One of my client weddings was featured in the winter issue of Flower Magazine. Working with the oh-so-fabulous and oh-so-fun Marina Birch of Birch Design Studio, we took the client’s dreamy inspiration of the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica {showcasing a crisp black, white and bold green color palette repeated throughout the Wearstler designed hotel} and created a design that complimented the Georgian blank slate of the lovely Chicago History Museum.
Because wheels-up wasn’t an option for me – I was unable to ‘research’ the hotel style in person {it’s since been added to my never-ending life to-do list}, I put together just a few images of the luxe Viceroy lair, that I then took into consideration when creating the chic brides floral and decor designs. {see images below}
Marina had a custom pattern and motif created for the couple. One that graced elements from the wedding invitations, custom linens to the menu cards. We used the mostly white linens and graphic black chairs with {then} custom citron green seat cushions to provide the backdrop for a collection of black lacquered vases hosting copious amounts monochromatic green flowers and ferns (a favorite of the bride). {see images below}
The ceremony took place under a custom cabana-inspired canopy, detailed with graphic black trim and a petite chandelier. My talented Botanicals designers also created a chic floral monogram for the bride and grooms’ chairs that denoted the seats of honour. {see images above}
I had a blast taking the Viceroy’s fuse of ‘classic sophistication and contemporary chic’ style and translating it into an equally fabulous wedding design for one of the most lovely couples to date!
{wedding and posting credits} event design: kara at botanicals – a branch of hm design, wedding consultant: marina of birch design studio, event photography: garbo photography, inspiration: the viceroy santa monica, feature: flower magazine
So they say Saint Patrick’s Day is an annual feast day to celebrate Saint Patrick – one of the patron saints of Ireland. By calling for an annual feast celebration, do you think they ever imagined it would evolve to become one of the most lucrative days for dirty bars that open at 9am?
Cheers to all of my fellow Non-Irish (& Irish!) lovelies who enjoyed a day filled with brimming steins of green beer…
And cheers to all of my industry buddies who spent the day working…hopefully producing smashing weddings and events!
I’ll settle for a glass of prosecco thank you very much.
Happy St. Paddy’s Week!
{photo credits} cake: rebecca thuss. centerpieces: botanicals. cutie with balloon: marthastewart.com. dreamy picnic: kate spade
You’ve heard me say it before…but you can find inspiration almost anywhere! You may recognize some of these events from posts past, but they were fantastic examples of brides finding inspiration for their wedding design by looking beyond the pages of the glossy and coveted Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine. Here are a few places my clients have looked for inspiration:
Frenchy Feast: A client wanted her wedding to have a charming Frenchy Feast feeling. I combined bold flowers and lush foliages in raspberry, royal purple and green hues with textural and unexpected plums and cascading grapes. Everything was designed in varied silver containers and lined down the tables, creating a rolling landscape of lusciousness for their wedding.
Movie; De-Lovely. I had one client that was inspired by the movie De-Lovely. She longed for a wedding design that was opulent, had vintage-inspired details and that showcased her coined phrase ’A Beautiful Mess’. Before creating her proposal, I put together an inspiration board, capturing the essence of my vision. This is a great way to see if we’re heading in the right direction, initially. For her wedding, we used graceful ostrich plumes, cascading phalaenopsis orchids, vintage crystal pendants, candelabras and vintage silver. The bride looked radiant and even wore a stunning vintage headpiece to complete her Lovely vibe.
Interior Designer; Kelly Wearstler: Another favorite client was completely obsessed with the eclectic stylings of ‘It Girl’ interior designer, Kelly Wearstler. Her modern glamour style inspired a color palette of whites and golds. In addition to the monochromatic white centerpieces, I detailed the tablescapes with eclectic pieces: gold lacquered coral, geometric sculptures, bamboo flatware and gold gilded crystal stemware to name a few.
The lovely Hope from Wedtro recently interviewed me about current wedding trends.
In respect to color right now, I’m obsessed with a simple, muted color palette. Warm nudes and neutrals are hot on the runway this season and are hot in wedding design. (Check out this beauty by Donna Karan (pictured), and the collections of Philip Lim 3.1, Catherine Holstien, Rodarte and Calvin Klein this recent fashion week in Bryant Park!)
The most darling television ad simply must be Sofia Coppola’s Miss Dior Chérie fragrance ad.
This commercial is simply laden with Parisian charm…from her longing gaze into the window of a flower boutique (my favorite of course!), to the lines of symmetrical verdant trees, to the crisp white moulding detailing the apartment, and her glamorous fitting in a dress of cascading ruffles, to the mouthwatering stop into the patisserie – all of the tarts and petite fours are screaming my name! – to the most joyous ride of her life, carried away by a colorful collection of balloons…
Sofia did an amazing job of capturing a sense of sophisticated charm, fit for most any girls’ loveliest daydream. Check it out!
I find inspiration in so much…I initially started to gather images and ideas that were inspiring to me as a way to relax and re-energize myself. Then, after noticing I had quite the portfolio of collected images, I started creating inspiration boards for a few clients here and there, in an effort to help relay my vision for them. They are a helpful way to make sure we’re heading in the right direction together and that I truly am capturing the essence of what the bride is looking for.
From there, I found that putting together inspiration/story/mood boards for other things in my life proved to be just as useful. Here are a couple of boards that I’ve put together recently for interior design projects I’m working on.
You won’t necessarily find any of the showcased items in the finished projects – these boards simply help tell the story, visually.
Inspiration boards certainly do not need to be put together for a bride or a client. I have found that designing inspiration boards are a therapeutic way to escape and lose myself in something that I quite simply…find lovely. Give one a shot (and if you’re inspired – send it to me and tell me why!)
You may have received a heart-shaped choker, a paperweight in the shape of an over-sized dazzling diamond ring or perhaps you even got a pink flask with the brides’ wedding date stamped front and center…All you know is that the gifts you’ve received as a dedicated bridesmaid have hardly been worthy of all of your adoring attention and unwavering support. After all, you did personally assist by fishing the wilted spinach from her teeth before her close-up, you did hold her dress high above her head as she not-so-discretely ‘powdered her nose’, and you even humored her when she insisted that pepto-pink, floor-length organza bridesmaid dresses would truly complete her vision…
Do YOUR girls a favor when you’re the bride-to-be and give them something stylish as well as useful. Iomoi.com has the most crave-worthy gifts, fit for your fabulous friends. Check out a couple of these great, customized ideas…
Personalized Stationary…I covet cutie cards and adore the encouragement to take a few more minutes and write a hand-written note instead of posting a vague thank-you on facebook. Each come with lined envelopes and a custom motif – include a monogram or choose something charming and whimsical. Have fun selecting different designs specifically for each of your girls. Here are just a few of my favorite, sassy motifs:
(Stationary can also make a wonderful engagement gift for a new bride-to-be…goodness knows she will have a lot of thanking to do before her big day!)
Alternatively, these custom Lucite bar trays are a totally chic addition to a worthy friends bar-cart, kitchen island or coffee table! Add a few matching/contrasting coasters and she will be having the happiest happy hour ever! **Note: These gifts can be great for the guys too – choose more masculine colors and patterns!
I often encourage my clients to provide me with anything they find meaningful that I can then incorporate into their wedding design…I’ll create a bouquet wrapped in the fabric taken from her mothers wedding gown, or encourage the seamstress to secure a locket with a picture of a loved one to the inside of her voluminous gown. Simple ways to make the biggest day of her life even more special – if it is only just bride herself that is aware of ‘that extra special touch’.
It meant so much to me that my 91 year old grandmother was able to share our wedding day with us. I wanted to somehow honour her and her exciting presence – but wasn’t quite sure how. I ended up finding a charming and perfectly chic way one dreary April afternoon while my mother and I visited her.
My grandmother got married in 1939 and wore a simple, tailored suit that she embellished with glamorous Eisenhower Ice buttons. When I found those very buttons in her tattered jewelry box that early spring day, I knew instantly that adding them to secure my vintage brocade ribbons was the perfect sentimental touch I had hoped for.
(Thanks to the fab Gerber and Scarpelli team for capturing the special touch so beautifully. And thank you to my Botanicals staff for putting together my dreamy bouquet!)