I'll always remember. Jennifer was such a joy to work and
brainstorm with, and I got to really stretch my creative
muscles on this one!
Jennifer and her fiance, David, had selected the very
beautiful architectural stunner, Cicada Restaurant, in
downtown L.A., for their June wedding. I had not done
an event at Cicada prior to this, but was definitely
familiar with the restaurant, which is well known in the
event industry, not only for it's beautiful design, but also
for the top-notch food and service they offer.
Jennifer's style was definitely eclectic, she was excited
by modern, clean-lined arrangements using dramatic
flowers such as Callas and orchids. At the same time, she
had a soft spot for very classic, feminine flowers such as
garden roses and peonies. Also very important was our
wish to harmonize the floral decor with the Art Deco
design of the restaurant. Overall, we hoped to acheive a
glamourous "1930's" feel, with a contemporary edge.
Cicada's interiors are dominated by alot of rich, dark
wood paneling, tall pillars, and breathtaking glittering
gold crystal chandeliers. The perfect color palette for this
event would be one that would stand out against all that
dark wood, and complement the gold and champagne
highlights in the room. We chose french glass vases, both
low and tall, for their ability to reflect the light in the
room. Around the centerpieces were clustered deep amber
glass votives, which cast a warm golden glow. Centerpiece
vases were topped with an eclectic mix of Jennifer's
favorite flowers - a very structural, asymetric display
featuring tall-stemmed Ivory Calla lilies, fluffy spray roses
in cream and camel tones, green Cymbidium orchids,
chocolate brown Cosmos and textured amaranthus. Large
tropical leaves and dramatic sprays of lily grass cradled
the base of the arrangement, and made a bold statement.
Jennifer and David exchanged their vows under a
breathtaking Chuppah which we draped in layer upon
layer of shimmering champagne silk. Dramatic sprays of
calla lilies, dendrobium orchids, roses, and palm leaves
accented the top corners of the chuppah, and were
clustered at the curtain "drawbacks". Uplit by specially
positioned spotlights, the chuppah postively glowed in the
dim room. Along the aisle, we placed stanchions draped
in palest gold organza, and topped them with the table
centerpieces, which would be moved to the reception tables
immediately following the ceremony.
To complement Jennifer's stunning silk charmeuse
gown (I swear she looked like she stepped straight out of
an old movie from the 30's!), I created a very sophisticated
mixed Nosegay composed of elegant Ivory mini Calla
lilies, cream spray roses, and bold Phaleonopsis orchids.
The stems were wrapped in a simple band of rich
champagne silk fabric, dotted with pearls.
Jennifer's attendants carried a combination of roses in
camel, champagne, and ivory, accented with deep
chocolate Cosmos and hypericum, wrapped in smooth
chocolate satin ribbon, to match their gowns.
The wedding cake, done by the very talented Janelle
Paige, from Layers Cake Studio in Sherman Oaks, was
an absolute wonder! Done in deep chocolate frosting with
gold and cream details, the cake mimicked the Art Deco
design elements of the restaurant, and captured the time
period beautifully. Subtle clusters of ivory spray roses and
calla blooms were placed just around the bottom and third
layers of the cake, just enough to highlight, but not
distract from Janelle's gorgeous design. And if this
delicious cake were not enough, Jennifer and David
treated their guests to hot mini-donuts, served from a cart
vendor, on their way out. What a yummy way to end the
night!
