CaitandJules

Lulie Wallace

2012-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

We can't believe it's been almost two years since Nicki and Roni's postal-inspired wedding in the gorgeous green hills of rural Pennsylvania. As memories of their special day soften a bit around the edges, Nicki decided to preserve a piece of it by commissioning Charleston based artist Lulie Wallace to paint her wedding bouquet. The result is stunning, and we are thrilled that our flowers will brighten their home every day.

To see more of Lulie's charming work click here.

Two Year Anniversary

2011-11-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe, but today marks the official start of the third year of Cait&Jules! As planners we have our eyes ever trained on the future, so we thought we'd take a minute to celebrate some of the most exciting moments of the past twelve months. We are truly grateful to do what we love every single day, especially ones that include:

New Year's fireworks inside Lincoln Center

An Egyptian-inspired celebrity birthday party under the stars

A Trip Down the Rabbit Hole in far West Texas

A charmingly traditional Southern wedding

A Godfather-inspired feast for the NBA's finest

A week straight of cocktails with NYC's best bartenders

An inspiring evening with the Clinton women at the UN

A subtly science-y Bat Mitzvah

Celebrating "Movember" with James Franco

Thanks to all who have supported us, and cheers to another year celebrating life's big moments in style.

Hilton Head Monthly Feature

2011-09-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Palmetto Bluff Wedding we did in June was just featured in Hilton Head Monthly with an article written by Cait!

Marfa, TX Birthday

2011-08-01T10:22:00.001-07:00

At the end of April, Jules and I teamed up with Allison Storr & Co. and embarked on our long journey to a tiny art town in far west Texas to install the décor for the birthday party weekend extravaganza of one of one of our favorite clients. Each spring, he throws himself an outrageous birthday bash with one goal: to outdo last year’s! By all accounts, the Marfa birthday was one for the record books.

Guests had received an invitation in the form of a bound book inviting them on a ”Journey Down the Rabbit Hole,” and providing little more information than where to meet and what to pack. On the last Friday in April, 150 guests flew blindly on a chartered flight from San Francisco featuring a dj and bar, with no knowledge of their destination. Upon landing in TX, they boarded a fleet of party buses and made the three-hour trek to Marfa and a weekend of fantasy as outlined in the custom passport they each received.

Friday’s welcome party at Galleri Urbane allowed guests to acclimate to the town’s wonderfully earthy, minimalist vibe and slow pace while feasting on delicious cuisine from the famed Food Shark.

Saturday began with a brunch at Ballroom Marfa that was a feast for the eyes a la Jennifer Rubell. From there, guests spent the afternoon at Padre’s creating imaginative headpieces to wear to that evening’s Mad Hatter festivities.

A tour of Judd’s famous Chinati Foundation, and a stark dinner in a hangar-like hall was the perfect juxtaposition to the riot of color we had in store at the after party.

Referencing the fanciful and bizarre imagery of Alice in Wonderland, our design at Liz Lambert’s El Cosmico played on light, scale and context to create a truly trippy sensory experience.

In the vast black desert landscape of Marfa, vibrant blue, green, and white up-lighting on the property’s trees created an ethereal scene amid the existing yurts, teepee and vintage airstream trailers.

A flock of hot pink flamingos welcomed guests to the main house, which we “carpeted” with grass and lit only with primary-colored church candles and psychedelic window projections by VJ Culture. Whimsical touches like croquet, a candy wall, and a swarm of jewel-toned butterflies in the bathroom, along with the genius stylings of our celebrity dj Scumfrog, transformed the space into a separate reality.

As guests wandered the property, they came upon a Mad Hatter tea party in a yurt that we transformed with black and white checkerboard floor tiles and fabric walls. Clocks, mirrors and a miniature table and chairs set a truly unexpected scene for guests to sip tea and toddies.

Further out in the field, our 30’ teepee seemed to float above the desert, entirely wrapped in moving projection by the brilliant VJ Culture. Inside, the 70-s inspired hookah lounge we created with pillows, ottomons, Moroccan tray tables and brightly colored hookahs quickly became guests' favorite late-night spot.

Throughout the weekend, Jules and I heard one word repeated more often than any other, and we have to agree. “Epic” is the only way to describe it!

xo C.

photography Clay Austin Photography

Palmetto Bluff Wedding: The Photo Booth

2011-08-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest hits at the Palmetto Bluff wedding was our interactive photo booth. To tie in the moss decor motif used throughout the reception tent, Cait and I created mossy wall that served as the backdrop to some of the best photos of the evening! Creating the backdrop was a snap, and something everyone can do at home. Below are the simple steps:

Supplies:

4'x8' piece of ply wood

Dark green spray paint

Staple gun and staples

Sheet Moss

1. Paint the plywood green

2. Lay out the moss so it covers the entire surface. (Don't worry about it laying out perfectly, lumps and overlapping areas make it look more organic).

3. Staple all of the moss to the board. Be generous with the staples and make you get all of the corners, as you don't want pieces falling off throughout the night!

4. Stand the plywood against a wall. Because we were in the middle of a large lawn we had to create legs for the backdrop, which we simply made from 2x4s and hinges.

5. For some interest add a fern or a tree stump.

6. Set up the camera and say cheese!

Props are a great way to personalize your photo booth pictures. A few chalk boards, empty picture frames and some hand-made moss hearts added a unique and fun element to Lauren and Dave's, and really allowed their guests to get creative.

xo J.

photography Clay Austin Photography

Palmetto Bluff Wedding

2011-07-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

In June, Jules and I headed back down to idyllic Palmetto Bluff, SC to begin installation of a true southern-style wedding that has been a year-and-a-half in the making. We are happy to say that everything went just about perfectly, and are still reeling with good vibes from such a warm celebration of friends and family.

It is impossible not to be inspired by the rustic charm that Palmetto Bluff exudes, so we set about to harness that organic beauty in our design concept for Lauren and Dave. We knew right away that it would have to be all natural and indigenous materials: birch bark, cotton pods, magnolia leaves, and lots and lots of moss.

We accented the quaint chapel simply with white floral wreathes on the doors and small bouquets of cotton on each pew to keep the focus on the bride and groom. Sweet personal touches like the flower girl basket fashioned from the mother-of-the-bride's wedding gown, and musical selections that mirrored the bride's parents' wedding made the ceremony feel intimate and special.

Post-ceremony, a traditional Gullah Choir led the guests the short distance to the reception belting such Gospel standards as “Oh Happy Day” and “This Little Light of Mine” while Lauren and Dave rode off in their Cinderella Carriage for photos.

Our gorgeous sailcloth Sperry tent, set among the ruins of an old plantation home showcased at its center a 20’ live southern oak dripping with Spanish moss and hanging votives. After the wedding, the tree was donated by the bride and groom to the Palmetto Bluff conservancy to be planted on the property, forever bearing the "L +D" we carved into its trunk in their honor.

True to the southern way, guests were encouraged to graze and mingle leisurely throughout the evening by a mix of lounge vignettes, pub seating and traditional tables topped with birch containers and cut logs bursting with white flowers and magnolia leaf atop moss runners. Throughout the tent, framed photos from generations of family weddings adorned the tables as fun conversation starters and a sentimental tribute to the bride and groom's loved ones.

Elaborate food stations with wine pairings surrounded the tent, including an Italian station featuring heavenly mozzarella and sopresatta made fresh that day by a family friend. Each buffet was finished with a hand-drawn menu created by the wonderfully talented Nicki Sebastian to add a personal touch and reference the pen and ink drawings used on our invitation.

The fabulous Heather Hayes Experience (Heather is Isaac Hayes’ daughter!) had the dance floor packed throughout the entire reception and several encores, as guests traded their heels for white flip flops and danced the night away.

While the satisfaction of seeing it all come together so well is immense, it is often bittersweet to part ways with clients after such a long process. We enjoyed every minute of working with the sweet Daniels family, and wish Lauren and Dave a lifetime of beauty and love!

xo C.

photos: Clay Austin Photography

Science Bat Mitzvah

2011-07-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

In May, after a year’s worth of planning, Jules and I produced a Science-themed Bat Mitzvah for a very sweet and precocious seventh-grader named Abby. On Abby’s suggestion, we drew inspiration from the pages of her favorite books, the vibrantly illustrated science series by Dan Green and Simon Basher.

Rather than sitting at numbered tables, adult guests were assigned to tables named for science terms like “The Sun,” “Helium,” “DNA,” etc. The same images were used on tags for the kids’ cubbies.

Glowing static electricity balls that kids could interact with became centerpieces in the kids cocktail area, adding cool ambient lighting to the space.

An interactive mocktail bar featuring beakers of colorful juices and steaming dry ice served as playful décor and a fun activity for the kids. Instructions for concoctions like “Atomic Lemonade” gave direction for kids to get creative under the watchful eye of our “mad scientist” bartender who was decked out in a lab coat and goggles.

Jules created the most adorable logo for Abby, playing on the elements of the periodic table, which we used on gift bag stickers and cocktail napkins.

Abby’s concern was to make sure the décor expressed her interest in science without being too overt or “nerdy.” So, the remaining décor was focused on being springy and elegant, with some subtle science references and focused on Abby’s chosen colors of blue and green.

Adult tables featured lamps we created by topping cylinders of water and floating candles with glittered blue lampshades, and surrounding them with beakers of peonies iris, and tulips.

Our funky kids table centerpieces were created using flats of wheat grass whimsically blooming with yellow tulips and orange poppies. Pops of blue mirrored plexi throughout the space tied everything together and made the room sparkle.

xo C.

Photos by Ellen Dubin Photography and RBB Digital

Updates

2011-07-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Lucky for us Cait&Jules has had quite a year so far. Unfortunately, because we have been so busy we have not been able to keep up with the blog! We are spending the next weeks updating our website, facebook and blog so stay tuned to see what we have been up to over the past months!

xo C&J

Nicki and Roni's wedding on JCrew.com!

2011-06-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wood Plank Centerpiece: How To

2011-02-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

For Shannon and Vinnie's Wedding, we created beautiful and simple centerpieces that are seriously simple to make. Here is how!

Supplies:

- 8' long wood planks

- 1 can of mahogany wood stain

- Brushes

- Sand Paper

- Rag

- Pillar Candles in various heights

1. Sand the wood planks down on all sides.

2. Wipe boards down with a rag to remove all of the dust.

3. Evenly paint the boards with the mahogany stain.

4. Allow to dry overnight.

5. Place along the center of a rectangular table and place pillar candles of differing heights along the board in randomly placed groupings.

6. Light the candles about 10 minutes before your guests arrive and enjoy the ambiance!

Shannon and Vinnie

2011-02-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

This past October we worked with the lovely Shannon to plan her Brooklyn wedding to high school sweetheart, Vinnie. As an event planner herself, Shannon didn't need much help but she was determined to plan an wedding that did not lose sight of the true meaning of the day: a celebration of two families joining together, having lots and lots of fun!

We helped the laid-back couple chose the charming and funky ReBar in Brooklyn for their reception, so creating a space that was warm and inviting was easy to do. Cait and I are big advocates of finding a venue that does not require lots of money to decorate, but with a few small touches can become your own. For Shannon and Vinnie, we created some very inexpensive centerpieces using only wood planks and pillar candles. We flooded the rest of the space with pillar candles and votives, and had Lenox Hill Florist bring in gorgeous oversized maple leaf arrangements to complete the Fall romantic atmosphere.

Because the reception was in a bar, there were a few plasma tv's that we struggled with hiding. In the end, we decided to play a fireplace DVD on all of the screens. The effect was magic--the space looked cozy and actually felt physically warmer! The copper chafers we rented for the buffet to replace the bar's standard aluminum went a long way to enhancing the look of our Fall feast.

As with all of our events, we included a few personal touches that made the wedding feel like an extension of the bride and groom. Shannon painted an adorable "marriage license" that doubled as a guest book, which we placed next to a vintage bird cage/card holder. Beautiful, isn't it?

Thank you to Shannon and Vinnie for letting us share this special day with you! You guys rock!

xo J.

ShanVin from TimAlanSmith on Vimeo.

Ronicki + 100 Layer Cake

2010-11-29T15:42:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to share that Roni and Nicki’s wedding was featured on the beautiful wedding blog 100 Layer Cake today! Check out the full article here.

one year

2010-11-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

Today is the official Cait&Jules one year anniversary!! We feel so blessed for all the opportunities over the past year. From Nevada to Texas to South Carolina and of course NYC, it’s been a whirlwind! We would like to thank everyone that has helped make this year one continuous PARTY!

xo C&J

photo by Our Labor of Love

PARTY

2010-11-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

This coming Monday we are planning the 10^th Anniversary PARTY for one of our favorite organizations, RxArt. RxArt is a non-profit organization dedicated to placing original fine art in patient, procedure and examination rooms of healthcare facilities. Their mission is to improve otherwise sterile environments through contemporary art, promote healing, and inspire hope in patients, families and staff.

The event has been named the party of the week by The New York Observer and DJ/auctioneer Simone de Pury’s playlist was featured in this month’s W Magazine.

Tickets are still available so don’t miss out on supporting this incredible organization!

September Baby Naming

2010-10-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jules and I helped a Manhattan family welcome their first child into the world with a sweet baby naming ceremony and celebration at the Water Club. In Hebrew tradition, baby girls are introduced to the community during this beautiful ritual, as the parents explain why they chose the given name for their daughter. For Lucia, we chose lavender and white hydrangea in zinc pots painted to match the blossoms. The result was simply stunning!

xo C.

Week in Pictures

2010-10-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Since Cait and I can hardly ever find time to write blogs with our busy schedules, we thought it would be fun to start a new tradition of posting our “week in pictures.” This way you all can stay up to date on what is going on in the world of Cait&Jules while it’s happening.

There is no better week to start then this past week because it was quite a whirlwind! We worked onsite for the Wine & Food Festival for two deliciously fun events: Sweet and Meatball Madness. Then spent the rest of the week pulling together the last minute details for the 10^th Anniversary of Tao Restaurant here in the city. We will have more about the events later but here is our week in pictures…

Our favorite meatball: The Meatball Shop.

And the winner is… Mia Donna! With Lee Schreiger and Giada De Laurentiis.

Jelly Belly’s adorable setup.

Ron Ben Israel’s magical Alice in Wonderland cakes.

Cait setting up Sandra Lee’s station.

Jules with her new friends from Charm City Cakes aka Ace of Cakes.

Early morning load In for Tao…

Lighting going in.

The dancers getting painted.

Jules and Meghan (our amazing intern) with the dancers.

Our impromptu celebrity DJ: Lil John!!!!

Whew! Makes me tired just looking at them!

xo J.

Sweet Birthday Invite

2010-09-22T12:38:00.001-07:00

My best friend Jenna’s birthday is this Monday and this Wednesday I am throwing her a big blowout. Jenna shares my love for sweets so I figured the best way to celebrate her is a dessert party! I used our go-to, Paperless Post, to make the invites. We are in love their new custom features! I did a photo invite to send to all of our friends, the front was four pictures of Jenna through the years stuffing her face with sweets and the back was simple navy blue with white text. Beautiful don’t you think?

Stay tuned next week for pictures of the party!

xo J.

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.

2010-08-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Wise words that Jules and I live by, and now we have these beautiful handmade bracelets by Kathryn Riechert to remind us everyday!

xo C.

Savannah Inspiration

2010-08-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

Cait and I traveled down to South Carolina and Georgia this past week for a site visit. While we were there we spent some time exploring the Savannah boutiques and antique stores. Below are some of our images of inspiration.

xo J.

Jeanine and Ben

2010-08-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Over this past 4^th of July weekend our good friend and former co-worker Jeanine tied the knot with her long time man, Ben. Naturally, we helped her create a beautiful wedding that was a reflection of this fun-loving couple.

True to her sunny personality Jeanine chose a color sherbert-y palette of bright oranges, yellows and pinks. Her bouquet was a combination of extra-large peonies, spray roses and garden roses.

BUT the best part of the wedding was their three-year-old daughter Dana busting a move on the dance floor!

xo C&J

photography by VESA Wedding Photographers

Strike a Pose

2010-07-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

We had a photoshoot last week with the amazing James Nord. We can’t wait to share the photos with you soon, so stayed tuned!

xo C&J

photo via James Nord

Bachelorette Bonanza

2010-06-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

The fair maidens of the Ronicki wedding whisked Nicki away for a relaxing weekend at the beach in Avalon, NJ last month. We spent one low key evening close to home, then channeled our inner Snookies for a night of dancing in Atlantic City.

As party planners and bridesmaids, it was fun to be able to infuse the weekend with details we knew would appeal to Nicki's flawless style sense and quirky personality. Our favorite moment was when we presented her with scavenger hunt cards hand-written by her absolute favorite calligrapher and idol, the Brooklyn-based Paperfinger. Sure, bachelorette games are inherently cheesy, but Paperfinger seriously upped the cool factor on this sometimes corny tradition. Best part: Nicki cried :)

Shower Gift

2010-06-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Nicki's bridesmaids threw her a shower at Almond Restaurant in NYC last month, and everyone was asked to bestow their best marriage advice on the bride-to-be. Our words of wisdom to her (and every bride) is that while love can and should be expressed in many ways, few are as powerful as an old fashioned love letter. In this electronic world, it feels especially good to hold in hand the same piece of paper your loved one labored over, and to be able to carry it close to your heart.

Thus, our gift was a sweet little book called "Other People's Love Letters (150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See)," edited by Bill Shapiro. We also included stationery and pens in Nicki's wedding colors, with the hope that every note written and received on it will evoke memories of their special day.

With love,

C&J

Ronicki Wedding

2010-06-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Our good friend and client Nicki Eicher was married a few weeks ago on a gorgeous farm in York, PA. We will be posting photos of the wedding soon, but in the meantime we thought we'd share some of the fun things leading up to the big day.

Photo via James Nord

Blip Birthday

2010-06-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last week we helped our favorite tech startup, blip.tv ring in their 5th anniversary as part of New York's Internet Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion. We thought, what better way to celebrate turning 5 than with cake and balloons??

Since the company's mission is "to build the next generation television network," we decided a cake shaped like a vintage wood-paneled tv set would be fun and a great way to reinforce the brand and mission.

The cake had to be spectacular as the focal point of the evening, so we turned to our most trusted baking gurus at Ruthy's Bakery to execute our vision. The result was the 100lbs of frosted deliciousness in the form of an unbelievably detailed and realistic 1970's television. The cake was truly a feat of engineering, and created just the buzz we had hoped for among our science- and tech-minded guests.

As a fun twist on traditional birthday balloons, we had our favorite 3' round ones printed with individual letters to spell out blip.tv and floated them over the bars.

Happy Birthday blip.tv!

xo C.

For mor pics of the event click here!

We're back!!!

2010-06-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Caitlin and I are finally back from a craaazy couple of weeks. We will be updating the blog with all of the things we have been working on, so stay tuned!

The photo is of our beautiful bride Nicki and I cracking up something that was obviously really funny at her wedding last weekend.

xo J.

Photo via James Nord

Spring I Do's

2010-05-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of our April weddings was featured in the May issue of Quest Magazine. The glam deco-inspired event featured the perfect amount of personal touches, like delicate mismatched handkerchiefs collected by family members over the years to serve as cocktail napkins at the wedding. But our favorite was the collection of vintage family wedding photos in antique silver frames scattered throughout the reception space. Such a great conversation starter!

Again, congratulations to the lovely bride and groom!

xo C.

Blossom Ball

2010-05-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Blossom Ball is only one week away!! There is still time to purchase tickets, just go to www.blossomball.com. It’s going to be a wonderful event for an important cause. Hopefully we will see you all there!

xo J.

P.S. Our gorgeous invitation was designed by the AMAZING Cambria Evans.

C&J @ SxSW

2010-04-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Wedding season is in full swing here at Cait&Jules, and we've been so busy sending brides down the aisle that we haven't had time to blog! We thought we'd take this week to fill you in on a few of our fresh spring events.

Last month we had the opportunity to help our favorite social media company, blip.tv, throw a networking event in Austin, TX that was the talk of SxSW! Fun branding elements like lucent window clings, rotating gobos, and logo'd luminaries served double-duty as cool decor and great marketing!

We knew our tech-savvy VIPs would "go crazy" for the rustic wooden drink tokens we created to bring some western charm to our Digital Speakeasy.

xo C.

Urban Wed

2010-03-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

Last night we attended the Urban Wed event at the adorable Nest Event Loft with one of our June brides for some good food and giveaways!

DVF Awards

2010-03-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

The crowing event of the Women in the World Conference was the first annual DVF Awards at the United Nations on Saturday, and Cait&Jules were thrilled to be a part of it! We teamed up with David Monn to transform the UN cafeteria into a fabulously feminine lounge for a star-studded cocktail party, where four amazing humanitarians were honored for their efforts for women accross the globe. Conceived by one of my favorite fashion designers, Diane Von Furtsenberg, the DVF Awards bestows recognition and grants to women who have dedicated their lives to empowering and improving the lives of others. What an honor to be in the presence of such strength and beauty! To find out more about the event click here.

image via DVF facebook

Kraton World: Spring 2010

2010-02-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

Last month we produced a fashion show for the amazing company Kraton World’s Spring 2010 collection. The show was held at the gorgeous Ana Tzarev Gallery here in NYC. Below are a few images from the show; check out our facebook page for more!

xo J.

photos by Christian Arya Winata

A C&J Monday

2010-02-08T13:31:00.001-08:00

Jules & I love what we do, but even so, Mondays can be tough after long weekends spent on event sites. Each week, we take an hour to reconnect with our bodies and refocus our minds at a lovely little yoga studio next to our office, Mala Yoga. Oftentimes we find ourselves applying the techniques we learn at Mala to stressful situations that arise. In life and events, we believe that nothing can happen that we can't handle. There is a solution to every problem. You just have to remember to breathe :)

xo C.

image via

Weekend in PA

2010-01-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

We spent this past weekend down in York, PA planning the wedding of this amazing friend. We are all extremely excited about how beautifully special it is going to be, just check out the view! Stay tuned for updates and we can’t wait to share pictures come June!!

Oh, and check out the awesome PT Cruiser we rented for the trip J

xo J.

January Dinner Party

2010-01-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we planned a last minute winter dinner party for one of our clients. Using mostly what the client had in his house we created a winter wonderland. We scattered pillar candles of all sizes around the room and along the center of the table. Amongst the candles we placed gorgeously organic floral arrangements made by one of our new favorites, Saipua. A few antlers and sheepskins added a rustic touch to the décor and our look was complete.

The menu for the evening included lamb tenderloin with couscous and sautéed mushrooms for dinner and a poached pear with homemade pistachio ice cream for dessert.

Our favorite thing about this party is the fact that we were able to keep costs down and work with what the client already owned. If you are throwing a dinner party at home, take an inventory of what you have and begin from there. It’s a great way to keep costs down and keeps your cabinets from overflowing with items you will never use again.

xo J.

Sneak Peek...

2010-01-06T10:16:00.001-08:00

Here is a sneak peek at the New Years Eve party we did at the Metropolitan Opera. More to come soon!

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Cait&Jules can't wait to share photos from our New Year's Eve gala at the Metropolitan Opera. Here's to a fabulous start to 2010 and many more fresh events to come!

A Golden Table

2009-12-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

With the holidays fast approaching, Jules and I wanted to share some tips for entertaining on a budget.

At this small dinner party for four, our challenge was to create a festive winter table setting for under $30.

Here's how we did it (and how you can do it too!):

Tip #1Tap nature- It's Free!

The first thing we did was head outside to see what mother earth had to offer. When we found these huge, gorgeous leaves we knew we'd found our design inspiration. We collected around 50 leaves in varying sizes and shapes, and grabbed a 3' tree branch to use as the base of the overhead mobile feature shown below. We spray painted the leaves and branch with gold metallic spray paint (just $6.99 at the hardware store), then pressed them between wax paper and heavy books to prevent curling. Next we chose a series of 8 leaves ranging from large to small. We glued fishing line to each stem and attached to the branch, with the length of line increasing by about 4 inches with each leaf. With some small eye hooks and more fishing line we easily installed our fabulous and nearly-free sculpture as a focal point above the dining table.

Tip #2 Fake It

Even the cheapest store-bought tablecloths retail for around $30, and come in a frusteratingly limited array of sizes. So, we headed to JoAnn's for some basic bleached white muslin to use as our cloth. At only $2.99 per yard, draping your table in fabric is an economical alternative to pre-made cloths, and you can simply trim the fabric for a custom to-the-floor fit. Trimmings can be cut down into 22" squares for perfectly matching napkins!

Tip #3 Use What You Have

Basic white china is great because you can mix in other pieces, like these gold acrylic chargers we found at the dollar store.

For the centerpiece, we simply filled a glass pedestal bowl (any large glass bowl works) with two bags of walnuts ($8) spray-painted gold, and surrounded with the remaining gold leaves.

As a finishing touch, we wrote guests names on four of the leaves for pretty place cards that didn't cost a dime!

xo C.

A Green Balloon Holiday!

2009-12-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

It’s holiday time and we are crazy busy over here at Cait&Jules! However, we were able to find the time to put together some gifts for our wonderful clients that have made our year and the start of this new business so wonderful! Here is a little peek at what we put together!

xo J.

Founders Club at the New York Stock Exchange

2009-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Over past couple of weeks we spent most of our time helping Cathy Riva of Riva Events plan a ice-themed holiday party for the Founders Club at the New York Stock exchange. The event took place last Tuesday and was a HUGE success. With a little help from designer Sisi Sutrisno we were able to transform the famous trading floor into an icy winter wonderland. Check out a few of the amazing details below (we even fit in a little C&J touch – big round balloons!).

For more photos of the event click here.

xo J.

Party Plan Giveaway!

2009-12-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Cup of Jo today to win a free Party Plan!!

xo J.

A Cait&Jules Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Jules and I hope you had a fun and restful Thanksgiving with family and friends. We thought we’d share a few photos from ours, in South Carolina and Connecticut respectively.

Jules and her family collected wild flowers and berries to create a centerpiece that coordinated with her Low Country-style home. Magnolia leaves from the yard completed the look as adorable (organic!) place cards.

At my home in Connecticut, my mom and I filled hurricane glasses with cranberries, and then set a candle in each. We also made a centerpiece using a white ceramic gourd on a cake stand, and surrounding it with berries, seed balls and other fall foliage.

Even the dogs got in on the action!

Let us know what you did to celebrate Fall and family!

xo C.

Green Balloon Party Plan Winner!!

2009-10-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone who emailed us this week in response to the Green Balloon contest! It was great to hear about all your upcoming parties--sounds like it will be a fun Fall season in the Brooklyn area!

We are happy to announce our winner, Eileen Jenson, of Brooklyn Heights! Eileen emailed us to say she's running out of time to put together a chic, fun Halloween party for her friends and neighbors. Her challenge is the lack of space in her smallish apartment, and a shortage of time to plan something different. Check back later in the month to see the Party Plan we put together for Eileen, and for do-it-yourself ideas for your own Halloween soiree.

xo C.

Making Brooklyn Bridge Park a Little Greener

2009-09-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

Jules and I had so much fun watching the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park fill up with green balloons Saturday, as we spread the love with chances to win a FREE Party Plan to the crowd at the Dumbo Arts Festival. If you received a green balloon, don’t forget to email us at info@caitandjules.com by September 30^th. In the meantime, here are some photos from our first Green Balloon Day:

xo C.

Green Balloon Day!

2009-09-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

Future party hosts be on the lookout, Jules and I will be on the town Saturday, September 26^th handing out green balloons and chances to win a FREE Party Plan!

Each balloon will have a numbered card attached. Just email us with your number, and a lucky winner will be selected at random. Don’t forget to check back September 30 to find out if your next event will be designed by Cait&Jules!

Click here to find out more about Party Plans, custom blueprints for parties planned by us, done by you.

xo C.

Bellini's and Bikinis

2009-09-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

We just wrapped up “Belllinis and Bikinis”, an awesomely fun afternoon party that took place on a client’s amazing downtown rooftop. The party was a blast and went off without a hitch!

Using the movie La Dolce Vita as inspiration we created a relaxed but elegant atmosphere. And, to add a little fun to the party we handed out funny sunglasses and scarves, sprayed the guests with water and tossed beach balls into the crowd.

Unfortunately on Friday we had to make the call to push the party back from its scheduled date of Saturday to Sunday because of the looming storm clouds. However, changing the day ended up being the best decision we made, Sunday ended up being a PERFECT day!!

Check out the pictures below to find out more about the fun festivities.

One of our bed areas with a backgammon area for guests to lounge and play games while soaking up the sun.

Some of the first guests enjoying a refreshing Bellini.

Standing behind our maple bar some of our wait staff posing with the crazy sunglasses.

Our décor was inspired by a combination of Nikki Beach in Miami and Harrys Bar in Rome.

We kept the floral simple and elegant with arrangements made of lemon leaves and limes in terracotta pots, easily replicated at home. Also, if you are hosting a party outside in the sun remember to provide sunscreen, you don’t want your guests getting burned!

Cait and I happy to be out in the sun enjoying the last hurrah of the summer!

The party extended on into the evening hours and we all go to witness a gorgeous sunset!

xo J.

Sustainable Party

2009-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

At Cait&Jules, being environmentally and socially responsible during the planning and execution of our events is important. We were excited to find a company who shares our values when it comes to respecting this beautiful planet. Sustainable Party (with their adorable green balloon logo!) does just that.

The products on Sustainable Party’s website are biodegradable and made from natural products, but most importantly they look great too! For the cereal bar at our breakfast event, we used the VerTerra bowl, made from an innovative technique of steaming fallen leaves.

Also check their website for tips on greening up your next event. Their Best Practice Guide gives creative ways and resources to ensure your party is eco-friendly from beginning to end.

Cait

Spaghetti Western 40th Birthday Party

2009-08-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Cait&Jules love a party of any size, but our specialty is planning all-inclusive events. This past Spring, we were brought on board by the amazing Allison Storr to plan a 40^th birthday party weekend just outside of Las Vegas. With our brilliant design partner Sisi Sutrisno, we created this fabulous watering hole in the desert.

We created seating areas using stacked hay bales, and made them comfy with cow hides, Mexican blankets and brightly colored pillows. Guests sipped cocktails from mason jars while lounging and enjoying the Johnny Cash band.

Inside the saloon, we covered the existing long picnic tables with elegant brown burlap. We used sepia photocopies of “wanted” signs as placemats, and extra-tall turquoise taper candles in antler holders for a dramatic effect. Each napkin was set either with a turquoise bracelet or an old time brothel coin, which guests took home as a souvenir.

Our adorable table numbers were easily crafted using a potted cactus, scraps of wood we found on site, and rope to form the numbers.

After dinner, guests went back outside, where the space was transformed with candles in western style lanterns. The DJ spun from atop the gallows as guests danced on the desert sand. Dancers and fire twirlers performed among the crowd, adding an unexpected element of drama to the scene.

The teepee outfitted with oversized pillows, sheepskins and fleece blankets was a huge hit, offering an ultra-cool lounge space for friends to take a break from dancing.

More soon on the menu and specialty cocktails that made this event taste as good as it looked!

xo C

Photography by Clay Austin

The End Results!

2009-07-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the photos Max’s mom took just before the kids arrived:

It’s always good to have tons of activities at children’s parties, so we like to choose décor that is interactive. At Max’s party, he and his friends fished for toys to take home from the centerpiece, and their napkin rings doubled as playful noses. After lunch, they enjoyed a seashell hunt and a fun game of bucket toss. Since Max was only inviting 5 friends, we thought it would be fun to have them sit outside on the porch for lunch, and play games on and around their dock.

It can be difficult to put together a kids menu that balances fun and healthy. When suggesting what food to serve, we tried to stay with the theme while also remembering what things children would enjoy. Here is the menu we came up with for Max’s party (each of the items are linked to recipes):

Party Plan Example: Max's 6th Birthday!

2009-07-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

Back in June, we were approached by a frazzled mom who was running out of time to whip up a birthday party for her 6-year-old at their beach house. She wanted the lunch celebration to look cute and creative, and she only wanted to spend about $100 on décor. More importantly, with out-of-town guests visiting and the busy daily routines of her two kids, she didn’t want to have to spend a lot of time and energy designing, planning and shopping for the party.

Referred by a friend, she called Cait&Jules with her dilemma. We immediately got to work putting together a list of items she should get, and exactly where she could find them. We then sent her photos and detailed instructions on how to put it together. Finally, we devised a fun, kid-friendly menu that worked with the theme of the party. For a small fee of $75, Max’s mom saved days/weeks of running around, and was able to enjoy setting up the adorable party with her kids.

Below is the design board and clickable shopping list we did for Max’s party.

Seeing firsthand what a relief it was for Max’s mom to bypass the hassle of planning made us realize what a valuable service we had to offer, and thus the Party Plan was born.

Party Plans are a great solution for any event with a tight budget, from birthdays to showers to weddings. Once we hear from you, we’ll set up a phone consultation where we’ll get to know you and learn the details of your event. Our goal is to make sure your event is ultimately a true reflection of you, so we’ll ask questions like:

Who is this party for and why?

What is your budget for the party and how many guests?

What is your favorite color? Season? Pastime? Flower?

What kind of music do you love?

How do you want your guests to remember your event?

After chatting with Max’s mom, we devised a creative and fun beach party based on his love of fishing, seashell hunting and the color red. Check back tomorrow for party pics Max’s mom sent back to us showing how great it looked once she and the kids put it all together.

Introducing Party Plan!

2009-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cait&Jules are proud to offer Party Plans, an innovative new service designed to take the stress out of planning your next event. Party Plans are custom blueprints for unique events planned by us, done by you! We'll tell you what to get, where to find it and how to put all together. Party Plans are a great way to get the look of a professionally designed party on any budget.

Each Party Plan includes:

- Phone consultation

- Two to three design boards

- Do-it-yourself instructions

- Party layout/ seating plan

- Suggested menu

- Itemized shopping list with costs

Party Plans start at $75

Check back next week to see the Party Plan we created for Max’s beach birthday party on the 4^th of July!

xo J.

Plant the Seed...

2009-07-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Of course invitations hold lots of key information about our party; time, date, location, etc. But we believe that they also do the very important job of setting the tone of your party for guests right off the bat, giving them a little glimpse of what they have to look forward to!

A few weeks ago I threw my sister-in-law an outdoor garden baby shower, and created these adorable custom invitations to let our guests know this wouldn’t be your typical cutesy blue-and-white affair.

Want to do it yourself? Here’s what you’ll need:

-Pale green card sock, cut to 3.5”x,”4.75” preferably with deckled edge

-White deckled edge envelopes

-Green calligraphy pen (I used Le Pen in light green from Jam Paper)

-White Inkjet vellum from Staples

-Seed packets of various garden flowers

-Green organdy ribbon, ¼” (I used Light Green no. 12 from Kate’s Paperie)

-Flower/leaf confetti in green and white (Can be found in the scrap-booking section of a craft store)

-1/8” hole punch

-Glue stick

Print out he wording for our invitation on the vellum in green ink, beginning with he words “A in seed is growing in the family garden…”. Cut vellum to 3”x4.25”. Layer seed packet, green cardstock and vellum, and punch two holes about ¼” from top. Thread a 1o” piece of green ribbon through the holes to attach the pieces together and tie into small bow. Glue confetti to vellum for a finishing touch!

More do-it-yourself ideas from the baby shower soon!

xo C.

Colors of the South

2009-07-14T10:38:00.001-07:00

As Jules and I begin planning Art Latin America’s next show in New Orleans, we thought we’d share some photos from the last event we planned for them in New York City a few months ago.

Taking place in the chic Chelsea gallery district, Colores Del Sur drew crowds from across the tri-state area to peruse richly colored, contemporary paintings from four featured artists; Jose Guedez, Yovanni Saracual, Alexandra Von Fedak, and Bruno Garcia.

At the Friday night opening and cocktail reception, guests indulged in select Argentinean wines and traditional Venezuelan cuisine including pan de jamon, guava with goat cheese and assorted empanadas. We chose minimal, monochromatic décor to allow the vibrant artwork to pop from the walls in the all-white gallery space, accented only by large palm arrangements in white urns.

We’ll keep you posted on our plans for the next show, but in the meantime check out the gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pieces on Art Latin America’s website.

xo C.

For a cohesive overall look and feel, stick to one theme when choosing flowers and other décor elements. To highlight our Latin American theme, we created a large arrangement of Areka palms in a tall white urn.

The single most important element of the cocktail party is, of course, the cocktail! Our rule of thumb for having the perfect amount of liquor is to assume one drink per person, per hour. Always err on the side of having too much. Unopened bottles are always returnable.

The difference is in the details. Make sure that serving trays and food presentation compliment the overall look you’re going for.

Save money by using available resources in your event space, but don’t be afraid to make them your own. Our gallery had bright orange drapes that would have competed with our vibrant artwork, so we softened them by hanging sheer white drapes in front.

For instant, inexpensive ambience, fill glass cylinders with varying amounts of water and add floating candles. Generously scatter votives everywhere!

Our logo!

2009-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

We are so proud to unveil our amazing new logo. We think it’s fun and stylish, just like us!

It was designed by our good (and soon-to-be hitched) friends Nicki and Roni. Check out their websites to see more of their creative endeavors. Thank you team Ronicki, your typographic genius never ceases to amaze us! Hopefully the wedding we are planning for them will be equally inspired!

Join the party!

2009-06-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome! Cait&Jules are proud to introduce Blog Party, your source for unique party ideas and an inside peek at photos from some of the coolest parties in town. Read below for more on Cait&Jules!

Caitlin McGettigan & Julianne Austin are two friends with one simple philosophy: from beginning to end, parties should be fun! We know that planning an event can be overwhelming at times, but we believe that positive energy and sense of humor throughout the process go a long way to enhancing the experience for you and your guests.

To that end, we have merged our creative talents into Cait&Jules, an event design and planning service dedicated to making sure you enjoy your party-hosting adventure to the fullest. If that means just showing up, we'll gladly handle everything from invitations to thank-you's. If you just need help hiring and managing vendors, we can do that too. We can even swoop in the day or week of an event you've planned to make sure things run smoothly while you relax and enjoy.

We firmly believe that luxury does not have to mean expensive, and elegance doesn’t have to come at the cost of fun. Regardless of your budget, we are excited to extend to you our amazing resources, strong vendor relationships and endless supply of creative solutions for events that are uniquely you.

We met as producers at the renowned event house David Monn, LLC, where we realized our shared passion for seeing people connect through celebration. Together we have produced some of New York City’s premier events, from intimate celebrity dinner parties to lavish fundraising galas. Large or small, we bring the same energy, attention to detail and fresh aesthetic to every event we plan.

We love what we do, and we want you to love it too. We know you will.

Cait&Jules