Often times people ask me how the Dynamic Events team executes such perfect weddings.  Here is your chance to find out!  One Fine Day Productions followed me throughout the day of this wedding and produced a behind the scenes video to give viewers a first hand glimpse of what it really takes.  I hope that you enjoy the video!

DYNAMIC EVENTS – DAVID CARUSO, MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM WEDDING from Amy Johnson on Vimeo.

• Photography, Front Room Photography
• Catering, Lee John’s Catering
• Bakery, Sweetness by Alice
• Floral Decor, The Flower Garden
• Stationery, Paper Envy
• Equipment, Canopies
• Linens, BBJ Linen
• Lighting, ACME Corp. Production Resources
• Ice Display, Art Below Zero

At Tripoli Country Club, every meal is masterfully prepared using organic and regional ingredients hand-selected (or grown) by Executive Chef David Magnasco and his talented culinary brigade. The Chef maintains a vegetable and herb garden on the Club grounds during the summer months and preserves the harvest for use throughout the year.

Although you won’t enjoy looking and reading about the menu nearly as much as I enjoyed tasting it, below is a list of the courses along with photographs that I look at the Chef’s Table.

Course One

Golden Egg of truffle custard, crème fraîche, lavender & gold leaf  - Schramsberg Champagne

Course Two

Smoked Salmon Calla lily with chives, rye toast, horseradish cream, fennel pollen & wild dill – Cartlidge & Brown Sauvion Blanc

Course 3

Miso Glazed Black Cod with Daikon slaw, wasabi peanuts & sole hallo – Gekkeikan Sake

Course Four

Smoked Pork Shoulder in root vegetable consommé & brunoise mirepoix – Luis Chardonnay

Course Five (Half way there!)

Pumpkin Ravioli in browned sage butter with pine nuts, pumpkin seeds & amoretti crunch – Bonterra Viognier

Course Six

Cardoons topped with cotechino, fonduta & sun choke chips – Giacosa Arneis

Course Seven

Gewurztraminer sorbet

Course Eight

Duck Salad with Arugula, blue cheese, spiced hazelnuts, dried blueberries, freeze dried corn, chard & pomegranate-champagne vinaigrette – Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir

Course Nine

Fire Roasted N.Y Strip with roasted fingerling potatoes, heirloom squash, Flemish cabbage and veal demi glace – Ledge wood Cabernet Sauvignon

Course Ten

Apple & Cranberry Crisp with mint foam, cinnamon gelato, zabaione & candied ginger – Robert Hall Orange Muscat

Course Eleven (Just in case we weren’t full already!)

Piccola Pasticceria – Assorted mini Italian cookies

Bel lavoro, Chef David!

In 2005, I had the honor of working with the Berg family planning their daughter’s wedding.  Jennifer and Dusty Henningfeld were married on August 5, 2005.  Greg Berg is a Managing Director at Wachovia Securities Financial Network and the President of Tripoli Country Club.  Louise Berg is an owner of Life Productions, Inc., a video production firm that specializes in professionally produced videos for businesses, individuals and organizations.  I’m blessed to have such a wonderful family first as clients and now as friends!

Wine Tasting Celebration - Overall Tent View

Hosting a wine tasting for friends is a great way to learn about wine and to experiment with new or unusual varietals.  For this significant birthday celebration, I transformed the backyard into a romantic setting that resembled the countryside of Napa Valley. 

We used custom printed place mats that included designated spots for the stemware – listing each variety of wine that was included in the flight.  Clusters of pillar candles covered the tops of vintage wine barrels and guests were given delicious favors of gourmet chocolate that was selected to pair nicely with wine.  These favors, Cocoa Vinoso, are new from the San Fransisco Chocolate Company and are designed to pair with full bodied red wines. 

Custom Wine Flight Place Mat

Wine Barrel

Cocoa Vinoso Guest Favors

As a surprise for guests during dinner, we hired a professional opera singer from the Florentine Opera Company to perform.  Everyone knows that I love to incorporate surprise entertainment into my parties! 

Basic Wine Tasting Supplies 

• Plain bread or crackers: Something light that will help “cleanse the palate”
• Wine glasses: At least one per guest
• Pitcher of water: For cleaning out the glasses between each tasting
• Dump bucket: For discarding wine before next pouring or spitting out
• Tasting cards and pencils: For describing and recording each wine tasted
• Paper bags: To cover the labels for blind tastings

Event Partners: Florist: Belle Fiori; Stationery: Paper Envy; Equipment Rentals: Canopies; Linen Rental: BBJ Linen; Props: Props Unlimited; Lighting: Majic Enterprises

One of my favorite vendors for event lounge furniture is CORT Event Furnishings.  They have an innovative line of new light up tables called Luna Lighting.  The items in this line offer a unique way to add lighting features into usable surfaces within the lounge – so cool! 

The events below were created for a wedding at The Milwaukee Art Museum, a wedding at Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro and the Best of Milwaukee party for the Shepherd Express. 

Contemporary 

Milwaukee Art Museum Wedding (Photography by Front Room Photography)

In this lounge design, I used throw pillows from CB2 and Pier 1 Imports to add color and texture to the furniture.  Adding a splash of color with pillows can dramatically change the style and feel of a lounge setting. 

Classic 

Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro (Photography by Artist Group Photography)

I also love to use area rungs, throw blankets and unique accent tables to customize lounge areas.  In this case, these special items were borrowed from the client’s home.  Eventhough it was outdoors, it truly felt as though you were sitting in their living room! 

Club Style 

Shepherd Express Best of Milwaukee 2009 (Photography by Matt Schwenke)

This style is definitely one of the most popular trends in event design currently.  Guests love the feel of a nightclub environment and the right lounge furniture, lighting and accessories will create that vibe.  Add music and – viola – you have a hip and trendy club style lounge!

For a recent wedding, I developed a unique photo booth that has received raving reviews.  The wedding was for an employee of Anthropologie and her style was very complementary of their clothing and philosophies.  The ceremony was held at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum and the reception at The Delafield Hotel.

David and the Mother of the Bride

The custom photo booth was designed using a beautiful damask patterned wallpaper, antique picture frames and other accessories.  The families provided wedding pictures from various generations to display on the wall as a way to personalize the display.  Here is the key – we left two open areas on the wall so that guests could pop their heads through as if they were a part of the wall of family photos.  It was so much fun!

To add even more excitement, there were accessories (feather boas, hats, etc.) available for guests to use.  We printed two copies of each photo – one for the guest and one for the wedding couple.  The guests also had an opportunity to write a personal note to the wedding couple and then we compiled everything into a custom scrapbook as a keepsake.

Say “cheese” – this is a definite crowd pleaser!

Three Tips To Achieve This Theme

1. Food – The menu should feature seasonal and organic food from local farmers.
2. Decor – Use locally grown flowers that are selected based on the best blooms for the day and encourage your guests to share in their beauty by taking arrangements home for their pleasure or to donate them to a favorite friend or good cause.
3. Venue – Choose a venue that is environmentally responsible.  For this wedding, we chose the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center which is one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in the nation and has received a Gold LEED Award from the U.S. Green Buildings Council.

YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee 150th Anniversary Gala (Photography by Manning Photography)

The event was held on Halloween, so we decided to incorporate a costume accessory area to help get guests in the festive spirit.  Lockers from a local YMCA branch were used for the backdrop and mannequins dressed in YMCA logo wear helped to display the accessories.  There is no doubt that this was a very popular feature at the event!

Costume Accesory "Locker Room" (Photography by Manning Photography)

Specialty lighting is key to creating an effective and dramatic setting.  At this event custom gobo lights were created, paper lanterns and lighted columns were used for accent elements and stage lighting was used to highlight stage sets and performance groups.  The gorgeous fabric stage backdrop, custom Y stage set and high gloss stage floor cover all came together as a unique, visually stimulating design.  It definitely created that “wow” effect that all of my clients hope for!

(Photography by Manning Photography)

Appearances by Olympic Gold Medalist, Garrett Weber Gale, the Marquette University Gospel Choir, the Young Leaders Academy, Capoeira Batuque dancers and others kept guests entertained throughout the celebration.

Garrett Weber Gale Olympic Memorabilia (Photography by Manning Photography)

Tips for a Successful Silent Auction Display

1. Incorporate a themed backdrop to draw attention to the area
2. Use high resolution photographs to show highlights of the items (suggested size: 11″x17″)
3. Each item should have an easy-to-read list of what the item includes, who donated it and any special parameters
4. Easy to follow bid sheets with pens (without caps) should be placed in front of each display
5. Make sure the items are appropriate for your crowd – their style, ages and budget

Silent Auction Display (Photography by Manning Photography)

Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition Rare Chair Affair 2009 (Photography by Calfa)

A highlight at the event were the professional disco dancers from Fred Astaire Dance Studios.  The dancers performed throughout the party on two dedicated performance stages – one of the stages was the centerpiece of the bar.

Fred Astaire Dance Studios Disco Dancers (Photography by Calfa)

Guests were also dazzled and delighted by the lounge areas that showed disco videos on the flat screen TVs as well as the cabaret tables that were dressed with mirrored table linens, lucite chairs and dangling crystal chandeliers.

(Photography by Calfa)

To end the night, Sound by Design played the top favorite disco tunes and guests went wild on the dance floor – even I couldn’t resist!

(Photography by Calfa)

Key Elements To A Successful Fundraiser

• Include auction items that are unique experiences – not tangible items that people can easily buy.
• Use specialty lighting to highlight important areas such as the auction tables, raffle selling station and the entertainment stage.
• Choose a creative theme that is appropriate for the organization and that will be exciting for your guests.
• Create an atmosphere that motivates people to spend money and feel good about the cause that they are supporting. This requires photographs, videos, live specialty entertainment, good food, consistent branding and a smooth and comfortable flow from beginning to end.

Event Partners: BBJ Linen, Majic Enterprises, Classic Party Rental, Levy Restaurants, Harley-Davidson, Sound by Design, Fred Astaire Dance Studios

Couture Head Table - Design by Dynamic Events, David Caruso (Photography by Front Room Photography)

Fluttering above the table are three butterfly mobiles from Roost Home Furnishings.  The mobiles were a fantastic element that extended the design from the table top to the ceiling.   They are made from photo-etched, silver-plated steel and hang from pre-strung monofilament line.  They way that the room lighting and table candle light reflected off of the butterflies was gorgeous!

Butterfly Mobile by Roost Home Furnishings

Each place setting was centered using a Kamani wood charger.  Kamani is a sustainable harvested and renewable wood.  BBJ Linen made custom napkins using their fabric called Natural Yuma.  The napkins were accessorized with river rock and a menu card by Paper Envy.  The menu cards were printed on a recycled paper stock and featured a tree bark design.  As a special gift for each guest, I asked Patricia O’Brien & Company to create a box set of custom hand-painted cookies that tied in to the nature theme.  Each box was topped with a monarch butterfly ornament.

(Photography by Front Room Photography)

Fresh Design was responsible for the fabulous floral decor that streched along the 12′ table.  The botanical elements included carnations, spray roses, hydrangea, succulents, orchids and maidenhair ferns.  These elements were highlighted with a variety of votive and pillar candles as well as unique birch bark vases.  We chose three colors for flowers – orange, purple and white.  The design was magnificent!

Floral Decor by Fresh Design (Photography by Front Room Photography)

One last detail that framed the table were rustic chairs designed by La Lune Collection.   La Lune Collection is completely handmade in Wisconsin using willow, poplar and cedar and is based our of their furniture factory in the Riverwest neighborhood.  The company harvest only fast growing, sustainable and environmentally secure woods, and use non-polluting, water-based finishes in the construction process.  Thank you to La Lune Collection for providing these “works of art” for the table!

Rustic Dining Chairs by La Lune Collection (Photography by Front Room Photography)

A fun time was enjoyed by all at the table!  Thank you to all of the artisans who collaborated with me on the design.

Joy Vertz, Neil and Cheryl Kiekhofer (Photography by Front Room Photography)

The evening started out with a halarious cocktail reception that showcased the “for worse” of the industry.  Crepe paper and tulle were used to highlight the pink and silver color theme and several of the guests even dressed in outrageous bridesmaids dresses, ruffled tuxedo shirts and bold accessories.  People were photographed under a delightfully tacky pink and white balloon arch – so fantastically fabulous!

Meaghan Kohr, Connie Reily, Anne Radtke (Photography by Frontroom Photography)

Other cocktail reception highlights:

• Signature martini bar by Bartenders on the Go (see recipies below)
• Lounge furniture and Luna Lighting by CORT Event Furnishings

(Photography by Frontroom Photography)

• Interactive photo booth by Flippn Fun Fotobooks
• The Scott Kleist Duo provided by ACA Entertainment
• Gorgeous earrings (raffle prize) by David Liska Custom Jeweler

When guests entered the dining room, they were welcomed by the display of “for better” with beautiful table linens by BBJ Linen along with charger plates and flatware from Classic Party Rental.  The evening began with a welcome by an industry icon, Ken Hudak from Canopies Events With Disctinction.  I was honored to be introduced by Ken and my entrance was one for the history books – I came out from under a wedding dress!

(Photography by Front Room Photography)

The evening included a performance by a local comedienne, an interview with Chef David Zakroczymski, a voice auction and DJ entertainment by Music on the Move Plus.  One of the highlights of the event were two amazing videos produced by One Fine Day Productions.

David Caruso, Chef David Zakroczymski (Photography by Front Room Photography)

Please make sure to view my post, “Butterflies – Oh My!” for details regarding the couture head table that I designed with Fresh Design.  Here is a sneak peak.

Head table designed by David Caruso, Dynamic Events and Fresh Design (Photography by Front Room Photography)

Signature Martini Recipies

Pink NACEtini

• Champagne
• X-Rated Vodka
• Cherry Garnish

Ginger Martini

• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 1.5 oz Canton Ginger Liqeuer
• Fresh Lime Juice
• Splash of Pineapple Juice

Gala Committee

• Sydney Johnson, Marcus Hotels & Resorts
• Chris Albrecht, Let’s Have An Affair
• Chad Torkelson, Midwest Sound DJ Entertainment
• Denise Liles, Veil Magazine
• Carolyn Fraser, ACME Corp. Production Resources
• Kristin Wood, ACME Corp. Production Resources
• Candy Curley, Chef Jack’s Catering