COVER GIRLS Adorations Botanical Artistry & White Lace Events

Featured on Ceremony Magazine’s April Cover

I knew deep down at our photo shoot that THIS would be a cover.

We were cutting it close to deadlines for Ceremony Magazine’s 2015 print edition when I was asked to partner with Elizabeth & Krissie of White Lace Events & Design.

This was to be their first styled photo shoot with Ceremony, as they were in the midst of launching their very own wedding coordination and design company. Since I knew these vibrant girls well, as they were certainly no strangers to the wedding industry, coming direct from one of my favorite properties, L’Auberge Del Mar, I was thrilled for the collaboration!

Right away, E & K (as the White Lace girls are known) knew they wanted to incorporate a SWING, and I was all for it! This is the kind of work I feel eternally grateful to get to design. The shoot was a representation of that “loose, handpicked from the garden” vibe that doesn’t always get expressed within magazine editorials. Mixing unique elements like berries and pomegranates (which were in peak season) added another level of depth and texture to the styling, which is very much in line with our personal design philosophy at Adorations.

The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe was the perfect location for this shoot as the natural romantic landscape lent so well to our entire design scheme. As E & K selected the farm table, chairs and tabletop accessories, including that signature “White Lace” runner, we built the swing to act as the “sweetheart seat” at the table for the bride and groom. We created the swing in bay laurel, seeded eucalyptus and Italian pittosporum leaves with a found vintage plank of wood.  The bountiful centerpieces and bouquet were crafted with lush peonies, dahlias, ripe red roses, garden roses, and ranunculus, all in various shades of burgundy, pink, and white with touches of pale gold for an unexpected lean in color.

I remember thinking when the talented Pam Scott took the shots of the bouquet on the swing, that Ceremony would love it! This really was a “fruits of love” moment for all of us and such an amazing debut of two very creative ladies.  I look forward to many more COVER-worthy designs with Elizabeth and Krissie as I know they’ll find much success with their business, White Lace Events & Design!

VENDOR LOVE
Photography: Pam Scott Photography. Coordination & Styling: White Lace Events & Design. Floral Design: Adorations Botanical Artistry. Stationery: Posh Paperie. Escort Cards: RLH Creations. Rentals: Classic Party Rentals. Location: The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe.

Brian Malarkey’s GREEN ACRE Restaurant Featured with ADORATIONS BOTANICAL ARTISTY in Ceremony Magazine San Diego 2015

Top Chef extraordinaire Brian Malarkey is clearly a household name. Especially in San Diego, our palettes have had the pleasure of experiencing Malarkey’s “Fabric of Social Dining” in his award-winning haute spot restaurants, Searsucker and Herringbone, while foodie fans across the country have fallen in love with Bravo’s happy-go-lucky reality star. Malarkey seems to be finding more and more success in his restaurant brands, which have expanded into Austin, Texas; West Hollywood, and soon-to-be in Las Vegas; but his most recent SD venue and restaurant Green Acre is adored by us, here at Adorations.

Obviously, in case you haven’t seen the latest 2015 edition of Ceremony Magazine, Adorations is thrilled to see our incredible king-sized “Garden to Table” photoshoot featured in a 4-page editorial spread!

Last year, we were blessed to work with the wonderful Tim Altbaum Productions (now Vario Productions) for his annual industry event, hosted at Green Acre and found such inspiration in the “campus-life” that this organic eatery boasts. Unlike any restaurant dining experience we’ve ever seen, Green Acre is the epitome of farm-to-table dining, as each of the two life science campus locations has its own sustainable garden where much of their produce is harvested. Offering breakfast and lunch “brain food” for neighboring colleagues and researchers, the Campus Pointe location can also double as a venue space for special events. Since we were already twirling flowers for Tim’s elaborate celebration, we decided to repurpose our florals into a Ceremony Magazine photoshoot the very next day.  It only seemed fitting, keeping with the green, sustainable lifestyle assumed by Green Acre, that reusing our gorgeous flowers was a must! For more TAP party pictures.

Our shoot was a play on the “farm-to-table” restaurant concept as translated to the “Garden-to-Table” styling (and name). Since Green Acre boasts a private dining space with a grand 20-person tabletop made of reclaimed wood, accompanied by leather chairs and bookshelves adorned to the walls, we thought this was the perfect location to set our tablescape.  The flower palette comprised of Juliette and Campanella garden roses, pincushion protea, anemones, sweet peas, and ranunculus in sorbet inspired shades of pinks and oranges elevated with greens, which livened up the masculine den-like space.

Because this was such an important shoot for Adorations, we were fortunate to work with two amazing photographers to capture the essence of our “Garden to Table” editorial. As featured in the Ceremony Magazine spread, Alex Hurtado Photography shot the table and details, as did our friend Garrett Richardson for Clove & Kin Photography, who was featured in Ceremony for the cabbage patch bouquet. Our incredible team of vendors also included coordination by Jessica Gillon of Events by Design, Hostess Haven for rentals; linens by Concepts Event Design and stationery pieces by Love Paper Paint.

Thank you to our talented vendors and Ceremony Magazine for this wonderful published feature and of course, to the inspiring Brian Malarkey who just keeps growing his delicious brand of goodness! Want to see more Garden-to-Table.

Editorial Shoot Credits
Photography: Alex Hurtado Photography. Photography: Clove & Kin Photography. Floral Design: Adorations Botanical Artistry. Coordination: Events by Design. Rentals: Hostess Haven. Linens: Concepts Event Design. Stationery: Love Paper Paint. Food & Venue: Green Acre.

VENDOR LOVE: GARRETT RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Editorial Feature in Ceremony Magazine 2015

Photography by Garrett Richardson Photography 
(formerly of Clove of Kin)

This week, the hot off the press copies of Ceremony Magazine 2015 arrived in our mailbox, showcasing truly amazing features for Adorations Botanical Artistry and that of our colleagues. We were thrilled to see our editorial spreads in print and look forward to sharing those in detail on our blog with a “behind-the-scenes” story of how they all came to be.

Being that I also had the pleasure to attend one of my first 2015 wedding-industry events last week, the Grand Opening Party for the “Lofty Wedding Collection,” I was inspired to begin with a young man and the passion he has for his work – a vendor who I had the opportunity to work with to create one of my published contributions in Ceremony.

Now, Garrett Richardson is quite a talented photographer. His new Photography Studio is located directly above the brand new Elle Bridal Boutique and across from Posh Paperie in this cool urban space in Downtown San Diego; making this trio, the “Lofty Wedding Collection.” Garrett, who was formerly with Clove and Kin, started this year beginning a new chapter in his life and launching this vendor collective and establishing his own namesake photography company. Garrett’s work is already very well known but he made quite an impression on me during a shoot together for Ceremony Magazine last year.

As featured in the magazine as our FARM TO TABLE spread, which couldn’t be more perfectly titled (and you will understand why soon enough), Adorations had two photographers assist in capturing our king-table concept at Green Acres; one of which was Garrett, working under the Clove and Kin company. I had never met Garrett before this shoot but he had come highly recommended, as I had noted his stunning photography work in the past. His demeanor was as sweet as can be and his execution in shooting not only the massive tabletop but the “cabbage patch” floral bouquet was flawless – ending up on a full page feature in the 2015 Ceremony.

When I saw Garrett at his Grand Opening, I was so proud of him to see all that he had accomplished in this past year. From our first meeting at the Green Acres shoot, I had instantly connected with him, which is something I do when I share that creative drive and personal philosophy with another being. Garrett’s ventures to create his own business and establish his brand were just so on point and when he shared his story on “THE TREE” in his logo, my heart simply melted.

Inspired by family, connection and relationships, Garrett recalled childhood drives up the central coast to visit his relatives in San Luis Obispo and spending those long car rides staring out the window passing by magnificent oak trees.

“These trees were just each so unique and different, in their own way,” remarks Garrett. “An Oak isn’t going anywhere. Its one of the longest and deeply rooted trees in the ground, and it becomes part of everlasting life. It’s faithful. Sturdy. Something that lasts – just like that of marriage, which grows into family. Those are the kind of portraits I love to photograph.”

Because we share these sentiments of what weddings truly represent, I fell more in love with this bright, young photographer and his reflective heart. Garrett’s engaging personality, honest soul and tremendous work ethic will follow him to great success. I am so honored to have met him on our Ceremony Magazine shoot and look forward to many more inspired projects with his brand, Garrett Richardson Photography. I just can’t help but think of him and his Giving Tree.  

Ceremony Magazine

Ceremony Magazine is now hot off the press with their brand new 2014 edition. We were thrilled to see Alexandra and Dave in our SOPHISTICATED GARDEN WEDDING featured on a four–page spread with Samuel Lippke Studios and Thomas Bui Lifestyle.

I am also honored that my article, The Color of Expression, showcasing the VIVID COASTAL WEDDNG décor is gracing the floral design section of the magazine, captured by The Youngrens with Crown Weddings. You can view the magazine in its entirely at CeremonyBlog.com/digital-magazines and see many more photos from these events right here on my site.

These gorgeous new press features with Ceremony Magazine are so exciting, as they are practically in-sync with the launch of Adorations.com. Ceremony Magazine is THE luxury wedding publication in Southern California showcasing over 300 pages of pure wedding ingenuity. I have had the pleasure of working one-on-one with the editors at Ceremony and I know that they pour their heart into the publication and it truly shows. I must admit, I am already planning a shoot for the upcoming issue (which you may get a sneak peak here) as I look forward to contributing more to the magazine and continuing our ongoing relationship. Thank you so much Ceremony for the beautiful features this year!