I love anything you can customize!

Check this site out. I love home design just as much as event design. They are obviously pretty similar. So I'm picky about design/color, etc. This site allows you to completely customize bedding from fabric to color to pattern and it's very very detailed. You can pick colors of teeny tiny petals as well as the base fabric color. Best part is the price is totally reasonable! You have to go play around with it. I am bookmarking this for my house!

One of my faves added a housing store!

Zara is such a great store. It has all the Europe flair of an H&M without being watered down. If you have a Zara near you, you are lucky. Zara has just added a home store. However us Americans are not that lucky yet. I'm crossing my fingers for one soon though! Write them emails and tell them we neeeeed them over here. Especially in Philadelphia! Anyway, check out some great layouts from the catalogue. Their affordability has crossed over into home design and therefor their accessories are affordable for events! Love them.

Running with the inspiration

We posted about Housemartin's inspiration from this window. They took the idea and worked it for a wedding they did. I love their pics of the trial run. It's look so oranic and those candles in the birdcage are as awesome as I thought they would be. Great job. Enjoy the pics!

Kinda neat

I saw these guys on Outblush yesterday. I love anything LED because so many events these days have venues that prevent the use of an open flame. These are cool because they don't look like little robot candles. They are made of real wax and the coolest part is you can switch them to blue if you like! How cool with it be to have lots of these on regular setting and then late night switch them all to blue. Also, they turn off if you blow on them! Check them out here

Had to share

I hope all of you had a great long weekend! I had to post this as I was over at the fabulous Jessie Claire's blog and saw this amazing ceremony set up. It looks so casual and romantic. I love the different levels and feeling that you get just from looking at these pics. If you have a chance go over and check out this whole post. The groom's expression when he first sees his bride is priceless. Enjoy!

The new issue is out!

By far the best bridal magazine out there. They know it too since they charge almost a mortgage payment for it. Ok, exaggerating, but it's up there. Grace Ormonde is known for it's wonderful unique and over the top style. So fun to look at. Here are some great images from the issue. Which is your fave? I'm dying for this last black and white one. Anemone is one of my favorite blooms.

LA LA LA LA LA!!!!

That is the song I sing when I find a site that I really love love love. Graham and Green is such a site. Everything from the furniture, to the chachkies, to the lighting and decor is so fab I'm dying. I am so inspired by this site not only for events but also for my home. Do yourself a favor and poke around. It's so great. Here are some of my faves....

I've had my eyes on these glowing branches for some time. Oh the possibilities...

I have to give credit to Lyndsi for developing my love of font and text. Not only can you spell cute things like "I Do" (please don't) or your names, but just appreciating how cool the image of a single letter can be is awesome. I want these for my house asap.
These are very goth chic cool. I love the color trio.
So Moroccan and I love the punch of color. Very different.

Love this

I am seeing these hanging, surrounding an alter. I'm also seeing it surrounding a dancefloor. These are so delicate and stunning! With light shining through they would be incredible. It's almost like hanging a very open lace fabric. They can divide a room to make private lounging sections or highlight certain areas like a head table. There is so much possibility with these. Check them out at A+R

Coolest thing I've ever seen. Definitely.

OK this is so great and awesome design. Note the large branch/tree type thing. The pear shaped bulbs actually charge on it and can be "plucked" from the tree, emitting light for up to 1 hour before they need to be put back on the tree/charger. Honestly, this would be very cool for an event, but more realistically, I just wanted to share it. I jus thought this would be too cool to keep to myself. The link to Nick Foley's site (the designer), isn't working but I will provide it anyway.

Store Window Inspiration

This image comes from HouseMartin in a store window. This image sparked so many ideas in my head. I generally hate the "bird cage card cage" thing at a wedding. I think it's been done 1000 times and if someone really wants to steal your cards they can get in that little cage of yours anyway. But this idea could be fab. I'm picturing a corner or a table just filled with all different birdcages in various sizes and colors, filled with candles like this. This would be great for a shabby chic type wedding. I'm seeing some hanging from the ceiling and some on different levels on a table with them moving to the floor as well. This could be incredible for a placecard table. I already found a TON on ebay and craigslist for as cheap as 2-5 dollars!

Loving modern

I've always admired the work of both the photographer and event designer featured in these photos (Jessie Claire and R. Jack Balthazar) Obviously you all know I adore this color palatte. Take a lok at the blog when you can. It's interesting to see the room and how it was transformed. If you look closely you can tell this was a very traditional ballroom, with the rugs and the whole thing. This becomes a challenge to work with such a modern look. But they used architectural details and lighting to mask a lot of that and the event is stunning. Love this! Enjoy.

Florists...I owe you!

I've been hard on florists lately with all my talk of lighting. So I stumbled upon this gem of a florist and had to feature them. I actually shouldn't even call them a florist. They are more of a landscape design company who also does floral work and even deals furniture and lighting. There work is something fantastic! It's something totally different and I love their use of greenery which is probably inspired from their roots in landscaping. Any inspiration that can help us all think outside of the box is great. I'm loving that pink palette. If it were a hamburger I would totally eat it. Ok maybe I'm just hungry since that didn't make any sense. Check out Big Red Sun (PS their web design is stellar)

Nature..amped up.

I really love the contrast between nature and an elegant chandelier. I especially love multiple chandeliers! If you're close enough to your venue you can run wiring for electric ones. Or you can use candlelit ones as long as you are cautious of the flame. I found this great example through photographer Jasmine Star. Coincedentally I was also looking for chandeliers this morning on ebay for my home! I thought I'd share them as well. Take a look at these great ones! Bonus, use them in your home after your event!

This one is great and also a great price!

I love that this one is black. It's very modern

I think this is my favorite though, how can you not love a pink one?

Weekend inspiration

It's Saturday and the weather is just gorgeous. For the first time in a long time I can turn off my AC and open the windows. Having an itch for the outdoors, this inspiration arose. I am just dying for the gown/skirt top combo in this photo. This is what I dream for Lyndsi one day! It's so chic, so different and from there came this rustic outdoor inspiration board. Enjoy. See you on Monday.

Our clients are our inspiration

Lyndsi and I met with another great bride last night. My favorite part of this job is hearing what inspires people and learning how people think about design. This bride made a great choice to incorporate something her and her fiance truly love into their design. I won't give it away, because it's truly unique and will eventually make for an unbelievable event that will be Martha worthy. But what is interesting is how her design choices evolved from cotton candy pink and roses, to preppy, navy, society. Bouncing ideas back and forth is always fun for us. I know this event will be amazing. Here is some of our initial inspiration for a look and feel. Colors will be vary somewhat, but you can get the idea. These images come from the Ralph Lauren site.

Buying and selling your event

Lately I've been working with a few budget brides who needed some help thinking outside of the box when it came to creating a beautiful wedding. That's what we are here for anyway! So often people get trapped by their vendors with rentals and flowers of what a wedding "should" be, or the right way to make a wedding look. Try thinking about your event in a new way...

Look at your wedding as a start to not just your lives as a married couple, but the start of creating your home together. So much money is spent on rentals that you return, and flowers which get tossed. I highly recommend creating an event with a look you love, that you can use in your home. For example, I am moving soon and we are buying our first house (yay!). I want our new home to have an eclectic feel with vintage pieces mixed with modern ones...see pics above from Domino. I would then want to create an event that maybe would mimic that style so I could purchase items I would use in my home one day. Or I could sell these things and potentially make a great amount of money back.

Utilize Craigslist and Ebay! Here are some Philadelphia Craigslist finds which I could see translating into a really amazing event in different ways. I see that screen behind a cake and those gates set up to lead to a ceremony. I could see those farm buckets overflowing with flowers and those dishes mixed with different patterns to give the whole event a non matchy feel. The possibilities are endless and you're buying things you can use again or hopefully sell down the road. Most of these prices are usually negotiable as well. Check them out!

Blue & White China Collection - $50

Lanterns - $45

Room Divider/Screen - $40

ornate vintage wrought iron panels / gates - $50

Vintage Milk Can, Beverage Crates and Metal Buckets - $50

Antique/Vintage Franciscan Desert Rose Dishes - $40

Vintage look signs - $6

Vintage Fenton Vase - $15

Not so shabby, more chic

Lyndsi and I met with an awesome couple last night. They have a great sense of personal style and are such fun people. We loved all of her inspiration. This photo reminded me of the look she is going for (I would maybe use a cleaner door) but the vintagey touches are what we loved. Antique white with touches of black. This photo is awesome and from Better Homes and Gardens (thank you anonymous!). Presentation really is everything and this cake is presented so well. I'm normally not really into very elaborate cakes, but I am into the elaborate set up of the cake and this one is superb. Enjoy.

It's over the top Tuesday!

Do you believe it? I remembered! This one actually isn't so very over the top where it looks like flower puke everywhere. But it's our friend Preston so it does fall into this category. I think it's interesting that he did the backdrop for the ceremony with negative space and used the forest print for the rest. This looks so magical with the lighting and the lanterns. This actually would not be that difficult to recreate on a budget. Simply find fabric in a print that you like and use piping. Enjoy your OTTT.

Cheap and good

These I love so so so so much. I wanted to use these back in the day for my own wedding but the look was too modern for my event at the time. I can't tell you how stunning these look in person. They are so affordable and look amazing at an alter or above a table or just in a focal point corner of your venue. Bonus...you can reuse them in your home after the event or sell them and they will go like hot cakes, I promise. Check them out at CB2. The top pic comes from one of my favorite blogs, Apartment Therapy where a reader used these in her home.

PS we have many pics from wedding weekend mania. We will post later.

Hello! Cutest thing ever!

These are so simple and I'm dying over them. These are actually candles. I would love these all in a row in a tray. Super, simple, country. Visit them.