Love Notes Destination Wedding Blog » themes & color palettes

High Tide: Ocean Tablescapes Part I

Robyn Iaea — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:03:18 +0000

For the Winter ’12 issue we revisited the shore, composing three unique reception tables that celebrate the rhythms, textures and treasures of the sea. We called in one of our favorite photographers, Frank Amodo, to shoot the scenes in the penthouse of the Waikiki Landmark in Honolulu. Part I of this post stars floral designer Fong Tagawa, who created this table to mimic the glittering surface of Hawaiian waters. Stacey Nomura of Bradley & Lily worked alongside our design team to compose custom stationery informed by sea elements, and Les Saisons contributed the perfect iridescent linens to add a final touch of shimmer. Look for more fabulous images and the full story in this issue. xo~robyn

Inspired by Kate Spade’s Spring 2012 Campaign

Shaunna Nygren — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:09:32 +0000

We have been craving some bold, in-your-face styling after a season of soft, feminine hues and Kate Spade’s Spring 2012 Collection heard our cries! We are in awe. The creative team shot their spring campaign in a Brooklyn studio “fully outfitted in Florence Broadhurst’s Japanese floral…our favorite print of the season.” They brought in a DJ to keep things lively on set and he spun Elton John between Blondie and Martin Solveig. What a dream.

The Muse: Legendary Australian textile designer Florence Broadhurst.

xox Shaunna

Amethyst and Pearls Wedding Style

Robyn Iaea — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:16 +0000

Wendy and Eric Mansperger of L’amour Photography shot this original editorial at Laniakea for the Winter/Spring ’11 issue of Pacific Weddings. The scene was created by the incredibly talented Yvonne Chapman and the team from Mood. Like many of our ideas, this was inspired by a runway look Yvonne and I both loved. Of course, she always exceeds my expectation in translating the style board into the final vision. Stacey Nomura of Bradley & Lily designed simply elegant stationery to complement the pearl and deep purple motif. Take a look behind the scenes as Yvonne reinvents the humble carnation in a setting that is at once glamorous and sculptural. xo ~robyn

(Dress by Vera Wang, hair and makeup by Jacque Rojas)

The New Issue of Pacific Weddings has Arrived!

Robyn Iaea — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:09:06 +0000

The Winter Spring ’12 edition of Pacific Weddings is on newsstands and receiving fabulous reviews! We have such an amazing array of real weddings this time around and, as always, we’re so grateful for all the talented individuals who contributed to this issue. Here is a sneak peek of some of the stories. Run out and get your copy or order it online—I promise it is even more beautiful in person! xo ~robyn

(From top, left to right: photos by Scott Andrew, model photo by Visionari, flowers by Yvonne Design/photo by Frank Amodo, cake photo by Corbin Gurkin/cake by Sugarplum Cake Shop, stationery by Ceci New York/photo by Frank Amodo, model photo by Corbin Gurkin, cake by Maggie Austin Cake.

Decorating the Space with Confetti System

Shaunna Nygren — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:00:32 +0000

Often times, the most beautiful designs are derived from the simplest of concepts. Last year, tassel garlands and zany pinatas by Confetti System swept the party circuit in a flurry of sparkle and shine. Nicholas Andersen and Julie Ho are the faces behind the label. They are artists, stylists, designers and friends that share a love of old-fashioned celebration and craft-making. Dwell magazine did a fun Q+A with the pair not to long ago and when asked what’s best about their job, they simply said, “Being able to do what we love”. Isn’t that what we all desire? They have amassed an impressive roster of brand collaborations with their amazingly simple concepts executed to pure visual delight. Pictured above is their tassel branch mobile project in shades of the pale.

We basically lusted over their feminine tissue paper flowers for Lanvin the moment we laid eyes on them. Nicholas and Julie created over 900 paper flowers which took them two weeks to make. If you’re thinking large-scale, eye-popping design for your wedding, start early on the crafting and enlist your bridal party! The bottom photo is the Complex Garland Installation No. 3 at a group show at Maryam Nassir Zadeh.

A gold and pastel permanent wall installation was created for the Crewcuts flagship store in Tribeca, New York; Martha Stewart Weddings featured a fringe heme inspired by Confetti System with a stationery vignette and modern three-tier cake.

Our favorite is the 30-foot long fringe curtain created for the New York store opening of Creatures of Comforts; A fringed wall installation at a restaurant in paris; An exclusive collection of pinatas and blindfolds for Bergdorf Goodman.

How fun are these custom fringe oversize suitcases created for the Target GO International Designer Collective launch hosted by Opening Ceremony at the Ace Hotel in New York. We love them! xoxShaunna

A Glamorous Wedding at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island

Shaunna Nygren — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:54:05 +0000

Real Wedding: Ada & Brian
Photography by Ruth Anne Photography

High school sweethearts Ada and Brian hosted their destination wedding at the beautiful Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii’s Big Island. Situated along a pristine stretch of sunny shoreline known as the Kohala coast, the Hilton Waikoloa is the ultimate in island luxury. The couple’s closest friends and family members gathered in the Palace Garden overlooking Waiulua Bay to witness Ada and Brian’s great love. It was a beautiful day in paradise. The event décor began with a glamorous and contemporary black and white color palette. Bliss in Bloom dressed the table in gorgeous orchid floral arrangements. We especially loved Ada’s dress and Badgley Mischka black kitten heels. The couple’s custom handmade cake topper was found on Esty, adding a touch of homespun charm to the island affair.

Venue: The Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island, Hawaii
Photographer: Ruth Anne Photography
Florist: Bliss in Bloom

A Real Wedding at Kahalu’u Fishpond, Oahu

Shaunna Nygren — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:13:18 +0000

Real Wedding: Leslie & Gran
Photography by Ruth Anne Photography

Gran and Leslie found each other amongst the hectic city streets of Manhattan. Having recently graduated from college, Gran had relocated from Texas and Leslie had traveled from Connecticut. Their paths crossed serendipitously one day, realizing that they shared a childhood friend. “We couldn’t have been from more different backgrounds,” Leslie says. “I grew up in Hong Kong and Gran, in Houston, but somehow that didn’t matter.” They began dating in 2005 when we they started training together for the New York City Half marathon. The dedicated couple spent five of the six years together in a long distance relationship, from New York to Rhode Island, London to California and then back to New York. Now they are happily married and living in London, together.

A wedding in Hawaii felt natural as Oahu is the bride’s birthplace. “Gran loves being near the water and the outdoors so it was easy for us to settle on Hawaii,” Leslie says. “And frankly, who doesn’t love Hawaii?!” They decided to host their celebration at the Kahalu’u Fishpond, not far from Honolulu. “It felt so authentic and true to what Hawaii is to us,” says the bride. “It is beautiful, rustic, untouched and natural— it took our breath away when we first stepped on the land. It has an old, vintage Hawaiian feeling to it that made it really special and we wanted to share this with our family and friends who had never experienced anything like it before.”

Gran and Leslie envisioned a fun, intimate, elegant and chic event. They incorporated a bit of Leslie’s Chinese culture into the day with a Chinese tea ceremony. “At Kahalu’u Fishpond, we didn’t feel the need to over do the decorations because it was already naturally beautiful and we really wanted it to feel like a garden ceremony,” Leslie says. In lieu of a traditional altar, the floral team from Green Honolulu made a scene of large wooden frames wrapped with flowers. The palette of the day was yellow and gray with navy accents of navy. “We wanted relatively neutral but cheerful colors that wouldn’t seem artificial in the organic setting,” Leslie says.

“Avery of Green Honolulu did such a wonderful job that I could barely part with my bouquet the next day!” Leslie says. “It was like an effortlessly arranged bunch of flowers picked from a garden.” Antique bell jars and old bottles lined the long tables as centerpieces. The bride designed the table numbers herself by using recycled green sake bottles and painting the numbers and a pattern onto the bottles. In lieu of wedding favors, the couple donated on behalf of everyone to Stand Up To Cancer, an organization that means a lot to them.

At the reception, the newlyweds opted for a casual family-style dinner over a formal sit-down feast. “We are ‘self-proclaimed’ foodies ourselves, so we spent a lot of time tweaking our menu to incorporate lots of fresh local ingredients prepared with a bit of the Pacific flair to it,” Leslie says. “We wanted an imu at our wedding because a roast pig is a celebratory symbol in the Chinese culture and because Gran and I both love pork.” Ginniberries Catering set up grill stations, serving meat and fish and the imu, along with an array of side dishes: Okinawan potato mash and fresh corn salad. The night ended with a sundae bar and fresh fruit along with a delicious wedding cake. “I surprised Gran with a groom’s cake in the shape of a barbeque pit with a piece of steak, some shrimp and ribs on it!” Leslie says. A fitting tribute to the groom’s home state of Texas while in the bride’s home in Hawaii.

Venue: Kahalu’u Fishpond
Photographer: Ruth Anne Photography
Florist: Green Honolulu
Event Planner: Melissa Laudise of Let’s Do This Event and Wedding Planning
Catering: Ginniberries
Stationery: by the bride, a graphic designer
Printing: Spoon & Sailor Letterpress
Dress designer: Jenny Packham
Bridal Shoes: Kate Spade
Second dress: Custom cheong-sam by Shanghai Tang
Groom’s Suit: Ermenegildo Zengo
Tie: Thomas Pink
Entertainment: Nueva Vida

Just Desserts: White Wedding Confections

Robyn Iaea — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:34:38 +0000

These pretty white confections were photographed by Dave Miyamoto for the Winter 2008 edition of Pacific Weddings. Candy buffets were having their moment (and have only gotten more popular since thanks to candy guru Amy Atlas). We asked Michelle Nakaya of Ginniberries Catering to create white meringue cookies; Carmen Emerson-Bass for her famous vanilla cupcakes from Cupcake Couture; petit fours from Dragonfly Cakes in San Francisco; and macadamia nuts smothered in white chocolate from Hilo’s Big Island Candies. xo ~robyn

Typophile: Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

Robyn Iaea — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:22:40 +0000

I adore typography, so when I came across Daily Drop Cap via another of my favorite sites, Nubby Twiglet, it instantly inspired possibilities for save-the-dates and pretty wedding monograms. Here is our version using Jessica Hische’s letter e (or could it be an ampersand?). Jessica generously welcomes individuals to use the drop caps for personal (non-commercial) sites or within blog posts. And if you fall in love with your own initial, you can find out more about using her adorable letters here. xo ~robyn

Having a Ball: Maki’s Signature Temari Cakes

Robyn Iaea — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:34:06 +0000

Just when we thought there were no new ideas (only borrowed ones), Makiko Searle of Maki’s Cakes politely steps in with her unique Temari cake collection. A fusion of East meets West, the little spherical wedding cakes were inspired by a thousand-year-old Japanese craft called temari in which a threaded ball is created by weaving colorful silk into a simple child’s toy.

In an interview with Dolce Sposa, Maki says, “The spherical shape is quite common for Japanese sweets and desserts which are usually stuffed with red beans. Before I started Maki’s Cakes, I worked as a pasty chef in England and I created some Japanese sweets for our local guests.” While the Brits weren’t as familiar with the tastes of Japan, this is where it all began. “My love for delicious cakes paved the way for my signature Temari cakes!” A collision of art and sugar—what could possibly be more divine. xo ~robyn