Be Inspired by Preston Bailey: Part I

Happy Halloween, everyone! We hope your day is spooky and creepy and oh-so fun! We're so excited to share Part I from our interview with the incredibly inspiring and talented {and very kind} celebrity event designer and florist Preston Bailey from our Fall Eglossy. We're also sharing some scary Halloween recipes and projects at the end of the post! Without further adieu:

1. Creativity is everywhere if you look. Where do you draw your deepest breaths from and find inspiration at?

Most of my creativity comes from nature. There's nothing more dramatic that the abundance and beauty of Mother Nature. That being said, I'm always finding new things to be inspired by; I attended fashion week in Paris this year, and that was also incredibly inspiring. I know I'm not a clothing designer, but that doesn't mean I can't still be inspired by the amazing things they do. The cut of a jacket or the print of a skit just might inspire my next wedding table setting or centerpiece!

2. As a pioneer in weddings and events, what is the best sage advice you can pass along to aspiring businesses and artists? What about clients?

Always do business with your heart! (And never with greed.) Open yourself up to what feels right in your heart; if you do, you'll always be able to feel good about what yourself and your work.

3. Aside from your keen and incredible eye for design, what makes a Preston Bailey event so special?

I always try to create a feast for the senses. I want guests to be amazed and even a bit overwhelmed by the event. My goal is to transport guests into another world for a magical evening.

4. We'd love to hear your favorite story about a design you love or a special event that you still hold dear.

There is one special design that has had a tremendous impact on my business: Winter Wonderland. I created a winter wonderland wedding for Joan Rivers' daughter, Melissa Rivers, almost fifteen years ago. Clients still request winter wonderland for their own weddings. Melissa's wedding really was incredible, and I not only became close friends with her and Joan, but I also reached a whole new level of creation with winter wonderland. It was a wonderful time for me and for my work.

5. Can you please share a few fall and holiday entertaining decor tips that our readers can use at home?

Personally, I think the true heart of fall is the leaves. They're cost effective, colorful and plentiful. With just a bunch of leaves and a glue gun, you can create beautiful table runners and placemats. Or why not cover a simple, inexpensive basket with leaves and fill the basket with small pumpkins, squash and a candelabra for a gorgeous centerpiece? Let your imagination run wild. And when Christmas rolls around, do the same with pine cones!

Utterly inspiring, isn't he? Thanks so much, Preston, for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for Part II of our interview and Happy Halloween!

We've also got a few creative projects and recipes for Halloween on our Lifestyle blog:
Our metallic tray DIY | An impromptu spooky Halloween centerpiece | Blackberry Punch
Enjoy and stay spooky!

Happy Friday!

It's Friday! As we enter into another weekend we're busy bees with client meetings {can't wait for this gorgeous Hotel Del Coronado wedding}, holiday party planning, and starting to work up stationery ideas for a few other couples.

With each and every couple of ours we stress the importance of the following before we get started:

--Remember that your wedding planning process should be fun and enjoyable. It marks the start of your adventure together so savor it.
--It's not a competition.
--It should be a reflection of you.
--Enjoy the process and if you become overwhelmed just take a break. Revisit the task when you've had time to take a step back.

The recipe is as simple as that.

Photo by Sarah Rhoads for Valley & Co.

Do you have any wedding planning tasks ahead this weekend?

Fun & Games:: a Thank You Party for Groomsmen

We're back with Part Deux of our dual shoot for the Fall issue of Exquisite Weddings Magazine and showing off Nick's concept: a thank you party for groomsmen. A fresh spin on the dusty bachelor party, why not show your guys you appreciate their years of friendship and support by throwing a fun and games night complete with beer flights, gourmet pizzas, and a late-night food truck? Consider using your own basement or home to recreate this idea and rent games like shuffleboard, a pretzel machine, and a jukebox from a local rental company {trust us, you'd be surprised at how realistic this can be}.

For this shoot Nick envisioned a comfortable space with funky elements like old leather couches, globes, and details that would keep the guys occupied and having fun. Beer tasting took center stage and micro brews were paired with delicious gourmet pizzas from Cucina Urbana.

Our friend Kate from Ruby and Willow created a manly installment in the form of a worn-style stationery suite with a vintage Italian motorcycle indicating for the gents to be prepared for a day of hanging out and enjoying the fun in life.

A separate sitting area acted as a cigar lounge and a relaxing element to the fun and games.

The abundance of small elements and rented games, paired with a creative backdrop, an abundance of delicious food and customized take-home brews made for the perfect thank you.

When planning your thank you bash contact a favorite food truck and see if they'll be near your home or location and can make a stop. What's more fun than having your own gourmet slider truck pull up in front?

Our awesome team:

Concept + Design: Valley & Co. | Photography: Nick Abadilla | Venue: Culy Warehouse | Game Rentals: Party Pals | Beer: Iron Fist Brewery | Pizzas: Cucina Urbana | Stationery: Ruby & Willow | Rentals: Archive Vintage Rentals | Food truck: MIHO Gastrotruck | Linens + Napkins: Valley & Co. Home

Grooms-to-be: what elements would you recreate for your groomsmen?

A Chic Styled Party Just for the Girls

We're so excited to show off bonus images from our dual shoot for the new issue of Exquisite Weddings Magazine! If you haven't scooped up your copy, head to newsstands or order online! It's gorgeous and brimming with an abundance of inspiraiton eye candy!

We wanted to do something innovative {you know us} for our shoot and had the idea of creating both a girls' and guys' bash showcasing a fun party thrown by the bride and groom for their wedding parties. We know; not your typically bridal party shower. That's the point!

We worked with our lovely and oh-so talented pal Kate from Ruby & Willow in New Zealand to develop our fresh and sweet stationery suite for our bash. We indicated to come dressed in festive attire and the girls were greeted and pampered by amazing hair and makeup artists for a fun way to kick off the day.

Our setting was a blank concrete canvas in downtown San Diego: Culy Warehouse. Aleah designed a jewel-toned palette with a modern twist: think deep amethyst accents, sapphire velvet, and ornate detailing. We wanted it to feel as if the girls were enjoying a relaxed day in a chic living room: surrounded by beautiful crystal and vintage pieces.

The premise for the shoot was one of celebration. When planning your girly day set up several environments: we created a darling living room {complete with crocheted runners made by Aleah's great-grandma} with funky seating and over sized vintage chairs and a separate dining area for brunch and mimosas.

The activity of the day was a hands-on cake decorating class taught by Richard {and we say that with our best French accent}, a delightfully talented baker from France. Talk about the perfect {unexpected} activity for a day of fun. Your girls can decorate their own cakes and learn something they can use at home and take home scrumptious cake delights from the bash.

Our wonderfully talented friend Robin from Grand Floral went to town creating so many gems of floral arrangements that were cheery and ethereal.

The contrast of rich emerald green and a vibrant orange and fiery apricot made for one stunning setting. Robin's attention to detail really shone through with the use of julep-style milk glass cups turned upside down to pedestal blooms and her creative burlap woven table runner. Love!

You'll have to come back tomorrow for bonus images from Nick's shoot {we must say that it's pretty amazing}; we had a delicious food truck on site for his shoot and our girls got to enjoy some of the delights!

 Our awesome team: 

Concept + Design: Valley & Co. | Flowers: Grand Floral | Photography: Nick Abadilla | Venue: Culy Warehouse | Hair and Makeup: Char Sanchez and Jessica Hoffman from Lovestruck | Lavender sachets: Valley & Co. Home | Cake and Baker: French Gourmet | Stationery: Ruby & Willow | Attire and Jewelry: Be Beauty | Rentals: Archive Vintage Rentals | Food truck: MIHO Gastrotruck

So, what do you think? Would you throw a festive soiree to thank your nearest and dearest helping you prepare and stand by you on your wedding day? Do share!

Tabletop Elements: Rustic Dining Alfresco

We're easing into November, which means intimate settings will be more commonplace. Whether you're entertaining at home for the holidays or fine-tuning your beautiful Fall-inspired cozy wedding, run with charming elements when designing your tabletop to ensure your guests will be comfortable and sit and enjoy themselves all night.

For our Thanksgiving entertaining spread for the November issue of San Diego Magazine we designed an elegant, yet carefree, setting with a mix of modern silverware, burlap place mats, and vintage French ceramic places atop sage napkins. We paired these elements with a timeless vision in mind. When planning your place settings run with natural elements like papyrus, pine branches, and fruit to dress each place setting.

The result was a delightfully organic place setting and food that took center stage.

Photos by Elle G. Photography for Valley & Co. and San Diego Magazine

What will your wedding tabletop look like? Have you considered what elements to pair to create an unexpected and timeless setting? Hop on over to our Lifestyle blog for our spiced Bundt cake recipe!

Married! A Rustic Waterfront Wedding

There's something that just gets us about weddings at sentimental locations. Our own wedding was at Aleah's parents' gorgeous home on the ocean on a tiny little island in Washington State and just meant so much. Whenever we go home to visit we're reminded of the amazing time that was had: our delicious food, our wonderful friends and family, the fantastic band that had us all dancing into the night, and the totally incredible atmosphere. There's no place like home!

Our couple Megan and Logan had a similar setting: a waterfront wedding at Megan's family cabin. Her parents spent the time to plant gorgeous blooms and natural elements, to create a beautiful ceremony backdrop, and a custom beer wall complete with specialty taps. The result was a rustic bash complete with a roaming dinner, a retro DJ, and a picture-perfect setting captured impeccably by the talented duo of Heather and Jon at One Love Photo.

Isn't Megan just a darling bride? Her short frock is the perfect reflection of her personality: charming and spunky and totally unique!

Most of the guests arrived via boat, which lent a truly nautical ambiance to the celebration.

Guests were greeted in a rustic pasture complete with a custom-built wooden bar where lemonade drinks were served up in glass boot mugs. What fun!

Yep. That's Aleah pulling the boat out in the extremely chilly water! Nick was the push-off-er from the beach and we worked with Heather and Jon to get that perfect shot.

 That's it!

Megan's dad is so sweet and was just a little nervous for his toast. To make light of it he donned a silly disguise while he read it!

Photography: One Love Photography (you can see more from this wedding here) | Venue: Megan's family cabin in Longbranch, Washington | Planning + Design: Aleah + Nick Valley of Valley & Co. | Wedding dress: Legends by Romona Keveza | Boutique: Marcella’s La Boutique | Bridesmaids' dresses: Nordstrom | Logan's suit: Nordstrom | Invitations+ paper goods: Ello There | Catering and desserts: Pacific Grill Catering | Music: reception music by DJ Garrett

One of our all-time favorite weddings, Megan and Logan's bash is the definition of fun, lighthearted, and everything a wedding should be: a true celebration! What was your favorite element from their nuptials?

DIY: Stamped Burlap Place Mats

The holidays are edging nearer and Fall weddings are in full swing. Decorating for these festive soireés has never been easier. Use natural elements from Mother Nature like lichen-covered branches, acorns, and burlap to dress your table tops and balance rustic with elegant by using decorating goblets and fanciful china.

Perfectly rustic, our stamped place mat sets the framework for a festive dinner party and marks where your guest will be enjoying dinner and conversation. Monogram your place mats so they serve as double duty: pastoral décor and a seating assignment.

Stamped Burlap Place Mats

You'll need: burlap | fabric paint | vintage print press stamps | paint brush

To make:

1. Cut a piece of burlap to 12” x 10”

2. Lay burlap flat and choose your corner for the stamp. Paint a thick coat of paint on your stamps.

3. Carefully turn stamps over and lay 1/2” from the edge of your mat. Put pressure on each stamp. Remove and fill in any gaps in the paint with your brush.

What a fun project, isn't it? Dress up the burlap with silver or gold metallic paint for a Christmas table top or orange or brown for Thanksgiving.

How do you dress up your Fall or holiday table tops?