Archive for the ‘Parties’ Category

Tablescapes: Q&A Three

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

Black and white weddingQ: What colors, themes and decor items are hot for 2011?

A: The trend we see in tabletop rentals is that there is no trend.

Personalization, fueled ironically by Internet access to everyone else’s event ideas, has been the theme for the past several years.

We see trendy color combos trickle in, but the impact is minor. White and black, and often the two together, hold the strong majority.

Brides punch up the neutrals with a color, but of those there’s no favorite. In the last few months we’ve had requests for linen colors ranging from eggplant and royal to goldenrod and sage.

In table rentals, however, we have seen a trend. Though classic eight-seater rounds are still popular, lately we’ve had more and more clients requesting long tables.

There’s debate over which — round tables or banquet tables — is more conducive to conversation, but lately many people have been loving the look of long tables.

We find banquet tables more flexible for decorating than rounds in some ways. We like to use fat runners laid the short way across the table, under each pair of plates, with small bunches of flowers or candles down the centerline. The scale is more intimate than with a single ornate arrangement towering over each round.

Alternately, you can place a runner down the length of a banquet table, or use square or round overlays. With banquets, you don’t run into the awkward symmetry problems round tables pose.

A recent client of ours used two long rows of tables set with white linens. Then she laid colorful runners and ribbons, crisscrossing at intervals, and deep blue napkins on the white plates. See the elegant outcome in the wedding gallery.

Photo by Suzanne Fogarty

Resources

Tablescapes: Q&A Two

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

tabletop designs on a budget use colorQ: What are some tips for designing on a modest budget?

A: On a budget? Use color!

Just like fresh paint on your walls at home, inexpensive shots of color — in napkins, say — have a big impact on the event space. We recommend using napkins for color because they’re versatile and relatively low-cost, even in specialty fabrics like satin and crush, and everyone needs them anyway.

Even if you serve dinner buffet-style to save money, and the dishes and flatware will be stacked on the buffet tables, we suggest setting out colored napkins at each of your guests’ places. It doesn’t cost anything more, just a few minutes’ time, and you get this rhythm of color swatches down the length of the table that’s striking (see photo above).

One of our brides last summer did this with orange napkins, and she picked up the hue with big red, orange and yellow pom-poms in the ceiling of the tent. The bursts of fiery color seemed to bounce around the white reception space, from table to tent. She got a big impact from a small investment.

Universally, the key to staying within a budget is multitasking equipment. Everything on the table — favors, menus, place cards, linens and napkins, even donation envelopes at a charity gala — can be tapped as a decor item.

Photo by Evantide Photography

Resources

Tablescapes: Q&A One

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Serpentine wedding buffet table with color-coded drinksQ: What are some sources for inspiration?

A: Professional wedding photos are amazingly useful. You can see all the elements come together, which is something that many people have trouble visualizing in their heads.

You can find photo galleries on our site, on blogs like Style Me Pretty or on professional photographers’ sites, and presumably on your friends’ Facebook pages as well.

But be forewarned: The breathtaking weddings you’ll come across online can give you a budget-threatening case of envy. Seriously.

Below are some of our favorite sources of inspiration. Now make yourself a bookmark folder and start e-clipping.

One of the benefits of working online is that you can easily share your favorite images with your event rental company, caterer, photographer and event planner.

Resources

Start your search with these sites:

See more photos from the wedding pictured above. The couple built a tantalizing buffet with serpentine tables, table skirts and color-coded food and drink. The interest comes from the colors, of course, as well as the variety of sizes — short and wide ice bins and tall, delicate apothecary jars.

Tablescapes: Four common questions

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Next week we’ll post a series of tips for designing tabletops for weddings and other events. Check back each day next week (after the holiday Monday) for a new question and answer.

In the meantime, browse these sections to see some of the products we’ll discuss:

Or check out our photo galleries.

P.S. – A special thank you goes out to the photographers who so generously allowed us to share their photos with you. Keep an eye out for work by Evantide Photography, Suzanne Fogarty and Kayla Lynn Photography in next week’s blog posts.

Trend: Ottomans and lounge seating

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

lounge-ottoman-willowHere’s a trend we’re loving: Create a lounge area with oversized ottomans for your guests to sit back on and chat.

› Browse rental ottomans and lounge furniture

Use lounge seating to create a cool L.A. vibe or to provide a space for guests between the ceremony and reception (like if they have to wait for chairs to be moved or bride-groom photos to be taken).

More: {Trend Alert} Lounge Furniture For Your Wedding Guests at Wedshare Daily.