snap and chat with Pamela D'Orsi Ryan

The snap!girls hit the road again... this time to visit our friend Pamela in East Greenwich. A lot of you probably know Pamela as a wedding planner (PDR Events), but did you also know about her beautiful little shop on Main Street in East Greenwich? Downtown East Greenwich is a hub of wedding activity actually... there are quite a few bridal shops and Stoneblossom is right down the street too. Trish and I love to grab a little lunch in one of the cute restaurants on Main Street, it would make a fun wedding planning day if you are in that area!

There's so much to look at in Pam's shop. She has great taste and a classic style.



You might want to plan to spend a little time here!



I am busy snap and chatting while Trish takes some shots of Pamela's shop-

so cute and cottage-y.




We had a fun surprise waiting for us too, Pamela has a new roommate at NE invitations! She's sharing her space with Nancy Spirito of Bridal Finery. Trish and I have long admired Nancy's beautiful work with jewerly, accessories, head ware & veils, wraps and capes etc... but we've never had the chance to meet in her person. Turns out she's just as lovely as her creations!



Pamela met Nancy at an industry party and discovered that she had a space down the street. Immediately Pamela's wheels started turning because she's a savvy business lady. Pamela would stop in a plant the seeds of a collaboration... Pamela says Nancy didn't say much at first... "I had to woo her! " Well, if anyone could, it's Pamela!



"I've always wanted to include 1 or 2 other vendors into my space to be more marketable, I want to be able to offer a lot of high end services to the bride. It's very important to me to have a storefront, the women that come in here can immediately get a sense of my style and my standards." says Pamela.



"We are a match made in heaven!" says Pamela. "We are constantly tweaking things and changing things. Styles keep changing, Nancy changes the windows while I have my nose to the computer doing my detail sheets! She can whip up a beautiful display in an hour while it might take me four!"





A few of the sparkly treasures on display in the shop...

What a terrific blend of Nancy and Pamela!

More bridal finery...

Pamela is so full of life, that's what we like best about her. She's really enthusiastic and energetic and pulls out all the stops to make her events as glamorous and as seamless as possible. She's got a terrific laugh and sense of humor and makes everyone feel right at ease.

She always looks so good too- I think I'd like to hire her as my personal shopper. She's laughing here because we are asking her how she does it?! She runs around at the weddings making sure everything is perfect according to the well laid plans- but yet looks like a million bucks and never breaks a sweat! What is her secret?

"I was a buyer for Talbot's for six years, so I know how to put together a clean, crisp look. I am really strict with my staff and give them an inspection before an event. I want to see that black dress they are wearing and what earrings and necklace they are wearing with it! I was taught no matter where you work, you've got to put on your uniform, that way you are always pulled together." Good advice!

Pam is gearing up for her busiest season yet- her business is already well established even though she only started it in 2006. I remember when she called us to introduce herself- Pamela definitely leaves a lasting impression! She says her secret was to introduce herself to the best in the industry and then knock it out of the park! I would definitely agree with that.

The best thing about Pamela is her bigger than life personality, I think a lot of her clients are drawn to her because of that.

"Sometimes my clients are shy and I can help bring them out of their shells a bit. Sometimes, they are overwhelmed by details and that's where I can help them focus. Most often they are working professionals married to their jobs, but still want all the bells and whistles of a 2009-2010 wedding. I have a vibrant personality, so it's also important to know when to turn it down a notch too!"

What!? Don't turn it down Pamela! It's what we love best! Thanks for letting us snap! and chat you! I know you are a big blog fan, here's to many more appearances and a great 2009 season!

Snap! Girls TV "The Pilot Episode"

Our friend Dave Bettencourt told us about a sweet little video camera called the Flip Video. I purchased one the next day... and set about my evil plan for torturing Trish and Melissa, and hey, while I'm at it... all the other vendors at weddings too. Why not? I know you guys love seeing the behind the scenes photos... so now you can see us in live action too. I shot this movie at Karalyn and Erik's wedding. Plan on seeing a lot more of these.

Lights, Camera.... Action!

Karalyn and Erik at Belle Mer Part 3 - The Party!

It feels like we have had a whole day of fun already (because we have!) but we've got an entire evening of good times ahead... Karalyn and Erik wanted to get a peek at the ballroom before anyone else, so we snuck in first for the big reveal!

Beautiful!

Here's Belle Mer's Stuart... he's making sure Karalyn is a happy camper. She definitely is!

Karalyn strikes a pose with Pam of PDR Events... the lady behind the scenes.






How would you describe this arrangement? Sparkles, Crystals, Wintery sticks, Giant white flower poms... Semia has outdone herself here.









Melissa was photographing the details... but here's Trish muscling in for the shot.









Love the feathers.

I wanted to keep this big sparkly M for myself. Karalyn might have noticed it missing from the top of the cake though. I think Trish and I have got all the angles on the cake covered here.

As if her day wasn't perfect enough... Karalyn also gets a killer sunset. We ran outside for some quick sunset shots.

...and then of course the Blue Light...

Ta Da!

These folders are for the photolounge pics... Melissa is feverishly printing them out and setting them out for the guests to pick up.

The band was excellent... Beantown Band. If you are looking for a band- make sure to check these guys out.

Erik gives Karalyn a little spin around the dance floor...

Whew! The evening is flawless- thanks to Pam's team and the stellar staff at Belle Mer.

Sweets...

That's Erik in the middle of the dance floor- who knew he had such awesome moves! I've never seen anyone dance so skillfully to Billie Jean before (except maybe Michael himself).

A little "Living on a Prayer"... and Karalyn playing the guitar.

The End!

K & E, Thank you, thank you, thank you for making us a part of such a fun day! Can't wait until you get back from Hawaii so we can talk about it all! Hope you love the photos so far, there's a lot more where that came from!

Friends and Family of Karalyn and Erik, if you want to receive an email when all of their photos are ready to view on Pictage, click here, and register.

Karalyn and Erik at Belle Mer 2.21.09 Part 2

Karalyn and Erik really wanted some fun photos that felt like "Newport", and I really wanted to give them what they wanted. I was a nervous wreck the whole week fretting about the weather... but Karalyn lucked out. We had a gorgeous day, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing a little, but not enough to keep us inside. When Karalyn and I met a few weeks ago she assured me that she was up for anything for photos. She said I had free reign to drag her all over Newport... okay Karalyn, be careful what you wish for... We started at Salve Regina in Newport, I love these big ornamental gates.

Romantical...

You can't have enough smooching...

Next we head right down the street to 40 steps on the Cliff Walk. I love this spot, but it's tricky... sometimes the light is all wrong- and then there's the problem of tourists- not today! The sun was in just the right spot and we had the place to ourselves.

There's that breeze- it's working for us though!

Where are we?!






Trish is coming to the rescue... Karalyn forgot her bouquet at the top.







Karalyn was very brave and went off roading a little here- not too easy in heels, but she was giving it 110% as she says... it pays off!









Nice of you to join us Erik.

Here's Trish and Mike Picard getting the shots pictured above... I am not sure what's going on in this other photo- it's pandemonium, I like it though. Who is Erik trying to catch here? Me? Karalyn? Both of us? I think we are both in trouble if we slip. Oh- and what is Melissa doing? Catching Erik? This has disaster written all over it.

Karalyn loses the shoes to make it back up the steps...

Pretty dreamy.

Karalyn had some fun sunglasses stashed away- I am picturing her wearing them now on the beach in Hawaii.

Fun.

Next stop... Bannister's Wharf. Doesn't get much more Newport than this.

Every time I am down here I find a new spot. I love this little dock. It's so New England.

This is Trish's shot. She's pretty tricky, I didn't even see her doing this photo. That's the fun thing about shooting together, when we get back to the office and look at the photos there are all these unexpected perspectives... Love it!

This photo was Karalyn's idea, she liked the sign. Good idea!

Heading back to Belle Mer, it's party time!

2 more photos with yours truly. I love the bottom one with me and my bride buddy.

You think that was fun!? You haven't seen anything until you've seen Belle Mer transformed by Semia! The sparkle factor is going to hurt your eyes (in a good way!) Stay tuned for Part 3 On Saturday!