Orcas Island Wedding Style

Doing It Yourself

DIY is the watchword trend for this years weddings. I am seeing some fantastic results out of the efforts some of my clients are making. Really fantastic ideas. There is also a trend towards the vignette centerpiece such as this one.
Vignettes tell a visual story about the couple. Vignettes can create moods of joy, inspire fantasy, express ideas whether lofty or not. 

There are some fantastic blogs out there that inspire and inform vignette design? This is a new favorite.  This is an old favorite both of these blog spots  have provided me and many of my clients with great inspiration and hours of pleasure.

My DIY clients, my "please do it for me clients"   and my design associates  have universally benefitted from this blog spot. It transforms limited thinking and makes even the most colour shy person brave -The Color Collective. Really.

Though obvious it bears repeating: Color is key. By way of example I remember when my college roomate and I wanted to take a trip together during our summer break. I had a friend in Arizona and she had a friend in Colorado. We were both having a hard time deciding which way to go. She left up to me. No pressure there. When I really thought about it, when I closed my eyes to imagine myself in these places,  I realised I wanted to go to places  that were filled with Blues , Whites and Greens and not Reds, Oranges and Yellows. It was a visceral decision reached through somewhat unusual means and was very satisfying when I came to my decision. I ended up in Red Yellow and Orange but that is a whole other story.

Now a brief word to those Brides getting married in 2012 who feel their talents lay out side the demands of creative wedding decor - If doing it yourself stresses you out, don't do it.    You are not a bridal failure.

By my way of thinking and those who read my postings have seen my write any number of times:  your only obligation to your wedding- the singular thing that you must DO it YOURSELF -is to be present in the moment, witnessing from your heart.  Live it don't watch it.

Teal or taupe, paper flowers or real, buffet or homestyle in the end all fade from memory. It is your heart that goes on - (oh you know I just had to write that ! Celine).

Happiness

The snow was falling this morning. I woke up late a bit annoyed because I was behind. Behind on not much of importance but behind nonetheless. Sipping coffee and staring out the window into the falling snow made things much better. And then, I read this and my day went on into Happiness.

 

Happiness

Raymond Carver

So early it’s still almost dark out.

I’m near the window with coffee,

and the usual early morning stuff

that passes for thought.

When I see the boy and his friend

walking up the road

to deliver the newspaper.

They wear caps and sweaters,

and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.

They are so happy

they aren’t saying anything, these boys.

I think if they could, they would take

each other’s arm.

It’s early in the morning

and they are doing this thing together.

They come on, slowly,

The sky is taking on light,

though the moon still hangs pale over the water.

Such beauty that for a minute

death and ambition, even love,

doesn’t enter into this.

Happiness. It comes on

unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,

any early morning talk about it.

 

The Seattle Wedding Show

This last weekend was the 2012 Seattle Wedding Show. It is our second year doing it. It was intense, fun, demanding and very hard on the feet.  Fruitful? Well, we'll see.

I want to give a big shout out to Rosario Resort and Spa for including us in their booth. There is no doubt from the looks on so many faces as they passed by the booth and read the banner, the name Rosario holds powerful memories. Memories of romance,  childhood,  a first kiss, family time, whales and eagles, all that Orcas Island has to offer.  It was lovely to be associated with such a positive force.

Sarah McCulloch also deserves a big hug of thanks for her fixing our portfolio or rather rebuilding it and for making such a unique sign for Patina. Fan, Friend, Associate all hats worn with love. And we are very very grateful to her.

So here are a few pictures of our booth. Very bridal. Lots of pictures were taken by florists and brides and moms all of whom are getting married elsewhere.  Lots of man handling of the moss boxes trying to capture how it was done. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...I tell myself over and over....It got so that John would go up to people as they turned and twisted the boxes this way and that and say, "they grow like that on the island. We have moss box trees all over the place". Some people, actually quite a few stopped and stared with wonder in their eyes before they caught on. It was fun and funny.