Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/293658
THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR … MAYBE THE DECADE B Y KA R E N M U N C Y. P H OTO G R A P H Y D O N N A V O N B R U E N I N G. TODD+CERON IN OUR INCREASINGLY OVER-THE-TOP WORLD, THE WORD "SPECTACULAR" GETS TOSSED ABOUT RATHER INGENIOUSLY. BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION OF ITS SPOT-ON ACCURACY IN RECOUNTING THE FOUR-DAY DETAIL-PERFECT CELEBRATION AND NUPTIALS OF TODD FISCUS AND CERON ON NEW YEAR'S EVE IN NEW YORK CITY. IN SCOPE, ATTENTION TO AESTHETIC AND OVERWHELMING WARMTH AND GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT, THIS WEDDING WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENT. IT TAKES A VILLAGE – THE CAST OF CHARACTERS. Two grooms: Todd, one of the premier event planners in the United States; Todd Events is headquartered in Dallas. Ceron, renowned hairdresser with a single moniker and a very stylish man about town; Ceron Salon is based in Houston. 13 Bridesmaids: Seven of Todd's favorite girls from Dallas + six of Ceron's best girlfriends from Houston. Dallas: Brooke Hortenstine, Cindy Rachofsky, Suzanne Droese, Lucy Wrubel, Laura Franks, Jennifer Harris, Tracy Madans. Houston: Becca Cason Thrash, Mary Beth Aspromonte, Karen Mayell, Holly Moore, Lindsey Love, and Kelli Blanton (who could not make it to the wedding due to a family emergency). FIRST THINGS FIRST. Todd: "Ceron's proposal (in December 2012) caught me off-guard. We had only been together two years. I said 'yes' in front of 70 people. Planning the wedding became something we did together — it was really a growing point for us." Ceron: "It was December 19, 2012, at 8:19 pm, to be exact. I was so nervous. It was our holiday party; it was getting late, and Suzanne Droese was about to leave, so I showed her the box … She was the only one that knew before. I apologized to Todd's father for not asking him first. Not a dry eye in the house." WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR'S. "December 31 was the first and only choice for the nuptials. We both hate New Year's Eve because there's never anything to do," Todd says. "It's the one week in the year when I usually don't take business. Since Broadway is shuttered that night, a plethora of talented performers was available to entertain at the dinner and the reception." LOCATION, LOCATION. "At first, we talked about having the ceremony on a beach, but we really wanted my family, including my 89-year-old grandmother, to be able to attend," says Todd. "Plus Ceron loves to dress up — he would wear a tux every day if he could. So we chose New York because there is no more glamorous city, and it was practical because of all my business contacts there. We went up over the summer and chose The Glasshouses for the location, and again two months in advance for our tasting with the incredible Peter Callahan catering team. We wanted to go old-school classic — lobster thermador, waiters in white jackets. The color theme was inspired by a spur-of-the-moment visit to the new Ralph Lauren store. It was so spectacular — black, gold and cream, very masculine — and Ceron says, 'This is what I want our wedding to look like.'" The iconic Carlyle was the hotel of choice, but the couple wanted a modern setting for the dinner, ceremony and reception. The Glasshouses in the Chelsea Arts Tower provided a dramatic venue, with floor-to-ceiling windows "where everyone could see the city," explains Todd. GETTING THE LOOK. Todd's original intention was to bring in another event company, "but our lead production manager and the whole team at Todd Events volunteered. They really wanted to do the wedding — and they did the most beautiful job," says Todd. "I wrote the creative draft, picked out textiles and china, and then gave it to them. And I never went back, never reviewed anything. I was so unplugged from the process because I knew they would take care of it." Ceron: "I had no idea about any of the details. Everything was a surprise." FINISHING TOUCHES. The last decision was the macaroons from Ladurée. "We saw the new black-and-gold boxes in the window, so we just walked in and ordered them for our guests," Todd says. "The little details are the fun part." CHECK-IN. At check-in at The Carlyle, guests were handed an empty tote with the official T & C wedding logo and told to stop by the T & C Amenity Suite, which was "done like a swag room, so everyone could pick what they wanted," Todd says. There was a wall of custom-made Lucite drawers filled with goodies, from Chanel men's fragrance and Chanel polishes, Niven Morgan candles and logoed matches to scent your room, charmingly logoed bags of chocolate chip cookie chippers, makings for Uncle Todd's Skinny Margarita Mix, Mexican wedding cookies, splits of Moët, caps and T-shirts. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29. "It was really funny: Instead of working, we were in the hotel room in our PJs in the middle of the day," says Todd. "It felt like I was hiding from people. The first celebration was Sunday at Bill's Bar & Burgers, hosted by our friends, with ice skating and hot toddies." Ceron and Todd Fiscus Todd Fiscus adjusts Ceron's collar pre-wedding