UGH does this photo not just make you want to snuggle up with this fur BABY!

So for this months topic I have decided to focus on our furry favorites. This topic has been a conversation between Jesus and I as well for our big day. It's tricky right? You want them there to be a part of the moment but it also requires more attention to making sure they stay safe, that they aren't too disruptive ( because any dog in a new place with 200 people can get excited), and that they have everything they need at the venue during the event.  

So while we debate this as a couple on if, or how, or who, or in what way we will have Chevy at ours... I figured I would go through some of the options that are out there!
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No I do not mean literally serving the bar, even as funny and adorable as that would be, I mean naming drinks after your furry friend or using their image as signage to show reference to them! 

This idea is one of my favorites!! Especially if you already planned on doing a His and Her drink why not add another for them!!! This is one of our favorite ideas and I am betting you will see it at our wedding. There are soo many different graphic artists who can create these custom signs for you! Check out these Etsy Shops!
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I will admit this idea I find SOO cute and I have not seen done before. I love the idea of sending guests home with treats for their fur babies. Sure it is an extra thing, but if your trying to find a way to represent your fur baby on your big day, why not send treats in their name? 

There are a ton of homemade dog treat recipes you can DIY but you can also order baked dog goods at many pet stores and pet boutiques. Reach out to your nearest pet stores and see what they have. I would strongly suggest making sure any treats you send home with your guests you list ingredients in case their fur babies at home have allergies. 

Of course...There is always the option of including your fur baby in the wedding itself. Whether that means asking a family member to help them walk down the isle, having them walk with you, acting in as the ring "barker", or simply sitting as a guest observing the nuptials. 

For us, WOO I do not know. I think Jesus and I would love to have Chevy walk with me, or before me going down the isle. I adopted him over 7 years ago and I would love for him to be a part of our big day. We are so lucky to have found Jesus who loves us BOTH and has accepted us as a package deal. I mean he is technically the one who brought us together!! Oh you do not know that story?? Check out Ar Sceal, Nuestra Historia, Our Story for the full details on that.

Until next time!

Cheers!Slainte!Salud!

P.S. Is this not the cutest photo! Thank you Focused Soul for capturing this image for us! Notice the bosses paw on top..... 

Click here to see how this big guy brought us together...

Maybe it is the holidays being right around the corner or just my own obsession with  silver and gold tones, but we are going to talk about the trend of Silver and Gold in this months "What's Trending"! 

Gold and Silver, while the names of colors, I always think about them as finishes. When I am developing a color story for a couple most of the time one of these is involved. Maybe as an accent or one of the main components. When I think of ether of them as a color, I think of something matte. When I think of them as finishes, I think of them as having a shine or a luster. 

When I think of a gold finish, or the color gold, I think about the stylistic flexibility that it has. Gold on the brass side of the spectrum maybe represents a more traditional approach. think golden candle sticks ( as seen above). This is largely trending, the brass candlesticks with simple clean greenery. This is a class look that I admire especially for a venue that has all it's own beauty and charm. A look like this simply compliments and really allows the surrounding details to steal the show. 

Gold, again, has this flexibility to evolve and never go out of style. Check out these terrariums and candle holders. This look is a very common trend in the industry. I mean it's obvious why! The gold framing is just enough to give you the finish while encompassing florals, candles, or other small personal details.

While its a totally different style in form, I would say both of these concepts do the same for the surrounding details of the venue. I mean can you see it??? They are enough to have form, be eye catching, but neither of these two ideas would take away from the surrounding details of the venue..

WHAT an amazing compliment to texture as well. I think that a beautiful brass or golden finish against a wood, brick or nature backdrop is a combination that will ALWAYS be trending. 

There is something so clean about a wedding that uses silver. Like gold, silver has transformed through time as well. There are a handful of different versions of a silver finish. Seen above you see what would consider a more modern use of silver. It is a clean space, clean linens, monochromatic florals which allows the silver in the space to truly shine. While gold, to me, has always felt classic and like it has been around a long time, silver has always felt very fresh and new. 

Don't let it fool you though, silver can also go in the more vintage direction. I LOVE working with mercury glass which I consider part of the silver family. Mercury glass is an aged silver that has a total personality all of its own. I have used mercury glass for, I would say, over 75% of my weddings. Like brass/gold, this version of silver is treated as a finish that looks beautiful with any color story. 

HECK yes you can do silver and gold together! I think its a sort of like "you cannot do blue and brown together" issue that people have. Where just because they are two finishes that normally people choose one of, people get all freaked out when they like both..it's like they are wearing white after labor day lol.

I love the different interpretations that people do of them together. Sometimes you will see silver treated in the form of the color grey accented with a gold finish. Or maybe you will see a vintage inspired gig where they use worn versions of both to create an a old world look.

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I am not sure if I was inspired by my own sweet tooth this month OORRR maybe it is because we are inching closer to the fall-winter holidays...BUT! This month we are going to check out the different ideas that couples are using to break the idea of a traditional wedding cake!!! This topic is both breaking the traditional wedding rules, while also trending! So this month we are combining the two topics.

A wedding cake does not have to not be a "cake" to break the traditional design of these staple elements...The cake above for instance, non frosted, uneven layered, filled with different syrups and fruits, and for sure a more rustic style. What I am loving about these types of cakes is that they each take on their own personality matching the couple that designs. 

When I look at the cakes that are popular these days I do not see the perfectly frosted, cakes that hide their fillings in the middle under layers. I see roughly frosted, or not frosted at all, fillings exposed and left dripping, Or the filling it its whole form ( fruit ) set balanced on layers or the top of the cake. It is really all about TEXTURE! The trend is TEXTURE! While color is always involved, the common theme between all these trending cakes breaking tradition are that they all have a visual TEXTURE! 

What about ways to do a cake but without cake?!?? There are soo many options! I am loving this category because just like decor, brides and grooms can completely personalize this delectable detail. The photo about shows layers of cookies and frosting to make their cake. 

Look at the slideshow below! Cake Pops-Cookies-Doughnuts-Cupcakes-Cinnamon buns- all sorts of individual serving items that not only break the rules but also are trending because they are easier to serve. No cutting required for many of these examples which is more efficient for your guests, and may even save you some cash on that cake cutting fee.  

The last cake I just have to showcase is cake in form but is not a sweet treat at all...IT is a SAVORY tiered choice that I am so excited to have a bride actually use. While her and her fiance get married next year, I have been able to find multiple inspirations of these "CHEESE" wheel cakes!

We here at the studio fully support the creativity of breaking the traditional cake and dessert rules. We love that these styles of cakes are trending, and love working with brides brave enough to mix it up. Until our next post!

CHEERS! SLAINTE! SALUD!

What July 2019: New and Trending
Hanging Greenery
This month we are focusing on the trend of hanging greenery! Who doesn’t love the texture of eucalyptus or Salal (lemon leaf) displayed in a table scape? But…. What about it also hanging from the inside of the tent? Chairs on the aisle? Or taking a rustic ladder and creating a vine creation that hangs over the dining tables grounding the display you created below? How about taking the greenery and making a piece of décor that you just brought look like it’s been there for years? The options are endless with this trend, which is why I think it will grow on you…get it....

​  The spectrum of greens, blues and silvers that these plants have accent any weddings color story. The greenery adds texture while complimenting your chosen color scheme. That is not to say that the natural colors of these plants (whether real or silk ) cannot be the star of the show..To make these items shine, regardless of where they are hung, is pretty simple….that’s it…keep it simple. All this takes is a canvas of a simple ivory, white, or other natural hue that will not distract the eye, but will create a CONTRAST to the greenery as it is. What we have been seeing is the combination of greenery with more lighter colored palettes; however, greenery is so versatile that you will start to see its use incorporated into more dark, and almost sultry colors schemes. Its a more of a "black tie" look when combined with black or darker hues of colors. 

One of my personal favorites is the texture combination of the greenery against wood, adjacent to wood or hung from wood. These two natural elements combined together give that rustic feel that so many brides are looking for while keeping it whimsical and fairytale like. This combination allows the space to feel like it’s “always been there’ versus just being setup for the occasion.

This texture combination, and greenery in general, welcomes a variety of styles as well, just because the natural elements are rustic in their nature does not mean they cannot support a modern brides taste. In fact the CONTRAST its self between natural elements such as this greenery or wood and maybe geo sphere are incredibly beautiful and a design trend, that beauty is in there concept of brining two styles together.  The silver dollar eucalyptus all on its own feels like a very modern choice of greenery for a bride. Its simple leaf and delicate stem, when used in a thin arrangement, feels very minimalistic. The key to success with this type of blend between modern and rustic is to keep whatever element is considered “modern” simple in color and form. Which when you think modern you think this already right? For example, a geo sphere in ether silver or gold, combined with the greenery as its base, or intertwined on a table, or hanging with the greenery from a fixture above can be very successful. I find, personally, that combining modern elements of glass or a metallic are the best fit with greenery to get an overall blended feel. What I find is that sometimes brides try to over do the modern aspect in, fear that their idea will still feel to rustic with the greenery and wood. Like I said before, keeeppp it simmplllee if you are looking for a blend of modern and rustic.   You can see this type of combination in the photos above.

The same basic rules apply when working in a more industrial space. Hanging greenery is a beautiful contrast to the rough gritty texture of worn brick and industrial systems you find in a venue that is conceptually urban/industrial. It is really sharp when you are in a space that has alot of white washed brick and greenery is used both hung and on tables because not only is the texture contrasting but so is the color. 

​​How to you create this look? Well I think first you have to determine what you are hanging from where?!? What are you combining with it? I will be honest….if you are doing a large installation this can be a pain (just being honest here people…STILL ALWAYS WORTH IT), regardless if its real florals or silk florals. I would suggest, using silk florals for the tent installations and when you need large amounts of garland (strands of the greenery).  In doing some of my largest installations I used silk florals with floral wire and zip ties. The key to creating a full look is layering! LAYERING LAYERING LAYERING! Practice with the pieces just on a table, try different combinations of layering different strands until you get what you like. Once you have a order of strands put them up just as you laid them out. Decide if you want swags, added florals, or emphasis in color ext. AGAIN the options are ENDLESSS. Hanging greenery hung on signage, trellis, archways, or any other element you really need to take on a piece by piece basis. Sometimes you can use staples to hold greenery onto elements that do not lend themselves well to ties or wire. You can also use stems to create this look, personally for me, I have found more efficiency in buying garland strands of the different types of leafs that my bride requests and blending them versus buying stems. I will use stems to add accent and small amounts of fullness in more of a touch-up method, so it is always good to have a few stems around to perfect your installation.

  If you choose to do an installation with real florals you would want to make sure to at least consult a florist, if not hire them to fully install. Real florals are a true art and you would want a professional florist, who works day in and day with these materials, out to help you construct hanging greenery on the different elements.
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Thanks for checking us out for our July news on what’s new and trending this month! Check us out next week for our first re-cap on our Venue tour stop #1 at The Eastern!
Cheers! Slainte!
A


Check out some of our personal favorite greenery installations done by use here at ARC!