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Thursday, 02 September 2010
   
Things We Love
  • spring09_twlorangetoc.jpgAutumn Starburst Hair Pin - Delicate sprays of crystals burst from a cluster. (Also available in other Swarovski crystal colors.)  Perfectdetails.com 

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  • spring09_twlredtoc.jpgRuby Red Crystal Chandelier – Hand-cut and polished, 100% crystal with 7 light’s each resting in a bobache, Exclusively available for event design and personal home décor, Rrivreworks.com

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  • spring09_twlgreentoc.jpgMonogrammed Straw Handbag - Monogrammed striped straw handbag with faux leather handle, Colors available: Aqua/Lime, Lime/Pink, Pink/Orange, Tigerlillyjewelry.com , Retail $56

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  • Northern California’s wine region is ranked as one of the nation’s top five destination wedding locations. Robbin Montero unites the wedding, wine, and tourism industry of Northern Califorina.

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  • spring08_essance_toc.jpgIn the words of the Brooklyn-based premier perfumer Christopher Brosius, “We live because we breathe, and with each breath we smell. This is inevitable. The sense of smell is our first and most immediate link to the world around us....

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  • spring09_twlbluetoc.jpgAnnick Goutal Petite Cherie Eau de Toilette - For the 10th Anniversary, the classic ribbed bottle is frosted in a soft, celadon green. Petite Cherie is a fresh combination of fruity and floral ingredients including peach, musk rose, pear, fresh cut grass and vanilla, Bloomingdales.com, Retail $115 

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Beau Coup Wedding Favors
 
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Everything Coordinated
 
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Paris Flowers PDF Print E-mail
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written & photography by Corinne Smith, Panacea Event Floral Design  


ImageFrom the moment I opened the taxi door, it was love at first sight.  It could have been the incomparable light that has inspired the world’s greatest painters for centuries or the perfectly-manicured boxwood orbs at the front of my hotel, but I knew that the famous La Belle Ecole—L’Ecole des Fleurs at the Hotel de Crillon in the heart of Paris—would be more than just an interlude for my colleague, event designer Mark Padgett, and I.

    In Paris, our quest was simply to understand the current trends in color and fashion for floral design and take them back to our clients on the Central Coast of California. And, of course, there would be a few enjoyable meals, a little good wine, some visits to museums and a bit of shopping here and there, but primarily we were in Paris to learn.
    Paris is a constant dichotomy between of Old World romance and Ultra-Modern Chic, and far from competing with one another, these two worlds co-exist beautifully.  At the Flower School, our creations involved both old and new—for example, on a very traditional bridal bouquet, we used strands of ivy twisted around the stems instead of ribbon, with several long and elegant calla lilies twisted around each other and protruding from the pave blooms, creating a secondary element of focus.
    Our instructor, Laure Primard—former floral stylist for the runway fashions of Christian Lacroix, Emmanuel Ungaro and Karl Lagerfeld—talked about finding inspiration and trend patterns in the leading store windows of Paris.  She took us on a whirlwind stroll to show us how Parisian designers incorporate elements of the natural landscape brought indoors. 
    Twigs, moss branches, grass and stones are intermingled with small flourishes of single-variety flowers.  Moss is ever popular, and many designs include clumps of moss throughout the arrangements.  The integration of flowers and produce originated in France with floral designer Christian Tortu, although some painters have been doing it for centuries.  There is a definite nod to highly-botanical arrangements where plenty of greens are added to the flowers in a garden-style bouquet.  Some arrangements even mimic an informal garden while others arrangements are ultra stark—such as 50 very long-stemmed roses tightly encased in a very tall glass vase, no mechanics or greens, just the stems presenting a graceful and modern structural statement. 

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    Color is hot, most notably orange and green—in a shade that is between Kelly green and chartreuse.  Pink, brown and peacock are prominent with the darker turquoise in a lead role rather than the lighter Tiffany blue we have used for the last two seasons.  And black is back.  One of the growing palettes had shades of rich plums but not purple.  The bohemian-style beading is strong, along with the look of Russian corset elements and the “fly girl” theme with worn leather bomber jacket, complete with ear-flapped cozy, is often repeated. 
    Design and style are a way of life for Parisians.  They are incorporated into everything from table settings, clothing, merchandising, interiors and public parks to the presentation of food on your plate at a street-side café.  A box is not a box, as the Chocolatier Ladurée shows us, but a work of art.  Presented in an array of color, edged and adorned with gold, tied in delicate ribbon, the box is every bit as appealing as the chocolate inside.  Everything is designed for both form and function.
    For a floral stylist and event designer, ah, c’est magnifique!

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Monica and Jay
twdmonicajay_toc.jpg“Hindu weddings have rituals that have evolved since early times,” Monica says, “and they differ in many ways from the modern Western wedding ceremony.”...
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Folasade and Alvin II
twdfolasadealvin_toc.jpgAfter a yacht ride across San Francisco Bay and dinner with Alvin’s parents, they wound up alone on the top floor of the St. Francis Hotel...
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Maria and Ian
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Tips
  • # 1 - LOUNGING ANYWHERE
    Wonder what to do to a resort ballroom to make it more interesting and intimate?  You can create individual lounge areas by renting tents of sheer flowing fabric and adding sofas and coffee tables with lots of candlelight in them.  You’ve suddenly created that romantic lounge atmosphere in a standard ballroom and given it more intimacy.  Your guests can move to different “rooms” during the cocktails hour or or they can dance the night away.
    Jill La Fleur, The Wedding Planner 

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  • #21 LA FLEUR TABLE
    Cover your entire table top with a single bold color of petals. Not just a scattering, but the entire top of the table with a thick layer of petals! You can purchase them at a farmers market or order them through your florist. Place your chargers, place settings, glassware and centerpieces in a contrasting color and lots of candles directly onto the petals for a stunning, romantic look!
    Jill La Fleur, The Wedding Planner

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  • #11 QUICK FIX
    Traveling with an emergency kit is like the American Express campaign, “Don’t leave home without it.” It should have everything from panty hose and nail glue to smelling salts and Tums, but the most commonly used item is SAFETY PINS!  Although you should have a needle and thread, I have resorted to using safety pins for fixing hems on tuxedos, bustling the brides gown, pinning broken bra straps and creating a veil or headpiece out of tulle when the bride’s was left at home.  Safety pins are great for a “quick fix.”
    Toby Kay Applebay & Associates

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11h Entertainment
 
Andrinique Special Events
 
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Petalos di Pauli
 
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Elisa Cicnelli
 
 
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