Blurbology

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.

Perfect for Large Ballrooms and tents!

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.

Its that time of year again!  Designers all over the globe pound the pavement of thousands of showrooms flaunting the newest trends in home, fashion and, in our case, event design.  Leesa and Sha Sha have our spring bride’s and future client’s needs in mind while searching this week at the Atlanta Market while Cory and I hold down the fort and cover the constant ringing phone from all those recent holiday engagements.  What an energizing and exciting time of year!

What’s on the Loluma wishlist this season?

1)  Mercury Glass:  Something we have been using for 10 years or more, but the trends and styles continue to change.  This year we are looking for eclectic candlestick sets, and small bouquet vases.

2)  Large Crystal Chandeliers:  Always a classic!  We currently have several small elegant chandeliers, however, we have several brides who have expressed interest in one showstopper for tents and large spaces.  Agreed!  I can’t wait to see what they find!

3) Pillows, Pillows, and more pillows!  You can never have enough.  This year we have such a diverse color palette of brides.  Here are a few of our favorite combinations coming up…

{April}

Fresh and Elegant for a Spring wedding at the William Aiken House

{May}

Bright & Crisp for the May heat up toward summer at the Thomas Bennett House

A perfect complimentary palatte to the yellow & natural greens at the William Aiken House

Feminine, Soft & Casually Sophisticated for the laid back scene of the I’On Creek Club

{June}

Add a soft Royal to the Classic Black & White, to create a sophisticated and modern style for a ceremony at the Confederate Home & College, and dinner in the Gallery room of McCradys

Perfect for a Vintage Chic Style at Founders Hall in Charlestowne Landing

Stay tuned for future posts to see how these weddings turn out.  We are so excited for our Spring Brides!

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!

We were thrilled to be able to work with Melissa Lunsford of Charleston Celebrations for the wedding of Catherine Dickson at Legare Waring House the day after Thanksgiving.  The challenge of this wedding had to do with time constraints for an outdoor wedding, post-day light savings.  It gets dark by 5pm these days and that is when this ceremony was set to take place.  Melissa recommended the wonderful mother of the bride, Jan, to call Loluma in order to shed a little light on the situation.  We kept with the bride’s shabby chic, cottage style look with our antique white washed chandeliers whimsically hung in the Avenue of Oaks over the ceremony area, each pin spotted by our fabulous lighting designer, Christopher Durand, so they popped perfectly to make a statement.  He then washed the entire altar area to include the musicians.  The final product was a dramatic and dreamy lighted ceremony.  To complete the atmosphere, Christopher draped festive cafe lighting over the fountain by the main house to ensure the guests could eat, dance and mingle comfortably.  Not to forget the gorgeous facade of the historical house, uplighting on all columns created a magical, southern impression.  Thank you to Suggs Photography for these gorgeous photos.

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.

Our very own Leesa Phipps, floral designer extraordinaire, loves to come up with unique twists on the standard wedding traditions.  Check out these out of the ordinary accessories for some of our past flower girls and ring bearers.

Flower Girl “Non Basket” ideas

Ring Bearer Pillows…