It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That BLING

Every woman wants her jewelry to sparkle on her wedding day, and more and more that shimmer and sparkle is making its way into decor themes for the modern bride. A wide variety of floral gems are available to florists to match bouquets to a gown's embroidery and make them shine like a diamond engagement ring. Gems shaped like butterflies, flowers, and hearts personalize while they beautify.

Pieces of clear or colored acrylic ice and strands of crystals in all shapes and sizes are a great way to bring the bling to tablescapes, or just about anywhere. Sometimes we submerge fresh flowers on fine strands of crystals to make vases more interesting.

Candlelight from hanging votives reflects off of the crystals in this elegant manzanita branch arrangement. Colored crystals lend a subtle touch of ocean blue for a seaside theme with an all-white arrangement. And if you want showstopping opulence, go big or go home, and don't forget to drape it with scads of crystals! This is just the middle portion of a triple tiered centerpiece designed to let everyone know which table was reserved for the wedding party.

Sometimes, less is more, and the perfectly placed gem can bring a whole new element.

We love to display a signature fabric with customized "lampshade" inspired pieces. The pairing of illuminated crystals with the colors and textures of fabrics and feathers is a lot of fun! These lamps work well for cocktails and reception dinners.

By request, we even created a functioning Princess table for a clean 'modern chic' take on dining. Pink crystals and votive holders splashed color throughout a 20-foot tall manzanita tree. A hanging crystal chandelier with flowers and votives made the ultimate cake topper, while lighting this gorgeous cake from above.

Bling comes in black too! Strands of onyx crystals add drama to this huge 'jellyfish' inspired novelty piece constructed for a vendor show (it also rotated on a motor, just in case someone wasn't paying enough attention). Our winter holiday window display was far from traditional - totally over-the-top with bling surrounding a pair of chic mannequins, sporting red feather boas and hats.

As designers, we extend the concept of bling way beyond gems to anything refective, transparent, or brilliantly colored. This plexiglass roofed structure was built to shine while magically supporting flowers overhead (notice the ceiling architecture captured in the pane).

Shiny silver metal design wire adds bling to a bouquet of colorful callas - serving as a backdrop for the bridal jewelry. Mirrored surfaces are definitely a bling factor, at a relatively low price too. A large lounge arrangement takes on a totally glam feel when put in a mirrored vase and placed on a mirrored box.

Gold chargers and gold branches work just as well as, if not better than, silver to convey luxury.

And lets not forget pyrotechnics, in all their forms, as being undeniably BLING!

OOOOOOOOOOHHH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

"Bashing" the Ordinary in New York City

One part of my job that I really love is keeping my finger on the pulse of what's hot in the special events industry. There's no better place to do so then at the BizBash Event Style Expo!

This intense mecca of networking most recently took place at the Javits Center on Oct. 21st. Besides the keynote speakers, book signings, awards ceremonies, and educational platforms, over 300 vendor displays were bursting with new products, ideas, demonstrations, samples, and information. We popped into a vendor booth for a quick photo-op with the visual entertainment spectacle that is the Screaming Queens! If your next event needs some Vegas-style glamorous showgirls, brilliantly costumed live "walking tables" for food service, or over-the-top meeters and greeters, you've GOT to contact this amazing troupe of entertainers.

With the wealth of new inspiration gained at this upbeat event, I'm not sure where to start, but I am definitely incorporating some new mojo into our decor! I'll look for you at the next expo!

Daisy Masterpiece - The Latest Work of Art From A Touch of Elegance

The month of May brought the 6th Annual Dining Spaces Tabletop Design Competition and NJ North ISES to the Olde Mill Inn at Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The designers from A Touch of Elegance were just one design team competing and helping to raise money for the Search Foundation, a non-profit organization benefiting members of the special event industry dealing with catastrophic losses or illnesses.

This year, our table was named "Daisy Masterpiece" and sought to elevate the common white daisy to a status worthy of a high-end modern wedding celebration. To emulate an organic country setting, our team constructed a refurbished-looking wooden Pergola, complete with dents, saw marks, and remnants of charcoal from fires long ago. A lawn of "grass" was placed under the pergola to lend a sense of an outdoor dinner party and green lighting illuminated our corner of the room to reinforce the grassy feel. Wood beams were softened with draped ivory Georgette fabric. Party Rental, Ltd. (http://www.partyrentalltd.com/) provided a gorgeous rustic wooden table and matching chairs, along with tableware for this design.

A palette of yellow, green, and white from the Daisy itself was used throughout the table design. Gold urns contained luxurious arrangements of yellow garden and spray roses, green viburnum and snow-on-the-mountain, and white daisies and hyacinths. The daisy was the real star of the night, however, as spheres hanging from chair backs, by adorning customized lampshades, and as a large framed abstract "daisy" made of, you guessed it, more real daisies!

We were fortunate to win awards for People's Choice, Most Creative, and Connoisseur, and are very grateful to the Olde Mill Inn for hosting and NJ North ISES (http://www.isesnjnorth.org/) for creating this fantastic fundraiser.

Many thanks also to Walter Cmielewski, from Eloquent Studios (http://www.eloquentstudios.com/) for the stunning photos seen here! Cheers!