The official arrival of spring is the perfect excuse to dine alfresco! Why not host a laid back picnic in your back yard? The combination of simple and delicious foods and cozy decor will make for the perfect afternoon. Throw pillows with vintage-style picnic prints out so guests can kick back. And add unique furniture items, like this trough-style table made for keeping drinks cool, and within reach. What more do you need?

1. via Studio 773 2. via Pinterest 3. via Kate Spade 4. via Kate Spade 5. via Martha Stewart

There are so many things we love about weddings, and linens top the short list over here at Jubilee Events. Add in customizable options and you’ve got us hook, line and sinker. Its no wonder we fell in love with Nuage Designs the moment we saw them. The innovative designs and vibrant colors in silk and organza fabrics are pure luxury. The collection is so extensive we are having a hard time narrowing down our favorites.

It’s our pleasure to announce that we are now carrying the full collection of linens. To see more, visit Nuage Designs online or ask to see samples next time you visit our studio. We can’t wait to dress up your next event with Nuage!

I wanted to share with you the gorgeous display in our studio featuring an amazing linen company we’ve partnered with: Resource One, Inc. Our gorgeous “Summer’s Dream” inspired tablescape features Olivewood Bark colored crinkle taffeta with an AMAZING Olive Floral Organza Overlay on the table and the chiavari chair backs. The overlays have hand stitched flowers and petals with bead detailing cascading down into large pools onto the floor. The linen is absolutely spectacular! The tablescape is finished off with luxurious Olivewood Taffeta napkins. The tablescape features beautiful and colorful china from Party Rental Ltd., a Violet Pepple Charger, Floral Dinner Plate, and Pink Dotted Dessert Plate. Gorgeous menu cards with a custom crepe paper flower and butterfly place cards are designed by our talented friends at Posh Paperie. If you’d like to learn more about renting this gorgeous ensemble for your event, give us a ring!

xo!

I met with the lovely Christine D’Angelo of Azalea Floral Design, a Connecticut based floral design company. She turned me on to the idea of using locally grow, fresh Connecticut flowers in your event. Christine and her team will pick and acquire locally grown flowers for your event to be used through out your decor. This is a really great way to support your local Connecticut small business and farms. Christine has also said that this option is affordable, but couples need to have an open color story as some varieties and colors are not always available.

I really love the gorgeous arrangements that Christine put together above using local flowers! Check out her website to learn more about her company, style, and approach. She recently started a blog, too!

I came across the designer Elizabeth Fillmore’s work while looking for some inspiration for a client. I love her modern take in vintage style. Her collection is full and versatile… with so many romantic, whimsical, and vintage inspired pieces.

From top left to right: Cora, Cecila, Sophia and Thea

I love the vintage, Hollywood Glamour inspired look to these gorgeous gowns.

From top left to right: Ophelia, Eden, Winter Garden and Willow

Can’t you see these gorgeous lace and ruffle gowns at a garden inspired ceremony or rustic reception? I absolutely love them! All the appliques and detailing are just fantastic. Elizabeth is known for her beading, attention to detail, and the way fabric sits against the body. It makes me want to crawl into one of her gowns and get married all over again!

Elizabeth’s gowns are not available in any boutiques in Connecticut. You can find them at Saks Fifth Ave, Bergdorf Goodman and Mark Ingram in the city. Her collection is also available at l’elite in Boston.
Happy Sunday!
xoxo

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with a lot of my absolute favorite people on a photoshoot with Carla Ten Eyck for her September Ten Eyck Tuesday. I collaborated with Elisabeth of BLUSH floral design and Beth Chapman of White Dress by the Shore to come up with a unique and fun color story in teals and pinks. All the hair and makeup was done by the talented and super amazing Dana Bartone & Co., who are responsible for making almost ALL of my brides gorgeous on their wedding day (me included)!! My studio roomie Thomas Morlock of Vantage Point Films also shot the entire event from his viewfinder. Plus, he drank all the champagne.

For those of you who don’t know, Carla runs an amazing workshop for photographers once a month where she spends an entire day shooting, educating, and discussing her artform. I’ve attended two Ten Eyck Tuesdays and Carla is amazing!! If you are a photographer in the area (you should travel here if your not!) I highly recommend Carla’s workshop. They are so thorough and detailed. Plus, Carla puts the sass in sass-a-frass.

The location for the shoot was really awesome. The building is an interior designer’s dream, full of lots of shops from furniture to lighting. We took over a blank industrial space with nothing except a few sheets of unused drywall laid up against the wall.

This gorgeousness is all courtesy of Carla and Beth Chapman of White Dress by the Shore who dressed and styled our gorgeous models. Don’t you just LOVE this short wedding gown and feather hair fascinator? It was so delicate and pretty in person! I could have played dress up for hours with all the amazing accessories Beth brought.

That gorgeous, vintage pink bouquet is by the equally talented Elisabeth of BLUSH floral design. I love Dan’s peacock feathered boutonniere. Can you see the peacock feathers tucked into Mandie’s bouquet? Check the neck collage of images!

Pretty gorgeous, right? The furniture is from my FAVORITE rental company, Signature Event Rentals, who are responsible for most of the awesomeness you see. That gorgeous white couch? The clear-backed and hot pink dining chairs?! The leather tufted wall panels?!?! The WHITE dinning table?!?!?! Yeah, they pretty much rule. They’re the best, hands down, and we LOVED having their furniture at the shoot!

Elisabeth created a bed of tightly arranged hot pink carnations for our escort cards, which were pennant flags that I made and hand wrote in gold ink. Antonia from Flower upon Flour blew us away with her tasty little gold petit fours with the hot pink fleur de lis… but the pièce de résistance was definitely her INSANE cake!!

Antonia and I had discussed the color story and inspiration behind the shoot… and when she showed up with this…. we were like… seriously?! A teal cake with a gold birdcage on top and hot pink feathers?!

…. up next, our table and some other fun stuff!

xoxo

Here is a teaser of what’s coming up tomorrow! A photoshoot we collaborated on with our favorite people, shot by the super sassy Carla Ten Eyck.

Stay tuned!

I was so excited to be contacted by Jahna of Wedding Runways in Branford, Connecticut. I love that Connecticut has such a talented and amazing couture aisle runner designer. We love to support local small businesses! Wedding Runways’ mantra is they want to “bring red carpet style to your wedding aisle.”

Their selection is truly custom and versatile, offering widths available in 36” or 50” and lengths are available in increments of 25’ up to 150’. They use commercial grade snag-proof material (so important!), non-slip heavy poly scrim and “self-healing” capabilities. Plus, their color calibration system can match your color swatches exactly! They also create matching table runners and soon to come, your very own “step & repeat” backdrop for photo opportunities.

They are currently offering a complimentary, over sized thank you card with your order. You can be photographed holding it and that photo can then be turned into a thank you card to send to their guests. So fun!

 

I think everyone appreciates chalkboard. I’m not sure why – it must hearken back to our elementary school days when getting called to write on the chalkboard was fun (at least it was for me!). I love the way chalkboard has been utilized at weddings and thought I’d give you a bit of chalkboard inspiration.

Source

The obvious is chalkboard-turned-menu. I love how this couple used an old surf board as their surface to paint. Since chalkboard paint can go on virtually any clean surface, you can make anything your chalkboard menu. You can do a traditional bistro-style chalkboard menu, or maybe hang chalkboard tiles from clothes line strung between two trees. There are a million opportunities here to be creative and the best part: it is super expensive and easy to do!

In my search for this post I came across this fun and innovative chalkboard vinyl wall decals from Spell It Out Designs on etsy.com. To say I love these vintage / Victorian-inspired chalk frames would be an understatement! Vinyl is easily removable from any surface and leaves no trace that it has been there. While it is great for using on the walls, doors, or windows of your venue you should inquire first whether your location will allow you to do it. If they do, great! You can use these again as menu cards, place card displays, wedding signs (“wedding this way!”), inscribe a quote, thank you, note. Leave it blank and allow your guests to leave you messages! The possibilities are endless. And if you can’t put it on a wall, simply build a surface to put it on.

I’m also totally loving these chalkboard plant stakes used instead as a place card. These are from Crossroads Cottage, but you can easily make them yourself with a little time and energy. They’d be perfect for a smaller wedding! I also love them used in the tablescape design, tucked into a floral arrangement. They would also look perfect tucked into your stationary hors d’oeuvre display, or if you can, on your passed hors d’oeuvre trays.

This isn’t done often enough, probably because it isn’t that simple, but I love the look of these giant chalkboard seatting arrangement displays from a fete event. The key is to have a wedding planner who not only has gorgeous handwriting, but write in a straight line!

This fun and thoughtful idea comes from a wedding featured on one of our favorite blogs, OnceWed. The bride got the idea from Wonderful Graffiti to have a word search at the reception to entertain guests. If anything, it is just pure beauty, and makes for a great photo op. I’m sure her guests had a fabulous time using it, too!

Source

Last but not least, why not add a chalk board (or dry erase board) to your wedding’s photo booth? You never know what message might turn up! Just be sure to have something handy to wipe all the chalk that is bound to rub off on everyone’s black clothing. This is where we tell you that the dry erase board might be a better idea!