We wanted to create a tablescape that had a touch of whim and fancy, yet still felt urbane and refined. Our graphic silhouette for the table was the butterfly. Butterflies are such a dreamy, fanciful creature that created instant romance and drama when suspended by the hundreds above the table. We wanted a hint of romance, but wanted to infuse a more multifaceted, edgy vibe and did so by using newsprint and black paper for the cutouts. The newspaper and black paper tied in perfectly with the brick wall and the steel beams. The color palette for the table was gray, black, white and silver. We selected hammered silver utensils and a collection of smoked wine glasses mixed with black opaque wine glasses. The silver Marais A chair was the perfect choice for it’s rounded edges and it’s urban chic feel.

Lining the center of the table was an overflowing arrangement of all-white ranunculus and hydrangea. The arrangement was created to have a full and soft feel created by the different textural flowers. The rounding effect of the arrangement added a contrast to the rectangular shape of the table and the clean lines of the black and white striped French ribbon.

The escort card display was created using one of the steel beams in the loft. Using a variety of different fonts and numbers printed on an assortment of papers created a visual feast for the eyes. Each card was hung with a custom magnet that repeated a graphic icon from the wedding invitation.

For the place cards, we used muted gray plates that had a combination of soft rounded details mixed with more graphic ridges and dots. Each plate had the guest’s name and corresponding magnet icon from the escort card display written on the plate. Menus and table numbers were also transferred onto dinner plates for guests to read upon being seated.

Taking the cue from the layered tulle dress from the inspiration board, our bride wore a beautiful tiered dress, with a custom hairpiece made of silk and fashioned in layers and topped off with the most dramatic rhea whips. Our fabulous hair and make-up team created a natural, glowing look with a touch of flirtiness. As you could tell, they had fun adorning her with the crazy black and white wigs! A touch of detail sparkled its way upon the bride, as she was adorned with a touch of blue by Ashley Morgan. The hand made necklace was made of a rare and fanciful rosecut indicolite tourmaline set with a pave diamond border. The three stackable rings were a gift from her future husband- represented the past, present & future.

We also created a “For the Boys” Scotch bar. We custom-fit the chalkboard inside the antique mirror swivevl frame, which worked perfectly in the space. Custom-designed bottles were wrapped with twine while others were wrapped with French ribbon; all were coupled with black-and-white vintage toppers. Votive candles with custom butterfly cutout wraps added a warm glow to the table and the antique cameras were playful accent pieces.

The precious flower girl couldn’t help but toss all of the little black butterfly cutouts that the tiny white ceramic bowl held. Strands of butterflies and ribbons were hung from the bowl creating a lovely bit of fluttering. Her lovely white dress with black detailing complemented all of the other décor elements from the event.

It’s always fun to have the groomsmen wear boutonnieres that are all a bit different than one another. Shown: a white amaryllis wrapped with a zebra feather, black sprayed poppy seeds with zebra feather accents, and white ranunculus with zebra feather accents. The bridal bouquet was created on the fly, inspired by the gorgeous headpiece. A combination of amaryllis, ranunculus and zebra feathers made for a striking piece. The lines of the bouquet create drama and sophistication that contrast the soft ruffling of the dress.

Coordination and Planning: Stacy McCain Event Planning / Event Design and Florals: Atelier Joya Event Design and Floral / Invitations and Concepts: chewing the cud / Photography: Lisa Neighbors/Blonde Tulip / Cake: Sugarcoat it Studio / Gown and Fashion accessories: Amy Kuschel / Hair Accessories: KAutumn / Jewelry: Ashley Morgan Designs / Make-up: Darlene Carlson Hair and Makeup / Hair: Jim Avila and Associates / Lighting and Piping: Got Light / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / La Tavola Linens / Chairs: Design within Reach / Model: Look Model Agency

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Post tags: Amy Kuschel, Ashley Morgan Designs, Atelier Joya Event Design and Floral, Blonde Tulip, Chewing The Cud, Classic Party Rentals, Darlene Carlson, Design Within Reach, From Inspiration to Reality, Jim avila, K. Autumn, La Tavola Linens, Stacy McCain Event Planning, Sugarcoat it Studio, Viola Sutanto
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, The Blog

{if you can’t stand the wait, click here to see all of the images}

Drawing inspiration from portrait silhouettes commonly seen in weddings, we took it one step further and used animal silhouettes to create a surreal black and white fantasy. By selecting a loft space, with black steel beams and rugged brick walls as the location, we set a sophisticated, sleek stage and worked from there to infuse the feminine, whimsical elements that created the perfect balance between masculine and feminine.

The three-dimensional black on black invitations emphasized the graphic language and the various butterfly, bird and plant icons that appear later in the decor and details. The sleek yet feminine typography added a touch of glamour to the overall look.

We carried the same visual language to the 2-tiered black and white cake, by Sugarcoat it Studio, reflected the same icons as the invitations. Dimensionality was created by creating inset white butterfly outlines on the fondant, balanced with similar cutouts in black and white. This play on cascading butterfly silhouettes was also translated onto the tablescape.

Guests were invited to write their well wishes for the couple on butterfly cutouts and hang them on the perfect canvas: a blank white wall. In the process of adding their butterflies, a beautiful art installation was being created and made for the perfect event backdrop. Displayed with the butterfly cutouts was a perfect little white teacup adorned with a graphic number, black pencils with white caps, and a vintage glass dome that housed a petite nosegay of ranunculus, black painted poppy seeds and tiny strands of black butterflies fluttering about. Alongside the bouquet sat two lovely black striped knobs calligraphed with “bride” & “groom”.

Check out Design*Sponge for even more pics and deets on the butterflies!

Coordination and Planning: Stacy McCain Event Planning / Event Design and Florals: Atelier Joya Event Design and Floral / Invitations and Concepts: chewing the cud / Photography: Lisa Neighbors/Blonde Tulip / Cake: Sugarcoat it Studio / Gown and Fashion accessories: Amy Kuschel / Hair Accessories: KAutumn / Jewelry: Ashley Morgan Designs / Make-up: Darlene Carlson Hair and Makeup / Hair: Jim Avila and Associates / Lighting and Piping: Got Light / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / La Tavola Linens / Chairs: Design within Reach / Model: Look Model Agency

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 32 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Kuschel, Ashley Morgan Designs, Atelier Joya Event Design and Floral, Blonde Tulip, Chewing The Cud, Classic Party Rentals, Darlene Carlson, Design Within Reach, From Inspiration to Reality, Jim avila, K. Autumn, La Tavola Linens, Stacy McCain Event Planning, Sugarcoat it Studio, Viola Sutanto
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

This board caught our eye because of its unique and dramatic contrast. In one breath there is the whimsy created by soft layers of tulle in the wedding dress and the full, lush floral arrangements. In a second breath, there is a strong graphic element shown by the sleek silhouettes displayed on the plates and the cake. We thought it’d be fun to play with these stark contrasts and create an event on the interplay of these elements.

Coordination and Planning: Stacy McCain Event Planning / Event Design and Florals: Atelier Joya Event Design and Floral / Invitations and Concepts: chewing the cud / Photography: Lisa Neighbors/Blonde Tulip / Cake: Sugarcoat it Studio / Gown and Fashion accessories: Amy Kuschel / Hair Accessories: KAutumn / Jewelry: Ashley Morgan Designs / Make-up: Darlene Carlson Hair and Makeup / Hair: Jim Avila and Associates / Lighting and Piping: Got Light / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / La Tavola Linens / Chairs: Design within Reach / Model: Look Model Agency

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Kuschel, Ashley Morgan Designs, Atelier Joya Event Design and Floral, Blonde Tulip, Chewing The Cud, Classic Party Rentals, Darlene Carlson, Design Within Reach, From Inspiration to Reality, Jim avila, K. Autumn, La Tavola Linens, Stacy McCain Event Planning, Sugarcoat it Studio, Viola Sutanto
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Inspiration Boards

So, let’s all welcome the lovely and talented Viola Sutanto!

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Hi everyone, I’m excited to be guest blogging for Style Me Pretty. My name is Viola Sutanto and I am the owner of  chewing the cud, a concept design and stationery studio based in San Francisco.

One of the most common questions I get from brides who plan to design their own invitations is “Where do I start?”. There are so many factors that could make or break an invitation: colors, typography, scale, illustration, paper choices, printing… and the list goes on. I thought it would be fun to start off my first post by sharing how color and typography (font choices) can really impact an invitation vastly.  Here is an example of the same invitation design, executed in 4 different fonts and color choices.

Starting at the top left, the first uses classic scripts and muted color tones, this would be appropriate for an formal, elegant wedding. The second, on the top right, features modern, clean, simple typography with cheery colors. Perhaps an outdoor, less formal soirée. The third, on the bottom left,  uses jewel tones and ornamental type with flourishes that would give a hint of an opulent ballroom affair. And finally, on the bottom right,  bold typography and earthy tones are perfect for a semi-casual wedding, perhaps at the park or in the garden.

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Viola is SO right. One invitation can be personalized to fit so many different styles of weddings by simply changing hte color palette and the font choices. It’s often hard to visualize what your invite would look like if you changed the template design, so ask your designer (or have the store contact the designer) to do a mock-up. You might have to pay a little bit, but it’s worth every penny.

Viola is back in a bit with so much more eye candy and inspiration!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chewing The Cud, Viola Sutanto, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery