Type A Planning | Events

I mentioned in my previous post that I would be working on a series of blog entries with tablescape projects that I’ve been inspired to do for the budget bride! I decided to do this series of blogs and photoshoots because as a planner, I’m working with real people every day who have budgets for their weddings, and I really want to help. Though, I have to say I had a ton of fun doing this shoot too, and I’m looking  forward to the next one already!

I did this first one about a month ago with a couple of great wedding vendors! Both Nina Brav Photography and Erica O’Brien cakes were so awesome and helpful with creating the look that I wanted to achieve. Also, I can’t forget to thank my friend Chris for her help and being my sounding board to getting my ideas down.

Since we’re well into fall now, I wanted to bring you readers my interpretation of beautiful fall inspired decor, special materials and elements that made me think about this favorite season of mine. I think I have a special place in my heart for the fall wedding season because I got married in the fall. It made sense to me to start this series off with Fall!

Our core colors were taupe, purple, green, sand, creme brulee, with splashes of fuscia and burnt orange or burnt sienna. These I felt were rich for fall and gave us the grouping of colors that were delicate and refreshing.

I mentioned that we focused on a budget bride who wanted to have a beautiful table but without killing herself trying to use a huge amount of decor and fuss. We used a small amount of flowers, because flowers are too beautiful to miss on a table and we added edible elements! Rustic looking artichokes in large and mini size. We used these cute egg cups for the mini artichokes!

I am looking to evoke a fun atmosphere using your everyday items (that you might even have at home!) but repurposed for a centerpiece. I mentioned earlier the egg cups, I also used ramekins to place a big bloom of celosa which made me think about a big souffle of flowers. I also repurposed wine glasses and champagne flutes for the varying heights in the design. The candle hurricanes are filled with lentils for that added rustic feel!

As I was putting together this tablescape I was imagining wedding guests snacking on the grapes, plums and the pluots. That’d make for some funny pictures! Fruits and other edible pieces of a centerpiece can be less expensive than an arrangement of flowers, and people can take something home easily if they want.

I used a lot of dried lavender in this photoshoot because the color was pretty and felt like fall folliage. You could see it on the fruit bowl, in the oil cruet, and the napkin decor. I tied a simple sprig of lavender on top of each napkin with some twine. Dried lavender is plentiful around this time and its so versatile.

I also got a chance to use french macarons! I love how they come in different colors and some have texture on them too! I put them in wine glasses as sort of a mini dessert buffet. How can anyone resist eating some of these delicious beauties?

I also want to mention that I’ve used muslin as the runners on the table, which matched the color scheme so well and its very easy to work with. Its a different approach to linens if you have a beautiful wooden table like this one to use. Its too rustic to cover up entirely!

Now, I have to show you this simple, clean and cute cake that Erica O Brien designed and created for this shoot. Erica mentioned to me that the more simple a design is, the more economical a wedding cake can be for a couple. This is good information to keep in mind when working with a budget.

What’s a wedding shoot without a bouquet? I love these deep purple calla lilies. They were gorgeous! I tied a simple knot of muslin and put some coordinating purple ribbon around it.

I love when I get the opportunity to stretch a bit and do something different. My best feeling is when my clients ask me for my suggestions on how to make things unique and fresh. I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite shots of the day. I had this really awesome backdrop and I really want to show it off!

Welcome to the garden cafe!

Thanks to Nina, Erica, and Chris for their help on this shoot!

Send us any comments or questions about this shoot or our Type A Planning wedding planning services to info (at) typeaplanning (dot) com ~ We would love to hear from you!

Next post will be a bit more about the behind the scenes and how we did the preparations for this shoot. This might be interesting to some of you who are more DIY’ers out there.