Category Archives: Color Trends

Color Me Beautiful: Mixed Prints

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Mixing prints and patterns was all over the spring runways, and we love how this trend has lent itself so splendidly to interiors and tablescapes.  By mixing prints within the same color family, you can create a little interest to a more subtle palette.  Or for a bolder look, try taking two patterns in contrasting hues and mixing them with an otherwise neutral ensemble.

Vivienne Tam Ready to Wear, J. Crew, Fabric, Rue place setting, Diane Von Furstenburg Ready to Wear, Bed, Living Room, Place Setting

Color Me Beautiful: For the Love of Lavender

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Easton Events

As spring begins to bloom, we can’t help but be inspired by one of nature’s prettiest gifts: lavender.  Soft and delicate, lavender is both aromatically enticing and aesthetically pleasing.  We love seeing this color incorporated into spring tabletops and flowy gowns.

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Lavender, Gown, Cupcakes, Cocktails, Staircase, Hanging dress, Bridesmaid, Cake, Wedding party

A Montalto Rehearsal Dinner

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The Easton girls loved celebrating with the Hornberger/Fryer family the night before their wedding day! Graced with a beautiful sunset and idyllic Charlottesville mountain view, Monticello’s Montalto was the perfect venue for this group of UVA graduates! The colors of  the Blue Ridge Mountains were reflected inside the building with tones of blues incorporated with the chivari chairs and table linens.  Pat’s Floral Design created simple floral arrangements that complimented the beautiful surrounding landscape. Chef Dean Maupin crafted a masterpiece of summer specialties using local flavors for a seated dinner of 50 people, including one of our seasonal favorites…gazpacho!

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Venue: Monticello’s Montalto// Photographer: Eric Kelley// Catering: Keswick Hall// Florals: Pat’s Floral Design.

 

Color Me Beautiful: Pastel Palette

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wedding inspiration

Just in time for a fresh spring color palette, the Elie Saab 2012 Couture collection revealed a wide array of rainbow-hued pastels.  We are seeing baby pinks, soft yellows, and light blues making appearances in gowns, heels, and florals for spring.  To keep your pastels looking modern, we suggest pairing a softer color with a brighter (dare we say, neon!) shade, like mint green and bold coral.

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Elie Saab 2012 Couture, BHLDN bridesmaids, Elie Saab 2012 Couture, Bouquet via Martha Stewart Weddings by Pat’s Floral Designs, Louboutin heels, Matchbooks, Peppermint patties, Mint trench

A Garden Inspired Wedding at Clifton Inn

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Easton Events

Kelli Brooks and Randall Scheri had a late-Spring wedding at the Clifton Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their event was a lush, green, and reverent celebration of the season.

With under a hundred guests, Kelli and Randall were able to keep the ceremony intimate in Clifton’s “Croquet Lawn”—an English-style, cultivated garden enclosed in white lattice. The Inn’s many elegant yet accessible rooms were woven with tables for the after-ceremony meal. Dining tables were set with a variety of flowers in pink, green, beige, and lavender, laid out simply and mixed with dark violet flowers, which added complexity and depth. The tablecloths were a subdued gold, overlaid with glimmering sage and deep aqua toppers. One of the themes of this wedding was definitely comfort: clean and cozy settees staged on the outside patio welcomed guests outside to a lush, green yard, and more casual cocktail and dining tables for mingling. The guests left with locally-made artisan chocolates—something to take home and savor the event days later.

Easton Events

Charlottesville Wedding Planner

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Charlottesville Wedding Planner

Easton Events

Easton Events

Easton Events

Charlottesville Wedding Planner

Easton Events

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Clifton Inn// Catering: Clifton Inn// Rentals:Festive Fare// Hair and Makeup: Moxie// Band: Pheonix// Florals:Floral Images and Pat’s Floral Design //  Photography: Jen Fariello// Videographer: Aaron Watson//  Lighting and AV: Blue Ridge Light Forms//  Tent: Skyline Tent // Favors: Gearhart’s Chocolate//Printed Materials: Good Press Paper Co.// Calligraphy: Ginny Rogan

Forget Me Not Friday: Selecting Your Bridesmaid’s Dresses

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Easton Events

When it comes to picking bridesmaid dresses, popular culture says there’s a lot of baggage entailed (picture the wardrobe in 27 Dresses, bursting with tulle and ruffles). But despite all the gags, you don’t have to let this decision become stressful—or worse: argumentative. With a little understanding and good sense, this seemingly big decision can go off without a hitch.

One of the biggest considerations is dress cost. The average price of a bridesmaid dress is between $150 and $300, but this number doesn’t even include other bridesmaid responsibilities: alterations, shoes, nails, hair & make-up, and travel, really up the bill. Some brides choose to offset the package cost with their own money. Your budget may take a knock, but your bridesmaids will appreciate the support!

Color is another big consideration. Brides want to stick with their color scheme, but that can mean different things: different shades of your colors or even complimenting colors are definitely acceptable. You’ll also want to consider the season or tone of your wedding: more formal weddings or nighttime weddings suggest longer or darker dresses. And when it comes to shoes, using metallic or neutral shoes can ensure that bridesmaids get some mileage out of their wedding look.

More and more brides decide just to give guidelines in color and style and then have each bridesmaid pick her own dress!  This idea is the accepted rule of thumb for jewelry, especially: suggest style, type, color, tone so the accessories look cohesive, but so the bridesmaids can draw from their own collection. Your bridesmaids may appreciate these opportunities to really feel good in what they’re wearing and to be an even bigger part of your day.

Easton Events

Charlottesville Wedding Planner

University of Virginia Easton Events Image 1 courtesy of Lynn Brubaker, Image 2, 3, and 5 courtesy of Jen Fariello, Image 4 courtesy of Paul Morse, Image 6 courtesy of Patrica Lyons.

Color Me Beautiful: Copper

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wedding planning Virginia

Metallic detailing at events and weddings certainly add a bit of modern glamor.  Nothing is more true about one of the more unique metals: copper.  With its slightly rosy hue, copper graced some of our favorite spring runways and has become a new staple in metal hardwares; we love Anthropologie’s ode to this hue in its dining chair and flatware!

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Anthropologie chair, Cake via Style Me Pretty, Makeup source unknown, Copper heels, Invitation suite, Anthropologie flatware, Copper vases source unknown, Copper champagne bottle, Bathroom, Men’s shoes, Bathtub, Norman Ambrose Spring 2012

Color Me Beautiful: Tickled Pink

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wedding planner

Fuschia, blush, rose, magenta, coral: We (and the rest of the world) just cannot get enough of pink.  As the weather warms, we are taking cues from Spring’s in trend moment, pink on pink.  Color blocking continues to make bold statements in fashion, and we are loving its newest form, color blocked monochrome.  Lighter pinks paired with neon or deeper pinks look fresh and modern.

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J. Crew pink on pink, Kate Spade pink bib necklace, Jenni Kayne Spring 2012, Anthropologie sunhat, Marni Spring 2012, Anthropologie shoe, Nordstrom dress, Pink lips photo by Elizabeth Messina for Rue Magazine, Rununculus, Backstage, Lipstick organizer, Chanel nail varnish, Pink on pink calligraphy

Forget Me Not Friday: All About The Wedding Cake

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Easton Events

The wedding cake is a wonderful way to celebrate, and is a quintessential part of the wedding rituals.  Whether you choose to have a small cake just to cut or you decide to have a five-tiered embellished display, the wedding cake is more than just a dessert. As Sylvia Weinstock said, “ a cake, it turns out, is more than just dessert- and serves many purposes at a party. It’s decoration, a conversation starter, a backdrop for photos, a keepsake.”

When thinking about your cake, maybe the most important choice is going to be in the icing—the cake has to taste amazing, of course, but it has look just as good! The two most common icing types are fondant and buttercream, and both have their own characteristics and flavor. If you’re looking for that smooth, porcelain texture, fondant should be your first choice. Kneaded from sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin until it’s impossibly silky and pliable, fondant has that picture-perfect look, and in any color you can think of! Sheets of fondant are carefully leveled with a rolling pin and then draped over the cake before the final smoothing.

Fondant can be a finicky choice, however: fondant is hard to rework and any mistake or flaw the baker makes can be impossible to fix, so everything has to go perfectly. The extra time and care that goes into making each tier in one-shot is partially responsible for fondant’s extra cost—fondant can be up to three times more expensive than buttercream (think three to 10 dollars a slice!). Of course, neither icing is going to hold up too well, so it’s important that your cake stays fresh (and, really, you’d want that anyway).

Always make sure you’re aware of the cake’s delivery time and the logistics of the backroom storage so your cake is as fresh as possible. Ensuring icing and cake freshness takes coordination plus time and space for assembly. With fondant, the problem becomes its tendency to dry or peal. With buttercream, the icing may start to melt or it may gain condensation under refrigeration. Many bakers address the dryness of fondant by adding a layer of buttercream underneath the fondant layer—basically, a little thought and preparation goes a long way!

As far as taste goes, popular opinion says that buttercream is tops (like its name suggests, buttercream is an irresistible blend of butter, confectioners sugar, milk, and flavoring); however, new flavors of fondants, like marshmallow and white chocolate, are giving buttercream a run for it’s money. And even though the buttercream may taste better, it is harder to get that porcelain look. But don’t let that stop you! A good baker is able make buttercream as smooth as fondant. And, of course, if you don’t like the porcelain sheen to begin with, go for buttercream! Buttercream can be piped, swirled, set in waves, or piled up for rustic, organic perfection.

Of course, icing isn’t the only factor in the cost of your cake: behind all the icing, there’s a lot of labor and love that comes with it’s own dues. If you’re trying to cut costs, think about how ornate you want your cake to be: sugared flowers are beautiful (and edible!), but real flowers have their own distinct integrity and style…at a better cost. And who is forming those handmade flowers? A celebrity chef is going to be more expensive than your local (and equally as talented!) baker.

When should you start making the cake-styling decisions? Later, not sooner. As you start planning your wedding, you could get caught up with the cake before you even know the theme and tone of the event! The cake is often in direct conversation with your décor, your color scheme, or even your dress; it’s important to wait until you know the bigger details. Go ahead and decide on your baker, the kind of cake or filling…but leave the outer layer until last. Having a cake at your wedding is as much about eating it and the theme of celebration, as it is about having all those final ta-da’s that make your wedding the real deal. Some couples even decide to have a small, display cake (the one they cut and eat before friends, family, and photographer) and a less-expensive sheet cake (kept in the back) for the masses to enjoy! The real cake, small or big, should be out and on display–not carted out from the back–like the focal point it is!

Easton Events

Maggie Austin created sugar flowers on this tiered wedding cake.

Keswick Hall

Displaying the wedding cake on a beautiful linen and in a visible area allows your guests to enjoy the cake before it is cut and served.

Easton Events

Kathy, from Favorite Cakes, recreated the motif used on the printed materials to the wedding cake!

Easton Events

Anita from Maliha Creations used fresh flowers on this couples wedding cake. Ask your florist if they will provide flowers for your wedding cake, and make sure they have not sprayed the flowers with pesticides!

Easton Events

One of our brides loved the lace detailing in her wedding dress and she wished to have this pattern translated onto her wedding cake. Sylvia Weinstock’s creative design helped bring all of the details together!

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Maggie Austin incorporated colors into her cake that were used in the decor of the wedding. Tones of orange and red were interspersed throughout the event in the form of pillows, draping, and even lighting.

Image 1 courtesy of Jen Fariello and cake by The Clifton Inn, Image 2 and 3 courtesy of Eric Kelley and cake by Maggie Austin, Image 4 and 5 courtesy of Patrica Lyons and cake by Sylvia Weinstock, Image 6 and 7 courtesy of Paul Morse and cake by Favorite Cakes,Image 8 and 9 courtesy of Patricia Lyons and cake by Maliha Creations, Image 10 and 11 courtesy of Patrica Lyons and cake by Maggie Austin, Image 12 and 13 courtesy of Patrica Lyons and cake by Sylvia Weinstock.

A Spring Soirree With Taylor and Rob

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Overwhelmingly white and accented in vibrant baby blues, this next Real Wedding was a luscious and classic affair…and perfect for Spring! Taylor and Rob were married on May 1st at the University of Virginia’s campus chapel—the school is Rob’s alma mater. The couple emphasized their ties to this picturesque locale, from the embroidered belts that served as groomsmen’s gifts, to the stunning, neo-classical backdrop for their photos. (The groomsmen even made a pre-ceremony stop at a notorious, local burger joint to grab a celebratory bite!). The reverent service was the perfect match for these two, with a run of flickering votives on the altar and simple white programs (tied with a sliver of blue ribbon) waiting in the pews.

Following the service, the whole party headed over to Keswick Hall, where Mr. and Mrs. were greeted with a rousing welcome. Taylor and Rob’s joy and charisma were apparent throughout the night: guests were invited to treat their sweet tooth at a whimsical, all-white candy bar; and, instead of table numbers, seating was organized by the couple’s favorite songs.

Taylor and Rob made their getaway into an awaiting vintage car through a dazzling procession of sparklers, family, and friends. Dressed down in the same white and blue palette that characterized the rest of their wedding, Taylor and Rob really brought the day full circle!

Please take a moment to enjoy these stunning photos compliments of Holland Photo Arts!!!

Easton Events

Keswick Hall

Charlottesville Wedding Planner

Cutting of the Cake

Ceremony Location: University of Virginia Chapel// Reception Venue: Keswick Hall// Catering: Keswick Hall // Rentals: Festive Fare// Printed Materials:  // Calligraphy: // Hair and Makeup: Moxie// Band: The Adrian Duke Project// Wedding Cake: // Florals: Pat’s Floral Design//  Photography: Holland Photo Arts// Videographer: Ian’s Creations//  Lighting: Blue Ridge Light Forms// Tent: Virginia Tent Rental