Huntington Beach for their wedding in October of 2004.
The resort encompasses acres of meticulously landscaped
grounds and gardens featuring plants and flowers native
to the Southern California coast, all with sweeping ocean
veiws. The ceremony was to be held on the resort's Main
Lawn, overlooking the Pacific, with a formal dinner
reception inside the stately Huntington Ballroom.
Peilin, or "Lin", as her friends call her, is a lady of many
creative talents - working as both a food stylist and also as
an Event coordinator. She and I had already worked
together on several weddings , when she contacted me
about doing the florals for her own big day. I was thrilled
at the prospect of working closely with Lin, as having
worked with her in the past, I'd been struck by her warm,
easygoing personality, and been quite impressed also by
her impeccable taste and sense of style. I knew this would
be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for us both!
From the start, the vision was "Orchids, Orchids,
Orchids!" in vivid, GLOWing COLOR! Lin was not shy
about color, oh no - no neutrals for this outgoing bride!
Lin wanted her wedding to positively GLOW - luscious
mango oranges and hot apricots, bright citrus green and
fiery orange-reds took center stage. To give a very hip and
contemporary feel to the overall palette, we introduced
deep chocolate elements strategically here and there
amidst all the fiery color - in smooth silk table linens, for
instance, and chocolate satin ribbon on the programs.
Glossy chocolate brown boxes served as containers for
centerpieces filled with green mood moss and bright
orchid blooms. Dark brown metal Japanese candle
Lanterns glowed along the center of the Head Table, and
in the corners of the room.
For the reception in the magnificent Ballroom, tall glass
Vases were filled with mini limes, crabapples, and
kumquats, and topped with lush, bountiful sprays of vivid
orange Mokara and Dendrobium orchids. The cake table
was a revelation, displayed in the center of the room, atop
a stage riser. For Michael and Lin's stunning five-tier
cake, we crafted a large circular Base that we covered
entirely in fresh orange Mokara Orchid blossoms. On the
cake's top tier and around it's base, mini citrus fruits and
crabapples were clustered densely, with tiny white orchid
blooms tucked here and there.
For the outdoor ceremony, Lin's own garden candle
Globes were staked into the ground all along the aisle,
and filled densely with lush orchid sprays, roses,
snapdragons, and grass. Fresh rose petals in mango,
apricot, and flame-red framed the aisle path.
During the planning stages, the altar decor proved to be
a tough issue. The main lawn has a beautiful veiw of the
ocean, and though Lin wanted something dramatic and
unusual for the altar backdrop, we were also concerned
about obscuring the veiw too much. Then, an inspiration
came to us - why not use authentic Thai Umbrellas, and
decorate them with fresh flowers?! Lin and I were both
elated by the idea. The look would tie in perfectly with the
lush, whimsical, tropical style of the wedding, and the
Umbrellas would provide a truly unique and dramatic
backdrop for the ceremony, without totally blocking off
that gorgeous ocean view. Perfect! Even finding the
perfect umbrellas for the job proved to be much easier
than anticipated, as Lin had a designer friend who found
a great wholesale source for authentic Thai-style
umbrellas, in downtown L.A. So Lin bought the
umbrellas, knowing she could use them on her new condo
patio once the wedding was over, and they'd serve as a
wonderful and constant reminder of an amazing day!
