Glamour, Sparkle & Bling

I met with this bride about a year before her wedding was to take place. She is pretty, petite and definitely had given her special day a lot of thought. In our initial consultation I discovered her theme was glamour, sparkle and lots of bling.  The date for the big event was New Year's Eve and it was going to be held in a private home. This home is a gorgeous, restored Victorian and once I saw it I could just picture it styled with her theme. I was getting very excited to start the styling and planning process and was thrilled that Whitley Design was her choice for Day of Coordination and putting together a total design plan.

A little bit about the venue - being a restored Victorian it's beautiful inside and a home made for entertaining. The chandeliers are original to the house and fit the theme perfectly - absolutely gorgeous - real glass. But, there was a concern I had. The dominate colors in this home are maroon and navy blue and all the furnishings are Victorian which means dark, substantial furniture. Very strong, dark colors. The color palette my bride choose was silver, ivory, and a pale pink. Did I mention that the wall paper in one room was thick stripes of maroon & ivory and that of course this home was filled with many personal pictures and decorations, like anyone's home. How to make this work was my challenge.

Once the general design was in place I gave lots of thought to the challenge. Anything I did couldn't compete with this home's interior - it had to take over. With this theme of bling, bling, bling and more bling that made my job easier. The home owners were very accommodating and agreed with everything I suggested - from removing all pictures and many personal things. So we had a blank slate, sort of - the furniture and wallpaper were still there.  I decided that there would only be a few elements to this design but I would use them abundantly and in large doses.  They wouldn't be fussy or delicate but very elegant and simple. These elements were mercury glass, candlelight, bling and sequin linens. From there I added lots and lots of candlelight. Two bookcases were completely emptied and then we added lots of tealights on all the shelves. The flowers we used were only two types, pale pink roses and white hydrangeas. Vases were either mercury glass or embellished clear, of course with bling. The linens and fabrics were either silver or pale pink with sequins - they were to die for! And don't forget the bling - we used lots but not every surface - a few spots were all this home needed.

The ceremony was taking place here and it was decided to be held in front of a window. Again, the home owners took down their curtains so we could create a spectacular spot for the bride and groom to recite their vows. I had a vision for that window and I couldn't wait to implement it.

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One of the things I love most about weddings is that they are very personal occasions. I encourage all my brides to make sure their wedding reflects their & their significant other personalities. This wedding was no exception - from the catered gourmet Chinese food, family photos, the very touching toasts, the glamorous evening dresses & tuxes, the sparkler sendoff, to the live piano music featuring show tunes. I forgot to mention that the bride and groom met at the theater, not as guests - he was the producer and she an actor - to this day they are still very active in theater so of course the bride & groom scripted their wedding like a theater production and it was fabulous!

A very special thank you to D'Paulo Design & Linens for the absolutely fabulous linens. From the sequined runners and tablecloths to the sheer panels used to create the stunning window, they help to make this wedding spectacular!

And a very, very special thank you to the bride and groom for trusting us with their special day. When the bride walked in and said we outdid ourselves I couldn't have been happier!
Here's to rhinestones, glitter, sequins, bling and happily everafter!