A Well-Designed Halloween Party Full of Spooky Surprises!

You’re never too old to partake in All Hallows’ Eve (let’s remember this amazing Halloween-inspired 75 th birthday party)! But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to the same boring old tricks. This year, Anna Lucia Events ditched the trite orange and black color palette for a more…elevated look. It’s just as scary and also twice as nice!

Set against the awesome industrial space of Saltblock Catering, in Tampa, FL, the event had a perfect blank canvas to work with. Exposed brick, concrete flooring and rafters across the ceiling gave way for many eerie surprises to pop up.

And while this was a very adult Halloween, there were no rules against playing with your cocktails! Saltblock Catering came up with some lively spirits ghoulishly announced on clear acrylic tombstones. Pick your poison!

If you dared take a walk around the event, you might run into ravens guarding their (rather chic) birdcages and delicious-looking red apple arrangements from 50Fifty Events. Not to mention the tragically beautiful floral arrangements (think shades of red with pop of black and beautifully dried accents) that were to die for!

Looking to take a seat? The space was outfitted with lounge areas made up of our Black Velvet High Back Sofas, Driftwood Nest Coffee Tables and Smoke Stone Stools alongside cocktail tables dressed in Black Metallic Forest and Black Velluto. A perfect pit stop to enjoy your Ghoulish Ginger Ale or Black-or- Blue- Caramel Apple. Poisoned? Perhaps, but deliciously worth the risk!

From the candelabras topped with skulls to the spiders hanging off the chandeliers, this is one spooky soiree we would not want to miss!

Planning & Design Anna Lucia Events | Photography Jacqui Cole Photography | Venue & Catering Saltblock Catering | Floral & Décor 50Fifty Events | Stationery & Signage Dogwood Blossom Stationery | Lighting & Awesome Haze Bay Stage Live | Draping Swag Decor | Furniture & Linens Nuage Designs | Bars & Accessories Bubble Miami | Rentals Events on the Loose | Rentals A Chair Affair

A Black and Purple Decor Palette to Inspire your Modern Wedding!

Do you feel that crisp in the air? We’re finally settling into fall in full swing and we couldn’t be more excited! With the changing temps come a change in event styles and color palettes – think: hue inspiration like Marsala – and Swoon Soiree captured that perfectly in this recent styled shoot!

Designing with a bold black and purple color palette in mind, Swoon Soiree put together this elegant shoot in inspire modern receptions all season long! Combining our Black Leather Rosette and Black Leather Dot linens as the base of two tablescapes, they brought in texturized seasonal fabrics to give the design that extra “oomph!”

We love how mirrored chargers and purple napkins brightened up the tablecloths, giving them a
distinguished look. Flowers, from The Flower Guy Bron, were blooming in shades of violet and plum with accents of sage and white to ground the design.

And wow, that cake! Commonwealth Cake Company really – well – took the cake on this one, their black, white and purple three-tiered masterpiece had an angular shape decorated with a baroque motif to imitate our Preston Bailey Collection White Iris.

Between the leather, the lace and the stunning color combination, we’re all in on this one for fall and winter weddings this year!

Planner / Stylist Swoon Soiree | Head Photographer SBM Portraits | 2nd Photographer New
Mindset Photography | Florals The Flower Guy Bron | Venue Upper Shirley Vineyards | Props / Lighting Mosaic Catering and Events | Jewelry Diamonds Direct | Makeup Regan Wolfrey | Hair Markia Robinson | Invitation Suite Secret Diary | Cake Commonwealth Cake Company | Live Singer Jocelyn Oldham | DJ Missing Music | Videographer William Renner | Linens Nuage Designs | Calligraphy Capital Calligraphy | Bridal Gown, Veil, Headpiece Urban Set Bride | Tuxedo Celebrity Bridal and Formals | Female Model Shanel Ashley | Male Model Devin Groves

Destination Weddings on the Emerald Coast with Incredible Designers Florals by the Sea

If you haven’t spent time in Florida’s Emerald Coast, you are missing out! From its turquoise waters to its sugar fine sand, the panhandle’s Gulf Coast beaches are really a sight to be seen. It’s not wonder that so many couples across the country choose this location as the backdrop for their “I Do’s,” (just see here and here if you don’t believe us). With paradise on our minds, we sat down with the incredible team behind Florals by the Sea, a wedding & event design firm local to the area, to chat about their inspiration and what it’s like to plan weddings in bliss. Read all about it…

Nuage Designs: Tell us your story. What is Florals by the Sea?
Florals by the Sea: Florals by the Sea is a full scale wedding & event design company that specializes in floral artistry and couture rental décor along the beautiful Emerald Coast. What makes our particular
company special is the fact that we are actually comprised of three individually talented designers, making us one of the largest design companies in the panhandle. From a professional standpoint, this allows for our company to expand the number of weddings we can execute each weekend, averaging 150 – 200 events annually. Most importantly, it gives us a huge advantage to the collaboration process of each and every event. While each designer is individually assigned to their clients, we also have the luxury of bouncing ideas off of each other behind the scenes, for we all have our own personal style and taste – which always trickles into each others inspiration one way or the other.

ND: Your designs always feel so fresh and unique, where does this inspiration come from?
FBTS: Again, having three designers definitely contributes to that, but personally speaking, it always starts with the client. As always, they’ve likely done their research and have a few design components of their own in regards to color palettes and style – but the fun part is taking their vision to the next level, for there are so many elements that go into the entire design process that most don’t even consider before walking through our doors. The inspiration really comes from everywhere, depending on what’s important to the client; anything from a floral swatch of a bridesmaid dress to the iridescence of an oyster shell to the label on a favorite bottle of rosé. We see it all! And that is where you guys come in. I always tell my clients to “never underestimate the power of a fabulous linen, for this is one of the greatest ways to make an individual statement, which is truly something everybody craves.”

ND: How does your setting in the Gulf Coast play into your weddings?
FBTS: Considering we have one of the most beautiful beaches in the nation, (if not the world) – it doesn’t come at surprise that people want the Gulf Coast to be the heart of their special day. That being said, a majority of our clientele is destination, which means tons of planning and communication via long distance. Most have been visiting since they were children, while others did a quick Google search, found a picture of a pretty beach and said, “Let’s go!” Regardless, it’s that ultimate view of crystal clear emerald waters and white sugar sands that wins them over every time. While we get clients from all over – a majority of them seem to come from the surrounding southern states, in which the Emerald Coast has been a part of their family for decades, before it was a booming wedding industry.

ND: How is the collaboration process with your clients? Where does the basis for their wedding begin?
FBTS: Because a majority of our clients are destination, upon booking, we always try to schedule an in-person consultation at some point in the planning process, for our meetings are actually quite interactive and fun. (Plus, it’s always a bonus if you get to personally meet your clients’ personality, which isn’t always the case with destination.) We pull all their inspiration up on the big screen, have all swatches and samples pulled and ready to display, and really just go where the meeting takes us. I can usually tell within the first five minutes which direction I need to gear the meeting towards. Some clients LOVE discussing every little detail, while others would rather trust the professionals to make the decisions for them, for it can get overwhelming if “decision making” isn’t your forte. After the initial consultation and design proposal, communication with the client practically stays in full swing up until the day of the event, for this is what we like to call “the perfecting period” in which we ensure every “t” is crossed as every “i” is dotted. Do brides change their minds? Of course they do. Does budget play a realistic role? Of course it does. But this is all part of the collaboration process from beginning to end. Not one detail is overlooked on our end, for we believe that proper preparation is key to a successful event.

ND: Do you ever find it difficult to push clients towards what they might see as an “edgy” design?
It’s as if you took the words right out of my mouth. While all girls love the idea of an “edgy” design concept, it’s rare that you actually cross paths with a client that is brave enough to go for it, and when they do – ultimate excitement. As designers, we are constantly looking for something new, something bold, something edgy – the next best thing – but it’s very important to remember, that while this may be our 500th+ wedding, this is still the clients first, so we have to be mindful of that. But insider note, all things aside, as simple the concept may be, I always try and find a place to put a little “edge” in there
somewhere and it usually ends up being one of their most memorable details.

ND: We know you are big on making sure everything is literally perfect at each event – why is that?
FBTS: Simply stated, Sally (the owner) has always said from day one – “In this industry, you do not get a “do-over”, therefore each event must be executed at 110% each time, every time.” It’s that extra attention to detail that truly brings us to the next level.

ND: What are some of your trademark styles?
FBTS: Oh, where do we begin? Of course we love fresh flowers and custom installations, for we are constantly drafting out new ideas to create unique, never-before- seen, design elements. We actually custom build quite a bit of pieces throughout each season to accommodate our crazy ideas. However, we also take serious pride in our signature lounge collections – for we LOVE incorporating decorative furniture and accessories into the mix. Just like a custom lighting and/or floral installation, unique pieces (including specialty linens!) are what truly make an event remarkable and memorable.

ND: What is your advice to couples coming to you with a “trendy” design in mind?
FBTS: Remember the key word timeless, for it should be in the back of your mind at all times. You want to be able to look back at your special day 10, 20, even 30+ years from now and still see all the beauty and love that was put into it. Event design is just like fashion – constantly evolving, eventually repeating – so if you even think for a second that something feels “trendy” then you’re likely not going to be wild about it later on down the road. It needs to feel substantial and whole.

ND: What is your favorite thing about designing weddings?
FBTS: The best, most rewarding part of our job is always the clients first reaction upon seeing their special day come to life. It’s right there in that moment that all the hard work, late nights, and time invested become 100% totally worth it. The feeling is indescribable, but also an instant reminder of why it is we do what we do.

ND: What trends do you see for the spring wedding season?
FBTS: I’m really hoping to see more depth and contrast come back into play. Especially being where we are – a lot of people crave that light, bright, clean feel, which will always be beautiful, but I’m starting to get the itch for some wild colors, textures and patterns. Something a little more dimensional.

And what more can we say other than “I Do!” to Florida’s Emerald Coast!

Photographer Credits Olimb Photography | Rae Leytham Photography Lacher’s Lens Photography | Paul Johnson PhotographyCaleb Shane Photography | Shannon Griffin Photography | Dear Wesleyann

A Bridesmaids Brunch for the Modern Bride!

The days leading up to your wedding can be as exciting as they are stressful, why not do a little celebrating with your bridal party leading up to the big day? Michelle, from Lemiga Events had just that thought when she put together this fun and chic bridesmaids brunch styled shoot! We were head over heels with the idea because…well, you know we love any reason to brunch!

Kicking the morning off at Atlanta’s Legacy Test Kitchen, these ladies who brunch were enticed by beautiful settings of quiche, waffles and the cutest individual cakes from Confection Perfection – one for each bridesmaid!

We love the modern table setting, a dark slate hue set by our Charcoal Velluto, whose velvet-inspired touch gave it a nice warm feeling. The accents, in shades of blush and rose gold, really brought a lovely feminine touch without going over the top. Add to that romantic flowers from Ginger Rose and we are over the moon. It’s the perfect color palette for a sophisticated, modern bride!

But the most fun had to be seeing the gorgeous dresses from Fabulous Frocks Bridal. Lace, tulle and
sequins to be had!

So, all in all, wedding party brunches leading up to the big day get a big thumbs up from us. They’re definitely something we can cheers to!

Photographer Noi Tran | Planning and Design Lemiga Events | Venue and Catering Legacy Test Kitchen | Floral Design Ginger Rose | Linen Nuage Designs | Dresses Fabulous Frocks Bridal
| Custom Gifts Love Charlie Grace Designs | Hair and Makeup Beaute By Marina | Stationery Foglio Press | Cakes Confection Perfection | Rentals Event Rentals Unlimited  | Place Settings Lenox | Accessories Elizabeth Bower