Design Sample--Hamptons Beach Club Wedding

For every party we create, our team produces a "design sample" to give clients the opportunity to approve and/or edit each element on the tabletop. For this wedding, the bride wanted a kind of easy elegance in the tablescape. We created three different versions of this type of arrangement, so that at the party, the room will have texture and light on many levels. This is a photo of the design sample meeting, which in our case, takes place about a month before the wedding. Isn't the color story beautiful?

I love the blowsy blue and green hydrangeas paired with the more exotic orchids, and the submerged woven steel grass in the vase adds an oceanic vibe.

We based our color story around a very chic, muted khaki pintuck tablecloth in taffeta, and added an amber goblet as an accent to the club's simple, but lovely glassware.

To add more interest at eye-level, we nestled resin (ecofriendly) coral, vases filled with white blooms, and blown glass votives in varying patterns, as well as taller floating candles. There's no such thing as too many candles! The effect will be breezy and effortless, and the addition of just a few of these tall pieces within the room will work beautifully with the soaring ceilings in the club. The verdict: everyone loved it! Can't wait for the wedding!

The bottom line: if you're planning a big, important celebration such as a wedding, make sure to include a design sample meeting in your contract. This way, you'll make sure everyone is on the same page, you'll have a chance to voice concerns or just approve the overall design, and you'll avoid surprises on the big day!

Elementally speaking

For me, the inspiration for creating a party comes first from the chosen setting. From there I can bring the desired mood to life with color, texture, and details. In this natural environment, with its backdrop of green hills and trees, I focused on combining lights and darks in a neutral palette, adding pops of vibrant seasonal blossoms.





Dark rustic charger plates were accented with hand lettered river stones bearing each guest's name. Those served two purposes--a wonderful personal touch and a weight to keep linen napkins from blowing away in the breeze.





More than 100 windchimes hung from an arbor of willow we created at the tent entrance--the sound was so pretty in the breeze, as guests walked down to dinner from cocktails up at the house. Each windchime had a card with a guest's name and table number attached, and the chimes were offered as favors, since the honoree was a serious music lover.

At night the tent glowed with silk lamps we hung over every table, to give the space a more intimate feeling...

When you're thinking about your own party, consider the mood you want to create, and choose a setting that has at least hints of your desired ambiance. Then accent with color, texture, and a few surprises to delight the invited. Why wait? Let's celebrate!

I love long tables!

This feast table was set in a tent in the summertime. Duppioni silk tablecloth, a modular centerpiece of greens, deep burgundies and chocolates, and a giant green chrysanthemum at every place setting.

I designed this vibrant, crisp Thanksgiving scene for Food & Wine magazine...

A loft wedding in NYC where every guest sat at the head table, which was nearly 100 feet long!

So many people tell me that for a party, they think round tables are better than long rectangles for conversation. I don't agree. In fact, whereas a standard round table for 8-10 people in a banquet or party facility is generally 60" or so in diameter, a long table might be only 36" wide, bringing you 2 feet closer to the folks you like. Unless you'd rather be farther away...hmmmm.