I dream my painting and I paint my dream...

Aside from working with great clients, one of the best perks of my job is working with awesome vendors! I had the honor of collaborating with the very talented Kristin Kato of A Cake Life and Naomi Lee of Les Saisons to create last month's display at The Wedding Cafe.

Our inspiration was an artist's studio, hence the paint-stained tarp that served as our table linen and paint cans, brushes and easels that completed the look.

(Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

Some of my favorite elements from the display:

Seating charts displayed on an artist's easel (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

Invitation with ombre watercolor heart pattern (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

Watercolor escort cards (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

Hand-painted cake by A Cake Life (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

Each window's "art installation" was given a title (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

This particular quote struck a chord with all of us! (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

Gold painted cake with lovebirds by A Cake Life (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

The fringe! (Photo by Kricia Morris Photography)

The back story on "the fringe"... I had wanted to create this crepe paper fringe for a loooong time and was so happy to finally get the chance to bring it to life! My original plan was to create this stunning backdrop for my booth at the wedding expo. And after seeing how it looked hanging in The Wedding Cafe, I knew that a repeat performance was necessary:

Emi Ink booth at the Hawaii World Class Wedding Expo

And a final note on the display... While the worn tarp with paint splatters is atypical of Les Saisons' gorgeous linen offerings, the real benefit of collaborating with someone like Naomi is her eye for design. I consider myself a designer, but I work on a very macro level. My canvas of choice is usually no bigger than 5" x 7". That works in my favor since people hire me to master the details of their stationery, but that skill is not very handy when you need to stage something larger than a breadbox. Watching Naomi work is really like watching an artist in action. She created something from nothing and designed these gorgeous vignettes to showcase my stationery and Kristin's beautiful cakes. That's talent, I tell you.

For Kristin's take on the display, including fun details on her stunning cakes, check out her blog here.

Please take your seat

Escort cards are a common way to let your guests know where they are seated. Whether they're designed as flat or tent fold cards, lined up neatly on your registration table or hanging from manzanita branches with pretty organza ribbon, escort cards are something tangible that your guests can pick up and carry to their assigned tables.

Another option is a large seating chart that you can set up on an easel next to your registration table. Here's a recent piece that we created for a bride and groom that incorporated one of their engagement photos, with alphabetized guest names and assigned table numbers.

 

And here's some food for thought...

FOR ESCORT CARDS:

• Instead of printing the table number directly on the escort card, just leave a blank space where you can fill this in by hand 1-2 days before the wedding.This option provides you with the highest level of flexibility and you can move guests around to your heart's content...until you put pen to paper.
• Always produce extra blank cards...you just never know if you'll need them.
• Think about how you will be displaying your cards. Will they be protected by the elements (i.e. rain, wind)? Find a way to secure your cards if you're at an outdoor venue. There are lots of creative options to consider...think outside the box!
• If you make changes to your table assignments, it MAY be easier (and cheaper!) to reprint a few escort cards than to reprint a large seating chart.

FOR SEATING CHARTS:

• The size of your seating chart should ultimately be determined by the number of names you're printing. The chart pictured above measured 24" x 18" and included just under 100 names.
• If your headcount is substantial, consider printing two seating charts to avoid congestion with lots of guests crowding around a single chart.
• Proof your seating chart. Have someone else proof your seating chart. Ask a third person to proof your seating chart. It's worth it to have a thorough review process if it'll prevent you from having to reprint it.

And because it bears repeating, YOU WILL HAVE UNEXPECTED CHANGES TO YOUR TABLE ASSIGNMENTS. Unfortunately, this is an inevitable part of the planning process so you'll be better off just coming to terms with that now so you're not blindsided with it in the busy weeks leading up to your wedding. I can't even count how many times I've had clients send me frantic emails asking if it was too late to make revisions to their printed pieces just a few days before the wedding. It's stressful, it's inconvenient, it just downright sucks...but it's ok, it happens to everyone, and it's not uncommon. Daily affirmation...done.