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.

Fall Fete

Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor

Last week the stars aligned and I had two-count 'em-TWO amazing parties on the books. The first, you've all seen by now, was our 15th anniversary party at the Plaza Hotel. The second was just two days later, at 620 Loft & Garden, on an unseasonably warm evening. The theme of the event was the celebration of the bounty of New York in the Fall. So seasonal and local food and drink was on tap for about 65 assorted members of the events industry. The letterpressed invites by Sloane Maduereira Design/Press New York, set the tone beautifully (as did the menu she designed, shown below).

The venue is a stunningly landscaped terrace several stories above Fifth Avenue, with an indoor room with views to match. Before dinner, we started outside for some delicious cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, all hosted by Marcey Brownstein Catering and Events. My favorite? The chestnut celeriac soup sip with sweet pea foam. We listened to the urban jazz lounge and dance-style music of Hudson Project (one of many talented groups from Elan Artists). They played funky/hipster versions of songs by Lady Gaga, Macy Gray, and Thievery Corporation.

All photos by Roey Yohai & Carlos Varela of ElanDocumentary.

Fall Harvest

Posted by Britni Wood, Style Expert

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: fall really is my favorite season. I love the idea of the harvest as a wedding theme, and October is the wonderful month when gorgeous olives are picked from their branches and cured or made into oil. Olives and their branches have the most sophisticated look when used in your wedding decor and can give your guests a feeling of being in the Tuscan countryside. Enjoy all these earthy delights from our past issues.

   

top: candy olives in burlap pouches, black olive and sage madeleines.

middle: an olive branch buffet, harvest table centerpiece and favors

bottom: gold band cake with olive branches

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.

Drink Up!

Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor

Chances are you'll be needing some wine for your wedding reception. Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or Rioja—how do you decide when there's so much to know? Enter wine.com. There are so many good tidbits to share that I've taken it upon myself to put together a little top 10 list for you. You're welcome.

1. They offer personalized wedding wine planning. Great for those of you supplying your own wine at your wedding. You set your budget and they give you pairing and quantity suggestions.
2. You can have a registry list of wines to share with family and friends by creating a member page in the wine.com community. So perhaps you’ve got a special bottle of wine from that night you got engaged? Why not get a few more so you can toast year-round!
3. Wine clubs start as low as $19.99 a month and are great as gifts for couples, but also for your bridal party. The wines come with tasting notes, wine tips, and a recipe.
4. You can choose the arrival date of the delivery. So if you want there to be a bottle of champagne waiting for you on the day you get back from your honeymoon—done!
5. Wine Expert Gwendolyn Osborn will gladly work with you to find the perfect wine for your occasion and your taste buds. Looking for that perfect bubble to serve at your beach wedding this summer? She suggests the Roederer Estate Brut, “one of the best bubbles coming from California, and a steal at $19.99."
6. Which brings us to our next point: They’ve got the world’s best selection of 90+ point rated wines under $20, great for budget brides!
7. Über wine lover or major wine gifter? Get unlimited shipping for a flat $49 a year.
8. Wine.com is green. All their packaging is recycled and recyclable, uses water- and soy-based inks, and they ship from the closest warehouse so carbon emissions are kept to a minimum. And don't forget about their large selection of organic wines.
9. You can search by price, type, grape varietal, region, bottle size and rating using the extremely user friendly wine finder.
10. You’ll learn while you browse. The site features information on the winery and region as well as winemaker’s notes.

Popping the Question to Your Bridesmaids

Posted by Darcy Miller, Editorial Director

Everyone always wants to know how your fiancé popped the question, but what I want to know is how you popped the question to your bridesmaids. Did you ask one at a time, in person, did you send each one a special note, or did you do it digitally via email or facebook?

If you do it in person, consider presenting your 'maids with a sweet prelude to your grand question. Flour Pot Cookies makes bridal-themed cookies in a range of colors that can be customized. Oh, and did I mention, they taste as good as they look.

Love In the Afternoon: Skip the Heart and Go Right To the Stomach

Posted by Jennifer Miranda, Associate Editor

If your fiancé is anything like my boyfriend,  he's not comfortable with lavish displays of affection—and definitely not in public ever. So, on Valentine's Day spare him the embarrassment of receiving a teddy bear holding the bouquet of red roses you normally reserve for yourself and make like our beauty expert Cara did a few years ago. She had her boyfriend's favorite sandwich delivered to his office at lunchtime on Valentine's Day, and his coworkers were none the wiser. (Apparently it worked like a charm because Cara and Michael were married this past November.)

This year, I'm thinking of sending my boyfriend a care package of his own: the Burger Bouquet from New York Burger Company. This offer (basically a mini burger party in a box) only applies in New York City, where we both work, but I'm sure there are similar specials going on all over the country. Have you found anything like this in your town? If so, do you think you'll send one to your fiancé? I think he'll really enjoy it, and it's probably a nice break from his normal lunch routine. Or perhaps you have another laid-back gift idea up your sleeve? I'd love to hear it. I'm pretty opposed to all the Valentine's Day hoopla, but this idea might make me a convert!

Cookies

Posted by Katie Hatch, Style Director:

Edible treats seem to be the most popular choice for wedding favors these days. So, I wanted to share one of my favorite cookie sources with you: Rich Design. Rich Design cookies are perfect to use as favors because they're small and darling and delicious. The company specializes in interesting flavors (these aren’t your standard chocolate chip cookies, although they make those too!), and Clare, the owner/founder, is happy to work with brides to produce initials or the right cookie for any aspect of the wedding—the shower, the dessert bar, the midnight snack, the honeymoon, you get my drift.  

,

Will you be giving guests an edible favor?