Pulling together a beautiful wedding or any event requires extensive time and effort, research, meticulous attention to detail, and money.  It seems that we start with the main ingredients:  the venue, the tables, chairs, linens, the food, drink, entertainment and the beautiful flowers that make a wedding memorable, and often times think...voila!  We're done!   Not so fast!

After you've invested your heart and soul into designing the perfect wedding, don't forget to light it properly.  Just like Oprah won't go on her stage without the perfect lighting to make her look great, your decor and floral arrangements shouldn't be left in the dark either!  Washing a room in color provides drama for sure, but those floral arrangements are in a whole new realm when properly lit.  So much so that I know some top notch floral designers who will not agree to provide their services without a lighting agreement in place - meaning they don't want their work to look anything less than spectacular!

Floral art by Brenda Abbott Floral Design  www.brendaabbott.net

Our lighting professional recommendations:

We recommend the professionals at Intelligent Lighting Design (who provided the lighting for our floral arrangements at the event shown above).  www.ildlighting.com 

We also recommend the professionals at Midnight Lighting www.midnightlighting.com

In addition to washing walls with color, and pin lighting your centerpieces, consider gobos.  As shown above, the in-house lighting team at the beautiful Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa, transformed the ballroom walls into a cityscape backdrop with the use of multiple gobos.

Notice the gobo on the all white dance floor.  (Dance floor provided by Brenda Abbott Floral Design)

For a laid back, Texas country atmosphere with an upscale ballroom wedding reception option, check out our venue recommendation:  
The Hyatt Lost Pines Resort.   www.lostpines.hyatt.com

Oh so many things to think about as you plan your wedding day and celebration! 

A time honored tradition, to some of your guests, the wedding cake is THE best part of the celebration!  We do love to see that beautiful sweet creation, and of course the cutting of the cake is captured in photography for years to come.  Given the importance of the cake and the moment, please give some thought to showcasing your cake to its best! 

Here are a few tips and suggestions from an event decor master:

1.  Find a beautiful spot with full consideration of the background.  A special spot just meant for your cake -- like a beautiful coordinating papered wall.  Your cake cutting photos will be great!

2.  Make sure the evening sun isn't streaming in a window where the cake will be placed.  Your fondant will melt!

3.  Elevate your cake to a position of grandeur!  A riser has long been used to elevate wedding cakes, but also consider a more modern approach.  We like to use an elevated glass which gives your cake added  height and gives us an opportunity to tuck beautiful blooms beneath.

4.  Pay special attention to the linen for your cake table.  Step it up a notch and really make your cake table a focal element.

5.  Don't make your cake compete for attention with other items on the table that seem haphazardly added....and last but not least...

6.  Share your first bite of cake as husband and wife in a loving way -- it's should be a symbolic (and delicious!) testament that sets the tone for your new lives together. 

Great cake vendors:

Simon Lee Bakery 
Memory Makers Cakes
Michelle's Patisserie