LotusHaus

Fall Wedding Floral Inspiration by The Flower Lab

I enjoy the crispness and freshness of these Fall floral treatments by Tweeny of The Flower Lab in Santa Monica, CA! Mixing dried botanicals like lotus pods, curly willow and money tree stems with fresh local flowers and bright orchids creates a varied texture and a bounty for the eyes! See the full details at The Flower Lab blog for Wedding Aces and see more floral bounty at The Flower Lab Blog.

Sushi for Dessert? Make sweet mochi with fruit!

Making sweet mochi is super easy and tasty! Via the awesome bento blog JustBento and a guest post by The Tiny Urban Kitchen, I discovered a way to make "sushi" using mochi and fruit! So delicious! Wouldn't this be great for a baby shower or bridal shower! Pair this with some "floral sushi" styling for a sweet sushi inspired party!

Love this! Urban, Modern and Crafty - Pink and Gray Spirographic

The styling for this urban loft wedding is so refreshing and modern. I found a single pink dahlia in my garden yesterday, so this is really a lovely visual treat! Via Design*Sponge and Gloria Wong Design.

 

 

GlobalFlora } Fall for India

I adore the bold style and color explosion of this modern Veteran's Day wedding with Indian details! I saw this at Style Me Pretty and just had to share! See all the details of this wonderful wedding here, here, and here.

Via Style Me Pretty:

The Vendors: Real Weddings Maine Director, Jessika Brooks / Venue by Retreat at French’s Point / Event Design by Flora Fauna Designs and coordination by The Sweetest Thing Weddings / Photography by David Murray Weddings / Stacey Kane / Michelle Turner / Audra Photography / Catering by Silver Tureen / Tent by Sperry Tent / Cake by Let Them Eat Cake / Henna by Genevieve Levin of Blackbird Studios

Utterly Engaged + Worldwide Wedding Style - Wabi Sabi Wedding

I'm so excited for Issue #005 of Utterly Engaged, the hippest new Wedding E-Zine! The theme for this issue was "Back to Basics." So for my second column of "Worldwide Wedding Style", I have highlighted some ideas for a wabi sabi inspired wedding. Have a look and let me know what you think!

Ikebana Inspired Cake!

Check out this cool Ikebana cake by Annie's Art Book which was part of a Cake Challenge! See more photos of ikebana cakes here.

Wedding Nouveau } A Style Guide for InterCultural Brides

If you are fusing cultural sensibility, style and finesse into your interracial and/or multi-ethnic wedding, you simply must head over to the fabulous site Wedding Nouveau! This site is a cross cultural style guide for today’s bride... filled with inspirational ideas, real life examples of fusion style weddings, cultural traditions, mood boards, color palettes and more! The creative gal behind this site is Fri (prononced "Free"), and she is a creative designer and actor originally from Cameroon, with New York sensibilities and a home base in Los Angeles. Here is one of Fri's awesome mood boards, entitled "Vintage Kabuki Wedding":

Kokeshi Doll Cake Toppers

I've been to quite a few weddings where the cake toppers were customized wooden dolls of the bride & groom... However, today I found these Kokeshi wedding dolls at Etsy to be the cutest I have seen so far! What a precious wedding topper and keepsake!

Utterly Engaged + Worldwide Wedding Style - Lotus in Love

I'm so excited for Issue #003 of Utterly Engaged, the hippest new Wedding E-Zine! Why? Because the super savvy style crew has asked me to be a contributor! Yay! My column is called "Worldwide Wedding Style" and will highlight style elements and cultural nuances that couples can incorporate into their wedding or wedding related events (bridal shower, wedding rehearsal, etc). For the first feature, you know I had to set it off with a lotus inspired theme! I just love how it turned out! I hope you do too =) Stay tuned for more!

Persian Cotton Candy and DIY Wedding Favors

Via Eat Drink Chic, I discovered these beautiful DIY Persian Cotton Candy Favors! Persian Cotton Candy (or Fairy Floss) also known as "Pashmak" makes an exotic gourmet favor for guests at a wedding or party. Read the full post and download the templates for the envelope and label for your own use! And be sure to check out Pariya Food, a Persian produce company that sells Pashmak, and the website Persian Mirror for more info on Persian wedding traditions and food.

I Dream of Cake by Shinmin Li

Via the Bellissima Vita Weddings Blog, I was blown away by this elegant cake captured by photographer Jennifer Skog and created by I Dream of Cake in San Francisco.  I Dream of Cake was established by artist Shinmin Li who creates innovative cake concepts and is continuously inspired by current fashion trends. The cake studio is a one of a kind, beautifully designed boutique that looks like a high end retail store! So gorgeous!

Below are some of my favorite Asian inspired cake designs that I found at the I Dream of Cake gallery...

DIY Favor Boxes by Twig & Thistle

Quick download these beautifully designed favor boxes by Twig & Thistle for your next event! I love the yellow waves and pink flowers (very Japonesque)! I also love how the pattern surrounds the top like a lid and not all over - saving you ink and money! Perfecto!

GlobalFlora } Vibrant Blues and Purples

Featured Event Designer: Love and Splendor
Featured Floral Designer: Irvine Village Flowers
Featured Photographer:  Travis Hoehne
Featured Venue: Seven Degrees

Here's a vibrant and creative wedding by Love and Splendor! I just love the colors and the modern touches! I especially love the lighting and handmade details. See more photos here and here!

Global Alternative to Cupcakes... Churro or Éclair!

Thanks to Ready to Spark, sparks are flying with dreams of churros and éclairs instead of cupcakes for special events! I'm loving the unique churro flavors by Xooro (pronounced Sure-ohs) and the many possibilites for dressing up the éclair like those found at Patisseries like Fauchon. If you have a Mexican or Spanish theme to your event, Churros are a fantastic dessert option. If you're after that "An American in Paris" vibe, go with the Eclair! Either way, you and your guests will enjoy a dessert that is out of this world! *Update 11-10-09 - for Filipino flair try the classic treat of Mini Coconut Macaroons in Bella Cupcake Couture wrappers (you can now get them in a custom design of your own)... I forgot about these tasty treats until just recently when I had a craving for my grandmother's version!

Related Post:
Bem Cassados - Brazilian Wedding Cake Favors

Modern Ceremony Decor - Red Bamboo Urns and Red Roses

 
I'm amazed by the modern look of this ceremony decor with it's red lacquered bamboo urns and red roses! Simply stunning work by Dodie Sy of the incredible Brassavolas Floral Couture in Chino, California. See more beautiful floral examples at his blog.

GlobalFlora } International Tabletops

Featured Event Designer: Kendal Brown of Eclatante Design
Featured Floral Designer: Donna O'Brien of Beautiful Blooms
Featured Photographer: Marie Labbancz of Art of Love

Via The Bride's Cafe, an awesome wedding blog, I discovered these fabulous internationally inspired centerpieces that were created for a Bat Mitzvah party. The theme was "Cities of the World" and each table represented a different city. Guests were given boarding passes to their tables. What a great idea for a global party or wedding!

 

JaydaOnline } Stationary and Gifts with an Eco-Twist!

For lifestyle stationary that is modern, fun and eco-friendly look no further! Jayda is a fantastic source for invitations for weddings, baby showers and parties! The founders, Johanna Reyes and Yadira Chevere are the sisters and designing women behind this beautiful event planner's resource (The company name is a sweet combination of their first names). Check out their impressive environmental commitment here. Jayda also has awesome blogs! For wedding inspiration check out Down the Aisle and for some baby love check out Blue, Pink and Green. In addition, to being eco-savvy and hip, the MOST IMPRESSIVE thing about Jayda's offerings is that when you purchase invitations for a wedding or baby shower, you get your own coordinating blog site!

Oyster Pearl Grey and Bright Colors!

I'm so inspired by this lovely color combination of grey and bright pop colors for a fall wedding... aren't you?! I saw this via Love and Splendor.

Crane Chandelier Project } Origami Cranes to Fight Cancer

Via 100 Layer Cake, I discovered The Crane Chandelier Project by The Wedding Co. To celebrate their 10th Anniversary in 2011, the Wedding Co. has created a global DIY craft project that involves creating a chandelier made from 10,000 origami cranes submitted by engaged couples from all around the world. For each crane they receive, 50¢ will be donated to cancer research. I love this concept! For more info go to: TheWeddingCo.com

Bella Cupcake Couture } Eco-Friendly and Stylish Cupcake Wrappers!

Who doesn't love a cupcake dressed in a scalloped gown and covered in sprinkles? Carrie Middlemiss from Seattle started Bella Cupcake Couture after being laid off by Washington Mutual Bank. These fun and stylish cupcake wrappers are inspired by textile patterns and made from recycled paper and printed with soy inks! So as far as green weddings and parties go, you can have your cupcake and eat it too! For favors, you can use these wrappers with cupcake shaped bath bombs! (Instructions here). This post was inspired by The Soap Queen!

 

Utterly Engaged } New E-Zine for the Design and Budget Savvy Bride

Ok seriously, do you want to be utterly inspired? Check out Utterly Engaged, a stylish new online wedding magazine from my friends D*LSH Design and their partners! It's a gorgeous read and quite a luxury for the price...ahem, it's free! The zine features real wedding couples and their real budgets, plenty of swoon worthy DIY tips and lots of fresh ideas and fresh wedding vendors! I especially love the diversity in their features!!! I think it totally fills a void in the wedding market right now! Thanks for the link mention on the floral resources page! You ladies rock!

Centerpiece Idea } Orchid and Moss in a Wire Basket

I saw this wire momentum bowl in the Crate and Barrel catalog and just love the idea of an organic style wedding centerpiece using orchids, spongy moss and a see-through basket (that you could give away to guests). For a rustic look you could make your own basket out of chicken wire. For a modern look, scout your home improvement center for mesh you could spray paint and mold into your own shape. You can purchase the orchid potted plants in bulk at Aloha Orchid and the reindeer moss at Save-On-Crafts.

GlobalFlora } White, Green and Black - Modern Elegance

Featured Floral Designer: Flower Design, UK
I really love the freshness of these floral arrangements by Flower Design! I especially love the crisp modernity of the martini designs and tall centerpieces using orchids, anthuriums, curly bamboo and calla lilies! See more photos here.

My inspiration for the near Future! } Kate Fujimoto Event Design

Whoa, how do I contain my excitement? I finally found a career inspiration that closely matches my lifestyle, my experience and my aesthetic! Today I discovered the story of Kate Fujimoto... a fashion designer - turned wife - turned event designer! Kate Fujimoto worked as a fashion designer and product manager for labels such as Trina Turk and Betsey Johnson.  She was getting frustrated with the corporate structure and felt that her aesthetic didn’t necessarily match up to some of the companies she worked with. After planning her own wedding, Kate began to consider a career in event design. She took on small events at first, but with a growing client list, the budding designer launched Kate Fujimoto Event Design in November 2007. With an emphasis on color, texture and trim, she treats events as landscapes similar to fashion designs, and applies her expertise to every aspect of presentation. Kate often looks to the venue first— much like she used to look to the human form—to find ways to enhance its features...Kate, you are my she-ro!

Black Ribbon, Rhinestone Buckles, Green Horsetail and Ruby Reds!

I'm loving these arrangements and overall table top display found over at Head of the Table! The horsetail or equisetum look so fabulous with the black ribbon and rhinestone buckles atop charcoal polished river stones!

Pezzi D'Amore } Brazilian Wedding Favors

Look at these beautiful Brazilian wedding favors from Pezzi d'Amore available in Seattle! I discovered these from the wonderful Bella Signature Design blog. These wedding favors are called "Bem Casados" or "Well-Marrieds" and they are the most traditional sought-after dessert at weddings in Brazil. Each Bem Casado is artfully made and is light, soft, airy and filled with smooth, home-made caramel bathed in a special sweet sauce.  Each treat represents two united parts sealed by sweet love, support and mutual respect.  According to legend, everyone who tastes them will be blessed with the happiness of newlyweds, so make a wish before you take a bite. Amen to that!

GlobalFlora } Plum and Chartreuse Wedding Theme - Asian Inspired

Today I was inspired by Flora Nova Design and their recent blog post letting us know that Plum is a big color for 2009. Check out their recent Plum, Cream and Chartreuse wedding! I have long loved this color combo so here is my Asian inspired version of a plum and chartreuse wedding. As a disclaimer, I usually don't post any images without linking the source, so I sincerely apologize because I don't have sources for all of these photos (boo! I know!). Please email me if you know the source. Thanks and enjoy!

From left to right, top to bottom:
Photo from Organic Style Magazine; Actress Zhang Ziyi; "Origami Crane" invitation by Tiny Prints; "Brilliant Blooms" wedding invitation by WeddingPaperDivas; custom made blooming tea favor; lime bridesmaid dress; chartreuse arrangement in Chinese shallow basket; catalog photo from Smith & Hawken; pink purple arrangement in footed basket; colorful macaroons by Jin Patisserie; and decorative Black Cherry Plum soap bar by MOR Cosmetics.

Black, White and Chartreuse } Inspiration from Kelsey and Kyle's Wedding

Last weekend, our DJ Company Bamboo Beats, had the pleasure of celebrating Kelsey & Kyle's stylish and hip wedding at Pravda, an uber cool NY-Loft like space in Capitol Hill. I want to share with you the beautiful decor details put together by the amazing Michelle from Married with Michelle (see her blog post here) and Julie from Bella Rugosa. *4/27/09 Update: Check out the amazing pro photos by the awesome Photo Elan team at this link!

I love the lotus capiz shell votive holders from Bella Rugosa and floral silhouette satin linens by BBJ Linen.

Check out the table placecards and simple unity candle.

Next to the ceremony area there was an awesome lounge area with cocktail tables and modern seating complete with bar area and our DJ setup.

I totally fell in love with the lounge area... these rentals are available from Bella Rugosa!

Capiz lotus pendant chandeliers graced the ceilings... so modern and elegant!

Modern and minimalistic high and low centerpieces with chartreuse table linens created a very dramatic effect in the all white venue.

This is the guest table shown on the left along with a creative way to show table numbers using sparkling water bottles.

And lastly, I was loving the lime green glass hurricane holders on top of acrylic pedestals that lined the ceremony aisles. On the right is a photo of these cool wrought iron candle holders that marked the ceremony alter. All in all, this wedding had all the perfect details and I can't wait for the pro photos from the fabulous Photo Elan team to show you how much fun the dancing was! They kicked it all night long!

Silver, Pink, Yellow and Black by Yvonne Design & Friends

Extreme beauty and lushness is all I can say about this lovely wedding concept by Yvonne Design and friends. This color combo is refreshing and bold with a hint of contemporary Thai flavor (orchids, lilies and lotus petals). You know I LOVE the lotus and window pane details of the silver, white and yellow cake by Cake Lava, and the pop up lotus on the menu card by Emi Ink!

Chic Circle Themes } Wedding Paper Divas

If you are looking for a chic looking theme for your party or wedding, look no further than Wedding Paper Divas. In my quest for unique but easily executable themes that can be reproduced throughout an event's design, I began thinking in circles, quite literally! Check out these lovely circle theme invitation designs over at Wedding Paper Divas and get inspired! There is also a selection of eco-friendly Signature Ecru invitations that are made with 30% Post Consumer Waste Paper!

New Blog to Love } Jomygoodness!

Sorry I've been light on the postings... I have a lot of things going on and some exciting news to share in the next month or so. In the meantime I will try to feature some of my favorite new inspirational blogs like this one! Jomygoodness is a scrumptious blog with lots of eye candy for you inspiration junkies! The author is Jomylene a fellow pinay blogger who lives in Southern California. Every Friday Jomylene does a "Week in Review" and posts a great selection of finds from other cool blogs. I'm happy to have been mentioned in a few of her reviews! Oh and I love Jomylene's color palettes! Check out this beautiful blog!

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 5

For this class we made wire wristlet corsages using faux orchids! The look is modern and the technique is soooo easy!

Materials:

• Craft wire (bendable and less than 1/8th inch thickness)
• Faux orchid blooms
  
• Faux grass blades
• Glue dots or hot glue

Instructions:

1) Create the wristlet.
Cut wire long enough to wrap 3 1/2 times around your wrist, loosely. Coil both ends of the wire. Place your finger at the center of the wire and cross over the ends around your finger. This will make a loop that you will affix your orchid to.
2) Attached flower and grass stems.
Apply glue dots or hot glue to the loop you created at the center of the wire. Fold a grass blad in half and attach to loop. Next press on the orchid. Let glue dry.
3) Wear it!
Place the orchid with wire on your wrist. Wrap the straight ends around your wrist and enjoy your floral wristlet!

Breathless Modern Tabletop from Once Wed and Flush Designs

Check this super mod and romantic tabletop inspiration board by Courtney of Flush Designs for Once Wed...

Now bask in the glory of the flawless execution of this inspiration board...simply amazing! See more mod photos here...
 

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 4

Today, I instructed my class on how to make a simple boutonnière. I explained that boutonnière means "button hole" in French and refers to the tradition of flowers worn by men on their lapel for formal or special occasions like weddings and homecoming. They loved that idea, and dreamed about making their own boutonnière for their upcoming dances!

Materials:

• Available flowers and foliage (shown are carnations, alstromeria, wax flowers, baby's breath, steel grass, kermit mums)
• Floral tape
  
• Light gauge silver wire

Instructions:

1) Arrange the flowers.
Cluster the flowers in the desired arrangement. Trim stems evenly. Secure stems with floral tape.
2) Accent with wire.
Wrap wire around the stem.
3) Pin boutonnière onto someone special!

Red, White and Butterfly!

Thanks to the Hostess Blog, I am now inspired for the day! Check out this fantastic red, white, and butterfly wedding from PacificWeddings.com!

Indian Weddings - Inspiration from Lemiga Events

This Indian Wedding style collage is only one of the many awesome inspiration boards from the talented Michelle of Lemiga Events in Atlanta! Click here to see more.

GlobalFlora } Modern Island Style Wedding

Featured Floral Design Studio: Flowergirls, Honolulu, HI
Featured Cake Artist: Cakelava, Honolulu, HI
Featured Photographer: Rachel Robertson - Honolulu, HI
Featured Blog: Style Me Pretty

This is Irene and Joe's wedding in Hawaii. I wasn't invited but thanks to Style Me Pretty, I caught a glimpse of this lush and modern Island Style wedding! I love the bride's dress, the cuter than cute flower girl and ring bearer, the funky retro cake, colorful paper lanterns, mod centerpieces and all those gorgeous flowers! Kudos!

Indian Love Letters and Scroll Wedding Invitations

This weekend only they were giving away these love letter scrolls made with hand screened Indian paper at World Market! I happened to nab a pair and thought what a wonderful idea for a special Valentine's Day note or invitation! This was an in-store promo only, so they are not available online, but check out these gorgeous scroll options below at Indian Wedding Card for a very affordable and elegant wedding suite.

 

 

Graphic and Modern Bridal Bouquet in Purple and Khaki

Holy wowness! This is an amazing bridal concept full of graphic interest and incredible technique! The designer is Moniek Vanden Berghe from Belgium and I found this photo at uBloom via Leanne Kessler of the Flower Design Institute. This bouquet with it's raffia texture and purple hues upholds the "Wanderings" Pantone trend forecast, and goes go well with my Escada inspiration board below. How many of you would be bold enough to walk down the aisle with this bouquet? I want to design for you!

Monogrammed Leaves for Tags or Place cards! More floral fun with paper punchers!

Saw this at Laurie Cinotto's awesome floral, craft and lifestyle blog!  You can use paper punchers for lots of things! Check out my version...

GlobalFlora } Floral Sushi by Embellishment Design

Featured Floral & Event Design Studio: Embellishment - San Diego, CA
Featured Event Planner: Red Letter Days - San Diego, CA
Featured Photographer: Jay Reilly - Carlsbad, CA
Featured Blog: Style Me Pretty

This "floral sushi" design by Embellishmint for wedding couple Andrea & Scott is simply scrumptious! I love it! Head over to the fantastic blog Style Me Pretty for more photos by Jay Reilly and full details from Red Letter Days on this awesome wedding with an Asian twist!

WeddingSutra.com

Totally Tabletops found this great link, Wedding Sutra, a website dedicated to Indian Themed Weddings. Here are some inspiration boards from their wedding colors sections...Enjoy!

Pink

Orange

Green

Blue

Have a Beau-Coup Valentine's Day!

Shop Beau-Coup and get your party favors and gifts now during their Valentine's Day sale! I love the fantastic selection of favors and customizable options available at Beau-Coup. Here are a few of my globally inspired favorites (click each image for more info):
 

  

   

My Design Work } A Save the Date concept

Hi everyone! I've been playing with the idea of designing modern wedding invitations...here is one Save the Date concept I'd love to get your feedback on.... I was thinking I could provide a myriad of color options and iconography focusing on nature, cultural icons, botanical and mid century modern design elements... let me know what you think! Thanks!

Seattle Wedding Show - part one

The New Year (year of the ox) has started off just right! I've been busy with work and meeting lots of wedding couples for our DJ business. We had a booth at the Seattle Wedding Show last weekend for the first time (we were waitlisted for a year) and it was a huge success! Before I show you my non-pro photos here are some glorious photos from Azzura Photography , Janet Klinger Photo and One Love Photo! Stay tuned for some great event decor ideas...

Bella Signature Design - Event Design, Event Decor, Floral Design, Green Wedding Service
Beautiful hot pink and orange themed environment. I love Daniela! She's so awesome...and she's an expert at designing Indian style weddings! See more photos on her blog. (Photos:Azzura Photography)

Rented Elegance - Event Design, Event Decor Rentals, Floral Decor
Refreshing chartreuse and yellow greens along with taupe and champagne colors. (Photos: Azzura Photography)




Flora Nova Design - Floral and Event Design
Modern tablescapes, bouquets and centerpieces. See more work at the Floral Nova blog. (Photos: Janet Klinger Photo)


One Love Photo - The Ultimate Wedding Artwork!
Heather Gilson is an awesome photographer that also makes breathtaking, sentimental and endearing mixed media artwork starring your favorite photo and vintage fabrics, papers and other artistic elements. I was in love with the dress form and the many pieces she had on display at the show! Wouldn't this be the most amazing wedding gift!!! I Want one!

Red Fish Blue Fish Photography } Green Wedding Services

Last fall, Bamboo Beats, our DJ company had the pleasure of working a wedding with Red Fish Blue Fish Photography, one super talented Seattle-based husband and wife team. I was delighted to find out that they now have green wedding services that include a carbon credit offset from Terra Pass. Awesome! Our DJ business also offers a green dj wedding service along with 1 Ton of Carbon Offsets from Native Energy and a display certificate for each of our weddings.

Jen Huang Photography } Fresh Point of View

I'm loving the refreshing perspective of New York photographer Jen Huang! Check out the gorgeous weddings and events at her website and blog!

Ikebana for a Japanese Inspired Wedding Reception!

I had the lovely pleasure of creating modern Ikebana arrangements for a super cool bride and her intimate Japanese inspired wedding reception this weekend! (The bride discovered me through my blog!) The catering menu was organic and included miso salmon and a green tea wedding cake! I can't wait to see the pro photos but until then catch a glimpse of the action from my camera. Above is a shot of the totally cute wedding invite she designed with a kokeshi doll character along with brocade swatches of gold and white -for her custom wedding dress- and red and gold for her handmade bridal party fans.

The colors were dark red, gold, black, and white. I used these gorgeous black ceramic Ikebana containers and floated each atop a riverbed of polished stones.  The arrangements consisted of dark red roses, red lilies, red poms, wax flowers, steel grass, aspidistra leaves, a bronze chrysanthemum, and various mizuhiki picks for a golden touch of Japanese handicraft.

In Ikebana, one must be aware of how the arrangement is viewed from all angles.

Above is the back angle with a bodacious bronze chrysanthemum in plain view.

Lastly, here is the view in 360 degrees for your viewing pleasure...I know, I know, overkill...but I just had to remember the whole effect! Please let me know what you think about Ikebana style centerpieces for parties and weddings. I'd love to know your feedback =)

Modern Inspiration for a Winter Wedding } Museum Style

While re-visiting the site of Hitomi Gilliam, one of my favorite floral artists, I was inspired to share these two amazing sculptural pieces. I imagine a winter wedding held at a museum or ultra modern building with the floral decor serving as additional art pieces for an eclectic and unique setting... I also like the color scheme of all white with hints of gray, green, black and brown, along with the square motifs, all of which could easily be incorporated into the wedding invitations and table decor, like ice sculptures, square plates, and accessories (see below). *Check out the graphic modern invitations from GraphicBoard, a Japanese design company.

Gloriosa Gals } Wedding Inspiration

I truly adore this wedding ensemble...the yellow, chartreuse and fire red colors, the glowing beauty of these gorgeous ladies, and the exotic elegance of gloriosa lilies and orchids! From Ellen F. Burnie and Brides.com