PopSugar

DIY: Elegant and Rustic Wedding Decor

partysugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 07:50:38 -0700

A friend of mine recently got married at a San Francisco restaurant with 25 close guests in attendance. The ceremony was held in a private room, and afterward, everyone sat down at one big table for a three-course dinner.

Since the couple threw together the "elopement" on short notice, they recruited friends to help; a friend and I were asked to do the flowers. I was surprised by how cheaply we were able to fill the room with blooms. Since the restaurant has exposed brick walls and a rustic feel, we decided to go for the same look with the arrangements. To see my tips for achieving a similar scheme, read more.

Know the space. Get a feel for the room you'll be working in and talk to the restaurant about any decor (such as candles and tablecloths) they'll have on hand or any restrictions that may apply.
Become a jar collector. To echo the rustic modern vibe of the room, I rounded up mismatched glass jars from my cupboards and friends' kitchens. They're free of charge and oh-so-hip.
Go wholesale. Many cities have flower markets that are open to the public. If you can, find a wholesale card to get better prices; I borrowed one from an event coordinator at a local nonprofit. Even if you can't get a wholesalers' discount, you'll still be able to get better bulk deals than you would anywhere else.
Mix and match. Splurge on some pricier statement flowers to anchor the arrangements - we went with purple hydrangeas, white tulips, orchids, and dahlias. Then, fill them out with cheaper filler in complementary colors: try mums, alstromerias, and assorted greenery.
Light it up. Place votive candles in smaller jars and use them to surround the floral arrangements. This will give the flowers a grander appearance without actually needing more flowers.

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Must Read: Colin Cowie Wedding Chic

partysugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:00:58 -0700

Colin Cowie is one of the world's most extravagant party planners. He's known for his outrageous chicness and attention to detail. While he's planned stylish soirees for Oprah and other famous celebrities, he's also helped many brides create the perfect wedding. His latest book, Colin Cowie Wedding Chic ($26.40), is an extensive guide that provides ideas for celebrating every moment of the big day. It's a great resource if you're getting married. To find out more about it, read more.

Pros:

Cowie leaves no detail undiscussed. The book is broken up into ten informative sections including bouquets and other ceremony flowers, centerpieces, reception decor, ritual and ceremony, etc.
The tone is conversational, yet informative. It's a very easy read.
It's filled with inspirational ideas (many with corresponding color photographs) taken from real weddings that Cowie planned.

Cons:

The book's focus is on the wedding day. There is no mention of other wedding related events such as the engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, etc.
Many of the weddings illustrated are lush and over the top making it obvious that they were planned with an unlimited budget.

It's a hard covered heavy book: you won't be able to toss it in a purse and bring it to a meeting with caterers.

Imagery: The spectacular photographs make this book. Each page has at least one picture, and the entire tome is filled with hundreds of beautiful color photos.

Overall: If the sky is the limit for your big day or if you're in need of wedding inspiration, get yourself a copy of this book. However, if you're looking for a knowledgeable manual that discusses every aspect of planning a wedding - choosing an event planner, bridal party etiquette, planning the rehearsal dinner, etc. - you might want to consider another book.

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Come Party With Me: Rehearsal Dinner - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:15:09 -0700

With a few simple touches, you can transform an ordinary backyard into a chic setting for the perfect rehearsal dinner.

Start by placing tiki torches along the entryway and edge of the yard. Hang round lanterns from large tree branches and line low bushes with small twinkling Christmas lights. Cover the table with a pretty printed cloth. Place outdoor glass ice buckets in various locations throughout the space (this will create a flow and promote mingling). Fill the buckets with ice, beer, and wine, and let guests help themselves to the beverages.

Pass the pizza on circular serving platters and serve the signature cocktail in blue glass tumblers.

Create customized napkins that say the bride and groom's names, but leave the wedding date off, so the napkins can be used at the rehearsal dinner, wedding reception, and any future parties the couple may host. For a romantic, welcoming glow, light lots of votives. Save the stunning floral arrangements for the wedding; instead opt for a single vase filled with fragrant flowers.

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Cool Idea: Take the Flowers Off the Table

CasaSugar — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:00:48 -0700

Looking for a cool way to display flowers at your wedding reception? Forgo the standard table arrangement and ask your guests to look up instead.Want to re-create this floral look for your big day? Find out how when you read more.

Use CB2 Teardrop Vases ($4.95) hung from the ceiling. These handblown vases have a cut and polished opening for easy hanging. Use filament so it looks like the vases are floating, and instead of arranging the blossoms outside of the vase, gently arrange them into the belly of each vase.

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10 Wedding Themed Toys to Gift the Flower Girl

LilSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:00:16 -0700

Lil girls spend hours practicing for their role in a wedding, but when the big day arrives, nerves often get the best of them. Whether you are the bride or the flower girl's anxious mother, prepare the wee member of the bridal party with some toys that will help her replicate the wedding day. Here are 10 of my favorite wedding-related toys that will also occupy the lil darling during the reception as well. Source

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Salma and Francois Celebrate Their Second Wedding in Style

PopSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault happily walked down the aisle again on Saturday at Venice's opera house Teatro La Fenice. Salma looked gorgeous in a white Balenciaga wedding gown by Nicholas Ghesquiere. Valentina was a flower girl wearing a Bonpoint dress with Francois's children from his first marriage also participating in the black tie affair. They may have gotten married at a small ceremony on Valentine's Day but their glamorous second round of nuptials included about 150 of their close family and friends.

They kicked off the weekend with a masked rehearsal dinner on Friday and some of their celebrity guests wore their black and gold masks as they arrived to the wedding by boat on Saturday. Penelope Cruz wore a floor-length blue gown for the ceremony and changed into a black dress for the reception, with Javier Bardem as her date. Stuart Townsend and Charlize Theron also joined in on the festivities with Charlize transforming her dress from long to short halfway through. Lots more familiar faces were in the audience including Ed Norton, Bono, Ashley Judd and Anna Wintour. On Sunday the newlyweds had a farewell brunch after a romantic weekend of celebrating their life as husband and wife.

Film Magic, Splash News Online, Flynet and INFDaily.com

To see tons more photos of Salma, Penelope, Charlize plus Ed Norton, Ashley Judd, and so many other just read more.

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Images include: Salma Hayek, Francois-Henri Pinault, Bono, Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Diana Jimenez, Bono, Ashley Judd, Valentina Pinault, Stella McCartney, Stuart Townsend, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Anna Wintour, Lily Cole, Edward Norton, Shauna Roberts, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jaques Chirac, Francois Pinault

Steal of the Day: Glass Tealights With Garden Stakes

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:00:45 -0700

Ready to throw a garden party? With this set of Glass Tealights and Garden Stakes (originally $59.99, on sale for $29.99), your garden will be the hit of an evening party, as the glass tea lights gently illuminate its blossoms and greenery.

This set includes 12 powder-coated black metal stakes that are almost three feet high, and different colored glass tea light cups. They'd also look lovely illuminating a walkway at an evening wedding or reception. For extra garden party glamour, consider planting some moonflower seeds, which will bloom at night. Can't you imagine the night-blooming flowers twining up the garden stakes?

Tips For Your Lil Boy Taking on the Ring Bearer Role

LilSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:00:00 -0700

In most weddings, there's a beautiful bride, an adorable flower girl, and then a lil ring bearer who steals the show. Whether it's the dapper dude's smirk or the sparkle in his eye as he walks down the aisle, there's something to be said for a tot in a tux! If your son has had the honor of being asked to be in someone's wedding party, make sure he's prepared to fill the role.

Attend the clothing fitting to ensure that your son is comfortable in the ensemble the bride and groom have selected. You don't want your mini me fidgeting at the altar. Tux rental or purchasing a suit will run upwards of $65.
Your kiddo will also need a pair of shoes to complement his attire. Some designs can be a bit clunky so inspect the kicks to make sure he won't trip as he takes to the aisle. Shoes normally set you back $35 and up.
Rehearse prior to the formal rehearsal so your tot knows what is expected of him and won't be intimidated when the big day comes.
Keep your lil one occupied at the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception with a bag of goodies stowed in your purse.
Let him loose on the dance floor. Give him an incentive for minding his manners during the festivities - he can cut a rug once the music plays.
Know his limits. Rest up prior to the nuptials, and if your tot looks tuckered at the event, let him nap or call it a night.

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How-To: Making Your Wedding a Little Greener

CasaSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:30:30 -0700

Unfortunately, just because you're holding your wedding ceremony in the great outdoors that doesn't mean your celebration is good for the planet. If you want some ideas for cutting down on the environmental impact of your big day, take a look at my tips.

For a Greener Wedding

Who doesn't love flowers? You can keep your flowers eco by buying organic blooms or buying the flowers locally.
When considering where to hold your wedding, think about where most of your guests are located. Midwest? East Coast? The Southwest? Then, consider holding your ceremony there. It will cut down on travel expenses as well as the environmental cost of planes, trains, and automobiles.
You can now buy compostable cups, plates, and utensils for your shindig. This means that your guests' plates will end up enriching the soil instead of sitting in a landfill.
If guests are traveling from a long distance, ask them to offset the carbon produced from their travel. It's cheap, quick, and easy. In lieu of wedding favors, which are often thrown away or forgotten, you could also offset your entire wedding guest list's carbon output. You could have a message telling them about the carbon offset "gift" printed up on wildflower seed cards that are left on each guest's plate. Make sure the guests take the cards home and plant them.

For the rest of my tips, just read more.

Instead of cut flowers, arrange small potted flowers in groupings on reception tables. Encourage guests to take the plants home to their garden at the end of the party.
Keep your registry eco-oriented, with gifts from green designers, artists, and furniture stores. Crate and Barrel and Ikea are two big retailers that have consistently scored high marks in terms of environmental responsibility.
Print your invitations on recycled paper that use nontoxic, soy-based inks.

Anyone else have some great ideas to make your wedding greener? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

For all of our wedding coverage check out IDoSugar.
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Stanlee's Secret

partysugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 09:12:57 -0700

If you live in San Francisco, have an indispensable budget, and are looking to throw a super memorable party, there is one man and one man only who is capable of getting the job done: event planner super star extraordinaire, Mr. Stanlee Gatti. Stan has spent more than 20 years envisioning the decor of countless high society events with a sense of style that is utterly unique and breath-taking - including the Black & White Ball and several major floral art exhibitions such as the recent ONE at the Conservatory of Flowers. Last week I had the extreme pleasure (seriously I was so nervous he is like one of my idols and there is a character in my novel loosely based off of him) of sitting down with Mr. Gatti in his beautifully light, airy studio in SOMA. When I walked through the front door I was worried I had the address wrong as upstairs is Stanlee's office and downstairs is where the production of designing the look for an event takes place. Downstairs is totally urban with an industrial feel and upstairs is warm and chic - the walls practically oozed luscious creativity. When I asked Gatti about the upcoming trends in party decor, his answer was that of pure confidence and utter genius: I do not know what the trends are because I set the trends. I never look at what everyone else is doing. He only borrows from himself by delving deeper into his history to discover a new way of doing things. A tried and true trendsetter, Gatti sees the world through rose colored glasses literally as he was born with the gift to visually glimpse the world in colors. His infectiously positive outlook, incredible will to translate his ideas from vision into reality, and fun loving attitude make him not only one of the best event planners in the nation, but an ideal human too. For more on Stanlee's way of life and my interview, read more

PartySugar: What colors are popular this year?
Stanlee Gatti: I have a natural instinct for color and see the world in color. The colors I use are based on my own feelings. Right now I love eggplant, reds, purples, blues. The combination of eggplant and red, purple and red. I like to take two colors and mix them differently.

PS: Do the colors generally change with the season?
SG: Slightly, I get some of my inspiration from what is happening in the fashion world, especially from the Japanese designers. I only wear Japanese clothing with the occasional pair of Levi's because they are truly unique and different. Yohji [Yamamoto] and Issey [Miyake] push clothing and design to a place of innovation.

PS: What trends are emerging in arrangements and centerpieces?
SG: Always think in colors first because the color is energy. I do not know what the trends are because I set the trends. I never look at what everyone else is doing, but I've been doing arrangements that are back to the basics: overflowing, jammed flowers. It's a return to the 80's when everything was a little more traditional and using one type of color and flower was innovative. There is a simplicity and form to it all.

PS: What flowers are in?
SG: There is a caste system in which roses, orchids, and lily of the valley are always in, but I love doing funeral flowers at a party. Gladiolus, mums, and carnations can be absolutely beautiful when done correctly. I say never close the doors - if done correctly in the right way anything can be done. I don't believe in framing things in. It's up to the individual to create something that expresses where you are. I don't ever want to be predictable. It depends on how far your mind travels to a different place. Other than that, I've been doing a lot of flowers and fruit, roses and pears in gold tones.

PS: Is there a huge difference between the east coast bride and the west coast
brides? Between the east coast party and the west coast party?
SG: The only difference is in climate. The location and climate of a party obviously affects what the kind of party it is and what it looks like as well.

PS: What was your most memorable party?
SG: The Black and White Ball of '87 because it was the first time anyone had ever blacked out an entire tent before. I loved the way it looked it made it look like space or had the feeling of being in a planetarium because the only light came from underneath the tables. Still there are so many memorable parties. Suzie Tompkin's wedding on the pier was amazing because we virtually took 12 days to build a wooden reception room with murals.

PS: What's your advice to the everyday hostess?
SG: Do small dinner parties and try your best. Do what you think is pretty and what you like. Don't go into it with the mindset of trying to impress, instead put a real interest into the food you make and the flowers you choose.

PS: What's your advice to the bride who wants the perfect wedding?
SG: Perfect: define perfect? A perfect party is a party where everyone has fun. The number one most important thing is that there is fun. Perfect equals fun.

PS: Where can a bride cut costs without it showing to guests?
SG: Mix things and remember not all centerpieces have to be floral. Look at what's important to you and go from there. Make a list of the most important part of your wedding and start cutting from the bottom up.

PS: What was the biggest wedding disaster you have ever had to confront and how did you do so?
SG: 15 years ago in Modesto at one of the Gallo daughter's weddings. We were using a huge pompadour rose and drove the roses up in a refrigerator truck. On the morning of the wedding we realized the flowers had froze and had to buy every pink rose from every florist in the area. In the end everything worked out as it was supposed to. As long as you work it out before the party, everything will end up as it's supposed to end up. For me once the event starts it's all about having fun and no disasters occur.

PS: What is your favorite flower?
SG: I don't have one. Flowers are like colors, I love them all. I enjoy green earth tones because every other color goes with green. But seriously how can you turn your back on anything that comes from nature when there is merit to it all? The other day I saw a dandelion and thought it was the most beautiful thing.

PS: What is your guilty pleasure food?
SG: Without a doubt, chocolate.

PS: What is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco?
SG: I'm a vegetarian and love the Moroccan food at Aziza.

PS: A successful party is…
SG: Fun! A party is only wrecked by the negative attitude of the people in attendance. It's really all about having fun. You could stay at home with a six-pack and be with the greatest group of people and have as much fun as at a huge glamorous party.

For a peek of Mr. Gatti in action, come back tomorrow to check out the images of a dinner he was designing the night of this interview. Click on an image below for a closer look at the inside of his studio.

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Image Source: Pat Johnson