Tablescape Thursday - Hommage to Charm!

photo credit: Style Me Pretty

Every now and then, I think back to the days when planning events was a distant thought in my mind. How in the world did I get so lucky to be apart of such an awesome industry and develop Dolcissima Events you may ask? For the record, DE was not just born after watching one of those silly wedding shows on TV (although I must admit, there is one that sparked some interest). Much of my early training and the "DE Method" per se was soley inspired by a certain FABULOUS planner who has made her mark in the wedding world .. both locally AND internationally. Working under the tutelage of Lisa Vorce of Oh, How Charming! has certainly been a highlight as THE turning point in my professional life. Her talent is overwhelming, her direction in managing details is ever so precise, and her professional nature is all the more "charming". I couldn't help but pay hommage to my "mentor" and post this amazing tablescape designed by Lisa (courtesy from the FAB Style Me Pretty site). Rustic wooden tables, fruitwood chiavari chairs, classic white floral centerpieces of varying heights nestled between vintage silver hurricanes and pillars - all offer a certain simplistic charm to a basic setting. However it is the brilliance of the different "chandies" that definitely brings this table to life. This is a look that can certainly be pulled together and achieved in the comfort of your own backyard!

Thanks to Lisa for being such an inspiration and always leaving your "charming" mark on such beautifully designed tables & events :).

Dream a little Dream...

Ok, I must admit that I am OBSESSED with the HGTV Dream Home Sweepstakes that takes place around this time each year. And I must say, this year's Dream Home in Sonoma, CA has my name (& the DE look) written ALL OVER IT! Check out these amazing shots of some of my favorite rooms. Definitely warrants some inspiration for your own home & event design!

Formal Living Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

(sigh - one can dream, right?!?)

Plum Pretty!

(A delayed "Tablescape Thursday" showcase) As of late, I have really been following the Southern Weddings blog {love those gals down south, y'all!} and their FAB featured bride bloggers. One of my faves has been An Atlanta Bride who is so beyond her own amazing wedding planning ideas with the inspirational posts on everything wedding from flowers and rings to marriage license and honeymoon planning. I was really drawn to her recent showcase on the MARRIAGE between flowers and candles on tables. These plush flowers, swanky fabric-wrapped vases, textured runners lining BOTH sides of the table, and colors are just plain ROMANTIC CHIC paired together. It's amazing what a little height a floral treatment {or 2 or 3!} and even candles can do to spruce up any table. With Valentines Day right around the corner, why not pair these gorgeous hues of plums, deeps pinks, and reds to your dining room table or perhaps a posie arrangement on your desk? It would be pleasantly "plum pretty!" :)

(Photo Courtesy: Jennifer Skog)

Bride Style Icon: Jackie Kennedy

I couldn't help but liken the nostalgia of the HISTORICAL inauguration of our 44th President to the glitz and glam of the Camelot years brought about by JFK & Jackie Kennedy. Nearly 50 years after the election of JFK, his popularity is still drawn upon by the style and sophistication his lovely wife brought to "Camelot" that further redefined the notion of "White House Chic." It's no question that Jackie is a MAJOR STYLE icon and influence to the American culture past and present. With that, as this blog and my company relates to weddings, I felt it appropriate to showcase the uber stylish 1953 {800 GUEST - gasp!} wedding of our 35th President and his beautiful bride. Details of this high-society "event of the year" only gives us a glimpse of how progressive Jackie was as a modern bride. Here are the facts {courtesy http://www.jfk.org/}:

"Jacqueline Lee Bouvier and John F. Kennedy were married on the morning of September 12, 1953, in the picturesque St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Newport, Rhode Island.

The bride, given in marriage by her stepfather, wore a dress of ivory tissue silk, with a portrait neckline, fitted bodice, and a bouffant skirt embellished with bands of more than fifty yards of flounces. Her rosepoint lace veil, worn first by her grandmother Lee, was draped from a tiara of lace and orange blossoms. Jacqueline wore a choker of pearls and a diamond bracelet that was a gift from the groom. The bride’s bouquet was of pink and white spray orchids and gardenias. Her attendants were dressed in pink taffeta.

The reception was held on the huge terrace of the 300 acre oceanfront estate, Hammersmith Farm, for more than twelve hundred guests. The wedding cake, four feet tall, had been ordered by Joseph Kennedy. Meyer Davis and his orchestra played under a huge canopy."

These classic details are certainly still stylish today as brides are still opting for classic hues of pink & whites and timeless flowers such as gardenias & orchids. And we LOVE her dress!!

For current day wedding companies who can help you achieve the "Jackie" look on your wedding day, check out:

Stephanie James Couture for similar vintage dress styles and head adornments like Jackie's!
Wedding Chicks blog for all around VINTAGE inspiration!

Here are some more shots of their day:

We absolutely HEART Jackie and know that our new First Lady will definitely bring her own sense of classic style & sophistication to the White House as this style icon did in the 1960's.

Photo Credits: jfklibrary.org & life.com

Tablescape Thursday - Chandie Time!

What is it about a chandie (DE for "chandelier") that makes a table look FAB? Obviously, we at DE are HUGE fans of the chandie motif and I couldn't resist finding and posting a table beautifully accentuated by the gleam of a vintage, classic chandelier. This table is quite simplistic in its elements - patterned tablecloth & solid napkin, silver chinaware, damask-etched tumblers, basic champagne flutes, silver chiavari chairs to match, and a simple garden-style centerpiece complete the look. Of course the textured white walls in the background also add a little piece-de resistance but with or without this feature, the table would still look amazing. My anticipated blog post all about chandeliers will certainly come later (trust me, this is a future post I am quite excited about!) - but again, if you have the right location that is conducive to hanging various lighting fixtures like the chandie, then your guests will surely be elegantly charmed!

Introducing: Tablescape Thursdays!

So it's the New Year and what better time than now to REALLY go after those New Year resolutions... ha! Mine? More consistent posts on the DE Blog! This time I promise and ask you to hold me accountable should I fail to deliver this promise in the coming months (as most resolutions tend to do). So, I have come up with a great idea that will certainly warrant more post on my & DE's behalf - a WEEKLY feature on beautiful Tablescapes that either capture the current season, hot trends, or are just plain beautiful. I have attached our first Tablescape - a Holiday table DE created for a caterer's private tasting event last month that really showcases the simplicity yet elegance of RED - done right with vintage elements like gold accents in chargers and chairs, a rustic centerpiece (courtesy of Sweet Peas Flowers in Long Beach), and brushed gold glass ornamental figurines. I hope you find inspiration in these upcoming featured table tops. "Very Sweet" wishes to you and yours for a Happy & Healthy 2009!

Vendor Rave: Renaissance Studios Film

Sooooo, yeah it's been a WHILE since we last posted - but times are busy and well, you know, time just flies! So we are BACK and with a GREAT SHOT OUT to our friends at Renaissance Studio Films who captured our clients Marissa & Erick's beautiful old-style Mexican wedding celebration this past July. This amazing film speaks for itself - if you have the time, enjoy it from start to finish. It really captures the love between Marissa & Erick, the beauty of the day, and the authentic, gorgeous setting of the San Gabriel Valley Mission and Grapevine Arbor. And yes, the guests were toasting with TEQUILA SHOTS! Although it has already been several months since this amazing event, it's never too late to RAVE about an awesome vendor and moreover gush about clients who just embody the essence of what love really is. Congrats Marissa & Erick! ;-)