"WHAT DO I BRING TO A CONSULTATION?"

I love being asked this question because it means the client wants to be actively involved in designing her event. The following list of things are great props to bring to a meeting or interview with an event designer because they allow that designer to get a great indication of your style and personality!

1. Color Swatches: While wanting to match flowers exactly to a swatch is never a good idea because flowers can change based on season and weather, it is very helpful to have a swatch of the dress color or the colors you would like to incorporate. It certainly helps in the overall design and allows the designer to make suggestions on complimentary colors and materials.

2. A Sample Invitation/Save the Date ( if they are already picked out): Because much of what an event designer does involves paper, it is great to incorporate the colors, fonts, and images that the invitation has established. If invitations or save the dates are already chosen, make sure to bring them to the consultation.

3. Non-floral materials that might be incorporated: Think outside flowers. Maybe on your first hike together your groom-to-be found a feather that you have kept ever since. Perhaps you have saved all of the wine corks from dinners for years. Or there is a book the two of you are completely inspired by. Event designers love these kinds of details and love even more to incorporate them into an event!! Bring anything that has significance to you as a couple. 4. Magazine Clippings: Although wedding magazines can be helpful, it often becomes tempting to mimic ideas, rather than develop a style that is inspired by the clipping. When a client brings a clipping and says "I want this exactly," there is little room for a designer to create something custom for the client. I recommend that clients look outside bridal magazines for inspiration-- home decor, gardening, and architecture magazines are great sources of inspiration and give the designer a great sense of your style and tastes. Plus, it allows the designer plenty of room to make an event that is custom tailored to you. 5. A Sense of Your Own Style: While a designer can help you to define your style and choose the right items to create an event that represents you, it works best when you have a sense of your own style. If you don't really know what your style is, consider the following questions and even consider bringing your answers to the consultation.

• Which decor/furniture stores do you or would you like to purchase your furnishings from? (i.e. Pottery Barn, Ethan Allen, an antique store, Ikea, etc.)
• Have you been in a restaurant or club lately that you thought had a great visual atmosphere?
• What colors are most prominent in your closet? How about in your fiance's closet?
• Which season is your favorite and why?
• What activities/interests do you and your fiance share? Are you interested in including those somehow in your wedding?
• Other than your house and work, where do you spend the majority of your time?
• What are some of your best memories/ moments with your fiance?

AN AIRLIE WEDDING

Megan and Craig were the such a cute couple with really great taste! From the beginning, Megan had great ideas and wanted to combine a contemporary garden feel with a subtle touch of Japanese influence. To incorporate this, we covered the tent poles with fresh bamboo and strung glass lanterns between them. See the results below.

How cute is this?!!

This season, I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing photographers from all over North Carolina. And every time I do, I have the same thought--good design and style means absolutely nothing without a great photographer! I am forever grateful to the photographers who are able to let us appreciate the atmosphere of an event long after it is finished. These photographs are by Brooke Mayo. Her eye is great and these photographs are wonderful.

Springtime wedding

I cannot say enough how much of a difference the photographer makes!! White Box Weddings shot this wedding and the results are wonderful! Abby and Kevin had such a great sense of style. Kevin is also a wedding photographer, so the couple paid extra special attention to the details!

They wanted to incorporate some lounge seating and so we set up this area and they completed the space with the wonderful photograph from their engagement session.

OUR NEW STUDIO

This winter my husband and I began work on our new studio. The space used to house the offices of a roofing company, so needless to say, it was less than appealing. We spent months knocking out walls, rewiring all of the light fixtures, ripping up carpet, laying hard wood floors, and painting EVERYTHING!! Transformation is something that is a part of our lives with every event, but this transformation was especially rewarding. Our official open house in April marked our one year anniversary, and we are so excited about all of the growth happening here at Salt Harbor Designs!!

This shot was in the middle of the renovations after we had knocked out walls, but before much of the work.
AFTER RENOVATION.....Special thanks to Lisa from Bella Rose Photography for these great shots!!

WE ARE GIVING AWAY A WEDDING

Some lucky couple will win the wedding of their dreams in 2009. More details to come very soon!!