5. Celebrating Love

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Celebrating Love … By 2000, I had hosted some 40 major charity events, including dinner-dances, award ceremonies, fashion shows, and even an awards dinner held under the patronage of the French Ambassador. We had created a charity portrait event of New York City Ballet dancers, showcasing Harry Winston Jewels and French Fashions, exhibited in both Manhattan and Paris. We also launched our annual Breast Cancer Awareness Awards, by honoring Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation creator Nancy Brinker, Caroline Rose Hunt, and Sloan-Kettering’s Dr. Larry Norton.

Over the years, we also honored leading medical researchers, Nobel Laureates, activist celebrities, Oscar-winning producers, Hall of Fame athletes, industry leaders, Grammy-winning singers, civil rights leaders, Emmy-winning actors, top fashion designers, Broadway stars, and more.

Creating and hosting so many varied events with such high-profile guests and honorees had its share of pressing deadlines, last-minute glitches, and treasured once-in-a-lifetime memories. And so I was ready to launch Manhattan Bride. More help arrived, as one of our charity patrons, Richard Kandel, came aboard as a partner. We assembled an elite editorial and sales team and published our first issue in March of 2000. Over the years, we had the pleasure of working with many talented editors, like Liz Condaxis, Mercedes Pritchett, Regina Carmichael, Kate Shapiro, and Noemi Smith Blumenthal, who was with us for over 12 years.

A Greater Love … As I was launching Manhattan Bride, my written introduction suggested that brides- and grooms-to-be of this region loved each other more. Ridiculous! But in this wondrous part of the country — since a single person can truly do anything — that rang true!

Alone or with friends, she or he can go to museums, ballets, plays, restaurants, sports events, movies, and more. She can earn as much if not more than the men she knows. She or he can take classes, exercise in fully-equipped facilities, and develop lasting friendships, men and women both, with the widest diversity of people imaginable, on and off the job … So when they choose that one person from all others in this magical time and place, to share their life, to nurture each other and their friends, it is quite a statement.

Our bride-to-be has also been to more than her share of fashion shows and special designer sales. Her friends in fashion have alerted her to the newest trends, as have her stylish friends up and down the avenues. So when she looks for her wedding dress, we are happy to present award-winning bridal fashion photography to be of help.

For your wedding itself, having hosted many charity dinner-dances over two decades, we know how joyous the event can be and we also know how overwhelming the avalanche of details can become. As we approached each of our events, for example, I already had planned and previously handed out the evening’s schedule. Broken down into 15-minute intervals, it listed all activities and included special instructions for the band and the maître d’ plus confirmation of which guests were getting special menus and detailed instructions for key moments during the evening. I also included comments about any last-minute changes.

And so we’re dedicated to helping you successfully anticipate and handle all the details of your own grand affair. Once more, congratulations! — Rick Bard, Your Editor

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