The onset of Pinterest has completely changed the way brides-to-be approach their wedding design. In one respect, it is a great tool for narrowing down a look and pointing us designers in the right direction but on the other hand every page is beginning to look exactly the same. In a way it does provide us with the proverbial crystal ball; we can immediately tell what direction wedding design and styles are going.

This year it’s all about romance, whites and greens, a secret garden, wildflowers, ethereal, muted pastels and a shift to elegance. I am not sure if it’s the Downton Abbey effect or if everybody is just tired of blackboards and Edison bulbs, but regardless it’s a welcome change from the craftiness of the last couple of years.

It is a look we have always embraced at LMD.  Enjoy a few pictures.

Last night I taught another class at The Flower School New York. To counterbalance the fifty shades of blah that describes the weather these past few days, I selected flowers with as much visual punch and juice as possible. Yves Piaget garden roses, rich purple sweet pea, jasmine vine, ranunculus, carnations, clematis, azalea and tulips, the combination was OTT and just what the doctor ordered. The side effect of this combination was the stunning fragrance, or a bouquet that I like to call the perfume bomb. Chase those winter blues away!

Flower School New York

www.flowerschoolny.com

212 661 8074

Mixing formal, tailored elements with effervescent colors and patterns was essential in bringing out the inner-Eloise of the Grand Ballroom at the Plaza Hotel and making it a space fit for both young adults and grown-ups alike.

Clipped boxwood globes set atop pedestals paid homage to the formal French garden and anchored the corners of the dance floor, brushed gold table lamps with elegant ivory shades cast a moody, supper-club light over hot pink anemones at the adult tables, lidded candy jars were massed with pearlescent pink gum balls and glass cloches covered pink and white swirled lolly pops and rock candy, stacks of hot pink and gold chocolate boxes were tied with cascading satin ribbon bows and clouds of bubble-gum pink cotton candy were dotted along the tables for the finishing touch.

Fleets of huge balloons in pink and gold hovered above the guests’s heads and were tethered to chairs in big clusters.

And last but certainly not least was the hot air balloon displayed on the escort card table…..

Up, up and away!

Special thank you to Eyal Tessler of Tessler Events for planning and coordination.

www.tesslerevents.com / 646.456.3854

Thank you to Ira Lippke Studios for photography.

www.iralippkestudios.com

A spirited couple, a private and secluded ranch, an unforgettable setting: the mise en scéne for the most romantic of occasions.  The native flora, the dry desert air and the piercing sun that cast a glorious light were the underpainting for our design story for a wedding in Palm Springs this past spring.

Taking full advantage of local resources we brought in mature trees, shrubs and citrus for added fullness and verdancy.  The ceremony tent was filled with the fragrance of orange blossoms, oleander and lavender. Unusual blooms like coral amaryllis, white agapanthus and andromeda accompanied the more classic garden roses, ranunculus and sweet peas for an unexpected combination.  The colors were straight out of the California sunset.

What a treat to work in such a marvelous place.  We hope to return soon.

We recently transformed Skylight Studios into a plush dinner space and party lounge in celebration of a 25^th birthday. It began with an intimate dinner for 70 – two long tables glimmering with mirror, glass and candlelight in a room that was illuminated only by a series of crystal chandeliers and projections of a moody nighttime forest and the galaxy overhead.

After dinner the room opened up to a much larger space for 250 to dance the night away complete with a gorgeous color-blocked custom dance floor and coordinating bar, modern lounge areas and lush arrangements of blooming cherry branches.

With Elizabeth K. Allen Events, Inc. at the helm, libations and eye candy by Olivier Cheng Catering, a band and DJ with an incredible sound system – all the girls just had some fun.

I had the pleasure of teaching again at the Flower School New York a week or so ago. This time we created lush, layered arrangements using bold foliages such as horsetail reeds, black-berried hadera, horizontal umbrella fern and spiral rosettes of galex leaves. These graphic clumps of greenery were softened with the most beautiful locally grown lavender and purple anemones, chartreuse green ranunculus and the best of all – delicate checkerboard Fritillaria meleagris.

The resulting arrangements were a style that I am fond of – at once structured and graphic, yet soft and overgrown. It strikes a refreshing balance between the loose and tumbling style so popular right now and it’s very rigid and manipulated counterpart.

If you live in the New York area or are visiting from out of town, check out the Flower School. It’s a great way to jump in, get you hands dirty, learn from great floral designers and create with the most beautiful flowers that are usually not found at a store near you.

 The Flower School New York

www.flowerschoolny.com

(212) 661-8074

The design of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah requires the same attention to detail and precision as a wedding or any other major life event however, the process of arriving to that final ah ha moment is a heck of a lot more fun!  Even more so when working with the State of the Art team.

You might be tempted to say that sports is not generally the forte’ of an event designer and you’d be right!  However, in this case thankfully, no one is asking us to dribble a basketball or explain the intricacies of baseball.  What we’re asked to do instead is to create an explosive visual interpretation of the theme; in this particular case it was football.  Unlike the expert fan who might notice a sweet passing play we see the patterns on the field, the stripes on a referee’s t-shirt, the colors of the flags, the way the thousands of spectators create one giant painting of color and shape against a blue cloudy sky.  It’s these observations that help to bring the vision to fruition.

And this time we went literal…with a vintage twist.  From the squares of raw grass holding friendly little sports gnomes to the repetition of stripes on the table linens, pillows and again in larger than life format on our incredible custom designed dance floor to the sports signage on tailored made chalkboards to the hand painted bars and beyond.

We’ll let the photos do the talking for us…

Special thank you to Arthur Backal and Leslie Mastin of State of the Art Enterprises, www.stateoftheartnyc.com

The changing season had not yet shown its true color and as we peered out from the forth floor of the Time Warner Center, Central Park appeared green and bright despite the date.  Nonetheless this late October wedding was warm, intimate and decidedly fall.

The venue is a well-established New York City restaurant (with its own look) where food and presentation take precedence over all else.  How to transform an already decorated space into something fresh and chic and more importantly how to bring a specific vision to life, was the number one question of the day?

The Answer: a soft infusion of metallic glazed linens, mirrored surfaces, fragrant blooms, seasonal foliage, candles and a color palette of golds, creams, bronzes and emeralds.  The result was an Art Deco inspired look; understated and elegant.

The celebrated Pierre Hotel in our very own New York City, restored to showcase its classic bones and at the same time revamped to incorporate a slightly more modern perspective, was the supreme backdrop for rich, romantic, sophisticated, timeless décor.

This wedding had a European feeling, still life inspired and formal, where layers and contrasts played a crucial part in the construction of the décor.  We’re not talking only literal layers of fabric but also layers of light and of color and of texture.  The ceremony space, evocative of a secret garden had its moments of composed, quiet beauty and others of more unkempt wild growth; creamy roses closely gathered together, fall foliage extending its reach beyond the confines of the room.  The dining room showcased long glowing landscapes of tumbling jasmine and pewter bowls filled with fruit, iron urns massed with autumnal blooms.  French ultramarine linen tablecloths box pleated with bright cobalt and Indian block print napkins with varying motifs added an unexpected, fun element.  This was after all, a celebration of a young couples love.