ways to love...

Meet Brett and Laura; they are very much in love.

This Bride and Groom’s story is especially inspiring. Who they get to be for one another in the face of their circumstances leaves me speechless and moved in ways that validate all that I believe to be true.

Let their story act as a guide in your journey of love, I am sure you will be touched, moved and inspired in ways that leave you bowled over as well. They have won my heart and reminded me that it is important to cherish each moment for we know not when the gift of “our life” may actually wrap up.

The blessing of serving this couple came from Brett’s sister Carrie Butler, who I met when she photographed one of our mutual weddings last year. Although our time together was brief I immediately felt at home with her and we have stayed in touch since. I especially loved our chat while she was on the road from Utah to San Diego, en route to photograph and attend this wedding; you are a lady after my own heart, and Carrie, it is true, I received so much more out of this than I gave.

Thank you, Brett and Laura for leading the way down love’s winding road.

These first links are the words and images of Carrie Butler, speaking from the heart as only a sister can do, I thought it most appropriate to begin here...

In Carrie's post she goes into full detail of all of the generous support of the wedding community. It is truly amazing how this couple has inspired us all.

Please see the links below for the full story through wedding coordinator, Amy Vargas' eyes, of First Comes Love and the media's words, then if you are really brave and have a full box of tissue, meet Brett and Laura as they are interviewed on Fox San Diego News.

The photos are a taste of all what was pulled together in a matter of just a few days…

The photography posted below is the work of Carrie Butler, Tessa Desharnais, and Kristina Chartier.

It happened again...

A wedding so beautiful, that when you scrunch up your eyes you can almost see magic and romance shooting out like sparks.

























Creating a whole world of garden romance isn’t a theme that comes easily. Dancing the line between whimsical and elegance means you wake up in the middle night with new ideas that start to take on a life of their own.

























It means pretending a birch log is really butter and a skill saw is just a dinner knife, so you can design a custom arch.

























It means swathing peonies and garden roses with the perfect colored ribbon, all while wearing a scarf and dressing up like frosty the snowman, because flowers need to be kept at the perfect temperature...





...so they can look like this on the perfect day.



















But it’s all worth it when the last flower petal is thrown, the music starts, and the Bride has walked down the aisle.

























Especially when the bride is this beautiful.

















Even though later you end up wrestling a tree down a dark alley at 2 am, as it takes jabs at your eyes and tries to hang itself on all the doorways. You don’t mind though, because how can you resist something that exquisite?









Sarah and Chris, your wedding was a ravishingly romantic bit of perfection.

Thank you for letting Adorations be a part of it.

Here’s the story on the couple and their gorgeous wedding from the lovely bride, herself on Style Me Pretty

Essentially Cori

• Dangle paper poms
• Suspend glass spheres and candle light
• Dress 50’-0” tree with chiffon
+check
+check
+check

Cori & Thomas Wedding Highlights from nr3videoproductions on Vimeo.

With her background in interior design this savvy bride inspired the colorway with her innovative choice of multihued Bridesmaids’ dresses and her wholehearted passion for suspended design elements that swing and sway; all the while maintaining an unequaled poise for a Bride so fully involved in the creative process! Kudos to you Cori!

Enhancing her vision was a round dance floor by PLATINUM PRO, a
custom photo wall, eggplant linens, custom bars, all around remarkable décor by Concepts Event Design and perfectly directed by the ever wonderful Thomas Bui and celebrated at The Inn at Rancho Sante Fe.

Each vendor provided such an important aspects to the overall success of this event, it is pure joy to see it all come to life in NR3 Video Productions video and a delight to see the couple revel in their day!

Kim & Sean

Eric Nelte of Blue Pearl Productions posted a three minute preview video of a recent wedding at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Kim was an especially gracious Bride and she has the most amazing parents. Listen for the toast her father gives, it is darling! Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings provided valuable guidance on the rich color palette, keeping with burnt umber, burgundy, and rich emerald green foliage; perfect inspiration for any upcoming autumn wedding. We will be posting more photos for inspiration when Darin Fong sends them along...stay tuned! We girls here at Adorations especially love the arch!

Kimberly and Sean from Blue Pearl Weddings on Vimeo.

The Knot....Decked Out!

Adorations is so excited to be participating this coming Wednesday, May 26, in designing for a gathering of San Diego’s top wedding vendors: The Knot Wedding Network party!

Collaborating with Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings we will be treating the Scripps Forum in La Jolla to a delightful array of seaside, nautical, and Nantucket-inspired flowers and décor. The images below The Knot logo share a sense of the direction of the design.

And we can’t forget to thank the contributing San Diego vendors: Continental Catering for adding flavor, Classic Party Rentals and Kool Party Rentals for elevating the style, and DJ Mike Hogan with entertainment and his tasty treats.

artbus balls + bupleurum + railroad ties

To Do List:
Handle artbus balls with care.
Pass the bupleurum.
Spit shine railroad ties.

Along with the pleasure of handling such perfect specimens of God's perfection are the daily tasks involving a list of unforeseen duties as is the case in the instance of the Exquisite Weddings Photo Shoot. We are really proud to have driven the direction of this tabletop design accompanied by Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings. Many thanks for Terry Rippee’s discriminating eye for detail and composition in the published magazine photos!

This post is a medley of detail shots we took telling a bit more of the floral story, for I just could not pass up sharing the lovely Amnesia roses and plum dahlias that are tucked amongst the lush array of orange flowers; bringing the blue tabletop details to life!

WHO
Adorations Botanical Artistry +
Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings + Exquisite Weddings Magazine +
Photography: Terri Rippee, Rippee Photography +
Rentals: Adorations Private Collection +
Found Objects: Velvet Relic (slate, plaid blanket, railroad tie risers, reclaimed wood box for drink presentation) +
Dinnerware and Linen Rentals: Classic Party Rentals +
Paper Goods: Love at First Invite

WHAT
Florals:
Orange parrot and deep purple tulips parade amongst Cherry Brandy and Amnesia roses with bittersweet and orange and yellow artbus foliage (orange balls) add texture. Dark plum dahlias peek amongst verdant bupleurum and chocolate geranium foliage in rustic terra cotta urns on wrought iron stands.

Hard Goods:
Reclaimed dark wood railroad ties act as risers for blue mercury glass votives and petite vases with clean and simplistic stemmed candlesticks holding vivid mango embossed candles. Reclaimed slate chargers with floral paisley embellished dinner plates are finished with a simplistic taupe linen napkin, artbus foliage (orange balls), and copper patina place card with mohair fiber embellishment.

The place card, drink menu and table number got their rustic feel from copper paper with a light blue Patina rust paint technique. The names were typeset in a calligraphy type and printed on a custom die-cut bellyband. The place cards were finished off with rich mohair ties on either side of the card.

WHERE:
Rancho Valencia Resort

Susanne & Chris

Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings is one the very first coordinators to have referred me in this industry, back when I had only just begun creating romantic settings for couples in their honeymoon suite, after the wedding celebration. She was also one of the first that saw something more in me, beyond gossamer fabric and rose petals covering bed linens and scented shower walls. She had faith in my vision and my passion for providing an atmosphere for couples that continued the evening past the toasts and happy hugs and handshakes. I still remember sitting in her home studio, sharing tagged Martha Stewart magazines because I didn’t yet have a portfolio of wedding floral design to show my vision to clients. We all start somewhere, and I was fortunate to have Susanne telling her clients I was one of the ones to watch. She had more faith in me than I had in myself at the time as my voice trembled both with fear and excitement about this new direction my company was taking. While mostly self-taught, there are so many who have contributed to me along the way. In the whirlwind of a wedding season, we can forget to stop and acknowledge the true difference that those who encourage, refer, and celebrate us truly make! Sue is one such person, and her wedding gave me an opportunity to properly thank her through the best expression of gratitude that I know…flowers.

My few photos are just a glimpse; Darin Fong has posted a video that is especially sentimental and telling of the floral and decor elements! Check out the link here. Susanne & Chris’ wedding day is especially memorable, from the secret garden to the night club. The stories, the vows, the now united family that made me swell with tears as my husband and I held the heart shaped rose quartz crystal between clasped palms.

inspration boards made easy

This is noteworthy resource for Industry Pros and Brides alike. Check out the BIG HUGE Labs website to make straightforward inspiration boards for your next wedding or social event! Their Mosaic Maker acts as a substitute for those who may be undersupplied with layout software.

This link will take you where you can download images from your computer, link your Facebook or Flicker account, creating up to 36 images on one page! Remember to always give photo and source credit!

For me the obvious bonus is the capacity to create a photo collage of my wee one...something I know his grandma has been waiting on...oh and they will print the images for you too! My examples are just a few of the choices..check it out!




row one~column one: jennifer dery photography

rooftop chuppah sneak peek

Designing for Rachel and Michael was such a joy and this is certainly one of our favorite wedding designs of the season. From the very beginning Rachel had a specific vision in mind, focusing on black and white with saturated pink hues. I especially love this wedding because of the black and white chuppah. The burned out velvet textiles carried a vintage vibe, but are updated with a modern ‘burnt’ brocade pattern.

We repeated the same brocade pattern in the aisle entrance pedestals, the sheer black and white talis covering and again in the 60’-0” aisle runner. The pink hues were introduced from the onset with the custom designed graphic stylings of Daniel Crawford beginning with the glam meets rockabilly invitation and concluding with the ‘oh so very cool’ Ketubah.

The focal flowers consisted of hot pink anemones, cattelya and phalaenopsis orchids (as seen here is the detail shot of the teardrop vases), with seasonal ranunculus and sweet peas interspersed in the bouquets. We presented all the flowers in simplistic contemporary glass and Lucite vessels, (to be seen in future posts). This concept is not necessarily just about the flowers.

The installation was seamless thanks to expert coordination by Kelly of Mint Weddings and Megan Bachman at Andaz Hotel.

If any words such as modern, contemporary, sleek, sexy, or urban describe your personal style for your wedding, this rooftop ceremony location must make the top of your list.

We are especially thrilled to have our work photographed by Paula and Mike of Luna Photo; they are simply one of the best at telling the full story, from behind the scenes to the detail shots (which are our personal faves). We will most certainly be posting again when we have the good fortune of seeing those images!

Look closely and you can see the darling flocked black cones on the end of each chair with white rose petals. {click on image to enlarge}

who you calling moody?

worth the read...photos at the end...promise!

Creating this company had been the perfect external manifestation of what I inwardly feel. I can recall many times in my past being called “moody,” but if you took a deeper look you would see a girl with many aspects of her personality confined in just one female form.

It's like wanting to wear blue jeans and a t-shirt one day, while on another longing for simple frills and maybe a touch of bling. I love design, I love color, texture, raw materials, the visionary process of bringing many seemingly different objects together to make a unified whole. But, for the life of me I cannot settle on just one aspect, one style, that is THE perfect expression of ME.

There is no fault in this; it actually serves me quite well in designing for my clients. I can be just as excited about rough-hewn wood, moss and succulents, as about black lacquer square boxes with deep red roses and a burned out velvet brocade aisle runner. That is what is best about this profession; I get to be more fully expressed through you, the client. There is never a dull day, no humdrum weddings here and for this I continue to be grateful.

I have been known to say, I would rather die a slow painful death than to design the same wedding over and over again. I may not be moody, but I can be dramatic! I love approaching each project anew, with fresh eyes; for each of you are distinct, both in your individuality and in your togetherness as a couple. I welcome your stories, your dreams, even your concerns. Each gives life to the vision, enlivening the process, and infusing fun at a time that can have its stressors.

For me, the meat and bones, flesh and blood of a personal design project most often begins with an emotion…or two. Bringing a tabletop to life is a very poignant act for me. In the tabletop for the 2010 Ceremony Magazine edition the prevailing sentiments were nostalgia combined with determination; nostalgia for the past and determination of purpose for Adorations in the coming year.

You may wonder, how does one convey this in design? Perhaps a tabletop shoot on the corner of 13th and G in downtown San Diego, our "Vintage Avenue," for example. Mingling curvaceous peonies, garden roses, delicate skeleton magnolia leaves and parrot tulips with rustic reclaimed wood pedestals, wrought iron and galvanized metal were the perfect expression of nostalgia and determination for me.

Joshua Aull of Joshua Aull Photography took notice of this in telling the photographic story with attention to the leading lines of the red brick wall and galvanized industrial door. His intuition and perspective helped bring this shoot to life. The flower selection in the magazine layout and further displayed below was an obvious choice for me; it’s all about color and contrasting texture, making the corner of the East Village the perfect choice to shoot a classy vintage vibe. Check out my amateur photo of Josh while he captures the scene…

click on any of the images to enlarge for a better view!

blessings abound!

2010 has begun with many blessings and I am in a state of gratitude for how good news is reigning supreme in the studio this month…where do I begin…I was surprised when Brooke from Ceremony Magazine delivered our cases of magazines to share with our clients with a mischievous grin on her face. I think I was the last one to find out the good news as we are kept so busy designing, that most submissions are done by either wedding coordinators, photographers, or the clients themselves. Discovering that one of the weddings that we designed with Red Letter Days Events had a 6 page feature was enough to cause a buzz around the studio, but to then hold the magazine with the bouquet shot by Cary Pennington on THE COVER…what joy!

The business of weddings is certainly fulfilling, we get to make a difference on a daily basis; a tangible difference with visible results. But soon those results fade as we pack up vases, donate flowers and are onto the next project…seeing the fruit of our labor (and believe me it is labor, but one of love), displayed again and oh so beautifully on the cover of Ceremony Magazine really made the difference for me as we begin the journey into the 2010 wedding season.

This wedding of Maureen and Gino; a stylish couple who run a very hip tattoo parlor, Two Roses, in the downtown San Diego area, complete with espresso bar and barber shop, took place at The Grand Del Mar, with the ceremony at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Little Italy. Check it out along with our other published weddings with the likes of the ever fabulous Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings, and Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings.
Posted below are collections of photos from Maureen and Gino's wedding that may not be in the magazine spread, but certainly tell more of the story. Our website's featured weddings category will be updated very soon to include the 3 other Weddings of Distinction highlighted in this same issue along with coordinating blog posts ...stay tuned...

In this all-inclusive issue of Ceremony Magazine, one of my favorites to date, I love the new layout, how they showcase the vendors for easy accessibility to the reader and the creative direction is superb…and I promise this is not biased for we share the cover with other greats throughout the season such as Adrianne Smith, whose luscious bouquet makes me long for Spring. Look for her covering the June and July issues, while Karen Tran's bouquet covers the August and September issues. It is truly an honor and privilege to be among so many wonderful industry professionals.

Festival of Brides Part Deux

As promised the ever fabulous Cary Pennington delivered a CD of images to us last week and of course I just had to create a part 2 about the Festival of Brides with Red Letter Days. Many of San Diego's vendors that participated in the show have shared such positive feedback, that we are considering showcasing at the next Festival. We are also happy to share that it seems that Cowgirl Magazine has taken a liking to our collaboration with Red Letter Days and is featuring an article in their magazine sharing Cary's photos of our presentation. How fun!

Festival of Brides for Red Letter Days

Today began with me driving away from our little hilltop retreat this morning at 6 am to meet two great wedding coordinators, Mia and Rebecca from Red Letter Days at the Grand Del Mar for the installation of their custom designed booth! Their concept was to create an arbor with a dramatic sand ceremony table as the focal point. Our primary ingredients for the inspiration came from black brocade fabric from Velvet Relic, and a plethora of birch logs, branches and risers. I just love the way the black and white concept all came together…below are some "teaser" photos while I await the professional masterpieces from Cary of Cary Pennington Photography who was onsite to capture the day! Mia and Becca I am sure are having a blast meeting new Brides and Grooms and inspiring them with their humor, knowledge, and savvy wedding sensibilities!