Modern Sophisticate

Fall/Winter 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

Modern Sophisticate | <p> Melissa Barton of A Charleston Bride shows how easy creating an elegant setting can be when you stay neutral</p>

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UPCYCLE: Use pinking shears to cut remnants into napkins.

TAG TEAM: We loved the way the tags on toasting flutes invited would-be guests to sample the cake.

TRAY BIEN: Give some life to a serving tray when you deconstruct boutonnieres or bouquets post-ceremony and tuck them under lucite.

MIDAS TOUCH: Outlining the fondant flower in gold tied the cake back to the myriad gold accents in the rest of the setting.

When A Charleston Bride’s Melissa Barton was tasked with turning a cinderblock wall into a chic cake-table scenario, she opted for low-key glamour. The results prove you can make over any setting. Her favorite element, she says, was the fabric backdrop she and her team erected. “It’s an incredibly easy way to add a dramatic touch,” she says. “The hanging also adds a unique element to the cake table, a part of the reception that is so often overlooked.” Once Melissa and crew settled on the overall concept, they opted for a neutral palette offset with art deco-style trappings and vintage pieces in silver and gold.

COLOR BLOCK
(above) A Charleston Bride purchased three-yard swaths of material from Hancock Fabrics in neutral suedes, velvets, and sheers. They cut each into 18- to 24-inch wide strips. Using a pipe frame from Life of the Party, they affixed a 2-by-4-inch wooden board across the top with zip ties. Next, they overlapped the frame with fabric and stapled each piece to the backside of the wood. The fondant-covered cake from Delicious Desserts was decorated in the same colors as the wall hanging and accented with a flower lined in gold for contrast.

TIME TO TOAST
(above) Many modern-day weddings embrace the trend toward signage-as-art. An added bonus for DIY brides? There are plenty of treats to dress your home long after the reception has wrapped. Case in point: A Charleston Bride commissioned Studio R to fashion a “Toast the Twosome” print in the same font and colors as the cake tags. They then slipped that piece into a galvanized metal frame from Celadon and voilà! Directions that act as décor and a keepsake frame for the couple.

LEAN ON ME
(above) We’ve all seen it—a stunning bouquet laying like a toppled mushroom by a wedding cake. Sidestep that sad fate with a little embellishment, as A Charleston Bride did here. Purchase glass vases from a floral supply shop, then turn each bottom up and spray-paint all over in gold. After vases are fully dry, use them to prop up bouquets, or place weights at the base of each, drop your bouquets in, fill with water, and place on tables or bars at the reception. Too busy to tackle any of this on your Big Day? Enlist your maid of honor.

NATTY NAPKINS
(above) You’re sure to have leftover material after making this fabric hanging, so cut remnants into 9-by-9-inch squares with pinking shears and fold each into a napkin. In lieu of a cake sign, consider making what Studio R did for the Delicious Desserts confection: tags tied to champagne flutes inviting guests to sample the treat.

Event Design, Florals, Vases, & Lucite Plates: A Charleston Bride, www.acharlestonbride.com
Signage: Studio R, www.studio-r-design.com
Fabric: Hancock Fabrics, www.hancockfabrics.com
Baker: Delicious Desserts, www.verydeliciousdesserts.com
Table, Bar Cart, & Background Frame: Life of the Party, Ooh! Events, www.OohEvents.com
China, Glassware, & Silver: Polished, www.PolishedTabletop.com

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