Simply Modern Weddings

I wish you all the very best, most rockin New Year’s Eve!!!

See you in 2009 peeps!

(clockwise) centerpiece-Martha Stewart; outfit-BCBG; champagne-Brides; invitation-Martha Stewart

I absolutely adore Amsale’s new ready-to-wear collection called “Little White Dress”. How cute are these dresses for the modern bride who doesn’t want a typical wedding gown…or even for a bride who wants to do a quick change into something fun for the reception!

Below are some of my favorite dresses from the collection. Which one do you like best?

This photo by Anna Kuperberg makes me think of the song “baby it’s cold outside”. Very appropriate for the week!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend peeps!

In the 4 years that I have lived here, this is the first winter in Orange County where I am actually cold. As much as I do love the sun in December, there is nothing like cold weather to remind you that the holidays are upon us. In honor of SoCal’s winter chill, I designed this Winter Wonderland Wedding inspiration board.

Doesn’t it make you want to curl up by the fire and drink some hot cocoa?

(left to right) Row 1: bouquet-Bella Blooms; invitation-AYT Designs,
clutch-estilo weddings, Row 2: reception shot-Michelle Rago; Row 3:
bridesmaid dress-Jim Hjelm; shoes-Nine West; photo-James Christianson; ring shot-Bella Grace Studios; hot cocoa w/ snowflake marshmallows-Martha Stewart

This image from Brian Dorsey Studios is so fun! There is something about it that reminds me of Sex and the City. Probably because of the 4 friends in the cafe…either way it’s a cool little detour for photos with the girls!

When I opened my package from Project Wedding, I squealed with delight!

Simply Modern Weddings was voted “Best of Project Wedding 2008″, which is awarded to the top 5% of wedding professionals in the area. (talk about an early Christmas present!) The cool sign they sent in the package is now prominently displayed on the desk in my studio.

I owe this amazing honor to my wonderful couples for their reviews and support.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

In keeping with this week’s feature on Lisa’s work, I decided the photo below from Sara and Ian’s wedding would be perfect for photo Friday. This image was shot by Laura Kleinhenz with Docuvitae. I just love how she captured laughter from the toasts in this shot!

For part 2 of my interview with Oh How Charming, Lisa wanted to share with us the design concepts and some images from one of her recent weddings.

OHC: For Sara & Ian’s wedding, we mixed and matched several core design elements to create the general vibe Sara and Ian wanted (a very Tony Duquette)…mercury glass, an abundance of phalaenopsis orchids, succulents, vintage china, mirrored surfaces, zebra patterns, and a very Viceroy-esque monogram.

The dinner reception was beyond gorgeous. Sharon and Ashley at Floracopia created stunning residential-like floral arrangements using an insane amount of crisp white phaleonopsis orchids, dutch hydrangea, and just the tiniest mix of succulents for a little unexpected detailing. The arrangements were housed in an eclectic mix of mercury glass and smaller vintage china vessels.

Barker Decor cut custom mirrored tops for all of our round tables which added the perfect amount of sparkle to the dinner reception. For the china and glassware — we used all platinum patterned china, platinum banded glassware, and a gorgeous platinum banded charger from my friends at Tabella. Carlos and Anna at Tabella also supplied the perfectly simple “vertical pintuck” linens which were a great backdrop for the eclectic mix of decor on each table. And…my darlings Sara and Ian allowed me to use a zebra napkin on half of our tables (white hemstitch on the others). It was the little nod to Tony Duquette that we needed to complete our look.

As the final surprise of the evening…my dear friends at the Vanilla Bake Shop set up the most insane “Marie Antoinette” inspired dessert bar which was devoured within minutes.

(photo credit: Laura Kleinhenz with Docuvitae)

**Thank you so much Lisa for sharing your thoughts and work with us. You have such an amazing gift and are truly an inspiration to everyone who works with you. We LOVE you!

Once in a while, there are people who come along in your life and make such an impact, that you are forever grateful and indebted to them. For some, it’s a teacher who inspired them.

For me, it’s Lisa Vorce with Oh How Charming. Although she is one of the most talented and sought after event designers, she remains the sweetest and most humble person I know. Lisa has been a constant inspiration for me as a person and in shaping my career. I only wish that one day I can help someone succeed, the way she helped me!

So I sat down with Lisa to have her share some thoughts with us about her work.

SMW: What inspires you in your work?
OHC: My primary source of inspiration really comes from understanding my clients. I spend a lot of time listening to my clients and getting to know them so I can infuse their personalities, style, culture, etc into their event. When I design – I am designing with each personality in mind. I truly understand who my clients are at their core – so it’s easy to pull together elements that I know will move them and will be beautiful to them. Most of my clients have a very “non-bridal” sensibility to them – so my events tend to take more of a hip dinner party vibe, than a wedding vibe. When I’m pulling together design elements for my clients – I get my inspiration from so many different sources — fabrics, jewelry, china patterns, architecture, interior design, art, etc. My brain is constantly translating every day elements into event concepts. For example – I’ll see a beautiful pattern on a dress and my brain automatically starts to translate it into something like an amazing patterned aisle runner!

SMW: What do you think is going to be “hot” for 2009?
OHC: Oddly enough — I actually very rarely follow the trends or pay attention to what everyone else is doing. I try to not to get too involved in that otherwise I feel like I will end up doing what everyone else is doing!! For me personally…what’s “hot” for our studio in 2009 is textiles!! We’ve been designing our events with textiles being the primary focus. Using fabrics and things like vintage wallpapers in alternative ways. Less focus on the traditional elements like florals, and more focus on non traditional elements. For example — using hand torn fabrics as a “ribbon” treatment for a napkin, or using fabric swatches to create beautiful mosaic backdrops. In our business…you have to keep looking for creative and alternative uses for everyday things. It’s my job to stay AHEAD of the trends!

SMW: Is there a wedding location or design idea that you have yet to do, but would love to get a chance to work on?
OHC: There are a million wedding locations I want to work at…most of them being out of the country. I’m pretty daring, so I’d love to do something crazy like a wedding at the Ice Hotel in Sweden. Or…something in Dubai! In terms of a design idea…in light of my new found obsession with textiles…I would LOVE to do a wedding using only textiles for the decor. For example…beautiful wall-papered paneled walls, all hand made fabric florals, masses of flowing draping ribbons, etc. Would take a very daring client to let me do it, but I know they’re out there!!

As a special treat, Lisa has shared one of her weddings with us. Below is a preview of the wedding feature for tomorrow. (photo credit: Laura Kleinhenz with Docuvitae)

Sometimes I sit and daydream about grandiose events, and how I would plan them if given the chance. Things like soirees for Oprah, a holiday party for Conde Nast Publications, and of course the many inauguration balls that will be held for President-elect Obama on January 20, 2009.

I ran across an article where designers showcased the inauguration gown they would design for Michelle Obama if they had a chance. So, inspired by a beautiful design sketched by Monique Lhuillier…I decided to turn my daydream into an inspiration board. What do you think?

(clockwise) Monique Lhuillier design-WWD Fashion; Ballroom Setup-VCS Photo; Invitation-Rock Paper Scissors; Dessert Buffet -Amy Atlas; Cocktail-Hostess with the Mostess