A Refreshing Grape, Lime and Berry Cocktail

Katie and Tommy
August 6, 2011 

North Hills Country Club, Glenside, Pennsylvania

Flowers, Decor, Invitations, Event Planning by La Petite Fleur

Photography by Lori Gail Photography

Lighting and Draping by Synergetic Sounds and Lighting

Katie and Tommy share a crazy love that began with an unexpected first-date (and kiss!) south-of-the-border in Cancun.  As such, their wedding’s eccentric elegance played off their bright personalities— incorporating variety with bold colors, pretty patterns and fun features (fried Oreos anyone?).

 
That said, it’s not surprising that these unique urbanites chose wedding boutique La Petite Fleur (LPF) to design a vibrant, elegant affair for their August 6^th wedding at North Hills Country Club in their hometown of Glenside.  To architect vivid styling in a classically-styled venue, La Petite Fleur proposed a transformation using monochromatic tablescapes, an untraditional floor plan; as well as draping and lighting to achieve a beautiful design with bold personality.  LPF’s Leigh Karsch, Owner, and Ronald Giletti, Event Architect, ran with Katie’s bright color palette of grape, lime and berry—not to mention a collection of patterns and textures—and never looked back. 

 
The couple’s stationery suite debuted with pale and bright berry save-the-date “tickets,” which were followed by a custom-designed invitation, which featured a custom logo, layers of colored, metallic papers (and patterns, of course), and an “icing” return address wrap.  LPF designed a Moroccan-inspired monogram logo for the traveling sweethearts and incorporated it into the event’s full line of stationery, which included escort cards, round table cards (named for the couple’s favorite date and travel destinations), menus and programs.

 
Integral to the event’s overall color palette were the bridesmaid and maid-of-honor dresses, which were rich shades of aubergine, raspberry and cobalt.  And it was in this variety that LPF found inspiration for the reception and bouquets.  To marry the ladies’ look, LPF created two styles of green bouquets— that only varied in their accent blooms and ribbon-wrapped stems.  Katie’s bridal bouquet was a burgeoning gathering of more than two dozen raspberry garden roses, and exotic deep purple Vanda orchids. 

 
Katie and Tommy’s wedding day marked the first day of the rest of their lives and the first wedding on the greens of North Hill’s first tee.  White garden chairs— with wide grape and berry ribbon swags— framed the lush green grass aisle, which led the bride to her groom, who stood upon a blanket of rose petals in shades of purples and pinks.  

 
Following the ceremony, guests were greeted on the North Hills terrace by a signature cocktail bar that boasted a custom-designed top with Katie and Tommy’s logo—framed by a bed of limes. Served at the bar, of course, were violet TomKats (a.k.a. transfusions) and raspberry Maahs-itos (a.k.a. mojitos).  In fact, each of the appetizer stations also had a coordinated look and featured a framed custom sign.

 
However, the talk of the cocktail hour was the escort card ribbon wall, which spanned the entire length of the club’s solarium.  Tails of wide ribbon—in alternating colors of deep and light purple, fuchsia and pale pink— streamed from the ceiling to just above the floor. Suspended from each length of ribbon were square escort cards, which played- off the event’s bevy of beautiful patterns and colors.  

 
The transformation continued in the North Hills’ ballroom, where LPF collaborated with their colleagues at Synergetic Sounds and Lighting to implement a plan that included violet up-lighting around the room’s perimeter, a dance floor wash, and pin-spotting of each of the dining tables, as well as of the glass cylinders, which were filled with crystallized water and floating candles, along the 18’ long bar top.

 
The untraditional floor plan included two different sizes of round tables and a rectangular table, with each featuring a monochromatic (grape, lime or berry) tablescape.

 
The rectangular “grape” table was dressed in a floor-length aubergine linen and a white and purple-striped runner. The centerpieces featured ribboned white pillar candles atop white turned-pillar candle sticks in varying heights, upon which custom round table cards were suspended with patterned ribbon. Between the candle sticks were long, glass planters filled with a variety of purple blooms, as well as patterned ribbon-wrapped votives and a custom menu card.  Finishing the grape table’s look were aubergine napkins and clear chiviarri chairs with purple cushions.

 
The round “lime” table was dressed with a lime and white damask linen.  The centerpieces were full, round arrangements of primarily green blooms, including green hydrangea, cymbidium orchids and kiwi roses, placed atop tall white turned pedestals—from which, the round table cards were suspended with striped lime and white ribbon. Lime green chiviarri chairs with lime cushions and striped ribbon-wrapped votives finished the look.

 
The large round “berry” table featured a couture textured raspberry linen.  This table style featured a tall glass trumpet vase, with crystallized water, topped with arching pink dendrobium orchid stems and finished with a round table card suspended with helix patterned pink ribbon.  Dotted ribbon wrapped votives and berry chiviarri chairs with matching cushions completed the look.

 
Variety wasn’t only found in Katie and Tommy’s décor, but also in their event’s “special” features, which included unique food stations, such as the cocktail hour’s nacho bar and signature purple and pink cocktails; a photo booth; and a late-night snack station, which served-up fried Oreos, steak sandwiches and hot dogs to guests as they left the reception!