Lakefront Wedding | Playful Paradise

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. We will be closing our office for the rest of the year and will reopen on January 2nd with lots of exciting new and savvy wedding content! To end the year on a nice note, we have this uber gorgeous wedding from the one and only, Catherine Hall Studios!

The ceremony took place on the private beach. Crux Events & Party Rents built custom wooden benches designed to reflect the shape of a tree trunk on its side. White cushions and gold ribbons adorned the benches to add a little comfort with style!

Angela and Jeremy spend a chunk of their summers traveling to Tahoe with their dog Murphy. So, they felt it only appropriate to celebrate their wedding on the shores of Tahoe. After viewing a few estates, we decided on the perfect private lakefront. Several decks, a small lawn, and a private beach provided the perfect grounds for their circus themed wedding. Angela and Jeremy really didn't want a routine and traditional wedding. They felt it had been done far too many times and it was time to shake it up a bit and provide more than just dinner and dancing. Instead, we offered guests an interactive photo booth, ping-pong, horse shoes, bocce ball, corn hole, dancing, drinks, and soooo much food! From ice cream cones to pancakes, the guests were wined and dined to perfection!

We worked closely with Bellissima Floral to create a design that reflected the modern couple, while complimenting the 100 year old estate. Lanterns in different shapes and sizes hung from the grappling tree branches, lounge furniture provided comfortable seating throughout the venue, and oodles of unexpected elements added to the creative and playful theme.

Vendors

Photography | Catherine Hall Studios

Florist | Bellissima Floral

Music | We Ain't Saints

Linens | La Tavola Fine Linens

Rental Furniture | Crux Events & Party Rents

Transportation | North Tahoe Executive Shuttle

Catering | Blue Onion Catering

Inspiration Board | Rustic Elegance with Whimsical Accents Part I

I created these inspiration boards for a client seeking rustic elegance with touches of whimsical, unique, and unexpected notions. The wedding is slated for The Cornerstone Gardens in Napa Valley, CA. The venue is a designers dream with three incredible locations for the wedding: the vineyard lawn for the ceremony, the wedding garden featuring an open tent for dinner, and the garden barn for dancing! There are so many creative avenues - I love it! Take a look at some of our ideas:

The bride's ideal colors are fresh yellows and greens. She would like the flowers to look complete and polished, but freshly picked from the garden. Both the bride and groom's style is fun, crafty, and creative hence the incorporation of unique elements including: colorful buttons for decor, a hallway table as an accent piece, a selection of colorful beverages in a galvanized tub, and croquet to keep the guests entertained.

There are oodles of ways to display your escort cards. The bride requested some form of hanging with clothespins. I took this and ran with it. Here we have flower seed packets, antique postcards, gift bags and escort cards as one, and a few more fun styles. In addition, I threw in the seating board, as the colors and style fit perfectly with the couple's wedding features.

Stay tuned for more of their inspiration boards!

Kids or no Kids? How to handle inviting guest's kids to your wedding.

Inviting kids to a wedding? A few of my brides have inquired about the difficulties of guests with kids. Although kids are lovely and can be very endearing, you may not want to hear crying and screaming on your wedding day. In addition, it can be pretty tricky to invite your friends and not their kids, especially if travel is involved. To avoid the hassle, the arguments, and any hard feelings, try one of these ideas:

1. Hire a babysitter. Inform your guests that a babysitter will take care of your kids throughout the ceremony and reception. For your slightly paranoid parents, you may want to hire someone with First Aid certification. Ask your venue if they have a spare room you can use as the kids corner.

2. Kiddie Corner. Designate one or two tables at the reception to kids only. Garnish the table with GI Joes, coloring books, Pretty Pretty Princess, and Hungry Hippo (clearly my childhood favorites). If you are worried about the kids wondering off, hire a babysitter to sit at the table with them.

3. Hire a magician! Kids are easily distracted, so if games won't cut it, then hire a clown or a magician to keep them entertained and away from your lime light!