One of my favorite online stationary boutiques, Felix Doolittle, offers cutie {classic and preppy} solutions for many needs.
I often steer clients to the adorable website for assistance with show-worthy printables when things like the standard worn and smudged silver-framed table numbers or menu mysteries simply won’t make the cut.
Here are a few of my favorite uncomplicated motifs offered for table numbers…Perfect for when you want to let your guests know what table they’re seated at in style. Choose a motif that fits the look of your tablescape and you’ll look like you’ve custom created the perfect accent for the tables! {see images below}
While you’re at it, select charming menu cards to match! {see images below}
And when you return from your worldly honeymoon travels and you’re craving more motifs and darling design – have Felix Doolittle put together fantastic return address labels, donning your new name and local. {see images below}
The fun doesn’t stop there – check out Felix Doolittle for stationary needs from bakers labels, to note cards, to moving announcements, to gift tags and more!
I wholeheartedly adore the brilliant looks created by gorgeous Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig of Marchesa. From Sienna Miller to Jennifer Lopez to Anne Hathaway {even to my recent bride!} the Marchesa ladies have become one of the most sought-after designers for those who know and adore fashion.
Many of the dresses are seemingly so simple, while many also capture such a wonderful balance of drama, art, sophistication and style. Here are a few of my favorite dresses from their 2009 Resort Collection.
I find this collection a fantastic answer to a brides constant quandary – what to wear to my own rehearsal dinner?! These dresses would also be the perfect additions to one’s honeymoon collection, be it sunning in St. Tropez, sailing around Santorini or relaxing in Rio De Janeiro.
While my own honeymoon wardrobe was not composed of runway-ready frocks, I did have fun hunting for the perfect finds that would allow me to don a different dress every night…Perhaps if I only would have scaled back on my floral decor from the wedding, I may have found one of these lovelies in my Hartmann hanging bag…but then again…who am I kidding – how would I ever scale back on flowers!
I am also incredibly fascinated by the Marchesa co-founders’ muse – Marchesa Luisa Casati – Europe’s most scandalous, notorious and eccentric celebrity at the start of the twentieth century. A woman who wanted to be a living work of art, a woman who thrived on drama and intrigue and mystery. A woman who wore snakes as jewelry, trotted next to cheetahs she held by diamond leashes and who had nude servants gilded in gold leaf attending to her needs.
Knowing this interesting inspiration for the gorgeous Marchesa girls, I love studying each of their dresses, hunting for the curious links to their original muse.
A reader, Melinda (also a past client and wonderful industry friend!), was telling me how she recently put together an inspiration board for a girlfriend that is getting married this fall.
Her adorable mother loved what Melinda had designed for this friend so much that she immediately requested that one be created, specially for her!
Melinda told me that her mother is a simple mid-westerner, with dreams of living on a picturesque farm in the country. Here is the beautiful board that Melinda put together for her mother. {See below}
I love how Melinda selected images that have a peaceful, sleepy, rustic and real feeling. The balance of man and nature is truly inspiring. The simplicity certainly makes me consider giving up the fast-forward city life! (OK, perhaps every other weekend is all I would need…)
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!