Photo by PS Photography

Janderyn Makris, owner of Earth and Sugar, Boynton Beach, Florida

Profession: Confectionary Designer, Earth and Sugar

What she is obsessed with: Edible confetti! I know it sounds so weird, but a simple cake covered in the right amount of confetti can add such glamour. I obsess about gold almost every day, I just want to paint with it on my cakes, use glitters on my edible details and find it in lovely cutlery. I may never get tired of implementing this versatile color into my designs.

What is so 2012: That is such a hard question, I want to say cupcakes but that would be going against my pastry ethics. I really think that damask was used so much in the last year or so that it’s time for a change. I love modern tribal and geometric shapes and colors, they are making their way into paperie, and I am excited!

What’s the next big thing: This is the year of emerald green and gold, but a trend I am starting to see come through more is the use of lace. Lace is absolutely beautiful and there is a sense of old world that ties into it. I have incorporated it into a few of my designs, and although it is time consuming the final product is worth the labor.

What should brides and grooms already know before contacting you (i.e. their guest count, venue, theme, etc.): It’s so hard for me to tell brides what they have to be decided on by the time they come to see me, my experience has been that they see so many ideas and pin so many pictures that it creates a mishmash of their vision. It is very helpful when they know their colors, an estimated number of guests and of course budget (if there is one). The reason budget is probably the most important is because what you envision may not be what you can afford, and we try and tailor their ideas to also fit what they want to spend on confections.

What is your specialty: We really focus on creating unique yet organic designs that don’t have too much of everything on it. I believe in having a bit of restraint when it comes to design as something simple and clean can become an elegant conversation piece. We take pride in the use of our local and organic ingredients which bring a wonderful flavor and texture to all of our cakes and confections.

Photos by PS Photography

Serverware from Amazing Grace Vintage Rentals

Share on Facebook

Keeping a proposal hush-hush can be tough: Matt staged a faux 60th birthday party for his mom at a private home in Longboat Key, FL, and when all his friends and family were in attendance, he ended up getting on one knee proposing to the love of his life. Matt left no detail unturned: The bride to be was led down a torchlit path to a table for two set with champagne and roses as a live opera singer belted out a romantic tune. And when she said yes: Fireworks! No really, there were fireworks. Lots of them.

We are sure that former Miss University of Florida and pageant queen Diana will be a stunning bride!

xo

Megan

Share on Facebook

Feathers, cigars, pearl strings and smooth jazz: these are the ingredients to have a picture perfect 1920’s inspired evening. Treat your guests to a scene from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with the era’s Art Deco style on anything from geometric patterned invitations, to custom metallic cocktail napkins or menus. A melodious jazz band sets the atmosphere of the speakeasies so popular in the 20’s and will have everyone doing the Charleston. Have your bridesmaids wear dropped-waist dresses and delve into some fun flapper fringe! For amusing memories, have a photo booth set up with props like cigars, skinny cigarettes, feather boas, top hats, lace headbands and chalkboards. Don’t forget a glamorous vintage car to take you away at the end of the night!

Bonus: the Hollywood adaptation of the book is coming out soon, so make it a date and do some fun research while gawking at Leo DiCaprio for a couple of hours.

Invitations via Snippet & Ink; Chandelier by Love this Day Events; Synchronized Swimmers via Snippet & Ink ; Escort Cards from Wedding Chicks; Vintage Car via Heavenly Blooms; Headpiece from Onewed; Cake by Onewed; Head Table via Green Wedding Shoes; Table Setting from The Caketress

Share on Facebook

Photo by Cengiz

Photo by Cengiz

Photo by Cengiz

The It! Girls are elated that two very cool lovebirds from New York flew down to sunny Palm Beach to have a fabulous wedding. The beautiful ceremony  took place at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church followed by a 1920′s inspired reception at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. The dance floor was the main event of the party as the band had everyone jumping up and down and shaking side to side. A heritage table was set up with vintage black and white pictures of the bride and grooms’ family and everything from napkins to drink stirrers was personalized with a gorgeous crest the couple designed themselves. Sipping on champagne and Manhattan’s, guests were treated to one of the coolest funfetti cakes we have ever seen. Trust us, we have seen A LOT of cakes! Of course what truly made the evening special was the pure joy radiating from the supper happy couple. Congrats Ryann and Will! Have the time of your lives honeymooning!

Photo by It! Weddings and Events

Wedding Planner: It! Weddings and Events

Venue: Henry Morrison Flagler Museum

Flowers: Xquisite Events

Linens: Atlas Party Rental

Photography: Cengiz from Adagion Studios

Hair: DM Hair

Make-up: Yvette from Pretty Suite

Gown: Oscar de la Renta

Tuxedo: Ralph Lauren

Catering: C’est Si Bon

Cake: Momofuku Milkbar

Band: The Chris Michaels Band

Transportation: Molly’s Trolleys

Vintage Rolls Royce Princess: Millennium Limo

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

With Passover and Easter just a few weeks away, we thought it was the perfect time to review how food and wine should complement each other.  This chart from winefolly.com will be a time saver when planning your next fabulous gathering. From vegetables to cheeses and deserts, use this as a cheat sheet to plan wine selections around your menu. Or if you are an oenophile like us, plan your menu around the wine!

Whether you’re having an intimate get together in the garden or a rehearsal dinner for 100, knowing which wines please certain palates is key to a successful party. Don’t be afraid to mix and match wines to add a unique, vineyard tasting element. Happy planning (and sipping)!

Chart courtesy of Wine Folly

Share on Facebook

Annie Falk, Daphne Nikolopoulos, Patrick Park, Aime Dunstan and Jerry Rabinowitz

Patrick M. Park recently opened his magnificent Bear’s Club estate in Jupiter, FL, to fete Palm Beach Entertaining authors Annie Falk, Victoria Amory, Aime Dunstan and Daphne Nikolopoulos, along with photographer Jerry Rabinowitz. More than 200 revelers rounded out the guest list, including Park’s fellow hosts featured among the pages of this must-have tome.

It! Girls Sofie, Lindsey, Aime, Lena and Jennifer

Entertained by a Mariachi band, a pianist and a poolside Latin band, guests enjoyed cocktails and a lavish dinner buffet in celebration of a book that is taking Palm Beach and New York by storm. Guests included Kathryn and Leo Vecellio, Dorothy and Sidney Kohl, Christine and Bill Aylward, Mimi and Leigh McMakin, Talbott Maxey, Camilla and Bruce Helander, Briana Beaty, Julie and Howard Rudolph, Crissy Poorman and Douglas Luce, and Gloria and Joseph Stolman.

Park Estate

With a foreword by internationally renowned chef Alain Ducasse, PALM BEACH ENTERTAINING ($45, Rizzoli New York) offers unprecedented entrée into the exclusive world of Palm Beach, renowned for its lavish lifestyle and grand parties. This personal invitation into the private homes of Palm Beach’s most-celebrated members of society shows how to bring high style to your own gatherings at home. More than twenty hosts open their doors, revealing their secrets for entertaining along with one hundred of their most tried-and-true recipes. And it is all done in the spirit of giving—the net proceeds from the book benefit the Children’s Home Society, a charitable organization with a proven network of adoption, early childhood development, and family support services.

Palm Beach Entertaining

Books may be purchased online at www.chsfl.org/palmbeachentertaining, by phone at 561/868-4300, and at Children’s Home Society of Florida, 3333 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406.

Annie Falk with the mariachis!

About Children’s Home Society of Florida: Created in 1902, Children’s Home Society of Florida is the oldest and largest statewide private not-for-profit provider of services to children and families in Florida. The Palm Beach Division, established in 1964, serves more than 18,000 children and families in Palm Beach County each year through a full spectrum of programs that include adoption, child development, dependency case management, emergency shelters, residential group homes, parent education, counseling, mentoring, and more. CHS’ headquarter is in Winter Park, Fla. with nearly 100 locations and more than 1,800 staff members dedicated to providing child-focused, family-centered care. For more information about CHS go to www.chsfl.org or call (561) 868-4300.

PHOTOS BY LUCIEN CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY

Share on Facebook

Join us next Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Linens for drinks and hors d’oeuvres with the ladies of Palm Beach Entertaining!

Share on Facebook

Author Hilary Ross and It! President and Creative Director Aime Dunstan

Being that we adore all things glamorous, it’s only natural that we ran out to the book store with wallet in hand the moment the lovely Hilary Geary Ross released her latest tome, “New York New York,” ($85, Powerhouse Books) featuring photographs from renowned British shutterbug Harry Benson. Offering an insider’s view of New York society and scenes from the days that defined chic, “New York New York” is a must-have. We caught up with Hilary recently at one of our favorite shops in Palm Beach, Leta Austin Foster, and chatted her up about the city that never sleeps.

“I met Harry years ago in the late 80s when he photographed me along with famed dress designer Christian Lacroix walking down the street with Blaine Trump and Kimberly Rockefeller in New York City,” says Hilary, a noted society columnist. “More recently, we got to know each other better in Palm Beach where we all live and often dine together.”

The idea for the book, she says, was born out of one of those little dinners with Harry and Gigi (his wife and collaborator ) and Hilary’s husband, billionaire financier Wilbur Ross. ”It was a joy to work with Harry as he is a true professional: talented, punctual, prepared and remarkably imaginative. He has the natural ability to put people at ease with his perfect manners and self effacing charm.”

Subjects include Diane Sawyer, Halston, Truman Capote, Robert Redford, Neil Simon, Tom Wolfe, Norman Mailer, Spike Lee, Malcolm Forbes, Al Pacino, Lauren Hutton, Lena Horne, Andy Warhol, Yogi Bera, Jackie Kennedy, Gerard Butler, Cindy Lauper, Daryl Hannah, Mario Cuomo, Birdie Bell, Donald Trump, Brooke Astor, Yoko Ono, Woody Allen, and Michael Kors among many others.

History, photography and fashion buffs will adore 40 years of images from Benson. “One of my favorite photos was of Hugh Jackman with his wife Deborra -Lee in their Richard Meier duplex overlooking the river,” says Hilary. “The apartment was so glamorous — all white with dazzling views that took your breath away. Both Jackman’s were hospitable and charming. Can’t beat that!”

Share on Facebook