Palette: pear, cement and rust
Theme: fresh, vibrant, modern
Location: Edgewater Hotel, Seattle
Date: August, 2011
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Monday was one of the hottest days to-date in our bizarre Seattle summer so when I got a chance to style my friend Willi’s book cover shoot over on cooler Bainbridge Island, I jumped at the chance. Willi is a master gardener and expert cook who hosts the website DigginFood.com. She has a weekly gardening show on KUOW (Tuesdays, 10am) and is the West Coast editor for Organic Gardening magazine. The shoot would be the for the cover of her new book, coming out sometime in 2012.
We rode over on the ferry laden down with props and outfits galore – vintage baskets, buckets, wire racks, crates and piles and piles of gorgeous produce – the temperature dropping steadily as we got further and further from the city.
After a quick pit stop at the Winslow market to meet our photographer, Jim Henkens, we headed to the southwest tip of the island to our shoot location, Octavia Chambliss’ beautiful garden. Octavia is a garden designer based on Bainbridge and she had kindly offered up her garden for the shoot even though she herself would be away on vacation. It was a stunning location. Imagine an immaculate perennial garden with a large vegetable garden tucked inside, a weathered picket fence and cottage gate leading to a tiny, vintage soccer field and public beach. The Bremerton ferry made hourly passes through the landscape and the sun dropped gently down behind some trees. It couldn’t have been more idyllic, or more Pacific Northwest, if it tried (although a surfacing Orca would have made for an awesome shot!)
I got busy unpacking the props while Jim and Willi scouted out the best spots in the garden. Then it was time to get to work. Here are some “behind the scenes” shots from that afternoon…
Putting my prop styling (and photography) skills to the test. Conclusion: kind of like flowers, just tastier.
With Jim’s reflective light panels all set up, it was time to begin!
A close up of that fabulous blue table was enough to make anyone hungry.
We picked these herbs and peaches fresh from Octavia’s garden. 
A few head shots for publicity…
And my personal favorite shot – earwigs in the peaches!
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… 
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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.
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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…
Vintage, garden chic is a popular look for weddings this year and is featured almost exclusively on blogs like Style Me Pretty and Once Wed. Vintage fabrics, cake plates and mason jars can be sourced at a premium on Ebay and Craigslist but somehow paying a fortune for something meant to give off a casual DIY feeling just doesn’t feel right. Here’s a fun idea that one of my brides and I came up with to create a vintage dessert display for her upcoming wedding.
What you’ll need:
Glass serving platters of varying sizes
Glass goblets, old fashioned ice cream glasses, ashtrays, or candle holders
Jam jars
Glass appropriate super glue
We found all our glass platters, goblets and Mason jars at the Seattle Goodwill but local flea markets, garage sales and estate sales are also a good place to look. Varying sizes and heights make for a more interesting display and we used different shades of blue glass for a fun twist.
This is such an easy project! First wash and dry all the glassware. Assemble everything on a table and play around with the different pieces. Try and put together a mix of high and low platters and experiment with turning the sundae glasses and goblets upside down to see which look you like best. When you’re pleased with how everything looks simply glue together the matching pieces with a thin line of super glue around the edge of the base piece. Be sure to center the base or your platters will topple when you put food on them!
Arrange a few blossoms in jam jars, add a couple of candles and voila! A vintage dessert display for less than $75!
I stumbled upon Little Retreats during a recent all-consuming decor hunt on Etsy. Seriously, if there is anything greater than Etsy for one-of-a-kind design then I want to know about it pronto! Brooke of Little Retreats makes beautiful decor items for events or simply to feather your nest. I am particularly enamored with the mustache collection – perfect for event photo booths – and the endless collection of bird themed items. I will be using the cutout bird cages and tiny nest name card holders for one of my weddings later this summer (oh and live birds in cages…stay tuned for that one!)
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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 –
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- { 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!
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