Newport Holiday Parties

After the dusting of snow this morning, I was just feeling a little excited about upcoming holiday parties

pics via this is glamorous

Phillipe Starck Seating

I'm in love with Phillipe Starck.  For those of you who don't know who he is, you can read all about him here and here.  Basically, he is a Design God who invents everything from the very famous King Louis Ghost Chair to household items; and designs for hotels, clothing and oh yeah...$300 million yachts for Russian billionaires.

My love of him started with a trip to visit my favorite girlfriend in NYC.  She was there for business and I took the train in to meet her at the Hudson Hotel (designed by Starck). That's all I needed.

He combines old design with modern and puts a functional, streamlined twist for variations of seating for the home and events.
Now I love a good chiavarri like the rest of us, but what about thinking outside the box for seating at your wedding?  How bout some different Cocktail Hour seating, y'all??

Inspriration for your wedding or event with Phillipe Starck:

Tuesday Tablescapes

Just because I'm in love with summer, and the fact that upcoming events are in the Florida Keys, outdoors at a beautiful New England estate,  and another at a rustic/natural venue...this is pretty much what is in my head this week:

Couldn't you just live in the pic on with the Dogwood and knotted linens?  Of course you could...the champagne stays!


Pics: Style Me Pretty &
Martha Stewart Weddings

This was going to be about Linens...

...But, it's now about how to find more inspiration. This is now called "Bonded:  Highlight on the Exceptional Photography of Corrie Bond."

Maybe it's because I'm feeling so funky today; like I'm in sweats, no makeup, and almost severed my index finger last night on a dirty can of beans (yeah, it's bad..and looks incredibly terrible too).  I can simply go to THIS fabulous site to completely change my mood and find inspiration for what I want to feel like on many different occasions.

There are so many wedding based blogs and websites that delve out info and have "search" bars pertaining to any keywords you can imagine; mostly packaged up in a nice little inspiration board for you to draw from.  Which is fantastic most of time, but sometimes you need a little more grit.  What's better than an original idea popping into your head after walking the streets, of say, right here in Providence, an artists' mecca.

Most inspiration I have for weddings and events come from how I'm feeling at the time.  And I scour editorial and lifestyle photographer's websites to "bring to life" those images in my head.  The one I almost ALWAYS go to is Corrie Bond.  Even that name makes my stomach flutter.

This is how I feel most of the time.  And of course, it's purple, which is my signature color (and white).  

What is she capturing here?  Whimsy, Relaxed sophistication, Eclectic style, hints of Fun personality.  This is everything that I can see in a Wedding.

What about when you're feeling softer, yet rustic...like a white dress and cowboy boots?

Bond's portfolio will bring you to whatever you imagine for you event

  What I'm saying is don't limit yourself to wedding sites exclusively.  Whether you're working with a Planner, or by yourself, opening yourself up to other sources of inspiration with everyday life and art will provide you an obscene amount of information and ideas.  Find your feeling and your signature style...it's out there.  I'm going to close this out with my inspiration for what I will look like on my honeymoon in Monaco.

So, go on...venture out!  Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone to broaden your horizons.  OH!  And look out for the can of beans.  ouch.

Frugal Fall

I got a call yesterday from my very close friend /-slash-/designer extraordinaire, and sister-at-heart, Rachel, from the White Sands Inn. Her cousin is getting married this November and her aunt is hosting the rehearsal dinner. She is about as "frugal" as they come, bless her heart; and had the idea of placing stems of silk (fake!) fall leaves around the candles that will already be provided at their venue. She just wanted to know if I had any ideas of something they can do on the cheap themselves without breaking the bank...or even the change purse. And I slapped together a little inspiration:

Fall is the easiest time to find something really classy for your table without the expense. Mums are found on just about every corner, last for over a week when separated from the soil, and come in so many different colors. I bought small ones for my porch last year for less than $2.00 a pot! Bunch them in a earth-tone bowl and they are simplistic and beautiful (like shown above).

You can use any seed or stems from the trees outside, cutting the day of, up to a couple of days ahead of time. Just make sure to put your stems in water to keep fresh. My very favorite idea is the one above in the center. Use stems from a colorful tree and use a beautiful or even clear vase. Adding little "notes of love" to hang from the branches to the groom and bride-to-be would be a surprising little detail.

I love the idea of using natural items for place cards. Use dried leaves and gel-ink pens...even pears spray painted gold with a natural tag connected with the guests name would be chic. Also, any clear cylindrical vase with fall fruits placed in them would be a great idea.

Add a few forsythia stems to your table. They are bright yellow and bring a pop to the table. Hey, yellow is a fall color too, you know. And talk about cheap...they grow in my yard.

I think the best way to make a table interesting without spending a lot of money is using candles for the best lighting. Make sure you incorporate different heights of items for interest, and don't forget your linens! Even a runner or bold napkin will bring contrast and fun.

SU-WEET!

I am so excited to see that white cakes are making a comeback in weddings! First of all, I am a HUGE fan of white in general. I would have an entire house decorated in white if I could. I'm in love with the classicism and understated style of a white cake. And nothing can say that better than the pic below...


Hello! Epitome of style herself with a white wedding cake. Enough said.

White cakes used in summer weddings really pop to the eye of your guests as they have a cool, crisp quality to them. In spring weddings or fall weddings a small burst of color against the white fondant or buttercream gives you a clean slate to display your color scheme. Also, the beautiful eyelet detail now being used for white cakes can give a wonderful couture look to your reception.


For a southern or beach wedding, try a coconut cake like the one below:




Most of all I love white cakes for winter weddings. Check out the "chrysanthamum" cake below, or even the meringue detailed cake as well. How festive are those?
Or even a "mod" cake that resembles snowballs:


Even in these days of brides striving to do something unique in desserts there are options that are delicate and clean and just scream seamless detail such as these small bite sized cakes or even small white cakes as place settings:



Ok, now have I converted everyone to white? How about now? Now?