If you happened to pop over to Bering’s on Friday or Saturday, June 18-19, you no doubt caught a glimpse of the future of fine china and crystal. For two gleaming, glittering, gorgeous days, Houston’s emporium of elegance hosted Lord Wedgwood, of the famed British china dynasty, accompanied by Waterford Wedgwood international spokesperson and arbiter of entertaining excellence Jorge Perez. Big thanks to Bering’s for pairing with Rolls-Royce to bring this terrific twosome to Houston!
For those of you who weren’t able to attend, we snagged an exclusive chat with Perez and Lord Wedgwood, who dished on serving platters, teapots and such, and told us why today’s tabletop registry is all about breaking free of the “china prison” (Perez’s cute term for grandma’s hands-off china hutch). Here’s what we learned:
Lord Wedgwood: Registering for your wedding is not just saying something looks pretty. Yes, it looks pretty, but you should also be able to say, “Wow, we can use it for this and this and this.” Wedgwood has been at this game for 250-plus years, and the reason we’re still in business is based on the legacy of a number of things. One of them is quality. And quality absolutely illustrates that this is something that can be used multiple ways for time immemorial.
Jorge Perez: There is nothing like a Houston bride. These are world-class brides. They’ve had great parenting, and this region of the country is one that still entertains with style. It’s in their blood. We also know that with brides today, they have so much going on in their lives. Registering is a point in time when a bride stops and takes time to think about the future. We may not be the sexy part of wedding planning, like the cake or the venue. But we are about life after the wedding. We’re here to inspire a bride to think about why she might need a teacup. It’s not just for tea. A tea cup can be used for tapas, spicy sauces, holding flowers or serving soup in. We’re here to give brides permission to use these things in many different ways, so you can use that china that your parents or grandparents left in the hutch too long. Get it out of that “china prison!”
Lord Wedgwood: Entertaining is all about creating atmosphere and ambiance. In so many instances, that is so critical to the whole experience. Even the food can be relatively mediocre, as long as you’ve created the right ambiance with lighting, flowers and the right kind of accessories. It just requires a little bit of thought. And if you have put that thought into your registry, then you’re able to draw from the things that are there.
Jorge Perez: And that ambiance we’re talking about really begins at curbside. That’s where your guests should start feeling this incredible evening coming on. And that table, make sure it’s real for you. Don’t set your table for a photo shoot, set it for the purpose of evening. And remember, there are no rules. We just want you to enjoy yourself. Do, though, try to keep the centerpieces low, and the candles and flowers fragrance-free. Also, one of the things we love to advise at Waterford Wedgwood is always do something unexpected. Guests might not remember the meal, but they will remember the experience. So turn that Waterford glass upside down and use it for a votive. Pour the soup out of a coffeepot into a cup and saucer. Your guests will remember that forever. It’s really all about doing simple things in a fabulous way.
Jorge Perez will return to the Houston Wedding Blog to offer his top registry tips in just a few weeks. Trust us, you won’t want to make your list till you check this post…twice. We’ll announce it on Facebook and Twitter when we post, so stay tuned!
For a full gallery of event photos, visit Bering’s bridal blog
Thursday, June 30, the Houston chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding had its official launch. I am one of the board members of this fabulous organization, and so proud to be involved.
If you’re not familiar with it, Wish Upon a Wedding is the nation’s very first nonprofit charitable organization set up to produce weddings, at destinations across the United States, for couples facing a life-threatening illness. Its unique mission makes Wish Upon a Wedding the world’s first nonprofit wedding-wish-granting organization. It’s also quickly becoming the wedding industry’s charity of choice.
Attended by more than 150 Houston wedding industry professionals and brides, the launch reception, generously underwritten by the Westin Galleria and overseen by catering director Adam Rineer took place in the hotel’s Monarch Ballroom, with its beautiful views of the city. The talented Rob Smith and staff of Events in Bloom decorated the space stunningly with stylish lounge furniture. Guests enjoyed the impressive buffet and desserts prepared by the Westin chefs, along with sinfully delicious miniature wedding-cake truffles from Cakes by Gina. Both, I personally and everyone on the board of Wish Upon A Wedding are so grateful to the wonderful Houston wedding professionals who donated their time and services to make the evening a success.
Houston chapter president Heather Hamilton-Sims of Simply Jubilee Events shared the vision and objective of Wish Upon a Wedding, and the accompanying video clips left not a dry eye in the room.
By the end of the evening attendees could not wait to volunteer their services and time as wish grantors for this most worthy cause, which provides weddings for couples in need regardless of sexual orientation. Houston brides, here is an opportunity to share your good fortune with someone a lot less fortunate who wants nothing more than to be married….just like you. As President Hamilton-Sims put it, most of us are planning weddings and events one, or maybe two or three years from now, but for these couples facing a life-threatening illness that time line does not exist.
So how can you help?
Watch this short video clip to see just what Wish Upon a Wedding has done and visit Wish Upon a Wedding. To donate your services, please sign on as a Wish Grantor. Blog about it. Talk about it. Become a Facebook fan and follow Wish Upon a Wedding on Twitter. In lieu of favors at your wedding, please consider making a donation to Wish Upon a Wedding and spread the joy. But most of all, just GIVE.
Here’s a suggestion: Put away your pastels and go for a sunny, earthy Tuscan-Provencal vibe for your summer bridal shower. We’re thinking glistening olives, crunchy crostini, sparkling Prosecco, lavender crème brulee. We’re thinking shades of briny blue and vibrant yellow, pure cotton table linens and natural-fiber accessories. We’re thinking these seasonal lovelies will get you thinking what we’re thinking. All from Williams-Sonoma.
There’s a new name in Houston wedding rentals…that just happens to be a very familiar name in fabrics. You may know High Fashion Fabrics as Houston’s largest fabric store—the place to go if you’re in the market for a few yards of cool Calaveras skull-patterned cotton or a handful of sparkling crystal buttons.
Photo: Serendipity Photography
Well, now High Fashion is also the place to go if you’re looking for a totally unique table linen or, say, a few hundred sleek acrylic dining chairs. You see, about a year ago, a friend of High Fashion manager Dolley Levan’s was getting married and couldn’t seem to find the perfect cloths for her wedding tables. Levan and team came to her rescue, and shortly thereafter decided to start offering linen rental to customers. The service has been “very well received,” Levan tells the Houston Wedding Blog—so much so that High Fashion is now offering chic lounge furniture and unique table seating, along with the kind of fashion-forward table linen you just won’t find anywhere else in town.
Photo: Serendipity Photography
Photo: Serendipity Photography
Like Confetti a textured taffeta style that looks like it might have just walked off a Paris runway, and gives the impression of shimmering coins or rippled water. So chic! Or how about Eden Floral—a fabulous sheer overlay with appliquéd flowers and leaves, which “acts as floral itself,” Levan says. She recommends pairing it with contemporary centerpieces featuring branches and crystals, rather than an abundance of cut blooms. Then there’s the super-hip Ivory & Black Paris Flocked Damask Shantung. As linen names go, it’s a bit of a mouthful. As linen styles go, it’s utterly gorgeous.
Photo: Serendipity Photography
Of course, this being Houston and all, High Fashion feeds the needs of traditional Southern brides, too. They’ve got regal ivory damask, luxurious bisque peau-de-soie satin and solid taffetas in a rainbow of shades, plus many other elegant styles.
Photo: Serendipity Photography
It’s official: Whether you’re looking for aluminum chairs and LED-lit coffee tables, or custom-made table linen, High Fashion’s got you, and your tables, covered.
If you’re of the mind that a daytime wedding is to an evening wedding what a flip-flop is to a Louboutin, get ready to have your thinking seriously altered, Houston bride.
The best thing about a daytime wedding? Well, beyond the fact that it’s a perfect lead-in to a let-your-hair-down, informal evening gathering, and that it allows weary revelers to get their beauty rest, having a daytime wedding, especially a Sunday daytime wedding, can save you a bundle on venue rental fees. Which means you’ve got that much more budget to allocate to things like floral, linen and décor. And trust us, you’re going to be grateful that you do. Because as far as elegance, artistry and luxury are concerned, the bright blue sky’s the limit for today’s daytime wedding.
We’ve collected a few breathtakingly beautiful examples to inspire the daytime bride in you!
How sweet is this Texas-style Southern California backyard wedding featured on 100 Layer Cake? The hand-lettered signs and bright, funky floral arrangements add so much warmth and whimsy to this joyful fête.
Photo: Michelle King
Also from 100 Layer Cake, here’s a showcase wedding design that was featured at a recent bridal show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. We particularly love the “vintage concept” tabletop, with those antique vases and mix-n-match china. And the Hostess Sno Balls? Lordy, too cute!
Photo by Scott Clark Photo & Robert Wagner
This South African wedding, featured over at Junebug Weddings, is so simple and elegant. The pristine white-and-silver color scheme is lovely, especially with those small touches of green in the succulent and wildflower centerpieces.
Photo by Christine Meintjes
And lastly, here’s a completely different take on the daytime white wedding, from the ever-stylish Style Me Pretty. We adore everything from the monochromatic box centerpieces (perfect for rectangular banquet tables), to the white chiavari chairs, to the sea-glass plates and personal apple pies. So homey, yet so chic.
Planning an outdoor ceremony, Houston bride? An al fresco vow exchange is a great opportunity to get creative and show off your personal style with an altar that goes beyond the basic flower-twined arch or filmy canopy.
Don’t overlook interestingly textured materials like bamboo, wrought iron and driftwood, which make sturdy foundations and offer interesting contrast to softer textiles and floral. Maybe you want to add internal illumination to stretched-fabric posts, or forgo floral in favor of hanging crystals, seashells or sculpted branches. Perhaps your ceremony setting has the good fortune of a natural feature—say, a massive willow tree or sparkling lake—that can serve as a special focal point for your nuptials with little or no added decoration.
While you’re considering these altar alternatives, have a look at a handful of intriguing, unexpected, and altogether wonderful altar examples we’ve pulled together for you:
How cool is this “stage” altar, crafted by Oakland, Calif.-based Because We Can for the wedding of stationery company Hello!Lucky’s creative director?
Photos by Gia Canali with Sara Remington
This contemporary, elegant black wrought-iron chuppah, on the Fountain Terrace of The Four Seasons Hotel, Las Vegas, doubled as a canopy for the reception’s sweetheart table. Stylish and practical.
Wrought Iron Altar
Photos by altF Photography
We love the glowing, ethereal “posts” on this simple but spectacular outdoor canopy. And the bright, willowy-stemmed flowers? What a magical effect.
Illuminated Altar
There’s not much to this understated bamboo canopy—but what is there is refined and lovely, and draws attention to the wedding couple, rather than to itself. You could always add tropical foliage or accent the aisle with floral for a lusher, more feminine look.
Bamboo Altar
And, finally, we are totally in love with this hand-hewn altar, made by the bride’s younger brother to resemble an old-time country church. Check out the “windows,” the yellow dresser, the black iron chandelier and antique candle-holders—amazing, totally original, absolutely beautiful.
It’s no secret that the Houston Wedding Blog has some serious love for haven-of-all-things-handmade, Etsy. And now we have yet another reason to love the ubiquitous online artisans’ marketplace. You see, the Etsy Wedding Team Shop has launched a team event to raise money for Haiti, which, as we all know, was devastated by a massive earthquake, and subsequent aftershocks, on Jan. 10.
Here’s how it works:
Members of the Wedding Team—these are artisans who make wedding-related items, from jewelry to favors to décor, and more—have donated a selection of their wares to the event. Purchase a donated item and the proceeds (minus Etsy and PayPal fees) will go directly to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. It’s that simple.
The items themselves, on the other hand, are intricate, elegant, fanciful, fun and unique. Check out, for instance, this delightful floral headband—perfect for your most fashionable flower girl.
Flower Headband
Or how about these filigree and glass-pearl earrings? We think they’re a very pretty pairing for an ivory bridal gown, and also great for a bridesmaid gift.
Filigree and glass-pearl earrings
And weren’t we delighted to find this clay-flower accent arrangement from DK Designs (remember when we blogged about Martha Stewart discovery Diane Phillips way back in November?). Those peach-hued English roses and creamy magnolia blossoms? Hard to believe they’re not real flowers!
Clay Flowers
You’ll also find cupcake pick tags (cute!), wedding signs (handy!), coffee cup corsets (darling!) and other wonderful wedding extras. So check it out and pass the word along. Haiti needs our help, and Etsy’s got a terrific opportunity to give it.
If you’re one of the more than 1,000 lucky brides and assorted family and friends who attended the Jan. 24 Before You Say … “I Do!” soiree, you’re probably still reeling from the thrill of the experience. We know we are.
This year’s show featured nearly 80 in-demand Houston wedding experts and purveyors of wedding beauty and bounty (thank goodness for that Java Pura coffee bar…with so much to see and such divine cuisine and drink from the ever hospitable Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, we needed a caffeine kick or two!)
We want to thank the wonderful Lisa Hopkins, director of catering for The Houstonian, and her amazing staff, without whom the soiree would not have been possible. And this year’s show wasn’t just possible, it was “fabulous,” notes Weddings in Houston publisher Radhika Day. “Gorgeous weather, great turnout and incredible displays” were all on hand, she says. As for those designer tablescapes and cake displays? “They were show stopping! And the cocktail reception was a big hit with the brides.” Shocker, huh? But it was the Houston BoyChoir, which performed on stage just before the spectacular soiree fashion show, that really wowed the crowd. As Day says, “Their angelic faces and beautiful voices stole the show!”
Houston Boychoir - Photo: Nhan
We’ll have more Before You Say … “I Do!” wrap coverage coming up, but take a look at these photos for a little taste of our sweetest soiree yet!
Bring you mother, sister, maid of honor, fiancé…or the whole crew, and enjoy cocktails, gourmet nibbles, spectacular tablescapes, gorgeous cakes, a stunning bridal fashion show, door prizes and special treats. And while you’re at it, take advantage of the chance to chat one-on-one with some of the best wedding talents in the business.
Tickets for this once-a-year luxury showcase of the best in Houston weddings are only $20—that’s less than the price of a single manicure!—for a full FIVE HOURS of wedding ideas, inspiration and goodies galore. And guess what? They sell out. Every year.
We’ll definitely be there. Make sure you are, too!
Their client list—Colin Cowie Lifestyle, Versace, Bergdorf Goodman, Serena Bass, etc.—reads like a who’s who of arbiters of style and sophistication. They’ve provided spectacular props and furniture for everything from Hollywood film shoots to high-end social affairs. And now New York’s famed Taylor Creative Props has launched Taylor Creative Weddings—a special collection of furnishings, accessories and décor, along with design consultation services, tailored (if you’ll pardon the pun) just for weddings. Perhaps even YOUR wedding, Houston bride.
Taylor Creative has a distinctly modern aesthetic, marked by architectural edge, mid-century modularity, plenty of glass and chrome, and lots of sleek, bright white. But when paired with beautiful lighting and floral, these edgy pieces soften gorgeously, and evoke an atmosphere of sophisticated femininity and romance that makes us swoon.
Unfortunately, Taylor Creative does not warehouse items in Houston—BUT, they will send whatever you want via truck from New York (for the right price, of course). For the rest of us, the Taylor Creative Weddings’ site is a source of inspiration and ideas, and a GREAT resource to share with our phenomenally talented Houston wedding consultants, rental companies, florists or décor providers.
