Blurbology

PANTONE 17-564 – Emerald

Every year the design and fashion industries come together to choose a new “it” color for the year. Following in the tracks of Tangerine Tango from last year, Emerald is the new color that will soon be popping up everywhere in 2013. In the wedding world, we always love to see how brides incorporate the popular color of year into their own wedding. There are numerous unique details and opportunities in which a bride can chose to draw Emerald into her wedding such as bridesmaid dresses, floral arrangements, jewelry, wedding cakes and even her shoes!

A favorite is touching on this bold and elegant color on the wedding invites.

Emerald has a tough path to follow after the popular Tangerine Tango, but we can not wait to see what this beautiful color has in store for 2013!

We all know how fashion influences event design on all levels.  A number of Fifth Avenue Classic Department stores seem to take it a step further this time of year with their intense holiday window  designs and themes.  My favorite this year is Bergdorf Goodman’s Jazz Age inspired Art Deco theme windows.  WOW!  Is all I can say.  The female mannequins in embellished clinging gowns amidst black and white geometric prints, feathers, golden flappers, cut mirror backdrops, showgirl style lights, all set off by intricately carved golden frames.  See for yourself!

Pattern is found everywhere you look.  Everything from nature to architecture to textiles and so on can inspire pattern.  One of our favorite sites proves this beautifully…

It just makes you want to go out with your camera and pay attention to the repetitive patterns in your environment.  The next step is to utilize these in your design, be it weddings and events, home design, or fashion.

We all have seen an increasing trend in the use of pattern in all aspects of the wedding design industry.  Linens, invitations and printed materials, wedding fashion, etc., are all being broken up with with fun prints of all kinds.  We are seeing a lot of clean geometric prints as well as organic styles in floral prints, etc.  One geometric print in particular getting some attention is the chevron print.

Believe it or not, this term refers to an upside “V” shape that was first used in the B.C. days of pottery and carvings.  It moved into a heraldry style utilized on shields in the days of kings and knights.  More recently, the Chevron can be seen in millitary patches to represent rankings.

When the simple shape is repeated, it creates the pattern we know, love and utilize today.

Other popular prints…

{FLORAL}

{FAUX BOIS}

***From the French for “False Wood’

{QUATREFOIL}

***A four leaf clover inspired pattern to symbolize good luck

{LATTICE}

{ANIMAL PRINT}????????

***There is a fine line of taste level with this print.  Done right, can be sultry, dramatic and rich.  This is definitely a print for the confident bride.

We call this our “Louix the XIV” Furniture Line.  We are showcasing it for the first time next weekend at a beautifully planned and designed  William Aiken House wedding.

Loluma is really inspired by the slate gray color as an alternative choice to the standard white we are seeing so often.  Slate is a good neutral with a little pizzazz to pair with just about anything.

Here are our current favorite pairings…

Each year, a Color of the Year is chosen by the design and fashion industries. This year, Pantone’s color of the year is “Tangerine Tango” and we are seeing it everywhere.  This  year’s choice is bright and daring, just what we need in 2012.

Flowers in this color scheme are plentiful. Orange flowers of this caliber include Gerbera Daisies , Roses, lilies, Cymbidium Orchids, Bird of Paradise, Dahlias, Poppies.

An extensive variety in flowers, is just the beginning for this color’s ability to accent a wedding celebration.  From fashion, to printed materials, fabrics, and lighting, there is no limit to the excitement of this color.

The Industrial Revolution itself refers to a change from hand and home production to machine and factory.  Taking place in the mid to late 1800’s, this revolution truly changed American society and economy into a modern urban-industrial state.  Some of the most significant developments include the steam engine, cotton gin, telegraph, sewing machine, light bulb and telephone.  Images of these inventions come to mind when visualizing our great country during this time frame.

I recently became inspired by the look of raw machinery parts such as gears, nuts and bolts, wheels and various cast iron industrial style pieces used in a decorative manner, from the current collection restoration hardware is offering in their inventory.

This industrial look is so urban and chic.  I love it!  And it is quite a departure from the outdoor, wild flower, country theme that has been used so often in weddings in the past couple of years.  I love the rich, neutral tones and the powerful feel these industrial elements create, and there are so many ways to be creative with this theme.  Consider using an extra large gear and turning it into an unconventional cake plateau or simple individual Edison style light bulbs whimsically hung from basic cords throughout an event space.

It is such a drastic contrasting back drop for the elegant attire of the wedding party.  A photographer’s dream!

Check out this beautiful mini, hardback Charleston book used as a save the date for a destination wedding we did last October.  Each book was sent out in individual boxes with all the wedding information on a bookmark with the bride and groom monogram adorning the top.  Inside the front cover the bride hand wrote a personal message to each guest inviting them to what turned out to be a gorgeous wedding at the Thomas Bennett House (later published in the September 2011 edition of Brides Magazine)

I often times turn to dream interpretations to discover meanings of various elements.  I love putting symbolism behind inanimate objects to create importance and personality.  To see a book in your dream indicates calmness. You are moving toward your goals at a slow and steady pace. In particular, to see an open book in your dream, means that you are able to grasp new ideas with ease.  A perfect support element for a wedding!

I have discovered that the idea of the book as a wedding inspiration has been used fairly often these days in a world of DIY and the shabby chic, vintage style that exists throughout the pages of every bridal magazine on the shelves.  Below are some unconventional uses for book pages that add a look of texture and cohesiveness to any wedding celebration.

Come with us for a stroll down history lane while we lure you with everything wedding gownesque.  The amount of material a wedding dress contained used to reflect the bride’s social standing and indicated the extent of the family’s wealth to wedding guests. Today, there are wedding dresses available in all price ranges, and Western traditions have loosened up to include a rainbow of colors and variety of lengths, which are now considered acceptable.  Wedding dress styles change every year and follow the current trends in the era.  In the 1920s, wedding dresses were typically short in the front with a longer train in the back and were worn with cloche-style wedding veils. This tendency to follow current fashions continued until the late 1940s, when it became popular to revert to long, full-skirted designs reminiscent of the Victorian era. Although there has always been a style that dominates the bridal market for a time, and then shifts with the changes in fashion, a growing number of modern brides are not choosing to follow these trends.  Today more than ever it seems normal to step outside of the box.  It is incredibly fascinating to witness the evolution of styles, patterns, fabrics, colors, and lengths of gowns over the years.

What else aside from the bride could possibly take center stage?  The cake of course; it is the epicenter of the décor precisely placed in plain view for all guests to admire.  The origin of the wedding cake can be traced as far back as the roman empire, when icing was not even invented. A loaf of barley bread was baked for the ceremony. The groom would then eat some of the bread and break the remaining piece over the bride’s head!  There are hundreds of flavors, fillings, icings, styles, designs, and of course stands.  Recently we have seen our clients picking out very unique cake stands to bring even more enticement to this focal point.  To top or not to top, now that is the question!  Some love to order a customized topper off of etsy or perhaps handpicked on a trip to Europe, while others prefer just a simple flower to top the delightful display.  We wanted to share some fun stands we recently have seen which can mostly be found at a reasonable price on the infamous Etsy.com.

Something as simple as texture can transform your event.  Texture by florals, texture by linens, texture by fabrics, cake, stationary, favors, dresses and much more are the foundation of your design palette.  Defined as ‘the visual and especially tactile quality of a surface,’ texture proves to be the smartest tool used in defining an event.  Would you rather your linens read Polyester and remain unnoticed, or take the road less traveled and integrate a beautiful Dupioni Silk, Pintuck, Taffeta, or Bengalore.  These names speak volumes in themselves.  The depth that each refined texture portrays is unparallel and can produce emotion, enticement, and alluring visuals.  We love to see character through each and every event; items which make every event simply unforgettable.  Texture is a brilliant medium used in all art forms and we are passionate about utilizing couture textures in each our weddings.