Looking Back: The Importance of Classic Design

I’ve been in this business for 30 years and I spend so much time looking forward (planning for the next project, keeping track of the newest technology in event design) that I rarely get a chance to look back and evaluate the past projects I’ve accomplished. There’s a lot one can learn from the past (and I get such joy from reminiscing), so I thought it might be nice to do a weekly series where we discuss past events and lessons learned or tips that came from working on them.

This week, I wanted to begin with a discussion about classic design. There are so many things clients have to worry about when planning their event, and one of those things is trends. What’s the popular color for this year? Is this flower “in” or “out”? Well, I’m here to tell you—it’s less important to worry about trends and more important just to focus on good design. I know it sounds simplistic, but if your design is strong, it will have a timeless quality that you can’t reproduce with kitschy of-the-moment trends.

In most of the events I design, especially weddings, I always focus on giving my clients a timeless experience. That way, they can look back 15 or 20 years and still experience the same feeling of amazement and charm as they did on that day. The pictures you see throughout this post are of events that happened 10, sometimes 15 years ago. Would you have been able to tell if I hadn’t told you?

Here are three tips to help you achieve that classic look:

#1: In creating the bridal bouquet, I tend to go with all white flowers to match the dress. If you use colored flowers, the bouquet tends to compete with the dress and people focus more on the flowers than the bride. Using all white will also keep that bouquet looking fresh in pictures—even 20 years later.

#2: Tuxedo trends come and go. I always suggest my grooms go with the most classic style available. If you’re not sure what I mean by classic, think Cary Grant.

#3 Same goes for the bride’s wedding gown. I always advise my brides to pick a classically styled dress. Not only will it add even more elegance to the event, but it will prevent her from looking back and saying, "What was I thinking?"

Do you have any tips you’d like to share on how to achieve that classic look? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

Choosing Your Color Story For The Holidays

There’s more to life than red or green—especially when it comes to holiday decorating. I was thinking today of past holiday celebrations I’ve designed and while we have used some of the traditional red and green colors we’ve also used some surprising colors that are non-traditional but feel and look classic all on their own.

It’s amazing what a little color can do to transform a space. Below are two pictures from the same space from different years:

As you plan your own holiday celebration, why not try and pick one color and stick with it throughout the whole event? It can be your favorite color, your partner’s favorite color, or even a color picked by one of your kids (just be ready to end up with a neon blue holiday party)! Carry it throughout all the accessories—for example, royal purple tablecloths, napkins, cutlery and centerpieces. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you can even use that color for all your gift wrapping paper, gift tags and bows. 

You might be surprised at how dramatic a table can look like when you combine different shades of just one color. If you’re color shy, you could try using metallic colors like silver or gold to dress up your event.

Mostly, I think it’s important to be adventurous with what colors you choose and don’t be afraid to break tradition to get the look you want. Besides, how else would new traditions ever begin?

Here’s a couple more close-ups of centerpieces from the green color story for you to be inspired by:

“You Created A Preston”

My editor received a great email yesterday from a woman named Lilit. She runs a flower shop in California with her mom and she shared some pictures of work they’ve created that were inspired by my designs (plus the picture above of her and me at an industry event). She said, “When we create something that is one of a kind or exceptional we always say, ‘You created a Preston.’”

This totally made my day! 

What a great phrase, and what a nice thing to share with me. I really appreciate that my work has inspired other designers to create something unique and interesting. Here’s a picture of an amazing Gummi bear chandelier Lilit created. She said, “The Gummi Bear Chandelier (made entirely of real Gummi bears) was my own interpretation of taking one unexpected element and repeating it to create something new.” Go Lilit!

I’d definitely love to hear from more of you out there who have "created a Preston." Email any pictures you have along with your thoughts to my editor: Karell@prestonbailey.com. Occasionally, I’ll post them here so we can share the inspiration with everyone. If we get enough feedback it may become a regular series on my blog. Thanks again Lilit and keep at it.

On Inspiration and Finding a Color Scheme

I wanted to take some time to talk about one of the most important first steps in designing: choosing a color.

A few weeks ago when I was at Ivanka’s wedding, I was surveying the room. Everyone was dressed in gorgeous gowns and suits and there was a sea of colors all around the room. But one stood out. The stunning Melania Trump was dressed in a deep purple gown that instantly drew my eye. It was so beautiful that it completely inspired my whole Thanksgiving table. Yes, the color scheme for this year’s holiday will be a magnificent, vibrant purple.

One wonderful thing about this color scheme is the complementary accents that can be used to enhance this hue. I’m thinking gold will do the trick. What do you think? What’s your favorite color?

Update: We received requests for pictures of Melania's dress, so here it is. Enjoy! Photo credit: Brain Marcus