Behind the Scenes – Alchemy at the Barn, The Stationery and Feathers

Thanks so much for following along my behind the scenes look at my Alchemy at the Barn shoot.  If you missed the first two posts, check here and here!  Creepy was a word that continually entered my mind when designing this table.  I know, I know…creepy…for a wedding concept?  Something Colin Cowie said at Engage 10 , replays in my mind and I paraphrase; when planning an event, you want to keep your guests on the edge of comfort.  Now certainly Mr. Cowie did not mean seat guests at rigid chairs and serve cold food.  I think what he meant instead is to shock guests a bit and keep them guessing as to what is coming next.    There is a certain impact that shock, surprise and the unknown hold for event planning and decor.  My thoughts exactly.

My pen and ink illustrations of Scabiosa, ladybugs and pheasant feathers were highly detailed and loaded with textures.  I purposely avoided an overly cutesy or whimsical aesthetic.

I adore this shot.  A weather worn door as low table, complete with doorknob.  The crisp white china and gold (Deerlite) flatware strike a stunning contrast to the stationery decked out in brown paper bag color cardstock against a heavily textured grey stock named Anvil from our friends at Envelopments®.  The Scabiosa bloom and ladybug are contrast painted with a thick white acrylic and then brushed with gold dots and accents!

Brandee from Metro Gypsy came on board to craft several signature pieces for each place setting and the centerpiece.

A palette of silver, rich grey, aqua and gold shone throughout the stationery collection.  Each piece had a unique personality in brushstroke, hue and paper choice.

An old truck at our farm became a lovely prop for many shots.  The table number’s gold, peach and grey palette stands stunningly against the patina of the trucks exterior.

Last but not least is the vintage 7-Up  cooler used as seating card display.  Brandee perched fallen tree branches around the unit and tucked each card amongst the brush.  The result was an eclectic mix of finishes and textures.

A huge thank you again to the team!  Daniel, Dorian and Brandee brought this vision to life with me and I am forever grateful!

Originally posted 7/2010

Lorri E.

We had to experiment with a new view of the red rose but so excited about the direction this is taking!!

A Real Momental Wedding – Erica and Ronnie inspire a unique wedding color palette!

Erica and Ronnie were married last September, but I have been waiting for the perfect time to feature their stunning affair.  Their palette of pomegranate and chartreuse is both bold and elegant with an eclectic spin on color pairings.  Picasso callas and Green Cymbidium orchids are just a few of the floral elements that brought this event to life!  Palm leaf chair design for the head table introduced the fresh grassy green as seen throughout her stationery.  It is these small details that can transform an ordinary celebration into one that is remembered for years to come!

Kristin Spencer captured the amazing shots seen here, love her work!

In their stationery we balanced a bright grassy green with a shimmering eggplant.  Erica’s planners Lynell and Stasia of Exquisite Events in Newport, RI collaborated with us to craft seating cards, menus, table numbers, hand illustrated drink menus and various other small signs.  Simple scrollwork and painted dots in gold adorned each piece.  The custom drink menu featured watercolor illustrations of Cosmos, Mojitos, Expresso Martinis and Pomme Royal Champagne!

A special thank you goes to Lynell and Stasia from Exquisite Events for always introducing us to the loveliest Brides.  We so enjoy working with you ladies and always look forward to our collaborations each year!!  Merry Christmas!

Melanie T.

So simple and pretty…

Renewal in PA Part III – The Favors, Cake and Stationery

For the next installment of our Renewal in PA posts, I am sharing more today about our candy favors, Sylvia Weinstock Cake and the stationery by yours truly!  Have a look at previous posts here and here to catch up on all the detail!

A big part of our vow renewal planning process involved collecting. Some of my fondest memories in planning grew from the many trips we took as a family hunting down depression style glassware, old  sour cream glasses and linens to use throughout the celebration.  My Nana had a good sized collection of vintage sour cream glasses from years past that she would actually use day to day.  I remember fondly drinking from the brightly colored glasses adorned with bold blooms and intricate patterns.  I found the prices to be reasonable, most often at about $1.00 per glass and thought they would make the perfect favor for our guests.  We chose classic root beer barrels, caramel creams and white  nougat candies as the sweet filling for each glass.   Strips of graphic wallpaper (the same used on our photobooth backdrop) secured the candy in each glass.  A small tag printed on our signature watercolor effect paper was fastened with the cutest yellow and white baker’s twine from Bake It Pretty!  Betsy Dunlap created a digital version of our names and as you will see, we took full advantage of her artistry throughout the event.

Perhaps the single most exciting part of the vow renewal planning was designing my cake with the fabulous Sylvia Weinstock!  Based on my watercolor sketches from trips to Utah and a watercolor painting inspired by Sylvia’s iconic sugar peonies, this masterpiece came together just as I had envisioned.  Curious to see the original sketch , read about our first meeting or perhaps the story behind the design?  My beloved Clara French cake pedestal was the perfect home for Sylvia’s creation.  Each of these stands is hand glazed to lovely imperfection.  What I mean specifically is that each creation is one of a kind with the glaze dripping differently on each piece.  A huge thank you to the team at Clara French for taking my very last minute request!

The stationery for the event was admittedly simple.  Without too much fuss, each piece was mindfully crafted to capture the color, texture and mood of the celebration.  Gold shimmer stocks, Betsy’s lovely text, black velvet detailing and punchy dahlia blooms all combined to create a pretty palette of hand painted paper goods.  Our menu was served in stations with some passed goodies.  Each guest menu was painted using various shades of orange watercolor flooded together.  Touches of gold shimmer ink were placed into each petal when wet creating an explosion of color when dry.

Each table featured this fun card wrapped with a vintage hanky and black velvet ribbon.  Fun facts about The Cottage, information about the evening’s events and an open invitationt to explore the 3 floors of the old structure were all included.

Remember our Zane Gray altered book invitations?

Thanks again to Daniel for all the gorgeous photos.  The next and final post is all about our photobooth!

Heather R.

The neutral version of this look is so striking!

I experimented with the amaryllis bloom and a blue and tan wintery palette!  Also found the sweetest little white bloom charms!

Love seeing this come together!

S-O-O cute!!!

Love the ecru vs. white and the charm is sooo perfect!

The new pattern for your invitation is lively and elegant at the same time.  I incorporated a bit of gold to give the purple palette added richness!

Veronica C.

So fun!

I love the added vibrancy the new fuchsia layer gives!

We created a silhouette of your gate and stylized with a touch of lacy pattern to give us a place to add some hand painted color.  The large, watercolor rose with painted dots mimic the gold and ivory linen shimmer border from Envelopments®.  LOVE this!

I experimented with a slightly oversized Sculpted Bloom to resemble a rose.  I thought an illustration of the Turnip Rose venue could be stunning on your reception card to really tell your story!