Ellis's Wedding … Part 2 … The Decor

I'm back today sharing more about our darling daughter's wedding!

I have never had such a hard time blogging about anything before …

I think it's just because there is so much emotion surrounding the event …

and

I want to do it justice!

I have savored and enjoyed the whole journey to the big day.

From the engagement party …
to

looking almost every weekend for the perfect for us wedding venue

that took us seven months to find

and
 ended up oh so perfect!

To shopping for her dress ...

the fittings and toasting to the perfect dress ...

A gorgeous wedding shower …
Months and months of planning …

But what I will truly remember

was how 

Jeff and I

and

Ellis and Elliot

worked tirelessly 

on designing and building installations for the big day!

It was having a common and united purpose

that I truly treasured.

I will be the first to say

I had wedding trepidations in the beginning.

It just seemed to me that maybe weddings had become too big of a deal these days.

But come the end

I can truly say the journey

was just as heart warming

as the big day destination.

So for those of you in the throes of upcoming weddings

my advice

enjoy and savor the process

for it can be the building of new family relationships

as you welcome your newest family member.

and

build a bridge to welcome their family  own family into yours.

One of our favorite projects was the escort installation

that Ellis had wanted to be a major focal point at her wedding.

It ended up to be an installation that we all brought something to her idea!

Jeff and Elliot were able to design an engineer

a structure that could break down into pieces

to get it to the venue 

and 

then be reassembled  once there.

At the Anthropologie opening 

I had seen these fabulous Voluspa candles and Skeem Design matches

that I thought would make perfect wedding favors.

Then  we realized if we attached calligraphy tags to them

they would make for perfect escort 'cards' as well!

(And a Huge thank you to Ellis's Bridal party
for attaching the tags to each favor
the day of the wedding!
You all are so wonderful!!)

And that my friends

is how the structure was begun!

Jeff designed panels with shelves attached with brass hardware 

to complement the colors in the favors.

The panel were then attached to the bigger 10 foot boards.

Backs were added sandwich board style.

Jeff and Elliot were able to accomplish this together within a weekend!

Ellis designed the finishing signage detail

with having laser cut lettering done that was in the form of a huge decal

that Jeff and Elliot were able to painstakingly affix.

The escort/favors ended up to be a huge hit!

They were favors guests actually wanted to take home!

I can not say enough great things about our venue!

With each visit during planning I loved it more!

Especially the front patio

which has a view of the ocean

and

a fire that we had burning all night.

We rented furniture from Adore Folklore

It was their pieces that helped set the bohemian vibe that Ellis had wanted.

This space in front of the fire

was my absolute favorite of the night.

I will remember forever sharing it with family and friends

at such a magnanimous family event.

If you follow me on Instagram

then you have seen me rave about our

spectacular florist

Kimberly of the Dainty Lion!

To me

she is a true artist

with her present medium being flowers!

Just look what she did to the cow skull

by simply adding blooms!!

I must admit I loved everything Ellis chose for her wedding

but the cow skull I was just going with what she wanted …

That is until I saw it in decor play

and 

them with the added blossoms …

Now I am truly in search of one for my courtyard!!

I just love this front patio

It felt private and enclosed

with the warmth of a private backyard.

The reception space inside the ballroom worked out wonderfully as well!

We placed the Sweetheart Table for the Bride and Groom

on the stage

ran the Head Table for the Bridal Party perpendicular

with rounds for the families and friends on either sides.

I couldn't be happier how the Sweet Heart table came out!

We started with adding a metal installation behind the velvet curtains

to help make the stage feel smaller and more intimate.

We draped a drop cloth over the structure

for a perfect backdrop for 

the macrame blanket hanging

that was actually a Nate Berkus throw from Target.

On top of that we hung macrame hangings

that we filled with cactus 

and golden pineapples

that we used throughout the wedding

as a modern nod to a welcoming tradition.

The pineapples take spray paint amazingly well

and can last up to five days!

The table was another beauty from Adore Folklore

as were the fabulous basket weave chairs and cushions!

The rug was a bridal blanket also from Adore.

We added boxed palms to the sides

to frame the table out perfectly

and

add to the intimate feeling I was looking for 

in setting their special table.

It was the continual adding of textures

with just bit of color that helped us achieve the look we were after.

A look that was stylized 

but wouldn't over power 

the starring Bride and Groom!

I have to say the macrame hangings

were all Ellis's idea

and 

they were just the absolute fresh exclamation mark

to the entire vignette!

I couldn't wait to set the Sweet Heart table 

as Ellis and I had been collecting each special piece for months.

T had done several mock ups at home 

just to get the right feeling and flow.

And again

ti was the fabulous creations by the Dainty Lion 

that truly brought the table to life!!

I sprayed cut tree rounds gold as well

as it was a quick, inexpensive and effective way to bring lifts and levels to the table scape

Brass swans were added to the wedding table

as they too,

mate for life.

They were a fabulous flea market find!

A pair of E's made it to the table

for Ellis and Elliot!

We collected geometric candles

this one being from Target again.

It was the place setting for the bride and groom 

that I especially adored!

Ellis and I found this fantastic Love plates at Anthropologie

last winter.

They were the jumping off point for the entire table!

We added wooden placemats 

(that you might remember form her shower HERE.)

atop a crocheted runner.

The gold flatware is from West Elm.

we offered the turquoise plate from Anthropologie

to make the focal plate stand out more.

The lovely glassware we found in San Diego

during some of our many visits down to see  Ellis and Elliot.

But it is this vintage line

(of which the matching Mr. was on the Grooms place setting)

that sealed the deal on the Sweetheart Table to me!

A most lovely and sweet gift  from Mary Q Vale

That always does the most exquisite florals at all of the French Basketeer's gatherings!

Mary, I tole you I would find the most perfect way to use these vintage pillowcases

you so oh so very generously gifted me.

Rest assured

they will now be family heirlooms of this newly married couple.

Big thanks to you darling!

How sweet is my girl's place card.

Such a quaint little slip …

I don't think she realized just how fast a name change comes into play.

And certainly bittersweet to this Momma

to realize the last time she had our surname.

Weddings ask a lot of Momma's hearts.

And not just the brides Mommas

but the grooms as well.

So many gorgeous moments …

mixed in with some bits of the  bittersweet.

We wanted to keep the guests place settings clean and elegant

letting the flowers take center stage

in the all white room.

Jeff and Elliot made pine placemats for each pacesetting 

I just love the addition of the organic texture and neutral color.

These chic, ceramic table numbers hail from

Anthropoigies wedding store Beholden.

That store made many online order deliveries to the house during the course of the wedding planning!

Ellis had these amazing menus printed up.

Guests were offered three choices of entrees

so we used three different types of ferns to mark the place settings 

so the servers would know who got which meal.

I just loved how the leaves quietly played into the table scape

while being informative to the staff as well.

We set up a great photo booth as well!

The couch is another stylish piece from Adore Folklore.

More boxed trees to frame the space.

Two more 10 foot boards behind the couch

over which we draped sheer fabric for just a blush of color.

Kim of the Dainty Lion finished it off just perfectly

by adding the palm fronds in between the sheers.

I was just all bubbly when I saw how that final touch

just brought the whole photo booth installation together!!

For photo props I brought several dozens crowns

and 

I must say 

that photo booth was bush all night long

with people having the best time!

Especially when they got to take their photos home with them

as they were printed out right there!!

The elegant signage was done by Taryn of Twinkle and Toast.
Ellis interned for Taryn last year
and
always talked so highly of Taryn.
Meeting her as a guest at the wedding
I can definitely see why the high praise!
What a doll!

It was through Ellis's internship at Twinkle and Toast that
Ellis was able to meet so many of the fantastically talented vendors
we used for Ellis's wedding!
They definitely made up a vendor Dream Team.
I will be adding links to all of their sites in my next post.

Of course the bride and groom had signature cocktails!

How fresh and SoCal

were both of their picks!

Well there you have my second installment

all about our decor

and 

what I was working on full time the last few months!

I will be back next time

with the soul of the whole wedding

The Ceremony!

Thank each of you so much

for following along 

on our family story!

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life