Flowers that look like they have been picked straight from your own personal garden and arranged thoughtfully have been on brides’ wish lists lately. These images from wedding photographer Laura Billingham are a beautiful example of how her brides are choosing a more organic approach to floral design for their big day. This wedding of pink and green mixed with whites and yellows is so pretty and romantic. We love it.
If you are entertaining friends and family this summer it’s ok to give them a bit of direction and having a calligrapher do a few simple tags or signs for you can help you do that. You can’t be everywhere when your guests start arriving, so having a station or bar set up for drinks so they may help themselves can actually let them feel at home and at ease. A calligraphed note can act as your elegant helping hand and let them know it’s ok to dive into the festivities without you waiting on them. This calligraphy was done … Read more
Pink and green always seems like a summertime color palette to me…or at least a color palette that wants you to feel like it’s summer all year long. Images of iconic Florida bungalows, Lily Pulitzer dresses and fresh bouquets of pink flowers immediately come to mind. What does this color palette make you think of? Here are a few pink and green floral arrangements to inspire your Monday as well as my Benjamin Moore paint picks above for this palette to guide you in any decorating or party planning you might be doing this summer. -Lynn Butler Beling Sources: Opening … Read more
It is a nice idea to incorporate the same flower (or flowers) in your bouquet into the design of your cake or vise versa. This anemone bouquet I styled for Martha Stewart Weddings would make a wonderful compliment to the anemone cakes I posted. (Bouquet flowers by Matthew Robbins) Lynn’s TIP: having a color palette decided on in the beginning of your wedding planning process (or any celebration for that matter) is a great place to start. This will narrow down your decision making process when you are faced with thousands of choices. Black, peach, pale pink and … Read more
Designer kelly wearstler has several books that I often reference- Modern Glamour and Hue (available on amazon). I like her mix of colors and textures and her attention to detail. One of my favorite spaces designed by her is the restaurant BG at Bergdorf Goodman. Above is an example of how she incorporates color through details at a residential home. She starts with basics and builds from there- white walls, a dark floor, select pieces of black furniture, but then layers in coral /peach upholstered stools, accessories, a gorgeous coral painted door- it all comes together effortlessly and her … Read more
(photographed by Monica Buck) I have collaborated and styled so many wedding cakes over the years and one of my favorites is a cluster of 3 little floral cakes I designed with the very talented Elisa of Confetti Cakes for InStyle Weddings. I had a craftsman make 3 black cake stands, varying in height. I was inspired by a vase and we worked from a snapshot I had taken of it. Usually you wouldn’t think of black cake stands for a wedding, but I think the light colored cakes and the anemone flowers with black centers keep it classic in style … Read more
I love these black compotes and bowls that I have on my online store, little blue dish. (They are made by an Italian glass company called Nason Moretti.) I like to fill vessels with candy for quick and easy centerpieces and also fill the felt favors you see tied with black polka dot ribbon with candy as well for guests to take home. This color palette could really work for any season and any occasion- and for more formal gatherings add a calligraphed place card for each guest within the palette. I alternated black cards with cream calligraphy and … Read more
This was my first post back on April 9th, 2012 and since it was, there weren’t too many readers. It’s one of my favorite color combinations though, so I thought I’d re-post it for those of you who have now joined my blog. Thank you for your weekly support and I hope you keep coming back! – Lynn Butler Beling I love this color palette. I keep coming back to this color combination because I think it’s both masculine and feminine. Chanel included this palette in their spring 2012 runway show. (see below) The flower in the photograph above is … Read more
Take a peek at my girls backyard playhouse. I purchased this playhouse kit from the Little Cottage Company (a family owned business located in Ohio) for my kids and what a great find! My girls spend hours in this cottage, which is complete with 2 dutch doors (one for little ones and one for grown-ups), working windows with screens and even flower boxes. It took a friend and I about a day and a half to put the kit together and it was pretty easy to do. (the only thing really not included are roof shingles, but I used the extra ones … Read more
I know we feature a cocktail usually, but on these hot oppressive summer days an alcoholic drink is not the best choice. Pineapple juice is one juice that is very good to keep you hydrated. When entertaining in summer I always make sure to have a juice, iced tea, a sparkling water… along with a cocktail beverage. This also is something to consider when you are planning a wedding. Not everyone drinks alcohol, so it’s always nice to have a fun, colorful non-alcoholic option for your guests. This blog I found, called kblog.lunchboxbunch.com explains some more of the benefits … Read more