As I’m currently in hospital due to some complications with my pregnancy, I figured now is as good a time as any to go through all the professional pictures from our events last year and refresh the portfolio and blog (unreliable internet connection allowing). This dinner party was thrown in honor of a client’s 60th birthday and as friends and family were being flown in from around the country, we wanted to make sure the 60′ King’s table was appropriately lavish but still maintained a wilder, Pacific NW look. The linens were from Choice and the beautiful images are by Stephanie Cristalli.
- { Thursday, December 5, 2013 }
Flowerwild + Jose Villa Wedding Workshop
- category: Home, press, Styled Inspiration Shoot
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop run by Kate Holt of Flowerwild on location in Calistoga, California. I posted a few of my own pictures in an earlier post and have been waiting ever since with bated breath for the real pictures shot by the incomparable Jose Villa. Since today those images have been published on Style Me Pretty, I’m delighted to share them here! 
I can’t say enough how wonderful this workshop was for me. Notwithstanding the chance to work with two wedding professionals at the peak of their careers, it was an amazing opportunity to meet/commiserate/support/bond/laugh with other designers from all over the country (and Ireland!) We have all since kept in touch, offering each other insider advice, referrals, sources and floral secrets. As someone who works primarily alone, having floral designer friends all over the country who are happy to be open and honest with opinions about pricing, techniques etc has been life-changing. I cannot stress enough how nice it is to feel part of a community of such kind and creative women.
The shoot culminated in a styled inspiration shoot shot on location at Mayacamas Ranch by Jose Villa. We each got to have our work photographed by Jose and watch Kate work her magic as she styled each shot. It was also wonderful to work with some California wedding pros that I knew only by reputation and through social media. The fabulous team of professionals included Mar of Team Hair and Makeup, stationery/calligraphy by Feast Calligraphy, and prop rentals from Found Vintage Rentals. 
Kevin & Nikki from J&B on Vimeo.
I’ve never shared a video on the blog before but I think this one from Janelle and Blake Abel is so fabulous and shows so many of the details from Nikki and Kevin’s August wedding at the Everett Golf and Country Club, that I can’t wait to share it now with more details to come soon… Enjoy!
- Tagged: everett golf and country club, finch and thistle, J and B video, seattle, wedding video
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- { Monday, July 29, 2013 }
Gwyn and John: Gatsby Inspired Bainbridge Wedding
- category: event design, floral design, Home, press, Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom, Weddings
Gwyn and John’s Gatsby inspired wedding was a labor of love for a large team of Seattle wedding vendors. I started working on the design of their wedding a full 18 months prior to the big day last September. The bride and groom wanted to celebrate the Pacific Northwest island location but still give guests the feeling of being inside a 1920’s ballroom. We set up three separate tents for the ceremony, cocktail reception and dinner reception each decorated in a different but coordinated fashion.
For the ceremony, antique English iron gates backing onto the Puget Sound were draped with antique hydrangea, hops, stock and quicksand roses while guests walked an aisle filled with plums, garden roses and herbs. We worked with Sally Balt at la Happy to create a custom “kissing tree” die cut motif for the invitations and programs in an elegant eggplant and cream package. In the cocktail tent we set up two soft seating areas of vintage sofas and coffee tables decorated with flowers in McCoy pottery and candles on vintage silver trays. An antique typewriter on a blue desk invited guests to leave messages for the couple while an antique sideboard displayed skeleton keys with hand lettered key fobs to direct guests to their seats.
Moving into the reception tent guests were greeted by long banquet tables covered in taupe and purple linens, silver candelabras and lush floral arrangements in silver urns. These were offset by square tables with towering glass vases topped with large arrangements of dahlias, phalaenopsis orchids, blackberries and garden roses. The bride collected antique silver pieces on Ebay and made candles for each one that guests were invited to take with them as favors.
Glass chandeliers provided the lighting while the back wall of the tent was draped in custom burlap panels and hung with vintage mirrors reflecting the Puget Sound and Seattle across the water. We decorated custom cedar bars with antique liquor bottles and offered micro brewed NW beers while guests reclined on more Gatsby style soft seating and a wedding painter documented the scene.
Photography by Sean Flanigan
Location: Country Club of Seattle on Bainbridge Island
Event Design and Floral: Finch & Thistle Event Design
Event Planning: Eventwise
Stationery, Calligraphy and Invitations: la Happy
Hair and Makeup: Erin Skipley
Bride’s Dress: Modern Trousseau
Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew
Suits: J Hilburn
Favors: handmade candles in vintage silver pieces
Desserts: coconut cake and pies by North Hill Bakery
Catering: Herban Feast
Linens: BBJ
Vintage Furniture and Prop Rentals: Vintage Ambiance
Custom Cedar Bars and Burlap Draping: Prop Gallery
Tent and furniture rentals: AA Party
Last month I attended the Flowerwild Workshop at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga. To spend three days in the company of designers from around the country (and world as two attendees were from Ireland) in such a beautiful setting with such a lovely teacher was a dream. Then to top it off, Jose Villa photographed our work. I have so many pictures to share but I’m right in the middle of updating my new website on top of working on all our summer weddings and events, so for now, enjoy this small glimpse into that lovely week and stay tuned for Jose’s images in a few weeks.
- Tagged: calistoga, finch and thistle, floral workshop, flowerwild, jose villa, sonoma
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- Tagged: finch and thistle, green, hellebore, ranunculus, white, wild bouquet, woodsy wedding
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- { Thursday, February 7, 2013 }
Published: Once Wed Lavender Shoot
- category: Home, Once Wed, Styled Inspiration Shoot
All the way back in July, Bryce Covey and I ventured out to Sequim on Washington’s Olympic Peninsular to create a styled shoot inspired by Sequim’s beautiful lavender fields. Today that shoot is featured on Once Wed and I am so honored to see some of my work alongside the illustrious stylist Joy Thigpen’s!
I wanted to keep the décor soft and simple to complement and not distract from the stunning setting of the lavender farm so I chose a color palette of sage green, white, lilac and a faded orange. To decorate the beautiful rustic cake table I created a floral runner with a garland of seeded eucalyptus and worked in purple scabiosa, garden roses, sweet peas and lavender to add some color. I added antique English vinegar bottles and vintage lavender glass from my personal collection for texture and height and draped the runner into a Provencale market basket.
I created several bridal bouquets for this shoot. Simple single arrangements of lavender and creeping oregano kept the look very simple and elegant and would be a perfect choice for bridesmaids or flower girls, whereas the bride’s bouquet was an organic mix of cream and faded orange garden roses, papery soft lilac scabiosa, sage, lavender and creeping oregano with purple nepeta (or catmint) and astilbe from my own garden. Some salmon berry leaves and seeded eucalyptus added texture.
The sweet lavender-lemon vegan cake by Kerissa Bakes was garnished simply with stems of fresh lavender on top of the rough white buttercream icing and displayed on a scalloped white cake platter from Rosanna.
Photography: Bryce Covey Photography | Floral and Event Design: Finch & Thistle Event Design | Location: Martha Lane Lavender Farm, Sequim, WA | Cake: Kerissa Bakes | Model: Erika at Seattle Models Guild | Hair and Makeup: Swink Style Bar
- { Tuesday, February 5, 2013 }
Genevieve + Derek: Vintage Flowers in Seattle’s Funkiest Venue
- category: floral design, Home, Weddings
Genevieve and Derek’s wedding took place at the Kubota Gardens and was followed with a reception at Urban Light Studios. The color palette was grey, sage green, white and a pale peachy-orange and I used fresh artichokes in the arrangements. Derek and Genevieve are both actors in LA and wanted a fun, lively wedding with no formal sit down dinner or stuffy traditions. Genevieve’s mother made her beautiful dress and Derek wore a grey pinstripe suit while the bridesmaids wore long sage colored dresses.
For the ceremony we created loose bunches of eucalyptus, garden roses and artichokes that we tied to the chairs with twine and lace. The bridal bouquets were organic hand tied bouquets of sage greenery, herbs, garden roses and dahlias bound with taupe silk ribbon.
We accented the crazy decor inside Urban Light Studios with fresh, airy arrangements in vintage milk glass vessels. Jenny Jimenez took all these gorgeous photos and Megan Keller of A Kurant Event worked with the couple on planning and day-of coordination.
{Vendors} Floral and Event Design: Finch & Thistle Event Design | Photography: Jenny Jimenez (except the three large centerpiece shots by F&T)| Day-Of Coordination: A Kurant Event | Wedding Venue: Kubota Gardens | Reception: Urban Light Studios | Cake: Tallant House
- { Monday, December 3, 2012 }
June in November
- category: floral design, Home, Styled Inspiration Shoot
I recently worked on a commercial shoot for The Dress Theory, a stunning new bridal shop in Greenlake with some of my favorite ladies. On a dreary November day in a Pioneer Square studio, Camille’s beautiful bohemian designer dresses (Sarah Seven! Claire Pettibone!) lit up the room and her sweet little pup June provided endless entertainment. Julie Harmsen took these lovely pictures, Jenn Blake of Scout provided the vintage rentals and styling, Jenny Bowker styled the hair and makeup and I created a few floral pretties to accessorize the gowns (and hair, and dog). A romantic bouquet of cafe au lait dahlias, antique oak leaf hydrangea, astilbe, herbs, pepper berry and lipstick pink anemones popped against the gowns while a pepper berry crown accented Kaitlin’s beautiful hair. For tiny June, I made a sweet little collar of herbs that she also wore as a crown. The models were stunning but June was definitely the star of the show.
- { Thursday, October 11, 2012 }
Serena + Mark: Lavender, Grey + Yellow Wedding in Mazama
- category: event design, Home, Weddings
I have been dying to share the images from this elegant August wedding at The Freestone Inn in Mazama photographed by my friend Chantal Andrea. I struggled to edit down the 600+ images into one blog post, so please forgive me for the length of this one. I just had too many favorites and there were just so many lovely details.
Serena and Mark’s intimate 40 person wedding took place in the Methow Valley, 3 hours drive from Seattle. Mazama is a tiny town with one general store so everything had to be brought in with us and Serena worked on all of the DIY details for months. I worked with her and Mark to plan and design the small, non-traditional wedding – contributing decor ideas and taking care of all the logistics of a destination wedding. Serena wanted an elegant look to contrast the rustic barn and meadows and we came up with a sophisticated color scheme of lavender, grey and butter yellow.
Wanting to keep the number of vendors at the wedding to a minimum, Serena took a hair and makeup lesson from Jenny Bowker prior to the wedding and was able to do her own hair and makeup on the day. She looked stunning.
Mark and Serena walked each other down the aisle of the patio of the Freestone Inn. Mark’s boutonniere of scabiosa and lisianthus complemented Serena’s bridal bouquet of garden roses, clematis, lisiantus, scabiosa and herbs.
The reception took place in a barn on the property used for heli-skiing in the winter. Our organic centerpieces of scabiosa, garden roses and clematis dotted long banquet tables covered with pewter and butter colored linens. For favors/escort cards, Serena and Mark purchased tiny succulents from the Ballard market and Serena and a friend glazed the pots themselves and created tiny name tags from birch bark. I used ceramic and birch pots for the flowers with birch bark votive holders and potted lavender to combat the 100 degree heat.
The highlight for me was the s’mores bar. The venue wouldn’t permit us to bring a wedding cake in, so we decided to put an elegant twist on the classic campfire treat with gourmet handcrafted marshmallows, graham crackers and several varieties of Theo chocolate and caramel. There was even bacon for the more adventurous guests.
I was able to work with some of my favorite Seattle wedding vendors to create this wedding – Kerissa Bakes baked the small cake and the marshmallows and graham crackers and Sally at LaHappy hand lettered the s’mores bar signage for me as a surprise for the couple.
And a couple more of Chantal’s beautiful pictures…
Floral, Event Design, Planning: Finch & Thistle; Photography: Chantal Andrea Photography; Venue: Freestone Inn, Mazama; Desserts: Kerissa Bakes
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