Nick used to live on Elfreth’s Alley so we had to go there for a few quick photos

Morgan is beautiful

Nick hanging on his old stoop

I had been doing public relations after college and after a relatively short time I realized that I reallydidn’t like pitching to the media, but I did really like using events to improve the visibility of my clients.  I had always loved planning events and didn’t really know that it was a career possibility until I evolved my little PR consulting business into events only.  A little known fact is that my PR biz, started in 1999, was originally called Mediasmarts – then when I left the media part behind and was just pursuing events, I changed to MS Events in 2001, and shortly after I got married, it became Lindsay Landman Events in 2002.

My undergraduate degree from Penn is in English and Art History.  I went to college planning to be a journalist and left college planning to be a teacher.  That worked out well… Though I still do love to write (I am 100 pages into my first novel –shhhh!) – and I have taught many classes and workshops over the years.

I adore working in tents.  I love taking a blank canvas and building a complete environment from scratch. I can do a lot in lofts too, which is why I am so lucky to have the opportunity to do most of my work in New York City where we have tons of cool loft spaces.  This past year, though, I had the great honor of working abroad and it was the best experience of my professional life, so I’d love the chance to do more work around the world.

Design: Related to all visual decor elements including, but not limited to, lighting, linens, flowers,table settings, staging, fabric, food presentation and printed materials. This is sometimes called styling (I am a fan of this word as I feel that is has a more accessible tone to it).

Production: After the design is developed, it needs to be produced. This entails everything from arranging the flowers to purchasing the candles and hanging fabric to building backdrops.  It is the labor element related to events and what takes them from fantasy to reality.

Planning: The logistical and organizational aspects of events are all planning tasks.  Selecting vendors, negotiating contracts, making timelines, setting appointments, etc. Great planning is what makes a party tick because it doesn’t matter how beautiful it looks if it is disorganized or lacks flow.

Leap tall buildings in a single bound! Ha! Just making sure you’re paying attention… My process involves first getting an understanding of what my client loves, hates, must have and definitely does not want at her event.  Then, I begin designing by showing big picture concepts to see how my client reacts or relates to the images. After I get feedback, I start sourcing materials, doing sketches, pulling fabric swatches and preparing floor plans. The next step is creating samples of the main décor elements for approval and finally, I create a production manual that details the entire process of bringing the conceptual design into reality.  It is this manual that is the “play book” that allows my entire team to understand what they need to do/buy/make/build to create the event on the big day.

Since I can remember, I have had more ideas than I knew what to do with.  I love designing because there is no limit to how creative I can be. Designing allows me to let go a little bit and push the limits of what my clients think is possible. I love planning too but it is more systematic in a lot of ways.

The clients who are often the best match for me are those who are creative and open minded and a little less tied to tradition.  My very best clients are those who really trust me and with whom I build a close personal relationship.

I think that my design style is what makes my work original and I think that my ability to manage the intricacies of both design and planning allows me to stand out from my competition. I describe my style as contemporary and approachable – I want my events to look fresh and different, but not so crazy over-the-top that guests can’t feel comfortable.

I personally love to work with a client from the time of engagement so that we can work together to select a venue that will lend well to the style of design they have in mind.  If a client comes to me having already selected a venue, though, the next milestone would be before selecting save-the-dates and gowns since my design process includes input on those items as part of the complete design.

Well…. If you were to select me as your event designer, you can also hire my company to plan your wedding.  You are not required to hire us for both (meaning you can hire us for design only), but I think there is a great benefit to doing so.  Many designers in the major metropolitan areas also offer planning as an additional service, but not all do (and not all are qualified to!) so you should inquire with the designer you are considering.

A planner is focused on the organizational and logistical details of an event and while many planners have a great knack for aesthetics, few are skilled in full scale design which involves knowledge of flower design, lighting techniques, room styling, graphic design and spatial planning.

A great event designer looks at an event from beginning to end and works with a client to creatively unite every aspect of an event. While a traditional florist focuses on specific arrangements, an event designer thinks about the overall event environment and therefore has a lot more room for creativity because we are not limited to tabletops and other traditional surfaces.

Lindsay Landman is upping the ante on the traditional photo shoot by asking readers to share an interior that they love! She will create an entire event design around the winning interior and the winner gets to come help style it!! So now is the time to pull out your wish books and send in a fave design. Plus you get to be on set watching an entire editorial shoot and all the people and elements that go into making it a success. See an event in miniature!

I can’t wait to see what you submit to her! We are still looking for a few more photo shoot sponsors too. All entries are due May 7, 2010.

Last week, I called up Anni and asked her to take me make-up shopping. We had a fun time and I have to say I love what she gave me. We tried all kinds of different primers, foundations, shadows etc. She really took the time to listen to all of my concerns. We also walked around talking about the differences between each type of make-up. Things like how to tell a good shadow from a cheap one, what mascara is better for certain looks etc.

We have a few shoots planned this year and I am super excited to work with her more. Plan on seeing her work on the blog. We only grabbed a few photos before we were stopped at Sephora. Apparently, you can’t take photos in there.