Tess + Jeff

Another great wedding shot by the illustrious Mark Cafiero!

Tess and Jeff wanted bold, graphic elements to tie into their black, white and red wedding. We created fan-style programs for guests to read and cool off with during their outdoor ceremony.

For dinner, guests were beckoned to the yummy buffet treats with oversized menu boards that incorporated the stripes, dots and color scheme they selected. 

Matt + Sherry

Matt and Sherry were married in May (yes, I'm a little behind in my posts) and were an absolute blast to work with! Such a kind and generous couple, and you could really tell they liked each other. 

This wedding was as much about two people joining together as it was about the merging of their two families. They used "Live well, laugh often, love much" as their slogan for the day and we carried it through all of the printed materials; from the tags on the hotel bags to a giant "red carpet" sign that was used as a photo backdrop at the reception.

They also requested that their guests dress in shades to match their wedding (not a stretch as it was black, white and pale blue) which made for some exceptionally coordinating photos.

Here are some highlights below, provided by photographer genius Mark Cafiero.

 

Fall into Bright

The girls over at Bright asked me to come up with some new paper products for their "new take on fall" table. Ok, I don't know what the theme was here, I just made that last part up. But I'm always excited to work with them because the focus is always on the original. No restrictions or rules, which is every designer's fantasy. 

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In any event, look at the gorgeous floral and linens! The Flower Studio has once again outdone themselves -- brides, call Robin and Christine today. Their studio is gorgeous and their portfolio of work is simply amazing...

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I had an idea in my head that I wanted to produce for awhile and this tablescape gave me the perfect opportunity. In my never-ending quest to "combine and design", (Ok, that was super cheesy) I present the program/menu/thank you/favor. In short, you create one booklet with all of these elements and use them to dress up your tables. 

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You will also see some patterned place cards and a table number made out of coordinating patterned paper. 

Thanks to the always amazing Hollye Schumacher for these photos! 

Brian + Betsy

Brian and Betsy had a gorgeous Biltmore wedding with lots of personal touches. They incorporated their logo throughout, including these sweet rubber bracelets. They used these for their guests who attended a Friday night pre-wedding bash at Six. I also created custom menu boards for their reception. They had a Mashed Potato Martini Bar, a Gourmet Pizza Station, Quesadillas, Chicken Fingers, Hot Dogs and French Fries. Hello! Why didn't I think of this for my wedding? Who wants vegetarian pasta when you can have Chicken Fingers with your choice of three dipping sauces!

Birthday Safari

My friend Tammy knows how to throw a great party. I've been doing invitations for her for a few years now and she always has a fun theme picked out. This year, her youngest is turning one and she's having a safari-themed blowout. I have no doubt that little Blake will in some way coordinate with mom's theme. We did postcards for this momentous occasion which should leave Tammy some extra cash for the leopard print cake. Don't think she won't! Happy Birthday, Blake!

Kristen + Tracey

Kristen & Tracey are having a photo booth at their wedding (how cool is that?) So it only seemed appropriate to use that as inspiration for their save the dates, which includes some goofy portraits of the bride and groom-to-be, as well as a great shot of their smiling pooch, Flannigan. This will be sent out as a postcard that can also double as a bookmark. Voila! Form and function! And a low-cost alternative to traditional save the dates. Emily Estfan of EME Photography was the talented photographer behind these great shots.

TaKen Video Productions

I recently had the chance to work with Christa Middleman and Kendra Davidson of Taken Video Productions. What a team! I had a lot of fun on this project as they were both open to a lot of ideas for the branding of their company. We came up with a new logo, some snazzy business cards and a website. Pictured below is the front of their business card.

Tablescapes

I recently participated in the 1st annual NACE Events Elements Competition for tabletop design with the girls from Bright Event Gallery. Our themes were "Fire" and "Earth" and we placed 3rd for our Earth table. Saa-weeeeet! For the Earth table, we used newspaper to create menu pockets, and river rocks for place cards. Victoria even fashioned some centerpieces out of newspaper. There were also bamboo chairs, burlap favor bags and recycled 3-D table numbers. For the Fire table, we went with a "where there's smoke, there's fire" theme. Lots of shades of gray -- and check out those chargers! Have you ever seen so much bling? The menus were done on translucent vellum, and we did tiny place cards that came with a magnifying glass. Because magnifying glass + sun = fire and smoke. Thanks to Kelly & Victoria over at Bright for sharing the photos and inviting me to take part in this!

Bright Table for Bright Events

I was asked to create paper products for the latest table display over at Bright Event Gallery in Old Town Scottsdale. If you haven't been to Bright yet, you must go. If you've already been, go back. Now. The girls always have something new and exciting displayed and it's a great place to plan your next event or shop for cool handbags, t-shirts and other fun stuff. I worked with a citrus-y color palate and created menus on skewers for a more casual vibe. I also created a combination place card/favor for each of the guests. I love doing this as it saves room on your tables and your guests are guaranteed to take their favors. In honor of my current TV obsession ("The Office"), I created the place cards for Jim, Pam, Dwight and Angela. (Wouldn't this be a hilarious double date? That's my suggestion for a new episode.) I also designed some bachelorette t-shirts for the retail side of the gallery. Act now, supplies are limited! Thanks to Melissa Jill for the photos!

Alison + Brian

Alison is yet another one of my sisters-in-law. She and Brian got married at a beautiful resort in Northern Michigan and we all had a blast. Their rehearsal dinner quickly became a wild dance-off and the actual wedding ended with all in attendance serenading the bride and groom with William Joel's "Piano Man". We did shades of brown and green for the color palate to match the natural surroundings. In lieu of traditional programs, we printed a thank you message to the bridal party, family and friends on the back of the tented menu cards. Marc Liljegren shot the wedding and everything looked gorgeous!

Farrah + Andy

More friends getting married! Farrah and Andy got hitched in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony with lots of vintage style. Farrah found a sweet retro font she loved, so we incorporated that into all of the paper products. We also created an over sized seating chart for guests to find their tables. I love this idea for outdoor receptions. Individual escort cards can blow away so easily. Farrah found a frame, gave me the dimensions and...voila! Dionne Haglund provided the photos.

Leslie + Dan

One of my greatest friends from high school got married recently, and Dorothy Gotlib was kind enough to share some of the images. Leslie and Dan were married in Ann Arbor, Michigan and I was lucky enough to attend. Les chose a gorgeous palate of pale pinks and ivory, reflected in her stationery. We combined the menu cards with the table number to eliminate the need for another card on the tables. It made for a very clean and pretty presentation. Love you guys!

Too Darn Hot

I shouldn't complain since we have had such a cold winter here in AZ. But when the temps climb, I start wishing for October. This hot weather made me think of a few images I had tucked in the archives from an event last summer. The Wedding and Event Network hosted the "White Hot, Cool Blue" party in the middle of August. In Phoenix. Outside. It's crucial to stay well hydrated in the heat, so I like to see brides passing out bottles of water or lemonade to guests. Here is a photo (provided by the wonderful Hollye Schumacher) of the water bottles we handed out at the party last summer. We also decorated plastic cups with cool labels. Doesn't it look refreshing?

new websites

Just finished up two new websites for some super cool gals. Emily Estfan with EME Photography www.emephotography.com needed an update to showcase all the amazing work she's been doing. So many pretty photos! -and- Nancy Cummings with Feelz Like Home www.feelzlikehome.com wanted a new website to go with her new color scheme and logo. Nancy will redesign your home using the things you already have. Check out the before and after's -- she really knows what she's doing!

stephanie + ryan

Yet another great couple, Stephanie and Ryan! Hollye Schumacher, photo extraordinaire, provided the images. www.hollye.com So many great details for this wedding, from the textured paper on the programs, their escort card "trees", and their logo on the dance floor. Stephanie and Ryan are animal lovers, so we also made doggie bags so guests could load up on treats for their pups.

jaime + james

Just got these images from Jaime & James' wedding. What a sweet couple! I designed their wedding invitations to mimic the style of Jaime's asymmetrical dress and we also developed a cool logo that was used on everything from invites to menus to table cards. Here are some shots from their wedding, provided by Ben Quillinan. www.benquillinan.com