October weekends were intense but fulfilling for Shiraz Events NYC and clients, as wedding planning was in full swing, in venues including the Glass Houses, Battery Gardens Restaurant and a private house in the Hamptons.
Also look out for our Wedding Report newsletter which will include Shai’s insider styling concepts for incredible wedding production and design!
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Exciting exciting– our blog was fished through for a great cocktail idea for the Bridal Guide in Newsday!
Check out the placement and the awesome caipirinha!
How delinquent we’ve been with our blog posts! It’s been a hectic, but incredibly productive and a fulfilling couple of months at Shiraz Events NYC and Miami. With exciting clients left and right, including The American Ballet Theatre, Microsoft Windows 7 launch, Rocco Dispirito and SNL, Absolut, ELLE Magazine and many more, we’ve been quite busy!
Otherwise, to kick off the Fall season, check out this great entertainment advice from Shai, as well as his recommendations for venues that set aside space for smaller private parties.
Check your local newsstands for this piece, as it’s published in The New York Observer, page R10 in ‘The Observer Guide to Restaurants & Party Planning’!
With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to start planning your party. There are some great places in the NYC that offer great pricing for your budget friendly needs.
“Right now, everyone is a little more flexible, so you can ask for more.” For example, if you come with a big group, you can ask for a prix fixe menu, and you can negotiate adding some dishes to the main menu as well as different wines. “And you can do the same thing with service,” Shai says, “ in galas or dinner parties, ask for at least a server-and-a-half per table of ten people to make sure that you have really great service.”
For larger parties, you can even ask them to decorate the table, “even if they won’t do it as part of the package, they can probably apple the special rate that they get from their florist.” You can also ask the restaurant to print the guests’ names on the menu in lieu of place cards, “…it looks a little bit more custom made and more invested.” If you’re using a private room you can always bring your own music as well to set the mood.
Shai’s venue picks that cater to smaller parties too:
1. Aquavit 65 East 55th Street (bt. Park and Madison Avenues) Special Events 212-957-9045
2. Buddakan 75 Ninth Avenue (bt. 15th and 16th Streets) Special Events 212-989-7049- Manager: Deborah Yeom
3. Eleven Madison Park 11 Madison Avenue (at 24th Street) 646-747-2583 (Dana Kane)
4. Bottino 246 Tenth Avenue (bt. 24th and 25th Street) 212-206-6766 ext 6 for Danny Emerman
Shai’s summer entertaining trends were so great that we had to split them up. Last week Shai suggested setting the mood with different music and great cocktails. But we can’t stop there, your ambiance and décor is pertinent to a well planned and enjoyed gathering.
“3. This is a time to show your true colors, especially over the weekend. People want to have fun and forget the stressful economic situation and/or any other drama. Bring in bold colors like fuchsia and orange as accents in table cloths or flowers to set a playful mood. This trend is very strong in current designs for fashion and home.
If you are a minimalist, a black and white color story with a green accent can be fresh and elegant.
4. Add centerpieces to your table by trekking outside to your garden or the local greenhouse. Purchase a few herb plants and replant them in a beautiful vase or clay pot. Depending upon your style, use it solely as a centerpiece – or replant it in your garden after the event! H Groome in South Hampton is one of my favorite venues outside of the city for sourcing these décor items.”
Don’t let these indoor table settings throw you off; they’re both doable indoors and outdoors! Both tables have bright and vibrant aspects to them, certain to WOW your guests!
Happy planting and styling!
For the past couple of weeks, shiraz Events president Shai Tertner was on a little summer getaway in Istanbul. Aside from the unforgettable selections of lamb steaks, tahini sauce and incredibly delicious fruit cocktails, Shai visited dined and resided in astounding places — adding to the “spice” and culture found in the Shiraz office and the unique ideas that go into shiraz’s events. Check out his picks:
“Istanbul is one of the most romantic cities I’ve ever visited in my travels, the combination of the old with the new, Asia and Europe, is very charming, especially at night. Here are my top three picks for romantic restaurants that will take your breath away and a special room with the most incredible view at a boutique hotel.
Ulus 29 is a local chic restaurant with a magnificent setting. The menu has a combination of great local and global contemporary food to choose from. If you get a bit chilly, your waiter will lay an ivory shawl over your shoulders, talk about special treatment! Design fanatics will love the sophisticated interiors. This is where you ask me to marry you.
Mikla at the Marmara Pera Hotel is a roof top restaurant with views that seem like they’re from your dreams, especially under a full moon. Ask to sit by the edge, have the bottle of rose, order the sirloin and embrace the birds-eye view of the main historical peninsula on the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. This is where we can celebrate our one or tenth year together.
Surprise your love with a speed boat and arrive ‘Bond’ style from the river at Zuma, with the grand bridge view at night. This contemporary Japanese restaurant is tres-chic and fun, and is on the Bosphorus with wonderful views. This is how you do it if you want to impress me.
At the Witt Istanbul you can find an incredible view from your room. This is a wonderful boutique hotel, very centrally located, room 61 specifically, has the most amazing views, and a wraparound corner terrace and king sized bed to put all that romance to work or rest from it.”
With these great places in mind, your next vacation should very well be to Istanbul! If you take Shai’s recommendations into consideration you’ll clearly be basking in utter beauty and culture.
Watermelon Breeze
According to Mike Woods on FOX 5 Morning News this morning, one more day of over 90 degree weather means we are in a heat wave, and boy can you feel it? The rising temperatures leave us yearning for a refreshing cocktail! Shiraz Events NYC’s Staffing Manager, James Davenport, suggests yet another delicious and refreshing cocktail for you to try at home. This Watermelon Breeze recipe pulls together the cool juices of watermelon and mint leaves with Pear Vodka, to truly rouse your senses and quench your thirst.
Recipe:
Muddle 2 mint leaves, 2 lime slices and 8-10 cubes of watermelon
Add Grey Goose Pear vodka and a splash of elderflower syrup
Shake with ice
Pour in a highball glass
Add a splash of soda and garnish with a lime
Lay back and enjoy!
Shiraz Events founder Shai Tertner is a lifestyle expert that has helped some of the most well-known hosts in the Hamptons put together memorable fetes. Check out his lifestyle advice in this months’ Manhattan Magazine and MetroSource NYC.
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We sat down to speak with Shai about his top 5 secrets for summer entertaining which will be posted in parts:
“In the current environment people still want (and need) to have a good time. However, people are finding that they need to be a bit more creative to maintain their typical standard of style with their new found budgets. Even the most relaxed summer parties require a certain amount of planning. Here are my tips for scheduling and entertaining in the Hamptons this summer:
1. Set the mood for guests as they come back to your house from a day at the beach. Bossa N’ Marley’s, Bossa N’ Roses, Bossa N’ Stones CD plays Bossa Nova reproductions of very familiar songs by these famous performers (Guns and Roses, Bob Marley, and The Rolling Stones). These collections of songs are great for lounging, or for background music while having dinner. Those CD’s music can be downloaded from iTunes.
2. If you have ever visited Brazil you would know that Brazilians are fun loving people and can have a wonderful time with very little. Combat the summer heat and create a Brazilian Caipirinha bar complete with a colorful selection of fruit. This will add an interactive element to your event, and will allow your guests to choose and customize their cocktail.
This is actually very easy and inexpensive to do: Pick up fresh fruit from a fruit stand during your trip to the cottage. These will become your central ingredients for the weekend’s signature cocktail.
The Strawberry Cherry Caipirinha
Leblon Cachaça
Muddle the lime, strawberries, cherries and sugar in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with a strawberry.
An alternative…
The Strawberry Basil Caipirinha
Leblon Cachaça
Muddle the lime, strawberries, basil and sugar in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with a strawberry.”
Stay tuned for more of Shai’s Tips!
Charlotte Russe celebrated fall fashion with a blow-out event in Soho. Harrison & Shriftman designed and produced the launch event, which included three looks from the Fall Collection, Brit Punk, Girly Grunge and Heirloom & Romance, all styled by “Gossip Girl” costume designer and Charlotte Russe Stylist, Eric Daman. Celeb sightings included Michelle Trachtenberg (“GossipGirl”), Jessica Szohr (“Gossip Girl”), Joanna Garcia (“Gossip Girl”), Stephanie Pratt (“The Hills”), Ali Lohan, Christian Serratos (“Twilight”), Rumer Willis and more. Shiraz Events chefs and staff impressed the star studded event with a cocktail menu inspired by the Charlotte Russe looks, which included a Raspberry “Russe” specialty cocktail, Mini Tea Sandwiches, Fish & Chips, Girly Grunge Brie Tartlets, and Seared Foie Gras Bites.
Ever wonder what makes a photographer tick? Shiraz Events was curious, and thought it would be enlightening to sit down with a very talented and sought out photographer, Erik Ekroth. Shooting weddings primarily, Erik’s timeless and elegant photos are unforgettable. Read Shiraz and Erik’s quick chat on his breaking into photography, his passions aside from photography and more.
Shiraz Events: What’s your passion outside of photography?
Erik Ekroth: I love surfing, snowboarding, and just getting out of town when I have the chance! In a few months, it’ll be hanging out with my son!
SE: What brought you to NYC? Would you ever leave/ relocate to a different market? Where would you go?
EE: I moved to NYC for a change and a challenge. It’s been nothing but a fantastic experience. If I moved, it’d most likely be back to the west coast (not sure which city), but that wouldn’t be for several years since my wife’s having a baby in December!
SE: How did you break into the industry?
EE: I was a freelance newspaper photojournalist in San Diego when my mother remarried, and I photographed her wedding in La Jolla. One of her friends hired me after seeing the images, and things just took off after that.
SE: What are your favorite types of events to shoot?
EE: I love to shoot intimate and elegant weddings, where there is great attention to detail (whether it be a city wedding or one on a farm) and warm, easy going people.
SE: What is your preferred camera to shoot with?
EE: I love the look of medium format cameras, and I use a mixture of film and digital. Portrait lenses are also a must have!
SE: What are some new breathtaking venues you’ve shot at?
EE: I absolutely love Blue Hill at Stone Barns- so elegant and yet so much a part of the environment (it’s on a working organic farm).
SE: Through the eyes of the photographer, what makes a perfectly entertained event?
EE: Great details, good lighting, a schedule that allows ample time for the day’s events (including photos, of course) and a great group of people.
SE: What’s your favorite activity to do in NYC?
EE: A few things I love to do in NYC are going out to dinner at new places, visiting the amazing art galleries and spending time wandering around different neighborhoods checking out the local scenes.
SE: What is your secret to the art of entertainment?
EE: I’d say my secret to the art of entertainment is fresh seasonal drinks and a great grill – I grew up in Texas, so it’s all about the grill and what you put on it!
Check out what Erik’s up to this month on his blog!
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“Erik Ekroth specializes in editorial style wedding photography, blending together documentary photography, artistic portraits, and exquisite still life images. Erik is based in New York City, and is available for travel worldwide.”
