Hot Trends in Christmas Table Styling

Forget the usual red + green if you're looking for a more unique Christmas theme then check out our HOT CHRISTMAS TABLE STYLING TRENDS!

Create a memorable festive feast combining the homespun charm of rustic Provence with French metal bistro chairs, mismatched cushions and an old wooden trestle table. Vintage jars, bottles or jugs filled with a small bunch of blooms from your garden, vintage dinnerware including plates, cutlery, glassware  + tea sets. Rustic birdcages + unique Christmas ornaments make great table settings along with paper gift tags as table placements. 

Create a natural Eco Chic Christmas by combining a botanical look with ferns, succulents, herbs, vegetables + atrium centrepieces. Brown paper table runners, natural linen napkins, chopping boards, branches, wooden baroque candle holders and zine gift tags as table placements are also fantastic additions.

Create a casual Hamptons Christmas by combining a predominately white colour palette with a pop of aqua blue, coral centrepieces, white blooms, glass nautical balls and rope.

For a more summery Christmas feel opt for prints such as the iconic Chevron print which looks great made up as overlays, table runners + napkins or for a bold statement go for bright neons including fluro yellow + hot pink which will give the traditional Christmas table a burst of new energy + life.

If you're more of a modern minimalist kind of host why not create an all white Christmas table, this too can be a bold statement but oozes plenty of elegance with an urban edge.

Here are our top 20 tips to style up your Christmas table setting...

1. Add a large coloured base plate called a charger plate. This will instantly give your table a lift!

2. Place individual chalkboards under each setting with the guests name written in chalk.

3. Make your own personalised menus and place them on mini clipboards. This will instantly give your lunch/dinner soiree that restaurant feel.

4. Decorate your napkins + cutlery with ribbon, sprigs of rosemary or blooms wrapped in twine, apples, pine cones or place cards.

5. Last minute table decor can be found around your home or garden.

6. Grab fresh flowers or herbs from the garden and place then in vases, bottles, jars or jugs.

7. For a different Christmas wreath use feathers instead of greenery.

8. Use some of your Christmas Tree baubles in the centrepieces.

9. Style up your chairs by adding some coloured cushions or ribbon.

10. Add lemons, limes and other fruit and vegetables to your centrepieces.

11. Place some natural or hand painted pinecones in tall glass vases.

12. Use leaves as your place cards. Simply print your guest's names with white pen.

13. Add votives with flower heads and tea lights to the table.

14. Hang glass baubles around the room filled with flower heads or tea lights.

15. Add some coloured glassware to the table setting.

16. Attached place cards/tags to your napkins or chairs.

17. Treat your guests to a side table of fruit punches in old vintage drink dispensers.

18. Write the menu on a chalkboard or mirror.

19. Spoil your guests with a Christmas cookie or traditional sweet at their place setting.

20. Hang bright coloured floral arrangements over your table setting.

So now that we have all your Christmas table styling dilemmas sorted all you need to do is glaze the ham, peel the prawns, stuff the turkey and top up the bubbly!

Merry Christmas and Happy Festive Styling to you all!

Spring Racing 2012

The long awaited race that stops the nation has come and unfortunately gone for another year. Melbourne Cup, as always shines no matter what the weather is like, but lucky for us this year it was divine. The Cup is the perfect excuse for the Ladies to frock up and the Men to dust off their suits for a day at the Races.

We were lucky enough to be invited by Styled Events to enjoy the day trackside Brisbane in the Port Office Tent. It was a wonderful day, filled with glamour and yummy food and refreshing cocktails, with the opportunity to catch up with some of our favourite wedding suppliers. Danielle was fortunate enough to be dressed by the fabulous George Wu and the girls had their hair done by Hair by Popular Demand and make-up by Emma Louise. Bouquet Boutique also generously provided some gorgeous florals for Danielle's fascinator and outfit.

A great day out with the lovely ladies from Kwintowski Photography, Invitation Station, Studio Impressions, Stewart Ross Photography, Stem Design, The Main Event and Styled Events.

We might not have won much on the horses, but Sarah came away a winner - awarded first prize in Fashions On The Field in our Marquee.

 Thank you to Styled Events for a wonderful day!

Real Wedding: Ashlee + Troy

 

Today on the blog we have the wedding of Ashlee + Troy for you! Ashlee + Troy are the cutest couple you will ever meet, they truly are such a caring and kind hearted couple. Troy is very laid back, into his music and adores Ashlee and Ashlee is always happy, loves getting crafty and is as sweet as the cakes she makes! 

Ashlee + Troy chose to have their winter wedding at the beautiful Hillstone at St Lucia. Their ceremony was held in the Rose Garden, pre drinks were down in the Library and the reception was up in the Rosewood Room. The bold floral arrangements were created by the oh so clever Sandee from Always Fabulous Flowers and the bedazzling styling items were hired from Amini Concepts.

Ashlee + Troy chose a colour palette of white, red and black which was highlighted throughout their stationary suite, cake and lolly buffet which, might I add was all designed and created by the talented Ashlee herself!

Ashlee fondly became known as our "Carrie Bradshaw" Bride around the w+w office as she not only had two beautiful dresses to change into but three beautiful dress changes! The last one being a very slinky Pippa Middleton-esque number topped off by her mothers stunning 1970's chiffon cape complete with hood.

Summer Quenchers

Are you planning a Summer Wedding? Be sure to keep you and your guests cool with some refreshing drinks throughout the day. Whether it is a bubbly champagne or a refreshing cocktail, your guests will love you forever!

Why not create your own signature cocktail? Here are a few new and interesting cocktails we have stumbled upon...

Iced Tea with Plum + Thyme 

Rosewater, Ginger, Lychee + Rose Champagne 

White Strawberry + Lemon Sangria 

Just for you, we have found some deliciously refreshing beverage recipes. We have quite a few favourites so here goes... grab a pen and some paper and start writing! 

Grapefruit Margarita

Wedge of lime
2 teaspoons coarse margarita salt
14 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice, with pulp (about 3 medium grapefruits)
1 ounce lime juice
5 ounces reposado tequila
2 ounces triple sec
4 slices grapefruit or twists

1. Run a lime wedge halfway around the rims of four margarita glasses and dip into salt. Set aside.
2. Combine 7 ounces grapefruit juice, one-half ounce lime juice, 2 1/2 ounces tequila and 1 ounce triple
sec in a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake over ice until chilled. Strain into two ice-filled, salt-rimmed margarita glasses.
4. Garnish with a twist or slice of grapefruit.
5. Repeat to make two more cocktails.

Serves 4 guests

Watermelon Mojito 

4 large mint leaves

1/2 lime

1 tablespoon superfine sugar

4 ounces seedless watermelon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3/4 cup), plus a small wedge for garnish

2 ounces white rum

1/2 cup ice cubes

1. In a heavy large glass, combine mint, lime, and sugar.
2. Using a muddler, mash together mint and lime until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add watermelon, and muddle until broken down.
4. Stir in rum and ice cubes.
5. Pour into an 8-ounce serving glass and garnish with a watermelon wedge.

Serves 1

Aperol Spritz Cocktail 

3 ounces Prosecco (or any sparkling wine)
1 ounce Aperol
Splash of soda water, sparkling water, or club soda
Garnish of orange

1. Pour the sparkling wine into a glass of ice cubes.
2. Add the Aperol and then a splash of sparkling water.
3. Float a nice thick slice of orange on top - it will infuse the drink with orangey goodness even more as you sip.



Pimms Cocktail 

4 cups ice cubes

1 lemon, cut into thin slices

160ml Pimm's No. 1

125ml lemonade, chilled

125ml ginger ale, chilled

1/2 Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin strips

1. Place 1/2 the ice into a 1-litre capacity jug. 
2. Add lemon slices. 
3. Pour in Pimm's, followed by lemonade and ginger ale. 
4. Stir with a swizzle stick to combine.

5. Divide remaining ice among four tall glasses. 
6. Place a piece of cucumber in each glass then fill with cocktail.

Serves 4

Strawberry Riesling Slushie (our favourite!)

2 cups hulled strawberries
1 bottle [750ml] dry riesling

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar

How to make it:

1. Reserve 1 cup of the riesling – cover and place in the fridge to chill.

2. In a food processor, puree strawberries with the remaining wine, lime juice and sugar.
3. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.
4. When you’re ready to serve or drink, puree the ice cubes with the remaining wine in your blender.

Now you have the recipes on hand it is time to get practising!

Enjoy the beautiful weather ahead of us and take sometime to choose or create your own perfect signature cocktail for your wedding day.

Real Wedding - Chloe + Paul

So we are a little excited here a white + white today... Okay, we are bursting at the seams with excitement because we are finally sharing with you the wedding of Chloe + Paul!

We have been teasing you all week with sneak peeks of this wedding and when I tell you it's good... Man oh man is it good! A little bit of modern, a lot of glam and a dramatic colour palette -  it is complete opulence and decadence at it's best.

Chloe + Paul are such an awesome couple, they really do have a special place in all the hearts of the white + white team and you will easily see what we mean as it shines through each and every fantastic image captured by the super cool Seth and Tenielle from Feather + Stone Photography. 

Chloe + Paul were a wedding planner + wedding stylists dream clients, when we first met with them everything just clicked and we all felt that we were about to plan + create a wedding that looked crazy cool!

The concept was designed by our very own in house stylist Sarah Iriks and was very much influenced by the current trend of gold and metallic accents along with the gorgeous new refurb of the popular event space Mirra Private Dining and Events in Fortitude Valley.

When we first started pulling together ideas it was important to us to do something unique and bold. Then when we started to brainstorm and became really excited about all the different elements that were coming together. Mirra served as a fantastic background to the modern look and allowed us to take advantage of the black and gold colour palette.

We wanted the overall table design to have an elegant, luxurious, sophisticated look but modern all at the same time. We accomplished the table design by selecting gold napoleon chairs, black linens and napkins and gold and clear beaded chargers from Styled Events. Mirror bases, mercury vessels and candlesticks were chosen to pick up and reflect the gold accents and throw the warm light of the tea lights flickering on the tables.

When choosing the flowers we wanted something elegant yet understated. We felt that Geraldine from Bouquet Boutique really understood how to balance this type of combination to instantly bring the guests into the mood of the location. We decided to go with an assortment of fresh seasonal white flowers in mercury vases in different clusters of shapes and sizes. When Geraldine was designing Chloe's bouquet she went with classic white roses and her bridesmaids bouquets were made up of gorgeous caramello roses complete with black and gold binding for a bold dramatic look. 

We were madly, madly in love with the super chic gorgeousness of the stationary suite and paper goods. Our very own Bride Chloe + her sister Ally were the geniuses behind the amazing invitations and paper goods while Chloe's wonderful husband Paul made all of the awesome acrylic table numbers, welcome sign and decals. A personal favourite being the uber sweet table numbers all with different loved up text incorporating the table number.

No event would ever be complete without a sweet treat and this wedding had many. On arrival guests found their seats via a chocolate seating plan, each guest had a milk chocolate bar complete with a custom made wrap to match the stationary suite with their name and table number on it. Ferrero Rocher's were place upon each guests personalised menu as small bonbonniere.  The two tier statement wedding cake was created by Jade at Cake Star with four different decedent flavours and covered with gold baking dust. Later on bambino gelato's were served to guests on gold ornate platters as a supper snack to keep them dancing into the night.

Chloe wore a stunning Pronovias gown with a sweet heart strapless neck line and vintage lace that fell from under the bust and sparkled in accessories by Chelsea De Luca. Chloe's bridesmaids wore slinky charcoal numbers by Zimmermann and twinkled with knockout gold glitter high heels. The girls swoon worthy hair was preened by the oh so clever and creative Alana Salm of Hair by Popular Demand and their makeup was flawlessly perfected by the amazing Desiree Vogelsang of Desiree Makeup.

So there you have it Chloe + Paul's really modern, high style, totally glam wedding... we hope you liked it! But if this wasn't enough lucky for you we have a great video by the wonderful Matt Barwick to share as well, capturing the entire day! Just make sure you have your tissues ready... don't say we didn't warn you.... 

chloe and paul / feature film from Matt Barwick Films on Vimeo.

Princess Party

We were lucky enough to be involved once again with the Amira Project's Princess Party earlier this year. We had so much fun at Mirra Private Dining last year we went back! The night was once again filled with inspiration, motivational information and fun times designed to enhance the lives of young women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The night kicked off with some fun activities for the girls. This year, Geraldine from Bouquet Boutique helped the girls create their very own centrepiece. This was a big hit!

The girls also had the opportunity to write down their wishes and dreams on heart shape cut outs and stick them to the famous "Tonight" wall at Mirra in Fortitude Valley.

With hair and make-up artists on hand at the Party, the girls were made to feel like real life princesses.

At the end of the workshop, the girls were then apart of a huge balloon release. Each balloon had attached the dreams and wishes of every girl.

To make the night even more special each of the girls were then escorted into their dining room by a very dapper young gentlemen with a beautiful flower in tow.

  

The girls were seated at long glamourous styled tables whilst listening to the motivational speakers throughout the night. Big thank you to Amini Concepts for helping us with the table styling.

After dinner concluded, it was time to dance.

At the end of the night, the girls didn't go home empty handed with each of them receiving a bag filled with goodies to help them remember this night forever.

This Princess Party would not of happened without the support of the lovely organisers and volunteers that helped pull together this event for the girls. We look forward to next year's Party! 



These beautiful images were taken by the talented Kristin at Tin Mouse Marketing.