Wedding Trend Report – Nonfloral Bouquets!?

What’s hot and stylish in wedding design right now? Posh Personalization. Going Green. Creative Color Palettes. Mixing Metals.
Here’s a lovely way to bring all of those trends together with one simple and memorable element: A gorgeous Brooch Bouquet. Check out this stunner photographed by Alice Hue:
Start collecting brooches and buttons during your engagement. Spread the word to your shower hostesses and have them ask everyone attending to bring a special piece to add to your collection. Borrow baubles from family members. Spend a weekend antiquing with your girlfriends to find some vintage pieces. Your friends and family will feel honoured to have made such a special (and simple!) contribution. Just think of the calm you can achieve at any given moment on your wedding day by glancing down to your bouquet and remembering all those who love and support you and your man!
After the wedding, the options are endless. Use your bouquet in its entirety as a sculptural detail on your mantle, or pull it apart to use the pieces individually: Use to enhance your clothes. Add glitz to your coats. Banish bad hair days by clipping them to headbands. Use it as a gorgeous clasp on a simple belt. Create napkin rings to bind your heirloom linens etc. etc.
This chic bouquet is a certain way to ensure your bridal blooms don’t fade before your candles burn out. Take satisfaction in the fact that seasonality doesn’t have to rule this design!
With your own special collection of brooches, you’re sure to have a lifetime love affair with your unique and completely personalized bridal bouquet.
That’s the Scoop!
{image credit} gorgeous bouquet created by amanda heen of fantasy floral designs photograph by alice hue

Well..Dressed Hairdo!

As the wedding industry continues to boom…it seems as though nothing can be too customized, too chic or too fashion forward.  Seemingly an infinite amount of choices need to be considered by any average bride…

Colors – it’s not just pink and green or an all white wedding anymore.  Brides are selecting color palettes that are unique combinations reflecting themselves, the season or their moods. 

Dresses – first it was Vera, then Monique…now dozens of dress designers are creating gowns fit for any fashionista – and at any budget!

Dinner Tables – round tables were the norm just a few years back – but not only have square and {my favorite!} rectangular tables become almost common, there are even more to choose from now.  Rental companies are now offering taller tables where guests are seated on custom stool-like chairs to add yet another layer of texture and dimension to your setting.  Decor firms are moving forward with handfuls of customized table options – whether mirrored or even inlaid with a custom fabric (or gorgeous patterned wallpaper!), brides are able to ensure their special day is unlike any of their girlfriends.

Accessories are no exception.  If you’re not familiar, please let me introduce a new obsession…ban.do!  Started by two stylists in LA, ban.do is a super-duper charming lot of {mainly, but not exclusively} hair accessories like headbands, pins and bows.  Each even comes with it’s very own haiku!

The pieces are not limited to brides, however, many would make a gorgeous accent for girls who choose not to wear a veil – but still want some drama {yipee!  tiara’s are not the only non-veiled option!}

Here are a few of my favorites:
Their bridal line has beautiful head-bands and pieces, many with vintage inspired detailing.
The black label contains unique pieces that are all either one-of-a-kind or limited edition.  Vintage elements are incorporated, found from all over the world.
And the cutie heart by ban.do is an affordable line – with all pieces under $50.
When you’re in love – why not tell the whole world?!
A pretty yellow bow can make any basic outfit extrodinary!
Even your hair can be Well…Dressed!

Forever a Bargain

I had quickly fallen head over heels for this dramatic Lanvin necklace I found at Barneys a bit ago. While I didn’t have the nearly $3,000 to spare for the piece, my heart still fluttered each time I saw it. {I adore simple, updated-classic clothing paired with bold accessories and thought this necklace was simply dreamy!}

Then, last evening – inspired by the summer heat that so quickly hit Chicago, I went looking for a few bargains at Forever 21.

While I was initially hunting for cutie dresses to wear on the 4th of July – my absolute favorite holiday! – I did, however, come home with a heaping sack of fantastic designer-inspired statement necklaces. Here were a few of my favorites – each ranging from $7-$16!:


These necklaces are perfect for a chic dinner in the city or dressing up your rehearsal dinner ensemb, or even paired with a simple cotton maxi dress to turn heads while shopping at the farmers market!

While my heart is still in a tizzy for the beautiful Lanvin piece, my craving for drama is temporarily satisfied with my pouch full of purchases from Forever 21…

{photo credits: lanvin necklace from barneys.com; apricot, white and blue necklaces from forever21.com}

Real Event – Consultants Dinner at The Ivy Room!

We were thrilled to be invited to participate in a wonderful event a few weeks ago. Blue Plate Catering {one of my favorite special event caterers here in Chicago!} invited a collection of the most influential wedding and event consultants to an evening of culinary inspirations, stunning decor {all provided by Botanicals!}, lively entertainment {compliments of the amazing Ken Arlen Orchestra!} in the wonderful setting of the Ivy Room.

My partner in crime, Jesse Deckard, took care of pulling nearly all of the details together while I was crazy busy fine-tuning Caroline’s wedding details {only two days later!}. Because we designed the event, Blue Plate graciously invited us to enjoy the evening along with all of our favorite planner friends. The night was incredible, one to remember!
The weather was spectacular, allowing us to cocktail in the charming courtyard. Simple crisp white pintuck linens dressed the tables. High boys were cinched with fresh moss cuffs, and each of the tabletops were accented with a white lacquered urn hosting a solid sphere of mosses. {See image below}

When guests were invited to dinner, we unveiled a room dressed in peacock hues. We framed each of the windows overlooking the courtyard with blue and teal toned taffeta curtains, each accented with a crystal chandelier. The 9 dinner tables were each highlighted by an oversized sphere of solid peacock feathers, hung with precision just feet above the center of each table. {see image below}

Centerpieces were kept low, balancing out the drama occurring overhead. Generously sized white lacquered boxes hosted copious amounts of fresh green viburnum and plum hued sweetpea. Our custom tables were used in place of rented dinner tables. The white square tables were inlaid with a true platinum leaf finish, reflecting the abundance of candlelight. {See image below}
Chic lucite ghost chairs allowed the decor to be on show. {See image below}


A contemporary and comfy lounge setting was positioned in front of each window. Our pintuck covered couches were adorned with teal and blue throw pillows, hedges of purple iris enhanced the cocktail tables along with inset peacock feathers and a cozy circular rug lent a rest from all of the geometric lines of the room. Custom end tables provided yet an additional spot to place one’s {17th!} cocktail. {see images below}
Our white tufted semi-circular bar became a focal with a larger peacock feather orb suspended overhead. Peacock feather projections added a textured movement around the room. {See image below}

This was certainly one of the most fun industry nights to date! Special thanks to Matt from Sound Investments for providing the stunning lighting for the event, to Donna at the Ivy Room for her gracious hospitality, The Blue Plate Gang for pulling everything together, Ken Arlen and his wonderful full orchestra, Elizabeth Grace for her perfect printables and to all of the consultants that made the evening such a blast!
{photo credits: all images shot by erica barraca}

Wedding Trends II – Interesting Inspiration


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.

To read more about the Frenchy Feast-Inspired Wedding, click here

To read more about the Movie-Inspired Wedding, click here.

To read more about the Interior Designer-Inspired Wedding, click here, here, and here

Special thanks to Hope, from Wedtro.com who inspired me to think about what’s hot in weddings these days!

Wedding Trends I – Color Palette

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!)

Stay tuned for more wedding trends…