Monday, February 16th, 2009
I mean, this cake is stunning enough as is- how could you not love that petite sugared fruit and earthy Indonesian wood stand??!!
But when you frame it with a ring of orchids, it becomes the stunning centerpiece of the wedding (The best part: the chandelier originally was developed to hide the brass chandeliers that did not coordinate with her theme).
There’s something about live flowers, huh?
Best wishes to Elizabeth and Richie- congrats on your new marriage and WED wishes you the best!
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Just a quick post for today… I wanted to share a few photos of a candy station we did this past June. It was candy station to end all candy stations!
The bride wanted it to be the “WOW” factor of the wedding and I have to say, hearing the “oohs” and “ahhs” as guests walked into the reception and saw the display was my favorite part of the night!
The candy was all pink and white and the printing incorporated her butterfly motif…
Hundreds of romantic garden roses, hydrangea, nerine lilies, lisianthus and bells of Ireland composed the centerpieces that towered over the candy… gorgeous!
Eat your heart out!
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
For the fourth year WED was able to plan and design the annual Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry’s fundraiser gala. This year we decided to create a streamlined, clean look for the museum. For the first time we moved the event from inside the museum to the adjacent lawn… a transformation was to be had!
WED pitched the idea of monochromatic colors varying from whites, greys, silvers and our one “punch” color– citron. We constantly wanted to maintain the intergity of the theme by making sure to utilize the citron in one specific location: guest seating.
Couture linen overlays of kiwi confetti kept things fresh and whimsical while the modern lines of the florals anchored the theme. Fresh pears, green coxcomb, and green cymbidium orchids allowed for an unusual play on “food as art.”
Lighting created the other major component for the event. Over 28 various lighting sources were used thoughtout the two tents… from sheer black shades over chandeliers to drumshades and glossy black crystal chandeliers, and they all blended together perfectly.
The streamlined aesthetic was carried throughout every detail… from the boxwood balls hanging on the entry gate to the wishing tree to the donation containers…
Congratulations to the Children’s Museum on another successful fundraiser!
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
“Budget.” No bride likes to hear it. But truly having a budget under which to operate and being organized within it can be the BEST thing for a beautiful wedding that doesn’t leave you feeling like your pockets have been emptied. And no matter what it is, we all have a “budget” we must stick within… the question becomes HOW to spend within that budget.
As planners we look for the VALUE of every product we buy and service we obtain. Is it worth the money… does it fulfill the need… to us “budget” does not mean the wedding has to look anything less than exactly what our brides envision. It just means we have to be very creative and efficient in getting there!!
Take our Osprey Point wedding on Kiawah Island. Her budget priorities were the location (Kiawah Island), her band and her food. She was willing to spend a large portion of her budget on these things because she knew that’s what would matter most to her guests.
But what bride doesn’t want her wedding to look fabulous, too?! Here are a few ways we managed to create chic decor without breaking the bank…
1.) We used a standard lamour linen but in a a rich copper tone. A great colored linen in any fabric can make a HUGE difference!
2.) Multiple budvases were filled with single blooms and spread down the table. Less flowers= money saved.
3.) Interesting Glassware– to fill in the space, our florist purchased inexpensive glassware from CB2 for the budvases and candlesticks. The various shapes added MUCH visual interest to the tables!
4.) Candlelight played a major role in “richening” up the space– on the square tables, glass budvases with single blooms surrounded a series of pillar candles in hurricane shades.
5.) Spend money on “impact pieces”– by putting more money into several large pieces, you’ll get the “wow” factor without having to overdo it everywhere…
By saving money in on the seated tables, she was able to have the very dramatic placecard table she wanted… it was a gorgeous way to greet their guests!
At the end of the day, Michelle and Earl were a fantastic couple with lovely families… the wedding was perfect!
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
Seeing blue…
Sara received her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her law degree from Duke, so was it any wonder her wedding ended up a chic combination of pale Carolina blue, deep Duke blue and crisp. clean white?!
Custom pillows matched the poppy motif from her printing and looked chic on the white leather furniture. The minimalist aesthetic was carried throughout from the white cymbidium stems in clear glass cylinders to the art deco crystal chandeliers…
No detail was spared from the orchid strands on the lanterns to the pale blue rendering of the bridal gown lace on the wedding cake….
AND– just to throw in a little “girly” into the mix, the pergola was lit in a hot pink that deepened as the night went on, ending in a simply stunning display as the bride and groom cut their cake and toasted each other as new husband and wife. Cheers!
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
One of the most difficult things we face as wedding designers is helping clients “see” their wedding before it happens! We have to try to show bits and pieces and paint a picture of the potential as, after all, it’s impossible to put all the elements together and show a client exactly what their wedding will look like on the day of. Storyboards like these are fantastic, but can only take the mind so far…
But here’s a great example of what design elements carefully pulled together can do to a space… Ginny wanted the convenience of a downtown Charleston hotel wedding for her guests, but wanted the space to look like a South Beach nightclub… without any mod hotels in downtown we had to really use lighting, furniture, linen, and decor to transform the space!
Here’s the “before” shot of the Carolina Ballroom at the Francis Marion Hotel:
And now what we created for the reception:
