Christi + Matt

Christi and Matt were married in November at the Japanese Friendship Garden, followed by a reception at The Arizona Science Center. (I didn't realize the Science Center did weddings, but it's AMAZING inside!)

We started off with tickets in the form of "concert tickets" (will post images of those later) because as Matt remarked, "music is my church". So we took the idea of music and ran with it. They named their tables after their favorite bands, so their escort cards had cute sayings like, "please be seated with the beatles". 

Rather than making separate programs and menus, we combined the two into a booklet that went along with the asian/minimalist/green and brown decor. Brides, this is a great way to save a little money and keep your guests entertained while the best man drones on about lord knows what :)

Thanks to the lovely Hollye Schumacher for sharing the photos!

Spring Color Forecast

Twice a year, Pantone releases it's Color Reports that predict color trends for Fall and Spring. 

I love to see what they come up with, because it often ties into what brides will want to do with their wedding decor. (If you read Martha Stewart Weddings regularly, you'll notice that the color palates they use usually tie into these Pantone Reports.)

To see the full report, including fun illustrations from top fashion designers, click here.

Messy Mandy

Happy New Year!

This time of year always makes me feel like a bit of a slob. Every home/garden/decor magazine devotes its January issue to organization. I'd love to go on a spending spree at The Container Store, but all of those pretty binders and trays would undoubtedly be buried under a stack of paper and ribbon by the first of February. It's not that I'm not organized -- I know where everything is. I'm just more "organized chaos" than your average HGTV host would like to see.

Enter Messy Mandy, my sister-in-law and professional jack of all trades. She recently started her dream company and needed a logo and identity to go with it. (See her new postcards below). Amanda will organize your closet, walk your dog, do your grocery shopping and help you throw a dinner party. Unfortunately for us desert dwellers, she currently resides in a trendy Chicago neighborhood. But I'm sure her new business will be so successful she'll be able to "winter" in Arizona and help all of us who take pride in our organized chaos. 

PS - this is also a shameless plug for my graphic design services. If you need help with branding/collateral/logos/etc., email me.

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!