Engage!11 at The Grand del Mar, San Diego – Part II, The Sketches

If you missed my first Engage recap earlier this week, take a look here but now, onto the sketches!  This was my 6th Engage experience and if you have followed along over the years you know, that I take notes in sketches.  Armed with sketchbook, my trusted Sharpie pen and watercolor pencils, I embrace each session with my eyes and ears.  As the sessions evolve I am intently moving from sketch to written notes, back and forth to create a crazy collection of information that I refer to again and again long after Engage has passed.  I must thank the lovely speakers for not only sharing their stellar smarts but for also being so darn fashionable, aka, awesome to sketch!

Grand Floral crafted the sweetest arrangements for the main session tables.  This burgundy peony was resting right in front of me for the entire day, I couldn’t resist!

Rebecca Grinnals always looks lovely and this time around was no exception.  Emerging topics, the infusion of which our couples will appreciate, were storytelling, multi-generational thinking and flawless execution.  Your art is not just in the flowers design you create or the timelines you perfect, it is in the way you listen, interpret and foretell for a couple.  I tell our brides that “your story is art, painted beautifully” and every day is dedicated to making that art come to life with them as narrator.

Todd Fiscus say’s “I’m not scared of anything” and every ounce of his presence speaks to that fact.  A reminder to not let anything get in the way of a good party resonates with me even as a stationer and has implications in our process long before the party even occurs.  Thanks for keeping me thinking Todd!

When Marcy Blum approached the stage, I couldn’t get my pen in hand fast enough.  Not only is Marcy so fun to sketch but always has something fabulous to say.  This time around being Inspiration BORED was her plight and looking to life and far beyond weddings for creative fuel was her passion.

Cindy Novotny always gets the room on their feet with her soaring message and quick wit.  “Go crazy, everyday”, were her words that morning; bold, brazen and simply beautiful.  She encouraged us to create a love mark for our clients, stamping their experience with meaning, emotion and an incomparable sincerity.

We all love Mindy Weiss.  Down to earth advice and kindness are what she is all about, period.  Reverly Event Design created massive Sculpted Paper roses to flank the stage and Mindy looked lovely standing near.

More of me indulging in flower loveliness!

Sylvia Weinstock making art with a cake, what else can I say? 

Karen Tran’s sculpture of blooms drew me right it.  Sneaking away during registration to savor a moment with my pen and her creation was unavoidable

Millie Bratten interviewed wedding fashion icon Monique Lhuillier and I am pretty sure time stopped if just for only a moment.  To hear Monique speak of her brand’s growth in such an unassuming tone was endearing to say the least.

Thanks so much everyone for following along!  Until next time! XOXO

Inspirations – A Royal Wedding Invitation and Opulent Tablescape

The world is abuzz.  Well execpt for those in Ravello, according to Marcy Blum. With the Royal Wedding fever to reach its pinnacle in about two hours time according to my eastern clock, the suspense is barely tolerable.  So what does this artist, invitation designer and all around wedding junkie do…blog!  Welcome to the very late night, super-royal special edition of RiceInk.  Never before have I scheduled a post at such a late hour but today’s historical events call for nothing less out of the ordinary!!
So today I have a opulent, over the top table scape designed by one of my favorites, Karen Tran.  Originally designed for Exquisite Weddings Magazine this shoot literally blew me away.  Looking back now it has Royal Wedding written all over it!  I can imagine this look set atop long tables in opulent fashion for a proper royal wedding banquet.  Soon we will know the exact details of  Catherine and Prince William’s wedding decor but for now a girl can still dream!

Karen turned over 400 peony and rose blooms into a lavish table runner.  Beaded linens, gold rimmed china, feather touches and my hand painted menus came together in fussy, lovely harmony.  Our Vintage Pattern Orchid artwork was heavily painted in various shade of gold and creamy ivory against a shimmery white cardstock.

My instincts say the Royal Wedding will be overflowing with white and ivory blooms galore, but who knows, maybe Kate will surprise us?

So soak it in everyone, the last few hours of delicious anticipation!!  History is being made and we are all along for the ride!

Kudos to the amazing team Karen assembled for this project!

All of these gorgeous shots are from  Rippee Photography, www.rippeephotoweddings.com
Florals – Karen Tran
Linens – Wildflower Linen
Chairs - Chameleon Chairs

Press – Momental in Ceremony Magazine

Getting an email from Karen Tran about her next photo shoot project is always a thrill as it is guaranteed to be a exciting experience.   Recently our newest Vintage Pattern, lacy leaves, was featured in this “Purple Reigns” shoot exclusively for Ceremony Magazine.  The intricate, romantic quality of the pattern was a perfect contrast to the bold sequined, magenta loveliness Karen envisioned.

Here is a look at some photos taken before the pieces left the studio.  An invitation was created for the look, just in case, but not captured for the shoot.  A tiny round rhinestone buckle adorned the top third of the invite with the Lacy Leaves pressed into the lower third.

As you know, I cannot seem to get enough of shimmer finishes-not overdone, glittery, but subtle shimmer sheen.  I love the look of sheer shimmer inks hand painted onto shimmering white cardstock.  The effect is a glistening, crystalline finish that is light and airy while still dramatic and sophisticated.

A huge thanks to Karen for including me yet again!  I cannot wait for some of our upcoming projects as I feel blessed to have such a creative kindred spirit.

A Real Momental Wedding with Karen Tran Florals

As many of you know, Karen Tran is one of my favorites for inspirational eye candy and floral artistry that makes your mouth drop, quite literally.  Karen and I have collaborated on several projects in the last year but finally we were able to share a unique client this past November!

Loan (the Bride) came to me a little late admittedly, especially when custom design is involved BUT I was so thrilled with her ideas that taking on her project was never a question.  Several design revisions were needed as ideas evolved along with each custom sample I created.  We began with a more muted palette and from there introduced more vibrant hues that were at the same time reminiscent of natural shades.

Now onto the flowers…described by the bride herself:

“I worked very hard with Karen to convey the whimsical, natural, yet elegant feeling that I wanted for my wedding. It was very important to me to have hydrangeas in my wedding, because they were in the beautiful invitations you created for me.”

The arbor of orchids, hydrangeas and grapevine is breathtaking.  Karen’s ability to fuse rustic naturalism with sophisticated elegance is intriguing.

Loan chose a natural palette of caramel, green, chocolate brown and hints of purple.  Purple was somewhat difficult to combine with the caramel shade of hydrangea I painted for her invitations until I discovered this bark-like paper.  In addition to a natural, whimsical look, texture played a major role in the imitate yet lush style of Loan’s wedding.

A close look at the aubergine bark paper reveals a subtle shimmer and noticeable texture.  The paper felt supple and substantial at the same time (if that is possible)!

Lush caramel hydrangeas, adorned with painted dots and swirls was printed on a shimmering champagne cardstock.

Another look at that arbor and a peek at the reception!  Amazing day-of photography by Darin Fong.

Karen Tran Florals – Go ahead, get inspired!

Karen Tran‘s work requires really very few words.  Her exquisite, immediately recognizable style and lush approach to floral design are both reasons to make her blog a weekly read.  Whether you crave color inspiration or are simply looking  for detail ideas to perfect your table design, Karen’s blog and website are essential.  You can also check out her weekly post on the Southern Weddings blog!  So go ahead dive in…I dare you not to loose track of time looking!