French Riviera Luxury Wedding Design

Cap Estel Luxury Wedding Design

So we’ve showed you what an incredible wedding venue Cap Estel would make but what could I create here? This is the fun part; “Dreaming in design” as I like to refer to it. Since this would be MY top choice, I decided to create what I would consider to be my own dream wedding. It would go something like this:


Wedding guests would enter the villa through its white marble lobby and walk out onto the expansive terrace overlooking the lawn. A classical string quartet would be playing remixed classics while guests sipped on bubbly rosé from gold-rimmed crystal goblets and nibbled on caviar canapés before being escorted down to their seats for the ceremony.

Soft white suede and rose gold chairs would be lining the aisle on the lawn that led up to the altar. The altar would would be fluttering with lush white peonies and an abundance of white butterflies and oversized paper flowers. These bright whites would contrast perfectly with the azure sea in the background.

 

The bride clad in a lace Yolan Cris gown would float down the aisle and be set against the magical setting of fluttering white and aqua sea background.

After the ceremony, guest would explore the rose garden during the cocktail hour. Beautiful performers with theatrical butterfly headpieces would play stringed instruments while walking between the guests. An impressive cheese table and gourmet appetizers from Cap Estel’s Michelin-starred chef would serve as a preview of the amazing meal yet to come!

After cocktail hour, guests would take their seats in a black-and-white-striped tent dripping with an eclectic display of chandeliers and pendant lights. A palette of blush and salmon centerpieces would be offset by the bold canopy, striped linens and blue-and-white place settings.

The guests would eat off beautiful gold flatware, sip wine out of crystal goblets, and savor course after course of delicious food.

During the reception, the guests would dance under the stars to a combination of live musicians playing over deep house electric tunes. When the party ended, the guests could retire to their 800-thread-count sheets. A frisky few could take a midnight dip before turning in if they wanted.

So there you have it! That’s my ultimate wedding vision for what I consider to be the French Rivera’s best events venue. What would yours be? Stay tuned for more incredible venues and our wedding visions. 

 

1st Page Credits

Venue Photos: Tony Gigov http://tonygigov.com/

2nd Page Credits

Fine Jewelry by Leviev Jewelry  http://www.leviev.com/

Shoes by Oscar de la Renta http://www.oscardelarenta.com

Dress by Yolan Cris  http://www.yolancris.com/

3nd Page Credits

Tent & Lighting by @Revelry Event Designers  http://www.revelryeventdesigners.com/

Cake by  Hey There Cupcake  http://www.heythere-cupcake.com/#!cakes/c1tuc 

Dish by L’0bjet – http://l-objet.com/

Sea Bass by Chef James Montejano of La Valencia Hotel.    http://www.lavalencia.com/

ass=”p1″>4th Page Credits

Tablescape by Alchemy Fine Home http://alchemyfinehome.com/

 

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Ocean in the Desert Scottsdale Wedding

Deserted Ocean Private Estate Scottsdale Wedding

We are so so excited to finally show off one of our favorite weddings we designed and planned for a lovely couple in Scottsdale, Arizona on Martha Stewart Weddings today!!  When Kari the bride first called me we were discussing  a cool Sedona elopement after her hectic previous attempt at wedding planning which she scratched for an easier, less stressful route. With so many people to coordinate and schedules to consider she was wanting to just ‘do it!’ with out the worry. When her family friend offered her gorgeous Scottsdale esate after hearing of her woes, we jumped at the chance to move it there to accommodate her guests easier. The only catch? The season was getting hot soon and we had 4 weeks to plan the whole thing!! We jumped into action and made this spectacular back-yard wedding a hit!

Kari and Charlie both loved the ocean but also the desert. I came up with the creative vision of a ‘deserted ocean’, a dried up ocean bed in a magical desert. After bringing on the fantastic Luna of Arrangements Floral Design we whipped up this fantastical evening which turned out to be pure magic. Gina Meola did a fabulous job of capturing the day’s beautiful details and was such a pleasure to work with!

Arrangements Floral & Party Design crafted a stunning bouquet of coral charm peonies, king proteas, ranunculus, astilbe, and tulips. Wrapped in gold sequined trim, the finishing touch was a skeleton leaf.  Kari worked with stylist Alex Evjen of Ave Styles to create her stunning ensemble. After trying on the blush pink Monique Lhuillier “Candy” dress at Destiny’s Bride in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kari knew it was her gown. A custom sash, veil, and earrings by Paris were added to the ensemble, which was rounded out with nude Jimmy Choo pumps.

For the invitation I hand illustrated a jellyfish and had it foiled onto a croco embossed glossy paper for a fun contrast of styles. More to come on this invitation as well!

Boutonnieres were made with ivory roses, brunia, and dusty miller—a heart-shaped charm once belonging to Charlie’s late mother was attached to his as a special way of honoring her memory.

The matron of honor and best man carried seashells housing the wedding bands. Kari’s sister Lori carried a clutch of coral charm peonies, king protea, yellow roses, brunia, and dusty miller. Kari’s other sister Susan’s bouquet was comprised of a king protea surrounded by white roses, brunia, dusty miller, and coral charm peonies.

Guests were treated to cool lemonade as they arrived. Since we knew the day was going to be so hot we dip-dyed fans to match the decor and tied on feathers and beads with leather cord.

To work with a backyard and actually have the ceremony on their driveway I knew we had to transform the space. I designed a geometrical wall to be built on which we applied mirror to reflect the gorgeous desert landscape. 

In lieu of a traditional guest book I created a ‘Message in a Bottle’ table were guests could write their sweet notes to the couple and float them in the infinity pool. They’ll be read at their one year anniversary which is coming up soon! We also created a wall of photos with fun facts about the couple that guests would be quizzed on later.

To bring in the ocean vibe we had to serve fresh delicious seafood!

To create the feasting style dining table I built a structure which we mirrored and then hung shelves of floating candles and flowers for a seemingly floating tablescape.

I wanted to create a beautiful tablescape that seemingly floated in our modern mirrored structure so that you saw nothing but the desert around you and make you forget you’re dining on a driveway.  The open structure built around the long feasting-style table allowed for showcasing the landscape, while adding drama and romance with candles hanging overhead on white-washed wood shelves also filled with floral arrangements and gnarled grapewood. Constructed with help from a framing contractor, mirror acrylic panels were added to created the illusion of a disappearing structure. Trailing down the middle of each table was a collection of oceanic elements, including ceramic sea urchin votives, air plants, and aqua sea glass. Ombré napkins tied with leather cord and sea urchins topped geometric plates and silvery placemats. The petite cake, by Classic Cakes and Confections, was inspired by the bride’s gown. To bring in more of the ‘ghost-like’ creatures that used to live in this ‘deserted ocean’ I found these incredible jellyfish lanterns from designer Roxy Russel which I hung in front of sheer panels of fabric and twinkle lights for our Jellyfish Lounge.

Photography: Gina Meola
Event Design and Planning, Stationery, and Napkins: Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Catering: RendezVous Catering
Flowers, Lighting, & Draping: Arrangements Floral & Party Design
Cake: Classic Cakes & Confections
Music: [string trio] Simply Three; [Flamenco guitarist] Miguel Rodriguez from Jim May Productions
Rentals: [furniture] Pacific Event Productions; [linens] La Tavola; [china and glassware] Classic Party Rentals
Hair and makeup: TEAM Hair & Makeup

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Love Notes Valentine’s Day Romantic Seaside Wedding

Romantic Seaside Wedding Inspiration

In honor of Valentine’s Day we are looking back at a shoot we designed a few years ago full of romantic seaside wedding inspiration. Inspired by some of our favorite love songs throughout history we incorporated vintage decor, pastel floral arrangements as well as a blush wedding dress and accents to tie the romantic theme together in a beautiful seaside setting with the iconic La Jolla Cove as the backdrop.

The Bachelorette’s, Kiptyn Locke was our groom in training for this special Valentine wedding shoot with a little help by our gorgeous model, friend and stand-in-bride, Ren.

The Beatles said it best with “All you need is love, love, love is all you need.” Whether you are dating, engaged, or getting married, it is all about sending the right message with good old-fashioned love notes. Hit even higher notes by playing on love notes by infusing musical lyrics into your sweet Valentine’s weekend. We created a play on Love ‘notes’ by handwriting actual song lyrics throughout the day.

 

The Setting: For this Valentines Day Soiree we created a romantically wild seaside garden with overgrown roots, driftwood and birch wood in a forest of twisted trees overlooking the pacific blue. This was truly a sweetheart table for two. The white washed wood and birch leg table was covered in anemones, spray roses and dusty miller leaves. Simple candles, sticks, shells and skeleton keys were placed in the center for a dreamy, romantic effect.

Cake table – A love ‘note’ made an appearance with “How sweet it is to be loved by you” – James Taylor. The table was adorned with a peach cake accented with textured flowers and an antique silver pitcher filled with a wild gathering of peach and rose toned blooms. Also making an appearance were sweet little bumps on a log made of gourmet chocolate truffles.  Recognize that cute groom face? It’s Kiptyn Locke from The Bacholerette!

The menu sang it’s own love song with items labeled… To Drink: Love Potion #9 “I didn’t know if it was day or night, I started kissing everything in sight” – The Clovers; To Eat: Cheeseburger in Paradise “Heaven on earth with an actual onion slice” – Jimmy Buffet; For Dessert: Cherry Pie “Tastes so good make a grown man cry, sweet cherry pie” – Warrant

A rustic teak trough on the side of the table was propped on a moss covered frame and served as the wine bucket. A decanter was perched on a sea of beach rocks and filled with strawberry wine with a hand written love ‘note’ tied with twine around the neck that read “My first taste of love oh bittersweet, green on the vine, like strawberry wine” – Deana Carter

A Book of Love was also propped on the sweets table, with another love ‘note’. “I love it when you read to me and you, you can read me anything. I love it when you sing to me And you, You can sing me anything The book of love is long and boring And written very long ago It’s full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes And things we’re all too young to know But I love it when you give me things And you, You ought to give me wedding rings And I, I love it when you give me things And you, You ought to give me wedding rings” – Peter Gabriel, Book Of Love

Event styling, coordination and stationery: Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations / Flowers: Isari Flower Studio / Photography: John Schnack Photography / Gown & Head Piece: Alisa Benay / Jewelry: Noaki Jewelry / Wedding Cakes: Truly Scrumptious / Makeup by Jennifer Budner / Girard Avenue Collection for chairs & I love you blocks. / Gourmet Chocolates: Dallmann Confections/ Hair Styling: Orange Blossom Salon; Jamie Rosa 760-889-5062

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What to Where: Fall Fashion Inspiration & Wine Stained Napkins

 Fall Styling by fierce Fashion Fienes Hall & Saks

With so many fall fete’s to conquer, including Thanksgiving, we not only want to get your tables looking amazing but you too of course! I am always so inspired by fashion in my tabletop and textile designs that this time I asked style mavens Hall & Saks what they would wear to my modern glam Thanksgiving party, turning the tables around a bit.

 

Adrienne Saks & Dean Hall make up the fabulous styling duo behind  Hall & Saks  and are THE go-to source for style. Adrienne & Dean have been styling Hollywood celebs, models and socialites alike across the globe and we are so in awe of their talents, and very fortunate to call them friends. We are also very excited to bring you our first installation of WHAT to WHERE, where Hall & Saks will be showing you what to wear.. to where!

 

From Hall & Saks:
What to “Where” to Alchemy’s MODERN GLAM THANKSGIVING DINNER TABLE styled for CUCINA Enoteca, well plaid of course!  Yes, we are totally mad for plaid with a heavy sprinkle of gold!   Holiday time is all about deep tones with shimmering accents and Vanessa displayed it perfectly in every way from wine splattered napkins, over-sized gold goblets, to unexpected cobalt blue plates no attention to designer details were left untouched!  Just like Vanessa’s eclectic table scapes fashion combinations should be unexpected, bold, and daring as well.  We loved adding the edgy Alexander McQueen purse to the more conservative plaid dress, and finishing it off with an unexpected touch of blue on the ear.  For the men this year we think you need to make a grand entrance with your feet like our Jimmy Choo umbre fade loafers!  Also think about keeping it classy on top and party on the bottom or vice versa, like the pairing of the checkered plaid trouser with a clean white shirt.  Well enough about esthetics, we are off to do some major cooking!!!  HAPPY GOOBLE GOOBLE TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES…  Triple kisses H&S

 

SAKS OUTFIT
Valentino R.E.D. Lace Check Tulle Dress, $1,030; stylebop.com
Courtesy:  Stylebop

Phillip Lim Sheer Applique Dress, $297.50 (on sale); lagarconne.com
Courtesy:  La Garconne

The Skull Swarovski Crystal-Embellished Box Clutch, $2,980; net-a-porter.com
Courtesy:  Net-A-Porter

Giuseppe Zanotti Gold Pump, $650; giuseppezanottidesign.com
Courtesy:  Giuseppe Zanotti

Noir Jewelry Gem Stud Earrings Blue and Gold, $65; shopbop.com
Courtesy:  Shopbop

HALL’s OUTFIT
Zara Checkered Trousers, $59.90; www.zara.com
Courtesy: Zara

 

And to recreate our fashion inspired Wine Stained Napkins see below for the complete step by step DIY!

MATERIALS

– cotton canvas fabric
– rit dye in red and purple
– scissors
– paint brushes
– wine glass
– fork and spoon
– drying rack

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by cutting out your napkins into your desired size. We went with 18″ x 18″ because we love how a larger napkin allows you to appreciate the details we’re creating.

2. Mix your dye. Follow the instructions on the back of the box and boil salted water on the stove, add the entire box of red dye and mix in half of the purple. Then, separate a few cups of this blend and add the remainder of the purple for a second, darker hue.

3. Lightly spray down your sink (or a bucket) with water for a bit of wetness but not too much. We wanted the fabric to have a few scattered we spots to help the dye bleed more. If the fabric is too wet, all of the colors will bleed together too quickly and you will lose the details.

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