Adorations Botanical Artistry

Featured in The Knot!

noreply@blogger.com (Ez) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:11:00 +0000

You might remember Cori and Thomas from last summer. Between the suspended centerpieces and the flowing fabric backdrop, their wedding is a hard one to forget. So it’s quite a joy to have them featured in this summer’s national issue of The Knot!

Some of our favorite elements…

The picturesque ceremony site – a giant eucalyptus tree in which we hung brightly colored pom poms, delicate glass orbs filled with orchids, and hundreds of feet of flowing chiffon fabric.

The theme was repeated in another large tree overhanging the lounge area of the reception, enhanced with candlelight added to the glass spheres.

Between the two trees, the installation took multiple designers, a few rolls of fishing line, several hours, and two brave souls willing to climb to the very top of the two tallest ladders we have…and we think the outcome was totally worth it.

Another favorite element…

Centerpieces suspended from the tent ceiling, seemingly floating above the guests as they dined.

With a base of knotted grapewood embellished with fuchsia phalaenopsis orchids and dripping with moss-like amaranthus, the centerpieces combined both natural and exotic elements.

And finally, the suspended centerpieces were only enhanced by the large hanging wrought-iron candelabra which served as a focal point over the dance floor.

Due to the size of the candelabra, it was actually installed two days before the wedding, hoisted up at the same time as the tent itself. Our designers then continued the botanical themes from the bouquets, centerpieces, and throughout the event to make it truly spectacular.

Thanks again to the fabulous team who made this “enchanted garden” a reality…
Thomas Bui
Concepts Event Design
Platinum Pro
Lunaphoto
The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe
Sweet Cheeks Baking Company

Exquisite Wedding-Bathing Beauties

noreply@blogger.com (Ez) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:22:00 +0000

"Bathing Beauties" is an editorial we styled for Exquisite Weddings featuring a vintage bathtub and eye poppingly fresh bouquets.

How did it happen? A little bit of inspiration and an incredible group of floral designers.

It's so cool to look at a magazine and think, "Yes! That's my studio! That's where my Dansko-clad feet walk miles and miles from centerpiece to bouquet." For this shoot it was transformed into what you see here by some truly inspiring colleagues.

Like Jennifer

And Paula

Hannah

Katrina

Alex and Brittany

Leigh Ann

We had so much fun, and Adorations was thrilled to work with such a great group of designers. We perused through the abundance of hard goods in the studio to find pieces to use for the shoot...fabric from Designer's Guild for the backdrop, patina pails, refurbished and recovered hand-scripted books, and gold-rimmed votives for a little something extra.

Thank you, thank you to Joielala Photographie for capturing these beauties, and a special thanks to Exquisite Weddings for featuring them in the 2011 March/April issue.

~Jennifer Cole
~Rae Florae
~Modern Bouquet
~Katrina O'Donnell
~Blush Botanicals
~ The Floral Lab

Brides Night Out Thursday, May 5th

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:25:00 +0000

Adorations is thrilled to be participating in BRIDES magazine’s BRIDES Night Out in May!

We’re joining several incredible local vendors for an evening of fun and bridal style on the rooftop of the Andaz Hotel, Thursday, May 5th from 6:30 to 8:30.

With food, drinks, music and prizes, it’s the perfect opportunity for brides-to-be and their friends to have a night out on the town while seeing first-hand the latest wedding trends and inspiration for their own special day.

It's FREE and Adorations Botanical Artistry is the featured florist, so come see what we are up to!

Andaz Hotel
DJ Este
Grove Pastry Shop & Custom Cakery
Hair Comes the Bride
A Joy Forever Weddings and Events
ShutterBooth
Sutography Photography and Videography
Sweetest Thing Catering

BRIDES Magazine

A Royal Affair

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:27:00 +0000

The US Grant dubbed their 2011 bridal show “A Royal Affair”…and what could possibly embody the idea of royalty more than nobility’s color itself: purple? Add to that dripping crystals, sparkling gems, bejeweled brooches…in short, enough bling to dazzle the Queen herself…and the resulting creative masterpiece will take your breath away. Adorations was delighted to bring to life Emily Smiley’s creative vision for what truly was a royal affair.

Sweet peas, garden roses, hydrangea and carnations in hues of plum, lavender, and cream form the perfect frame for elegant crystal candelabras.

A lavish place setting, perfectly suited to the most regal of diners.

For an after-dinner reprieve, a queen could only retire to such a grandiose lounge area…

Elegant stylings provided by…
Table Design: Emily Smiley Soirees
Floral Design: Adorations Botanical Artistry
Rentals: Platinum Pro
Furniture: Hire Elegance
Calligraphy: Wendy Ware
Photography: Pam Scott

Sneak Peak!

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0000

So excited to see our work in the new issue of Bride & Bloom Magazine. Tons of inspiration to look at. Just thinking about this wedding reminds me of all the deliciousness I want to talk about, so this is just a taste of what's to come.

When Opulence Meets Simplicity

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Uncomplicated elegance.

Coastal magic, with a bit of vintage woven within the simple details.

Beautiful, but what does it mean?

Words, when too easily tossed about can muddle up the expression of a thing.

Let's keep this simple and look at what influences a design and final concept.

Succulents are amazing. They're like a modern piece of art growing right out of a rock. Check out the hint of teal flirting with the cool tones of the whole color palette. It's not so much that it gives off a matchy matchy vibe, but instead compliments the glass so perfectly it almost hurts.

Simple, yet staying true to the luxuriousness that is the Hotel Del Coronado.

The white linens and chairs assist in keeping everything breezy and simple, while the layered floral textures of the anemones, ranunculus and orchids contribute to the overall opulent vibe. The presentation is elegant without trying to hard. Which is what the West Coast is all about.

The vintage dishware and silver candlesticks tie it together with meaning and nostalgia.

See the tiny little succulents nestled in the rocks at the bottom of the glass. Happy sigh.
And those delicate little silver balls are...wait for it... Silver Brunia. There's nothing flashy about them, but they exude class and charm like your grandmother's heirloom jewelry.

The artistic direction for this photo shoot was led by Nick + Aleah Valley with Valley & Co. They enlisted the creative hands of Kristy Rice of Momental Designs. Kristy's hand drawn images round out the seemingly effortless design of the many talents that contributed to this photo shoot!

The Creative Team included:
Exquisite Weddings Magazine
Table Designers: Nick + Aleah Valley with Valley & Co
Flowers: Adorations Botanical Artistry
Linens: Wildflower Linen
Tableware: Valley & Co. private collection
Stationery: Momental Designs
Photography: Terri Rippee, Rippee Photography
Location: Hotel Del Coronado
Models: Carmel McAndrews and Andrei Razmeritsa

ways to love...

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 08:15:00 +0000

Meet Brett and Laura; they are very much in love.

This Bride and Groom’s story is especially inspiring. Who they get to be for one another in the face of their circumstances leaves me speechless and moved in ways that validate all that I believe to be true.

Let their story act as a guide in your journey of love, I am sure you will be touched, moved and inspired in ways that leave you bowled over as well. They have won my heart and reminded me that it is important to cherish each moment for we know not when the gift of “our life” may actually wrap up.

The blessing of serving this couple came from Brett’s sister Carrie Butler, who I met when she photographed one of our mutual weddings last year. Although our time together was brief I immediately felt at home with her and we have stayed in touch since. I especially loved our chat while she was on the road from Utah to San Diego, en route to photograph and attend this wedding; you are a lady after my own heart, and Carrie, it is true, I received so much more out of this than I gave.

Thank you, Brett and Laura for leading the way down love’s winding road.

These first links are the words and images of Carrie Butler, speaking from the heart as only a sister can do, I thought it most appropriate to begin here...

In Carrie's post she goes into full detail of all of the generous support of the wedding community. It is truly amazing how this couple has inspired us all.

Please see the links below for the full story through wedding coordinator, Amy Vargas' eyes, of First Comes Love and the media's words, then if you are really brave and have a full box of tissue, meet Brett and Laura as they are interviewed on Fox San Diego News.

The photos are a taste of all what was pulled together in a matter of just a few days…

The photography posted below is the work of Carrie Butler, Tessa Desharnais, and Kristina Chartier.

It happened again...

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:20:00 +0000

A wedding so beautiful, that when you scrunch up your eyes you can almost see magic and romance shooting out like sparks.

Creating a whole world of garden romance isn’t a theme that comes easily. Dancing the line between whimsical and elegance means you wake up in the middle night with new ideas that start to take on a life of their own.

It means pretending a birch log is really butter and a skill saw is just a dinner knife, so you can design a custom arch.

It means swathing peonies and garden roses with the perfect colored ribbon, all while wearing a scarf and dressing up like frosty the snowman, because flowers need to be kept at the perfect temperature...

...so they can look like this on the perfect day.

But it’s all worth it when the last flower petal is thrown, the music starts, and the Bride has walked down the aisle.

Especially when the bride is this beautiful.

Even though later you end up wrestling a tree down a dark alley at 2 am, as it takes jabs at your eyes and tries to hang itself on all the doorways. You don’t mind though, because how can you resist something that exquisite?

Sarah and Chris, your wedding was a ravishingly romantic bit of perfection.

Thank you for letting Adorations be a part of it.

Here’s the story on the couple and their gorgeous wedding from the lovely bride, herself on Style Me Pretty

Essentially Cori

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:26:00 +0000

• Dangle paper poms
• Suspend glass spheres and candle light
• Dress 50’-0” tree with chiffon
+check
+check
+check

Cori & Thomas Wedding Highlights from nr3videoproductions on Vimeo.

With her background in interior design this savvy bride inspired the colorway with her innovative choice of multihued Bridesmaids’ dresses and her wholehearted passion for suspended design elements that swing and sway; all the while maintaining an unequaled poise for a Bride so fully involved in the creative process! Kudos to you Cori!

Enhancing her vision was a round dance floor by PLATINUM PRO, a
custom photo wall, eggplant linens, custom bars, all around remarkable décor by Concepts Event Design and perfectly directed by the ever wonderful Thomas Bui and celebrated at The Inn at Rancho Sante Fe.

Each vendor provided such an important aspects to the overall success of this event, it is pure joy to see it all come to life in NR3 Video Productions video and a delight to see the couple revel in their day!

Kim & Sean

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:54:00 +0000

Eric Nelte of Blue Pearl Productions posted a three minute preview video of a recent wedding at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Kim was an especially gracious Bride and she has the most amazing parents. Listen for the toast her father gives, it is darling! Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings provided valuable guidance on the rich color palette, keeping with burnt umber, burgundy, and rich emerald green foliage; perfect inspiration for any upcoming autumn wedding. We will be posting more photos for inspiration when Darin Fong sends them along...stay tuned! We girls here at Adorations especially love the arch!

Kimberly and Sean from Blue Pearl Weddings on Vimeo.

The Knot....Decked Out!

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Sun, 23 May 2010 05:24:00 +0000

Adorations is so excited to be participating this coming Wednesday, May 26, in designing for a gathering of San Diego’s top wedding vendors: The Knot Wedding Network party!

Collaborating with Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings we will be treating the Scripps Forum in La Jolla to a delightful array of seaside, nautical, and Nantucket-inspired flowers and décor. The images below The Knot logo share a sense of the direction of the design.

And we can’t forget to thank the contributing San Diego vendors: Continental Catering for adding flavor, Classic Party Rentals and Kool Party Rentals for elevating the style, and DJ Mike Hogan with entertainment and his tasty treats.

artbus balls + bupleurum + railroad ties

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:16:00 +0000

To Do List:
Handle artbus balls with care.
Pass the bupleurum.
Spit shine railroad ties.

Along with the pleasure of handling such perfect specimens of God's perfection are the daily tasks involving a list of unforeseen duties as is the case in the instance of the Exquisite Weddings Photo Shoot. We are really proud to have driven the direction of this tabletop design accompanied by Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings. Many thanks for Terry Rippee’s discriminating eye for detail and composition in the published magazine photos!

This post is a medley of detail shots we took telling a bit more of the floral story, for I just could not pass up sharing the lovely Amnesia roses and plum dahlias that are tucked amongst the lush array of orange flowers; bringing the blue tabletop details to life!

WHO
Adorations Botanical Artistry +
Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings + Exquisite Weddings Magazine +
Photography: Terri Rippee, Rippee Photography +
Rentals: Adorations Private Collection +
Found Objects: Velvet Relic (slate, plaid blanket, railroad tie risers, reclaimed wood box for drink presentation) +
Dinnerware and Linen Rentals: Classic Party Rentals +
Paper Goods: Love at First Invite

WHAT
Florals:
Orange parrot and deep purple tulips parade amongst Cherry Brandy and Amnesia roses with bittersweet and orange and yellow artbus foliage (orange balls) add texture. Dark plum dahlias peek amongst verdant bupleurum and chocolate geranium foliage in rustic terra cotta urns on wrought iron stands.

Hard Goods:
Reclaimed dark wood railroad ties act as risers for blue mercury glass votives and petite vases with clean and simplistic stemmed candlesticks holding vivid mango embossed candles. Reclaimed slate chargers with floral paisley embellished dinner plates are finished with a simplistic taupe linen napkin, artbus foliage (orange balls), and copper patina place card with mohair fiber embellishment.

The place card, drink menu and table number got their rustic feel from copper paper with a light blue Patina rust paint technique. The names were typeset in a calligraphy type and printed on a custom die-cut bellyband. The place cards were finished off with rich mohair ties on either side of the card.

WHERE:
Rancho Valencia Resort

Susanne & Chris

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:34:00 +0000

Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings is one the very first coordinators to have referred me in this industry, back when I had only just begun creating romantic settings for couples in their honeymoon suite, after the wedding celebration. She was also one of the first that saw something more in me, beyond gossamer fabric and rose petals covering bed linens and scented shower walls. She had faith in my vision and my passion for providing an atmosphere for couples that continued the evening past the toasts and happy hugs and handshakes. I still remember sitting in her home studio, sharing tagged Martha Stewart magazines because I didn’t yet have a portfolio of wedding floral design to show my vision to clients. We all start somewhere, and I was fortunate to have Susanne telling her clients I was one of the ones to watch. She had more faith in me than I had in myself at the time as my voice trembled both with fear and excitement about this new direction my company was taking. While mostly self-taught, there are so many who have contributed to me along the way. In the whirlwind of a wedding season, we can forget to stop and acknowledge the true difference that those who encourage, refer, and celebrate us truly make! Sue is one such person, and her wedding gave me an opportunity to properly thank her through the best expression of gratitude that I know…flowers.

My few photos are just a glimpse; Darin Fong has posted a video that is especially sentimental and telling of the floral and decor elements! Check out the link here. Susanne & Chris’ wedding day is especially memorable, from the secret garden to the night club. The stories, the vows, the now united family that made me swell with tears as my husband and I held the heart shaped rose quartz crystal between clasped palms.

inspration boards made easy

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:54:00 +0000

This is noteworthy resource for Industry Pros and Brides alike. Check out the BIG HUGE Labs website to make straightforward inspiration boards for your next wedding or social event! Their Mosaic Maker acts as a substitute for those who may be undersupplied with layout software.

This link will take you where you can download images from your computer, link your Facebook or Flicker account, creating up to 36 images on one page! Remember to always give photo and source credit!

For me the obvious bonus is the capacity to create a photo collage of my wee one...something I know his grandma has been waiting on...oh and they will print the images for you too! My examples are just a few of the choices..check it out!

row one~column one: jennifer dery photography

rooftop chuppah sneak peek

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:52:00 +0000

Designing for Rachel and Michael was such a joy and this is certainly one of our favorite wedding designs of the season. From the very beginning Rachel had a specific vision in mind, focusing on black and white with saturated pink hues. I especially love this wedding because of the black and white chuppah. The burned out velvet textiles carried a vintage vibe, but are updated with a modern ‘burnt’ brocade pattern.

We repeated the same brocade pattern in the aisle entrance pedestals, the sheer black and white talis covering and again in the 60’-0” aisle runner. The pink hues were introduced from the onset with the custom designed graphic stylings of Daniel Crawford beginning with the glam meets rockabilly invitation and concluding with the ‘oh so very cool’ Ketubah.

The focal flowers consisted of hot pink anemones, cattelya and phalaenopsis orchids (as seen here is the detail shot of the teardrop vases), with seasonal ranunculus and sweet peas interspersed in the bouquets. We presented all the flowers in simplistic contemporary glass and Lucite vessels, (to be seen in future posts). This concept is not necessarily just about the flowers.

The installation was seamless thanks to expert coordination by Kelly of Mint Weddings and Megan Bachman at Andaz Hotel.

If any words such as modern, contemporary, sleek, sexy, or urban describe your personal style for your wedding, this rooftop ceremony location must make the top of your list.

We are especially thrilled to have our work photographed by Paula and Mike of Luna Photo; they are simply one of the best at telling the full story, from behind the scenes to the detail shots (which are our personal faves). We will most certainly be posting again when we have the good fortune of seeing those images!

Look closely and you can see the darling flocked black cones on the end of each chair with white rose petals. {click on image to enlarge}

who you calling moody?

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:58:00 +0000

worth the read...photos at the end...promise!

Creating this company had been the perfect external manifestation of what I inwardly feel. I can recall many times in my past being called “moody,” but if you took a deeper look you would see a girl with many aspects of her personality confined in just one female form.

It's like wanting to wear blue jeans and a t-shirt one day, while on another longing for simple frills and maybe a touch of bling. I love design, I love color, texture, raw materials, the visionary process of bringing many seemingly different objects together to make a unified whole. But, for the life of me I cannot settle on just one aspect, one style, that is THE perfect expression of ME.

There is no fault in this; it actually serves me quite well in designing for my clients. I can be just as excited about rough-hewn wood, moss and succulents, as about black lacquer square boxes with deep red roses and a burned out velvet brocade aisle runner. That is what is best about this profession; I get to be more fully expressed through you, the client. There is never a dull day, no humdrum weddings here and for this I continue to be grateful.

I have been known to say, I would rather die a slow painful death than to design the same wedding over and over again. I may not be moody, but I can be dramatic! I love approaching each project anew, with fresh eyes; for each of you are distinct, both in your individuality and in your togetherness as a couple. I welcome your stories, your dreams, even your concerns. Each gives life to the vision, enlivening the process, and infusing fun at a time that can have its stressors.

For me, the meat and bones, flesh and blood of a personal design project most often begins with an emotion…or two. Bringing a tabletop to life is a very poignant act for me. In the tabletop for the 2010 Ceremony Magazine edition the prevailing sentiments were nostalgia combined with determination; nostalgia for the past and determination of purpose for Adorations in the coming year.

You may wonder, how does one convey this in design? Perhaps a tabletop shoot on the corner of 13th and G in downtown San Diego, our "Vintage Avenue," for example. Mingling curvaceous peonies, garden roses, delicate skeleton magnolia leaves and parrot tulips with rustic reclaimed wood pedestals, wrought iron and galvanized metal were the perfect expression of nostalgia and determination for me.

Joshua Aull of Joshua Aull Photography took notice of this in telling the photographic story with attention to the leading lines of the red brick wall and galvanized industrial door. His intuition and perspective helped bring this shoot to life. The flower selection in the magazine layout and further displayed below was an obvious choice for me; it’s all about color and contrasting texture, making the corner of the East Village the perfect choice to shoot a classy vintage vibe. Check out my amateur photo of Josh while he captures the scene…

click on any of the images to enlarge for a better view!

blessings abound!

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:46:00 +0000

2010 has begun with many blessings and I am in a state of gratitude for how good news is reigning supreme in the studio this month…where do I begin…I was surprised when Brooke from Ceremony Magazine delivered our cases of magazines to share with our clients with a mischievous grin on her face. I think I was the last one to find out the good news as we are kept so busy designing, that most submissions are done by either wedding coordinators, photographers, or the clients themselves. Discovering that one of the weddings that we designed with Red Letter Days Events had a 6 page feature was enough to cause a buzz around the studio, but to then hold the magazine with the bouquet shot by Cary Pennington on THE COVER…what joy!

The business of weddings is certainly fulfilling, we get to make a difference on a daily basis; a tangible difference with visible results. But soon those results fade as we pack up vases, donate flowers and are onto the next project…seeing the fruit of our labor (and believe me it is labor, but one of love), displayed again and oh so beautifully on the cover of Ceremony Magazine really made the difference for me as we begin the journey into the 2010 wedding season.

This wedding of Maureen and Gino; a stylish couple who run a very hip tattoo parlor, Two Roses, in the downtown San Diego area, complete with espresso bar and barber shop, took place at The Grand Del Mar, with the ceremony at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Little Italy. Check it out along with our other published weddings with the likes of the ever fabulous Kelly Aull of Mint Weddings, and Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings.
Posted below are collections of photos from Maureen and Gino's wedding that may not be in the magazine spread, but certainly tell more of the story. Our website's featured weddings category will be updated very soon to include the 3 other Weddings of Distinction highlighted in this same issue along with coordinating blog posts ...stay tuned...

In this all-inclusive issue of Ceremony Magazine, one of my favorites to date, I love the new layout, how they showcase the vendors for easy accessibility to the reader and the creative direction is superb…and I promise this is not biased for we share the cover with other greats throughout the season such as Adrianne Smith, whose luscious bouquet makes me long for Spring. Look for her covering the June and July issues, while Karen Tran's bouquet covers the August and September issues. It is truly an honor and privilege to be among so many wonderful industry professionals.

Festival of Brides Part Deux

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:18:00 +0000

As promised the ever fabulous Cary Pennington delivered a CD of images to us last week and of course I just had to create a part 2 about the Festival of Brides with Red Letter Days. Many of San Diego's vendors that participated in the show have shared such positive feedback, that we are considering showcasing at the next Festival. We are also happy to share that it seems that Cowgirl Magazine has taken a liking to our collaboration with Red Letter Days and is featuring an article in their magazine sharing Cary's photos of our presentation. How fun!

Festival of Brides for Red Letter Days

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:38:00 +0000

Today began with me driving away from our little hilltop retreat this morning at 6 am to meet two great wedding coordinators, Mia and Rebecca from Red Letter Days at the Grand Del Mar for the installation of their custom designed booth! Their concept was to create an arbor with a dramatic sand ceremony table as the focal point. Our primary ingredients for the inspiration came from black brocade fabric from Velvet Relic, and a plethora of birch logs, branches and risers. I just love the way the black and white concept all came together…below are some "teaser" photos while I await the professional masterpieces from Cary of Cary Pennington Photography who was onsite to capture the day! Mia and Becca I am sure are having a blast meeting new Brides and Grooms and inspiring them with their humor, knowledge, and savvy wedding sensibilities!

home for the holidays

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:56:00 +0000

I love my home this Christmas. It is warm and cozy, simply decorated, reminiscent of my own humble childhood and full of my son's first tender steps, giggles, and screeches. I am spending the time with my family that I have so often devoted to my clients during past holidays. Although I miss the whirl of decorating for others during Christmas, I am so grateful for this opportunity to be with my little family and to savor these tender moments.

I thought I would post some photos of past centerpieces for those of you that may wonder what we are usually up to during this time of year. Check back in a couple of weeks to see the lovely New Year's Eve wedding we will be designing for Robin and Seth at Hotel Solamar. It is an elegant affair with white & black anemones, gardenias, hydrangea, birch, birch, birch, and a plethora of candles. Until then...

click on image to enlarge

Word of the Day…

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:06:00 +0000

You may think that i have been watching too much Sesame Street with my 18 month old son..but I feel compelled to shout out my word of the day...AUTHENTICITY! For me it is about being authentic online, in my life, creating real and lasting relationships both in my personal life and business; all of this is my number one priority for 2010.

I have been reluctant to write, (which is hilarious for any of you that know me well, since I have a secret passion for stringing words together), because my site is not revised, reinvented, representative of Adorations and LaVonne Crawford.

I embarked on a journey late last year to redesign my blog and website, to my chagrin it was a disaster. As a designer, it is my responsibility to "get" my client, I guess I expected the blog "professionals" to approach the design in the same manner. I did not want another template, I wanted the design to REPRESENT! Finding the process dissatisfying, I gave up and focused on photo shoots, advertising and business relationships, all of which have been extraordinary, yet here I am again, longing for a presence on the web that expresses what is uniquely Adorations AND uniquely LaVonne Crawford, (for any of you that have not been in touch, I finally changed from LaVonne Zamora to my married name of Crawford).

And so the latest news is that I am speaking with a graphic designer next Monday for my initial in depth consultation about the branding of Adorations and how to either separate and / or integrate my other creative endeavors in a manner that makes sense to the you...the client, serves the history of Adorations, and introduces aspects of my creativity that not only will be fulfilling to myself but will also be in service to each of you.

Therefore I MUST embark on this writing journey...sharing the process, letting everyone in, and welcoming even what feels frightening...

...more to come...

summerville and co.

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:28:00 +0000

a great thank you to esther summerville ramsey for this lovely photo of a bouquet i created for our mutual friends...watching her slideshow of the wedding had me weepy for all of the love that she captured...i am so grateful to have one of our bouquets as a small part of all that LOVE! thanks esther!

bride and bloom

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:19:00 +0000

{please click on the photo to enlarge}
for your viewing pleasure we were featured in the current issue of bride and bloom. the fabulous paula luna of luna photo captured the tabletop beautifully, this was another collaboration with courtney toney of joyful weddings and events.

the rest of the tale...

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:37:00 +0000

okay this is it...a commitment to blog more often...ready set go...

in the newest issue of san diego style weddings magazine, we had the pleasure of working with two talented coordinators in furthering their tabletop vision by contributing flowers that coordinated with the concept they wished to portray. this first post, is the rest of the story of our work with courtney toney of joyful weddings and events captured by john schnack . some of which you will not see published. many thanks to courtney it was a fun time as always!

{please click on the photo to enlarge}

Project Wedding Feature

noreply@blogger.com (LaVonne Crawford) — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:38:00 +0000

just a short shout out to lunaphoto and project wedding for featuring ali and david's wedding at the hyatt manchester grand, expertly coordinated with kelly aull of mintweddings...keep checking back as our new website will be up soon and this wedding will certainly be highlighted on our new site.