- { Monday, November 15, 2010 }
Chelsea and Jamie, Orcas Island: Part I
- category: event design, floral design, inspiration, Weddings
For those of you who have been following the blog for the last few months, you will remember that Chelsea guest blogged about her experiences planning her August wedding on Orcas Island. Here are all the details and pictures from the big day!
*
Chelsea grew up on an apple farm in Wenatchee, WA (the epicenter of Washington state’s apple growing region) and in her senior year of high school she was nominated Apple Blossom Queen (an honor that meant she had to bring her tiara and gown to college with her so that she could be ready to attend a parade at a moment’s notice).
On a weekend trip to Lake Chelan right after Chelsea and Jamie got engaged, Chelsea and I found a pile of vintage apple label postcards in a roadside antique store and inspiration hit. We would design her upcoming Orcas Island wedding to have a country, organic theme based around vintage apple posters. 
 |
 |
Chelsea was a very hands-on bride. After I put together a mood board to help with the design direction, she immediately started scouring the blogs for ideas to make their wedding day special on a budget. She made the burlap table runners herself, spent a weekend sewing pennant flags, collected crates and crates of coveted blue mason jars and vintage bottles and glued lace cutout blue paper onto recycled cans for centerpieces.
 |
 |
 |
 |
*
We even assembled the glass cake plates ourselves from platters, ashtrays and sundae glasses we purchased for pennies at Goodwill.
*
 * |
 |
Then Chelsea’s sister Erica had a *brilliant* idea. She had been to an event for the WA wine commission and seen apples “tattooed” with logos for a sponsor company. We had been tossing the idea around of using apples grown by Chelsea’s father as place card holders but this took things to a whole new level. Erica found a small indie sticker company in Seattle and commissioned them to design a small black heart shaped sticker with a C & J cutout in the middle. Two weeks before the apples were to be picked, Chelsea’s dad and stepmother stuck the stickers onto the apples while they were still green. Apples turn red right before they need to be picked so the sticker blocked out the sunlight leaving a stencil in green on the red apple. They turned out perfectly!
*
We added small paper leaves to each one and we had the perfect escort card display.
 |
  |
{all * pictures courtesy of Jonathan Steinberg, others by me}
- { Tuesday, October 26, 2010 }
Jenny and Jeff, Sonoma Part III
- category: event design, floral design, Home, Weddings
The reception tables were covered in taupe linens and the centerpieces were loose arrangements in mason jars and milk glass of roses, dahlias, hypericum, stock, queen anne’s lace, dusty miller and lisianthus accented with wild turkey feathers collected on the ranch and placed on vintage lace doilies.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The napkins were held with craft paper napkin rings and the favors were small vintage fabric covered pots of local honey.
  |
 |
Cafe lights strung from old farm tools supported in hay bales and covered with bougainvillea set the mood and created a cozy atmosphere despite warnings from the father of the bride not to wander off for fear of mountain lions. We filled a wheelbarrow to the brim with flowers and vintage lace-covered saddles and antique white candelabras decorated the cocktail patio and dance floor inside the house. White Mexican cutout flags personalized with the bride and groom’s names added a nice touch.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Guests found their table assignments from escort cards displayed on wire between hundreds of pictures of Jenny and Jeff’s families and large arrangements of flowers (with olive branches and persimmons picked from the ranch) in vintage silver and milk glass graced the buffet of BBQ chicken, mac and cheese, corn bread and salad.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Guests finished off the evening salsa dancing in the candlelit living room. It was a magical night!
 |
 |
*All pictures with watermark courtesy of Lianne Milton Wedding Photography
- { Tuesday, October 26, 2010 }
Jenny and Jeff, Sonoma Part II
- category: event design, floral design, Home, Weddings
Jenny accented her vintage style Nicole Miller gown with a feather fascinator and mesh veil, red lipstick and gold heels. 
 |
 |
She carried a bouquet of dahlias, scabiosa, stock, sedum, lisianthus, cool water roses, David Austin roses and dusty miller in shades of silver, purple and pink.
 |
 |
Jeff wore a grey pin-striped suit and wore a boutonniere of pink lisianthus accented with green olives I picked from the reception site that morning.
 |
 |
The two attendants (the bride and groom’s sisters respectively) wore taupe and mauve dresses from J.Crew and carried smaller versions of Jenny’s bouquet and ring pillows that were passed around to each guest during the ceremony to be blessed.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Guests tossed dried lavender as proceeded back up the aisle and then were bussed up through the hay fields to the main house for the reception. 
 |
 |
 |
 |
*All pictures with watermark courtesy of Lianne Milton Wedding Photography
- { Tuesday, October 26, 2010 }
Jenny and Jeff, Sonoma Part I
- category: event design, floral design, Home, Weddings
This is hands down one of the most beautiful weddings that I’ve had the pleasure to work on. In part due to the gorgeous setting, in part due to the amazing flowers I was able to get my hands on down in San Francisco (cafe au lait dahlias! persimmons on the branch!) and in part because the bride, one of my closest friends from college, is one of the most stylish people I’ve ever met. This post will have three parts because I just couldn’t narrow down the number of pictures that I wanted to share!
Jenny and Jeff’s wedding took place on Jenny’s grandmother’s 350 acre ranch in Sonoma County, just outside of Healdsburg. The ceremony was held on the lawn of the caretaker’s cottage overlooking fields ripe with hay and emerald vineyards lining the hillsides in all directions. White flags rippled in the wind, lace patterned lanterns danced from the tree branches and the sun beat down on a crowd anxious to witness the marriage of this long-time couple.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
*All pictures with watermark courtesy of Lianne Milton Wedding Photography
- Comments Off on Jenny and Jeff, Sonoma Part I
I got to use my collection of vintage milk glass vases and compotes for a recent bridal shower. You can find milk glass everywhere from Ebay and Etsy to your local thrift store. Collectors will buy them for anywhere up to $150 each but I got all of mine for about a dollar a piece at my local Goodwill!
Milk glass originated in Venice in the 16th century and is still manufactured today. It is popular with collectors and designers because it’s relatively easy to find and makes a stunning display when grouped en masse.
I particularly like how the cups and goblets lend a vintage twist to even the most modern floral arrangement and how dramatically colors pop against the stark white. The unique patterns on each one also photograph beautifully. 
Here are some pictures from the shower… 
- Comments Off on Got Milk?
The colors for this weekend’s wedding in Sequim are absolutely divine! I just adore the combination of sophisticated jewel tones mixed with the casual feel of wildflowers.
I always start with the bride’s bouquet – picking the most beautiful flowers and setting the tone for the rest of the arrangements. Becka is bucking the trend and wearing a blue dress which should make the colors really pop.
These David Austin Cymabaline roses are some of my favorites – a heavenly scent and the closest thing to peonies at this time of year. 
Antique green hydrangea and poppy pods give balance to the bright pinks, blues and orange. 
The flower girl’s whimsical bouquet is one of my favorites to date.
A poppy pod, purple lisianthus flower and pink freesia make up Scott’s boutonniere and Orange Unique roses, pink lisianthus and pink freesia finish off the mother’s corsages.
And finally some of the reception flowers…
I’m sort of in love with my garden right now. After two years of solid hard work, it is finally starting to feel like the end is in sight. A little more “let’s relax back here and enjoy” rather than “hmm just need to…” So it seemed like the perfect backdrop for a photo shoot of these gorgeous wedding invitations that I’ve been dying to showcase. I love how unique invitations have become in the last few years. Gone is the stuffy cursive type and calligraphy and in its place, the perfect way for a couple to set the stage for their wedding’s tone and theme. These two are a prime example that fun and class can go hand in hand.
- Comments Off on Garden Party
Jessica and Judd were married on Saturday at Laurel Creek Manor in Sumner, WA. I absolutely loved designing a country chic wedding for this fun couple! The pink and orange color scheme set the stage for a bright and sunny mood with lots of fun details – a photo booth fashioned from burlap and vintage pennant flags, “lovesicles” in the kid-friendly candy buffet, hand painted wooden signs, croquet and hula hoops, mason jar lanterns and of course, flowers galore!
Here are a few images then click on this link for our Facebook album for the full set…
Finally had time to post the pictures from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Annual Dinner of Champions in May. I based the design scheme on the invitation which was developed independently by a graphic designer who didn’t know that the blue and orange would coordinate perfectly with the ballroom in the Grand Hyatt! The theme of “Inspire & Innovate” lent itself beautifully to a modern design- sleek black glass vases, gorgeous, luxurious mokara orchids, star shaped blue thistle, orange protea, cherry brandy roses, burgundy leucadendrum and black river rocks. I loved the BBJ linens in the pinktuck and bengaline and the orange, orchid strewn carpet was a fun touch at the entrance to the event. Gobos in the jack design from the invitation highlighted the ceilings and walls and a transition from orange to blue lighting let guests know that the after party had begun.
Original design board –
- Comments Off on MS Gala Realized
- { Tuesday, May 25, 2010 }
Cindy and Ethan, Sonoma
- category: event design, floral design, Home, Weddings
If the rehearsal dinner consists of beautiful centerpieces, hot dogs, champagne and homemade ice cream sandwiches, the wedding is guaranteed to be amazing! Last Saturday at Cornerstone Gardens, Sonoma Cindy & Ethan were married (finally!) as guests looked on shaded from the California sun by orange parasols. Cornerstone Gardens is a photographers dream which I’m sure was why Cindy, a photojournalist, chose the location. Photo op after photo op with gardens designed by famous landscape architects and blooms galore. Guests enjoyed iced lemonade infused with lavender, bean bag chairs at the kids table, the hilarious Special Edition of “The Union” at the reception table and dancing into the wee hours in the big red barn. Congratulations Cindy and Ethan!
- Comments Off on Cindy and Ethan, Sonoma