Winter Wanderlust

As the temperatures dip and there’s snow on the horizon, we’re going to just ignore it and pretend everything is fine. In fact, we’ll just close our eyes and take a little trip to…Santorini. And why not? Let’s wanderlust the afternoon away with Sabrina Seymore Events to guide us there!

Nuage Designs - Santorini 2

Here we are at the Rocabella Resort in unbelievable Santorini, Greece. Everywhere we look its white washed buildings, romantically narrow alleyways and cliffside views for days. Certainly no complaints from us!

Nuage Designs - Santorini 3

The bride and groom say “I Do” while looking out across the water with the sun starting to set behind them. As the guests make their way to their tables, the magical sunset casts warm shades of pink and orange on the Sultry Beige Faux Dupioni linens with the gold décor shimmering with the last rays of sunshine. The flowers, by Fabio Zardi, are perfect shades of mauve and peach with bright little bursts of greenery. This is true destination wedding paradise!

Nuage Designs - Santorini 4

While we were getting ready to party under the Grecian sky, the bride and groom sauntered away without us noticing. They snuck off with Blue Spark Photography who captured some of the most surreal images of the two together. I mean, honestly, the bride and groom set against the clear blue sky with her veil flowing in the wind? Words cannot express the power of that photo!

Nuage Designs - Santorini 5

With winter seemingly not going anywhere and Santorini on the mind, you might excuse us a moment while we book the next flight outta here!

Nuage Designs - Santorini 6

Photo Blue Spark Photography | Planning Sabrina Seymore Events | Décor & Flowers Fabio Zardi Weddings | Venue Rocabella Resort (Santorini) | Stationery Royale Amethyst

The Sketchbook Series Feature

You’ve just met with a newly engaged couple and hit it off immediately, what fun! They book you to help design their wedding and off you all go on this adventure together. You have the Pantone book out and colors are selected, fabric swatches are lined up with ribbons to match and Pinterest boards are aglow. You have big ideas and things are starting to come together…now, how do you depict your concept so that the couple, their parents, the vendors and your team can bring your vision to life?

Cue Mary Phan, creator of The Sketchbook Series. Mary is a true artist and a big believer in the power of sketching for creatives. With sketching, you could take your great unique idea, put it on paper and convey it in a way much more impactful than words.

We’ve attended The Sketchbook Series ourselves and were so impressed with how Mary makes sketching feel so approachable and simple (and trust us when we cannot draw a thing!) while also making it a so much fun! We were curious to see a bit further into the sketching process so we sat down with Mary to pick her brain and play around with some mood boards to see how they would translate to sketches. Needless to say, the sketches were amazing and we’re ready to sign up for The Sketchbook Series again!

Read on to find out more and get inspired to start sketching!

Sketchbook Series5

Nuage Designs: How did The Sketchbook Series come to be?

Mary Phan: Before launching The Sketchbook Series, I had been running Very Merry Events wedding planning and design (since 2008). I had always offered sketches to help design clients bring their visions to life through art before actually bringing them to life. My background included a degree in design with retail merchandising and interior design experience prior to rebranding to Very Merry Inspired. Sketching was always part of the planning process and soon people started asking if I could teach them. Due to increasing demand, I launched my first class in Sonoma in 2013. It was small but it was a hit!

ND: Where did you learn the magic of sketching? What’s your background prior to The Sketchbook Series?

MP: I have to say that it runs in the family. My dad was very much into drawing and my brother was an architect. I always thought I’d grow up to become a fine artist but I ended up doing more rendering in school for interior design.

ND: How does your experience in interior design influence your sketching when put in an event or wedding context?

MP: In interior design, one has to visualize a space, which is similar to designing an event. It is critical to visually communicate effectively with partners in order to create a clear concept to share with a client. Following the client approval, the sketches would be showcased to the vendors and creative partners.

ND: What is the biggest reason clients come to you for sketches?

MP: There is a market for leveraging sketching as part of your process in executing creative projects. I was always known for sketching out my ideas and I offered a unique style as part of the planning/design service.

Since I started offering classes, naturally other event planners and designers started asking if I could create sketches for their clients. We also have an in-house hand-renderist who can create whole scale room concepts and he is quite amazing!

ND: What makes the ability to sketch for a wedding and event clients such an asset as an event professional?

MP: With sketching you are able to create unique ideas without just pulling together Pinterest images, which often leaves loopholes when communicating the overall end vision. Clients are interested in custom looks that haven’t been recycled from other peoples’ designs. As for the administrative work behind every project, big or small, sketching improves communication by helping to cut down on back-and- forth emails. Words, by themselves, cannot convey what visuals can.

ND: Do you find it’s a skill that event professionals can charge for in their services? Does it give them an edge over their competition?

MP: Definitely! I feel that it’s an asset and service to add to their packages once they’ve put in at least 100 hours in practice. In order to get really confident and good at something you have to put in the time to practice. When I used to offer wedding planning and design, I offered sketching as part of the planning process. In fact, it elevated my business. I’d fold it into my cost, not as a line item that was optional but instead as an upcharge in the cost. To accommodate this, you could charge more for your service package as a whole. Taking my Level 1 or Level 2 courses will get you basics, but I would want you to become great at what you do before you start charging. Practice makes perfect!

Sketchbook Series6

ND: Do you think that this is a skill limited to event designers? Or can other event professionals benefit too?

MP: Not at all! Any creative discipline that’s selling a creative idea can benefit, from tech to jewelry, and interiors to fashion designers.

ND: What’s your favorite part of the sketching process with your clients? Is there a special collaboration that comes to life in the process?

MP: Sometimes I get people asking, “Do you sketch in front of clients?” The answer is if it’s quick then yes. Otherwise, mostly no because for me, the process is about being able to take their ideas and treat it like a survey to figure out what their tastes are. Afterwards, you do the research and pull images as necessary to create a sketch. It’s not really a collaborative process for me since I think of the sketches as my art. My favorite part of sketching is that being able to make ideas come to life feels fulfilling and therapeutic to me. I don’t think clients usually visualize what their ideas are going to look like in real life either, which makes it exciting when the event comes to life.

ND: How do you feel watching the event come together, from mood board to sketch to conception? Can you see elements of your sketches in the final event?

MP: I love it! I’m so used to seeing the things I sketch turn into reality, and often so closely, that I’m not surprised by the outcome. I also love the element of surprise for my clients, but don’t like surprises myself.

Eliminating surprise factors takes away anxiety for me. If you can’t visualize what an event you’re designing looks like, how can your clients visualize it? Once I have a clear picture in my head, I put it down on paper, and then my clients, who have invested lots of money for their big day, relinquish control. Ultimately, as a planner all you want and need is your client’s trust – once you have that budgets can be stretched much farther than before. For me, the sketches are the blue print. If we solely used mood boards, they could convey feelings but you’d still have no idea what the event was going to look like. That just leaves a little too much interpretation for a client to have the potential to be disappointed.

ND: What’s the secret to sketching? Can anyone really do it?

MP: I think it’s about patience and trusting that it’s a process. I’m amazed at the improvements some of my attendees have in just the two days they are with me. My style is simple and quick techniques, but impactful. During the class, I break techniques down step-by- step that are really fun! I give you the tools necessary in a low-pressure environment. I do believe that we all have the ability to sketch!

ND: What’s on the horizon for The Sketchbook Series?

MP: We have a lot coming up soon! This year’s workshops will include Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Tulum, Mexico, Vancouver, San Francisco, an exclusive class with Pantone and Italy Inspires in Milan. We are starting our enrollment process, something new this year but we really wanted to create a unique experience for each of our cities so make sure to sign up to our newsletter! Other activities include the opening and closing of our e-course as well as international expansion into Mexico and Canada.

ND: Any advice you want to leave us for sketching, designing, etc?

MP: Every designer or anyone selling creative or design work should know how to do this. It’s something they need to invest their time in to learn how to do it or have someone on their team do in order to make project processes seamless from start to finish. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing a sketch of their design? It’s just cool!

Sketchbook Series7

MODERN ROMANCE Marble Charger Borrowed Blu | Rose Glassware Casa de Perrin | Dinnerware Borrowed Blu | Rose Gold Flatware Casa de Perrin | Florals via Style me Pretty // RUSTIC DINNER Wood charger Plates Borrowed Blu | Flatware Casa de Perrin | Glassware Casa de Perrin // LUXE LOUNGE Furniture Nuage Designs | Floral Inspiration via Karen Tran 

New Year Zen

With the holidays behind us and the New Year in full force, it feels like we could use just a minute to catch our breath. As we do with every new start to the year, we like to zen out a little bit. So, what better way to do that than with our friends at Avant Gardens?

Nuage Designs_Zen2

This stunner of a 60th birthday, planned by Sari Sosa Events, is beautiful bliss itself. The blue and white color palette sets just the serene mood we are dreaming of. Pairing the Royal Papel Chino linen with white Moroccan-inspired lanterns and votives floating in tall-stemmed glasses, this table setting is light and airy. We love the soft introduction of fuchsia in orchids, placed gently on the place settings and throughout the floral arrangements.

Nuage Designs_Zen3

What better location to play host to this intimate and relaxed affair than the SLS South Beach. With it’s Phillippe Starke-designed event space and Lenny Kravitz-designed suites, it is the perfect combination of modernity and laid-back vibes. Junior Gamez Photography captured the lovely balance for us to enjoy! And because even on our most zen days cake still makes everything better, we cannot get enough of this gorgeous dessert! With a pattern that reflects the Papel Chino design with pink and fuchsia sugar flowers, it just makes the night.

And with that, we take our pause, reinvigorated to take on the New Year!

Nuage Designs_Zen4

Planning Sari Sosa Events | Florist Avant Gardens | Photography Junior Gamez Photography | Venue SLS South Beach

How to be a Boss like Tony Conway

It’s no surprise to us that Legendary Events has been in business for nearly twenty years, we have, after all, met Mr. Tony Conway himself. His premier special-events company is behind many of Atlanta’s most renowned events, providing their expertise in everything from planning to floral design for political figures, beloved celebrities and everyone else wise enough to book them. So, in the spirit of the New Year, inspired by those in the events industry who have set the bar so high, we sat down with Tony to pick his brain and kick off our 2017 goal setting.

Read on to hear about how he got started in events, his secrets to running a successful business and what is on the horizon for Legendary Events!

Nüage Designs: Tell us your story – how did you get into the event world?

Tony Conway: I started in the hotel industry when I was 16 at Holiday Inn. I then moved to Marriott Hotels for 12 years, Stouffer Hotels for 4 Years and Ritz Carlton for 4 years as Director of Catering and Conference Services.

ND- What made you decide to explore so many different aspects of the event process (catering, florals, design, planning)?

TC -It’s really a natural progression because they all are part of what we do to make an event happen. Plus I also decided that this would give us more control over the product and a better return on investment (ROI).

Tony Conway2

ND – You also own and operate venues in Atlanta, what was the impetus to make that leap?

TC – It’s good to have spaces that we have full control over for all aspects of an event. It gave us the freedom to create an environment for our clients that I felt was missing in the marketplace. In the end it made sense as a business owner and for all of the clients we enjoy creating special moments for.

ND – You’ve been in business for almost 20 years, what would you say is the secret to that success?

TC – Four things.

1. The team. I am surrounded by amazing members of the special event industry that do it better than I can. I have always felt like the conductor of the symphony and the talent in my orchestra is what makes the music happen.

2. Knowing when to make calculated changes and take risks.

3. Listening to our customer.

4. Making sure I have a trusted team of accountants and attorneys that keep a watchful eye over everything, so that we can concentrate on providing the best possible service for our clients.

Tony Conway3

ND – How do you find great team members to join Legendary Events? Do you find that you hire employees that stay for a long time with the company?

TC – I am fortunate that so many of the team have moved up in the company. We also benefit from positive word of mouth recommendations that often produces great talent. I tend to hire slowly and carefully in order to make sure that every new team member understands the mission of the company, has a passion for the industry and for making a profit. The Legendary Events family are a tight knit group who work extremely hard; if you don’t pull your weight as part of the team they are usually the ones moving you out!

ND – How do you maintain long-standing client relationships to ensure continued projects together?

TC – Listen…Listen…Listen. We’re honest with our clients and take them “along the journey” with us when planning their events. We let them know if something does not work. We always provide alternative solutions and we’re honest if their request does not fit into our budget guidelines in advance. It’s always important to remember that this is not what they do but they have some ideas and we need to help them bring that to life. I have a philosophy, our clients are part of our overall sales team: they put us in front of their guests who are also potential clients…and they pay for this! Our clients are THE BEST form of advertising for we have. So we are always trying to make sure the entire guest list is treated as though they were the client.

ND – Legendary Events always wows us with new ideas, where do you find inspiration to always innovate?

TC – Everywhere: The fashion industry, other colloquies and what they are doing, conferences, our clients, restaurants, social media, TV, film. You name it.

ND – Of the entire event process, which is your personal favorite?

TC – I enjoy the first meeting. Listening to the client and talking through how we can make those ideas come to life never gets old.

Tony Conway4

ND – When speaking with newer business owners in the weddings and events space, what would be your advice to them on growing their business and brand in a way that is true to self?

TC – Have a plan and continue to change that plan. Make sure you learn this business, not just work in the business. Make sure you have your finances in order and be prepared for slumps in the business. Hire slow, fire fast. Surround yourself with talent that is smarter than you.

ND – If you could plan a party for anyone, dead or alive, who would that be?

TC – Tina Turner – She’s a legend, need I say more!

ND – What else is on the horizon for LE?

TC – Possibly acquiring additional venues and continuing to look for ways to improve upon what we are already doing.