Decorating with Color

Posted by Matthew Robbins, Contributor 

During a recent drive upstate, I was so inspired by the beautiful Fall foliage. After all, there's nothing more beautiful than a glowing autumnal yellow foliage against a moody blue-gray sky—the contrast is incredible. Though this year the leaves aren't as intense as years gone by, they are still delivering some wonderful hits of blazing orange, red, and vibrant yellow.

All of this Fall color reminds me that a clear color palette is often all you need to pull a room or an event together; in fact, if your color palette is really well thought out, you don't even need a theme for your wedding.

Here are details from a recent cocktail reception we put together. As you can see, we pulled the vibrant sunset tones into as many details as we could. The flowers, of course, featured blazing orange and deep red orchids. The linens were in a more muted, persimmon tone, and the candles were all in a beautiful juicy red and citrus palette. Even the specialty cocktails were in a golden amber glass, and the actual drinks were a delicious caramel tone as well. We created several lounge areas with dark chocolate leather ottomans and accent cushions featuring all of these beautiful colors.

Remember to use color as a tool for adding a finishing touch to your wedding. Do you have any challenges with using color? Let me know if I can help!

All photos by Mel Barlow

Vibrant vanda orchids on persimmon table linens.

Even the stemware had a warm amber tint to it, and the wait staff worked with the color palette (notice the necktie)!

Blazing red and orange candle holders were perfect on the bar.

We even used the lounge furniture and accent pillows to pull the color palette into every detail.

Smart Decor

Posted by Matthew Robbins, Contributor

I was looking at the lovely photos (provided by Christian Oth Studios) from a recent summer wedding we designed and came across a perfect decor moment to share.

Often, your biggest concern is how to spend your money wisely as you plan your wedding. One smart idea is to make your ceremony decor work double time, using it to embellish your reception long after it leaves the altar. For this wedding, we created beautiful hydrangea and passion vine wreaths for the aisle decor and later repurposed them as decor for the bride and groom's chair and for doorways, windows, and other areas around the reception venue.

Are you looking for smart decor ideas for your own wedding? Keep this little trick in mind as you plan your ceremony decor. Think about how the pieces might relate to your reception site; perhaps you'll need to use colors and materials that work in both scenarios to take advantage of the beautiful decor for the entire evening! 

 A perfect wreath hanging on one of the pew ends in the church.

 

The same wreaths were used to embellish the bride and groom's chairs.

A beautiful window for one of the hydrangea wreaths.

Savory Decor

Posted by Matthew Robbins, Contributor

Autumn weddings are in full swing, and last weekend I worked on a beautiful country wedding in Connecticut. All the design details were authentic—even the cocktail tables were vintage cafe tables from an old hotel! 

The bride and groom really wanted a relaxed but chic and elegant event. Dinner was served "family-style," and the menu was amazing: Bowls of Brussels sprouts, hearty mac and cheese, and seasonal vegetables were some of the lovely things placed on every table. The main course was a roasted pig, which was served from platters by the wait staff at each table. I had to work closely with the amazing Franck Cursat from Olivier Cheng Catering to incorporate the food into the table decor, which you'll see below. We unified everything with beautiful white flowers and linen table runners. White is always so incredibly chic when paired with deep chocolate and wood tones, and it's a great alternative to the traditional autumn color palettes! 

If you are planning a family-style dinner for your wedding, consider the tones and textures in the food and how these might work with your overall design scheme. In other words, think of the food as decor. And the serving pieces should work effortlessly with your table decor. 

Are you planning a family style dinner for your wedding? Let me know if you have any tips or if you need solutions for your table!

Olives and breadsticks garnished each table.

I love how the palette came together, from the tones in the autumn grasses found in the centerpieces to the breadsticks to the burlap curtains and the sisal carpet.

Large white bowls on the tables were filled with delicious sides to accompany the main course.

Mason jars and vintage bottles collected from antique stores held the flowers.

The runners were made from a beautiful open weave linen, and the chargers were pewter.

Calvin Klein Event

Posted by Kate Berry, Floral and Events Expert

Calvin Klein Home's Curator Collection made its New York debut at ABC Carpet & Home last Thursday and featured a range of Calvin Klein Home products, including tabletop, bedding, rugs, and furniture. This table caught my eye for its simplicity and contemporary elegance, but I was especially interested in the color palette.

There was a lot of black, white, gray, and touches of deep purple. The succulents down the center of the table were unexpectedly lush, and I think they would be perfect for a winter wedding. The designers also brought in gray elsewhere, filling a shallow bowl with dusty miller, and  touches of the deep purple, thanks to some cleverly arrange begonia foliage.

Don't you think this would be a nice look for a wedding?

Dahlias

Posted by Kate Berry, Floral and Event Expert

When I got to the flower market and feasted my eyes on the array of beautiful and bold dahlias, I couldn't help but hang out for a while and take them all in. They remind me of when I first moved to New York a couple summers ago. Randi and Shana welcomed me to my new office here at Weddings with a mix of colorful dahlias like these. Sigh...

Dahlias are one of those fuss-free flowers—you don't really even need a florist to make amazing centerpieces for your wedding. The bunches are usually so full that you can just clip the ends and drop them in a vase and voila! You have a centerpiece! Or, if simple is key, try something like this—each bloom is so amazing on its own. If you can't get them at your local flower or farmer's market, you can have them shipped from California Organic Flowers in Chico, California.

George V

Posted by Kate Berry, Floral and Event Expert

My friends, Elizabeth and Stephane, just got back from eating and drinking their way through the countrysides of France and finishing their trip up at the uber-sophisticated Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. Yes, delicious pastries and amazing food and wine are luxurious, but for me, cut flowers are the ultimate luxury. So it came as no surprise to me when Elizabeth, who is a food editor at Martha Stewart Living, could not stop raving about how amazing the amount of flowers and color were at George V. 

Stephane and Elizabeth pose in front of a gorgeous hanging Vanda plant installation.

The person behind the floral creations at the George V is Jeff Leatham. While this more modern approach isn't necessarily my style, I can totally appreciate Jeff's innovative use of flowers and plants to create bold, contemporary environments. I have a lot of respect for floral designers—it's a lot of work, with long hours and a very fast pace. You have to stay calm to pull everything off, which is good advice to give brides, too!

  To see all the work (and drama) that goes into your events and weddings, check out Flowers Uncut with Jeff Leatham, premiering Wednesday, November 4th at 10:00 PM on TLC.  Read more about it here.

And be sure to check out our Winter issue of Martha Stewart Weddings to see the gorgeous details from Elizabeth's wedding. I know it's a long way off, but it's so worth it—trust me!

Bouquets and Boutonnieres

Posted by Matthew Robbins, Contributor

In my line of work, bouquets and boutonnieres are often such obvious details I often forget to talk about them! So for this week's post, I thought I'd write about a recent experience choosing flowers for a client who loves all things green and textural.

I created two bouquets. The first was the actual bridal bouquet, which included some of her favorite greenery, like vines, pods, and orchids, plus a few more unique items like succulents, grasses, and very special lady slipper orchids. The second bouquet was smaller and included elements similar to those in her actual bridal bouquet but was used for photos before the ceremony. It was a warm, humid late summer day, and the weather was intense, so I suggested the smaller bouquet for running around Manhattan for pre wedding photos. Your bridal bouquet should be perfect and exquisite for your walk down the aisle.

For the boutonnieres, I created an assortment of wonderful options all related to the bridal flowers and the overall look of the wedding. I love creating a box of "all sorts" (as our English event director Joanne likes to call it) for the groom to choose from; after he makes his pick for favorite boutonniere, the groomsmen follow. I also provided an extra boutonniere for the groom as a backup after the many hours of early photos.

Did you order an extra bouquet for your wedding, or a backup bouquet? It's something to consider as you plan every detail for such a special day. 

These beautiful photos were provided by the fabulous team at Belathée Photography. 

The pre-ceremony bouquet

The actual bridal bouquet

Textural boutonnieres—all sorts!

Green Wedding

Posted by Kate Berry, Floral and Event Expert

I was up at Martha's home in Maine a few weekends ago, and I couldn't have been more inspired. Everything was so green and lush, maybe because they got something like 49 straight days of rain!

Then I was thinking about how you could have a gorgeous green wedding using moss and ferns if you live in the city or somewhere that doesn't get as much rain. Enter the Macho Fern. I had never seen anything like this.

 

Martha brought these up from a nursery near her Bedford home. This thing was enormous—perfect for an impact-making altar piece. And the best part about it is that it's affordable! At only $10 each, we put five plants together in this pot. So, yes, you can do this for just $50! Ok, so you have a bunch of these Macho Ferns around as your big arrangements, then add some mossy maidenhair fern, Japanese painted fern centerpieces, or place card holders like this. Then add a cake like this and tablecloths like this from my dessert table buffet. And voila—a green, mossy, ferny wedding!

So Long, Sweet Summer

Posted by Kate Berry, Floral and Event Expert

With the passing of Labor Day, I'm sad to say summer is over. But color-wise, the golden rays of summer's splendor live on. Here are a few warm-hued beauties from past MSW floral stories whose sunshine shades work just as well for what I hope will be a long, autumnal Indian summer.

 

P.S. If choosing a color palette has you all tied up in knots, read up on considering color here.

When Guests Take the Centerpieces

Posted by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette Expert

Over on our reader message boards, a bride is looking for games for guests to play in order to award her reception centerpieces to them as prizes. That reminded me of this practice—one I'd never heard of until I went to my first wedding with my mother-in-law. At the end of the evening, she picked up the centerpiece and started to carry it away. When I objected, she assured me, "Oh, yes, usually, they do give the centerpieces to the people." But they hadn't said anything about it! I'd never heard of such a thing.

I discovered that indeed, in her social circle, the centerpieces are often given away (most often to the oldest woman at the table, or to the couple at each table who has been married the longest). And yes, the deejay or emcee does make an announcement.

But I've also heard stories of guests walking off with the centerpieces when the containers were rented, or belonged to the florist. (Jayme Smith Murray purchased Martha Stewart Whiteware footed compotes from Macy's to use at her reception, intending to pass them on to her florist; I was panicked on her behalf.) Every now and then, a reader says she's going to use her own collection of vases or milk pitchers to hold the centerpieces and I think, "ooh, label them!" I have fantasies of how to tell people not to snag the centerpieces (a round card underneath the vase, so when you pick it up a red circle screams "Don't take the vase!"; a discreet p-Touch label). It keeps me up at night sometimes, but what do you expect from an etiquette enthusiast?

What's going to happen to the centerpieces at the end of your reception? Is this a common practice in your circles? And will you need to head it off?