Aldine Printing. Or shall I say Aldine impress!

I had the pleasure of going to a f-a-c-t-o-r-y today. A real, live, historic factory! It reminded me why I love NY so much. It's so rare that old machines are still used on a regular basis to create beautiful, clean, manicured paper goods. Aldine is the only specialty printer left in Soho and is a family owned business to boot.

As I stepped out of the elevator doors, and into the home of Aldine, caught a whiff of an unfamiliar inky, oily type of smell as well as hearing a hum of paper constantly shooting out one by one in a rhythmic sort of pattern. I didn't really know what to expect during my visit to this printing museum (that what I felt like anyways!) but, as soon as I saw the production room, my breathing started increasing as I laid my eyes upon these gorgeous, intriguing machines, some of which are over 100 years old. I felt like I was in the Willy Wonka factory for printers. I actually saw someone sanding the edges of these round paper invitations to make sure each and every one is absolutely perfect. I have a new found appreciation for paper products and the manufacturing process. It really is an ancient art. Aldine Press was the printing office started by Aldus Manutius in 1494 in Venice, from which the famous Plato, Aristotle and other Greek and Latin classics were printed. The Aldine Press is famous in the history of typography, and the introduction of italics. Amazing...

November wedding in NYC!

This wedding was a on November 12th at The Park in NYC. We went for an elegant, yet warm feel and wanted to keep a strong "Old school New York wedding." We used orchids, callas, dusty miller, scabiosa pods, peony's, astilbe, wax flower, and lots of candle light.

How to preserve your bouquet!

Brides spend hundreds of dollars on their bridal bouquets, which is why they often want to know how to preserve this sentimental keepsake. There are several methods of preserving your bouquet:

The easiest, most affordable way to preserve your bouquet is to air dry it. You will want to choose an area that is dry, like an attic, or closet, rather than a damp area like the basement or a garage. You will want to attach some sort of wire, twine or ribbon to the handle of the bouquet in order to suspend it upside down to dry. I have found that suspending your flowers above a radiator (for you New Yorkers out there) has worked superbly because the heat encourages the moisture to come out of the flowers. The drying process should take about one to two weeks, depending on the dryness of the environment.

Another popular method is silica gel. This is an agent that can be found at most garden centers, craft shops or nurseries. The silica gel should be used in an airtight container; otherwise, it will absorb the moisture from the air, not from the flowers. This is a good method to use if drying roses, dahlias, zinnia, delphinium, and geranium. This method does not seem to be super-efficient, because if the bouquet is in an area where it is exposed to moisture, it will absorb it and wilt.

The most professional way to preserve your bouquet is to have it freeze-dried. This is only done by a professional. The bouquet is sprayed with a starch in order to lock in the color and is “baked” in a freeze drier. This seems to be the very best way to preserve the bouquet in it’s truest form. Formally preserved bouquets can last a lifetime! You’ll want to avoid direct sunlight and bright halogen lamps.

Costs range from free (if you dry it) to about $300 (if you get a dome, or a shadow box presentation after silica gel or freeze-drying it).

Montauk club wedding bouquets

This was a mid-September wedding at the gorgeous, historic, Montauk Club in park slope Brooklyn. We used soft and feminine flowers, with a bohemian twist for the bouquets. The bout's were made with little polka dot feathers white ranunculous, and a chocolate cosmo for the groom's bout.

Rebecca Shepherd Jewelry for the holidays!

Looking for some last minute ideas for the holidays? Check out my jewelry designs in my Etsy shop! Prices range from $26-250.

Happy Holidays!!!

Prospect Park Picnic House wedding.

The weekend of September 3rd was a very busy one! This was yet another wedding we did in our beloved borough. The bride wanted a relaxed, simple, yet beautiful mix of mostly muted, washed out colors with a few little unexpected textural pops. The bridal bouquet was made of juliette garden roses, scabiosa pods, queen ann lace, cedum, snow berry, hydrangea, dahlia, seeded euch, and shaker grass. The center pieces were made of a collection of containers including blue vintage ball jars, medicine bottles, and a wooden stump riser.

Montauk club wedding video.

One of my previous clients from last fall sent me this video (click the video link) of her Montauk club wedding. It takes my breath away so see this gorgeous and sweet couple tying the knot at one of my favorite venues. Enjoy (: