While we love to create lavish, detailed and stunning affairs, there is another side to perfect hospitality.   Sometimes, creating something extraordinary can be really simple.

Case in point:  Last winter, Sara and I spent hours on fabric row playing with all sorts of beautiful material and notions as we were styling some of our upcoming celebrations.  After all the creating was complete, we had some fabric left over.  We decided to  very easy napkins out of our extra fabric to show you how simple it is to make a table extraordinary.  All the placesettings and accessories are pieces that came straight out of our kitchen cabinets.  The flowers came from my yard.   But the looks are truly special.

Geek Chic (As Maggie likes to call it!)

This napkin was super-simple to make. Just a simple swiss dot, cotton fabric, cut into squares and sewn back-to-back.

An easy summer picnic

We just tied together some flowers cut from my yard and threw them in a wood salad bowl. The effect was lovely!

Again, creating the napkin couldn't have been easier!

Breakfast at the Piazza

We thought it would be fun to just bring some things from the kitchen and set them up at the market tables under yellow umbrellas at the Piazza.   Nothing unusual going on here — except the homemade napkins.   But it really looks really special! What a lovely way to start a Sunday morning, eh?

Here, we simply used a contrasting fabric for the reverse side.

As many of you know, we have an amazing studio on Liberties Walk in the uber-chic section of Philadelphia known as Northern Liberties.  People just love it here — and so do we!!

Often, people stopped by to ask if we rent any of our space out for parties.  As the photos below show you, the answer is a resounding yes!   We’ve gotten enough requests now that I thought it was time to send a message to the world that if anyone would like to rent our studio out, we would be more than happy to make that happen.

If you need more space for a larger party, we can combine our space with the teaching studio at Beautiful Blooms Boutique as a kind of bundle where you could have both spaces and the Walk in between for an amazing party on the Walk.   Take a look at all the photos below to see how cool each possibility is.   The space rental fee includes the use of our incredible screens, too, where you can play a video of your own or watch a cool season finale or the World Series! Depending upon what configuration of space you choose to rent, your party could go anywhere from intimate (25 people) to 125 people.   The rental fee begins at $500 for a five hour event.

Give us a buzz if you’d like to talk about renting our little oasis.   We’ve had some incredible parties here!

After a wonderful event in Princeton, I decided that it was too late and I was too tired to drive all the way home, so I spent the night at a friend’s house in Princeton.   Donna (of Beautiful Blooms fame) and I took Sunday morning off and hung out in super-charming downtown Princeton.   We stumbled across a fabulous little garden, outside of an adorable bar, filled with zinnias where we could sit and drink coffee.

I forgot how much I loved zinnias.   I took some photos with my brand new iPhone 4 and I was pretty impressed with the colors!  Just looking at them makes me happy, so I thought I’d spread the cheer.

It’s no secret that we are seriously in love with Winterthur Estate. Between the never-ending lush and beautiful gardens, the picturesque reflecting pool, the drop-dead gorgeous conservatory, and all the private paths in between, the options for you and your guests are endless. Every event there is personal and different than the last.   So, when Nicole from Winterthur asked us to design some Eclatante-style tablescapes to showcase to Winterthur’s favorite clients, we were very honored and thrilled to get to work.

As a leading event planning and design firm in the region, we understand exactly what it takes to create an event that will be flawlessly in sync  – from each detail of the aesthetics to the meticulously planned logistics that make it all flow beautifully from one step to the next in a way that allows your guests to feel that everything about the event is effortless and natural.   It’s an art and a craft, believe me!   I think that’s why we and Winterthur love working together so much — we all have the same philosophy of creating incredible weddings — that is, the secret to a perfect wedding is perfect harmony.

When we set out to design the tablescapes for Winterthur’s very special event, we knew each table should celebrate the beginning of summer in the context of Winterthur’s perfect setting. Not surprisingly, we chose to stray from the more typical concepts of reception table decor and instead, create three different looks, each one demonstrating Eclatante’s unique ability to capture their client’s personal style.  Using uplifting and vibrant colors, and with the incredibly talented Beautiful Blooms’ amazing florals,  we designed three completely different looks: Classic, Modern and Rustic.

Here are the photos taken by the amazing Jim Graham.   We hope you enjoy them!

Classic

Modern:

Rustic:

I’ve made you all wait FAR too long (sorry about that — it’s been a truly hectic couple of weeks!!) to enjoy Part 2 of the fabulous Red Dress Fashion Show that the American Heart Association put on on Eclatante’s and Beautiful Blooms’ our little piece of the planet as part of AHA’s 2010 Go Red for Women Campaign.

In Part 1, we introduced you to the event and the cast of amazing characters we had milling around here that day. Along with the gorgeous weather, more than 200 people were treated to a fantastic array of absolutely beautiful dresses designed and created by the extraordinarily talented women of the Philadelphia University’s fashion design program.   We were really blown away by their designs and their stories.

Thanks again to Heather Fowler for taking these great photos!

When we left off in Part 1, you saw the beautiful models lining up for the Fashion Show.   Bill Henley (of NBC10’s “the 10! Show”) was a great Master of Ceremonies.

From the very first dress, we were in love!

After the final walk, the judges deliberated on their choice for the runner up and the winner.

Heather took a great photo of all the models and the designers in the green room (a/k/a Heather's Studio) waiting for the judges' decisions

It was great anticipation, that the winners were announced

Third place went to this gorgeous dress:

Second place was awarded to this incredibly fun dress that I fell totally in love with:

And the winner is (drumroll, please)….

We had an absolutely wonderful time that night.   From the looks of it, so did everyone else.   I hope you enjoyed our first fashion show on our Walk (the first of many, I hope).

The Ladies of Eclatante and the Beautiful Blooms’ girls had WAY too much fun on this one.   I’m not sure we could really call it work!!!

L to R: Jeannie, Maggie, Sara, Kendall, Claire and Chrissy

L to R: Donna, Alicia, Lisa and Maggie

And be sure to check out The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign.  NOTHING is more important than a woman’s heart.

Eclatante and Beautiful Blooms were honored and excited to be asked by the American Heart Association to host their annual Go Red for Women Preview Party.

Heather Fowler agreed, not only to let her studio be turned into a dressing room, but to shoot this wonderful event.

The event showcased some of the most talented young women I have ever met.   Young fashion designers from Philadelphia University’s fashion design program competing at a drop-dead amazing fashion show on our Walk.   All the dresses were, of course, red.   But even more incredible, each designer was inspired by the story of a person close to them who had experienced heart disease in a very real way.   The stories were beautiful — just like the dresses that were exhibited that evening.

In attendance were about 200 women (well, mostly women) who have a heart for this incredible campaign.    As they arrived, they were treated to delicious treats from Max & Me Catering and served wonderful beverages.  And All Around Entertainment created the perfect musical atmosphere for the evening.

Of course, we added our own special touches everywhere!

Donna and I were thriled to introduce the participants

The emcees were Biil Henley and Lori Wilson, hosts of the daily NBC10 10! show.  The judges were Jenice Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News, Kristin Munro of Philadelphia Style Magazine and Tiffany Hill, B101 Radio.

While all that was going on, the models were getting ready on the next block in Heather Fowler’s studio.  Their hair and makeup was expertly accomplished by Phoenix Salon & Spa and Salon 201.

until it was time to line up for the fashion show

In Part 2, you’ll see the parade of these beautiful dresses and the winners of the 2010 Go Red For Women Red Dress Fashion Show.

There are some things that we are really proud of — our involvement with this event is absolutely among them!   This is going to be an incredible event full of the most amazing eye-candy you can imagine presented our area’s most talented and creative designers and collectors.   On top of which you will be treated to the delights of Steven Starr.   All to benefit one my most cherished charities — the Noreen Foundation for Melanoma Research.  Their work is very near and dear to my heart.

This is a two-day event, you can participate in one or both — take a look at the invitations below.   You really should go.  I promise you’ll be glad you did!

One of our favorite things is to discover and work at new venues. We’ve known about the Skybox at the 24/24 Studios for a while, but this is our first opportunity to work there.

As you can see from these great photos by Kevin York, the place is amazing!   It’s 6,200 square feet of open space with 30′ ceilings, skylights and gorgeous hardwood floors.  It sits within an incredible community of artists’ lofts and has an ambience of pure creativity.

Photo from the Skybox website

When Culinary Concepts asked us to design a photoshoot at the new Skybox, we jumped at the chance.  Together with Beautiful Blooms (whose stunning florals were perfect), we were able to create an amazing soiree that was perfectly suited for this amazing, cool loft-space very conveniently located in the City.

We chose beautiful aqua shimmer linens that inspired Beautiful Blooms to create coordinated florals of bamboo, dendrobium orchids and mokara orchids.  Other tables had three vibrant vases with tight bundles of roses, hydrangea and  spider mums. LOVE.

As you can see, the lighting was key to producing the dramatic effect we were looking to achieve.  Using LEDs projected across the room (rather than uplighting from the floor) we were able to achieve a stunning color the color saturation on the walls.

The cocktail area was created to reflect the ambiance of the whole room — the divine furniture from Busy Bee was perfect — I totally love their extraordinary furniture!

The bride’s room upstairs is a wonderful sanctuary for someone to collect themslves as their guests begin to arrive.  I <heart> this room. It’s so peaceful.

(See the gorgeous gown hanging on the wardrobe at the far end of the room.)

A ceremony in the round invokes a wonderful intimacy that works beautifully in this space.   We designed the ceremony area around a great wrought iron structure that Beautiful Blooms brought and adorned with lots and lots of ribbons and candles.

We’re very happy to introduce you to this fabulous new venue in Philadelphia.  I can’t wait to show you some of our events there!

It doesn’t have to be complicated, or expensive, to insert some pretty, unique details into your spring parties.  Here are some wonderful ideas that will absolutely delight your guests.

Once again, Heather Fowler shot the wonderful photos of the items in our Boutique. See for yourself what a great job she does with details.

A set of six placecards is only $9.

We love these adorable hand-crafted paper placecards that flutter right onto your stemware at each placesetting. They make for great conversation-starters. Handwrite your guests’ names (or have them calligraphed) and slip the notch over rim of water goblets or wine glasses for a lovely dinner party accessory.

The bunny, as a symbol of fertility, has been associated with Spring for thousands of years.  So we’ve adopted this little bunny to express how excited we are that Spring is FINALLY HERE!!

Likewise, the art of decorating eggs.  For many thousands of years, eggs have symbolized life, rebirth and renewal.  While decorating eggs is often thought of as an Easter tradition, truth be told, it is also a beautiful way to celebrate the smell of Spring in the air and all that means.

So, to honor Spring (and Easter), we’re selling these beautifully decorated eggs. Each light, wooden egg is individually decoupaged with love using Japanese yuzen chiyogami papers and a water-based sealant and acrylic.   The eggs are is 2½” long and 1¾” in diameter.  They are really, really pretty and they’re only $8 each. Incredible!

The blue origami eggs are beautiful and elegant.

We love these Cherry Blossom eggs!

These teal paisley decoupage eggs are absolutely delightful.

MAKE YOUR OWN SILK TIE EGGS!!

For those of you who want to decorate your own eggs, here is something so incredibly innovative that we just had to share it with everyone we know. Dye your eggs using old silk ties! What a fun project this is, not to mention inexpensive and very creative.   These kits are only $20 – the result is a dozen gorgeous eggs that you made yourself and had a great time doing it!

You will find the following in each kit:
12 pieces of 100% patterned silk (from discarded ties – talk about reuse!)
12 pieces of cotton fabric thrifted from pillowcases
12 twist ties
Instructions

You will need to supply:
1 dozen large eggs
White vinegar
Unreactive pot/water/stove

Of course your results will vary, but that’s the creative part, right?

So, hop on down to the Eclatante Boutique to gather up your eggs or pick up any of the other beautiful Spring things we have for you.  You know where we live!

Click here for directions

When we last talked about the planning of Faye & Matt’s wedding, you were asked to chime in on the difficult choice between two wedding gowns that were beautifully designed and custom created for Faye by Janice Martin Couture. Here is the stunning winner:

Now is your chance to decide between two really beautiful  floral centerpieces created by the incredible team at Beautiful Blooms.   You can vote on Philly.com for either of the two beautiful pieces below.  Faye and Matt love both, so it really is up to you.

By the way, these photos were taken by Kevin York.  Faye and Matt are extremely lucky to have Kevin as their wedding photographer – it’s a certainty that their photos will be AMAZING!

Design#1  (“Organic Chic”) is created from an organic mix of hydrangea, protea, frog’s eye euphorbia, stock, hypericum berries and curly willow.  I just love how the colors compliment each other in the shades of apple green, purply blue and yellow. It will look stunning on the square tables dressed in a great purple pintuck linen with accents of yellow.

Design #2 (“Fishbowl Fashion”) has a more modern feel and was created in a large fishbowl. This arrangement is a combination of plum calla, yellow protea placed on a base of green split peas.   This centerpiece will look equally beautiful on the purple linens.

Hurry.  You only have until Tuesday night to vote for either of these gorgeous pieces.

After the centerpieces are decided, you’ll get to vote for the beautiful wedding rings from Safian & Rudolph.

This is truly amazing.   The Beautiful Blooms team knocked it out the park big time at the Philadelphia Flower Show.  Some think (as do I) that it was the most innovative and exciting exhibit at the Flower Show this year.   Maya came up with the original concept of creating a topographical map of a sea to glacier terrain out of hanging glass vases filled with colored water and perfectly chosen flowers.   From that freaky concept, the Beautiful Blooms team designed and planned a truly stop-in-your-tracks stunning exhibit.   Every time I walked by, there were people lined up, taking photos and talking about how amazing it is.

Here are some great photos by David Mielcarek of CINEMATICbyDavidM.

Small wonder Beautiful Blooms won the Flower Show’s “Award of Excellence,” eh?

Here are the initial drawings — I thought you might find this interesting:

Even a nor’easter can’t quiet the spirits of a great party, when Eclatante and Beautiful Blooms put their hearts and minds to creating the first holiday party of the season.

Holday Party photo Collage by Mike Kehr Photography

Donna and I decided long ago to create a “fire & ice” themed holiday party — and use red & white as our colors.  And it totally worked.    Take a look at these amazing photos from the the cream of Philadelphia photographers who came with their cameras to help us celebrate — Marie Labbancz and Mike Kehr.   We love them both very much  – they are incredibly talented people who always make us look our very best.

Even though the weather forecasters were predicting heavy rains and 35 mph winds, our friends, families and colleagues were not deterred.  Over 200 people came to our little piece of the planet on Liberties Walk and celebrated the kickoff of the 2009 Holiday Season. And, as if on cue, just before the party started, the winds died down and the rain, for the most part, went away.

My favorite  comment came from a friend the next day:  “It rained at your party?  Wow, I didn’t notice!”

We were prepared, though — We had patio heaters and fireplaces and, at the last minute, installed large market umbrellas into the center of our round banquettes that we had placed outside.  And we had to put a couple of the bars and food stations inside that were originally going outside.   That’s it — by 6:00 pm, we were ready to great our guests.

See the little fleece blankets on the banquets.   They were so cozy — kept everyone warm.   After the party, we donated them to a homeless shelter.

Leila came up with the absolutely brilliant idea of having a “hot santa” as part of the photobooth and it tuned out great.

There’s Sandy — from Creative Juice Group — painting the shirt and suspenders on our Santa

Santa and the ladies from Eclatante (from L to R): Taylor, Kendall, Leila, Lorraine, Alyssa and Sarah

The food was to die for. Truly. Feast Your Eyes Catering totally brought their A Game with a hot, Brazilian spread in our office and a phenomenal cold raw bar, expertly displayed on a gorgeous ice creation in our Boutique.

Plus, a scruptious hot chocolate bar, red velvet cupcakes and WONDERFUL s’mores we toasted over patio fireplaces on the Walk.

Our guests ADORED the bars.

Especially the one with the “adult” milkshakes – they were laced with yummy liquors that warmed us from the inside out.

Since we have  six individual spaces (including Tu Belleza Studio) and we couldn’t have a sound system outside (because of the weather) Elan Artists brought us two of amazing bands that kept everyone delighted.  People were dancing and enjoying those great musicians all evening long.  They were incredible!

Last, but NOT LEAST, Claudia Seyler of Claudia Seyler Hair and Makeup and Tu Belleza Studio created a fun “fashion show” down the Walk featuring her  fabulous new makeup line called “Tu” (which we absolutely LOVE, by the way!)

So, we had a little bit of everything for everyone.

And we have so many people to thank

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!

What better way to kiss 2009 goodbye than by throwing this month’s fantasy New Years Eve Wedding party at the gorgeous Conservatory of Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Winterthur, Delaware!  Through these gates a magical fantasy celebration awaits featuring the colors of onyx, gold and emerald.

These magnificent photos are compliments of our good friend and photographer Marie Labbancz who beautifully captures our step-back-in-time to the days of glamour and lavishness!

As you can see, our unique table design flows seamlessly in conjunction with this venue and the outdoor scenery. We absolutely love this striking centerpiece cone Beautiful Blooms created out of gardenia leaves with a burst of extraordinarily lush, black feathers.  Who doesn’t love feathers in winter?

Our table was decorated with cut crystal candleholders and gold pillar candles. We’re crazy about how the linens coordinate beautifully with the rims of each plate and cup, then brought together with perfect napkin rings!  Then, of course, the ultimate last touch with the feather placed inside each napkin.

Beautiful Blooms really outdid themselves with this unique bridal bouquet made out of green cymbidium orchids, green prada carnations and black feathers.

This absolutely stunning boutonniere was made of orchids and black feathers.

The fabulous bridal gown designed by Matthew Christopher and provided to us by Gabriella New York Bridal Salon (we love them!) is reminiscent of the glamorous and lavish styles of the 1920s and 30s – the era of gorgeous Hollywood starlets and incredibly extravagant parties.    Your eyes immediately follow the feather details along the back and length of the gown unveiling its sensational drama, softness and femininity.   Our model wears pearls to accentuate the vintage qualities and period style of this gown.

Claudia Seyler did the hairstyling and makeup for our bride capturing the essence of this time period by using pearl accents and bright red lipstick.

We hope you enjoyed our 2009 color stories as much as we enjoyed creating them and sharing them with you  Stay tuned for our January color story when we bring you our first beautiful surprise for 2010!

Welcome back to Kelly & Liam’s wedding.  Hope you enjoyed Part 1.  This Part 2 is about their very special Quaker ceremony on the private beach at her mother’s summer home in Bethany Beach, Delaware.   Only these amazing photos by Amy Deputy can even begin to tell the story of how beautiful and romantic the ceremony and its setting were. Amy’s genius is in capturing the magic in every moment.

When guests arrived they were offered these refreshing lemon/limeaid beverages

Guests were then invited down the lovely boardwalk accented beautifully with blue ribbon and glass lanterns

Guests were offered seats in the lovely Quaker Meeting House setting we created on the beach for Kelly & Liam's wedding ceremony

In case you don’t know, a Quaker ceremony is a bit different than a typical wedding ceremony. The guests will gather for silent worship.  Then, as they may be inspired to do, individual guests may stand and give their own messages to the couple and the other guests.    Afterwards, the couple signs the marriage license and the guests are invited to do the same.   This certificate becomes the couple’s treasured possession.

At Kelly & Liam’s wedding, the couple and their immediate family members sat under an absolutely gorgeous structure created by Beautiful Blooms that perfectly reflected the stunning setting. The words spoken by many of the guests – some of which in a truly melodic Irish brogue — were incredibly warm and loving.   It was, in all ways, one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever seen.

The adorable flowers girls carried these perfect flower baskets created by Beautiful Blooms

Kelly enters the beach with her brother

After the ceremony,the guests were welcomed into the cocktail hour on the beach

Really nothing like a cocktail hour on the beach!!

We had these absolutely perfect pinwheels created to serve as the seating cards for the guests. Guests just LOVED them!

While the guests enjoyed their cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Kelly & Liam spent some time basking in their first moments and husband and wife.

There is one more amazing part left to show you about Kelly & Liam’s wedding.   The wedding reception was as much fun as it was gorgeous.   Just wait!