Designer Extraordinaire - Colin Cowie is one of the most famous wedding planners in the world New York Australia Dinner After Dark, Effortless Elegance with Colin Cowie, Colin Cowie Weddings, Colin Cowie For the Bride, for the Groom, Extraordinary Wedding

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Wedding Designer Extraordinaire

Colin Cowie, without doubt, is one of the most famous wedding planners in the world, if not THE most famous! Based in New York, Colin has designed many extravagant events all over the world including one over-the-top, fantasy wedding in Australia, which he tells us all about. He also reveals his secrets and inspirations for taking a glimmer of an idea and turning it into an absolutely legendary event!

I do not make the statement lightly when I say that Colin Cowie is probably the most famous wedding planner in the world. And he doesn’t just do weddings…the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar party; John Travolta’s 50th birthday celebration; the grand opening celebrations of the Atlantis Dubai; Oprah’s legendary parties... these are just a few of the spectacular events masterminded by legendary event planner, author, lifestyle expert and TV personality, Colin Cowie.

Born in Kitwe, Zambia, educated in South Africa, and now a United States resident, Colin is the author of seven much-acclaimed books on style and entertaining: Dinner After Dark, Effortless Elegance With Colin Cowie, Colin Cowie Weddings, Colin Cowie For the Bride and Colin Cowie for the Groom, Colin Cowie’s Extraordinary Weddings, Colin Cowie Chic and Colin Cowie Wedding Chic.

Today, Colin Cowie Lifestyle – the world’s premier event planning, interior design and lifestyle consulting company, with offices in Los Angeles and New York – is the undisputed leader in its field. Colin’s celebrity client list includes Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Jennifer Lopez, Mark Anthony, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Jenny McCarthy, Sela Ward, Don Henley, Kelsey Grammer, Kenny G., Lisa Kudrow, Charlie Sheen, Sugar Ray Leonard, Paula Abdul, Barry Bonds, Michael Jordan and Hugh Hefner.

Colin is an exceptionally gifted man. More than just planning beautiful events; he captures love stories, recreating the spirit of every couple. His unmatched eye for detail, his timeless good taste, his ability to weave a couple’s style throughout every event … each of these talents and each of his weddings has earned his place as the world’s top wedding producer.

Colin recently took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Luxury Weddings. He has been to Australia six times and has organised one amazing wedding here.

The one and only wedding I designed in Sydney was a fabulous and richly over the top affair. Guests were welcomed on Friday evening at the Ocean Room restaurant overlooking the Sydney Opera House. Graphic barcode runners in olive, pistachio, chocolate brown and taupe were topped with silk dupioni covered geometric vases in varying height, filled with white and green flowers such as hydrangea, roses, vibernum and succulents. Guests were seated at a pair of long banquet tables.

The ceremony was held on the Fleet Steps of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The bride descended down the grand set of steps lined with a garland of fresh tropical leaves and succulents. The base of the stairs was flanked with a pair of monochromatic paved peonie spheres.

Inside the all-white ceremony tent it was a completely tailored and minimal installation of white tufted benches. The windows were covered with sheer white drapery. In the centre of the room ...an elevated aisle covered in Schiaparelli pink silk flanked by a border of abundantly packed peonies leading to a heavily floral covered, modern square arbour. Hanging from the ceiling were four fabulously adorned parasols completely paved in pink peonies inverted to appear like floral chandeliers.

The reception was held in the State Theatre. In contrast to the minimal and graphic ceremony, the reception was a study in opulence. When guests entered through the doors of the grand theatre they walked down the aisle to the stage that was flanked by 20 classic violinists. The grand stage was set for dinner with a series of square and round tables dressed in baroque-style linens. The table of honour had a runner of gold mirror topped with ornate candelabras with 18” gold taper candles that towered above rich arrangements primarily composed of black magic roses and dark red dahlias. Interspersed amongst the candelabras were bowls filled with sugared fruits and julep cups filled with red roses and complemented by tonnes of red votive candles. A fabulous cuff of ostrich feathers adorned the bride and groom’s chairs. As dinner came to an end, the band began to play Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” as the stage curtain began to rise, unveiling the after party with the DJ mixing to the actual track. Multiple disco balls spun over a glittered dance floor illuminating a room covered with purple carpet, underlit cocktail tables and lounge furniture. A full bar with master mixologists fuelled the party as a dessert goddess placed in the centre of a wheeled table worked her way through the crowd passing delicious confections. A great prescription for all senses to keep the party going!

We asked Colin to let us in on his top tips for brides planning a luxurious and stylish wedding? His advice is to start with the overall idea in mind…

The Big Picture
Dream big! Pull fabric swatches, colour swatches and tear sheets from magazines to help you determine where you want to spend most of your budget and ensure that you will spend it where your guests will enjoy it most.

Timing
Timing is key to any successful event. You always want to make sure your guests have moved to the next activity before they have a chance to look at their watch. Create a schedule of events that will list exactly what is taking place every minute of your event and distribute to all of your vendors...this is to ensure everyone will be on the same page and know what the other is doing. My general rule of thumb is to start the ceremony no longer than 15 minutes after invitation time. Limit cocktails to 45 minutes - it will be an hour by the time you move them to the dinner reception. Serve dinner in an hour and a half and limit the number of speeches. Then cut the cake and party, party, party!.

Lighting
Since most receptions occur in the evening, it does need to be considered very carefully. Of course this doesn’t mean flooding your reception hall with bright light, but rather manipulating the colours and intensity of the light to highlight what you want your guests to focus on, and hide what you don’t. Enter the room with a slightly brighter light level for guests to find their tables and seats and read the menu. Bring the levels lower for a romantic dinner, and enter the moving lights for the dance party. Pin-spots, up-lighting, and ambient room lighting will make certain that the design elements at your wedding stand out. Use a gobo or projection to personalise your dance floor or entry with your new initials or wedding logo.

Ceremony and Ritual
With so many intercultural and interracial weddings, it’s an exciting time to be getting married, and an ideal opportunity to incorporate our rich cultural customs and traditions into your wedding ceremony. Years ago, the officiator would read the same text at every wedding and substitute names, dates, and venues. The bride and groom would make their vows to one another and were then pronounced man and wife. That’s no longer the case: your ceremonies can and should be much more personal, not only expressing your love and commitment for one another, but providing a window into whom you are, the background you bring to the union, and a taste of your life experiences. Your ceremony is a moment in time when your closest friends and family are gathered together to love and support this big moment in your life. Make it as personal as possible with the vows you make to one another: incorporate rituals that have meaning to you.

– COLIN’S ADVICE FOR CREATING AN EXTRAORDINARY WEDDING –

• Zen and the Art of the Pre-Rehearsal

Practice is essential. Stage a complete dress rehearsal of the meal—feel the silver and stemware in your hands, look at the plated food, taste each dish and sit at the table to make sure the centrepiece doesn’t block the view of the guest across the table.

• Creating Your Own Ceremony

Incorporate your ethnicity with rituals that are from your background. Involve your guests by having the officiant mention some by name or ask someone you know to officiate the wedding .

• A Wedding Welcome: It’s in the Bag

Be inventive with your welcome bag, your guests—especially those who have travelled—will appreciate it. Along with gifts, include a schedule of events, maps, a dress code for each event and which events are kid-friendly. Consider embossing a logo on the bag or including a personal CD.

• Putting on your best face:
Timeless Makeup

Make-up should be timeless, not trendy. Do a trial rehearsal with your veil and jewellery so you can see the complete look. Use products that are durable and smudge proof, including a waterproof mascara, a cream blush with powder blush over it, a moisturizer with SPF, a lipstick sealer, and a light dusting of translucent powder.

• The Main Event: Your Wedding Hair

For the trial, bring photographs of what you have in mind but also bring photos of your dress that include the bodice, neckline, back, and train as well as your headpiece. Don’t be shy! Tell the stylist what you want and if there is anything you don’t like.

• Beyond The Women in White:
Choosing Your Gown

A dress does not have to look like a Cinderella ball gown and it does not have to be white! Choose a silhouette or color that flatters you. Top off the dress with a shawl or coat.

• Yours, Mine, and Theirs: Children

Make it clear well in advance whether or not children are welcome and arrange for babysitting services ahead of time. If children are welcome at the reception, be sure there is a child friendly menu. Include a list of local child friendly activities for families to do during downtimes.

For more help from Colin Cowie...

We can thoroughly recommend Colin’s books for more inspiration and ideas, not to mention the glorious photography! In COLIN COWIE WEDDING CHIC (Clarkson Potter; December 30, 2008; US$40.00), Colin’s practical advice demonstrates how to weave a thread of style throughout the celebration. WEDDING CHIC showcases 1,001 of Colin’s most spectacular ideas in full vibrant colour and presents a comprehensive resource for creating a wedding that is unparalleled, memorable, and, above all, personal.

COLIN COWIE’S EXTRAORDINARY WEDDINGS: From a Glimmer of an Idea to a Legendary Event (Clarkson Potter/Publishers; February 27, 2007; US$75) showcases sixteen of Colin’s most spectacular weddings. Here he shares his secrets for designing weddings that are unparalleled, memorable, and, above all, personal. From Capri and the Mexican Riviera to Santa Barbara, Colorado and New York, every detail is attended to in creating the most precious day – or days! – in a bride’s life.

Colin’s books are available from:
www.colincowie.com

Colin’s stunning Sydney wedding - 1 & 2. The Ceremony: The pink-satin-carpeted aisle is elevated by six inches and flanked with succulents, peonies, roses, and carnations, culminating in a very clean arbor; a pair of floral chandeliers fashioned from inverted umbrellas serves as the ceiling’s focal points. 3. Black magic roses, fire and ice roses, and deep red dahlias stud this series of tall guilded candelabras; low bowls of fruit—including plums, kumquats, limes, and blackberries—along with stephanotis blossoms and small julep cups of red roses accent the tall elements. And, of course, there’s no shortage of candles. 4. Various shades of lush pink peonies are studded with crisp white stephanotis blossoms for an utterly romantic look.

All images (excluding Colin Cowie image) Colin Miller.