff and an inviting viewing area make shopping for bridal gowns a pleasurable experience.

I Do, I Do!


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rather than hidden in tightly packed plas-tic bags in the back room, according toAlison.

Todays bride wants to come in and sitdown, talk with the consultant about whatshe wants and then work with her tofind just the right dress, she says. Mostgirls havent been shopping for weddingdresses before, and the experience can be

overwhelming ... we try and make them ascomfortable as possible.

Show Stopper

At the Plumed Serpent, the bride beginsby viewing all the dresses hanging in theshowroom and then moves into the view-ing area with its raised platforms andcomfortable seating. The shop decoratedin warm, inviting hues of beige and blue typically accommodates no more thantwo brides at a time. Were a high-endbridal shop, not a wedding-dress factory,Alison contends. Tea, coffee, champagneand mimosas are offered, and my highlytrained staff is very warm realizing thatbrides are nervous and is familiar withtheir concerns.

Many of the stores clients begin by look-ing at dresses on the Internet, as well asin bridal magazines. Some brides come inwith very specific ideas of what they want,while others leave it up to the knowledge-able consultants. Most brides today wantstrapless gowns, which are more formal,Alison observes, and many want somekind of textural fabric detail or embellish-

ment, such as a skirt with small tufts of fabric or rosettes ... its not just about bead-ing anymore.

Plumed Serpent carries collections fromdesigners such as Monique Lhuillier, AnneBarge, Romona Keveza, Rivini and ElizabethFillmore, with many gowns available forviewing on the shops comprehensive Website.

As long a gown fits properly, almost any-body type can wear it, Alison says. Wesuggest that prospective brides visit thetrunk shows we have here periodically,where they can meet the designers andpreview the newest, latest creations beforetheyre even in the stores with some at adiscount. The designers can also help stylethe bride with accessories, such as veils,

jewelry, shoes and purses.

Bridesmaids dresses are available in soft,beautiful flowy fabrics, and in an array of colors. We have beautiful chiffon, jerseyand tissue-taffeta dresses from Amsale andCoren Moore, plus new to the shop ourRose Taft gowns, perfect for mothers of theoccasion, Alison says.

Shopping for a wedding whether itsyour own, your daughters or your friends should be a fun, positive experience ...one youll always want to remember with

joy, says Alison.

For further information or to make anappointment, call 203-226-9868, or visit theshops Web site, plumedserpentbridal.com.

With gowns well-displayed, selecting ones to try on is a pleasure.

On the bridal To Do list, one of the lastitems to be solved is the choice of gifts forthe bridal party. Family and friends par-ticipating in the wedding deserve some-thing special as a precious remembrance,preferably something they will enjoy longafter the celebration, and something thattruly reflects you.

Jewelry is always appealing ... but how canit be made more meaningful, more per-sonal? Kathy Rothfeld of Kasaro Designs

has an original answer. With her help, youcan design jewelry gifts yourself. She hascreated a method that makes it not onlyeasy but a great deal of fun to create jew-elry thats not only unique but the kindthat will be treasured for years to come.

She assures you that even if youve neverdesigned anything, Ill show you how tocreate jewelry for yourself and as giftsthat will express your own design sensi-bility, fit your budget and in colors and

styles that complement the couture of your wedding.

All kinds of wonderful materials are avail-able: freshwater pearls, vintage beads,crystal, natural shell or stone, beautifulclasps and components. Sizes and lengthscan be customized. Not everyone looksbest in a 19-inch necklace yours canbe made-to-measure. For example, per-haps a blue-eyed bride wants to wear onemagnificent pendant that accentuates her

eyes. By designing it herself, she will cre-ate a lasting memory of that special day.

Its simply amazing how much thisreduces the stresses that are linked to thismost important day, Kathy says. Brides-to-be are thrilled to add this creative expe-rience to their planning. And, believe me,creating your own jewelry designs will be

Brilliant ideaDESIGN YOUR OWN JEWELRY AND BRIDAL GIFTS

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As bridal party gifts, consider colorful stemware rings to personalize wine glasses.

Jewelry continued on page 8

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Field of dreaA HOME RUN, BUT OF A DIFFERENT SORT

by Karen Dydzuhn

Nicole and Bobbys union began on thebaseball field. Actually, their love story begandecades ago, when their respective ances-tors left Italy and settled in what was thena small farming community on the watercalled Westport. The towns Saugatuck neigh-borhood was an enclave filled with Italianimmigrants who looked after each other andopened their doors to those new arrivals.

Nicoles father, Joe, and Bobbys father, Mike,were part of this close-knit community, andthey attended the same Westport schoolstogether.

In 1989, when they were raising their ownyoung families in Westport, they volunteeredto coach their sons Little League baseballteam. The nine-year-olds played hard and, in

Joey juniors case, even hit a home run dur-ing one of the games. Unfortunately, Bobbydid not.

Twenty years later, Lucille, Nicoles mother,overheard Bobby wistfully reminiscing abouthis uneventful Little League career. It brokemy heart to hear him remark that he wishedhe had hit a home run, said Lucille. Asowner of Little Angels Day care in Westport,Lucille is used to listening carefully to the

emotions behind young peoples seeminglycasual comments. When he was over fordinner one night, shortly after he and Nicolegot engaged, I told him that he did hit thehome run and, in fact, it went way out of the ball park. I also told him that actually Ifeel like we are the ones who hit the homerun because he was going to be joining ourfamily.

Looking back, it appears that Nicole andBobbys courtship and wedding last June wasmeant to be, even though the couple didntutter a word to each other during their timeat Staples High School.

He wasnt my type, Nicole said, playfully,as she smiled at her handsome husband.Only a month before, family and friends hadgathered at the Saybrook Point Inn to cel-ebrate their nuptials. Growing up in a beachcommunity, it was only fitting that they gotmarried and had a reception overlookingLong Island Sound.

The decorations including floral arrange-ments and centerpieces reflected theirItalian heritage. And, of course, they trav-eled to Tuscany for a two-week honeymoon.A talented chef and creator of a food blogWith the wedding of Nicole and Bobby Zeoli, destiny is fullled. Braga photo

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called Lento, Bobby had studied in Italy aftercollege, and he looked forward to sharing thecountry with his new wife.

And, although their eventual meeting nowseems so predictable, it wasnt until theywere in their mid-twenties that they actuallyconnected with each other.

Nicole spotted him first, while she was work-ing out at the gym. She casually mentionedto a friend that Bobby Zeoli had grown upand was looking quite attractive. Wouldnthe be a great guy to go out with? This simple

comment seemed to put the wheels inmotion that would lead to their first date.

All of the girls, including Bobbys sister, Jen,conspired to get them together, her father,

Joe, told everyone at the wedding as hetoasted the young couple.

A reserved young man, Bobby was reluctantto approach Nicole at the gym, even whenhis sister was fervently egging him on.

A blind date, of sorts, was arranged. Wemet for a drink at a bar in South Norwalk

and ended up talking all night, Bobby said.The rest is history, as they say.

In an emotionally moving speech at the wed-ding, Joe senior aptly described the marriageas the union of two Westport families.

Growing up in Westport, he and Mike hadno idea what the future would hold for theirchildren. Lucille, though, said that as soon as

she saw Nicole and Bobby together for thefirst time, she knew that this man was goingto be the one for her daughter.

I just felt it inside, Lucille explained. I hada strong sense that they were going to getmarried. I saw that he was responsible andmature, and I knew that he would take careof my daughter. They are truly meant to betogether.

Together again for a Labor Day celebration are from left: Joe Saponare, son Joey, Bobby Zeoli, father Michael.

In 1989, Bobby Zeoli and Joey Saponare played on the same Little League team coached by their fathers: Bob-by, second from right in the front; Joey, right end, top; Michael Zeoli, left; Joe Saponare, right.

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remembered as one of the most memo-rable aspects of the entire event.

Kathy started Kasaro Designs in 2005, afterlearning the craft of fine-jewelry designand hand-assembly from masters of theart. One of her specialties is crystal inall sizes, colors and shapes from world-famous jewelry houses. These exquisitecrystals catch the light in a dazzling displayof sparkle that makes a pair of earrings, anecklace or bracelet come alive with a fas-cinating brilliance.

I scour fine marketplaces and search forthe most reputable estate sales. I learn thegenesis of each piece. When a bead, crys-tal, or clasp stands out from the rest, it caninspire an entire collection.

In addition to personally designed jew-elry, Kasaro Designs has a superb array topurchase. And these, too, can be creativegifts. For example, how about a jeweled

eyeglass necklace for the grooms mother?Or an anklet for a bridesmaid? Speakingof bridesmaids, Kathy adds, Ive filledrequests for necklaces that exactly matchthe color of the dress.

Another clever choice for bridal party giftsare stemware rings in different colors, topersonalize wine glasses and sparkle inways that make every sip more festive. And,if you wish, you can design them yourself!

Bridal consultations are free, and thereis a range of affordable prices. A simplepair of earrings can cost as little as $20, anecklace, $40. The outstanding feature istasteful elegance, classic to contemporary.Im proud of having come to the rescueof many brides who want something morethan everyday brida l jewelry, Kathy says.

Visit kasarodesigns.com to learn more about designing your own jewelry or to shop online.

For more information, 914-763-8338. A memorable gift for a brides attendants would be jewelry created by the bride herself.

Jewelry continued from page 5

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I Do I Do - Fall Bridal Magazine 2010 Hersam Acorn Newspapers NS Edition

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