By NICOLE CARTER
www.nydailynews.com

Saturday, August 30th 2008, 4:00 AM

   

Old-fashioned photo booths are the latest trend in reception diversions.

From the gown to the cake, it’s no secret that all eyes are on New York for the latest in wedding trends. But get this: The fad of the moment in the Big Apple is, well, not to be too trendy.

“New York is an odd bird: It’s the first to have the top trends, but ultimately most New Yorkers are staying classic,” says Julie Raimondi, editor in chief of Brides New York.

“It’s not just about showing off. New Yorkers are about making guests comfortable and being hospitable. That tends toward classic details,” says Raimondi, who spotlights the hottest fall wedding trends in major cities across the country in the new issue of the magazine, which hit newstands this past week.

While L.A. weddings are paying tribute to the ’80s with sushi bars and neon bridesmaid dresses, and Atlanta weddings are playing up luxury with elaborate groom’s cakes and gourmet food stations, New York is getting back to basics with their trends for the big day.

WEDDING DRESS

“[New Yorkers] look for anything that isn’t strapless, which leads to lots of cap sleeves, V-necks and high necks,” says Raimondi, adding that good examples are in Vera Wang’s latest collection.

BRIDESMAIDS

As for bridesmaids, no more matchy matchy dresses and too-outrageous colors. The metro bride’s mind-set is to let her ladies pick the dress, while dictating the fabric or color. Raimondi highlights a short, champagne color Jim Hjelm dress with pockets (yes, pockets) as a typical dress.

COLOR PALETTE

“This is not the bride that is like, ‘Oh my god, my colors are this and this,’” says Raimondi. “The colors comes out of a more organic place, rather than a trend. It often comes from flowers used in the wedding.” On the list this year: pink and white orchids, roses and calla lilies.

NUMBER OF GUESTS

When it comes to size of the wedding, the numbers are shrinking. The average wedding is now just 150 people. “New York is the most expensive place to get married and for guests to travel to, so you see the numbers going down in order to save money, and most New Yorkers don’t have the luxury of being impractical with money,” says Raimondi.

RECEPTION

But a smaller wedding party has made way for the hottest (and most fun) trend in weddings: the cocktail reception. “It’s a great way to save money … and it’s perfect for smaller weddings,” Raimondi explains, adding it actually gives the couple a chance to interact with their guests, rather than just a napkin with their initials on it.

ENTERTAINMENT

Forget the karaoke machine. This season’s hottest reception diversion is the vintage photo booth. Guests can take something home with them they actually want. “When it comes down to it, this city understands how to throw a party,” explains Raimondi. “A lot of weddings are full of superficial silliness, but I think New Yorkers understand that some of the best times with friends and family can be at your own wedding.”

Wedding Favors Wedding Favors

BY ELOISE PARKER

Saturday, August 9th 2008, 11:13 AM

Anthony Negelmann 

Even European honeymoons are within reach with a little financial savvy.

Cutting costs doesn’t have to mean compromising when it comes to your dream honeymoon.

Couples spend an average of $5,111 for a stay of 9.4 days, according to a recent American Wedding Study by the Conde Nast Bridal Group, but a few simple money-saving tricks will help you split your cost in half or at least maximize your budget.

“For a lot of couples, a honeymoon is the most that they’ve ever spent on travel, so there really are a lot of expectations placed on this trip,” says Sherri Eisenberg, senior travel editor of Brides magazine, whose September/October issue reveals a multitude of honeymoon steals, on newsstands Tuesday.

“There is such a trend for the click-fast deal, but for such an important vacation, you really want to think it through.”

RENT A CONDO

“Renting a condo for a week can save you money over staying at a comparatively fancy hotel,” says Eisenberg. “In places like Hawaii and Cabo San Lucas, condos offer good deals.”

As well as a cheaper overall rate for a larger space, you’ll also reap major savings with a little self-catering.

“You’ll get a full kitchen instead of a minibar, and most people aren’t big enough eaters to make a fancy hotel breakfast buffet worth the money,” reasons Eisenberg. “A box of cereal and a carton of milk could save you $35 per person per day.”

THINK ALL-INCLUSIVE

“We get a lot of questions about whether all-inclusive deals are cheaper,” says Eisenberg. “It depends how you like to travel. Couples who get the most out of an all-inclusive are those who really use all the activities included. If you like to dive, play golf or drink and be social, you’ll get your money’s worth. If you just want to lie on the beach and don’t drink, you might want to do the math.”

CONSIDER A CRUISE

Cruises can combine plenty of adventure with a great price. The key, says Eisenberg, is finding the right boat.

“People often lump cruises together and think they’re all exactly the same, but that’s like comparing a Four Seasons resort to a Holiday Inn; they’re all very different,” explains Eisenberg. “Don’t just jump on the first one you see. If one cruise line is $100 cheaper but the age demographic is 20 years older, as a honeymooner, it’s not going to be the right fit.”

GO FARTHER AFIELD

Thinking outside the box when it comes to a honeymoon destination can pay dividends.

“You have to go a little more off the beaten path to get bang for your buck these days, but in every continent there are still places where you can get the luxury hotel at a midrange price,” says Eisenberg. “In Thailand and Vietnam, we found amazing hotels for half of what they would cost in Europe. The euro is really tough right now, but Portugal and Hungary still offer great value. In South America, try Belize, Argentina or Chile.”

(Page 2 of 2)

A HEADS-UP FOR SHOULDER SEASON

Planning your trip just outside of high season can save you cash on airfares and accommodation, as well as bypassing the crowds.

“Shoulder season is a better choice than completely off-season,” advises Eisenberg. “Your honeymoon is too important to take the risk.”

AVOID ADDED EXTRAS

For a favorable exchange rate, ditch traveler’s checks and stick to plastic.

“I take my ATM card and withdraw cash when I get there. I put most things on a credit card to ensure a decent exchange rate,” confides Eisenberg. “Buy something small at the airport so that you have small bills and don’t end up overtipping the taxi driver or the valet.

“Look into transfers like shuttles or public transport from the airport to your hotel, so you’re not just renting a car for one journey.”

While keeping room service to a minimum is a given, you can also save by dining at fancy restaurants for lunch instead of dinner.

“It’s the same food, the same chefs, but you can really save a lot,” she reasons.

FIND BANG FOR YOUR BUCKS

Brides magazine suggests these stately accommodations that don’t cost a fortune:

Argentina: Buenos Aires is shopping heaven for fashionistas and just a boat-ride away from the tropical Parana Delta. Home Hotel offers a chic city sanctuary with double rooms, including breakfast, from $125. For more information, go to Homebuenosaires.com.

Belize: You can still find a bargain in the Caribbean. Dive into turquoise waters from the deck of your bungalow at the private island retreat of St. George’s Caye Resort, from just $225 per night. For more information, go to Gooddiving.com.

Portugal: Great food, drink and plenty of history means boundless exploration in the northern city of Porto. Double rooms in the palatial Castelo Santa Catarina start at just $75 per night. For more information, go to Castelosantacatarina.com.

Thailand: Where else can you get hour-long massages on the beach for just $8? Vacation on the paradise island of Phuket, where rooms at the award-winning Indigo Pearl start at $121 per night. Check out Indigo-pearl.com.

Hungary: Exchanging dollars for euros will make you wince, so try Hungarian forints for a taste of Europe on sale. Rooms at Kali Art Inn, near Lake Ba-laton, start at $135. Go to Kaliartinn.com.

reprinted by Wedding Favors

BY ELOISE PARKER      NYDAILYNEWS.COM 
  Wedding Favors
    Monday, August 4th 2008,  1:18 PM
        
          
         
   The number eight, signifying prosperity and luck, will be just one of the traditional Chinese elements in Jay Wong and Tina Xu’s ceremony      
   
         
  Eights will be a motif at Carrie Littman and Dan Vissers’ August 8 wedding.             

    The Olympics’ opening ceremony isn’t the only significant event next Friday. Thousands of couples will be tying the knot on 8/8/08, making it the most popular wedding date of the year.
“We’ve seen a 213% increase in demand for this date this year, compared to Aug. 8 of last year. It’s huge,” says Summer Krecke, deputy editor at http://www.weddingchannel.com/” target=”_self”>WeddingChannel.com. “In Chinese culture, eight means prosperity and luck. There’s also religious connotations, with eight meaning infinity, so it’s a blessed number for weddings.”
Even the nontraditional day of the week hasn’t put off couples eager to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime digits, according to http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Anja+Winikka” title=”Anja Winikka”>Anja Winikka, editor at http://www.theknot.com/” target=”_self”>TheKnot.com.
“According to our numbers, four times as many coupes are getting married Friday, Aug. 8, than any other Friday this summer,” she says, adding that venues from downtown lofts to http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Long+Island” title=”Long Island”>Long Island vineyards are booked up.
“We’re working on four Aug. 8 weddings, but we had to turn down at least 20,” says http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Chris+Chen” title=”Chris Chen”>Chris Chen, CEO of Williamsburg’s http://www.dynastyweddings.com/” target=”_self”>Dynasty Weddings, which specializes in Asian-American nuptials.
Two of Chen’s Aug. 8 clients, http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Tina+Xu” title=”Tina Xu”>Tina Xu, 27, from http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Queens+County” title=”Queens County”>Queens, and http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Jay+Wong” title=”Jay Wong”>Jay Wong, 27, from Long Island, began planning their wedding a year ago and found that locations were already being reserved fast.
“I called 10 to 15 places, but only three to four were available,” recalls Xu, who eventually chose Long Island’s Crest Hollow Country Club for their 214 guests.
“We’re having a lion dance to incorporate a traditional Chinese element to celebrate the date,” she adds.
For http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Carrie+Littman” title=”Carrie Littman”>Carrie Littman, 30, and fiancé http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Dan+Vissers” title=”Dan Vissers”>Dan Vissers, 31, from http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Jersey+City” title=”Jersey City”>Jersey City, the date has extra resonance.
“Dan’s parents were married on Aug. 8, 1970,” says Littman. “We always wanted a summer wedding and like the idea that eight is the infinity symbol.”
Littman has incorporated the digit into several elements of the wedding.
“I have it monogrammed on my invitations and on the aisle runner with our names, also on little favor tags with the words ‘Our love is infinite,’ ” she explains.
Eight has already proven to be a lucky number for http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/New+Jersey” title=”New Jersey”>New Jersey natives http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Vikki+Capparelli” title=”Vikki Capparelli”>Vikki Capparelli, 28, and http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Michael+Bonick” title=”Michael Bonick”>Michael Bonick, 38, who beat out over 900 couples to win a lavish Aug. 8 wedding in the Hamptons, courtesy of http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Eight+O’Clock+Coffee+Company” title=”Eight O’Clock Coffee Company”>Eight O’ Clock Coffee.
“We actually submitted our entry at 8 p.m.,” laughs Vikki of their winning photo and essay, which made liberal use of, you’ve guessed it, the number eight.
Wedding planner http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Evette+Rios” title=”Evette Rios”>Evette Rios has been busy making sure the elegant outdoor ceremony, set to take place on a glamorous estate, pays homage to their lucky number.
“The cake is going to be shaped like a number eight, and there are eight people in the wedding party. The wedding starts at 2.08 p.m.,” she explains.
Getting married on a memorable date has become a hot trend as more couples look for ways to give their ceremonies a special touch.
“http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Eva+Longoria” title=”Eva Longoria”>Eva Longoria and http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Tony+Parker” title=”Tony Parker”>Tony Parker got married on 7/7/07, and http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Beyonce+Knowles” title=”Beyonce Knowles”>Beyoncé and JayZ chose 4/4/08,” recalls Krecke, who says wedding vendors are catching on to the idea.
“There are tons and tons of packages on offer for 08/08/08,” she notes. “Sandals [Resorts] are doing an ‘Eight Steps of Love’ package offering eight luxury amenities for $888, and the Grand Lido in http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Jamaica+(New+York)” title=”Jamaica (New York)”>Jamaica is doing an eight-day wedding getaway which averages $3,888.”
There’s another reason 8/8/08 is one hot number for brides, notes Krecke: “It’s a pretty easy anniversary date for your fiancé to remember!”
8 WAYS TO PERSONALIZE YOUR 8/8/08 WEDDING
1. Ask eight groomsmen or eight bridesmaids to be in your wedding party.
2. Incorporate eight-petal delphiniums into floral arrangements or bouquets.
3. Hold your ceremony at 8 a.m. or 8 p.m.
4. Walk down the aisle to “Eight Days a Week” by the http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/The+Beatles” title=”The Beatles”>Beatles.
5. Sit down to an eight-course meal at the reception.
6. Order an eight-layer cake with eight different flavors.
7. Serve eight signature drinks during the cocktail hour.
8. Give each of your guests a Magic 8-Ball or an http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Apple+iPod” title=”Apple iPod”>iPod Shuffle with your eight favorite songs as a wedding favor.
    
       
 

 BY CAITLIN MILLAT       
     DAILY NEWS WRITER
     Friday, June 20th 2008,  1:22 AM
       
          
         Warga/News

Katrina Chalifoux of Illinois beams with first-place toilet paper wedding dress at Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Times Square. She won $1,000 for her stunning creation.
Here comes the bride, all dressed in - Charmin?

Six majestic wedding gowns made from toilet paper, glue and packing tape were on display Thursday at http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Visitors+Ripley” >Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Times+Square” >Times Square to announce the winner of the Cheap and Chic Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest.

First-place winner http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Katrina+Chalifoux” >Katrina Chalifoux, of http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Rockford” >Rockford, Ill., used seven rolls of toilet paper to create the intricate floral bodice and cascading train on her dress, which she said took several weeks to complete.

“It’s a challenge to make toilet paper look like fabric. It’s not exactly luxurious,” said Chalifoux, 46, who took home a $1,000 prize.

The dresses were judged by representatives from Charmin, http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Ripley+Entertainment+Inc.” >Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com.

The top three dresses will be on display for the next year at different Ripley’s locations around the world.

Visitors at Ripley’s gawked at the toilet-paper creations.

“There’s no way that’s made of the stuff from my bathroom,” said Yolanda English, 44, of http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Florida” >Florida, as she examined Chalifoux’s dress.

“It’s just amazing.”

Second-place winner http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Terri+Glover” >Terri Glover, 49, of Marlin, http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Texas” >Tex., said she would gladly replicate Chalifoux’s strapless gown, adorned with toilet-paper pearls, for her 11-year-old daughter - but with some minor changes.

“I’d use real fabric,” she laughed.

“One rip, and this dress is done.”
     Discount Wedding Favors  

Elke Rosthal  

Rosthal can identify with mom trying to kiss the groom as the window is closing.

A wedding album: it holds precious moments of the big day. But what about all the shots that don’t make it into the album?

“I’ve seen quite a bit,” said Claire Lewis, author of “Exposed: A Memoir,” which hit bookstore shelves just in time for the summer wedding blitz. “I tell my clients I am going to shoot it like a photo essay: they see every photo I have taken,” Lewis reveals. “I tend not to glamorize anything.”

Chronicling her more than 20 years behind the lens, Lewis compiled “the stories of things going right and things going wrong.”

And even at the most well-planned weddings, something can always go wrong.

Take, for example, a beloved family pet passing out while walking down the aisle.

“I had one wedding where the people took their little pug dog and put him in a tight dog tuxedo to carry the rings in a little basket down the aisle on a hot beach,” Lewis tells. “And, halfway down the aisle, he collapsed! But [he] was fine, just overheated.”

But Lewis isn’t the only wedding photographer with stories from the aisle. New York-based Elke Rosthal describes her favorite spontaneous moments from her library of shots not claimed by any wedding albums.

“I have one very funny groom in the car and he is rolling up the window as his mother was trying to squeeze in and give him a final kiss,” Rosthal explains. This photo never made it to the couple’s wedding album but it is a shot that remains close to Rosthal’s heart, as she says she can identify with that mother’s sense of loss.

Also in the reject pile, a photo of a bride next to a very out-of-place woman in a trench coat mingling around a wedding reception.

“I call her the Raincoat Lady,” explains Rosthal, “She’s standing next to the bride and she is just looking at the wedding dress in such a critical manner. I have a little blast when I look at that one again.”

Naturally, Rosthal says some of the funnier shots have been because of, you guessed it, alcohol.

“One time, I saw a groom get drunk and make out with the maid of honor on the scaffolding across the street from the Metropolitan Museum, leaving the bride at the table crying,” she says, adding, “Believe it or not, I’ve had a groom try to kiss me!”

And with so many weddings - almost 100 per year - Rosthal remembers capturing smaller hiccups on camera: the groom putting the ring on the wrong finger; brides showing their garters; swing-dancing going in the wrong direction, and the bride hanging upside down.

But whether the photos go in an album or are just filed away in a library, for better or worse, Rosthal says she absolutely never tires of the job.

“Not to be too sentimental,” she says, “but every wedding touches me. I get to meet people at the height of their hope and that makes me so happy.”

Wedding Favors

Saturday, July 5th 2008, 4:00 AM NYDAILYNEWS.COM

 

Kimberly Reid & Kerwin Spring

June 21, 2008, Brooklyn

Kimberly Reid, 28, and Kerwin Spring, 30, were teenagers when they met in January 1997 while working for the New York Public Library. As co-workers, they had the opportunity to get to know each other as friends before beginning to date that August.

“We started making a little connection with each other and, eventually, we decided to go on dates with just me and her,” the groom recalls. Less than a year later, they transferred to different branches, where they still work - Kimberly as a young adult librarian and Kerwin as an office aide.

On New Year’s Day last year, Kerwin surprised Kimberly with a horse-and-carriage ride through Central Park, something she had always wanted to do. When they finished, they walked hand in hand to the pond, where Kerwin popped the question. “It was very, very, very surprising,” Kimberly admits. “At one point on the carriage ride, I thought, ‘Is it going to happen?’ But when it didn’t, I just pushed it in the back of my mind. When he did it by the pond, I didn’t see it coming at all.”

The bride donned a sweetheart strapless gown with a corset top and long train by Mori Lee. She clutched a bouquet of red roses and crystals - “for a glittery effect,” she says - as her brother paraded her down the aisle at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.

The couple jumped the broom and later released doves as three bridesmaids, wearing red strapless dresses with champagne sashes by Bill Levkoff, looked on.

An antique, white Rolls-Royce brought the couple to Antun’s Caterers, where tables were covered with red and white roses with crystal accents, as arranged by Tender Touches Events.

The three-tiered red velvet cake was accompanied by a strawberry parfait and other fruit-based treats. The deejay played Brian McKnight’s “Still in Love,” before guests received personalized CDs and chocolates.

The couple honeymooned in Cancún and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Wedding Favors

He’s no “Bachelor” anymore.

Andrew Firestone, who starred in one of the highest-rated seasons of the TV reality show, tied the knot for real over the weekend.

The millionaire tire company scion married Serbian-born model Ivana Bozilovic near Santa Barbara, Calif., in a lavish three-day celebration.

“We’re so happy right now we can hardly stand it!” the couple said in a statement. “It is so special to be able to share this momentous day with our family and friends.”

Firestone, 32, hit the headlines with his search for the perfect bride on the third season of the ABC reality series in 2003.

The handsome heir got engaged to the series winner, Jennifer Schefft, but they broke it off before walking down the aisle.

He later said the failed romance helped him know he had a good thing with Bozilovic.

“I was totally crushed. I tried so hard to make it work,” Firestone told Us Weekly last month. “But everything happens for a reason. Sometimes you get hurt before you actually make it right.”

He proposed to Bozilovic, who grew up in Chicago, last fall and gave her a massive 2.5-carat engagement ring.

The nuptials in the scenic coastal town of Los Olivos were part of a three-day wedding event the duo planned for family and friends, which also included a Western-style barbecue and an alfresco rehearsal dinner.

Firestone told Us Weekly in June that Bozilovic had helped him improve himself.

“She makes me a better person,” he said. “Never before have I been so gushy.”

By NICOLE LYN PESCE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, June 3rd 2008, 3:01 PM

Warga/News

Click to see the bridezillas in action.

This bridezilla takes the cake!

Meghan Gressler from Basking Ridge, N.J., scaled a 10-foot slab of plywood wedding cake slathered in 50 gallons of buttercream icing Tuesday, beating nine other local brides to snag a $25,000 nuptial nest egg.

We TV hosted the cake-scaling contest in the heart of Times Square to promote the fifth season of “Bridezillas,” the summer series celebrating brides behaving badly.

The 10 blushing brides-to-be, decked in wedding gowns, elbow pads, and veils spilling from their crash helmets, paraded down Seventh Avenue during the morning rush to Military Island. There, the wedding crashers warmed up with a trio of trainers from New York Sports Club, doing lunges, jumping jacks and brushing up on that reception favorite, the “Cha Cha” slide.

At the whistle, the 10 hitched their skirts and dashed toward the 45 degree incline, which was lined with a rope net. Gressler took an early lead and bounded halfway up the slippery slope while the rest of the pack was piled up at the bottom.

“It was terrifying,” said stand-in groom Brian Soliwoda, who waited atop the cake for the winner and had a bird’s eye view of the frosting fracas. “The sheer force as she came leaping at me like a gazelle!”

“I just tried to run as fast as I could,” said Gressler, 27, a Princeton student who’s tying the knot this Saturday in Sparta, N.J.

“She did great,” gushed her groom, Derrick Lieb, who’s eyeing a celebratory trip to St. Martin with his sweetie. “We’ll definitely get to enjoy the honeymoon now!”

The losing ladies, on the other hand, wiped off their disappointment along with the teal frosting.

“I need a shower,” griped Paige Shurack, 27, from Staten Island. “I have frosting in places where frosting should never be!”

BY PHYLLIS FURMAN
DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER

Monday, June 2nd 2008, 4:00 AM

Handschuh/News 

Original Runner founder Julie Goldman and her staff at their W. 37th Street studio.

Handschuh/News 

The royal treatment: Artist Melissa DeTroy hand paints an Original Runner creation.

Handschuh/News

Julie Goldman’s small business journey began with a walk down the aisle.

Preparing for her wedding eight years ago, Goldman hit a roadblock: She wanted an aisle runner for her autumn-themed event at the Park Savoy mansion in Florham Park, N.J., but couldn’t find anything suitable.

“There was nothing, just paper or gauze,” she said. “You wouldn’t put this on a picnic table.” So she decided to make one herself.

Goldman bought plain fabric and hand-painted leaves and pine cones. Her florist was impressed - and after she asked Goldman to create another runner for a client, the idea for the Original Runner Co. was born.

Five years after its launch, the Garment Center-based small business employs eight and makes three types of aisle runners: solids, prints and custom projects. All are made of nonslip fabric aimed at protecting a wedding party from tripping.

Prices range from $135 for a basic solid to $5,000 for a Swarovski crystal-encrusted creation befitting the most demanding Bridezilla. One of Goldman’s latest creations, an aisle runner made of faux roses, was chosen by singer Ashlee Simpson for her gala nuptials, earning big play in last week’s People magazine.

With sales growing at a 25% clip, Goldman expects revenue to top $800,000 this year. Her crafty company recently caught the attention of Manhattan microlender Count Me In and American Express, which granted her their Make Mine a Million $ Business award, a program aimed at boosting women-owned businesses.

Like other wedding suppliers, Goldman is capitalizing as couples focus on personalizing their special event.

One increasingly popular trend that’s helping Goldman is customization, where brides and grooms integrate their monograms and other personal symbols into their wedding decor.

“Couples are looking at every nook and cranny to personalize, from the aisle runner to the lighting on the dance floor,” said Anja Winikka, an editor at wedding Web site and magazine The Knot.

An academic by training - Goldman, 38, has a doctorate in education from Columbia University’s Teachers College - she was already a business owner when she decided to launch her aisle runner operation in 2003.

While working alongside her husband running a compensation consulting firm, she decided to ask her dad for help in starting the venture. With $25,000 from her father and $25,000 from her savings, she bought fabric, hired an artist to make samples and rented a studio apartment near where she and her husband live on the Upper West Side.