Tagged with " Tablescapes"
14 Apr
2010
Posted in: Creative Photoshoots, Featured Posts, Inspiration Boards
By Candice    7 Comments

A Spring Inspired Tablescape Featured on Style Me Pretty

Bonjour or should I say Hola?! (where am I today, anyway?!?!) We’re back from Paris and Costa Rica and I can’t wait to share the amazing things we did in both places. Upon my return to Connecticut I noticed…. there are leaves on the trees!!! And flowers coming up from the ground. How wonderful it is to come home and see our giant forsythia bushes in bloom!!!

While away our fun, spring inspired tablescape we created at The Society Room bridal show was featured on Style Me Pretty! I thought there was no better time than to share this with you know as Spring is in full swing. We shared an awesome booth space with the incredibly talented Datura: A Modern Garden and Carla Ten Eyck Photography. Tony and I collaborated on this fun and whimsical set up with touches of pink, gold, and ivory.

Have I ever mentioned that Tony and Cat from Datura: A Modern Garden are complete geniuses? They created all the floral decor for our booth– including the branch and greens centerpiece “umbrella” that rained beautiful purple orchids down onto our tablescape. Gorg!! I love our little touches of cucumber water on the table and lemonade and apricot squares on the sweet table. We were inspired by spring and wanted to creative a festive garden party inside.

We had an amazing dress on display by Melissa Sweet, available at The White Dress by the Shore.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck / Flowers: Datura: A Modern Garden / Event Design: Jubilee Events / Location: The Society Room, Hartford, Connecticut  / Invitations: Posh Paperie / Linens: Gala Cloths / Cake & Confections: Kim’s Cottage Confections / Calligraphy: Elizabeth Porcher Jones

2 Dec
2009
Posted in: A Jubilee Event, Featured Posts, Parties & Celebrations
By Candice    7 Comments

A Napa Valley inspired bridal shower in Connecticut

I’m so very excited to finally share with you the amazing bridal shower that my mother, grandmothers and maids planned for me back in June. It was an incredible day filled with so many wonderful women. I wish I could relive that afternoon every Sunday!! My very good friends and wedding photographers, Robert and Kathleen, joined us for the day and snapped these fantastic images! The day was also featured on my favorite blog, Style Me Pretty, a while back too.

The shower took place at my grandparents home — which is over 100 years old. It is a great place where we spend many holidays and the most important of occasions. We had a fantastic June day too, and spent the first half of the afternoon out on the front veranda sipping wine and pellegrino. My mom made a delicious and refreshing sangria, and hand chose some great wines.

A lot of my favorite things were on hand… wine, cheese, delicious fruits, veggies, and my friends and family. I can’t really take any credit for the design, look, feel, or details of the day. That’s all my mom! She did such an incredible job! There were wine maps (that I did make… but that’s it!!) that told guests about the wine we were tasting from Napa, a jar for guests to recommend a vineyard for Mike and I to visit on our honeymoon, and lots of pretty signs explaining what guests were imbibing. These little touches are a great way to transform your party and do something unique and inexpensive.

The delicious menu was catered by one of our favorite local restaurants, Jesse Camilles in Naugatuck. Carla and Larry did an incredible job on the food. The menu was really light and inspired by the region: citrus grilled chicken, dill and yogurt salmon, and carpaccio. There were a variety of delicious salads to pair with the meats too (my favorite the baby spinach with goat cheese… yum!).

Nestled on the North side of the house was a variety of pretty dining tables. My mom created purple table runners and used flowy white linen on the tables. The gorgeous centerpieces were created by Lori of Flore. They featured a beautiful variety of flowers such as dahlias, purple calla lilies, green hydrangea, white roses, and purple grapes!! Are they not incredible? So beautiful! My mom had been collecting wine corks for the occasion and had them spread around as accents in various jars. I love that touch (and do it often as they make a great centerpiece). I just love all the purples, greens, white, and oranges. It’s so reminiscent of the region and all the colors we saw while we were out there.

The delish carrot cake was a design collaboration between my grandmother and the talented folks at Let’s Eat Cake.

Guests took home red velvet cupcake lollipops, all hand made by my maid of honor and bestie, Corine. They were so delicious! Something even more incredible and awesome was the fact that Corine has started her own business crafting these and other yummy confections. Check her out: lovely-lollies.com.

What an incredible bridal shower — incredible day! Thanks for letting me share. Hopefully it inspires you to do something personal and unique for your friend or daughter’s bridal shower.

xoxoxoo

24 Nov
2009
Posted in: Parties & Celebrations
By Candice    3 Comments

Ode to Thanksgiving, Vol. #2 Decor & Details

My google reader is buzzing with a lot of creative touches to enhance the Thanksgiving holiday. I wanted to share some!


The above detail board from The Party Dress. I love when I sit down to a table and there is a place card. Love the ribbon around the napkin, too.


An interesting tablescape and centerpiece created out of Pheasant Feathers, via Apartment Therapy

The above dessert tablescape is by the talented Amy Atlas. Look at the details! The table is dripping with yumminess, like burnt butter poundcake, caramel and sugared pears, apple cider, and pumpkin figs. How do you traditionally display your holiday desserts for guests? Most of us bring them out after dinner and serve them in the dining room. Wouldn’t it be an amazing surprise to put something detailed like this to display them?


This gorgeous, and colorful tablescape from our daily read 100 Layer Cake.

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How is your tablescape for these years feast shaping up? Are you doing anything special or unique? We’d love to hear!

xoxo

13 Oct
2009
Posted in: A Jubilee Event, Featured Posts, Weddings
By Candice    5 Comments

A Wedding Story: Liz & Jayson in Norwalk, Connecticut


Photography by Robert and Kathleen

Liz and Jayson were married on July 11th, 2009 at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut. They were surrounded by so much love and support and celebrated their union with their loving family and friends. The Maritime Aquarium is a special place for them — it is the site of their third date. I loved being a part of Liz and Jayson’s wedding which was filled with so many unique and meaningful touches.

Robert and Kathleen Trenske spent the entire day documenting their love story. The day began with Liz and her ‘maids getting ready at their gorgeous apartment in Norwalk. The guys were somewhere close by fluffing their collars and added on their cuff links.

Liz had the most gorgeous wedding gown. I was so in love the first time I saw it at one of her fittings! It was so delicate with lace, a bit of sparkle, and swiss dot fabric. What made it even more beautiful was Liz herself — she just beamed every time she put it on. It was a true testimonial that the woman makes the dress. Look how radiant she is! I absolutely love this photograph that Rob and Kathleen captured of Liz’s mom putting her veil on. Can’t you see the excitement there?

Once Liz and her ‘maids were all ready she went outside into the center courtyard to meet her groom. Their first look was filled with so much emotion!

After it was on to the ceremony at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut. Liz’s bouquet was filled with white Calla Lily’s and little sea shells that my good friend, Elisabeth from BLUSH floral design, created. I created their wedding day paper, include their blue and silver programs. It detailed their love story and the significance of the Aquarium and also explained the various parts of their Jewish ceremony.

As guests began to arrive, Liz and Jayson held their Ketubah signing ceremony nearby. Surrounded by their parents and closest friends, along with their Rabbi, it was a beautiful ceremony. Once complete, it was time to head down the aisle! We took them through the inner workings of the Aquarium to smuggle them away from guests’ eyes.

The ceremony location inside the Aquarium is actually the cafeteria. I know. Hard to believe, right? Elisabeth from BLUSH created this AMAZING chuppah out of flowy white organza fabric and tightly arranged white hydrangea and carnations. It was the most gorgeous chuppah I’ve ever seen! When we set out to design something for this space I loved the contrast of the white against the brick, wood, and metal. The chuppah really stands out and looks so romantic and dreamy. Elisabeth scattered some rose petals and we lined each window sill with a ton of floating and votive candles to add to the romantic glow of the room. It was heavenly!

Their ceremony was so touching. Jayson sang “Grow Old Along with Me” to his bride! One of my favorite moments, that I simply have to share, was right before the ceremony as the processional was ending. It was just me and Liz at the bottom of the staircase. As the music changed to U2, “All I Want is You”, it was time for her to go. She looked at me and took my arm and said, “Oh my god Candice… this is really it!!! It’s here!!” I get all emotional thinking about it!! It was such an incredible moment for me as their coordinator and reaffirms how honored and privileged I feel to be so intimately involved in my couple’s wedding day. Truly a moment I’ll never forget!

After the ceremony Liz and Jayson joined their guests for cocktail hour. Guests mingled up the pathway of native fish tanks, shark tanks, and lots of sea critters and creatures. We had passed wine and champagne with yummy and delicious food from Phillip Stone Caterers. Can you imagine sipping champagne and watching the sharks circle around their tank? It was so unique!!

Some details from their reception: Elisabeth from BLUSH used three different style arrangements on the tables — one with beautiful white flowers, another with white flowers submerged in cylindar vases with blue sea glass and candles, and another arrangement of a hurricane vase filled with sea glass and candles. I love the combination! She created a fun escort card display of silver painted fish netting, blue sea glass, and flowers. Jubilee created the escort cards out of hand drawn vintage fish on pretty blue card stock.

Their friend, a graphic designer, and created this fish monogram for their wedding. We used that monogram on a ton of fun paper items, like custom cocktail napkins, their programs, favor tags, save the dates and invitations. It was a fun way to tie it all together!

Their favors were Hawaiian sea salt in metal tins, tied with silver ribbon and a favor tag. Their cake was a gorgeous, modern two-tiered blue fondant cake from SoNo Baking Company. They purchased the cutest little fish bowl cake topper, too!

Liz and Jayson’s reception was fun, delicious, and emotional! Their friends and parents gave touching testimonials of their relationship and good nature. Liz and Jayson really are one of the nicest couples I’ve had the opportunity of working with. They danced the night away with friends, celebrated the hora, and ended the evening with one final dance.

Big thank you to Robert and Kathleen Trenske for capturing the essence of their day and allowing me to share the photographs with you!

Thank you SO much Liz and Jayson for allowing me to become a part of your history. It was such an honor and a pleasure working with you!! xoxo