event design, decor & fashion styling



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Come Join The Circus With Me

On a sunny June afternoon, Delilah and Curtis were wed.  On the couple's first date, they realized that they had both fantasized of running away to join the circus when they were teenagers.  We loved their story and thought it would be fun to run with a circus theme for their wedding party. We knew we wanted to use vibrant poppies for the table centerpieces; to us they epitomized the fun and drama of the circus.
We made these cute pinwheels as favors for guests.  Place cards were attached to the pinwheels, mimicking the pennant banners we sewed to drape over tables and the dessert buffet.  We whipped up some other hand sewn elements including cloth polka-dot napkins, a festive striped table runner, and felt napkin rings.  The table was decked out with fun vintage tin toys, glass jars of pixie sticks and striped candy sticks.  To dress up the clean white china, we accented with custom laser cut polka-dot place mats and found bright colorful flatware.
 The couple loves candy, so we knew we could have a fun time collecting colorful treats to pile up on vintage cake stands and candy dishes on the dessert bar.  A friend created this adorable diorama which we used as a centerpiece for the sidebar.  Circus animals nestled throughout the desserts continued the theme.
As guests arrived, they came upon our welcome table laden with bags of peanuts, popcorn, and red licorice wheels. 

Originally, the bride and groom had dreamed of having a red velvet tent for the reception.  As it was too hot for real velvet, we suggested a delicious red velvet cake instead.

Delilah's favorite color is red so she loved the bright red peep-toe platform sandals that we found. For Curtis, we chose the perfect wingtips with an exaggerated toe as a little nod to a clown shoe.  We topped his look off with some fun striped socks.  Delilahs' bouquet was created from a mix of dramatic Oriental poppies accented with cute wild California poppies.
We caught the bridesmaids enjoying refreshing sidecar cocktails on a quick break after the ceremony.  All of Delilah's bridesmaids wore red halter dresses.  We found vintage jewelry to coordinate with each of their looks.  All of the bridal party wore dramatic hair accessories made especially for us by Violet Magpie.

At the end of the day, we snapped a quick shot of the groomsman making his way to the couple's car to drape the "true love" banner we stitched up for their getaway.


Flowers provided by- Marigold & Mint and other local growers
Jewelry and Accessories- Violet Magpie 
Laser Cutting- Amy Bengtson 
Diorama- Ilyssa Exley
Photography- Rich Casey and Tes de Luna/ Crinoline & Tweed
Groomsmen's Ties- Frankie Four 

Friday, June 3, 2011

Spring Showers Wedding Theme

On a rainy afternoon in Seattle Naomi and Jonathan tied the knot. The couple met as college transplants, and their first Seattle winter of endless rainy weather drew them together.  When picking a date for their wedding, they knew it would be futile to count on a sunny weekend in April.  We suggested that they give their wedding regional charm by celebrating Seattle's spring showers.  We liked the idea of the couple seeking shelter under the umbrella together and made that the main theme for the invitation.  The couple's favorite colors are green and turquoise so we drew together this color scheme and popped it with some bright yellow accents which worked perfectly with the daffodils Naomi wanted in her bouquet.

 The tables for the luncheon reception were decorated with handmade table runners and napkins.  We created a centerpiece for each table of potted spring bulb flowers.  We brought in daffodils to match her bouquet as well as yellow pansies and flowering spring branches that were hung with cut paper raindrops in bright yellow, turquoise, and green. 


We chose to layer the same turquoise and spring green Fiestaware dishes that the bride and groom asked for on their registry.  Floral etched water glasses were detailed with turquoise.  We found the perfect vintage dessert cups in a cheerful bright yellow and filled them with moss and a spring bulb as the wedding favor.


The rainy day theme was continued in the darling umbrella shaped place cards.




Rather than a traditional wedding cake, Naomi and Jonathan chose luscious lemon cakes decorated with tulips and daffodils for each table.  We designed a refreshing bright green signature cocktail of Midori, pineapple juice, Limonata, and vodka.





For the couple's cake, we created a custom cake topper with the image of the embracing couple taken from the invitation.

For the groom, we found a playful turquoise and white striped dress shirt and spring green silk tie.  The boutonniere was a mix of daffodil and lily of the valley wrapped in grosgrain ribbon.

Naomi's bridesmaids wore yellow cotton voile dresses with green peep toe suede pumps.  We found the perfect vintage Bakelite bangle and turquoise enamel bracelet for the Maid of Honor.  Bridesmaid bouquets were a simple mix of locally grown tulips, jonquils,and daffodils.
We styled the bridal accessories featuring a fabulous vintage floral necklace and large silk dahlia hair clip.  Before the big event, we snapped this quick photo of Naomi with an umbrella we found made by local designer, Pare Umbrella.  This was a perfect touch as the bride and groom had requested guests to bring fun, colorful umbrellas.  Despite the rain, the bright colors of the party made for a cheerful day.
Invitation Illustration- Frida Clements
Laser Cutting- Amy Bengtson
Bridal Accessories- Violet Magpie
Photography- Tes de Luna/Crinoline & Tweed