hello lions!

preston bailey encouraged his blog readers to work on an inspiring concept for a design- and this image from oh joy! has really stuck with me. i don’t think i’ll do them in order, but i want to create different event designs based on each of these elegant creatures.

so I wanted a tablecloth with polka dots that increase in density- haven’t found it yet. i like this as an alternative though:

if i find some fabric i might ask white table to create linens just for me. they do custom work- more on them at a later date!

here are my original thoughts when i was first struck with the image- it was like i couldn’t breathe. i love how the body pillar is silvery, almost crystal looking. i would play that up big time in a spacious venue!

some of it didn’t come through because it’s in pencil. some of it doesn’t make sense + some of it sucks. for instance, the density of the polka dots at the bottom of the linens would probably not make the strong visual impression that i want it to have because it will be covered most of the time by chairs and people’s bodies or feet.

the draped chair cover idea also didn’t look as cool in reality as it does in my head but i like this fluffy one from wildflower linen as an alternative:

what do you see when you look at that first butterfly? and what are you dreaming about or creating today?

love to all,

lindsey

say hi: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello, lions!
today we reveal the top 3 entries to our contest. we’re delighted to introduce them and hope you’ll vote for your favorite wedding! one vote per person, please. voting will close thursday night at midnight central time! duplicates will not be counted.

angela + troy

angela + troy are planning a 1940s glamor wedding for July 24, 2010. their black, white, red and gold themed reception will take place at the hotel preston. they’re planning a cocktail party reception with a signature champagne cocktail- true to the era! angela’s attendants will wear cocktail dresses. angela is also planning a few diy projects including centerpieces of  picture frames, mirrors and candles for an intimate event.

natosha + stephen

natosha + stephen are getting married on october 10, 2010. they chose this date because it represents binary code, which then adds up to the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything (according to the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy): 42. their agnostic ceremony and reception will take place at the rosemont mansion. natosha has chosen a palette of ivory, white, beige, cream and black. she plans to incorporate garden-style greenery and vintage buttons to her decor.

savannah + brian

savannah + brian are planning a 1940/1960 vintage + rock n roll theme wedding. they’re planning to wed on december 11, 2010 at one eleven in downtown nashville.  savannah loves design and printed her own save-the-dates. for her next project, she is planning to produce an entire invitational suite in ’storybook’ form. this is going to be a major diy undertaking considering she will create about 100! their color palette will consist of silver, mustard, cream and black. savannah’s attendants will wear vintage silver and brian’s attendants will wear black or mustard skinny ties.

paco, their pet hamster, will join them on their wedding day as well!

who is your favorite? let us know in the comments below!

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

Hello my darling lions!

In the vein of my fellow lioness Lindsey, I’d like to open up the floor for questions.

What’s that one floral + ambiance question that’s bugging you?

(My work, as modeled by the lovely, rocking Wade and Lily. Lily and I worked together for two years and I love her rocking attitude. We made her wedding very edgy, pink, and rocker-chic-glam.)

Here’s your chance to pick my brain about floral design, colors, textures, music…almost anything!

Pushing boundaries of love, as always:

Amanda

floral  + ambiance lioness

send some love my way: amanda@dandylionevents.com

Hello, my darling lions!

Do you know what I think is the hardest part of starting to plan your wedding/party? Picking your color palette tops the list, especially if you’re a design- nut like yours truly. My own wedding went through three different palette changes before I finally settled on one! Here are my quick tips for forming a jaw-dropping color palette that will transform your fête into a very dandy celebration!

Find the color that you can’t live without!

Close your eyes. What’s the one color that always makes you smile; that one color that seems to speak to you? It could be the color of your first bicycle or car, or maybe that color you always dressed in as a child, or even the colors of your alma mater! For example, a bride very near and dear to my heart loved the color purple. She didn’t want to wear an ivory colored dress (she was Snow White-esque pale with long dark hair and naturally red lips…gorgeous girl!), and her husband-to-be wasn’t wild about bridal white. Her reply was “Well fine, I’m going to wear purple,” and boy, did she live up to her threat. I loved her wedding colors; dusky Victorian lilac, intense royal purple, light green, and onyx. They really lived up to her rocker-chick vibe!

Got that color? Now break out your color wheel!

A color wheel is an artist’s best friend. I have one I keep in my floral toolbox for design purposes and for when I’m having a brain-block moment when trying to come up with centerpiece ideas. A great online color wheel is located at Colors on the Web. Got your color? We’re going to use dusky slate (hex value #B3C5D0, which is a toned down version of sky blue) for our base color.

Okay, look 180 degrees away (directly across the color wheel) and mark that color. That’s your complimentary color (e.g. red-green, purple-yellow), which you’ll need for these next color combinations. Our complimentary colors are the tints, tones, and shades around warm peach (hex value #FFB183).

Monochromatic colors are within tints, tones, and shades of your base color. So, for our dusty slate color, some monochromatic colors are cerulean blue, silver, white, and sky blue.

Analogous colors are directly next to each other on the color wheel, like purple and blue or yellow and orange. These ensure you stay in the same color family. So, back to our slate; add soft blue-greens and true greens into your color palette.

Triadic colors high-energy colors that are found by choosing three colors that are separated by 120 degrees on the color wheel. The primary (red, blue, and yellow) and secondary (purple, orange, green) colors are examples of triadic colors. With our slate blue, we have spring green and dusky rose thrown into the mix.

Tetradic colors take the color wheel to the next level! Locate your color on the color wheel and draw a rectangle/square with your color as the first corner. These four values (e.g. blue, green, yellow, and red) are tetrad colors. Our slate blue is tetradic from spring green, dusky rose, and lilac purple.

Split complimentary color is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses the two colors adjacent to its complement (like blue, orange, yellow, and red). Our slate would be split complementary to peach, tan, silver, white, and sky.

Now you’ve got some schemes. Time to mix and match!

I’m a firm believer in using tints, tones, and shades to your advantage. If you’ve got one soft pale color, don’t be afraid to pump up the intensity on your remaining color values. For example, I chose Tennessee orange as my focal color which has always been my favorite summertime color (for multiple reasons), which is a coppery-orange. Being a bit more daring, I went with a tetradic color scheme and used lime green and orange with little touches of turquoise and magenta over black dresses and linens. I wanted a dress that my girls would use again and again, so I picked a black tea-length dress, and black is a wonderful neutral that makes any color pop.

My one big piece of advice is DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLORS! Pshaw, don’t stick to two colors. Push the envelope as hard as you can, lions! Love purple but want red dresses? Throw purple against oranges and reds in a bouquet for an intense pop of color!

Until next time, dearest lions, I encourage you to keep pushing that envelope and enjoy your colorful celebrations!

Unbordered love,

Amanda

floral + ambiance lioness

say g’day: amanda@dandylionevents.com

Hello lovely lions! I am here to offer one of my favorite floral accents for your viewing pleasure: decorative wire!

I am a deco wire fiend. Ever since I got my first taste of the stuff in my basic floral design elective in 2004 (before I changed majors to floral management from meteorology), I was in love. For years, drab green wire has only been used as a mechanic, always meant to be covered up. You would layer colored floral tape, glue moss, or tack floral materials over the top to prevent anyone from seeing the wire. Now, you can have visually appealing mechanics, decorative accents, or (my dream) an entire arrangement made out of nothing but decorative wire and painted foliages. Said dream will be materializing over a five part blog series starting in December…stay tuned!

Anyway, let me introduce you to three different types of deco wire; 28 gauge bullion, 24 gauge Metallic, and 12 gauge Metallic. Each has their own usage in designs, but push your creative envelope! The design pictures used in this blog are of my work; please don’t steal designs! Use them for inspiration.

28 Gauge Bullion Wire

This is a florist’s best friend when it comes to accenting designs. 28 refers to the gauge of the wire; the smaller the number, the thicker the wire. 28 is a very slender wire and is mostly used for wrapping stems, wrapped around bouquets for a little sparkle, stringing blooms together to provide movement, and (one of my favorites) for strengthening an armature.

This little guy is an armature/decorative accent for a corsage, but it could easily stand alone as a flower. The fine silver wire is the bullion, wrapped over a 18 gauge black wire frame. Imagine using these floating in a low dish with candles instead of orchid blooms!

24 Gauge Metallic

Moving on up the thickness spectrum, there’s 24 gauge metallic wire. This easily replaces traditional green wire for use as anchoring, wrapping stems, and adding just a little sparkle to a design. A popular trend in centerpieces is using leaves swirled in a vase to provide some interest down below the arrangement. The deco wire could be used instead!

My mom is just as much of a deco wire nut as I am! Her birthday was a few weeks ago, and we threw her a black and pink themed party. If you’ll look, there’s bright pink 28 gauge wire floating in the vase along with our next deco entry, the 12 gauge black wire. It’s not only a mechanic for the stems, but some really great visual interest below.

12 Gauge Metallic

Up until a couple of years ago, this was the thickest wire you could possibly get in metallic colors. I’m eagerly awaiting my “mega wire” shipment from Smithers Oasis to play with it. You can use this wire for so many different things! You’ve seen above how it can be used as a vase anchor, but below is my favorite use of the product.

Gorgeous, no? This bad boy was part of my senior seminar runway show on floral fashion. Jena Oh, one of my counterparts from MSU created the armature for a competition and allowed me to use the concept for my work. Instead of the composite bouquet she put down in it, I created a duchess rose from a dozen sunset-colored roses by gluing the petals in a radial form. Imagine carrying this down the aisle instead of a dozen hand-tied roses. Talk about impact and beauty!

So, my lovely lions, I leave you with a challenge: imagine wire as a decorative tool, not just a mechanic. Push the envelope between organic and inorganic materials!

Until next time, with love;

Amanda

floral + ambiance lioness

we are excited to have amanda join our team!

say hi: eustoma.grandiflora@gmail.com

hello lions,

lighting is everything. i got the opportunity to discuss this often- overlooked aspect of event planning with blake chaffin, owner and lead designer of nashville event lighting. here is what he had to pass along:

–lighting creates an emotional experience, in the same way that different types of music can effect you. it sets the tone for the room.

–it also determines the energy of the room. moving the lighting and dimming or brightening an area with different moments such as changes in music, cake cutting, or speeches- eliminating the need for a cheesy mc!

–you can highlight assets and play down less attractive areas that may be necessary for your event, such as catering curtains.

– the right lighting can also create depth in a room and enhance the quality of your photographs. some of your other purchases benefit from the right lighting, too: flowers, drapes, food presentation, even the guests. ambient lighting is more flattering which comforts your guests and gives them more confidence, encouraging mingling.

nashville event lighting thrives on being in control of the smallest details. they can create some beautiful effects! one story blake shared was that for one bride, they projected the nashville skyline and moved a simulated moon over the buildings in a four-hour progression. that took creativity and diligence! they can also provide functional lighting, such as brightening a field for parking at a residential event or arranging for the catering staff to see while preparing food in a tent at night.

blake said one challenge they look forward to is making their clients’ ideas into reality.  even though they’ve been to every venue in nashville, every client request is different. they firmly believe though, that whatever you do, is worth doing right. they employ good karma and build relationships with clients and other vendors. they also help with a large scope of charity work in the nashville area- most recently, the lighting and sound at the minnie pearl foundation benefit. they also do the lighting and sound at events throughout the year for progress, inc.- a company that helps mentally handicapped adults learn life and work skills.

to learn more about nashville event lighting and to see some examples of their wok, check out their website at www.nashvilleeventlighting.com

a special thanks to blake for taking the time to remind us how important the right lighting can be!

love,

lindsey

idea + planning lioness

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

Good morning lovely lions!

We had our first real cold snap over the weekend here in the mountains of Western North Carolina and honestly, I had to refrain from breaking out the multitudinous holiday decorations I have in my arsenal. I am a sucker for the holiday season, no matter what you celebrate (or don’t). Winter weddings have been stuck in a rut for a while, so I’m presenting three variations on a theme for a fabulous fete. I have a vintage Christmas playlist cued up on Pandora, so let’s tackle some color and décor ideas using texture to enhance your event!

Let’s start off with a classic Christmas color combination with a funky vintage flair:

I can already hear the chestnuts roasting on that open fire when I see this combination. It has that traditional red and green combination, but the color palette includes some rich woody brown and some tasty buttercream yellow for contrast. Imagine having your bridesmaids wearing chocolate brown matte satin gowns and carrying traditional kissing balls (aka pomanders) of boxwood, holly berries, and fragrant evergreens like fraser fir, Leland cypress, or juniper, hanging from a buttercream satin ribbon. Instead of Christmas trees or a large altar arrangement, consider having large evergreen topiaries studded with sugared berries and holly boughs.

Are you a non-traditional, funky spouse-to-be who loves autumn colors, but wants to get married in the crisp winter time? Let me introduce you to the idea of combining a little winter cool with the warm of fall’s oranges:

Except for the hit of sky blue, your palette is straight autumn Tuscan sunset. I’ve seen a lot of chocolate browns and coppers being used in décor for this holiday season, which is a throwback to the mid 1970’s. I’d challenge you to use the warm clay color (far right) as your base color for dresses/linens and experiment with flowers in tones of golden yellow, rich orange, with hits of light blue. Confused as what to use? Imagine a over-the-arm arrangement of bella donna delphinium, terra cotta roses, red kangaroo paw, skeleton leaves, wheat, and some loops of sheer gold ribbon at the base for a textural contrast. Concentrate on the usage of dried materials in amongst fresh flowers to give a embodiment to the transition between autumn and winter.

Looking for something a little more 1950’s Audrey Hepburn glam? Cue Rosemary and Bing crooning to each other on “Count Your Blessings” and check out this Tiffany’s tribute:

You could have SO much fun with this combination, and it is very appropriate for a holiday fete. It reminds me of a Vermont winter…can you tell I’m a sucker for the move White Christmas?

Imagine that signature baby blue being used in the wired-posey bouquets of a troupe of black cocktail-dressed ladies (perhaps with blue sashes) in with hints of rich purple and luscious ice white flowers. You could even use white amaryllis for your focal flowers, along with little fluffs of purple allium, delphinium blooms strung on silver wire, and sprays of crystals to give your wedding a marvelous glam feel without being glittery and over the top. Instead of white mini Christmas lights, look outside of that and try the big C9 faceted bulbs strung on large evergreens in LED white or blue. You could use heavy purple linens topped with a blue-and-white runners with black china…such a beautiful contrast of colors.

Well lions, I hope I’ve given you some new ideas about holiday décor ideas, looking outside of the usual Christmas trees, dark red, and white mini lights strung up everywhere. Give your holiday wedding a makeover and think of the impression you’ll make. Until next time, dearest lions!

many thanks to amanda for this wonderful post! you can reach her at eustoma.grandiflora@gmail.com

love, lindsey

say hi: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello you lovely lions,
i’ve had these two wedding color combinations running through my head for a while- a warm orange palette and a cool orange palette. i find that oranges and blues are the hardest for me to define, whereas i have relative ease describing reds, greys, and whites. so i’m going to try my best to clearly define each because i understand that the colors could vary depending on your monitor.

first up is what i consider a fall twist: peach is a little summer still, but it works in the south and out west. the fire-engine red and orange are a classic fall wedding color combo.

the key here is really hues- a very cherry red and a true orange bring out the best in this peach, which does not contain much pink. even though it doesn’t contain any green, i feel like it’s earthy and (obviously) warm. in regards to the rest of your decor and surroundings, it would do well with some warm wood of any stain, be it pale pine or a deep cherry. it can take on a carnival vibe as well- break out the pinwheels and candy!

the next is something i imagine would look good in an open air tent- silver or slate drapes flowing around every post and trimmed in this periwinkle blue, with more blues + oranges on the tables under a clear or white tent. it would work well with some vintage styling and other kitschy cherished items you may display on your wedding day.

i’d like to hear about your unique + original color combinations, too!

with love,
lindsey

say hi: lindsey@dandylionevents.com