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March 12, 2010

In the details

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest impact. Take the following settings: from the flowers and favors to the cakes, perfectly coordinated color palettes and detailed décor elements combine to create well-dressed receptions.

Shot on location at The Orangerie at Red Butte Garden

Natural Beauty

For a fresh fall wedding, create a setting that’s all about nature. Choose a palette of traditional autumn colors but with a twist: citrus lime green, ginger orange, deep red and a touch of canary yellow. Add oak chairs, green-colored dishes and glassware, and cascading linens to evoke natural elements like wood, foliage and running water. A creative Earth-friendly centerpiece, rich chocolate cake, hearty floral bouquet and intoxicating incense favors round out the woodsy, eco-chic look.

	Autumn’s Glory For a modern, organic-looking bouquet use hardy flowers in seasonal hues like this unique mix of safari sunset, leucadendron, and hens and chicks succulents ($100). By La Fleur, SLC.
	Heaven Scent Gift guests with something other than food, like pretty packages of woodsy-scented incense cones (price upon request). By C-3 Design, SLC.
	Chocolate Love Forgo plain white fondant for a chocolate cake like this chocolate raspberry mousse cake with chocolate fondant and handmade chocolate adornments (price upon request). By Layer by Layer Cakes, Ogden.
	Into the Woods Incorporate an eco-friendly element into your wedding with this “green” centerpiece featuring a reclaimed wood stump, yellow mini calla lilies, red mokaras orchids, red kangaroo paw and montebia (price upon request). By Kädo, SLC.

 

Dress Whites

Create a winter wedding that’s both classic and contemporary with a tonal color palette and luxe décor elements reminiscent of Old Hollywood. A white-on-white color scheme looks stylish—not bland—thanks to layers of fabrics and a variety of textures. Reflective surfaces, like the mirrored chargers, and touches of fluffy fur, like the mini muffs tied to the back of each chair, evoke winter elements like ice and snow. Crystal dishes and glassware, silver flatware and jeweled seat covers add to the elegant setting.

	All in a Row Graceful white flowers and soft, textural foliage create elegant centerpieces, like these arrangements of tulips, parrot tulips, calla lilies, hydrangea, kale, pussywillow and dusty miller (price upon request). By Roots, SLC.
	Looking Glass Mirrored chargers, crystal dishes and glasses, beaded napkin rings and small silver votives combine for sleek and stylish settings. By C-3 Design, SLC.
	Ivory Tower Your cake will take center stage when it looks as regal as this “Ella” six-tier confection dressed in a metallic white fondant ($800). By Carrie’s Cakes, SLC.
	Old World Charm Dress up small packages of candy, chocolate or other petite treats by wrapping them in vintage white handkerchiefs—even better if they’re heirloom handkerchiefs—like these sweet favors secured with string and topped with small white pom-poms to tie in the winter theme (price upon request). By C-3 Design, SLC
	Silver Lining For wintertime bouquets, focus on florals in cool colors with textural accents, like this bouquet of white hydrangea, rose, genestra, gypsophilia, silver brezellia and kiwi branch wrapped in organza (price upon request). By Language of Flowers, SLC.

 

Pretty In Pink

If you’re getting married near Valentine’s Day, a pink color scheme and feminine décor elements can create a lovely setting. But how do you pull it all together for a reception that’s young at heart but doesn’t look like a Sweet Sixteen shindig? Stick to a sophisticated palette of rose and fuchsia with magenta accents—the colors are girly but grown-up—and add flirty touches like jewels, feathers and ribbons. Decorate each place setting with napkins rolled to look like roses for the finishing touch.

	All Aflutter Decorate your chairs with layers of colorful ribbons, topped with flirty feathers. By C-3 Design, SLC.
	Buttered Up In place of traditional fondant, try a cake with texture, like this buttercream cake decorated with pink ribbon, flowers and a crystal cake topper (price upon request). By Exclusive Wedding Cakes, SLC.
	In Bloom Brighten your big day with a colorful bouquet of pink flowers, like this arrangement of Phoebe garden roses, ranunculus, parrot tulips, French pussywillow, nerine lilies, viburnum and freesia pods (price upon request). By StellaPosy, SLC.
	Fresh Cut Jewel-adorned flowers arranged in a variety of pink-painted terra-cotta pots make for cute, creative centerpieces (price upon request). By Every Blooming Thing, SLC.
	The Sweetest Thing Play up the colors and décor elements used throughout your setting in your favors: Try individual packets of pink jellybeans decorated with a feathered-and-jeweled ribbon (price upon request). By C-3 Design, SLC.

 

In the Know

Colby D. Su, owner of C-3 Design, shares her expert tips and money-saving ideas for creating stylish reception décors.

Spend your décor budget wisely. Select your flowers first (flowers on plain white linens always look good). Then play with linens—double layers look great if you can afford them. Focus on your chairs next, and then your tableware.

Load up on ribbon. When it comes to decorating, you can do anything with ribbon. Buy it in bulk and go to town. With weddings, there’s never too much.

Get creative with linens. 
If you aren’t using chargers, fold pretty napkins into squares and use them in place of chargers. Or, fold your napkins into artistic shapes and top your plates with them.

Decorate your chairs. Chairs are often overlooked. Add something to the back of them—even if you are using simple folding white chairs—like ribbon, a bow or a sign. Decorated chairs break up the look of your tables and add another décor element 
to your setting.

Think beyond clear glassware. Colored glassware adds an element of artwork to your settings. Choose colored glassware that matches your tables and wedding colors.

Select favors everyone will enjoy. Food is always a good choice. Save money by buying food items in bulk, like candies or nuts, and focus on the packaging—when favors have an interesting design element, guests will be drawn to them.

Use favors as place cards. If you are having a seated dinner, add tags with your guests’ names to your favors and top your place settings with them—it’s one less piece of stationery to purchase and one less décor element to worry about.

Work backwards from your décor. Design your reception décor first, and then create your invitations to match. Your invitations will set the stage for what’s to come.

About The Orangerie 
at Red Butte Garden
Red Butte Garden’s Orangerie, located on the Wasatch foothills, features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the mountains to the east and the Salt Lake valley to the west. The Orangerie is available year-round for wedding receptions and other private events, and can accommodate up to 150 guests for a formal sit-down dinner, or up to 400 guests for an open house-style event. For more information, visit redbuttegarden.org.