Events | The Knot Industry Networking Event (recap)

It turned out to be a fun-fun-FUN night! Seeing a lot of familiar faces and meeting new ones!

Here's Fu of F.C. Wong Photography (above)

Here's Elley of Elley Photography (above)
Here's Janae Shields of Janae Shields Photography, Gabby of Cake Coquette, Duncan Reyes of events by design (above)
Here's Mary of Very Merry Events, who's that trying to get in our picture? (above)
Is it Andrew of Studio MSV? (above)
IT IS ANDREW of Studio MSV! (above)

And here's the mastermind of this event, Michelle of MB Wedding Designs (above)

Events | The Knot Wedding Network's Industry Networking Event

WHEN: Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center

101 Henry Adams Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

www.sfvenues.com

I'll be here tonight! Hope to see you all there!

Events | Filoli's Kaleidoscope of Flowers

Filoli, had its annual Mother's Day weekend Flower Show event last weekend, this year called the "Kaleidoscope of Flowers". (View earlier post of my initial thoughts and inspiration here). Literally at the eleventh hour, I was still searching for inspiration. I went back to IKEA, still nothing stood out. The initial idea of the hanging utensil holders were not going to "hold" well because they couldn't be hung against the wall, thus the flowers would most likely fall out and even if they didn't, it would literally just be hanging buckets of flowers. What's the big deal?, I thought.

Then I thought to browse around Macy's kitchen department since I was starting to form a "baking scene" in my head (mostly because in real life, I've been baking and loving it!). As I neared Martha Stewart's kitchen collection, her distinct signature turquoise color hit me with a "ah-hah!" moment - that color completely matched the distinct turquoise colors of the cabinetry in the Butler's pantry! I can't believe I didn't think of that earlier!

Then the rest is history and I went to town, drawing also from the red, grey, green, a lighter shade of blue, and another shade of the turquoise blue of MS's ingredient cups, and came up with my design, titled "A baking scene in a modernized kitchen, inspired by the same turquoise blue of Martha Stewart's kitchen collection as in the blue of the cabinets in the Butler's Pantry", see below:

Events | Floral Presentation at the College of San Mateo

I've always wanted to give back to the school that's given me so much - College of San Mateo - the school that's taught me the fundamentals of floral design and where I received my certificate in Floristry in 2003. So when asked if I would like to be a guest speaker for their monthly meeting, I immediately said YES! I've been bursting with so much knowledge from the past 5 years of being in the business that I wanted to share it all with all the new aspiring students!

I wanted to do my program that's focused more on the practical, everyday techniques of wedding design, instead of designs that are so "out there", (although inspiring) it's not applicable to everyday wedding design. While demonstrating and explaining the techniques, I also talked about the wedding business as being a business, making sure the students know that it is beyond designing - the realistic side of the flower business.

SJMA Council of 100 Annual Dinner

Didn't get a chance to blog about an event we did last last week on 3/6/09. It was a sponsorship event that we gladly did for the San Jose Museum of Art's Council of 100 Annual Dinner. The night was themed around the guest speaker, Tony Oursler - an internationally reknowned video artist - and his piece, Slip, 2003. Fiberglass sculpture, which is currently displayed at SJMA. Here is a picture of the piece taken from SJMA's website, but it's definitely something you have to see in person to appreciate...because it's alive and it talks!

So of course we drew our inspiration from such a unique piece and artist. Worked closely with the Director of Individual Giving and one of the committee members, brainstorming and going to town with picking out very interesting textural materials to use. In the end, we decided to be minimal and use succulents, thistle, kale, an orb, waterproof lights and of course gels! That is our final product for each the centerpieces and the registration table.

Classic Party Rentals Open House

I was so excited about the tablescape I created for Classic Party Rental's Open House this morning that I wanted to just quickly post up some pictures before the party tonight:











Hope to see you at the party tonight!
Classic Party Rentals Open House
Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Time: 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Place: 1635 "A" Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010

Will post more after the event!

Post update:
When I got there, of course I was so excited to show my colleagues my table, but when I got to where my table was, it was NOT THERE! I thought, "was it THAT bad they had to take it away?" So I kept walking around, pretending to be looking at all the other wonderful tablescapes from the other Florists, while secretly looking for MY TABLE of course! But soon enough (TG!), I found it! It was actually at an even better location! It was "center-staged" in the "silver room" with a silver-charcoal backdrop, which went even better with my tablescape, especially since it was next to the oh-so yummy tray of SLIDERS, provided by Hugh Groman Catering! (Oh...SO GOOD! I can still taste it in my mouth!)

The rest of the night was just plain FUN! Especially hanging out with my CPR Gwen-e-GwenGwen! We toured, ate and drank! The best part was everytime she introduced me to a fellow CPR, they all said they loved my piece the best (but hush! hush!).

These wonderful guys from Precision Parking 650-620-0095 (the valet parking sponsors for the night) graciously offered to help me take down my display and carry the boxes to my car! Gets my car AND helps with my things? What more could I ask for?

Here are pictures (SO FAST!) from Orange Photography, the sponsoring photographer for the night!

To view the event slideshow with a "kickin soundtrack", click http://view.orangephotography.com/2009/events/classicopenhouse/
To view complete gallery of pictures from the night, click http://www.orangephotography.com/public/refer.jsp?id=3571&pwd=classic

BAWN First Quarter Event!

Something old, something new, that was the ongoing theme for BAWN's (Bay Area Wedding Network) First Quarter Event, held at the historic San Francisco building, Marine's Memorial Club & Hotel. As a preferred vendor there, we were graciously asked to sponsor the flowers for this event.

The old for us is definitely having worked at the Marine's multiple times and seeing the other preferred vendors of the Marine's as well - Pete and Terry of The Spinheads (below left), Bala and Mandy of The Cakemaker (not pictured) and Beverly of Especially Yours Chair Covers (below right).












But the "new" is multiple too:
(1) Working with Gwen at Classic Party Rentals and going to town with the ceremony and reception tables, the Crystal Lounge has never looked so "enchanting" and magical!










(2) coming up with new aisle decor - using napkins matching to the chivari chair cushions without having to sew or cut, but just with double-sided tape and pins, making it seamless! (I will reveal my sources/mechanics if you ask! =P)












(3) meeting loads of new friends:
Jean of Jean Marks Weddings (my new blogging/picture taking buddy!), Amy of Amy Wedding & Events, Julie of Four Seasons, Adrienne of Adrienne D. Keats Calligraphy, me!









me!, Mary of Very Merry Events and Dia of Dia Rao Photography - my partners in crime for the night!









me! and Janae of Janae Shields Photography









(4) And other noteables are Jennifer of Jennifer Skog (can't wait to get pictures from you for this event!, Maria of Professional Makeup Artistry and of course Gwen of Where to Start and Maria of Creative Occasions, co-founders of BAWN!

Hillsdale Bridal Expo & Registry Faire

What's more fun than going shopping while it's raining outside?

"Shopping" for a venue of course! (well, that is, if you are a bride and groom-to-be!) We were so lucky to be asked to sponsor the flowers for The Westin Palo Alto and Sheraton Palo Alto Hotels' table at the Hillsdale Bridal Expo & Registry Faire this past Sunday.

We did a centerpiece, leaf-wrapped vase of light blue hydrangeas, creamy lisianthus and white with buttery-centered spider mums, twined with beargrass. A bridal bouquet of the same buttery-white spider mums with folded-leaves around the edge and a matching miniature spider mum for the groom.

There's me (right) with my friend/Catering Manager (left)! We have now partnered up and are officially on their Preferred Vendor's List!

SJMA Open House!

San Jose Museum of Art's Open House, "Art-inspired Events" was more than a networking event, it was FUN, inspiring and exhilarating! We were asked to sponsor the flowers for the martini room - be inspired from Andy Warhol's very famous martini glass - the glass itself was green, with a purple olive and yellow background. We studied and studied the picture and decided to do something abstract - tall, slender cylinder vases of sleek stems of green calla lilies, curved to shape like martini glasses, with purple flowers and olives around the lip of the vase. As for the registration and coat check area, we did six smaller cylinder vases of green/yellow spider mums in purple water with a curvy toothpick pierced through a rich purple aster flower on top, as to mimic an olive.

My photographer friend, Chung Li and new wedding coordinator friend, Amy Tam of Amy's Wedding & Events were having so much FUN (but maybe it was because of the three martinis for me =P) that we stayed till the end!

Here is me with my wonderful assistant, Jamie!

The night ended finally when the wonderful Louise of SJMA graciously gave me a brand-new copy of the museum's permanent collection. What a way to end the night!