CHALLENGE GUIDELINES . . .
color palette: red, orange and brown
theme: bridal shower or wedding

Happy Monday. Today I'm back with the 3rd submission of the October Wedding Vendor Challenges. Today's team consisted of the talented Kim of Something Floral with beautiful paper goods from Inside the Envelope, Inc. This fall inspired shoot was photographed by Urban Fire Studio at the picturesque Yates Cider Mill in Michigan. I will now let Kim explain the ideas and concept behind this rustic wedding inspiration . . .

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year in Michigan, with leaves turning vibrant, fiery shades and the air growing cool and crisp so when I heard  the October challenge colors were red, orange, and brown, I immediately knew the perfect location for an outdoor, rustic style event with a casual and relaxed atmosphere.

For many metro Detroiters, autumn is not complete without a trip to Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Hills. With a history dating back to the 1860's, Yates is located beside the rapidly flowing waters of the Clinton River, which power the mill to produce delicious Michigan apple cider.

We chose red as our dominant color, brown as the secondary color, and orange as the accent. A rectangular, classic table cloth in chocolate brown was used as the base linen to cover the dining area of each extra-large picnic table. A round, vibrant, cherry red linen of duchess satin was placed atop the base linen, and a burlap table runner was added to the top. Using three linens with different colors, sheens, and textures added depth, visual contrast, and textural interest to each table’s surface.

Our accent color was brought into the tablescape through a variety of primarily orange-based colors in the centerpieces and other floral arrangements. By using a mixture of roses, spray roses, lilies, safflower, celosia, hypericum, matsumoto asters, gladiolus, dahlias, Chinese lanterns, carnations, millet, wild grasses, and apples in a combination of orange, burnt orange, terracotta, melon, peach, mango, brick red, cherry red, copper, and chocolate, the centerpieces and other floral arrangements contained a variety of floral shapes, textures, and tints and shades within the same color family.

Since apples are round, we wanted the round shape to be a predominant visual element represented repetitively through a variety of round, almost-round, and cylinder shaped items and décor elements. For example, the round monogram on the invitations, round accent linens on rectangular picnic tables, round paper lanterns, round plates, round/cylinder stemware, almost-round placecards, almost-round accents on napkin rings, round /cylinder guest favors, round baskets as bases for the primary centerpiece, table numbers carved into round pumpkins, accent floral arrangements in round pumpkins, round desserts, etc.

Notice how the red paper lanterns are turned into apples by adding green paper leaves to the top of them? Such a BRILLIANT IDEA!!!!!!!

We wanted to introduce a lace detail into the tablescape to coordinate with the delicate and pretty lace on the invitations, created by Inside the Envelope, Inc. We did that by creating custom napkin rings that were multi-layered of different colors and textures, similarly to the effect created with the table linens. The base of each napkin ring was burlap, and satin ribbon and delicate lace were layered and secured with hot glue. As an accent, a small, apple shaped, wooden cutout purchased from a craft store was then glued to the top of each napkin ring.The camel burlap, chocolate brown satin ribbon, and white lace provided a nice color contrast to the red duchess satin napkins.

Some Parting Advice from Kim:
Don’t be afraid to experiment with strong color linens or a mixture of linen colors and textures. Just like paint color dramatically impacts the look and mood of a room in your home, the linens you select will set the tone for your event’s overall look and feel. Consult your professional event designer, florist, or planner for advice. They can recommend the proper linen shapes, sizes, and a variety of colors, textures, and combinations that coordinate well and will best represent your wedding’s style and the atmosphere you want to create.

Vendor Credits:
Styling and Coordination: Something Spectacular
Floral Designs, Linen Rentals, and Custom Made Napkin Rings: Something Floral
Photography: Urban Fire Studio
Invitations and Paper Goods: Inside the Envelope, Inc.
Location: Yates Cider Mill
Apple Cider, Sparkling Cider, Caramel Apples, Apple Pie, and Apple Butter: Yates Cider Mill
Cinnamon Sticks - Madame Koiteh
Paper Lanterns and Large Wooden Apple Shapes (Placecards): Hobby Lobby
Burlap, Ribbon, and Lace for Napkin Rings: JoAnn Fabrics
Small Wooden Apple Shapes (Napkin Rings): Michael's