Pilar Zuniga of Gorgeous and Green designing tables at Diablo Ranch for a wedding

Mt Diablo for a Gorgeous and Green Wedding

This summer I provided the floral decor for a wedding at a ranch on Mt Diablo called Diablo Ranch, a rustic and very cow and cowboy location in the East Bay.

Diablo Ranch, wedding and event venue in the East Bay

The bride really was the design force behind the tablescapes and style.  Gorgeous and Green's take on bright, natural, eclectic and exuberant plant and flower life was a great match.  With collected items from both her and my collection of vintage silver pieces and china, all the containers were reused vintage pieces that gave her tables a bohemian and bright version of Miss Havisham.  (something named right away during our conversation about the wedding since I'm a fan of the book: Great Expectations) I used locally grown flowers, a lot of dahlias, celosia, passion flower, scabiosa flowers, lupine, sweet william and other flowers.  The colors were a stunning mix of reds, pinks, oranges and plenty of greens.

Pilar Zuniga, of Gorgeous and Green designing florals for an outdoor wedding at Diablo Ranch

The wedding couple with unique and fabulous taste with florals by Gorgeous and Green

Vintage Urn we used at the ceremony at Diablo Ranch, florals by Gorgeous and Green

a lovely vintage urn of the Bride's collection filled with colorful blooms and branches

Details of the Diablo Ranch wedding outside with florals by Gorgeous and Green

The couple at the Ceremony outside at Diablo Ranch, florals by Gorgeous and Green

Love the colors of this wedding at Diablo Ranch, Pilar Zuniga of Gorgeous and Green

Beautiful and unique bar arrangement for a wedding at Diablo Ranch, florals by Gorgeous and Green

all photos by JRotstenphotographer.com 

In Local Green Love,

G&G

lovely bachelorette party florals in jewel tones by Gorgeous and Green

Gorgeous and Green on 100 Layer Cake Blog

OOps, forgot to mention a while ago, that some lovely designs by Gorgeous and Green were featured in a blog post on 100 Layer cake featuring the owner of Mignonne here in Berkeley and A and B Creative. Photos by Delbarr Moradi Check it out....

100layer cake feature with a and b creative gorgeous and green mignonne decor

florals by Gorgeous and Green for 70's inspired bridal shower on 100layer cake

Beautiful ladies, food and flowers by Gorgeous and Green for Bridal shower on 100 layer cake

www.100layercake.com Pilar

anemones, ranunculus, foliage for a bridal shower in jewel tones by Gorgeous and Green

lush centerpieces with vintage goods for a Cornerstone Wedding by Gorgeous and Green

Gorgeous and Green Wedding at Cornerstone Gardens Sonoma

We've been busy at Gorgeous and Green with weddings, so I apologize up front for being behind on my posts!  But, it does mean I have tons and tons of pics to share from events and designs we've been working on! Here's a few pictures from a wedding Gorgeous and Green provided floral decor for at Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma in May (we worked with the coordinator Vera of Va de Vie Events)  It was a wonderfully hot day. Luckily the flowers made it through the warm weather as we still had lots of late spring flowers and early summer flowers blooming in May. The colors were yellows and oranges with some pewter/grey accents, and lots of greens.  We used a lot of locally grown icelandic poppies, crespedia, ranunculus,  dusty miller and succulents.  Here's a pic of the tent and some of the tablescapes.

Tent at Cornerstone Sonoma County

 We used a lot of my vintage silver and etched glass from the rental collection for the containers.  Very sweet.

Citrus inspired wedding colors in vintage containers by Gorgeous and green
Vintage and silver containers with florals by Gorgeous and Green for cornerstone wedding
I love these vintage glass and silver containers, they add a vintage and classy feel to the garden weddings we have here in the Bay Area.
Centerpieces by Gorgeous and Green at Cornerstone Sonoma in vintage vessels
In Gorgeous and Green Wedding Designs,
G&G

GG table for Ceremony Magazine Shoot

Recently I was approached by Ceremony magazine to do a tabletop design for their new Bay Area magazine.  They have a beautiful wedding magazine in southern California, and are launching one up here. Gorgeous and Green finally fit the shoot into our busy schedule and were able to make something happen this week!  Here are some sneak peak shots of the table decor my assistant Ryan and I came up with.

I collect a lot of vintage glass and items, both for the boutique and for my personal use.  I am also a big fan of the show Madmen, so as you can imagine, the two mingled together to form this table design.  Not only was it super cute, but very green.  Local and unsprayed flowers and greens.  Even my vintage purse made it into the picture!

Using vintage luggage in muted jewel and primary colors as well as a lot of vintage glassware, the scheme came out very mad men-esque and playful.

I even included a vintage typewriter and some cigars that I asked Ryan to make especially for the shoot.  They are just for looks of course.

We tried to maintain a style and design that would have fit in with the time period, the early 60's.  We didn't want to get too modern, so the arrangements themselves were fairly simple and monochromatic.  And although they may have a rounded floral foam look, they definitely lack it, since we never use it. I couldn't help but include some more modern flowers like flowering kale and airplants.  The colors were also kept to a muted tone, not overly flashy and more a signature of the glassware that was used during that time, ruby and dark red, butter and egg-yolk yellow, forest and emerald green. Anyway, we had a lot of fun and look forward to the pics in the new magazine. In green and health, G&G

Amethyst, Rasberry and a Green Wedding

Earlier this year Gorgeous and Green helped a bride and her savvy friends decorate a sustainable wedding at the Brazil Room in Tilden Park.  They had a small budget, so many of the sustainable elements were also budget friendly as well. She chose a floral print dress for the bridesmaids that they thought they could wear again.  An important thing to think about when you are choosing dresses.

Photography by Claire Mulkey and Daniela Fedorowicz

The colors were dark jewel tones in the purples, pinks and blues.  I used a lot of local scabiosa and amaranth, as well as local anemones, dahlias and celosia.

She provided a collection of found vases for us to use as her centerpieces, and each arrangement consisted of a trio of vases artistically filled with blooms, ferns and branches.  Most of the vases were salvaged or reused and then reused again when she invited guests to take them home.  The arranged centerpieces were all different, and I loved how they turned out.  I only have a few pics to share, but you get the idea:

A good friend of the bride made some paper flowers to use in the decor and I attached those to a fern garland I lined the aisle with.

Even the boutonnieres were delicate jewels with both local scabiosa flowers and pods.

In Green and Health, G&G

 

Revival's flowers July 20th 2011

This week at Revival bar and kitchen, the flower arrangements Gorgeous and Green created included some bright protea and local berries.  Here are a few pictures of the week's arrangements.

 

The host table has one yellow pincusion in a vintage candlewick drinking glass.

 

The Large French bucket in the back is stacked with bushy branches and some bright organic and local sunflowers.

 

The vintage vase (my favorite vase) has some pink protea and lovely local amaranth, organic bells of ireland and local branches and berries.  

  In green and health, G&G

A Vintage Jewel of a Wedding

I just posted a blog on The Knot's Green Weddings website, about a wedding I helped with last year.  I am reposting it here to share the gorgeous colors and designs that we came up with!  Enjoy!
Photography by Amy Ellis
Gorgeous and Green had the fortune of being able to help decorate a grand affair at the Piedmont Community Center, and the outcome was fantastic. I whole-heartedly reccomend Community Centers for events when a budget is on the line. And when you spend less on the venue you have all the more budget to spend on flowers and decor!
Photography by Amy Ellis
The bride was looking for a vintage inspired decor using a lot of greens and vivid jewel tones. We rented what we could and used as many local flowers as possible. 
The bridesmaids wore dresses that were dyed at home, and I was able to get a hold of some of the dyed material to wrap the bouquets and boutonnieres.  
Photography by Amy Ellis
Photography by Amy Ellis
The Bride and her Maid of Honor loved succulents and made cute little planted succulent punch glasses as gifts for guests to take home. They went wonderfully with the fern and succulent displaysGorgeous and Green created for some of the table centerpieces.
 
Photography by Amy Ellis
 
It turned out very romantic and classy. I love Vintage! Besides the fact that a vintage look is fabulous, it is also a great way to use used and recycled items! Way to be green!
 
Photography by Amy Ellis
 
Gorgeous!
In Green and Health,

Interview with a local Event Planner

Here's a post from my Green.Weddings.com blog that shares an interview with Vera Devera, of Va De Vie Events, here in the Bay Area.  I've worked with Vera on a few events now, and we've had a great time.  Thanks Vera for the interview!

 
The cake table is a salvaged piece from Mignonne Decor. Also featured are scraps of ribbon to connect vintage letters with a felt heart in the center, champagne glasses (from her mother-in-law's wedding 35 years prior), an antique white milk glass cake stand found at a local flea market and fresh dahlias.
 
I have had the privilege of getting to work with Vera Devera, a local event planner here in the Bay Area, on a number of weddings. I've asked her to answer some questions about event planning and specifically, green-er events. Enjoy!
1. What kind of services do you provide couples?
Va de Vie Events specializes in month-of wedding coordination, especially for brides who prefer planning the major elements but recognize the need for help with organizing the event flow, managing vendors, setting up decor and determining the final details. We also offer partial to full planning, including providing overall event design consultation and selecting and booking vendors.
Salvaged lace served as the base for an escort card display (recycled kraft paper that was hand punched) and attached to a wrought iron gate.
2. Why would someone want to hire a planner/coordinator?
A wedding coordinator is like the quarterback between the bride and groom with their vendors and key family members. We act on your behalf to ensure that your vision for the day is executed. The greatest value we offer is our ability to troubleshoot and put out fires. Murphy's Law applies to even the best laid plans and it's our job to make sure you don't even know there was a problem and enjoy your wedding -- after all you have invested a lot of time, energy and money into making it extraordinary!
Principal event planner and owner, Vera Devera
3. What kind of advice/suggestions do you give couples who are trying to stay green while planning?
1. Determine how green you want to be. What are your priorities in minimizing your carbon footprint and how does it impact your wedding's look and feel and its budget? For example, when it comes to shopping for a wedding dress -- is the greenness of the material and getting a new dress made of bamboo fiber more important than finding a dress on Craigslist and getting it customized with vintage embellishments? Where are you going on honeymoon and how are you getting there? Are you volunteering together, engaging in an eco-tour or just having a relaxing getaway within 200 miles of where you live?
2. Go local! Where is your venue? Is it near public transit? Does it already have the tables and chairs that you need (or do you need any at all, especially if you're getting married on the beach)?
 
Unbleached cotton market bags printed locally with vegetable dye.
 
3. Hire vendors who share your values. As you're researching or interviewing vendors, find out if they share your philosophy around being green. For example, is your photographer going all digital and will they post a gallery online for your friends and family to view photos? Find out if your floral designer can make a bouquet that you can plant later (e.g. succulent bouquet) and ask your caterer where their ingredients come from and how it's grown or raised.
4. Consider the season, especially for your food and flowers. It doesn't make sense to eat fruits and vegetables out of season and that have to be flown in from south of the equator for your wedding.
5. Shop smart. Thrift stores, antique flea markets or retail outlets that specialize in salvaged materials are great sources for "found" objects that you can incorporate into the look and feel of your wedding. Or, you can shop online. Our go-to is Etsy.com and we suggest searching for vendors (especially local ones) that recycle or use sustainable materials in their work. Keep in mind that it's best to buy locally -- for example, if you find an amazing antique trunk in New Jersey, it's not cost effective or environmentally friendly to get it shipped out of state.
6. Leverage your existing network and consider the reusability of materials. Can you borrow mason jars as vases from a friend? Can your crafty aunt share scraps from fabric projects? Could your grandmother's treasured brooch be tied to your bouquet? 4. What is your favorite part of planning an event?
Partnering with our clients to find solutions to their needs -- whether it's finding a DJ on a particular budget, determining the best layout for the reception, or creatively communicating seating arrangements to guests -- is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work. We pride ourselves in being resourceful and leveraging our community of talented vendors. And ultimately, it's seeing all the moving parts come together that's the best part of our job. We often work with couples months in advance leading up to the day-of and to see the bride and groom, their family and friends and the beautiful details come together is truly awe-inspiring.
 
In Green and Health,
 

Simple Green and Light on the Budget

I just posted a short picture story of a wedding I did a few weeks ago that was very local, very sustainable.   We used locally grown flowers, vintage vases, and I even used a leftover piece of beautiful sage ribbon to tie up the bride's bouquet.  We kept spending low but elegance was high...

Photo by Terry McCarthy tmcphotography.com

Read more about this wedding at my other blog location on the Knot's Green.Weddings.com website. I have many more weddings and pics to include, so I'll be posting in the coming weeks, stay tuned. In Green and Health, G&G

Going Vintage

I just did a quick blog on the Green.Weddings.com website for the Knot, and mentioned that it's super green to go vintage.  Not only are you keeping lovely items from going into the landfill, you're reducing the carbon impact that making and selling new items has on the world. In the G&G boutique, I keep on stock a lot of vintage glass.  I love the idea of using vintage items for weddings and events. I've also had many brides use not only used dresses, but vintage dresses for their weddings.  Vintage lace and silk, it's often so beautiful.

Photo Courtesy of HeartStudios

Check out the cool designs from a local shop here in the Bay Area at Recapture: In Green and Health, G&G
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