Its been awhile...!

All of a sudden it has been forever since I posted anything to our site. Life just seems to always get in the way. My daughter got married a year ago - I am finally putting up some pictures of what we did for her reception.

 We used two pergolas. A large one for the backdrop, then a smaller version that was in the entrance to the space draped in lights and wisteria that guests walked under as the they came in. I know I have a picture of it - just haven't located it on my computer..... You may recognize some of the trees. We used the same tree vendor for this wedding that we have used previously.

 Theses trees are behind the buffet table.

 The tables had mint mirrored organza runners with mercury glass votive candle holders and vases.

 The cupcake tower was made up of mercury glass - like plates. I like unusual cake stands - I had this idea as I was wandering around the wholesale florists supply. I found the mirrored glass plates, then took small gathering vases, and painted them with special mirror paint to get the mercury glass effect. The whole tower is held together with museum wax so it is very easy to disassemble. I used the same treatment on the large flower vases. Much less expensive than actual mercury glass - but just as pretty.

 The paper lanterns were not purple, but the small lights inside them were a bluish white - great effect. The mood over all was more like the above two photos - no overhead lighting except for a few spots and the small string lights.

The gifts were placed on a wicker garden bench. There was a small wicker table with a silver tub for the cards and a flower arrangement next to the bench.

We had such a great day !

Just a Thought

     I was power washing my driveway this afternoon, which allows for a lot of thinking opportunities. I realized that I should probably write a little bit more about what we can offer to prospective clients.
     We can help plan your event from start to finish. Or, we can just come in and help decorate. Flexibility is not a problem for us. Some brides know exactly what they want and have been planning for this day their whole lives. There are others brides that don't know where to start, other than the colors they like. We had a mother of the groom who needed to plan an open house and all she knew was that the colors were purples. Thats's it - just purples. The wedding was in the spring so we created an outdoor feel by using a lighted gazebo, and outdoor planter lights. We used lilacs and other seasonal flowers on the tables which had white base tablecloths with light and dark purple square overlays, and a satin lilac gingham runner.  Lighted lanterns surrounded by small flower arrangements became the centerpieces. We also helped her plan the buffet menu and determine the quantities needed.
     Weddings and other special days can be very stressful for those trying to pull it off.  We want you to enjoy the day, rather than dread the day. We can take care of the worrying for you!

Outdoors - In, Kirsten and Ben

     This past Saturday we had a reception with unique requirements. The original venue for the reception was to be held at and outdoor facility, but there was a change in dates, and the couple lost that location. So the request was to see if we could somehow bring an outdoor feeling to an indoor reception.
     Well, with lighting, trees and fencing - we did!

Lots of lights with paper globes hid the ceiling from below.

We brought the space in by several feet by using fencing and trees

Bridal party stood here to receive guests.

Benches and chairs were added around the perimeter, making you feel like you were in a park.

The guest table was on the left of the entrance, and the gifts were on the right. When you entered, these areas provided a screen so the guests couldn't see the entire room. Sort of a surprise!

They had two cakes: A traditional Scandinavian 'ring' cake and a more conventional wedding cake. Fun topiary trees behind the tables added a touch of whimsey.

The buffet was at the far end of the room. Five large lighted ficus trees are behind the table.

The colors were navy blue and sunflower yellow, with a bit of red thrown in.

     I was using a flash camera, which unfortunately adds extra light. The mood was very soft, just the right amount of light. It really felt like you were in an outdoor lighted park in the evening.
     I need to give a big thanks to Fred Christian of Christians Trees in Tacoma. He brought us some amazing trees and shrubs - we couldn't have pulled it off without them. Every thing but the ficus trees was live. Fabulous!  EJ's Catering from Maple Valley were great to work with. 

A view from above.

This is what you saw after signing the guest book.

This was a lot of hard work, but the result was well worth it. We made some great contacts, and more importantly, we made a bride (and her mother) happy!

What to Do with a Church Gym - Lynzi and Davis

Sometimes the hardest challenge of creating a beautiful event is the location aesthetics. Our church gym is a great location - best part is that you can use it for free it you are a member - but you have to deal with a few issues. Basketball hoops, lines on the floors, overhead fluorescent lights, not so beautiful walls....But we can overcome.

We hung ivory tulle, then added lights above the tulle. The ceiling almost disappears and you don't notice the basketball hoops.

Upholstered Backdrop

 

 

 

Lynzi wanted a vintage feel for the reception. We created a large, upholstered backdrop that would mimic a room screen. By adding the tables and lamps, the effect was very personal, almost like being in someone's home.

The centerpieces were teacups that Lynzi and her mother have collected over the years. We put garden roses and hydrangea in the cups, added some vintage books, candles, and a picture. Very simple, but it fit the theme nicely. Her colors were sage green and a very deep purple, with ivory.

The guest table and picture just below  really show off the flowers we used. I loved working with the David Austin garden roses. They are so lush, and smell heavenly. I actually had to spray paint the green hydrangea to get the purple edging that they naturally get in the fall, but since the wedding was in April, we helped nature along. The pops of purple were mini calla lilies.

Pictures of the bride and groom's parents, and grandparents. Very sweet!

Flowers on the buffet are a great touch.

When you use great fabrics and flowers, with personal touches any location can be made unique and beautiful. It felt very romantic in a not so romantic gym.

Brad and Hailey

We organized this backyard wedding reception in July of 2010. Thank goodness we had beautiful weather. You never know in Washington...

Some tables were under 10' tents

The wedding party

Most tables were out in the open - we would have moved them all to the big tent if it had rained.

Lighted crooks to guide the guests from the street.

A view from the deck above of the court.

Portable Pergola

The family had borrowed a 20" x 30' tent to use. Upon setting it up, we saw that the ceiling was not very clean, so we used balloons and lights to camouflage the near disaster!

 

Balloon, lights, and tulle ceiling.

The candy and dessert bar, and the cupcake tower, as well as the T.V. for the slide show were under the big tent.

You can see the raspberry sherbet pink and aqua were the color theme.

It was a warm day, so we offered lots of liquid refreshment.

The framed screen was built for another wedding backdrop, but comes in handy to help block unwanted views.

The flowers on the cake were the same flowers that were used in the table centerpieces.

We were even able to decorate the basketball hoop! "If something can't be moved, make it useful" is our motto.

We had a great time putting this event together!