Archive for May, 2011

Create It, Mix It, Stir It and Enjoy!!

Whether you are planning a wedding, corporate gala or a backyard BBQ, every event deserves a signature beverage! A signature beverage station at your event mixed in with a coffee station makes for an exciting visual. One eye catching idea is to have an ice carving maybe having your monogram or logo or theme idea depending on what the event is for. Mixing luges are very “in” now and this can be part of your decor while at the same time help to serve your signature drink. The guests love this!

Another idea is to serve speciality coffees at the end of the meal or in summer orange creamsicles (that is a drink). Snip the top and bottom off of a red licorice and use as a straw especially great for a kids party!! Come on use your imagination….or use mine!

Listen and Offer Options!

As a wedding planner the one key to having a successful wedding custom for the couple is to listen, listen and listen some more. Finding out as much as you can about the couple is very important to make it as personal to them as possible. Plated meals of filet mignon are still the number one choice in most areas and interestingly in San Francisco some wedding planners have never done a buffet dinner it is always a sit down affair. Most couples want to include elements from their background. So that may come in menu items or something to take home. Some couples ask for the same food from their first date. A couple who met at a fair wanted cotton candy, for example. Another fun idea is bring in an ice cream cart full of frozen dessert bars like Snickers, Mars Bars etc….guests love this!

Late night snacks like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup shots are fun and unexpected. Having the Starbucks truck out front as your guests leave is another added touch with take away donuts!

Couture Parfums!

Libby Patterson designs and formulates hand blended high quality aromatherapy aphrodisiacs. Essential oil creates a connection in the back of the brain in a primal area called the hypothalamus, triggering a shirt emotionally. The essential oils vibrate at a higher frequency than the human body thus altering us and elevating our mood. More behind the making of perfumes than most of ever imagined!

Libby has been creating custom fragrances for clients for almost 20 years. She is located in Los Angeles with a A-list clientele. She can create a special scent for you through a private appointment whether it is in person, via Skype or e-mail. I had a long chat with Libby over the weekend and was fascinated in what she has been doing. For engaged couples she will create a parfum custom to the bride and groom and then once married the scent can be combined to be exclusively their personal scent.

To learn more about Libby please go to web.mac.com/libbypatterson/

Candy Buffets! Sweet!


Over the next few weeks I will be discussing ideas for planning a wedding or a party. One big trend over the past 6 years or so is the candy buffet. This is a great visual and added treat for your guests for any party not just weddings. The selection of candies in a rainbow of colors to coordinate with your party is endless and great fun to design. As you can see by the photo’s there are many ways to go with this idea. Have some cello bags or boxes for your guests to fill as a take home gift.

Engagement Party!

Here are a few shots from an Engagement Party I did this weekend. Silver and Tiffany blue invites were the inspiration for the party and what a gorgeous combination that was. I rented a photo booth where you got a strip of pictures that had the engaged couples name on the top ( you remember these booths from when you were younger ). All the florals were done in white flowers in silver containers. The candy bar with Tiffany blue, silver and white candies was a beautiful display and guests flocked to it. I had cocktail height tables and 8 top tables scattered around the pool with the blue linens and white florals and white candles. There was a guest book at the entry with a spot to give the couple a few tips on a happy marriage. The hostess had photo’s of the couple from their younger days to present arranged around the party which made for a great personal touch!

Weddings, weddings, weddings!! Tis the Season!


When I meet with a client they are always looking for something personal and unique for their upcoming nuptials. Here are a few idea’s…an all white wedding and a farm/ranch wedding both being at one end of the spectrum from the other and beautiful in their own way. The birdcage idea came to me when discussing a wedding and the thought of love birds came into the discussion. I have many birdcages that I collected from a trip to Hong Kong from an area called “Bird Cage Alley”. I lost my mind at the beautiful selection and dragging them on the airplane wasn’t my family’s idea of fun, but look how wonderful that arrangement looks in the birdcage. You could hang them over tables, elevate them on tables or hang them from trees. Add real birds, insert cards and well wishes into them or have butterflies. The daisy arrangement I thought was simple, clean and elegant.

Cottage Country?


Back where I come from when you said you were going to cottage country on the weekend or for a holiday or to your other home it looked more like a beach house. But if you think back when we were reading our fairy tales as children they spoke of Hansel and Gretel’s cottage, Red Riding Hoods Grandmothers house in the woods and Hobbits…this is what I think those cottages looked like.
These are real life cottages from New Zealand through Europe. How charming are these homes?

Right out of a story book!

Fresh, Neutral, Unpretentious – Belgian Style!


Love, love, love this look. Axel Vervoordt and his Antwerp castle brought this look to life. Axel disdains the trendy and his taste spans centuries and continents. He is regarded as on of the most original and adventurous collectors of our time. To learn more about Axel go to www.axel-vervoordt.com .

To achieve this look you need to have a neutral color palette…grays, creams and browns. Some other elements are exaggerated scale,vintage, lack of pattern or ornamentation, distressed wood or appears aged, linen slipcovers and bedding.

Notice how the wood trim, walls all appear aged and weathered. This is such a relaxing and serene design no wonder Restoration Hardware has gone much this way with their look. www.restorationhardware.com

Window treatments are simple as well…belgian linen and in the photo on this page they stenciled the lacy curtain look…very unique!

Storybook Towns, Historic Gems on "The One"!

Thinking of planning your summer holiday? Think no more, if you haven’t already done the Pacific Coast Highway Route 1 then wait no longer. This is an amazing car trip from Malibu to Monterey…but can continue right up to San Francisco. As you wind your way from Malibu through the redwoods of Big Sur to darling Carmel you will see why people come to California and never leave. The trip on this ribbon of blacktop along the coast has many visual treasures. One not to miss is the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. This historic gem has a main house with three guest houses done in Mediterranean revival style. It is filled with priceless art and furnishings surrounded by the largest private zoo in the world where exotic animals roam free on the mountain top. The magnificent panoramic views of mountains, ocean and coast line enhance the beauty of the the formal gardens. If you plan to do this trip take time to stop and see this historic gem and learn all about it’s fascinating history.

Go to www.regal360.com for a virtual tour.

I personally have done this trip many times and never get tired of the natural beauty. You will get to see many types of architecture along the way in Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, Big Sur and Carmel. You will drive through eucalyptus forests …breathe deeply and the site of the redwoods here on earth before Christ is something to behold!