Saturday, August 13, 2011

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!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

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!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

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.

Monday, August 8, 2011

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!