decor Tag

[caption id="attachment_772" align="alignright" width="300"] A still photo of our first dance to "Happy Together" - we killed it. (Photo by the wonderful Matthew Tennison)[/caption] Real talk from a married wedding planner. I am rapidly approaching my two-year anniversary (what?!) and it's made me more introspective than usual.  Planning a wedding is like cutting an onion - layers or something.  It's a difficult simile because it's a complex experience - you deal with all the emotions coming at you from all angles.  Even as you make every effort to keep your wedding "drama...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Photo: delish.com"][/caption] Last week I had the pleasure of hearing Lori Hill - queen of green events - speak at the ISES Regional Events Conference.  Her topic - saving money while greening your event.  Her thesis - “green” does not mean “more expensive” and money woes should not be a deterrent from doing right by our future generations. I was happy to learn that I’m already on the right path and already implementing many of these ecofriendly ideas for my current clients: “Reuse” - I am working with a...

This past Sunday was the Lovesick Wedding Expo.  Tom and Jon from Hi-Society Entertainment promised a fun, bridal show extravaganza like no other, and boy, did they deliver!  Venue host, World Cafe Live, was full to the brim with alternative vendors, young upstart companies, unique ideas, beautiful displays, and - best of all - the raffle produced over $800 for the local non-profit Children Can Shape the Future. The theme for my little 4-foot space was "Recycled Music Thrift" - playing off the rock and roll location and the day's ecofriendly...

At almost every holiday, my mother asks me to "whip up" a centerpiece using whatever she has around. The good news, of course, is that she has a pretty extensive collection of decorative items and she usually has random flowers or floral supplies at home. (The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?) I dug out one of her Department 56 pieces (this one had a reindeer and some birch trees surrounding a small creek), centered it over some magnolia leaves (I LOVE magnolia leaves), and made use of...

Many thanks to the Knight Foundation and Canary Promotions for bringing me on board for this wonderful event! I had a blast planning the launch party for the Knight Arts Challenge: Philadelphia and am so thrilled that the Arts community will be getting such a huge influx of money. TRUST continues to be one of the coolest Center City venues, Starr Events makes the tastiest Truffled Mushroom Bruschetta, and the fine folks at Synergetic Sounds kept the flatscreens rolling all night. Thanks also to Jeremy Dyen for...

Next time someone gives you gruff for getting engaged too soon, you can say "At least I didn't elope with a magician after only knowing him for 3 weeks!"  For Wilhemina Beatrice Rahner, the same could not be said.  After a brief, magical courtship in 1894, she and her carnival companion tied the knot on Coney Island. For some, the idea of saying your eternal vows under the glowing light of the Cyclone might not seem traditional enough for you.  Where's your sense of adventure?  I don't know that I'd want...

This past Saturday Azuka Theatre celebrated their 10th Anniversary - quite a feat for a small theatre company.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I got to decorate the digs and stretch the budget in ways that would make a contortionist wince. With assistance from fellow board member Andrea Sheaffer and Azuka's host for the evening, Keith Conallen, it's amazing what some dollar store vases, local farm-fresh, seasonal flowers, and colorful linens can do to an empty space!  (Plus the beautiful, custom lamp shades didn't hurt, either!) ...

This weekend I am very excited to be a part of Azuka Theatre Company's 10th Anniversary celebration.  I recently joined the Board of Directors, just in time to honor local arts advocate extraordinaire Michael Norris. As a Wedding Consultant, it's great to be a part of a celebration of love of a whole different kind - the philanthropic, local hero, keeping-art-alive kind of love!  What's it going to look like?  We have custom-made lamps with production photos from past years, so we're starting there: The bright orange, blue, red, and green cables...

[caption id="attachment_99" align="alignright" width="203" caption="Photo: Netherlands Flower Bulb Info"][/caption] I'm not a florist, but I wanted to spend a little time this spring getting to know my flowery friends a little better.  After a quick stop to the Produce Junction in Darby, PA, I walked home with a 10-stem bunch of my newest playmates. Reader, let me introduce you to Gladiolus communis, affectionately known in my family as the "Sword Lily" (which IS one of its proper nicknames, but also because my fiance is a theatre fight choreographer and he just loved...

[caption id="attachment_90" align="alignright" width="226" caption="The idea is growing on me."][/caption] A rolling stone gathers no moss.  But a clever designer does. I'm tossing around some moss ideas for a woodland wedding theme, and stumbled upon a few noteworthy mossterpieces: Ms. Martha Stewart herself grabbed some inspiration from the grounds around her estate in Maine and employee Kevin cobbled together a really cool "mini-landscape" featuring multiple kinds of moss. Tulsa, OK-based Simple Sweet Design offers custom mossy monograms.  Not only can you order your own married initials (perhaps to decorate a mantel at your...