In my search for a truly inspirational tablescape for a destination wedding to take place at the breathtaking Seaport Hotel in Boston, I visited one of my very favorite sites and came across this simple, elegant and luxurious tablescape designed by the one and only; The Wedding Library out of New York!
Seriously, this tablescape is simply amazing to say the least. It speaks volume to the bride who wants to make a statement but wants to keep it clean, simple, scrumptious and luxurious. What do you think about this table? Can you picture your wedding with this kind of décor? You know I would love to hear your thoughts.
Inspired by The Wedding Library,
Violaine Diogene
I love the very simple, white orchids on the clear acrylic table and chair. There’s something so stunning about the contrast between the color arrangements. Notice the several different lengths of glasses on the table which adds simple drama.
Seeing the whole table from a few feet away really allows you to take in how truly beautiful it is.
I love the brown chargers under the crisp white entrée plate with the dark cream salad plate. The colors are simply stunning. Did you notice that the only linen on the table is the white napkin? I love that.
I simply adore how all the very simple details were attended to. Instead of a traditional napkin ring, they used this very modern, crisp platinum sea seashell to keep the napkin in place.
This simple little statuette of the sea horse simply finalizes this tablescape.
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What a winter we’ve had in Atlanta! This is my third winter here and I can say it has been unseasonably cold here and my thoughts are often turned to the temperate days I usually enjoy in the spring while trying to look like I can plant a few flowers. Dare I say I’m welcoming the arrival of spring? While trying to get my mind in spring mode, I’ve been searching for amazing and beautiful spring wedding accents and came across this scrumptious SmittenXOXO studio that produced all the gorgeous hair pieces in this post.
So, I’m completely smitten by this SmittenXOXO for being so incredibly creative, exotic and unique. According to the studio, all Smitten products are made with utmost care, and highest quality materials. Everything is hand-made with the highest degree of craftsmanship. And I’m all for that. Below are my favorite items from the site but I had to start by posting my very first favorite piece which is this stunning oversized flower named Dos Gardenias Para Ti. Isn’t it lovely? I’m thinking this piece would be perfect for an outdoor garden wedding or any other ceremony for that matter; if you don’t plan on wearing a veil. And yes, you certainly can wear this if you’ve a guest who just wants to make your statement!
My second favorite this very daring and bold piece name The Murderess! Yeah, I know; I smiled when I saw the name and I must confess that I think I like it even more because of its name. But look at it. I’m in love with the bold, dark velvet red eggplant color and the pale red feathers are simply striking.
As a bride, do you think you can pull your look by wearing The Murderess? I think you can! Let me know your thoughts on this post.
Smitten by SmittenXOXO,
Violaine Diogene
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So you’ve never heard of Mauritius? Don’t feel bad as I didn’t even know this amazing place was even on the map! One of my brides owns a travel agency and she’s looking into a very unique honeymoon destination and you guessed it; she landed on Mauritius! Once she sent me the link and I began my research and am I impress of what! Oh, Mauritius was recently named one the 10 Extraordinary Islands on the planet by Yahoo.
Mauritius is isolated in the Indian Ocean, 1,243 miles east of mainland Africa, Mauritius may be tiny, but there’s never a shortage of things to do. With a coastline ringed by coral reefs, and calm, clear, shallow lagoon waters, the island is ideal for all sorts of water sports; the unspoiled interior offers sights of spectacular natural beauty as well. Tourism on Mauritius is a relatively new phenomenon, however, and so far it’s definitely geared toward the higher-end traveler. Mauritius today is an amalgam of Creole, Indian, Chinese, and French peoples (there was never an indigenous population), with Creole and French the dominant flavors. Its most famous resident, however, may have been the flightless dodo bird, a rare species discovered here by the first Dutch visitors and soon driven to extinction by the settlers’ wild pigs and macaques.
The temperature on the coastal areas varies between 22°C in winter and 34°C in summer. The sea temperature varies between 22°C and 27°C. In the central part of the island, the maximum daytime temperature varies from about 19°C in August to about 26°C in February. The western and northern regions are warmer and relatively drier than the East and the South.
Visa & entry
A visitor must be in possession of a valid passport and a return or onward ticket. A visitor’s visa is normally granted for a period of two weeks to one month upon arrival, to almost all holders of a valid passport, with one or two exceptions. Visitors are strongly recommended to contact the Passport and Immigration Office in Mauritius or the nearest Mauritian Embassy or Consulate. The visa can be extended upon request at the Passport and Immigration Office, Sterling House, 11-19 Lislet Geoffroy Street, Port-Louis, Tel : (230) 210-9312 to 210-9317 Fax (230)210-9322.
Ok, now you have the major requirements of getting into the Island. Where do you stay? Well, you know that’s the best part. Le Telfair Golf & Spa is one of the many places to stay but I’m going to make it THE place to stay and the pictures will tell you why.
Can you picture yourself enjoying this amazing property in such plush, sensual setting? I can! I see myself just spending the day under one of the lovely umbrellas with a Pina Colada (extra rum please) with my favorite book. Well, you know the rules on this blog; let me know your thoughts. How do you see yourself enjoying this property?
Spirit’s in Le Telfair Golf & Spa,
Violaine Diogene
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Sherrie says:
Have I told you just how much I LOVE Grace Ormonde? Well, I LOVE anything and everything Grace Ormonde. Now you know I follow her blog, a fan on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. No, it’s NOT an obsession, just love! On her daily tweets, I received this amazing picture photographed by Punam Bean Photography, and I just fell in love with the photo.
In black and white this photo just highlights the sweet, enormous moments between fiancé and fiancé before they become husband and wife. I simply adore the crinkled wrapping paper which makes you imagine the bride opening her gift with an amazing glow on her face. I love how the groom put his thoughts on a ripped piece paper and even though the note is somewhat blurry, you can still see the part where he reminds her that he loves her. And this amazingly beautiful clutch just makes you think about the time and effort he put into this simple gesture. As Grace put it, this photograph exudes romance, nostalgia and alludes to a bygone era. And I simply could not agree more!
Yes, I would love to hear your thoughts on this photo. When was the last time you saw a picture that truly moved you?
Always inspired by Grace Ormonde,
Violaine Diogene
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When I tell you I LOVE my job, please believe and understand that I do love my job! One of my favorite brides called me today to ask my opinion on her brilliant idea on purchasing three different gowns. I’m thinking, three different gowns to wear that evening? YES, she said and we begun discussing her point of change. While putting our ideas together, we came up with the change for the wedding cake cutting gown and you guessed it, I wanted to share it with you.
I’m loving this idea and what a way to make you’re a statement and to keep your guest guessing about what you’ll do next? So, her idea is to get married in a formal wedding gown, she’ll be introduced in that gown and just after the first course is served she will go into the bridal room and change her entire look! After the cake is cut and a mere hour later she’ll once again change her entire look and will emerge in her last dance gown. Yes, I know it’s brilliant!
Below are the gowns she and I are looking into. Now, you know I LOVE Oscar de la Renta and when one of my brides decides to wear his gowns, believe me when I tell you I’m over the moon.
Well, what do you think of this idea? Do you see yourself changing three times or twice? You know just how much I love to hear from you.
With three gowns in mind,
Violaine Diogene
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On the last weekend of February, I have the very best privilege and honor to work with one of my very favorite florist/designers in Atlanta! This florist/designer is one tremendous talent, knowledge and full of grace and every time we get to work together I feel as though I’m home.
Christine of Perfect Petals is one of those people who you’ll automatically feel drawn to with her warm and sincere smile. Regardless of how many weddings we do together (and believe me, we’ve done quite a few) I get very excited when a bride calls to notify me that they’ve chosen Perfect Petals to do their decor and flowers. And it is because of this reason I’m so thrilled to be working with her on this amazing event that I’m so honored to invite you to.
I’m also very excited because I’m going to have a chance to speak on a panel with other amazing wedding vendors about translating your Wedding Style! Did I tell you I’m excited? Well, I’m hoping to see you there and I certainly hope that you’ll find inspiration while attending this event. Below is the Itinerary for the weekend.
Hoping to see you this weekend,
Violaine Diogene
Phipps Plaza Bridal Weekend
Saturday, February 27th
12:00 p.m. – Couples Workshop, presented by LoveKnots
1:00 p.m. – Tasting Menu presentation from Rosebud
2:15 p.m. – Photography Workshop with LaCour & The Decisive Moment
3:30 p.m. – Wedding Vendor Q&A Panel, led by The Atlantan Brides Editor-in-Chief, Phebe Wahl, featuring top event professionals in the city
5:00 p.m. – Beauty Demo by Raney O’Keefe
Sunday, February 28th
12:00 – Translating your Wedding Style
1:00 p.m. – Bridal Fashion presentation
2:00 p.m. – Meet the author and pick up your signed copy of Weddings by Tara Guerard
3:00 p.m. – Mens Fashion presentation
4:00 p.m. – Live Giveaway Announcement
4:30 p.m. – Wedding and Event Fashion presentation
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Like wedding gown, your wedding cake and other aspect of your wedding; your centerpiece should certainly reflect your sense of style, personality and should make an impression on your guests. One of my current bride really knocked me of my seat when she decided to go opposite of everything she’s ever known. I’m talking about completely opposite and every one of her guests will not believe she had this person in her.
Kelsie (a destination wedding in Boston this summer) is as quite as they come, as simple and un-elaborate as a bride can be! This week while going through magazines and photos of reception décor, she came across a website and fell in love with these daring centerpieces and called me up screaming “V, I MUST have one of these centerpieces”! Well, if she MUST have them, then she will have them and in the next few weeks I’m heading to Boston to meet with the vendor to finalize the décor.
I’m sharing this with you because I want to remind you that this is your wedding and you’re able and allowed to do whatever it is that you want. If’ you’re a bride like Kelsie and you want to just shock your guests upon their arrival at the reception, by all means make it happen. There is no rule to what and how you should do your own wedding decor. Well, you know what I mean. I don’t want you to go crazy with your colors or anything but I just want you to keep an open mind about what’s available to you. Be creative, step out of the box and surprise the most important guest of all; you!
Below are some of the most amazing centerpieces I’ve ever come across. I love, love and love the very first one as it just took my breath away. This actually more than a centerpiece as every other table were graced with handmade canopies of birch and vines which featured dripping votives. While mossy pots overflowed with garden flowers with wooden lanterns and votives to punctuate each lush table. Do you hear that? That’s your guests gasping in amazement as they step foot in your reception!
How do you envision your reception décor? Like to contact the florist responsible for such amazing work? Davinci Florist and Stone Blossom would love to speak with you. Let me know your thoughts on these daring centerpieces.
Daring you to be daring,
Violaine Diogene
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OK so, I LOVE wine and I mean I LOVE wine! One of the most important elements in planning a very nice wedding is knowing the kinds of wine you should offer your guests (should you choose to offer your guests). Now you know when we started this blog, we wanted to talk to you about all sorts of things and this wine 101 I’m thinking is a great post for those who’s looking for information on wine.
I was reading about this from Brides.com and I came accross this wonderful aritcle and I thought I would share with you. Let me know if you found it useful and if there’s any questions I can asnwer for you.
Always thinking of you,
Violaine Diogene
A top wine expert offers her insider tips for choosing your wedding-day drinks
There’s no doubt about it: Choosing wine can be one of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning. And selecting your big-day libations doesn’t have to be stuffy or pretentious. Anu Karwa, who holds an Advanced Certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, founded trendy wine tasting event organizer Swirl Events to share her passion for approaching wine in a fresh, fun way. Here, she shares her best advice for picking the wine for your wedding.
How should a couple pick wines for their wedding? What should they order?
When picking wine for a wedding, you want to pick one white wine and one red wine. Make sure they’re food friendly and that they’ll please a wide spectrum of palates. Don’t pick extreme or non-food friendly wines, e.g. a sweet white wine, a big Barolo, red Zinfandel, etc. Plus you need a sparkling wine for the toasts. My picks for wedding whites include: a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (especially the Marlborough region), a dry Riesling from Washington State or Alsace or an unoaked Chardonnay (known as White Burgundy in France.) For reds, I would pick a Pinot Noir (known as Red Burgundy in France.) Great choices come out of the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the classic region of Burgundy. They’re very food friendly or perfect on their own and easily please a wide taste range.
How many glasses of wine should a couple budget per person?
Assess your crowd. Some crowds are more likely to consume wine, beer and cocktails. The ratio is up to you, but assume people drinking wine consume one glass per hour.
Champagne’s expensive but necessary for a Champagne toast. What can a couple do to save money without losing this special touch?
My favorite wine tip for weddings involves Champagne. Champagne is a major wedding expense (since people usually budget two glasses per guest.) Instead, pick a Prosecco, a sparkling wine from Italy, or a Cava, a sparkling wine from Spain. Both are equally elegant and you can find fantastic bottles for about $12!
How can oenophiles incorporate wine into their wedding?
Pick wines that are special to you and indicate the meaning behind the choice to guests via small tent cards. Place the tent cards in front of the wine or near the bar. This gives guests a little insight into you as a couple.
Not sure which wines to pick? Here are a few questions to get your imagination going:
- Do either the bride or groom come from a wine-friendly area? Pick a wine from their home state or country.
- Have you vacationed in wine country?
- Are you especially environmentally conscious and planning a “green” wedding? Pick all organic or biodynamic wines.
- Have you picked a wine to be your new “home” wine?
- Do you have a special restaurant: Where you shared your first date, where he proposed, etc…? Pick a wine off their menu.
- Are you going to a honeymoon spot known for its wine: Napa, Australia, France, Italy, Egypt, even India?
Cocktail hours all seem the same. How can a couple make it more fun?
Have a wine tasting! If Swirl doesn’t cover your area (NY, NJ, CT), do it yourself. Set up stations, each with one wine and a sommelier or bartender pouring and discussing the wine. Pair an appetizer or cheese with each wine being tasted and keep it at the station. Get score cards printed with the names of the wines and the station number. Hand these to guests so they can vote for their favorite or write notes. This keeps guests occupied and encourages mingling between guests who might not know each other.
— Kathryn Papanek
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Ok, this is almost kind of embarrassing to admit only because I’m a wedding planner and all, but I’m not exactly, no scratch that, I’m not a flower expert at the very least! There, I said it and yes, I’m breathing in sight. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I LOVE flowers and I absolutely love picking out a few flowers to make an arrangement but I couldn’t tell you about their names, meaning and all that, and that’s fine because I leave figuring out what’s in season and what’s what to my favorite floral vendors.
Because I don’t know much about flowers, I’m thinking it’s a great idea to for us to educate ourselves about these wonderful, simple pleasures of life. On Brides.com there’s this amazing Flower Finder and it’s a great place to get all the flower facts your little heart can handle. I’m thinking in the next few weeks, I’ll feature 10 flowers per week for us to get to know.
You know the deal, let me know your thoughts on this post and if you find it useful.
Happy flower learning,
Violaine Diogene
Muscari
These delicate, tightly clustered flowers, also called grape hyacinth, burst from bulbs in spring; small-headed, with supple stems, they’re easily wired into head wreaths for flower girls.
Color
purple, blue
Style
beach casual, classic, romantic
Cost
$$ = medium price
Season
spring
Size of Bloom
small
Hyacinths
This winter-to-late-spring bloom has a strong scent and a fresh-from-the-garden appeal; use the stems in small centerpieces or planters, or pluck a couple of individual flowers for a boutonniere.
Meaning: constancy
Style
beach casual, classic, romantic, modern
Color
red, blue, yellow, pink, orange, white
Size of Bloom
large
Cost
$$ = medium price
Season
winter through spring
Alliums
Like fluffy lollipops perched on tall sticks, these perfect globes of tiny petals create eye-popping displays, but don’t put them directly on your buffet-they smell a bit like onions.
Meaning: unity, humility, patience
Color
purple, blue, white, lavender, violet
Size of Bloom
large
Season
summer
Cost
$$$ = expensive
Hydrangea
Gardens burst into life with these poufs in late summer and fall; in shades from pink to lavender to green, they look modern when massed in bouquets and large arrangements.
Meaning: devotion
Style
beach casual, glamorous, classic, romantic, modern
Season
year round
Size of Bloom
large, medium
Color
blue, pink, green, white
Cost
$$$ = expensive
Sweet Peas
Skinny stems mean you can gather these frilly favorites in a bouquet, and it will still be featherlight. More good news: While it looks delicate, this early spring bloomer is deceptively hardy.
Meaning: delicate pleasures
Color
purple, red, lavender, pink, white
Style
glamorous, classic, romantic
Season
fall through late summer
Size of Bloom
small
Cost
$$$ = expensive
Peonies
This voluptuous, ultrafragrant flower has a fleeting season—late spring to early summer. Bunches of these chubby, old-fashioned favorites are beautiful placed in pretty pitchers.
Meaning: bashful
Style
beach casual, glamorous, classic, romantic
Color
red, burgundy, pink, white
Size of Bloom
large, medium
Season
late spring
Cost
$$$ = expensive
Roses
These are the classic long-stemmed roses that you see in the florist’s shop every Valentine’s Day. A perennial wedding choice, their petals can be plucked to carpet the ceremony aisle.
Meaning: love and passion
Color
red, yellow, pink
Style
glamorous, classic, romantic
Season
year round
Size of Bloom
medium
Cost
$$ = medium price
Lenten Roses
When is a rose not a rose? When it’s this five-petaled flower—more accurately called helleborus—that blooms in the Lenten season; it adds a springy bounce to bouquets.
Color
purple, pink, green, white
Season
early winter through spring
Style
beach casual, glamorous, bohemian, romantic
Size of Bloom
small
Cost
$$$ = expensive
Gardenias
With a scent to swoon for, this stem less flower can be floated in water or wired into a bouquet; though edges turn brown when handled roughly, it’s a stunningly retro-glam hair ornament.
Meaning: joy
Style
glamorous, classic, romantic
Size of Bloom
large, medium
Season
spring, summer
Cost
$$$ = expensive
Color
white, ivory
Eremurus Foxtail Lillies
Each stalk of this long-stemmed spring flower can have hundreds of star like florets; it can last for up to three weeks in a vase, so it’s great for make-ahead arrangements.
Style
beach casual, glamorous, bohemian, modern
Size of Bloom
medium
Cost
$$ = medium price
Season
spring, summer
color
yellow, pink
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Out of all the amazing and brilliant designers that we’re fortunate to be a witness to their work, does any of them whisper your name? When a designer whispers your name, he’s calling you to wear his designs; Regardless if you can actually afford that particular designer at the very moment, eventually you will give in to that whisper and you’ll start wearing their designs.
Valentino has been whispering my name for a while now and I’m about to answer his call with the very first pair of shoes below. Yes, I know, I LOVE that amazing pair of shoes and it screams Violaine all over! But besides the amazing shoes, Valentino is a designer whom provides ample inspiration for the lady seeking a one-of-a-kind gown, and this particular Valentino collection simply took my breath away! This collection delivers exquisite and timeless couture gowns.
Which of these designs whispers your name? Which designer whispers your name? I know some of the suits below are white and I would love to hear your thoughs on where you would wear the white suit to! I would love to hear your thoughts…..
Inspired by Valentino,
Violaine Diogene
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Melisa says:
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I really like when people are expressing their opinion and thought. So I like the way you are writing