Dallas Holiday Decor

Let me start by saying, I am very disappointed in the size of the photos. I took these with my iphone and I am not sure why I can not post them a little larger. I have debated on even posting, but here it goes anyway....

Tom and I hit the streets of Dallas today with no real purpose other than enjoying the pretty weather and the neat things this city has to offer. I was pleasantly surprised to come across store holiday decor that I actually wanted to remember for my upcoming holiday projects.

Our first stop was a store called Forty Five Ten. The store was a hodgepodge of high end items. The walls in the store were lime green so their Christmas decorations were all natural wood with a touch of the lime green (randier moss, pine cone ornaments, brown peacock feathers and lime green ribbon). I immediately thought of a client's home that I am decorating for Christmas next weekend. She asked for a "natural/organic" Christmas look and this store was exactly just that. The sales associates looked at me like I was a creep for taking photos, but they had not given me even a second of their time, so I didn't worry about it.

There is a saying that Tom and I like to reference from time to time and it just so happened to hang over their door in a neon light as if I needed a reminder of how things are for us from time to time..........."Happiness is Expensive!"

There was a restaurant connected to this store that was decorated with beautiful silver balls and ornaments. They hung from the ceiling at different heights with lime green ribbon.

The next stop was a store called Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. It was a furniture store with a modern flare. Besides a bowl of silver balls and Christmas music, you would have never known it was the holiday season. However, I loved the simplicity of the silver balls. It was a nice touch that wasn't overdone.

If you look closer at the TINY photo below (so frustrating), you will see branches potted on either side of the console table. There are different color balls hanging from the branches and it looks awesome. I was thrilled to see this design throughout Restoration Hardware.....I am installing this design into a clients home on Friday!!

You may be asking where you find these cool branches....well, the answer is anywhere you can find them. I just so happened to find a huge pile of great looking branches on the side of the road a few weeks ago. I pulled over and loaded every last one of them in the back of my car.

Happy Planning!

-NB

Thanksgiving Inspirations!

If you are like me, the full feeling is starting to wear off and you are too embarrassed to tell anyone that you could probably eat again if someone would just heat up the stuffing and sweet potatoes. Instead of eating myself into a coma yet again, I am curled up on the sofa browsing through my favorite wedding inspiration photos.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Working on two barn events right now....this wagon is pretty cool!

I just got finished telling a client that the charger for her rehearsal dinner is a must....it makes the tablescape look complete. While looking through Style Me Pretty tonight, I came across my new FAVORITE charger. Are you kidding me, these are so cool!!! My dad once cut down a tree and made me a cake stand out of a tree stump. I wonder if I can talk him into making 100 chargers???

You typically see an ivory wedding program with a touch of color. Why is this?? The program above is traditionally elegant while also having some character!

This bouquet is beautiful! One of the many floral meetings I had this week was with a bride who's favorite flower is a peonie. She was leaning towards soft, light colors, but I may have to show her this photo. I love the touch of hot pink..

I thought this photo was interesting. I frequently hear brides asking for a "rustic, but elegant" wedding. You typically see fabric hung in either a ballroom or more formal setting. I think I am liking the look of this fabric and soft lighting in the rustic barn. Interesting.....

I am a modern bride at heart, so I of course loved this photo. However, you don't have to be "modern" to use floating candles at your next event. It is a great way to fill in gaps without spending a lot of money!

When I get home from Dallas (did I say I was in Dallas this weekend? If not, now you know...) I am going to hit up Home Depot for some winter rye grass seeds. I am putting together this same place card table for one of my December clients. I will put together a "How To" post on growing your own rye grass. It is an awesome thing to use with Christmas arrangements.

Happy Planning!

-NB

Gather Wedding: Meredith and Jeremy

I first introduced Meredith and Jeremy in my post titled "An Engagement to Remember." If you haven't seen this post, take a minute and check it out. Swan Lake Stables was where the engagement took place, so the couple felt like it was only fitting that the wedding also be held at Swan Lake.

The couple has a great sense of style and it shined through from the moment they got engaged. They wanted an organic, anthropology feel for everything. So, we hired Andy Hopper of KG Designs who I knew would be able to turn our vision into reality. The wedding and reception flowers included babies breath, pale blush pinks, greens and moss balls. The sign-in table had a brushed silver bucket that held the iced down bottled waters that were given to the guests as they arrived. My favorite detail was the antique copper bath tub I rented from Architectural Heritage for the gifts. It was a fabulous touch to our "anthropology" wedding. It looked like it came straight out of a photo shoot.....too bad NO ONE got a photo of it!

The barn has 2 horse stalls along each side of the barn. Each one opens up to the center of the barn. We decided to put a 60" round table in each stall and hang a candle chandelier over each table. Each stall became a private dinning room for guests to enjoy. (I know what you are thinking...."who in the right mind wants to eat dinner in a horse stall?") Well, the stalls are clean as a whistle. I actually heard guests commenting on how they seriously doubted if a horse had ever even been in them

Meredith's aunt had a good collection of little lanterns that we decided to hang from the ceiling over the food table to give the corridor a nice glow after the sun went down. Each lantern was carefully hung by the groom a few days before the wedding. The silver satin ribbon was a nice touch for the rustic, but elegant look. The tiny votives were lit minutes before the wedding and were blown out one by one after every guest and vendor had left (one reason why you hire a wedding planner).

Before Set Up

After Set Up

Meredith and Jeremy really wanted the "farm to table" meal for the guests. Kathy G. & Co. was able to prepare the most beautiful meal that fit right in with their organic look and feel. Guests were offered rosemary lemonade as the ceremony was ended.

Meredith is the store manager for Doree, a boutique in Homewood, AL, so the girl knows fashion. When it came to purchasing a dress, she headed to Ivory and White. Meredith loved her dress so much, that she has made it very clear she would be wearing it around the house for months to come. Meredith also had her heart set on a pair of heals that I begged her not to wear. The idea of grass and high heels made me a nervous wreck, but I should have known....the girl didn't have a problem at all.

Every bride strategically plans their "something borrowed" months before the big day and this bride was no different. Meredith wore a strand of her grandmother's and mother's pearls as well as her own.

Barb Sullivan created a beautiful cake that was stunning under the flower balls and chandelier!

Jeremy worked with A Bryan Photo when he got out of college, so there was no question who would be the photographer. I love working with Bryan Johnson and his team! Below are a few of my favorite photos from the day.

We all racked our brains for a "get away" car, truck, horse, whatever and nothing was working out. Finlay Jeremy came up with the idea to use a family member's old Cadillac Convertible and it was perfect!

Congratulations Meredith and Jeremy! Thank you for letting Gather be a part of your Big Day!

Happy Planning!

-NB