JL DESIGNS: eco-chic

when the ultra talented jasmine star and i decided to do a photo shoot and stage a couple of tablescapes, i headed downtown to the flower mart, somewhat knowing what i wanted to do and also still open to inspiration...

and then i saw it...

a huge chunk of living moss that stretched about 4 feet long! it was bumpy and irregular and imperfect...and i was in love...

i knew i had to have it! the vendor told me it came directly off of a tree in oregon and i told her i had never seen anything like it in my entire wedding industry career...$35. later i was one happy woman! what a steal!

so this first tablescape 100% revolved around my new "moss runner"...

the little pieces of fern you see were actually growing right out of the moss naturally so i left them intact and bought some extra fern stems of my own to add to each apothecary jar...

a petite succulent head accented the corner of each plate and peeking out from the bottom was a simple rectangular folded "russian linen" napkin from wildflower...

inside each apothecary jar i placed a bit of moss, a couple fern stems and 1 huge succulent head...

dotting the landscape were some dried fungi caps to add a northwest, woodland feel...

check out those fern stems! so lush, so organic and so natural...i loved it...

we also added in some amber glass votives for a pop of warmth and color...

the key was to get a mixture of heights, textures, shapes and sizes - whether in the jars, the candles, the moss or the fern...the variety draws the eye all over and makes it visually appealing to look at, even though the concept is pretty simple...

and talk about appealing...helloooo, sweet and saucy shop!!! melody created a little "cake buffet" rather than 1 large cake - love this!

she accented each cake with a different type of green flower - but i love that she chose florals with a bit of a "plant-like" look so they weren't too girly...

overall, it was a strong, masculine look...and would actually be quite easy to replicate for a DIY bride...here is what you would need:

3-5 glass apothecary jars (tj maxx or homegoods)

clear glass votives candles (ikea or michaels)

1-2 bags of moss and 5 dried fungi caps (michaels)

1 potted fern plant (clip off single stems) and 5-7 succulents of different varieties (home depot or target)

optional: wood chips (home depot), fresh crimini mushrooms (grocery store), pinecones (michaels), pieces of knotted grapewood branches, etc. - get creative!

thanks again to jasmine for taking such gorgeous photos!! plus a BIG thanks to jen from green wedding shoes for featuring us today! check out her post here...

and stay tuned for tablescape #2 from me, jasmine and melody!

okay people! i hope you are ready for this!!! i have been DYING to blog this photo shoot for months and now that the utterly engaged issue 002 has launched, the time has finally come! this post will be longer than usual but blame it on stephanie williams for being a photo genius and making it impossible to choose which pics to post!

when the girls of dlsh design contacted me about taking part in an eco-chic photo shoot for the second issue of their online magazine, utterly engaged, i knew it was going to be special...i feel so blessed that i was given the chance to work with such amazingly talented girls who are SO out-of-this world good at their crafts!

the theme for the shoot was "eco-chic"...designing in a sustainable way that is easy on the wallet and easy on the environment without sacrificing style...it IS doable people! just see for yourselves...

bouquet of yellow ranunculas, buttery lisianthus and cream colored tulips...

sweet little boutonnieres to coordinate with the bouquets i made...

melody from sweet and saucy created this beautiful cake with a homespun feel...going with a buttercream frosting is always less expensive than fondant...and doesn't it still look so elegant?

for the tablescape, i collected vintage vases and milkglass at local thrift stores to be sustainable (and budget-friendly), trying to re-use as much as possible...i then filled them with varying shades of yellow ranunculas, lisianthus, tulips and astilbe...buying flowers as local and domestic as possible helps lessen the gas and emmissions used in transporting the flowers from where they are grown...also, by arranging flowers in vases with only water, it reduces the need for floral foam, which is not bio-degradable and takes forever to break down in landfills...

by incorporating the cake, desserts and sparkling lemonade bottles into the actual tablescape, it lessens the amount of floral needed, saving on costs (and waste)...

although i rented the bistro chairs, china and napkins, i decided to go a different route with the linens...i popped into a salvation army and found some great ivory sheets for $1.00 each! one even had an adorable eyelet lace border which looked really great from this angle...

how killer would it be to drape all of your tables in vintage floral sheets, making each tablescape slightly different from the next but still keeping with an overall consistent color scheme and feel? i would LOVE for one of my brides to allow me to do this for her wedding!

having a light brunch or dessert reception in the late morning or early afternoon could help save on costs since you won't have to serve a formal, sit down meal, your alcohol bill winds up being lower since guests won't drink as heavily and you don't need to bring in any specialty lighting (this helps save energy too!)...

printing your invites and stationary on recycled paper earns major brownie points for being "green"!

the insanely gorgeous dresses each had their own unique character! not only were they stunning but i was blown away that both designers use all organic and sustainable materials to create their dresses...note to all: an eco-friendly dress does not mean it has to look or feel like a potato sack! here is the proof!

definitely one of my favorite bouquets to date...i made this up entirely of balsa wood flowers (which never die and can be re-used) and simple, inexpensive dusty miller foliage...i wrapped the stems in off white satin and overlaid it with some lace leftover from a past bride's wedding dress alteration scraps...way to recycle right?! :)