We’re thrilled to extend a warm welcome back to Karine Bailly of Ovando , one of our favorite floral and event production studios here in Manhattan, and Merci New York’s resident floral contributor. If you have missed Ovando’s amazing floral posts, be sure to catch up here … Karine and team always bring such amazing expert advice and inspiration to our readers – I’m just so thrilled when they pop by. Take it away, Karine…
I’m so happy to be back on Merci New York, just in the midst of all the exceptionally glam Bridal Market coverage . Even while there is so much fall-colored eye candy to behold, bridal market bits are a fabulously fashionable reminder that winter and hence spring are just around the corner. And this, inevitably, got us thinking about our favorite looks for winter weddings, indeed one of our very favorite subjects at Ovando !
As many of you perhaps know, Ovando is most well-known for the use of very bold colors and modern designs. Nevertheless, one of our favorite looks for winter—and one that continues to command tons of attention for Winter 2011—is a truly magical, yet ever-modern, white wonderland look. Now you might be asking yourselves, “Isn’t this a more traditional décor style?” Well, one might initially think that…but we assure that there are plenty of ways to incorporate more modern flair!
One of our favorite techniques is to base your design upon white flowers but also incorporate subtle, earthy colors like greens and wheats, in order to make your arrangements stand out. We like to work lily grass or steal grass into architectural forms in order to create more contemporary compositions.
Otherwise, a slightly simpler technique is to work with designs which accentuate the green stems of your chosen flowers. White calla lily compositions are ideal as the flower has thick, bright green stems that are fairly pliable and hence good to design with.
Tablescapes that embrace mixed designs, all using white flowers, are another great way to achieve a more modern look. This technique brings beautiful energy to your design and also allows for interplay between various textures.
Take, for instance, the languid and silken look of callas, versus the tender and ever-elegant look of phalaenopsis orchids, as also compared to those ruffled, wonderfully lush delphiniums, as, alas, measured against the heart-shaped and tropical appeal of anthuriums. Tablescapes truly permit an endless amount of possibility—and this doesn’t even factor in the interplay of varying proportions amongst each composition!
Lastly, we hardly need say how crucial it is to have lighting which really brings your designs to life. Mixing candles into a beautiful floral spread is not exactly a novel idea. Nevertheless, it remains a very popular way to create a warm glow.
Overhead spotlighting should also be mixed in. Not only does this bring in gentle brightness, but you can manipulate positioning between your tealights, spotlights, and tablescape designs so that the resulting shadows create a sense of flow and movement.
And also keep in mind: just because your chosen flowers are white does not mean that all of your lighting needs to be. One of our favorite ways to imbue a room with more modern finesse is to use colored, yet subtle, front- or back-lighting. The interplay between your white table décor and colored lighting gives way to a contemporary aesthetic while still showing reverence to the white “winter wonderland” feel.
Magical indeed!
All photos courtesy of Photomuse Location, Pearl River Hilton.
