Below are descriptions of each of the looks, from start to finish: Design 1: Disco Themed New Years Eve I started this design with turquoise linen. I wanted to do something a bit unexpected. Everyone always thinks they have to do black and white for New Years Eve, and I wanted to show you can bring spring or summer colors in even in the winter! Doing the unexpected is way more fun and will have your guests talking about how clever you are! I then pulled out a trumpet vase and filled it with disco ball ornaments that I got at Hobby Lobby on sale. I topped it with a large Disco ball ornament and then, for some whimsy, I draped a white and silver feather boa (purchased at Party City) around the bottom. Who doesn't love some feathers?My place setting consisted of both silver and white plates with silver balls on them to tie in the disco theme. I put silver Mardi Gras beads in my champagne flute with some new Years noise makers and topped of the look with a sparkly silver NYE hat. All of the elements you saw for this look are super inexpensive so splurge on that gorgeous rental linen! I got all the linens used here today from my go-to rental provider, Premiere Party Central. It is such a statement piece, and is so worth the investment.Design 2: Cocktail or Holiday Party at HomeI love using Christmas ornaments ALL YEAR LONG. If you buy ornaments after Christmas in "non-Christmas" colors you can use them for all kinds of events. I love putting hot pink and black together...it is so bold and stylish! I started with a Hot Pink poly-satin linen (again from Premiere) to set the foundation for our black and pink theme. I topped it with a Damask Runner to bring in the elegance and sophistication. This pattern is really popular. This look can even be achieved with a piece of Damask Fabric from Hobby Lobby, and when your party is over you can use the fabric to make something new, like some pillows for your home! We then layered silver and black place settings and topped it with a martini glass...what's a cocktail party without the martinis?!? I filled the martini glasses with my Mardi Gras Beads again. I also placed a hot pink ornament on the plate. You can get a Sharpie marker and write your guests names on the ornaments as place settings, and then they can take them home and save them for their tree next year...so it's a place card and party gift all in one (we love ways to kill two birds with one stone)! For my centerpieces I took different size and shaped vases and filled them with hot pink and black ornaments (purchased after Christmas at 80% off...hello good deal!), and I also tied some hot pink ribbon around one of them to tie the look together with my tablecloth. I purchased some fun Black table numbers with a Damask pattern in them at my local Hobby Lobby and to give it some height I turned a small bowl upside down and placed it on top. This look is so bold and elegant yet inexpensive. Again if you can do your centerpiece for less money then you can invest in renting the nicer linens and when you rent your linens and china you have less mess to clean up after your party. For more of my cocktail party planning tips you can see my article here, on Culture Map Austin.Design 3: Winter Wedding Design (from Austin Wedding Day Engaged! In Austin Show 2011)I wanted to show our design from last year's show for a Winter Wedding. I worked with my go-to florist, Blossom's Floral Artistry, to create this wintery & sparkly design. We used lots of white hydrangea, white Manzanita branches with orchids and crystals and lots of bling and candlelight. Sparkly candles are a GREAT way to bring elegance to any table. We chose to use lots of hydrangea because they give you a great bang for your buck, and by mixing crystals and orchids on the branches we were able to use fewer orchids and still make it look full of floral. It is just a clean yet super dreamy design. We anchored this design with a silver & black linen to give some punch to our all-white design so that it would pop against the room. We called this table "Love Sparkles". To make the table more personalized, we added framed "B" and "G" monogrammed plaques (for bride and groom) that we purchased at Hobby Lobby, to help define where the happy couple is sitting. This is a super inexpensive way to add yet another personal detail.To see what we have in store for you this year, come visit our room, "Champagne and Chandeliers," to see an all-new, dreamy wedding design. We will be showing you a wedding from start to finish. So come sip Champagne and meet my A-Team of wedding vendors at the Westin Austin at The Domain on January 8th, from Noon-6pm. Our room will be in the main Ballroom. To see our room from last year featured in the commercial for the Engaged In Austin show click the link here.We look forward to seeing you at the show!
